Chapter 238: Holy Soul Lich

In the Weizelan Floating City, hundreds of thousands of people experienced weightlessness.

Just when everyone thought the floating city would crash, only a few seconds later it suddenly hovered again; this fall and stop caused countless people to tumble to the ground.

Lei En had already activated his phone's gyroscope, and a quick sway let his body regain its footing.

A pang of fear rose in his mind.

Master Mei Dif's prophecy actually came true!

The area beneath the Weizelan Floating City is split: half lies within his own domain, precisely the bustling Six Deep Corner Commercial District; the other half is in Mo Du's old city district, belonging to Viscount Stoinde's territory.

If it fell, it would strike the Yero River, damming the flow; the flood would, within days, submerge over seventy percent of Mo Du City, killing and wounding millions. This world trade capital would be wiped out overnight, with incalculable loss!

Above Mo Du.

One moment the sky was clear and endless; in an instant, dark clouds gathered, a thick veil of blackness blocking the sun as if night were falling.

Countless Mo Du residents sensed the sky anomaly, looked up, and when they saw an unknown floating city hovering above Weizelan, they were inevitably thrown into panic.

"Goddess..."

"What is that?"

All of Mo Du was filled with stunned faces, instinctively letting out cries of shock.

Two floating cities, one above the other, appeared superimposed when viewed from afar.

However, the aperture opened by the light column wasn't large enough; the floating city seemed stuck, unable to break free, an invisible force blocking it from truly descending onto Mo Du.

Nevertheless, people could still discern its general shape.

Its appearance was unique: a pyramid-shaped sealed fortress with four corners, forming four inclined faces that rose upward and converged at the spire. Each sloping side resembled a wall, with a broad terrace every few hundred meters.

At each of the fortress's four corners stood a Wizard Tower.

At the fortress's summit rose a fifth spire, the highest point of the floating city.

The entire floating city was forged from blocks of stone and metal, gray‑white in hue, its scale only about a quarter of the Weizelan Floating City, with a portion visibly unfinished—only half built—revealing glimpses of its interior structure.

At its very bottom center lay a massive doorway, pitch‑black and impenetrable to sight.

A gloomy, evil aura seeped out from within.

Many transcendants, whose sight was keen, glanced inside out of curiosity, and instantly a chilling, terrifying consciousness invaded their minds, sending a shiver through their bodies.

"Xinxiang Floating City!"

In the plaza, the Wizards who had helped build it shouted in disbelief, "Why has it turned into this?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lei En gripped the Thunder Hammer, delivering several consecutive blows onto the anti‑fall shield surrounding Lu Yin.

He had already infused himself with the Dragon Power Technique, exerting his full strength; each hammer strike erupted with blinding lightning, a fifth‑grade thunderous blow that even Legendary High‑rank transcendants could not endure.

Yet the hammer made no dent on the Protective Shield.

Not even a ripple appeared.

The rebound force numbed Lei En's hands, making him realize this Protective Shield was beyond his ability to break.

He wasn't the only one; others had tried as well.

Legendary High‑rank Wei Lien swung an epic‑level greatsword at it, his combat skill unleashed, yet to no effect; Marquis Ji Liu Suonasi's troll‑killer; the Legendary Wizards' spells—none could move the shield an iota.

Inside the shield, Lu Yin held the Astral Crystal Pillar aloft with his left hand, his right hand gripping a staff, remaining perfectly still.

Endless energy coursed through his body into the Astral Crystal Pillar, sustaining the Transmission Channel in the sky; the energy eroded his flesh inch by inch, draining his life.

At this rate, it wouldn't be long before Lu Yin's body and spirit vanished.

Yet his eyes showed no emotion, his face not a hint of change, like a statue.

Lei En ceased his futile effort, dashing onto the platform beside Anxiwodasi.

"Teacher?"

It was then he noticed Anxiwodasi seemed frozen as if by a binding spell, his expression tinged with apprehension.

What could cause a Holy Soul Wizard to lose composure like this?

Before Lei En's thought could settle, the teacher spoke, "I've lost control of the floating city."

Anxiwodasi's lapse was brief; he instantly regained his usual confidence and wisdom, calmly stating, "I still underestimated Lu Yin."

