Chapter 2152: Silvermoon Dragon
After being driven to lower altitudes by black lightning, the battle between the dragons and the Church continued. But no matter how formidable these three dragons were, they could not be opponents to an archdiocese like Moon Bay.
She initially thought that the three dragons were merely drawing attention so that the small boat could operate near the coast. But Bella Belindel now realized that the cultists’ thoughts were beyond the imagination of a person with normal reasoning like hers.
Abandoning their opponents, the people atop the dragon heads manipulated the three dragons to fly upwards amidst the distant sound of conch. Before the pitch-black lightning struck them, the dragons suddenly accelerated, colliding in the sky. Amidst the horrifying scene of flesh and bones flying in all directions above the dock, the falling flesh mixed with rain and snow did not hit the ground but, due to inexplicable gravity, flew toward the vicinity of the harbor.
A group of small boats appeared in the sea, crewed by dozens of black-robed figures who collectively cut and let the blood drip into the sea. Afterward, a long sound resembling a conch emanated from an instrument akin to an accordion pipe played by one of the black-robed figures.
A ritual circle, gleaming with glimmer, appeared out of nowhere on the sea surface, mixing the cultists’ blood with the bone and blood of the three dragons to form a dizzying complex design.
Compared with the Church’s members on the dock, the witch on the small boat was closer to the ritual scene. But even with her reservoir of knowledge, she could not discern what the symbols meant. She just noticed that the ghost ship battling five or six High Ring Sorcerers in the distance retreated silently, while those High Ring Sorcerers frantically withdrew toward the coastal harbor.
The sound of wind, rain, and waves completely disappeared five seconds after the ritual was initiated, replaced by eerie music coming from the deep sea direction that could not be glimpsed by the eye.
The sound was melodious and alluring, compelling anyone to dance with the tune, immersing them in the sea to offer a dance to the ocean. Upon closer listening, the wind, rain, and wave sounds hadn’t vanished but had transformed into accompaniment for this melodious music, as if the sea were performing, as if this stormy night were inviting wise creatures:
[Go to the deep sea, join the eternal player’s joyous song in the bottomless abyss~]
The witch, immensely inspired, was severely influenced by the song but quickly returned to normal thanks to the Diviner’s strong mental resistance cultivated through years of fending off abnormal psychical states.
She didn’t notice her trembling arm but mustered the courage to turn and face away from the harbor, looking toward the deep sea where the song originated. Suppressing the urge to dance with the tune, she vaguely saw a giant transparent phantom tail taking shape in the storm’s eye, slapping the water body—the source of the song.
Just seeing that mountain-like massive phantom tail fueled her imagination about the player hidden in the darkness and sea depths. Unnamed panic surged in her heart, and as one storm after another took form, she watched the phantom tail becoming clearer, watching one, two, three, four, five, six, until the seventh tail, taller than a mountain, emerged from the sea.
The witch finally backed clumsily a step, clutching her chest, collapsing again onto the small boat:
"Evil of the Deep Sea - Seven-Tailed Player!"
This certainly wasn’t the terrifying evil object’s main body, rumored to be a giant stone statue; mortal and dragon flesh weren’t enough to summon it. But even as a mere phantom, its power was not something a single mortal could resist.
Seven enormous tails slapped the ocean waves, behind them an even deeper, more enchanting and terrifying darkness. The tune suppressed all other sounds; people at the dock had long heard it. Complaining about the cultists’ madness was futile now, as all Divine Rituals pre-placed in the Dock Area had been fully activated, regardless of their function.
High Ring Sorcerers carrying relics and Divine Items performed Arcane Technique, forming a golden curtain along the coastal harbor to minimize the tune’s sound as much as possible. The Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer "Radiant Hand," stationed at the dock-edge and city perimeter, ready to avert incidents inside the city, finally transformed into light and reached the furthest edge of the dock’s pier.
The Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer’s Ring of Fate manifested behind, the rotating ring affected by the Divine Ritual was tinged with the faint golden glimmer of Miracle Elements.
No orders were necessary; the accumulated energy was about to unleash the strongest strike. The Ring of Fate, initially behind the tall middle-aged man, gradually ascended above his head. Core Spirit Runes Enlightenment - [Light], Enlightenment - [Devotion], Miracle - [Prayer], Whisper - [Sanctity], Miracle [Believer] collectively emitted brightness. The ritual circle emerged beneath, entwined with dense Miracle Elements and Sublimation Incantations, summoning a miracle piercing through the clouds and night sky:
[Devout believers, pray for the holy light from above!]
