Sessler

After some scouting, the two quickly determined the composition of the group.

Leading it was a Cardinal.

An Eighth-level Magus.

Besides him, there were more than a dozen seventh-level knights and magi.

To ordinary people, such a force was already quite formidable.

But to Haoyue and Linley-

It was nothing.

"Let's make our move," Haoyue said calmly.

"Mm!" Linley nodded emphatically.

The next moment-

"Boom!!"

A tremendous explosion rang out.

The ship at the front suddenly exploded in the middle.

Wood splinters flew, and river water sprayed everywhere.

The knights and magi aboard were blasted away before they could even scream.

"Enemy attack!"

"Enemies!"

The fleet immediately descended into chaos.

The Cardinal rushed out of the cabin, his expression changing drastically.

"Who's there?!"

"How dare you attack the Radiant Church's fleet! You're courting death!"

His voice, infused with the spiritual force of an Eighth-level Magus, carried across the entire river.

But the answer he received was another attack.

"Water Element: Ice Spike Array!"

"Boom!!"

Another ship was pierced straight through by ice spikes that erupted from beneath the water.

The ship sank rapidly.

"Come out! What kind of hero hides his face?!" The Cardinal was both shocked and furious.

He couldn't see where the enemy was at all.

It was an utterly frustrating feeling.

"Heh."

A soft chuckle sounded behind him.

Startled, the Cardinal whipped around.

A young man in black robes was standing behind him, though he had no idea when the man had appeared.

The young man was handsome, his gaze calm.

But his eyes seemed utterly devoid of emotion.

"Y-you... who are you?" the Cardinal asked in a trembling voice.

He could sense that the young man before him possessed unfathomable strength.

Far greater than his own!

"The man who's going to kill you."

Haoyue spoke calmly.

He raised his right hand.

"Water Element: Water Binding Cage."

"Splash-"

River water rose out of thin air, forming a massive sphere of water that enveloped the Cardinal completely.

"Uh... uh..."

The Cardinal struggled desperately, but he couldn't break free.

The Water Element's Water Binding Cage seemed simple, but it actually contained the principles of the Profound Mystery of Roundness.

The more he struggled, the tighter he was trapped.

Before long, the Cardinal stopped moving.

He had drowned inside the sphere of water.

An eighth-level Cardinal, killed in a single move.

With the leader dealt with, the rest were even easier to handle.

Linley and Bebe charged out like tigers among sheep.

The seventh-level knights and magi were no match for them.

In mere moments, they had all been wiped out.

The lower hold.

Haoyue and Linley found the imprisoned old man.

He was shackled to a specially made iron frame, covered in wounds and breathing weakly.

But his eyes were still bright.

"Who... are you?" the old man asked hoarsely, looking at Haoyue and Linley.

"The people here to save you," Haoyue said calmly.

He raised a hand and waved it.

"Fire Element: Small Fireball."

A small fireball shot toward the chains binding the old man.

"Bang!"

The chains broke on impact.

Free again, the old man slowly moved his hands and feet.

"I am Sessler," the old man said, bowing slightly to Haoyue and Linley. "A Level 9 Necromancy Great Mage Master."

"Thank you both for coming to my rescue."

"Words cannot express my gratitude for such a great kindness. I will remember this debt."

Haoyue waved a hand.

"It was a small matter."

"We were already at odds with the Radiant Church."

"Oh?" Sessler's eyes lit up. "Are you two enemies of the Radiant Church as well?"

"You could say that." Linley nodded. "They've been trying to hunt us down."

Sessler fell silent for a moment, then suddenly said:

"If you two have a grudge against the Radiant Church, I have some information. I wonder if you'd be interested."

"What information?" Haoyue asked.

"The Radiant Church has been capturing pure-hearted young people everywhere lately," Sessler said gravely. "They're taking them to sacrifice to the Radiant Sovereign."

"Sacrifice?" Linley's pupils contracted.

