Chapter 250: A Standoff
Chapter 250: A Standoff
The crushing weight of the dual Domains finally reached a breaking point.
SHATTER!
Rhain’s Domain of Darkness collapsed, dissipating into wisps of black mist.
Seeing the pitch-black sphere shatter and the dark-robed youth completely immobilized by the thick, sharp vines, the two grey-robed Domain Masters simultaneously pulled back their own Domains.
They let out cold, disdainful sneers, relaxing their tense postures.
"To push two Domain Masters to this extent, you can die proud," the leader spoke, his tone filled with chilling mockery.
The Domain Master who had summoned the Withering Forest stepped forward, a condensed blade of rotting wood essence forming in his hand.
He raised it high, fully intending to pierce Rhain’s heart, and end his life.
But Rhain, despite being bound and bleeding, did not show a single trace of panic.
His dark grey eyes remained chillingly calm.
DONG—!!!
Suddenly, a clear, ancient, and overwhelmingly majestic bell toll rang out.
The Emperor-Grade Artifact: Monarch’s Soul-Sealing Bell!
The moment the sound vibrated through the battlefield, the two Domain Masters froze, their consciousness forcefully severed from their bodies by the sheer, unblockable authority of an Emperor-Grade artifact.
With their control broken, the razor-sharp vines tightly binding Rhain withered and turned into dust within a fraction of a second.
Rhain was free.
He dropped to the ground, landing lightly on his feet.
His dark grey eyes blazed with killing intent.
"Domain of Darkness."
WHOOSH—!!!
The pitch-black void erupted outward once again, instantly swallowing the two paralyzed Domain Masters into a world of darkness.
Rhain blended in this darkness, appearing directly in front of the vine-controlling Domain Master.
Void Fist. Second Form.
He drove his fist right into the paralyzed man’s stomach.
"AARRRGGGHHH!!!"
A horrifying scream ripped through the pitch-black darkness.
It was a scream of such profound agony that it hardly sounded human.
The scream shocked the leader out of his stupor.
Realizing that his comrade was in danger, panic and rage exploded within the leader’s chest.
"YOU BASTARD!"
"DOMAIN OF CRUSHING EARTH!"
The leader roared like a madman, indiscriminately detonating the full force of his Domain in every direction.
The gravity multiplied to an unimaginable degree, fracturing the very space around them.
The sheer, overwhelming disparity between a true Domain Master going all-out and Rhain’s Spirit Manifestation cultivation was too vast.
CRACK! SHATTER!
Rhain’s Origin Domain of Darkness shattered like a pane of fragile glass.
The backlash of the broken domain, combined with the catastrophic gravity wave, slammed into Rhain’s chest.
Pfft—!"
Rhain coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body pushed backward, skidding across the shattered stone avenue for dozens of feet before he managed to stabilize his stance.
As the darkness cleared entirely, the scene on the street was finally revealed.
Hovering majestically in the night sky above them was a colossal, ancient bronze bell, radiating a supreme golden light.
But it was the sight below the bell that was truly shocking.
A few dozen yards away, the vine-controlling Domain Master was on his knees.
There was no visible, gaping wound on his body, but he was clutching his stomach, his face contorted in an expression of unimaginable agony.
It felt as though someone had poured molten lava directly into his stomach, melting his organs while simultaneously devouring his foundational essence.
His once-powerful aura had plummeted, weakening significantly.
"Argh... my meridians...!" the kneeling man groaned, desperately using all his essence to suppress the internal fire.
Just then, a loud crash echoed from the other side of the street.
The third Domain Master, who had been locked in fierce combat with Myrielle, was also pushed back.
He had also been momentarily stunned by the toll of the Monarch’s Soul-Sealing Bell.
Seizing that fleeting, golden opportunity, Myrielle had struck him with a palm, causing severe injuries.
Myrielle landed gracefully beside Rhain.
Her breathing was ragged, and she was clearly not in a very good condition, her blue robes bearing a few cuts, but she stood firmly alongside him, her sapphire eyes glaring at the assassins.
The three grey-robed men regrouped, their expressions unspeakably ugly.
They were true Domain Masters.
And yet, they had been pushed to this miserable, heavily wounded state while trying to kill a single Spirit Manifestation youth!
"Seal your hearing!" the leader roared, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at the golden bell in the sky. "Do not let that strange artifact stun you again! Ignore the Vice Dean! Kill the boy at all costs and let us leave!"
The three of them instantly coated their ears in thick layers of isolating essence, their killing intent reaching sky as they prepared to launch a combined assault.
But before they could take a single step forward—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The sky above Stormveil City trembled.
The very space became so heavy that the stone buildings surrounding the street began to crack.
Like falling stars, a multitude of terrifying auras descended from the sky.
Patriarch Thorian, Patriarch Caelan, Matriarch Seraphine, Dean Carmilla, and several other Domain Master elders from the three great Noble Families who had gathered at the banquet had finally arrived!
Nearly a dozen Domain Masters were now present on the scene.
Carmilla’s red robes fluttered wildly as she immediately stepped to the forefront, shielding Rhain and Myrielle completely behind her back.
"Go back," Carmilla commanded, her melodious voice ringing out with an unyielding authority. "You cannot harm any of my disciples in my presence."
The leading grey-robed man gritted his teeth, his face turning incredibly dark as he looked at the gathered titans of Stormveil City.
"Dean Carmilla," the leader threatened, his voice dripping with malice. "This boy has committed a heinous crime. By protecting him, you will only bring disaster to your Stormveil Academy! Be sensible. Obediently hand him over to us right now!"
Carmilla let out a cold, disdainful laugh.
"Hand him over? On whose authority?" Carmilla challenged, her chin tilting upward. "As long as it is not an Imperial decree directly from the Emperor himself, my Stormveil Academy is not bound to follow the orders of anyone else."
The leader’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.
The leader’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "If you try to stop us... you will die tonight."
Carmilla let out a quiet, melancholic laugh.
"I do not have much time left to live in this world anyway," Carmilla stated, her bright eyes flashing with a suicidal resolve, "I wouldn’t mind dragging a few royal men down to hell with me. I will tell you one last time. Leave. If you delay any longer, the rest of the Academy’s experts will arrive, and you will not leave this city alive."
The three grey-robed Domain Masters looked at Carmilla, then back at his severely injured comrade who was still clutching his stomach in agony.
Killing Rhain today was impossible now.
"You will regret this," the leader spat, his eyes filled with immense unwillingness and hatred. "We will return soon."
With a sharp wave of his hand, he grabbed his injured comrade.
The three grey-robed figures shot into the night sky, retreating as fast as they could.
Once the assassins completely disappeared over the horizon, the tension in the street slightly lifted.
Seris and Liana immediately rushed to Rhain’s side.
Every single pair of eyes turned toward Rhain.