The Villain Saint is my secondary account

As soon as she finished speaking, countless vines sprouted from the ground and pierced Skadi's back.

Skadi immediately activated the flames blessed by the red dragon, coiling them around the tip of her sword and pointing it at the ground. Crimson flames surrounded her like a sea, instantly burning the withered vines to ashes.

Whether you are qualified or not is not up to you to decide.

Skadi, beneath her visor, revealed a resolute gaze. Since her first encounter with Ye Xiao and through all that she has experienced, she is no longer the delicate flower in the greenhouse who would fear powerful enemies.

Even if her opponent is a god of the Life Cult, she has the courage and boldness to wield her sword against him!

"I will definitely defeat you, and that damned Ella Havie behind you!"

"Heh, you... what Ella Haviere?" Dong Muge paused, then seemed to suddenly sense something, a hint of surprise flashing between his brows. His gaze turned to the distant mountain peak, to the location of the magnificent palace. "How come suddenly..."

Before her words had even faded, the entire mountain range suddenly began to tremble violently.

The giant mountain shook, and the tremors rolled in; she could clearly feel the intense shaking from her location.

"Too early, why?" Dong Muge murmured, his attention no longer on Skadi.

Skadi did not attack rashly; her peripheral vision was also on the mountaintop that had suddenly trembled.

But then, the golden dome of the magnificent palace suddenly burst open, and a dark, majestic, withered, and vigorous tree slowly rose from the crack, soaring straight into the sky.

The giant tree sprouted endless branches, and in an instant, a heavy shadow covered the entire palace.

"No, the bud of life shouldn't be sprouting at this time." Dong Muge, who had always maintained an indifferent expression, showed a rare hint of surprise. "What is that guy doing?"

She no longer cared about Skadi. Her spider-like body, which was attached to her, suddenly vibrated. Then, a pair of huge and broad elytra opened from the spider's back. With a gentle flap of the wings, they stirred up a whirlwind, carrying the enormous shadow as it soared into the sky.

Skadi and her mount were pushed back several steps by the wind generated by the wings, which made her feel somewhat horrified.

But now that we're facing the enemy's general, there's absolutely no reason to let him escape like this.

Skadi raised her gleaming rapier high, a clear, melodious shout accompanied by a low, resonant roar like that of a dragon, and elemental power with azure light gathered at the tip of the sword.

A chilling current swirled around the sword, condensing into an ice spear. As she pointed the sword, a sharp, arrow-like beam of icy blue light shot out.

Dong Muge caught a glimpse of the ice spear piercing through him out of the corner of his eye. A shadow of malice flashed in his eyes. With a wave of his hand, he summoned several vines from his body to weave a shield and block the powerful ice torrent.

“Ignorant ant, you have chosen your own destruction, so don’t blame me.”

As he spoke, Dong Muge pointed his cane at Skadi in mid-air.

"By the power of life, I call forth the song of life's end through the earth."

As she finished speaking, dark magic coiled around the staff, then suddenly spread out into a torrent of dark clouds that poured down below.

Unlike the previous incantation that merely summoned vines, this one carried a dense and heavy aura of death that spread along with the dark clouds.

The moment they came into contact with the black mist, the soldiers who couldn't dodge in time were instantly turned into shriveled corpses, their faces contorted in pain.

A spell that directly strips you of your life force!?

Upon witnessing this horrifying scene, Skadi quickly twirled her rapier, summoning a fan-shaped curtain of fire to spread and meet the dark clouds.

These fiery breaths, blessed by the red dragon, collided and churned with the black clouds. Although they could slightly counteract each other, they could not completely stop the black clouds from pressing down, which were enough to obscure Skadi's entire field of vision.

Skadi, after all, had only recently awakened her bloodline, and the dragon fire she could summon was limited. In terms of sheer magical power, she was far inferior to Dong Muge, who had taken over the divine body.

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she immediately tried to spur her horse to escape, only to be surprised to find that the horse beneath her was trapped by vines growing from the ground.

