Mount and Blade System: Start from Pioneer Lords.

Chapter 464 The Twelve Saints Still Live

The golden sun mark on the forehead of the remains of Saint Ego suddenly dimmed.

Instead, a faint, yet chillingly cold, grayish-white aura was trying to seep in from the edges of the mark.

That body, as warm and radiant as the sun, began to exude an eerie, cold, and deathly aura.

The temperature in the entire temple plummeted, the milky white light of the crystals on the walls was suppressed by a pale halo, and a nauseating, eerie aura, a mixture of holiness and decay, filled the air.

Li Wei seemed stunned by what was happening before his eyes, watching in disbelief.

And the eyes of the Holy Body in the Holy Water Pool, which had been closed for thousands of years... suddenly opened!
But those eyes were no longer the golden light that contained holy light; instead, they were... a deathly stillness, empty, and a grayish-white burning with icy soul fire.

He stood up from the holy water pool with a "splash," and his body, which seemed to have been sculpted by the Creator himself and was perfectly shaped, stretched slightly, like a rusty wind-up toy restarting, making a "crackling" sound.

Holy water poured down from his perfectly sculpted body, and long, golden hair, as radiant as the sun, cascaded down his back.

But from any perspective, the other party is no longer that saint.

He clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and couldn't help but let out a soft moan that went straight to his bones: "I feel an endless stream of power... mmm... strong and powerful, so strong and powerful!"

This body, which had been silent for thousands of years, actually spoke.

Li Wei looked utterly horrified: "How is this possible? Who are you? How did you take over the saint's body?"

"My name is Panto Frog, an incomparably powerful being." He finally opened his all-encompassing gaze, looking down at the tiny figure beneath his feet: "Now, what should I do with you, my dear dragon knight?"

Panto Floro spoke in a charmingly archaic Universal Language. It is impossible to know exactly when this accent became popular, but it is known that some old-fashioned people still use this accent, which is considered elegant and refined, in order to appear cultured.

Li Weineng knew this because there was an elder in his family who spoke in the same manner, but he had learned it from his grandfather.

"Who exactly are you?" Li Wei asked this time with genuine sincerity.

Although it is unknown how many years Elder Tang Jin has lived, judging from their usual interactions, his age is probably not much less than that of Lagras, and his grandfather is probably an ancient relic from who-knows-when.

It must be said that even elves and dragons, when comparing lifespan alone, cannot compare to the Model Clan, whose lifespan is comparable to that of stone—these immortal beings.

That's how the saying "a thousand-year-old tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle" came

"My name is as ancient as history itself, and I'm afraid only learned scholars know about it. You only need to know that I was once a god among you two-legged Manks, an incomparably powerful being, a powerful being as strong as a natural disaster." Pan Tuo humbly stated everything about himself, but the arrogance mixed in with his words seemed to pierce the sky.

However, it must be said that the other party had the demeanor of a "refined gentleman" in every move, exuding a noble air.

"Hmm... So it's a god-like creature!" The lord quickly gave a fitting answer.

Two-legged Munks, also known as two-legged monkeys, are a term used to describe humans that predates even the era when elves, dragons, dwarves, giants, and orcs ruled the world.

Back then, humans lived a primitive life, eating raw meat and drinking blood. Because of their ignorance, they would often worship some inexplicable beings as gods.

Later scholars gave this kind of being a fitting name: a god-like creature.

However, later on, some true gods finally bestowed miracles upon the human race and began to favor humans, no longer exclusively favoring elves. These beings were also condemned as false gods, or even evil gods.

However, they are indeed extremely powerful and possess many mysterious abilities.

“You could say that.” Pan Tuo was not angry. His compassionate face was filled with a gentle smile, and he was extremely humble: “Compared to true gods, I am indeed still lacking. As long as I have not been born with divine power, I can only be considered a demigod, a false god.”

