He changed Tiwat

"We've talked a bit too much just now, so we'd better hurry up." Han Fulai even shamelessly mentioned a time requirement.

"Then...ten seconds it is." Jiang Xue hadn't finished speaking when she disappeared.

Chapter 211 The Bell Tolls for You

The technique the Abyss Apostle just used is known as "Descent into Darkness".

This move is actually a blessing shared by the apostles protected by the abyss. It instantly unleashes the abyssal power within the body, forming an indestructible energy shield that covers the entire body. At the same time, it can also enhance one's own strength, making one's attacks more powerful. It can be said to be a unique skill that combines offense and defense.

It was thanks to the protection of the Abyss's power that the Abyss Apostles were able to continue acting normally after activating that "device," otherwise they would have been "purified" like the Hilichurls and the "Black Serpent Riders," and would have been unable to stop Han Fulai and Jiang Xue.

However, "Dark Birth" is not something that can be used casually. The drawback of this move is that it is a so-called "burst skill" with a limited duration, lasting no more than three minutes.

Even with the protection of the Abyss's power, this dark force is still too strong for the Apostles. From the moment they use "Dark Incarnation," this power will erode their bodies and souls until they are replaced by the will of the Abyss.

The reason why the two Abyss Singers that Han Fulai and Jiang Xue encountered before were acting strangely was not only because they sincerely believed in the Abyss, but also because they had used this power many times in the past, which caused the power of the Abyss to erode their minds.

Of course, for the followers of the "Abyss Order," this is the supreme glory of dedicating their body and soul to their faith.

In addition, "Dark Birth" is equivalent to converting all the energy in the Abyss Apostle's body, including his life force, into a layer of dark energy covering his body. Once that energy shield is broken, the Abyss Apostle will be exhausted and die on the spot.

However, in the minds of the Abyss Apostles, no one has ever been able to defy the power of the Abyss. Even if Jiang Xue possesses the "True Technique," she would not be a match for the power of the Abyss.

The Abyss Apostle raised his hands, and two azure water blades appeared effortlessly.

Suddenly, he leaped into the air, spinning 360 degrees, his two water blades swirling around him like a giant blue wheel.

The water blade collided with something in the air, creating splashes of water.

After the collision, Jiang Xue finally revealed herself, her Thousand Rocks Ancient Sword locked in a fierce and evenly matched battle with the Water Blade.

His "Step-by-Step Kill: Phantom" was actually blocked by the Abyss Apostle!

The moment the water blade clashed with the Thousand Rocks Ancient Sword, the Abyss Apostle uttered a deep voice: "'The Sword that Cuts Through the Wind' has already been witnessed, but do you know the power of 'Tidal Whirlwind Assault'?"

Suddenly, the Abyss Apostle hovered in mid-air, then twisted and spun again, its body bursting with bright water elemental light, as if transforming itself into a rolling wave, its entire body covered in layers of water blades. The Abyss Apostle, like a crushing chariot, charged towards Jiang Xue in a spinning attack.

Jiang Xue simply gripped the Thousand Rock Ancient Sword in her hand and whispered, "Seven seconds left."

He took a deep breath.

The "Tide Whirlwind Assault" was unstoppable. If it were before, Jiang Xue would have chosen the most rational approach, using the "Stepping Star to Capture the Fight" footwork to avoid its sharp edge.

But the Jiang Xue of today is not the Jiang Xue of the past.

Jiang Xuejian's sword rippled with golden light as she stood still, seemingly preparing to take the Abyss Apostle's "Tidal Whirlwind Assault" head-on.

The "Tidal Whirlwind Assault" arrived in front of Jiang Xue, the water blades like swords and spears in a battle formation, attacking Jiang Xue from all directions.

Jiang Xue remained motionless, then vanished in fragments.

No, what disappeared was only Jiang Xue's lingering image.

The afterimage was torn apart by the sword wind from the collision of the water blades and the Thousand Rock Ancient Sword, while Jiang Xue was just a faint shadow caught in the midst of the countless water blades!

He actually defied the odds and broke into the Abyss Apostle's "Tidal Surge Assault"!

