The Sword God of Shili Slope in the Magical World

After returning home, Fei Xue did not rest immediately. Instead, she secretly summoned several trusted knights and began to secretly sort out the intelligence network within the royal city.

Although the king gave her full authority to investigate, the two princes' attempts to win her over had already alerted her, and the power struggles within the royal family were far more complex than she had anticipated.

The Crusader Guard and intelligence network controlled by the eldest prince, and the merchant guild and mercenary guild infiltrated by the second prince, seem to be helping her, but in reality, they are pushing her into a swamp of power struggles.

She couldn't possibly agree to either side.

late at night.

Archives.

Fei Xue was carefully examining the whereabouts of the royal family members in the Knights' archives. However, she soon yawned because her eyelids were so heavy with sleep. After reciting a calming mantra for a while, she felt much more refreshed.

She discovered that this spell was absolutely perfect for a magician, as it could not only slow down fatigue but also increase the speed of mental energy recovery.

On the battlefield, it would be a powerful tool that gives you a head start.

Looking at the Second Prince's recent schedule, it was found that he appeared near the church quite often. This is mainly because the Second Prince is not someone who reveres God. What is he doing at the church?

Could this be subtly related to recent clues about an internal mole?

Why would someone who doesn't believe in religion go to church?

Just as she was trying to make a more in-depth comparison, a slight noise came from outside the window—a dark shadow hurriedly passed by.

Fei Xue immediately drew her sword and chased after him, only to see a patch of trampled fallen leaves in the garden, and a dark gold button lying on the ground, its shape extremely similar to the decorations on the Second Prince's daily clothes.

"I knew someone was watching me..."

Feixue gripped the button tightly, a chill creeping into her heart.

She realized that her investigation had touched upon the interests of certain people and might even lead to her death.

But she did not back down; instead, she became even more determined to investigate thoroughly.

Fei Xue gripped the dark gold button tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

The second prince's unusually frequent visits to the church, coupled with this highly suggestive button, indicate that the investigation has reached the core of the matter.

"Let me see what you're up to."

She murmured to herself, a determined light shining in her eyes.

She followed closely and eventually arrived at the church where the crime occurred, St. Sophia Cathedral. The church, which should have been closed, was now wide open, which seemed very strange.

Late at night, the moon was hidden behind the clouds.

Without alerting her trusted knights, Fei Xue sneaked alone to the back of the church.

They discovered that the place was heavily guarded, and all of them were members of the Royal Crusaders.

Using her familiarity with the terrain, she easily evaded the guards and chose not to reveal her whereabouts.

Her suspicions deepened when she noticed the sudden appearance of the Crusader guards, who were under the control of the eldest prince.

The interior of the church was deathly silent, with only the faint moonlight filtering through the stained glass casting eerie spots of light on the floor.

She carefully searched the back garden where the shadowy figure had disappeared, and finally found a secluded spot behind the church altar where the soil had clearly been renovated.

Upon opening it, they found several secret letters and a packet of potions sealed with a special magical mark.

The letter was written in another language, and she only recognized a few words, but it mentioned "ritual," "key moment," and "bloodline resonance," while the potion exuded an unsettling, chilling aura.

This is absolutely a crucial clue!

Just as Fei Xue was about to put the evidence away.

A sudden change occurred—

A loud "BOOM!"

The heavy doors of the church were smashed open by the violent fighting spirit!

The blinding holy light instantly illuminated the entire interior of the church as if it were daytime.

Fei Xue's pupils contracted sharply as a large number of fully armed warriors, clad in armor bearing the insignia of the cross, poured into the entrance. Leading them was none other than Iron Wall Raymond, the most ferocious general under the First Prince.

Their timing and location were so precise, it was as if they had rehearsed it.

"Captain Scarlet Snow!"

Raymond's voice was loud and imposing, carrying a cold sarcasm.

"Breaking into a sacred church late at night, acting suspiciously, caught red-handed! What excuse do you have left?"

Fei Xue was taken aback at first.

Then, looking at what was in his hand, he suddenly woke up with a start.

She instantly realized that this was an elaborate trap!

Her investigation into the second prince's whereabouts had already been discovered by the eldest prince, who may even have deliberately led her here.

That so-called loophole was just a decoy!

The "evidence" in the church was probably something the eldest prince had planted beforehand to frame him.

She gripped her sword hilt tightly and said sternly, "General Raymond! I am acting on the King's orders to investigate! The items found here are related to the Second Prince's unusual movements. I am carrying out my duties! You have no authority..."

