Chapter 623: Chapter 174: Immortal Undead_1
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While walking towards the temple, Ah Dai whispered, "It’s all my fault, I brought you so much trouble, even the members of your church are..."
Xuan Yue sighed, "How can you be blamed for this? Everything can only be said to be fate. Big brother Ba Bui is really pitiful. I don’t care how others see me, as long as you treat me well. Anyway, we are going to leave the church for the Death Mountain Range, maybe, we can leave all these troubles behind." While speaking, they had already reached the center of the main hall of the Temple of Light. Here, envoys representing various powers were already gathered. In the face of many elders, Ah Dai felt embarrassed to continue holding Xuan Yue’s hand. He stepped forward and bowed to the Pope under the Angel statue, "Ah Dai pays his respects to the Pope." He turned around and greeted the envoys, "Greetings to all the masters."
The Pope smiled slightly, "Savior, you need not be so polite, I have heard from Priestess Xuan Yue that your powers have already recovered, is that so?"
Ah Dai nodded, "Thank you for your concern, Pope. My injuries have completely healed, and my powers have returned to normal. Everything before was my fault, please forgive me, Pope."
The Pope said, "If it’s in the past, let’s not bring it up again." At this time, Xuan Yue had already walked to the Pope’s side and stood respectfully there like the other three Red Robe Priests. The Pope continued, "I asked Priestess Xuan Yue to call you here mainly to discuss the matter of the dark forces. Priestess Xuan Yue should have already told you about it. Are you willing to represent humanity to investigate the whereabouts of the dark forces?"
Ah Dai nodded firmly, "I’m willing, Pope. For the peace of the continent, for everyone to be able to live a peaceful and comfortable life I am willing to find the nest of the dark forces."
The Pope smiled, "Ah Dai, you can be said to be everyone’s hope! The masters here all recommend you as the leader to the Death Mountain Range. We believe that since you are the savior, you must be able to lead humanity out of the crisis, eliminate the dark forces from the continent thoroughly, and let the light forever shine on earth. The ones who will accompany you on this trip have been decided. They are the Red Priestess Xuan Yue from the Church, Yan Shi and Yan Li brothers from the Pu Yan tribe, Elf Envoy Zhuo Yun from the Elf Clan, Kino Magician from the Tianjing Mage Guild, and Olivia Magician from the Continental Mage Guild. These should all be friends you are familiar with, we hope you can report the exact situation of the dark forces back to us in the shortest time. Once confirmed, the Church will team up with the four countries of the continent, send out the most elite warriors and mages of humanity to completely eliminate the source of the dark forces. Do you have any opinions?"
Ah Dai said, "Your Holiness, I think this trip to the Death Mountain Range is rather dangerous, it would be better to have fewer people go. It would be enough if just I and Priestess Xuan Yue go."
The Pope was taken aback, then smiled, "I know you are concerned about the safety of these friends, rest assured, I have fully prepared everything, Xuan Yue will tell you when the time comes. They must go, as they represent various forces on the continent, only by seeing with their own eyes, can the different factions believe in the threat posed by the dark forces."
Ah Dai looked at Xuan Yue, Xuan Yue nodded at him, indicating that what the Pope said was true. "Your Holiness, I have no choice but to take on this mission, but no matter whether we truly find the nest of the dark forces, I must return to the Tian Gang Sword Sect in three months, because there is an important matter waiting for me to do. I hope you can understand."
The Pope frowned, "What could be more important than finding the dark forces? But three months should be enough. Ah Dai, you have to know, now there is only a little over a year left before the Millennium of the Holy Calendar, to destroy the dark forces as soon as possible, we must make the most of all the time."
Ah Dai nodded, "Your Holiness, you can rest assured. I returned to Tian Gang Mountain to strengthen our power against the Dark Forces. However, I can’t disclose the specifics yet. Please forgive me." Of all those present, only Xi Wen and Xuan Yue knew that Ah Dai was referring to the competition among the four Sword Saints that took place once every twenty years.
