The defeated saint is also on the way to tame the evil god today

　"If he feels embarrassed, we can help him get out of it." Lance said in a cold voice.

　"Don't worry, young lady. Even though the New Party is incredibly powerful, Miss Chloe earned her position in the palace through duels," Gloria said calmly. "If Dominic wants to deny her legitimacy, he'll have to deny his own first."

　"I remember that I had a duel with a general, right?" Xing Mo asked.

　"That's right," Chloe nodded, "Anthony Moran, the leader of the Massena defense force and Dominic's biological brother."

　"It was because of his relationship that Dominic was able to convince the Massena defense forces to join him in the rebellion and overthrow my father."

　"At the execution, Anthony was the one who picked up his father's head and showed it to the crowd below the scaffold."

　"And I... did the exact same thing to him."

　There was a murderous look in Chloe's eyes, brief but impressive.

　Perhaps this princess, who usually hides herself with pride as a mask, also has a fragile and resolute side in her heart.

　"You got revenge, well done." Xing Mo said lightly.

　"That's why Dominic has been trying to get rid of me," Chloe shook her head. "There will always be a break between him and me. It's just a matter of time."

　"Do you agree with what the Flower King did?" Xing Mo asked sharply.

　She had to determine some stances.

　"Father..."

　Chloe looked up as she walked, gazing at the relief patterns on the dome of the August Palace.

　For a moment, she seemed helpless.

　But soon, she replied in a calm voice:

　"Father did something wrong and received the punishment he deserved. I won't repeat the same mistake. That's all."

　After she finished speaking, she looked ahead without saying a word.

　Xing Mo didn't ask any more questions. The group walked through the August Palace and went down the spiral staircase.

　Deep underground, a damp smell hits you in the face, the light around you becomes dimmer, and only the faint blue

　Will-o'-the-wisp lights dotted the road.

　In the air, Xing Mo could feel a faint spiritual power. Countless strings were beating in the dark, providing layers of airtight protection for the space.

　Obviously, there is also a huge protective string array under the August Palace, which is used to protect the palace and reinforce the dungeon.

　But judging by Dominic's reaction when the dragon attacked... the new party doesn't seem to know how to use those string arrays...

　""

　In the deepest part of the dungeon, Xingmo met the puppeteer.

　He was not in chains, and behind the iron cage he could move freely, only having a collar around his neck.

　Even though the face was unfamiliar, Xing Mo still recognized the controller of Dark String at the first moment.

　In the battle with the Ancient Dragon Hunter, the puppeteer's body was shattered, and now he is obviously a substitute, and his extraordinary power has been greatly reduced.

　"Oh...it's you..."

　The puppeteer raised his head, saw Xingmo with his cloudy eyes, and nodded with a smile.

　"You still remember me." Xing Mo said lightly.

　The puppeteer didn't answer and turned his gaze to the person behind Xingmo.

　"Let me talk to him alone." Xingmo said to Chloe and her group.

　Chloe nodded and left with the two Pegasus Knights and Aurora.

　"Be careful, he might do something bad." Aurora's voice sounded in Xingmo's mind.

　"It doesn't matter. In the Dark String field, he is nothing."

　Xingmo calmly sat down on a chair outside the cage and looked directly at the puppeteer.

　"The invisible mist is about to open the door to the kingdom of God on earth, right?"

　"Your information is very sharp... but if I may be frank, it's a little delayed..." The puppeteer laughed, "The door has already appeared deep in the forest. Now it just... needs someone to open it."

　"What are the conditions for opening it?" Xing Mo asked.

　"You should be able to guess..." the puppeteer murmured.

　"It's about becoming a demigod, right?"

　Back in Wintershire, the Puppeteer led the Red Moon Cultists through Faru, just to enter the Caradorans Mountains.

　His target was obviously the remains of the Winter Messenger, which contained the power to elevate a saint.

　For this reason, the puppeteer even risked his life to fight the ancient dragon hunter, even though his chances of winning were slim.

　"Only a demigod can open the door to the Lord's kingdom..." the puppeteer murmured, "If not me... someone else will..."

　"And you and that person are in competition, right?" Xing Mo said pointedly, "He might have already prepared the elixir needed to ascend to demigod status, and you can only find it on your own."

　Upon hearing this, the puppeteer remained silent, with most of his face obscured by shadows and cut off by the iron cage.

　A few seconds later, the faintly visible lower half of his face outlined a wicked smile:

　"You are the sun, the stars, and the moon, and you do have the corresponding insights."

　"I want to know the key to opening that door," Xing Mo said calmly, "because I want to be the one who opens the door."

　After Xing Mo finished speaking, the puppeteer's eyes widened and his expression became fanatical:

　"You...you've realized it?" His tone was a little incredulous. "Unbelievable...I thought you were destined to embark on a rebellious routine, but..."

