Chapter 690: Dazzling Queen

Yizite's cries were at times high‑pitched, at times low, sometimes not human voices but the roar of a Demon, yet all were filled with boundless pain. The Abyssal aura in the room rose wave after wave, suffused with evil and destruction.

From the dark elf's voice, one could judge that its sanity was still intact.

Unwittingly, the advancement ceremony had lasted half an hour.

Yizite's movements gradually grew faint, but the Demon aura suddenly surged, causing everyone to look at each other in bewilderment.

Beilake was both nervous and worried, yet dared not disturb, and whispered, "What's happening, did it succeed?"

"I don't know," Daoensosu shook his head.

He stared intently at the room's door, his right hand reaching for his hammer with a nail head, in case of anything.

Reslin was the most aware of the situation; he did not use the All-Seeing Eye to spy on Yizite's privacy, but the Willpower sensed no danger, indicating the advancement should be relatively smooth.

He was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something odd and turned his head toward the air.

There was a person there!

The other was cloaked in invisibility, hovering hundreds of meters above, looking down at the courtyard concealed by a magical field, his gaze piercing straight through. When Reslin cast his eyes, the two locked gazes, both startled, evidently neither expected the invisibility to be seen through.

Reslin became alert, but did not detect any hostility, so he observed with two glances.

It was a human woman.

She was strikingly beautiful, appearing about thirty years old, with a mature aura and captivating charm, a head of emerald‑green long hair, dressed in a white magical robe that faintly emitted life energy, indicating she was a pastoralist.

However, this was merely a façade she deliberately presented to others.

Her Soul Eye was veiled by a mist‑like shroud, a phenomenon only Saint Rank strongmen possess; behind the hazy veil lay a dragon soul brimming with vast power, ancient and weathered, as if it had endured ages yet radiated an infinite vitality.

Reslin immediately guessed her identity.

One of the three city lords of Albert Bay, the ruler of Jose City, the Dazzling Queen Meilandan Na!

"How did this ancient emerald dragon discover it?"

Reslin was puzzled; the magical field he had set up had no flaw, even a Saint Rank strongman would not easily see through it. Jose City was so vast; the Dazzling Queen could not have coincidentally passed nearby precisely when Yizite was advancing.

Unless she knew the location beforehand.

Yizite had lived in Albert Bay for so many years without exposing his whereabouts, nor had he alarmed the city's upper rulers.

It was evident that the Dazzling Queen had just received the news.

Reslin immediately guessed the cause: a punch from the martial saint Bulu Si had informed her. With his abilities, tracking Daoensosu to this courtyard or learning Yizite's address from others was a simple task.

That martial saint had struck a nail yesterday and dared not act, so he told the Dazzling Queen.

His city housed a group of Legendary High-rank individuals; she would certainly come to see, and if a clash occurred it would be exactly as Bulu Si wished.

However, the ancient emerald dragon was evidently not so reckless, appearing quite cautious.

Reslin gave her a slight nod.

Axi Na and the others, seeing his gesture, were somewhat puzzled, looked along his line of sight, but saw nothing.

Just as they were about to ask, a figure pierced the magical field and materialized.

Daoensosu and Beilake instantly recognized the identity, were startled, and, uncertain, saluted, "We have seen Her Majesty the Dazzling Queen."

Axi Na understood at once.

This Saint Rank pastoralist was the legendary ancient emerald dragon!

"Hmm…" the emerald dragon with jade‑green eyes surveyed the crowd with interest, pausing when it saw Axi Na, its brows slightly furrowing.

Axi Na felt a jolt in her heart.

The dragon and the giants had been at odds for tens of thousands of years; if this emerald dragon saw through the elder's crafted triumphal headgear and discovered its identity, it would be trouble.

She was not afraid of the dragon; the emerald dragon favored spellcasting, was poor at melee, and the close distance was advantageous to them, but she worried that Yizite was at a critical moment, and a fight might disrupt the advancement ceremony.

Fortunately, the emerald dragon shifted its gaze, finally landing on Reslin.

She asked in a crisp voice, "I heard Bulu Si say you are a Wizard from Weizelan? No wonder you detected my invisibility, your strength is impressive."

