The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 477 Earth Vein Collapse
Anne, as the first anchor point of the "Faith Network," is also seeing her status and influence continuously rise.

She not only became the new guardian of the Frost Realm, but also attracted more and more believers to come and worship and pray for protection.

Her name began to resound throughout the wizarding world, and she became a highly respected and worshipped deity. On the edge of the Frost Realm, the dark tentacles of the Council of Eternal Night quietly stretched out.

They dispatched powerful "Apostles of the Abyss" with the aim of seizing the awakened ley line core within Annie's body in order to plot a secret conspiracy.

Lena accidentally touched upon fragments of her deepest memories, fragments that concealed ancient secrets about the ley lines, but also inadvertently triggered a trap meticulously set by the Eternal Night Council.

In an instant, an invisible force enveloped the team, distorting space. They found themselves in an unfamiliar territory, surrounded by endless darkness and oppression.

Faced with this sudden predicament, Lia demonstrated her wisdom and composure.

She quickly retrieved an ancient map left behind by the Star-Eyed Clan from the ancient books she carried with her. It was a mysterious scroll drawn in an unknown language, recording the secret path to the Titan ruins.

Leah finally deciphered the information on the map, revealing the true location of the "Heart of the Wasteland"—the core of the ley lines—hidden deep within the Titan Burial Grounds.

At the same time, the earth vein energy within Annie's body began to spiral out of control, and her body gradually crystallized, as if she were about to be swallowed by the earth.

Seeing this, David unhesitatingly unleashed the Chaos Divine Fire, which was blazing hot and pure, forcibly suppressing the backlash within Annie's body.

However, this is only a temporary relief. To completely solve the problem, they must find the "Heart of the Wasteland" as soon as possible and unlock the secrets of the ley lines.

Guided by Leah, the team embarked on a difficult journey to the Titan Burial Grounds.

They traversed dark forests and crossed frozen rivers, finally arriving at the "Corridor of Bones"—a corridor built from the remains of countless Titans.

The air was thick with the scent of death; every step seemed to echo the reverberations of history. At the end of the corridor, they were intercepted by undead Titan golems.

These enormous creatures were formed from the remains of Titans and unknown dark magic, possessing astonishing power and immortality.

The battle was extremely fierce, with each team member displaying their unique strengths. However, the undead Titan golems were numerous and incredibly powerful, plunging the situation into crisis at one point.

At this critical moment, Cynthia stepped forward.

She awakened the plague power within her, a terrifying force capable of corrupting all life.

With a flick of her staff, a dark green mist spread out, rapidly eroding the core of the undead Titan golem.

These puppets, though immortal, derive their power from some unknown magical force, and the plague's power is precisely what can disrupt this magical structure. However, Cynthia's actions inadvertently triggered a curse deep within the ley lines.

An even more ancient and powerful force surged from the ground, causing a severe shock to the team.

The earth's fury was like a raging flood, making everyone feel an unprecedented threat.

Despite the devastation caused by the ley line curse, the team members did not give up.

David once again unleashed the Chaos Fire, creating a protective shield for the team;

Although Anne's body has not fully recovered, she is trying to guide the cursed power and reduce its impact on the team by relying on her subtle connection with the ley lines.
Lena, using her intelligence, analyzed the source and characteristics of the curse in order to find a way to break it;

Lia continued to decipher the ancient documents of the Star-Eyed Clan, hoping to find clues about the ley line curse.

Cynthia, on the other hand, did everything she could to maintain the stability of the disease's power and prevent it from spiraling out of control.

In this race against time, the team members demonstrated amazing perseverance and teamwork.

They supported each other and faced difficulties and challenges together.

After countless attempts and failures, they finally found the key to breaking the curse of the ley lines—using the power of the "Heart of the Wasteland" to balance and purify the curse.

Guided by David, Anne connected her own ley line energy with the "Heart of the Wasteland," and a warm and pure power surged from the earth, forming a stark contrast with the power of the curse.

