Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 532 - 533: Delay [2/2]

"Asking the great ancestor to leave the ’Dragon Seal Palace’ to deal with Sword Demon?!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The guard spoke excitedly. In his eyes, while Sword Demon was terrifying, the involvement of the great ancestor, who had been the guardian deity of the empire for a thousand years, would surely resolve the crisis. The great ancestor was an inscrutable figure at the pinnacle of the eighth level and perhaps even close to the legendary level.

It was precisely because of the great ancestor’s presence that the empire had stood for so long, making it one of the oldest empires on the continent.

However, as the guard eagerly awaited Seraphina’s response, she shook her head decisively:

"No, the great ancestor cannot leave the capital"

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"Uh... never mind."

Realizing she might said too much, Seraphina quickly shook her head and looked at the guard with a somewhat complicated expression.

"In any case, the great ancestor is in seclusion now and cannot leave at this crucial stage. Do you understand?"

"Yes, yes..."

The guard sensed the sharp and slightly icy gaze of Seraphina and quickly bowed his head, not saying anything more.

"Good."

As Amon’s mother, Seraphina could roughly guess her son’s current thoughts. The secret weapon they developed with the Red Moon Tower theoretically could neutralize Sword Demon’s defenses. However, its effectiveness in actual combat was uncertain.

If it proved ineffective, the eighth-level Cultivators who were currently fighting Sword Demon would eventually be defeated.

Therefore, her son was likely preparing a backup plan. Even if the great ancestor couldn’t defeat Sword Demon, he could probably help the other three in stalling him. Although Sword Demon is powerful, his stamina is not infinite. Perhaps they could manage to repel or even seal him once he was exhausted.

Unfortunately, the great ancestor currently couldn’t leave the capital. If Sword Demon didn’t directly attack the city, the great ancestor couldn’t intervene.

Thinking of this, Seraphina shook her head helplessly.

But then another thought occurred to her: Her son’s idea wasn’t bad. If they could find a few more eighth-level, maybe they could defeat Sword Demon.

However, in the current state of the empire, Borulov was already involved in the battle, the great ancestor couldn’t move, and the King of the Northern Territory was at Snow Night Border. It seemed there were no other eighth-level available to participate in the fight.

’Wait, that’s not right...’

At this moment, Seraphina seemed to recall something. She turned her head to inquire from a lady-in-waiting who had just returned from an investigation, as if wanting to confirm some information in her mind.

"Evelyn."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Upon hearing Seraphina’s call, the lady-in-waiting promptly knelt down on one knee, awaiting her orders.

"You said earlier that Archbishop Fiona and two Holy Envoys are in the forest near Luminous Academy, right?"

"Yes, it’s an operation against the members of the Divine Punishment Sect. There seem to be high-ranking members of the Divine Punishment Sect in the Salva Forest."

"I see... that’s strange"

"Hmm?"

Noticing the serious expression on the Queen’s face, Evelyn asked anxiously,

"Your Majesty, what’s wrong?"

"Fiona is an exceptional Archbishop, always methodical and aware of priorities. With the Sword Demon attacking Luminous Academy, given her usual disposition, she would have returned to defend, even if she had not completely annihilated the members of Divine Punishment Sect. She would have sent the Holy Envoys to confront Sword Demon. However, until now, there has been no sign of the Holy Envoys returning to assist."

"You’re right, that is strange."

Evelyn also looked puzzled when it was pointed out to her.

Seraphina narrowed her eyes and looked into the distance with a stern expression,

"Unless... they’ve been held back..."

As she spoke, Seraphina felt increasingly uneasy. Her brows were tightly knit, and her face was extremely serious, almost as if set in stone.

’The people from Divine Punishment Sect had managed to hold back the Holy Envoys, and the existence of Sword Demon had almost entirely diverted the attention of the Empire. This blatant attack seemed designed to attract attention. Otherwise, why didn’t Sword Demon sneak directly to the Girl of Destiny and act there, instead of revealing his identity in plain sight?’

’Something felt off’

After taking a deep breath, Seraphina once again ordered the maid beside her:

"Notify the King to return to the capital immediately. Also, activate the emergency plan, evacuate the citizens of the capital, and put all departments on high alert."

---

At the same moment, while a fierce battle unfolded within Luminous Academy, a similarly intense battle erupted within Salva Forest.

Upon receiving orders from the Pope, Fiona led the Third Combined Heavy Armor Legion of the Holy Temple Army and the Angel Knight Corps, totaling eight thousand men, along with two enigmatic Holy Envoys, to the Salva Forest. They began a siege against the members of the Divine Punishment Sect.

The moment the two sides met, the battle was ignited instantly. The Divine Punishment Sect had an estimated force of just over 500. Although Fiona’s forces held a numerical advantage, the complex terrain of the Salva Forest gave the members of Divine Punishment Sect the opportunity to engage in guerrilla warfare. The plan to besiege them was far from smooth. Countless soldiers lost their lives in sudden attacks from the cultists. In no time, the forest was soaked in blood and severed limbs were everywhere.

Despite the losses, Fiona’s forces, with their overwhelming numbers, managed to push back the members of the Divine Punishment Sect, leaving behind a field littered with the bodies of cultists. Even two notorious archbishops were slain by the noble holy knights.

However, looking at the corpses and the severed heads of the archbishops presented before her, Fiona showed no sign of joy. Instead, she was filled with anxiety.

She clenched her fists tightly and glared at the elegant man encircled by a group of holy knights and the two Holy Envoys on the treetops in the distance. The man had dark green hair and a handsome face. His thin body, coupled with a charming face, would make him look like a harmless scholar, if not for the copious amount of blood staining him and the menacing serpent formed from dark green energy behind him. The serpent, constantly flicking its tongue, sent chills down everyone’s spine.

"Damn Wilt," Fiona cursed.

That’s right, the green-haired man encircled not far away was none other than Wilt, the leader of the Divine Punishment Sect, and Fiona’s most important target this time. She had thought that the battle was nearly over, but who would have thought that Wilt, the scoundrel, would still be here, using hit-and-run tactics? Never engaging directly in battle.

’Where is your honor?’

’Furthermore, this guy had already expended so much energy. He’d been hit by the Holy Envoys’ moves three or four times. Why is he still so quick?’

Gritting her teeth, Fiona raised her hand anxiously to issue another wave of attack orders.

At that moment, she couldn’t help but glance towards the overwhelming smoke in the distance, which was precisely the location of Luminous Royal Academy.

"We must finish this bastard quickly!"