*BOOM*
Wilfried's clock slammed into Adalbert, releasing an explosion of Holy Force that barreled into the nearby spirit elders. Those beneath the Tribulation Stage directly turned into blood rain while the others flew backward with various degrees of injury.
Although he managed to shoulder the blow, Adalbert found himself severely wounded, with his internal organs damaged by the impact.
Meanwhile, an astounding event occurred. A worried Thorwald flew toward Amalia to check her condition.
"Amalia, what is…"
*Slash*
But before he could finish his words, she hurled her sword at his abdomen, gashing it with a ferocious slash. Thorwald's blood gushed forth, and he couldn't believe his eyes.
However, even if he didn't want to, reality didn't allow him to doubt.
*BAM*
With a frontal palm strike, Amalia struck his face, sending him cratering, his fate unknown. Meanwhile, where the jade arrow struck her, no wound remained. All who witnessed this scene couldn't believe their eyes.
"Amalia has been compromised."
Adalwin realized in profound dismay. Now the situation had taken a turn for the worse. Although he still wielded a complete Divine Artifact and didn't fear Hubert, the Voight possessed the support of their defensive formation while the Metze supported them from the side.
Meanwhile, a hidden expert which Adalwin inferred to be the one that negotiated the peace treaty with him, attacked from the shadow, with blows able to turn experts such as Amalia into traitors.
In a heartbeat, the situation was reversed. The spirit troops' morale plummeted, and as Amalia now aimed her sword toward the wounded Adalbert, many considered escape.
With things having reached this point, and the shroud now dispersed, there was no need to feel any reservation.
Adalwin brandished his Divine Artifact and smashed it onto Hubert at full force.
*BANG*
He flew backward with a massive blood spurt. Still, Else's mirror absorbed most of the impact. Without delay, Adalwin pursued. Only by eliminating Hubert at lightning speed could he reverse the current situation.
Alas, Hubert was fully prepared. Returning within the formation, and surrounded by the pillars of darkness, he met Adalwin blow for blow, but none were able to take the advantage.
Simultaneously, Amalia coordinated with Wilfried to take down the spirit forces within which confusion now reigned.
Seeing his kin falling like flies, Adalwin felt his heart pricked by a plethora of daggers and his eyes went bloodshot!
"You…have forced my hand…and can only blame yourself!"
He roared! Massive blue star force erupted alongside his artifact's divine power while he burned his lifeforce to fuel a supreme strike!
With his lifeforce empowering the blow, even the Ancestral Voight formation faced dangers.
Hubert was startled. Adalwin only had several centuries left to live. For one like him, burning lifeforce was a taboo.
He was hurrying his meeting with Yama!
But at that time, a mild, but piercing voice echoed from within the Ancestral Voight Palace.
"Biting off more than you can chew. House Voight is not a place where you can run amok."
Massive dark serpents shot from the Ancestral Voight Palace to slam into Adalwin, averting his blow, and sending him flying backward.
Darkness clouded the sky, and from it, nightmarish creatures of pure darkness descended upon the scene, targeting the von Jurgen and Kvass troops.
"No…NO…NOOOO!"
"AAAAAAARGH!"
The frightened experts roared as the darkness constructs sandwiched them from all sides.
In a twister of black fog, Yvonne appeared within the air, the occult energy of her Extreme Dark Physique swirling around her form.
She clenched her fist, and the darkness constructs turned into black flames, that devoured all their targets.
Thus, in one move, the paragon spirts troops were defeated.
By the time Adalwin stabilized himself, the ghastly sound of his howling troops was the only thing that remained. Among them, was Adalbert.
Amalia turned coat. Adalbert perished, Thorwald lied unconscious in a pool of his own blood.
And Yvonne now stood with a Crossed Tribulation Saint cultivation base; her pressure effortlessly crushing his.
Over. It was completely over.
"Adalwin, Adalwin, did you miss me so much that you needed to bring your motley crew to my doorsteps?
Or is it that you think that just because you achieved Star Connection, the world is your oyster?"
As Yvonne's snide resounded within his ears, Adalwin felt as if his cheeks were being slapped left and right by fierce, invisible hands. Vanquished, he was vanquished. But when he recalled Yvonne's upcoming fate, he couldn't help but smile.
"The winner is the king, the defeated, the thief. That is an ancestral truth. Today, I lose. However, tomorrow, you might not be alive."
Adalwin stated in a calm tone that didn't match the current situation. Yvonne waved her hands, suppressing Adalwin with the combined might of her cultivation and physiques, before ending the remaining spirits' struggle.
Now, Amalia aside, among the initial paragon spirit troops, only Adalwin remained standing.
"What do you mean by that?"
Yvonne asked. She knew Adalwin wasn't the type to spout rubbish at death's gate. That much was beneath his dignity. Some truth should lie in his words.
"Why do you think I wanted to keep our clash secret? In this world, who could possibly command such a reaction on my end…for you?"
Adalwin's words echoed within Yvonne's mind with the image of a dashing, golden-haired youth.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"…to this day?"
And before Adalwin could answer, bright golden rays spread within the sky, dispersing the darkness, as if to announce the arrival of a heavenly messenger.
Feeling the intensity of these golden rays, Yvonne's face contorted into a frown.
But no amount of frowning could change the reality. From within the now golden sky, the figure of a tall, golden-haired young man appeared. With the dashing air of an unbridled youth, he looked handsome and seemed like the dream of many ladies.
However, when Yvonne's eyes laid on him, annoyance was the only thing she felt. With a palm strike at his energy center, she sealed Adalwin's cultivation, then tossed him on the side.
All, without shifting her gaze from the newly arrived figure. He stared at her with a gentle smile, his eyes locking on hers, and hers only with an intensity that would make many flounder.
"Yvonne, long time no see." Erhardt greeted, the simple words unable to hide the profound yearning within his tone.
