Chapter 350: Xiandumu Aye

"That was close!" Watching the Sanctuary collapse into a pile of ruins, Xiao Gucheng couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.

If Lingyun hadn't activated the Space Array in time to teleport them out, even he would have been unable to protect both Himeragi Yukina and Sentomoku Yuma simultaneously during such a sudden collapse.

"Senior, look!" Himeragi Yukina suddenly said to Xiao Gucheng with a look of surprise.

Xiao Gucheng followed Himeragi Yukina's gaze and was left dumbfounded: "No, what is that thing?"

The Sanctuary that had originally been guarded by Nangong Nayue had completely collapsed, but from the Void, thick Iron Walls and barbed wire were constantly appearing. Before long, the original Sanctuary had vanished entirely, and in its place was something that looked like a fortress. No, it should be called a prison.

"Is this, is this the true Prison Barrier?" Xiao Gucheng said with a dry tone. "Then, what was the building that existed until just now?"

"It was the same thing!... Fourth Progenitor." A female voice drifted over leisurely.

"Who's there?" Xiao Gucheng felt a shock in his heart and looked upward.

Standing on the gate of the massive fortress was a woman. She was a woman with long hair that reached down to her feet. She wore what appeared to be a twelve-layered ceremonial kimono, like a noblewoman from the Heian period. Although the attire was gorgeous and complex, the black and white colors dyed into it made it feel like the garb of a grim reaper. Though her appearance was young and beautiful, her pupils were crimson—they were fire eyes. Those gently smiling eyes flickered with an unsettling light.

"The most powerful aspect of the Prison Barrier is not its vast magical power, but the dreamscape woven by Nangong Nayue herself. The dreamscape changes according to the imagination of the observer, so escaping from that place is almost impossible!" the woman said slowly. "However, now that she has awakened from the eternal dream, the Prison Barrier has also appeared in the present world. In the same world, escaping the Prison Barrier is, to me, a simple matter."

"Mother... milady...?" Sentomoku Yuma looked at the woman who had appeared, a voice of despair escaping her lips.

"She is, Yuma's mother?" Xiao Gucheng looked at the woman who had appeared with a face full of astonishment.

The woman standing atop the great gate was named Xiandumu Aye. She was a witch who managed the library, and her own strength stood at the pinnacle of all witches. At the same time, she was also a former classmate and close friend of Nangong Nayue, but later, Xiandumu Aye launched the "Dark Oath Book Incident," causing a massive catastrophe, only to be defeated by Nangong Nayue herself and sent into the Prison Barrier.

"Ugh... ah... ahhhhhhhh...!"

Suddenly, screams erupted from Sentomoku Yuma's mouth. Behind her, the blue faceless knight appeared once more, but now the knight's entire body was being eroded by terrifying black, vein-like patterns. Through powerful magic and a bond of blood even stronger than lineage, Xiandumu Aye had used the most brutal method to strip Sentomoku Yuma of her guardian.

Xiandumu Aye raised her left hand. In that instant, *crack*, a harsh sound like wood splitting rang out, and Yuma let out a soundless scream. She had actually used the fastest, yet most damaging, method to sever the connection between Sentomoku Yuma and her guardian.

Behind Sentomoku Yuma, magical power surged wildly from the severed spiritual path. If this trend continued, it wouldn't take long for Sentomoku Yuma to die from magical exhaustion.

Xiao Gucheng flashed to her side and caught her as she was about to collapse. Looking at Sentomoku Yuma, who resembled a broken doll, anger surged in Xiao Gucheng's eyes, and the magical power around his body began to boil.

"You, to actually do such a thing to your own daughter..." Himeragi Yukina raised the Sekkarou in her hand, aiming it at Xiandumu Aye.

"She was merely a Doll I created to escape the Prison Barrier. Since I have already left the Prison Barrier, she has lost her purpose, hasn't she?" Xiandumu Aye said with an indifferent expression.

"Truly a wicked heretic!" Lingyun, holding Nangong Nayue, suddenly appeared before Xiandumu Aye and threw a punch toward her.

"Shadow!" Following the call, the black, ominous-looking faceless knight appeared before Lingyun, crossing its arms to block Lingyun's attack.

Golden flames erupted from Lingyun's fist without warning, and the terrifying force instantly blasted the black faceless knight away. The black faceless knight slammed heavily into the prison gate, creating a massive dent.

"What is this?" Xiandumu Aye watched the flying knight, her pupils constricting. Where Lingyun had struck, golden flames were spreading, continuously burning the knight's body. The knight let out a shrill wail, but no matter what it did, it could not extinguish the flames on its body.

"Damn it!" Xiandumu Aye's pupils shrank, and she immediately dispelled the guardian's manifestation.

She had a premonition that if she let these flames burn, the black knight would be completely destroyed. He was not a Vampire capable of possessing multiple guardians; if this guardian vanished, it meant she would lose her guardian forever. A witch who lost her guardian would see her strength drop by at least one level.

"Take another punch from me!" After blasting the black faceless knight away with one punch, Lingyun stepped into the Void with his right foot, his body accelerating once more, and he threw another punch at Xiandumu Aye.

"Rise!" A magic barrier suddenly appeared before Xiandumu Aye, and at the same time, her figure retreated rapidly, propelled by her magic.

"Boom—", a blue figure flashed behind Lingyun, and blue light bloomed on his fist; the magic barrier shattered into fragments in an instant. The moment the barrier broke, the massive shockwave that leaked out made Xiandumu Aye's heart tremble.

"What is this guy's background?" Xiandumu Aye's eyes were filled with gravity.

When she first saw Lingyun in the Prison Barrier, she already knew this person was no ordinary individual. She hadn't expected him to become her enemy now, and such a troublesome one at that.

"Xiao Gucheng, take that little girl and leave here first; her current injuries won't hold out for long." Failing to land a hit with two moves, Lingyun's body swayed in mid-air, instantly flashing dozens of yards away and landing on a massive rock. "Take her to find Xia Yin; Xia Yin has the ability to heal her injuries."

"Really, Teacher Lingyun?" Xiao Gucheng, who was at a loss regarding Sentomoku Yuma's current injuries, asked with a look of pleasant surprise.

"Don't forget Xia Yin's current identity," Lingyun said. "As for the situation here, leave it to me for now!"

Xiao Gucheng nodded, then picked up Sentomoku Yuma and quickly left the scene.

"Lingyun, are you plotting something?" Nangong Nayue, in Lingyun's arms, suddenly asked.

"Plotting something? Perhaps," Lingyun raised an eyebrow, "but this holds no harm for him."

Estimating that Xiao Gucheng had already left, Lingyun slammed his right foot onto the ground: "Six Extremes Sealing God Array, activate!"

Six pillars of light rose without warning from six different directions of the Prison Barrier, and countless Array Patterns extended from the pillars, rapidly weaving together. In just a few breaths' time, a massive Sealing Array had formed on the outer perimeter of the Prison Barrier.

"Although it is only a corner of a broken array, it is enough to cause them some trouble." Lingyun smiled slightly, silver light bloomed around him, and he vanished from the spot along with Nangong Nayue.