When they reached the town of Xià Zuò, it was already the wee hours of the morning. The griffin knights had chosen to settle here as well. The sounds of griffins could occasionally be heard from one side of the town walls, while the displaced people outside the gates had already received shelter. The army had brought their marching tents, now setting up a temporary camp just outside the walls.

The group entered the town unobstructed, suggesting that someone had already informed the guards in advance.

Felix decided to stay at the town's large cathedral. Inside, he saw two holy priests whom he had met once before, kneeling devoutly in prayer before the crucifix.

It seemed that the death of Holiness Euripides didn't sadden them. Instead, the appearance of the guiding Holy Light had ignited their fervent faith!

To these zealous believers, dying and returning to heaven was the strongest motivation to fight valiantly for the glory of My Lord, undeterred by the fear of death.

The white-robed priest of the cathedral had prepared rooms for them and brought some holy bread and wine, blessed by the Holy Light. After finishing their prayers, the holy priests smiled politely at Felix and his companions, then retired to their rooms.

They were part of the Religious Tribunal, where the relationship between various arbitrators was often tense. The disputes between the Sacred Affairs Department and the Religious Tribunal had been ongoing for hundreds of years.

Although the Dark Judgment Division was just a newly proposed department within the Notre Dame Cathedral council, given the precedent set by other departments, it was understandable that these holy priests were wary and somewhat hostile towards Felix.

The middle-aged nun and her two knight attendants were staying next to Felix's room. All three were wounded and likely to spend the night healing their injuries through the manipulation of elemental forces.

Felix was relatively unscathed, thanks to his ogre battle servant who had absorbed most of the attacks. Aside from a slight discomfort in his chest due to an impact, he was fine.

The holy bread and wine did not trigger any elemental backlash in Felix. However, given his dark-aligned constitution, these items blessed with Holy Light did not aid in his healing. Nonetheless, they were sufficient to satiate his hunger.

After a whole day of intense battles and being famished, Felix had a hearty appetite. He finally felt a bit full after consuming the sixth piece of holy bread. Pouring himself a cup of wine in a silver chalice, he lay on the bed covered with soft down feathers, sipping the wine leisurely.

There were many hidden details in the events of the day. The timely arrival of the griffin knights, the subsequent reinforcements, and most importantly, the unexpected presence of Holiness Euripides and Princess Helen!

Felix was particularly surprised by Princess Helen's possession of the legendary "Heart of the Ocean." The fabled artifact was in her hands!

And then, there was that peculiar dark-red card, strikingly familiar to Felix, for he had seen a similar one in the hands of Lady Elizabeth. He believed that this dark-red card was something extraordinary, possibly even a divine artifact.

The thought of the "Heart of the Ocean" led Felix to ponder its legends. It was said that only virgins, pure and untouched, could wield the "Heart of the Ocean."

Thinking of this, Princess Helen's stunningly beautiful face came to Felix's mind, reminiscent of a mesmerizing mermaid, stirring his heart unexpectedly.

For some reason, Felix felt unusually energized instead of tired. He sensed a strange power coursing through his body, invigorating him.

Stolen novel; please report.

As Felix pondered the strange power within him, he couldn't help but recall the crystal shard that had dissolved in his hand. He raised his right hand and was astonished to find a light gray crystal shard growing out of his palm!

This shard was smaller and much paler than the one he had seen before, with a clear and slightly rounded luster. It felt soft to the touch, almost like a liquid not yet solidified, and blended seamlessly with his skin.

Had he not thought of it suddenly, Felix might not have noticed this new addition to his palm until the next day.

"Mutation?! Did the crystal fuse with my body?"

Felix's first instinct was to use his immense mental power to examine his body. Unfortunately, there was nothing unusual, no strange power seeping into his body as he had imagined.

Apart from a heightened spirit and the small gray crystal in his palm, everything seemed normal.

After pondering for a while without any clues, Felix decided to set it aside. The elemental forces within his body were already in disarray. He didn't believe that a small crystal in his palm could cause any significant trouble.

With this thought, Felix felt more at ease. Unable to sleep, he took out the "Old Testament of the Holy Bible" from the Blue Crystal and began to study this revered, age-old book.

Felix read until about four in the morning before feeling a hint of sleepiness. The "Old Testament" was profound, filled with many subtle annotations. He needed several other books to fully grasp its hidden meanings.

After about three hours of sleep, he was awakened by the noise outside.

Opening his eyes, it was already a quarter past seven in the morning. The cathedral was empty, even the middle-aged nun was nowhere to be seen. But the noise outside was growing louder. Something was happening.

Felix quickly donned his cloak and stepped out of the cathedral. He saw a guard in a state of panic and grabbed him, asking sternly, "What’s going on?"

The guard, recognizing Felix, bowed his head and said anxiously, "Honorable Priest! There’s a plague outbreak outside!!!"

A plague! Felix's brows furrowed deeply.

Had the seeds of the plague been brought here yesterday? This was not good news. If the plague was crafted by a cursed wizard, it would be manageable. But if it stemmed from the God of Pestilence, it would be far more troublesome.

There were two types of plagues: ordinary ones, usually resulting from the accumulation of corpses after a war, devoid of elemental power. The other was a man-made plague, containing the Power of Pestilence – a force so dreadful that even spellcasters and mighty knights couldn't fully resist it. Perhaps only legendary beings could counter this disease with their powerful elemental forces.

"Have the infected been quarantined? Are there any casualties?" Felix asked urgently without releasing the guard.

"The infected have been isolated to the eastern outskirts. Fourteen died last night, their bodies decaying. Many are now infected, feverish and developing boils. We don’t have enough doctors in town. The priests are all out treating them," the guard replied, looking nervously at Felix, deep in thought.

People were already dying?

Felix's expression grew solemn. He let go of the guard and hurried towards the eastern outskirts.

A widespread plague was a catastrophic disaster for the entire continent, far worse than a flood. If the spread couldn't be contained, it could lead to the death of more than half the continent's population!

Historically, instances of cities being decimated due to plague outbreaks were not uncommon. There was even a small duchy in the past that was completely erased from history by other nations because of a terrible plague.

Cultivating a new plague was not a simple task. So far, the Church had methods to purify and cure all known plagues. As long as it wasn’t emanating directly from the God of Pestilence, and everything hadn’t spread too far, there was still hope for a cure.

Stepping out of the town, Felix immediately sensed the grave atmosphere. Soldiers patrolled on both sides of the city gate, each emitting an aura of bloodshed – the unmistakable mark of those who had taken lives.

Had the imperial capital urgently dispatched troops here?

Observing the guards with a heavy aura of killing intent, Felix surmised that must be the case.

A few steps forward, Felix was drawn by a wail. Two guards were carrying a woman out of the town, while a little girl clung to the woman’s legs, crying desperately, refusing to let the guards take her away.

“What’s going on?”

Felix approached with a furrowed brow and asked in a stern voice.

“Priest, she’s nearly gone. The general ordered that those beyond saving be cremated,” one of the soldiers saluted Felix and explained.

Felix moved closer to the woman. The stench of decay hit him immediately; her body was covered in rot, her complexion was ashen, and her breathing was faint.

Seeing the little girl crying and refusing to let go, Felix's heart softened. He placed his hand on the woman's chest, closed his eyes, and began to mobilize his elemental sensing powers.

The moment his right hand touched the dying woman, Felix felt something amiss. He sensed a deep gray, very unusual elemental force moving through the crystal in his palm, slowly entering his body...

Simultaneously, the woman, who had been on the brink of death, miraculously opened her eyes. A blush of life unexpectedly appeared on her gray face!