Ch. 3581..3590
Chapter 3581 The Glorian Order
Gloria had managed to level up after devouring the spiritual ley lines of the two major deviant clans.
However, she did not set off to seek vengeance right away. Instead, she headed to Corpse Pit first.
Bone Grandmaster had gathered all the members of the Glorian Order there as per Gloria’s instruction.
Countless people filled Corpse Pit, and there was no end in sight.
Gloria floated above the pit. A black ball of energy surrounded her, making her appear as if she was a deity descended from the heavens.
Bone Grandmaster and Xylas were the first to kneel and greet her.
“Welcome, Lord Gloria.”
The others threw themselves onto the floor as the two greeted Gloria.
“Lord Gloria, we wish to be under your brilliant reign and be part of the unified world order for generations to come,” they said in reverence.
Gloria slowly descended from the skies as she released the spiritual energy in her body.
A formidable aura and energy exuded from her body and spread into the air.
Her followers shook as they came into contact with her spiritual energy. The storm of energy made it difficult for them to breathe.
Gloria only suppressed her spiritual energy after some time.
“Rise,” she stated with just a hint of seductive charm to her voice.
However, alluring as it was, her tone was commanding, and it did not leave any space for lewd imagination.
They could only bow in obedience.
“Thank you, Lord Gloria.”
They felt the heavy weight lifted off them and slowly rose. However, they dared not utter a single word.
A few brazen men tried to steal a glance at Gloria. However, they immediately retracted their gazes upon sensing the horrifying aura that she exuded.
They could clearly feel the imminent threats of death directed at them.
Hence, they immediately lowered their heads, and only then did the feeling slowly dissipate.
Then, they recalled what they had seen during the glimpse—the slender and graceful figure of a woman.
However, she was surrounded by clouds of terrifying aura, and they could not discern her face.
“I have accomplished the highest order of cultivation, and it is time I unveil the Glorian Order before the world,” Gloria announced in a prideful manner.
“That is very wise, Lord Gloria!” everyone shouted in unison.
“All of you may return to your original positions and gather all forces that you can. I will assign missions for all of you soonest. The mere mention of the Glorian Order will incite fear in people’s hearts by then!” Gloria said coldly.
“Yes, Lord Gloria!”
“Great. You may leave.”
The followers of the Glorian Order retreated themselves right after.
“How are my friends doing?” Gloria asked as she made her landing slowly.
“Don’t worry, Master. They are still holding on,” Xylas said with a grin.
“Great. I’m going to pay them a visit. Guard the door,” Gloria said as she headed toward Corpse Pit’s secret room.
After the stone door was opened, a dozen people locked inside the secret room came into sight.
They were the Top Ten from the Ecclesiastic Order, Sonja, Ralph, Kato, and Eusof, who had been tormented to the point of being unrecognizable.
They did not even lift their heads, for they assumed that it was the guard delivering food to them as usual.
“Hello, everyone. It’s been a while, huh?” Gloria greeted them in a mocking tone.
They were so shocked to hear her voice that their heads shot in her direction.
Upon realizing that it was indeed Gloria, their eyes were filled with shock, fury, and despair, especially after sensing the formidable aura that Gloria was deliberately giving off.
Everyone was stumped.
“Gloria, have you improved that much?”
“How is that possible?”
“It has only been a few months. How did you do it?”
Ryvonne and Davin were among the first to ask questions.
After all, Gloria used to be a small fry whom they would not even deign to spare another look.
However, she possessed such formidable aura now.
It was unimaginable just how strong she was.
“Are you guys very surprised? Oh, but this is only the beginning.”
Gloria’s smile grew thick as she continued, “Of course, I have your spiritual bones to thank for.”
“You—”
The Top Ten almost vomited blood at her provoking remarks.
Chapter 3582 Gloria Begins To Act
“You should feel honored because your spiritual bones and I have become one, shouldn’t you?” Gloria smirked.
Honored?
The Top Ten glared at her with exasperation.
Who would feel honored under such circumstances?
“Now that I’ve established the Glorian Order, you should witness how I dominate the world!” Gloria said, her smile widening.
A great sense of satisfaction overwhelmed her when she saw rage and despair written all over the Top Ten’s faces.
Despite how high and mighty you used to be, you’ve become my prisoners in the end!
The Top Ten gritted their teeth in anger, but they couldn’t do anything.
Considering Gloria’s current prowess, the Top Ten would be defeated instantly even if they joined forces at the peak of their powers.
The Top Ten were no different from any ordinary people with their spiritual bones extracted and powers absorbed.
