Chapter 960: Street Battle on Silver Cross Avenue

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's eyes unconsciously turned once more toward the two black cats that had already wandered far away. They walked side-by-side along the street, their fur color providing such camouflage that they were barely visible in the dark of night.

"Hmm?"

The two black cats rubbed against each other as they moved forward, as if it were spring instead of winter. They suddenly, and quite naturally, shifted their direction on the deserted road, veering to the left. After skirting around a small area, they continued forward, as if something existed in that patch of air.

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na narrowed her eyes slightly and loosened her arms, which had been folded across her chest. Spiritual power flowed within her soul, but it was neither converted into the four elements to use a Ring Ringed Ringed Shushi's power, nor transformed into the power of a Witch to drive the "Decree" series of secret arts she had learned from Miss Jia Jia Lin Na.

Spiritual energy surged into the left eye forged from divine power. As a dark golden light flashed across her pupil, the world became incomparably real in an instant.

She did not see any so-called "thief." Instead, in the air that appeared empty, she saw a lady with her hair tied up, wearing a dress that was black on top and red on the bottom.

She stood outside the display window of the already-darkened "Haide Bookstore," clutching a large silver book, her eyes fixed intently toward the direction of the Yodel Palace. She was not alone; standing to her left was a middle-aged man in a crisp black suit, whose demeanor suggested he was a professor at a university. On the other side was a young man with brown hair, dressed quite casually, who kept tossing a metal die. His hair looked like it hadn't been washed in a long time, appearing exceptionally messy and greasy.

Of course, while he could be called a young man, he appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He wore a holy emblem on his chest, but because the distance was too great, Yin Yi Yi Lu Na could not see it clearly.

"A large book with a silver cover?"

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na felt a jolt of alarm. At the same time, Miss Pawo suddenly looked suspiciously at the book in her own hands, which was turning its pages automatically. Her expression also turned to one of shock, and she looked around in surprise.

"That book discovered I was watching them, but doesn't know where I am?"

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na understood immediately. Simultaneously, the instructions she had received before participating in the operation were recalled:

"Tonight's primary target is 【Master Thief Jack】. Under normal circumstances, do not disrupt the arrangements. But if another valuable target appears..."

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na naturally had her own judgment regarding whether Miss Pawo, the Vice President of the Truth Society, was valuable. Without hesitation, she placed the copper whistle tied around her neck into her mouth. With a sharp, low whistle that pierced the long night—audible only to the Church's Ring Mages—the night, which had been as solidified as an oil painting, was shattered in that instant.

Her left hand grabbed the 【Judge's Holy Bell】 at her waist and rang it. Golden electric light erupted instantly, leaping across her right hand. The bursting thunder finally made Miss Pawo understand which corner the gaze watching them had come from, but it was clearly too late for a counterattack. The first thing the three of them saw was a Sunlight Spear flying out from the black vortex, mere inches away.

The golden thunder spear flew much faster than the three Ring Mages could react, but the *Codex of Smowell*, which Luweiya believed to be an Angel-level relic, actively influenced the Sunlight Spear.

The thunder exploded, yet eerily, there was no sound. This strike was completely blocked. However, the massive silver book seemed to lose its ability to fly and plummeted to the ground, where Miss Pawo deftly picked it up.

The figures of the Church's Ring Mages, summoned by the sound of Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's whistle, were already approaching. Yin Yi Yi Lu Na did not wait for the reinforcements. As the brass Fate Ring appeared behind her and transformed into a golden scale, she charged toward the three enemies after throwing a second 【Sunlight Spear】.

"We were discovered ahead of time. Proceed according to the plan."

Miss Pawo said to the two people beside her while clutching the large book in the darkness. The high-level Ring Ringed Ringed Shushi of the Truth Society grabbed the young man who was tossing the die with one hand, then leaped, "flying" toward the high sky, only to meet two low-level Ring Mages who had been lying in ambush on the roof.

Several figures flew in from afar, but before they could enter Silver Cross Avenue, they were blocked by other figures. The patrol squad rushing to the scene was still several hundred meters away, while Yin Yi Yi Lu Na had already met Miss Pawo, who had a six-ring Fate Ring manifested behind her, head-on:

"The Chosen One?"

Miss Pawo recognized Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's identity and retreated into the shadows by the street while casting a spell. The core spiritual rune 【Number】 resonated with the enlightenment spiritual rune 【Defense】. A strange light, which Yin Yi Yi Lu Na had never seen before, attached itself to Miss Pawo, who took the initiative to state the name of the strange art:

"Numerical Tuning."

A dim, circular base array appeared beneath the female sorceress's feet, but the rune in the center of the ritual array was actually the number "1." Following the effect of the strange art, the dim number "12" transformed into the brilliantly glowing number "23." She waved her hand to meet Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's "Sunlight Spear," sacrificing the instant amplification effect of the strange art to disperse the spear, which had not been thrown with full force.

"Flashy, but it's only the sixth ring."

The five-ring Yin Yi Yi Lu Na whispered:

"Balance!"

She did not look directly into Miss Pawo's eyes, but after the light of the dark golden scale swept over, the female sorceress's movements were clearly not as agile as before. The rotation speed of the six-ring Fate Ring dropped sharply, accompanied by the failure of the next strange art she was about to cast.

