“Speaking of which... is it possible that these monsters polluted the roots of the World Tree with their power after dying?” Starlight’s brow furrowed as he suddenly proposed a bold hypothesis.
Moen was momentarily stunned by his words and turned to lock eyes with him.
“That makes sense! But what would be the point of doing that? Is it purely to block our communications? The monsters' offensive is already under control, and given their numbers, they shouldn't be a significant threat to the entire Elven Race.”
“Do you remember that mysterious person we saw in the Council Chambers? Judging from his conversation with Ming Ye, there’s definitely a mastermind behind this turmoil. Someone who can command two Saint Ranks at will... is certainly no ordinary figure,” Starlight said slowly.
“True... but I still can't imagine why Elder Ming Ye would betray us... Logically speaking...”
Moen was about to continue when she was interrupted by a familiar voice drifting from the distance.
The voice was crisp and pleasant—it was undoubtedly Xia Duo. Her arrival should have been a joyful occasion, but the final sentence of her words caused a layer of frost to instantly settle over the hearts of Moen and Starlight.
“Yeah, we’ve successfully gathered several Ranger squads along the way. The combat-ready members of the Third Ranger Squad are already en route, and reinforcements from our Fourth Squad will arrive shortly. Is there anything else you need to know, Captain Ming Ye?”
The two exchanged a knowing look and immediately rushed toward the direction of Xia Duo’s voice without hesitation.
Rounding a street corner, Starlight saw Po Kong with his hands behind his head, casually observing his surroundings. Beside him, Xia Duo was reporting the information she had gathered with a serious expression.
And the person she was reporting to was the very Ming Ye they had just been discussing...
“Oh no! Sister!” Moen cried out instinctively. Though her voice wasn't loud, it was clearly audible to Xia Duo.
Hearing her sister’s call, Xia Duo immediately turned around, her face lighting up with joy.
But compared to her joy, Starlight and Moen’s hearts instantly plummeted. To their horror, they saw Ming Ye look up as well, watching them with a mocking, half-smile.
“Hehe, I’ve finally found you!”
Ming Ye’s low, penetrating voice rang out abruptly, like a cold wind sweeping across their backs. It sent shivers down Starlight and Moen’s spines, causing goosebumps to erupt all over their bodies.
In contrast, Xia Duo was still dazed.
As she turned to look at Ming Ye, she was startled to find him suddenly enveloped in a layer of eerie, bewitching flames that flickered with an ominous aura.
“Cap... Captain Ming Ye?”
Xia Duo asked hesitantly, still not understanding why he had suddenly entered a combat stance. However, he ignored her, and the aura radiating from him became increasingly heart-stopping.
Unlike the bewildered Xia Duo, Po Kong grasped the situation almost instantly. Without a second thought, he pulled her into his arms and used his battle qi to construct a solid barrier around them.
At the same time, Starlight reached out in sync. A thick earthen wall, dozens of centimeters deep, suddenly erupted from the ground, acting as a natural shield to separate them from Ming Ye.
At that exact moment, the flames surrounding Ming Ye exploded like a violent tsunami.
The terrifying Saint Rank power was like a massive bomb detonating in the city. Accompanied by raging winds and blistering heat, the entire block was consumed in an instant, reduced to scorched earth.
The nearby Ranger Squad members, who had no time to dodge, were swallowed by the towering inferno before they could even react.
“Moen, fall back!” Starlight shouted anxiously. He could clearly feel his magic being consumed by the oncoming flames at an alarming rate; it obviously wouldn't hold for long.
However, Moen resolutely looked back at that moment, her gaze locking onto the City Hall behind them.
Starlight then remembered that Lian and her group, along with hundreds of innocent civilians, were still inside the hall, facing the same crisis. If these flames were allowed to run wild, even the sturdy walls of the City Hall wouldn't hold for long.
“Damn it! I can't hold back anymore! Moen, go reinforce the City Hall walls!”
Starlight gritted his teeth and let out a furious roar. His mana seemed to be ignited by the flames as it surged out.
In an instant, several colorful elemental shields materialized in front of him, just in time to block the blistering flame battle qi that was already inches away.
This was the most effective countermeasure he could think of in his desperation. Although these simple shields made of multiple attributes weren't as stable or long-lasting as a large-scale barrier, they miraculously fulfilled their mission, buying everyone a precious moment to breathe.
Since most elven buildings cleverly used the World Tree's roots as their foundation, Moen was able to draw enough power through her deep connection with the World Tree in a flash to reinforce the City Hall walls.
Nurtured by the Power of Nature, the originally brown wooden walls rapidly transformed, taking on a stone-like, greyish-white hue that firmly withstood the rampaging heatwaves.
“Did we make it!?”
Starlight turned back anxiously. Although the City Hall walls were scorched black as coal by the intense flames, they still stood defiantly—the only architectural remains within a radius of several hundred meters that hadn't been destroyed.
However, the cost was immense. Moen had nearly exhausted the last of her mana to protect the City Hall from further destruction during Ming Ye's sudden attack.
Moen gasped for air, her body slumping to her knees from exhaustion. Starlight was about to go over and support her when Noah's urgent voice interrupted him.
“Little Star! Watch your back! His second wave is coming!”
Amidst the scorching wind and flames, a figure wielding a giant scythe suddenly appeared. The scythe gleamed with a cold, blood-red light, swinging down toward their heads like a death sentence.
Starlight reacted instantly. He slammed his palms together, and the elemental shields in front of him, which hadn't yet fully dissipated, seemed to gain a life of their own and began to spin rapidly. The residual mana within the shields condensed above his head in an attempt to block the lethal blow.
However, the power of the scythe in Ming Ye’s hand was staggering. Even such a defense only held for a moment.
In less than half a breath, the shields in the air were easily torn in two like fragile paper. Taking advantage of this brief opening, Starlight grabbed Moen and used instant movement to dodge the fatal strike.
The giant scythe, falling from the sky, erupted with a terrifying burst of battle qi. Its power was so great that it split the ruined street in two, leaving a deep trench that stretched for a hundred meters into the distance.
Seeing his attack cleverly avoided, Ming Ye let out a disdainful snort. His figure vanished from Starlight’s sight like a ghost.
“Floating Water into Ice, Thousand-Blade Frigid Radiance!”
While holding Moen tightly, Starlight quickly mobilized the mana in his body and cast his next spell.
Countless ice spikes instantly condensed in the sky, shooting outward in every direction to cover a full three hundred and sixty degrees.
Faced with this situation, Starlight had to use a wide-range spell, attempting to force the hidden Ming Ye out with powerful water magic.
Sure enough, under the assault of water elements—which were diametrically opposed to the nature of his own battle qi—even someone as powerful as Ming Ye had no choice but to reveal himself and counterattack.
His figure suddenly appeared in mid-air. He swung the scythe back, and the heatwaves released from the blade were like a violent fire dragon, swallowing the incoming ice spikes one by one and turning them into wisps of rising white steam that filled the air.
Rate on N.U.
