Chapter 236: Power Of True Ex-Rank

BOOOOM!!!

?The destructive beam of light flared with terrifying intensity, the sheer pressure doubling in a microsecond.

?CRACK!!

?".....?!"

?Every defender fixed their horrified eyes on the spiderweb of fractures splintering across the white shield:

?"Damn it all!!!" Margaret roared, biting down hard as she poured the absolute remainder of her life essence into the shield.

?’What is happening?!! No matter how much of my vitality, and spirit energy I funnel into the barrier, the foundation feels like it’s actively eroding away rather than strengthening.’ She thought, a cold sweat breaking across her brow.

?CRACK!!

’It can’t be... Is that cursed technique literally devouring our spirit energy and converting it into fuel?!’

?"No! If this fails—"

?CRACK!!

?"Say goodbye, fragile humans!!! Perish!"

?BOOOOM!!!!

?The heavy shield shattered into a million glittering shards of light. The unbridled crimson beam plunged downward, heading towards Margaret. She instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, a heavy wave of resignation washing over her.

?’Shit... No one down there possesses the defensive capability to withstand that direct impact. Are we going to lose everyone here today? Elizabeth... I am so deeply sorry...’

?Margaret blinked—wait.

?’Why on earth am I still alive?’

?She forced her eyes open, staring in sheer disbelief at the blonde-haired female hovering effortlessly in midair directly in front of her:

?"Huh?" She blinked stupidly, watching as the stranger casually blocked the cataclysmic beam with nothing more than the tip of a single index finger.

?"This is the threat everyone was panicking over?"

?Before Margaret could process the absurdity, Tyson materialized beside her, catching her light frame in his arms and banking smoothly away from the shockwave to land softly against the earth.

?"Mom!!"

?Elizabeth shrieked, sprinting across the ruined pavement to throw her arms around the exhausted Guild Leader, who managed a weak, blood-streaked smile:

?"I... I’m not quite ready for the grave yet... Tyson, please, look after my remaining guild members."

?"Umm... About that..."

?They both turned their heads toward the field just as the surviving Celestial Warriors vanished one by one in brilliant flashes of golden light as their emergency teleportation scrolls automatically triggered.

?"Thank the heavens I bought those scrolls." Margaret whispered, her eyes fluttering shut as unconsciousness finally claimed her, a peaceful smile lingering on her pale face.

?"Is she going to pull through?!" Elizabeth asked, panic lacing her voice.

?"She will," Dean Danica announced calmly, stepping up beside them and tapping her wooden staff against the dirt:

?"Her vital energy are dangerously depleted, but her core remains intact... She requires deep, uninterrupted sleep." She added gently.

?"Thank you, Dean," Elizabeth breathed, exhaling a shuddering sigh before unhooking a spare teleportation scroll from her storage: "I’m taking my mother back to the city."

?Tyson carefully lowered Margaret’s body to the stone, and as Elizabeth channeled her energy into the parchment, a pillar of light enveloped them both, erasing them from the battlefield.

?"I honestly never expected Margaret to burn her life down to the roots like that," Marianne muttered, staring hollowly at the empty space where the mother and daughter had just stood.

?"She may project a cold, unyielding exterior to the public, but beneath the armor, Margaret has always been a fiercely dedicated leader." Tyson noted, shifting his sharp gaze back toward the sky where the blonde stranger was casually neutralizing an apocalyptic skill:

?"It appears the long-awaited reinforcement from the ancient families has finally graced us with their presence." He added quietly.

?"I can’t even read the energy fluctuations radiating from that woman... An attack capable of vaporizing a city is being deflected by a single finger." Katherine whispered, her eyes wide with unmasked awe.

?"Someone of an entirely different caliber has stepped onto the board... Perhaps I might finally get to test my limits against—"

?BOOOOM!!!

?The entire pillar of crimson light instantly exploded into harmless red sparks, shattering mid-air and leaving Havock frozen in sheer, paralyzed shock:

?"You?! How in the hell did you nullify such a powerful attack of that magnitude with a mere gesture?!!" The lizard bellowed, its voice cracking with disbelief.

?"A powerful attack?"

