Inside the Shadow Temple, the fierce argument was temporarily quelled by Narosh's strength and Lind's incredible actions in the Howling Abyss, but the oppressive atmosphere did not dissipate, like the suffocating calm before a storm.
Elder Macarion slumped on his stone throne, his withered fingers unconsciously stroking the serpent-headed scepter, his cloudy eyes still etched with disbelief and deep worry.
Vera's face, hidden beneath her hood, was unreadable, but her taut shoulders betrayed the intense turmoil within her.
Thorne and the other neutral members exchanged glances, silently conveying their unease and confusion.
Naraku stood before the council seat, his expression concealed by a pure white mask. Only his deep eyes sharply scanned the entire room, like a lurking shadow leopard awaiting the next possible challenge.
He knew that temporary suppression was not a victory; he needed more and more conclusive evidence to completely overturn these old fogies' views, consolidate his authority, and firmly bind the alliance to Lord Lind's chariot.
Just then, the shadows at the edge of the hall began to move silently once more.
A messenger whose aura was almost completely blended into the darkness strode in. He was even more hurried than the previous messenger, and his body still carried a trace of the lingering cold aura from the Howling Abyss.
He knelt on one knee, his head bowed, his hands raised high a communication crystal that was darker and fluctuated more rapidly than before.
"Leader! Elders! Urgent report from the Howling Abyss!"
His voice trembled with an uncontrollable tremor; it wasn't excitement, but rather a kind of... near-collapse of horror.
All eyes instantly focused on that direction. Narash felt a chill run down his spine, a premonition forming—Lord Lind had done something again.
"speak."
Naraku's voice remained steady, but his slightly forward-leaning posture betrayed his attention.
The messenger took a deep breath, as if it required immense courage to report what was to come:
“Reporting to the leader…that esteemed one…He…He emerged from the rift…”
This is normal, everyone thought.
“But…” the messenger’s voice suddenly rose, filled with a sense of absurdity, “He…He didn’t come out alone! He…He brought out from inside…a little girl!”
"A little girl?!"
"What?!"
"That's impossible!"
After a brief silence, gasps of surprise erupted in the hall like thunder!
Elder Macarion sprang from his seat, nearly knocking over his scepter, his face a picture of utter madness.
Vera also instinctively pulled down her hood, revealing a pale and shocked face, her usually calculating eyes now wide open.
Thorne's mouth dropped open, as if he had heard the most unbelievable joke in the world.
Even Narosh's supporter, Keras, looked bewildered.
A little girl was brought out from the Shadow Abyss Rift?
This was even more incomprehensible to them than Linde's wave of his hand that annihilated a thousand eyes!
That's Shadow Abyss!
It is the final resting place where all things come to an end!
It is an absolute taboo that can even tear apart and devour the soul!
How could there possibly be a living, breathing "little girl" inside?! And someone who could be "brought out"?!
"Are you sure you're not seeing things?! Is it some kind of... illusion? Or a powerful Shadow Abyss Demon in disguise?"
Makarian questioned in a hoarse voice, preferring to believe that the guards were hallucinating.
The messenger shook his head violently, his voice trembling with tears:
“Absolutely true! Elder! All the brothers on duty saw it! It wasn’t an illusion, nor was it a Shadow Abyss Demon! She… she looked like an ordinary human girl, about ten years old, with purple hair and black eyes. She… she was holding Your Excellency’s hand, following Him out!”
He continued his incoherent description, adding more details that sent chills down the spines of everyone present:
"And...and she seemed to be very uncomfortable with the outside environment. Then...and then Your Majesty...He...He immediately extracted indescribable Shadow Abyss Origin Power, which was countless times purer than the rift itself, and mixed it with that dark blue crystal to create a necklace for her."
The messenger's voice was distorted by extreme shock:
"That necklace... after the little girl put it on, she... she immediately adapted! All the discomfort disappeared! It was as if... as if the necklace balanced the world's rules' rejection of her! The brothers could all feel that the pure Shadow Abyss aura on her body became... became 'legal'! This... this is simply..."
