City Lord Kraut and Lord Wally had used the matter of the Radiant Knight candidate as an excuse to make things difficult for Elisa. This was something Solanton did not expect. It was as if a superior had come to inspect his work, and his subordinates had finally prepared everything for the inspection, only to have someone suddenly appear and complain in front of everyone. This feeling was unbearable.
In fact, Solanton had already reached an agreement with Kraut and Wally regarding the candidate. Now that the two had suddenly changed sides, Solanton was caught off guard. What made the priest even more furious was that his most trusted Radiant Knight Squad Leader Ternicius had backstabbed him at the most crucial moment, causing him to be unable to step down.
Ternicius had been brought up by Solanton using his connections. For more than ten years, the two had worked well together and managed the church in Garton City well. At the very least, there had not been any major problems, and their 'achievements' were quite good.
A few days ago, Solanton had even specially gone to Ternicius's house to persuade him about the matter. When Ternicius heard that it was related to the overall situation, he had immediately agreed, saying that he would let his disciple Rodin give up the candidate spot. On the other hand, Solanton felt apologetic and promised many benefits. He did not expect that today, at the most critical moment, Solanton would suddenly appear and stab him in the back. A fatal stab!
Looking at the cold smile that flashed across Ternicius's square face, Solanton suddenly realized that the person at the center of this matter was not the fat city lord or Lord Wally, but Ternicius!
Why did City Lord Kraut and Lord Wally know the exact time of Elisa's arrival and quickly visit? Why did they change sides at the same time and reveal the matter of the candidate? This was a conspiracy that had been planned for a long time!
Even without the excuse of a candidate, there would have been other things. The goal was to tarnish the reputation of the church in Garton City in front of Elisa (which was in front of Cardinal Logue)! Tarnishing the reputation of the person in charge, Solanton!
Normally, this kind of dispute over a candidate would be insignificant. However, the internal personnel of the church was about to undergo an important change. At such a sensitive time, any detail could affect the outcome of the reshuffling.
Whether it was him, Solanton, or the traitor Ternicius, they were just small chess pieces in the hands of the big shots. This included this conspiracy, which was also a game that was being manipulated. However, to a chess piece, failure meant abandonment. Therefore, they could not retreat!
"The Knights of Light are synonymous with justice. Ever since I swore an oath before the statue of the God of Light, I have always adhered to this creed. Now that I see justice being desecrated, even though I am threatened by power, I cannot remain silent."
Eliza did not expect to see such a scene the moment she arrived at Garton City. She was even more shocked. "What is going on?"
"Miss Eliza, with your wisdom, you should understand." Solanton had already calmed down. "This is no ordinary frame-up. It's a conspiracy against the church in Garton City. I'm very distressed that an important member of the church is involved in this conspiracy, and he's my most trusted aide. Or rather, this is all part of Ternicius' plan!"
Ternicius immediately retorted, "Miss Eliza, you may not know this, but this' Richard 'is just an incompetent person. He relied on his relationship with Solanton's cousin, Mana, and who knows how many bribes to become the only candidate of the church in Garton City. The truly capable candidates have all been suppressed and deceived by Solanton. I can guarantee with my life that everything you say is the truth. Miss Eliza, please uphold justice and expose the greed and selfish desires hidden behind the radiance! "
"Then what should we do?" Eliza was at a loss for a moment, "Everything you say seems to make sense …"
"It's simple," Ternicius said confidently, "The truth will prove everything. All we need to do is let the four candidates compete in front of everyone, and the truth will be revealed."
"I see …" Eliza looked at Joanna inquiringly. Joanna was someone who had seen the world, and she nodded slightly.
Paul was observant and immediately said, "The winner is king. Strength is the most convincing factor."
These words were hinted at Samuel, and Joanna found it particularly grating. She snorted coldly, not saying a word.
Paul was the number one genius of the Long Huang Empire, and one of the contenders for the position of Paladin of the Sacred Mountain. His words naturally carried a lot of weight, and Ternicius and the others all revealed looks of joy.
