Chapter 353: Anxious

Last time he came, he took the corridor on the right, but this time he took the one on the left; after a few twists and turns, Xia Duo soon arrived outside Bishop Anbulier's Study.

The young acolyte knocked on the door, announced that Lord Xia Duo had arrived, and then withdrew on his own. Xia Duo pushed the door open and was surprised to see Aiboke, who had only just parted ways with him.

At this moment, he was saying something to Bishop Anbulier, but the two did not seem to have reached an agreement.

Seeing Xia Duo enter, Bishop Anbulier temporarily gave up his conversation with Aiboke and stood up to welcome Xia Duo; Aiboke also offered a greeting.

Afterward, Xia Duo sat down, and before he could speak, Bishop Anbulier asked about his intentions first, "Lord Xia Duo, do you also want me to open the Shadow Portal again?"

Xia Duo was taken aback, but he quickly reacted; this must have been the purpose of Aiboke's visit. The last time the three of them traveled through the Shadow Plane to attack Aquilain, the journey was without danger despite the risks, and they ultimately succeeded.

And having just learned from Niya that the Tower of Time also possessed a Plane Exploration Array, and also learning some characteristics of a Plane Scholar, Aiboke was now asking to open the Shadow Portal again.

Clearly, Niya had also given Aiboke a copy of the information regarding Astral Mage and Plane Scholar; perhaps he was now seeking an opportunity to become a Plane Scholar.

This also aligned with Xia Duo's interests, so he did not bring up his plan to invite a Fate Recorder to join his Territory at first, but instead said quite firmly, "I do indeed have such an intention. This matter is very important, and I hope the Bishop will give it much consideration."

To become a Plane Scholar requires experiencing multiple plane travels, and the most feasible method Xia Duo currently knew of was the Shadow Plane Portal. Although he was skeptical about whether repeatedly traversing the same plane would be effective, how would he know if it didn't work without trying? In any case, he didn't need to waste his time testing it himself; it was just a casual suggestion, but if it were proven effective, he would also benefit.

Then Aiboke began to persuade him further; if it were merely Aiboke's request, Anbulier would not have agreed, but once Xia Duo was added to the mix, it was difficult for him to refuse.

After all, the current Xia Duo was also his Lord in name, even if only as a proxy.

But after hesitating for a moment, Anbulier still did not agree on the spot, "Lord Xia Duo, I need to consider this matter further."

Although he did not agree directly, his tone had softened. Aiboke was overjoyed and immediately said, "Anbulier, thank you. I hope you will consider it carefully; this matter is truly important."

"I understand." Anbulier sighed silently in his heart. Opening the Shadow Portal required using the Temple's reserve of Holy Power; it was only because the situation was special last time that he had agreed.

But now, what Aiboke wanted was clearly not just one or two times, but more, and this was the real reason for Anbulier's hesitation.

Holy Power, in a sense, was actually the manifestation of Divine Grace, a certificate of recognition bestowed by the Lord of Radiance upon His followers. The Temple's reserve of Holy Power was something they saved up bit by bit in their daily lives; it was not to be used lightly unless necessary.

Having received the good news, Aiboke guessed that Xia Duo might have other matters to discuss with Anbulier, so he soon took his leave. However, before leaving, he did not forget to remind him, "Please also pay close attention to the other matter, Bishop."

"I will keep it in mind."

After Aiboke left, Bishop Anbulier looked at Xia Duo with some helplessness, "He actually wants me to pick someone proficient in Magic for him from among my Lord's servants. If there were truly such a person, wouldn't they have joined the Tower of Time long ago?"

Xia Duo was silent. He felt that Aiboke seemed a bit impatient; it was as if his mindset had become unstable ever since he learned about the Plane Exploration Array. However, as a latecomer to the field of Magic, he did not understand why this was the case.

But he had already made up his mind to persuade him properly before returning to the Territory.

"Bishop Anbulier, I came here this time actually to inquire about the Fate Recorder of the Lord of Death." Subsequently, Xia Duo stated his plan, "I want to invite a Fate Recorder to become a graveyard guard in my Territory."

There was nothing to avoid about this matter. From Laidun, Xia Duo knew that the Cleric of the Lord of Death often resided within the Temple of the Lord of Radiance. Radiance and Death seemed very incompatible, but that was indeed the case.

Death was a form of near-absolute order, and one of the duties of the Lord of Death was to maintain the order of death. There was no conflict in Doctrine between the two sides, it was just that anything related to death was ultimately somewhat taboo.

Therefore, the Lord of Death rarely possessed formal Temples; most of the time, they would just choose a tomb or cemetery at random, which could serve as a Temple. As for ornate decorations or the like, the God did not care.

Through Laidun, Xia Duo learned a lot of Knowledge about the Lord of Death, and also knew that the Mages of Netheril were wary of Him, to the point that even now, many places did not acknowledge Him as a True God.

However, Xia Duo did not care about these things. He was only concerned now with how to get a Fate Recorder to join, and whether the Undead Goblin project could actually be realized!

Hearing Xia Duo's words, Anbulier shook his head, "Lord Xia Duo, I cannot make the decision on this matter. You should ask Tusi; he is the High Priest of the Lord of Death, and the people you are looking for are all his Apprentice."

"Please introduce me, Bishop!"

Due to the different Doctrines of the Lord of Radiance and the Lord of Death, Xia Duo could directly Command Anbulier, but he might not necessarily be able to Command that Priest Tusi.

However, since the other party could stay in the Savile Territory for a long time, presumably he should be able to be Commanded. Furthermore, this matter itself did not violate the other party's Doctrine; inviting a Fate Recorder precisely demonstrated Xia Duo's respect for death.

……

Soon, under the guidance of Bishop Anbulier, Xia Duo arrived at a relatively remote building behind the Temple. The environment here was very dim, as if the light outside could not enter here at all.

Only a few oil lamps were lit, their wicks flickering, adding a bit of eerie color to this dim environment.

Xia Duo followed behind Bishop Anbulier, walking past rows of bookshelves. He tried to look at the titles of the books on the shelves, but besides the dim environment, there was another power preventing his observation.

Xia Duo was somewhat curious about the contents of these books, but facing a High Priest, he could only put away such thoughts. However, when he truly saw this Priest Tusi, he was still almost given a fright.

This was a gaunt old man wearing a gray robe, with no extra decorations on his body. It was just that this old man seemed too gaunt, so much so that the only word that came to Xia Duo's mind when he first saw him was—

Skin and bones!

Truly skin and bones, as if the flesh and blood had disappeared, with only dry, wrinkled skin stuck to the surface of the bones. Even key parts like the eyes seemed to have withered away.

Turbid and lifeless, like two lime balls stained with mud.

Everyone can search for "Read Together" on the Qidian client, then continue to enter "Read Together" in the redemption box to receive a one-month "Fantasy Card" membership. (No need to enter the quotation marks)

(End of this chapter)