Also, they would have been dead by now if Gloria didn’t have the bizarre hobby of letting them witness how she achieved her feat.
At that moment, a strong sense of despair filled the hearts of the Top Ten.
With darkened gazes, they now behaved like the living dead.
“By the way, Sonja. You must stay alive! You’re probably the first witness of my feat. You must be happy with how powerful I’ve become, right? Don’t be mad. After all, your anger won’t make a difference. You might as well save the energy to live.”
When Gloria gently lifted her finger, Sonja’s chin was raised by an invisible force.
Gritting her teeth, Sonja wished she could spring upon Gloria and bite the latter fiercely.
However, she soon gave up and fell into despair.
Having seen Gloria’s prowess earlier, Sonja figured she wouldn’t even be able to touch Gloria’s sleeve even if she attacked at her peak.
“That’s right. Just watch as I conquer the world! I might spare your life if I’m in a good mood!”
With that, Gloria walked toward Eusof and greeted him.
“Master Eusof, are you okay?”
Eusof wasn’t dead yet because of the effect of the pill.
No doubt, it was also Gloria’s intention to keep him alive.
She wanted this man, who was supposed to be in charge of the Holy Guild and the Ecclesiastic Order, to watch as she destroyed his great legacy entirely.
“Please kill me!” Eusof begged feebly.
He had lost his last glimpse of hope after witnessing Gloria’s terrifying power.
Also, he could seemingly imagine the devastating moment when the Ecclesiastic Order was obliterated.
The legacy that he was immensely proud of would be ruined by Gloria anytime from now.
“No, no. I won’t kill you, at least not now. I want you to witness how I destroy the Ecclesiastic Order and the Holy Guild!” Gloria laughed maniacally.
Eusof widened his eyes in rage and passed out the next second.
“I’ll shake the world soon. Just look forward to it!” After that, Gloria left the secret room with satisfaction.
The feeling of utter hopelessness filled the entire secret room.
As Gloria arrived at the Corpse Pit, she was deep in thought.
The Glorian Order is immensely large now. When all members of the Glorian Order gather, we are much stronger than the Ecclesiastic Order and Yartran.
Her heart raced when she recalled the moment not long ago when numerous followers worshipped her.
“From now on, I don’t have to be confined by this tiny space anymore. I will now face the world! Just wait for it. All of you will tremble before the Glorian Order.”
The ambitious Gloria had figured out the first step she ought to take.
“Come here!” Gloria beckoned someone over with her finger.
Bone Grandmaster and Xylas, who had been waiting for quite some time, rushed toward her immediately.
One of them asked respectfully, “Lord Gloria, how may we be of use?”
“Instruct all followers to gather and stand by. We will attack Yartran tomorrow morning,” Gloria commanded coldly.
Chapter 3583 Why Is She So Powerful
Soon, the Glorian Order’s followers arrived from different places and waited for the next instruction.
Early in the morning, Gloria personally led her army to attack Yartran.
Due to the irreconcilable difference in might, the Glorian Order penetrated Yartran at lightning speed and soon arrived at its base.
The fighting outside Yartran’s base lasted not more than fifteen minutes.
Meanwhile, Yartran received information from its spies as soon as the war started.
Initially, Yartran’s council members expected their forces outside the base to withstand the Glorian Order’s attack for some time.
Hence, they were shocked upon knowing the Glorian Order had defeated their forces in such a short time.
Left with no choice, the leader of Yartran ordered the launching of the country’s defense system.
In the next instant, the ground shook, and an invisible energy shield surrounded the entire Yartran.
One could see terrifying energy and ancient letters floating around the shield.
It was the trump card of Yartran.
Back then, even Levi couldn’t destroy it with full force.
However, the truth was Levi didn’t use all his might.
“Everyone, rest assured that they won’t be able to penetrate the shield.”
The council members of Yartran were confident about it.
As expected, the shield did pose a huge challenge to the Glorian Order’s followers.
Even Xylas couldn’t make a dent after throwing punches at it several times.
At that moment, Gloria happened to arrive.
“Master, please forgive me for my incompetence. I can’t break the shield,” Xylas said respectfully.
Gloria replied coldly, “Let me try.”
“I’d advise you not to waste your energy. After all, even Erudia’s God of War, Levi, couldn’t break it,” the president of Yartran ridiculed.
As the president amplified his voice with a special device, it echoed throughout the air for quite some time.
He wished to use the opportunity to deter the invaders.
“Oh? Is that so? This is interesting!”
Gloria’s interest was piqued.
Initially, Gloria wanted to test the toughness of the shield by gradually increasing her power.
