Demon Bible

Chapter 176: The Power of Locking

'Misguiding the enemy to dictate their perception in the very first instant?' Nemus frowned as he observed the battle.

'A bit rudimentary.' Even without a Saint's Bloodline, Nemus could perfectly achieve this effect by guiding them with a certain degree of Sword Art and Mental Power.

This was highly likely just a superficial manifestation of the Saint's Bloodline, rather than the true ability of the opponent's Holy Blood.

However, Nemus already had a slight inkling about the specific body part represented by the opponent's Saint's Essence.

Take the Dartmenerly Family, for example. Their Saint's Essence resided in their bones. Even some of the family's inherited holy artifacts were derived from the bones left behind by their ancestors.

By leveraging those bones, they could activate their Secret Family Technique.

And right now, there was a high probability that the Nidon Family's Saint's Essence resided in the hands.

Arlo swung his blade at a slant, hacking straight toward Nidon's head.

Nidon furrowed his brow, sensing that this man's bladework was equally something that could not be underestimated.

The Skill of these two was absolutely beyond what ordinary people could match.With such profound technique, there was absolutely no need for them to do dirty work.

If these two had come to the Nidon household and displayed this level of technique, Nidon would have been willing to pay a premium to hire them as the family's Sword Art instructors.

'Could they really be here for that matter?' the Nidon Family Head's eye twitched uncontrollably.

The Sword in his hand rapidly shifted, and with a single strike, he deflected Arlo's Blade Edge, only to realize he had failed to force the man completely back.

Over the years, his Attribute Value had dropped from its original seventy to just over twenty. Compounded with a decline in his Skill, he could no longer completely overwhelm Arlo.

Taking a slight step back, he dodged a bite from a Feather Sky Serpent. With a wave of his hand, he swatted away the approaching creature while simultaneously adjusting his breathing.

Meanwhile, under Opper's observation, something seemed off about Nidon's breathing.

In that fleeting moment, the man's breath became somewhat erratic.

"His old injury has flared up! Don't stop!" Opper declared as he continued to cast his Spells.

All of his Mental Power surged at this exact moment, rapidly radiating outward.

The Mental Power of an Iron Rank was displayed without reservation.

Naturally, Opper had not remained stagnant over the past six months.

Relying on Whale Products, he had successfully completed his Advancement, becoming an Iron Rank.

However, as a Warlock, the boost from his Advancement was not actually as massive as one might imagine.

A Warlock's improvement was concentrated entirely on their Spells.

They needed to continuously research and master higher-tier Spells before their Strength could experience a true qualitative leap.

Fortunately, the increase in his Warlock rank still offered some advantages for someone specializing in the Summoning System.

Namely, certain powerful otherworldly creatures that previously ignored him would now answer his call.

Summoning System Spell: King of the Feather Sky Serpents!

In midair, a massive, dark shadow emerged.

This entity looked like a long, sweeping stroke drawn with charcoal on a blank canvas.

Its exact appearance was indistinct, yet it exuded a terrifying, oppressive presence.

Unlike ordinary Feather Sky Serpents, the King of the Feather Sky Serpents was not invisible. Instead, it took on this jet-black form.

As it writhed in the air, it gave off the jarring sensation of a black stain suddenly splattered across a pristine white surface.

And this creature was an Anomaly at the Iron Rank.

The moment it appeared, it drew Nidon's complete attention.

Opper gasped for breath, dropping to a half-crouch as he endured the agonizing mental strain.

Even though he had advanced to the Iron Rank, summoning a creature of the same tier was still far too taxing.

But it was worth it.

The manifested King of the Feather Sky Serpents possessed a pair of eyes hidden beneath its pitch-black exterior, radiating an overwhelming Greed. The primary reason it had answered the summons was that it sensed the aroma of an exquisite feast waiting here.

A blur of black flashed by, and then a speck of darkness rapidly spread out, like ink bleeding through paper.

In the blink of an eye, it threatened to completely engulf Nidon.

"Get back!" Right at the moment he was about to be devoured, Nidon swung the Sword in his hand.

It was in this exact instant that Nemus observed the execution of the Saint's Essence.

The King of the Feather Sky Serpents, a creature that should not have been easily dealt with, instantly began to fade. Emitting an unwilling roar, it vanished from the spot.

At this moment, the secret of the Nidon Family's Holy Blood had been thoroughly analyzed by Nemus.

'The power of locking,' Nemus mused. Any given event possessed multiple possible developments, both good and bad.

The Nidon Family's Saint ability allowed them to lock onto a specific outcome when an event was about to occur, thereby fixing reality onto a predetermined future.

In essence, it was the power to dictate the future through absolute locking.

Opper's summoning of the King of the Feather Sky Serpents was already inherently unstable.

There was a certain probability that the summoning connection would falter, causing the creature to be forcibly yanked back to its original plane.

Nidon's sword strike had instantaneously locked onto that minuscule probability, forcing it to become reality.

And the Sword Art Nidon previously used to create an illusion for the Dual Swordsman was merely a superficial application of this same ability.

'By locking onto the opponent's mind and applying minor interference at the exact moment their mental state fluctuates, he can immediately force them into making the wrong decision.'

'With this, the general power of the Nidon Family can now be confirmed.'

He had to admit, the bloodlines of these Saint Families were all extremely heaven-defying.

The Dartmenerly Family's Saint's Essence lay in their bones, manifesting as the Saint Road, granting them a certain degree of Concept System interference regarding obstacles.

The Nidon Family's Saint's Essence lay in their hands, manifesting as a holy decision, granting them the ability to lock onto future possibilities.

And from this alone, the extraordinary nature of a Saint could easily be seen.

'Perhaps what makes them powerful isn't the Saint themselves, but rather Divine Power.'

The key to becoming a Saint depended on whether the individual themselves possessed the qualifications, but the core of a Saint's formidable might stemmed from Divine Power.

Divine Power was an omnipotent force, an energy extracted and refined from the Power of Faith—the collective prayers of all living beings.

Unfortunately, Nemus possessed too little of his Divinity; it completely lacked the function to generate Divine Power.

Otherwise, Nemus's Strength could have experienced an ultimate leap.

Right now, these Saint Families had merely acquired a fraction of the Saint's Essence from their Holy Blood, yet they wielded abilities belonging to the Concept System, Causality System, and Fate systems.

It had to be said, the concentration of power in this world might be far more terrifying than imagined.

And following that sword strike, Nidon's defeat was essentially sealed.

His Holy Blood was not considered dense. That meager amount of Saint's Essence could not sustain repeated uses of such a unique ability.

Furthermore, Opper's judgment had been pinpoint accurate. Nidon's old injury had indeed flared up, and executing that strike had only exacerbated the physical toll on his body.

Under the relentless combined assault of Arlo and the Dual Swordsman, compounded by the constant harassment from the ordinary Feather Sky Serpents on the sidelines, Nidon's loss was set in stone.

However, the true factor that broke him came from the other side.

The slightly bruised and battered Desperado Duo, along with the Halfling Brothers, appeared while forcefully dragging Leydo along.

Relieving a fraction of his immense mental pressure, Opper finally spoke. "Since we came here today, it naturally means we have a certain understanding of that matter."

"We sought you out today purely to obtain a definitive answer."

"Once we get that answer, we will immediately release Leydo and leave."

"Tell us if Rhine is a product of the Saint Child Project."