The End

After everyone returned, Bowers immediately deployed a protective barrier. Two points of light fell from the sky, striking precisely the center of the Sea of Divine Grace army that had just rejoined the attack force, exploding into two blobs of aerogel.

The next moment, bright orange flames shot into the sky, and the shockwave swept across the entire hillside, clearing away all the snow!

Amidst the flying ice and snow fragments, the Final Bone Mad Machines Corps stood watching, admiring the countless severed limbs and debris scattered before them.

"Now everyone gets a unit, no need to fight over it!" said a necromancer.

****

As the smoke gradually dissipated, the results of the battle quickly appeared on Su Ming's tablet. Apart from the core area, most of the regular soldiers had actually survived the explosion of this magnitude.

"As expected of an extraordinary being from another world, "Su Ming remarked.

Injuries were inevitable; the massive shockwave from the explosion threw many people away, and the scene was chaotic. Most people were still struggling to get up from the ground, let alone regroup.

As for the informal cadet corps and teacher corps, the situation is even worse; the vast majority have completely disappeared without a trace.

"Iron Crown Imperial Guard Second Squad, launch!" Su Ming decisively issued a new order, "Finish off the remaining enemies!"

"Receive!"

Su Ming walked up to the large block of ice. [Zijin, I've frozen the Fate Manipulator into an ice cube. What do I do?]

[Use "Arcane Collapse" on him first to break his barrier, so he'll be frozen unconscious quickly.] Zijin said, [Then use a ray-type attack spell to blast him through the ice layer, carefully observing whether his body has a natural reflex; if there's no reaction, he's truly unconscious. Next, deal with the pre-set spells on him, then you can start stripping the items off him, then apply multiple anti-spells and binding items, and finally you can pack him up and take him away.]

Zijin went on and on about the process, with each step described in an outrageously detailed manner.

"[You're really skilled.]" Su Ming remarked. "[And it's so troublesome.]"

"Of course," Zijin complained, "Dealing with living powerful beings is much more troublesome than dealing with physical ones!"

As she spoke, she killed the last foolish Choir member. Then she dusted off her hands, found a flat rock, and sat down to rest.

These Choir members fought relentlessly, their defenses exceptionally high. Coupled with the constant need to maintain their domain and suppress the Saint Rank who was taking a sauna underground, she was truly exhausted.

Following Zijin's instructions, Su Ming began to process the "spoils of war" in front of him.

Zijin took out a packet of peanut brittle from her bosom and ate it in small bites to replenish the sugar she had used up.

"[Su Ming, I'm angry.]" the girl suddenly said.

As Su Ming followed the steps to dispel the Fate Manipulator's defensive abilities, he responded, "[Sorry for talking to you like that earlier.]"

"[--You're the owner of the White Bone Mark, aren't you?]" Zijin bit off a piece of peanut brittle, making a crisp cracking sound. "[If you die, I'll be in big trouble!]"

"I'll be careful," Su Ming said.

The ground at the feet of the Zijin suddenly shifted, and a black head struggled to emerge from the soil, greedily inhaling the outside air. Scorching heat, mixed with white mist, billowed from the cave entrance, emitting a suffocating, acrid odor.

After Zijin used "Natural Rhythm" to strip away the two key spells "Slumber Breath" and "Transmute Rock to Mud," the Radiant Chanter was forced to use much less effective lower-level spells to sustain life and continue digging.

He forcefully carved out a passage using ordinary attack magic. When his Magic Power was about to run out, he also activated "Hymn of Martyrdom," cruelly sacrificing all the surviving Choir members underground to extract their last bit of strength.

Finally, he managed to climb out of the grave that had buried him alive.

[Su Ming, I saw the Hector the Radiant Chanter.] Zijin gently tapped the Radiant Chanter's head with her toe, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather.

"[Have we gained another prisoner?]" Su Ming asked.

Zijin shook her head. [No, she's already dead.]

When Hector's Magic Power was running low, he inhaled too much scorching air, causing severe burns to his lungs, making it impossible for him to breathe normally. Thus, this radiant and majestic Saint Rank powerhouse of Light, his breath grew weaker and weaker, and his body slowly slid back into the dark cave, lying among the corpses of the Choir members he had personally sacrificed.

The Radiant Chanter and the Choir possess formidable combat prowess, especially in all types of defensive magic. In a direct confrontation, even Zijin would be rendered helpless after exhausting three rounds of Magic Power.

Yet this powerful duo was ultimately buried alive in such a cruel manner.

The Divine Favor Scepter did not react at all, clearly showing no interest in the souls of these people.

Zijin took out a spirit bottle and put Hector's soul into it.

"Chestnut!" Hector's voice crackled with hatred and resentment. "What do you intend to do with me?"

Zijin sealed the spirit bottle directly, without wasting any words with him.

The specific mechanisms of the Temple of Light's "Return" and "Nirvana" are currently unclear, so there's no need to complicate things. In any case, the Fate Manipulator has already been captured alive, so let's find out more about him first before fabricating Hector's soul.

By the afternoon, the various combat units had completed a brief rest. The warriors of the Final Bone Mad Machines and the Iron Crown Imperial Guard surrounded the Sea of Divine Grace Academy, forming a tight encirclement.

The Star Sand members did not participate in the attack this time for two reasons:

On the one hand, although the number of dead in this battle was not large, totaling less than double digits, the number of wounded was considerable. Regardless of their original combat roles, the priests of Star Sand all possessed healing magic to some extent and were currently doing their best to treat the wounded.

On the other hand, it was caused by Su Ming— he underestimated the power of the thermobaric missile. The shockwave generated by the missile that attacked the Divine Might Prison fortress caused considerable damage to the prisoners in the dungeon, resulting in two hundred people suffering from varying degrees of shock injuries.