The Pope nodded, "Very well. You will set out early tomorrow morning. After this gathering ends, the representatives who will scout the Death Mountain Range should stay. I have instructions for you."
Ah Dai complied and stepped aside. The Pope spoke to everyone, "The church’s chronicles record that when the Blood Moon appears, evil is bred, and when Blood Rain falls, disaster will be formed. It happened several years ago. I and all the priests in the church tried our best to delay this disaster, but I am afraid we may not be as successful when the Blood Moon appears for the second time. We are all human beings living on the Tian Yuan Continent. I have already said everything I should say. I hope you can put aside all your disagreements, unite, and fight against the Dark Forces."
Xi Wen nodded, "His Holiness is right, we are doing this not only for ourselves, but also our descendants. We must unite and fight against the invaders. On behalf of the Tian Gang Sword Sect, I declare that we will wholeheartedly support the church in its fight against the Dark Forces, and never retreat. Today, I will go back to Tian Gang Mountain immediately and wait for the church’s message."
The Pope gave a slight bow to Xi Wen, "Thank you for the Tian Gang Sword Sect’s support, please send my regards to the Sword Saint of the Tian Gang."
Feng Wen stood next to Xi Wen and said, "On behalf of the Huasheng Empire, I declare that we will support the church along with the Tian Gang Sword Sect."...Apart from the absent representatives of the Empire of Sunset City, the envoys representing the various forces of the continent expressed their support for the church’s fight against the Dark Forces. The meeting ended on a harmonious note. In order to convene their elites as soon as possible, except for the Elf Envoy and Sect Leader Xi Wen of the Tian Gang Sect, the representatives of the various forces left the Divine Mountain of the church immediately and went back to their own territories.
Only the Pope, Xi Wen, the four Red Robe Priests, Elf Princess Xing’er, Elf Envoy Audi, and those like Ah Dai, who were preparing to journey to the Death Mountain Range, remained in the Temple of Light.
The Pope looked around solemnly and said, "Everyone, whether we can completely eradicate the Dark Forces and save the continent from disaster depends greatly on your upcoming journey to the Death Mountain Range. Ah Dai, as a part of the Death Mountain Range is in the Tian Yuan Clan territory, you and your team should accompany the Elf Princess. With the help of the Elf Clan, you should be able to enter the Death Mountain Range smoothly. Elf Envoy Audi once entered the range and will now brief you about it. Elf Envoy Audi, please."
Audi nodded, stepped forward, and said, "Years ago, in order to prove my bravery, I rashly entered the Death Mountain Range. Everything inside it is etched in my memory even after decades. The terror there is unimaginable. The term ’Death Mountain range’ is no exaggeration. It’s filled with the aura of death, and various Undead Creatures occupy almost every corner. Undead Creatures are not afraid of death, and those with slightly higher levels have the ability to revive."
Olivia went to Ah Dai and asked with a frown, "The ability to revive? Elf Envoy, can you please elaborate?"
Audi’s eyes showed a hint of fear, he sighed and said, "Their ability to revive means Undead Creatures simply can’t die. I remember, as soon as I entered the periphery of the Death Mountain Range, I encountered a dozen Skeleton Warriors. Those Skeleton Warriors were not exceptionally powerful, and I crushed them quite easily, scattering their bones all over. Just when I felt proud of my achievement, something bizarre happened. Those scattered bones began to reassemble, and in the blink of an eye, those crushed skeletons were back on their feet, launching more powerful attacks. Among Undead Creatures, skeletons are the most ordinary kind. I encountered headless Death Knights, zombies oozing green slime and emitting a foul smell, and many other creatures whose names I do not know. They are not scared of being destroyed, unless turned into ashes. Otherwise, even if they are knocked to the ground, they can stand up in the shortest possible time to continue their attacks. To Undead Creatures, human vitality is what they like the most. If they can devour a human’s soul and flesh, Undead Creatures can become significantly stronger. That’s why as soon as humans are detected, they rush to attack relentlessly. I was lucky to escape, or I would have become their food. Sigh... I don’t mean to scare you, but if these Undead Creatures were not for some reason prevented from leaving Death Mountain Range, they would have invaded our continent long ago."
