As the agonized voice echoed through the mountain range, a group of subordinates gathered outside the underground relics abruptly lifted their heads.
In all their eyes, there simultaneously appeared a look of disbelief.
That voice... was it Princess Ivyst?!
A ludicrous thought suddenly emerged in everyone's mind.
In their belief, Princess Ivyst had always been a powerful and fearsome being.
Authoritatively majestic, with a gaze sharp as a knife, she easily suppressed even the extreme cult uprisings that proved very troublesome to them.
Even Fifth Rank Legendary Transcendents couldn't last a few rounds in her hands.
To them, she was the invincible embodiment.
But only those like Aphia, who were always by her side, knew what price had to be paid for such extraordinary power.
After each Devouring of a Sealed Object, Princess Ivyst would wake up even more terrifying.
At times, even her personality became more radical and irritable.
This made people from the outside world fill with disgust and fear towards her.
Only a few close to her would occasionally entertain the thought, "The Princess is so pitiful."
Therefore, at this moment, when Ivyst's voice resonated through the valley, the subordinates from Augusta Manor instantly decided to follow her command.
If a Sixth Rank Demigod couldn't handle the crisis, what was the use of them staying?
Only Aphia, upon hearing the suppressed voice filled with chaos and pain, instantaneously shifted into her cat form, leaping forward wanting to jump into the underground relics.
In the next second, dark shadows transformed into silken threads that trapped her hind legs, binding her in place.
"Don't be impulsive!"
Morris's brow furrowed tightly as he loudly called out, as if sensing something.
"But the Princess..."
Aphia wanted to say something else.
However, in the next second, along with a chilling breath of despair that came through, damp and muddy darkness surged forth like a geyser, gushing out instantly!
The endless black mire, feeling the presence of so much life, seemed to develop an emotion similar to joy.
Sensing the existence of Duke Tierus and the thousands of soldiers behind him, it rushed over in a frantic competition!
"Everyone, get into defensive formation!!!"
Although Duke Tierus's face was stricken with shock, he was the first to issue an order.
Among the soldiers behind him, those responsible for the defense matrix activated their powers instantly, triggering the barrier effect of the Sealed Object.
At the same time, Duke Tierus's body emanated faint, purple extraordinary power that transformed into a fierce, invisible gravity, wanting to flatten these disgusting black masses to the ground.
They were intangible, like liquid, and like air that flowed freely.
Powerful physical attacks could not inflict any damage on the black mire.
The black mud surged ferociously, rising up in huge waves, then in the horrified eyes of countless people, it instantly broke through the fragile defenses of the Sealed Object and, like a flood, swept into the crowd, scattering the once orderly formations into disarray!
Aphia looked on in terror at the scene unfolding before her, instinctively leaping to higher ground to avoid the surrounding black mire.
In the next second, the ordinary soldiers who had been smeared with the black mud let out hysterical screams!
A soldier's stomach suddenly swelled rapidly and, to the horror of all onlookers, it burst open!
But instead of guts and blood, what flew out were glistening gold coins embossed with the portrait of Saint Laurent VI!
The black mud had read the soldier's desire to get rich and satisfied it in the most twisted way.
"Save me!!! Save me!!!"
Another soldier called out for help.
His arms and chest visibly inflated at a rapid pace as if his muscles had instantly multiplied countless times, with thick veins pulsating violently, fierce and tense!
However, his lower limbs still maintained their original position and, having lost balance, he instantly toppled to the ground.
But the growth of the muscles in his upper body did not slow down.
Finally, the muscles could no longer withstand the force and burst, splattering blood and flesh!
The black mud had also read his wish to become stronger and fulfilled it in the most distorted way as well.
It was not just these two.
At this very moment, sanity-draining scenes continued to unfold throughout the valley.
One person tore open his own stomach, cradling a bizarre-looking black baby from within; another suddenly grew wings on his back, but uncontrollably soared high, crashing to death against the hard mountain wall; some even melted into a puddle of bloody muck from which slimy, sticky maggots squirmed out...
Morris, who was hiding in the shadows, watched the scene unfold before him as cold sweat instantly streamed down his forehead.
He and Aphia exchanged glances, both reading a hint of despair in the other's eyes.
This was not a Level 2 Sealed Object, but...
"Level 0!!!" Duke Tierus suddenly shouted fiercely, "Damn it, Calderon, you even deceived me!!!"
Watching his elite troops rapidly decrease in number, his heart bled.
Could it be that the elector system's long-standing malpractices had allowed local powers to grow too strong, and as Emperor, he had finally become restless to reclaim authority, thus staging a farce of borrowing a knife to kill?
At that moment, rage from feeling betrayed surged in his heart.
