219: The prey is here, it's hunting time!

Outside Black Crow Town, the rapid sound of hooves broke the night's silence.

A team consisting of five Judgment Knights and twenty Combat Priests charged towards the small town.

Leading them was a middle-aged man riding a white warhorse, dressed in a more ornate silver Inquisitor armor, exuding the majesty of a superior.

His name was Valerius, one of the three Inquisitors of the Digenha Central Diocese, whose status was far above Barton's, and his strength even more formidable.

“Inquisitor, the energy fluctuations ahead are very chaotic.” A Priest urged his horse forward, reporting with a grave expression, “There must have just been a large-scale battle.”

Valerius reined in his warhorse and looked up at Black Crow Town, shrouded in mist in the distance.

His brows furrowed tightly.

Just a short while ago, he had received the highest-level alarm signal from the Black Crow Town outpost—an alarm that would only be triggered when Father Leo used the forbidden art of “Holy Light Sacrifice.”

To force Leo to the point of burning his Soul indicated that the outpost was facing an unprecedented crisis.

“All units prepare for battle!” Valerius drew the heavy cross-sword from his waist, its blade glowing with sacred radiance, “Whether it's a monster rampage or a heretic invasion, today, they will all be completely purified here!”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights roared in unison, raising their weapons, and the power of Holy Light gathered on them.

However, when they rushed to the town entrance, they strangely stopped.

The entire small town was eerily quiet.

There were no shouts of battle, no sounds of energy explosions, and not even a trace of resentment could be felt.

The streets were clean, and the houses were intact, as if the earth-shattering battle that had just occurred was merely an illusion.

“What's going on?” A Knight looked at the peaceful scene before him with confusion.

Valerius's eyes were grave; he keenly sensed the peculiar energy fluctuations lingering in the air.

“It's an illusion Formation!” He coldly shouted, “A highly skilled Formation Master has set up a diversion here! What we see is all fake!”

He raised the heavy sword in his hand, its tip pointing towards the sky.

“Holy Light, dispel the falsehoods and reveal the truth!”

Buzz—!

A brilliant golden pillar of light shot out from the sword's tip, soaring into the sky, then exploding like fireworks, transforming into golden light rain that sprinkled down.

Wherever the light rain touched, the space emitted a “crack” sound, like breaking glass.

The peaceful and serene scene of the small town before them shattered.

Before their eyes was a scene of utter devastation.

The huge charred craters on the ground, the collapsed houses, and the lingering smell of blood and burning in the air, all spoke of the brutal battle that had just taken place here.

“Damn heretics!” Valerius's face turned ashen as he looked at the scene before him.

Father Leo and everyone at the outpost were likely beyond hope.

Most importantly, those Souls!

The altar!

“Inquisitor, there's movement in the direction of the church!” A sharp-eyed Priest pointed towards the center of the town.

Valerius immediately looked, only to see several dark figures flash out of the church and quickly disappear into the shadows of the ruins.

“They haven't gone far!” Valerius's killing intent surged, “Trying to run? Too late!”

He thrust the heavy sword into the ground and formed a complex hand seal with both hands.

“In the name of the Lord, seal this place! Holy Cage!”

As he chanted, a golden light screen, centered on him, rapidly spread outwards, eventually forming a huge hemispherical barrier that enveloped the entire Black Crow Town.

Above the barrier, countless Holy Light runes flowed, emitting an indestructible aura.

“Like turtles in a jar.” Valerius looked at the sealed town, a cruel smile on his face.

He turned and ordered his subordinates: “Divide into five teams and search inch by inch! I want to drag all those damned rats out of their holes and burn them to ashes with Holy Fire!”

“Yes, sir!”

Behind a broken wall, Mo Yan narrowed his eyes at the huge golden barrier in the sky, feeling the immense Holy Light power emanating from it.

“An Inquisitor above LV6, this cage certainly has some substance.” He said softly, yet without any tension on his face.

“Closing the door to beat the dog? I like it.”

Bai Lingyue beside him covered her mouth and chuckled, full of charm: “My Lord, these are not dogs, but a pack of arrogant jackals. But it doesn't matter, my new Formation loves dealing with these brainless fellows.”

What she had set up before was not a simple illusion Formation at all.

Instead, it was a complex labyrinthine Formation with interlocking layers.

This Formation did not have much destructive power, but its greatest function was to divide the battlefield and distort spatial perception, causing those who entered it to unknowingly get separated from their companions and fall into a situation where they had to fight alone.

“The hunt begins.” Mo Yan's voice was very soft, “Remember, act quickly and don't give them any chance to call for help.”

“Understood!”

The figures of twenty Soldiers silently merged into the dark ruins.

...

Valerius's team quickly realized something was wrong.

They Advanced cautiously in groups of five in the ruins.

But as they walked, they noticed that their companions were unknowingly decreasing.

“Marcus? John?” A Combat Priest vigilantly looked around; the two companions who had been following him had mysteriously disappeared.

He called out his companions' names, but only the wind responded.

“Damn it! What in the world is this place?!”

A lone Combat Priest leaned against a broken wall, gripping his staff nervously.

His name was Andy, and this was his first time participating in an operation of this level.

At this moment, his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Just then, footsteps came from his side and behind him.

Andy trembled all over, suddenly turned his head, and sharply demanded: “Who?!”

From the shadows emerged a tall, well-built man.

He was dressed in a flowing white robe, holding a standard Church Holy Light sword, its blade emitting a faint glow.

Seeing the familiar weapon, Andy's tense nerves slightly relaxed.

“Which squad are you from? How did you end up alone too?” Andy questioned.

Mo Yan did not answer, instead, he grinned at him, sizing him up with the eyes of a hunter.

“I'm talking to you! You...”

Andy's words were cut short as his pupils suddenly constricted.

Because he saw that the Holy Light on the Holy Light sword in the other's hand was actually covered by another kind of power.

This was not the power of the Church!

It was a heretic!

“Enem...”

Just as he was about to give a warning, a white light suddenly magnified before his eyes.

Too fast!

Mo Yan's figure was like a ghost; with one step, he covered a distance of over ten meters.

The Holy Light sword in his hand thrust straight at his throat.

Andy only had time to raise his staff to block.

Crack!

The staff, imbued with Holy Light, snapped upon impact with the Holy Light sword, which was also imbued with Qi.

The tip of the sword pierced his throat.

“Ugh...”

Andy's eyes widened, he clutched Mo Yan's arm tightly, making gurgling sounds, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He couldn't understand why a heretic could use the Church's Holy Light weapon?

Even more, he couldn't understand how he was instantly killed with one move.

Mo Yan expressionlessly pulled out his long sword, letting the other's body slump to the ground.

He looked at the long sword in his hand, which he had casually picked from the spoils of war, and shook his head.

The quality was too poor, it wasn't easy to use.

However, it was enough to kill such riff-raff.

With a thought, Andy's body was absorbed into his innate space.

Having done all this, he, like a ghost, once again merged into the darkness.

On the other side, a small team composed of four Soldiers also found their prey.

They were two Combat Priests who were also separated from their group.

“Captain, what do we do?” A Spearman asked in a low voice.

“Proceed as planned.” The leading Shield Soldier calmly made his judgment, “Number Two and Number Three, flank from the left. Number Four, prepare your bow and arrows, await my command!”

“Yes, sir!”

Their figures disappeared into the shadows, using the cover of the ruins to silently move towards the target's flank.