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Giant Stone City, in a luxurious manor.

Salido was sitting in the study, quietly looking at the battle report before him.

The Eldest Princess’s army was advancing swiftly, and with the insufficient forces under Prince Jin Chui, they lost the city in the southern province, leaving only Giant Stone City.

But that’s all.

The assassins of the Holy Council, hidden beneath the Broken Rock Empire, launched a raid on the Eldest Princess’s camp in unimaginable ways.

The Eldest Princess and Commander Leon counterattacked the assassins, causing heavy losses to those sinister servants of the Holy Council.

But other senior generals weren’t so lucky.

The overseer, flag-bearer, first battalion leader, senior consultants, and others were all killed, throwing the army into chaos.

The Eldest Princess, worried about being ambushed by Prince Jin Chui’s troops, could only withdraw to consolidate and reorganize the army.

In contrast, the Duke of Flowers’s army was more challenging to deal with.

With the Spellcasters of the Dawn Society in the camp, Salido had no better strategy.

The army could only rely on the most primitive methods to fight back.

Thankfully, Giant Stone City had high walls and was surrounded by a moat for protection, making it difficult for the Duke of Flowers’s army to capture it easily.

What was more concerning was the northeastern direction towards the Earl of the Red Griffin and Luo De’s army.

The Earl of the Red Griffin was now like a disruptive force in the eastern province.

Like a robber, plundering small towns with weak defenses and retreating when facing strong enemies, showing no desire for prolonged battles.

Whereas Luo De’s army was like a flood, sweeping southward over all the noble territories.

More troubling was Luo De’s dragon.

"Bang, bang, bang."

The urgent knocking suddenly sounded, breaking the tranquility of the study.

Salido frowned and looked up,

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and a Female Priest in a white robe appeared at the threshold.

It was Nabila.

"Sir, the messenger of my Lord has brought new oracles,"

Nabila’s voice carried evident tension, "requiring you to listen personally."

Salido’s pupils suddenly contracted as he dropped the battle report in his hands and stood up abruptly.

Without any further words, Salido quickly walked out of the study.

Nabila dared not delay and closely followed Salido’s steps.

The two walked through the corridor of the manor, arriving at what appeared to be an ordinary wooden door.

Salido reached out and knocked five times in a specific rhythm, and the wooden door clicked softly as it was opened from the inside.

Behind the door was a small room filled with various sundries.

Wooden boxes, burlap sacks, clay pots, and some dusty tables and chairs, appearing just like a regular storage room.

"Bishop, sir."

Two stewards wearing gray robes stood inside the room, and upon seeing Salido enter, they immediately bowed respectfully.

Salido nodded slightly in response.

The stewards acted promptly, quickly stepping to the corner and lifting a square wooden cover of a cellar.

A faint musty smell greeted them, as a deep staircase stretched into the darkness.

Salido casually waved his hand, and a bright light sphere appeared beside him.

Then Salido entered the passage, briskly descending the stone steps.

The deeper he went, the lower the temperature became, and the air grew damp and cold.

Reaching the end of the stone steps, there was an impeccably clean and smooth stone door.

When Salido placed his palm upon it, numerous lines emerged.

With a creaking sound, the stone door rotated ninety degrees, and Salido cautiously walked in.

Nabila intuitively lowered her head, waiting outside the door.

The stone door creaked again, closing behind.

In front of Salido was a spacious underground chamber.

The chamber walls were inscribed with complex and eerie runes, faintly glowing in the darkness.

On the floor, a large array was drawn with blood, its lines intertwining to form intricate patterns of runes.

And at the center of the chamber stood a thick black column.

Wrapped around the column was an iron chain binding a naked corpse.

The body looked completely emaciated, its wrinkled, gray-brown skin tightly clinging to its bones.

Its head hung low, its hollow eye sockets sunken in.

Upon scrutiny, a star-like golden Crystal Stone was embedded in the corpse’s forehead.

Salido moved to the edge of the array, kneeling on one knee.

He bowed his head with utmost reverence.

"Great Messenger of Dawn,"

Salido’s voice was respectful, "the humble servant listens to my Lord’s will."

The chamber fell into short silence.

Only those runes on the walls emitted a feeble glow, flickering.

Suddenly, the lines drawn with blood on the ground, like ignited fuses, gradually converged towards the central column.

The corpse began to tremble slightly, its forehead’s golden Crystal Stone glowing.

The drooping head slowly lifted, and the hollow eye sockets were occupied by golden flames.

"Salido..."

A dry, hoarse voice emerged from the corpse’s mouth, incredibly ethereal, like it was coming from a deep cavern.

"Morian has already sacrificed for the glory of Dawn."

The corpse’s voice held no emotional fluctuation, as if the death was of no consequence,

"He died at the hands of Luo De Tulip."

Salido’s body slightly shook, his eyes revealing disbelief.

Morian possessed a soul of pure faith and was one of the forges to create the Dawn Sword.

Not long ago, Morian was favored by the Lord of Dawn and received divine grace. If everything went smoothly, Morian would certainly become a bishop.

"May my Lord have mercy on him, and may his soul eternally reside in the glory of Dawn," Salido mourned sorrowfully.