Witch Redemption

They all gripped their uniform, rusty longswords tightly, and with unwavering confidence, they climbed the steps one after another under the guidance of their respective leaders. Then they sat in neat rows, serving as spectators, witnesses to this sacred trial ceremony, and devout believers who were about to participate in the trial.

The only thing Li Lan felt was shock.

He felt as if he were witnessing a bizarre scene of a hundred demons parading at night. The entire space was filled with rhythmic footsteps, and there were no other noises besides the footsteps. He felt that he was not facing some kind of undead, but a living army of dead.

"This is the power when the soul and will reach their peak. The ancient Moon God of the past is indeed not to be underestimated."

Yu Hui, her face full of curiosity, thought to herself, but she quickly realized who the creator behind the Moonlight Ancient God was. "Shugoth, a servant who isn't even a true god. This kind of naturally rebellious thing is lucky to have given birth to a pitiful wretch who could join the game of true gods, and thus created the Moonlight Ancient God in this world. Hmm, I remember, this guy's ability is to constantly evolve, gain higher intelligence, and also bewitch the minds of most lower beings, creating all sorts of dreams of domination."

This makes the existence of the ancient moon god quite intriguing.

In Hei Fa Yu Hui's view, behind every ancient deity was a corresponding true god, or a high-level monster like Shoggoth. The degree of evil of their creator would, in a sense, affect their creations. For example, the Buddhist-like, cowardly Abhoth's creation, the Impure Goddess, also cherished life, but also inherited Abhoth's greatest flaw.

That is, she was both cowardly and sentimental. Her cowardice prevented the Impure Goddess from establishing her own kingdom and creating her own followers, ultimately choosing to rely on the more powerful Moon God. Her sentimentality led her to ultimately be unable to ignore the Moon God's impending destruction, abandoning her past fear of death and choosing to confront the Pillar God Vipa head-on, resulting in her demise.

"Making one's followers remain loyal to oneself even after death makes it all seem noble on the surface, but in reality, it reveals the deity's strong desire for control. He is probably not a virtuous person. Perhaps he had already made countless schemes against the pillar god Vipa in ancient times."

It should be understood that the ancient Feather God on the border of the British Empire died at the hands of her followers because the deity was already on her last legs, and her followers were only doing so out of self-preservation. Killing the god was a last resort, and they did not go too far afterward, only taking away half of the ancient Feather God's divine status.

According to Black-haired Feather Radiance, the Moon Goddess died in a conspiracy. The masterminds of this conspiracy were the high-ranking members of the various tribes who had once established the United Kingdom of Ries. They not only stole the Moon Goddess's divine status, but also divided up her remains completely.

What kind of deep-seated hatred could there be?

Upon further reflection, in Hei Fa Yu Hui's own view, there was a large group of goddesses who fought against the pillar god Vipa in ancient times. If there really was no conflict between them, how could they have been completely wiped out by the pillar god Vipa? In the end, they could only end up being sealed away?

Everyone knows that the pillar gods created from the corpses of goddesses in ancient times were very strong. But even if they were strong, they couldn't possibly be strong enough to take on a hundred enemies at once and kill gods like mowing grass. They shouldn't be able to outrun them even if they couldn't beat them. With multiple people working together, they might even be able to turn the tables and kill each other.

Unlike the Goddess of Dawn and the ancient Feathered God, who were personally subdued by the Creator and whose crushing power was only natural.

It's not that Hei-hai Yu-hui is boasting, but at least the Underworld Goddess she created, in conjunction with the Space Goddess Chronos, managed to defeat two Pillar Gods.

In any case, the ancient Moon Sea is truly bizarre. Perhaps these extraterrestrial creators played a role in its development, but the biggest factor lies in the relationships between these mortal deities. Intrigue and backstabbing ultimately lead to nothing significant, and who knows, this ancient Moon God might not be a good person at all.

