Chapter 275 Chapter273-The Mysteries of the Soul
Within the plaza of the God of Sea, Ethan and Lana Mokos vanished, soon finding themselves in a peculiar realm.
It seemed as if they were amidst the stars, yet they could distinctly feel the gentle flow of water, creating a surreal sensation.
Before Ethan could further observe this enigmatic environment, he noticed Lana Mokos already seated, her eyes shut tight, radiating an immense stellar aura.
Taking her lead, Ethan too settled down, delving deep into understanding the Soul Language of Nature.
Under the oppressive weight of the High Priest's soul magic, Ethan had managed to grasp a hint of the Soul Language of Nature.
However, the soul remained elusive and profound.
Even with his earlier revelations, he hadn't fully mastered this enigmatic language.
But in this very moment, Ethan distinctly felt his comprehension of the soul deepening.
In the blink of an eye, he discerned myriad skills pertaining to the soul.
If he were to face the High Priest's soul magic once more, Ethan was confident he could break it almost instantaneously.
Yet, more pivotal than these skills was a deeper understanding of the soul itself.
The soul was a profound mystery.
By current understanding, a creature's physical form existed in the tangible world while its consciousness resided in a spiritual one.
But the location of the soul remained an enigma, though its existence was undeniable.
To unravel the secrets of the soul, many embarked on rigorous research.
Among them, Alchemists and Necromancers were the most engrossed, concluding that the soul was a harmonious blend of a being's wisdom and strength.
It bore wondrous attributes.
When a creature was alive, its soul remained concealed, but upon death, the soul would momentarily manifest before vanishing once again.
A faction among these researchers were fervently devoted to augmenting the power of the soul.
They crafted numerous spells to sense the soul and, using magic, sought to manipulate the souls of others.
Over time, being immersed in this soul-infused magic imbued them with a palpable aura of death, earning them the title of 'Necromancer'.
Most of these individuals were undeniably mad.
On the other hand, there were the Alchemists.
Instead of focusing on amplifying the strength of the soul like the Necromancers, Alchemists were innately curious about the rules governing the soul's existence.
Among their great alchemical masterpieces was the "Wraith Revival".
However, when this method was exploited by the Necromancers, it was branded as malevolent.
Of course, the applications of the soul extend beyond just this.
In the annals of Alchemist research, there was once an Alchemist who discovered that souls could be artificially created.
However, these crafted souls lacked the innate wisdom of a typical human, comprehending only basic commands. This marked the genesis of Puppetry.
There is so much more to the soul, yet Ethan couldn't grasp it all in such a short span.
He had to choose the most pertinent soul-based offensive technique to understand deeply.
As his comprehension deepened, Ethan finally discerned a soul attack skill: the Soul Spike.
This skill allowed him to condense his Power of Soul into a sharp spike, directly assaulting an enemy's soul to inflict grievous harm.
Crucially, this skill could be incorporated into weapons. It was, without a doubt, the most apt method for the moment.
On the other side, a smirk played on Lana Mokos's lips, hinting at significant progress in her endeavors.
Not long after Ethan's realization of the Soul Spike, their time in this peculiar realm reached its end, and both were transported back to the plaza of the God of Sea.
Subsequently, a message surfaced in their minds:
[The next trial will commence in ninety days.]
At that moment, High Priest turned to the two of them, smiling, "I fear you both won't have a chance for the second trial of God of Sea."
No sooner had High Priest finished speaking than Ethan and Lana Mokos found the scene before them shifting once again, taking them back to the dilapidated underwater palace.
Upon their arms, a mark of the Golden Trident manifested.
"Do you have any other tricks up your sleeve?" High Priest inquired with a smirk.
Sharing a brief glance, Ethan and Lana Mokos simultaneously launched an assault on High Priest.
However, their efforts proved futile before him.
Their attacks failed to inflict any damage, even as Ethan employed the recently acquired Soul Spike, channeling it through his spear.
Still, High Priest effortlessly parried it.
"Soul magic? I am the true master," High Priest remarked with a cold chuckle, his patience evidently wearing thin. "If you choose to resist, then you shall meet your end. While a corpse might have lesser utility, there are ways to compensate."
