The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 558 The Eclipse Appears

They quickly coalesced into a larger and more threatening gray-black monster, its claws slicing through the air with a piercing shriek, and a physical confrontation immediately erupted.

Zelos brandished his longsword, confronting the giant shadow monster that was about to pounce, while Lena focused intently on manipulating the array barrier to protect everyone's safety.

These complex runes shimmered with a faint light, constantly repairing and reinforcing the energy barrier, buying precious time for the operation.

Amy approached David quietly, her face showing firm concern: "Hang in there, you're not alone in this fight."

She placed her palms on his chest, infusing him with her fiery life magic, which gradually restored his clear consciousness and strengthened his mental defenses.

At the same time, she softly chanted ancient incantations, building a strong fortress of faith for her teammates to jointly resist the invasion of the terrifying illusion.

Gradually, the illusory scene began to dissipate, leaving only dark, lingering clouds drifting in the wind.

What was revealed was a more resolute David, whose eyes shone with a burning anger and fighting spirit.

He withdrew his palm and placed it against his chest, then roared to boost the morale of all his comrades:
"We are the legacy of the Star-Eyed Clan, the eternal guardians before dawn! We will never bow to this nightmare!"

As soon as he finished speaking, his vertical pupils shot out sharp blue flames, burning away all the remaining negative energy.

The air remained frozen, and the cold wind at the edge of the abyss rift cut through everyone's skin and will like an invisible blade.

The heavy shadows surged like a tide, and the Heart Eaters, relying on illusions woven from darkness and negative emotions, firmly trapped David and his companions.

Coldness and darkness intertwine to form a suffocating ocean of despair.

However, at this critical moment, a dazzling light broke through the gloom from the edge of the wasteland, piercing the desolation like the rising sun.

Lia slowly appeared, draped in a silver-white robe. The seventh-circle light magic "Holy Judgment Corona" shimmered with pure and holy light at her fingertips, its radiance like a divine judgment, mercilessly tearing apart the decaying darkness.

"David, hold on!" Her voice was clear yet commanding, each word carrying an unyielding order.

She raised her staff high with both hands, and the magical runes slowly rotated, drawing a huge sunburst pattern in the air. The seven rings of the "Holy Judgment Corona" gradually gathered into a blazing and transparent golden crown.

The crown shone brilliantly, as if igniting the pale sky of the entire far northern wilderness.

The world changed color instantly, and all shadows seemed to shrink back in fear before this sacred flame.

Lia walked slowly forward, each step leaving a shimmering golden footprint, as solemn and majestic as if she were entering a divine realm.

The Heart Eaters let out low howls of terror. The chaotic illusion began to twist and shatter, and countless black tentacles were burned away by the intense light. They were driven to the edge one by one, but the largest and most ferocious Heart Eater gradually emerged from the chaos. Its huge body was filled with a corrosive aura, its whole body was covered with dark shadow patterns, and it bared its teeth like a giant beast, revealing ferocious fangs. Its eyes burned with scorching red flames.

David felt an oppressive aura emanating from the body, a manifestation of an incomparably malevolent and unfathomable hatred.

He gritted his teeth, and the runes on his bone armor suddenly burst forth with a fierce clash of cold flames and chilling blue flames, creating a powerful confrontation with the golden magic in Lia's hand.

Zelllos gripped his longsword tightly, his eyes fixed on the enemy's movements, each breath imbued with the oppressive force of his icy armor.

He shouted in a deep voice, "Don't give it any chance to breathe! Gather all your strength and attack its main body!"

At this moment, the earth seemed to infuse the Star-Eyed warriors with extra resilience. A strong wind howled past, scattering the snowflakes into scattered silver pieces that adorned the air, making the surroundings even more solemn and resolute.

Lia raised her staff, her fingertips lightly touching the ancient emblem on her neck, and a blessing from the ancient divine realm suddenly surged forth.

"With the power of the Seven Rings, illuminate all realms!" She chanted the incantation aloud, her tone powerful and progressive, each word like thunder rumbling across the heavens and earth, "Holy Judgment of the Sun! Illuminate all things! Purify the filth!"

It became a massive, disc-shaped "corona" that rapidly expanded outward from the center, with countless golden symbols and intricate totems shimmering like stars, interspersed with the image of a blazing sun burning through the void.

"Boom!" The roaring sound shook the sky, forming a stark contrast with the vicious growl from the rift, as if the justice of heaven and earth were colliding head-on with the evil of chaos!
The enormous Heart Eater retreated in terror, its massive claws attempting to tear apart the surging golden energy. But each time it touched the defenses of the dazzling "corona," it let out a painful roar and was quickly dissipated and dissolved!