Ah Dai and his companions took a sharp breath. They had anticipated the Death Mountain range to be dangerous, but only now did they realize the sheer horror it held. How could they possibly fight against the undead Undead? Even Ah Dai became unsettled. For a while, the Temple of Light fell silent.
After a long while, Yan Shi stammered, "Isn’t there any way to deal with the Undead Creatures? If they truly can’t die, we probably won’t be able to penetrate the Death Mountain Range in any way."
Ah Dai’s eyes lit up, and before Audi could reply, he quickly said, "There is a way. I can fly in the air using my dou qi. If I scout the interior of the Death Mountain Range from mid-air, wouldn’t that be okay?"
Audi glanced at Ah Dai, shaking his head, "It’s not as simple as you might think. At least half of the undead in the Death Mountain Range have the ability to fly. Although I’ve never seen what the strongest undead creature looks like, I fear that even you would be unable to combat such creatures. Legend has it that within the Death Mountain Range, the strongest undead creature is the Bone Dragon, a beast nearly a hundred meters in length. Just imagine, such a formidable creature, possessing immortality. How could we possibly deal with it? Even if there was only one, I doubt you’d be able to defeat it."
Ah Dai fell silent. Yes! Undead creatures could very well have the ability to fly. The little skeleton within his own Dragon’s Blood (the name Ah Dai had given to the bone dragon) had the ability to fly, didn’t it? Even though it was just over twenty meters long, it already possessed such immense power. A hundred-meter Bone Dragon? What would that be like?
Audi let out a sigh, "As far as I know, the only thing that might possibly restrain undead creatures is the holy light magic from the Church. But to what degree it might suppress them, I’m not certain."
Ah Dai looked at Xuan Yue and said, "If light magic can restrain undead creatures, with Yue Yue here, we should be safe."
The Pope slowly walked up to Ah Dai, and said, "Don’t be too optimistic. The Elf Envoy Audi just mentioned that in the center of the Death Mountain Range, many powerful undead creatures gather. Although these undead creatures are powerful, they lost part of their souls at death and were eroded by evil, so it is very likely that they have been controlled by dark forces. You should know that powerful undead creatures have the ability to be immune to holy light magic. If necessary, I’m afraid only the Nine Heavens God Thunder you summon can cause a fatal blow to them. You all know the strength of the church. One of the main reasons why I am so concerned about dark forces is due to the undead creatures in the Death Mountain Range. Now, let me tell you about the origin of Death Mountain Range. This is the top secret of the church, and I hope you will not spread it." After getting affirmative replies from Ah Dai and the others, the Pope hesitated for a moment and continued, "Perhaps you have guessed that the formation of Death Mountain Range is related to the catastrophe suffered by humans a thousand years ago. This guess is correct. A thousand years ago, the great Savior, the first Pope of the church, God Feather, and his wife led many strong people on the continent to resist the Dark Demon Clan. After more than ten years of concerted efforts by humans, they finally annihilated most of the Dark Demon Clan. By then, God Feather discovered that the Dark Demon Clan was not originally a race from the continent, they came from the evil Demon Realm. He even deduced that there are three parts in the world. One of them is the Divine Realm where our revered Sky Gods reside, another one is our home, the continent of Tian Yuan, which can also be called the human world, and finally, the Demon Realm, condensed with infinite evil. Among the three realms, we, the human world, are the weakest, but for various reasons, neither the Divine Realm nor the Demon Realm can easily come to the human world. Although we humans are weak, we possess powerful souls that are not inferior to those in the God and Demon realms. To vie for more human souls, both the God and Demon realms regard the human world as their desired target. The