Reslin maintained the field and calmly said, "Thank you for the compliment, madam."

"Hehe…" the Dazzling Queen laughed twice, "You need not be nervous; I know that Bulu Si's intentions well, and I have no interest in fighting you. Jose welcomes all kind intelligent races, even dark elves from the depths, and I hold no prejudice."

Everyone exhaled in relief upon hearing this.

Beilake immediately flattered, praising, "Your Majesty the Queen's tolerance and benevolence I have long heard of, which is why Yizite and I chose to reside in Jose; indeed it is the right choice."

The emerald dragon wore a smile, seeming to relish the praise.

She glanced twice at the Holy Spear ranger, then turned toward Yizite's room, sighed, and gently shook her head, "I haven't seen a Demonic Hunter in many years; I didn't expect one in my city, and already advancing to Saint Rank."

Beilake tried to get close, asking, "Madam, do you think Yizite can succeed?"

The Dazzling Queen stared for a few seconds, then suddenly flicked her hand, a pure strand of life energy shooting from her fingertip like a ray, instantly piercing the wall and vanishing.

Everyone was startled, then heard her explain, "My natural blessing should ease his pain a bit, slightly raising his chance of advancing."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Daoensosu said gratefully.

He was a priest; the Divine Technique's holy energy suppresses Demons, unable to aid Yizite, whereas Meilandan Na was different—the emerald dragon wielded life force, benefitting any race without any conflict.

Sure enough, when the Dazzling Queen acted, the cries of pain in the room lessened slightly.

Yizite's aura also steadied.

The advancement ceremony still had to continue for a while; Meilandan Na did not leave, suddenly saying, "I heard Bulu Si say you killed Dimaetu; at first I was skeptical, then I went to Danmofu on purpose and found the Abyssal Gate there destroyed—was that your doing?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Beilake admitted with a smug grin.

"Well done!"

Meilandan Na's eyes shone with admiration, "The Abyssal Gate of Danmofu was a crucial stronghold of Abyss forces guarding the Rokchis Mountains; my allies Akeiman, Bulu Si, and I have long sought to destroy it, but the distance made it impossible. I never expected you few to achieve it."

Receiving praise from a Saint Rank strongman, Daoensosu and Beilake were both very pleased.

Reslin, however, said, "That may not be a good thing."

"What do you mean?" Meilandan Na looked at Reslin, clearly taking his words seriously; the Wizard held a special weight in her mind.

"Did the lady encounter the Eternal Chosen when she went to Danmofu?" Reslin asked curiously.

"Aiken!"

The Radiant Queen's tone suddenly rose a few notes, a flash of fear in her eyes, "I only glanced from afar; I did indeed see a group of Netifu Demon Abyss Knights, but I didn't approach to investigate. Are they Aiken's people?"

"Exactly." Reslin nodded.

He gave a brief account of how he and his companions encountered the Eternal Chosen, but omitted any mention of Lei En or the confrontation, saying only that they discovered Aiken early and promptly teleported away.

Melandanna listened, then shook her head with a heavy expression.

"If Aiken's domain expands to the foot of the Rokkis Mountains, the entire eastern plain of the New Continent would be virtually unified under him, and few Demonkin tribes remain that could stop him." She mused for a moment, then added, "If he rules all Netifu Demon tribes, we'll be in big trouble."

"Not only the New Continent, even the Old Continent will be threatened!"

Evidently, the Radiant Queen had also heard of the Netifu Demon's apocalyptic prophecy.

Everyone in the hall fell silent.

"Ah…"

Suddenly, Yizite's shout rang through the room, high and fierce, instantly drawing everyone's attention. With a booming sound, a massive Abyssal aura burst forth, breaking through the ceiling and forming visible evil‑energy smoke; fortunately it was contained by a magical field.

Otherwise, such a vile aura appearing in Albert Bay would surely alarm countless people.

Yizite's ascension had reached a critical juncture.

Everyone stared at the room as a towering Demon silhouette rose within, and through the roof's hole one could see a pair of massive Demon horns.

The black, spiraled horns twisted, the skin on the forehead cracked, and two clusters of pale green flame glowed in the eyes.

