The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 605 The Hourglass Collapses

"We must split our forces into two groups: Hill will lead the Holy Knights to continue the hunt for the remnants of the Council of Eternal Night;

"Lia is personally leading a team deep into the seventh layer of the abyss, hoping to discover and master the secrets of the 'World Anchor' as soon as possible." David's gaze was resolute. "Cynthia and Lucia are responsible for developing auxiliary protection and emergency support plans, while I am responsible for overall coordination and soul guidance."

Lia stepped forward, her expression solemn, as if a raging fire was burning within her.

"This is our mission. No matter how complex the detours and traps may be, we will overcome all obstacles to protect the last hope for the Silver Moon Clan and the entire continent!"

Cynthia walked to the side and inserted the Frost Sword into the center of the stone table's engravings, emitting a cold and dazzling light like a sharp blade in winter.

"The Frost Barrier will accompany and protect the expedition team. Any unexpected changes should not be underestimated, but I will not allow the enemy to lay a finger on the Holy Land!"

Lucia followed closely behind, raising her hands slightly and gathering arcane energy from her palms to quickly draw out the complex array.

"I will ensure the flow of time remains stable and assist in breaking any forbidden seals; this is of paramount importance to us!"

Hill's expression was solemn, as resolute as a tiger descending a mountain: "My soldiers are ready. We will penetrate deep behind enemy lines at the first opportunity to confront all lurking threats and ensure the successful completion of the main operation!"

The high priest sighed softly as he gazed at the faintly bright eastern clouds, their glow spreading slowly like blood-stained silk.

"The sun rises, but darkness still rages; this battle will only grow more difficult. May the gods protect us, and may dawn not be extinguished before darkness engulfs us..."

The lights in the hall flickered, like twinkling stars adorning the night sky.

These people who vowed to protect their homeland stood firm in the face of the great wheels of history, building a spiritual bulwark with their flesh and blood and forging an insurmountable wall with their beliefs.

They knew that as long as the flame in their hearts remained burning, even if the world collapsed, a new order and hope could be ushered in.

At this moment, a brand new journey is slowly unfolding, and they are about to embark on a journey to the ultimate intersection of their destinies—the "Seventh Layer of the Abyss," a secret realm known as the "End Realm."

And there they will face the most severe tests of humanity and trials of strength...

David's gaze never left the sundial for a long time, and he frowned slightly.

He knew that only by personally experiencing the secrets of the seventh level of the abyss could he possibly unravel this complex mystery of time and space.

“The corridor of time…” he murmured to himself, an indescribable premonition surging in his chest.

He walked slowly toward the end of the secret room, where a dark passage exuded an eerie atmosphere.

The air was slightly cool and carried the remnants of ancient magic, and a vague sense of unease gradually spread.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, David reached out his large hand and gently touched a crystal-clear portal that shimmered with blue and white light.

The door trembled as if it were alive, and opened a crack in response.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the endless, interwoven corridor of time and space.

This passage is like traversing the veins of history, with countless interwoven and shimmering fragments of time rotating around it, each fragment reflecting different versions of reality from the past to the future.

David looked around and was met with a powerful yet chaotic torrent of information.

Suddenly, a vivid image appeared before his eyes, as if sliced ​​by intense light: the scene of the ancient wizard council launching the "Star Burning Project" deep within the forbidden temple.

The council hall was magnificent yet cold, with a huge burning magic array hanging high above, roaring like a giant star burner.

The wizards, clad in black robes, their faces etched with determination and resolve, joined forces to gather countless magical powers at the central anchor point, and a destructive force gradually coalesced into shape.

David saw a mixture of pain and determination flash across the faces of these wizards. They knew the plan was extremely cruel, but they had no other choice.

Only by purifying this "anchor of the world" with blazing flames can we prevent the ancient prison from breaking open and unleashing unimaginable demonic power.

They used all their knowledge to try to restore order through destruction.

However, just as the burning array was about to erupt with its most intense sparks, a dark figure suddenly appeared from the shadows—it was the Pope himself.

It is not the pope who appears in the world, but the truest being hidden outside the cracks of time, existing between darkness and light!

His eyes were like frozen ice in the eternal night, which shocked the wizards into dust, but at the same time he released a huge hand that devoured all the energy in the world in an attempt to seize control of the anchor point.

This is a life-or-death battle destined to rewrite the rhythm of heaven and earth and shake the foundation of the universe!

