Page 547

However, despite his hearty laughter, he was at a disadvantage in the battle. This was not because his combat prowess was inferior to the Pope's, but because: Samanda was a Sword Saint, while the Pope was not.

A Sword Saint, due to the chaotic energy drawn from the Astral Abyss saturating their body, undergoes a fundamental transformation that renders them utterly resistant to any healing magic or divine arts. Because of this, even Jin Luosha, a pinnacle master of light divine arts, cannot heal herself. Although Sword Saints gain several times the lifespan of ordinary people, in battle—especially against an opponent of equal strength who excels in restorative spells—they face immense difficulties.

And Pope Paul VIII, now ascended to angelic form, was precisely such a formidable obstacle. Close to Saint Spirit Mountain, he could draw far more support from the vast radiant energy within the Sky City than Jin Luosha, granting him an inexhaustible supply of magic. Combined with his mastery of silent spellcasting for all healing spells, he was practically immortal. So far in their duel, Orc King Samanda had inflicted over a dozen wounds on him that would have left any normal person severely injured or dead. Yet for the Pope, such injuries were trivial—merely requiring a flash of white light to fully heal. Even his legendary armor, the Ancient God's Armor, could continuously absorb energy to repair itself mid-battle, growing brighter and newer with each clash.

Samanda was not so fortunate. During an attack that nearly cleaved the Pope in half, his overcommitted strike left an opening, allowing his opponent to counter and gouge out one of his eyes despite sustaining injuries. He was then stabbed three more times, each wound exchanged deliberately by Paul VIII. The worst was a slash to his left hand, which had transformed into a Behemoth's massive claw, nearly severing the bone. Were it not for the orcs' natural endurance and the indomitable willpower of those who practiced the "Emperor Martial Overlord Art," he might have already retreated from the fight.

Yet in Samanda's heart, there was not the slightest thought of retreat.

The Pope flared his six radiant wings and momentarily withdrew from the fray. Glancing back at the floating Saint Spirit Mountain, he sneered, "Sinful beasts, do not think that forcing the Saint Spirit Mountain to ascend prematurely will spare you divine retribution. The 'Sky City' project has been in preparation for centuries, ever since the Twelve Sages laid its foundation. Every generation of saints has contributed to it. Those beasts who stormed the city will be purified by the light, and that wolfman who intruded into the core area will perish the fastest. For there, within the Eternal Heroic Circle, he will face the judgment of 144,000 hallowed saints of past eras. Even the mightiest sin-beast, the 'White-Haired Demon Lion King' Leimen reborn, would never escape."

Eternal Heroic Circle.

"Oh? So this 'Eternal Heroic Circle' you speak of is just a place where skulls are used as candleholders?" Chen Xuanfeng, now facing the most bizarre scene of his life, showed no trace of fear as he pointed at the tens of thousands of flickering lights in the vast dark space before him and addressed the Four High Priests. "I thought I'd stumbled onto a Necropolis. Who knew the Holy Temple also had a fondness for bones?"

"Silence, blasphemous beast!" roared the Golden Crest Arch High Priest, Chen Xuanfeng's former superior. "This is a sacred ground preserving the remains of saints through the ages. Every skull here belongs to the most devout and ascetic believers. Only they are worthy of having their skulls placed here after death, sealed with holy sigils and carved into the same form as the 'Eternal Holy Grail.'"

"Hmm? 'The same form as the Eternal Holy Grail'..." Chen Xuanfeng paused briefly before piecing together the mystery. "I see. Through arcane rituals, you preserved the power of these loyal followers within their skulls. Though each one may not be strong individually, when gathered by the tens or hundreds of thousands and arranged into a grand magic formation, even lifting the Holy Temple into the sky becomes possible. How... thoughtful of you."

"Knight Xuanfeng—ah, pardon me, I should address you as Lord Blizzard now," interjected the most scholarly of the Four High Priests, the Silver Sigil Archpriest. "If you intend to destroy this place and bring down Saint Spirit Mountain, I advise you to retreat. Here rest the spirits of 144,000 hallowed saints. Even the power they passively radiated in slumber was enough to suppress and imprison the powerful devils and undead confined here. Now they have awakened and are fully interconnected. This space, this formation, is called the 'Eternal Heroic Circle.' Its combined power rivals even the elves' collective magic. Even while sustaining the Sky City's flight, it can divert enough energy to punish any who dare defile this sacred ground. You have no chance of success, and we would prefer not to desecrate this holy place with battle. So, I ask you to leave."

"Heh, no chance of success? Well... how could I resist trying?"

Chen Xuanfeng had never expected to easily destroy the Sky City. Though the situation was far more troublesome than anticipated, he refused to be discouraged. Raising the Divine Punishment Sword, he charged forward boldly.

"Hmph, blasphemer, begone!" The shout came not from the Four High Priests but from three Chalice Knights who had arrived to reinforce them.

The Chalice Knights had always been few in number, tasked with opposing the orcs' strongest warriors. After countless battles, only three Sword Emperors remained besides Xi Luo. Such precious forces should not have been risked further, but the intruder in the "Eternal Heroic Circle" was none other than the infamous werewolf lord Xuanfeng—a beastman who also wielded the Sacred Frostthorn Aura. Without equivalent power to counter him, the Holy Temple would suffer disproportionate losses in elite combat. Thus, they were dispatched.

These three knights were not familiar to Chen Xuanfeng, so there was no camaraderie—only battle.

Chen Xuanfeng's enemies were formidable. The three Chalice Knights formed a Triune Combat Array, their combined might nearing that of a Sword Saint. The Four High Priests unleashed their magic in unison, their collective force nearly doubling Jin Luosha's peak strength. And within moments, Xi Luo arrived, joining the fray. His Blade of Heroes posed a greater threat to Chen Xuanfeng than all three Chalice Knights combined.