The Witcher: Start with the Lord Marrying a Wife.

Chapter 646 The Codex's Mutation
The injunction was not triggered by a normal order ruling, but rather by the violation of an illegal provision!

This news struck like a bolt from the blue, shattering everyone's defenses—it turned out that the "Codex of Chaos," represented by this ancient authority, had an extremely dangerous and uncontrollable anomaly!

David's expression was solemn. He forcibly dispersed his mind, dividing the remaining 70% of his divine energy into two streams: one part to continue resisting the core of the spore embryo, and the other part to suppress the backlash fluctuations of the Chaos Codex.

He felt as if his soul was being torn to pieces, and each time he was devoured, it was consuming the very foundation of his life.

"This is... a test of will!" he roared, releasing the crimson-gold holy runes and condensing them into a golden holy shield that covered his entire body. However, the invisible shackles still entangled every cell of his body like countless threads, silently eroding and disintegrating.

Lena charged ahead, doing her utmost to block the large number of malevolent larvae attempting to break through the blockade. Her silver-blue sword flashed with cold light as she clashed and fought with the invaders.

Despite her shattered armor, she remained resilient, shouting, "We will not leave you alone!" Her words inspired the soldiers to high morale.

Sylvia tirelessly chanted the holy seal runes, using her pure heart to guide the array against the spread of evil thoughts. Beads of sweat kept sliding down her forehead, but she remained steadfast and composed.

"The priesthood swears to protect the pure land of order to the death!"

Sofia slowly stood up after the brutal blow, her whole body trembling slightly, but her eyes burned with an even more intense flame of indomitable spirit.

“I will never bow to darkness. I will control this power, not be devoured by it.”

However, the corrupting fluctuations released by the spore core became increasingly violent, and layers of malicious runes wriggled and spread like living things, constantly generating new black and purple tentacles that attacked the three of them. Some even penetrated the barrier constructed by the magic of order, bringing them to the brink of despair.

At this moment, the large protective shield above New Rainbow Bridge City, composed of starlight crystals and runes, also developed fine cracks due to its continuous operation.

Cynthia sat at the front of the command center, watching the holographic screen flash and the data stream jump continuously. A thoughtful look appeared on her face: "The ban has gone out of control. If we cannot quickly remove the illegal items, we will not only lose our leader, but we may also face an even greater disaster."

Just as everyone was in a state of extreme anxiety, a deep, ancient, and incomparably pure starlight gradually emerged from the distant New Rainbow Bridge sky. It was the external aid energy guided by Cynthia through the Holy Power of Starlight, a strong counterattack signal against the influence of the Fall!
The data stream showed that although the anomalies had not yet subsided, a stabilizing trend was emerging, and the morale of the troops was boosted again by this glimmer of hope.

But time is still of the essence. Every delay could allow the spore core to reabsorb the life force of destruction, thus creating an irreversible situation!
David felt unbearable pain all over his body, and every step felt like walking on the edge of a cliff.

But when he saw the Watchers still fighting desperately to defend the front line, that sense of responsibility and conviction made his heart beat again: "For the future of many worlds, I must not fall!"

As the collaboration among various parties accelerates, and with Sylvia's assistance in casting spells that precisely remove illegal entries, the emerging conflict gradually enters its most critical phase.

Lia awoke in bed, her face gaunt from the long illness, yet still radiating the unshakeable dignity of her divine life that connected all things in the divine kingdom.

Emerald green runes flowed across her body, like the pulse of the oldest life veins in the forest, sacred marks closely connected to the earth, plants, and life itself.

“She’s awake…” Sylvia stood by the bedside, tears welling in her eyes, and called softly, “Lia, can you feel it? The divine power within you is awakening!”

The room was filled with a faint, fresh scent of grass and trees, a stark contrast to the harsh winter outside. Lia slightly opened her eyes; those once deep, star-like eyes now shimmered with a green light. She reached out and lightly touched the glowing runes. "It's... the power of life has returned."

She slowly got up, her steps still weak, but each step was firm and steady.

The corrupting aura emanating from the distant abyss spores outside the window was like a dark cloud looming overhead, but at this moment, she seemed to be able to sense a slight flaw hidden in that malevolent creature.

"This is... the power that comes from the resonance between me and the myriad plants of the divine realm." Lia's voice was hoarse but powerful. "I will weave an ecological constraint with the 'root cage' to prevent the corrupted spores from spreading and degenerating unchecked."

