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A thunderous explosion shook heaven and earth. Before Vieya and the others even had time to investigate the cause, they were intercepted while leaving the cave and heading toward the outer perimeter of the Elven Forest.
Dozens of streaks of light shot over from the far end of the sky, then abruptly halted in midair, standing suspended out of thin air as they completely surrounded the trio on the ground.
The one at the lead wore an ochre-colored ox-demon mask. His body radiated the aura of extreme body cultivation, fierce like a raging tiger, and his frame was towering, like a humanoid titan. Barehanded, arms folded across his chest, he blocked the three with an air of utter contempt.
This person was none other than the masked man who had spoken with the First Prince earlier—the Middle Three of the nine Dice Lords of Tianyuan, code name Xubing.
“You’re from that organization called Ghost?” Vieya recognized their origin the instant she saw the strange masks on their faces.
The masks these people wore gave off a sinister chill that seeped straight into one’s bones—something you would never forget after seeing it once.
“Ghost?”
The ox-demon-masked man paused for a moment, then spoke slowly, “Actually, compared to the name ‘Ghost,’ we prefer the more formal title—‘Tianyuan Church’...”
However, before he could finish speaking, Vieya’s figure vanished from where she stood, leaving behind only a residual afterimage!
At the same time, Aislin raised the portable crossbow in her hand—aimed and fired!
Tiya didn’t stay idle either. Judging the situation, she pulled components from behind her cloak and, in the blink of an eye, assembled two silver-gray firearms that used condensed magic as ammunition, opening seamless fire into the sky!
The scene instantly descended into chaos.
Vieya simultaneously activated invisibility and speed amplification, intending to replicate what she had done before—instantly killing these people just like the one who had blocked them in the cave earlier.
But after killing only two, the masked group reacted. They seemed able to predict her position within the void, rapidly concentrating their firepower to track and attack her.
After she took out a third masked man, no matter how she concealed her aura, they could still pinpoint her with precision.
Of course, she had also considered capturing the ringleader first—making the ox-demon-masked man her initial assassination target.
But he was clearly no easy opponent. The moment she came within three meters of him, the air around her twisted, as if a chunk had been gouged out by divine might.
“Sword Master,” the ox-demon mask sensed the disturbance in the void and couldn’t help but marvel at the speed Vieya had displayed.
“Rather than being our enemy, why not convert to our church as soon as possible?”
“It just so happens that one seat among our Upper Three is currently vacant. You could become one of our Nine Dice Lords.”
“You may enjoy considerable prestige among the human race, but you must understand—cultivation is like rowing upstream; if you don’t advance, you fall back. Human society is fiercely competitive and inwardly cutthroat, while the elves are lax and undisciplined, hardly a place for deep cultivation... If you can turn back from the brink and join our church, cultivating together the Nine Supreme Divine Arts, then right now I can not only let you leave safely, but also help you wipe out the true culprits who are destroying the forest. That would be a win-win...”
“...A win-win!”
In an instant, the remaining nine masked figures chanted in unison.
The demonic voices that pierced the ears were laced with words capable of subtly altering and misleading one’s thoughts. Yet the moment they brushed against Vieya’s body, a burst of golden light rebounded them all away.
“Huh!” ƒrēewebnovel.com
The nine masked men were caught off guard. In that instant, Vieya thrust her sword forward. With Aislin and Tiya providing covering fire, she cut down two more lives with a single slash.
At this moment, nine became seven.
......
At the outer perimeter of the Elven Forest, arrows flew like rain.
Clang clang clang—!
Phoenix swept one wing, unleashing a violent fire tornado that tore toward the First Prince’s army formation below! The mages within the formation shattered scrolls in unison, raising a massive magical barrier over the army in an attempt to resist.
But how could a group of small fry—none above entry-level eighth rank—stand against the might of a divine beast at the peak of the ninth rank?
“If a divine beast doesn’t show its power, you really think I’m some sick sparrow?!”
The terrifying fire tornado pressed forward mercilessly, shattering the shield formed by hundreds of mages in the blink of an eye. The violent explosions shook the heavens, and in an instant, more than half the mages in the formation were dead or wounded!
“This is called repaying in kind.”
After the tornado swept past, the grasslands were left as scorched earth. Amid the licking flames, a tall, valiant young woman with long fiery-red hair emerged, a severed head dangling from her hand.
“Hahaha! The immortal divine bird—Phoenix—truly lives up to her reputation!”
Below, beyond the annihilated formation, at the far end of the burnt land, an old man slowly stepped forward. His body was shriveled like a dehydrated mummy. He clapped as he laughed.
“This First Prince’s ambition was excessive. He not only murdered his own father, the Grand Khan Tulle, but even opened the door to those dangerous demons, letting them lay hands on this sacred High Plains land. If not for your intervention, my lady, his vile scheme might truly have succeeded.”
“Trash mobs. Not worth mentioning.”
The fiery-haired young woman planted her hands on her hips and lifted her chin proudly.
“Remember this, you humans—this forest is under my protection. Anyone who dares trespass, I won’t leave a single survivor. As for their corpses, don’t meddle. Let them rot here and turn into fertilizer for next spring. I like little flowers that grow out of bones.”
“But, Lady Phoenix, aren’t you worried about an outbreak of plague?” the old man asked doubtfully.
“If the God of Plague himself isn’t descending, what do I have to fear?” the fiery-haired girl sneered. “If a plague dares appear, I’ll burn it again.”
As for restoring the burned forest and grasslands afterward—that was outside her responsibilities.
Suddenly, her ears twitched. She hurriedly turned back toward the forest, only to see one streak after another of sword qi erupting skyward from within—piercing straight through the clouds!
“My goodness. I thought you all had run out of the Elven Forest to play around. Turns out you were blocked inside the woods? You scared this bird to death.”
With that, Phoenix no longer paid the shriveled old man any attention. She turned and transformed into a streak of crimson light, vanishing into the sky.
The old man stood in silence for a long time, gazing in the direction Phoenix had departed. He let out a faint sigh and muttered to himself,
“Alright. Since the greatest threat on these grasslands has been dealt with, the rest can be left to the young ones... The balance of power on the grasslands must not be altered.”
After a pause, he suddenly turned his head toward a mound on the scorched ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ earth and said calmly,
“Third Prince, you heard everything just now, didn’t you?”
“...N-no, Great High Priest, I didn’t hear anything!” free𝑤ebnovel.com
“You did hear it, didn’t you? Then I can’t leave you alive.”
“No! Great High Priest! You can erase my memories!”
Bang!
The mound exploded as soil scattered in all directions. The Third Prince shot out, slapping several talismans onto his legs and fleeing at full speed.
Bang!
Another dull sound.
The Third Prince, mid-flight, looked as if he had been shot. His head burst apart, and he staggered onto the barren grasslands. After rolling twice, his body went completely still.
......
