In the next instant, the world fell into absolute silence. The wind ceased, the clouds froze, and all things were suspended in time.
It was as if the entire universe had been placed on pause time and space themselves halted in that very moment.
The Wizards and apprentices remained unharmed, as though this power had nothing to do with them.
However, the saintess riding the white unicorn bore a suffering a thousand times worse. It was as if the weight of the entire world had come crashing down upon her.
The heavy armor she wore had been forged from countless years of power gathered by an expeditionary world, a vessel of the very essence of her homeland.
Even if the Lord of the Furnace were to strike with all his might, he would not be able to shatter it.
Yet now, within this eerie stillness, her armor suddenly cracked apart without any warning, shattering into countless fragments that drifted into the void.
Beneath the broken armor was a flawless, ethereal figure, her exquisite face now twisted in sheer agony.
Her eyes widened in shock, and in an alien tongue, she let out a hoarse roar: "The power of the Demon Sovereign! No… the holy light shall never be extinguished!"
Boom!
From within the abyssal vortex, the "Heavenly Eye" suddenly cast down an invisible gaze. Like a pillar of judgment, it pierced through the clouds, enveloping the entire Emerald Isle Forest and the saintess hovering in the sky.
Trapped within this light, the saintess's body trembled. Her radiance faded, and her power crumbled.
At the same time, the once sinister and dreadful Emerald Isle Forest underwent an earth-shattering transformation under this gaze.
The forest, once steeped in the aura of death, now seemed to be cleansed by divine light.
One by one, the monstrous, grotesque trees each resembling some horrific beast were purified, reverting to their original, natural forms, pure and pristine.
The invisible radiance swept through the dense woods, extending ever deeper into the heart of the Emerald Isle Forest.
And those suffering under this fearsome force were not limited to just the saintess or the depths of the forest.
There was another one who endured in silence.
Atop the highest chamber of the Furnace Tower, seated upon his grand throne, was the Lord of the Furnace.
His pale eyes flickered with unspeakable torment. If he had a choice, he would rather his soul be extinguished in an instant than endure this excruciating agony.
But he was powerless. The laws of the world had marked him, ensnaring him like countless razor-sharp claws, tearing at his soul and body.
What was even more terrifying was that he could sense that a part of his power was being stripped away.
This was no ordinary strength, but the blessing of the Wizard World, the very foundation that allowed Morning Star Wizards to wage war across dimensions.
And now, it was being mercilessly extracted from his being.
It was said that the starry sky of the Wizard World symbolized the countless Morning Star Wizards who had conquered foreign realms, with each star representing a glorious existence.
They brought back rare resources to the Wizard World and, in return, received its blessing.
Yet when a star fell, it signified the end of a Morning Star Wizard either through complete soul annihilation or a fate like that of the Lord of the Furnace, losing the world's support and plummeting from the pinnacle of power.
At this moment, though he still retained the title of a Morning Star Wizard, the supreme authority and core essence of his power had been drastically weakened.
He was still far stronger than a Level Three Great Wizard, but in future battles, he would no longer be able to rival fully empowered Morning Star Wizards.
Time passed, and each second a thousand needles pierced his soul and flesh.
He gritted his teeth, enduring the agony.
And then a wretched scream shattered the silence.
It was the saintess's voice.
Up in the sky, the once proud and holy figure finally crumbled under the crushing force. Even her soul was shattered into countless dust-like fragments, scattered into the void.
She was gone. Her power was extinguished.
"I can sense it!"
Suddenly, the Lord of the Furnace's eyes gleamed with a spark of exhilaration.
Despite the overwhelming pain, his expression revealed a hint of triumph.
From deep within his soul, a new sensation emerged a signal emanating from the very core of the Emerald Isle Forest.
"The [Landscape] has restarted!"
No matter what had transpired, his plan had ultimately succeeded the [Landscape] had been reopened!
Time passed.
Lynn, inside the potion garden, suddenly felt a wave of disorientation wash over him. A violent shiver ran down his spine.
"Something's wrong… just now, what happened to me?"
A deep unease crept into his heart as if something crucial had slipped through his grasp.
He struggled to recall, but his memories were fractured, like broken threads tangled in a chaotic mess.
"Strange… I feel like I lost a long period, but what exactly happened?"
He paced back and forth in his dormitory, furrowing his brows, his unease growing stronger by the second.
"What was I doing just now? Meditating? No… that's not right…"
A vague memory flashed through his mind.
"The Furnace… That's it! The Furnace's transmission! I was in the Emerald Isle Forest!"
Lynn's expression instantly hardened, realizing that something earth-shattering must have occurred outside, leading to this strange disruption in his memory.
The sensation was unnatural eerily inexplicable.
And he wasn't the only one. Nearly everyone in the Furnace felt the same unsettling disorientation.
Even the official Wizards wore looks of bewilderment as if they had all become aware of some force beyond their control meddling with them.
At the summit of the Furnace Tower, the Lord of the Furnace still sat upon his throne.
Sunlight streamed through the breach the saintess had torn open earlier, illuminating his hooded figure and casting a pale glow upon his weakened face.
He looked utterly drained, his strength severely depleted.
Just then, a figure descended from the sky it was Whiteheart Tower Master.
His flowing white robes fluttered in the wind as his piercing gaze landed on the Lord of the Furnace.
The Lord of the Furnace lifted his gaze toward Whiteheart, his expression cold and unsurprised by the man's arrival.
There was no fear of betrayal for the contracts binding them were absolute.
"The [Landscape] has been breached. It seems your plan was a success."
Whiteheart's tone was calm, though a flicker of complexity flashed through his eyes as he muttered, "At last, a chance to break free…"
The Lord of the Furnace's voice was hoarse, his gaze icy as he replied:
"Send them in. The command is yours now."
Whiteheart Tower Master gave a slight nod before turning to leave.
At this moment, he was perhaps the only one the Lord of the Furnace could trust. They were, after all, bound to the same fate.
Meanwhile, beyond the Emerald Isle Forest, chaos had erupted.
Several Level Three Great Wizards observed from a distance, their expressions dark, eyes filled with both fear and uncertainty.
Yet just as they hesitated, an overwhelming spiritual force suddenly swept across the battlefield, silencing every ripple of emotion in an instant.
A moment later, a figure in white robes soared into the sky, emanating the terrifying aura of a Morning Star Wizard.
His oppressive presence crushed the air like an unshakable mountain, erasing all hesitation and fear.
"Assemble. Attack!"
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