Sylvia quickly helped her up, and a warm holy light emanated from the top of the staff, making their faces appear even more resolute.

"The priesthood will do everything in its power to assist you in performing this ritual, no matter the cost!"

Meanwhile, the New Hongqiao City Command Center was brightly lit.

Cynthia was staring intently at the projection screen, which displayed the latest monitoring data: the Chaos Codex anomaly was gradually consuming a large amount of energy, but this energy was not completely lost; instead, it was being transferred to an unknown dimension.

“That force is moving away from our reality…” Cynthia murmured to herself, her brow furrowed. “But we can’t be sure where it will end up or what its purpose will be. This is both an opportunity and a threat.”

David rushed to the scene from the rest area. Although weakened by the ban, he remained resolute and unyielding.

He approached Lia and said in a slightly hoarse but trusting voice, "Lia, we need your power to strengthen the seal. This time, let's not let those evil thoughts run rampant again."

The air is filled with magnetic field fluctuations, spreading across the earth like an ecological network.

Spreading from the city wall to the nearby forest, countless plants began to awaken and sprout intricate roots. Withered branches and leaves regained their vitality, and a layer of ripples containing ancient laws and pure order constructed a complex yet exceptionally resilient plant grid.

This is the "Root Cage"—a large-scale confinement array formed by the fusion of the origin of life and the rhythm of laws. It grows and expands silently from the ground, enveloping the corrupted spores within it, causing them to become endlessly entangled and gradually lose their freedom of movement.

Lena led the Watchers and members of the priesthood to help set up the ritual protective array; everyone's face was full of exhaustion but even more hope.

“We have witnessed a miracle!” she said softly, adjusting the frost magic circle's position to prevent enemies from taking advantage of the chaos to attack.

Sophia stood on the outer edge of the array, guarding the outer passage in the form of shadow aurora, constantly burning away the remaining miasma and fighting against any small malevolent clones that tried to escape or destroy the root grid.

"I cannot let even the slightest trace of corruption escape!" She stared coldly ahead, her entire body surging with magical power like flames, yet remaining as steady and unyielding as a star.

Above the battlefield, countless large sealing rune beacons, jointly cast by wizards, mechanics, and priests, shone brightly.

Its energy pillars shot straight into the sky, intertwining with the protective grid of order in the heavens to form an insurmountable barrier, providing a solid protective wall for the entire border.

As the ceremony progressed, subtle changes occurred in the environment surrounding the New Rainbow Bridge City. A heavy, righteous rhythm filled the air, every gust of wind carried the sound of law, and every ray of sunlight seemed to suppress the shadows of corruption.

Everything seemed to have returned to a state of balance in its natural purity, while corruption and darkness were being gradually dispelled and dissolved...

Under the baptism of this vast and solemn natural law, the spore core's peristalsis significantly weakened, its internal chaotic vortex gradually contracted, and layers of dark purple corrosion lines began to crack and disintegrate, expanding continuously like glacial fissures.

Finally, the faintly visible, crystal-clear, and vibrant core texture was revealed, a symbol of a pure and inspiring new order!
Sylvia smiled, a smile she hadn't shown in a long time. She chanted a spell in a low voice, strengthening the mental purification barrier and creating a more resilient defense against any potential remnants of her attacks in the future.

At the same time, a squad of knights was dispatched to patrol the surrounding area to ensure that no enemy could infiltrate and sabotage this crucial moment!

Meanwhile, Cynthia frowned slightly on the monitoring platform.

Although the abnormal ripples in the Codex of Chaos have generally slowed down, the signals they reveal are more complex and difficult to decipher: "Those abnormal energies seem to be traversing multiple dimensional nodes, and there is likely a larger conspiracy hidden behind them..."

David gazed silently at the land of resurgence in the distance. He knew that this was not only a victory, but also the beginning of a new crisis.

He gripped the phase dagger tightly, muttering to himself, "As long as the will remains, nothing can truly destroy order..."

The cold wind on the battlefield was still biting, and the land around New Rainbow Bridge City was ravaged by days of fierce fighting. However, the "Root Cage" was slowly spreading, tightly imprisoning the corrupted spores in a cage woven from life and order.

David stood on the highest platform of the command center, holding the phase dagger that shimmered with dark blue shadow patterns.

His eyes were deep and solemn, like those of a hawk that sees through everything.