Now, she decided to use all her might to shatter the shield once and for all.
“Followers of the Glorian Order, stand down,” Gloria commanded coldly.
Immediately, tens of thousands of her followers retreated hundreds of meters away from the shield.
The next moment, Gloria released a horrifying surge of power, so much so that even the followers who were hundreds of meters away felt suffocated.
At that juncture, everyone was shocked by Gloria’s immense power.
Undoubtedly, they were glad to have followed such a strong lord.
Buzz… Buzz…
The deafening buzz sounded from where Gloria stood and spread far and wide.
At the same time, a surge of thick obsidian energy spread throughout the land as if it would tear the sky and land apart.
“I want to see whether this energy shield can withstand my attack at full force!”
The obsidian energy merged into a swordlike shape in seconds.
Swoosh!
The restless obsidian energy circulated around the shield.
“What? Why is she so powerful?
Everyone in Yartran couldn’t believe their eyes.
As far as they remembered, even Levi didn’t unleash such a terrifying force back then.
It was as though the entire country was being compressed by the energy surge.
Moreover, everyone’s blood was boiling.
It was as if the pressure was almost exceeding the limit their bodies could withstand.
“Don’t panic. Just hang in there for a while.”
“That’s right. She can never break the energy shield.”
“She can’t do anything to us as long as we hide here!”
The people of Yartran were nervous, no matter how the council members tried to comfort them.
Meanwhile, Gloria levitated in the air like a deity.
Once she finished amassing her energy, she smiled and moved her hand downward like an axe.
“Break!”
With that, the immense surge of obsidian energy poured down as if it would separate the sky from the land.
At that moment, the swordlike obsidian energy darkened the sky.
Chapter 3584 Yartran Is Eliminated
The terrifying energy spread across the land and filled the hearts of everyone in Yartran.
Despite being surrounded by the supposedly impregnable shield, the people of Yartran were overwhelmed by the horrifying energy and started gasping for air.
It was as though their bodies were about to be torn apart by the obsidian energy.
“Danger! Danger! Danger!”
The central control panel of Yartran’s energy shield kept sounding warnings.
The device could calculate the extent of the threat to the energy shield based on the amount of energy outside.
Hence, the system automatically launched its most powerful defense system and continued to thicken the shield.
At the same time, it was connected to one end of the super-spiritual ley line and kept absorbing energy frantically. In the end, the energy transformed into the outer layer of the shield.
Bang!
With an earth-shattering explosion, the energy shield also shook intensely.
Waves of energy spread across the land of Yartran as soon as the swordlike obsidian energy landed on the shield.
It was terrifying.
However, that was not the end.
The strong swordlike energy continued to cut through the shield after the impact.
Crack!
Moments later, cracks emerged on the thick energy shield.
“F*ck! This is impossible!”
The people of Yartran looked at it in disbelief.
Back then, even Levi couldn’t break the shield with all his might. How can this mysterious woman do it?
As they were in a daze, the land shook violently as though a catastrophic earthquake was happening.
Everyone felt as if Yartran was turned upside down.
After a while, more cracks formed on the energy shield.
In the end, the shield reached its threshold.
Crack!
As the shield shattered, the swordlike obsidian energy vanished.
The remaining energy waves formed a deep crevice on the ground in Yartran’s base.
Moreover, the energy waves spread across the base and damaged many machines and infrastructures.
Yartran suffered numerous injuries and casualties.
“Yartran’s strongest defense system isn’t so impressive, after all!” Levitating in the air, Gloria said and gazed at Yartran’s base with contempt.
In addition, she felt immensely satisfied, for the council members of Yartran had mentioned that even Levi failed to penetrate the energy shield with all his might.
On contrary, she shattered the shield at once with full force. It demonstrated the gap in terms of strength between the two of them.
“I’ve proven myself to be stronger than Levi.”
Gloria resisted her desire to burst into laughter and instructed her followers, “Kill them!”
Even though the energy shield was destroyed, Gloria knew many elites lived in Yartran.
Her ultimate goal was to obliterate Yartran from the world forever.
Gloria believed in the principle that one must always tie up loose ends. Thus, she wouldn’t give Yartran any chance to turn the tables.
In addition, she wanted to make a name for the Glorian Order with this first battle.
While the Glorian Order’s followers filled the place with their deafening battle cries, the fighters of Yartran were demoralized.
Led by Xylas, the Glorian Order’s elites rushed into Yartran’s base like a tiger storming into a flock of sheep.
The council members and elites of Yartran were rendered paralyzed and couldn’t fight back at all.
In just a few minutes, the war was over.
