Traveling through the second dimension, the joy system encourages me to laugh heartily!

After his armor collapsed, the powerful battle aura he relied on for survival was easily extinguished and dissipated like a flame in a storm before the primal power of the [Wind of Eternal Slumber]. Without the dual protection of his battle aura and armor, his short but resilient body was directly exposed to the power of Emperor-level magic.

"puff--!"

Vita's entire body gushed blood from countless pores, instantly turning him into a blood-soaked figure! His body seemed to have been drained of all moisture and vitality, rapidly shriveling up, his skin clinging to his bones, his eye sockets sunken deep.

In the end, he remained frozen in place, still in the posture of trying to charge forward, becoming a grotesque, lifeless, dried-up corpse. The short sword of light clattered to the ground at his feet, its light completely dimmed, like scrap metal.

silence.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire square.

Ariel's men stood frozen in place, mouths agape and eyes wide, as if they were clay sculptures, their minds completely unable to process what they had just witnessed.

Hundreds of elite troops, a Sword King… just like that… gone? As casually as brushing away dust?

It's not entirely fair to blame Bei Wang Wei Ta for being careless and underestimating his opponent—because the conventional combat style of this world does indeed favor high-speed, high-attack swordsmen, especially top-tier swordsmen.

Although mages of the same level far surpass swordsmen in terms of the range and power of their destructive force.

However, mages have a fatal flaw: they need time to cast spells.

Furthermore, the more powerful the magic, the longer the casting time.

That long, easily interrupted incantation was enough for a swordsman to rush over and kill the mage countless times.

Therefore, swordsmen in this world can easily kill mages of a higher level, while powerful mages generally need powerful swordsmen to protect them so that they can cast spells with peace of mind and unleash their true power.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as Rudeus, the protagonist of the original work, who can cast magic instantly without chanting. However, mages who can do this are extremely rare, so they are generally not considered...

Bei Wangwei Ta thought that closing the distance would guarantee victory, but he didn't expect Chen Ming to be able to instantly cast an Emperor-level spell, which led to his defeat in the Northwest.

The enemy was wiped out, while their own side suffered no losses. This situation greatly encouraged Ariel's subordinates and boosted their morale!

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

Not far behind Ariel, the seemingly flat ground paved with clean stone slabs suddenly cracked without warning!

"Whoosh-!"

Amidst the billowing dust, a figure moved with ghostly speed, shooting out of the dark pit, bringing with it a gust of wind mixed with the stench of earth and a sharp killing intent! The speed of its movement and the suddenness of its appearance completely exceeded the reaction limits of most people present!

It was a man dressed in an extremely bizarre manner. He wore a brightly colored, tight-fitting top and oddly styled shorts that reached only to his knees. Three longswords of different shapes were worn diagonally at his waist. A brown cloak covered in fresh mud draped over his back, and dust and pebbles were falling from it with his movements.

What's most striking is his face—lifelike, brightly colored peacock tail feather tattoos adorning both cheeks, extending all the way to the corners of his eyes, adding a touch of eeriness and ferocity. His hairstyle is even more exaggerated, resembling an upward-opening parabolic antenna, stiff and flamboyant.

With such a peculiar appearance and attire, coupled with the bizarre way he attacked from underground, Chen Ming, who was familiar with the original plot, confirmed his identity almost the moment he appeared—the Northern Emperor Aubert!

He is the most outstanding assassin and surprise attack expert of the Beishenliu generation. He is good at all kinds of unexpected attacks. His usual trick is to attract the opponent's full attention in a certain way (such as a comrade's frontal attack), creating an absolute psychological blind spot and consciousness gap, and then, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, launch a fatal blow from the most unlikely angle (often from behind or underground).

Although the core of his tactics seems simple—"create an opening and strike decisively"—Ober's grasp of timing, understanding of the opponent's psychology, and control over his own ability to conceal and unleash his power have reached a state of perfection.

His assassination success rate is extremely high, especially against high-level mages who require concentrated concentration to cast spells and often experience brief periods of relaxation afterward. He acts like the most patient hunter, waiting for the moment when the mage has finished unleashing a powerful spell, when their mind is most relaxed and confident, before delivering a swift and decisive blow.

