"The Emerald Heart, Cynthia..."
As Langbein a heart full of fear, the vibrant emerald light in the sky above intensified.
The deep Nightfall instantly transformed into a natural sea, as if the entire world had been placed inside a giant, translucent emerald.
Lancelot looked up and saw countless fireflies-like lights coalescing into a slender and alluring figure.
Her long dress fluttered in the wind, her waist-length hair shimmered with a lustrous sheen, her pretty face was like beautiful jade, her eyes were as bright as stars and as deep as an abyss, and her whole being exuded a natural, vibrant, joyful, and lively aura.
"Sure enough, I knew this operation was suspicious in every way. The old guys were fishing..." Lancelot murmured to himself. His previously uncertain guesses became clear when the woman's figure appeared in the sky.
Cynthia, the Emerald Heart, is one of the Alliance's Demigod. A graduate of the Constellation Academy, she is a natural magic caster with unparalleled mastery of life magic. She can not only bring the dead back to life and revive the wounded, but also deprive other living beings of their life force. Her strength is no weaker than that of Black Hole Urta, the dean of the Holy Sword Academy.
The moment Cynthia appeared, the four hostile Epic powerhouses, including Langbein, were instantly terrified. The Epic Gold Dragon and the masked man immediately tried to escape, but the next moment, a huge domain covering a radius of a hundred miles quietly appeared, forming an indestructible cage.
Within the area, towering trees are lush with leaves, flowers, birds, insects and fish move naturally, clear water flows gently, and green fields stretch endlessly, presenting a vibrant scene.
However, it was precisely this seemingly harmonious and harmless scene that drove the Epic to utter despair.
The Gold Dragon tried to forcefully break through the domain's constraints, but in no time, it was bound tightly by countless thick, dragon-like vines. Its roars were useless, and it could only wail helplessly.
"Demigod Domain..."
Lancelot crouched down, reached out, picked a small yellow flower, and gently sniffed it, a look of deep emotion on his face.
Legendary, Epic, Demigod —they are all, in essence, powerful beings of the Sanctuary.
The main task of cultivation at this stage is to build and perfect one's own Sanctuary. Therefore, to some extent, the strength and life rank of Sanctuary expert can be roughly estimated from the authenticity of the domain.
The Legendary Sanctuary is relatively vague; one can only sense its specific attributes, while the power of laws is more intuitive.
Epic and Demigod gradually embed the laws deep within the Sanctuary, seemingly ordinary, yet containing earth-shattering power far surpassing the former.
To give an example...
The Legendary area was a newly built, unfinished house, with exposed bricks and tiles, no doors or windows, very rough, and drafty from all sides.
The realm of the Demigod, on the other hand, has been fully renovated, cleaned, and had its doors and windows installed, undergoing a magnificent transformation that is incomparable to what it once was.
Just as Lancelot was lost in thought, Cynthia, the Emerald Heart, spoke. Her voice was not crisp, but extremely gentle and dignified, long and soft, giving people a very comfortable feeling.
"The Ashes are getting bolder and bolder, daring to secretly collude with extraterrestrial evil gods. Aren't they afraid of the Spellcaster Association's wrath and the complete annihilation of you insects?"
As she spoke, Cynthia's green eyes gleamed indifferently as she looked at the masked man, who involuntarily bowed down. Her gaze seemed to carry a tangible weight, yet she remained silent, as if she had become a dead man.
After scrutinizing the masked man for a moment, Cynthia snorted coldly, extended her jade-like palm, and then green crystals rapidly condensed on the surface of the four Epic' bodies. In a short time, they transformed into green amber beads, which flew into the air and landed in her palm.
Just moments ago, this mighty and invincible Epic powerhouse, capable of destroying the heavens and the earth with every move, proved utterly vulnerable before Cynthia, the Emerald Heart.
The contrast was so stark that it allowed Vermila, Damu, and the others to truly experience for the first time what the power of Demigod was like.
"Just being associated with the word 'god' makes all the difference..." Lancelot sighed inwardly.
The enemy's top-tier combat force was easily dealt with by Cynthia, and the remaining Victor and his men were merely minor ailments, so they naturally dared not resist and obediently surrendered.
After doing all this, Cynthia extended her finger and gently touched it. The crimson veil, which had been able to hold out for a while under Zyra's attack, shattered instantly under the Demigod's touch.
Then, Cynthia flicked her finger, the ground cracked open, and a streak of crimson light flew out, hovering and spinning in front of her.
Lancelot stared intently and discovered that it was an octagonal altar, as if it were cast from a piece of blood jade. Inside, there were countless vein-like veins that were interwoven into thousands of intricate and strange patterns that could confuse the mind with just one glance.
Cynthia observed for a moment, then gestured with her right hand, and a rather primitive wooden staff appeared in her palm.
"Life Reversal..."
The tongue-twisting magical syllables echoed, and Cynthia's staff suddenly emitted a bright light.
A verdant light shone down, and in the blood-red world, the wounds on the bodies of the students who had already died healed rapidly. Even those with only fragments of body tissue remaining quickly regrowed...
In just over ten seconds, all the students' bodies had been restored to full health.
Seeing this, Cynthia nodded slightly, gently tossed the altar in front of her, and it floated above the heads of Gosdo and the others, showering them with golden light.
These showers of light were actually the dissipated souls of the students, taken away by the altar when they died, and now being returned to them by Cynthia using life magic.
Body and soul returned and were restored simultaneously. The students slowly awoke, shaking their heads and staggering as they stood up from the ground.
Many people instinctively reach for their necks or chests, which are considered vital areas, and upon discovering that they are still alive, most burst into tears of joy.
Lancelot watched the scenes unfold before him with a complex and poignant expression. He had a deep understanding of the joy of being resurrected from the dead; only someone who had died once could truly appreciate the preciousness of life.
To live is the most primal desire and expectation of all life.
"So our operation was just bait..." Vermila walked over dejectedly. By this point, she understood everything, and a sense of unease lingered in her heart.
Lancelot glanced at the girl and said irritably, "What's wrong with bait? Some people want to be bait but don't even have the connections. Besides, the Alliance even sent Lady Cynthia. The reason is self-evident, isn't it?"
"But..." Vermila frowned, wanting to say something, but after opening her mouth, she could only sigh in despair.
"Stop being so sentimental. The world is cruel, and everyone must be prepared to be used as a pawn, including you and me. Don't get cocky just because someone praises you as a genius; we still have a long way to go..."
Lancelot's words made Vermila even more silent, a complex look of contemplation and struggle appearing in her eyes.
Seeing this, Lancelot said no more.
Some things just need time to mature.