The saints, once warm and radiant like the sun, now acted with the humility and politeness of a ritual master, a stark contrast to the previous image.

"Then, esteemed calamity, god, and incredibly powerful being, can you tell me, this two-legged Munk, are you also a member of the Salvation Society? What is the purpose of your presence here? Are there any other godlike beings besides you?" Li Wei looked like a student eager to learn: "I am so curious about these things."

"The Salvation Society is nothing more than my servants." The saint smiled. "As for the purpose? That's a long time ago, I need to think about it... Hmm... I remember my title back then was God of Souls and Abundance, the reason being, of course, that I liked to devour powerful souls and then bring them a harvest."

"So, you still want to rule the world, enslave all races, and then regularly enjoy the souls of us two-legged Munks, just like we humans raise cattle and sheep, killing and eating them regularly for long-term sustainable development?" the lord asked with a chuckle.

"No, no, no, ruling the world and enslaving you is just too exhausting. Besides, you bunch of two-legged Munks always have some tough guys who rebel against my rule, and they're called... brave... that's right, brave, now also called heroes." The god-like Pantuo raised his finger and shook it, then said modestly, "So it's better to just devour everyone's souls. Anyway, it won't be long before it's too late. It's better to benefit me than to benefit other beings."

Other beings? In other words, besides you, there are other god-like beings? The lord noticed the key point.

"You could say that. Anyway, there are always some guys who have unique means to survive to this day like me, and they will once again reign supreme in the material world when the time is right." Pan Tuo nodded slightly, his demeanor elegant, like a scholar patiently answering questions.

"Let me guess," the lord said, "you were in the Book of the Dead all along. Whether it was Harland accidentally learning that necromancy could resurrect someone who had been dead for many years, or later coincidentally finding the Book of the Dead, it was all your doing, wasn't it? Even worse, you probably orchestrated the death of Harland's wife, all to find a powerful body for your soul." The lord meticulously pieced together the events. "And clearly, you already knew that the Holy Light Church possessed the body of a saint, and in this world, could there be a more perfect body? So, you devised a plan." "Your wisdom can illuminate a corner of my darkness," Pan Tuo said, offering his praise generously, though it was hard to deny that he was indirectly praising himself.

"I'm curious, you existed a very long time ago, definitely much longer than the era of the saints. Back then, there were powerful giants, dwarven holy warriors, and orc berserkers. Weren't there any bodies that could meet your requirements? Why did you have to wait until now?" Li Wei continued to probe.

“My dear Li Wei, nothing in this world is perfect. When I regained consciousness, the material world had already undergone tremendous changes, and I had even entered the elemental tides. Fortunately, I still have a saint’s body left to me.” Pan Tuo smiled and shook his head.

"As for why now? I need a vessel powerful enough to perfectly contain my power, and at the same time..." His grey eyes swept over Li Wei with a hint of greed, "...I also need to devour a soul powerful enough and special enough to completely ignite this saint's body that has been dormant for thousands of years and complete the final transformation. Your appearance is the most perfect gift that fate has given me."

“Even when you first appeared, I sensed the special quality of your soul; it was as alluring as nectar.”

"I originally planned to possess the body of a saint first before dealing with you slowly, but I didn't expect you to come here on your own initiative."

Li Wei suddenly realized, and the look of curiosity on his face completely disappeared, leaving only a cold, iron-like mockery: "So that's how it is. So you bunch of vermin hiding in the shadows, making such a big fuss, your ultimate goal is the remains of the saint and my soul."

The lord was unsure whether it was because the other party sensed the system's presence, or because his soul from another world was different from that of this world.

But thinking about it, it should be the latter. If even a nobody like that could sense the system's presence, then what's the point of fighting? He would have already gotten wet.

"So, esteemed being, how do you intend to deal with me, this dragon knight?" Li Wei asked.