"This plaza bears his name; he once, under the pretext of researching formations, applied to me for permission to use the floating city, borrowing part of the Iola Core's energy. Unexpectedly, he tampered with the city, using the formation to temporarily seize control, cutting off the Iola Core's power and diverting it to the Astral Crystal Pillar, opening a Transmission Channel."

Even as he spoke, the Xinxiang Floating City above continued its futile attempts to pass through the aperture.

Lei En couldn't help but feel urgent; at this moment, the teacher was still leisurely analyzing the cause instead of rushing to stop it!

"It can't leap out."

Anxiwodasi seemed to read Lei En's thoughts and said confidently, "Lu Yin's Energy Extraction Formation calculation is flawed; it cannot sustain such a massive Transmission Channel. The energy required to move from the Astral Realm into the Prime Material Plane, even the Iola Core cannot supply in such a short time."

At that moment, a few people leapt onto the platform, their faces anxious, shouting, "GrandSpeaker, regarding Lu Yin..."

Anxiwodasi raised his hand to cut them off, "No need to worry about Lu Yin; he has the floating city's Protective Shield, even I cannot touch him."

Then his voice rose, resonating so that the entire floating city could hear.

"Everyone, prepare to meet the enemy!"

"The floating city's Gravity Reversal Technique formation itself stores reserve energy, enough to last at least two hours. Guard the Weizelan High Tower, prevent the enemy from reaching the Iola Core, and we shall surely win!"

The Holy Soul Wizard's voice, imbued with uplifting magic, instantly steadied the panicked crowd.

People's gazes turned to the floating city's leader, awaiting his orders.

At that moment, the floating city fortress above ceased its leaping.

A figure shot out from the entrance below.

He descended rapidly, halting mid‑air; he was tall and gaunt, so thin that only skin clung to his skeleton, his face devoid of any flesh, hollow eye sockets harboring two pools of eerie blue flame.

He was a Lich.

He wore an extravagantly ornate robe, draped loosely over his hips; its hem split into six long, wide panels embroidered with intricate runes, a broad collar encircling his skull‑like head, a rune‑forged iron chain coiling around his body, bone‑like claws gripping a strange staff.

The Lich exuded an evil and powerful terrifying aura.

Lei En subconsciously tried to observe it with his Soul Eye, but sensed danger and quickly averted his gaze.

It is a Holy Soul Lich!

The Lich looked down at the crowd in the plaza and suddenly let out a sharp, unpleasant laugh.

Some with weaker Willpower covered their ears and cried out in pain, as if iron spikes were stabbing into their brains.

"Demon!"

A legendary priest from the Earth Church shouted angrily, paused his staff, and a burst of group mental shield radiated outward, restoring everyone to normal.

"Everyone, long time no see," the Lich said in a hoarse voice, as if an old friend were greeting.

The words instantly left the crowd puzzled.

Anxiwodasi's complexion suddenly changed, his eyes razor‑sharp, "Korstted?"

"It is I, Master."

The Lich bowed slightly in salute, appearing respectful, yet his expression was cold as ice, with only the flames in his eye sockets flickering slowly.

This question and answer caused a stir among the Wizards.

Almost everyone wore an expression of disbelief; Korstted, Master and chairman of the Six‑Member Council, had become a Lich, meaning he betrayed Fu Kong Cheng, fell into the Abyss, and became a minion of the Lord of the Dead!

Only Lei En had speculated, but when it actually happened, he was still very surprised.

He looked toward the crowd, where the brown‑haired, black‑eyed Falinna's face turned deathly pale.

"Master..."

The student of Korstted muttered unconsciously.

She had previously chosen to leave Fu Kong Cheng, and now was undergoing intense emotional turbulence, indicating she did not know that Korstted had pledged allegiance to the Lord of the Dead.

"Master, why?" Falinna asked loudly, her voice trembling.

Korstted glanced at his student, let out a cheeky chuckle twice, spread his arms as if to embrace the floating city in the sky, and indifferently replied, "Power, eternity, Fu Kong Cheng!"

His gaze fell on Anxiwodasi, "Master, at last, I am also a Holy Soul."

"Do you know?" Korstted said as if to himself, "Since the day I pledged to you as Master, I have dreamed of advancing to Holy Soul and possessing my own Fu Kong Cheng."

"I only took two hundred years to reach level nineteen."

