Chapter 357 - 300: Stirring up a Storm
The banquet hall was resplendent with light.
Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow, reflecting off the polished marble floor.
This was supposed to be a grand feast celebrating the family’s monthly gathering.
Now, however, an icy silence had fallen.
All sounds—the music, the laughter and chatter, the clinking of glasses—had vanished.
The guests were frozen in place, their wine glasses suspended in mid-air, the smiles locked on their faces.
Their gazes were all focused on the center of the hall.
Edmund was prostrate on the floor, his magnificent formal wear now in disarray.
Both his hands were clamped tightly around his throat, nails digging into his skin. Veins bulged on the back of his hands as dark purple patterns spread wildly.
Starting from his chest, they climbed his neck, eroded his cheeks, and finally, even the whites of his eyes were stained jet-black.
But from the depths of his pupils, a dark red light glowed—the telltale sign of one’s very essence being eroded by the Abyss.
"Ghk... ghk..."
Broken gasps were squeezed from his throat as his body convulsed violently.
Seated in a place of honor, the face of another Elder was grim.
He had always been close to Edmund, and had privately given him a vial of Tier Three Magical Beast Essence Blood just last month.
He shot to his feet, and with a wave of his sleeve, a silver Witchcraft ward instantly unfurled.
Suddenly, a wisp of jet-black vapor escaped from Edmund’s mouth and nose.
The vapor, as thin as a hair, drifted toward his sleeve.
The moment it touched the silver ward, a corrosive sizzling filled the air as spiderweb-like cracks spread across its surface.
He let out a muffled grunt as several thin, dark purple lines appeared on the back of his left hand.
Though he managed to suppress and dispel them in the blink of an eye with his Spiritual Power as a Level Three Wizard...
...its terrifyingly corrupting power was now clear for all to see.
At the head of the table, in the seat of honor, another Elder slowly set down his silver goblet.
The base of the goblet met the tabletop with a crisp DING.
"The Abyss... such terrifying corruption."
On the Central Continent, worship of the Abyss is an absolute taboo, the very first article of the Pan-Continent Taboo Regulations.
Any research, contact, or even mention of it would attract an investigation from the Wizard Council.
Causing serious harm would trigger the most brutal and thorough of hunts.
And yet now, the first-in-line heir of the Justice Clan was radiating such a dense Abyssal Aura.
"This... is impossible!"
Among Edmund’s supporters, a Level Two Wizard staggered to his feet, his face as white as a sheet.
"Lord Edmund must have been framed! That must be it..."
His voice cut off abruptly.
Edmund suddenly looked over.
Those eyes, corrupted by jet-black and dark red, stared fixedly at the Wizard.
The corners of Edmund’s mouth pulled back, forming a twisted smile.
"Ghk... It is calling..."
A hoarse, fragmented voice, layered with overlapping echoes, rasped from his throat.
This was not Edmund’s voice.
Within that voice was the shriek of a woman, the low roar of a beast, and the gurgle of churning, viscous liquid.
In the hall, the Seas of Spirit of all Wizards below Level Two were instantly thrown into turmoil, countless illusions welling up from the depths of their minds.
"Seal."
The white-haired Elder raised his gaunt right hand and tapped a point in the empty air with his index finger.
In an instant, from the dome of the banquet hall, nine phantasmal silver-white chains descended.
The chains were formed entirely of Spiritual Power, their surfaces flowing with dense sealing Runes, emitting an aura that suppressed everything.
SWOOSH...
The silver-white chains flashed in mid-air, instantly piercing Edmund’s limbs, torso, and head.
"AHHH!!!"
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the hall.
The dark purple markings under Edmund’s skin began to squirm and struggle wildly.
Jet-black smoke poured from his eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth. It twisted in the air into the shape of savage Tentacles, only to be shredded by the chains.
The moment any Tentacles appeared, they were scorched and annihilated, bit by bit, by the silver-white Runes.
The entire process took no more than three seconds.
Edmund collapsed bonelessly to the floor. The dark purple markings hadn’t vanished completely, but they had stopped squirming.
A hint of clarity returned to his gaze, but the trace of dark red deep within his pupils refused to fade.
The white-haired Elder slowly lowered his hand, his gaze sweeping over the entire hall.
Fortunately, including him, three of the clan’s Elders were present at today’s gathering.
They had suppressed the source before the corruption could spread, averting a major disaster.
The other two Elders wore equally grim expressions, a cold, murderous intent churning in their eyes.
"Edmund." The white-haired Elder’s voice rang out again, this time carrying an even stronger Spiritual Suppression.
"Where did you obtain your knowledge of the Abyss?"
Edmund struggled to lift his head, his face a mask of residual pain and madness.
His lips trembled as if he wanted to say something.
Suddenly a thought flashed through his mind, and he snapped his head around to look at a corner of the hall.
Aidele stood there quietly, her deep purple Wizard Robe making her seem especially cold and aloof.
Their gazes collided in mid-air.
Aidele turned to face the three Elders and bowed deeply.
"Esteemed Elders, please allow me to bring another matter to your attention."
The white-haired Elder slowly nodded. "Speak."
"It concerns the illness of my father, Clan Leader Titus Justice."
Aidele straightened up and took a Dark Silver parchment Scroll from her Dimension Ring.
She released the Bloodline Lock on the Scroll and unfurled it.
Its surface was densely packed with data, charts, Energy fluctuation curves, and dozens of test seals encrypted with special Runes.
"To cure my father, I have been developing a new type of Purification Potion. In the process, I collected a vast amount of data on his condition."
Aidele spoke at a steady pace, but her tone grew increasingly cold.
"I remember that the family’s initial diagnosis for my father was a ’Bloodline Curse’.
But every method of Purification used against the Curse has failed!"
"Until three months ago, when I obtained a crucial sample."