Lu Mingfei, become the King of Elden!

Chapter 279 Wild Beasts! Seniors!
"The power of claws and eyes..."

The voice of “Beast Priest” Gulange echoed in Lu Mingfei’s ears.

Claws and eyes? What are those?
Lu Mingfei frowned slightly, pondering to himself.

The wild beast is clearly a force of faith; could it be prayer?

But not necessarily.

Among the power pathways that Lu Mingfei has come into contact with so far, the prayers of the Golden Tree lineage and the "Black Flame" wielded by Subaru Natsuki do indeed have "faith" as their primary attribute.

However, the Mother of Truth that Kaneki and the Bloodfinger believe in, and the "Cursed Blood" they use, do not involve prayer. Their combat techniques are mainly based on swords and blades, aiming to cause "bleeding" effects on enemies. The attribute they enhance is the same as Lu Mingfei's: "sensory perception".

The "Dragon Offering Prayer" used by Lu Mingfei, though called a prayer, is not actually a belief; it is merely a form of release.

After all, to offer up and devour a heart to gain power is too barbaric to call it prayer.

Therefore, belief in deities does not necessarily involve prayer, and prayer does not necessarily require belief.

Lu Mingfei shook his head, shaking off these chaotic thoughts.

Why think so much? Let's see what it's like when we take it out for a spin.

He took out the "Death Root," a piece of death that exuded an ominous aura, from his baggage.

As soon as that thing appeared, Gulang's massive body trembled violently, and a suppressed, beast-like growl emanated from beneath his robe. His two scarlet eyes were fixed on the root of the beast, filled with desire.

"Give me……"

Gulange's voice was hoarse and urgent.

Lu Mingfei handed over the dead root.

Suddenly, Gulange reached out his hand, hidden under his sleeve, snatched the Deadroot, and without even looking at it, stuffed it into the shadows under his hood, a swallowing sound escaping his lips.

"Ugh... Ahhhh—!"

The moment he swallowed the Dead Root, Gulang let out an extremely painful howl!
His massive body convulsed violently, as if something was violently surging and tearing inside him. Beneath the gray robe, a black and red light seemed to flow.

Gulang's kneeling posture looked more like he was enduring some kind of torture, and even the stone slabs on the temple floor seemed to tremble slightly under his pain.

Lu Mingfei watched this scene calmly, his doubts deepening.

To swallow a tangible death... this is clearly an act of immense suffering.

It wasn't so much that Gulang was drawing power; it was more like a form of suppression.

Or is it a form of self-imposed punishment?

He recalled the wolf-headed orc reliefs on the four stone pillars at the temple entrance, depicting orcs bound by chains and struggling in agony, and then looked at Gulang in front of him, howling in pain.

Suppression and punishment... this seems to be the theme of this beast temple. Is the duty of these so-called 'beast priests' to seal or digest these roots representing 'death' by enduring pain?

After a long while, Gulang's painful howls gradually subsided, turning back into wheezing like a broken bellows, but he seemed to derive a strange sense of satisfaction from this pain.

"...Heh...heh...reward..."

Gulange's voice became even more indistinct and muffled.

With trembling claws, he took two items from under his sleeve and handed them to Lu Mingfei.

One of them is a stone eyeball with a deep purple pupil. Strangely, the pupil seems to have a life of its own, twitching slightly. When you stare at it, you can feel a primal wildness and vitality flowing deep within it.

【Beast Eyes】

A stone eye with claw marks. An item given by the "Beast Priest" Granger.

It is said that when you get close to the Dead Root, it will tremble. Its deep purple pupils will writhe as if it were alive.

Hungry...offer more death so I can devour it...

Lu Mingfei stroked the cold and eerie stone eyeball, and understood.

This is clearly a tool for locating dead roots, a necessity for carrying out the task, rather than a real reward.

So, his reward was something else entirely.

Lu Mingfei looked at his other hand, where a crude-looking holy mark was displayed. It was made of some kind of metal, bearing the claw marks of a wild beast, its shape ferocious and exuding a savage aura.

【Claw Mark Holy Seal】

A holy mark bestowed by the "Beast Priest" Gulang. A rare item that can also enhance the power of prayers with strength.

The claw marks on the holy seal represent Quran's wrath and can strengthen the Beast Prayer he teaches.

Hey!
Lu Mingfei raised an eyebrow, secretly admiring the gesture.

This is good stuff!

Like his [Dragon's Blessing Mark], it belongs to the same category of rare equipment that can significantly enhance the power of prayers of a specific school.

These exclusive holy marks have a very significant effect on enhancing prayer, therefore, the [Dragon's Blessing Mark] is also one of the sources of his powerful combat strength.

While most of the Faded Ones were still using the Holy Mark of the Finger from the "Twin Granny," Lu Mingfei was already wreaking havoc with the Dragon Offering Mark, which had a powerful boost to the Dragon Offering Prayer.

These unique markings are rare and mostly held by specific forces. Their production methods are complex and mysterious, and some have even been lost to history.

What surprised him even more was that this [Claw Mark Holy Mark] didn't seem to require the user's [Faith] attribute. He vaguely sensed that his own [Power] attribute could also resonate with it, thus prompting him to pray.

Is it reasonable to consume the Holy Mark of Power?

Lu Mingfei's understanding of the power structure in the border region was once again significantly impacted.

"The world is indeed vast and full of wonders..."

Lu Mingfei sighed softly, then looked up at Gulange, whose breathing was unsteady, and asked directly:
"Then, how should I practice the Prayer of the Beast?"

"Eyes...can witness death...claws...can harness the power of wild beasts..."

Gulang explained haltingly:

"Offer more...death...and...more..."

Looking at the [Claw Mark Holy Mark] in his hand, Lu Mingfei could feel a scorching and wild energy pulsating slightly where he touched it.

He understood that this was a completely new power system linked to "beasts".

It doesn't demand much from faith, but rather pursues a resonance between "wildness" and "power," which seems particularly suitable for a close-combat powerhouse like him.

The power of a beast, huh?
Lu Mingfei felt a strong curiosity about the "beast's prayer".

It seems that collecting dead roots can be added to the future agenda.

Lu Mingfei said no more, carefully put away the two newly acquired items, nodded slightly to the dark figure who was still panting in the afterglow of pain, and then turned and left the oppressive Beast Temple.

He tiptoed through the dark inner sanctum, past the four pale stone pillars carved with images of suffering werewolves, and pushed open the heavy iron door.

Outside the door, the pitch-black gargoyle of a hero still stood silently, showing no reaction to Lu Mingfei's passing.

Lu Mingfei remained vigilant, carefully brushing past him until he was a sufficient distance away before relaxing slightly.

He arrived at a relatively open wasteland outside the temple and took a deep breath... of air mixed with decay and dust.

Despite the nauseating smell, it felt strangely "free" compared to the suffocating oppression inside the temple.

The continuous battles, negotiations, and explorations in recent times have left him feeling somewhat exhausted, even with his physical and mental condition.

He couldn't help but stretch his waist, and his armor made a slight creaking sound.

Looking out, he saw dark red earth stained with crimson decay, twisted vegetation, and a faint smell of rot in the air. The familiar landscape gave him a strange sense of belonging.

Shouldn't I go back and rest for a while?

Lu Mingfei thought so.

However, in that very instant, a deadly threat struck.

bass!
A sound as fast as lightning came from the side!

(End of this chapter)