Wizards begin by accessing the Inspiration panel.

Chapter 223 Ceremony

Baghdadi said solemnly, "Everyone, stop watching and quickly defeat this stone elemental lord, Lokol. Otherwise, I'm worried that more elemental lords will emerge from this broken passage."

"In that case, even if we have a suppressing magic array, it will still be very difficult."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's all use whatever methods we have. Even with its strength suppressed, a third-tier stone elemental lord is not so easy to deal with," said a red-haired second-level archmage.

"Hawkins, before we launch the main attack, we need your help. We need your giant bronze golem to hold off the stone elemental lord in front, otherwise, no one will dare to go all out," Baghdadi said.

"No problem, Baghdadi!" Hawkins said, patting his chest.

He took out a strangely shaped metal whistle, put it in his mouth and blew it once. Instantly, a tremor appeared on the right side of everyone.

A moment later, a giant bronze golem, about twelve meters tall, strode over from the side.

The golem appeared to be entirely made of blue metal, seemingly indeed bronze as its name suggested. However, only a few people, including Hawkins, knew that the majority of this giant bronze golem was actually made of a special bronze alloy.

Note that it is not bronze, but a bronze alloy.

The giant bronze golem has an overall human-like shape, but it has three large pipes on its back, which are venting channels for the condensate.

For an elemental lord of Lokor's massive size, neither the grey dwarves, humans, lizardmen, nor merfolk warriors could serve as a solid shield to withstand a single rolling stone charge from Lokor.

Unless death is the price every time, it might be possible to bind the other party, but such a loss would be too great, and it is not safe either.

Therefore, the giant war golem of the same size as Lokor was the best shield for the great wizards to resist Lokor's attacks.

Furthermore, it cannot be a regular rock golem.

For example, the two rock golems at the entrance of Tug City cannot be activated this time to join the battle against the stone elemental lord Lokor.

Because once they join, these two rock golems will be countered by the Stone Elemental Lord's innate abilities and will instead become allies of the enemy.

As soon as the giant bronze golem approached the designated battlefield, it immediately locked onto Lokor and began its massive charge towards him.

Lokauer had clearly also noticed the gigantic structure, which was only slightly shorter than himself.

"boom!"

Instantly, the two enormous objects collided violently.

After being suppressed by the magic array, Lokor's power was significantly weakened, and the giant bronze golem, which should have been far inferior to him, was now able to fight him on equal footing.

"Attack!!" Baghdadi roared.

Suddenly, all sorts of colorful witchcraft spells flashed!

"Curse of Weakness!"

"Force field dispel!"

"A torrent of metal!!"

"The Slowing Technique!"

In an instant, Lokauer was overwhelmed by the witchcraft and forced to retreat in a state of impotent rage!

"Iron Fist Combo!!" Baghdadi pressed his advantage, striking the iron track.

Behind the giant bronze golem were three enormous metal condenser pipes, and a loud whistle blared!

Clearly, the energy source within its body began operating at high power, causing the body temperature to rise sharply and the condensate to begin boiling.

"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!"

A gigantic iron fist, the size of a door panel, began a relentless barrage of blows against Lokauer's hard rock body.

The speed was so fast that a pair of iron fists swung back and forth like a high-speed pile driver, leaving only a blur in the distance.

Seconds later, a large area of ​​the rocky surface in front of Lokauer was shattered, with washbasin-sized stones falling off continuously, scattering and raising dust.

This caused Lokor, who was afflicted with at least ten curses and negative effects, to shout angrily, "Mortals! You have angered me!"

"It seems that in the eyes of the elemental lords, a second-level archmage is no longer an ant or a reptile, but has been given the title of mortal," Hawkins joked from the side.

To everyone's surprise, just as everyone was preparing to deal with Lokor's ultimate move, who would have thought that this "great" stone elemental lord Lokor would turn around and start running away towards the passage.

Yes!

