Lancelot's main body swaggered away from the Heart of Agate Mage Tower, but the clones he created based on his Steel Feather Cloak were not so lucky. During the massacre, they all ended up fighting with the Mage Tower's master.
This is not to say that the other lords of the Mage towers are more principled than Red Agate Tigris.
The reason these people took action was partly due to a misjudgment of Lancelot's strength. They didn't think he was particularly powerful in direct combat, at most just possessing some strange abilities, such as being good at disguise and stealth.
On the other hand, there is pressure from the higher-ups of City of Freedom. If they try to get away with it, the consequences will be dire. Not everyone Tigris, who has an older brother who is the number two in City of Freedom. Even if he causes a huge disaster, there will be someone to back him up.
The prerequisite for causing havoc in the Heavenly Palace is that you have the ability to do so; otherwise, you wouldn't just be suppressed under the Five Elements Mountain, but would be skinned alive and your bones crushed to ashes.
Clearly, the other Mage tower lords, lacking the background of Tigris, and fearing repercussions from above, had no choice but to reluctantly engage in combat with Lancelot's clones.
The result is self-evident: despite the power being dispersed, each of Lancelot's clones possessed the ability to escape unscathed from the hands of the Epic beings.
Therefore, after Lancelot's clone slaughtered 97-80% of the dark Mage, the lords of the Mage towers had to watch the villains leave, which inevitably broke their defenses.
When news spread to other districts, the lords of the attacked Mage towers realized that it wasn't just them who were unlucky; the ruthless assailant with such powerful disguises had, for some reason, suddenly gained eleven accomplices.
They possessed the same level of concealment and disguise abilities, even managing to deceive the eyes of Epic beings.
Throughout the entire Elven Plane, there are very few races or factions that possess this ability.
After Hetila, the fourth-ranking figure in the City of Freedom, nicknamed the Eye of Dark Extinction, personally inspected the scene, this Peak Epic dark Mage immediately concluded that the perpetrators were definitely from the same faction, or even the same race, as their energy properties and methods of committing the crimes were too similar.
Moreover, Hetila discovered that their City of Freedom seemed to have wronged the Slaughter Divine Church.
The initial massacres that occurred in District 121 were most likely not the work of the rabid Slaughter.
The stark contrast between the scene of the twelve Mage towers and the devastation left behind by the madmen who stormed into the City of Freedom and wreaked havoc highlights the two completely different styles.
These are two groups!
After reaching this conclusion, Hetila's forehead veins bulged, and she summoned Tanbein, and gave him a severe dressing-down, nearly killing him in the process.
If Tanbein been a disciple of Blood Night Gothe, the third-ranking figure in the City of Freedom, Hetila would have definitely killed him. It was because of his misjudgment that the City of Freedom suffered extremely heavy losses.
Nowadays, the conflict between the Slaughter cultists and the black Mage has become increasingly serious with the passage of time and the bloodshed has increased. It is no longer something that can be resolved with just a misunderstanding.
The Lord of the Free City could have driven these bloodthirsty Slaughter out, but unfortunately, the Slaughter Divine Church also had Demigod who brazenly stood outside City of Freedom, supporting their own people. The Lord of the Free City dared not act rashly, lest it provoke an even greater war.
For Demigod, battles below the Demigod, no matter how many people die, are not considered crippling, especially for non-civilized forces like the City of Freedom and the Slaughter Divine Church, which are purely composed of Transcendent individuals.
Without regard for the lives of ordinary people, the so-called war—whether it's war or peace—is merely a matter of a single word from them.
However, if it involves a war Demigod, it is a matter of life and death, and must be handled with utmost care. After all, even if the entire force is wiped out, as long as the Demigod are still alive, it can be slowly rebuilt. But if the Demigod are all gone, then they can only be at the mercy of others.
Given that the Lord of the Free City cannot act rashly, relying on his dark Mage and Slaughter followers to fight is not because they cannot win, but because it is completely unnecessary.
What good would winning do?
These Slaughter madmen were notoriously poor.
They sacrificed all their resources to their gods in exchange for divine blessing and to strengthen their bodies.
If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad. A powerful body can also become a spoil of war. For example, the Ashes Barbarian Star Pillar, Gumon, had a body that satisfied Logo greatly. He thought it was good material to be transformed into a large war puppet, with a value comparable to a high-quality Demigod.
However, the followers of Slaughter generally have a habit of inscribing "Sacrificial Blood Mark" on their bodies. Once they perish, under the influence of the Sacrificial Blood Mark, everything about the followers of Slaughter, including their souls and bodies, will be offered up to the God of Slaughter.
