Chapter 746: New Master

Around the church, numerous knights, clad in spell-imbued armor, looked as if they were crushed by a mountain, their faces instantly paling. They drew longswords from their waists, pointing the blades at the road directly in front of the church, but their hands trembled uncontrollably, as if facing a formidable foe.

After the War of the Realms began, Brand had committed all of the Witchcraft Association's combat strength. Consequently, there were almost no mages left to guard the church, only these armored knights remained. These armored knights were not weak, but at this moment, under the terrifying pressure of five Eighth-Tier entities, they appeared utterly insignificant. To put it in perspective, the Aurora Realm once had only two Eighth-Tier beings, and the Mortal Realm only three. Now, five Eighth-Tier entities had arrived together—a terrifying force capable of sweeping aside any realm in existence! They embodied the fury of all humanity!

Black enforcer trench coats swept over the ground. Hongxiu merely cast a glance at the armored knights before shifting her gaze, focusing intently on the darkened church, seemingly not even registering their presence. As the armored knights stood tense and fearful, the five arbitrators advanced, as if utterly unopposed.

"Charge!!" the leading armored knight roared, and strange runes glowed on the surface of every armored suit behind him. Then, like a stampeding herd of maddened cattle, they charged fearlessly at the five figures. Their armored forms thundered across the ground, reverberating like an earthquake!

Beside Hongxiu, a figure in a bamboo-colored long gown casually raised a hand and swept it through the air.

"—Halt."

A colossal character for "Halt" appeared, seemingly etched into the void. The instant this character materialized, all matter, save for the five arbitrators, was instantly frozen! Flying dust hung suspended in the air, and the menacing armored knights instantly transformed into statues. Countless glinting sword blades remained uplifted, forming a chaotic yet beautiful tableau of impending slaughter. The five figures walked side by side through this frozen forest of armor, not even a single thread of their clothing disturbed, like otherworldly deities passing through the mortal realm.

"Break the door," Hongxiu stated calmly. On her other side, a portly figure slowly drew a chillingly gleaming boning knife from his waist and slashed it through the air before him.

BOOM—!!!

The church's thick, heavy door, along with the entire connected wall, was instantly cleaved open. A chilling blade's light seemed to tear through space, splitting even the magnificent corridor behind the door into two grotesque halves.

The five arbitrators stepped inside. To them, the current Boundless Realm was a fragile, empty shell; everything but its very core could be ignored. Yet, the deeper they delved, the more serious the five's expressions became, for they were there to eliminate a Nine Monarch. Even knowing the Boundless Monarch was incapable of resistance, no one dared to underestimate him; every nerve was held taut.

Finally, they reached the center of the church. The floor was paved with gold, the dome inlaid with gems; not a trace of the church's sacredness or elegance was visible. Instead, the space was filled with the most mundane and material opulence. Even the well-traveled five arbitrators were utterly astonished by this scene of extreme luxury.

But soon, everyone's gaze was drawn to the mercury moon suspended in mid-air. Compared to before, this mercury moon had shrunk by nearly half, its surface rippling occasionally, yet emitting no trace of danger. Just as they had predicted, without the Philosopher's Stone, the Boundless Monarch was unable to function normally. Now, he was at his most vulnerable. Witnessing this, their tense hearts finally eased.

"Confirming the discovery of Boundless Monarch Lou Yu." Hongxiu stated in a solemn voice, "Confirmed to be unconscious, incapable of resistance, and possessing no threat… Prepare for judgment."

The other four arbitrators' eyes narrowed slightly, and the aura of their four divine paths erupted simultaneously!

Just then, a soft chuckle emanated from beside the stained-glass arched window. Hongxiu's pupils contracted sharply, and the hearts of the other four arbitrators jolted! It was crucial to remember that all five of them were Eighth-Tier, yet none had detected anyone nearby. This indicated that the newcomer's rank was far superior to their own!

Dim light filtered through the stained-glass window, casting a dreamlike, ethereal glow upon the golden floor. Within this interplay of brilliant light and shadow, a figure dressed in an English-style white shirt and an elegant waistcoat sat in the church's front row, casually tucking his slightly curly black hair behind his ear. A faint smile played on his lips:

"Ladies and gentlemen, you've arrived at quite an inconvenient moment..."

"This place already has a new master."

***

The Grey Realm.

"Seriously... is this railway ridiculously long? We've been walking for almost a full day, and we still haven't reached the Heavenly Pivot Realm??" Jian Changsheng scratched his head, his face etched with frustration.

"Don't forget, it took us several days just to get out of the Aurora Realm," Chen Ling replied helplessly.

"And that was even with a tractor..."

"Don't even get me started on that tractor; that thing couldn't even outrun me."

Chen Ling glanced at the "Audience Expectation Value 1" prompt floating before him, feeling no particular urgency. After returning to the stage, his expectation value had risen to 25, and the decrease rate was slow. This was likely due to the audience's delight at his return, granting him more patience. Even if the expectation value did drop, Chen Ling could enter the USB drive to continue acquiring it, especially since a month had passed since his last entry.

"I can't go on, let's sit and rest."

Jian Changsheng waved his hand and plopped directly onto the railway track, only to immediately spring up as if burned.

"What in the world is this thing?!"

"These railway tracks, laid within the Grey Realm, haven't been attacked by any calamities for years, so there must be something special about them. It's best not to touch them."

Chen Ling calmly sat on a nearby stone. As Jian Changsheng grumbled, Chen Ling propped his head in one hand and began to doze off. Soon after, his consciousness drifted into the theater.

*Thump-thump-thump—*

The spotlight illuminated above Chen Ling once more. Chen Ling opened his eyes, no longer glancing at the audience below, and walked directly towards the center of the stage. Chen Ling had only recently left this place, but his last visit was under special circumstances, leaving him no time for anything else. Now that everything had settled, it was time for him to assess his gains.

In his grand red opera robe, under everyone's watchful eyes, he approached the central screen. In its corner, a small treasure chest icon glittered. Chen Ling raised a hand and lightly tapped it with his fingertip.