Chapter 880: Resurrection

Tim*Kenan replied softly, "Only six enemies breached Franzis: Banerko and Luo Xi's Saint Avatar, two Holy Soul Wizards of the 'Hand of the Deceiver', one Shadow King of the 'Shadow Blade', and a Chosen One of Banerko."

He pointed at the corpses of those three Saint Rank elites.

"Except for Yagelim, who luckily escaped, the three Saint Rank elites that infiltrated Franzis have all been slain."

Lei En felt a chill in his heart.

"'Dark Left Hand' Yagelim, the highest‑level black wizard in history, rumored to exceed Thirty-level; he is the most powerful follower in Luo Xi's church and founded the 'Hand of the Deceiver' over a thousand years ago."

Four Saint Rank elites and two Saint Avatars.

Such a lineup cannot be called anything but formidable; had the Master not sensed Luo Xi's plot and prepared in secret beforehand, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Moreover, Banerko and Luo Xi, mortal enemies, actually set aside their hatred and teamed up.

Tim*Kenan continued, "Luo Xi didn't appear at first, and I didn't notice Him until the crucial moment; I struck while the God's Saint Avatar was entangled by Banerko, ambushed and killed Howai Master, then fled from Fu Kong Cheng."

He summed up the battle in just a few simple sentences.

However, Lei En sensed the thrilling drama: the God of Magic's Saint Avatar led five Holy Soul Wizards against the two Great Evil Gods' Saint Avatars and four Saint Rank elites; the forces were roughly evenly matched, and in the end the casualties were one to three, with the Empire side considered the victor.

No wonder Franzis suffered such severe devastation.

If Luo Xi, the Deceiver, hadn't targeted himself, then after succeeding he would have fled the battlefield; Banerko, realizing his betrayal, would have withdrawn immediately, allowing the God of Magic to act, and more than one Holy Soul Wizard—including Howai Master—might have died.

Even so, Howai Master's death was a huge loss.

Since Lei En returned to Fu Kong Cheng, Tim*Kenan had been sizing him up, a subtle astonishment in his eyes, and couldn't help asking, "Luo Xi's target was you; did He confront you?"

Lei En glanced at the still‑alive Empire elites.

Obviously, they had reported to the GreyEagle Duke before his return.

At that time the situation was urgent; Luo Xi's Saint Avatar launched a sudden attack, forcing him to reveal some secrets. The Dark Sun Divine Realm drove the Empire elites into madness, causing them to slaughter each other, yet after emerging from the frenzy they still remembered what they had done.

They saw Lei En being killed by Luo Xi.

They heard Luo Xi's words, saw Lei En's corpse turn into a Mirror Image and vanish, and witnessed that a mysterious amber generated a golden shield protecting a secret black‑robed wizard, until the effect of Time Stop caused a memory break.

Then they discovered they had been transported out of the Dark Sun Divine Realm, their sanity returning to normal.

But three people had already been killed in the madness.

After being rescued, the Empire elites were unaware of what had transpired on the palace ruins; when the battle ended and they returned to Fu Kong Cheng, they didn't even know whether Lei En was still alive. Until now, Lei En stands before them unharmed, leaving them utterly shocked.

Lei En faced Luo Xi's Saint Avatar alone, not only survived but appeared completely unscathed.

To think, even Howai Master died at Luo Xi's hands!

How did he manage that?

And why was Lei En, after being killed by Luo Xi earlier, turned into a Mirror Image? When did he unknowingly switch to a Mirror Image? Was the Lei En who killed Vickramatia II a Mirror Image or the real him?

Why didn't Luo Xi notice?

The wizard who cast Time Stop was clearly not the Black Robe Duke; who was he?

What was that amber? Where did Luo Xi's Saint Avatar go? Why does Lei En now appear as a Thundercast Celestial Soldier?

A cascade of questions swirled in everyone's mind, and Tim*Kenan and the Empire elites fixed their gazes on Lei En, hoping for answers.

But Lei En was reluctant to explain much.

He hesitated, then nodded and replied, "Yes, Luo Xi ambushed me, but I had prepared in advance and luckily survived."

Tim*Kenan shook his head; the others were also disappointed, as this answer could not satisfy them.

"Lei En, how did you know Luo Xi's target was you?" Vili En couldn't help asking. He had almost been beheaded by Salain's sword in the Dark Sun Divine Realm; if luck hadn't intervened, Baratu would have rushed in and knocked Salain aside, and he would now be a corpse.

Even though he didn't die, he lost half a life; after treatment, he remains severely weakened from massive blood loss.

"I was only guessing," Lei En replied.