Of course, these were just Hei Fa Yu Hui's own thoughts, and she didn't consider telling anyone.

After all, it happened so long ago, there's no point in going back to the details. At most, it can only serve as a reminder to her servant that she needs to be careful in everything she does.

"No, there's no need to remind him. Anyway, this guy has received the blessing of two invincible beings, so he's basically immortal. He's not afraid of anything. Not only that, hehehe, I also need to think about how to make him suffer, or even accidentally kill him once or twice, so he'll know his own limitations. I can't wait to see what kind of expression he'll have when he finds out he's a completely unkillable monster."

"Hehe...hehehe..." Unable to suppress a silly chuckle, Yu Hui, the black-haired man, raised his right index finger and pressed it against his temple. "No, I'm about to get too high if I keep thinking about it! Haha!"

....... ...... .......

The continuous tremors lasted for more than an hour. The entrances and exits around the entire giant "colosseum" seemed to connect to countless other dimensions, with one undead after another stepping in and taking their seats.

The highest-ranking and strongest beings were not simply skeletons. Some wore incredibly heavy armor, some wore magical uniforms that would last for millennia, and three even held gleaming moonlight in their hands, making them instantly recognizable as demigods.

These incredibly powerful undead sat at the very front of the giant "colosseum," with their strength arranged in descending order, densely packed and inspiring awe.

"My... my goodness! Are we really going to be facing so many undead next?"

Violet was stunned. With such an astonishing number of them, how long would it take to fight one-on-one? Moreover, and most importantly, their death match was being watched by this group of undead. If they revealed any trump cards during the fight, they would definitely be targeted afterward, right?

This is not a good sign!

Not only Violet, but also Anne and Sophia, for the first time, wondered if the teacher they respected was deliberately trying to trick them.

"The ceremony begins!"

As Bangusen uttered his final ancient words, the entire dark arena froze, and all the seated undead seemed to become motionless statues.

Even though they showed no signs of life, the people in the center of the arena still felt countless murderous gazes fixed on the four witches.

Bangusen ignored this, and his hands once again shimmered with pure white magical light. Then, the central square suddenly split into four, rising from the ground as if they had become four enclosed buildings, each with only a single, prominent giant stone door at the very bottom.

"From this moment forward, this is your stage, and the ceremony can begin at any time. But please note that once you enter the space behind the door, only one of you or the undead you are dueling with will be able to leave alive. Rest assured, in this space, once any undead is killed, they will not be resurrected. If their faith is devout enough and they can recall their past lives, they will be reborn in my Lord's Valhalla and begin a new life."

Bangorsen also mentioned that there was no time limit; if the witches wanted, they could kill a thousand undead in a day, provided they could actually do it.

And the only commission given to them was to grant all the undead here true death, a true trial by God.

And from now on, they can't stop.

"What would happen if we, as the officiant, were to die during this ceremony?"

Li Lan asked, having considered this issue beforehand and even consulted this god-level expert, only to receive ambiguous answers. Initially, Li Lan thought the difficulty was manageable, but the current situation made him somewhat hesitant—the sheer volume was overwhelming!

"I will try my best to arrange for those of similar strength to enter the arena to ensure your safety. Even if someone is stronger than you, there is our previous agreement that we will provide you with relevant information in advance, so there is no need to worry. You should worry about yourselves and whether you can truly unleash your full power. This is of utmost importance. Knights are not gentlemen and will not go easy on you just because you are women."

Bangusen paused for a moment, then finally stopped hiding it, his tone clearly showing some helplessness, "Of course, if you really die, then the immortals who are supposed to win will directly lose their qualification for the trial. Not only will they lose their qualification for the trial, but they will also replace your dead souls and become the new host."

The implication is that it's about possession!