"On official business?" Raymond interrupted her rudely, a cruel smile on his face.

"So this is what you call carrying out official duties! You've been colluding with the Second Prince, plotting to overthrow the kingdom—that's the truth! Look at what you're holding! The Second Prince's secret letter and a cursed potion! And look at what fell off you!"

With a flick of his wrist, he revealed a dark gold button that was almost identical to the one Fei Xue had found earlier.

"This was shot down by our outer sentries when you infiltrated! This is the insignia of the Second Prince's personal guards! You're here late at night to hand over this evidence of the kingdom's subversion to the Second Prince's accomplices!"

"Nonsense! This is a frame-up!"

Feixue rebuked him angrily, her heart growing even colder.

That fallen button must have been secretly placed there by Raymond's men when she wasn't paying attention or while she was hiding from her post!

The entire incident, from the second prince's unusual behavior at the church to her discovery of the button, infiltrating the church, finding the "evidence," and being caught red-handed, was all part of the eldest prince's scheme.

The eldest prince not only wants to get rid of this uncontrollable investigator, but also wants to take this opportunity to portray her, a key figure personally appointed by the king and possessing the power of the royal knights, as an accomplice of the second prince, killing two birds with one stone!

"Seize this traitor! If he resists, kill him without mercy!"

Raymond said no more, and the Crusaders surged forward like a tide.

Fei Xue drew her sword to meet the attack, activated the Tranquility Mantra at full power, concentrated her mental energy to a high degree, and her sword light was as white as snow, instantly forcing back several people.

Her strength far surpassed that of ordinary soldiers, and for a time no one could get close to her.

Raymond's face darkened, and he personally stepped into the fray, unleashing a torrent of violent battle aura.

Just as the battle reached a stalemate, Fei Xue, with her superb swordsmanship, was unstoppable for a time.

Until—an indescribable, terrifying pressure suddenly descended!

The air in the entire church seemed to freeze; the heavy pressure made all the soldiers feel breathless and sluggish.

"Gravity magic!"

Fei Xue's expression changed slightly.

Gravity magic is an extremely profound and difficult spell, which can only be cast by archmages of the rank of high-level mage or above.

A figure dressed in a simple gray robe appeared silently at the damaged entrance of the church.

His hair and beard were all white, his face was calm and composed, and he held a seemingly ordinary wooden staff in his hand, the gemstone inlaid at the top of the staff emitting a soft glow.

It was none other than the kingdom's guardian, the court's chief archmage—Zorn.

"Grand Master Zorn!" Raymond immediately stopped and bowed respectfully, but a hint of smugness flashed in his eyes.

"You've come at the right time! Captain Scarlet Snow is putting up a stubborn resistance; please, Master, intervene to suppress her and prevent her from endangering the kingdom!"

Zorn's gaze calmly swept over the ravaged church, finally landing on Fei Xue, who stood with her sword in hand, her aura of sword energy still lingering around her.

His gaze was incredibly deep, as if it could pierce through one's soul, causing Fei Xue to feel a pang of fear.

She hurriedly spoke up: "Grand Mage Zorn! I swear on my honor, this is a trap set by the eldest prince! I was investigating the second prince..."

"The evidence is conclusive and there is no room for argument."

Zorn's voice was calm and even, yet carried an undeniable authority: "You bear the heavy responsibility entrusted to you by the King, yet you have colluded with foreign enemies and conspired with the Second Prince, posing a threat to the very foundation of the kingdom. Lay down your weapons and accept your trial. For your past contributions, the King will forgive you."

Fei Xue was filled with grief and indignation, knowing that any explanation or resistance in front of Zorn would be futile.

This great magician represents the highest level of will and power in the kingdom. His appearance means that the eldest prince's false accusation has been "approved" or at least tacitly approved by the highest level.

"I am innocent! I am loyal to the kingdom, loyal to His Majesty the King!"

Fei Xue stubbornly raised her head, the tip of her sword still pointing forward.

Zorn sighed softly, as if regretting something, or perhaps announcing the end.

He slowly raised the wooden staff in his hand.

There were no earth-shattering incantations, no dazzling magical lights.

Zorn simply tapped his staff lightly on the ground.

"Buzz—!"

An invisible, overwhelming, and terrifying magnetic field of magical power erupted instantly!

This power was far beyond what Fei Xue's magical abilities could withstand.

It is not a physical attack, but rather it acts directly on the soul and the essence of the spirit.

Fei Xue felt as if her brain had been hit hard by a heavy hammer. Everything went black, and the boundless darkness and excruciating pain swallowed her consciousness.

