Such a huge commotion in the city naturally reached Aiya and Shi Qianla as well.
By the time they rushed to the scene, they saw the two Great Archbishops hanging their heads, eyes dark and heavy. Even the First Princess beside them had fallen into a strange silence, her expression unreadable and complicated.
Aiya and Shi Qianla hurriedly walked over and asked, “What happened? We heard a demon appeared in the city—where is it?”
“It was an abyss worm. It can burrow through void rifts and move freely in the void filled with spatial fragments. By now, it has already returned to the abyss.” Peachia said gravely.
Aiya immediately breathed a sigh of relief. “So it’s already gone. Were there any casualties?”
“This area is an old, rundown district. Almost no one lives here, and so far we haven’t found any dead.” Peachia continued, “But Little White was taken by the worm.”
“…Little White?”
Aiya froze slightly. Shi Qianla reacted faster. “What did you say happened to Little White?!”
“People swallowed by an abyss worm don’t die immediately. They’re slowly dissolved by the digestive fluids inside its body.” Peachia said seriously. “And since the abyss worm is a monster from the abyss, Little White’s final destination is naturally… the abyss.”
“The abyss… that place filled with brutal, terrifying demons?” Shi Qianla was stunned. For once, panic appeared on her usually composed face. “Then… can Little White still come back?”
“I’m afraid not.” Peachia shook her head. “The abyss is practically another world. Once an otherworld traveler enters the abyss, even if they die and respawn, they’ll still revive in the abyss’s main city.”
“Climbing back to our world from the depths of the abyss along the earth fissures… that’s harder than ascending to heaven. A level-20 Priest like her surviving in the abyss is already questionable.”
Aiya stiffened. “So you’re saying… we might not see Little White again for a very long time?”
“Exactly.”
At those words, Aiya and Shi Qianla both felt as if they’d been struck by lightning. They stood there in a daze, as though something had been ripped from their hearts.
Having reached 100% Dark Fall, ever since last night they had regarded Bai Yue Ling as the most important person in their lives—the very reflection of their souls.
Yet now, they were forced to accept that for a very long time to come, they would no longer see that cute, lewd silver-haired big-breasted girl.
Aiya looked up at the sky, her usually resolute eyes filled with confusion. Shi Qianla gently bit her lip, her gaze brimming with rare fragility.
Unknowingly, they had already become unable to live without Bai Yue Ling’s company.
At that moment, Sistana suddenly asked, “Where is the Great Archbishop of Space-Time? She should be able to enter void rifts, right?”
The Great Archbishop of Space-Time was the leader of the Church of Space-Time, a follower of the Goddess of Space-Time who mastered the powers of time and space, and possessed the ability to traverse the void.
Right now, only the Great Archbishop of Space-Time could bring Bai Yue Ling back.
Then a cold voice came from not far away.
“I heard something happened in Space-Time City recently, so the Great Archbishop of Space-Time left half a month ago.”
Taima stepped slowly over the rubble, her tiger tail swaying slightly behind her—a sign she was in a rather good mood.
She walked up to Sistana and deliberately asked, “May I ask, Lady Sistana, as the Great Archbishop of Nature, why are you so concerned about the life or death of a mere otherworld traveler?”
Taima’s face was expressionless, but she was clearly mocking—gloating.
Heard you were that arrogant little brat’s backer?
Too bad. Right here in the Royal Capital, inside your protection range, I dragged her into the demon-infested abyss.
Like a doe in the jungle watching helplessly as a wolf snatches her fawn, able to do nothing but wail in despair.
As a ferocious tiger, Taima loved doing exactly this.
Faced with Taima’s question, Sistana’s face remained blank. She didn’t even glance at her.
Taima curled her lip and continued, “I heard that Priest Hero was your goddaughter? Doesn’t look like—”
Suddenly, an exceptionally thick vine burst from the ground like lightning, coiling around Taima’s body and tightening with writhing force.
Taima let out an enraged roar. Her muscles bulged as she tried to break free, but the vine only wrapped tighter, giving her no room to breathe.
Too fast—she didn’t even have a chance to struggle… A drop of cold sweat slid down Taima’s forehead. She snarled, “Sistana, what the hell are you doing?!”
“You think just because you’re a general, I wouldn’t dare touch you?”
Sistana looked down at her from above, a trace of killing intent flickering in her usually gentle eyes.
“This morning, the ‘Captain of the City Guard’ suddenly issued a secret order to capture the Priest Hero. On the surface it had nothing to do with you… but the one who actually gave the order was you, wasn’t it?”
Taima bared her tiger fangs and roared, “Nonsense! Why would I target some useless otherworld traveler?!”
Sistana ignored her, tightening the vine further, voice ice-cold. “You think pushing the Captain of the City Guard out as a scapegoat means you can sleep easy?”
“You think with Qing Jin bedridden, you can seize power and play acting king?”
“You think just because you’re the kingdom’s exalted general, I wouldn’t dare lay a hand on you?”
Taima’s hair stood on end. Eyes wide, she shouted, “Stop! I’m a general—you dare—”
THUD!
Sistana kicked Taima to the ground. Black mist swirled deep in her beautiful eyes, chilling to the bone. “The true rulers of Destiny World are the goddesses, not earthly kings. A kingdom general like you is nothing more than a watchdog managing the world in the goddesses’ stead.”
“To me, you’re no different from an ant.”
With that, a dark gleam flashed in Sistana’s eyes. Another vine slithered up and coiled around Taima’s neck, looking as though it would strangle her in the next instant—
“Stop!”
An illusory light shield appeared in front of Taima. A fair hand gently pressed on Sistana’s shoulder, halting her.
“Sistana, that’s enough.” A tall golden-haired woman stood behind Sistana and smiled. “The goddesses have decreed that we Great Archbishops must not casually interfere in the kingdom’s internal affairs—let alone murder a general.”
Another red-haired woman tore away the vines binding Taima and helped her to her feet.
Sistana glanced at the two, lips curving slightly in a cold, disdainful smirk.
“The Great Archbishop of Order and the Great Archbishop of Protection… So the ones backing General Taima are you two.”
The Great Archbishop of Order smiled. “How can you call it ‘backing’? We’re merely cooperating… Hey, where are you going?”
“There’s a prayer ceremony at the Forest Church I need to preside over. Excuse me.”
With that, Sistana gave a faint smile, turned, and walked away elegantly on her sensual, long legs—as if nothing had happened.
Seeing this, Shi Qianla, a devout follower of Nature, followed without hesitation. After a moment’s pause, Huilian followed as well.
Peachia had stayed out of it from beginning to end, standing motionless. Aiya remained resolutely by her side, subtly keeping an eye on Taima’s group.
The power structure inside the Royal Capital had become crystal clear.