“For the sake of the greater good, I suggest you give me some room. As for Lord Ryan, I am well aware of your former glory, but I fear you are no longer a match for me. To avoid pointless bloodshed, I ask that you step aside and allow me to deal with this matter.”
Ming Ye growled. As a fellow Saint Rank powerhouse, he had seen long ago that Archmage Ryan was far from his prime, and thus felt no need to show him any respect.
Despite Ming Ye’s provocation, there wasn't a trace of retreat or fear in Ryan’s eyes.
Although the overall strength of the Night Elves was far inferior to that of the Tree Elves, with the loss of You, he had to ensure the absolute safety of Lian, the only remaining royal bloodline, no matter what.
Furthermore, in his interactions with Starlight and the others over the past few days, he did not believe they were the type of people to make empty boasts or weave tall tales.
“Hmph! Enough talk. It is not your place to dictate the actions of Princess Lian!”
Ryan snorted coldly, his mana surging forth. In an instant, the temperature in the entire hall plummeted several degrees.
As the two Saint Rank powerhouses reached a standoff, the atmosphere within the Council Chambers became heavy and suffocating.
Due to their long lifespans, the elves prioritized wisdom, experience, and contributions to the tribe when selecting Elders, rather than mere martial prowess.
Therefore, many of the Elders present were only slightly stronger than average adventurers and were far from being comparable to Saint Rank powerhouses.
If a conflict between these two Saint Rank experts were to truly erupt in this confined space, it would be a catastrophic disaster.
While the confrontation between the two drew the attention of most people present, there were still some sharp-minded Elders who noticed the situation outside the door.
Regardless of the explanation, the sudden disappearance of the Divine Concealment Squad was indeed too bizarre.
One of the Elders rose from his seat and walked toward a side door, intending to check the situation at the rear of the venue.
However, just as he gently pushed open the door, an indescribable look of horror spread across his face. His weathered eyes were filled with disbelief and terror.
He instinctively tried to retreat, but it was already too late.
Before he could even speak, a shadow as black as night suddenly lunged from behind the door with staggering speed.
It was like the scythe of a death god, ruthlessly slicing through the air and the Elder’s chest. Blood sprayed out, staining the door and the vision of everyone present.
Thud.
The dull sound of his body hitting the floor was like a heavy hammer striking everyone's hearts.
The Elders instinctively looked toward the side door. Through the half-open portal, a hellish scene appeared in their sight.
Dozens of twisted bodies lay scattered across the long corridor. Some were face down, others on their sides, but all revealed the despair of death.
Blood flowed through the hallway like a rampaging flood, staining the white stone floor and even splashing onto the high ceiling, painting a shocking, crimson pattern.
Based on their uniforms, these were none other than the members of the Divine Concealment Squad who were supposed to be standing guard outside the hall.
“Wh... what!?”
The original silence in the Council Chambers was instantly shattered by a series of shouts.
Disbelief and terror intertwined in the eyes of the Elders. They stared wide-eyed, as if trying to etch this sudden, horrific news into their minds, yet unable to believe the cruel reality before them.
One had to realize that although the Divine Concealment Squad was small in number, every member was the elite of the elite. To silently annihilate them all was practically impossible.
“This... this is impossible! This must be an illusion!”
Finally, an Elder could no longer contain the shock within him and roared out.
He could not accept such a cruel reality, nor did he want to believe that the thick scent of blood permeating the Council Chambers was real. However, the pungent odor wafting from the door was like a sharp blade, repeatedly cutting into his nerves, reminding him that this was no dream.
In the next second, his shouts came to an abrupt halt. A long, terrifying arm, black as ink, suddenly reached out from the void, firmly clutching the Elder’s throat and lifting him into the air.
The Elder’s eyes bulged, his face written with terror. But no matter how hard he struggled, it was as futile as an ant trying to shake a tree; he could not budge that iron-like arm in the slightest.
As the black hand gradually increased its pressure, a crisp and horrifying crack echoed from the Elder’s neck.
The light instantly vanished from his eyes, and his body hung limply in the black hand’s grip, devoid of life. This scene, as cruel as a nightmare, made every elf present feel an unprecedented sense of fear and despair.
After tossing the corpse aside like a useless object, a deep black silhouette slowly coalesced from the void, eventually landing steadily on the edge of the conference table. Along with its arrival, a thick and eerie black mist spread out like a falling night, obscuring the original light.
Under the shroud of this ominous black mist, Starlight’s vision was trapped by heavy layers of fog, making it difficult to see the true form of the mysterious visitor.
However, based solely on the bone-chilling cold and the aura of death permeating the air, Starlight was certain that this uninvited guest was inextricably linked to the terrifying monsters that had appeared outside.
“This guy... he’s a lot like the monster that attacked the World Tree just now! But the death power within him isn't pure... it feels more like dark elements,” Starlight whispered into Moen’s ear as he silently moved half a step back.
He didn't understand why the other party dared to appear so openly in the Council Chambers. After all, there were at least three Saint Rank experts present.
Just as Starlight had anticipated, the atmosphere in the chamber instantly became hostile. Aside from Ming Ye and Ryan, who were still facing off but were now clearly distracted, two other elven Elders stood up abruptly.
Powerful auras swirled around them, immediately locking onto the mysterious figure shrouded in the eerie black mist.
While Ryan remained to protect Lian, Ming Ye and the other two exchanged a look and slowly moved toward the side door, clearly prepared to launch a fatal blow at the mysterious intruder at any moment.
Anyone else would have surrendered immediately under the pressure of several Saint Rank experts, yet this intruder in the black mist appeared remarkably relaxed.
As the three Saint Rank powerhouses closed in, a chilling laugh suddenly erupted from the thick black mist, causing everyone present to shiver involuntarily.
“Heh, at this point, there's no need to keep up the act anymore.” The laughter held a sense of mockery and ridicule, as if the speaker already knew everything. “My Master has already achieved his goal. Right now, you are nothing more than cornered beasts putting up a final, desperate struggle.”
These words exploded in the Council Chambers like a thunderclap, causing an ominous premonition to rise in everyone's hearts.
“Hmph! You dare play tricks here with mere illusions? Come out!”
One of the Saint Rank Elders’ faces darkened. He shouted and was about to charge forward, but before he could even take a step, a pale hand reached out from behind him and silently pierced through his chest.
The Elder’s eyes went wide, his face filled with utter disbelief.
He lowered his head tremblingly and saw a blood-dripping heart being clutched tightly in that hand, pulsing weakly—each beat sounding like a countdown to the end of his life.
“Aaaagh!”
The Saint Rank Elder let out a soul-wrenching scream, his face turning as white as paper, his eyes filled with shock and despair.
He tried to cover the fatal wound in his chest with trembling hands, but the blood sprayed out uncontrollably like a fountain, staining his clothes crimson.
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