This is a secret technique unique to the Slaughter Divine Church.
In this way, the Slaughter followers became a veritable leech.
You can't kill it or break it, and after finally taking it down, you end up injured and have gained nothing.
The price-performance ratio is ridiculously low.
This is why the dark Mage have a very low willingness to fight against the Slaughter; no one wants to do something thankless and difficult.
The reason why Carne Tigris chose not to attack Lancelot, besides his extremely cautious nature, was perhaps also largely because he regarded Lancelot as a believer in Slaughter and felt that he would not gain anything even if he killed Lancelot, so he was naturally unwilling to waste his efforts.
Therefore, it is conceivable how much Hetila, the Eye of Dark Extinction, despised Tempein Tanbein his hasty decision that led to the Slaughter of the cultists' attack on the City of Freedom. After dismissing him from his post, he directly sent Tanbein to the front line of the battle against the Slaughter of the cultists, to District 67.
Aren't you a sworn enemy of the followers of Slaughter?
Very well, then let me see just how strong your hatred really is!
Although Hetila couldn't directly kill Tanbein because of Blood Night Gothe, the third-ranking figure in the City of Freedom, if the latter died in the line of duty, it wouldn't be Hetila's problem, and Gothe wouldn't be able to find fault with it either. After all, who told your disciple to cause such a big problem for the City of Freedom?!
As for the Slaughter of believers, the City of Freedom, with its limited resources, cannot resolve the situation in a short time.
They can either wait for the Arcane Ring to intervene and have the highest levels of the Slaughter Divine Church order the withdrawal of the Slaughter Cult members.
Alternatively, they can only passively wait for these madmen to finish venting their frustrations on the delicate body of the City of Freedom, then pull up their pants and leave satisfied.
Based on the Arcane Ring's past attitudes towards the City of Freedom, the second possibility has a probability of over 90%.
Thinking of this, Hetila sadly closed her eyes.
But quickly, with a whoosh, his eyes opened again, bloodshot.
The Slaughter Divine Church someone we can't afford to mess with. The culprit behind this terrible situation is some guy who popped up out of nowhere posing as a follower of Slaughter. Are we, the City of Freedom, really so invincible?
If you feel frustrated, you need to vent it.
Pick the softest persimmon.
Clearly, Hetila was preparing to vent his rage on what he considered an easy target, Lancelot.
Her icy gaze swept over the silent followers around her, Hetila's voice was as cold as frost as she said, "Go, bring that old bastard Dewushi to see me."
"Yes."
One of Hetila's trusted men paused for a moment, seemingly trying to recall who Dewushi was. Once he had the memory of the man, he immediately turned and left.
Not long after, the trusted aide returned, holding a wrinkled, thin old man in his hand. Judging from the latter's frail and aged appearance, he was probably about to die at any moment.
But Hetila, who knew the old man's condition all too well, would never think that way. After all, this seemingly frail old man had survived for over a hundred years under the Lord of the Free City's insane experiments, and had even left the laboratory alive. Although he was left with aftereffects, at least he was still alive, wasn't he?
Moreover, don't be fooled by the fact that this old man named Dewushi looks no different from a human. In fact, this old guy is a rare long-lived species. Even without cultivation, he can easily live for tens of thousands of years.
Compared to their enviable long lifespan, the Dewushi clan's talent for cultivation is extremely poor. According to clan records, no more than ten clan members have broken through to the Legendary rank, and not a single one has reached the Demigod.
It seems to confirm the saying that everything has its own balance.
The Dewushi race possesses the racial talents of divination and tracking. This race is a rare breed of natural diviners, capable of directly sensing the soul aura of other life forms from thousands of miles away.
Because of this talent, Dewushi was Lord of the Free City, who cultivated the path of the soul, and was repeatedly tortured and dissected by the latter in an attempt to explore the structure of his soul.
It is unknown what the Lord of the Free City obtained, but Dewushi seemed to be of no use to him and was thrown to Hetila.
Hetila, the Eye of Dark Extinction, is the fourth most powerful figure in the City of Freedom. He is primarily responsible for maintaining order in his jurisdiction and can be considered the police chief of the City of Freedom.
Dewushi's abilities are equivalent to an ultimate, enhanced version of a humanoid police dog, which is used to solve cases and track down criminals with unfailing success.
However, it seems that he was tortured too badly by the Lord of the Free City. Dewushi was sometimes clear-headed and sometimes confused. If you want him to help, you can only wait until he is in good condition.
In recent years, Dewushi has been in a daze, so he has gradually been ignored by others, except for Hetila still remembers this old man.