On the other side, Eliza had already stabilized her emotions. She nodded and said, "Since that's the case, let's let them compete once. If one of them wins, I'll use the privilege bestowed by Her Holiness to directly appoint him as a Radiant Knight in waiting. As for the loser, if he really has outstanding strength, I will also recommend him to uncle to increase the number of candidates in Garton City. So, I hope the candidates can show their strength and perform well. "
As soon as these words came out, the eyes of the two candidates, Omi and Mett, lit up at the same time.
Ternicius bowed and said, "Miss Eliza is indeed wise, but it's not very convenient to compete here. I suggest we go to the Church's arena. Solanton, you don't have any objections, right?"
"Hmph! Of course I don't have any objections. " Solanton and Mana looked at each other, and both of their faces were a little ugly. Now that things had come to this, they could only take one step at a time.
The Church's arena was equivalent to a large arena, and there were spectator seats around it, so they could clearly see everything on the stage.
A young man appeared beside Ternicius, it was his disciple Rodin. Rodin was in his twenties and had a broadsword on his back, his gaze extremely sharp.
Solanton's brows furrowed tightly. Omi and Mett were fine, but this Rodin wasn't simple at all. He was a genius of the Yangshao Kingdom with astonishing potential, and had been a true disciple of Ternicius for four years now. He had single-handedly broken through the vicious Bloodmist Bandits, making a name for himself for a while. His combat ability and experience were quite terrifying.
In comparison, Richard's true strength was also at the level of a master, but his specialty was beastmastery. He definitely couldn't compare to Rodin, so they could only pray that he would surpass himself and create a miracle.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the three candidates walked onto the stage one by one. 'Richard' was the only one who arrived late.
What surprised her was that there was a small eagle perched on Richard's shoulder and a wind leopard by his side.
Chen Rui bowed to her from afar, "Miss Eliza, I am a beastmaster. Please allow me to fight with my companion."
"So Richard is a beastmaster!" Eliza's interest was immediately piqued. "Of course!"
All four of them stood on the stage. To be more precise, there were two beasts … Err, one bird and one beast.
The rules of this competition were simple. The four would attack each other, and whoever fell off the stage or admitted defeat would be the loser. The last one standing would be the winner.
Solanton's advice rang out in Chen Rui's ears once more, "Rodin is too strong, try not to fight him head-on. Try to get Omi and Mett off the stage first, and then try to display your strength. Try to hold on for a while longer. Even if you lose, you'll still have an explanation."
Too strong? This word was just ridiculous to Chen Rui. Among the people present, there were only two people whose strength was barely acceptable. One was Paul, whose comprehensive strength had reached A-, early stage of the Demon Emperor. They were also early stage of the Demon Emperor. Chen Rui could see that Paul's strength was even higher than Samuel's. He should be close to breaking through to the intermediate stage; the other was actually Eliza. Her strength was C on the surface, but her real comprehensive strength was A. She was the intermediate stage of the Demon Emperor, which was even higher than Paul. In particular, her spirit power had reached A +. It seemed that this little girl deserved to be the saintess's disciple.
As for Rodin's strength, he was only early stage of the C- Demon King, while the other two were E and E-. They were not worth mentioning at all.
However, Solanton really valued Chen Rui who had the "beastmaster skill", so he specially gave him 2 scrolls to save his life.
With the announcement of Paul as the arbitrator, the competition began.
Almost at the same time, Omi, Mett and Rodin attacked Chen Rui together.
"This is not fair! They are all attacking Richard. "Solanton stood up abruptly," This is colluded in advance! "
"Sir Solanton, you are definitely a layman when it comes to this kind of battle. Generally speaking, in a chaotic battle, the first person to be killed is the one who looks the weakest. Who asked that Richard to look vulnerable?" Ternishou immediately responded, but he was actually explaining to Eliza.
Rodin had been lurking behind Omi and Mett. He was actually very disdainful of these 2 people in his heart. However, because he couldn't figure out the actual situation of "Richard", he let these 2 idiots take the lead to explore.
