Judge
This was a lich! They were the pinnacle of necromancy, having abandoned their bodies and split their souls to obtain some degree of immortality. Some extremely powerful liches were even strong enough to face gods!
Skeleton Lich Illyrio was someone Leylin had heard of before. Rumour had it that an accidental leakage from one of his soul experiments had contaminated and killed half a kingdom! The paladins had put him on the wanted list, and he was an extremely vile existence that had to be wiped out at all costs.
‘Not all legendary necromancers are liches, but all liches are legendary necromancers… His movements make him seem like he’s a high-ranked legendary, above rank 25…’ Leylin immediately marked the lich as the biggest threat to his operation.
Evida looked around, suddenly asking, “The Dead Sea scrolls passed down by our church indicate the floating city will appear deep in Frostfall Valley. Do you have any more information?”
The group sunk into silence. Even if they had possessed the information, it wouldn’t be revealed so easily. Rogero was the one who spoke in the end, “We have information from the esteemed diviner Frederic, our location is even more vague…”
“Then things are going to get troublesome… Illyrio has a partial inheritance from ancient arcanists, and probably knows more about the floating city than we do. He might even have entered the dimensional fortress already…” Evida bit at her lips.
‘Hm?’ Upon seeing this, Leylin shook his head inside, ‘Seems like they don’t have accurate information either. Looks like I’m the one that knows more…’
He couldn’t help but recall the time and location he’d decoded. It would be when the black crows cried out to the bloodmoon, within the Frostfall Valleys slanting to the east of Cygnus.
“It’s about time…” Leylin looked up, gazing into the horizon. The sun descended slowly, the light dimming. The temperature of the region dropped, as was the norm in the western desert. The daytime sun could roast people alive here, and the night could freeze them to death. Few could survive besides some like the sand tribes.
‘It’s the right month and time. The location is slanting to the east of Cygnus? Based on astrology, that should be…’ Leylin’s eyes twinkled as he immediately calculated the precise location of the floating city. ‘If the skeleton lich obtained an arcanist inheritance as well, he should be lying in wait there…’
“Since we know that it’s deep within the Frostfall Valleys in general, how about we split up in our search?” Evida suggested at that exact moment.
“Mm, sure.” Rogero and his group of powerful elites from the good faction naturally didn’t want to mix with an evil person like Leylin. They immediately agreed.
The legendary monk showed his intent with action as well. Numerous figures scattered as they cast many detection spells, everything dazzling Leylin.
Just as Leylin planned to head in a certain direction, an aroma travelled over as Evida followed close behind Leylin, “What is it? Do you wish to head that way, my lord?”
“Mm, I’ll take a look. The floating city will create a huge ruckus when it appears anyway, anyone will be able to find it within the valleys…”
Leylin would always decline invitations from this woman who might have been connected to the gods.
“But the people who enter first will still have better chances. Or am I wrong?” Evida’s beautiful eyes were trained on Leylin as she spoke, hinting at something.
“Do you intend to go this way? I can leave it to you…” Leylin rolled his shoulders back nonchalantly.
This attitude caused Evida to feel doubtful.
“Hehe… How could I steal your path? I was just joking…” She twisted her beautiful hips after she spoke, leading her powerful group away. It caused Leylin to blink. ‘Has this woman discovered something?’
*Rumble!* All of a sudden, something happened! Bright, brilliant holy light rose from a direction, filling the skies and brimming with holiness and righteousness.
“Illyrio, accept punishment of justice!”
A thick voice travelled all over, holding within a steel determination.
“It’s a paladin, and a legendary one at that!”
Leylin and other evil ones had terror showing in their eyes as if they had met their natural enemy, while staring at the silver rays in the sky.
“It’s the Judge!” “Quick, go there! He’s discovered the lich!” Other paladins cheered as they twisted the blades of light in their hands. As if trying to threaten him, they glanced over a few times like children that could now rely on their parents.
