White-robed Priest

The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The crack that had already shrunk began expanding again, and the suppressed Shadow Energy became active once more. Even more frighteningly, the Shadow Figure's form grew clearer and clearer, as if it were gradually breaking free of the seal's restraints.

The Forest Queen turned toward the stunned crowd below, her voice carrying an undeniable authority. "You people, help me seal the crack immediately! This is your only chance to redeem yourselves!"

Calvin was the first to react. He raised his staff high and began chanting a complex spell. Raymond also drew his longsword, golden battle qi surging up like flames. The old man in black robes 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 in different colors shot toward the spatial crack, weaving together with the queen's emerald-green light to form a dazzling energy net that temporarily held back the crack's expansion.

But it was far from enough. The Shadow Figure's outline grew increasingly distinct, and one could vaguely make out a tall humanoid clad in black armor. Beneath its helmet, a pair of blood-red eyes stared fixedly at the Forest Queen.

"Useless..." the Shadow Figure mocked. "It took three Magi to seal me back then. Now there's only you, plus these worthless fools. What can you possibly do to me?"

At that critical moment, space suddenly rippled. A dazzling White-gold Light Gate slowly unfolded in midair, and an old man stepped out from it.

The old man wore a spotless white robe embroidered with several gold threads, which shimmered with holy radiance beneath the sunlight. He held a scepter forged entirely from platinum, with a Pure Diamond the size of a fist set at its top. Most striking of all was the emblem on his chest: a pure white Sun Emblem, symbolizing the esteemed status of one of the Holy See's twenty-four White-robed Priests.

"Light be praised. It seems I arrived at just the right time." The old man's voice was gentle yet powerful, as though it could dispel all gloom.

When the Forest Queen saw him, her tense expression visibly relaxed. "Bishop Marcus..."

Jialan gasped. This was none other than the bishop of the largest cathedral in the Longsheng Empire's Northern Province, and one of the Holy See's twenty-four White-robed Priests. White-robed Priests were all Magus-level beings, elite powerhouses capable of advancing to become Cardinals. There was only one Cardinal in the entire Longsheng Empire, his status just slightly below that of His Majesty the Emperor. Throughout the entire Holy See, aside from the Pope, none were more esteemed than Cardinals.

Bishop Marcus swept his gaze over the people below before turning to the Shadow Figure within the spatial crack. "My old friend, three hundred years have passed, and you are still as restless as ever."

The Shadow Figure let out a furious roar. "Marcus! You sanctimonious old bastard!"

The bishop merely smiled indifferently and raised the Platinum Scepter. "Your Majesty, let us begin."

The two Magus-level powerhouses struck at the same time. The queen's emerald-green energy intertwined with the bishop's Holy White Light, forming a brilliant pillar that blasted directly into the spatial crack. The Shadow Figure let out a pained shriek and desperately resisted the force. The crack began shrinking at a visible rate, while the Shadow Energy pouring from it rapidly recoiled as if it had encountered its natural enemy.

"No!" the Shadow Figure roared unwillingly. "I cannot be sealed again!"

With a piercing scream, the Shadow Figure was forcibly driven back into the depths of the crack. The spatial crack quickly closed, eventually becoming a thin line before vanishing completely.

The entire Shadow Valley fell into an eerie silence. Even the wind had stopped, as though the whole world were holding its breath and waiting for something. The remaining Shadow Energy in the air drifted slowly beneath the sunlight like fine black dust. The purified remains of the Sun Fruit Trees lay silently upon the scorched earth, their twisted branches resembling arms struggling in death.

Bishop Marcus slowly descended to the ground, the Platinum Scepter gleaming with holy light beneath the sun. His white robe remained immaculate, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding devastation. When he spoke, his voice was gentle but carried unquestionable authority. "All right, who will tell me what exactly happened here?"

His gaze slowly passed over every person present. Those seemingly gentle eyes appeared capable of piercing straight through the soul.

"Your Majesty," the bishop said, turning to the Forest Queen with precisely measured respect in his tone, "this place is closest to your residence. Might we speak somewhere else?"

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

Bishop Marcus lightly waved the Platinum Scepter, and a soft white light enveloped Calvin, Raymond, the old man in black robes, and the Wind Element mage. Their bodies slowly rose into the air, supported by an invisible force. The six of them flew toward the depths of the Misty Forest. Before leaving, the Forest Queen's gaze swept over Jialan, seemingly intentionally yet casually. The depth in her eyes made Jialan's heart tremble.

"We should leave too." Argyle's voice pulled Jialan back to reality. The Light Knight's expression was exceptionally grave. "The fortress may be under attack."

Only then did Jialan realize that, with the upheaval in the spatial crack, the Shadow Energy that had spilled out and the Shadow Beasts that had escaped had already disrupted the Misty Forest's ecological balance. Bloodcurdling howls sounded from the distance from time to time—the signal that the Shadow Beasts were gathering. Worse still, the sounds rose and fell from clearly different directions, which meant a Beast Tide was forming.

The two quickly raced back along the route they had taken. Argyle cleared the way ahead, Light Battle Qi flowing along his blade as he remained ready for any sudden danger. Jialan followed closely behind, his spiritual power fully spread as he carefully watched for movement around them.

Strangely, as they drew closer and closer to the fortress, the number of Shadow Beasts around them actually decreased. Yet the unease in Jialan's heart only grew stronger.

When they finally climbed a high ridge and saw the fortress's outline in the distance, the sight before them made their hearts sink to the bottom.

The area around the fortress was a sea of black. Thousands of Shadow Beasts crashed against the walls like a tide. They came in all forms—some resembled enlarged wolves, while others looked like twisted humanoids—but all were pitch-black, with only their eyes glowing scarlet. In the sky, flocks of Flying Magic Beasts circled like dark clouds, diving down from time to time. Every attack left a savage scar upon the walls.

Most worrying of all, the fortress's Defense Barrier had already been activated, but the Magic Barrier that should have been whole was covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Several sections of the walls had even begun to collapse. Even from such a distance, they could clearly hear the soldiers' battle cries, the wounded's screams, and the thunderous roar of crumbling walls.

"The situation is even worse than we imagined." Argyle's voice was hoarse. "The Shadow Crystals that power the fortress's Defense Barrier were already in short supply. I'm afraid it won't hold much longer..."