134: Is he really not bluffing me?

The moment the magic array descended, accompanied by a strong sense of crisis in his mind, Ellis shouted a warning to the surrounding knights, then immediately flashed away and sprinted out of the magic array.

However, because the magic array descended too suddenly and too quickly, even with Ellis's warning, only a few knights within the array reacted in time.

Whoosh~

As Ellis and the few knights moved, terrifying blood-Red pillars of flame instantly rose from the ground where the magic array spread.

Magic power, filled with violent tearing properties, swept across the bodies of the unreacting knights like blades that could tear apart everything.

Swish swish swish!

The knights' fine iron armor was like tofu before this energy, instantly torn apart.

Pfft~

Ah ah ah~

Accompanied by the sound of spraying blood, painful wails continuously echoed.

The bizarre Red magic array at this moment was like a gateway from hell, mercilessly harvesting the knights within it.

Middleton and the others, who were still within the magic array, were enveloped by a special magic energy the moment the array descended, suffering not a single injury.

"This is ———— we've been tricked!"

Lister and the other three, watching from a high vantage point, looked solemn, shielding their heads with their hands to ward off the intense hot air waves emanating from the magic array.

Even though the four of them were now a hundred meters away, they could still feel an intense burning sensation.

"Red, is this perhaps a Grand Magus?"

Lister, who knew the three very well, knew that only Red had witnessed a true Grand Magus battlefield, so he couldn't help but turn to Red and ask in a deep voice.

"I don't think so————"

Red hesitated, his brows tightly furrowed, saying, "This bizarre magic energy is something I've never seen before. Although it's powerful, it shouldn't reach the strength of a Grand Magus."

"Moreover, a Grand Magus is already a top-tier powerhouse in the Kingdom Church. If just anyone who comes along is a Grand Magus, then————"

He didn't finish his sentence, but Lister and the other three understood Red's meaning. After all, if such powerhouses appeared casually, they would truly be as cheap as cabbages.

Watching the knights being burned and torn by the flame magic energy in the array, the four felt heartache, leaving only deep helplessness.

This level of combat was no longer something they could participate in; they could only silently observe from afar.

Suddenly, Magic Shields shimmering with blue light appeared on the attacking knights within the array, instantly blocking the bizarre magic energy.

At the same time, a middle-aged man holding a sapphire staff and wearing an azure mage's robe appeared outside the blood-Red magic array.

"A Mage of the Kingdom Church, not bad!"

A male voice, as if from hell, echoed clearly in everyone's ears from an unknown source.

"By my devout heart, I believe in the holy light god and save my knights."

On the other side, seeing Francis appear, Ellis, who had retreated from the array's range, chanted like a deity, clasping his longsword tightly before his chest, and then forcefully plunged it towards the magic array before him.

Clang~

A sacred white light, as if descended from the holy light god, appeared in the sky in response, heavily showering down into the blood-Red magic array.

Instantly, paths of light leading out of the array appeared beside each knight.

"Quickly retreat!"

No sooner had the words fallen than most of the knights in the magic array, despite their bodies being torn and burned, still maintained their vitality due to their powerful physiques.

Without any hesitation, they circulated all the Dou Qi energy in their bodies and frantically fled out of the magic array.

"Then let me test your strength!"

The voice hidden in the darkness once again resounded through the heavens and earth. At the same time, the magic energy of the blood-Red magic array burst forth with even greater power with a "boom!"

The knights fleeing towards the outside of the magic array suddenly felt their bodies sink, the stone road beneath their feet cracked, and their feet sank several centimeters deep.

At the same time, the blue Magic Shields on their bodies began to emit cracking sounds, and even the Path of Holy Light released by Ellis began to be corroded by the blood-Red magic energy.

Francis, feeling immense pressure outside the array, knitted his brows and continuously chanted obscure and difficult spells.

The blue Magic Shields that had begun to crack on the knights' bodies solidified a bit more.

Feeling their bodies lighten slightly once more, the knights exerted all their strength and escaped the magic array in one breath.

"You have earned my affirmation!"

