Chapter 1396: Chapter 141: A Glimmer of Hope_4
Xuan Yue approached Mang Siu and Yu Jian, bowed respectfully, and said, "Grandfathers, greetings. May we begin now?"
Mang Siu smiled slightly and replied, "Yue Yue, are you ready?"
Xuan Yue nodded and asked, "I wonder which grandfather will honor me with instruction?"
Mang Siu and Yu Jian exchanged glances, and Mang Siu said, "I will do it." He projected his voice far and wide with Divine Energy, "By the Pope’s decree, due to the emergence of the Dark Forces, Red Priest Na Yan has sacrificed himself for the church. To fill the vacancy of the Red Robe Priest as soon as possible, a test for Goddess Xuan Yue will be conducted. If she can match either me or Yu Jian, the Red Robe Priest, in a draw, she will temporarily be promoted to acting Red Robe Priest. This will be overseen by all the priests and Judges present." His voice reached everyone before the Hall of Light, and they all heard it clearly. The crowd immediately became restless. The Little Witch Xuan Yue was well-known in the church, and although everyone adored this stunning young girl, no one could believe that she had reached the level of a Red Robe Priest at her age of under twenty. Soon, the murmurs of discussions rose incessantly.
As if she heard nothing, Xuan Yue said to Mang Siu, "Please begin."
Mang Siu nodded at Xuan Yue and said, "Girl, you must be careful." After speaking, he wrapped himself in white Divine Energy, floated up, and landed at the left side in front of the Hall of Light.
Not a ripple of emotion appeared on Xuan Yue’s pretty face. Golden energy surged out, enveloping her body as she floated to the other end in front of the Hall of Light.
Seeing the strong Sacred Aura emitted from Xuan Yue, everyone was stunned, including Mang Siu and Yu Jian. No one had expected Xuan Yue’s Light Magic cultivation to reach such a Realm. The relaxed expression on Mang Siu’s face disappeared instantly. He was very aware of what this golden energy signified; the strength that Xuan Yue possessed was at least above that of a White Robe Priest.
At this moment, the Pope walked out from the Hall of Light. As he appeared, all the priests and Judges immediately bowed in reverence and shouted in unison, "We pay homage to Your Holiness the Pope."
The Pope raised his hands and declared, "The position of a Red Robe Priest is of great importance to the church. Were it not for the sudden emergence of the Dark Forces, I would never hastily decide on a candidate. I hope the believers of God can understand my decision. Very well, Mang Siu, Xuan Yue, you may begin. To ensure fairness, neither party shall use any artifacts to augment their strength during the competition." Outsiders may not discern Xuan Yue’s strength, but how could he be unaware of it? Today, when he saw Xuan Yue return to the Hall of Light, he had already noticed the substantial increase in her powers, certainly not inferior to that of a Light Magic mage. Thus, he was reassured to let her take this test.
Xuan Yue and Mang Siu exchanged a customary priestly salute and simultaneously began chanting their Spells, the sacred chants echoing continuously in front of the Hall of Light, prompting all the priests to recite the Prayer Charm.
Xuan Yue chanted: "Oh great God of the Heavenly Realm! I beseech You, lend me Your endless Divine Power, let the light shroud the earth, let the Sacred fill the human world." Golden light suddenly intensified, and within five meters around Xuan Yue’s body, it was completely enveloped by a golden radiance. Columns of golden light shot up towards the sky like cylinders, soaring into the heavens. Xuan Ye and Na Yan, in the crowd, looked at their daughter wrapped in golden light and felt enormous relief; Xuan Yue was using Level Seven Light Magic - Descent of Divine Light. Being able to cast this Level Seven Magic so quickly, her cultivation was definitely not inferior to Mang Siu’s.
Mang Siu was also taken aback. He had originally intended to go easy in the competition, but seeing Xuan Yue’s use of Descent of Divine Light, he couldn’t help but abandon that thought. The white light revolving around his body gradually turned golden, forming the same golden columns rising to the sky. The two stood opposite each other in front of the Hall of Light, constantly gathering the Light elements from the air.
