Chapter 684: Chapter 272: Enhancement and Improvement (Two-in-One Mega Chapter)

“Great Priest, I heard from the Black Flame Sect that they discovered an ancient creature, the Earth Snake, slumbering in Meister County. Can you tell me if this news is true or false?” a middle-aged man with a black ouroboros tattoo on his forehead asked.

The Great Priest, who had a ring-shaped ouroboros tattoo on his lips, pulled a smile at the corners of his mouth, his yellow vertical pupils staring at the other, and said:

“Aren’t we going there just to confirm whether it’s true or not?”

“However… I think they must be telling the truth.”

The middle-aged man nodded, speaking excitedly: “Great Priest, it would be great if it were true!”

“According to the ancient records we have, the excavation capabilities of the ancient creature Earth Snake are unmatched among all behemoths.”

“With it, we can quickly tunnel through and connect various branches together, and it would also make exploring those hidden underground ruins much easier.”

“Excellent! Holdan, the fact that you can think of this shows you’ve matured a lot, this is something a qualified priest should consider.” the Great Priest nodded.

The ancient creature Earth Snake, when fully grown, could reach nearly one hundred meters in length and several meters in diameter–a true colossus.

Though named after a snake, its head did not resemble that of a snake, but rather a petal with teeth, possessing tremendous biting and crushing strength, capable of burrowing through the earth at great speeds.

In less than half an hour, it could dig a subterranean tunnel as long as its body.

Of course, the most important thing was that, as members of the Secret Snake Sect, they possessed special dominion over the ancient creature Earth Snake.

Otherwise, if the Black Flame Sect could control the Earth Snake by themselves, they naturally wouldn’t have shared such information so graciously.

Holdan, having received the Great Priest’s praise, smiled, but soon furrowed his brows, saying:

“However, even if this news is true, given the nature of the Black Flame Sect, they will surely extract a toll.”

The Great Priest smiled slightly and said: “Holdan, that actually isn’t important.”

“What’s important is whether the Earth Snake they found is mature, what its condition is, and whether it can be awakened through the ritual; this is why I came personally.”

“If there aren’t any issues, then what does it matter if we agree to some of their demands?”

Upon hearing this, Holdan’s expression eased, and he nodded: “Indeed, I’ve heard that their plans in Meister were obstructed.”

“I suspect they will likely ask for our cooperation.”

“Then let’s cooperate. The more they stir up trouble in Meister, the better for us. However, Holdan, you need to first deal with a few imperial pests over there.”

The Great Priest extended his hand, pointing to the left rear side of the carriage, and said.

One could see that his hand’s back surface was covered in bluish-black snake-like scales, completely unrecognizable as human skin, more resembling that of a snake.

“Hmm? The Empire’s little bugs? Leave it to me!” Holdan removed his hood, revealing a bald head tattooed with various mystical symbols, and chuckled sinisterly.

The next second, he suddenly opened the door and jumped out of the speeding carriage.

….

———–

Meister, Wild Wolf Hills.

Inside a hidden cavern.

“Lord of the Blood Flame, new information has just come from Wales County; Lady Galerna has failed!” the black-robed monk reporting had an ugly expression.

“How? Was Galerna so careless?”

“Did she underestimate the Earl’s daughter and let her escape?” Raksul, with a smile, shook his transparent glass filled with dark red vintage, then sniffed it.

Clearly, he didn’t take the news seriously.

After all, the opponent was a top student from the Imperial Royal Academy and an Earl’s daughter, possessing some life-saving tricks; escaping from Galerna’s clutches made sense.

“This….” Hearing Raksul speak so lightly, the reporting Black Flame monk’s expression turned awkward, unsure how to continue.

“Hmm? What, has something happened?” Raksul’s expression hardened as the blood-red flame mark on his forehead flickered.

He quickly discerned from his subordinate’s expression that there must be some unexpected situation.

“Yes, sir, Lady Galerna has died in battle!”

“What?” Raksul’s pupils constricted, and he stood up abruptly, an incredulous look on his face.

The blood-red flame on his forehead turned even darker!

Galerna used to be his subordinate, and after his promotion, she had taken over his former position as the main priest of Wales County. He was well aware of her capabilities.

Upon hearing the initial report, several possibilities had crossed his mind, including the Earl’s daughter Cleya slipping away.

But he had never imagined that his once capable subordinate, now the main priest of Wales County, Galerna, would die on such a request-based mission!

Knowing Galerna’s skills in Illusion Technique, even if it were him, defeating her could be easy, but killing her would be extremely difficult.

“How did Galerna die?”

“Count Habbs’s daughter Cleya, is she that formidable?” Raksul, having regained his composure, asked gravely.

“Sir, it’s actually not so much that the Earl’s daughter is that strong; according to two surviving sect members, she’s probably just a Peak Knight.”

“But she has a young male with her, extremely powerful; reportedly, he killed ‘Bison’ Bildas with one punch, and withstood the Giant Axe Golem’s defense and destroyed it….”