Evidently, once their legendary judge took care of Illyrio, they definitely wouldn’t mind wiping out this evil that was Leylin.
“Keke… Felbard, I see that you haven’t died yet…” The sound of a cold snicker could be heard. A dense wave of dead spirit clouds covered the skies that even the holy light could not penetrate through.
*Roar…* Along with the intense dragon roars and terrifying dragon aura, a tremendous bone dragon with two heads revealed a bit of itself from the clouds.
“Die!” The legendary paladin exclaimed, body burning with holy flames as the sword in his hands turned into a pillar of light, breaking the dark clouds apart.
The dead spirits spread out, revealing a crystal skeleton with a black robe. The lich now stood at the head of the ancient dragon, and with a wave of his hands, countless bons appeared to form a bone shield with skeletal decorations, withstanding the paladin’s sudden attack.
“It’s him! Illyrio! That must be the place where the floating city is about to appear… Go!”
Immense energy undulations alarmed all of those powerful existences as they darted towards the place where the battle was.
“Damn it… he’s so unprofessional at hiding. I was planning to lead a few away…”
Leylin sighed inside and headed in Illyrio’s direction. That was the exact opposite direction he was planning to go towards!
Leylin had intentionally made a wrong choice, hoping to cheat a few of the strong beings. Unfortunately, the appearance of this legendary paladin had spoiled his plans.
“On this day… nobody can obstruct me!”
After announcing something so huge, the fire in Illyrio’s eyes blazed brighter as he extended his palm made of bones and caressed the head of the bone dragon.
[Legendary Skeletal Strengthening!] [Boost to Legendary Pet!]
Berserk spell rays were launched at the bone dragon. *Roar!* It burst out in an earth-shattering, angered snarl, and its terrifying dragon breath was launched, corroding everything in its way.
“A legendary dragon’s breath?” After seeing the attack, the legendary paladin immediately looked grim and covered himself with a milky-white armour.
[Holy Light Protection]!
[Holy Light Cross Slash!]
A cross of pillars of light rose in the air, colliding violently with the bone dragon’s breath and began to be consumed rapidly.
The terrifying storm from a battle between two high-ranked legendary beings finally caused some fear amongst the surrounding powerful beings.
It was only at this moment that they remembered the reputation of the skeletal lich and the legendary paladin.
Of course, there were also some who proceeded forth fearlessly, and obviously those with similar strength.
“Even the pet is a Legend? As expected of a high-ranked one!”
Leylin moved forward unhurriedly, getting closer and closer to the centre of the battle. Terrifying waves of wind swept through the area, but that did not even result a crease in his clothing.
“You are indeed powerful! I’m sorry, but I think I might need your help later!”
Evida now looked extremely grim. The black-robed people behind her all came in front while taking turns to block the stray ripples from the battle. After seeing Leylin dealing with the situation without issue, she immediately drew close to him with a charming smile.
“My goal is also the floating city, so there’s no way we can work together. The spoils won’t be easy to split…”
Leylin apathetically shook his head to reject her.
“You never know. My target isn’t the entire floating city. Besides, the people there will need us to work with them to cope…”
Evida’s serpent head whip pointed at the paladins and monk ahead, looking relaxed.
“Hm? Crap!”
However, at this moment, Leylin’s expression suddenly changed as he retreated by a large distance.
“What’s going on?”
Evida looked puzzled, and soon felt a surge of spatial force crashing to her body, causing her to be sent flying while coughing blood.
The few black-clothed beings in front of her had been burnt to ashes under the immense force, and nothing was left behind.
*Rumble!*
The lich and paladins who were in battle in mid-air simultaneously stopped, and then flew back by a large distance.
A powerful spatial storm that formed a tornado began to wreak havoc on the area.
Leylin looked up at the moon in the sky, which now had a bloody-red creeping all over it.
“When the black crows cry out to the blood moon! It is time… The floating city will soon do a spatial leap here. I never expected the storm formed before the appearance would be so violent…”