The wind leopard next to Chen Rui roared and took the lead to fight. Omi and Mett trembled at the same time, then they saw a black shadow pouncing on them like lightning. Being the first to bear the brunt of the attack, Omi quivered in fright and hurriedly retreated, hoping that his' ally 'Rodin could help him block the wind leopard. However, when he turned around, Rodin had already disappeared.
Seeing that the wind leopard was about to pounce on him, Omi couldn't care less. He immediately took out a speed scroll and activated it, doubling his speed. However, he didn't choose to fight the wind leopard, instead running towards Mett like the wind in an attempt to divert his attention.
Discovering Omi's intentions, Mett cursed inwardly. He was a magic cultivator, so his melee combat ability was almost non-existent. There was no way he could withstand the wind leopard's attacks, and if Omi succeeded, he would lose a layer of skin even if he didn't die.
In a moment of desperation, Mett threw a slowing spell at Omi, the wind leopard's' elegant 'figure immediately slowing down. Mett hurriedly took the opportunity to increase the distance between him and Omi. This way, the wind leopard was much closer to Omi.
"You bastard!" Omi had already cursed out loud. In a flurry, he threw out a bunch of scrolls, causing explosions everywhere. Finally, he temporarily blocked the wind leopard's attack.
Although Mett's magic power was limited, he still had a lot of scrolls. As he cursed at Omi, he also used magic scrolls to explode each other. Under Chen Rui's deliberate control, the wind leopard didn't take the opportunity to attack fiercely. Instead, it loosened its grip, making this farce even more exciting.
Below, the fat city master and Lord Lord did not expect such a scene to occur, and their expressions were somewhat ugly.
Solanton's voice sounded in time, full of sarcasm. "Speaking of fighting, I'm indeed not very good at it, but this is the first time I've seen such an exciting scroll battle, and it's even between two 'future' Knights of Light."
Miss Eliza wasn't in the mood to listen to this at all. She was watching the 'fierce battle' between Omi and Mett with relish. When she saw the 'climax', she couldn't help but hold her stomach and laugh.
In the audience seats, more gazes were focused on Chen Rui and Rodin. Compared to the two clowns, these two were the real protagonists.
Chen Rui and Rodin's battle was also a chase. Rodin had the upper hand. The broadsword in his hand was like a hurricane, chasing Chen Rui without letting go. Even though the arena's barrier was strong, the ground cracked from time to time due to the huge pressure.
Rodin's attacks were very ruthless, and his sword never left the vital parts. If Chen Rui only had the strength that he seemed to have, once he was hit, even if he didn't die, he would be crippled.
Chen Rui, who was in a passive position, kept retreating and dodging. He was in danger several times, and the young thunderbird on his shoulder didn't move at all, as if it was scared stiff.
Ternesius revealed a victorious smile. Although Rodin could not be compared to a genius like Paul, his aptitude and potential were among the best in the entire Yangshao Kingdom. In a few more years, even he, his teacher, would be overtaken. A mere Beast Tamer was naturally not worth mentioning.
Rodin shouted, and the broadsword in his hand burst out with a strong yellow light. The sharp energy broke through the air and slashed at Chen Rui, who hadn't stabilized his footing. Seeing that he couldn't avoid it, Chen Rui seemed to have an idea. He rolled on the ground and narrowly avoided the attack. A ten-meter-long crack appeared on the stone floor under this attack, and the young bird also flew up because of Chen Rui's roll.
Rodin was about to follow up with another attack, but he felt a bright light in front of him. The strong light made his eyes sting, and he couldn't open them for the time being. Flash?
Flash was the lowest level of light magic. It mainly emitted a dazzling light to block the enemy's line of sight. For a moment, the audience's line of sight was also blocked.
Suddenly, Rodin, who had his eyes closed, keenly felt a sense of danger. He immediately raised his sword to block.
