30: Curse

“Deacon Kahn? Deacon Kahn!”

The church immediately descended into chaos.

Several people dressed in gray servant uniforms hurriedly gathered around, looking at the middle-aged deacon who had inexplicably fainted, their faces filled with panic and helplessness.

Deacon Kahn’s face was terrifyingly ashen.

Even more bizarrely, strange black spots were spreading across his exposed skin at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Those spots subtly wriggled Li Ke living things, emitting a cold, ominous aura.

“Quick! Holy Light! Purify!” Someone reacted and shouted loudly.

Several low-ranking Holy Clerics immediately stepped forward, their hands glowing with a soft Holy Light, shining it onto the black spots on Deacon Kahn’s body.

However, it was useless.

The black spots wriggled slowly beneath his skin Li Ke living creatures, emitting a cold aura, and the Holy Light falling upon them was Li Ke a mud ox entering the sea, causing not the slightest ripple.

Just then, the heavy side door of the church was pushed open.

An elderly priest with graying hair, dressed in a luxurious priestly robe, walked out, his expression solemn and awe-inspiring without anger.

Celestine followed closely behind, still wearing her immaculate silver-white nun’s habit.

Her golden hair flowed with a soft luster in the dim light, but on the edge of her pure white skirt, there seemed to be a small, barely noticeable unknown stain.

“Lord Abbott!”

A cleric, seeing the old priest, felt as if he had found his backbone and hurried forward to report.

“Deacon Kahn suddenly fainted, and many black spots appeared on his body; it seems he’s been afflicted by some kind of curse!”

Abbott frowned deeply, his gaze falling upon Deacon Kahn on the ground.

He could feel a strange, sinister power contained within those black spots.

Abbott extended his withered hand, and a condensed, scorching ball of Holy Light gathered in his palm, Li Ke a sun, emitting an oppressive aura that made people dare not look directly at it.

The Holy Light slowly descended upon Deacon Kahn’s body.

However, the result was still the same.

Those black spots merely twisted slightly, then showed no other reaction.

Kahn’s life force was still rapidly weakening at a visible speed.

“Hmph!”

Abbott’s face turned somewhat unsightly, and he let out a cold snort.

“Evil Devils, how dare you act so presumptuously in a place illuminated by the Radiant Light!”

His voice was cold, carrying an undeniable authority.

“Use the Radiant Light Barrier to block all Devilish Power!”

Upon hearing this, several low-ranking Holy Clerics immediately spread out, quickly forming a standard six-pointed star formation.

Abbott stood in the center of the formation, holding a thick book inlaid with platinum patterns.

He raised the book high, loudly chanting prayers.

A larger, more scorching and dazzling ball of light ascended from the book, exploding violently above the church!

Buzz!

An invisible white light curtain, Li Ke an inverted giant bowl, instantly enveloped the entire church area.

An incredibly pure, sacred, and warm aura filled every inch of space within the barrier, as if it could cleanse all filth and purify all sins.

Even the fearful clerics felt their spirits supported.

However…

“Aaaahhhhh!!!”

The moment the Radiant Light Barrier fully unfolded,

Deacon Kahn, who had been unconscious on the ground, suddenly let out a piercing scream!

He abruptly opened his eyes, which were filled with tiny black spots, and began to struggle and writhe madly!

The dense black spots on his body, Li Ke insects thrown into boiling oil, began to violently wriggle and proliferate!

Vaguely, it seemed as if blurry, twisted, and resentful human faces were emerging within the black spots!

Dense, indistinct, and resentful curses emanated from Kahn’s body, reaching the ears of everyone around him.

Deacon Kahn’s life force began to dissipate at an even more frantic pace!

The scene before them was too bizarre.

All the Holy Clerics who witnessed this felt a chill rise in their hearts.

What kind of curse was this, exactly?

It couldn’t even be dispelled by the sacred power of Radiant Light?!

Deacon Kahn’s struggles grew weaker and weaker, and hoarse sounds came from his throat; it seemed his life was about to be completely extinguished.

No one dared to step forward again.

Only Celestine, her face still showing compassion and piety, slowly walked forward and knelt down.

She extended her slender, fair fingers, and a wisp of soft Holy Light gathered at her fingertips, seemingly wanting to attempt one last purification.