When Dewushi was brought to the scene, he was still in a dazed and half-dead state, his eyes rolled back, yellow and white drool dripping from the corner of his mouth, looking filthy and even emitting a faint stench. This caused the few clean-loving black Mage next to him to frown and take a few steps back.
Slap slap!!
Hetila slapped Dewy across the face twice, Dewushi's face twitched, but there was no sign of improvement.
Upon seeing this, Hetila's expression shifted, as if he was hesitating about something.
A moment later, Hetila's eyes flashed with a cold light, becoming unusually ruthless. He took out a glass syringe about the thickness of a normal person's little finger from his storage ring, and then, without hesitation, plunged the sharp needle into the top of Dewushi's head.
The needle pierced through the flesh and bone effortlessly, shooting out a stream of bluish-black liquid.
The moment these liquids came into contact with Dewushi's brain, they were rapidly absorbed. Immediately afterwards, crimson lights burst forth, condensing and pulling out a flickering soul like a chain.
Ah~!!
As if subjected to Human Dao torture, Dewushi suddenly screamed in agony and rolled wildly on the ground.
The dark Mage around them mostly stood with their arms crossed, watching the scene with great interest, as if they were examining a pig about to be slaughtered. They exuded an air of superiority and disdain, as if they were not the ones who had turned pale at the mention of the Slaughter madman before.
The black Mage's actions undoubtedly illustrate an ironic truth: most creatures appear extremely ferocious when committing violence, but are surprisingly vulnerable when violence falls upon themselves.
After about a minute, Dewushi, who had been rolling around frantically, stopped and his eyes cleared.
But his soul, silently, was filled with cracks.
Snap!
Hetila snapped his fingers, drawing everyone's attention.
In a daze, the dark Mage and Dewushi seemed to see a giant eye, as large as a star, stretching across the Starry Sky. Inside, countless ghosts and monsters were fighting each other, and dark energy rolled in, as if it wanted to devour everything, domineering and incomparable.
A powerful spiritual will, like clouds hanging from the sky, swept down in a mighty torrent.
Look into my eyes...
Hetila spoke as if he were a god, his voice like thunder.
Although Dewushi's eyes remained clear, he unconsciously met Hetila's gaze, and two blood-red demonic eyes silently appeared in his aged pupils.
After confirming her successful mind control, Hetila pointed to the murder scene inside the Mage tower and coldly ordered, "Use your abilities, at all costs, even if it means burning your life, to pinpoint the culprit behind all this! I need to know his—no, their—true identities!"
"As you command, Master!" Dewushi said respectfully, and then his already fragmented soul actually ignited a seemingly real yet illusory soul flame.
Seeing this, Hetila, the Eye of Dark Extinction, wore a complex expression. Dewushi was a useful tool; he would never treat him as a disposable item unless absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, he had to find the culprit as soon as possible, whether out of personal feelings or official business!
On the other side, Dewushi stood up, trudging through the blood to the center of the Mage tower. He stretched out two old, wrinkled hands, palms down, and whispered, "Tracing back..."
Buzz!!
In the darkness, a mysterious power descended and entered Dewushi's mind, replaying for him the events that had occurred here before.
As if time had reversed, characters appeared in my mind, forming a vivid picture of the world.
Finally, the image focuses on a handsome middle-aged dark Mage.
Click!
As if a stone shell had cracked, the middle-aged black Mage's clothes were torn apart, his flesh split open, and he turned into dust, revealing what was hidden inside.
Human body, lizard-like head, diamond-shaped scales...
"The Angpeier Family..."
The well-informed Dewushi immediately recognized the lizardman's identity.
But he soon realized something was wrong.
"No, this isn't his true identity; it's just another disguise..."
Click! Click!
As Dewushi exerted his strength once more, the lizard skin of the Angpeier Family also peeled off, finally revealing Lancelot's true appearance, or more accurately, his appearance a few years ago: a heroic young man with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes.
"Who is this person...?" A question arose in Dewushi's mind.
Having been in a daze for the past few years, Dewushi was completely unaware of the recent events and famous figures in the Elven Plane, so he did not recognize Lancelot the Crusher, the newly emerging leader of the Crimson Alliance.
However, Dewushi had indeed accumulated a wealth of knowledge. Although he had been active near the Planet Guta before being captured by the Lord of the Free City, he was very familiar with the major powers in the entire plane.
Therefore, after careful sensing, Dewushi recognized Lancelot's profession.
"A bloodline sorcerer? No, more like an Innovation School Ability Energy from the Crimson Alliance of Planet Oklo. How could the Crimson Alliance be going up against the City of Freedom? Could it be that the relationship between Ashes and the Guta Federation has been exposed?..."
