The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 621 Trial
Hill calmly dodged and launched a counterattack amidst the dazzling interplay of sword energy.

However, this is no ordinary trial; it is a cruel tempering that increases the strength of the soul at the cost of pushing the limits of the mind and body.

With a shrill roar, the illusion suddenly unleashed a violent force, severing Hill's left arm!
Amidst the splattering of blood, he opened his eyes in fury, but was not defeated by the pain. On the contrary, his soul core surged with even stronger fluctuations, increasing his mental strength by a full 30%!
The pain became his motivation. He gritted his teeth and persevered, his unwavering and resolute stance, though lacking an arm, shone as brightly as a burning torch.

Under the watchful eyes of onlookers, all of this demonstrates that "sacrifice" is not the end, but rather an opportunity for transformation to a higher level!

Amidst the moss-covered ruins of a former altar, a group of shamanic riders gathered around a giant sand table for a discussion.

They meticulously analyzed the data from each battle, relaying the experience to the wise elders in the rear, in order to continuously optimize the training system and combat strategies, making the entire legion increasingly powerful and deadly.

At this moment, David slowly raised the fragment of the Great Divine Authority in his hand, and the runes on its surface gradually lit up with blazing red flames, reflecting the surrounding space.

A calm, mentor-like voice resounded throughout the area:

"Only those who have undergone true bloody tempering and willpower testing can carry on the treasures we have bequeathed."
Only those who firmly acknowledge the dualistic nature of chaos and order can lead a new era into the apocalypse.

Before the words were even finished, the earth trembled and runes spread out, enveloping the entire training ground in an invisible energy grid, creating a tough protective barrier for all those participating in the training.

At the same time, we should intensify environmental pressure so that everyone faces challenges beyond their own limits in order to truly achieve a qualitative leap!
In the distance, tents flickered with lights, and humans, elves, dwarves, and many allied soldiers solemnly awaited news.

Their faces were resolute, and their scars and mud-covered faces reflected the unwavering will that had been forged through life and death.

"We must believe in miracles, believe that these heroes can bring about change," an elderly man murmured, drawing nods of agreement from those around him.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Worms still lurk and wreak havoc on the outskirts of the End Corridor, but as the Warlocks' combat prowess grows, they gradually lose control of the situation.

Everything is moving towards a new balance, and behind this lies a long-dormant opportunity for a new era, triggered by fragments of the Great Theocracy...

David stood at the edge of the shattered plane, his body surrounded by crimson flames. His gaze was as firm as a rock as he gripped the halberd imbued with the power of fragments of the Great God of War.

Before them lay the spatial barrier, torn apart by the aftershocks of the divine war, its surface ravaged like the bite marks of a wild beast. The place where the abyss and reality intersected was broken like a mountain cliff about to collapse.

He took a deep breath, mobilized his consciousness to its limit, and used the "Power of the Three Hearts" to fuse the three primordial energies of chaos, order, and life as an engine to inject the divine flame that had been stored within his body for a long time into the dimensional rift.

Crimson flames spread along the fault line, like chains of fire wrapping around and enveloping the cracked space.

The surrounding air was filled with dense and complex energy fluctuations, which were the residual energy of the divine war being guided, dispersed and gathered, like a vast torrent slowly flowing backward to zero.

Faint, flickering points of light danced and undulated in the void; they were signals of the reconstruction of life vessels amidst the distortion of the force field.

As the last chain of red fire pierced the core of the fault, countless tiny textures seemed to be meticulously stitched together by invisible needles and threads, and faint light patterns intertwined to form invisible patches, bringing the terrifying world back to its balanced trajectory.

The world seemed to find some peace because of this effort, and the earth resonated with a deep and gentle rhythm, as steady and powerful as the nurturing of new life.

Inside the distant camp, a bustling scene was brewing a new opportunity for breakthrough.

Wearing a light blue robe, Lia sat quietly before a shimmering star chart woven from elven star runes, intently observing the "War Fury Embers" she had recently collected from the End Corridor. These were fiery fragments of souls that had spilled out when the fragments of the Great Divine Power of War erupted.

These embers, like burning ashes, contain extremely strong law ripples, making them invaluable treasures for refining and strengthening divine artifacts.

She frowned slightly, her fingertips lightly touching the surface of the crystal disc. A gentle blue glow surged and spread out, and the pure energy of "law tempering" slowly condensed and took shape.

