Chapter 767: Entering Death Again

The church itself was a building with a very complex internal terrain, but thanks to the fact that most of the intersections here were blocked tightly by tables, chairs, benches, or other debris, and Xia De was almost certain of the whereabouts of Joey Barton and Yin Yi Yi Lu Na, his target was very clear as he moved forward all the way, even though he didn't see their shadows.

There were even more ritual traces inside the church than when he last came. Even without a light source, it was enough to reflect the corridor into gold. Most people were currently resisting the undead, so Xia De didn't see any other Shushi as he went deeper, but the sound of loud hymns echoed in his ears at all times.

The hymns of the Natural Church tended to be folk-like. In the choral part, it could even make people close their eyes and see the vast grasslands under the sun and the lush dense forests in summer.

Xia De didn't know what the singing meant at this time, but from the inside, the sealing ritual was undoubtedly about to be completed.

The further inward he walked, the more he felt the corridor was crooked. The concept of death distorted space, causing the corridor to be distorted to a certain degree in all four directions: up, down, left, and right. And as the ritual traces became denser, Xia De finally saw the silver metal threads that crossed the corridor like spider silk being broken by the impact, which meant he hadn't gone in the wrong direction.

Suddenly hearing a sound behind him, he turned his head to look. A middle-aged man wearing square-rimmed glasses and holding a sword in his hand walked over as if flying close to the ground. His age looked older than Doctor Shi Nai De, approaching the boundary between middle age and old age. The golden spiritual light overflowing from his whole body represented how much he had been enhanced by divine rituals.

Xia De recognized him; this was Mr. Lacon Mathis, a Twelfth-Tier Shushi of the Sun Church in the local area. Except for the Thirteenth-Tier Shushi of the Natural Church originally stationed in this diocese, he was the strongest Shushi in this diocese.

"No need to explain much, I know they have come in, let's go."

This gentleman's words were few, but his actions were swift, so the two continued forward together. Passing through the dense silver threads and pushing aside the metal charms that were shaking and making wind-chime sounds above their heads, the thin thick fog in the church became lighter and lighter, but at the same time, the air became colder and colder. Everything that came from the real world, and even the golden miracle spiritual light itself, was slowly fading.

When they turned into the last corridor, the candlelight on the ground all turned into a deep blue-black, and the walls looked as if they had experienced thousands of years of baptism. But this was at least better than when he last came, because the carvings of divine rituals on the walls were still stubbornly flickering with spiritual light.

The thick fog retreated completely here, and every breath Xia De and Mr. Lacon Mathis took could exhale white fog. Neither of them spoke, and they silently arrived at the end of the corridor.

That was a square entrance connecting to the underground. From that entrance, black wind was gradually blowing out.

An old man wearing white robes was unconscious on one side of the entrance. This should be the high-level Shushi sent to help by the Shushi organization "Apna Library" that Yin Yi Yi Lu Na mentioned. Mr. Mathis checked and confirmed that he had only fallen into a coma, then used the long sword in his hand to draw a circle beside the old man.

Golden light marks appeared in the circular carving, blocking the black wind blowing from the side. This was a divine art unique to the Sun Church.

"The road below leads to the most real death. I want to go and determine what happened. Do you want to come together?"

After doing this, Mr. Mathis asked Xia De, and Xia De naturally nodded. It was just that once he entered the passage below, his "divine afterglow" state would be revealed...

Looking at the kerosene lamp hanging on his waist, Xia De had an idea. He signaled that he would walk in front, lifted the old-fashioned metal kerosene lamp, and then carefully walked down the thirteen steps.

The whistling black wind kept blowing from the front of the underground passage, and countless whispers rang in his ears. Those were the murmurs and unwillingness issued by the dead at the end of their lives.

The cold wind blew toward Xia De. The 【Golden Necklace of the Ancient Witch】 hanging on his chest lit up first. Afterward, in the kerosene lamp held high that contained the flame of 【Primordial Fire】, the flame suddenly surged. The raging burning fire surged in the lamp shade, illuminating the surroundings and protecting Xia De.

The "divine afterglow" state did not appear; the Primordial Fire and the witch's necklace were enough to protect Xia De.

"Sure enough, it works."

"What kind of flame is this?"

Even the Twelfth-Tier Shushi following behind Xia De was protected by the fire, but seeing that Xia De was unwilling to answer, Mr. Mathis did not pursue the question.

Xia De walked in front, and Mr. Lacon Mathis of the Sun Church walked behind. The afterglow of the Primordial Fire dragged toward the back from the surface of the lantern held high by Xia De. The primitive and ancient power was even more effective at expelling death than the divine power of the Zhengshen Sect.

The nun said 【Primordial Fire】 was only an Angel-level relic, and what Xia De held was only a small cluster of flames. This made him understand more deeply just how powerful this flame, said to be from before the First Era, really was.

Walking forward step by step, because Xia De was holding the oil lamp directly and had the protection of the witch's necklace, although his body was stiff and his soul felt a little heavy, he could barely hold on.

But Mr. Lacon Mathis couldn't hold on. Therefore, when the two walked out of that passage and arrived at the massive square underground space where the Gate of Death stood, this gentleman had already manifested the life ring behind him.

Even so, he could only stop at the end of the passage and did not dare to enter the square space in front at all.

But at this position, one could already see that Gate of Death. In the faint light of the Primordial Fire, the ancient massive stone gate was closed, with stories related to death carved on it, describing the most fundamental meaning of death in this world.