At this moment, Lokauer was suppressed by the magic array and could not exert his third-tier strength at all. Without the full coverage force field, Lokauer was not much stronger than a second-tier grand wizard.

Moreover, the group besieging Lokor now is not just one or two second-level archmages, but a full ten, all high-ranking members of the most elite forces in Tug City, with no shortage of rare magic potions, alchemical products, and so on.

Seeing this, Baghdadi immediately roared, "Hawkins, have the bronze golems block Lockhart's retreat!"

"Gentlemen, I urge you all to exert your utmost effort now and do everything in your power to capture Elemental Lord Lokor, so that his head may be used as a sacrifice for our valiant city guards!"

The several level-two archmages exchanged bewildered glances. Killing a third-tier elemental lord would not be an easy task for them.

The main concern is definitely the possibility of a desperate counterattack from the other side.

"Don't worry! The giant cannon golem is already on its way, and I believe we have a very good chance of success!"

"Gentlemen, if we can successfully kill Lokor, I can represent the City Lord's Mansion to not participate in the distribution of spoils. I think that just one Tier 3 Earth Heart will definitely make up for all your losses."

Baghdadi's words immediately caught the attention of the second-level archmages present.

The ranged attack power of the giant cannon golem is comparable to that of the melee attack power of the giant bronze golem.

If a single cannonball hits its target, its power is no less than that of a level two offensive spell.

Wealth is tempting, and so are second-level archmages. However, only more precious and valuable items can move their hearts.

The Tier 3 Stone Elemental Lord is a treasure trove; if they can successfully kill it, everyone can make a fortune!

Instantly, the density of the magic flying towards Lokor more than doubled!

This caused Baghdadi and Hawkins to exchange glances and a slight smile.

Sure enough, they're all the kind of guys who won't act until they see the benefits.

-

Outside the city of Tuge.

Covered in wounds, Nicol carried Grace's body under his arm and was being escorted by several gray-robed men as they sped toward a certain location.

"Did you retrieve the Soul Essence Orb?" Nicole asked quickly as she walked.

"My lord, we've retrieved them. Just as expected, we've collected a total of seven Soul Essence Orbs," a gray-clad man said respectfully.

"Seven, that should have been enough, but now I don't know if it will be enough," Nicole muttered to herself, glancing down at Grace who seemed to be asleep.

"There's no other way now, let's go back and talk about it later."

The group quickly headed towards the secluded valley where they had previously settled.

Half an hour later, when Nicol arrived at the hidden valley, he did not stop but chose to continue walking in.

At the deepest part of the valley, there was a rock wall tens of meters high. After going around a boulder, Nicol found a cave more than three meters high, hidden by vines, on the rock wall in front of him. The cave was dark and deep.

Although there were a few emerald green flame lamps placed on both sides, the visibility was still not high, and their special emerald green light gave the entire cave an eerie and evil atmosphere.

However, as Nicol and his companions ventured deeper into the cave, they encountered an increasing number of members of the Azure Fire Church.

It seems that this valley is a large stronghold that the Azure Fire Church has been operating for a long time.

"Nikol Ritual!"

"Priest-sama!"

"Good day, my lord!"

Congregants kept stopping to bow slightly to Nicol and greet him respectfully.

It seems that Priest Nicol holds a higher position in the Church of the Azure Fire than expected.

Although, in theory, there are bishops responsible for a region and patriarchs responsible for all church affairs above the priesthood. In some churches, the patriarch is called the Pope or Patriarch, etc. The names are different, but the meanings are similar.

"Is Bishop Antonio in the prayer room?" Nicol stopped a gray-robed parishioner and asked.

"Yes, Priest Nicol. Bishop António has just woken up and is now in the prayer room," a gray-robed parishioner replied with a hint of reverence.

Nicol's reputation for cruelty was notorious, even within the church.

After having his other men wait outside the prayer room, Nicol tightened the grip on Grace under his arm and knocked on the door.

"Knock knock knock! Teacher, it's me!"

"Is this Nicol? Come in!" came an old voice.

