Chapter 145. Breaking Through to Demigod, Then Being Taken Away
Within Iron Skull Fortress, an oppressive pressure descended like sothing tangible.
The soldiers’ hands trembled slightly around their weapons, and even their breathing grew heavy. The pressure coming from the north was like an invisible hand gripping every heart in a deathly clutch.
The warhorses beneath the knights grew restless, pawing at the ground and letting out uneasy whinnies.
William stood atop the watchtower, his expression grave.
He could clearly sense that surge of energy climbing at a terrifying speed. Every pulse made the air itself shudder.
“Send scouts to investigate in the direction of the Magic Serpent Fortress.”
He made the decision at once, his voice carrying through the clamor of the fortress.
The scout squad soon returned with news: the hydras along the way were gathering toward the Magic Serpent Fortress like mad, like an ant swarm returning to its nest, their scarlet eyes filled with fanatical frenzy.
Imdiately after that, a secret report from the Shadow Guard arrived. The old hydra in the Magic Serpent Fortress had actually been frightened by Silver Oakleaf’s Divine Artifact into breaking through to Demigod ahead of ti.
William’s heart sank sharply.
He had personally experienced just how terrifying the aftermath of a Demigod-level battle could be. It was enough to reduce an entire fortress to dust.
“Pass down the order.”
He turned and shouted at the captain of the guard, “Everyone in Iron Skull Fortress is to evacuate imdiately. Withdraw and garrison at the border of the Kroll Kingdom. Move!”
The mont the order was issued, a violent gale suddenly swept across the sky above the fortress.
Golden light tore through the clouds, and a majestic figure appeared out of thin air. It was Dragon Island’s Grand Elder.
Without even glancing at the panicked soldiers, he grabbed William by the arm, casually caught Darwin beside him as well, and laughed like a great bell.
“Co on, Little William. I’ll take you to watch a fine show.”
Before the words had even finished, William’s vision blurred, and his body shot forward like an arrow loosed from the string.
The wind howled in his ears, and Iron Skull Fortress rapidly shrank into a tiny black dot.
Ahead of them, the outline of the Magic Serpent Fortress beca clearer and clearer. The sky there was already completely shrouded in violet-black storm clouds of energy, with lightning serpents dancing wildly through them.
“Grand Elder, why are we going there?”
William shouted with effort. He could feel the pressure of the breakthrough growing stronger and stronger, almost enough to crush his bones.
“To watch that old serpent, too arrogant for its own good, get dealt with by the Council’s people.”
The Grand Elder’s voice carried a trace of amusent, but his speed did not decrease in the slightest.
“Do not worry. With here, you will not be hard. Consider it an opportunity to broaden your horizons.”
Darwin had gone pale with fright, yet he could not stop himself from looking downward.
Countless hydras were converging on the Magic Serpent Fortress, forming a dark green torrent, while farther away, several streams of light were cutting across the sky, all racing toward the sa destination.
They were Demigods from different regions of the continent.
The sky was ripped open into savage gashes, and bolts of violet-black lightning, like giant serpents gone mad, struck again and again at the nest atop the Magic Serpent Fortress.
The sturdy nest of serpent bones shattered at the blows, revealing within it mountains of piled-up remains, human bones and magical beast bones layered one over another, giving off the stench of rot.
Blood-red runes were carved all over the bones, glowing faintly in rhythm with the old serpent’s howls.
They continuously siphoned away the flesh and blood of the hydras surging in from all around, pouring it into the roiling black shadow at the center of the nest.
Suspended in midair, William watched with a pounding heart.
The old serpent’s body appeared and vanished within that black shadow, its nine heads straining upward. Every collision with the lightning produced a deafening roar. Its scales burst apart, only to regenerate at once under the nourishnt of the runes.
At that mont, the corner of his eye caught sight of seven or eight figures who had appeared soundlessly nearby.
So stood upon the clouds, while others stepped upon the wind. Their auras were concealed, yet vast, and it was obvious that they were all Demigod-level beings.
Dragon Island’s Grand Elder rely glanced at them without so much as raising an eyebrow, clearly having no intention of greeting them.
Among the group, however, one graceful figure imdiately drew William’s attention.
She wore a long dress woven from green leaves. Her silver hair fell like a waterfall, and her skin was so pale it was almost translucent. She was none other than the legendary “Ice Beauty,” Aiya, who was said not to have smiled in a thousand years.
And yet, at this very mont, she actually gave William a slight nod, a faint smile curling her lips like the first thaw of ice and snow.