The black wind blowing from the crack in the gate was still eerie and without any sound, as if everything in this world had ended here.

But unlike last time, this time, a massive holy emblem phantom was floating in front of that gate. It was two overlapping leaves, one withered yellow and one green. The holy emblem was becoming clear at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the black wind was gradually weakened because of this.

"Didn't see them... Did Joey Barton and Yin Yi Yi Lu Na Miss Beiyasi enter after this gate?"

Xia De couldn't believe this result, but Lacon Mathis immediately shook his head and made a sound with difficulty:

"The ritual is nearly four-fifths complete. Although it is not completely finished, this gate at the foot of the mountain can absolutely not be opened from the inside or the outside."

"But Joey Barton is the Chosen One of Death; he can touch death itself."

Xia De said, his eyes looking at that gate. There were also traces of battle and some footprints in front of the gate:

"They might have really gone in."

Xia De repeated. The Twelfth-Tier Shushi of the Sun Church was silent for a moment:

"This is the best result."

"What?"

Xia De looked at him in disbelief. Mr. Mathis immediately explained:

"The ritual has progressed to this point. It only lacks driving the undead that have infiltrated reality back into the Ringed Sect before the three passages are breached by the undead army outside, and the Trace of the Holy Tree can be completed. Although I don't know what means Joey Barton used to open the Gate of Death from the outside, at least I can guarantee that even the Chosen One of Death, at this stage of the ritual, don't even think about opening the gate from the inside... This point can be confirmed: the Trace of the Holy Tree ritual is not being used for the first time, and Joey Barton is definitely not the first Shushi to break into the Gate of Death."

"Letting him enter here just now was not only our negligence, but also because we knew that once he went in, he wouldn't be able to come out."

"Then what about your Chosen One?"

"It was indeed an unexpected accident that Yin Yi Yi Lu Na Miss Beiyasi followed her into death, but Miss Beiyasi's fate will not end here. This is an oracle."

"Please explain in detail."

"Although the five Great Ones cannot easily descend, it is no problem to bring her out, so don't worry about her."

Mr. Mathis looked at the Gate of Death, then was forced to close his eyes and look away:

"Unless Joey Barton can hold a ritual behind the gate and become the Chosen One, otherwise he can already be regarded as dead."

"Let's go, the outside still needs us. The prophets of the Prophecy Association have already made a divination. In the end, a wandering soul aggregate that gathers thousands of dead souls will appear in the Ringed Sect. That will be the most difficult battle. Drive it into the Ringed Sect, and the Trace of the Holy Tree can be completed. I think the battle will need to last until midnight; this will be a very difficult battle."

"No."

Xia De shook his head slightly:

"I also want to go in."

He pointed to the ancient stone gate:

"Yes, step into death."

"You..."

Mr. Mathis looked at the stranger wearing a mask in the firelight:

"I need to remind you that that gate has been blocked. Even if you are a Thirteenth-Tier, it is impossible to go in."

"I have other ways."

The middle-aged man was silent for a moment:

"Opening the gate from the outside is easier than opening it from the inside. Even if you can go in like Joey Barton, you will be like him; before the Trace of the Holy Tree becomes invalid, you will absolutely not be able to come out."

"I will find a way myself. Stepping into the Gate of Death is equivalent to suicide, and now, Joey Barton and Yin Yi Yi Lu Na Miss Beiyasi have both committed suicide... I want to ensure that the first one to come out is not Joey Barton."

Mr. Mathis hesitated for a moment and frowned slightly:

"You really do know... You are actually not a Witcher, right? Although you look very strong, you have never used any sorcery or spells other than swordsmanship and sunlight power, and you haven't even manifested your life ring. You are not a mid-level Shushi at all."

"Yes, I am not a mid-level Shushi."

Xia De was a low-level Shushi.

"Are you a God-Caller?"

"Why do you think so?"

"It seems it really is... The ending of the Midhillburg incident is really the best we could think of. Not only can Joey Barton be judged as dead, but we even had close contact with you and let Yin Yi Yi Lu Na Miss Beiyasi judge your camp."

Xia De shook his head:

"The outside still needs you, and my path is ahead. Sir, I am very happy to be able to cooperate with the church this time. I hope you can be safe in the coming battle."

Mr. Mathis nodded, as if relieved:

"What is the reason for your obsession with pursuing Joey Barton and other Chosen Ones?"

"Do you think I will answer?"

Xia De asked. The latter was silent for a moment and took a roll of parchment from his pocket:

"The learning method for the Sun Church's unique sorcery 【Heaton Seal】. Although this is very precious, it might not be anything to a Thirteenth-Tier like you. This is the reward for your help in guarding the church. Welcome to have another cooperation."

Xia De smiled:

"Then I will accept it."

Under Mr. Mathis's gaze, he walked forward all the way to the 【Gate of Death】. This time, he did not leave behind the relics and spell materials on his body, because the previous experience made him understand that the afterglow on his body was enough to protect his personal items.

Without trying to push the gate that was likely impossible to push open, Xia De held 【Night Watcher】 in his right hand. As the witch's necklace on his chest suddenly flashed, he turned sideways, gathered his strength, and swung his sword forward—

"Gate of Death!"

The long sword slashed into the air in the black wind, and sparks splashed in the air. A pitch-black crack appeared with the slight sound of glass shattering, and the crack rapidly expanded to a size that Xia De could pass through. *** **CHAPTER 768: Protagonists of the Epic**