Vol 4. Chapter 140: Youlan’s Move
Western Anqieka Continent,
Deep within the mountainous central region of the small Kingdom of Modor,
At this very moment,
A meteor glowing with reddish-yellow light was streaking through the thunderclouds above the mountains with unstoppable momentum.
Powerful bolts of lightning, seemingly forming a barrier that protected the world within, continuously launched thunderous assaults against the meteor attempting to break through.
However, these lightning strikes, powerful enough to blast a Sixth-Tier expert into pieces, were shattered by the terrifying magical energy surrounding the reddish-yellow meteor before they could even reach it.
The lightning dispersed into countless particles of lightning-attributed magical energy, vanishing into the air.
Meanwhile, the reddish-yellow meteor continued hurtling deeper into the thunderclouds.
After a period of rapid advancement,
The dense thunderclouds suddenly dispersed.
As the thunderclouds and black mist faded away, the world ahead abruptly opened up into a vast, unobstructed expanse.
The next moment,
An enormous tower appeared before the reddish-yellow meteor.
Majestic and magnificent, it stretched straight into the clouds. Its entire structure was constructed from crimson crystals, radiating an ancient, imposing, and murderous atmosphere.
Anyone familiar with magical knowledge would undoubtedly recognize this extraordinary building at first glance.
It was none other than the sacred land of mages on the Anqieka Continent.
One of the Twin Towers,
The Red Moon Tower.
As the reddish-yellow meteor approached the epic-looking crimson crystal tower, its tremendous speed gradually decreased.
After passing the identity verification process at the tower's outer perimeter, the meteor flew directly through a spatial portal and entered the Red Moon Tower.
...
A short while later, in the central region of the Red Moon Tower,
The reddish-yellow meteor suddenly descended into an ancient and imposing corridor.
As the meteor landed, its magical energy dispersed, and the reddish-yellow radiance gradually faded, revealing a sturdy, masked man standing in the passageway.
The moment they saw him, the dozens of mages stationed nearby as guards immediately dropped to one knee and lowered their heads, displaying the utmost respect toward the brown-haired man.
"Welcome back, Lord Left Guardian."
"Mm."
The man responded indifferently and slowly removed the mask covering his face, revealing the strikingly handsome and heroic features concealed beneath it.
The brown-haired man was none other than Anfrell, the Left Guardian of the Red Moon Tower.
He quickly turned his attention toward an elderly mage standing at the front and asked in a somewhat impatient tone,
"Saide, where is the Tower Master?"
Hearing this,
The elderly mage named Saide slowly turned his gaze toward the magnificent, enormous stone doors behind him, which were covered in all manner of magical runes.
"The Tower Master is in the Forbidden Domain, Lord Left Guardian. Do you have business with her?"
"Yes. It's urgent."
After giving a brief reply, Anfrell removed his large overcoat, leaving himself in formal attire, and hurried forward.
He forcefully pushed open the stone doors.
The next instant,
An eerie crimson light illuminated Anfrell's rugged face, and a treacherous cliff appeared before his eyes.
Ignoring the seemingly bottomless abysses on either side and the black-and-red mist below, from which horrifying, ghostlike screams continuously echoed, Anfrell walked straight toward the edge of the cliff.
He stopped behind a graceful golden figure.
Naturally, the sound of Anfrell's heavy footsteps attracted the attention of the woman ahead.
The honey-haired woman, who had been observing the gruesome scene unfolding beneath the abyss, slowly spoke.
"Anfrell, is that you..."
As she spoke,
The honey-haired woman elegantly raised her hand and waved it.
Following this movement, a Seventh-Tier magical beast resembling an earth dragon, which had been tightly restrained by blood-red thorns nearby, suddenly unleashed an agonizing roar.
It seemed to be begging for mercy, yet at the same time struggling desperately to escape.
However,
Whether it begged or struggled, neither could change its fate.
Under the honey-haired woman's control, the blood-red thorns mercilessly hurled the earth dragon into the seemingly bottomless abyss below.
In an instant,
As though sensing the approach of food, the black mist beneath the abyss suddenly began surging violently.
Countless black-and-red tentacles shot upward with terrifying speed, instantly wrapping themselves tightly around the earth dragon.
The earth dragon let out a shrill scream of terror.
Driven by its instinct for survival, it unleashed every last bit of energy within its body, desperately attempting to seize even the slightest chance of escape.
Unfortunately, its efforts were ultimately meaningless.
Accompanied by a despairing howl and a spray of blood and internal organs, the earth dragon was, as expected, torn into countless pieces by the black-and-red tentacles.
Its remains were then slowly swallowed by the black mist.
After witnessing this bloody spectacle, not the slightest trace of discomfort appeared in the honey-haired woman's deep-blue eyes.
Instead, they contained an indescribable sense of pleasure.
The sensation of watching a life wither away in terror was something she found immensely satisfying.
After temporarily finishing the feeding and concealing the expression on her face, the honey-haired woman slowly turned around.
