Chapter 180 - 173: The Law Manifests

Romance lowered her axe and stood her ground, her full chest heaving as she gasped for breath.

Sweat dripped from her chin, splattering onto the scorched earth below.

She glanced down at the body on the ground, then turned to look at Eleanor.

Their eyes met, but neither spoke.

Yet, the corners of their mouths curled up in unison.

It was an unspoken understanding.

A trust and familiarity forged, drop by drop, through countless training sessions side-by-side and long years spent together.

On the ridge, Grant was silent for a long moment before slowly letting out a breath.

"Thunder Element, detonated from within," he said in a low voice, his tone filled with unconcealed surprise. "And the seed was planted at the very beginning of the fight, waiting for the right moment to activate."

He turned to Alicia. "Have you ever seen a technique like this?"

Alicia shook her head.

Though her expression remained calm, the flicker in her eyes betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

'To implant a Magic spell into an enemy's body without being noticed, using their own Life Force and Magic Power to nourish and strengthen it until it's ready to erupt after enough time has passed. This technique… it's a killing blow designed specifically for the weak to defeat the strong. Despite its flaw of needing time to incubate, the spell's formidable power and its impossible-to-defend-against nature are enough to make one overlook that small shortcoming. Used correctly, it could turn the tide of battle at a critical moment. Just like the situation right now. That Dragon Race official probably died without ever understanding how he lost.'

"I'm getting more and more curious about Anton now," Grant said with a wide grin.

The official's death had come without any warning.

One moment he was on the offensive, and the next, lightning burst from his entire body as a bloodcurdling scream tore through the air above the battlefield.

By the time everyone's attention was drawn over, they saw Romance's axe blade swinging down.

Five consecutive slashes, clean and decisive.

As the charred corpse crashed to the ground, the entire battlefield seemed to fall silent for an instant.

Friend and foe alike were stunned.

No one had expected that the first to claim victory would be the duo of Romance and Eleanor.

Even in the midst of fierce battle, the members of the Fallen Dragon Association, including Sieg, couldn't help but be astonished.

They knew the younger generation of the Silver Moon Race was formidable, but they never thought these two Elf Maidens would be the first to break the stalemate in this clash of High Tier combatants.

Anton had once surpassed his tier to kill a Golden Peak expert without even awakening his Power of Law.

And now, the Silver Moon Race had achieved a similar feat.

Although it was a joint effort by two people, not comparable to Anton's solo accomplishment, it was still breathtaking.

The higher-ups of the Clan, snapping back to their senses, showed looks of delighted surprise.

The morale of the Elf side soared instantly.

The atmosphere on Dragon City's side, in contrast, was completely different.

The remaining five officials' faces changed at almost the same instant as they immediately realized the situation had turned sour.

Sure enough, after killing their opponent, Romance and Eleanor didn't even stop to catch their breath before charging relentlessly toward Hector.

Hector was already at a disadvantage fighting Cedric. Now, with two more opponents, he was suddenly in grave danger under the siege of the three Elves.

CRACK!

Eleanor raised her hand, and two fruits simultaneously detached from the branches of the Six-Essence Precious Tree.

One transformed into a deep blue frost storm, sweeping toward Hector with countless sharp ice crystals.

The other turned into emerald green vines that erupted from the ground, coiling around his ankles like vipers.

Hector swung his sword to sever the vines, but the frost storm was already upon him.

A thin layer of frost instantly formed on his body, and his movements inevitably slowed for a moment.

That moment was fatal.

Romance had already closed in. The lightning on her Thunderstrike Axe flared, and the blade, wrapped in a dull clap of thunder, chopped down at Hector's head.

Hector instinctively raised his sword horizontally to block.

BOOM!

The immense force was like a landslide, the lightning like a serpent's bite.

The instant the axe met the sword, lightning exploded from the point of contact, surging up the blade and onto Hector's arm, causing his muscles to spasm uncontrollably.

The lingering chill of the frost, not yet fully dispelled, combined with the paralysis from the lightning, making his movements even stiffer.

Cedric seized the opportunity to press forward. His Long Sword swept horizontally, the mountain-like power on its blade unleashing fully upon Hector's side.

The sound of his Scale Armor shattering was clearly audible.

Hector grunted, was sent flying sideways, and slammed heavily into the ground, rolling several times before managing to stabilize himself.

He struggled to his feet, his face contorted, his vertical pupils filled with terror and despair.

The official no longer had the confidence and certainty of victory he'd possessed in the command center a short while ago. All that remained was a heart full of panic and regret.

'If I had another chance, I would rather risk being killed by the City Lord than propose an all-out attack again.'

But alas, there were no second chances in this world.

Hector looked up, and his vision was filled by three figures rushing toward him.

They were attacking from three sides, cutting off all his escape routes.

"No..."

Hector's eyes widened, and he raised his weapon to parry.

But before the word had even left his lips, the three attacks landed simultaneously.

