127: A legendary meeting, the shadow of betrayal

The fierce battle on the Red Soil Plateau was in full swing...

Yet, in this chaotic battlefield, the temporary camp of Radiant City was relatively peaceful at this moment.

At the center of the camp, inside a magnificent structure formed by light elements—the Hall of Holy Verdict.

Apolosi, the 'Lord of Radiance', sat upon a throne carved from moonstone.

She was dressed in a golden priestly robe, intricately embroidered with sacred light threads forming complex sun totems.

Her soft golden hair cascaded casually behind her shoulders, like flowing sunlight.

Her countenance was flawless, like a masterpiece of the gods, yet there was a hint of weariness in her brows that she could not hide.

The previous strike against the red mist had indeed consumed a significant amount of her energy.

Even a legendary-tier powerhouse does not possess infinite energy.

At this moment, she was meditating with her eyes closed, recovering her depleted psionic energy.

Inside the Hall, the light elements were so concentrated they were almost liquefied, forming a faint golden mist that nourished her body.

On the surrounding walls, countless light runes were inscribed, emitting a sacred and peaceful aura, effectively isolating the disturbances from the outside world.

Suddenly, Apolosi opened her eyes, and a hint of surprise flashed in her golden pupils.

She sensed two familiar auras rapidly approaching the Hall of Holy Verdict.

"Why are they back?" Apolosi wondered.

The owners of these two auras were the other two Guardians who, like her, were among the four Eternal City Guardians of Woma World...

Echidna, the 'Earth Mother's Whisper' from Abyss Maw, and Ignis, the 'Lava Tyrant' from Molten Heart.

According to their previous agreement, these two legendary powerhouses should have led their teams deep into the blood mist-shrouded area to investigate the truth behind this anomaly.

Had something unexpected happened?

"Buzz..."

The Hall's great doors silently slid open to both sides, and two figures walked in side-by-side.

On the left was a tall woman, cloaked in a dark purple hood.

The hood was pulled low, obscuring her face, revealing only a small, rounded chin.

Her aura was obscure and profound; it was Echidna, the 'Earth Mother's Whisper'.

On the right was an exceptionally burly and muscular man, his bronze-colored upper body bare, his muscles bulging.

Grotesque lava patterns covered his body, and he had short, fiery red hair; it was Ignis, the 'Lava Tyrant'.

"Echidna, Ignis."

Apolosi's voice was somewhat ethereal, "Didn't you go on a reconnaissance mission? Why the sudden return?"

Echidna's face beneath her hood showed no discernible expression: "Apolosi, the blood mist is more troublesome than we imagined. We delved a little deeper and discovered some... things."

Her voice carried a peculiar rhythm, "Because the situation there was too complex and not suitable for prolonged stay, we returned first."

Ignis interjected: "That's right, the blood mist strongly suppresses our power, and the monsters inside are more difficult to deal with than expected. We felt it would be safer to come back and discuss a strategy with you first."

As he spoke, he subtly surveyed the Hall's layout, his gaze lingering for a moment on the flickering light runes.

Apolosi's delicate brows furrowed slightly; she felt that their explanations were somewhat vague and inconsistent with their usual decisive demeanor.

But she didn't think much of it; after all, as fellow legendary Guardians with centuries of acquaintance, there was still a basis of trust.

"In that case, did you uncover any valuable intelligence?" Apolosi asked, with a hint of confusion in her tone.

Echidna was silent for a moment, as if waiting for something.

Ignis grinned, revealing a mouthful of stark white teeth, which appeared somewhat ferocious against the backdrop of the lava glow emanating from him:

"Intelligence, you ask... of course there is. However, before telling you, we feel that some things are better resolved first."

"Resolve what?" A sudden sense of alarm rose in Apolosi's heart.

She noticed that as Ignis spoke, his body tilted slightly to one side, his muscles tensed.

And Echidna, who had been silent, seemed to have subtly raised her hands beneath her cloak, and shadow energy quietly gathered around her.

The air, at this moment, seemed to solidify.

The originally peaceful aura of light within the Hall was replaced by an invisible, chilling killing intent.

Apolosi's golden pupils suddenly constricted, and an extreme sense of danger surged from the depths of her heart.

She instinctively wanted to activate the radiant divine power within her.

But, it was already too late.

"Of course... to deal with you, the troublesome 'Lord of Radiance'!"

Ignis let out a roar, his already burly physique expanded further, and the lava patterns on his body instantly turned scorching crimson, as if true magma was surging through his veins!

The ground beneath his feet exploded, and he, like a bursting volcanic projectile, charged forward, carrying terrifying high temperatures and destructive power capable of burning mountains and boiling seas, and punched towards Apolosi's chest!

"【Molten Heart: Bursting Impact】!"

At the same time, Echidna moved!

Her figure vanished.

The next moment, countless sharp stone spikes, condensed from the purest shadowy energy and earth power, silently and abruptly protruded from all around Apolosi, forming an impenetrable, deadly cage.

"【Abyss Maw: Myriad Shadow Thrust】!"

The combined surprise attack of two legendary powerhouses was as swift as lightning and utterly ruthless!

And it was launched at the moment when Apolosi's psionic energy was greatly depleted and her mind was most relaxed!

They had clearly been plotting this for a long time!

"You—!"

Apolosi was both shocked and enraged; she had never imagined that her companions, who had fought alongside her and jointly protected Woma World for centuries, would turn on her and try to kill her at such a critical moment!

This betrayal came so unexpectedly!

In a rush.

Apolosi could only condense a "Holy Light Prismatic Shield" in front of her, while the priestly robe on her body glowed brightly, instantly activating the passive defense of 【Eternal Sanctuary】 to its maximum!

"Boom—!!!"

Ignis's fist, burning with raging flames, slammed heavily onto the Holy Light Prismatic Shield!

A terrifying explosion echoed throughout the Hall of Holy Verdict, and a violent shockwave, like a tsunami, swept outwards, pulverizing everything inside the Hall!

The Holy Light Prismatic Shield, under Ignis's furious blow, lasted for less than a breath before it shattered!

"Pfft!"

Apolosi was struck as if by a heavy hammer, and a mouthful of golden divine blood spurted out.

Her body was thrown backward by the immense force, slamming hard against the wall behind her, causing the surrounding runes to flicker rapidly.

However, the danger was not over!

The shadowy stone spikes, thrusting from all directions, had already approached the moment her defense was broken!

Each stone spike contained properties of erosion and pulverization; once struck, the consequences would be unimaginable!

In that critical moment, Apolosi gritted her silver teeth, endured the intense pain, and a look of determination flashed in her eyes.