“Although I sense the aura of a powerful being emanating from you, I truly do not believe you can simultaneously contend with a powerful being who controls the body of a saint and five Lich Kings.” Pan Tuo chuckled. “Your soul is simply a gift from the gods to me. If I were to devour your soul, I truly do not know how powerful I would become. I never imagined that in this era of elemental tides, such an illogical dual-legged Munk would appear.”

"You treated me like a piece of meat that was easy to get, and you were the dog that snatched the meat. Is that how I would describe you?" Now that he had obtained the information he wanted, the lord no longer gave the other party any courtesy.

"Say what you want," Pan Tuo said without any hesitation, and even smiled.

"Do you know why I'm rambling on with you here? Now that you know what I want to know, you can go to the underworld in peace." The lord suddenly snapped his fingers.

“I already knew. Why do you think I told you all this? It was just to buy time. After all, it was a recent possession, and he's still a saint. Even I can't immediately control all the power within him.” The god-like Pan Tuo smiled slightly, unsurprised. “But now, there are absolutely no problems.”

"I knew you were stalling for time, you scoundrel. So, do you sense anything amiss now?" The lord suddenly snapped his fingers, then asked with a smile, "You scoundrel, let me tell you the truth. I knew all along that you were here to steal the saint's remains. Did you really think I was scared out of my wits and would just stand by and watch you possess him? I left you a great treasure inside!"

"Hehehe... This is really interesting..." The god-like Pantuo laughed heartily, his voice shaking the holy water pool: "I guessed you would tamper with it. Is it this little thing? I admit that the holy light contained inside made me feel a slight threat. If left unattended, it might blow me to smithereens at a crucial moment. But what use is it now?"

Its palm gently condensed a ball of light. "I am not one of those Lich Kings who are born to be restrained by the Holy Light. On the contrary, after possessing this body, the Holy Light is nothing more than a toy to me, which I can knead at will."

“I knew you’d suspect I’d tamper with it, so this thing is just a little trick, a smokescreen.” Li Wei laughed heartily. “So, do you feel like you can still move?”

Upon hearing this, the god-like Pan Tuo was clearly stunned.

"Enough! Shut up! Damn double-legged Munk!" This god-like creature finally broke down. He thought everything was under his control, but he didn't expect that everything he had done had already been seen through by others.

He was still basking in his own self-satisfaction and smugness, and this shame and indignation almost burned away his entire heart.

……

Ground battlefield.

boom--! ! !
The torrent of energy from countless necromantic spells instantly engulfed the location where Li Wei was, tearing the earth apart, vaporizing rocks, and leaving behind a huge, black-smoking crater.

When the energy dissipated, there was nothing left at the bottom of the pit except scorched earth, as if Li Wei had been directly blasted into dust by these powerful magic spells.

The paladins and priests stared at the Lich Kings hurtling through the sky, then at the massive crater on the ground, utterly bewildered.

“Lord Li Wei… he…” A young paladin looked at the empty pit, his voice trembling.

"Lord Li Wei protected us..." A young priestess looked at the empty ground, her eyes already moist, almost about to fall into small tears.

After all, even the former saints couldn't stop these lich kings, and even the powerful dragon knight Livy couldn't withstand the powerful magic cast by the five lich kings together.

To avoid being caught in the aftermath of the battle, the priests hid within a powerful barrier of holy light. The side effect of this was that they couldn't hear what was being said outside, so all they knew was that their lord had been defeated by the combined forces of the five Lich Kings.

However, Azrael felt uneasy in the sky.

"Damn it! This isn't a mirror image!" The Titan Diamond on its finger suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, and the entire Holy Light Church was swept up by powerful elemental forces, with a chilling aura capable of freezing dragons suddenly appearing.

Click, click, click~
As a series of teeth-grinding sounds rang out, everything in sight—the collapsed church, the ground, and even the remains of the dead—was freezing at an unimaginable speed, transforming the entire region into a clear, azure glacial kingdom in an instant.

(End of this chapter)