Surprisingly, judging from the voice, the other party seemed very weak, not at all like the strength and demeanor a bishop should have.

It's important to know that even cults have similar structures to orthodox churches; bishops typically need to possess the strength of a second-level archmage to hold the position.

Nicole gently pushed open the door and slipped into the room.

"Teacher! I have collected all the Soul Essence Stones." Nicol said respectfully with a slight bow.

The prayer room in front of him was not large, only about 70 or 80 square meters.

There are very few decorations inside. At the far end of the room, on both sides, there is a huge candlestick. The candlestick is shaped like a mountain with three layers, meaning there are nine candles in total, which are currently burning with a special emerald green flame.

Between the two candlesticks, besides a statue of Savas, the King of Azure Fire, which is several meters tall, there is a special stone platform placed directly in front of the statue.

The stone platform is about three meters in diameter, and a special and intricate witchcraft array has been drawn on it.

Meanwhile, Nicol's so-called teacher was kneeling with his back turned, hunched over, praying before the statue.

However, upon hearing Nicol's words, he immediately turned his head.

Before Nicol was an old, wrinkled face. From the outline, one could barely make out that this bishop was actually a rare underground human.

Although he looked extremely old, his joy was palpable upon hearing Nicol's words.

He seemed so eager to grab the green box that Nicol handed him that he didn't even notice the crisscrossing wounds on Nicol's body.

However, no matter how careless one is, the other party obviously still saw a living person.

When Antonio saw Grace tucked under Nicol's arm, he paused, puzzled, and asked:

"Huh! Nicole, who is this person?"

"This is my lover from my time in the Night Elf Empire. She came to the Grey Dwarves on a mission and was seriously injured. I hope you can save her life."

"Let me take a look first, I'll put it on the ground."

Following instructions, Nicole stepped forward and gently laid Grace down in front of the old man.

The other party simply waved his hand lightly above Grace's body. A green light, like a scanner, swept over Grace from head to toe. Bishop Antonio pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said:

"Nikol, her injuries are too severe; there is no way to cure her."

In truth, Antonio wasn't incapable of saving Grace's life, but the cost would be too great. If he were to use the seven Soul Orbs to plead for the King's blessing, Grace could certainly be resurrected.

However, the Soul Essence Orb was meant to prolong his life, so it couldn't be used for anything else.

After listening, Nicol fell silent for a moment.

At this moment, Antonio continued to ramble on, "Nikol, don't worry about the past. If I can successfully extend my lifespan this time, I will definitely create an opportunity for you to be promoted to level two. At that time, you will also be promoted to bishop and in charge of another region."

"Then, you'll have any kind of woman you want!!"

As Antonio spoke, his hands moved swiftly, showing no signs of old age.

He quickly opened the green box that Nicol had given him and placed the fist-sized, pale green crystals at equal intervals on the top of the already drawn altar's magic array.

He had waited far too long for this moment.

He was about to reach the end of his lifespan, and he had tried everything he could find, including longevity potions and exotic fruits.

While it may have some life-extending effect, it cannot withstand the passage of time and is ultimately insufficient.

To greatly extend his lifespan, he could only pray for the blessing of the Azure Flame King, Savis!

However, the prayer ritual requires extremely demanding conditions, such as the heart of a three-headed sea serpent and the claws of a Norman bear, which have already been collected.

The only problem is the seven Soul Essence Stones. Each one must be a high-quality Soul Essence Stone containing the soul of a formal wizard, and we have been unable to collect them all.

Unlike Blood Essence Stones, Soul Essence Stones have extremely high quality requirements!

It takes approximately the soul of one full-fledged wizard plus the souls of one hundred wizard apprentices to condense into a single Soulstone.

If the quality is not good enough, no matter how many ordinary people are killed, they will not be able to unite.

After offering some words of comfort to Nicol, Antonio ignored him and began the ritual on his own, placing the heart of the three-headed sea serpent and the claw of the Norman bear into the altar in turn.

