The Paladin in the Abyss

Chapter 349: Chapter 363: The Confrontation between Divine Office Holders

Meanwhile, Lancelot was still sitting cross-legged at his original spot, head bowed, eyes tightly shut. His right hand gripped the handle of Frostslash while his left pressed on the scabbard. True Yuan from within his body flowed continually into the blade of Frostslash, following a special Cultivation Technique.

This was a move he had created by making slight improvements on the basis of Gathering Qi Slash: when Gathering Qi Slash was charging, a certain amount of energy would leak from the blade, but by using a scabbard filled with True Yuan to “catch” this overflowing energy, the speed and power of the sword strike could be greatly enhanced the moment the sword was drawn.

Of course, the enhancement was limited to the first strike after drawing the sword, but that was all Lancelot needed. Facing a High Rank Spellcaster, once the opponent began to cast, the consequences could be unpredictable; he would either choose not to make a move, or if he did, he had to ensure it was a lethal one.

This was also a Dharma Method of overcoming the strong with the weak as repeatedly emphasized in the small bamboo slip by Han Tianzun—no matter how many Divine Skills you know or how powerful the spells you can cast, once you’re dead, there’s no chance to use them. In fact, Han Tianzun himself had done many similar things in his youth, by which he had harvested a considerable number of precious treasures and Cultivation resources.

New enemies emerged from the room again, two Zoel female Priests. The traps set up before had been disarmed by the bodies of the first wave of male Zoel who came in; perhaps that was one of their tasks too, so these two female Priests could pass through those slaughterhouse-like rooms unharmed.

Unlike most races, Zoel females were not much different from the males in stature and physique, perhaps due to the different diet and training they received during puberty, making these women, who held the highest social status, seem even stronger.

Both of the high-ranking Rose Priests were dressed in exquisite Scale Armor, draped in robes adorned with spider patterns, their eyes emitted a red glow in the dim light, and their necks, chests, and fingers were adorned with lavish gemstone jewelry—not your average ornaments. Kalalin once enlightened Lancelot that all gemstones could serve as energy sources for magical items; amulets made with gemstones did not need to be actively used and could trigger automatically under certain conditions to protect the wearer from specific types of damage.

Lancelot remained seated on the ground, unmoving; his Divine Sense told him that the enemy with the strongest aura had not yet appeared. Into the fray went Shuni’s Priest, Alamir, and the Succubus Paladin, Elothysia, to confront the newly arrived counterparts.

As a Priest of the Lady of Love, Alamir spent most of his time playing the role of a Healer, but in fact, the Elf had also received ample combat training, as could be seen by his choice of Plate Armor and Hardhead Hammer for his adventuring gear. Furthermore, as a Priest of a benevolent deity, what could stir his battle fury more than a Priestess of an Evil God?

The enemy chosen by him did not mistake the Elf for an ordinary warrior. The shining weapons and the Holy Emblem on the shield clearly conveyed one fact: this was also a person of Divine office, empowered by the gifts bestowed by the presence of Divine Power.

And the Succubus genuinely surprised them; Zoel females were not unfamiliar with such demons, in fact, they were very well acquainted, and on some occasions, even considered them as rivals. But the Succubus before them was too odd: clad in Heavy Armor suitable only for warriors, wielding a Shield and Broad Sword, her weapons ablaze with an uncomfortable Golden Flame—how could she be a demon?

But as priestesses of the Spider Goddess, these Zoel elf women were not afraid of any enemy. Each confronted the enemy approaching them, brandishing their signature Serpent Head Whip. This weapon had a metal handle about a foot and a half long, ending with five animated snake heads. The scales on the snake heads were extremely hard, capable of withstanding the sharpest of weapons. These snake heads were actually alive, with a will of their own, though they often pretended not to have one.

The first to engage with the priestesses was Alamir, a priest whose Nail-headed Hammer radiated a dazzling golden glow, crashing hard against the enemy’s Serpent Head Whip. Kamoen had previously informed everyone of the dangers of the Serpent Head Whip, so Shuni’s priest immediately withdrew his hand after striking, preventing the snake heads from taking the chance to slither along his weapon and attack him.

The Zoel elf women, in terms of strength, were not inferior to their male counterparts, but the bright light emitted by their opponent’s weapon made them uncomfortable. Zoel were a race accustomed to living in the dark underground caverns, and although they had adapted to brighter environments as much as possible on their way to the Abyss, a Hardhead Hammer swinging like a torch still triggered their instinctive fear.

Worse still, the light weakened the enchantment effect on their armor and weapons, reducing their expensive equipment to perform only as well as ordinary gear. But thanks to their long-term rigorous training, despite being at a great disadvantage, an opponent still managed a fight that was equal to Alamir’s, which she seemed to take as a great insult, and her attacks grew more and more ferocious.

However, Alamir was no fool. He was well aware of his duties and knew his opponent’s characteristics. Relying on his shield, the Elf Priest solidly maintained his defense, which was precisely the focus of his priestly training. At the same time, he kept a close watch on his opponent’s lips, ready to swing his Hardhead Hammer, imbued with Holy Power, decisively at the hint of an incantation to prevent the priestess from casting any spells.

On Elothysia’s front, the situation was completely one-sided. The Succubus Paladin held nothing back, having activated her daily ability to channel Holy Power before the battle began, turning her Broad Sword into a Holy Weapon; and with the first strike of the battle, she employed her highest level of spellcasting ability, the Third Circle, to cast Evilbane Slash.

But her strike was not aimed at the priestess herself; it targeted the weapon used by the priestess.

The Serpent Head Whip was a product of chaotic and evil Abyssal magic, exceptionally vulnerable to sacred attacks, and the Succubus’s opponent had never expected her adversary to be a Holy Warrior (which actually couldn’t be blamed on her).

The priestess swung her weapon with full confidence, only to be shocked nearly to the point of her eyeballs falling out the next moment—snake heads second only to mithril in hardness were cleanly severed like a clump of mushrooms, and the wicked weapon she regarded as a lover (sometimes it indeed played that role) became a laughably short stick, hardly more powerful than a dagger.

And naturally, Elothysia seized the opportunity to follow up on her victory, her sword blade gleaming with golden light having already breached the embarrassingly ineffective defense of the whip handle multiple times, striking the priestess’s body. A gray-white, rock-like glow flared on the latter’s body, the effect of an amulet that turned the wearer’s body as hard as stone when receiving close-quarter attacks.

The Succubus Paladin was not discouraged by this situation. An enemy with spellcasting abilities from the upper echelons of their society obviously wouldn’t be killed so easily, but any protective magic item had its limits in how much damage it could handle, and continuing the fight in this way, the opponent’s downfall was just a matter of time.@@novelbin@@

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