The sight of it made all the surrounding Demigods turn their heads in unison, their eyes full of astonishnt.
They had known Aiya for thousands of years and had never seen her show such an expression to anyone, much less to a human youth.
A trace of teasing flickered through so of their gazes. Could it be that this icy beauty had changed her nature and taken a liking to this “pretty little boy?”
Aiya’s senses were as sharp as ever, and she instantly saw through their thoughts. Her delicate brows furrowed, and a biting cold wind at once rose around her, making it clear that she intended to teach this group of wild thinkers a lesson.
Just then, space suddenly rippled violently.
Two brilliant rays of golden light tore through the void. Along with the holy beat of wings, two Four-Winged Angels descended.
Clad in silver-white armor, their wings reflected seven-colored radiance beneath the sunlight, and the Holy Swords in their hands pointed directly at the Magic Serpent Fortress. The majesty of their presence instantly overwheld every other being in the area.
“By order of the Ancient Council, we are here to apprehend the hydra that unlawfully entered the Demigod Realm.”
The Angel on the left spoke, her voice like clashing tal, devoid of all emotion.
At once, the Demigods present all drew in their auras. Even Aiya temporarily suppressed her anger.
The Angels represented the will of the Ancient Council. No one was willing to provoke them at such a mont.
William shrank his neck and instinctively edged closer behind the Grand Elder.
He could feel the gaze of the two Four-Winged Angels sweeping across the battlefield before finally settling on the old serpent at the center of the nest. The coldness in their eyes was even more chilling than Aiya’s icy wind.
The old serpent in the nest seed to sense the danger as well. Its howls beca even more frenzied, and the blood-red runes shone to their utmost brilliance.
The surrounding hydras threw themselves toward the nest like moths into fla, sacrificing their lives for its breakthrough.
The lightning continued to descend, while the Demigods around them watched in silence.
Just as the old hydra was on the verge of failing beneath the cleansing of the lightning, the violet storm in the sky abruptly ceased.
A brilliant stream of multicolored radiance descended from the horizon like a living river, winding down onto the giant serpent’s enormous body.
The instant that light touched its scales, the old hydra’s howl suddenly cut off.
William and everyone present could clearly see a tiny yet pure golden point of light ignite within its body.
That was the budding seed of divinity.
Like a seed taking root and sprouting, it rapidly expanded. Gentle energy flowed through the old serpent’s entire body, repairing the wounds torn open by the lightning, and even the newly grown scales beca coated with a faint golden glow.
That divinity continued to spread until, at last, it wrapped around its body like a thin veil, announcing the completion of the breakthrough.
All nine of the old hydra’s heads lifted together and let out a world-shaking cry, its voice filled with the arrogance and exhilaration of one who had successfully advanced.
Yet before the cry had fully ended, two figures had already lunged forward like lightning.
“You unlawfully entered the Demigod Realm and violated the Iron Law. Seize it!”
The two Four-Winged Angels attacked at the sa ti. Holy Divine Power condensed into two enormous chains of light, whipping around the old hydra’s body like immortal-binding chains.
Ancient runes were engraved upon those chains, and with every degree they tightened, they released a power that suppressed divinity itself.
Caught completely off guard, the old hydra’s newly stabilized Demigod power fell into chaos at once.
It writhed madly, all nine heads spewing dark green venom at the sa ti as it tried to break free of its restraints.
But the chains clung to it like a curse on the bone. The more it struggled, the tighter they beca, and the Divine Power had even begun to erode its scales.
“ROAR...!”
The old hydra let out a howl of agony, its eyes filled with unwillingness and terror.
It had exhausted every sche to achieve this breakthrough, only to discover that what awaited it was not the glory of power, but the Angels’ binding.
The surrounding Demigods watched in silence. No one moved to interfere.
This was the Ancient Council’s judgnt. No one wished to bear the consequences of opposing it.
Aiya’s gaze lingered on the chains of light for a mont before turning toward William, her expression complicated.
Dragon Island’s Grand Elder spoke blandly.
“The Council’s rules have always been like this.”
Yet under his breath, he only muttered in a much quieter voice. He was not a fool. He knew very well that he was no match for a Four-Winged Angel.
The two Angels exchanged a glance. One of them raised a hand, and Divine Power gathered into a spatial gate.
Dragging the struggling old hydra behind them, they flew toward the gate.
The multicolored radiance faded, and the sky grew clear again, leaving only the stunned spectators behind.
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