Han Fulai, who was watching from the sidelines, narrowed his eyes. He realized that his dynamic vision was not keeping up with Jiang Xue's movements at all.

He knew Jiang Xue was very fast—but Jiang Xue only took one step forward, and that one step was so fast that it left an afterimage!

Even faster was Jiang Xue's movement; the water blades spinning in the Abyss Apostle were all shattered by the Thousand Rock Ancient Sword in Jiang Xue's hand, scattering water droplets everywhere.

Only the Abyss Apostle knew what had just happened. His "Tidal Surge Assault," which combined the power of the abyss, the burst of water element, and the force of his body's rotation, should have been able to shatter all defenses, but it was blocked by the man wielding the greatsword in front of him.

Saying it blocked wasn't quite accurate; to be precise, it should be called a "counter-attack"!

The opponent was not defending, but attacking. For every water blade generated by his "Tidal Whirl Strike", the opponent swung his sword that many times at the same time.

Only when all the water blades covering his body disappeared did the Abyss Apostle realize that it was he who had actually been defending.

The burst of water elemental power has been exhausted.

But the opponent's sword momentum was far from over.

"Extreme Step Kill - Silence" is the final move of "Sword of Wind Slash", and it is also the move that Jiang Xue was unable to complete in the past.

Unlike the previous five moves, the final move, "Extreme Step Kill - Silence," is far more difficult to master. If the previous five moves were one-on-one killing moves, then the sixth move is a move that can take on a hundred enemies. Even on the battlefield, facing a forest of swords and spears, it can wipe them all out in one move.

The "True Technique" was a closely guarded secret of the Kanria royal family. Throughout history, only those of Kanria royal bloodline and top knights who had made outstanding contributions and were loyal to the royal family could receive it, and they had to swear a solemn oath never to pass on the skill to others.

As an application of the "True Art," the "Wind-Slaying Sword" is not something everyone can learn, much less master. Those without royal blood often find it much more difficult to learn. Even the "Black Serpent Knights," who are selected for the Kanria Royal Guard and symbolize the highest honor of knights, can usually only learn one or two of its forms. Those who can learn three forms can be considered top-tier swordsmanship geniuses.

Five hundred years ago, Dainesreb, the "Sword of the End of Light," was a genius among geniuses. He was the only one in the Kanria Palace Guard who mastered six forms of the "Wind-Slaying Sword."

"Remember, the combination of the 'Surprising Beauty' and 'Phantom Shadow' techniques creates silence. Your sword and your body must be faster than sound." Jiang Xue remembered her senior brother saying this.

The speed of the sword and the movement of the afterimage, combined, create silence.

Jiang Xue never considered himself a genius. When he was learning swordsmanship from Ye Mingxiang, he always felt that he was stupid and that it always took him a long time to master the swordsmanship that his senior brother taught him.

—And now he has just figured it out.

The energy armor granted to the Abyss Apostle by "Dark Birth" collided with the greatsword in Jiang Xue's hand, producing a clear and resonant "clang," like a morning bell, with a long and lingering sound.

The Abyss Apostle could feel with his body that the sword and armor collided more than once, and the sound of the impact was not just one. It was only because the opponent's sword was too fast that the dense sounds of the collisions eventually merged into one.

—The sound of bells.

—This is his death knell tolling.

After the bells rang, there was silence.

The Abyss Apostle's body turned into black smoke and slowly dissipated.

Even with the use of "Dark Birth," the Abyss's Precursor could not last more than ten seconds under Jiang Xue's sword.

Jiang Xue leaned on her sword and finished her stance, then turned to Han Fulai and asked, "Was that fast enough?"

Chapter 212 The Heavenly Power of "The Governance of Life" (Bonus Chapter 6/20)

For Dainesreb, who has entered "Sprint" mode, it only takes five minutes to get from the "suburbs" where the Hilichurl camp is located to the "city center" where the pool is located.

His previous statement to Han Fu that "even if the Order mobilizes in large numbers, I am confident that I can escape unscathed" was not an exaggeration. Apart from Kong, he did not believe that anyone else in the "Abyss Order" could keep up with his speed.

But his pace slowed down in front of the "clock tower".

