Chapter 220: Goodbye Leonard

Foreseeing danger reappeared, but the Desire Apostle had already fallen into a trap that had been prepared long ago.

The pitch‑black shadow twisted, and panic spread wildly over him.

As a Desire Apostle, he quickly steadied his emotions and tried, through his perception of emotion and desire, to locate the ambusher hidden in the darkness.

The next moment, star after star appeared around him, dense and dazzling.

These stars shed one brilliance after another, converging into a majestic Light Giant Pillar that enveloped the Desire Apostle's remaining shadow.

The pitch‑black shadow gradually began to be dissolved by starlight, collapsing and dispersing.

Without a physical foundation, the pitch‑black shadow could not effectively resist the erosion of starlight and dissolved rapidly.

The next instant, the shadow burst apart, turning into a black liquid that flowed in all directions.

"Naïve." Reckton paid no mind to the shadows that slipped beyond the starlight's reach, lifted his hand lightly, and muttered aloud, "Sun!"

A fierce yet non‑piercing golden light manifested on Reckton's hand, then spread outward like ripples.

The scattered black liquid, upon contact, emitted an instinctive wail, the "body" billowed green smoke, then evaporated and vanished.

In the end only a thin, abnormal black shadow remained, and Reckton stepped toward it slowly.

"Snap!" while rubbing his fingers, golden illusory flames spontaneously ignited on the black shadow, exuding the vast, pervasive aura of the sun.

The black shadow twisted wildly on the ground, shouting.

It could not last two seconds before it completely lost vitality, lying motionless on the ground, leaving only a thin, seemingly weightless shadow residue.

The surrounding clear night sky fell like a curtain, restoring the darkness and smell of the sewer.

Then Reckton saw a hovering figure not far away, seemingly searching for something; the figure wore a pitch‑black crown and a matching cloak that moved without wind.

"Are you looking for him?" Reckton and Craine's spirits met eyes, then he pointed to the spot beneath his feet and said.

As he spoke, Reckton rubbed his fingers, creating several golden illusory flames that illuminated the sewer's darkness.

Craine followed Reckton's gaze and saw the thin, seemingly weightless shadow at his feet.

"Is this… that Desire Apostle?" Craine asked, looking at Reckton with doubt.

"He possesses a shadow‑transformation talent that lets him abandon his body, leaving only a shadow; given enough material, the shadow can regrow flesh."

Reckton nodded lightly and explained why the Desire Apostle had taken this form.

He then retrieved a black glass bottle from his coat pocket, poured out a peculiar spirit, and poured it into the shadow on the ground.

The Desire Apostle's lingering shadow quivered slightly, then began to emit specks of phosphorescence.

Watching the adept movements, Craine doubted that he had come solely because of the Desire Apostle's extraordinary traits.

Suddenly, a faint tremor rose from the ground.

Reckton and Craine both turned to the other side, where a tall, heavy silver armor rushed forward, a large patch of coagulated blood staining the lower left of its shoulder.

"Seal Item 1‑42," Craine said in a deep voice.

Reckton nodded lightly and reminded him:

"You go first."

"With my spirit form I can take this thin shadow away in one piece." Craine did not rush to leave, but instead mused.

"Its traits are currently emanating; as a spirit, you will be affected, so take its residual spirit and use it for spirit‑communication."

Speaking, he raised his hand, extending his spiritual aura, pulling the stray spirit of the Desire Apostle into his grasp and handing it to Craine.

Craine nodded lightly, then without hesitation enveloped the Desire Apostle's spirit that Reckton handed over, directly ending the summoning.

The next instant, Leonard, clad in blood‑stained silver armor, saw the figure beside Reckton wearing a pitch‑black crown and matching cloak abruptly disappear, leaving no trace.

He squinted slightly, examined the surroundings for a moment, and finally fixed his gaze on Reckton.

"Erasing clues, destroying evidence? You're bold!"

【9】 He spoke in a low voice, his aggressively fixed gaze locked on Reckton, who remained in place awaiting the traits to manifest.

He spoke in a low, deep voice; his gaze, full of aggression, locked onto Leighton, who remained in place waiting for the property to separate.

"Heh," Reckton said with an indifferent chuckle.

