“This place is called the Demon Dwelling Desperate Situation and was once home to a powerful Ancient Force, the Thousand Mountain Sect. But now, the Thousand Mountain Sect has sided with the World Annihilation Demon faction. Even their Sect Master, Emery Gustin, has been resurrected through body possession by the World Annihilation Demon and is now one of the key figures under the Nine-Headed Phoenix Great Demon. His strength has reached the late-stage Great Vehicle peak.
Moreover, there are four other demons within the Thousand Mountain Sect who were also resurrected through body possession, all of whom are at the mid-stage Great Vehicle level. The Thousand Mountain Sect itself also has over a dozen Fragmentation Void experts.”
“Now, we require you to destroy this sect, especially to kill Emery Gustin and weaken the World-Annihilation Faction’s power. Destroy the subordinates of the Nine-Headed Phoenix Great Demon!”
The elder from the Judgment Hall on the right spoke coldly.
The elder on the left also spoke in a deep voice: “Lachlan Willis, this is both a punishment and an opportunity for you. A chance to prove your stance. I hope you will cherish it!”
Hearing this, Lachlan Willis gave a bitter smile. “Sirs, you must be overestimating me. The late-stage Great Vehicle peak, plus four mid-stage Great Vehicle experts, and the whole Thousand Mountain Sect? What’s the difference between this and sending me to my death?”
If he could defeat someone at the late-stage Great Vehicle peak, why would Master Inkwell have oppressed him so much earlier?
Lachlan Willis also realized that the Order Keepers Organization was asking him to kill a late-stage Great Vehicle peak expert who had allied with Nine-Headed Phoenix. This would make him enemies with Miranda Lowe. Miranda Lowe had long since forgotten him, but if he killed one of her key subordinates, she would likely hold a grudge and seek revenge.
He chuckled bitterly. “Of course there’s a difference! You can recruit help for this mission. It doesn’t have to be you alone. Moreover, we will give you two months to prepare. If your strength grows significantly during this time, it’s very likely you can complete this mission and survive the punishment without a hitch. But if you refuse, we will kill you right now!”
The elder’s voice turned cold.
As soon as the words were spoken, a powerful killing intent locked onto Lachlan Willis. It was as if he would be killed without mercy the moment he refused.
Lachlan Willis sighed. “What if I fail? For example, what if I go, can’t destroy Thousand Mountain Sect, can’t kill Emery Gustin, but somehow manage to escape with my life?”
“Failure of the mission, after more than two months, means death. Otherwise, what would be the point of punishment?” The golden-masked figure spoke in an icy tone.
Lachlan Willis sneered. “Fine, seems I don’t have much of a choice!”
Two months?
Maybe there was still a glimmer of hope.
At least, they were only asking him to deal with Nine-Headed Phoenix’s subordinates, not directly with Miranda Lowe. If it had been Miranda Lowe, Lachlan Willis would have had no choice but to die.
He didn’t know that Miranda Lowe, having awakened the memories of her past life as Nine-Headed Phoenix, had already slaughtered an entire city in Skiola, absorbing countless souls. Her strength had already surpassed the Tribulation Crossing stage. She was no longer someone he could contend with.
If the Order Keepers Organization really wanted him to take on Nine-Headed Phoenix, it would be a true death sentence.
At least, there was still a faint chance of survival. Of course, this depended on whether Nine-Headed Phoenix appeared in Thousand Mountain Sect when he made his move.
Elsewhere:
Master Inkwell carefully listened to Isa Austin and Claudia Carter’s report on the Outland Ruins. The mission to find the Stellar Path Mark had undoubtedly failed. Moreover, the two Seeds of Reincarnation, Shadow Tiger and Daemon Lion, had died in the ruins.
What shocked Master Inkwell most was the possibility that Prince Zephyr, the ancestral master of the Exiled Clan, might still be alive. It seemed he had been lurking in the Outland Ruins, devouring strong individuals above the Great Vehicle stage. His methods were terrifying and mysterious.
“Such an Eminent Beyond, like a poisonous snake, lying in wait in the Outland Ruins, is an unstable variable. The world is about to undergo an unprecedented upheaval, with the World Annihilation Demon forces appearing one by one. I heard that even the underground world has been broken into by the Archdemon Archibald, who has been resurrected through body possession, causing spiritual energy to leak from the earth’s core. In this case, an entity capable of traversing the stars could pose a significant threat. I must report this to the Messenger of Will.”
Master Inkwell, the head of the Hall of Ten Thousand Matters, thought to himself.
That Night, Midnight:
Five figures suddenly appeared in the forbidden zone of the Kunlun Mountain Range where Lachlan Willis and the others had entered the Outland Ruins. These five individuals emitted an aura even more terrifying than that of Master Inkwell, a late-stage Great Vehicle peak expert.
They were five of the Guardian of the World, from the Order Keepers Organization’s Eighteen Guardians.
Accompanied by a spatial fluctuation, the world barrier of the Outland Ruins became visible.
The five Guardians of the World began launching terrifying attacks on the barrier.
However, these attacks, despite their tremendous force, seemed to hit the barrier like massive rocks crashing into a thick iron plate. Though the noise was deafening and the shockwaves were terrifying, the barrier didn’t move an inch.
“This Outland Ruins world barrier was clearly very fragile before! Now, with our strength, we can’t break it!”
“It seems that this Eminent Beyond purposely weakened the barrier to let in the Great Vehicle experts from outside!”
“Now, it has been reinforced!”
“We can’t get through!”
After Master Inkwell reported the presence of Prince Zephyr to the Messenger of Will, the Order Keepers Organization made a decision: to destroy the Stellar Path Mark and collapse the world barrier of the Outland Ruins, just to eliminate Prince Zephyr.
Thus, they sent five early-stage Tribulation Crossing experts.
However, to their surprise, they failed!
Prince Zephyr had somehow restored the world barrier to its previous strength.
It was worth noting that this world barrier had been created by Prince Zephyr at great personal cost, sacrificing his body and heavily damaging his soul. It was even capable of withstanding attacks from a late-stage Tribulation Crossing expert!
Such a barrier, even the Guardians of the World from the Order Keepers Organization, could not breach.
“Let’s go! Return and report back. Perhaps only the Messenger of Will will have the power to break this world barrier!”
Meanwhile, on the Other Side:
After receiving the task-or rather, the punishment-Lachlan Willis was finally released by the Judgment Hall. After healing his wounds, he immediately flew toward Edoland.
If he only had two months left to live, aside from focusing on improving his strength, the one thing he wanted most was to spend more time with Nora.