David felt the chaotic core within his body tremble violently, as if the ancient seal was hidden there, and an unprecedented shock surged through him:

—“The anchor point is not only a spatial coordinate, but also the shackle that imprisons the ancient god!”

If control is lost, it will become the key to open the gates of hell, triggering catastrophe across all realms!

The time particles around the corridor surged and exploded, countless fragments of history were reassembled and shattered, and each rhythm brought a tremendous impact, making it difficult to bear the mental pressure.

However, David steadily maintained his rhythm through bloodline meditation, gazing into the distance amidst the chaotic storm as the outlines of the future and the truths of the past intertwined into a web of clues.

The Pope's true form sneered, "Destiny is nothing but a disguise; I will ultimately rule over all of this! No matter how many obstacles there are, none can shake my dominion!"

The members of the Wizarding Council looked on with grief and determination. They chanted more complex and violent spells, merging their souls and magic into the core of the burning magic circle.

Amidst the sparks, some white robes turned to ashes, while others held fast to their beliefs, sacrificing their lives to protect the balance of this seal...

Just as the two forces were about to collide and erupt into a life-or-death moment, an old yet gentle voice pierced through the void and rang out: "Stop! Stubbornness will only lead to eternal damnation."

As the sound faded, a soft golden light shone in from outside the crack in time and space. Everyone shrouded in the brutal battle felt a brief moment of peace. It was a symbol of human hope that transcended the cycle of life and death, and an eternal song of unyielding resistance against fate!
David clenched his fists, realizing that he had become a crucial figure guiding this magnificent historical process:
"I cannot run away, nor can I give in. I must harness the core of chaos and guide the 'Anchor of the World' to its rightful place."

As long as faith exists, no fate is insurmountable!

As he uttered his vow, invisible energy coalesced into a magnificent holy flame, which surged forth from his fingertips and merged with the turbulent spatial ripples in the corridor.

A human will that transcends the boundaries of past and future, where suffering and glory resonate and intertwine, finally awakens... David stands at the entrance to this spacetime rift, surrounded by ethereal light and shadow that shift and change, like a galaxy flowing backward, or like fragments of a dream breaking and reforming.

He slowly closed his eyes, feeling the suffocating pressure of time and space rushing towards him, each breath seeming to inhale countless forgotten memories and fragmented time.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and a flood of dark images from the past surged forth.

That was the night his family was destroyed when he was a child. The firelight lit up the sky, the sound of high walls collapsing was deafening, and screams and shouts intertwined into an indelible nightmare.

David saw his young self curled up in the burning rubble, helpless and terrified. At that moment, despair was as cold as ice.

The crimson shadows swayed on the wall, and he felt the stinging pain from the betrayal and abandonment he had felt years ago resurface.

“This is… a demon in my heart,” he murmured, the pain having tried to overwhelm him and make him lose himself.

He clenched his fists, a chill creeping through his body, yet he resolutely opened his eyes, resisting this nightmare of memories with his willpower.

As the inner incantation gradually resonated, a clear light burst forth from his chest, like the dawn piercing through the darkness of night.

He focused his mind and energy, cutting away and shattering all the chaotic illusions.

This power originates from the depths of the chaotic core, yet it also incorporates the essence of life and unwavering faith; it is the awakening of "true vision."

A new awakening power capable of penetrating false illusions and discerning the essential truth.

When David opened his eyes, he found himself in a jumbled, layered geometric space.

This place is like a vast and intricately constructed magical labyrinth, where each path seems to connect to different fragments of time, yet it contains hidden traps and mechanisms. If you are not careful, you will be trapped inside forever and never be able to escape.

A chilly, twilight-like atmosphere filled the air, while faint, intermittent whispers drifted from afar.

Those voices, a mixture of threats and temptations, were like ancient ghosts recounting unsolved mysteries, or like the Weaver Girl of Fate softly singing an endless lament of destiny, shaking one's mind and making it difficult to make a decision.

Gazing closely at the projected pattern, the coordinates of the "Anchor of the World" became increasingly clear, revealing its core location: a giant hourglass-shaped arcane device stood in the center, radiating a glow that was a mixture of dark blue and blackish purple.

This hourglass, like a vessel that devours the flow of time, drips and sparkles with tiny particles. Each turn pulls at the rhythm of time and space, changing its trajectory, and is known as the "Hourglass of Time".

However, what shocked David even more was that a blurry figure in black robes stood at the top of the hourglass, its face hidden in the shadows, with only its cold, gleaming eyes slyly watching its surroundings.

