The array emitted a suffocating sense of pressure, the space itself seemingly freezing, making even an 8th-rank powerhouse like Rod feel sluggish.
"Is this... a 9th-rank spatial anchoring and life-draining composite array?!"
Rod's expression shifted as he attempted to burst with power to shatter the array. However, after a surge of energy, the array remained motionless; instead, it began to drain the life force and magic of the two people within.
At this moment, the path to the outside world was sealed by the array, and neither could break through.
Alarm bells rang in Jiang Lin's mind.
The shield around his body felt as if it would collapse at any moment due to the intense external suction.
He feared he would be drained of his life force and die in the next breath.
Just then, a pair of large hands rested on his shoulders—it was his teammate, Rod.
Rod cast another shield over Jiang Lin, one that was visibly more resilient than the previous one.
It was intended to allow Jiang Lin to survive longer within this array.
Meanwhile, Rod maintained his own shield and began to attack the array within the room, attempting to break it.
The three-dimensional array resembled a network of living blood vessels. Every pulse drained the life force and magic of the two trapped inside.
The shield on Jiang Lin's surface barely held under Rod's secondary reinforcement, yet it still let out a strained sizzling sound, ripples forming across its surface.
Jiang Lin stood to the side, feeling weak, powerless, and trembling.
This was no longer a level of combat he could participate in.
Rod's face was as solemn as still water. Holding his tower shield high, his holy light blasted against the array's barrier like a tide, yet it only stirred a few crimson ripples.
A 9th-rank array was not something he could break alone in a short time.
"I was careless... this isn't an array Bernard could have set up."
Rod's voice was low.
"Someone used his hands to plant a real killing blow here—the target was a high-level supporter like me from the very beginning."
Jiang Lin pulled out the spatial warp scroll Ailiya had given him.
After trying to activate it, there was no reaction.
As expected, the spatial seal had reached the 9th rank, rendering the scroll useless.
He then looked at Rod:
"Senior, do you have any items that can break through a 9th-rank spatial seal?"
Rod's gaze was heavy.
"I do, but I'm not sure if they'll be effective against this specific array.
"Furthermore, I'm not confident I can bring you out safely while breaking through a 9th-rank spatial seal."
Jiang Lin glanced at his system status, which showed he could teleport at any time, and spoke again:
"Senior, if the situation becomes critical, don't worry about me. I have a life-saving method to escape this place.
"However, the price is high, so I won't use it unless absolutely necessary."
Rod was somewhat surprised, but he nodded anyway:
"Understood. But it seems the main actor is arriving."
At that moment, the array before them flickered with light. A figure appeared outside the barrier, looking at the two trapped inside with a mocking expression.
It was a middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a temple master. His face, which should have looked refined, now appeared somewhat gloomy.
The newcomer was the Temple Master of Emerald City—Aaron Brightstar.
"Lord Rod, I have heard much of you."
Aaron's voice was calm, yet it carried a heart-palpitating pressure.
"And this one... 'His Eminence the Pope'."
His gaze fell on Jiang Lin, his lips curling into a mocking arc.
"A brilliant performance.
"Unfortunately, you still failed to outcalculate me in the end.
"What you destroyed was only what I wanted you to destroy.
"The intelligence you gathered was only what I wanted you to know.
"Perhaps you thought that by killing that fool Bernard, you would successfully complete your mission?"
As if victory were already in his grasp, he confidently detailed his plan to the two of them:
"But you certainly didn't expect that this fool would be stupid to such an appalling degree.
"He was merely a pawn of mine, yet he actually thought he was the protagonist of this conspiracy.
"In reality, he was completely under my control.
"He had already been reduced to my puppet.
"So, no matter how you investigated this ascension ceremony, it would only ever lead back to him."
Rod shielded Jiang Lin behind him, his tower shield held in front. Holy light flowed across the shield's surface like a solid substance.
His gaze locked onto Aaron Brightstar outside the array like a hawk.
"Aaron... I didn't expect you to betray the temple!"
Rod's voice held deep pain, along with a chilling killing intent.
"Betray?"
Aaron gave a light chuckle and walked slowly toward the edge of the array.