As the voice faded, the power of the blood-Red magic array suddenly weakened, and the figures of Middleton and a few others quietly appeared in everyone's sight.

In their midst, a black-robed figure adorned with spreading blood-Red runes had appeared. The aura emanating from him cast a shadow over the hearts of everyone present.

"Are you finally willing to show yourself?"

Francis and Ellis's expressions darkened. Despite being top powerhouses of the kingdom, they couldn't help but feel apprehension towards this hidden opponent.

Under everyone's gaze, Middleton looked at the black-robed figure and sincerely bowed in apology, saying, "I'm sorry, Your Eminence, I failed to complete the task you entrusted to me this time. I am willing to accept punishment."

"Middleton, you don't need to blame yourself."

The Cardinal waved his hand, speaking in a relaxed tone, "Your arrangements this time were very thorough. Unfortunately, there are too many unforeseen circumstances in the world; they clearly had already prepared for us."

"However, to be able to discover your whereabouts even with such covert operations, it makes me look at their intelligence capabilities with new eyes."

The conversation between the two did not block the senses of those present; Ellis and Francis heard it very clearly.

Although there was no position of Cardinal in the Kingdom Church's system, from the strength the black-robed man displayed just now, he should be equivalent to a Red-robed Cardinal of the Kingdom Church.

A Red-robed Cardinal, while also belonging to the ranks of High Mages, possessed the strongest power among them, It can be said that he has already taken one foot into the realm of a great mage.. meaning they had one foot already in the realm of Grand Magus.

For a time, their apprehension towards this unknown individual deepened.

At this moment, the flames and magic energy of the array had completely dissipated, leaving only the scorched ground.

"Since the mission has failed, there's no need to linger here, but before leaving————"

The Dark Church Cardinal, with an appreciative gaze, swept over the prosperous Aetheria before him and said, "I shall bestow a small gift upon this prosperous city."

Immediately after, a series of bizarre and obscure incantations continuously emanated from his mouth.

A huge black magic array suddenly appeared in the sky, sweeping and obscuring the eastern part of the city.

Feeling the unknown terrifying magic energy permeating the array, Francis's expression changed in shock, and he shouted, "Not good, quickly stop him!"

The next moment, Ellis swung his longsword forcefully towards the Dark Church Cardinal.

With a "swish," a white Holy Light Energy Slash, imbued with frightening power, shot out in response.

At the same time, his body shot out from his original position like a cannonball, charging towards the Dark Church Cardinal, sword in hand.

The other knights who could still move and attack also unleashed their Dou Qi skills.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Accompanied by piercing sounds of air being torn, a large number of energy constructs of varying colors and forms streaked across the sky like meteors.

Seeing this, Middleton and the others also unleashed their magic skills, clashing with the incoming skill attacks.

Boom boom boom—!

Deafening explosions continuously rang out, but they did not affect the combatants in the slightest.

Just as the Holy Light Energy Slash was about to hit the Dark Church Cardinal, a black magic ripple, like a water surface, which had condensed at some unknown time, suddenly appeared in front of the Cardinal.

The moment the Holy Light Energy Slash touched the ripple, there was no collision; it directly merged into the ripple, as if disappearing into thin air.

The next second, black light shimmered around the ripple, and a slash identical to the Holy Light Energy Slash flashed out from within the ripple, shooting towards Ellis, who was charging forward.

The strong sense of crisis in his consciousness made Ellis instinctively swing his sword to parry.

The moment the sword touched the black energy body, the concentrated black magic power within the energy body exploded directly.

The powerful impact caused Ellis's figure to slide backward violently.

His longsword, plunged into the ground to reduce the impact, carved a long crack.

On the other side, the Dark Church Cardinal's chanting sped up. Just as the black magic array was about to cover the entire eastern city, a strong sense of impending death suddenly flashed through his mind.

With a "whoosh," he immediately stopped his actions and flashed backward to dodge.

The next second, a golden energy crescent slash suddenly swept across the spot where he had disappeared, accompanied by terrifying sonic booms wherever it passed.

It wasn't until it collided with the city wall several hundred meters away that the golden energy crescent slash dissipated.