Her meditation mantra, pushed to its limit, shattered like fragile glass, failing to provide protection and instead causing a more severe backlash due to the intense concentration of her mental energy.

She groaned, the long sword in her hand clattered to the ground, and her body slumped down, completely losing consciousness.

Raymond looked at the fallen Scarlet Snow, a cold smile playing on his lips: "The Archmage is indeed powerful! Imprison this traitor of the kingdom in the lowest level of the Black Stone Prison! Keep her under strict guard, awaiting His Majesty's judgment!"

He specifically emphasized "rebellion against the kingdom" and "His Majesty's judgment," thus confirming Fei Xue's guilt.

The soldiers stepped forward, used specially made anti-magic shackles to restrain the unconscious Fei Xue, and roughly dragged her away.

Master Zorn glanced expressionlessly at Fei Xue, who was being taken away, then at Raymond and the "evidence" on the ground. Without saying another word, his figure vanished silently through the doorway, just as he had appeared.

Inside the church, only the grim soldiers and the cold moonlight remained, as if the harrowing confrontation and suppression that had just taken place had never happened.

Only the fallen sword of Fei Xue and the faint spiritual fluctuations remaining in the air prove that she had fought fiercely here.

......

The hustle and bustle of the capital, along with the smell of dust and sweat, rushed towards him. Su De tightened his baggage on his shoulders, his travel-worn face showing both exhaustion and a hint of relaxation after completing his mission.

After several days of hiking in the wild, all he wanted was to find a place to rest and drink a few glasses of ale to relieve his fatigue.

The tavern was bustling with noise.

Sude found an empty seat in a corner, ordered wine and steak from the waiter, slumped back in his chair wearily, closed his eyes, and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Several drunken mercenaries at the next table were loudly discussing a scandal involving a nobleman, their voices drifting over intermittently.

"...Have you heard? That newly promoted knight commander...tsk tsk, I never expected this..."

Sude didn't pay much attention at first; the affairs of the capital were too far removed from an adventurer like him who only accepted C-level commissions.

He picked up the freshly delivered beer, and had just taken a large gulp when the hushed whispers of several well-dressed men at another table—men who looked like intelligence brokers or low-ranking officials—pierced through the surrounding noise like needles, clearly reaching his ears:

"I heard the leader is Captain Scarlet Snow... caught red-handed right there in St. Soya Cathedral! General Raymond personally led the team, even Archmage Zorn was alerted!"

A voice filled with unbelievable excitement.

"Who? Captain Fei Xue? Isn't she the captain personally appointed by His Majesty the King?" another voice asked, full of doubt.

"So what if it was personally sealed? The evidence is irrefutable!"

The first voice was resolute.

"The Crusaders in the capital caught her red-handed! She was in contact with the Second Prince's men, there was a secret letter! And that deadly potion! It was covered in foreign markings, and even more incredibly, a dark gold button from the Second Prince's personal guard fell off her! How could this be fake?"

"Hiss... Colluding with foreign enemies? Treason?"

The third voice gasped.

"This...this is too much...what is she after?"

"Power, of course! Who knows what benefits the Second Prince promised her? Anyway, she's already in the lowest level of Blackrock Prison. I heard Master Zorn personally took action and brought her down with a single move. Tsk tsk, that's an archmage, second only to the Grand Magister..."

"Snap!"

The ceramic wine cup in Sude's hand was instantly crushed to pieces!

The cold ale mixed with shards splashed all over his hand, but he was completely unaware.

The tavern's clamor seemed to vanish in an instant, leaving only those few words exploding wildly in my mind:

Fei Xue betrayed her country?

St. Soya Cathedral...

"I heard that the female group leader has been making a lot of moves lately... Someone higher up doesn't want her to continue the investigation."

"The royal court is a murky place. No matter how powerful the Knights are, can they withstand a sneak attack?"

Sude paused in his steps as he was leaving.

Although he usually seemed carefree, he always paid attention to Fei Xue's situation.

Combining Fei Xue's exhausted expression and her constantly busy figure that day, he instantly understood—his apprentice had been drawn into the undercurrents of political struggle.

"This silly girl, she still doesn't take care of herself."

Su De shook his head and sighed softly, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

The tavern's noise was left behind, and the night in the capital seemed to become heavy and oppressive because of this sudden news.

Sud's figure blended into the shadows as he sped toward the black building that symbolized the kingdom's most severe punishments, each step treading on taut nerves and boiling rage.

The storm has arrived.

...

Sorry, it's too late tonight.