After that, almost all the council members and elites of Yartran were eliminated in less than half an hour.
From then onward, Yartran was officially wiped off the world map.
History would remember how Gloria led the Glorian Order and ravaged Yartran using the blitzkrieg tactic.
Once Yartran fell, Black Hawk, Shield of Zarain, and other intelligence departments spread the news to every corner of the world.
As expected, all forces were shocked by the news and were worried they would be the next target.
Moreover, more people around the world decided to join this mysterious force after its impressive feat was made known.
Almost instantly, the news shook the whole world.
Chapter 3585 Where Is The Minister
News about the Glorian Order destroying Yartran with the blitzkrieg tactic traveled to every corner of the world quickly.
When Levi received the news that the mysterious woman had shattered Yartran’s energy shield, he couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded.
Understandably, Gloria’s feat attracted his attention.
After all, he had to use almost all of his strength to break the shield in the past.
Even though Levi had elevated his power recently, he thought the mysterious woman’s power couldn’t be underestimated.
“I might be the only one who can be her opponent!”
Levi massaged his head as it started to hurt.
He couldn’t stay by the side of his family and friends all day.
If the mysterious force attacked his base, the mysterious woman only had to stall him to let Xylas and other elites slaughter his men.
Furthermore, compared to Yartran’s energy shield, the base’s defensive formation was much weaker.
An elite as powerful as the mysterious woman could effortlessly destroy the defensive formation.
It appears there is only one option—transfer everyone to the underground base!
Levi couldn’t help but feel an imminent and unprecedented sense of danger.
If Levi had to take extra precautions, one could imagine how panicked those in the base and the underground base would be.
“A powerful force like Yartran has been destroyed within half an hour. I can hardly believe it!”
“I’m afraid our defense system can’t withstand the mysterious woman’s attack too!”
“As long as Boss is here, the mysterious woman won’t dare lay a finger on us.”
Despite that, everyone couldn’t help but have doubts.
Can the invincible Levi defeat the mysterious woman? Let’s say her power is on par with Levi’s. However, if she stalls him, who else can stop Xylas’ advance?
As these pessimistic thoughts spread around, everyone felt a sense of crisis.
Meanwhile, members of the Ecclesiastic Order also heard the latest development and were stunned.
They all knew how powerful Yartran used to be.
Even when the Ecclesiastic Order was at its peak, they still had to be respectful toward the nation.
How could a mysterious woman and her followers destroy Yartran in less than half an hour?
They couldn’t believe the news.
Now, the Ecclesiastic Order’s strength had been severely undermined, for the three ministers of the Holy Guild were either missing or dead.
If the mysterious force attacks us now, can we even hang in there for half a day?
“Rumor has it that Yartran had a state-of-the-art defense shield.”
“Yes. Compared to that, the Ecclesiastic Order’s defensive formation isn’t worth mentioning.”
“Alas, we don’t have to live in fear if the Minister is here.”
“Even if the Minister returns, do you think he can match the mysterious woman’s strength?”
As everyone whispered among themselves, there was one thing in common—they had no confidence in the Ecclesiastic Order.
Everyone was worried about their lives, and some even secretly escaped.
With the members of the Ecclesiastic Order overwhelmed by fear, the Acting Minister of the Holy Guild could only try his best to comfort them.
He told everyone that the Minister was possibly alive, for the coordination of the seal had moved recently.
There was a big possibility that the Minister would soon return.
Even though the Acting Minister spoke the truth, others thought he was merely making empty promises.
Some of them did not even believe the Minister would return.
There was a huge trust crisis between the rank and file and the council members of the Ecclesiastic Order.
The moment the seed of fear was planted, it would begin to grow and spread rapidly.
Furthermore, it would provoke a chain of reactions sooner or later.
For instance, members would feel dispirited and not act as instructed. Also, the council members’ influence on the members would fade.
“The situation will get even more dangerous as the matter drags on. Master, where are you?”
The Acting Minister of the Holy Guild held his head in frustration.
Chapter 3586 The Spiritual Ley Line Of Yartran
While everyone felt an increasing sense of danger, even the Acting Minister’s confidence was shaken.
Miles away, a massacre ensued after Gloria conquered Yartran.
Xylas, the remaining descendant of the two deviant clans, fully displayed his merciless nature in the massacre.
There were many members in Yartran’s base. More than half were slaughtered, while the remaining members gave up and stopped resisting.
The remaining dozens of council members were also captured.
At that moment, they kneeled and begged for Gloria’s mercy.
In exchange for their lives, they were willing to give Gloria the top secret of Yartran—the location of the super-spiritual ley line that Yartran depended on for survival.
