The Last King Of Darkness
Chapter 62 - 51 Slander

Chapter 62: Chapter 51 Slander

The assessment department, after all, was staffed with professionals. Following a brief examination, they swiftly issued a professional appraisal report.

Item: Mist Crystal Ball

Threat Level: None (poses no threat to anyone other than the party involved)

Sealing Method: None

Grade: Common

Function: Medium for the Desecration Ceremony of Spirits

Description:

A common item made by injecting the powder of the mist crystal into a transparent sphere.

Since the mist crystal powder can shield prying eyes and isolate the flow of spirits, and the higher the concentration, the stronger the effect, it is often used for testing Spiritual Vision.

Because of its uniqueness, it is also used for forbidden rituals by Doomsday believers.

The Desecration Ceremony of Spirits is the most evil of all forbidden rituals. The practitioner needs to obtain the unreserved love of the subject and commit an act with someone other than the subject that the subject has always wanted to do, yet has never done with the practitioner.

The process is fully documented, serving as the core of the spirit’s corruption.

The more genuine, detailed, and intense the emotions in the document, the better the effect.

The practitioner desecrates this love, placing the record in a location closest to the subject but out of sight.

The more the subject longs to peek at the record, the quicker the spirit is eroded.

After a period, the ritual is complete.

Using a predetermined phrase of desecration can activate the ritual effect.

When activated, the subject is directly controlled by the practitioner but should the distance between them widen, the spiritual connection will break, and control will dissolve.

When not activated, the desecration ceremony constantly taints the spirit in a very concealed manner, extremely difficult to detect and almost impossible to dispel or purify.

The only method of removal is for the subject to gain knowledge of this record—the more detailed and direct the knowledge, the faster the pollution is purified.

If the subject continuously retains this record beyond a certain limit, they will permanently become the practitioner’s slave, unaffected by distance and beyond any means of release.

——

After reading the report, Rod was covered in chills. These Doomsday believers were indeed the bane of mankind, no wonder this ritual was known as the most evil.

The Black Priest had placed the documentation at the bottommost layer of the Mist Crystal Ball. With Karamon’s Spiritual Vision at only 10, he feared he might never see it in his lifetime.

If not for his intervention, Karamon could have been permanently enslaved by the Black Priest.

It was also fortunate that Rod had lost so much of his decency, indirectly allowing Karamon to learn of the record, thus breaking half of the control.

This eventually saved his life at the last moment.

Suddenly, Rod recalled something and asked, "What is this about Reslin’s suicide?"

Muso set down the report, speaking solemnly, "According to news from the Church’s Medical, Reslin’s soul had been struck by a strange curse, which the experts still haven’t identified."

Keith suddenly interjected, "I remember Reslin’s teacher mentioned that during a hunting mission, they suffered a devastating defeat at Ghost Spirit Lake. Reslin was depressed for a while afterward, but soon perked up, and his teacher didn’t think much of it. Could it be related to that?"

Muso furrowed his brow, his expression growing serious.

"If that’s the reason, then the Polluter Sect’s scheming is quite significant. What exactly are they trying to do?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Rod, feeling anxious, mentioned everything except the particulars unique to himself.

The rituals conducted by the Polluter Sect were deeply linked to him.

At that moment, Manolo Bana, who had been silent until now, suddenly asked, "Did you see the imagery inside the crystal ball?"

The appraisers shook their heads, "We don’t have anyone with such a high level of Spiritual Vision."

"Is there a way to extract the imagery?"

The appraisers still shook their heads, "No, once the Mist Crystal Ball is sealed, it becomes an unalterable whole. Any attempt to break it would result in a loss of the information recorded by the Fixing Mercury."

"Then how did you ascertain that it is a medium for the Desecration Ceremony of Spirits?"

"There are unique traces of the desecration ceremony left on it, we can’t be wrong about that."

Manolo Bana scoffed, "Traces can be falsified, and if only one person here can see the information inside, how do we know he isn’t spouting nonsense, intentionally plotting, and maliciously leading us astray?"

Rod furrowed his brow and said, "You’re a Stone Wood Core?"

Manolo Bana burst out angrily, "I suspect you can’t see anything at all! You’re lying!"

As soon as he spoke, he regretted it.

But Rod didn’t give him a chance to recant, immediately saying, "Can’t Spiritual Vision be tested? Just test it and we’ll know."

Muso’s gaze flickered and he instructed the appraisers, "Go bring a high-grade Mist Crystal Ball."

The appraisers turned and left, returning moments later with a golden Mist Crystal Ball.

"This is the highest grade Mist Crystal Ball, capable of detecting up to 99 Spiritual Vision, with specific values accurate to a single digit."

Rod casually asked, "Isn’t there a 100 Spiritual Vision?"

"No, we can’t obtain 100% concentration of Mist Crystal powder."

"Alright, let’s start the test. Observe the crystal ball with your Spiritual Vision and tell me the pattern inside it."

Muso and Keith watched Rod intently, while Manolo Bana appeared somewhat unsettled.

With a thought, Rod activated his Eye of the Soul.

Muso complimented, "To activate Spiritual Vision without any auxiliary actions, indeed strong."

Manolo Bana remained silent with a sullen face.