"To wither here, this is the fate of ants who defy the gods."

Dong Muge looked at the knight girl struggling in the black mist and said coldly, but unexpectedly, he saw a blade of light wrapped in a gust of wind suddenly cleave through the mist.

The blade's sharp light cleaved the seemingly unstoppable black cloud in two, saving Skadi at the last second.

"If Miss Goddess is so confident, then adding another ant like me shouldn't be a big problem, right?"

To Skadi's astonishment, a petite girl with flowing silver hair, wielding a long, black sword, suddenly appeared amidst the dispersing dark clouds.

Chapter 189 Sky Chase

"The Holy Maiden of Light"

Dong Muge's face was stern, and he held his cane horizontally in front of his chest as if facing a formidable enemy.

Skadi's eyes flashed with surprise and wariness as she questioned, "Ella Hayville, what are you up to now?"

In Skadi's memory, the silver-haired girl in front of her was clearly an ally of the Cult of Life, so her sudden appearance at this moment undoubtedly aroused suspicion.

“Your Highness, although we hold different political positions, we should put aside our differences and work together to resist foreign enemies when the empire is in danger.”

Ella tilted her head slightly, a charming smile still playing on her lips.

"Humph."

Skadi had no intention of paying attention to the other party's sweet talk. Regardless of what Ella Hayville was here for, the most important thing was undoubtedly to deal with the imminent threat of the giant spider.

But Dong Muge's thoughts were even more intricate and lingering. The sprouting buds in the palace had just shown unusual behavior, and then the Holy Maiden of Light appeared here. She found it hard to believe that there was no connection between the two.

Moreover, she understood that the girl in front of her was not just a simple chosen one.

The company's plan is more crucial than a reckless battle.

Having made up his mind, Dong Muge immediately flapped the elytra on the back of the spider's body, and the huge body soared into the air, about to fly into the sky.

"Don't even think about running!" Skadi roared, and the rapier she gripped instantly burst into flames, transforming into a spear spinning with blazing rings of fire that shot out at lightning speed.

The scorching musket pierced precisely through the giant spider's body that Dong Muge had transformed into, causing it to bounce violently in mid-air and nearly lose its balance as it fell a short distance.

Dong Muge felt a surge of anger, but because of that damned Holy Maiden of Light, he couldn't linger in battle. He could only summon vines to quickly heal his wounds while vigorously flapping his wings to continue ascending into the air. His upper body swung his tree staff, instantly releasing several dense, inky black clouds that rained down on Skadi like a barrage of cannonballs in the direction she was about to pursue.

Skadi's eyes were resolute. She gave the reins a sharp jerk and steered her horse through the edge of those dark clouds that would drain life from a mere brush.

In the narrow streets overrun by zombies, the intricate buildings and piles of wooden stalls form natural barriers.

However, for Skadi, all of this seemed to become a stage to showcase her exceptional riding skills and fighting instincts. She galloped at full speed, weaving nimbly between buildings and obstacles, like a lightning bolt cutting through the darkness, always keeping a tight grip on the giant spider that was fleeing in mid-air.

The rapier in her hand would occasionally spew out scorching flames or icy spikes, causing Dong Muge's large, imposing figure to stagger in mid-air from time to time, preventing him from fully ascending.

Although this eldest princess is not particularly good at things that require thinking, she is a true genius in horsemanship and swordsmanship.

In comparison, Ella's riding skills were rather poor. In her previous life, she was mostly a swordswoman who fought on foot and rarely engaged in mounted combat. So at this moment, she could only stumble and stagger behind Skadi, holding onto the reins.

However, the crazed undead simply made way for Ella after just one glance. These monsters had high physical attributes but virtually no mental resistance, so Ella could easily distract those who got close by using the power of the moon goddess, and even help clear away obstacles in front of her, making it easier for Ella to keep up with Skadi.

Of course, even Ella can only control a few dozen or at most a hundred of them; she still cannot control the consciousness of the entire army of corpses.