Sky Gods in the Divine Realm use their compassion to help us humans develop, while the Demon Realm is always plotting to invade the human world, completely occupy our Tian Yuan continent, and turn humans into slaves forever subjugated under their demonic power. If the Divine and Demon realms weren’t isolated, they would have probably started a devastating war a long time ago. Because of these reasons, the human world has become the battlefield fought over by the realms of God and Demon. A thousand years ago, the Demon Realm finally succeeded in opening a portal to our human world, but unfortunately, the portal was too small, and only races with relatively weak power could pass through it. The Dark Demon Clan arrived in the human world this way. In just a few years, these powerful beings from the Demon Realm reduced our human population by almost half with their cruelty and evil. It was then that God Feather was dispatched by the Sky Gods to lead us humans in resistance. In the end, evil could never triumph over justice, and the Dark Demon King was driven back to what is now known as the Death Mountain Range. With the powers bestowed upon him by the Sky Gods, God Feather crushed the invasion of the Dark Demon Clan. Actually, he had intended to completely annihilate the Dark Demon Clan at that time, however, he found the portal to the Demon Realm. In order to seal this portal, God Feather had to give up annihilating the Dark Demon clan. After reaching an agreement with the Dark Demon God, he completely sealed it at the portal, using its evil body and the power from the Sky Gods to thoroughly seal the portal. One of the items in the agreement was that humans would no longer pursue the remnants of the Dark Demon Clan and allow them to live in a corner of the mainland. Although the portal to the Demon Realm was successfully sealed, God Feather found that the bodies of soldiers and various powerful creatures who died in this battle had turned into undead creatures under the deathly aura emitted by the portal to the Demon Realm. The power of these undead creatures was even more threatening than the Dark Demon Clan. To prevent the fragile humanity from suffering another blow, God Feather made the resolute decision to use the prospect of his own life for the next fifty years to summon the mighty power of the Sky Gods and completely seal the entire Death Mountain Range. Under the strong divine power of the Sky Gods, the undead creatures would never be able to step out of the Death Mountain Range. God Feather’s premature death later was due to the consumption of too much of his life energy. Although the undead creatures couldn’t leave the Death Mountain Range, it became their territory. God Feather decreed that no one, unless permitted by the church, was allowed to set foot in the Death Mountain Range. This law was enacted for fear that more people would die there and become one of the undead creatures. In the years following the recovery from the calamity on the mainland, God Feather would rely on his profound cultivation to travel to the center of the Death Mountain Range to check the stability of the seal on the portal to the Demon Realm. However, when he went again in the fifth year, he found that he was unable to break through the blockade of the undead creatures with his power, which showed how powerful these undead creatures are. This, is the origin of the Death Mountain Range."
The Pope’s words not only left Ah Dai and his companions in shock but also startled Xuan Ye, Mang Siu, Yu Jian, and Xuan Yue, surprising them with these deeply buried secrets of the church. They never thought that the Death Mountains had such a complicated origin. Xuan Yue said, "So Honorable Pope, according to what you’re saying, we have no hope of entering the Death Mountains at all? How then can we investigate whether dark forces exist in there? Could the so-called Millennium Catastrophe be brought about by these undead creatures? If the barrier set up by God Feather long ago is broken, and these undead creatures leave the Death Mountain Range and wreak havoc everywhere, then it’s really hard to deal with. It’s very likely that the entire continent will become the world of the undead."
