Chapter 332: Sanctuary of Life and Death

"What’s the plan?" Killian asked on behalf of the others.

Regis merely shook his head, silently directing his gaze toward the figure leading the group.

They were already making their way to the Sanctuary of Life and Death.

After entrusting the elven survivors to the elven soldiers, the Sanguine Order had been able to rest for barely ten minutes before departing for the Sacred Land.

At that moment, everyone refrained from speaking, choosing instead to conserve every last bit of energy they had.

After all, they knew that whatever awaited them in the Sacred Land would be the greatest battle of their journey through the Forest of Eternity.

After roughly half an hour of travel, they arrived at a clearing.

At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary clearing within the Forest of Eternity.

However, Regis and the others with keen senses immediately realized that something about the place was off.

Elysia, with the little Wisteria perched upon her shoulder, stepped forward unhurriedly as she spoke.

"We’ve arrived."

She then glanced at Regis and said, "Protect me while I open the gate to the Sacred Land. I can’t directly teleport everyone inside due to our numbers, so I’ll have to open the gate instead."

"Understood." Regis nodded as he gave Killian a slight wave.

Seeing the signal, Killian’s expression sharpened.

"Formation Delta! Protect the Queen!"

Without another word, every member of the Sanguine Order moved as one.

In an instant, the five squads fell into an ironclad formation, placing the Queen of Edenelia safely at its center.

Amidst Equilla Squad’s formation, a black-haired elven girl looked at the queen with a conflicted gaze.

The girl was none other than Marzana.

Countless thoughts and questions swirled through her mind, yet she forced herself to suppress them, pushing everything to the back of her mind.

’Focus, Marzana! I can’t let my personal feelings interfere with my duty!’

As though steeling her resolve, the conflict in Marzana’s eyes gradually gave way to determination.

Elysia could feel a burning gaze on her back as she continued chanting.

’I suppose I’ll have to apologize to her after this battle...’

She was well aware that her daughter was also a member of the Sanguine Order.

Yet, from the moment they had reunited earlier, neither of them had acknowledged the other.

It was obvious that, despite being family, their relationship was far from simple.

Before long, the mana in the surrounding area began to churn violently.

Intricate runic patterns emerged from thin air, intertwining to form a colossal gateway whose center was consumed by endless darkness.

Elysia glanced back at Regis and the others before stepping through the gateway.

Regis turned to Killian, Pandora, Aurelia, and the rest of the Sanguine Order.

His gaze eventually settled on Auryn and Patti.

"You two don’t have to risk your lives here—"

"Don’t bother."

Patti cut him off before he could finish, smiling faintly.

"We want to make sure Lia is safe with our own eyes. We promise we won’t get in the way during the battle."

"Please trust us, little brother~," Auryn chimed in with a wink.

Seeing the determination in their eyes, Regis could not help but chuckle.

"Alright. I trust you."

In the next moment, Regis’s gaze turned sharp.

"Before we enter, I want you all to understand something. What awaits us inside will not be an ordinary battle. We have already witnessed the enemy’s strength, and there is no guarantee that we will all return."

"If any of you wish to turn back now, I will not blame you. No one here has anything to prove."

"But if you choose to step through that gate, then do so knowing that there may be no second chance."

Every member of the Sanguine Order simply stared back at him, their expressions unwavering as they showed no intention of retreating.

A soft smile tugged at the corner of Regis’s lips.

"Let’s go. This is our first mission as an adventurer corporation, so let’s make it a good one!"

Without any hesitation, he stepped through the gateway.

Seeing the members of the Sanguine Order enter the gateway, Patti and Auryn could not help but glance at their little sister.

"He’s impressive."

"You really found yourself a good one, huh?"

...

Aurelia rolled her eyes at her siblings’ teasing.

"Let’s go."

***

Inside the Sanctuary of Life and Death...

Regis, along with the others, opened his eyes and was left dumbfounded by the sight before him.

He had expected a grand structure similar to the Temple of Life, which he had visited only a few hours earlier.

However, what greeted them was completely different.

They found themselves standing at the edge of an island.

Even stranger, the island was surrounded by a vast sea.

Yet it was not a normal sea that consisted of water, but a sea of clouds.

That was right.

The Sacred Land that held the Sanctuary of Life and Death within it was not merely a special area.

It was a floating island that existed within a different dimension inside the Forest of Eternity itself.

"It seems like all of you are here."

Elysia’s voice immediately drew everyone’s attention.

Regis made a simple gesture, and in an instant, the amazement on every member of the Sanguine Order’s faces was replaced by solemn expressions.

This was the result of the training they had undergone over the past few months.

"Be on your guard."

Elysia gave them a friendly reminder as she led the way.

Unlike earlier, when they had raced forward with urgency, they now moved with calm and steady steps, as though they were merely taking a stroll.

As they traversed the floating island, Regis and the others quickly noticed something unusual.

Every plant, from the smallest blade of grass to the tallest tree, had been stripped of its color, leaving behind a world devoid of vitality.

Above them, a colossal branch stretched across the sky.

Yet instead of displaying the majesty of an ancient tree, it appeared corrupted, its surface infested with countless pests gnawing away at it.