Death God's Curse (2-in-1)

The Sealing Casket, as it appears to be now, has all the Sealing Incantation on its surface in disarray, and the lid has been forcibly pried open, giving it the look of being stolen.

However, this is only an appearance. Bai Xiaowen can see through the illusion through the Eye of Evolution. In reality, the Sealing Casket is intact.

After doing all this, the tall, thin figure quickly turned around and ran back down the stone steps. As he ran, his figure rapidly faded and then disappeared.

Li Shuyi looked confused and asked in the Team Channel, "What's this guy doing here?"

Bai Xiaowen, however, understood. "This must have been a pre-arranged plan by the fake Richard. I suspect that the sudden stop of those people was a delaying tactic by the fake Richard, to give his accomplices time to secretly tamper with things. His ultimate goal is definitely the Sealing Casket."

Not long after, the group of Leader Tier powerhouses, led by Dean Melda, arrived at the underground space. Perhaps because unauthorized personnel were not allowed to enter the Forbidden Grounds, the Elite Tier halberd-wielding guards and palace guards did not follow.

At the top of the stone steps, Dean Melda walked at the very front, saying as she went:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the end of the underground cemetery, the secret place that our North County Monastery has guarded for generations— the Bright Pass."

"Blessed by the great Lord of Light, evil is firmly sealed deep within the earth's ley lines. At the Bright Pass, even the slightest trace of evil energy will be expelled and cannot remain."

"Your Highness, on the protective altar ahead lies the Holy Casket that seals away evil. As you can see, the Guardian Incantation is intact, and the Holy Casket itself..."

Dean Melda, who had assumed the role of tour guide, suddenly exclaimed, "By the Lord of Light!"

She rushed forward, ignoring the people behind her, her voice shrill. "This is impossible! The Holy Casket bestowed by the Lord of Light... how could this be?"

At this moment, the other Boss Tier also hurried to catch up and saw the scene in the center of the altar.

What's going on?

"Oh my god."

"It looks like there's something wrong with the Holy Casket."

The Boss Tier and powerful figures whispered among themselves.

Melda ignored her; she stared blankly at the casket in the center of the Holy Casket, which had been roughly pried open.

"No, this isn't real... This must be an illusion, a hallucination of the devil. The Holy Casket has always been under tight protection; there's absolutely no way something could have happened!"

A mental fluctuation emanated from Dean Melda's brow as she attempted to use her Divine Might perception to probe the condition of the Holy Casket.

Suddenly, Bai Xiaowen sensed another obscure fluctuation of Divine Might behind Richard. He glanced at it and saw that it was one of Richard's two personal "guards," wearing a gray cloak and of slender build.

"Could it be... that this person is also Mental Specialist, using skills like mental interference to Disruption Melda's perception?" Bai Xiaowen wondered.

Everyone present was excited, and no one noticed the gray-cloaked man's subtle movements. Only Bai Xiaowen, who was observing from the sidelines, noticed it thanks to his powerful Divine Might.

Although Bai Xiaowen knew that Melda had been deceived, he did not intend to expose her.

At this point, Bai Xiaowen had basically guessed Prince Richard's Richard and admired his wildly Richard idea. Richard Richard's actions were also advantageous to Bai Xiaowen; waiting and seeing was the best option.

Dean Melda failed to see through the illusion created by the "Mirage Shell," and for a moment she was somewhat disoriented.

Richard coughed and began his performance.

"Melda, it seems my fears have come true. The Holy Casket has been destroyed, and the evil artifacts sealed within have been stolen. This is a grave dereliction of duty on the part of North County Monastery. You have not only failed your ancestors, but also betrayed the trust of the Empire!"

"I suspect that it was those two outsiders who arrived at the Bright Pass ahead of us and stole the sealed artifact. Melda, you let them go; you bear undeniable responsibility!"

Richard effortlessly tossed a large cauldron to Bai Xiaowen from a distance, then said:

"What are you all standing there for? Quickly activate the Guardian Incantation and let's go to the altar to take a closer look at the condition of the Holy Casket!"

Dean Melda could no longer insist on her position. She had made such a grave mistake in her duties that she should be held responsible for all living beings in the Northern Frontier and even the Aaron Continent!

She had no choice but to comply with Richard Richard's request— the Holy Casket had already been opened, and maintaining the Guardian Incantation on the altar was pointless.