He extended a finger and gently touched the blood-colored barrier; wherever his fingertip passed, runes glowed faintly.
"Rod, you've lived for so many years; do you still not understand?
"In this world, power is the only immutable truth.
"Only by becoming strong enough can one have a voice and the power to protect those they cherish."
His voice gradually grew lower.
"My daughter... she should have had a brilliant life, but she could only lie on a sickbed due to magic depletion syndrome.
"In the end, she died in pain.
"The disciples of 9th-rank powerhouses even have means of resurrection.
"But I could only watch helplessly as her life faded before my eyes.
"If I had sufficient strength, sufficient power, I could have saved her life.
"But unfortunately, I didn't.
"At that time, I was still too weak and had no voice.
"So I made up my mind to possess enough power to decide the life and death of everyone!"
Standing behind Rod, Jiang Lin listened to Aaron Brightstar's monologue while attempting to send a message to the outside.
However, the surface of his crystal remained dim—even communication was completely cut off inside the array.
Meanwhile, the holy light on Rod's tower shield surged, transforming into a solid beam of blazing white light that slammed into the crimson barrier.
The barrier shook violently, creating dense ripples, yet it remained as resilient as ever.
"It's useless."
Aaron shook his head with a smile.
"You cannot escape.
"It is impossible for you to break this array from the inside.
"You can only wait to be drained of your power until you die."
Rod pulled out his array-breaking tools to attempt a breach while questioning him:
"Then what about sacrificing the innocent people of Emerald City? By disregarding the lives of others, how many people like your daughter will you kill?! How many families like yours will you destroy?!!
"Once you obtain this power, who will be left to stand by your side?!"
Aaron gave a contemptuous smile:
"What do the lives of others have to do with me?
"Since I've chosen this path, do you really think I would sympathize with those lowly, weak lives?
"Rod, become the nourishment for me to grow stronger.
"Become the stepping stone for me to reach the peak.
"You should feel honored!"
Rod said no more. Holy light erupted from his body like a volcano, and the runes on his tower shield lit up one by one. The aura was so terrifying that Jiang Lin felt as if he might be torn apart even through the shield.
He gripped the shield with both hands, his entire being seemingly transforming into a giant hammer of holy light as he repeatedly struck the same spot on the crimson barrier!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every collision caused the entire study to shake violently. The blood-colored ripples on the barrier became denser and denser, yet the crimson array held firm.
Simultaneously, the draining of their life force began to intensify.
Jiang Lin could feel the shield around him thinning at a visible rate.
Rod injected another burst of holy light into him, but the 8th-rank powerhouse's face was now noticeably paler.
He sent a telepathic message to Jiang Lin:
"I just tried; my methods cannot break through his spatial seal.
"If you have a trump card, use it quickly.
"I'm not sure if I can protect you after this.
"If I still can't break this array, I might fall here today."
Jiang Lin nodded.
Although leaving such a massive mess behind felt inappropriate, there really was no better way.
His 'carry' was pinned down, and the enemy seemed to have other tricks up his sleeve.
In this operation, he had already done everything within his power.
If it still couldn't succeed, it could only be said that both his luck and strength were lacking.
As for whether the citizens of Emerald City could survive and whether the mission to become an apostle of god could be completed, he could only leave that to fate.
Just as he was about to activate the system's teleportation to save his life, another sudden change occurred!
A clear, resonant holy song, seemingly capable of washing away all filth, echoed throughout the entirety of Emerald City.
Above the sky, the cloud layer was torn apart by golden light.
Holy light poured down like a waterfall, illuminating Emerald City as if it were broad daylight.
From the rift in the clouds, a figure dressed in a pure white holy robe, with a several-hundred-meter-tall angel phantom behind her, slowly descended.
She held a spear burning with holy flames, its tip pointed directly at Aaron Brightstar.
Even before the spear was thrown, the mere pressure it emitted caused the blood-colored barrier enveloping the City Lord's Mansion to tremble violently, countless fine cracks appearing on its surface.
A calm yet infinitely majestic female voice echoed between heaven and earth:
"An evil god cultist dares to run wild on the temple's land!
"Today, in the name of the Proxy of the God of Holy Light—
"I sentence you: total annihilation of body and soul."