Skadi, who was charging ahead, naturally didn't notice that the corpses behind her were strangely making way for Ella; otherwise, she would definitely have exchanged a few blows with Ella first.

Meanwhile, Dong Muge, struggling to fly through the air, was having a terrible headache. She was already spraying black clouds like a bomber, corroding the buildings in her path, but Nasketti was like a stubborn magnet, clinging tightly to her back, and no matter what she did, she couldn't get away.

However, she soon noticed a wide canal in front of her, one of the three major branches formed by the Blue Dragon River as it penetrates deep into the heart of the imperial city. The ancient stone bridge spanning it was the only way to cross this waterway.

Without hesitation, Dong Muge swung his tree staff, which instantly transformed and extended, turning into a sharp whip like a black serpent.

A sharp arc slashed down from the sky, like lightning cutting through the air, easily splitting the iron-hard bridge pier in two as if slicing tofu.

As the bridge pier was precisely severed, the rushing river, carrying fragments of the broken stone bridge, surged and tumbled, eventually washing away the entire bridge deck. But Skadi, seeing this, not only did not rein in her horse, but instead flicked the reins and quickened her pace.

The blue light of her rapier flashed as she pointed it at the surging river. A torrent of chilling dragon breath erupted, instantly freezing a patch of ice across the wide canal.

Skadi immediately rode her horse onto the canal, but the moment her sturdy hooves touched the ice, several cracks spread across the surface like spider webs.

Then, dark clouds carrying the aura of death gushed out from the breaches like fountains, shattering the entire ice surface in an instant.

Skadi could think of freezing the river surface with Ice Dragon Breath, and Dong Muge could naturally think of it too. So, while splitting the bridge pier, he ambushed the withering cloud under the lake with a delayed eruption.

Fortunately, Skadi reacted quickly, leaping into the air to avoid the black mist surging beneath her, though some of her upper armor was corrupted by the cloud. Her horse, however, was not so lucky, instantly turning into a desiccated corpse amidst the black mist's decay.

Ella, who had just arrived at the riverbank, immediately channeled her energy and unleashed two slashes. The blades grazed Skadi's body, just in time to cleave the river's surface and disperse the dark clouds gathering around Skadi.

However, the turbulent river also caused Skadi to be swept into the water and spun around a few times.

"Ugh...you stinky woman!!!"

Skadi, who had swallowed two mouthfuls of water, finally managed to stick her head out of the lake, and then immediately started cursing.

"That's too much! I was saving you!" Ella took out a small, exquisite staff from inside her clothes and elegantly swung it twice. A long whip made of river water whipped the wet Skadi out of the water and threw her onto the riverbank.

"Did you let that guy escape on purpose?!"

Skadi cursed as she summoned red dragon flames around her to dispel the moisture clinging to her body; the winter river was truly freezing cold.

In the distance, Dong Muge's enormous body was becoming smaller and smaller in the field of vision, heading towards the palace on the mountaintop.

"It's your own fault for not being able to catch up, how can you blame me?" Ella waved her hand.

"Don't give me that." Skadi brandished her rapier, pointing it at Ella. "Don't think I don't know you're the mastermind behind all this!"

Chapter 190 The King

“Hey, you need evidence to back up your claims.” Ella raised her fair neck like an elegant swan, turned her body by pulling on the reins, and said, “If you slander me again, you can walk back to the West District yourself.”

Just as Ella had said, they had chased the spider for over a mile when Skadi's mount perished in the lake. Now, only Ella remained, riding alone beside her, with scattered undead lurking nearby, ready to pounce.

If Ella refuses to lend a helping hand, Skadi, soaked to the bone, will likely have no choice but to walk back home in misery.

"You...! Fine, I'll leave!!"

But Skadi, always straightforward by nature, immediately took off walking, braving the snow and the cold wind, towards the side of the street.

Instead of making her bow down to that vile woman, you might as well kill her.

"Wow, really?" Ella exclaimed, leading her horse alongside Skadi. "It's so cold, you'll get rheumatism!"