For a moment, Dewushi thought about many things.
He was not controlled by Hetila.
Life is unpredictable. After being dissected thousands of times by the Lord of the Free City, Dewushi's soul was in complete disarray, but this also gave rise to a terrifying mental resistance.
Even Low-Rank Demigod would have a hard time controlling him with Divine Power, let alone Hetila, who is merely at the Peak Epic.
This was something that neither Hetila nor even the Lord of the Free City were aware of.
Dewushi's previous actions were merely a ploy to lull Hetila into a false sense of security; he sought revenge and wanted the City of Freedom to pay the price.
Given his impending death and his caged state, it's impossible for him to make the City of Freedom pay a price. So, the only option is to use their strength against them.
"Whether it's the Angpeier Family or the Ability Energy of the Crimson Alliance, as long as they make the City of Freedom pay the price, and teach the Ashes, and even the Guta Federation behind them, a painful lesson, I will pray for you from heaven..."
The faithless Dewushi made this vow before his death, his heart filled with too much hatred that he had nowhere to vent.
I was shocked and incredulous when I learned about the relationship between Ashes and the Guta Federation by chance using my divination talent.
But Dewushi wasn't stupid; he understood the uproar that would ensue if this news were released.
He himself would die without a burial place.
Therefore, he chose to keep it a secret from the bottom of his heart.
However, at a gathering with friends, Dewushi, who had inevitably had a few too many drinks, let slip what he had said.
Although he immediately realized his mistake after the words were spoken and tried his best to make amends, it was too late.
Not long after, the Lord of the Free City came to his door.
What followed was a Hell hundred years.
Dewushi hates it!
He hated the friend who betrayed him.
He hated the Lord of the Free City who tormented him.
They hate the Guta Federation for its hypocrisy and double standards.
Hate the terrorist organization Ashes.
I hate myself for not being able to control my curiosity and for resorting to Divination, seeing things I shouldn't have. Afterwards, I didn't decisively cleanse my soul's memories, clinging to a sliver of hope...
All the hatred, at this moment, at the end of his life, was transformed into a few simple words.
"It's the Angpeier Family..."
As soon as he finished speaking, with a bang, Dewushi, who had a strange smile on his lips, disintegrated into pieces of flesh and soul, falling to the ground and dying on the spot.
Hetila was not surprised by Dewushi's demise; that needle was meant to kill him.
Although Dewushi died a little too early, a few minutes less than expected, the old dog had accomplished his mission.
"The Angpeier Family, it was them!"
Hetila's eyes were cold.
I understand now, I understand everything.
No wonder those perpetrators all possessed exceptional disguise and Concealment skills.
No wonder their auras were so similar, and their fighting styles were exactly the same.
Because these criminals all came from the Angpeier Family of the Planet Veyin.
Ordinary dark Mage, with limited access to information and a narrow perspective, may not know much about the Angpeier Family.
However, if we mention the famous "Bureau of Anomalous Affairs Investigation" of the Veyin Empire, it is absolutely a household name.
It was an entity with a reputation comparable to the "Federal Central Intelligence Agency" established by the Guta Federation a few years ago, and it was even more terrifying due to its long history and formidable combat record.
The Bureau of Anomalous Affairs Investigation is known for its omnipresence, which is the first impression it leaves on ordinary people.
Hetila, who possessed more information, understood even better the meaning behind the phrase 'omnipresent'.
Angpeier Shapeshifting Spell!
"It seems that the organization's rampant infiltration of Planet Veyin has thoroughly enraged this ancient empire, which is why they sent members of the Angpeier Family to Planet Pandora to retaliate?"
Hetila murmured to himself, making his own guess.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he was right.
The City of Freedom has been caught in the crossfire.
However, since they were part of the Ashes Organization, it seemed reasonable for the enemy to retaliate.
"Does the fate of the Angpeier Family mean that the Veyin Empire will launch a large-scale counterattack? This news must be reported to the city lord as soon as possible. If that's the case, the City of Freedom alone won't be able to resist..."
Thinking of this, Hetila turned and left with a solemn expression, leaving the surrounding dark Mage puzzled. Only a few who knew the inside story followed anxiously, and like Hetila, they made the same judgment.
And this was exactly what the recently deceased Dewushi wanted to see.
The reason Dewushi didn't expose Lancelot's true identity wasn't because he was planning to help Lancelot.
It's simply because the Veyin Empire is far stronger than the Crimson Alliance and has a better chance of Revenge him.