　"The red moon hanging high in the sky is the true appearance of the world." Xing Mo pretended to have an ethereal tone.

　She knew that no matter how tough she was, she would not be able to get anything out of the puppeteer who had almost lost everything.

　But if you pretend to be on his side... that's different.

　The puppeteer was obviously aware of the special nature of Xingmo's identity and even showed his intention to turn her into a puppet.

　This shows that the puppeteer knows something about the golden full moon in her body.

　Under such circumstances, standing on his side...

　...you can get his help.

　Of course, Xingmo said "open the door", but did not say what to do after opening it.

　The puppeteer didn't know that Xingmo opened the door in order to shoot the invisible fog to death.

　Strictly speaking, Xingmo did not lie.

　""

　A light flashed in the puppeteer's eyes. He was silent for a while, and two lines of tears ran down his cheeks.

　"Lord... Your kingdom will come..." he whispered.

　I shouldn't be so moved... Xing Mo held his forehead and asked:

　"I want to know, what are the conditions for opening the gate?"

　"A sacred duel," the puppeteer replied without reservation.

　He stood up and looked up at the dark ceiling. The spiritual energy field around him suddenly changed.

　Xing Mo immediately understood his intention. She closed her eyes and felt the information contained in the spiritual power field.

　Then he saw a golden, shimmering branch.

　"...priests of the gods dueled before the sacred tree, challengers and old lords faced off, swords and staffs clashed..."

　"...the sacred blood flowed upon the altar, nourishing the sacred tree, and from its branches grew golden boughs, illuminating the forest with their light..."

　"...the victor cuts off the head of the vanquished, breaks off the golden bough, and sits on the throne of the forest..."

　The puppeteer murmured in a low voice, his voice becoming more and more pious:

　"One more duel is needed before the gate to the Kingdom of God opens..."

　Is the challenger already in place?" Xing Mo asked.

　"High Priest Optimis has been waiting for a long time..." the puppeteer murmured, "He has already killed three priests. He only needs the last one... and then the golden branch will bloom..."

　"You are the last one..." Xing Mo muttered, "What if you didn't go back?"

　"I'll go back."

　The puppeteer lowered his head and gave Xingmo a faint smile:

　"The trajectory of the red moon foretells destiny, and destiny never makes a mistake..."

　"But you are now trapped deep in the iron cage." Xing Mo said.

　"Oh, look..." The puppeteer's smile became more and more obvious. "Aren't you here? Stars...sun...moon..."

　Across the iron cage, the puppeteer stretched out his hand towards Xingmo, his eyes devout:

　"You will liberate me yourself... and bring me back... to that slab of stone..."

　His gaze was chilling.

Chapter 281: Fire of the Elders (Part 2) -4k- (Double Update in One)

　"Not feeling well?"

　After coming out of the dungeon, Aurora gently pinched Xingmo's waist.

　Xing Mo, who had been somewhat absent-minded, came back to his senses and shook his head:

　"It's okay, it's just..."

　She inexplicably felt as if she was being pulled by the thread of fate again.

　The conversation with the puppeteer went very smoothly. Xing Mo not only got his promise to help her enter the primeval forest, but also learned information about Jinzhi.

　But for some reason, she just felt something was wrong.

　After the Winter County incident, she thought the puppeteer's story was over and she would never meet him again.

　But after going around in circles, she returned to the starting point.

　It is as if there is an invisible thread connecting everything in the world, causing everything to collide along a predetermined trajectory and eventually be pushed to a predetermined position.

　Cain can distort fate...Xingmo recalled the powerlessness shown by Professor Merlin at that moment.

　If all this is just a woven web, no matter which thread Xing Mo walks on, she will eventually arrive at a predetermined location...

　If that's the case, then wouldn't everything be in vain?

　No matter what she does, or even if she does nothing, the force of fate will bring her to that predetermined point.

　Thinking of this, Xing Mo couldn't help but sigh deeply.

　As if she understood her thoughts, Aurora pinched her waist again and whispered:

　"Bow your head."

　"What's wrong?" Xing Mo muttered and lowered his head.

　Then, Aurora gently kissed Xingmo on the cheek:

　"I'll give you a new mark. No one else has it. Don't tell anyone."

　Aurora smiled mysteriously, spun around holding up the hem of her skirt, and ran forward along the corridor.

　Behind her, Xing Mo remained leaning forward for a long time, his cheeks flushed.

　This...what is this for?

　Xingmo straightened up, cleared her throat awkwardly, and looked around.

　Luckily there was no one else in the corridor...

　Otherwise, the image of the aloof saint will be shattered...

　This little guy is like a small cotton-padded jacket. It will stick to you to block the slightest bit of cold wind, but it’s afraid that you will be too hot, so it sticks to you and then leaves.

　Sometimes it really makes people feel helpless.

　Xingmo sighed and continued walking down the corridor to catch up with Aurora.