"Chairman Lei En, when did you become a Mirror Image?" Batura pressed, his curiosity overwhelming; not only had he not noticed Lei En was a Mirror Image, but Luo Xi hadn't either.

Lei En smiled, "When I first entered Banbei City."

"Ah?"

The Empire elites all voiced surprise in unison.

At that moment they recalled that when Lei En led the Extreme Brigade to descend upon Banbei City and dismantle the altar of the Fear Domain, he had rushed into a bank headquarters in the city, disappearing from sight for several minutes—apparently that was when the switch occurred.

Silver Star Duke's eyes lit up, and he blurted, "Ten‑ring Spell, Real Mirror Image Technique?"

"Yes, milady."

Lei En gave a slight nod, "As for how I cast the Real Mirror Image and concealed it from Luo Xi's eyes, please allow me to keep it secret."

Actually, it's simple.

I used 'Endless Storm' inside that bank to trigger the Real Mirror Image; the casting takes a minute, and once completed, the Mirror Image dons Titan‑force armor, a nebula ring, and my own weapon, then hides a Holy Blood amber within its body to mask its aura.

Holy Blood amber is a divine artifact!

An artifact's stature is on par with a deity; by releasing a small amount of its energy to envelop oneself, one can deceive perfectly, evading all detection spells. Even a deity, if not scrutinizing closely and hurriedly at a distance, can be fooled.

Meanwhile, my true form disguised itself as a Thundercast Celestial Soldier, hidden within the Extreme Brigade the whole time, unnoticed by anyone.

In hindsight, the plan was highly successful.

Had the true form entered the fight and been ambushed by Luo Xi, even the Absolute Holy Shield wouldn't have had time to activate; I wouldn't be standing here now.

"Ten‑ring Spell!"

Everyone present was astonished.

Lei En isn't even a Holy Soul Wizard, so he couldn't possibly wield the Ten‑ring Spell, which only casters above Thirty-level can master; he must have used an extremely powerful magical item, undoubtedly Legend Grade.

Tim*Kenan mused; he is among the most erudite people in the world.

In the history of the Prime Material Plane, only three magical items can cast the Real Mirror Image, and he has already guessed which one Lei En possesses.

"I heard them say…"

Storm Queen stared intently at Lei En; her complexion was less rosy than before, a hint of pallor, and the light in her eyes dimmed, clearly from over‑exerted soul power.

However, this does not affect the aura of a powerful witch at all; curiously she said, "There is a mysterious wizard who mastered Time Stop, cooperated with you to kill Vickramatia II, and can also unleash the 'Absolute Holy Shield' to block Luo Xi's attacks, saving their lives…"

Lei En felt helpless; this could not be hidden from everyone's eyes.

He could only explain, "That is my student Reslin; he is a Legendary Peak, and not long ago just mastered Time Stop."

The crowd looked at each other in bewilderment.

Reslin?

They had never heard that name; there were no Weizelan Wizards present, many didn't even know Lei En had a student, let alone a Legendary Peak wizard.

Lei En himself was only a Legendary Peak—his student being so powerful?

And he had mastered Time Stop?

That is the world's strongest Nine-ring Technique; for Reslin to master it, does it mean he is challenging the Holy Soul Wizards? A wizard of such strength must have an ancient, dazzling talent; why has he remained unknown?

Several Holy Soul Wizards could not see through Lei En, always feeling he was unfathomable.

"Where is Reslin?" Tim*Kenan asked.

A wizard who has mastered Time Stop has a great chance to enter the Supreme Council in the future; he wanted to see him with his own eyes.

Lei En shrugged and replied, "My student is reclusive; apart from studying magic he is uninterested in other matters and dislikes appearing, and he has already returned to the Empire."

Everyone's faces were written with disbelief.

Lei En knew they didn't believe, but he didn't care, love or hate.

"That absolute Holy Shield…" Storm Queen mentioned again, but Lei En didn't wait for her to finish and proactively produced the Holy Blood Amber. He knew that even if he said nothing, others would soon find out after returning; at that moment Luo Xi shouted Luo Sen Da's name, and the Empire's strongmen all heard it.

Better to take it out himself, using the Holy Blood Amber to achieve some important purpose.

Instantly, all eyes were drawn to it.

Lei En held an egg‑shaped amber, its surface a beautiful rose color, seamless, containing a small lump of golden liquid that emitted a warm glow.

The light falling on the body felt like the rising morning sun, warm and comfortable.

Those bearing wounds felt their spirits lift, and their injuries partially healed.

Tim*Kenan and the three still‑living Holy Soul Wizards' faces changed dramatically; they sensed the amber held powerful energy, majestic and supreme, its aura made their souls tremble, and that small golden liquid seemed to be divine blood!

"This is…" Duke Silver Star suddenly rose, murmuring, his eyes mesmerized.