Taking advantage of the opportunity, David charged forward with his sword. The runes on his bone armor were strengthened by the "Resonance" spell, resonating with the surrounding energy fluctuations and continuously releasing alternating ice and fire damage.

On the battlefield, he caught a glimpse of Lena and Amy helping to reinforce the barrier, allowing their teammates to output damage steadily without their will being disturbed by negative energy.

Time passed second by second, and the glory of the "Holy Judgment Sun Crown" became more and more dazzling, just as the dawn would eventually dispel the night. The warriors were also able to regroup their faith and courage once again because of this divine power!
Finally, under the continuous and fierce blows, the evil creature roared in pain and was on the verge of collapse. Its entire body, composed of shadowy components, began to peel off and twist and deform.

In the midst of the rapid changes, his disguise peeled away, revealing his true appearance—a human male wearing the robes of a bishop of the Silvermoon Kingdom, with a cruel smile on his face and cold, eerie red eyes!
His gaze swept over the crowd with a hint of fanaticism and rebellion: "You... dare to pry into my secrets? Pathetic... the bishop of the Silvermoon Kingdom? You have long since defected... I am the Soul Eater Apostle of the Shadow Council, and your Star-Eyed Clan are nothing but stepping stones on my path of revenge!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly waved his hand, releasing a powerful mental shockwave to attack the enemy formation, while simultaneously using his wand to guide abyssal psionic energy towards David.

But Lia was not afraid. She intercepted him steadily and retaliated with a strike full of pure blessing energy, causing his body to tremble violently and stagger back several steps in pain.

Zelllos shouted, "Watch this!" With a sharp sound of a blade slicing through the air, he swung a horizontal strike at the bishop, buying his teammates precious time to counter the enemy's mental suppression!
Amy then took the opportunity to cast healing magic, healing the wounded while strengthening everyone's mental barrier to reduce the interference of the illusion.

Lena silently adjusted the array parameters, making the barrier more stable and resilient to resist any further hidden dangers...

These scenes unfold like an epic scroll: snow falls and drifts across the wilderness, yet their unwavering faith and teamwork ignite sparks of hope.
In the distance, the sky glowed with a rosy hue, painting the far northern night sky into a strange and magnificent spectacle;

Every face was etched with resilience, determination, and an unwavering belief in victory...

After a long and arduous battle, the traitorous bishop, driven to the brink of defeat, finally lost his last shred of sanity and launched a devastating attack in an attempt to make a comeback. However, with the combined efforts of everyone, he was ultimately sealed within golden ropes, forced to kneel helplessly on the dusty, snowy ground, unwilling to accept his defeat but unable to escape the harsh reality…

As the crisis subsided, the biting wind gradually softened, and a ray of morning light pierced through the clouds, falling on the faces of people whose souls were weary but whose wills remained steadfast.

A suffocating sense of oppression filled the air, and the space inside the abyss rift twisted and spun like a vortex, as if time and reality were being mercilessly pulled and torn apart here.

David, along with Lena, Amy, Zellos, and Liliana, slowly stepped into this cold and mysterious otherworld.

Beneath my feet was a broken and slippery obsidian floor, emitting a faint blue-purple glow.

The surrounding walls stretched and writhed like living things, seemingly composed of interwoven shadows and corrosive energy.

Fine dust particles occasionally slide down from the ceiling, each drop creating a low echo, like the abyss whispering ancient secrets.

Lena frowned, the screen of the resonance instrument in her hand flickering with complex waveforms, interspersed with distorted signals that were difficult to decipher.

“These runic ripples… are constantly absorbing chaotic energy and transforming it into a purer and more dangerous abyssal energy,” she explained softly. “We must find the source as soon as possible, or the risks will be immeasurable.”

Everyone nodded silently, their eyes solemn and resolute.

David gripped the rune markings on the bone armor tightly. The grayish-white marks twitched slightly, as if sensing a faint call from an unknown power ahead.

He strode more firmly, each step leaving a shimmering trail of light on the cold stone surface.

Finally, after passing through a narrow passage covered with corroded textures, a magnificent and mysterious altar gradually came into view.

It stands in the center of a platform as smooth as obsidian, several meters high, and is made up of countless bone structures. Its surface is engraved with dense and complex runes, which seem to flow with a vibrant life force, forming a stark contrast with the surrounding dark shadows.

A huge bone book floats in the center of the altar, its bone cover inlaid with a fragment of the primordial core that exudes a dark blue, chaotic aura.

