Chapter 332 330-Battle
Discovery was Ethan's first thought, followed immediately by the appearance of the Blasphemous Spear in his hand.
Having heard King's introduction to the Serpent Eye Cult, he knew that once discovered, a battle was inevitable.
"Lana, take Daphne and go in first, I'll follow shortly."
As soon as Ethan uttered these words, he spun around like a dragon, his spear thrusting straight for the high priest's forehead.
Lana Mokos hesitated for only a moment before quickly grabbing Daphne's hand and heading inside.
King stood by, frozen in place.
Ethan had instructed Lana Mokos to take the others and go, but he hadn't mentioned King.
Just as the Blasphemous Spear was about to pierce the high priest's forehead, tentacles from beneath the priest's neck coiled around the spear.
Ethan, seeing his spear grasped by flesh and blood, was filled with shock.
Even a Demi-god would not be able to catch the spear's tip with their hand.
Could this high priest have surpassed the level of a Demi-god?
As the high priest gripped the spear tip, feeling the complete Rune of Law it carried, he couldn't help but remark:
"There are few Invaders like you possessing a divine artifact!"
Ethan tried to pull the spear away from the high priest's grasp, but to no avail.
The priest's tentacles were like iron clamps, firmly welding the Blasphemous Spear in place.
A bizarre smile emerged on his face, the dense suckers pulsating as if alive, expanding and contracting like nostrils:
"This divine artifact is merely an accessory. It's your two female companions that truly fascinate me."
No sooner had these words fallen, the high priest leaped, his lion-like feet emitting two rays of golden light.
The half-moon-shaped beams shot towards Ethan.
Ethan, gripping his spear, twisted and turned, dodging the golden blades.
"Not bad," the high priest's eyes sparkled differently, "You actually dodged that."
He had thought Ethan was too weak compared to him and wouldn't withstand even one round of his attack.
"Then let's have some fun," the high priest's mouth writhed as he bellowed, "What are you standing there for? Capture those two women for me; they are the vessels for the birth of our cult's son of god."
Lana Mokos had already started to flee, but hearing the high priest's command, she couldn't help but shudder.
Thinking about the grotesque appearance of the Serpent Eye Cult members, Lana Mokos felt a wave of nausea.
Lana Mokos, with Daphne in tow, ran even harder.
Daphne, looking back at Ethan whose hair and beard were bristling, curiously asked:
"Aren't we going to help brother Ethan?"
"No need," Lana Mokos said, using mana to hasten their escape, "Ethan is much more powerful than you think."
She had confidence in Ethan; he was never one to act recklessly.
If Ethan felt confident now, they could trust him unconditionally.
The high priest, observing Ethan's furious demeanor, wore an even more arrogant smile.
The suckers on his face breathed continuously, his entire face expanding and contracting with their rhythm, looking bizarre and eerie.
Ethan silently chanted the Thunder Language of Nature, lightning snaking around his spear like tiny serpents.
Sensing the impending danger, the high priest released Ethan's spear.
"Thunder?" the high priest squinted slightly, "Interesting."
As his words fell, the high priest gave Ethan no chance to escape, twisting his body and engaging in a close combat with Ethan.
Approaching Ethan, the high priest's body suddenly enlarged, with more tentacles extending from his neck.
These tentacles danced behind his head, like flowing hair.
Combined with his ferocious face and gaping maw, it was a truly chilling sight.
Ethan, gripping his spear firmly, showed no tremor in his hand. He took a deep breath, adjusting his body to its optimum state, his mind calm and focused.
The high priest lunged at Ethan, his tentacles slashing like blades.
Ethan swiftly dodged, skillfully evading the attack, then quickly thrust his spear at the high priest's body.
The spear failed to pierce the high priest's skin, even producing a metallic clanging sound upon impact.
Unfazed by the ineffective strike, the high priest howled with laughter:
"I am a 10th-rank warrior, what can you possibly do to me? Damned Invader, I will impregnate your female companions with the son of god of the Serpent Eye Cult right in front of you!"
Ethan's heart quivered slightly, his spear now coated with blazing flames, fearlessly striking at the high priest.
The high priest remained calm, his facial suckers secreting a viscous liquid that coated Ethan's spear.
The Blasphemous Spear seemed tainted, its light dimming, and its Rune of Law obscured.
Ethan's pupils contracted sharply, having never encountered such a situation before.