Although Gloria was excited about it, she pretended to be nonchalant. “The information is not enough to buy all of your lives.”
To stay alive, Yartran’s council members then offered her their magical herbs.
Gloria’s lips curled into a broad smile once she saw the pile of magical herbs.
“Since you’re so sensible, I promise to keep your corpses intact. Xylas, kill everyone except the president. Of course, remember not to waste their energy before killing them,” Gloria said with contempt.
Xylas licked his lips and responded respectfully, “Yes, Master.”
After executing everyone, Gloria headed to the spiritual ley line of Yartran with the president.
Since the president was terrified by Gloria’s power, he dared not play any tricks.
As such, he led her straight to the destination.
Gloria was stunned at the sight of the super-spiritual ley line, for it was much bigger than that of the two deviant clans.
Deep down, she thought it was even more terrifying than the spiritual ley line that the Ecclesiastic Order depended on.
Usually, a super-spiritual ley line would solidify into a transparent, crystal-like structure.
However, Yartran’s spiritual ley line and even the spiritual energy around it were goldish.
“This spiritual energy is even purer than the spiritual energy we usually extract using techniques.”
At that moment, Gloria’s eyes were gleaming. She couldn’t wait to absorb the energy of the spiritual ley line.
If I remember correctly, spiritual ley lines vary in levels, too.
Suddenly, Gloria recalled records about spiritual ley lines written in the Ecclesiastic Order’s ancient manuals.
The Ecclesiastic Order knew that spiritual ley lines varied in levels, yet they couldn’t categorize them in detail.
Therefore, all the ancestors could do was gloss over it in their manuals.
Nevertheless, one could be sure that a spiritual ley line that produced colored spiritual energy was better than those with colorless ones.
Back then, the Minister had left to look for higher-level super-spiritual ley lines, for he discovered one that was even better than super-spiritual ley lines.
Yartran’s spiritual ley line is on a higher level than the Ecclesiastic Order’s. It has perhaps reached the level of what the Minister hopes to find. Could it be the legendary dragon ley line or earth ley line?
Gloria grew more excited once the possibility flashed through her mind.
After a while, Yartran’s president asked timidly, “Lord Gloria, I’ve brought you to the spiritual ley line. Can you please let me go?”
All he wanted was to leave the horrible place alive.
“I did promise to let you go, but now I’ve changed my mind. How can the captives willingly surrender and serve me if you’re alive? To ensure that the Glorian Order grows stronger, please sacrifice your life for our cause. I’ll be grateful for your help. Hahaha!”
Gloria burst into wicked laughter. Once she lifted her hand, a horrible surge of obsidian energy emerged.
Yartran’s president was caught off-guard and hit by the energy. The next moment, his entire body vanished.
Meanwhile, Gloria continued to walk toward the spiritual ley line as though nothing had happened.
The only thing that she cared about was devouring the super-spiritual ley line.
Chapter 3587 Three Hundred Fatalis Warriors
Gloria quickly headed toward the super-spiritual ley line, for she couldn’t wait to absorb its energy.
“How much progress will I make once I finish absorbing this spiritual ley line?”
After Gloria finished murmuring to herself, she swiftly wielded her devouring technique.
What happened next stupefied her—the process abruptly halted after she absorbed just a little spiritual energy.
Have I reached my limit? Can I not elevate my power anymore?
Gloria couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
Even though she knew she was already invincible even without the additional spiritual energy, her greed was endless.
She still desired to achieve more, although she was now in a class of her own.
“What a waste if I can’t devour such an enormous spiritual ley line!”
Gloria refused to give up and frantically looked for ways to devour the spiritual ley line.
She even studied the devouring technique several times to look for any hidden tips that could help elevate her power.
However, Gloria’s effort was to no avail, even after she studied tirelessly for three days straight.
“D*mn it! There must be a way!”
At that juncture, Gloria thought of Forlevia.
Given that Forlevia founded the technique, she probably has a way to increase the threshold of devouring energy. Well, it seems like my plan to attack Levi’s underground base has to proceed earlier than scheduled.
Gloria made up her mind.
Meanwhile, Xylas was busy devouring the energy of dozens of Yartran’s council members.
After that, he proceeded to devour the energy of the many magical herbs.
As expected, Xylas’ power elevated to the next level once he did all that.
“I will kill that d*mned girl in seconds if I meet her again!” Xylas’ confidence soared.
In the following days, Bone Grandmaster and Xylas cleaned up the mess in Yatran under Gloria’s order.
The Yartran’s elites who were captured chose to join the Glorian Order.
