White-robed Priest

The situation took a sharp turn. The rift, which had already shrunk, expanded once more, and the suppressed Shadow Energy became active again. Even more terrifying, the Shadow Figure's form was becoming clearer, seemingly breaking free from the seal's restraints.

The Forest Queen turned to the stunned crowd below, her voice carrying an undeniable majesty. "You lot, help me seal the rift immediately! This is your only chance to atone for your sins!"

Calvin reacted first, raising his Staff and beginning to chant complex incantations. Raymond also drew his longsword, his golden Battle Qi flaring up like flames. The old man in the black robe and the Wind Element Mage hesitated for a moment, but under the Queen's sharp gaze, they had no choice but to join in.

Five beams of energy of different colors shot towards the spatial rift, intertwining with the Queen's emerald green light to form a multicolored energy net, temporarily halting the rift's expansion.

But this was far from enough. The Shadow Figure's outline grew clearer, and it was vaguely possible to discern a tall humanoid figure clad in Black Armor, its blood-red eyes beneath the helmet fixed intently on the Queen.

"Useless..." the Shadow Figure mocked. "It took three Magus to seal me back then, and now there's only you, plus these useless pieces of trash. What can you do to me?"

At this critical moment, the space suddenly rippled, and a dazzling white-gold Light Gate slowly opened in the air. An old man stepped out from it.

The old man wore a spotless White Robe, embroidered with several gold threads that shimmered with a holy radiance in the sunlight. He held a Scepter crafted entirely from Platinum, its top inlaid with a fist-sized Pure Diamond. Most striking was the emblem on his chest: a pure white Sun Emblem, symbolizing the esteemed status of the Holy See's twenty-four White-robed Priests.

"Light be with us. It seems I have arrived just in time," the old man's voice was gentle yet full of power, capable of dispelling all gloom.

Upon seeing the newcomer, the Forest Queen's tense expression visibly relaxed slightly. "Bishop Marcus..."

Jialan gasped. The person who had arrived was none other than the Bishop of the largest Church in the Northern Province of the Longsheng Empire, and one of the Holy See's twenty-four White-robed Priests. One had to know that White-robed Priests were all Magus-level existences, top powerhouses capable of advancing to Cardinal. The entire Longsheng Empire had only one Cardinal, whose status was just below His Majesty the Emperor. Within the entire Holy See, besides His Holiness the Pope, Cardinals were the most revered.

Bishop Marcus's gaze swept over the people below before turning to the Shadow Figure in the spatial rift. "Old friend, it's been three hundred years. You're still as restless as ever."

The Shadow Figure let out an enraged roar, "Marcus! You sanctimonious old fool!"

The Bishop smiled unconcernedly and raised his Platinum Scepter. "Your Majesty, the Queen, let us begin."

Two Magus-level powerhouses acted simultaneously. The Queen's emerald green energy intertwined with the Bishop's Holy White Light, forming a brilliant pillar of light that struck the spatial rift. The Shadow Figure let out a pained roar, desperately resisting this power. The rift began to shrink at a visible rate, and the Shadow Energy surging out rapidly retreated as if encountering its natural predator.

"No!" the Shadow Figure roared in defiance. "I will not be sealed again!"

Accompanied by a shrill scream, the Shadow Figure was forcefully pushed back into the depths of the rift. The spatial rift quickly closed, finally shrinking into a thin line and disappearing.

The entire Shadow Valley fell into an eerie silence. Even the wind seemed to stop, as if the whole world was holding its breath, waiting for something. The residual Shadow Energy in the air dispersed slowly in the sunlight like tiny black dust. The purified remains of the Sun Fruit Trees lay quietly on the scorched earth, their twisted branches like the arms of a dying struggle.

Bishop Marcus slowly descended to the ground, his Platinum Scepter gleaming with holy light under the sun. His White Robe was spotless, a stark contrast to the surrounding devastation. When he spoke, his voice, though gentle, carried an undeniable authority. "Alright, now who can tell me what exactly happened?"

His gaze slowly swept over everyone present. His seemingly gentle eyes seemed capable of piercing the soul.

"Your Majesty," the Bishop turned to the Forest Queen, his tone carrying appropriate respect, "this place is closest to your residence. May I trouble you for a word in private?"

The Forest Queen nodded slightly, her long green hair dancing in the wind. "It would be my honor."

Bishop Marcus gently waved his Platinum Scepter, and a soft white light enveloped Calvin, Raymond, the old man in the black robe, and the Wind Element Mage. Their bodies slowly floated up, supported by an invisible force. The group of six flew towards the depths of the Misty Forest. Before leaving, the Forest Queen's gaze unintentionally swept over Jialan, her profound look sending a shiver down Jialan's spine.

"We should go too," Argyle's voice pulled Jialan back to reality. The Light Knight's expression was extremely grave. "The fortress might be attacked."

Jialan suddenly realized that with the spatial rift's abnormality, the overflow of Shadow Energy and the escaped Shadow Beasts had disrupted the ecological balance of the entire Misty Forest. Eerie howls could be heard from the distance from time to time – the signal of Shadow Beasts gathering. Even more terrifying, these sounds came from different directions, indicating that a Beast Tide was forming.

The two quickly retraced their steps. Argyle cleared the path ahead, his Light Battle Qi flowing around his sword, ready to face any sudden danger. Jialan followed closely, his Mental Power fully unleashed, carefully observing their surroundings.

Strangely, as they got closer to the fortress, the number of Shadow Beasts around them decreased. However, Jialan's unease grew stronger.

When the two finally climbed a high point and saw the silhouette of the fortress in the distance, the scene before them made their hearts sink to the bottom.

The area around the fortress was a sea of darkness. Thousands of Shadow Beasts were assaulting the city walls like a tide. They varied in form, some resembling enlarged wolves, others twisted humanoids, but all were pitch black with only their eyes glowing red. In the sky, swarms of Flying Magic Beasts circled like dark clouds, occasionally diving down. Each attack left a hideous scar on the city walls.

Most worrying was that the fortress's Defense Barrier had been activated, but the Magic Barrier, which should have been intact, was covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Several sections of the city walls had already begun to collapse. Even from this distance, they could clearly hear the soldiers' shouts, the screams of the wounded, and the roar of collapsing walls.

"The situation is worse than we imagined," Argyle's voice was hoarse. "Inside the fortress, the Shadow Crystals used to power the defense barrier were already scarce. I doubt it can hold on much longer..."