The composure and mockery on Aaron Brightstar's face instantly froze, replaced by an unprecedented gravity.
"You actually had another trump card?"
He looked at the equally stunned Rod and Jiang Lin inside the array, then back at the god-like figure in the sky.
"Even your own people didn't know this person was coming?"
Rod placed a hand on Jiang Lin's shoulder and muttered blankly:
"Little brother, no need to rush with your trump card.
"It looks like we're saved."
At the same time, he refilled the energy of the shield around Jiang Lin.
The holy song rang through the sky. The spear burning with holy flames hung in the clouds, resembling a sun falling to the mortal realm.
There was no world-shaking sound of breaking air, only a pure golden trajectory, as if a deity had drawn a line across the night sky.
Swoosh—!
The spear crashed down, striking Aaron Brightstar square in the chest and causing him to explode into a mist of blood.
In the temple's records, his level was rank 6.
But those were old records; he had actually achieved a breakthrough in secret, reaching the 7th rank.
Yet despite reaching the 7th rank, he had no means of resistance before this spear burning with holy light.
He was killed instantly without any suspense.
Simultaneously, the spear struck the ground, sending countless stones flying as dust filled the air.
With a thunderous boom, the entire City Lord's Mansion collapsed under the weight of the strike, turning into a field of ruins.
The 9th-rank composite array trapping Jiang Lin and Rod also shattered inch by inch under the aftershocks of the strike, turning into blood-colored light-dust that scattered through the air.
The shockwave of the array's destruction completely leveled the study, sending bricks and stones flying everywhere, but Jiang Lin was protected by a shield around Rod and remained unharmed.
Only then did the thunderous sound of breaking the air reach them from the sky.
This was because the speed of sound in the clouds could not keep up with the speed of the spear.
Although the description of the scene was long, it had actually happened in an instant.
Jiang Lin's 【Chronowalker's Evil Eye】 had only managed a single glance when the figure appeared before intense pain forced him to close his eyes.
It wasn't until he saw the spear burning with holy flames stuck in the ground amidst the dust, followed by the thunderous roar, that he realized what had happened.
Seeing the blood mist drifting where Aaron Brightstar had once stood, the shock in his heart was beyond words.
This... it's over?
The plan the enemy had likely plotted for years was shattered in a single strike by this so-called 'Proxy' powerhouse?
However, at that moment, the situation once again defied Jiang Lin's expectations.
As it turned out, since the enemy was arrogant enough to intentionally lure people from the temple here, he naturally had his own source of confidence.
Even though his body had been destroyed and blasted into blood mist, he did not die instantly.
The blood mist that was once his body began to recombine as if time were reversing.
Though he didn't return to his perfect state, he had indeed survived that earth-shattering strike.
Countless tiny blood-colored lines spread across his skin, making him look as if he might fall apart at any moment.
His eyes filled with malice, he roared as he formed hand seals:
"Sacrifice—activate!"
Throughout Emerald City, beneath the ruins of the 'array cores' that had been destroyed by the temple, a deeper, more hidden third layer of array patterns suddenly lit up simultaneously!
These patterns were not drawn on the surface or walls but were buried dozens of meters underground, completely merged with the city's earth veins.
Aaron Brightstar's true killing blow was not the 9th-rank trapping array in the City Lord's Mansion; that was merely a means to control a portion of the temple's powerhouses.
His true killing blow was this third set of completely hidden 'ultimate sacrifice arrays' bound to the earth veins!
If the first two sets of arrays were destroyed, and the temple powerhouses who came here weren't all controlled by his trapping array...
Then he would directly activate this third layer of arrays buried deep underground, which were almost impossible to discover!
The first two sets of arrays, whether the first or second layer, were merely smokescreens.
The purpose was to mask the energy fluctuations and existence of this final array.
This was the source of his confidence in daring to lure the temple's powerhouses here!
Now, the third set of arrays was forcibly activated, and the ground of the entire Emerald City began to tremble slightly.
Countless dark-red light pillars erupted from underground, soaring into the sky to rival the holy light above.
Residents who had not yet evacuated the city let out screams of terror as their life force began to be drained by an invisible force, converging toward the City Lord's Mansion in wisps of blood mist.
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