Magic Crystal Stones were similar to magical beast crystal cores, except one was naturally formed while the other was produced by magical beasts.
According to market prices, a low-grade Magic Crystal Stone was worth 10 gold coins, equivalent to the crystal core of a Third-rank Magical Beast.
A mid-grade Magic Crystal Stone was worth 100 gold coins, generally falling somewhere between a fourth-rank and fifth-rank Magical Crystal Core in quality.
A high-grade Magic Crystal Stone was worth 1,000 gold coins, equivalent to a sixth-rank Magical Crystal Core.
An exceptional-grade Magic Crystal Stone was worth 10,000 gold coins, less valuable than a seventh-rank Magical Crystal Core, which was worth around 50,000 gold coins.
Although Magic Crystal Stones could not compare to the Magical Crystal Cores of high-level magical beasts, they were safe to obtain, without the need to fight magical beasts.
Moreover, they existed in great quantities. A Magic Crystal Mine was a place where vast amounts of Magic Crystal Stones were densely concentrated.
For this Magic Crystal Mine, the Radiant Church and the Dark Church had joined forces to wage war against the Baruch Kingdom.
At first, both sides had shown restraint and had not deployed Saint Realm experts.
The Baruch Kingdom had only just been established, after all, and could not withstand the combined forces of the two great churches.
Even as defeat loomed, Linley had kept his promise and had not used Saint Realm experts.
However, when the rodent magical beasts of the Dark Forest formed a Rat Tide under Bebe's command and began assisting the Baruch Kingdom in attacking the territories controlled by the Radiant Church and Dark Church, the upper echelons of both churches could no longer sit still.
To ordinary Saint Realm experts, worldly power and territory might mean little, but to the two great churches, worldly territories were their foundation, tied to the power of faith they could offer to the Sovereign.
The two great churches joined forces and negotiated with Linley.
According to the original story, the negotiations ultimately broke down. Linley fought the upper echelons of both churches, and Heidens personally took action, using the Radiant Church's inherited supreme treasure, the "Bible," to cast Fate Law against Linley.
Liewen had been keeping a close eye on news from the Land of Chaos for the sake of this "Bible."
The "Bible" was closely connected to Fate Law. Liewen wanted to seize it and see whether it could help him take his first steps into the Rules of Fate.
When Liewen heard that a Rat Tide had appeared in the Land of Chaos, he knew the time was about right.
Liewen left Yulan City and flew toward the Land of Chaos.
Holy Island.
The highest level of the Radiant Temple.
The four great experts—the Radiant Pope Heidens, Luoye, leader of the ascetics, Useno, chief inquisitor, and Leiming, commander of the Fanatic Legion—had gathered there.
Besides them, the Dark Pope Affleck, the Grand Elder Ocasio, and Klemerson, leader of the Fallen Angels, were also present.
The Radiant Church and the Dark Church had always been bitter enemies. The Holy Union and the Dark Alliance both lay west of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, ruling the north and south respectively. Back when Linley had just graduated from the Ernst Institute, he had even suffered an assassination attempt by the Dark Church.
Only after the Day of Destruction had their territories been separated by magical beasts.
The Holy Union had lost nearly one-third of its southern territory, while the Dark Alliance had lost nearly one-third of its northern territory.
The two sides, once mortal enemies, now occupied the same room.
First, they were there to deal with their common enemy, Linley.
Second, an even greater force had brought them together.
At that moment, the upper echelons of both churches were looking at a gray-robed old woman.
The old woman was short, with shriveled skin and a skeletal frame. Her fingers resembled chicken claws, and her entire body radiated an aura of death.
"Lady Lolita, if Linley's Rat Tide continues attacking, all our territory in the Land of Chaos will fall. Please take action against Linley," Heidens said respectfully.
On the other side, the Dark Pope Affleck also looked at the old woman, Lolita, with eager anticipation.
Lolita was a God Realm expert. Three years ago, she had appeared west of the Magical Beast Mountain Range and, with overwhelming power, brought both the Radiant Church and Dark Church under her command.
Lolita normally did not interfere in the affairs of the two great churches. She had only one demand: they had to regularly send her souls.
The souls did not necessarily have to come from Pure-Souled Persons; ordinary people's souls would do as well. Naturally, the stronger they were, the better.
In return, Lolita would serve as the backing of the two great churches.
The two churches had agreed. After enduring the Day of Destruction and then facing Linley's threat, they desperately needed a God Realm expert as their patron.
Ordinary people's souls were no difficulty for the two great churches. Through overt and covert means, they had provided Lolita with the souls of several million people over the past three years.
Now, faced with Linley's threat, they needed Lady Lolita to take action.
"This Linley..." A cold light flashed through Lolita's eyes.
Lord Beirut only said that the Shadow Mouse magical beast could not be harmed. He never said Linley could not be harmed, much less that Linley's subordinates could not be killed. Lolita had already made her decision.
On the Yulan Continent, Beirut was the only person she feared. Having finally escaped from the Gebados Plane Prison, she had no desire to be locked away again.
She found the two great churches very useful, and the Land of Chaos was also extremely important to her. Over the past three years, many of the souls offered to her by the two churches had come from the Land of Chaos.
Linley wanted to unify the Land of Chaos, but she would not allow it.
Lolita spoke, her voice harsh and grating, like sandpaper rubbing together.
"You will all go negotiate with Linley. If he compromises, then so be it. If he remains obstinate, take action."
"Lady Lolita, Linley is not weak. Three years ago, he had already reached the Saint Realm in human form. Combined with the amplification of Dragon Transformation and the Laws' Profound Mysteries, his combat power is already comparable to a Saint Realm Limit expert. His subordinates are not weak either. We fear..." Heidens looked troubled.
Lolita waved her hand. "Don't worry. I will have A-Da and A-Er accompany you."
"A-Da, A-Er!"
As Lolita's words fell, two people wearing gray robes and silver masks entered.
"Master." The two bowed at the same time.
"You will go with Heidens and the others to deal with Linley. Call Lao Wu and Lao Liu as well. Other than Linley's rodent magical beast, which cannot be killed, do not hold back against anyone else," Lolita said coldly.
"Yes, Master." A-Da and A-Er answered in unison.
The people of both great churches immediately brightened. They knew Lolita's subordinates' strength very well.
Lolita had eight subordinates, all Saint Realm Limit experts. A-Da, A-Er, Lao Wu, and Lao Liu were four of them.
Lao Wu and Lao Liu were currently in the Land of Chaos.
After the two great churches went to war with the Baruch Kingdom, they had remained in the Land of Chaos, gathering souls amid the chaos of war.
"Thank you, Lady Lolita!" The people of the two great churches spoke in unison.
They were brimming with confidence. Over the past three years, Lady Lolita's existence had been a secret within the two great churches, known only to a very small number of high-ranking members.
This time, they would catch Linley off guard and surely win in one stroke.
Not long after, more than a dozen streaks of light flew from Holy Island toward the Land of Chaos.
Land of Chaos, Liuyan River.
Upon the vast Liuyan River, a large riverboat drifted downstream with the current.
Not a single person stood on the deck of the riverboat. In the grand hall on its top floor, experts had gathered, every one of them a Saint Realm expert.
The experts in the hall were divided into three groups.
Linley, the Radiant Church, and the Dark Church.
Linley's side consisted of Linley himself, Bebe, Barker, and Sessler.
Besides them, three Saint Realm dragons lay hidden outside the riverboat, while Heilu had gone to invite Desri.
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