"It is an artifact."

Lei En said directly, "It is called 'Holy Blood Amber', a second‑grade artifact forged by the fallen Dawn Lord Luo Sen Da, which I happened to obtain."

"Artifact!"

The great tower hall erupted in a clamor, everyone inhaled sharply, eyes widened.

Some wondered if they had misheard, or if Lei En was babbling; they could not believe they had seen an artifact.

Yet they saw several Holy Soul Wizards also staring in amazement.

Even the usually composed GreyEagle Duke, who seemed never swayed in will, now stared at the amber in Lei En's hand, his eyes vacant, unable to hide the shock on his face.

"It truly is an artifact!"

Everyone in the Empire could not look away, suddenly feeling dry‑mouthed, some even trembling with excitement. Most had never seen even a Legend Grade item, and today they actually witnessed an artifact.

This is a great creation that only gods can master.

The power and value of any artifact far exceed Legend Grade items, comparable to a Fu Kong Cheng!

Now it rests in the hands of a mortal.

People watching Lei En clutch the Holy Blood Amber felt intense envy; in Ai Lun E Si's hundred‑thousand‑year history, mortals who possessed artifacts were few, each recorded in the annals, their names immortal.

No wonder Lei En could survive Luo Xi's attack!

While everyone remained shocked, Tim*Kenan had already calmed, murmuring thoughtfully, "Holy Blood Amber… Dawn Lord Luo Sen Da…"

His eyes suddenly brightened, understanding Lei En's intention.

"Lord Duke." Lei En saw his expression and proactively said, "The Holy Blood Amber can cast Complete Resurrection; I can revive Howai Master."

"Good!"

Tim*Kenan gladly agreed, a smile appearing on his face.

Howai Master's death was a major loss to the Empire and the Supreme Council, and a devastating blow to the Balance Faction; without his revival, the Balance Faction would be left with only the Light Rod Commander, and the whole faction would exist only in name.

Moreover, this revenge operation could not be deemed successful; as the operation leader, it would damage his own reputation and prestige.

In fact, Tim*Kenan had been seeking ways to revive Howai Master even before Lei En returned.

He had two plans.

One was to return to the Empire, ask the Earth Church's Life God to act, but casting Complete Resurrection requires a cost of dropping one level, so he must give the Earth Church sufficient compensation.

The second was to ask the goddess to act, using Wish Spell to cast Complete Resurrection.

Howai Master is the goddess's Chosen One; the goddess should not refuse, but it would consume massive divine power, equivalent to the goddess's current Holy Avatar, a huge price.

Both methods would damage his reputation; now that Lei En can use the artifact to revive Howai Master, that is perfect.

Tim*Kenan's thoughts were clear to Lei En, and he guessed these two methods.

But he was willing to act.

Since the Holy Blood Amber could no longer be concealed, better to maximize its value.

He had little contact with Howai Master; reviving him today would owe him a life, possibly gaining an extra vote in the Supreme Council.

At the same time, displaying the Holy Blood Amber sent two messages to the Empire's upper echelons.

First, he possessed an artifact that even gods cannot kill; this alone could scare off almost all enemies. Second, when people know he can cast Complete Resurrection, regardless of relations, they will not easily oppose him and will strive to please him, lest they later die unexpectedly and need his rescue.

Lei En immediately stepped forward, activating the Holy Blood Amber.

He wanted to revive Howai Master before the God of Magic returned, repaying this favor.

The Holy Blood Amber burst with light, a massive holy light power surged out, the sacred majestic aura made those around unable to look directly, forcing them to step back a bit.

Lei En focused his mind and spirit.

Casting Complete Resurrection consumes three thousand units of holy light power, roughly enough to grant a believer a Legendary Element "Morning Light Holy Blessing".

Pure, holy energy poured into Howai Master's body; within the dazzling holy light a mysterious rune coalesced, merged into Howai Master's head, and a wondrous reaction occurred. Soon, as if time were flowing backward, a powerful soul that had already dissipated reconstituted, the injuries within the body healed swiftly, and the breath of life returned to Howai Master.

When the light faded, a few seconds later, Howai Master's aged face opened its eyes.

A Holy Soul Wizard has been revived.

Howai Master's eyes held a hint of bewilderment, as if just awakened, and he instinctively reached for his pipe nearby, but found nothing. He stood up and looked around, seeing Tim*Kenan and a group of Empire strongmen, and his face instantly cleared.

The resurrected Howai Master was not especially excited, as if they had long known they would be revived.

Howai Master's gaze fell on Lei En and the Holy Blood Amber, observing them for a moment, then said with some surprise, "Young man, you revived me?"

(End of Chapter)