Why Am I a Priestess When I Reach the Maximum Level? - [Vol. 6] Chapter 39

[Vol. 6] Chapter 39: The Suspended Realm, Solitary Qilin

Having made up her mind, Violet swiftly turned and left, taking advantage of the Rock Spirit’s self-recovery.

After traversing the final stretch of the passage, now just steps away, she reached the deepest point, something absent in the duplicated space.

What greeted her there left her momentarily stunned and filled with awe.

“So this is the true source of the underground water in Tidal Deep Valley… Incredible.”

It was almost unbelievable. At the end of this passage lay a vast “underground sea”, its size thousands of times greater than the lake at the [Yokai-Suppressing Seal]. It stretched so far that it seemed boundless.

An ocean beneath the land. It was the kind of thing anyone would find hard to imagine.

Yet this surreal reality now unfolded vividly before Violet. The sheer expanse of this sea seemed to surpass even the entirety of Yangyuan County above it.

In other words, the landmass surrounding Yangyuan County… was hollow beneath.

Such a spectacle could never have been formed naturally.

Standing on the stone platform at the edge of the underground sea, Violet listened to the faint sound of waves lapping against the shore and lifted her gaze upward.

Her eyes were drawn to the ceiling of this vast cavern, its rocky surface completely covered with intricate, radiant silver patterns that left no corner untouched.

“What an extraordinary feat,” she murmured.

It was evident that someone had forcibly excavated this enormous hollow, carving out underground rivers to connect this space with the distant Western Sea. The seawater had been drawn here, filling the cavern, and the entire underground sea was upheld by a barrier-like structure. This masterpiece of engineering and magic combined was what created the astounding landscape before her.

If that were true, then the person or group who accomplished this… possessed power that could only be described as godlike. Such a task was far beyond the reach of mere mortals, no matter their collective efforts.

And the recent earthquake, which felt like the earth itself was upheaving…

There was no doubt that it must be because the barrier here has weakened.

Violet’s attention was quickly drawn to a to a pitch-black mark, about a hundred feet wide, on the silver barrier that upheld the underground space, and perhaps the entire Yangyuan County.

This mark was not the result of a powerful attack that had scorched the area. Instead, it seemed to have been formed by a more sinister energy, like a gathering of dark, corrupted forces, similar to the manifestation of an evil spirit.

It appeared to be spreading across the surface of the barrier, slowly eroding it like an infectious rot, gradually expanding and moving inward as time passed.

Clearly, it was this corrupt energy that was gradually eating away at the barrier sustaining Yangyuan County, weakening it until it could no longer bear the weight of the land and everything upon it. This erosion was what had caused the earlier earthquake.

Based on the speed and scale of this corruption, it was evident that it had not formed in just a day or two. However, as the saying goes, “A thousand-mile dam can collapse from an ant hole.”

If this situation continued to develop, the eventual outcome might be catastrophic: the land of Yangyuan County, and perhaps even a larger area, would collapse. Just like a crumbling high-rise, completely sinking into the vast underground sea below.

At that point, more than ninety percent of the life on the surface would likely be destroyed along with the land they inhabited.

Such a result would naturally be unacceptable to many, and it was clear that “heroes” had already risen to try to prevent this disaster from unfolding.

Snow-white wings extended from behind the black-haired priestess, lifting her into the air.

Oh, don’t misunderstand, Violet was not one of those “heroes.” At least, not yet.

Above the underground sea, the landscape was not entirely empty. Near the center, there was a small island, only a few kilometers in diameter. The blackened marks, which had been eroding the barrier, were located directly above this island.

Floating above the island, Violet extended her SP to probe the dark energy and assess the current state of the barrier, all while taking in the view below.

Hmm… This sensation reminded her somewhat of the subtle destructive aura she had felt in the overlapping spaces, but it was much more intense and disorganized.