Finally, he opened his arms and loudly chanted the incantation.

"Great King of Azure Flames, listen to your humble servant."

But what he didn't notice was a pair of fierce eyes behind him, like those of a wild beast, turning blood red, and now staring at him menacingly.

"Pfft!"

A sharp claw pierced through Antonio's hunched body from behind in an instant!

When the claws extended from his chest, what was held in his palm was none other than Antonio's still-beating heart.

Antonio's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked down at the claws—they were so familiar!

I managed to turn my head and saw a pair of blood-red, savage eyes.

"Nikol, you."

"Snapped!"

The heart was instantly crushed, like crushing a raw egg, and blood gushed out.

Nicol used his powerful arm to toss Antonio's body aside and abandoned it in a corner.

He spat viciously, "Old man, I've put up with you for too long. If you could save Grace, I might let you live a little longer. Now, you can go!"

Nicol had originally planned to kill this troublesome old man. He was already at the top level of level one, and after receiving the gift from the King of Azure Flame through the ritual, he would surely be able to break through to level two and become the bishop of the Tug City region.

However, an unexpected incident occurred during the operation: Grace's sudden death forced him to change his plans!

At the same time, a young human face involuntarily appeared before Nicol's eyes.

If it weren't for him, this wouldn't have happened at all.

Kid, sooner or later I'll tear your soul out and whip you for a hundred years!

Nicole gently placed Grace's body on the altar in front of the statue.

He began chanting an incantation: "Great King of Azure Flames, heed the call of your servant."

After a lengthy incantation, a subtle yet immense fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated from the statue.

Instantly, a deep, cross-boundary voice resounded in Nicole's heart:

"I am very satisfied with this offering. Tell me, what do you want?"

"Your Majesty, I wish to raise my strength to level two. At the same time, I would like to ask you to help me save the woman before me."

After some thought, Nicol decided to give it a try! Even though he knew that making two requests at once might displease the king!

A sudden gust of air appeared and circled twice around Grace, who was lying on the altar.

"Greedy servant, she is dead. If your sacrifice is to fulfill both conditions, there is only one way."

"Huh, I actually managed to achieve two goals at the same time!" Nicol was overjoyed and didn't notice the slight sarcasm and teasing in his deep voice.

"I'm open to whatever it takes," Nicole said firmly.

"In that case, alright then."

Nicol could detect a mocking tone in the King of Azure Flames' reply. Could it be that the king was particularly satisfied with him?

That must be it!

Suddenly, Nicol felt a dizzying sensation and fainted the next second.

When he woke up again, he felt better than ever before. All his wounds had healed, and his strength had reached the initial level two!

only.

On a spiritual level, he felt a sense of heaviness, no, a sense of overflowing!

It seems that something was forcibly stuffed into my body, causing it to feel full and bloated.

Grace's body was no longer on the altar.

The seven Soul Essence Stones that were originally radiating powerful energy fluctuations at the edge of the altar have now shattered.

Clearly, the energy within was either exhausted during the sacrifice or taken away by the King of Azure Fire.

"That's not right. The king promised to resurrect Grace, so where is she now?" Nicole muttered to herself.

He searched the room but couldn't find Grace. Instead, the hunched figure of Antonio, whom he had killed, was still in the corner.

"Nikol, you're awake?" Grace's hesitant voice echoed in Nikol's mind.

Nicol was startled; it seemed the voice was coming from inside his own body. Could it be...?

"Grace, you..."

"I feel like I'm inside you right now."

Nicole looked incredulous for a moment, but her expression returned to calm after a while.

At least Grace is still alive, isn't she!

"Grace, can you come out?"

After a moment of silence, Grace replied:

"It seems possible, but I can only come out after the original owner of this body has fallen into a deep sleep."

Instantly, Nicol's handsome face turned deathly pale.

If that's the case, it means I'll never see Grace again.

This seems to be another kind of greatest distance in the world: my beloved is inside me, but I can never see you!

(End of this chapter)