Several of his plans had already gone awry, and High Priest had no intention of another setback.
This time, he was undoubtedly serious.
An overwhelming power immobilized both Ethan and Lana Mokos, rendering them incapable of any movement, let alone the utilization of any skills.
Is this how it ends?
Feeling his own helplessness, anger welled up within Ethan.
Yet, against the insurmountable power of High Priest, he and Lana Mokos were akin to worms in the soil — easily manipulated and powerless to resist.
However, even worms can bite.
"I'll try to break the palace's barrier. But doing so may leave me vulnerable. Can I trust you?" Ethan mentally communicated to Lana Mokos.
They conversed through their consciousness, keeping their exchange unnoticed by High Priest.
Lana Mokos paused briefly before nodding slightly in agreement.
Thereafter, Ethan locked his gaze onto High Priest, channeling all his might into the spear, and igniting it with the Power of Thunder.
This was the most formidable skill Ethan had discerned from the Thunder Language of Nature.
It had the ability to condense boundless thunder, leading to an explosive release, generating a force potent enough to penetrate all obstacles.
High Priest clearly hadn't anticipated this.
Just as he was about to reach out and execute Ethan and Lana Mokos, he was jolted by a fierce explosion.
The palace trembled relentlessly, eventually resulting in a breach within the barrier encasing it.
As for Ethan, he was completely drained.
Lana Mokos threw a glance at Ethan, who now lay on the ground.
Without more than a moment's hesitation, she hoisted him onto her shoulder and dashed toward the breach in the barrier.
"Trying to flee?" High Priest discerned Lana Mokos's intent.
However, the violent explosion had rendered his Soul Mirage unstable, making it challenging for him to mend the barrier swiftly.
Resorting to his trident, High Priest unleashed a shockwave in Lana Mokos's direction.
She sensed it but didn't evade.
The shockwave struck Lana Mokos squarely in the back, sending tremors through her body and inflicting excruciating pain.
But this very shockwave also provided her with an additional thrust, propelling her speedily beyond the barrier.
Outside the barrier, Rod, the leader, and his subordinates were guarding the palace.
On seeing Lana Mokos emerge, Rod instantly became alert, intending to intercept her.
Yet, before he could make a move, his head dropped to the ground, severed by several invisible space blades that decimated those around him.
This onslaught drained Lana Mokos's energy reserves entirely.
Cradling the now unconscious Ethan, Lana Mokos looked skyward, whispering softly, "Now, we shall see if the Goddess of Luck favors us."
She activated a random space gate, which was highly unstable and collapsing by the second.
Without any hesitation, Lana Mokos, with Ethan in tow, leaped into it.
By the time the two had entered, the space gate was nearly closed, leaving High Priest emerging just in time to glimpse a narrow slit.
His fury intensified.
"Return to me!" High Priest roared.
Without hesitation, he thrust his hand deep into the fissure.
However, in that brief moment of reaching in, the space gate vanished, and the space rift consumed the arm he had extended.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
"Hmph. Venturing into such a space gate, you stand no chance of survival," he said with a darkened expression.
Losing access to such a rare Bloodline was a significant setback.
Still, High Priest managed to remain composed, invoking soul magic to resurrect the slain leader, Rod, and his comrades.
He then erased their prior memories, issued new orders for them to capture individuals with the special Bloodline.
"This matter cannot be delayed any further," High Priest murmured, "I must have a worthy vessel to house my soul, or I'll lose the privilege to enter when the Relic Battlefield fully materializes. That's pivotal for my growth as a deity; nothing must go awry."
Having said that, High Priest returned to the palace, letting his soul rest within the trident.
Elsewhere, in the realm where Ethan and Lana Mokos found themselves...
It was a battlefield.
Countless monster corpses lay strewn across the ground, piled up like small hills.
Among them, many individuals moved deftly, seemingly indifferent to the stench of decaying flesh, as if searching for something.
Most alarmingly, the majority of these searchers were children of seven or eight years.
At that moment, a young boy, busy rummaging through the monster remains, seemed to discover something.
He called out to a few other children nearby, "Come quickly! There are two people here."
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