Never underestimate anyone. The wonder of Fate lies in the fact that even an insignificant person has the potential to change the course of events.
Dewushi had the opportunity to expose Lancelot's true colors, but he didn't; this is the invisible variable hidden in the unknown.
When Hetila reported his conjectures and theoretical basis to the Lord of the Free City in detail, the latter fell silent.
Compared to the terrifying Veyin Empire, the Slaughter Divine Church is nothing, and the City of Freedom is just a giant ant.
In the entire Elven Plane, only a handful of imperial-level forces can directly confront the Veyin Empire without being at a disadvantage, and this does not even include the Ashes Organization.
After a long silence, the Lord of the Free City nodded. "I understand. Don't tell anyone else about this. Continue the operation, find these Weiyin People, and wipe them out!"
"Yes!"
Hetila bowed and withdrew.
The figure of the Lord of the Free City appeared and disappeared in the black mist of souls. After hesitating, he took out a communicator that looked like it was carved from amethyst and dialed a number.
A few seconds later, a purple light screen appeared, revealing a figure shrouded in gray haze—it was none other than the Sun Eclipser, Baliewei.
"Uncle!"
The Lord of the Free City bowed slightly in respect to the Sun Eclipser.
"Bennierte, what's the matter that you contacted me about?" The Sun Eclipser's voice was slightly hoarse, like the grinding of iron filings, sending chills down one's spine.
The Lord of the Free City's face, hidden beneath his cloak, subtly changed.
For some reason, lately, his uncle Baliewei, has become increasingly unrecognizable to him.
The once wise, decisive, and composed leader is now like a sun falling into Abyss, its light growing dimmer with each passing day.
But the Lord of the Free City didn't think much of it. From the upright and honorable Mudatuo, he became the number one terrorist, the Sun Eclipser. It wasn't hard to understand why his personality became a bit dark.
Isn't he the same?
After becoming the Lord of the Free City, he became increasingly brutal and reckless.
Moreover, in recent years, the Ashes have launched a full-scale offensive, creating conflicts throughout the Elven Plane and preventing any country from developing peacefully. Under such immense pressure, it's quite normal that Uncle Baliewei's condition is somewhat off.
After calming himself down, the Lord of the Free City, Soul Star Pillar Bennierte Krashov, reported the matter of the Angpeier Family.
After hearing his nephew's report, Baliewei's expression hardened, and a violent, demonic light flashed in his scarlet pupils, revealing his extreme madness.
But at that moment, a grass-green ring on his finger emitted a pure, faint light, restoring his composure.
After letting out a sigh of relief, Baliewei smiled gently at his favorite nephew, "Don't worry about Bennierte. According to the news sent back by Sylvain, the Planet Veyin is currently undergoing a change of imperial power, with the major factions fighting fiercely and unable to attend to their own affairs. Sending the Angpeier Family was probably just a warning to us. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent Legendary -level forces; Demigod would definitely have descended..."
"Since it's Brother Sylvain's analysis, it should be correct..." The Lord of the Free City nodded slightly, his words showing considerable respect for Sylvain and a clear sense of affection.
Spider Mom always thought that the Lord of the Free City was exceptionally polite to her because he feared Sylvain's combat power. In fact, there was another important reason: the Lord of the Free City had been trained by Sylvain childhood, and his Transcendent foundation was laid with Sylvain's help.
In the eyes of the Lord of the Free City, Sylvain was his elder brother, a member of the Kelaxiweifu Family, and his brother's partner was naturally his sister-in-law.
However, Sylvain hadn't Index Spider Mom, so Gustavo was unaware of them, and Lancelot was even less likely to know.
Unaware of the Lord of the Free City's reaction, when he sensed the awe in Baliewei's eyes when he mentioned Sylvain, a fleeting glint of jealousy flashed in his crimson pupils, and his voice turned cold. "Bennierte, is there anything else?"
"That's all." The Lord of the Free City paused for a moment, then quickly replied.
"Defend Planet Pandora well. City of Freedom is a crucial stronghold. In the future, when the Federation launches a war of unification, it can directly use the teleportation array here to send powerful individuals to seize the entire planet. It cannot be lost."
"Yes, I will definitely protect the City of Freedom."
Upon hearing this, Baliewei waved his sleeve, and the purple light barrier dissipated.
Watching the purple light gradually fade away and his uncle's sudden change in attitude, the Lord of the Free City felt a bad premonition for some reason. He keenly sensed the change in his uncle's attitude towards his brother, which was a very dangerous sign.
"Hopefully, nothing bad will happen that will hurt our loved ones and please our enemies..."