The Iron Crown Imperial Guard suffered less damage in the morning's battle and are now the main force in this phase.

As for the Final Bone Mad Machines, it would be extremely cruel to prevent necromancers from participating in the battle after having just obtained a sufficient number of corpses!

"Let me add something about battlefield discipline," Rupert said, standing before everyone. "No one is allowed to take off their robes and charge into battle wearing only their underwear!"

Any outrageous rule will inevitably lead to a group of people immediately protesting, "You won't even give us this much freedom!"

"Exactly! They're having so much fun, who cares about anything else!"

"Those who violate this rule will be disqualified from attending the next concert," Hansite said.

Everyone immediately fell silent.

****

Zijin sat on a small hillside, quietly gazing at the magnificent Sea of Divine Grace Academy complex before her. The light from the "Everwatching Obelisk gilded the exquisite spires and arched windows with an ethereal edge, making the entire academy resemble a fairytale castle amidst the snowy landscape.

"The convent where I stayed back then was so run-down," Zijin complained to Stacy beside her, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction. "And it was so cold in the winter."

Stacy looked to be about forty years old, but was actually much older. This once elegant and brilliant Great Scholar had been worn down by a year of hard labor in the Divine Might Prison, and even a superhuman like her bore the marks of time.

Her long hair was somewhat dry and yellow, and wrinkles had crept around her eyes, but her gaze remained bright and wise.

About 20% of the captured necromancers remained forever in the darkness of the Divine Might Prison, while Stacy was one of the lucky survivors. At this moment, she sat side by side with her best friend, admiring the beautiful scenery, holding a steaming cup of milk in her hand, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.

"Can a commoner's nunnery compare to a noble academy directly affiliated with the Temple of Light?" Stacy chuckled.

****

Each group reported to Su Ming in turn, and everyone took their positions.

Newman and Princess Dafulin, along with their technical team, set up a sophisticated observation instrument high up, carefully calculating the distortion points of the "Everwatching Obelisk's" defensive shield caused by the southerly winds.

They started this work this morning, and three hours have passed since then.

Shortly afterward, the task was completed, and Newman submitted the precise parameters for the shield breach point.

"Operation begins!"

Su Ming pressed the launch button. Guided precisely by the Rainbow One UAV that had just taken off again, the two missiles streaked across the sky and accurately hit their target locations.

The commotion this time was far greater than the "Angel Horn" of the Divine Might Prison. Wave-like undulations spread from the point of distortion, and the massive shield surface rippled violently back and forth.

After several cycles of oscillation, the "Everwatching Obelisk" shield could no longer maintain its original shape and shattered completely with a loud bang!

Magic Power storm, almost tangible, swept through, causing everyone's robes to flutter wildly. Seizing the opportunity, everyone immediately launched a charge!

"Charge in immediately and suppress the Everwatching Obelisk!" Newman shouted, his voice exceptionally clear amidst the aftershocks of Magic Power. "The shield will automatically regenerate in just five minutes, hurry!"

But he was overthinking it. The remaining enemy forces were already routed, and their barely organized defenses crumbled the moment the charge began. The panicked guards abandoned their armor and weapons, completely unable to put up any effective resistance.

"Newman," Su Ming couldn't help but complain, "His defense, which didn't have a hidden door, is easier to deal with than yours!"

It took Su Ming three high-explosive missiles to break through "Sacred Antelope Horn", while the even stronger "Everwatching Obelisk" collapsed with just two missiles.

Furthermore, if it weren't for Su Ming's modern weaponry system, the difficulty of hitting three points and detonating them within a 0.1-second interval would be vastly different from detonating them at two points.

"Of course!" Newman's tone was filled with undisguised smugness. "What's the use of a design that's grandiose and impractical!"

Sea of Divine Grace Academy, a large number of enemies knelt down and surrendered, begging for forgiveness.

Unlike the soldiers from the harsh conditions of the Northern Lands, these men were all wealthy and powerful, and in this situation, all they could think about was preserving their lives and waiting for their families to ransom them.

"Su Ming, shall we accept these prisoners?" Katharine asked.

"Is it easy to handle?" Su Ming asked back.

"We have limited manpower; at most, we can take a few key figures' children as bargaining chips," Katharine replied. "The others are really of little value."

"Alright, then let's continue the attack."

"-You still haven't said how to deal with those who surrendered?" Katharine pressed.

"Has anyone surrendered?" Su Ming asked calmly. "I haven't seen any."

"Understood!"

After hanging up the call, Su Ming sighed softly. A single sentence had decided the lives of thousands; he couldn't help but feel a tightness in his chest.

This did not prevent him from issuing orders, nor did it prevent him from feeling a trace of sorrow for the dead.

"[Su Ming.] "Zijin suddenly said.

[What's wrong?]

"[You did a great job today.]" Zijin said. "[Really fantastic. We suffered almost no losses and eliminated a large number of enemies. Many people will have a chance to survive in the future because of this victory.]"

[Thank you for the compliment.]

Zijin paused for a moment, then said, "[If we continue down this path, we'll kill even more people in the future.]"

[I know.] Su Ming sighed again. [I'm fine, I'm getting used to it.]

[Um.]

"Chatting with someone?" Stacy asked curiously.

"It's nothing," Zijin replied.

"Tell me about your experiences lately," Stacy said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "How did you meet the new master of the White Bone Mark, Bone King, and how did you get here?"

"This story might be very different from what you expect."

"It's alright," Stacy said with a gentle smile. "I have plenty of time to listen to your story!"