Having just delivered a fatal blow to the core of the spore embryo, the aftershocks of being forcibly stripped of 30% of his divine power by the Chaos Codex were still churning within his body.

He knew that the war was far from over, and that a truly unknown fear lurked deep within the code.

“This force of prohibition…is not just order itself,” David murmured. “It conceals some ancient and dangerous mechanism.”

Meanwhile, in the makeshift data analysis space set up at the front line, Annie, a young alchemist and bio-magic expert, was intently adjusting complex rune arrays and life code projections.

Her brows were furrowed, and her eyes reflected the shimmering symbols on the projection screen.

“Commander, I have completed the initial analysis of the anomalous entries in the Chaos Codex.” Annie’s voice was clear and firm, leaving no room for doubt. “There is a piece of low-level code here, which I call the 'Observer Protocol'…”

This is actually a monitoring and intervention mechanism that transcends multiple dimensions, and it is very similar to what we have seen when we encountered the threat of the 'observer' before.

David's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. He slowly approached Annie's side, examining her data panel as he said in a deep voice, "Are you sure this protocol wasn't simply a system evolution, but rather something that was artificially implanted?"

“I’m absolutely certain.” Anne nodded. “It is hidden deep within, not easy to find, but it has the power to forcibly intervene in the balance of multi-dimensional order and the flow of energy.”

This code is essentially designed as an external monitoring entity to observe and control the direction of the universe's evolution, while also imposing 'bans' to restrict any attempt to break the established rules.

David remained silent for a long time, his gaze gradually turning icy cold. "This means we're facing not only the Fallen Spores, but also the conspiracy behind those so-called 'Observers'..."

Just as everyone was caught up in anxiety and speculation, a violent tremor came from the battlefield.

The core of the corrupted spore intensified its writhing, and the large chaotic entity bound by the "root cage" began to release unusually large amounts of blackish-purple corrosive energy fluctuations.

These energies devour the surrounding plant grid like living things, constantly eroding and destroying it.

Lena led the Watchers in a fierce battle to hold off the evil larvae as they attempted to break through, her silver-blue sword slicing through the air with a piercing metallic clang.

However, those dark purple tentacles took advantage of the chaos to frantically tear apart the vegetation, severing the tough roots of the plants.

Sophia waved her wand on the outside, unleashing a raging storm of flames in the form of Shadow Aurora to defend against the invasion, but her face gradually showed signs of fatigue, the pressure from the endless corrupting power far exceeding that of the past.

"They actually found a way to weaken the seal..."

David frowned; he knew this was a sign that a crisis was brewing.

He quickly turned back to the main control terminal in the command center, and forcibly stripped away part of the "Chaos Codex" authority by merging his remaining divine power, safely transferring the fragments to Annie's control in order to achieve a more flexible and targeted response strategy.

Annie took the data panel and immediately started the complex analysis program.

As the runes spun and the starlight shone, she discovered that the hidden code contained many unknown symbols and unusual logic, clearly beyond the comprehension of any existing cosmic civilization. It was more like a fragment of information that transcended dimensions and even the constraints of timelines.

A series of illusory patterns appeared on the screen, intertwined like the trajectory of a galaxy. The most eye-catching one was a small icon that flickered and emitted an eerie cold light—the symbol of the "Observer"!
At this moment, the massive sealing array surrounding New Rainbow Bridge City trembled violently, and an unusual ripple spread outwards. Tentacles containing extreme life force yet mixed with evil spread rapidly, countless plant branches broke and collapsed, and the earth cracked and spread in all directions like a spider web...

Taking advantage of the chaos, the corrupted divine body of the spores roared furiously. Its massive body was imbued with the flames of fallen stars as it roared, and with the help of the huge corrupting energy that was suddenly released, it tore apart part of the "root cage" once again.

The sharp, dark purple tentacles churned the air wildly, each tear accompanied by a deafening roar and a destructive shockwave, instantly shattering the surrounding ice crystals into dust.

In an instant, the earth seemed to be plunged into the center of an apocalyptic catastrophe, swallowed by endless darkness, making even breathing feel extremely heavy.

Sylvia's face was deathly pale, but she persisted in chanting the holy seal incantation, using a mental purification spell to suppress the corrupting miasma: "All priests, listen up! Maintain the defensive position! We must not allow the spores to break through the blockade!"

(End of this chapter)