As such, the Glorian Order grew larger once again.
Once Yartran set a precedent, other smaller forces, such as Zarain, surrendered unconditionally.
In just five to six days, the Glorian Order had attracted more than a hundred thousand new followers.
Instantly, the Glorian Order became the most talked-about organization across the world.
Furthermore, Gloria hand-picked three hundred Fatalis Warriors and taught them a devouring technique.
It was a simplified version of Xylas’ cultivation technique, which could elevate their powers in a short time.
However, the technique had a lower threshold of devouring energy.
Gloria deliberately added the Achilles’ heel in the technique, for she didn’t want the Fatalis Warriors to be strong enough to betray her.
“Guard this spiritual ley line well for me. As for the power in it, feel free to devour it!” Gloria instructed.
“Understood, Lord Gloria,” the Fatalis Warriors responded in unison.
In the underground base, Levi sat cross-legged as he carried out cultivation.
Even though there were all sorts of rumors, Levi chose to stay put.
Now that the mysterious woman had undoubtedly become one of the strongest fighters in the world, Levi would fight her when she came.
Nonetheless, Levi was more concerned about whether she had devoured Yartran’s spiritual ley line.
All key persons related to the spiritual ley line were under the mysterious woman’s control after she destroyed the entirety of Yartran.
To what extent will her power grow if she devours Yartran’s super-spiritual ley line?
Levi felt an intense sense of danger once the question flashed across his mind.
However, two days passed, and the mysterious woman still did not attack the base.
Levi got impatient and decided to evaluate the situation by visiting Yartran himself.
As he got ready to leave, Black Hawk sent over some reliable information.
Although the mysterious woman’s identity remained unknown, Black Hawk could confirm from multiple sources that she was a young woman. Aside from that, the mysterious force was immensely powerful.
Also, after conquering Yartran, the mysterious woman had headed to the place where the spiritual ley line was stored but couldn’t devour the energy.
Chapter 3588 Assault On The Base
Phew! Levi let out an extended exhalation.
It looks as if the mysterious woman’s ability to attain progression through devouring may have peaked.
“This means that it isn’t the end of the road for us just yet.”
With that in view, his confidence had received another considerable boost.
“In any case, you have to continue to stay vigilant, Mr. Garrison. Word has it that this faction is currently amassing its forces. It’s highly possible that they might be planning to hit your base directly.”
When the agents from Black Hawk checked in with updates again, Levi expressed certitude that his defensive schemes were already at an optimum state.
Thus, he was not too concerned about that.
Should the worst come to bear, I can still send my family, friends, and apprentices down to seek refuge in the safety of the underground defensive base.
Following that, Levi got in touch with the Ecclesiastic Order to establish lines of communication, and he was explicit in stressing the importance of the immediate sharing of any intel pertaining to the mysterious woman.
Being more than grateful to have Levi’s aid, the Acting Minister of the Holy Guild readily assented.
Once everything was settled, Levi continued to cultivate his foundational technique as his own final preparation for the major battle ahead.
Phoenix and the others had not been resting on their laurels either, and their continued efforts at intelligence gathering quickly led to the discovery of a pivotal figure—Callahan Wolden.
Callahan was the son of Kevin Wolden, the leader of West Pavilion. Callahan was similarly besotted with Gloria.
For a long time, Callahan had been in her services and was instrumental in his role of connecting and maintaining her numerous network of contacts, with Floyd counted among them.
It so happened that during that stretch when Gloria was away from West Pavilion, Callahan’s position was almost akin to that of a spokesperson.
With that important piece of finding in their grasp, Azure Dragon and his crew promptly sought out Floyd in order to seek clarifications with him.
On his part, Floyd made no attempt to deny the fact that Gloria had been keeping constant contact with him during that period.
“Now we can be more or less sure that Gloria had been manipulating Floyd all this while,” said Phoenix in a low voice.
Kirin chimed in, “It’s very likely to have been an information leak on the part of Floyd that led to Callahan’s unexpectedly taking of his own life.”
Azure Dragon and the others concurred with a nod.
Back when Levi first had Callahan in his crosshairs and was in the midst of delving into investigations on him, the latter abruptly chose to end his own life.
That notwithstanding, Callahan had also destroyed many classified materials prior to his own death.
Had it been an isolated instance, it could have been dismissed as mere happenstance, but a chain of such events doubtlessly pointed to an act of premeditation.
One could even venture as far as to declare it a conspiracy.
At the very least, they were able to establish that Floyd had inadvertently fed information to Gloria, which, in turn, led to Gloria going to Callahan and commanding him to immediately end his own life.