Her gaze met Anfrell's agate-colored eyes, which were filled with reverence.
"So, you've returned."
"Yes, Lady Youlan. As you instructed, I have returned."
"Mm. I'll leave the preparations for the battle here to you. You're familiar with the subsequent plan of action, aren't you?"
"Yes, Lady Youlan. I will do everything in my power to hold that person back."
"You have no objections?"
"None."
"Even if you might die?"
"Yes. Even if I must sacrifice my life and spill every last drop of blood, I will carry out your orders without hesitation."
Anfrell replied firmly, without the slightest hesitation.
His agate-colored eyes were filled with determination and resolve, showing absolutely no fear of death.
"Without your kindness, Lady Youlan, I would have died eighty years ago. Being able to live until now and repay your kindness is already more than enough to satisfy me. Besides..."
As he spoke, a trace of anticipation gradually appeared in Anfrell's eyes.
"Besides, having the opportunity to fight against that esteemed person would be the greatest honor of my life."
"I see..."
In response to Anfrell's words and his declaration of loyalty, Youlan merely nodded indifferently.
Not the slightest emotional fluctuation could be seen on her somewhat pale and sickly face.
"However, since you came all the way to the Forbidden Domain specifically to find me, you must have something else to discuss, don't you, Left Guardian?"
"Yes, Lady Youlan."
"If there's something else, just say it. I still have more feeding to do afterward."
As she spoke, several more powerful magical beasts and spiritual beasts were forcibly dragged toward the edge of the cliff by the blood-red thorns.
For a moment, the anguished screams of the enormous beasts echoed throughout the Forbidden Domain.
"Yes..."
Ignoring the roaring beasts, Anfrell nodded.
After hesitating briefly, the Left Guardian finally couldn't help voicing the concern weighing on his mind.
"Lady Youlan, I heard that you intend to recall the Right Guardian as well?"
"That's right."
"Lady Youlan, I humbly request that you reconsider your plan."
"Hmm?"
"Anvika is, after all, the capital of both the Asumos Church and the Crimson Leaf Empire. There are already five known Eighth-Tier powerhouses stationed there, not to mention countless other powerful individuals. If you intend to make your move there, I'm afraid it will be extremely difficult for you to succeed alone, Lady Youlan. In my opinion, it would be better to leave the Right Guardian in Anvika to help share your burden. Alternatively, the Right Guardian and I could exchange assignments. I could assist you personally, while she takes command of the Red Moon Tower's defensive forces."
"There's no need."
"?!!"
Hearing those words, Anfrell's brows suddenly furrowed.
Although he knew that Youlan never allowed others to question her decisions once they had been made, Anfrell was willing to risk angering her for the sake of his benefactor's safety.
Thus, he repeatedly tried to persuade her.
"Lady Youlan?! Isn't that far too risky?! If you're going alone, then..."
"Anfrell."
Youlan cast a cold glance at the brown-haired man.
An intense chill instantly surged through Anfrell's heart, causing the Left Guardian's words to come to an abrupt halt.
He lowered his head somewhat timidly.
"Lady Youlan, I was only... concerned about your safety..."
"I know. But Anfrell, there's no need for you to worry. I've already planted a time bomb at Yexinlian. Besides, I won't be acting alone. I'll find someone to help me."
"Someone to help you?"
Hearing this, a puzzled expression appeared on Anfrell's face.
Considering his Tower Master's utterly insane infection plan, who else would possibly be willing to help her?
Apart from the handful of high-ranking members of the Red Moon Tower who were wholeheartedly devoted to her, who would willingly participate in such a scheme?
"May... may I be so bold as to ask who this helper is?"
Youlan did not directly answer his question.
Instead, while controlling the vines to toss another struggling magical beast into the abyss, she casually asked a question of her own.
"That person from Saint Lomari whom I asked you to investigate earlier... Where are they now?"
"Hmm? That person from Saint Lomari? Are you referring to the Imperial Sovereign candidate named 'Lingluo'? If it's her, she's already reached Blue Wisteria City and will arrive in Anvika very soon. ...Wait a moment?! Lady Youlan, don't tell me the helper you're talking about is her?!"
An expression of utter astonishment appeared on Anfrell's face.
He continued speaking with extreme anxiety.
"What use could a little brat who's only at the Fifth Tier possibly be?! The Pope's guards could crush her with a casual wave of their hands!"
"I'm not referring to her."
"Hmm? Then... then who are you talking about?"
"Well..."
Faced with Anfrell's question, Youlan apparently had no intention of providing a clear explanation.
Instead, she thoughtfully gazed into the unfathomably deep black abyss below.
An eerie, almost ghostly smile quietly appeared on the honey-haired woman's face, so faint that it was nearly imperceptible.
"You don't need to concern yourself with who it is."
"Lady Youlan?"
"All you need to know is that he will be able to help."
As she spoke,
For the first time in a long while, a trace of anticipation appeared on Youlan's normally expressionless, almost bloodless face.