The Pope shook his head and said, "There’s not much possibility. If the continent is occupied by undead creatures, it would bring no benefit to the Demon Realm. Moreover, the intelligence of these undead creatures are quite low. They have already adapted to life in the Death Mountains in the past millennium. They may not necessarily leave. The barrier set up by God Feather is specifically for these undead creatures, and it’s not that easy to break through. What I’m worried about now is the Church of the Dark Saint unsealing the entrance to the Demon Realm that was sealed a long time ago. Once the seal is broken, the entrance might enlarge, and then, the Demon Realm’s forces will invade the continent. Not to mention that we don’t have the means to resist them, even the Sky God would be powerless. I never understood how the Millennium Catastrophe would come to the continent, until I heard Luo Shui’s words the other day and everything became clear. That’s why I firmly believe that everything she said is true. What we need to do now is to buy time. According to previous judgments, the seal of this entrance to the Demon Realm might be broken when the Blood Sun descends. We must annihilate the Dark Saint Church in the Death Mountains before this, not giving them the opportunity to open the entrance to the Demon Realm."
Ah Dai asked doubtfully, "Your Holiness, I have a question. Even if we locate the headquarters of the dark forces in the Death Mountain Range, what use would it be? The peripheral area of the Death Mountain Range is occupied by a vast undead army. As you said, this is not something we humans can confront! If these undead kill our human warriors and absorb their souls, the situation for humanity would become even more dangerous." Ah Dai’s question also voiced the concerns of Yan Shi and the others. They all stared at the Pope, waiting for his response.
The Pope smiled slightly and said, "I’ve instructed you to go for a reason. Indeed, undead creatures are powerful, but they are not invincible. Under the influence of holy light magic, most undead cannot resist. As long as we can confirm that our speculations are correct, I will lead all the priests of the church to the Death Mountain Range to eradicate the low and mid-level undead creatures there. Of course, this will inevitably provoke the anger of high-level undead creatures. The armies of various countries are there to jointly deal with these high-level undead creatures. As long as we can hold them off and eliminate the dark forces, we can save the continent from disaster. Your journey to the Death Mountain Range not only requires locating the dark forces, but also determining the quantity of high-level undead creatures as much as possible, so we can prepare. Everyone come closer, I have something to show you."
Everyone gathered around the Pope. The Pope made a motion in the air, opening his golden space barrier. A splendid seven-colored bead, under his mental urging, floated in front of everyone. The Pope pointed casually, a golden light shot out. Under the stimulation of divine energy, the seven-colored light pearl emitted a soft light, a large halo gradually condensed, presenting a somewhat blurry image.
The Pope said solemnly, "I’ll tell you, this map was left by His Majesty God Feather, it is the only map that accurately depicts the terrain of the Death Mountain Range on the continent."
In surprise, everyone carefully looked at the map. They saw a series of mountains undulating endlessly, numerous closely connected mountains of not very high elevation, the terrain was extremely complicated.
The Pope said, "I will give this map to Priestess Xuan Yue to carry. In the Death Mountain Range, it is covered with clouds all year round, and there are no plants, so it is difficult to discern direction. This map is very important to you. The Death Mountain Range covers a vast area, nearly three times the size of the Tian Gang Mountain Range. Look, this is your destination." The Pope pointed to a basin surrounded by mountains in the centre of the map. "Here is where His Majesty God Feather fought the Dark Demon God and sealed him in the entrance to the Demon Clan. If the dark forces are in the Death Mountain Range, this place would definitely be their habitat. Be careful, the evil aura here is very strong, do not let it affect your sanity. Xuan Yue, as soon as you enter the Death Mountain Range, you must always cast Divine Blessing on everyone, dispelling the evil aura with sacred light magic. A millennium has passed, perhaps the landscape has changed, but there has been no earthquake near the Death Mountain Range, so the changes should not be significant. As long as you can find your way according to the map, there should be a good chance of reaching your destination. As for how to deal with the undead and how to enter the interior of the Death Mountain Range, it is up to your abilities. However, bear in mind, if it is impossible, retreat from the Death Mountain Range immediately. Let’s set a limit of three months. If you still haven’t reached the central area of the Death Mountain Range within three months, then, immediately return to the church, even if it’s risky, I will mobilise all the powers of the continent to attack the Death Mountain Range together."