On top of everything else, there was the incident in which that mysterious woman similarly managed to turn tail and flee at the most critical juncture during Levi’s planned ambush at the spiritual ley line.
If that mysterious woman was Gloria, then all the pieces of the puzzle would fall into place, for that would account for those multiple leaks ranging from the base’s location to Forlevia’s technique, as well as everything else that followed.
Either by accident or intent, they must all have been caused by Floyd.
“That means that Gloria has to be the mysterious woman herself!” Phoenix concluded.
Nodding his head in affirmation, Azure Dragon added, “Even if she isn’t her, the two of them must nevertheless be closely aligned.”
“Agreed!”
Now that the Azure Dragon quintet were collectively unanimous in their views, the only question left for them to answer was whether they ought to pass that piece of information along to Levi.
Would that adversely affect the relationship between Floyd and Boss? They might even fall out with each other as a result!
That caused the five of them to become somewhat apprehensive.
Meanwhile, Gloria was wrapping things up over at Yartran.
She decided there and then that she was going to give Levi a massive surprise by sending Xylas and several dozen Fatalis Warriors to strike right at the heart of his base.
Those Fatalis Warriors were fighters who had recently devoured the super-spiritual ley line, and they had chosen to commence their offensive after Levi left.
Being far from satisfied with the amount of slaughtering he did last time round, Xylas was hyped because this time, with the exception of Forlevia, he had been granted free rein by Gloria to kill at will.
Smiling broadly, Xylas had his mind fully set on having a field day at it, and he went charging in promptly with his own crew as soon as Levi had been called away by the Holy Guild.
“Listen up, all of you in there. A year from today would be the anniversary of your death. Now, let’s put them to the fire and the sword!” Xylas bellowed.
Chapter 3589 Position Compromised
That voice could not have been more familiar to the masses present.
Xylas Geurin!
To them, that meant that that sadistic monster had returned.
Everyone was gripped by sheer panic.
With the lightning-quick sacking of Yartran from a few days ago still fresh on their minds, they would not have been as fearful had Levi been around presiding over things.
Could it be merely coincidental that Xylas should show up the second Levi left? No, that’s impossible! There has to be a spy among us.
That line of thinking only served to compound the unease that many of them felt inside.
“Just stay calm, everyone, and follow me down to the underground defensive base.”
The Azure Dragon quintet took the lead to migrate the group as Levi had instructed earlier.
Should they be attacked by powerful enemies while Levi was away, they were to avoid needless confrontation by swiftly relocating to the defensive base instead.
That was the best way by which they could conserve their strength.
On the other side, the dozens of Fatalis Warriors were working tirelessly, embarking on a savage bombardment of the base’s exterior defensive formations.
Considering that those formations had been set up with Levi’s personal input, the difference in their potency was apparent to see. So how could they possibly hope to break them down?
“Out of the way!”
Conjuring up his technique, Xylas unleashed a torrential surge of energy upon the defensive formations.
Boom!
In tandem with a deafening bang, fissures started to show up on the formations.
“Shatter!”
Launching forceful punches once again, Xylas decimated the formation asudden and revealed the underlying appearance of the base in full witness of those who were present.
“There’s no one inside, Mr. Xylas.”
The Fatalis Warriors went on to comb through the place without managing to find a single soul in sight.
Xylas broke into a chilling cackle as Gloria had already provided him with the exact location of the defensive base. “Do they really think I’d not be able to find them by crawling back into their sewer hole? All of you, on me!”
Inside the defensive base, Azure Dragon and the others were in a somber mood.
They had tried to reach Levi the second they came under threat, but they were shocked to discover that all their means of communication to the outside had been severed.
The visual prompts indicated that their devices had failed to send out any signals, and that sent everyone’s morale plummeting.
“There’s no need to overreact. We’ll be safe so long as we stay inside here.”
Before Zoey’s voice faded out, the lot of them suddenly felt a brief tremor that ran across the roof of the defensive base.
“What’s going on here?”
Recovering from their initial bewilderment, they then realized that someone must be attacking the defensive formations that were protecting the underground base.
Sure enough, they continued to hear the frightening sound of crashing waves of energy echo repeatedly.
“Has the defensive base’s position been compromised?”
“How is that possible?”
“If the mysterious woman was able to shatter the energy shields of Yartran, would our defensive formations be able to hold out against her?”
Every powerful quake from the outside pounded like a hammer upon their hearts, working the people gathered there into a frenzy.
Doubt, incertitude, and consternation were among the myriad of emotions that were swiftly percolating.
Azure Dragon and his peers were also quite taken aback.
