Chapter 1522: A New Pact

Chapter 1522: Chapter 1522: A New Pact

Just like the stories Pei Yan had heard in the Daoist Plane before, the Dark Council, which was stronger and questioned the existence and ruling status of the Supreme, became the main instigator of the invasion of the Cornerstone Plane. After the failure of the event and the near collapse of the space barrier, the Supreme chose to lay the blame on the Dark Race, just as Lin Ruxue did. In this process, the Supreme gradually became deified, becoming the supreme existence in the Magic Plane.

The renowned Round Table Knights and the Great Mage Merlin before him were legendary figures who once campaigned with the Supreme against Magic Beasts, integrated the magic nations, and later pacified the Dark Council. Upon learning about this person’s origins, Pei Yan set aside his previous mocking attitude, straightened his back, stretched his muscles, and with a smile, asked, "Master Merlin the Holy Mage, is it! Well! Aleister really summoned a troublesome guy. Master Merlin, you said earlier that in your prediction, Aleister would not die today. Did you also predict what kind of outcome I would have today?"

Saying this, Pei Yan smirked to himself and quipped, "If he survives now, it means that it’s me who’s going to die!"

If it were in the past, Pei Yan would have certainly scoffed at such predictions, adhering to the belief of ’my fate is determined by me, not the heavens.’ However, after the incident with Ye Ruozai, he knew that such miraculous abilities truly existed. He couldn’t be sure whether this was information Aleister infused into Merlin during spellcasting to deceive him, or if Merlin had indeed predicted the occurrence and outcome of this battle.

"I did predict it!" Merlin saw through the thoughts in Pei Yan’s heart and smiled, "But if I told you the result, would you believe it? If I said you would die in this battle, would you retreat?"

"Of course not!" Pei Yan shook his head with a smile after a brief moment of thought.

"That’s it! From the result, our battle would be a meaningless one. But precisely because it’s meaningless and we are compelled to fight, it makes us more pitiable." Merlin said, taking off his wizard hat and pointing towards the distant battlefield, he whispered, "Let them stop this battle!"

Pei Yan frowned upon hearing this, thinking the other party, like Aleister, was trying to persuade him with words. Just as he was about to retort, Merlin continued, "This battle is between us. There are six people here! If you are confident in fighting us six, then I will choose two more from the battlefield to replace these two young men, or have all six of us face you alone. As long as you defeat us, I promise you can meet the person you want to meet! Whether or not you can achieve your desired wish depends on whether you have the strength to make that person make concessions!"

The terms Merlin proposed intrigued Pei Yan. If he could avoid a larger battle just by defeating the enemies in front of him, it would also be a good thing for him. His primary goal here was to eliminate the culprit, Fla Mel, and to demonstrate his power to warn those plotting against him and the Investigation Hall how far he could go for revenge. The latter has already been proven through the victories he achieved in stages, and there was no need to further endanger his friends.

"For this personal vendetta, too many unrelated people have shed their blood today. Given the strength of Council City, if this battle continues to escalate, your people will inevitably suffer casualties! You also wouldn’t want your friends to truly lose their lives over this matter, right? Mr. Pei Yan, this is not a threat but the suggestion that currently best serves the interests of both sides!" Aleister felt a weight lift off his heart after Merlin spoke. He wished he could make such a promise to Pei Yan, allowing a resolution through the duel of a few rather than involving so many, but he didn’t have that authority!

Because although he was the chief Holy Mage of the Association, a position of immense prestige to the outside world, second only to the Supreme, Aleister knew he was merely an excellent subordinate to the Supreme. He had the authority to sacrifice himself but not to decide the entire event’s course. However, Merlin was different; he rose to prominence alongside the Supreme. If the Supreme ever had friendships, apart from the equally prestigious Masters of Origin in various planes, the others would be Merlin and the twelve Round Table Knights, along with the Three Witches of Destiny.

Merlin held a position higher than the Round Table Knights, evident in the fact that the Supreme respected him enough to allow Merlin to determine his life or death. Although Merlin mocked the Bright Church’s reliance on heroic souls, the main instigator behind this was the Supreme, who wanted to retain the souls of the Round Table Knights as a powerful support for the Bright Church and for the occasional nostalgic meeting with old friends.

Out of loyalty to their lord and considering their family’s descendants’ continuity, the twelve Round Table Knights agreed to such a request preventing their souls from resting, while Merlin and the Three Witches of Destiny refused, facing their impending deaths with serenity.

So, when Merlin made a promise on behalf of the Supreme, his words represented the Supreme’s will.

"Are you sure you can fulfill your promise?" Pei Yan, somewhat tempted, looked at the other party and asked.

"If I can’t fulfill it, no one here can. Why not give it a try! You have nothing to lose!" Merlin nodded and promised.

"Alright!" Pei Yan spread his hands, showing his willingness to accept the other’s proposal and compromise, "After all, you are a legendary figure in the Magic Plane, and I am willing to believe in you once more."

After saying this, Pei Yan raised his head and commanded loudly, "Ceasefire! Jiang Feiyang, have our people retreat two thousand meters!"

"Do not pursue! Do not leave the city walls! Everyone, hold the fort on the walls!"

The enemy’s withdrawal was the best chance for Council City to catch its breath. From the situation of the battle, even if the Templar Order could not pursue the Mechanical Legion, they should charge out of the city to array outside, ready for the possible ensuing battle. But Aleister refrained from doing that, as it would make Pei Yan question Council City’s sincerity. Moreover, considering the strength of the opponent, whether they left the city or not seemed to make little difference.

The moment the command was given, the Mechanical Legion promptly ceased their attacking actions. Even when faced with enemies still caught in their battle emotions and continuing their attacks, they did not retaliate and allowed themselves to be struck down without any pause, firmly carrying out the orders Pei Yan and Jiang Feiyang issued, retreating like a tide from the already breached outer districts of Council City.