The trial of the "Knight's Oath" is a two-way street. It doesn't matter much whether the undead successfully kill the powerful being who inflicted the trial. If they are killed, as long as their faith is sincere, they can be reborn in the power of the Moon God. If they kill the undead, they will gain the Moon God's favor even more. They can directly possess the undead and obtain a new body. Then the trial will continue until only the officiant of the ritual remains.

We've been tricked!

Oh well, what can you do when this guy is ridiculously strong? And Li Lan is willing to be hit and the other is willing to be hit. Since there's no way out, let's just consider it a trial of fate.

"Compared to me, perhaps these three junior witches need the baptism of this trial more."

With so many immortals, engaging in a one-on-one duel in full view of everyone, if one could truly stand smiling and survive to the end, how much practical experience would one gain?

In any case, Li Lan believes that the current situation is much more optimistic than when he fled to the British Empire, where he faced a real dead end.

"I understand, Mr. Bangusen, shall we begin now?"

Every second counts! Aside from the monsters in the front row, there are countless "cannon fodder" in the back. It'll probably take until next year to fight them all.

Li Lan was a very pragmatic guy. Since killing monsters would grant him experience with magic books, he would also gain experience by killing these undead, so he was naturally happy to accept this commission. It was just a pity that his natal magic book, for some reason, could not be further advanced, but in contrast, his followers did not have such a limitation.

"please!"

Bangusen raised his hand in a gesture of greeting.

"Gentlemen, this is no child's play. Please be prepared before entering." Li Lan kindly reminded these juniors, then took the lead, put Leviathan around his waist, and led the blond-haired Yu Hui and the black-haired Yu Hui towards one of the huge buildings.

He simply pressed his left hand lightly on the gray stone door with its countless intricate patterns, and then their figures, along with a skeletal figure at the very end of the giant "colosseum," vanished without a trace.

Violet and the other two looked at each other in surprise. Fortunately, they remained calm and greeted each other before approaching their respective "duel zones".

"Wait," Bangusen, perhaps still worried, finally called out to them, "Abandon your compassion. You are living beings, unlike the undead. Do not gamble with your own lives by using your compassion."

"understand!"

The three of them spoke in unison, their hearts overflowing with emotion.

As they touched the ancient stone gate, the three witches vanished simultaneously along with the three undead at the very end of the giant "colosseum".

Looking at the tranquil scene, Bangusen pondered, "This space is my lord's domain, and within the domain are layers upon layers of space. The two sides engaged in battle cannot see the situation of other groups. For them, it can be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."

At the very least, if one of them dies in an enclosed space, the other three survivors, who did not witness it, will naturally not have to face much guilt.

To stand by and watch someone die is an immense pain for the living.

"However, I can only place my hopes on them. There are no other suitable candidates besides them."

The demigods and above who restored the Divine Court refused to activate the "Knight's Oath" many years ago because they all knew that the Ancient God of Moonlight had fallen, and activating the "Knight's Oath" again would undoubtedly lead these undead to their demise, which would destroy the foundation of the Ancient God of Moonlight.

In other words, even if these undead cannot leave the depths of the underground temple, they are still an incredibly powerful force that may be able to play a role in the future.

As he pondered, the walls of the four enormous gray buildings suddenly displayed detailed interiors, as if projected onto the walls. Roman Hydra, who was the first to enter, was already engaged in combat with the undead.

Chapter 41 Soul Fragments

Li Lan felt a moment of dizziness, and when his vision cleared, he was standing in an extremely open area.

The sky was a gloomy gray, as if covered by thick clouds, stretching all the way to the horizon. Underfoot was an endless expanse of gray-black paving stones, neatly stacked and extremely solid, blending well with the grayness of the sky. It felt as if one had been instantly transported to a closed, otherworldly realm.

In the distance, a silent humanoid skeleton, dragging a rusty longsword, slowly and steadily approached him.

As if sensing Li Lan's confusion, the black-haired Yu Hui explained from behind him, "This is the realm of a god. A god's realm can naturally fold into countless spaces, and as long as a god is willing, he can even construct connecting channels in countless spaces at will, achieving the effect of instant teleportation, so there is no need to be surprised."