"I thought a hundred years at most would suffice to ascend to Holy Soul, but it took six hundred years; for this I gave up many things and paid a heavy price, yet it was all worth it."

Anxiwodasi's complexion turned grim.

His most relied‑upon student, also the most trusted person, had turned to the Abyss, leaving him caught off guard and deeply frustrated.

Listening to Korstted's words, he suddenly felt as if he had aged several decades.

"I would rather you had not succeeded in ascending."

Controlling a Fu Kong Cheng can only raise the chance of a Holy Soul ascension ritual slightly, yet Korstted succeeded so easily, likely by sacrificing hundreds of thousands of souls, receiving the Lord of the Dead's blessing, and using a Lich transformation ceremony to ascend in one stroke.

At the same time, this also solved a mystery.

Over the years, Korstted rarely stayed in Weizelan, publicly claiming to explore other planes and seek opportunities to ascend to Holy Soul, but in fact he had long pledged to the Lord of the Dead.

Lu Yin's Weizelan badge had long been permission‑blocked, yet it could still be transmitted to the plaza, presumably because Korstted helped open it.

Modela gritted her teeth and cursed, "Korstted, how dare you seize my Fu Kong Cheng!"

The Lich's gaze swept over her, and two words burst from his mouth: "Fool."

"From start to finish, Na Ke Sa Si has always been my Fu Kong Cheng."

"Without my covert incitement of those foolish nobles, where would they have gotten the nerve to claim territories on the New Continent?"

"Without my binding of the dead‑knot sigil wizard, designating the area near Shield Island as a forbidden zone, how could you have smoothly built Fu Kong Cheng?"

"Without my Mind‑Orb controlling Lu Yin, who would design and oversee the construction of Fu Kong Cheng for you?"

"Without my countless concealments, could you have hidden from the Master's investigation?"

"Hahaha…"

"Your Fu Kong Cheng?" Korstted scoffed, "You, a foolish, old woman, who wants to ascend to Holy Soul yet dares not sacrifice, have barely set foot on the New Continent; what right do you have to claim this as your Fu Kong Cheng?"

Every sentence he uttered struck Modela's heart like a heavy hammer, leaving her spirit ashen and filled with irretrievable regret.

All the scheming of over twenty years had become a wedding dress for others, a mere joke.

"No need to say more."

Anxiwodasi said coldly, "Korstted, even though you are now a Holy Soul Lich, Weizelan is not a place you can shake; what do you intend to do by returning?"

He did not act immediately, in order to stall for time.

Lu Yin's body was disintegrating and would not sustain the passage for long; the longer he delayed, the more advantageous it was for himself.

Korstted, for reasons unknown, did not rush to attack, and said, "Master, I only want one thing."

Anxiwodasi seemed already aware of the answer, yet still asked, "What thing?"

"#%#…" Korstted said in a low voice.

He said it was in Abyssal Language; most could not understand, yet the phrase seemed to wield a terrifying power, causing everyone who heard it to shiver.

Lei En knew some Abyssal Language, and the phrase meant "The Book of the Dead."

He did not know what it was, but Anxiwodasi's face changed dramatically, and he flatly refused, "No way."

"Master, I am only giving you a heads‑up; if you refuse, I can take it myself."

Korstted showed no anger; his skeletal frame struck an elegant pose and continued, "Allow me to introduce my friends to you all."

Above his head, an entrance opened and a terrifying figure emerged.

A Bone Dragon over thirty meters long burst forth, its body composed solely of bones, pale flames burning in its eye sockets, and a human silhouette stood atop its skull.

The figure was clad in deep‑blue rune plate armor, a long cape draped behind, a pointed helmet centered with a sapphire, a ferocious mask hiding its face, and a few strands of white hair drifted from the armor's neck seams.

From its appearance it was a Death Knight, most strikingly wielding a massive two‑handed sword!

This strange great sword, flashing with frost, bears a demon skull with goat horns carved at the center of its pommel; the two horns curve outward, winding around the sword's throat on both sides.

Across the broad spine of the blade, a series of intricate, mysterious runes are etched.

A sharp, bone‑piercing cold wind spreads from the sword; even from several hundred meters away, people still feel the frost's power, as if they have entered a mid‑winter night.

A learned legendary Wizard, trembling with fear, shouted: "Death Lord E Sa Zi!"

(End of Chapter)