?Talitha brought her index finger tip and thumb together; as a tiny, needle-thin stiletto forged entirely from condensed fire materialized between her fingers. With a lazy, dismissive flick of her wrist, she sent the miniature projectile darting upward. It pierced the center of the giant red eye in the sky, triggering a chain reaction that consumed the entire spell in a roiling cage of red flames.

?"....?!!"

?Havock stood paralyzed as the colossal eye dissolved into ash and the spatial tear snapped shut, restoring the morning sky to its pale, unbroken blue.

?"Is that truly the absolute ceiling of your capability?" Talitha asked, lowering her gaze down to look at the towering reptile hovering below.

?"An Ex-Rank entity! Hahahahaha... You must be the strongest this miserable city has to offer!! How delightfully interesting—"

?"---My Chosen Knight. Pace yourself and maintain your composure; allow me the simple courtesy of enjoying the entertainment."

?"...?!"

?Every head whipped around toward the summit of the shattered city wall, catching sight of a handsome young man with striking blue hair standing casually atop the rampart, twirling a folding hand fan with a leisurely smile.

?’When in the world did he get up here? I didn’t even catch a flicker of his energy signature.’ Denise thought, his jaw slackening in profound shock.

?"As you command, My Lord." Talitha bowed her head obediently, cracking the knuckles of her pristine white gloves.

’Entertainment? And she addresses that Human as ’My Lord’...?’ Havock locked its predatory eyes onto the young noble standing above:

’This human... his spiritual pressure completely overshadows the female who just humiliated my spell.’

A cold knot of dread instantly formed in its chest: ’Have the humans advanced this frighteningly fast already?’

?"Do not allow your attention to wander elsewhere when you are standing in the ring with me."

?Havock snapped its focus back to Talitha—only to find an empty patch of air where she had stood a millisecond prior.

?"Such speed—!"

?BAM!!!!

?A closed fist smashed violently into the lizard’s chest. The sheer, concentrated force hit with the force of a falling meteor, launching the ten-foot beast backward like a discarded stone.

?BOOOOM!!!

?A colossal mushroom cloud of dust, stone shrapnel, and pulverized earth erupted across the plain as Havock slammed deep into the bedrock. The terrifying speed and raw power left the defenders on the wall utterly speechless.

?"What... What just happened?"

?Havock coughed up a mouthful of dark, viscous blood, dragging its heavy head upward—only to find Talitha squatting casually inches from its snout:

?"An Ex-Rank devoid of a true title or gods blessing; it’s glaringly obvious you weren’t chosen by any god... You merely crawled up to this rank by mindlessly devouring creatures. You managed to stumble into some fragmented worldly enlightenment, cleared out your spiritual pathways by brute force, and enhanced your core capacity; yet your foundational soul path hasn’t even crossed the threshold of the first stage. I shouldn’t even bother mentioning gods’ blessings—you completely lack everything." She recited coldly, rising gracefully to her feet:

?"And yet a wretched, unpolished mongrel like you dared to raise a hand against a human territory?!"

?With a sudden, whip-like rotation of her body, she lashed out with her heel, driving a devastating roundhouse kick squarely into Havock’s jaw, launching the massive beast across the wilderness in a blur of motion.

?"Unlike a beast, my soul path has successfully reached the third stage, and I carry the direct blessing of the Fire God! My tier may only rest at the blue tier, but that alone places me leagues above a parasite like you—a creature crawling through the dirt without even a green-tier blessing or a basic stage-one soul path stage."

?She began walking forward at a measured, unhurried pace, trails of vibrant, blue-tinted fire beginning to lick hungrily around her boots and forearms:

?"You carried yourself with such intolerable arrogance while slaughtering those weaklings... Now, show me the true depths of the strength you’ve been concealing since this fight began. I want to dissect every drop of it." Talitha concluded softly, her piercing blue eyes entirely melting away, replaced by twin pools of roaring blue flames.

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[Important Notice: Please Check Introduction Chapter And comment down on the paragraph.]

[Paragraph Questions: Should There Be Another Wife? Simple answer, of Yes/No.]

[How Many Wives? Currently Four (If the majority pick Yes).]

[Comment In Introduction Chapter Only.]