Chapter 982 - 833: Oracle Plane (2)
On the Four Gods Sect’s side, there were mostly mixed teams of priests and guards stationed by the districts at the borders, occasionally accompanied by one or two Magic Masters for pressure.
The scale of the skirmishes was not large, ranging from as few as three to five people to a maximum of a dozen or so, and after the fight, each side withdrew, keeping the number of casualties in single digits.
However, when Duke flipped through the report compiled by Robert, he noticed two trends: First, the frequency of conflicts was rising each year, from initially one or two times a month to seven or eight times recently; Second, the Four Gods Sect was gradually increasing the level of personnel involved, from ordinary priests to mages, and even Magic Masters appearing recently.
Neither party had formally declared war, as neither wished to be the first to tear open the breach.
But on the borderline outside Stone Hammer City, the swords drawn by the patrol knights were increasingly difficult to return to their sheaths.
This was also inevitable; the Light Sect’s desire to expand its influence would inevitably lead to conflicts with the people of the Four Gods Sect.
After a while, Lady Dali, having received Duke’s message, hurried over.
When Dali pushed the door open and entered, Duke was standing by the arch window, looking at the street scene inside the city.
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a long shadow over him on the floor in front of the desk.
Dali was dressed in a plain white robe with the hem embroidered with pale gold sun patterns, wearing a Saintess Crown, her face still showing a cold and dignified expression, but there was a hint of unrest hidden in her eyes.
She paused slightly at the doorway, then stepped forward to the desk, placed one hand on her chest, and bowed deeply to Duke: "Lord Duke, long time no see."
Duke turned around, nodded at her, and gestured for her to sit next to Robert.
Before sitting down, Dali exchanged a glance with Robert, who shook his head slightly, indicating that he was also unaware of what Duke wanted to say.
Duke walked back to the desk, not sitting down, but instead leaning both hands on the table, his gaze sweeping across the two before him.
They were his most core followers in the Oracle Plane, one managing the daily operations of the Light Sect, and the other controlling the power of the Star Embers Guild.
"Call Bishop Ambrose and Knight Henry together," Duke said, "I have something to announce."
Robert immediately stood up and left.
A moment later, two sets of footsteps sounded outside the door.
Bishop Ambrose walked in front, the elderly man wearing a slightly faded gray robe, holding a wooden staff, his full head of white hair combed neatly, his face gaunt, and his steps slow but steady.
Trailing behind him, Knight Henry was dressed in silver-white light armor, a longsword at his waist, his short brown hair tousled by the helmet, and a face still flushed from just returning from the training field.
After entering, they paid their respects to Duke one by one and then each sat in an empty chair.
The Bishop sat next to Dali, while Knight Henry sat across from Robert.
Their expressions varied, Robert calm with a hint of anticipation, Dali’s cold face devoid of much emotion, Bishop Ambrose’s hands crossing over the wooden staff, his gaze under his grizzled eyebrows serene yet cautious, and Knight Henry sitting upright, not concealing his eagerness.
Duke didn’t sit down. He stood at the desk, his gaze once again sweeping over their faces one by one before speaking, his tone as steady as if stating something already determined: "I have come back this time to let you know. The Light Sect shall become the most powerful sect in the Oracle Plane, and from now on, the Four Gods Sect can only be subordinate."
The room fell silent for a moment, Dali’s eyes widened slightly, her lips moved as if wanting to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.
Bishop Ambrose’s grip on the wooden staff tightened suddenly, his knuckles white, and his old face creased deeper.
He opened his mouth and exchanged a glance with Henry.
Henry’s eagerness froze, replaced by an evident confusion.
It’s not that he didn’t want to fight; it’s that this goal exceeded his perception range.
The Light Sect in his grandfather’s generation was already a declining sect squeezed space for survival by the Four Gods Sect, having Stone Hammer City as its territory was already the best situation in recent times, suddenly saying the Four Gods Sect would bow down, such words from another might make Henry think they were insane.
Bishop Ambrose spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and deep: "Child of Light, forgive me for saying something unpleasant. Our Light Sect has been able to establish itself in Stone Hammer City by shrinking defenses and avoiding the edge of conflict. The Four Gods Sect has not attacked in force not due to kindness, but because their Magic Masters are aging, their life spans short, reluctant to act lightly.
But if we provoke them, bringing war to their doorstep, even those old monsters won’t sit idle despite their love for life, and we..." he looked up, a hint of helplessness in his murky old eyes, "we have no Great Magisters, we are not strong enough, making the Four Gods Sect submit is impossible."
Duke looked at Bishop Ambrose’s eyes filled with worry, not explaining his strength.
He simply shook his head slightly and then turned to Dali: "Dali, draft an invitation for me, send it to the Four Gods Sect. Invite the Great Magisters from various sects to Stone Hammer City to discuss matters concerning the future of the sects."
The words caused the people present to look at each other, even Dali, who had remained silent, couldn’t help but frown slightly.
Bishop Ambrose opened his mouth, wanting to persuade further, but Duke raised his hand to interrupt, his tone flat yet undeniable: "Trust me, Bishop, just do as I say."
The invitation was sent out the same day through the Four Gods Sect’s intelligence channels in Stone Hammer City.
With courteous wording, Child of Light Duke of the Light Sect sincerely invited the Great Magisters of the Four Gods Sect to Stone Hammer City for a discussion on the future religious landscape of the Oracle Plane.
The invitation was stamped with the sun pattern seal of the Light Sect, as red as blood.
Then came the waiting.
Within days, the responses from the Four Gods Sect were transmitted back to Stone Hammer City through various channels.
The Water Sect’s reply was most tactful, with impeccable wording, stating "Thanks to Child of Light’s gracious invitation, due to recent busy internal affairs, unable to visit at this time, will surely visit another day," a typical evasion in essence.
The Earth Sect and Water Sect’s replies were similar, saying either the Great Magisters were too ill to travel or urgent matters needed handling within the district, none willing to come.
And the reply from the Fire Sect was the last to arrive.
It was an evening when the sky over Stone Hammer City had just taken on a thin layer of gold-red hue, Dali walked briskly into Duke’s room holding an unopened letter.
The seal was marked with the flame-shaped dark red wax with the judgment emblem of the Rising Sun District on it.
Duke took the letter, tore open the seal, extracted the paper, unfolded it.
The script on the paper was rugged and sloppy, the ink was dark red, seemingly made from some mineral powder ground into paint.
The letter was short, only a few lines, but each word was forceful.
"Child of Light Duke!" Duke read it aloud in a calm voice like reading a shopping list, "you are just a mere buffoon, occupying a small city in Stone Hammer and considering oneself grand, daring to invite us Great Magisters under the name of the sects’ future, truly unaware of heaven’s vastness.
The survival of the Light Sect till now is merely due to the mercy of the Four Gods Sect for not utterly exterminating you...!"
The letter’s end was accompanied by threats and curses, clearly irked by the Light Sect for a long time.
Duke folded the paper back up, placed it on the desk, and then raised his head, looking at the four people in front of him, and chuckled.
"Very well, let’s start with the Fire Sect, we’ll cut them down first."
This was merely a gesture before force, Duke did not expect the Four Gods Sect to heed him; he had already anticipated no one would accept the invitation to come and discuss.