The Paladin in the Abyss
Chapter 865 - 842 Lies and Truth

Chapter 865 -842 Lies and Truth

“You all… what are you looking at?”

The messenger looked puzzled, because in his eyes, there was nothing there.

“He can’t see me.” Cranvo took the initiative to explain, “Unless they’re my followers, no one can perceive my presence unless I permit it.”

“Understood…” Soveris nodded, then turned to the messenger and said, “Go find Samwell, he’s probably with Ollie now. Have him increase the manpower to tightly monitor the movements of the undead army and report to me every quarter-hour. I need real-time updates on their positions.”

“Okay.” The messenger nodded and dashed out. The cave made him feel unnerved, and he didn’t want to stay a moment longer, perhaps due to the lingering Dragon’s Qi?

“What is Peyton trying to do?” Lancelot scratched his head in confusion, “Is he coming here to die?”

“Of course not.” Cranvo shook his head, “He must believe that if he has enough cannon fodder, he can deplete my power and ultimately defeat me.”

“Is that really possible?” Lancelot asked in surprise, “With an army made up of undead creatures?”

“I’m afraid he’s correct. My power here is not unlimited, and the authority granted by divine office comes with many restrictions.” Cranvo’s voice remained calm as if explaining a trivial matter, “But what intrigues me more is how Peyton Derrick knew such secrets that are impossible for mortals to know unless revealed directly by a True God.”

Lancelot felt a slight stir in his heart as the points raised in their discussion seemed to suggest something quite improbable—the possibility of a connection between the Lich and Xirei. The Demon’s Domain is characterized by the isolation from both inner and outer worlds, and without the domain master’s permission, those who enter cannot leave. Since Cranvo can send a semblance of himself into the Demon’s Domain, why couldn’t Xirei?

“Is it possible…” Lancelot said deliberately, “That Lich… is no longer Peyton Derrick…”

“What do you mean?” Soveris frowned and asked, “I’ve been wondering too. Weren’t we avoiding provoking the Lich by not letting the princess appear in the Battle of Raventown? Due to my relationship with the princess, Peyton should recognize me and hate me intensely, but it treated me like an ordinary enemy, which left me quite disappointed…”

“When we were exploring the Ancient Temple, we released a force sealed within to delve deeper. After that, Peyton suddenly regained his power and led a massive undead warrior attack on Witches’ Forest… We thought that the released power was the Lich’s power sealed by the witch, but what if it was Xirei’s power? After all, we later found Xirei’s Sanctum…”

“I see.” Cranvo spoke again, this time with a slight shift in emotion, “If it is Xirei, many phenomena make sense. He deceives the world once more, that truly aligns with his nature…”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Bruto finally interrupted, “Did I hear correctly? The Lich is not Peyton Derrick but Xirei? A True God?”

“It should be similar to my situation, just a semblance.” Cranvo paced slowly in the cave, “Moreover, this semblance should have very limited power; otherwise, I would have sensed it already. Therefore, I speculate that Xirei didn’t completely replace the Lich but parasitizes in some form within Peyton Derrick’s consciousness. However, once the Demon’s Domain barrier is broken and contact with the true form is established, Xirei could instantly obliterate the original will of the Lich and take over…”

“Hmm… Just tell me, has the Lich become more difficult to deal with?” Bruto stroked his beard, trying to appear solemn, “We always worried before that Peyton’s power might reach the level of a demigod, but now it’s become a True God, so doesn’t that mean…”

“What is there to worry about? Isn’t there a True God right in front of you?” Cranvo’s cold mask revealed a hint of amusement, “In this demi-plane, neither he nor I have any divine power amplification; at most, our strength is at the Saint’s level. In times of turmoil, my strength, Midnight’s, Adon’s and Xirei’s were not stronger than yours, yet we still completed the feat of deicide?”

“Lord, you seem to be in a good mood.” Lancelot asked curiously, “Even if he’s just at the Saint level, the enemy’s strength has increased. Aren’t you worried?”

“Xirei’s divine office is of lies; he manipulates hearts through lies, distorts truth to achieve his evil goals. Lies are his greatest power…” Cranvo lightly shook his head, “The power of lies is formidable; it can fool mortals and gods alike, but the most effective weapon against it is the truth. With your help, I have discovered the truth. Is there anything better than this?”

“But even if we know the truth, what do we do next?” Lancelot scratched his head, “Peyton is leading the army towards your temple. If he succeeds in draining your divine power and destroys the Ancient Temple, wouldn’t we be completely defeated?”

“Heh, the fate of this semblance actually bears no relevance to defeating the Lich.” The Lord of the Dead laughed again, “You have successfully spread my faith, and enough people have started praying to me. The Lich thinks destroying me in the temple will ruin me? He’s completely mistaken. Even if he achieves that, I will soon resurrect, and he will eventually exhaust his own power… But I guess you won’t want to wait that long, right?”

“Hmm…” Lancelot instinctively touched his nose, “Someone has been waiting impatiently for my news, and has already sent people to find me…”

“I have seen the lady of Twin Bridges Town in little Isa’s memory; she is indeed an extraordinarily charming woman, so I completely understand your feelings. Moreover, you originally came at my request, and it wouldn’t be fair to make you overwork excessively. As the Grim Reaper, one of my teachings is not to hasten death…”

Cranvo stood still, his gaze fixed on the void.

‘My followers, listen to your god.’

‘The Lord of Lies and Deceit, ‘Dark Sun’ Xirei, has colluded with the Lich Peyton Derrick, leading their army of evil undead creatures intending to destroy my Sanctum in the Mount Gatchituk.’

‘Followers, the divine judgment has been made; justice shall prevail over evil. The time has come to prove your faith! Come to the south, come to Mount Gatchituk, come to my temple. Whether you survive the battle or not, when death finally arrives, your souls will rest in honor beside me!’

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