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na knew that as long as she could prevent her from escaping for fifteen seconds, the reinforcements would arrive. Therefore, the core spiritual rune 【Hero】 flickered on the surface of the scale, and the miracle spiritual rune 【Light】 coordinated with it. She threw a small nail to her feet:

"Light of Thorns!"

Light suddenly erupted in the dark night, and flashing pure silver thorns grew around Miss Pawo. At the same time, another Sunlight Spear lit up on the street.

The silver book was raised, blocking the Sunlight Spear silently once again, but this time Miss Pawo was forced to take two steps back, her body crashing straight into the flashing thorns, which pierced directly through her abdomen. Yin Yi Yi Lu Na manipulated the thicket of thorns to contract inward, and at the same time, the supporting Ring Mages finally descended from the sky.

Although they could not use overly exaggerated strange arts in an environment like Silver Cross Avenue, the eleven-ring mage, five-ring mage, and ten-ring mage stood side-by-side and cast spells together:

"Duel Covenant!"

"Sunlight Spear!"

"Scorching Ray!"

The chains extending from the hands of the elderly Mr. Moduo of the Peace Sect circled a dueling arena on the ground. This was a space-like strange art that prohibited anyone from leaving once the dueling range was defined. Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's Sunlight Spear and the scorching light from Miss Green, the ten-ring sorceress of the Sun Sect, simultaneously pierced through the silver book and Miss Pawo's body.

But for that six-ring lady, no blood flowed from the wound; inside the wound were paper pages filled with writing.

"A fake body. It's not the effect of a strange art; it's the effect of a relic."

The gray-haired Mr. Moduo said. The injured "Miss Pawo" smiled at the three of them:

"The Chosen One is worthy of being the Chosen One. It really cannot be judged by ordinary standards. To think you could actually gain the upper hand against me the first time we met in a head-on clash. Toby is truly full of talent. The ugly woman I met at the Lake View Manor last time was also able to gain the upper hand the first time we met. Chosen One, I am honored to invite you to participate in tonight's game. The game is about to begin; remember not to be late."

She was staring at Yin Yi Yi Lu Na, her voice very clear, not sounding at all like someone who was injured. She seemed very confident, and that look of having seen through everything was truly irritating.

"Don't waste time with her."

Miss Green reminded her in a flat voice. Yin Yi Yi Lu Na raised her hand, and the "Miss Pawo" amidst the silver flashing thorns, along with the silver book that was certainly not the original, caught fire simultaneously. The flames quickly engulfed both paper entities. The three members of the Orthodox Church saw dense text flying out from the burning ashes, and the whispers element spread toward the entire street like sewage dripping into clear water.

The three hurriedly took out their respective holy emblems and, amidst low prayers, used miracle elements to counter the spread of the whispers element. Fortunately, the supporting Ring Ringed Ringed Shushi squad arrived quickly, replacing the three of them in dealing with the pollution of the elements.

"What game was she talking about just now?"

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na whispered on the street. Miss Green shook her head:

"Don't believe the words of a madman. That just now seemed to be the Vice President of the Truth Society. That book is very recognizable."

She paused and added:

"You must not leave this block tonight. Fighting has broken out in the North District of Toby, and three high-level Ring Mages have released an out-of-control Keeper-level relic."

"Something also happened in the East Suburbs, but it's not a big problem. The cult 【All-Things-One Society】 held a ritual to summon an evil entity, and the Dawn Sect has gone to deal with it. The twelve-ring Loranta is in charge."

Mr. Moduo of the Peace Sect also said. He was casting a spell, trying to locate the position of Miss Pawo's original body, but clearly without progress:

"Someone wants to take advantage of the Church protecting the Yodel Palace tonight to do something in the city. But after the lessons of the summer, we will not make the same mistakes this time."

"Was she deliberately letting me discover her?"

Yin Yi Yi Lu Na asked suspiciously. Suddenly, she looked past the squad setting up the ritual and looked up at the sky. Miss Green and Mr. Moduo caught two human bodies descending from the sky. Yin Yi Yi Lu Na recognized them as the low-level Ring Mages of the Nature Sect who had been lying in ambush on the roof. Their throats had been slit, and blood was gurgling out, but they were not yet dead.

The squad's healer immediately reached out to provide aid, while on the roof, the "professor" and the cultist who had just escaped flashed past in the night, as if deliberately reminding the people below of their location.

"Even if it's a trap, we have to chase them."

Leaving the squad here to rescue the wounded and deal with the pollution, Miss Green grabbed Yin Yi Yi Lu Na's arm and flew toward the roof with Mr. Moduo. At this time, the professor of the 【Truth Society】 and the cultist tossing the die had already fled from the roof toward the south of Silver Cross Avenue.

Even if the two high-level Ring Mages of the Church were fast, the two who had started first were one step ahead of them, rushing toward the nearby Association of Prophets. A card shot out from the third floor of the Association, leaving a wound on the neck of the "professor" wearing a crisp suit. But he ignored it, pulling his companion along, and silently crashed through a window sideways, falling into the brightly lit room at the end of the second floor of the Association of Prophets. ===== CHAPTER 961 =====