At seven in the evening, a convoy of Jeeps drove into a remote small town.
In the middle of the convoy, Oliver sat in the back seat, his golden hair casually tied behind him.
He looked out the window at the surroundings; most of the buildings along the streets were wooden houses.
The roads were dirt paths; what was called a town, in Oliver's eyes, was nothing more than a slightly larger village.
On both sides of the street, many people came out, their faces full of curiosity as they watched the convoy.
The convoy consisted of at least twenty to thirty vehicles, a sight they had never witnessed in their small locale.
Harold was in the front passenger seat. Oliver looked at the town outside and suddenly said, "This wretched place is so poor, not a drop of profit to be found, only a small origin stone mine. Harold, did you offend someone and get banished here?"
If it were other minerals, there might be considerable profit, but origin stone mines are strategic resources for the Church, closely monitored by a dedicated Inspectorate Department.
This was also why Harold led people to chase Nelly and the other person from the town into the deep mountains after they stole an origin stone.
Every origin stone's quantity is recorded; if even one were missing, Harold's tenure as Sacrifice Master would be over.
Harold, sitting in the passenger seat, heard the words of the important figure behind him and twitched the corner of his mouth, but still honestly replied, "When I was young, I was ignorant and fell in love with Duke Lin Qi's youngest daughter. I originally had the chance to become a Holy Soldier, but Duke Lin Qi, to separate me from his daughter, used his connections to ensure I was disqualified from being a Holy Soldier. In the end, I was even banished here to serve as a congregant for ten years before becoming a Sacrifice Master."
His tone was incredibly calm, as if such a life-altering event was a minor matter to him.
Oliver heard this and showed an intrigued expression of gossip.
Duke Lin Qi was one of the empire's high-ranking officials, and the empire and their Church had a close relationship. He didn't expect such a dramatic story between them.
Thinking of this, Oliver's face showed a look of regret: "That's truly miserable. Fortunately, you're a member of the Church, and Duke Lin Qi didn't get serious, otherwise, you wouldn't know which mass grave you'd be buried in now."
"Lord Oliver, I used to often feel angry and unfair about this, but after a few years, I understood. How could a mud-footed commoner like me presume to climb so high? It was also my identity in the Church that allowed me to survive," Harold said with a bitter smile.
Stories of poor boys falling in love with young ladies can only remain stories; reality is incredibly cruel.
As the two were talking, the convoy slowly stopped, and the driver turned to Oliver and said, "Lord Oliver, ahead is the forest; we can only proceed on foot."
"Get out, Harold, it's your turn to lead the way!" Oliver opened the car door and stepped out.
He looked at the forest ahead; under the moonlight, several small mountains, hundreds of meters high, stood before them.
Not far away were woods, thorns, and a large amount of weeds.
"There are no insect chirps or bird calls here." Oliver just glanced around and noticed something was wrong.
Bang bang bang! The sound of car doors opening and closing continuously echoed around, and a large number of Church Holy Soldiers carrying black boxes disembarked.
Their faces were vigilant as they looked ahead.
In the team, an ordinary-looking red-haired young man walked up, carrying a small black box. He was the captain of this Holy Soldier Squad.
The red-haired young man, Lucas, looked at Oliver and asked, "Big brother, should we go in now, or send someone to scout first?"
Oliver didn't even think and immediately said, "Push forward with everyone; the opponent is a domain-type Source-Artifact User, staying here is useless."
Domain Source-Artifact Users are generally divided into two types: one that gains combat power enhancement within their domain, and one that controls creatures to fight within their domain.
Based on Harold's intelligence, Oliver believed this place was highly likely a domain type that controlled creatures for combat.
That's why the old man sent a team of Holy Soldiers over, precisely to maximize the nullification of the opponent's advantage should a battle occur inside.
Seeing Oliver say this, Lucas turned to the assembled Holy Soldiers and shouted, "Advance in battle formation! Squads One and Two lead the vanguard! Squads Three and Four cover the left and right flanks! Squad Five brings up the rear!"
Each squad consists of twenty people.
"Yes!" Shouts rang out, and then the Holy Soldiers present opened the boxes they carried and pulled out various weapons.
Some had melee weapons like swords, spears, and hammers, and some even pulled out various long and short firearms.
Harold even saw someone pull out a mirror.
Oliver, with his hands in his pockets and an indifferent expression, said, "Move out."
"Move out!" Lucas immediately roared.
Thump, thump, thump!
The black-clad Holy Soldiers around immediately advanced with killing intent, splitting into five squads and moving forward in different positions.
The teams quickly spread out, each squad separated by about a hundred meters. In the middle of the squads were Oliver, hands in his pockets, and the serious-faced Lucas.
Harold followed behind them.
Seeing so many Church Holy Soldiers clearing the way and protecting them, Harold felt a deep sense of security at this moment.
The Holy Soldier Squads One and Two quickly entered the thorny woods, clearing the path with their weapons.
By the time Oliver and the two others reached that spot, there was no obstruction except for the trees.
After the team marched for a while in the mountains, they soon stopped. Everyone could see the white mist appearing ahead.
Lucas turned to Oliver and said, "Big brother, we've arrived!"
Oliver looked at the white mist ahead, his eyes slightly narrowed as he carefully observed it.
'It's not a familiar ability. Logically, even if I haven't seen an ability of a Dominator-level person, I should have memorized it.' Oliver realized he couldn't discern anything.
He said, "Go in. I want to see which force dares to unleash a domain within the Eternal Church's territory!"
Lucas nodded and immediately shouted, "Enter the white mist!"
The squads in front entered the white mist without hesitation.
The energy in their weapons pulsed, constantly vigilant of everything around them.
Inside the white mist, next to the church.
A burst of white mist suddenly appeared, and then the Lord of the Mist's figure emerged.
It sensed the periphery of the sub-mist, expressionless: "It seems the target has arrived. I need to notify the others to prepare."
With a thought, it immediately notified the other Monsters and strange people in the city.
Several kilometers away from the church, on a rooftop, Han Qi, wearing a suit, had his face restored to a human appearance after using a Restoration Potion.
He looked at the almost invisible edge of the white mist in the extreme distance, his face showing excitement: "After waiting for several days, have they finally arrived?!"
"First contact with an unknown enemy, are you really not going to wear monster weapons?" Li Yong's voice came from below.
Li Yong was wearing a black hooded hoodie, gray work shorts, and white sneakers, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall.
Han Qi heard this and showed disdain: "Only the weak rely on external objects. What I want is a fierce, life-and-death struggle. Only then can I break through Level Five!"
He always felt that he was separated from Level Five by a thin membrane, just one high-pressure battle away from breaking through.
On the other side of the city, Salo stood quietly on the street. Inside the houses on both sides of the kilometer-long street, large quantities of various components were stacked.
'It's best if someone comparable to Level Six comes. With so many preparations, even a Level Six might not be unbeatable.' Salo's face showed ambition.
Only by continuously performing meritorious deeds could he establish himself in the Association and even gain the qualification to become stronger.
In various parts of the city, the figures of Tyrant, King of the Deep Sea, Ghost Buddha, and Ghost Bride appeared.
Even inside the central church, there was a mirror, and a hideous, ugly figure emerged within it.
Besides that, outside the main mist, the collapsed cave has been cleared, and a giant pit appeared.
The Great Serpent's enormous figure sat coiled beside the white mist.
The moonlight shone down, leaving one-third of the Great Serpent's face hidden in shadow, making it look incredibly terrifying and monstrous.