As a Fifth Rank Legendary Transcendent, he could barely survive the rampage of a Level 0 Sealing Object.
But the soldiers around him might not.
These were his trusted aides, the elite of the elite, yet they were utterly unable to resist the powerful effects of a Level 0 Sealed Object.
At this moment, similar thoughts flashed through everyone's minds.
"Let's follow what the Princess said... run."
After a long struggle of agonizing expression, Morris clenched his teeth and said.
As a Third Rank Transcendent, he might be considered strong in the secular world, but in a dire situation where even the Princess struggled to cope, all they could do was not make meaningless sacrifices.
Aphia looked at him angrily, unable to speak.
However, it was clear that his suggestion had everyone's approval.
Ivyst's subordinates who were present today to undertake the mission were essentially all Transcendents.
So upon receiving agreement, they sprang into action instantly.
But moments later, a series of harrowing screams emanated from the base of the distant mountain.
"Heavenly Principle Church! How dare you..."
"Why must you kill? We aren't Polluters!!!"
"Damn it, do you want us all to perish in these mountains?!"
With several screams echoing, another chilling voice resounded across the mountain range, lingering in everyone's ears.
"Although I am sorry, this is an order."
"Please, within these Soron Mountain Range, defend the honor of the Empire and resist to the death!"
That voice, along with the powerful barrier that materialized above the mountain range, extinguished the last glimmer of hope in everyone's hearts.
They dodged the pursuit of the black muck while crying out in despair.
They had thought this was just a regular and ordinary mission.
A single wrong choice had plunged everyone into an inescapable doom.
This was the thought looming in the minds of those still alive.
Morris collapsed to the ground, eyes filled with dense despair.
Ahead was the rampage of a Level 0 Sealed Object, and behind them, their supposed allies had blocked their escape route.
A similar thought emerged in Aphia's mind.
Looking at the towering black waves and the endless writhing mud behind, she stared blankly upward, her body seeming to lose the ability to move.
For some reason, at this very moment, Aphia felt a bizarre emotion rise within her.
She had thought that since that winter when the Princess had held her dying form in her arms, she had been prepared to die for her.
But now, when truly faced with this desperate situation, she felt somewhat reluctant.
Am I also going to die?
Her ears twitched slightly as she slowly returned to human form.
Looking at her bare white feet, Aphia suddenly didn't know what to do.
However, the sweep and spread of the black muck wouldn't slow down because of the varied thoughts in people's minds.
The shadow of death and despair enveloped the valley.
The soaring black waves would completely flood the mountain range in another half a second, and those present would die in the most twisted and horrifying manner.
This was supposed to be a scene anchored in the river of time, unchangeable.
But for some unknown reason.
It was as if Fate's hand, pushed by some anomaly, gently flicked the thread that bound their doomed destiny.
The sudden appearance of a young figure, like a wild beast crushing the ground, turned into an arrow released from its bow and instantly entered the entrance to the underground relics, disappearing from everyone's sight.
The strong currents and whirlwinds instantly blew away the black mud that shrouded the valley.
The entire process was as smooth and unhindered as a heated dinner knife slicing through butter.
After that imposing figure passed, the terrifying black muck that had previously rampaged without restraint, as if suppressed by some aura and soul from its ranks, solidified in place, losing its aggressive intent.
Moments later... dispersed in all directions like a tide!
What... what happened?!
Aphia stood there dumbfounded.
A feeling she had never experienced coursed through her body, causing her limbs to go weak.
For some reason, that figure felt unprecedentedly familiar to her.
Absurd emotions surged, causing Aphia to shake her head subconsciously.
The joy of escaping from a desperate situation blossomed deep within the hearts of all.
"Who... who was that figure just now?!"
Someone sobbed as they hugged their shoulders and exclaimed with emotion.
Alas, their movement speed was so astonishingly fast, and their power seemingly so immense, that no one could make out their appearance.
"Lynn!!! That guy is Lynn!!!"
Suddenly, someone raised their arm, shouting that name as though proclaiming a chant.
In the crowd, Glaya shouted excitedly.
"Although I don't know what he can do... at least we are saved!!!"
A white-haired Witch, as cold as always, sat alone beside the stairs under the Sealing of the Order Chains, reading the book in her hands.
"Chronicles of Xino."
If it were him, he should be able to see the hints contained therein, right?
Her gaze remained fixed on the text, but her mind was elsewhere.
According to the original trajectory of fate and the hints she had previously given, Lynn Bartleion should have already been on his return train to the Imperial Capital by now.
She wondered what the next meeting would be like.
The Doomsday Witch closed the book expressionlessly, pondering silently.
In a corner that she paid no attention to.
For some reason, faint cracks appeared on the surface of the Order Chains that hung from the giant statue's palm.
As if... foretelling something.