This power can strengthen artifacts, making them resistant to decay and capable of bearing stronger effects of laws, in order to match the pulse of the era of war and the resonant frequency of the laws of chaos.

"This is far from an ordinary element; it is an ancient and pure power that gives our weapons and armor the ability to resist the erosion of time and the distortion of space."

Lia explained softly, her eyes shining with newfound anticipation for the future: "These artifacts, forged through tempering, will become key to resisting the invasion of the abyss and the encirclement by the Holy Light Alliance."

At this moment, the elven sundial in her hand began to emit a soft silver-blue glow. It was an important treasure from the ruins of an ancient civilization, capable of sensing the flow of rare powers in the universe.

A hidden coordinate gradually appeared, like the trajectory of a new star streaking across the night sky, pointing directly to the darkest and unexplored realm of the End Corridor: the unknown area at the bottom of the seventy-fourth layer of the Abyss.

Lia gazed at the coordinates on the sundial screen; the faint purple dot was like the last ray of hope under the night sky.

"What secrets are hidden there? Could it be the key to regaining the initiative?" she murmured to herself, her hands trembling slightly.

Not only amazed by the grand symbols left by ancient civilizations, but also feeling the immense pressure of the mission weighing heavily on our shoulders.

As everyone was busy running around inside and outside the camp, the earth trembled slightly once again, as if foreshadowing an even more significant event about to unfold.

Within this new order framework woven from the beliefs of all beings, every act of repair is a shift in the tide of destiny toward a smooth path, and every act of completion is a rekindling of the wellspring of hope for the future!
David composed himself and withdrew from the dimensional repair site.

He stroked the runes on the halberd, and the ever-shining fluorescent red seemed to respond to his determination with vibrant energy.

He knew that this journey had only just begun, and even more difficult tests awaited him and all his allies ahead.

And the lives on the land protected by the healing barrier will also usher in a new dawn on this foundation!

The God of Holy Light stood in the very center of the hall, draped in a long, pure silver robe as clear as the morning sun. His eyes were deep and sharp, reflecting the most dazzling light in the starry sky.

He held the holy staff, a symbol of justice and purification, in one hand, and gently touched the gleaming golden symbol on his chest with the other, a mark of purity formed by the collective efforts of countless believers.

His face was solemn at this moment, and his brows revealed a hint of dissatisfaction and anger that was hard to conceal.

"God of Conspiracy..." His voice, like the morning bell and evening drum, echoed throughout the entire Astral Temple, "You revealed your trump card too early, tearing apart the thin but vital alliance among us gods."

As soon as the words were spoken, a tall man with armor gleaming with crimson-gold flame patterns emerged from the shadowy depths. He was the God of War, and his imposing aura seemed to tremble the surrounding space.

He glanced sideways at the God of Holy Light, and his words, tinged with mockery and sneer, burst forth like burning flames:

"Betrayed by the faith of mortals, you brought this suffering upon yourselves. The so-called supreme holy light is nothing more than a temporary illusion of the mortal mind."

The god of war's voice was powerful and resonant, each word striking the hearts of all beings.

What burned in his eyes was not just a raging fire, but also a disdain and contempt for the hypocritical order.

As the two great deities faced off, a powerful shockwave suddenly rippled outwards from all around the hall.

Several blurry yet imposing figures vaguely appeared in the space. These were the other important figures participating in the alliance of gods: the Queen of Nature, the Elder of Wisdom, the Messenger of the Underworld, and others. They all watched the escalating conflict with complex expressions.

The array of runes in the air suddenly lit up, and a faint silver-gray energy barrier slowly formed, enveloping the entire hall.

This is not merely a protective barrier, but also a restriction—a means of restraining each other's power set up by the major pantheons to prevent the conflict from spiraling out of control.

The God of Holy Light slightly raised his palm, and various small magic circles symbolizing purity and order appeared one after another.

He coldly announced: "To prevent your conspiracy from spreading further, I have invoked the 'Apocalypse Restriction' to seal off all heretical forces that may interfere with the order of the mortal realm and the astral plane."

The God of War immediately retaliated, unleashing a fiery whirlwind behind him that swept through the void like a scorching storm: "I will not back down either, I will use 'Battle Intent Cage' to seal your purifying energy, so that our conflict will not affect more innocent people!"

Two enormous energy barriers intertwined and entangled, forming a dense, twisted, and ever-changing grid in mid-air.