It wasn't just because I saw the "Black Serpent Riders" and Hilichurls suffering terribly in the golden light, but also because the golden light emanating from the "Clock Tower" was simply too intense.

Although the "tree branch" inside his body could effectively prevent the "curse of immortality" from eroding his body, being effective did not mean that the erosion of the curse could be completely avoided.

In fact, the reason Daines Reeb wore a half-mask was because half of his body had become one with the curse.

His ability to remain conscious and coexist with the "curse of immortality" for five hundred years was not only due to his indomitable will, but also to the "tree branch" buried in his right chest, "a branch of the World Tree".

However, even though his consciousness was unaffected, his body could still feel the burning of the golden light. Daines Reeb was simply using his extraordinary willpower to forcibly endure the pain of that physical burning.

When he saw the pool, Daines Reeb told Han Fu that he did not know the origin of the pool—this was a lie.

Having experienced the "purifying" power of the pool water, Daines Reeb had come to understand many things, but he couldn't say them.

The title of "the ruler of life" is taboo even to be uttered.

This ancient civilization dates back to a time before the rise of the Seven Kingdoms, an era when people could still directly hear the voice of the heavens. Human civilization of that time was even protected by the five ruling powers. This fountain pool is a remnant of the divine power left behind by the "Ruler of Life" to protect his people.

However, in that war that destroyed everything, this ancient civilization was also destroyed along with the terrain changes caused by the war, and sank underground.

The "Clock Tower" is closest to the pool and has the strongest "purifying" power. Even Daines Reeb needs immense patience to control his survival instincts before he can step inside.

The "Curse of Immortality" originates from the power of the abyss's void, a curse cast by Sky Island in retaliation for its own actions. Those cursed are neither alive nor dead, enduring eternal torment. However, the celestial power and pure light contained within this pool suppress the power of the abyss.

However, if this power from the heavens were to enter the body of the cursed person, it would cause a reaction known as "rejection" by the scholars of the Sumeru Cult Academy. The two mutually repelling forces would fight fiercely within the body, naturally bringing pain and death.

The Abyss Order's current approach is akin to performing untreated "whole blood transfusions" on the remnants of Kanria. While there is indeed a one percent chance that this could remove the curse from the Kanria remnants and replace it with life force, the greater, ninety-nine percent chance is that it would cause a severe rejection reaction, leading to the Kanria remnants dying in excruciating pain.

Dainesreb is now suffering the same pain as the people of his homeland.

He resolutely walked step by step to the top of the "clock tower".

In the room on the rooftop, a thick golden pillar of light was rising from the mechanism created by the "Abyss Order".

The beam of light struck the inverted pool, causing it to tremble violently. Ripples spread outwards from the center of the fountain, as if symbolizing the power of the water expanding throughout the entire ruins.

The once spacious hall now appears somewhat crowded, with more than a dozen "Black Serpent Knights" kneeling painfully on the ground, enduring the torment of the pool's power.

Hafdan is here too.

Although the resolute knight could still stand with difficulty, he could no longer hold the greatsword firmly and could only hunch over and try to endure the pain brought by the purification.

Their original mission was probably to ensure the smooth progress of this "purification ritual".

They no longer even have the ability to raise a weapon against Daines Reeb.

Beside the mechanism, a figure in purple robes floated.

That was an Abyss Singer.

When the Abyss Singer saw Daines Reeb arrive, he chuckled, his laughter filled with a sense of smug satisfaction.

Seeing Daines Reeb, the thorn in the side of the "Abyss Order," walk right into their trap, and even being able to personally eliminate this formidable enemy of the Order, is certainly something to be happy about.

"Stop!" Daines Reeb acted without hesitation. He stretched out his left palm, and five threads shimmering with blue fluorescence suddenly flew towards the Abyss Singer, binding him tightly.

This is Daines Reeb's "Binding Net," which, in a one-on-one situation, possesses an extremely strong binding force, capable of stopping all of the enemy's movements.

Meanwhile, Dainesreb pulled hard on the binding net with one hand, trying to drag the Abyss Singer closer before killing him—even he wasn't confident he could stay conscious if he continued to approach the mechanism.

However, the Abyss Singer remained motionless.

Dainesreb now lacked the strength to both restrain the Abyss Singer and drag him to his side.