While the energy was larger in scale, to Violet, it felt less dangerous than the former. It seemed more like some kind of byproduct, something that had emerged as a result of something else.

At least this vast stretch of blackness didn’t cause her to feel any immediate sense of danger.

As for the barrier, although it had been shaken heavily a few times earlier, it was unlikely to collapse anytime soon, so there was no need to rush to deal with it.

Violet then turned her attention back to the island below.

Hmm, it seems there are three forces involved.

The largest group, led by Murong Yun, was made up of Prefect explorers. Another group, consisting of about a dozen people and over ten monsters, was currently dividing its forces, with part of them holding off Murong Yun’s team, while the main force was relentlessly bombarding the barrier at the center of the island.

While Violet had expected these two groups, the third force caught her attention.

It was a magnificent beast, lying on the ground with its head hung low, but still towering at three meters in height and several meters in length.

This was probably one of the most beautiful creatures Violet had seen since arriving in this world.

Its head resembled that of a lion, adorned with antlers somewhat like those of a moose. Its body covered in smooth and stunning crimson scales. It had hooves and a long, slender tail. Though its eyes were half-closed, giving it an appearance of exhaustion, the noble aura it exuded, combining both dignity and elegance, made it unforgettable at first glance.

“This must be the auspicious beast, the Qilin…”

Although Violet was secretly amazed by its dazzling appearance, she immediately saw that the Qilin was not in a good condition, or rather, it was in poor shape.

The barrier protecting it was clearly created by the Qilin itself, but its glow was faint and flickered visibly at times, giving the impression that it was on the verge of collapse.

Moreover, the Qilin was incredibly strong.

Not just ordinary strength, but an absolute, overwhelming power that surpassed every human and monster around it. This could be seen from the fact that, even in such a weakened state, it could still withstand the full brunt of the enemies’ attacks with its barrier without falling.

If the Qilin were in perfect condition, it would probably have no trouble turning all the nearby small fry into pancakes with a simple swipe.

In fact, the barrier it created wasn’t only to protect itself. Inside the barrier, there were two other figures.

Interestingly, Violet had seen them before.

They were none other than Yuan Hong and the rather temperamental young lady he was tasked with protecting, Yuan Zhi. She was a mysterious young woman who wasn’t particularly skilled but had quite the attitude.

Next to the lying Qilin, there was a stone coffin, clearly customized for humans, slightly smaller than the Qilin but still noticeable. The coffin was tightly sealed, covered in mysterious talismanic paper, and it was unclear who or what was inside.

On the opposite side of the stone coffin, Yuan Zhi was lying on another stone platform, her eyes closed, bathed in a faint glow from the talismans covering both the coffin and the stone platform. The energy from the talismans gathered and flowed in lines toward her body.

Clearly, this was some sort of special ritual, and it had the approval of both sides. Otherwise, Yuan Hong wouldn’t be standing vigilantly by, guarding the scene in conjunction with the Qilin.

“Hmm… though it’s quite lively and interesting, I can’t help but feel that none of this really concerns me?”

Though the people from the [Yokai Controlling Sect] and their summoned monsters were attacking fiercely, making the protective barrier seem on the verge of collapse, most of the reason for the wavering barrier was simply the Qilin’s unstable condition. Its focus was split due to the ritual, causing the energy output to fluctuate between strong and weak.

The disparity in strength between the two sides was so vast that even if they kept attacking all day, it would be unlikely they could break the barrier. Their role seemed to be mostly to distract the Qilin’s attention.

Wait… where did Ling Feng and her little sidekick go? Did they fall into one of those overlapping spaces?

But.

Just as Violet wondered about this, the calm sea suddenly surged, forming a massive whirlpool over several hundred meters in diameter!

A jet of jet-black rainbow light shot out from the center of the whirlpool, instantly piercing through the protective barrier that the [Yokai Controlling Sect] and their allies had been unable to breach, heading straight toward Yuan Zhi on the altar!