King, standing nearby, yelled anxiously:
"Master, that's an Invisible Blasphemous Kraken, a special type of octopus demon beast. Its mucus can obscure most Runes of Law, rendering divine artifacts ineffective."
"If such an octopus becomes a demi-god beast, it could even disarm a deity."
The high priest's laughter intensified, his suckers excitedly secreting more mucus:
"You're right. But it's a disgrace that you, a Deity Keeper, serve an Invader and call him master... If I spread this in the city, there'll be no place for you there anymore."
King's expression remained unchanged, he retorted coldly:
"Talk after you've defeated my master."
The high priest, undeterred, refocused on his battle with Ethan.
His movements were agile, each strike infused with unparalleled power and speed.
The tentacles extending from his neck were his most formidable weapons, each one striking like lightning, accurately hitting vital spots with every attack.
Ethan struggled to resist, his peripheral vision on Lana Mokos's progress.
Lana Mokos was almost at the entrance of Santos Tower; if he could hold on just a bit longer, they could escape the clutches of the Serpent Eye Cult members.
Ethan roared: "Aah!!"
Golden scales erupted all over his body, his Golden Divine Dragon Blood burning fiercely around him.
Ethan resembled a golden war god, his Blasphemous Spear even starting to glow again.
The high priest's expression shifted slightly, eyeing Ethan with a smile:
"So you are one of our monstrosities too?"
Ethan, a human with Golden Divine Dragon Blood, indeed seemed like a dragonkin born of a human and dragon union.
"Why don't you join our Serpent Eye Cult and enjoy the blessings of the great serpent's eye? We will eventually become deities," the high priest said fervently, believing he had the upper hand.
He began to brainwash Ethan, trying to lure him into the cult.
Ethan's lips curled slightly, resembling a blood-stained blade:
"You're just monstrosities, and you dare to compare yourselves with me. This Bloodline is something I earned step by step through my strength, unlike you..."
"...just unwanted misshapen creatures abandoned by your parents."
For the Serpent Eye Cult, their birth was devoid of familial warmth.
They were like vessels, carrying their forebears' aspirations for divinity.
If the monstrosities had acceptable talents and superior Bloodlines, they would naturally be valued.
Sadly, monstrosities usually lacked such gifts, inheriting more of their parents' flaws than strengths.
The term "misshapen creature" was a deep-rooted taboo for them, one not even Deity Keepers dared to utter.
Yet now, these words were spoken bluntly by Ethan.
The high priest's eyes turned blood-red in an instant, the tentacles under his neck becoming as sharp as spears.
A murky energy enveloped his entire body.
The high priest's attacks grew even more ferocious.
Ethan, unyielding, was surrounded by his Golden Divine Dragon Blood, flowing like a mighty river.
He was engulfed in a halo of golden sacred light.
To buy time, Ethan intentionally engaged in close combat with the high priest.
The high priest was powerful, but Ethan used the advantages of his spear to maintain distance, denying the high priest any chance to get close.
However, the high priest, experienced in battle, alternated between rapid thrusts and nimble stabs, even using his tentacles to entangle Ethan.
No matter how Ethan dodged, the high priest was always in relentless pursuit.
Ethan quickly began to show wounds on his body.
The tentacles, like sharp blades, sliced through Ethan's skin bit by bit.
Seeing the golden blood oozing from Ethan's wounds, the high priest's eyes gleamed with excitement:
"You damned Invader, I'll drain your blood slowly, heal you, and repeat the process, torturing you to death gradually."
Ethan's body was too robust; even dozens of wounds couldn't harm his core.
Meanwhile, Lana Mokos, standing at the entrance of Santos Tower, shouted with wide eyes:
"Ethan, stop fighting with it. It's time for us to go in."
Ethan felt a relief in his heart; defeating the high priest now was impossible.
The high priest's tentacles were too bothersome, his defense impenetrable, and his skin as tough as steel. The spear, contaminated with mucus, couldn't breach his defense.
Now, his only option was to find a way to escape.
The high priest, sensing Ethan's intention, sprayed mucus from the suckers on his face:
"Thinking of running? Impossible."novε.lb)1n
Ethan's eyes twinkled with mockery: "Do you really think you're that significant?"
As he spoke, the Flame Language of Nature and the Frost Language of Nature circulated in his mind.
Half of his spear was enveloped in flames, while the other half turned into ice crystals, emanating intense coldness.
In the middle, Thunder coursed through.
"Behold my full-powered strike!"