[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-mystic-calling-stone-of-glory":3,"chapter-mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-824":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory",{"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},1242280,1669,"Chapter 824 824: Let Them Bleed First","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-824",824,"\u003Cp>Back in Emerald Castle's main city,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan didn't speak for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Floating in front of him was a massive, three-dimensional star map—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>crowded with markers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each glowing point represented a potential threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among them all,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Narlost Empire blazed in the most blinding shade of red.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Too fast…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narlost's strength had already surpassed the realm of ordinary nations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even a probing strike from them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>had come in the form of someone like Sarenyx.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Feylora hadn't stepped in—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerald Castle would've been wiped off the map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's gaze swept slowly across the entire map.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to Narlost,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerald Castle still felt terrifyingly small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the enemy launched a full-scale assault,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>there would be zero margin for error.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have to race the clock.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only conclusion he could draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the days that followed,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerald Castle plunged into a frenzy that bordered on madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Training—relentless, sleepless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leveling up—no cost too high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fueled by golden liquid, blood-red crystals, and newly-forged energy cores,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the Tiers of countless members began to leap forward in rapid succession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire city-state\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was like a cornered beast,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>desperately hoarding power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until that day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without warning, the sky darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A presence descended from the heavens—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>so overwhelming it made the soul instinctively tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air itself shuddered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in the mines, Ethan snapped his eyes open mid-absorption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't even stop to think—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>his body moved before his mind caught up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All personnel, evacuate the mines! Now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The command came out as a roar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seconds later,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan and his core team shot into the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone looked up,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>eyes fixed on the churning clouds above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their voice shook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...It's Raimondrex.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, no one argued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Panic spread like a plague.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though Emerald Castle had, in recent days,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>constructed over a hundred layers of compound defense barriers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>in front of Raimondrex,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they were nothing but paper walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a roar exploded from deep within the cloud sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All hundred layers of shielding\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>were pierced in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange, terrifying force\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>slammed into the ground, carving out a bottomless crater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, Ethan's breathing faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew better than anyone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>if Raimondrex fully descended,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they had no chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a second overwhelming presence\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>appeared on the far side of the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan snapped his head up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Narlost army was unfolding from a rift in the void, slow and deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it wasn't a probe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leading them was a man—middle-aged, strikingly handsome, his aura tightly restrained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was that restraint that set Ethan's nerves on edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just as I thought…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two calamity-class entities, appearing over Emerald Castle at the same time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way that was coincidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan's mind raced, calculations snapping into place in seconds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A head-on fight—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guaranteed loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was only one path left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All units, fall back!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The order went out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before the retreat began, Ethan did something that, on the surface, looked insane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"—Attack Raimondrex.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every weapon they could still fire—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>unleashed at once,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>all of it pouring into the clouds above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a provocation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And a lure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan knew Raimondrex's patterns well—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It never lingered long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if enraged enough, it would fully descend and unleash devastation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Emerald Castle's main forces pulled back at full speed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the clouds tore open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive figure, vast enough to blot out the sky,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>descended from the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did Ethan get a clear look at the monster emerging from the cloud sea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't a dragon in the traditional sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a Sky Leviathan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its body was so massive it blanketed half the sky,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>yet it still retained a twisted echo of draconic form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twin horns jutted from its brow, and with every faint flicker,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they triggered violent lightning to race through the clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its broad wings gave a single, effortless beat—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and the air ignited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames surged like a storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't a creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a natural disaster in motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ethan didn't have time to marvel at its form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was all he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerald Castle's forces didn't hesitate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They pulled out of the aerial battlefield in tight formation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>like a fleet retreating before a tidal wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just as they cleared the zone—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narlost's army stepped directly into Raimondrex's strike range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the front of the Narlost formation, the handsome middle-aged commander's face twisted in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reacted on instinct, unleashing his full power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow surged behind him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a grotesque, monstrous silhouette—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and hurled itself forward to intercept.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning crashed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flames tore the sky apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two forces collided head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the outcome was never in doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man's power,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>in front of Raimondrex,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was laughably small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deafening boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shadow shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man's body was flung backward,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>tossed like debris in a hurricane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching from a distance, Ethan's eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narlost had a chance to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could've pulled back, avoided this pointless clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But they didn't.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>their formation began to tighten, converge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy surged, forcibly stacked layer upon layer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were preparing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>for a direct assault on a walking cataclysm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…They're going to brute-force it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't a rational choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the arrogance of a nation too powerful for too long—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the belief that with enough strength,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they could crush anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Raimondrex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Emerald Castle's forces had fully withdrawn behind the city walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final layer of the energy barrier rose slowly into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several Sky Fortresses hovered high above, locked and loaded—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but they didn't open fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the city, the atmosphere was suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, someone couldn't hold it in any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master… the enemy's already at our doorstep.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And we're just hiding here like this—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>isn't that… kind of pathetic?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the words left his mouth,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the air went taut.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many lowered their heads,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but no one spoke up to disagree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were used to fighting head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when outmatched,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they never backed down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>all they could do was stand and watch\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>as two monstrous forces tore each other apart just outside their gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan cleared his throat softly\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and stepped up onto a makeshift platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every eye turned to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Soldiers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice wasn't loud,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but it carried, sharp and clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm not afraid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'm aware.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised a hand, pointing toward the sky—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>where lightning and fire were ripping the heavens apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right now, Emerald Castle doesn't have the power\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to take on two enemies of that level at once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I ordered you to charge out there now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that wouldn't be bravery.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would be sending you to die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Ethan went on:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So what we need to do\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>isn't prove how fearless we are.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's make them\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>bleed for us first.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let them tear each other apart—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>wait for the real opening.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze sharpened like a blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And when that moment comes—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I'll lead you myself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and we'll kill every last bastard who dares set foot in Emerald Castle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>no one questioned him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One by one, they stepped back,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>returning to their posts in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>",1202,"2026-06-05T15:15:49.877Z",1,"novelbin.me","de0696ec4a15d4a4506f78381a08de54f241f96eb664d84a94a05ca1efb84526","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-825","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-823",1138,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmystic-calling-stone-of-glory-cover.jpg"]