Sure enough, the headquarters of the Death Church was far more grand and imposing than the one Mu had taken him to.
Though it was still hidden deep in a valley.
Once they entered, however, they found a whole new world inside.
The cavern contained an enormous space, as if the entire interior of the mountain had been hollowed out.
One massive pillar after another stood there, carved with all manner of living things suffering their deaths.
Lu Cang and the other two continued deeper inside.
The powerful ward Lu Cang had sensed was in that direction, too.
"Sister Kumiloni, the Life Church has been investigating this place for so long. Have you made any discoveries?"
"We've made quite a few, actually."
"The investigation team we sent here some time ago was trying to break through a seal at the very depths of this cavern."
"Couldn't Iz break it?" Lu Cang asked.
Kumiloni shook her head. "This ward doesn't belong to any school of magic."
"It's made purely from rituals and sacrifices."
If the ward had been magical, it would have been easy for Iz to break. Even if it had merely involved some magic, Iz would have found a way to dismantle it from that angle.
But a purely ritualistic ward was indeed troublesome.
Iz was highly skilled in Ritualology, but not so proficient that she could casually break a ward with a level-seven decryption difficulty.
Lu Cang had only ever seen two level-seven wards.
One was in the Dark Church, and the other was here.
Aside from those, the highest level was six: the wards at the Temple of Light, the Temple of Life, the Temple of Fortune, and the other major churches.
Oh, the Cold Church had a level-five ward.
"Hmm..."
"Sister Kumiloni, I can give it