Chapter 71, Chapter 7: The Magical Maid
Upon seeing the scepter in his hand, Yu Wanwan's feelings became complicated.
She finally understood what Daoguo meant by the butterfly effect.
She recognized the scepter very well.
These are clearly the horns on the head of that big guy she encountered when she first arrived in this world!
Even though it's a smaller version, she won't mistake it.
She felt that the horn growing on the big guy's head was very incongruous, so she broke it off and examined it carefully.
Later, she found the horns ugly and disgusting, so she threw them away.
"..."
So... it was because she killed that big guy and broke off his horns that this seemingly powerful Erebus broke the seal, right?
Congratulations! You answered correctly, but there's no reward!
"..."
Yu Wanwan started cursing.
Is this some kind of ridiculous rip-off?!
As Erebus finished speaking, the atmosphere in the crowd became strange. Although they didn't show anything on their faces, they were wary of the people around them.
The chief elder's pupils contracted, and he couldn't help but take a step forward.
"By the God of Light, Erebus, do not spread rumors here!"
Erebus didn't mind. He slowly lowered his scepter, and the dark elements transformed into chains that tore through the whiteness spreading in the air, attacking the white-robed priest on the altar.
"Stop him!"
The elders, their eyes blazing with fury, disregarded their fear of Erebus and rushed forward.
Unfortunately, they were no match for Erebus.
The black-robed figure didn't even spare a glance for them, casually waving his scepter and sending them flying.
The nine elders collapsed to the ground one after another, spitting out blood, their hearts filled with despair and sorrow.
The dark chains, like venomous snakes, precisely coiled around Xu Qingzhou's wrist, cold and sticky, trying to tear his hand off the crystal monument.
Xu Qingzhou groaned, his knuckles turning white from the force, but he remained steadfastly in front of the crystal monument, showing no sign of backing down.
He cursed under his breath, but gritted his teeth and accelerated the infusion of light elements.
The array shone brightly, enveloping him and condensing into a solid shield that forced the invisible chains on his wrists back slightly.
The elders breathed a sigh of relief, and Erebus also let out a slightly surprised "Eh."
"Oh my, it seems that the people His Holiness the God of Light has chosen this time are not too bad."
His tone carried a hint of casual mockery, as if he were evaluating an insignificant object, clearly showing that he did not take the priest seriously.
Xu Qingzhou gritted his teeth, too weak to speak, and focused intently on maintaining the operation of the magic array.
However, the rapid loss of light elements caused his face to turn pale and his whole body to tremble slightly.
Erebus sighed, and with another swing of his scepter, another dark elemental force pressed down.
"If I weren't bound by the light, I might have been in some trouble. What a pity..."
"Master Priest!"
The mages outside the altar struggled to get closer to it.
But putting aside Erebus, they couldn't even break through the dark magician blocking their way.
As the dark aura pressed down on him, he could feel the light elements within the formation being gradually eroded.
Xu Qingzhou could only continuously inject more elements of light to fill the voids that had been replaced by darkness.
His breathing gradually became heavier as he quickly racked his brains for a way to break the deadlock.
At this rate, even if he isn't killed by Erebus, he will collapse from excessive magic consumption.
At that time... once the magic circle is forced...
Why bother?
From above, Erebus's hoarse sigh drifted over, carrying a sense of regret despite having already secured victory.
"Your light will eventually be swallowed by darkness."
Cold sweat beaded on Xu Qingzhou's forehead. He wanted to retort, but he was too weak.
The darkness's encroachment made his magic sluggish, forcing him to burn the light within him.
That was the divine power bestowed upon the original owner when he ascended to the position of priest and received the recognition of the statue of light.
It is the source of his life.
As the power of light burned, each breath he took felt like being crushed by an invisible pressure.
The light on the crystal tablet began to flicker, and the pure white array patterns gradually turned pure black.
He's about to collapse.
Despair and panic hung over the altar as the crowned king suddenly turned a cold gaze toward the council of elders.
Where did the Holy Maiden of Light go?
His stern question startled the other mages, who all turned to look at the elders.
Yes, in previous blessing ceremonies, the priests and saints jointly presided over them to prevent the unexpected situation where one party could not persist until the end of the blessing ceremony.
But this time...
Why hasn't the Holy Maiden appeared yet?
The elders fell silent, and no one spoke up to answer.
They did not want the priest's reputation to be tarnished, but the doctrine of Light told them that they could not lie.
This contradiction left them unsure how to respond.
Although Xu Qingzhou was unable to move, he could hear the sounds below, and his eyelids twitched.
He knew very well that once they found out why the Holy Maiden hadn't appeared at the blessing ceremony, Yu Wanwan would be mired in trouble, regardless of right or wrong.
This situation must not be allowed to happen!