Xuan Yue’s eyes shone with a cold light. She drew a beautiful arc on each side of her body with her hands, palms turning outward, and Divine Energy burst forth. Directed by Xuan Yue’s will, the straight ascending golden Energy suddenly changed direction and shot towards Mang Siu. A flash of light sparked in Mang Siu’s eyes, and the same movement appeared on his hands. Two streams of golden light suddenly emerged from both sides of the Hall of Light, and since the Energy was of the same origin, there was no violent explosion. The same golden light remained suspended in the air, squeezing each other. Although both golden energies were filled with Sacred Aura, they were slightly different; Xuan Yue’s golden columns were a deeper shade and could be clearly distinguished in the sky.
Despite the gathering of thousands of people in front of the Hall of Light, it was unusually quiet. Who wouldn’t want to witness the battle between mages? Suddenly, the two shades of golden light collided in the air, continuously pushing against each other’s emitted Energy. In this magic duel, it was all about who had deeper arcane prowess. Only the one with more profound magical cultivation could claim the final victory.
Holy incantations continued to rise from the lips of Xuan Yue and Mang Siu as the two golden energy pillars kept squeezing each other, with neither gaining an advantage. The immense energy aura formed a circle like an invisible Barrier, pushing all the clergy spectators out beyond a hundred meters. In the process of continuously gathering Light elements, Xuan Yue’s blue hair was stirred by the energy and fluttered within the golden light wrapped around her body. Her serene face was filled with sanctity and majesty, and some of the watching clergy already cried out ’Reincarnation of a Goddess’.
Xuan Ye was greatly comforted seeing his daughter’s Energy steadily strengthen. However, Na Yan tightly grasped Xuan Ye’s hand; although Xuan Yue did not appear to be at a disadvantage on the surface, she was still extremely nervous, fearing her daughter might make a misstep. Xuan Ye communicated with Na Yan using a mental transmission, saying, "Don’t worry, as long as Yue Yue can hold her own, she definitely won’t lose. Mang Siu’s cultivation is about the same as mine. Unless something unexpected happens, Yue Yue should at least be able to draw, without suffering any loss."
Just then, an astonishing change occurred on the field. Mang Siu, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest, suddenly threw them wide open, his eyes blazing with golden light as he chanted loudly: "First is the light of life, second the soul’s vessel, third the light of healing, fourth the heart of humanity, fifth the light of holiness, sixth the command of God, seventh the light of destruction, eighth the judgment of immortality, ninth the light of death, tenth the wounds of heaven and earth. With the Power of God as the guide, with the form of five lights and five extinctions, burst forth, the proud spirit between heaven and earth, form the Great Light, sweep away all horror and evil." Mang Siu’s hands formed one mysterious gesture after another, and golden symbols continually infused into the energy in front of him. As the incantation came to completion, the original protective golden light gradually transformed, forming a Barrier with seven swirling colors: red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, and purple. His presence suddenly intensified, and the golden column he emitted also turned into a colorful pillar. With its volume greatly increased, it bore down with a heavy and immense stature, progressively pushing down Xuan Yue’s golden column.
The magic Mang Siu used was recognized only by clerics of the White Robe Priest and above. It was Level Eight Magic - Great Light, drawing upon the righteous energy of Heaven and Earth, forming with five lights and five extinctions, condensing into a massive Energy to attack the enemy. Although the Divine Energy contained in the Great Light was not as pure as the golden column produced by Descent of Divine Light, the power it contained was much greater, making it one of the strongest single-target attacks among Level Eight Light Magic. Even Xuan Yue had not expected Mang Siu to use this magic. The Pope’s expression subtly changed, his brow furrowed; even he would have to exert considerable effort to unravel the Great Light unleashed by Mang Siu, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit worried for his granddaughter.
Upon seeing the Great Light emerge, Xuan Ye was greatly shaken. He knew how to use this magic too, and its power was almost unimaginable. He hadn’t expected Mang Siu to be able to use such potent magic so quickly. Clearly unprepared, Xuan Yue was now completely at a disadvantage, likely so pressured that she didn’t even have the ability to chant spells, let alone counterattack. At this moment, Xuan Ye could only hope that Mang Siu would show mercy in consideration of the Pope and not hurt his daughter.
Na Yan asked anxiously, "What do we do now? What can we do? Yue Yue is about to lose her ground." Xuan Ye looked at the resplendent light in front of the Hall of Light with difficulty and was at a loss for what to do; he could only whisper to console her, "Don’t panic just yet, Yue Yue might not necessarily lose. If Yue Yue’s life really is in danger, even if I face severe punishment from His Holiness, I will definitely save her."