"That's right." Sessler nodded. "And I also know they've captured another group recently and are preparing to escort them to the Radiant Church's headquarters."

Linley's fists clenched at once. During this period of cultivation, Haoyue had told him that his mother might still recover, but that would take many years, thousands or tens of thousands of years. That was why Linley still hated the Radiant Church so much.

"Big Brother Haoyue..." Linley looked at Haoyue, his eyes full of pleading.

Haoyue understood what he meant.

Save them.

Of course they had to save them.

Not only for those innocent people, but also to strike at the Radiant Church.

"Where?" Haoyue looked at Sessler and asked gravely.

"In Blackwater City, not far ahead," Sessler said. "They're resting there and won't set out again for another three days."

"If you two want to save them, you'll have to hurry."

"All right." Haoyue nodded. "Then we'll go to Blackwater City."

"Sessler, are you coming with us?"

Sessler grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"Of course."

"The Radiant Church has made me suffer so much. How could I not take revenge?"

"This is perfect. I'll join you two and settle the score with the Radiant Church!"

And so, the three men and one beast formed a temporary team.

Their objective-

Blackwater City.

To rescue the innocents captured by the Radiant Church.

Three days later, Blackwater City.

This medium-sized city on the banks of the Yulan River had already been secretly brought under the Radiant Church's control.

At the city gates and in the streets, the Church had plainclothes lookouts everywhere.

The atmosphere was tense and oppressive.

Haoyue, Linley, and Sessler disguised themselves and slipped into the city.

"Where are they being held?" Haoyue asked quietly.

"In a manor on the east side of the city," Sessler said. "It's the Radiant Church's secret stronghold in Blackwater City."

"It's heavily guarded, with at least a dozen experts at the seventh level or above."

"And I suspect there may also be an eighth-level expert."

"Mm." Haoyue nodded. "Let's find out what we're dealing with first."

After a day of scouting, the three had thoroughly uncovered the enemy's strength.

The defenses were even stronger than Sessler had estimated.

Two eighth-level magi and more than a dozen seventh-level experts.

There were also over a hundred sixth-level knights.

With such a force defending it, the manor could be said to be impregnable.

But-

That depended on who their opponents were.

"Let's make our move," Haoyue said calmly.

"Tonight, we'll get them out."

That night.

The moon was hidden, and the wind was high.

It was the perfect time for murder and arson.

Haoyue, Linley, and Sessler split up.

Sessler was responsible for drawing attention from the front.

As a Necromancy Great Mage Master, he was most skilled at summoning armies of undead.

Although his strength had not fully recovered, he could still summon a group of skeleton soldiers, zombies, and the like without any trouble.

Linley was responsible for sneaking in and rescuing the captives.

With Bebe's help, he was fast and hard to detect.

And Haoyue-

Was responsible for providing backup.

With him there, even if something unexpected happened, he could handle it.

"Roar!!"

In the middle of the night, an eerie roar shattered the stillness.

Immediately afterward-

"Thud, thud, thud..."

Heavy footsteps came from every direction.

Skeleton soldiers and zombies crawled out of the ground one after another and surged toward the manor.

"Enemy attack!"

"Undead!"

The guards in the manor reacted at once.

"Prepare your spells!"

"Fire!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A barrage of spells blasted into the undead army.

The undead army suffered heavy casualties.

But Sessler had never intended to use the undead army to break into the estate.

His only goal was to draw attention.

While the battle raged at the front of the estate-

A shadow slipped silently into the rear courtyard.

It was Linley.

With Bebe's help, he easily evaded all the guards and found where the prisoners were being held.

More than a dozen young people were imprisoned in the dungeon.

There were men and women among them. All looked haggard, but their eyes were still clear.

That was especially true of the pair of sisters at the very back.

The elder sister was called Rebecca, and the younger sister was called Leena.

The sisters looked identical, both with long golden hair and pure blue eyes.