Deacon Kahn’s unfocused pupils slightly sharpened, his lips moved, and he uttered an extremely faint murmur.

“Li… Li… Charl…”

Celestine leaned her ear closer, wanting to hear his final words,

However, the voice was too weak, and she only caught a few vague syllables.

Soon, Deacon Kahn’s face completely withered, and his life force completely dissipated.

Celestine gazed quietly at his pained, twisted face.

In the depths of her eyes, a rare, subtle, almost pleasurable emotion flickered, Li Ke an undercurrent silently surging beneath ice.

She slowly stood up.

Abbott Priest looked at her with a somber expression, his voice tinged with suppressed anger.

“What did he say at the end?”

Celestine gently shook her head, her sacred face devoid of any Impurities.

“I didn’t hear clearly, Lord Abbott.”

...

Three months later.

Charles Manor welcomed the first snow of winter.

Fine, soft snowflakes drifted down from the lead-gray sky, silently covering the desolate earth, bare trees, and the castle’s towering spires.

The entire world was dyed with a clean, solemn white.

Barton, the butler, dressed in thick cotton clothes, was directing several servants to clear the accumulated snow from the main driveway of the castle, revealing the dry gravel path beneath.

After several months of reconstruction and management,

The Manor had completely shed its former dilapidation, restoring order,

And even appeared more orderly than when Baron Charles was alive.

The tulip fields had been re-cultivated, and the sown seeds were nurturing life beneath the snow.

The guard team diligently Cultivated daily in the training ground, their strength increasing day by day, which also ensured the order of the Manor.

Inside the study, it was still quiet.

Li Ke sat cross-legged on the thick carpet,

The last wisp of faint Devilish Qi swirling around him slowly retracted into his body Li Ke a tired bird returning to its nest.

He opened his eyes,

The deep black light in his pupils was more condensed than three months ago.

Several energy crystals in his hand silently turned into powder, their internal energy completely devoured.

Within his Dantian Qi Sea, the ninth drop of Devilish Qi liquid finally fully condensed into form,

Reflecting off the other eight drops, emitting a harmonious and powerful Qi fluctuation.

“I’ve reached the ninth level of Qi Condensation.”

Li Ke murmured to himself.

Since Baron Harman and the Deacon of the Radiant Light Holy See had both died in bizarre ways,

He had finally gained a rare period of peace.

The Radiant Light Holy See seemed to have focused all its attention on investigating the so-called Holy Meal Society and certain internal power struggles, temporarily having no time to bother with this remote country Manor.

And the Harman Family, having lost its backbone, fell into internal strife and encroachment from neighboring forces, unable to fend for itself.

No more ignorant fellows came knocking to disturb him.

This allowed him to calm down and, in one go, raise his Cultivation to the peak of the Qi Condensation stage.

Ninth level of Qi Condensation, only one step away from Foundation Establishment.

But the Dao foundation that the Demon Summoning Scripture aimed to forge was far beyond what ordinary Cultivation Techniques could achieve.

The demand for the accumulation of Devilish Qi was simply enormous.

Relying solely on such secluded Cultivation, it would probably take an unknown amount of time to truly touch the Breakthrough Bottleneck.

The efficiency is too low...

Li Ke stood up and walked to the window, calmly looking at the silent snowy scenery outside.

He felt a little restless from the quiet.

It was also time to go out and move around.

His gaze fell on the desk.

There lay a recently received invitation,

The ivory-white envelope had a fine texture, and a meticulously hot-stamped design of a sprawling, vibrant green oak branch was imprinted on it.

“Oak Earl’s eldest son’s dinner invitation…”

Li Ke’s fingertips gently brushed over the slightly raised hot-stamped design on the envelope.

Oak Earl.

He was the most powerful hereditary noble in this nearby region and the actual ruler of Oak Tree City.

Baron Charles, nominally, was actually one of the subsidiary nobles of the Oak Earl’s territory.

In such an important social occasion, it was only right for him, the young Baron Charles, who had only recently inherited the title, to attend in person to show respect.

Li Ke picked up the invitation and weighed it in his hand.

“Perfect.”

“Let’s go see… if there’s any suitable blood meal.”