Cedric's Long Sword arrived first. Its tip pierced his wrist, and the mountain-like power exploded within his bones, a shattering force that pulverized his carpal bones from the inside.

The moment the Long Sword flew from his grasp, Romance's Thunderstrike Axe slammed into his shoulder. A tide of lightning surged in, devastating what little Life Force he had left.

Eleanor's Ice Soul Profound Light struck him in the face.

The chill seeped through his orifices into his cranium, spread along his nerves deep into his brain, and froze his last wisp of consciousness.

Hector's pupils rapidly dilated.

Frozen on his scale-covered face was an expression of deep terror, despair, and unwillingness to accept his fate.

Another official, dead.

And this time, everyone saw it happen clearly.

The Silver Moon Race's morale soared to new heights.

The Elf Guards fighting the Dragon Race officers seemed to be injected with boundless strength. Their attacks grew fiercer, forcing their opponents into a steady retreat.

The members of the Fallen Dragon Association were similarly invigorated.

Vorn's three heads howled, his expression one of pure excitement as he swung his weapon at the enemy with manic frenzy.

As for Dragon City's side, there was a dead silence.

The deaths of Drake and Hector struck the hearts of every member of the Dragon Race like a heavy hammer.

The color drained from the faces of the Pure-blooded Dragon Race officers, their vertical pupils filled with terror and bewilderment.

Morale had hit rock bottom, and panic spread through their ranks like wildfire.

Even the remaining four officials wore extremely grim expressions.

The only thing they could do now was to attack their opponents even more desperately, hoping to finish them off quickly so they could support their comrades.

But it was useless.

With Romance and Eleanor's victory as the breakthrough, the Silver Moon Race rapidly expanded their advantage.

After killing Hector, Cedric and the two Elf Maidens quickly turned to Walter, joining forces with the Second Elder to besiege the Dragon Race official.

Under the assault of the four, even with his Law of Lightness excelling in speed, Walter was gradually overwhelmed.

His defeat was only a matter of time.

The scales of the battlefield had tipped completely.

Seeing that the situation was irreversible, the four officials soon lost the will to fight and began looking for a way to escape.

They frantically activated their Power of Law, trying to break free from their opponents and flee.

But how could the Silver Moon Race and the Fallen Dragon Association possibly let this opportunity slip by?

They all intensified their attacks, willing to trade injuries to ensure the enemy had not the slightest chance to escape.

Aurion gritted his teeth and activated his Power of Rock, tearing apart the thorns before him with one claw in an attempt to break free.

But more thorns surged from all directions, layer upon layer, trapping him tightly.

When it came to ensnaring and binding, the Law of Thorns was truly remarkable.

Especially in the hands of a user like the Great Elder, who had been immersed in it for hundreds of years, the restraining power of this Law was pushed to its absolute limit.

"Damn it!"

Aurion was both shocked and enraged.

He never imagined things would develop to this point.

Their pre-battle predictions had given them a nearly one-hundred-percent chance of victory, yet after actually clashing, they couldn't even gain the upper hand.

Even so, when the battle was at a stalemate, he never thought his side would lose.

But because of those two Elf Maidens, the tide of battle had turned dramatically.

He still couldn't figure out how those two Elf Maidens had won.

Though Aurion was very reluctant to admit it, at this moment, a trace of fear inevitably rose from the depths of his heart.

It was as if ice water had been poured over his head, a chill spreading down his spine to his very bones.

For the first time, he felt that death was this close.

He hadn't felt this sensation for several hundred years.

'I can't die here...'

Aurion gritted his teeth.

'Of course, I still have a trump card. The item the City Lord gave me was meant to be saved for dealing with the greatest threat, Anton. Who would have thought that before Anton even showed up, we would already be on the verge of defeat?'

But right now, he couldn't afford to worry about that anymore.

If he didn't break free soon, he would die here today.

Getting out of here alive was the most important thing now.

'What's the point of thinking about the future if I'm dead?'

Aurion's expression flickered for a moment before he finally grit his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

With a thought, his Spiritual Power formed a thin thread and reached for the Dimension Ring on his index finger, about to retrieve his trump card.

But in the next instant, Aurion's movement abruptly froze. He turned his head in astonishment, his gaze full of shock and uncertainty as he looked toward the Thousand Rock Hills.

Others made the same motion.

At that moment, every Golden Tier Warrior and Caster on the battlefield suddenly sensed something. They simultaneously slowed their movements and turned to look toward the Thousand Rock Hills.

In their perception, a vast and profound wave of energy was approaching from a great distance.

It was like a wind blowing from an immense distance, silently brushing against everyone's soul and causing their spirits to tremble involuntarily.

It was a resonance from the deepest source of life itself.

A sign that some power beyond mortal comprehension was awakening.

On the ridge, Grant whipped his head around to face the Thousand Rock Hills, a sharp light exploding in his eyes.

"The Law is manifesting!"