No wonder the Radiant Church had set its sights on them.

"Who are you?" Rebecca asked warily, looking at Linley.

"Someone here to save you," Linley said in a low voice. "Quick, follow me!"

He split the cell door open with a single swing of his sword.

The others exchanged looks, all somewhat hesitant.

"Sister, we..." Leena tugged at Rebecca's sleeve.

Rebecca looked at Linley, then at the sword in his hand, and finally nodded.

"All right, we'll go with you!"

Linley led them all quietly out through the rear courtyard.

The entire process went exceptionally smoothly.

All the guards had been drawn away by the undead army at the front.

"Well? Did you rescue them all?" Haoyue asked.

"All of them." Linley nodded. "Seventeen people in total."

"Good." Haoyue nodded. "Let's go quickly, before anything else happens."

The group quickly left Blackwater City.

They headed south, stopping to rest only after they had traveled several hundred li.

"Thank you both for saving our lives!"

Rebecca and Leena led the way in kneeling down.

The others who had been rescued also knelt and thanked them.

"Get up." Haoyue waved a hand. "It was nothing."

"But what do you plan to do next?"

They exchanged looks, all somewhat at a loss.

The Radiant Church had captured them all, and their homes were gone.

Now that they had been rescued, they didn't know where to go.

Just then, Sessler walked over and grinned at Haoyue and Linley.

Then he turned to Rebecca and Leena.

"You two have pure souls and extraordinary talent."

"Would you be willing to become my disciples and learn Necromancy Magic?"

Everyone was stunned.

Necromancy Magic?

That was heresy!

Rebecca and Leena hesitated as well.

"Sessler, stop frightening them," Linley couldn't help saying. "Necromancy Magic has such a bad reputation. Who would dare learn it?"

"So what if it has a bad reputation?" Sessler curled his lip. "As long as you're strong, who cares about your reputation?"

"Besides, their souls are so pure. It would be a waste if they didn't learn Necromancy Magic."

"And the Radiant Church definitely won't let them go."

"If they don't learn some skills, how will they protect themselves?"

That struck home.

The Radiant Church had captured them to serve as vessels for angels to descend into.

Even if they had escaped this time, what about the next?

Without strength, they would ultimately be helpless prey for others to slaughter.

Rebecca and Leena looked at each other, and each saw resolve in the other's eyes.

"Master!"

The sisters knelt down at the same time.

"We're willing to become your disciples!"

"And learn Necromancy Magic!"

Sessler's face broke into a broad smile.

"Good! Good! Good!"

"I never expected that at my age, I'd still be able to take on two such fine disciples!"

"Don't worry. With me here, I guarantee no one will be able to bully you!"

And so, Rebecca and Leena became Sessler's disciples and began learning Necromancy Magic.

The other rescued people went their separate ways, each seeking a way to make a living.

The group had grown from three people to five.

Haoyue, Linley, Sessler, Rebecca, and Leena.

A few days later, they received more news.

The Radiant Church was escorting another batch of important "cargo" through the area.

This time, the "cargo" wasn't young people with pure souls.

It was-

Five burly men.

Five burly men, each over two meters tall, with knotted muscles and bodies brimming with explosive power.

According to the rumors, the five were descendants of an ancient clan.

They possessed immense natural strength and powerful bodies.

The Radiant Church had captured them to serve as vessels for angels to descend into.

Moreover, the Radiant Church had sent out genuine experts to escort the five men.

According to the rumors, a Saint-level expert was accompanying them.

"A Saint-level expert?"

Linley frowned.

If it was a Saint-level expert, that would be troublesome.

"Big Brother Haoyue, are we... still going to save them?"

Haoyue fell silent for a moment.

Save them.

Of course we have to save them. They're descendants of Undying Warriors-that means five more Saint-level allies.

"We'll save them." Haoyue raised his head, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.

"And not only will we save them."

"I also want to test myself against this so-called Saint-level expert."