Xu Qingzhou's usually clear eyes suddenly changed, revealing a ruthlessness that was inconsistent with his saintly demeanor.
His change went unnoticed by those arguing below, but Erebus did notice it.
Yu Wanwan, who had been secretly observing the changing situation, also noticed it immediately.
Without even thinking, they understood that he was preparing to burn his bridges and go all out!
Erebus dared not underestimate them, and swung his scepter again, quickening his attack.
Xu Qingzhou gritted his teeth and began to draw upon all the power contained within his body.
But one person was faster.
Just as the viscous black mist was about to touch him, a pure, blinding green light burst forth from the ground, forming a green net that protected Xu Qingzhou in the middle.
The black mist crashed into the green barrier and was swallowed up and vanished completely in the blink of an eye.
Inside the altar, everyone froze, staring blankly at the green barrier.
Shock? Disbelief? Confusion? None of these can adequately describe their feelings at this moment.
Erebus narrowed his eyes.
He could see things clearly, even though others couldn't.
The black mist wasn't swallowed by the green light, but rather...
It has been purified.
The familiar scent finally roused him, and he looked over there with a serious and focused expression.
Xu Qingzhou was also taken aback, and suddenly turned his head to look in the direction from which the green light was coming from.
Whether it was the dark magician or any other magician, including the king and elders, they all felt a sense of awe and wonder, but subconsciously followed the gazes of the two people on the altar.
Amidst a crowd of unconscious people, a gentle-looking maidservant dressed in a temple white robe slowly rose to her feet.
Yu Wanwan dusted off her white robe, stepped over the people lying haphazardly on the ground, and climbed the steps, moving step by step toward the center of the altar.
"You talk too much, it's a bit noisy."
Anyone could see that she was talking to Erebus.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
What they found even more unbelievable was that Erebus was not angry at all. Instead, he waved his scepter and dispelled the dark elements that were suppressing the mages.
His light gray eyes, hidden beneath a black robe and mask, gave her a deep look before he turned and left the altar.
After Erebus left, the dark mages in the altar also took advantage of the fact that the other mages hadn't reacted yet and retreated in all directions.
It disappeared from the altar shortly afterward.
By the time they realized what was happening and gave chase, they had already lost all sight of the person. All they could see were faces that knew nothing and were still cheering for the arrival of the element of light.
Yu Wanwan stood in the center of the altar, her hand touching the crystal tablet. The wood element transformed into a green ocean, slowly dispelling the dark elements on the array patterns.
Without the encroachment of darkness, Xu Qingzhou's pressure decreased dramatically, and the elements of light once again flowed smoothly within the formation, continuously spreading outwards to nourish the earth.
The vibrant wood element, carrying the fragrance of plants, blends into the pure white light.
The interplay of white and green complements each other perfectly.
Once he calmed down, Yu Wanwan withdrew her hand and stepped back.
The chaos came and went quickly, and the ordinary people outside the altar had no idea what had happened.
Everyone present knew the seriousness of the matter, and no matter what they were thinking, they didn't show it outwardly.
Under the combined cover of the royal family and the temple, the blessing ceremony concluded successfully.
After settling the injured mages and cleaning up the mess, the king, accompanied by his guards and the president of the Magic Association, arrived at the temple.
"Lord Aetherel! You'd better explain why the Holy Maiden of Light didn't appear at such an important occasion as the Blessing Ceremony!"
The king, with barely suppressed anger, was full of questions.
Before Xu Qingzhou could answer, the chief elder couldn't help but step forward.
"Your Majesty! Please be careful with your words!"
Aetherel is Xu Qingzhou's name in this world, meaning pure and spotless, untouched by dust.
Unlike the previous worlds, the original owner of this world was not named Xu Qingzhou.
The name "Xu Qingzhou" is also not suitable for such a Western-style background.
The elders were very displeased with the king's behavior of addressing the priest by his first name.
The king, however, was not intimidated. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, his majestic, square face full of mockery.
“Yard, he, Aetheril, is merely a priest of your temple, not of the Empire!”
Elder Yad's face was filled with anger.
"Your Majesty! Are you defying the authority of the God of Light?"
Just as the two were about to start arguing, the president of the Magic Association, who had come with the king, quickly spoke up to stop them.
"Oh, great God of Light! Both of you, calm down! This is not the time to argue!"
The guild leader was a powerful archmage, and also a highly offensive fire mage. The king and Elder Yad gave him some face, snorted, turned their heads away, and ignored each other.
Seeing their childish tantrums, the president wiped non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead and looked at Xu Qingzhou with a slightly helpless expression.
“High Priest, I know we have no right to interfere with the temple’s decisions, but since it concerns the blessing ceremony, I think we have the right to know the whereabouts of the Holy Maiden of Light, don’t we?”
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