As the Northern Emperor Ober leaped out of the pit, his figure rapidly approaching Ariel, his sharp, hawk-like eyes already scanning the entire area. He naturally noticed Chen Ming's gaze, a gaze that seemed to know everything. That gaze was calm and unwavering, even carrying a hint of…mockery?

But Aubert did not hesitate or back down. He knew that the core target of his surprise attack was not the mysterious sorcerer, but Princess Ariel! As long as he successfully killed the princess, the mission would be completed, and whether he fled far away or dealt with the sorcerer afterwards would be in his own hands.

At this moment, Ariel had her back to him, less than a meter away. Her guards had just recovered from the shock of annihilating the army. The Invisible Guardian was suspending the previous spell, and it was a golden opportunity!

"die!"

Aubert gave a low shout in his heart, and the slenderest of the three swords at his waist, with a ghostly blue gleam of poison, was already drawn!

There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a condensed, cold blue light that was faster than the limits of visual perception, like the sting of a scorpion, silent yet ruthless and precise, piercing Ariel's unsuspecting back vitals!

This sword strike embodies his life's work of assassination skills, perfectly combining speed, power, and timing, aiming to pierce the target's heart before anyone can react!

However, just as the poisoned sword tip was about to touch Ariel's clothes on the back...

"Om-!"

A sound like the trembling of crystal suddenly burst forth from Ariel!

In an instant, a radiant halo appeared out of thin air, centered on Ariel, perfectly enveloping her entire body! That halo was woven from countless mysterious runes shimmering with golden-white light, as if draping her in an invisible yet indestructible veil of holiness…

Chapter 346: The Feast at Hongmen

Since Chen Ming was familiar with the plot, how could he not be wary of the Northern Emperor Ober's surprise attack?

He had long anticipated that after the direct conflict was resolved, or even during the most intense moments of the conflict, similar assassins might take advantage of the situation.

Therefore, long before leaving the bedroom, he had already silently cast a divine defensive spell on Ariel—[Divine Protection]!

The greatest advantage of this magic is its extremely long duration: as long as it is not attacked and its internal stored magic power is not depleted, once [Divine Protection] is successfully cast, it can remain stably on the recipient for a full month!

This breaks through the bottleneck of conventional defensive magic, which has a short duration or requires the caster to continuously inject magic power to maintain it.

Besides its long duration, [Divine Protection] also boasts extremely comprehensive defensive capabilities. It can withstand almost all types of attacks known in World 2—whether physical attacks, magical elements, poisonous corrosion, mental interference, or even some curses and instant-death effects.

Of course, every defense has its limits.

According to Chen Ming's tests, a standard [Divine Protection] spell can at most "barely withstand" one full-power divine attack spell before it completely collapses and dissipates due to magic overload.

As for attacks below the divine level, they will consume the pre-stored magic power within [Divine Protection] to varying degrees, depending on the power of the attack. The stronger the attack, the faster it is consumed, until the stored magic power is exhausted, at which point the aura will dissipate.

Clearly, the prudent Chen Ming was not satisfied with merely giving Ariel the ability to "barely withstand a god-level attack" to survive.

Therefore, what surrounds Ariel at this moment is not just one layer of [Divine Protection], but a full one hundred layers! Layer upon layer, interlocking with each other, together forming a god-level shield system so solid that it inspires despair! Each layer operates independently, yet resonates with each other, raising the defensive effectiveness to a level that is unimaginable to ordinary people.

This requires a massive amount of magic power and extremely precise control, but for Chen Ming, who possesses [Multiple Chanting], it is just routine.

"Clang—!"

The confident, deadly sword strike of the Northern Emperor Ober landed squarely on the outermost layer of the [Holy Protection] halo.

There was no sound of flesh tearing apart as expected, nor the violent fluctuation or shattering of the shield; only a sound like metal clashing.

The tip of the sword was less than an inch away from Ariel's back.

But this one inch is like an insurmountable chasm.

That halo, which seemed as thin as gauze, actually felt like hitting an invisible yet heavy wall of sighs!

Not only was the first layer of [Divine Protection] completely unbroken, but not even the slightest ripple was stirred—the fierce fighting spirit and sinister poison energy attached to the sword were also quietly purified and dissolved by the holy golden-white light the moment they touched the halo, like a mud ox sinking into the sea.

