Chapter 550: New Technology

During their journey to Emerald City.

Luo De and his companions once stopped midway at a place called Blazing City.

Although its governor has since openly rebelled.

Before that, it was a border region of the Atheron Kingdom, primarily guarding against a fire lizard tribe named Kaoe.

The reason? A common territorial dispute that had lasted over a century.

As a result.

Blazing City housed many native fire lizards; differences in their beliefs inside and outside the city are not detailed here.

The main thing was that the fire lizards brought a worship of "Holy Fire."

Originally,

based on Luo De's communication with local fire lizards, it was a primitive faith in natural phenomena and the region's perpetually summer-like climate.

To these primitive believers, Holy Fire was an omnipresent, generous, and selfless presence.

Offered food was shared together in the heat; exposure to sunlight was an invisible prayer.

There were hardly any taboos or prohibitions.

But.

Until some humans were absorbed.

The faith changed and split at that point.

Due to differences in physiology and race, humans unable to withstand the heat began distorting the Holy Fire belief.

They began promoting fusion with and devotion to Holy Fire.

Luo De had clashed with members of the Holy Fire Corps while in Blazing City, forcing him to leave early.

"Oh? Mr. Luo De knows?"

Cliff's face showed surprise, then he exclaimed extravagantly, "No wonder Mr. Luo De is so well-traveled!"

"I visited Blazing City before."

There was no need to hide it; he didn't believe these few could know about that small gap.

Tally, beside him, now a refined and lovely beastwoman, quietly tugged his sleeve.

She gave him a puzzled look.

Luo De patted her cheek, soothing her—it was soft and pleasant to the touch.

"I see! These unusual individuals indeed come from Blazing City, but unlike the Holy Fire Corps, they are a splinter sect called the Holy Fire Cult."

Cliff walked to the front of the Holy Fire Cult.

He introduced the tallest man in the front, clad in a yellow robe.

"This is Bishop Arturo. Not long ago, when the plague broke out in Windy City, Bishop Arturo and his followers happened to pass through, offering aid and preaching. With their help, we survived the crisis; otherwise—"

He spoke with visible dread, clearly still shaken by the plague.

Luo De had heard of the plague in Windy City, though it never spread widely.

Because of it, the Snow Hill Evening News changed from daily to triweekly publication.

Bishop Arturo bowed slightly: "May Holy Fire protect you. Suffering shall pass; faith brings hope and healing."

"May Holy Fire protect us."

The followers behind echoed in unison.

The witch Demia stepped forward and smiled: "I'd very much like to witness a healing method that uses no magic or spirituality."

Cliff was excited—he had likely seen it before: "Exactly! Are there any unhealed wounded?"

The elderly gentleman Humbert nodded: "The son of the vineyard manager next door was slashed in the leg and is recovering. We've already sent for him."

Not long after,

two guards carried a young man sprinting from the estate's gate to this spot.

The young man's leg was suspended; he looked dazed at first.

Then he saw Luo De and instantly became excited.

"Mr. Luo De! It's Mr. Luo De!!"

Luo De smiled: "Long time no see, Hylam. Give my regards to your father. I'll come by your place again soon to buy some wine."

The vineyard, located beside Argyle Estate, primarily brewed wine for nobility and high-ranking officials, but used that reputation to sell externally and maintain profits.

Its quality was far better than the watered-down wine at the town's taverns, so it had some reputation in Shi Ying Town.

Tally, Amy, Callista, Pan Ni, and even Luo De all loved wine.

Luo De had bought from them several times and was a regular customer, so he knew them.

Though Callista usually drank only her own homemade wine.

"Yes! I mean, yes! Thank you!"

The young man Hylam was thrilled that the guardian of Shi Ying Town remembered his name—his face turned red with excitement.

After a brief explanation,

before Luo De, the young man was eager to serve as a test subject.

He lay down casually on the stretcher brought over.

Bishop Arturo then began his ritual performance.

First, he waved a three-meter-tall torch, dancing as he went.

He muttered under his breath, words incomprehensible.

Luo De guessed they were likely hymns praising Holy Fire.

He continued this for about five minutes.

Bishop Arturo extended his hands from the sleeves of his thick leather robe—hands marked with pale, reddish scars, uneven and raised, clearly burns from fire.

He placed his hands over Hylam's injured thigh.

Soldiers wounded in the Coral Bay Battle had been treated by mages, but due to the high number of casualties and inefficiency in magic use,

wounds were not instantly healed; once infection and major bleeding were controlled, patients were transferred to conventional medical care.

Within the estate, orange-red light flickered.

Then swiftly vanished.

The wound, already half-scabbed, visibly shrank and was covered by growing flesh—within moments, it had healed over half its length.

Though not fully healed,

the acceleration of recovery was undeniable.

"Oh."

Luo De couldn't help but be surprised.

There was truly no magic or spiritual fluctuation.

He saw Demia's expression turn even more shocked—clearly, it had shaken the witch's understanding of magic.

He whispered: "What did you notice?"

Demia's face was grim; she shook her head: "I can't detect anything wrong. He truly isn't using magic or spirituality... If Callista and Sharon were here, perhaps they could—I'll ask them via the Chain of Far Speech."

The witch was not a specialist in research.

She excelled at casting.

On the other side, Bishop Arturo made an exaggerated "closing gesture."

Then he lifted his hood, revealing a face aged yet gentle, calmly gazing at Luo De.

As if waiting for them to inspect the results.

Cliff grew even more excited: "Look, Mr. Luo De! This is a technology that overturns modern magic! The Holy Fire Cult can heal without any magic at all!"

Bishop Arturo waved his hand to stop the nobleman's flattery.

He stared calmly at Luo De, as if certain of victory: "Seeing alone may not be enough, Mr. Luo De. I heard you were wounded fighting the Infernal Duke. Why not let me try on you?"

Luo De smiled—it was fine with him.

The old bishop had only about First Rank's spiritual accumulation; even with external means, he couldn't possibly affect Luo De.

He stepped forward and extended his left hand to Bishop Arturo.

There was a hole through his arm—a wound Luo De had deliberately kept, mainly to visit the half-deer girl Ko for some cuddling and teasing.

Bishop Arturo smiled warmly.

As before, he danced and chanted, then his hands glowed orange.

He placed them over the wound.

But the light did not vanish as before—it shifted into a faint green, sinister glow, then suddenly erupted into violent, cruel crimson blood-red.

Bishop Arturo's face changed drastically; he stumbled backward several steps.

He pointed at Luo De: "Mark of the Seal?! Quick! Kill this man!"

(End of Chapter)