The Abyss Singer burst into arrogant laughter.

Because the once infuriating yet helpless Daines Reeb is now in such a sorry state.

"Dainsreb! This time, I will not let you hinder the will of the Abyss! Remember the name of the one who took your life: I am the Baptist of the End Kingdom, the Priest of the Abyss!"

Within the "Abyss Order," members are generally not addressed by name. For example, the traveler Kong is called "Prince," while Onnar and Egil are usually referred to as "The Devout" and "The Legion Commander," respectively. This Abyss Priest is called "The Baptist."

However, Daines Reb had no intention of remembering the other person's name.

Restraining the other person is merely to make one's own movements easier.

It would be ideal to kill the opponent outright, but it wouldn't matter if that wasn't possible. It wouldn't affect Han Fulai's plans.

While maintaining his restraints, Daines Reeb used his free right hand to pull out the "key prop" that Han Fulai had given him—the "Lumen Stone" catalyst.

When Han Fulai handed the "Lumenite" catalyst to Daines Reib, he said the following to him:

“Since the other party is aware of your strength, they must have made thorough preparations. Therefore, I suspect that once you step into the trap, Mr. Dain, your strength will be severely limited. Moreover, the mechanism they prepared is likely beyond your ability to solve on your own.”

“But whatever mechanism or trap the ‘Abyss Order’ activated or set up, it must be related to the power of the abyss. And this ‘Lumen Stone’ catalyst happens to contain light energy from Sky Island. I’ve used it before to dispel the black mud and the pollution it brought, so it should be able to dispel the power of the abyss as well.”

Daines Reeb does not have a true "God's Eye" nor the ability to drive the "Lumen Stone" to "blossom in pure light," but he has other uses for it.

He threw the lumenite catalyst directly at the still-functioning mechanism.

The lumenite catalyst collided with the golden beam of light generated by the mechanism, producing a loud "bang" and shattering into fragments.

The light energy contained within produced a magnificent "pure light bloom"!

Chapter 213 The Glory of the Black Serpent Knight [4k]

The explosion of the "Lumenite" catalyst produced the most intense "pure light bloom" in history. Compared with the "pure light bloom" that Han Fulai had previously triggered, this was like the difference between the firefly of decaying grass and the bright moon in the sky.

Not only the rooftop hall, but the entire central area of ​​the ruins was instantly covered by pure white light.

The shockwave generated by the collision of the two forces knocked everyone in the hall to the ground, including Daines Reeb himself, who was thrown back several steps and lay on the ground.

The Abyss Priest was almost at the center of the explosion and suffered the most severe injuries.

The close-range burst of light energy from "Pure Light Bloom" caused serious damage to the priest, whose body had almost been replaced by the power of the abyss.

His purple robe was tattered, black smoke billowed from his body, and he was blasted dozens of feet away by the force of the explosion until he crashed into a pillar in the hall.

Han Fulai and Jiang Xue were on their way to the "Clock Tower".

The "pure light bloom" lasted only a few seconds before disappearing, because the light energy in the "lumenstone" catalyst was exhausted. Correspondingly, the soaring golden light became very weak, far less bright and dazzling than before. Han Fulai knew that the plan had succeeded, and the "Abyss Order's" ritual should have been disrupted.

His and Jiang Xue's intrusion into this ruin was an unexpected variable for the "Abyss Order," and the "Lumen Stone" catalyst he carried, which could dispel the black mud, was also a variable.

The Abyss Order can set traps against Dainesreb, whether it's targeting the "Curse of Immortality" on Dainesreb, the "True Art," or taking the remnants of Kanria hostage; ultimately, these are all ways to restrict Dainesreb.

Moreover, this trap targeting Dainesreb was set up when Kong came here to offer flowers to the dead Hilichurls, indicating that the "Order of the Abyss" had already finalized its plan.

Daines Reeb had never set foot in the Abyss of the Rocks before, nor had he ever come into contact with the Lumen Stone. The power of the Lumen Stone was a blind spot that the Abyss Order could not have calculated in their plans!

The light energy emitted by the "Lumen Stone" was a signal to Han Fulai—a signal to proceed to the next step.