The "Pope's clone" is using this device to control the anchor point and firmly grasp the enormous forbidden energy!
The scene caused the air to freeze abruptly, like a heavy hammer striking the abyss of the soul.

The enemies and conspiracies of yesteryear are now clearly revealed, more terrifying and real than any rumor.

The Pope not only wields the scepter of faith, but also manipulates the key pivots in the laws governing the universe!
David gritted his teeth, and divine flames slowly ignited throughout his body, spreading to his fingertips and warming and dissolving the cold illusion.

He realized: "Only by destroying this 'hourglass of time' and severing the Pope's avatar's control over the 'anchor of the world' can we have a chance to turn the tide."

But at this moment, the maze kept changing its path, and countless illusions tried to trap his consciousness, making every step forward fraught with danger.

Those old memories transformed into temptations and fears, constantly eroding the boundaries of his reason, forcing him to rely on his awakened, true vision to distinguish truth from falsehood, otherwise he might be forever trapped in them and unable to extricate himself.

Each step was accompanied by the booming echo of cold, sharp runes slicing through the void, and the walls of the hall seemed to come alive as they fought against the intruders.

But David's gaze was resolute as he searched for the only clue to the core exit in the eye of the illusion storm. He knew that this was not only a contest of strength, but also a test of the limits of his beliefs and will!

The stars faintly illuminated the gradually brightening path, and life runes and frost imprints appeared on both sides of the road, intertwining to form a protective net that blocked some of the attacks.

Meanwhile, Lucia provided remote assistance, using an arcane array to stabilize the external timeline, providing support for the actual exploration inside;
Lia accompanied the team as a guard, preparing to break through the final obstacle; Cynthia was heavily guarding the safe passage at the rear.

Hill led his troops to suppress the remaining enemy forces and prevent reinforcements from arriving...

The air grew thinner, but the mind became clearer and more lucid.

Each time they defeat their inner demons and catch a faint pulse of order in the chaotic storm, it seems they are one step closer to the ultimate secret, which strengthens the guardians' belief in their ultimate victory.

The air on the seventh level of the abyss seemed to be stained by thick darkness and corrosive power, and chaos and nothingness intertwined here to form a strange, inky ocean.

The maze path beneath David's feet twisted and changed constantly, and a suffocating sense of oppression permeated the surroundings, as if he could be swallowed up by an invisible black tide at any moment.

With piercing eyes, he approached the enormous "Hourglass of Time" step by step in this labyrinthine realm where illusion and reality intertwined.

The hourglass stands in the center of the vast, broken platform, its light, a blend of deep blue and dark purple, like an immortal star shimmering in the abyss.

The hourglass dripped with glittering particles like stardust, each drop seemingly drawing subtle fluctuations from the spatial rift, and the black-robed figure faintly emerging at the top was none other than the Pope's avatar, the most terrifying and cunning shadowy being.

The Pope's avatar stared coldly at David, his eyes sharp as ice blades, radiating killing intent.

He was surrounded by countless thin, twisted, and spreading tentacles that extended into all parts of space. As these tentacles wriggled, they carried destructive spacetime energy ripples that constantly eroded and captured the outside world.

“Foolish humans,” the Pope’s avatar whispered, his voice seemingly emanating from the depths of hell, “you think you can threaten me with the power of chaos.”
This 'Hourglass of Time' is a crucial link in the foundation of heaven and earth. I will use it to tear apart the void and make all things submit to my will!

Before the words were even finished, an unstoppable battle suddenly broke out.

Hill led the Wizard Knights into the battlefield with overwhelming force.

They wore silver armor, appearing like a sharp, cold glint in the dark abyss.

The blade sliced ​​through the air, each swing sending up bursts of dazzling sparks, and the collision with the ever-extending and corrosive tentacles produced deafening sounds.

The priests' gazes were firm, undaunted by the evil forces. They brandished their weapons to fight against the enemies who came from the abyss, twisted in form like monsters, yet imbued with the power of evil laws.

Sparks flew, frost runes shimmered, and magical energy roared across the battlefield. For a moment, the world seemed to be stained with blood and frost by this brutal battle.

Hill descended like a tiger, his body unleashing astonishing power. Each strike was incredibly precise, ruthlessly severing the chains of the Pope's avatar that were eroding space and attempting to firmly control the rules of spacetime.

(End of this chapter)