[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-armed-witch":3,"chapter-armed-witch-armed-witch-chapter-969":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Armed Witch",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2354509,4604,"Chapter 969: The Land of the Dead","armed-witch-chapter-969",969,"\u003Cp>“Mother, is this Miss Adela also part of the family?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that her ancestral sisters seemed unfamiliar with the Jaemongad family, Dorothy sighed and turned to Long Ma beside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You should call her Auntie Adela—she’s your grandmothers’ cousin and my little aunt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Euphelia corrected her thus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy: “.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhaimonv  stared blankly at the profile of this cheerful, sunlit young woman who looked barely seventeen or eighteen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she had long known that witches cannot be judged by appearance, seeing such a youthful girl actually being her grandmother’s generation still left her emotionally conflicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it were just a matter of generational rank, fine—there were humans young in age but high in Beifen —but the key point was that this auntie might genuinely be a grandmother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She glanced at the age listed in the file.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, this auntie was already 310 years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, by witch standards, she was only in her early thirties by human reckoning—perfectly mature—and from her appearance of just seventeen or eighteen, her mindset was undoubtedly youthful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So calling her “auntie” was acceptable, but calling a young girl like this “grandma”? That’s asking for a beating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma’s introduction continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Adela was the most talented member of my former family, but unfortunately she wasn’t of the main lineage—her inheritance rank was too low. Besides, this little aunt only loved duels, savoring the joy of one-on-one combat, had no interest in leading armies or waging war, and wasn’t skilled at it either. She simply wasn’t the type to lead a family forward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Euphelia said this with some regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But her Transfiguration is the best in our family in the past ten thousand years—far surpassing mine. Dorothy, if you’re interested in Transfiguration, you should visit her often. Your auntie is easy to get along with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy nodded upon hearing this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Transfiguration, along with Mentalism and Divination, belonged to the Upper Three Schools, demanding extremely high talent. If this auntie was truly a Transfiguration Master, then her Tianfu  and strength were unquestionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhaimonv  decided she should visit this young auntie when she had time, to learn the essentials of Transfiguration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the ancestral necklace around her neck was the true Transfiguration Grandmaster, to be fair, the Jaemongad sisters were terrible teachers. Ask her how to transform, and she’d say, “Just do it like this—it’s simple. As long as you have hands, you can do it. Just think about it more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was only thanks to Dorothy’s extraordinary Wuxing  that she could keep up with Jaemongad’s pace—but even then, it drained her mental energy far more than learning from Spider Teacher’s textbooks, which were effortless and relaxing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then, Mother, do you think Adela can win?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy asked again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Long Ma thought for a moment, then shook her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s hard to say. I’ve met that Nibelungen girl a few times before—she’s a bit sinister. Even I sometimes feel a chill when facing her. The thing sealed inside her is genuinely dangerous. If Nibelungen unleashes what’s inside her, Adela won’t stand a chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her mother’s words, the Zhaimonv  grew even more curious about Nibelungen, the final weapon girl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What exactly was this ancient weapon’s lingering soul sealed inside her? If even Long Ma found it dangerous, then it must at least pose a threat to Sages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was only a lingering soul—if it were in its prime, it would be truly terrifying. No wonder it was a war weapon from the Great Expedition era—it was formidable indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, she wouldn’t have to wait long to find out, because the duel was about to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both contestants entered the arena, the countdown hit zero, and health bars appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But to Dorothy’s surprise, Nibelungen wasn’t wearing battle armor—she wore only a simple mage’s robe, and in her hands, no staff. She stood completely unarmed, looking nothing like someone preparing for a duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This reminded the Zhaimonv  of Matildien from the last match. Was Nibelungen also a Mentalist witch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy recalled the battle records she’d seen in Inanna’s training ground—back then, this golden-haired, melancholy girl had made no movement at all, yet her opponent had immediately suffered mental collapse, kneeling and begging for mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That behavior certainly resembled Mentalism—perhaps some kind of Fear Spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Zhaimonv  thought so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next moment, her eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn, what the hell is this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adela felt her luck was terrible—she’d drawn the worst possible draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the previous champion, she was no slouch. She’d thoroughly researched all the finalists, and among the nine, three stood out as particularly troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was Noerose, her niece’s close friend, who rarely competed and left almost no battle records, yet clearly possessed formidable strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another was Inanna, the young mistress of the Dragon Roar Arena—her skill was unquestionable, a dangerous opponent to handle carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if she had to pick the one opponent she least wanted to face, it was undoubtedly the third: Nibelungen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, this girl was too mysterious, too bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adela had studied many of her past matches—only to find nothing useful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because every single one of her duels followed the same pattern: she entered, the duel began, the opponent broke down in tears, and she won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it not been for the fact that many of those sobbing, begging opponents were old acquaintances of hers, she’d have suspected they were all fixing matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of terrifying thing could make these hardened veterans of duels collapse like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a duel—it wasn’t lethal. Losing just meant defeat. Why kneel and beg for mercy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could only guess it was some powerful, sophisticated Fear Spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But strangely, over the past few days, Adela had visited many former opponents who’d faced Nibelungen, trying to learn what exactly they’d seen to be so terrified—was this Fear Spell truly that potent?