As time went on, this force gradually gained the upper hand, the curse of the ley lines began to subside, and the team was finally able to escape their predicament.

Bathed in the light of the "Heart of the Wasteland," Annie seemed to be enveloped by an ancient and powerful force.

That is the source of the earth's veins, the remnant of the Titans' will, and the manifestation of the laws of nature.

However, deep within this power lies the endless resentment of the Titans when they fell, which has transformed into "cursed whispers" that silently erode Annie's consciousness.

Anne felt her thoughts begin to blur, and the whispers echoed in her mind like a nightmare, trying to drag her into endless darkness.

Her eyes became vacant, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably, as if she were about to collapse at any moment.

At this critical moment, the psychic sensed Anne's predicament.

Without hesitation, it unleashed the power of the Elemental Rainbow Core, a wondrous entity capable of harmonizing natural elements and constructing a powerful defense.

Brilliant rays of light emanated from Annie's body, quickly forming an unbreakable barrier that kept the "cursed whispers" at bay. However, the construction of this barrier did not come without a price.

The power of the Elemental Rainbow Core reacted subtly with the Chaos Divine Fire within David's body, causing an imbalance in his divine fire state.

Cracks began to appear in his previously stable pseudo-god rank, and an uneasy power stirred within him, as if it could erupt at any moment.

Faced with this sudden change, David demonstrated his decisiveness and wisdom as a leader.

He knew that if Anne was allowed to be corrupted by the "cursed whispers," not only would she be plunged into an abyss, but the entire team would also face an unprecedented crisis.

So he used Annie's mental contract ability to try to transfer part of the curse into the ley line creatures in order to alleviate Annie's burden.

The Spiritual Contract is a mysterious and powerful ability that allows Annie to establish a deep connection with leyline creatures and even control them to some extent.

David guided Anne's thoughts, channeling a portion of the curse's power into the nearby leyline creatures.

Although these creatures became violent and restless after being cursed, Annie's consciousness gradually returned to clarity.

However, this operation also exposed the vulnerability of the team's belief network.

David knew that their strength depended largely on their trust in each other and their unwavering faith.

But this transfer of the curse made them realize that if their faith wavered, the entire network could collapse.

David began to reflect on whether they had relied too much on external power and contracts, while neglecting internal growth and self-cultivation.

He realized that true strength comes not only from divine blessing and the constraints of contracts, but also from inner steadfastness and self-transcendence.

Under David's guidance, the team members began to re-examine their faith and power. They no longer relied solely on covenants and divine protection, but instead began to strive to explore their own potential and improve their self-cultivation.

After experiencing this trial, Annie gained a deeper understanding and control over the power of the ley lines;

The spirit also grew during this event, learning how to use the power of the elemental rainbow core more skillfully;

Lia became even more determined in her pursuit of knowledge and her exploration of truth;
Cynthia then began to try to control and guide the power of the plague to prevent it from getting out of control again;
David, on the other hand, gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between faith and power. He began to work hard to repair the cracks in his false god status and to find new ways to improve his strength.

The forests of the elves are verdant and mysterious, with sunlight filtering through the dense canopy and casting dappled shadows.

David and his group walked on the soft grass, their hearts filled with longing for the sap of the Mother Tree of Life.

However, when they arrived in the Elven territory, they were met with a cold rejection.

Cynthia walked at the front, her eyes pleading, but the faint aura of plague emanating from her acted like an invisible wall, severing the elves' goodwill.

“We need the sap of the Mother Tree of Life to reconcile the conflict between the Elemental Rainbow Core and the desolate divinity; this concerns the safety of countless lives.” Her voice was soft, but her anxiety was palpable.

The elven elders exchanged glances, their eyes filled with wariness and disgust.

"The scent of plague is a taboo for our Elven race. We cannot trust an existence that could bring disaster." The elders' tone was resolute, leaving no room for negotiation.

Just then, an elven traitor quietly approached, his eyes gleaming with cunning.