The world seemed to freeze in an instant; the surrounding scenery unchanged, only the clouds covering the harbor vertically broke open hundreds of cracks, followed by hundreds of sacred white light pillars piercing the sky toward the sea depths, striking the phantom slapping with its seven tails.
Ang!
The surging tide shook the formerly stable wooden boat, colliding the Sublimation Incantation with the evil object’s force. Although knowing she shouldn’t look, the witch similarly yearning to venture further still lay on the boat during the shake, eyes wide open peering toward the ocean depths.
In her heart, she knew this strike, though seemingly mighty enough, couldn’t completely banish the projection of the Evil of the Deep Sea. The music’s sound from the sea depths grew weaker, but this strike would never entirely dispel the deep-sea evil’s phantom.
The "Radiant Hand," a Thirteen-Ring Sorcerer, merely wanted to temporarily repel the opponent, buying the church’s main forces time to prepare a second round of attacks. This was the best strategy, and for the church that had faced countless grand scenarios over the past year, the projection of the evil object was not considered a disaster,
and for the witch on the small boat at this moment, it was also the last chance to escape. Once the evil object recovered from this strike, she would no longer have complete confidence in leaving.
"No way!"
Just thinking about the man still at the sea bottom made her suppress her anxiety, as she continued to wait for Shard’s return.
Things went exactly as she imagined; in just over twenty seconds, the weakened sound of music became clear again. As the miracle element in the direction of the dock linked together, nearly illuminating the cloud-covered night sky, the phantom of the evil of the deep sea was again advancing toward the wealth-filled city.
The lone small boat was right in its path, and the witch grasped the side of the boat, ready to jump into the sea. The people on the shore nervously watched the increasingly clear phantom, while the priests and fathers in the city’s five churches had already gathered, prepared to execute large-scale rituals to aid the battle in the dock direction.
Evil objects advanced, mortals waited. Snowflakes like feathers fell in the wind, and dark clouds once again obscured the Sunday night starry sky.
But then ——
Roar!
Silver light, dazzling silver light soared from beneath the near-sea surface, accompanied by explosions on the sea surface and strange glimmers scattering in all directions, another powerful mental pressure strong enough to make sorcerers below the high ring faint suddenly enveloped the entire area.
The gale caused the golden spiritual light in the dock direction to blow towards the city, and the roar halted the advancing evil object phantom. That roar even broke the music being played by the increasingly clear evil object, and the sorcerers hearing this sound were certain it was a dragon roar, more powerful than the previous combination of three dragons.
Beneath the surging sea surface, a glowing huge figure appeared in the water. After the first glowing scale emerged above the water, the silver dragon head completely rose from below.
The dragon head was right next to the small boat the witch was in; she opened her mouth wide, watching the snowflakes strike the dragon scales, seeing droplets slide down the glowing silver scales of the dragon’s head, observing the golden streams flowing between the gaps of the dragon scales, and looking at herself reflected in the enormous silver vertical pupils.
That instant of eye contact seemed like forever, and that gigantic silver great dragon, like a mountainous creature, completely rose from the water between the dock and the evil object phantom.
It was as if silver moonlight adhered to the dragon’s body surface; as the dragon ascended, it seemed to transform into Silvermoon suspended in the stormy night sky:
"Roar!"
Dragon wings flapped, altering the direction of the wind and snow; the dragon’s roar silenced the confusing, sinister melody.
Beneath the great dragon, seemingly protected by it, the witch had a clearer view. Golden cracks were distinct throughout the gaps of the dragon’s scales, and as the gale passed, countless golden light points seemed to be golden flames blowing out embers.
"Silver dragon? No, this is definitely not a silver dragon."
Everyone was astonished by this suddenly appearing great dragon, yet before they could discern what kind it was, the silver great dragon in "Divinity Overflow" from absorbing divinity had already opened its mouth towards the phantom deep in the ocean.
Silvermoon accumulated in its mouth, and the sanctified light allowed those battling under the stormy night to feel both warmth and chill upon sight.
The phantom of the deep-sea evil object also realized the situation it faced, without charging; it simply used its seven tails to jointly slap the seawater, forming an enormous torrent of invisible sonic wave energy striking the silver great dragon on the sea surface.
The dragon didn’t stop accumulating power in its mouth, instead turning mid-air, flicking its tail, and the massive silver dragon tail on the snowstorm sea surface transformed into a dazzling silver ring, completely sending the sonic wave back. Of course, if Mia were present, she would notice that this gesture was identical to the one it used while playing with Shard a few hours ago.