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the real horror was only beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because everyone had forgotten what they’d seen. They remembered only the bone-deep terror, but not why they were terrified—nothing else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All their memories had been erased. They only recalled seeing something beyond comprehension behind Nibelungen—something undeniably there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet all prior battle records showed the mysterious witch hadn’t moved a muscle since entering, and behind her was empty space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That left only two possibilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One: they’d all been affected by some illusion—their visions were hallucinations, not real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two: they truly saw something, but only they themselves could perceive it; even recording spells couldn’t capture it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adela leaned toward the second possibility. Several of those defeated were Mentalism experts—if it were an illusion, they’d have sensed it, even if they couldn’t resist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, after losing and forgetting what they’d seen, those Mentalist witches wouldn’t simply accept it. After all, Mentalist witches despise having their minds tampered with. If they couldn’t solve it themselves, they’d go home and ask their elders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of them even sought out her ancestral elder—a true Sage—but even the Sage couldn’t restore her lost memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, the whole affair felt like a ghost story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the witch world was a magical civilization—ghost tales might scare mortals, but not witches. Yet for Nibelungen, Adela felt fear for the first time in a long while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an ancient, profound fear—the fear of the utterly unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t imagine what power could render a Sage helpless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she’d soon have to face such a thing herself. Could she possibly win?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adela wanted to comfort herself—she’d win, surely—but given these findings, she couldn’t deceive herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet after the fear came curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was intensely curious—what exactly had those opponents witnessed? The more unknown and terrifying it was, the more she longed to know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Adela knew this curiosity was wrong, Bugaiyou , she couldn’t control herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when she learned her first-round opponent was truly Nibelungen, she sighed at her bad luck—but also felt a faint thrill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d finally get to see what everyone else had feared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d remember it—she wouldn’t forget like the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To that end, Adela prepared extensively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such as mental defense artifacts crafted by Mentalism masters, various memory-protecting potions, and magical transformation spells with high resistance to illusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, the meaning of this duel had changed: as long as she didn’t lose her memory, she’d won.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So come on then—let me take a good look at what kind of Guidongxi  you are.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the arena, fully armed, she bravely faced the melancholy, lonely golden-haired girl across from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it was five minutes later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Adela awoke in the preparation room, she blinked in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uh… what just happened? Who am I? Where am I? What was I supposed to do again?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes betrayed bewilderment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait—did my match already end?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I don’t remember anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adela tried to recall what had just happened—but her memory was blank. As soon as she tried to force it, a terror so chilling it nearly froze her soul surged forth, drenching her in sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the terror of facing death itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, in the arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The audience was discussing the previous match—which barely qualified as a duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“F***, refund my money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell was that? Fixed match?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I tolerated Nibelungen’s past matches—maybe she really is strong, able to instantly defeat opponents. But this is the finals! Her opponent was last year’s champion! You still one-shot her? That’s an insult to my intelligence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone shouted angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others were more rational.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It can’t be fixed—Dragon King Cup is a major tournament, and this time the Dragon King himself is watching.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe she’s just that strong. Though the match was boring as hell.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait for the judges’ explanation. Don’t rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, the judging panel was in chaos—most judges were just as baffled as the audience, having understood nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their eyes, Adela had collapsed from terror the moment the match began, knelt and begged for mercy, then simply ended her own life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Nibelungen hadn’t moved a single muscle—she’d merely stood there silently, watching her opponent’s performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the audience demanded an explanation from the judging panel, but they couldn’t very well say they’d seen nothing at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, they had a powerful figure to vouch for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s gaze immediately turned to Lanselot, the chief judge seated at the central dais.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, the Moon Rabbit Knight did not answer directly; she merely glanced over at Dorothy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, it was the doll dragon puppet in front of Dorothy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Miss Witch of the Woods, what is your opinion on this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the question, Dorothy finally snapped out of her shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image of what she had seen behind Nibelungen flashed through her mind again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a vast fortress-city shrouded in mist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A technologically advanced metropolis familiar to the House Witch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Longshan City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a war fortress Dorothy herself had designed during a previous Witch Night, so even though the mist-shrouded city had expanded countless times, becoming as majestic and godlike as a mythic divine city, she recognized it at a glance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But how could this thing appear in reality?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy wanted to ask that, but when she looked up at the fourth sun in the sky, she fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, compared to an extra sun appearing in the heavens, a city from a dream becoming real wasn’t that strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, it hadn’t fully become real—the technologically styled fortress-city now existed in a quantum state, utterly magical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely speaking, it resided in the Spirit Realm, just like Fan Ni’s former state, visible only to those with a specific spiritual resonance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for why others feared this city—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, just look at the dense array of main cannons lining its walls. This city was built as a weapon to confront apocalyptic threats; who wouldn’t be stunned by its firepower?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, sheer firepower alone wouldn’t necessarily terrify everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main reason was that Longshan City’s current structure looked oddly familiar to Dorothy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was of the same origin as the Underworld System.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Longshan City had become an Underworld city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing upon this city was like staring into Dorothy’s own Underworld Gate—it was equivalent to staring directly at death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heh, Nibelungen, Land of the Dead—now it truly lived up to its name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why had Longshan City appeared?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dorothy had originally thought Miss Nibelungen merely wanted to join the competition for fun, but now she suspected the girl might be targeting her specifically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The House Witch grew wary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The female spirits in Pan Si Cave are indeed sharp, but my fourth sister, sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>",2077,"2026-06-21T03:49:48.467Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","fff5a9225f6cab27a042954d2128ca7d4421e7a25e2378fa90f86536a57e86ee","armed-witch-chapter-970","armed-witch-chapter-968",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Farmed-witch-cover.jpg"]