Sacrifice's Rise: I Became Invincible After Entering Godslayer Temple

With Duke Arsena now convinced by John and Aike, they shared their complete plan with him.

After listening patiently, the Duke's expression turned somewhat hesitant.

"I certainly recognize the strength of you two. The Mysterious Sage indeed represents one of the greatest threats we currently face. But can we truly eliminate the Mysterious Sage?"

Even with the legendary warrior Aike's assistance, Duke Arsena felt their combined forces might still fall short against the successfully revived Mysterious Sage.

Before its revival, the Sage, through merely its projection, had managed to repel an attack from the Sea God.

If not for John's desperate battle, the Mysterious Sage could have inflicted severe damage on the entire Order Faction at that time.

The strength of the Mysterious Sage after its revival far exceeds that of its projection.

Duke Arsena also had informants in the Dark Realm, providing intelligence that the Mysterious Sage had already defeated several Devils.

The Devils of the Dark Realm couldn't even match the Mysterious Sage in combat.

In Duke Arsena's view, the Order Faction should be focusing on accumulating strength, especially since opportunities for the Dark Faction and the Mysterious Faction to be at odds with each other were rare and valuable.

John, sensing Duke Arsena's reservations, addressed him directly.

"I understand your wish to use this time to strengthen our defenses. However, if the Mysterious Sage successfully leaves the Dark Realm, he will be able to harness the power of the Mysterious Abyss. I'm not fully aware of how potent the power of the Mysterious Abyss is, only the legendary warrior Aike knows the true extent of its strength."

Since John had mentioned the Mysterious Abyss, the legendary warrior Aike began to elaborate on its formidable power.

"The source of the Mysterious Sage's power lies in the Mysterious Abyss. With the aid of the Mysterious Abyss, the Mysterious Sage could elevate himself above all the gods of the Order Faction. If the Mysterious Sage successfully leaves the Dark Realm for the Mysterious Abyss, we will have no means to stop him. He will acquire the power to utterly destroy the entire Order Faction. By then, any action we take will be futile. We must prevent this from happening in advance. With my assistance, the two of you can venture into the Dark Realm and, together, we can eliminate the Mysterious Sage."

The legendary warrior Aike paused after explaining this.

As a legendary warrior from the ancient era, Aike was well aware that a warrior who couldn't make a firm decision would never be able to unleash their full potential.

Duke Arsena's continued hesitation indicated to Aike that even if the Duke were to agree to their plan reluctantly, he wouldn't be able to contribute much strength.

Considering this, Aike decided not to waste more time and said to John, "I think we should stop wasting time. It seems he has no intention of acting with us."

Aike was ready to leave, as eliminating the Mysterious Sage had always been his mission, and he didn't want anything to waste his time.

John wanted to persuade Aike to stay, but he knew he needed Duke Arsena's agreement for their plan to proceed.

"Your Grace, you seem very different from before. May I ask why this is? Weren't you always eager to eliminate the enemies of Storm City? Now that the legendary warrior Aike has provided a plan with a high chance of success, you can't afford any hesitation. Missing out on this plan might be something you'll regret for a long time."

John's words ultimately moved Duke Arsena.

The Duke decided to join John and Aike in their action.

"You're right; I can't afford to miss any opportunity. Missing this could indeed lead to long-term regret. I will join you in your action!"

With Duke Arsena's agreement, Aike and John could now plan their steps against the Mysterious Sage.

Despite the confidence both John and Aike had, they were aware that defeating a deity like the Mysterious Sage would be a monumental challenge.

As John and Aike were persuading Arsena to take action, in the Dark Realm, the Mysterious Sage seemed to sense a looming threat.

Being a deity, the Mysterious Sage naturally possessed a strong sense of danger, although this was somewhat diminished in the Dark Realm.

Nevertheless, he could sense the threat posed by the legendary warrior Aike, having confronted him directly in the ancient era.

"It seems the legendary warrior Aike has broken free from his seal. I must prepare accordingly."

The Mysterious Sage gazed at the sky of the Dark Realm, murmuring to himself.

Then, he spread his hand open, and an ethereal orb appeared above his palm.

The scenery of Sunset Mountain was displayed upon this phantom orb.

As the Mysterious Sage continuously enhanced the mysterious power within the ethereal orb, the scene projected on the orb became increasingly clear.

Eventually, it displayed Darklord's fortress on Sunset Mountain.

This was how the Mysterious Sage established direct contact with Darklord, who was quite surprised to be proactively contacted by the Sage.

"Great Sage! Is there something you need me to do?"

Darklord's tone was exceedingly humble, and his voice even trembled slightly.

After the series of events that had transpired, Darklord harbored a profound fear of the Mysterious Sage.

He was well aware that defying the Sage's will could lead to his annihilation, even in the real world.

"You must stop John's actions! Your previous plans have failed multiple times already! I have given you many opportunities, yet you have seized none. This is your last chance. If you fail again, I will erase your existence completely."

After delivering this ultimatum, the Mysterious Sage severed the connection.

Darklord wanted to say more, but he knew that no words could alter the situation now.

Darklord was in a dilemma, as he was clueless about the specifics of John's plan, and the Mysterious Sage hadn't provided any details about it either.

"How am I supposed to stop John when I don't even know his plan?!"

While Darklord was fraught with anxiety, he knew he couldn't afford to waste any more time.

He decided to activate his spy within the Genesis Guild. Darklord was well aware that the guild leader of Genesis Guild, Adam, was an ally of John.

It was likely that Adam would be privy to John's plan and would take actions to support it.

Darklord didn't sit idly by; he chose to seek out the Mystery Protector, feeling the need to collaborate with them once again.

He was confident that the Mystery Protector, who also wished to eliminate John, would be persuaded to follow his advice.

In addition to instructing Darklord to stop John, the Mysterious Sage had other contingency plans.

He dispatched the Mystery Vanguard, which used a portal from the Dark Realm to appear near the Naga tribe's territory.

Under normal circumstances, the Mystery Vanguard would have launched an attack on the Naga tribe, considering them enemies of the Mysterious Faction.

The Vanguard, being creatures of limited intellect, wouldn't typically weigh their actions carefully.

However, following the Mysterious Sage's revival, all creatures of the Mysterious Faction were under his direct control, obediently following his commands.

The Mysterious Sage ordered the Mystery Vanguard to temporarily hide near the entrance of the Naga tribe's territory and wait for the opportune moment to launch an attack.

The Mysterious Sage was well-acquainted with the Naga tribe and knew of their cooperative relationship with John.

By targeting the Naga tribe, John might be compelled to rush to their aid.

After implementing these preparations, the Mysterious Sage's condition had almost fully recovered.

Although he had emerged victorious in his previous battles with the Devils, these confrontations had weakened him.

The Mysterious Sage hadn't managed to eliminate all the Devils.

Those Devils still in hiding were contemplating plans against the Mysterious Sage.

Before John and the others could confront him, the Mysterious Sage had to eliminate all remaining Devils that posed a threat to his safety.