The defensive base is Boss’ trump card! All those who knew of the location of the defensive base were all key members of the inner circle, so how on earth did Xylas manage to get wind of it? Could it be that one of us has leaked the exact coordinates of our position?
With a mind like a steel trap, Phoenix was able to contemplate this likelihood.
Coupled with the intelligence they had gathered, their attention naturally turned toward Floyd.
Among the core members, Floyd is the one who has the most complicated relationships with outsiders. Being willing to go as far as to die for the sake of Gloria Gaston, it would not be outside the realm of possibility for him to reveal the location of the defensive base to her.
“But would he have really done that?”
Phoenix remained somewhat unsure.
Floyd is, after all, Boss’ first apprentice as well as the one who Boss thinks the most highly of. Never mind the other stuff Floyd leaked, but all of Levi’s loved ones are here. As far as the defensive base is concerned, everyone’s safety is also at stake. As long as he had a shred of conscience left in him, Floyd couldn’t possibly have revealed such a vital piece of information to anyone else.
Chapter 3590 Too Late For Regrets
But how would Xylas know that if it wasn’t Floyd who told him? This doesn’t make sense!
Boom! A deafening noise echoed throughout the area as the defensive formation in the underground base suddenly collapsed.
Due to the secretive nature of the underground base, those on the outside had no way of pinpointing its exact location.
As such, Levi didn’t bother to set up a particularly strong defensive formation.
“You guys are nothing but a bunch of weaklings! You can’t hide from me!” Xylas shouted as he led the charge with dozens of Fatalis Warriors following closely behind.
“I’ll handle Xylas. Be careful when you’re fighting the others!” Forlevia said bravely before joining the battle.
Being the strongest member of the group, it was only natural for her to take Xylas on.
To send anyone else after him would be no different from sending them to their death.
Therefore, having Forlevia fight Xylas was the only way to minimize unnecessary casualties.
Xylas laughed maniacally when he saw her. “You think you can stop me, little girl?”
“Cut the crap! Let’s do this!”
Forlevia’s expression was exceptionally solemn as she could clearly sense how powerful Xylas was.
The aura he was exuding felt significantly greater than when they last met.
“All right, then. I’ll fulfill this death wish of yours!” Xylas shouted as he channeled his technique and launched an attack at her.
Forlevia, too, channeled her technique and absorbed the spiritual energy from the environment.
Neither of them used any fancy tricks as they fought each other with all their might.
To everyone’s surprise, Xylas was able to dominate the fight and keep the pressure on Forlevia the entire time.
There had been a few times when she barely avoided fatal blows and seemed to be at her limits.
Zoey, Azure Dragon, and the others wanted to lend her a hand, but the Fatalis Warriors were too powerful for them to ignore.
Despite being greatly outnumbered, the Fatalis Warriors still had the upper hand in the fight.
It wasn’t long before Zoey, Azure Dragon, and the others sustained injuries of varying degrees.
They could barely defend themselves, let alone back Forlevia up.
“Take this!” Xylas roared as he punched at Forlevia, shattering her defensive field instantly.
As Forlevia couldn’t dodge it in time, she was sent flying backward from the impact.
Spurt!
Xylas’ punch had injured her so severely that she coughed up a mouthful of blood on the spot.
Everyone in the underground base felt their hearts sink when they saw that.
If our most powerful combatant has fallen, then what chance do we have at surviving this onslaught? How should we even fight this battle?
Instead of pressing the attack, however, Xylas simply checked the time and called out to his men, “That’s enough! We’re leaving!”
The Fatalis Warriors then withdrew from battle without any hesitation and followed Xylas out of there.
The underground base was in a complete mess, and they had sustained heavy casualties.
Being the core member of the base, Forlevia’s suffered the most severe injuries of them all.
Levi had a bad feeling in his gut when he headed out that day.
He tried contacting his friends and family through his communication devices, but he received no response from them at all.
Realizing that something could’ve happened to his base, he rushed back as quickly as possible.
What greeted him was a huge mess with the wounded and dead lying everywhere.
“How did this happen?” Levi was slightly stunned by the scene.
Had they pressed on with the attack, everyone here would’ve died!
The thought of that hurt him so much that he could barely breathe.
He thought the underground base was his ultimate trump card, but his enemy had long since found out about it.
“D*mn it! I thought this underground base would help keep my friends and family safe! I’ve never been so wrong…”
Levi’s eyes were filled with anger and regret as he slammed his fist against the wall.
That was when he suddenly realized something incredibly important.
Wait a minute… I think I might’ve fallen into the enemy’s trap a long time ago…