Rod fixed his gaze on the crystal ball, the chaotic mist turned ethereal, resembling floating shadows, and he swiftly saw the first image.

"A deer leaping through the forest."

The appraisers nodded, "Fifty Spiritual Vision."

With a light touch on the crystal ball,

Rod saw the second image.

"A black cat chasing a mouse in a shabby room."

The appraiser nodded, "Seventy Spiritual Vision."

Muso and Keith clearly showed their smiles.

Manolo Bana’s expression darkened.

The appraiser touched the crystal ball again, and Rod saw the third image.

"A white ghost horse flying in mid-air."

The appraiser’s expression turned grim; he couldn’t believe a new student could have such high Spiritual Vision.

"Eighty Spiritual Vision."

Muso and Keith’s smiles grew wider, the former continuously drawing on his cigarette, while the latter couldn’t stop rubbing his hands together, showing his inner excitement.

Manolo Bana’s expression sank completely.

The appraiser didn’t stop his movements, and quickly, Rod saw the fourth image.

"Many tree-like mushrooms, blue, red, green, purple, white."

Sweat broke out on the appraiser’s forehead, and he could not maintain his composure any longer.

"Ninety Spiritual Vision."

Keith suddenly jumped up, his chest as if inflated with a huge balloon, but he made not a sound, as if afraid to scare away the good fortune that had finally come."

The appraiser touched the crystal ball for the last time.

Rod saw the fifth image.

It was a round golden sun rising from the horizon, its myriad rays of golden light making the image somewhat blurred.

He hesitated for a moment, then said.

"The sun, a golden sun."

The appraiser’s widened eyes looked as if he had seen a ghost; it took him a long while to speak.

"Ninety-nine, highest Spiritual Vision!"

"Good!"

Keith suddenly shouted, his inner balloon bursting, the huge sound causing dust to fall from the ceiling, nearly deafening Rod.

"Another complete Spiritual Visionary! I’ve never seen such a young one, we have another rising star!"

"Good, good good good..."

Muso repeated the word like a broken record, not even noticing his cigarette burning down to his fingers, his eyes blazing as he stared at Rod.

Manolo Bana suddenly asked, "Could he have known the answers in advance?"

The appraiser’s face looked as if he had swallowed a fly, replying, "This is a new Mist Crystal Ball, he is the first test subject, apart from the maker and the tester, no one knows the answers."

Manolo Bana casually said, "But it’s still a possibility, plus, if a Doomsday believer becomes an absolute Spiritual Visionary, that’s not good news for us."

The appraiser shut his mouth.

Muso and Keith weren’t perturbed by his words, still smiling broadly.

Keith suddenly asked, "Little Rod, what do you think about the City Defense Army?"

Rod scratched his head, "I’m not sure."

"Great, right? Any intention to join the City Defense Army after graduation?"

Rod cleared his throat, his tone clear, "I’m not quite sure."

"That’s great! I’ll note it down for you right now, you’ll go straight into the City Defense Army after graduation, I’ll arrange a spot for you..."

Manolo Bana coughed loudly.

Keith abruptly turned around, saying solemnly, "Lord Gula, you must be tired, go rest, leave the rest to us."

Manolo Bana coldly said, "With the protection of the Holy Fire, I’m not tired at all; I think we should continue discussing the doubts about the sewer incident."

Keith scratched his head, discontentedly saying, "What’s there to discuss? It’s just those damned crazy mutts trying to perform some mad ceremony in the sewers again; don’t worry, I’ll find them, crush their dog heads one by one, to avenge my Guardians."

Manolo Bana sneered.

"It’s definitely not that simple; as far as I know, Black Priests use Spirit Mist to cloak their entire bodies to prevent their true appearance from being seen. If your Spiritual Vision is truly that strong, you should have seen her appearance, known who she is. But why didn’t you mention this before?"

With that said, Muso and Keith’s gazes turned toward him, waiting for his explanation.

Rod took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I didn’t tell you immediately because this matter is complicated and involves sensitive people; I need to explain the whole situation clearly..."

Manolo Bana impatiently interrupted, "Just say who it is."

Rod straightforwardly said.

"The governor of the Outer City District, Sector Two, Alex."

As soon as the words were spoken, Manolo Bana flatly denied, "Impossible! Alex is a well-spoken governor, definitely not a Doomsday believer; you cannot slander her because she provided a lot of evidence against you."

Rod sneered, "You can go bring her here now, and we can confront her face to face."

Manolo Bana sneered, "Lord Muso, please send someone to bring her here now, I want to expose his lies face to face; Alex’s promotion was strictly vetted by me, absolutely not a Doomsday believer, her work performance since taking office is there for all to see, allowing no one to slander her."

Rod frowned, "Was it vetted by you?"

Manolo Bana arrogantly said, "The whole Internal Affairs Court knows it was vetted by me."

Soon, the person sent out came back with a report.

"Alex has disappeared!"

"We found unknown ceremonial items in her home, along with decaying corpses and skulls."

Muso and Keith stood up in an instant.

Keith staring at the Iron Mask, "I heard it was vetted by you?"

Manolo Bana was silent for a few seconds.

"Don’t talk nonsense, that’s defamation."

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