He couldn't find the words to describe it, and finally collapsed to the ground, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Inside the hall, a silence more complete and deathly still than ever before fell.
If Linde's power had previously filled them with fear and awe, this current event has completely exceeded their comprehension and shattered their established cognitive framework!
Bringing someone out of the Abyss?! An artifact that instantly creates a balance to the world's rules?! A "little girl" born (or rather, surviving) from the Abyss rift?
The amount of information contained within is enough to overload the brain of even the most learned Shadow Abyss scholar!
Elder Macarion staggered back a step, collapsing weakly back into his chair, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.
All the knowledge he had acquired through his life's research on the Shadow Abyss seemed so pale and laughable at this moment.
Vera's face drained of color; she finally understood what Narosh meant by "the abyss itself."
This method is almost...like the Creator! For the first time, her gaze towards Narakush carried a genuine, indescribable fear.
Thorne and the other neutral members were completely speechless. They realized how ridiculous and insignificant their previous arguments about risks, sides, and worldly disputes were in the face of Lord Linde's miracle-like actions! The other party didn't care about the imperial title or the continent's格局 (geju, a concept encompassing overall situation, overall structure, and overall dynamics). His actions were already on a completely different level from theirs!
Naraku's heart was pounding, and his face beneath the pure white mask must have been filled with shock, but he forcibly suppressed it all.
After the initial shock came an unprecedented ecstasy and certainty!
He bet right! He bet absolutely right!
Lord Linde not only possesses overwhelming power, but also an essence that they cannot comprehend—the ability to manipulate the Shadow Abyss and even its rules! Bringing people from the Shadow Abyss, balancing the laws… this cannot be simply described as “powerful”; it is an embodiment of near-“authority”!
"A little...girl?"
Naraku spoke slowly, his voice coming through the mask, carrying a strange, playful smile that broke the deathly silence: "Gentlemen, do you still believe that my previous judgment was a misjudgment based on being intimidated?"
He slowly walked down from the platform, his steps steady, each step seeming to tread on the wildly beating hearts of everyone present.
"An being that can safely bring life out of the Shadow Abyss Rift and can casually create things that balance the rules of the world... are you still trying to understand Him using mundane 'risks,' 'logic,' and 'costs'?"
Narosh's gaze swept over Macarian, Vera, Thorne, and every member of the council.
"This is not a risk, this is a miracle! This is the greatest miracle we have ever witnessed in our thousand years of pursuing the Path of the Shadow Abyss!"
His voice suddenly rose, filled with unquestionable fervor and determination:
"Pass down the order!"
"The Howling Abyss stronghold has been upgraded to a top-level holy site. The number of personnel on duty has been doubled, and absolute loyalty and devotion must be guaranteed! Today's events are classified as top secret. If even the slightest leak occurs, the soul fire will burn, and the person will be condemned to eternal damnation!"
“Furthermore…” Naraku paused, his pure white mask turning towards the Howling Abyss, his tone becoming extremely solemn, “Prepare a… ‘appropriate’ gift. To celebrate… that ‘lady’s’ rebirth.”
He no longer referred to her as "little girl," but instead used the honorific "Miss."
Regardless of who that purple-haired girl really is, she was brought out of Shadow Abyss by Lord Linde and received "protection" personally bestowed by Lord Linde, which destined her to be extraordinary.
The alliance must adjust its strategy; this unexpected "Miss Weiss" may very well become a new and extremely important link between them and Lord Lind.
No one in the hall raised any further objections.
All the arguments and doubts were utterly crushed in the face of this incredible intelligence.
Under Narosh's powerful control, the ancient Shadowcraft Alliance is irreversibly and rapidly sailing towards the unfathomable unknown future represented by Lind Truck.
Their perception of Linde shifted from "a powerful external lord" and "a mysterious controller of the ruins" to "a supreme being who seems to wield the power of the Shadow Abyss."
Narakush pondered silently in his heart:
I must finish these chores as soon as possible and personally pay my respects to Lord Linde, and... that mysterious Miss Weiss. The future of the Alliance may depend on this.
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