The oppressive aura emanating from the grid caused the surrounding angels and guardian spirits to retreat in fear, with no one daring to intervene rashly.

The Queen of Nature sighed softly. Adorned with forest vines and flowers, she spoke with a gentle yet resolute tone: "Everyone, please do not forget that we once swore to maintain the balance of the universe together. Now, however, we are growing apart due to mutual distrust, which will only allow the forces of darkness to take advantage of our weakness."

The wise elder clasped his hands in front of his chest, his aged face etched with the marks of time, yet still bright and wise: "If we cannot unite our will, we will ultimately be doomed."

The messenger from the underworld added in a cold voice: "Death is not the end, but a turning point in the cycle of reincarnation."

At this critical juncture, we should work together rather than fight amongst ourselves and destroy ourselves.

No sooner had the words been spoken than a biting wind swept through the hall, making everyone's robes flutter loudly.

The fragments of the magic array, suspended in mid-air, flickered and swayed as if shaken by some irresistible force.

On the other side of the battlefield, a dark figure silently traversed the mist, slowly approaching from the shadows. He wore a black cloak, concealing his face in the shadow of the hood, revealing only his sharp, dark, and deep-set eyes.

This is one of the key figures secretly plotting to disrupt the balance of the alliance of the great gods—the master of conspiracy. He silently observes all these changes in the situation, his heart filled with complex calculations.

Meanwhile, on the distant edge of the mortal world, inside a majestic ancient castle, a white-haired humanoid statue suddenly came to life.

He wore an ancient crown and his body was inlaid with flowing magical runes. This was the legendary "Guardian," who had witnessed countless prayers from all living beings and battles with great gods.

The moment he opened his pair of icy blue gemstone eyes, a soft, ancient language resounded:

“Cracks…are inevitable…but only after the painful purgatory can the truth be seen…”

Back in the center of the Star Realm main hall, the various gods had been locked in a standoff for a long time, yet none of them yielded an inch.

The tense atmosphere in the air seemed to freeze solid, invisibly suppressing all life force flowing through the entire space.

The high priests who were controlling the spatial passage carefully maintained the sealing spell, not daring to slacken their efforts in the slightest, because the slightest mistake could trigger an even greater disaster that would affect multiple dimensional worlds.

Suddenly, a deep, resonant, and authoritative voice came from afar, the lingering echoes of the Dawn Cult's resistance after being stripped of its power.

A colossal projection of a soul appeared on the dome at the top of the hall, depicting a bleak world long cursed, polluted, and filthy, yet still struggling to break free of its shackles and survive.

This has become one of the harsh realities that the major pantheons have to face, and it also means that they must re-evaluate their cooperative relationships, otherwise they will bring trouble upon themselves and destroy their own foundations!

Just then, a highly destructive shock came from the abyss of bloodline origin, causing the entire star realm to tremble slightly, as if some great change was brewing between heaven and earth.

At the epicenter of the tremor, a blurry outline gradually emerged—the King of War, David, who had been lurking in the outer layer of the End Corridor for a long time without ever showing himself!
However, he did not directly intervene in the dispute at this moment. Instead, he quietly observed everything from a safe distance away from the conflict, as if facing a formidable enemy while waiting for a good opportunity.

He frowned, constantly chanting ancient incantations that had been lost for many years. Each incantation carried immense primordial power, hoping to use his years of accumulated cultivation to soften the negative impact of the crumbling and increasingly chaotic situation.

In the corner, a petite girl wearing a plain gray cloak, her face hidden under the brim of her hat, quietly observed the scene. Her name was Lia, the youngest and most promising new mage of the Elf race, and also one of the Alliance's data analysts.

She scanned the numerous rune structures with her keen, meticulous gaze, and whispered to her assistant beside her, explaining the complex structure of the current restriction:
"These restrictions are intertwined, like a tangled web of roots and tendrils, making it almost impossible to find a loophole."

But if we can leverage the influence of external 'fate manipulation,' perhaps a new breakthrough will occur..."

The assistant nodded, but his eyes showed worry. "Even so, the risk is extremely high."

If we cannot quickly take control of the situation, all our efforts risk being in vain!

Lia glanced out the window at the drifting snow covering the withered branches in the corner, said nothing, only left a resolute look in her eyes that seemed to devour all the darkness and then usher in the dawn of new life...

Meanwhile, on the ruins of a distant battlefield, the new army camp led by David was brightly lit.

(End of this chapter)