This "Abyss Corruption Codex" is like a peerless forbidden book, silently releasing a faint pressure. The fragments of the chaotic primordial core seal an unspeakable terrifying power, inspiring awe yet compelling people to pay attention to its mysteries.

David stepped forward slowly, the cold flames in his vertical pupils reflecting the engravings on the surface of the codex. Each line flowed with strange totems, seemingly recording the methods and formulas for transforming chaotic energy into dark spiritual power from the abyss.

An ancient and extremely dangerous kind of knowledge lies dormant within, waiting to be unlocked, and this could very well be a key source of an enemy's attempt to overthrow the world order.

Amy gently traced the edge of the codex with her fingers, her brow furrowed as she carefully felt the corrosive influence of the lingering chaos.

This power was not simply evil, but seemed to incorporate incomprehensible and extremely complex laws, giving her an intuitive feeling that if she were to touch it rashly, it could very likely trigger a catastrophic chain reaction.

"This is... the immortal truth they seek?" Lena whispered, trembling. "Using this codex, they can forge chaotic disorder into tangible forms, and thereby manipulate souls and space..."

Zelllos's gaze was solemn, his grip on his sword resolute: "If we allow it to spread, it will bring an irreversible catastrophe. We must completely destroy or seal everything here."

Liliana then took out the ancient artifact of the Star-Eyed Clan—the Ice Mirror Shield—from her bosom. She slowly approached the altar and used ice crystals to reflect and cover the codex, hoping to temporarily isolate the dark magic power accumulating within.

"The Frost Mirror Shield might be able to temporarily suppress the negative energy it releases, but only for a very short time. We must seize every minute and second."

The group worked together seamlessly, maximizing their individual abilities to maintain the rare stability within this confined space.

A cold wind blew in through the cracks and fissures, sweeping between the bone altar and the floating codex, cutting through the deathly silence like a sharp blade, yet bringing a touch of chilling clarity.

David closed his eyes and held his breath. He tried to activate his bloodline resonance technique, injecting the bipolar power of flames and frost into the bone armor, causing it to emit a pale blue fluorescence and resonate with the suspended protocore.

He knew that this was the only way to analyze and interfere with the operation of this forbidden book, but the price was undoubtedly huge—every fluctuation would tear apart his fragile mental defenses, making the pain almost unbearable.

Time seemed to freeze, all sound disappeared, leaving only the intertwining and vibration of heartbeats, pulses, and the rhythm of the soul, like the faintest yet most real rhythm of the universe's stars.

In that blank silence, they could almost hear the ancient, devouring law of "Abyssal Erosion" quietly resounding, making their pores stand on end!

Suddenly, a pale blue beam of light burst forth from the center of the codex, slicing through the dim void like a sharp blade and piercing straight to the dome.

A powerful attraction swept through the surrounding walls and corners, causing dust and snowflakes to rise and swirl around, while several skeletal tentacles quietly stretched out, attempting to entangle everyone!
David suddenly opened his eyes, his vertical pupils flashing with a sharp, cold light. He shouted, "Everyone, hold your ground! Don't be fooled by the illusions!"

Zelos swung his sword to sever the elusive tentacles, while simultaneously applying pressure to the surrounding formation to block the invasion's path.

Amy quickly cast a Soul Cleansing Shield, creating a flexible mental shield for everyone;
Lena focused her attention on adjusting the instrument parameters to suppress abnormal band signals;
Liliana spared no effort in reinforcing the barrier, using the Ice Mirror Shield to resist the negative effects caused by the spread of the Primal Core Embers...

After a brief period of calm, they meticulously surveyed the perimeter of the altar, leaving no suspicious detail unchecked: the intricate arrangement of inscriptions, hidden mechanisms, and the small paths leading to unknown areas were all marked, archived, and analyzed for future exploration.

At the same time, pay close attention to changes in the surrounding environment, and immediately work together to deal with any abnormalities...

As research deepens, the secrets within the "Abyssal Corruption Codex" gradually emerge: those intricate runes not only record the refining process, but also detail how to transform soul elements to enhance one's own savage demonic nature, and how to use "blood pacts" to bind extraterrestrial demons as auxiliary combat forces—all of which are enough to destroy the foundation of an entire civilization!

The air grew increasingly heavy, each breath feeling like swallowing a sharp dagger, yet the faces of the crowd remained resolute, showing no sign of backing down.

In this coldest, most desolate forbidden land in the world, they carried not only a mission, but also an undying vow to protect their people and the last hope of the entire world!

(End of this chapter)