"I see. So, the only way we can return to that area is by killing him, right?"

“Yes, then, servant, you go first and test the waters. It’s just a piece of trash, you can handle it.”

Here we go again. This black-haired Yu Hui always has so many excuses. He often wants to slack off and do nothing.

Li Lan directly handed Leviathan to this guy, saying, "Keep an eye on her. Don't forget to come to my aid if I get blown up."

The genuine Yu Hui and the pirated Yu Hui are among Li Lan's strongest trump cards. If he really has to face those demigod-level powerhouses head-on in the future, we'll have to see how these two perform.

Of course, Li Lan was also very frustrated. How could he live like a "cat slave" when facing these three bastards?

"I need to find some time to teach them a lesson and let them know my authority!"

With his natal magic book open and the Libra Cross Greatsword firmly in his hand, Li Lan began to take steps. He didn't summon his class artifact, but simply gave himself a round of priest-type buffs.

In less than a few seconds, the two sides had closed to a distance of about thirty meters.

At that very moment, the humanoid skeleton held the rusty longsword horizontally in front of it, performing a knightly salute with remarkable grace, appearing extremely polite and seemingly expecting a return salute from Li Lan.

Is this some kind of joke with Li Lan? They're here to fight, not like those fancy duels among Western European nobles, with all sorts of elaborate rituals before the fight even begins. So...

Without further ado, he immediately began to sprint, and when he was about ten meters away, Li Lan instinctively activated the "Divine Speed" state. The Libra Cross Greatsword he swung unleashed a violent sonic boom, striking the undead head with lightning speed.

"Zheng—"

The bursting orange-red sparks, accompanied by the sharp, long metallic clang, showed that Li Lan had a slight advantage in the clash of strength. The monstrous strength unique to a level 30 witch of the magic book directly shook the humanoid skeleton off balance. As the skeleton staggered backward, its skeletal hand trembled and almost dropped its longsword.

The opportunity to kill had arrived. Li Lan swept out with her Libra Cross Greatsword and slashed back, severing the man's right hand bone that was holding the sword. Then, she kicked the man's knee with lightning speed, while simultaneously raising her Libra Cross Greatsword and slashing down.

In less than a second, the outcome was decided.

This is Li Lan's current advantage. For him, "Divine Speed" is no longer a simple auxiliary function, but a trump card to keep as a trump card. He uses it to confuse his opponents and seize the slightest possible opportunity to kill them with unparalleled speed.

"Ding--"

The rusty longsword fell to the ground first, followed by the skeleton that had been cut in half, which scattered on the ground with a few thuds.

The black markings on the skeleton spread rapidly, then transformed into a foul-smelling, pitch-black flame, burning the remains to ashes.

"A piece of cake..."

The entire victory was quite swift, giving Li Lan a sense of existential doubt. But just as the skeleton burned to ashes, his natal magic book suddenly flashed with a black light. Before he could even understand what had happened, his vision went black, and he instantly lost consciousness.

...... ...... ......

The Kingdom of Lanno, a vast nation that sits on the Moon Sea, is a typical country where theocracy reigns supreme. All the intelligent races that live there worship a single god, the Ancient God of Moonlight.

Apart from the true direct descendants of the ancient gods, other races can only be qualified to go to the ideal land created by the Moon God and step into the holy land of the ancient gods if they achieve immortality of soul after death by believing in the ancient gods.

Steve Union, a boy from a poor tribe, never imagined that he would one day enter the Holy Land.

To be precise, he obtained this qualification three days ago. He died in a monster hunt, but because of his devout faith in the Moon God, an invisible force blessed him, preventing him from losing consciousness on the spot.

At this moment, although the gruesome wound that had ripped open his chest and heart had stopped bleeding, the itchy, decaying body was a constant reminder of the relevant facts.