Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 11

[Vol. 6] Chapter 11: Ghost Flame

The two women quickly left one after the other. From the direction they were heading, it seemed they were going to the central square of the village where the celebration was being held.

Hidden nearby, the priestess, who had been listening attentively to their conversation, pondered silently.

Putting aside their identities, the things they had mentioned, such as the night of the extreme yin at the end of the thousand years, and the life-sacrifice ritual, were indeed information that was still unknown to Violet.

Though Zeng Xianzhi, as the village head of Zengjia Village, was educated, he was still an ordinary person. It seemed that his knowledge of demons, evil spirits, and strange occurrences was ultimately limited.

“Life-sacrifice… sigh, how is it that the first village I visit upon arriving here has such troublesome matters? Do I actually have some kind of disaster-prone constitution…?”

Shaking her head with a sigh, Violet figured that since the noblewoman had already taken some preventive measures, and those seemed reliable, there was no need for her to take further action with the villagers who had been afflicted by evil spirits. She turned and left the room, heading back toward the celebration square.

The celebration in the center of the village was still as lively as before. After such a long time, Zeng Xianzhi seemed to have finished overseeing the proceedings and was now chatting and eating with the villagers.

Violet subtly expanded her senses and soon found the two mysterious women she had encountered earlier. They were currently hiding around the corner of a building on the outskirts of the square, observing the situation in secret, seemingly not planning to reveal themselves anytime soon.

It was unclear what they were waiting for.

Although she still couldn’t determine their identities, from their words, it was clear that these two women were on the side of protecting the villagers and had immediately recognized the true nature of the situation here.

Since they, as the more experienced experts, hadn’t yet taken action, Violet wasn’t in a hurry either. She found a place nearby to sit down and waited patiently.

The atmosphere of the celebration grew increasingly intense, with the lively mood and even the sight of something resembling fireworks being set off, which made Violet think of the legend of the “Nian Beast” on Earth.

Just like how people on Earth are keen on using firecrackers to drive away the Nian Beast during the New Year, in this world of the Western Origin Spirit Kingdom, both cities and villages hold large celebrations at the end of the year, perhaps in an attempt to dispel the extreme accumulation of negative, evil energy that has built up over the year.

After all, this celebration seemed to last until the time of the second new year, after the midnight hour.

The Nian Beast legend might just be a fabrication, but the “evil spirits” of this world were real, tangible things.

Time passed as the lively sounds of the celebration continued, with villagers taking the stage one after another, showcasing various rough but sincere performances that were met with bursts of enthusiastic applause.

It should be about time.

According to the time displayed on the game panel and the earlier description from the girl Bai’er, the midnight hour of the final night of the Four Saints Era, Year 999, was about to arrive.

The intense yin energy had already begun swirling in the air. Although ordinary people might not notice, with her special perception, Violet could vaguely see under the starless, moonless night that strands of grayish mist were twisting and slithering through the darkness.

The strength of the yin energy had reached such a level that, without the assistance of the celebration and the gathered yang energy from the crowd, along with the giant bonfire in the center of the square dispersing most of the evil spirits, ordinary people might already begin to feel a chill spreading through their bodies.

That would be the so-called “night chill.”

Suddenly…

A strange and unsettling aura, so intense that it was hard to ignore even without close inspection, erupted from the perception of the priestess! It was as if a burning red-hot iron had been plunged into cold water, accompanied by a sharp, ear-piercing bang, a sensation that was impossible to overlook!

At that exact moment, the sword-wielding girl, Bai’er, who had been hiding in the corner, suddenly shot up like lightning, drawing her sword from its sheath!

However, her target was not any of the villagers in the square, but rather the giant bonfire that soared into the sky, emitting a warm glow!

“Zheng!”

The long sword stirred up a powerful gust of wind, sending dozens of spherical objects flying directly toward the bonfire. The flames in the air immediately shook violently, disturbed by the strong wind!

This sudden change happened so quickly that even Zeng Xianzhi and the other villagers hadn’t had time to react or make a sound. Yet, the bonfire, which had been the target, suddenly displayed an abnormal spectacle!

It was as if deep ink had been dropped into clear water, turning the entire scene into something entirely different.

The fire transformed into… a terrifying ghostly green flame!

No longer warm or bright, the eerie green flames now spread an unsettling sense of extreme yin and coldness. Though it was still fire, it had lost the heat it was supposed to have, causing the surrounding air to grow chillingly cold at a visibly accelerating rate.

The strange green flames expanded further, taking on a vague, terrifying form that resembled a bloodthirsty maw, detaching itself from its original fuel source and surging toward the sword-wielding girl as if to devour her!

“Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!!!!”

A ghastly wail, like a child’s mournful cry, followed by the flames’ backlash, swept wildly through the surroundings. Only at this point did the panic caused by the unknown and terrifying sight finally erupt among the previously lively celebration crowd.

“My God! A monster!!!”

“Run! Everyone, run!!!!”

“Don’t, don’t panic! Don’t shove!!”

In the face of this terrifying and eerie transformation, the celebration instantly turned into the heart of disaster. The villagers screamed in terror as they rushed to flee, tripping, children crying, women screaming, all desperately trying to escape the cold, ghostly green flames that almost engulfed the center of the entire square.

Though Zeng Xianzhi’s face also showed fear, his sense of duty as the village head urged him to forcefully shout at the crowd, trying to maintain order and prevent a stampede caused by the chaos.

But perhaps the ghostly green flames were just too horrifying, or maybe the sinister aura in the surrounding air, which had become so thick on the verge of midnight that affecting the environment to a degree that influenced the emotions of ordinary people.

Adding to the shock from the unexpected transformation, how could the villagers, who had never seen such terrifying sights and were not familiar with such phenomena, still keep control?

Amidst the chaos, the sword-wielding girl, Bai’er, had already charged to the center of the square, near the ghostly flames.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom…!!!!”

Before she even arrived, the strong gusts of wind she summoned had already carried the spherical objects she had launched into a violent explosion around the ghostly fire, scattering a deep yellow powder-like mist.

Then, unexpectedly, the long sword in Bai’er’s hand suddenly burst forth with golden-red flames!

Oh, no! this wasn’t fire coming from the sword. It turned out that at some point, a peculiar white talisman had been affixed to the center of her valuable sword. The fiery red flame, brimming with yang energy and righteousness, sprang forth from there.

Compared to the ghostly green flame several meters away, the fire from the talisman seemed small. However, it acted like a catalyst or fuse. The moment the sword collided with the spreading yellow mist, the entire sky of mist was instantly turned into the same golden-red flames!

The more powerful yang fire instantly engulfed the ghostly green flames.