"Long time no see, it seems you've become the Red Glove of the Night Church."

"By the way, which ancient deity's blood stains are on your armor?"

Leonard's aura suddenly dissipated by half, and he asked with some doubt:

"How did you recognize me?"

"Foolish. He may have only guessed earlier, but now it can be confirmed."

Parles's voice carried a hint of frustration like iron that won't become steel, then he said again:

"Ask him, when will that half‑god in poor condition that he mentioned actually appear? The price of deceiving an angel is such that even a knowledge‑bound one cannot endure."

The next sentence, Parles did not mask his voice; Reckton heard it directly, or rather, he was speaking it straight to Reckton.

After a moment of silence, Reckton himself did not know when that thieving half‑god would parasitize a mouse, and could only infer from his knowledge:

"Around January to March next year."

"Hopefully so." Parles's hoarse old voice sounded again from within the silver armor.

Reckton immediately gave his word:

"When I ascend to Prophetess, I'll give you a prophecy."

"Whose ancient deity's blood stains this silver armor?"

Leonard, equally curious, whispered a question about the old man parasiting within his own body.

Parles said to Leonard in a sour tone:

"The phoenix progenitor, Ge Lei Jia Li, haven't you noticed that this armor severely suppresses the Desire Apostle's extraordinary abilities?"

"This must be the effect that only ancient deity blood with authority akin to Night Tranquility can produce."

"I don't know what the ancient deity's authority is, and the files I've seen contain no record of it!"

Leonard retorted for himself.

The old man's words just now could only be heard by him, so he explained again to Lei Ke Dun:

"The old man said it was the blood of the Undying Bird's ancestor Ge Lei Jia Li."

Lei Ke Dun nodded lightly, then thought of the crow at home that carries only partial Undying Bird lineage; if a drop of the Undying Bird's ancestor's blood were given to it, would it directly transform into a true Undying Bird, or would Ge Lei Jia Li resurrect from it?

Resurrection seemed unlikely, since the second Death God had already appeared, and the marks belonging to Ge Lei Jia Li along this path should have been mostly worn away.

Under the reminder of the old man inside his body, Lun Na De withdrew his thoughts and asked again:

"Why are you here! To erase clues? Or to destroy evidence?"

"Of course it's for the Apostle of Desire's trait; otherwise, what connection could I have with an extraordinary being of the demonic path?"

"That may not be so." Lun Na De didn't fully believe Lei Ke Dun's excuse.

Lei Ke Dun, unconcerned, waved his hand and said:

"If you want to know the information behind this Apostle of Desire, I can tell you after I learn the result of the spirit communication."

As he spoke, Lei Ke Dun naturally bent down and picked up the trait that had separated from the lingering shadow of that Apostle of Desire.

The Apostle of Desire's trait was like black mist, seemingly containing all human emotions and desires.

Lun Na De's gaze also fell on the black‑mist‑like trait in Lei Ke Dun's hand, and, with a solemn look, he said:

"Why don't you hand over his remaining spirit, and let me tell you after I know the result of the spirit communication?"

"Because his spirit isn't in your hand, and moreover, the armor on you is nearing its limit."

Lei Ke Dun chuckled lightly.

As he spoke, his figure faded away quickly.

After Lei Ke Dun vanished, the shadows he silently controlled with his Bone Staff fell like a tide around him; the hidden Red Glove members then noticed Lun Na De here, rushed over, and helped him remove his silver armor.

Back on Mingsike Jie, Lei Ke Dun immediately picked up that Apostle of Desire's trait for study; he has always been curious about the Apostle of Desire's ability to manipulate emotions and desires.

As for the time he spent in the sewer waiting for the trait to separate and chatting with Lun Na De, Lei Ke Dun wasn't worried at all that the Night Watcher might learn of it.

At that time he still bore the hidden effect granted by the Hidden Sage; when Lun Na De recalled, he only found his memory hazy, able to recall merely a few meaningless sentences spoken with an indistinct person.

However, with Pa Lie Si present, it was easy to help Lun Na De retrieve that memory; still, this suffices to pass the Night Watcher's screening of Lun Na De.

As long as he ensures he doesn't end up on the Night Church's wanted list, that's enough.

After all, the goddess's record makes one shiver.

(End of chapter)