CHAPTER 1320: CHAPTER 1320: SACRIFICE AND THE BATTLE OF THE COLOSSI

Despite the Rain-Prayer Golem’s unchanged appearance, when the demon’s power clung to the golem, a strange, immense malice filled the hearts of everyone watching the battle.

Beyond Shard, Guardian Fleming, and a few cultists, no one knew what this change at the moment truly meant. As the stone spikes in Shard’s Demon Vision perspective spread to the golem’s face, the golem opened its mouth, despite originally having just a horizontal slit without an opening function.

More precisely, the square chin slid downward, revealing an opening for the mouth on the golem’s face.

Gathering dark energy, the next instant, a beam directly pierced through the stone statue’s chest. As the two atop the statue’s shoulders staggered, stone spikes climbed the golem’s back, astonishingly growing two more black, stone arms that wrapped around the statue’s body with incredible speed, immobilizing it.

The mouth gathered energy again, and the dark beam this time evaporated the statue’s left and right hands. Then the golem’s right hand swatted down at the two people and one spirit on the statue’s shoulders, as if swatting flies.

"The demon’s true form hasn’t come; it’s testing me."

Mr. Fleming spoke as an unknown Arcane Technique formed a dirt-yellow hemispheric shield, enveloping the three and blocking the massive stone hand. But then the golem’s left hand came crashing down, and under the immense force, the ball-shaped shield nearly shattered, while the statue without arms showed numerous cracks across its surface under the power.

The shield’s dense web of cracks resembled spiders’ webs, a sign that if Mr. Fleming wasn’t maintaining the spell, the witch’s summoned entity would have shattered by now. Still, his own spiritual body became considerably more transparent, yet he persisted in holding the Holy Grail.

"Ston Osenfort, surely he’s connected to the cultists. Could the ritual calling the Evil God be related to the demon?"

People at the shore also noticed the abrupt change, and after several shouts, the Circle Sorcerers in the sky launched dense attacks toward the golem, hoping to divert its attention. But the golem resisted the attacks from behind where the church was, refusing even in the worst attack tearing through its shoulder to abandon its assault on the statue.

Under the great lake, black slime continuously oozed from the mud, spreading curses and plagues downstream. Above the lake, the two massive stone statues entwined in a blizzard were nearing a decisive battle.

The golem’s hands pressed down with increasing force, getting closer to the statue’s shoulders, and Mr. Fleming’s shield grew smaller and smaller.

Suddenly, the golem reopened its mouth, this time directly aiming at the shoulder location. The dark pillar of light gave no chance, shooting directly over. Shard instinctively wanted to give up casting and withstand the hit using the Heaton Seal, but Luviya stepped in front of him:

"Arcane Technique: Protection of Books."

A myriad of bookshelves flashed across the void, then a transparent, giant book-shaped purple shield blocked the trio. Luviya, clenching her teeth, stepped back; though her shield shattered, she blocked the strike in time:

"You see, you and she always think I should stay in the back, but I’m not as weak as you imagine."

Though it consumed quite a bit, the purple-eyed girl still smiled at Shard. The Arcane Technique used by Shard seemed familiar, just as he intended to inquire, Mr. Fleming, barely managing the crumbling shield, spoke:

"A strong soul. Continuing like this is not viable. Fortunately, you summoned the church beforehand, preventing the demon from manifesting directly. Now, I’ll maintain the spell ’Healing Aura.’ You go to stop the Relic Golem."

"Wait, how am I supposed to stop it?"

Shard asked in surprise. It’s not that he underestimated himself, but without using Divinity, even with the witch’s ring, he and Luviya combined couldn’t hope to defeat the colossal relic across them.

But then he thought of a solution:

"My Arcane Technique ’Puppetry’ can directly manipulate this stone statue, possibly better than the lady on the shore can. But if that’s all, it doesn’t seem to improve the current situation."

Mr. Fleming shook his head:

"There’s a way. Since you can directly manipulate this stone statue, I can use an ancient ceremony. We, standing atop the stone statue, you, your companion, and I, all possess the Power of the Earth. I’ll give you one chance, allowing the four to resonate with the Power of the Earth and let you control the statue, unleashing an Arcane Technique attack using the statue as a body.

The Rain-Prayer Golem is easier to destroy than other relics, presenting an opportunity. Even if you can’t destroy it, such an attack will be enough to clear the powers clinging to it. If successful, the Rain-Prayer Golem won’t be able to move. It falls to you alone, for only your soul has enough strength to achieve this."

"Using the statue as a body? Wait, what about the consumption?"

Even if Mr. Fleming’s method truly worked, using a larger body for attack meant consuming more Spirit.

"I’ll handle it."

The soul hesitated not at all.

"But in doing so, won’t your soul..."

"I can withstand that level of consumption."

"Alright, what type of Arcane Technique should I use?"

