The Exiled Lord: My Maid is a Battle Goddess

Chapter 353: The Golden Anomaly

Threads of blood rose into the air as fresh streams seeped from every corner of the magic array, converging into the Scroll of Destruction.

A burst of golden light erupted. The Scroll of Destruction unfolded like a structure of scattered blocks, and an unfamiliar divine power rippled from within. The temperature rose rapidly, while countless runes across the ground shone with dazzling golden radiance.

A single glance was enough.

The overwhelming pressure made everyone nearby tremble uncontrollably.

"This is it. The blessing of a true god!" The scholar of the Shadow World Sect continuously muttered incantations under his breath.

"What terrifying pressure." Ashina’s pupils shrank as she stepped protectively in front of Phield. "My lord, please be careful."

"Buzz~"

However, just as Phield stared without blinking, ready to witness a miracle unfold, a deafening explosion rang out.

The Scroll of Destruction suddenly snapped shut again as if pulled together by a giant magnet. The blood that had gathered was splashed across the floor.

The pressure vanished.

Even the Tidebind Lattice of the Surging Realms stopped supplying life energy.

"No! Not again! It failed again!"

The priest was overcome with shock and fury. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision went dark, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Looks like it failed."

"That was terrifying just now." Ashina fanned herself, her tail swaying lightly as she covered her mouth with a smile. "For a moment, I thought the fortress was going to be blown into the sky."

"No need to worry."

Exchanging a glance with Ashina, Phield shook his head. Instead, he comforted the fanatical priest.

"Although it failed, the spirit of scientific inquiry is still something worth respecting."

"Waaah... I’ve spent my entire life researching this. I sold all my property. My wife ran off with another man. I became a cultist’s lackey..."

The priest suddenly convulsed violently.

When he opened his eyes again, each eye seemed to be looking in a different direction.

Wearing an expression of absolute "wisdom," he began doing somersaults while shouting excitedly.

"I really am the son of God! Ohohoho! I am the king of this continent!"

"He’s gone insane. Look at the drool hanging from the corner of his mouth. That’s awful."

"Don’t eat that. That’s monster dung."

"Well, he worked without sleep for an entire week. Even an iron man couldn’t endure that, especially with every attempt ending in failure."

Everyone stared in shock as the priest lost his mind.

After performing more than ten somersaults, his life force finally faded away.

He fell stiffly to the ground and died.

"I was hoping to gain something even more valuable." Phield stretched his arms with disappointment and let out a lazy sigh. "Oh well. It’s not like I had particularly high expectations."

He waved toward the soldiers.

"Throw them into the dungeon and seal this place off."

"Yes, my lord."

The soldiers dragged away the members of the Shadow World Sect as if hauling dead dogs.

"By the way, what was the activation incantation for the Tidebind Lattice of the Surging Realms again?" Phield pointed at the orb used to activate the array.

"The Tidebind Lattice of the Surging Realms doesn’t require any incantation at all. That long chant earlier was something Priest Lord added himself. He probably copied it from some knight novel."

A scholar from the Shadow World Sect, carried by a soldier, answered weakly.

"You only need to place your hand on it. Your soul will activate it."

"Huh?"

Phield burst out laughing.

So that fool had been standing there chanting for half a day just to look impressive.

Curious, he placed his hand on the orb.

Instantly, he felt an immense pulling force.

In the blink of an eye, the world spun around him. An invisible power seized his soul and dragged it into the Scroll of Destruction.

The Tidebind Lattice of the Surging Realms activated for a second time.

This time, the disturbance was even greater.

An overwhelming torrent of life force surged forward like a raging flood, spiraling into the Scroll of Destruction. The flesh and blood that had been splattered across the ground were drawn back once more.

The sky visibly darkened.

Golden radiance erupted from the scroll and shot straight into the heavens. Every roof and floor along its path was instantly reduced to powder. Even reality itself began to appear illusory.

"What’s happening?"

"That’s impossible. There’s no reason the array should activate a second time."

Everyone was stunned.

Within Phield’s vision, the detection range of his minimap rapidly shrank.

In its place, a golden point suddenly appeared at the center.

Brilliant.

Beautiful.

Unnaturally enchanting.

A golden point?

An uncontracted special Divine Chosen.

Before Phield could take a closer look, the minimap that had accompanied him for so long suddenly vanished altogether.

His breathing became ragged.

Cold sweat poured down his face.

His body swayed as a deafening buzz filled his mind.

It felt as though he had worked without rest for an entire month. His consciousness became hazy and blurred.

A tremendous amount of soul power was being drained away.

Phield staggered and nearly collapsed, but Ashina quickly caught him.

"My lord! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me like that!"

The lord had merely touched the orb.

Yet in a matter of moments, so many unexpected changes had occurred.

Ashina immediately supported him. Anxiety filled her heart, and her eyes instantly became overflowing with violence and fury.

"Damn it! It’s a trap!"

Enraged, she raised her hand, intending to destroy the array.

"Don’t panic. I’m fine. Just a little dizzy. The consumption of soul power is too great."

Holding his head, Phield gradually recovered from his shock and endured the agonizing pain throbbing through his skull.

"The array has activated. Leave this place. My intuition tells me that giving birth to her will require a great deal of time."

No wonder that priest had gone insane.

He had suffered an unimaginably severe backlash against his soul.

Since it was only a remnant soul, it still lacked a complete soul.

Its demand for souls was enormous, and it required a very unique type of soul. As someone capable of contracting Divine Chosen from different races, Phield seemed to fall precisely within that category of special souls.

"Mhm. I’ll listen to you. As long as you’re alright."

After checking his breathing and heartbeat and confirming that he was unharmed, Ashina finally let out a sigh of relief.

She had always been strong, yet she had been so frightened that tears nearly formed in her eyes.

Quickly supporting him, she escorted Phield back to the first level of the fortress.

Outside the fortress, Veronica stared in astonishment at the darkened world and the golden pillar of light piercing the heavens.

"Is that... the fortress’s hidden weapon? I’ve never even heard of such a thing."

"What a strange divine fluctuation."

The little girl controlling the undead horde tilted her head.

"It feels familiar somehow, yet completely unfamiliar at the same time."

"With an omen like this, the entire Empire has probably seen it. The Imperial Army certainly won’t ignore it."

The rebel forces besieging Bull Territory discussed the phenomenon among themselves.

"This is bad. It’s the Divine Chosen of Destruction!"

The noble with a flower pinned to his chest slapped his hand against his palm and spoke coldly.

"Don’t forget. The ritual we prepared to summon Destruction is located beneath the border fortress."

"That’s impossible, Sir Larson. Are you saying the Imperial Army not only failed to stop the array, but actually allowed the priests and scholars to activate it? Have they gone mad?"

"Very likely. In fact, activating it may have been their objective all along."

Larson pulled out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the blade of his sword.

A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes.

"They actually dare covet what belongs to us. Aren’t they afraid of breaking their teeth? The Divine Chosen of Destruction is not something an ordinary person can contract."

"But... we’ve attempted the resurrection so many times. There’s no reason it should succeed this time, right?"

One of the members beside him found it impossible to believe.

"Nothing else can explain this phenomenon."

Larson snorted coldly.

"Send orders to every legion. Pass through the magic gates immediately. We must capture the fortress at the fastest possible speed!"