The pupils of the Northern Emperor Aubert suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and the eerie peacock tattoo on his face seemed to distort for a moment due to extreme astonishment.

He had never encountered anything like this before! What kind of defensive magic was this? How could it be so sturdy?

You know, his all-out sneak attack even had a chance to break through an Emperor-level magic shield, could it be... a God-level magic?

His extensive combat experience and killer instincts made him realize immediately—it's over! The [Invisible Guardian]'s strength far exceeded expectations! He was actually one of the world's most powerful god-level mages!

"What bad luck! How could we run into such an old monster? We must retreat immediately!"

The thought flashed through Aubert's mind like lightning.

As a top-tier assassin, a missed strike and subsequent escape is a fundamental principle, especially when facing a terrifying opponent at the pinnacle of the world. His escape and stealth abilities are equally exceptional; given just a fleeting moment…

However, would Chen Ming give him that opportunity?

In the brief moment that Aubert's sword tip was blocked by [Divine Protection]—

Chen Ming didn't even move his feet, but calmly turned his gaze to Beidi Ober, who was frozen in mid-air and trying to retreat.

Deep within the spiritual realm, the magic engine quietly constructs an earth-elemental Emperor-level spell—[Petrifying Gaze]! Activate!

Suddenly, two extremely condensed, mysterious beams of light shot out from Chen Ming's eyes, displaying a deathly gray hue!

The gray light traveled at the speed of light and shone with perfect precision on the head of the Northern Emperor.

"Click-click-click..."

Skin, muscles, and bones instantly lose all vitality and color, rapidly transforming into a lifeless, cold, hard, rough, grayish-white stone!

"Ugh... Ah—!"

Aubert only managed to let out a short, distorted groan of terror, as if he were being choked.

He tried to struggle, to unleash his fighting spirit in resistance, to use a life-saving escape technique, but it was all too late. The power of the [Petrifying Gaze] was incomparably domineering. Once it hit and began to transform, the powerful earth-elemental laws it contained would instantly invade the core of the target's life, stripping it of its vitality and solidifying its form.

The petrification process was astonishingly fast. Starting from the head, the grayish-white color rapidly spread downwards—neck, shoulders, chest, arms, waist, abdomen, legs... In the blink of an eye, the once vibrant body of the Northern Emperor Ober was completely stiffened and solidified, turning into a stone statue that remained in a sword-drawing and thrusting posture, but without any life left!

The look of horror mixed with resentment on his face, the eerie peacock tattoo, the rainbow-colored shirt, the three swords at his waist, even the bits of dirt that had fallen from his cloak, were all frozen in this final moment.

Sunlight shone on the suddenly appearing stone sculpture, casting a cold and bizarre shadow.

Only now did Ariel seem to belatedly realize the strange change behind her. She turned around in surprise and saw the petrified statue that remained in an attack posture, as well as the dark pit at the foot of the statue.

His two elder brothers went to great lengths to stop him, even bringing out the Northern King and the Northern Emperor, the most powerful and secret weapons in the Northern Divine Sect.

A flicker of lingering fear flashed in her azure eyes, then she looked at Chen Ming again with a complex expression, a mixture of gratitude, relief, and an indescribable sense of belonging and peace of mind.

Ariel's men also reacted quickly, swinging their swords at the stone sculpture.

Before long, the newly created statue was chopped into pieces, with no possibility of restoration.

Once Chen Ming confirmed that Aubel's life force had completely disappeared, he calmly withdrew his gaze, as if he had merely dealt with an annoying fly.

He looked at Ariel, whose face was full of adoration, and asked with a smile:

"Some obstacles have been cleared. Should we go directly to your two older brothers, or visit your father first?"

Ariel snapped out of her reverie, took a deep breath, and turned her gaze toward the heart of the palace:

“Go to my father’s palace. I think my two ‘filial’ elder brothers must be there to show their respect right now.”

Soon, the group arrived at the main gate of the palace with great enthusiasm.

Looking up at the palace complex of the Kingdom of Asra up close, its grandeur and magnificence are even more breathtaking than when viewed from afar. The towering white marble towers gleam with a holy radiance in the sunlight, and the continuous main palace buildings resemble a huge mountain range carved from ivory and silver, layered and arranged in a harmonious and orderly fashion.

