NOVPUBLoren shouted without looking back, his fragile figure shielding the city defense forces and the residential areas from the formidable enemy.
The three priests, having received their orders, did not hesitate and immediately vanished from the spot.
Although they all retreated with full force, their eyes involuntarily followed the exchange between Loren and the mysterious enemy.
This kind of battle, where High Priest Loren is being pushed to such a desperate situation, is definitely not something they can participate in. Staying would only drag Loren down. They needed to evacuate the nearby residents as much as possible, failing which, having to protect the residents and fighting against the enemy at the same time would put Loren at a grave disadvantage!
Facing Loren was a mysterious man, his jaw clenched tight, his facial muscles twisted - standing in a long passage created by his own footsteps, surrounded by everything covered in smashed stones.
He stood upright, like an unshakeable mountain. Having just taken a hit from Loren on his face, it left half of his cheek destroyed, revealing his teeth, gum and jawbone.
Yet, astonishingly, those wounds started to heal up at a speed visible to the naked eye, quickly reverting back to normal; as if Loren hadn’t inflicted much damage on him.
"Who are you?"
Loren, having noticed this regenerative ability, narrowed his eyes.
He had never come across such a mysterious and powerful enemy in all these years.
Regeneration itself wasn’t frightening, but what was terrifying was how the enemy didn’t seem to consume much Magic Power in the process, their strength almost not weakened at all.
Such a thing could only remind him of the so-called ancient beings, the "Blood Clan".
But anyway, if the defensive barrier of the city was still present, neither the Blood Clan nor the Demon Race could have charged in directly from the border like this!
"Heh."
Marquis Somerset, the eighth ancestor of the Blood Clan, fully recovered his shattered cheek, and showed no intention of answering Loren’s question.
His eyes were still blazing like molten lava, a slight madness touched the corners of his mouth, each breath taken as if in anticipation of the upcoming pleasure of the next second.
Having come from the Cerryti Empire to the Nox Mountains, he was originally here to deal with the unknown Cardinal Bishop to prevent him from interfering.
Little did he expect the High Priest of the Church of the Goddess of Destiny to also be present in Nanwantina today.
But it made no difference who he battled against.
His arm shot forward violently, his crimson eyeballs shone fiercely, the fists in his hands were like lightning in the dark night, his determination was to seize Loren’s life in this single strike!
Giving no chance for Loren to catch his breath, the massive figure of Marquis Somerset was once again at Loren’s side.
The one set on killing at that moment, his skin wrapped in a faint red glow, was as hot and violent as burning blood.
But this time after Loren reacted, it wouldn’t be as easy for Marquis Somerset to succeed.
The fist of Marquis Somerset felt like it hit an invisible iron wall. On the lush green ground, the square Magic Insignia began to burst out with a rising tide of deep green currents. The metallic hum and the wave of energy rose again and again.
Loren, who had been caught off-guard and was almost killed in one hit, had several protective spells and magical items that protected him. His injuries were not fatal.
"You’re not getting past."
Inside the Magic Power barrier, Loren wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his pure and verdant Magic Power slashing across the dim city gates grounds like a blade, sealing off all the space between him and Marquis Somerset.
Upon hearing this...
Marquis Somerset’s fist did not budge from the barrier at all, even at the cost of his flesh splitting open, his smile grew even more feverish as he tried to charge forward.
"There’s no need to pass. To fight against a strong opponent like you, is my pleasure."
He lowered his fist and slammed it heavily onto the ground, causing the entire Southern Nanwantina area to shake like an earthquake had hit!
The stone slab street cracked open, sinking step by agonizing step into a wide chasm. Behind Loren, buildings crumbled under the impact of his clash with Somerset, intricate carvings and glass shattered instantly, their remnants scattering in the wind.
Many residents were stunned, blood leaking from their ears as they cried out in pain.
"!"
As if sensing something, Loren allowed a rare surge of anger to surface in his eyes, immediately casting a massive area healing spell over the southern district. A shower of radiant feather-light filled the night sky, gradually alleviating the pain of the inhabitants.
"If you want to fight me, leave the innocent citizens out of it!"
Veins stood out on Loren’s hand as he strained to fend off Somerset.
"Of course, I only enjoy winning, or perhaps more aptly, trampling my opponents."
Somerset added with a smile.
When Loren’s magic power was divided, obvious weak points appeared in his defensive barrier, gradually cracking under Somerset’s fists, until a punch blasted into Loren’s body, producing a lethal crackle in the mix of ruins and flying debris.
"You are quite impressive. If you did not care for the lives in this city-state and focused solely on fighting me, you might have won. But now, I am certain you are no match for me."
Shaking his wrist, Somerset’s mangled and deformed fist began to heal. He stared ahead, a look of pleasure on his face.
He was not in a rush to fight again. Attacking mentally was even more effective and intriguing than physical assault at this moment.
Although the human priest before him was powerful, and might even grow strong enough to confront the Duke of the Blood Clan one day, he possessed a weakness inherent to humans: an inclination to protect their more vulnerable counterparts.
This was why, during the prosperous era of the Blood Moon, dozens if not hundreds of eight-level human prodigies had fallen victim to him.
"You haven’t forgotten that Nanwantina has another Cardinal Bishop, have you? Even if you survive me today, do you think he will kindly come and help you when he sees you so weak?"
Somerset asked, full of apparent pity.
He was waiting for the Rebirth Church to successfully assassinate Hyperion, leaving his opponents with zero chance of victory.
"Let’s get on with the fight. Don’t bother trying to communicate with me. I can’t reason with things like you."
Bloody, Loren staggered to his feet from the rubble.
He felt the situation might be worse elsewhere.
Not everyone could withstand Fa Mo’s alchemical beasts. If the eight-level ally on the other side was also protecting something like him, things would be even tougher.
Although no Cardinal Bishop had shown up in Nanwantina yet, an unprecedented monster from the Blood Clan had appeared. Loren could no longer concern himself with the attack on the northwestern part of the city-state. All he could hope for was that they could hold out until the barrier was restored.
If they couldn’t stop this eight-order Blood Clan member in front of them, the entire city-state would be finished.
"Do you think you can stop a calamity?"
Marquis Somerset squeezed his fist, the bones creaking within. His gaze seemed to laugh at Loren, like an ant trying to protect an entire city-state in the midst of an eight-level life-and-death battle. Such greed and hubris.
He believed that his opponent had undoubtedly realized he was a member of the Blood Clan. In this war of attrition, the outcome was evident.
"If I see it, I have to stop it."
Loren discarded his blood-stained priest’s robe, leaving him in just his black shirt.
His eyes, like the coldest icy lakes in winter, watched his foe through the sharp edge of the wind blades.
Under the bloody moon on the southern border of Nanwantina, a grand battle reminiscent of a divine clash was once again on the verge of breaking out.
