CHAPTER 813: CHAPTER 607: SEALED LAND

Deep beneath the Southern Mountains.

Winding and labyrinthine mine tunnels crisscross, dark and deep.

Only the flickering lights from oil lamps on the rock walls cast a shifting glow, leaving the whole Underworld shrouded in shadows...

Occasionally, deep roars echo from the depths of the mine, adding a chilling and spooky atmosphere.

The intertwining mine tunnels extend endlessly, reaching the terminus of darkness, finally converging in a cavern resembling a vast plaza.

This is an underground cave as large as four or five football fields, representing the typical landscapes of the Dark Territory, and is a major component of the Underworld.

And in the deepest part of the cave, a golden light like a sun in darkness illuminates a corner of the cavern.

This is a Goddess statue emanating a hazy radiance.

The statue is vivid and captivating, the soft glow it emits carries a sacred and mysterious power, making anyone feel warm and amiable, offering an indescribable relaxation to both body and soul.

And around the statue, thirteen dwarves stand clustered.

Pope Grey Robe and the Legendary Warrior Tonglu are among them.

Apart from them, the remaining 11 are all uniform Gold Professionals, including 4 Church Priests in white robes and 7 fully armored High-level Warriors.

They are the most formidable forces the Dwarf National Church can mobilize at this time.

This time, the dwarves did not deploy conventional forces but only high-end combat power to protect the statue.

The dwarves guard the Goddess statue, expressions vigilant, while Pope Grey Robe and leader Tonglu stand at the forefront of the group, looking solemnly at the towering gate ahead.

This is a stone gate more than ten meters high, ancient with engravings vividly depicting scenes from the once flourishing Dwarf pantheon.

The stone gate is riddled with cracks, with tendrils of black smoke occasionally seeping through the fissures. However, when the smoke touches the glow emitted by the Goddess statue, it recoils swiftly as though hitting a barrier...

"This is the Door of Xiyou. Open the gate and we will enter the true core of the seal."

Pope Grey Robe said solemnly.

In elven tongue, "Xiyou" bears the meaning of "seal," so the Door of Xiyou essentially means the gate maintaining the seal.

For intelligent races like the Dwarf Clan, who have been influenced by the Elf Clan, the high magic affinity of the elven tongue is often found in the items they craft.

And this Door of Xiyou is a creation of the entire Dwarf Clan’s efforts, meant to seal the Sealed Land.

Tonglu nodded, scanning the surroundings again, crouching to pinch a bit of black earth mixed with rubble from the cave floor, and sniffed it, frowning slightly:

"There once were a lot of demons active here, but... their aura has almost dissipated, they’ve been gone for at least a day."

"They should have entered the Door of Xiyou; that’s the true Sealed Land. This cavern was originally just a garrison point for monitoring the seal, but it was taken over by demons after the seal was damaged."

Pope Grey Robe sighed.

Tonglu becomes more serious, speaking worriedly:

"So then, has Evil God Balot entirely seized control of the Door of Xiyou, commanding the entire Sealed Land?"

"He probably hasn’t controlled the Sealed Land yet."

Pope Grey Robe shook his head:

"If he had truly seized the Sealed Land, he would have broken free long ago and wouldn’t wait for us to come."

He paused, then glanced at the Door of Xiyou, his gaze steady:

"If I’m not mistaken, he’s most likely called back all the demons to the Sealed Land, preparing for a decisive battle with us there..."

"Could it really be so easy? Though the Elf Chosen One we summoned these days is indeed powerful, I doubt we have forced Balot to such a degree..."

Tonglu’s brow furrowed, speaking.

Pope Grey Robe glanced at the Goddess statue, which constantly flickered with a gentle halo, answering:

"I fear... he is also waiting for us to summon the Elf Chosen One."

"The Sealed Land, eroded by him for too long, has almost become his domain, even if not entirely unsealed; it was his Divine Country before his fall after all..."

"For an Evil God, apart from eroding a seal, rapidly breaking one can also be achieved by devouring the souls and flesh of living beings to grow stronger and accumulate power, thereby directly breaking through the loosening seal..."

"I’m afraid Balot is also close to success."

Hearing the Pope’s words, Tonglu slightly tightened his grip, his brow furrowing deeply.

"You’re saying he’s aiming to turn our summoning of the Elf Chosen One against us to consume them and enhance his own strength?!"

He exclaimed incredulously.

"This is merely my speculation..."

The Pope sighed.

Then, he shifted the topic:

"However, there’s a rather simple method to ascertain whether my speculation is right."

"What is it?"

Tonglu asked.

"Seeing if I can easily open the Door of Xiyou."

Pope Grey Robe looked at the towering stone gate.

Tonglu felt his heart stirred, understanding the intention behind the words.

The method to open the Door of Xiyou has always been in the hands of successive Popes.

But now, the Door of Xiyou is clearly eroded by abyssal forces, and Balot could possibly use it to transport demons, indicating that he has already taken control of this stone gate.