The massive archway, exquisite reliefs, and giant windows inlaid with stained glass all showcase the profound heritage of this ancient kingdom.

The air was filled with the unique scent of expensive incense, and with each step on the massive, gleaming stone steps, one could feel the weight beneath one's feet.

Ariel took a deep breath to ease the pressure in her heart—ostensibly to visit her ailing father and fulfill her filial duty as a daughter, but in reality, she was participating in a battle for the throne that would determine the future of the kingdom.

Behind this majestic palace gate, what awaited her was not a heartwarming scene of family affection, but a brutal power struggle.

Chen Ming, on the other hand, was much more relaxed, as he had a very clear understanding of his own position.

He was neither a strategist who planned and orchestrated events, nor a politician who could debate with a group of scholars.

All he needed to do was quietly stay by Ariel's side and be her strongest support—when physical persuasion or obstacle removal was needed, he would step in.

As for the complicated political negotiations, appeasing the people, and winning over factions, those were naturally left to Ariel and her subordinates to worry about.

Perhaps because the battle outside the princess's residence ended so quickly, with almost no major disturbances, the two princes had not yet received the news that Princess Ariel had escaped and was on her way to the palace.

Therefore, when Chen Ming and his group arrived at the main gate of the palace, although the guards there were numerous, well-equipped, and solemn, they had not received any orders to prevent Princess Ariel from entering the palace.

In their eyes, it was simply Princess Ariel, the second princess, who had come hurriedly to "inquire about the king's condition," surrounded by a group of nobles and guards.

This is noteworthy, but also understandable, given the current sensitive period – after all, it is only natural for a princess to care about her father.

Upon recognizing the newcomers, the captain of the guards at the palace gate hesitated only briefly before immediately taking the lead in kneeling on one knee, placing his right hand on his chest, and loudly bowing: "Greetings, Your Highness Princess Ariel!"

The other guards followed suit, kneeling down in unison to clear the way to the palace.

There was no questioning, no obstruction, which surprised Chen Ming, who was originally prepared to go on a killing spree. He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Under the respectful gaze of the palace guards, the group easily entered the royal palace, a symbol of the kingdom's highest power.

Upon entering the gate, Chen Ming saw three enormous murals side by side. Each mural was over ten meters tall, painted with extremely exquisite techniques, and the colors remained vibrant despite the passage of time, depicting figures with imposing presence.

The first fresco depicts Percius, the Ankylosaurus King, who has the vertical pupils of a dragon and wears magnificent armor. The background features soaring dragons and floating castles in the sky.

The faces of dragons are already difficult for humans to discern in detail, and this portrait has clearly been beautified to a considerable extent, making it even more divine.

Chen Ming was able to recognize him immediately because a gleaming metal plaque was embedded directly below the portrait, with the name engraved in simple and elegant characters: Percius Dora!

The second mural features a human warrior. He is not particularly imposing, but stands with the posture of a pine tree, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, seemingly able to pierce through the canvas and see into the heart. He holds a longsword, and a faint aura of sword energy swirls around him. The background depicts vast mountains and the traces of fierce battle. The inscription reads: Kalman, the First King of the North.

The third mural is the most mysterious; it depicts a man with a mix of blond and silver hair, who appears to be a hybrid of dragon and human.

The plaque reads: "The 99th generation Dragon God, Ulpe."

Percius, Kalman III, and Ulpe the Dragon God—these were the "Three Heroes" who joined forces to kill the demon god Laplace!

Their achievements have been celebrated for generations, and their images are enshrined here, serving as both a symbol of the kingdom's glory and a way for future generations to remember them.

The group bypassed the magnificent murals of heroes and continued along the wide corridor carpeted in deep red. The air began to carry the faint sounds of voices, melodious music, and the aroma of food and wine.

Soon, they arrived at an extremely spacious and incredibly high-ceilinged giant hall, which was clearly a venue in the royal palace specifically used for hosting large banquets.

At this moment, the hall was brightly lit, with several long dining tables, each covered with a snow-white tablecloth and stretching for dozens of meters, neatly arranged. They were filled with a dazzling array of delicacies, crystal-clear wines, and large, exquisite bouquets as decorations.