Who Designed This Underworld Dungeon?-Chapter 1256 - 803: Sorry, My Hand Slipped

"It seems there’s a problem with the spiritual power expenditure of the Holy Light Underground City."

While the Holy Light Festival was being held, in the City Lord’s room at Sain Dungeon.

Gong Qiying murmured to himself while reading the latest letter sent by Red Teeth.

Over there, Red Teeth had been constantly monitoring several Dungeon Lords suspected of colluding with the Demon Clan, especially after Flame Fire suggested focusing on spiritual power expenditure, the monitoring had placed extra emphasis on this aspect.

Just like how embezzled money almost never remains unspent forever, spiritual power obtained from the Demon Clan cannot go unused forever. For the City Lord, these are akin to "dirty money" and will always show traces.

Now, in the letter sent by Red Teeth, it was mentioned that there was something wrong with the expenditure of the Holy Light Underground City, and it was an issue that defied explanation.

Some time ago, the Holy Light Underground City, which was operating as usual, suddenly increased the rewards in the dungeon without warning and for no reason, resulting in adventurers earning a fortune and being extremely grateful. The influx of adventurers continued to surge, and even afterwards, the flow of people didn’t decrease much.

Later, however, it unreasonably reduced the increased rewards, bringing their level back to the original normal line.

After some time, adventurers even encountered situations where their rewards were being deducted, causing those who were initially attracted to notice something amiss, and many chose to leave.

If the initial surge in rewards was to attract more people, the subsequent return to normal levels could be seen as a marketing strategy. But what about the later deductions?

Trying to claw back the rewards previously given? With such a high influx, it should have already turned a profit and then some. Followers aren’t that shallow or foolish; this operation is baffling.

Could they really have blundered this time?

Furthermore, news from other Dungeon Lords mentioned that when they had a dungeon battle spar with a follower, their opponent hesitated excessively over selecting elite monsters, obsessed with minimizing spiritual power costs, nearly losing to other Lords due to over-control.

Yet, after attracting this wave of people and presumably increasing spiritual power reserves, the Holy Light Underground City did not invest any spiritual power in the dungeon construction anywhere, nor did it reveal signs of expansion.

Some veteran adventurers even discovered a stealthy adjustment in the number of elite monsters and certain resource points; they came and went as if they were reduced.

What exactly is the Holy Light Underground City up to? Where has the spiritual power it earned gone?

If it wasn’t used for the construction of the Holy Light Underground City...

Could it be applied to other dungeons?

"Though these may not be solid proof, they are still worth investigating for the truth."

After reviewing the suspicions listed in the letter, Gong Qiying was determined to confront the Holy Light Underground City.

He was originally the hoarding type of City Lord, not lacking in spiritual power, but felt a sense of happiness seeing the stored spiritual power amount increase.

However, recently the spiritual power sent by the Holy Light Church was overwhelming, making his hands itch to spend it somewhere.

Using part of it in a battle with the Holy Light Underground City wouldn’t constitute wasteful spending, but rather, a valid reason.

Which leaves just one question: when to start the fight?

[Holy Light Underground City has sent you a dungeon duel invitation]

Just then, fortuitously, a barrage of invitations from the Holy Light Underground City appeared like virus pop-ups.

"Well then, there’s no time like the present."

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The Holy Light Festival, a major holiday for Holy Light believers.

It’s the kind of important festival that, if not properly held, would result in angry crowds stoning the hosts to death.

Already significant on its own, this year it required boosting morale due to the war, so the Church gave considerable focus to this celebration, even bringing back the old tradition of holding it in the dungeon.

As a result, other areas naturally had to keep up.

Like now, the entire capital’s elites were present in full, the atmosphere was harmonious, and there was life and vitality everywhere.

Seeing this scene, even soldiers who had suffered severe war injuries would proudly stick out their chests and declare, "Praise the Holy Light."

Atop the high platform constructed within the Holy Light Baptism Hall, the bishop chosen by the Church, the one with the highest reputation among the public, generously displayed his oratory prowess.

His fitting and thematic speech gradually heated up the atmosphere on-site.

Some might expect such an event to have a more solemn atmosphere, but actually, it’s times like these that need to be lively!

Far away in Hepa Town, Kaius watched the live-streamed footage pieced together on the large screen, feeling rather indifferent.

He merely felt that having to come out in the dead of winter to accompany soldiers to watch the live stream was somewhat unjustly endured.

However, the soldiers around him watched with enthusiasm, repeatedly echoing the bishop’s remarks, even though their voices couldn’t possibly reach the Holy Light Underground City across the screen.