Dean Melda took out a palm-sized statue, knelt on the ground, and murmured incantations. The statue emitted a bright light, and the incantations on the protective light membrane of the altar echoed it.

With a whoosh, it was as if an invisible light shield had been opened, air flowed, and there was no longer any barrier between the altar and the crowd.

Richard nodded in satisfaction. "Goliya, go and fetch the Holy Casket for me."

"Wait! Don't touch the Holy Casket directly!" The rough-looking nun next to Dean Melda shouted. "The Holy Casket contains the hand bone of the Death God Naraku, and it carries a vicious curse... Anyone who touches the Holy Casket will be affected by the Death God's Curse and die instantly!"

"Is that so?" Richard revealed a mocking smile. "The hand bone in the Holy Casket has been stolen, leaving only an empty shell. If what you say is true, why aren't those two outsiders who stole the Death God's Hand Bone dead here?"

The rough-looking nun remained silent, only insisting, "Goliya, don't listen to him!"

"Go, Goliya, and don't forget His Majesty the Emperor's orders if you remain loyal to the Empire and the Royal Family," Richard said with a smile.

Goliya nodded and took a deep breath. The sound of armor clashing rang out as she stepped forward.

"Goliya! You have to believe me!" The rough-looking nun stood in front of Goliya.

"Step aside, Sanya," Goliya sighed. "This is an order from His Majesty the Emperor. I am here on the orders of Richard to investigate the Monastery's seal. With such a huge loophole, we cannot waste any more time."

The rough-looking nun, Sanya, glanced pleadingly at Dean Melda, who was still in a daze. Sanya was at a loss and could only watch helplessly as Goliya brushed past her, her hand, encased in a deep blue gauntlet, reaching for the Holy Casket.

"Um?"

The illusion created by the Mirage Shell was automatically cleared the moment Goliya touched the Holy Casket. After all, it was just an illusion created by A-Tier item, and it would be exposed as soon as it was touched.

The intact Holy Casket has reappeared.

A wisp of black energy suddenly entered Goliya's body.

"Ah--"

Goliya's shriek echoed throughout the arena, her body stiffening! Black energy surged across her face.

Before anyone could react, Richard struck first.

"The Killing Shot!"

A bolt of lightning shot out, its target being Dean Melda! This long-awaited shot struck the unsuspecting Dean Melda directly in the back, sending her flying dozens of meters away and pinning her to a nearby stalactite pillar!

Richard smiled smugly and suddenly opened his palm! The lightning spear that was embedded in Dean Melda's body exploded, turning into countless tiny electric snakes that locked Melda to the stalactite pillar, rendering her unable to move!

"You liar!" Sanya roared, and with a Richard charge, she strode forward on her two elephant legs, which weighed over a hundred pounds combined.

Beside Richard, the tall, thin figure who had previously used the Mirage Shell stepped forward to meet the attack, a long, narrow Blade slicing through! Blood splattered from Sanya's leg, and she staggered, nearly falling, her speed drastically reduced.

Another "guard" beside Richard, a man in a gray cloak, raised his hand and beckoned. The Sealed Holy Coffer in Goliya's hand, which was in a frozen state, flew diagonally and was caught by Richard.

"What... exactly is going on?"

The change happened so suddenly that Grand Lord Galandis was completely dumbfounded.

"He... is not Richard at all! He's an outsider too, his goal is to steal the hand bone of the Death God Naraku!"

On the stalactite pillar, Dean Melda finally endured until the electric energy dissipated, and she collapsed heavily to the ground. Clutching the terrible, Piercing wound in her chest, she gasped for breath.

Bai Xiaowen glanced at Dean Melda; her condition was dire. "Prince Richard" had knocked away a third of her Life Value with a single blow, leaving her Severe Injury with all her attributes reduced by 25%! This clearly demonstrated the power and dominance of that single shot.

"Outsider?"

Grand Lord Galandis was somewhat surprised and looked at Richard with a hint of wariness.

Sword Saint Carlisle stepped forward, standing in front of Glandis as a shield.

"Wasn't it said that the Sealed Holy Coffer was Death God's Curse?" Glandis looked at Goliya, who was stiff and motionless with black energy churning on her face, and then at Richard, the Awakened One who was holding the Holy Casket but showed no adverse reaction. She asked in confusion, "Since the Holy Casket wasn't destroyed, it means the curse is still there. Why is he alright? And Goliya didn't die immediately either."