"Bzzt bzzt …" This attack was actually a bolt of lightning. Rodin's body suddenly twitched. Although the power of the lightning was not fatal, it made him lose the ability to move for a moment.
Then, the feeling of danger rose again. What made Rodin's heart break was that this time it seemed to be a hundred times stronger than the last time!
In the dazzling light, Rodin's screams came. Tenisius's proud smile immediately froze on his face.
When the light dissipated, Rodin could be seen rolling on the ground, his hands covering his eyes as he screamed.
On the opposite side, Chen Rui had already climbed up, panting violently. The leather armor on his chest and abdomen was cut in half. It looked like if he had dodged a little later, his stomach would have been cut open. What was eye-catching was that the young Thunderbird had already appeared on Chen Rui's arm from his shoulder, and there was blood dripping from its sharp beak.
"Rodin!"
This scene stunned Tenisius. He couldn't believe his eyes. His genius disciple Rodin had actually lost!
This wasn't just a defeat in a competition for a substitute knight, it was also a defeat in another battle.
Solanton and Fatty were just as shocked. Richard, whom even they didn't think highly of, had miraculously defeated Rodin!
"Impossible! What despicable trick did you use!" Tenisius roared, throwing himself at Chen Rui without a care in the world.
Chen Rui seemed to be exhausted from the battle just now, unable to dodge. At that moment, Paul's figure suddenly appeared in front of Tenisius. Before anyone could see Paul's movements clearly, Tenisius's huge body was sent flying, smashing into a wall dozens of metres away. He fell to the ground, unable to get up for a moment. A large human-shaped crack was left on the wall, a testament to the power of that blow.
"You actually dare to ignore the rules of the duel!" Paul said coldly as he floated in the air. This blow was obviously meant to show off his strength.
Omi and Mett, who had just managed to slow down the Wind Leopard's pursuit, were shocked to see Rodin's defeat. That miserable state caused both of them to shiver. The two who had just been cursing and exploding at each other now looked at each other tacitly, and then they both did the same thing: jump off the stage.
Chen Rui shouted, and the Wind Leopard didn't rush off the stage to chase after Omi and Mett. Instead, it slowly approached Rodin, who was rolling and howling on the ground.
"Lord Paul." Chen Rui 'barely' recovered some of his strength, bowing to Paul, "I think there is no need to continue this battle. Although I am not someone who shows mercy to my enemies, Miss Eliza and your wife are here … It is best not to let the ladies see too much horror. "
The wording of "your wife" made Paul feel comfortable. He felt that this "animal tamer" was very pleasing to the eye. He immediately nodded and said, "The competition is over! Omi and Mett have admitted defeat, and Rodin has lost the ability to continue fighting. I hereby announce that the victor is Richard! "
Chen Rui bowed to the audience once more, hobbling off the stage. Solanton and Mana hurriedly went up to him, helping him to the side to rest. Solanton, in particular, could barely conceal the ecstasy in his heart.
This time, it was all thanks to Richard. Not only had he managed to turn the tables at the most crucial moment, he had also thwarted the conspiracy of Tenisius and the powers behind him! Of course, the flash scroll that Solanton had given him had played a key role as well. At least, that was what the priest himself thought.
"Just now, Richard used the flash scroll at the critical moment, commanding the thunderbird to use its lightning talent. While Rodin was paralyzed by the lightning, it blinded his eyes." Paul explained to everyone the process of Chen Rui's victory just now. Although the [Flash] also made Paul close his eyes, with his Saint power, he could clearly see everything that happened in the field even with his perception ability. At least Paul himself thought so.
In reality, the flash spell, lightning, and the thunderbird's attack were just a cover. Before the thunderbird could even get close to Rodin, a trace of Chen Rui's power had already destroyed Rodin's defences. In fact, if Rodin hadn't been so vicious, Chen Rui wouldn't have been so ruthless. In short, he had used Richard's method to achieve victory in front of everyone without any flaws.
According to Eliza's promise, Chen Rui was now a candidate radiant knight, one step closer to the plan.
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