Skadi felt inexplicably irritated as she listened to Ella's light, melodious voice chirping like a bird in her ear, along with the constant sound of horses' hooves following her.

"None of your business! You stinking woman, shut up!"

"Sigh, but the West District is still fighting the army of corpses."

Hearing this, Skadi felt a chill. Indeed, the West District was still facing an army of zombies, and if she slowly returned, the defenses might be breached, and she would be doomed.

We can't let a fit of anger with this stinky woman ruin the overall situation.

"You wretched woman! Let me mount you!"

Ella shrugged and shifted her shapely buttocks back to make room for the person in front of her.

"Why did you make me go first? Why didn't you drive the horse yourself?!"

Skadi said this, but in order not to waste time, she still flipped over and got in front of Ella.

"I just think Your Highness is a good rider." Ella's restless little paws grabbed Skadi's soft waist. Skadi had just taken off her armor, which was corroded by the Cloud of Withering, to avoid being corroded, but she didn't expect that this would give Ella an opportunity to touch her.

"Keep your hands to yourself! You filthy woman!" Skadi blushed, both ashamed and angry, but there was nothing she could do in order to control the galloping horse.

The two quickly returned to the Holy Light Barrier outside the inner wall of the West District, passed through the dense, sea-like horde of corpses, and successfully reunited with the others inside the barrier.

Li Cheng, who was discussing strategy with Isaac inside the barrier, saw Ella and Skadi returning from outside the barrier, embracing each other. He immediately stepped forward and said, "Congratulations on your triumphant return, Your Highness."

"I didn't defeat that girl. She seems to have flown towards the palace for some reason." In the past, Skadi might have boasted that she had driven her opponent away, but now she had no interest in false glory.

"The palace... could it be because of that tree?" Isaac looked towards the summit of Mount Valond, where the withered, black tree that reached straight into the clouds was clearly visible through the broken dome of the palace.

“I don’t know either,” Skadi slapped Ella’s hand away from her waist, dismounted, and glanced at Ella. “Hey, what exactly is that?”

"I don't know either." Ella interlaced her fingers and nodded slightly as if in prayer. "Alas, may the great God of Light protect the Empire and help it overcome this difficult time."

"Tsk."

Skadi didn't want to pay any more attention to Ella. If it weren't for the critical situation and the presence of knights and arcane mages from the Loren Sanctuary nearby, she would have ordered her men to capture Ella immediately.

But if he were to act forcefully now, he would definitely be seen as the culprit who started the infighting by others who were unaware of the situation, so he could only let this annoying woman wander around in front of him.

Even though this guy was the one who did it all, and he was right in front of her, she couldn't do anything about it. Just thinking about it made Skadi furious.

At this moment, all the people have evacuated into the western district, and the strong defensive line and the sacred barrier of holy light have also shrunk to outside this area.

Compared to the vast outer walls of the imperial city, the inner walls of the western district are much smaller. Now, with the combined efforts of the imperial guards under Isaac's command, the Seven Stars Society, various adventurer guilds, Holman's army, and the knights and arcane mages of the Holy Temple, the pressure is still heavy, but it is slightly easier than when they were guarding the city walls before.

Of course, everyone knows that it is impossible to defend indefinitely. These corpses seem endless, but human strength is ultimately limited.

Therefore, after a brief gathering, everyone quickly began discussing the next strategic steps.

As the only member of the royal family present, Princess Skadi spoke first: "The key to these problems is clearly hidden in the palace. Whether it's that strange and extraordinary Tree of Life or the spider's target location, they both point to the palace."

“But we must ensure that the majority of our military forces remain in the West District to resist the zombie invasion,” Ella then said. “Judging from the position of the sun, it’s about to set. I’ve previously observed that these corpses are significantly more active in the shadows than in the light, so the defense after nightfall may be even more difficult.”

Holman, standing to the side, couldn't help but glance at Ella again upon hearing this, his admiration for her growing even stronger.

He himself had been fighting on the city walls and against the army of corpses for so long that he hadn't even noticed this detail.