A terrifying crack, several hundred meters long and nearly five meters wide, like an abyss, appeared in the eyes of the onlookers, whose emotions varied.

"A bunch of rats in the gutter!"

A powerful and awe-inspiring deep male voice, like a thunderclap, suddenly boomed in the ears of everyone present.

"Earl!"

Bathed in sunlight, Elsid's tall figure, holding a longsword and riding a warhorse, appeared in everyone's sight.

On the other side, Lister and the other three, watching from the high vantage point, now had expressions full of shock.

Especially Elsid's strike, it made them truly understand what a top powerhouse of the kingdom was like.

Even Red, who had participated in many wars between the Kingdom and the Orc Race, couldn't help but show the same expression as the three new recruits, Lister.

However, compared to Red and the other two, Lister was more concerned about which faction these people belonged to.

Through the series of battles just now, he had already ruled out people from the Church of the Goddess of Revenge and the Black Witch Church.

Because the aura emanating from their special energy was completely different. The energy aura of the Church of the Goddess of Revenge was almost identical to the Wizardry he studied, while the people of the Black Witch Church were more tyrannical and bloody.

As for the aura of these people before him, it was incredibly bizarre and very different from his Wizardry.

So, he already suspected that these individuals were from the Dark Church, but he couldn't confirm it yet.

As he pondered, Ellis, who had regained his footing, flashed to Elsid's side.

On the other side, Francis, Middleton, and the others, who were engaged in combat, also tacitly ceased their attacks and retreated to their respective safe positions.

"Aier Sidi Fland! Shouldn't you have been lured elsewhere by the people I arranged? How are you here?"

The Dark Church Cardinal, who had timely dodged the attack, no longer had the relaxed ease on his face beneath his black robe; surprise and solemnity quietly emerged.

He was a Cardinal, not a fool. The reason he dared to openly appear and rescue Middleton and the others was because he had already arranged for manpower to stir up trouble in other parts of the city.

The fact that Elsid and Brood had not appeared made him believe that his diversion plan had succeeded.

Although Francis's appearance was unexpected, after the previous blood-Red magic array's probing, he found that Francis was merely a novice High Mage.

Therefore, even with the addition of a formidable Ellis, he still made his move, not only out of confidence in his own strength but also to avoid losing his faction's subordinates in the church for nothing.

Of course, he had no certainty of killing Ellis and Francis, even if it were just Ellis alone.

After all, Ellis was the Commander of the Radiant Knight Order, a Golden Knight who had fought his way through battles with other races.

Such a powerful individual could not be easily killed. So, after the mission clearly failed, he merely wanted to inflict casualties on Aetheria to vent some of his frustration.

"Other people!"

Elsid's expression tightened, and he asked in surprise, "Did you arrange for others to cause unrest?"

The Cardinal beneath the black robe was instantly stunned, and he asked strangely, "Did you not come here after killing them?"

"The only rats in the gutter in Aetheria with an aura like yours are just the ones here, aren't they?" Elsid snorted coldly.

He had indeed cleared out some people from other factions before coming, but there was not a single person among them whose aura was similar to that of the Cardinal and his group.

With the perception of powerhouses at their level, there was absolutely no way they could perceive incorrectly, so he naturally did not believe the Cardinal's words.

"How is that possible? Did they defy my orders?"

The Cardinal's face beneath the black robe showed some disbelief, but then he muttered to himself, "Impossible, they are my most loyal subordinates, there's no possibility of betrayal."

Although he really wanted to question Elsid's words, Elsid's tone just now was very certain, without the slightest hesitation or falsehood.

Elsid, on horseback, seeing this, couldn't help but doubt his own judgment. Could it be that he wasn't bluffing me?

However, both were transcendent powerhouses. Even if they had doubts, they wouldn't dwell on them too much during a battle, otherwise they would expose weaknesses to their opponent.

At this moment, the Cardinal, who had regained his senses, was thinking about retreating with Middleton and the others.

And Elsid was thinking about keeping all of them, even if he couldn't capture them alive, he would kill them all on the spot.

For a time, the feeling of an impending storm once again emerged in the air.