Taking advantage of everyone's inattention, he mixed a bottle of contaminated sap from the Mother Tree of Life into the upcoming ceremony.

David and the others were unaware of the conspiracy and eagerly awaited the start of the ceremony.

However, after Anne drank the juice, her body suddenly emitted a dazzling light, and then she lost control.

Her body rapidly expanded, scales covered her entire body, and her eyes gleamed with desolation and destruction, transforming her into a terrifying "Desolate Colossus".

She began to attack everything around her indiscriminately, and the elven forest trembled under her trampling.

Upon seeing this, David's expression changed drastically. He quickly activated his divine domain, attempting to suppress Annie's rampage.

However, this action inadvertently exposed his false god identity, and a powerful wave of divine power instantly swept across the entire wizarding world, causing a huge shock.

Amid the chaos, Lia gripped the Silver Moon pendant tightly, her eyes unusually resolute.

The pendant emitted a soft light in her hand, and a map of the "Four Elemental Godhood" slowly emerged.

She carefully studied the information on the map and immediately made up her mind.

"We need to gather the elemental divine sparks of wind and earth to complete the elemental rainbow core and quell this crisis." Her voice was soft, yet it resounded like thunder in everyone's hearts.

David frowned, watching the rampaging Anne and the panicked elves, his heart filled with an unprecedented sense of urgency.

He knew that time was of the essence and they had to act quickly, or the consequences would be dire.

Cynthia gripped her staff tightly, her eyes filled with both regret and determination.

"I will find a way to control the power of the plague and stop it from becoming a burden to us." Her voice was low, but it revealed an undeniable determination. Lia quickly gathered her thoughts and prepared to formulate a detailed plan. "We'll split up. David and I will go find the Wind Elemental Godhood, while Cynthia and Lena will go find the Earth Elemental Godhood."

Anne... will be temporarily entrusted to the spirit's care, hoping it can stabilize her emotions and help it. Her arrangements were methodical, demonstrating her calmness and decisiveness as a wise person.

In the elven forest, ravaged by Annie's rampage, the team members embarked on new journeys.

Their expressions were solemn yet resolute, their hearts filled with uncertainty about the future and a yearning for victory.

This crisis also quietly became an opportunity for their growth and transformation.

On the edge of the Elven forest, a small border village lies quietly amidst lush greenery.

The villagers have made a living by farming for generations, leading a peaceful and simple life.

However, a sudden change shattered the tranquility here.

Annie's rampage triggered a violent tremor in the earth's veins, making the entire land seem to shake.

However, amidst this seemingly catastrophic tremor, an unexpected divine miracle was revealed.

The fields, which had been shattered by the collapse, miraculously began to repair themselves as the earth's veins surged.

The cracks gradually closed, and the broken soil reformed, forming fertile land.

Even more surprisingly, a group of earth dragons appeared on the edge of the village at some unknown time.

Their massive bodies moved slowly across the ground, filling in any depressions they passed with their hard scales and powerful limbs.

The villagers watched this scene in shock, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"Look, that's Mother Earth protecting us!"

An elderly villager pointed with trembling hands at the herd of earth dragons, his voice shaking with excitement, "She has sent her messengers to save our home!"

As the earth dragon herd continued their work, the fields throughout the village quickly returned to their original state, even becoming more fertile than before.

The villagers came out of their homes, knelt down, and prayed devoutly to the sky, thanking Anne, whom they called the "incarnation of Mother Earth."

David stood on a distant high ground, silently watching all of this.

His heart was filled with complex emotions.

On the one hand, he was pleased with the initial manifestation of the faith network; on the other hand, he was also well aware that a huge crisis was hidden behind this brief manifestation.

The Eternal Night Council will not stand idly by; they will definitely try every means to sabotage this.

As David had predicted, the Council of Eternal Night quickly began to take action.

They spread a rumor that "false gods are calamities" in an attempt to shake the villagers' faith in Anne.

The rumors spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the entire wizarding world.

(End of this chapter)