Looking at the determined expression on the Pope’s face, Ah Dai shivered inwardly. He knew how great the responsibility weighing on him was. This was a matter concerning the safety of the entire continent! He made a silent resolve in his heart to find a way to enter the Death Mountain Range and gather accurate information, no matter what.
Xi Wen said, "You’ve all heard what the Pope said. The path ahead of you is fraught with responsibilities and is long. Be cautious. Ah Dai, do you recall the scene at the Assassin Headquarters? The President of the Assassin’s Guild claimed himself to be the fifth elder of the Church of the Dark Saint. And the form he transformed into was unlike any creature in our continent. If my guess is correct, it’s possible that he is a creature from the Demon Clan who sneaked in when the entrance to the Demon Realm was opened. Since their fifth elder is a demon beast, it’s likely that the upper echelons of the Church of the Dark Saint could also belong to the Demon Clan. Therefore, on this journey, you not only need to face the Undead Creatures but also stay vigilant against the Dark Saint Church formed by dark forces."
Recalling the form the president of the Assassin’s Guild had taken that day, Ah Dai realized he had never before encountered such an evil race! A race capable of regenerating.
The Pope said, "Xi Wen and I have discussed this. You must remember, you are there not to fight, but to scout. Do not engage unnecessarily with powerful enemies, once your reconnaissance mission is completed, leave immediately." After a sweeping glance around at everyone, he took back the map and handed the Seven-color Light Pearl to Xuan Yue, saying solemnly, "Children, the safety of our continent is in your hands. Ah Dai has Divine Dragon’s Blood and Life True Qi to protect him; an evil aura cannot easily invade him. The rest of you are more vulnerable, I’ve made a few amulets. Keep them on you; they would help ward off some evil invasions at crucial moments." Saying this, he took out several golden rings from his barrier and handed them out to everyone. The rings were gleaming with a radiance that contained massive divine energy, which could be clearly perceived by all.
"Alright, you should all go and rest. Depart for the Death Mountain Range first thing in the morning. If you need anything, just say so, the Church will try its best to fulfill your needs."
A bit awkwardly, Ah Dai stepped forward towards the Pope, first respectfully bowing, and then said, "Your Holiness, there is something I wish to ask of you."
The Pope smiled and said, "Go on, speak your mind, no need to be modest."
Ah Dai glanced at Xi Wen next to him, hesitated and said, "I...I wish to ask you for Yue Yue’s hand in marriage. Not right now of course, but...I...I want to get engaged to Yue Yue. I don’t want any complications and I am truly afraid of losing her." This was something Ah Dai had thought of a while ago, and the reason Xi Wen had not left earlier was because he had received a message from Ah Dai to stay back and support him.
Xuan Yue had not expected Ah Dai to propose at this moment, she was immediately embarrassed, she kept her head down, and played with the corner of her priest robe, remaining silent.
Xi Wen moved to Ah Dai’s side, smiled and said, "Your Holiness, these two children have gone through so much hardship. Please, grant their wish. Ah Dai is one of us from the Tian Gang Sect, being his elder, I am fully entitled to represent him. I assure you, Miss Xuan Yue would not be mistreated if she marries him."
The Pope at this moment no longer displayed the majesty he once had; a gentle smile was on his face. He said, "This is something I can’t decide. Even the Pope can’t interfere with the marriage affairs of members of the Church according to our rules. Yue Yue, don’t you agree?"
Xuan Yue, aware that the Pope was referring back to the time when she had insisted on marrying Ba Bu Yi, blushed even more, and meekly replied, "Grandpa, you...you can just decide for me."
The Pope laughed heartily, "Now you are ready for your grandpa to decide, huh? Xuan Ye, what do you think?" He turned his gaze towards his son, seeking his opinion.
Ah Dai’s eyes followed the Pope’s gaze towards Xuan Ye; his heart started racing. Knowing well Xuan Ye’s low opinion of him, he worried Xuan Ye would object. His eyes revealed a pleading look.
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