Dean Melda coughed and said, "Because Goliya is special... she once received divine grace, and the Death God's Curse was countered by the divine grace of the Lord of Light. The principle of the Death God's Curse is that after cursing and killing the person it comes into contact with, it absorbs the negative emotions of the person before death, becomes stronger, and then takes effect on the next person it comes into contact with... Goliya essentially took the curse for this fake prince!"

After a pause, Melda continued, "Goliya didn't die directly, but she's currently in a battleground between the Light Power and the Death God's Curse. Her fate will be far worse than death. This outsider deliberately brought Goliya, the Divine Grace Champion Knight, here to break the Death God's Curse... A despicable villain!"

Richard held the Sealed Holy Coffer in his hands, carefully examining the Sealing Incantation on it. He ignored the curses of the Spirit Realm natives, and instead laughed heartily at his two companions, "Demon Cutter -kiri, Holy Word -en, it's finally a success. All our efforts in preparing this were worthwhile."

The tall, thin man confronting Sanya was the agile Awakened "Demon Cutter." His voice was hoarse as he spoke, "Congratulations, boss."

The psychic awakened being "Holy Word," clad in a grey cloak, faced off against the injured Dean Melda. His deep, pleasant voice offered a sense of reassurance. "Boss, it's not safe yet. Let's act quickly, lest things get complicated."

Richard, the Awakened One, said to Glandis, "That's right, I am an outsider. However, on the surface, my identity remains that of a prince of the Lionheart Empire, with the authority to mobilize local Northern Frontier Imperial Army! Lady Glandis, how about we make a deal?"

Glandis asked warily, "What do you mean?"

"You help me kill Melda, Goliya, and this ugly old woman. In return, after I leave the Grand Mausoleum, I will mobilize troops to help you retake Northshire."

Glandis shook her head. "I won't trust an outsider."

"We can swear an oath to the gods," Richard said. "Although I am not from this plane of existence, an oath witnessed by the gods is equally valid. If I break it, I will pay a far greater price than you. You can trust my sincerity."

Glandis seemed somewhat tempted. She hesitated for a moment. "Is it really necessary to kill Dean Melda?"

"Of course, these two must die," Richard laughed. "If they live, my identity will be exposed, and I won't be able to help you. Instead, I'll be hunted down by the Imperial Army."

"Grand Lord Galandis, don't listen to him! This outsider wants to steal the Death God's Hand Bone, which is far more terrifying and evil than the Soul Stone. If he succeeds, countless innocent lives will be sacrificed!" Dean Melda cried weakly, her voice faltering. "Moreover, if your collusion with the fake prince is exposed, it will be a colossal scandal, and your subjects will no longer support you!"

Richard sneered, "Enough, you crazy woman! Once you're all dead, who's going to reveal that I'm using a fake identity?"

"I can."

A slightly ethereal voice rang out.

"Who is it? Who is speaking?" Richard jumped, looking around frantically.

The Holy Word, draped in a gray cloak, scanned the area carefully for a while, then shook his head slightly.

Richard, Holy Word, and Demon Cutter clearly communicated through the Team Channel, confirming that they couldn't identify the person who had spoken.

Bai Xiaowen used his Divine Might to transmit sound, enveloping it in the air so that others couldn't pinpoint his and Li Shuyi's hiding place by sound.

The Night Raven Feather truly lives up to its S-Tier status; its 7-point priority stealth effect is no joke, equivalent to Hero Class using a three-star stealth skill! Unless Richard and his companions have a three-star anti-stealth skill, they definitely won't be able to find Bai Xiaowen and his companion.

However, Richard quickly realized what was going on after asking the question.

"It's you? Dio Skellboom... I know your real name isn't that, so I'll just call you Dio for now. I advise you not to interfere with my plans, or you'll regret it!"

Hehe, hehehe...

Bai Xiaowen's laughter echoed throughout the underground space.

"I'll call you Mr. Richard for now. What I find strange is, now that you've succeeded, why aren't you leaving Aaron soon? Given your meticulous planning, you should have completed the main quest ahead of schedule."

"Then I have a bold guess... This ' Sealed Holy Coffer ' isn't yours yet! You can't take it with you when you leave the Aaron Plane, right?"