"Don’t make direct contact, or the statue will be devoured by the power on the golem’s surface; avoid using techniques that expose your identity, for that Evil Fiend, although deterred by the church, will surely learn tonight’s events from its allies and minions later; best to have sustained bombardment and concentrate the attack on a small area..."

This was a stringent requirement; if he didn’t mind being discovered, he’d directly use the "Moonlight Greatsword," letting the statue wield the Great Sword and thrust directly. But he couldn’t use the Moonlight Greatsword—it would reveal his identity, allowing the demon to suspect that the Thirteen Rings’ God Summoner was the ally found by Osenfort.

Among the remaining powerful attack Arcane Techniques Shard had, "Feliana’s Witch Light" was a ranged attack, and "Moonlight Slash," regardless of the stage, was a linear attack area. "Sunlight Ray" and "Thunder Spear" perfectly met the requirements, and they wouldn’t expose Shard’s identity, as the appearance of Arcane Techniques had no distinctive features, but the issue was that the attack power of these two techniques might not be enough.

"Attack-type Arcane Techniques might not work, can control-type Arcane Techniques work?"

He planned to use the [Binding Aura].

"Sure, as long as it can immobilize the opponent."

Mr. Fleming’s soul began to become more and more transparent, and the two downward-pressing palms of the golem were also making the shield smaller. At this moment, Luviya also raised her left hand, and the purple transparent book-shaped giant shield, together with Mr. Fleming, resisted the pressure of the golem’s palms.

"Please hurry. Madam, place your other hand on his shoulder."

"Alright."

Luviya immediately extended her right hand to Shard’s shoulder, and the power of the "Realm of Abundance" made Shard perceive the power of the earth in a more profound form.

"Great soul, please prepare."

Mr. Fleming took a deep breath, although it looked quite strange for the spiritual body to do this action:

"Three, two, one! Power of the Earth: Primal Force!"

His soul suddenly radiated light, the purest earth light, like a shockwave, swept around in the blizzard night, colliding with the floating snow in the air, even forming a temporary ring of snow-free space.

The light did not harm Shard and Luviya, who had the power of the earth, yet it directly shattered the golem arm that restrained the stone statue underneath everyone, even pushing the golem back two steps amidst the stormy night. The palms that slapped towards them no longer posed a threat, but the lake water shook violently as a result, causing more black mud to appear on the surface.

The power of the curse became more severe, the earth’s twisted power even directly affected the spellcasting effects of all the Circle Sorcerers around. At this moment, the people on the shore all looked towards the lake, where the waves surged, the temporarily repelled golem adjusted its posture, wanting to launch another attack.

Mr. Fleming’s increasingly transparent soul placed his hand on Shard’s other shoulder:

"Great soul, actually there is a way to enhance the power of the earth in a short time!"

"What?"

Shard was surprised, then understood immediately:

"Wait, what are you going to do? It’s unnecessary..."

Shard turned his head wanting to stop, but the soul behind him glared sternly prepared:

"Power of the Earth: Legacy of Soil! May the earth be with you and me!"

In an instant, Mr. Fleming’s entire soul trembled, becoming extremely murky. And on the face of the spiritual body, Shard surprisingly saw the shadow of Mr. Granger.

"What? Could it be that the truth of the Guardian is..."

But at this moment, the spiritual body completely shattered, and the fundamental power of the earth from the core of the soul attached to Shard:

"Mr. Fleming has departed?"

He couldn’t believe this result, but upon recalling his speculation, he immediately understood the other’s plan roughly. Shard thus didn’t think much more, looking towards Luviya, who was equally shocked and sensed something amiss, nodding towards her:

"Guardian Fleming left forever for this land. Luviya, we can’t waste this opportunity, stand firm! Puppetry!"

The power of soul inheritance, although one-time, at this moment Shard still felt himself completely connected with the stone statue at his feet, even his vision became dual. One was his human self, squinting against the blizzard and looking at the huge golem in front, the other was the vision of the stone statue, looking at the golem equal in size to itself.

He seemed to be the stone statue itself now, even with the power of the earth under Shard’s control, even the broken hands of the statue regrew from the shoulders.

"Shard, there is only one chance!"

Luviya’s voice seemed to come from the ear but also seemed to be just from his shoulder. And the golem, just repulsed by Mr. Fleming’s power, was almost about to rush to the front at this moment.

Shard took a deep breath, facing the blizzard, he raised his own right hand, and the stone statue’s right hand also rose. As the spirit drained away, a brilliant bright silver halo appeared on his right wrist, and on the giant statue’s right wrist, a large halo with flowing light appeared accordingly.

At this moment, the starry sky was covered by clouds, and the moon seemed to appear above the great lake. Just as he was about to punch forward as usual, letting the [Binding Aura] fly out to loop around the golem’s limbs and neck, but the human body’s vision saw a large halo, rotating and radiating spark-like brilliance, on the right wrist of the golem’s right hand. At this moment, it seemed as if Silvermoon was reflected in Shard’s eyes, and Luviya also noticed that his body seemed to be faintly glowing.