A deafening crash rang out.

A pair of bat wings, five to six meters wide, suddenly unfolded, tearing away the shattered roof and fully revealing Yizite's figure.

At this moment, he stood over five meters tall, drenched in blood, countless Abyss runes etched on his skin pulsing with evil energy; the energy mingled with the blood into a magma‑like, scorching, viscous mass, his entire body resembling a volcano ready to erupt.

The dark elf's face was grotesquely twisted, writhing in unimaginable agony.

The pain was secondary; what was more terrifying was the evil energy assaulting his Willpower, with the Abyss deity's incessant whispers filling his ears, tempting him to fall.

If he fails to resist the temptation, his soul will be corrupted, and Yizite will become a minion of the evil energy, turning into a Demon Lord.

Or his internal energy could spiral out of control, exploding instantly and shattering him to pieces!

"Ah!"

Yizite let out a piercing roar as blazing flames erupted from his body.

The surrounding rooms turned to ash, revealing a rune formation on the ground that extended invisible chains winding around him. This is an ancient Demonic Hunter inheritance used for ascension, capable of binding evil energy and stabilizing control so the body wouldn't burst outright.

However, the rune formation seemed partially damaged, its effect dimmed, and the chains were breaking one by one.

The ascension had entered its final stage.

Reslin used his Soul Eye to observe; Yizite's soul was undergoing a violent metamorphosis, just a step away from completion. He quickly calculated that about two minutes remained before the rune formation would collapse.

Without the rune formation's control, the ascension could fail.

These two minutes decide success or failure!

Reslin activated a multi‑core crystal, his mind racing to analyze the rune formation on the ground. The formation was not complex, employing familiar elf runes; Yizite had prepared ample materials, so if anyone could repair it, they should be able to hold out a few more minutes.

The teammates were extremely tense, yet dared not speak to disturb.

Five minutes later, Reslin's analysis was complete.

"Lady Melandanna," he glanced at the Radiant Queen, speaking rapidly and softly, "I need to repair the rune formation; may I ask you…"

Before Reslin could finish, the jade dragon understood his meaning.

She flashed over, seized Reslin's staff, took over maintaining the magical field, and said, "You go ahead, hm? This staff…"

The Radiant Queen looked at the mithril staff in her hand; it seemed ordinary, yet the moment she grasped it she sensed its extraordinary nature—it was a Legend Grade staff!

Her eyes were filled with astonishment.

At that moment, Reslin could no longer afford to worry about that.

He released his staff and immediately cast Mirror Image; ten identical Mirror Image clones appeared around him, each raising a shield, and together with his true form they flashed toward the increasingly out‑of‑control Demonic Hunter, standing beside the rune formation to repair its damaged sections.

Eleven Reslins acted simultaneously, as if one person, coordinated and efficient.

Streams of mana and runes fell into the formation, filling the broken spots.

Everyone's spirits relaxed slightly.

Reslin displayed superb mana‑control skill; the rune formation and integration were exquisite, with not a single error.

As a Saint Rank caster, the Radiant Queen understood the subtleties even better, her eyes flashing with myriad colors.

The repair took immediate effect; in less than half a minute, more invisible chains regenerated, calming Yizite again. The evil‑energy flames and power he emitted still kept damaging the formation, even outpacing Reslin's repair speed, but it was sufficient.

Destroying and repairing simultaneously.

The time until the formation would be completely destroyed was greatly postponed, with invisible bindings linking Yizite's body, maintaining the energy balance of his metamorphosis.

Time ticked by second after second.

Finally, after the ascension ritual had lasted nearly an hour, Yizite's drastic transformation ceased.

The evil‑energy smoke in the sky subsided, all flowing back into his body; the malevolent Abyssal aura gradually dissipated, his massive frame steadied, the cracks in his dark skin healed swiftly, the runes covering his body dimmed, finally returning to calm.

Hoo!

The Demonic Hunter flapped his wings, soaring into the air, a Saint Rank aura enveloping him.

The pale green flame in his eyes faded, replaced by calm and wisdom, as if he could perceive all things. The dark elf's face broke into a smile, and he said unhurriedly, "Everyone, I succeeded!"

(End of Chapter)