“Black Tide, you don’t want this city wall to be breached either, do you? Get out here!”

Above the Silent Spiral, the sun blazed in the sky, thick smoke billowed from the earth, flames raged unchecked, and death blossomed everywhere. Every moment, iron clashed with flesh and blood; everywhere, Spellcasting and life were locked in a deadly struggle. Nearly a hundred thousand people were battling around Vine Giant City, and from above, the people looked like mere garbage.

The Bishop of Black Tide walked up to the city wall. All he could see was a rain of bullets; there was no way to tell whether it was fire or ice, bullets or shells-it was all just naked killing intent, pounding this city of Miracles like a torrential rain.

Fanatics climbed the sloping ramp built by Earth spells, swarming up the wall like maddened ants. Yet Vine Giant City itself was the perfect spellcasting material. The Senlo sorcerers and earth sorcerers of the Four Pillars Cult, leveraging Vine Giant City, could easily make countless sharp thrusts sprout from the walls, impaling climbers midair. In just a few hours, thousands of corpses had been pierced and hung upon the city wall.

The vines whipped and writhed like snakes, lashing out to Entangle any small life daring to approach. Under the control of the Four Pillars sorcerers, the city had become a thorough meat grinder, swallowing and spitting out death with brutal efficiency.

With the assault on the ground stalled, pressure naturally shifted to the sky. The two-wings sorcerers of the Qinyi Alliance formed assault teams, engaging in aerial combat with the two-wings sorcerers of the Four Pillars Cult. Although they lacked the home ground advantage of Vine Giant City and were outnumbered, the Four Pillars sorcerers could still hold their own, even gradually gaining the upper hand.

The reason, of course, was that the individual strength of the Four Pillars sorcerers was superior. The Four Pillars were no empty faith-most Four Pillars sorcerers had at least one killer move, such as the “Eye of Astonishment.” Many of them possessed this special ability: if they gazed at someone through the hole in their palm, the victim would suddenly lose control of their body and be easily harvested.

However, as long as they kept their distance, the Alliance’s sorcerers could still save their targeted comrades. So, the Alliance sorcerers all adopted a conservative strategy, focusing on pinning down the Four Pillars sorcerers in the sky, not daring to launch reckless attacks.

With the ground stalled and the skies deadlocked, if no other external force intervened, the Four Pillars Cult would surely wear down the Qinyi Alliance through sheer attrition. Yet these hours of intense assault were only the prelude to war.

Only when the sanctuary sorcerers took the stage would this drama reach its climax.

“Limber, Cornelia.” Black Tide unfurled his virtual wings and locked eyes with two sanctuary sorcerers in the distance. “You two actually dare to leave your cult’s base? Aren’t you afraid the other cults will seize the chance to invade Lake City?”

Black Tide felt a chill-those attacking his section of the wall were none other than the two sanctuary sorcerers from the Floating Boat Cult. He himself was from the Storm Cult; together with the Floating Boat Cult, they occupied the inland lake and forest sea region. Their rivalry had festered from conflicts of interest into generational hatred. Black Tide had even had some run-ins with Limber and Cornelia-their sons had been killed by Black Tide himself. It was only natural they’d come to settle the score.

But the Floating Boat Cult had peculiar beliefs. They believed that the world would inevitably face an unstoppable great flood, so they yearned to build an everlasting floating boat, one that could sail the world through any disaster. Because of this, the Floating Boat Cult was rather insular, focusing on managing their own forest sea territory and rarely meddling in outside disputes.

Limber and Cornelia were the cult’s only two sanctuary sorcerers. How could they both leave, leaving no one to guard their home?

“So long as the Four Pillars Cult stands, Lake City will never know peace!” Limber said coldly. “Black Tide, it’s been eight years-we’ve waited eight years! Before, we weren’t strong enough to destroy you completely, but now you stand against all of Senlo. At last, we can cut you-limb from limb, corpse from corpse!”

“We’re just the Vanguard closest to the Silent Spiral. The other cults’ armies are rushing here at full speed,” Cornelia said coldly as well. “You think you can lure the Alliance into splitting up just by dangling those resource points? No, this time, all the cults are united. Unless the Four Pillars Cult is shattered and crippled, no one will touch the resource points. Anyone who does will be treated as your accomplice and attacked by all!”

Black Tide’s heart sank-what was going on?

There was no doubt the overall strength of the Four Pillars Cult was weaker than the Qinyi Alliance, but Black Tide had never been worried, because the Qinyi Alliance was practically The Crowd-a rabble. The endless infighting among the cults made the Alliance little more than an empty name.

The Four Pillars Cult might be a mess of hedonists, but at least they could agree on “hedonism.” The cults of the Qinyi Alliance, on the other hand, couldn’t even agree on “breathing the same air”-some were sworn enemies.

The Four Pillars Cult truly wasn’t strong; it’s simply that the Qinyi Alliance was even worse.

At most, only three or four cults would attack the Four Pillars Cult at the same time, and they’d always keep enough troops at home to guard against the others. At the slightest loss, they’d even retreat to avoid being weakened and exposed to attack.

As for watching their allies get hammered-well, that was a tradition in the Alliance.

So, in local engagements, the Four Pillars Cult was stronger than the Qinyi Alliance.

Mercury Trojan Horse had asked Vine Giant City to hold out for a month; Black Tide had never thought this a difficult mission. But if what Cornelia said was true-if all the cults of Senlo were now uniting their strength-then this war was bound to become a bitter struggle…

As he pondered, the Black Tide pulled out a rabbit Demi-God from his bosom and chanted, “Myriad glories, forever gather upon me!”

The sickly rabbit Demi-God let out a mournful cry, transforming into a radiant glow that enveloped the Black Tide. With a roar, golden runes surged across his body, resembling both veins and scars. “Come on, show me how much you’ve improved!”

Limber and Cornelia’s bodies shimmered with rippling water light, and behind them appeared faint shadows of Demi-Gods-they were both divine hosts! The sanctuary sorcerers, enhanced by the divine hosts, were enough to push their combat power to the legendary level!

However, the Black Tide was not inferior either. Using the Demi-God as a medium, he could also borrow the power of the Four Pillars Cult. Although he couldn’t simultaneously invoke the Four Pillars like Silver Lantern, he prayed to the most formidable Lord of myriad glories, enough to amplify his spellcasting to the world’s limit!

The three faced off in the air, like three suns hanging in the sky, while other sorcerers kept their distance, and the ground assault slightly eased. Everyone tensely awaited the upcoming legendary offense and defense!

“Is it just you alone?” Limber suddenly asked, “Taking on two isn’t your usual despicable style.”

“I alone am enough to deal with you,” the Black Tide replied.

“Not calling for reinforcements only means you have no soldiers left to use,” Cornelia said coldly. “But what about Ouneva? It’s been hours, and the Pope of Annihilation hasn’t appeared. What are you plotting?”

“You’ll have to ask His Excellency,” the Black Tide naturally wouldn’t divulge intelligence. “Once you’re captured, you’ll have the chance to ask questions.”

However, Limber and Cornelia didn’t attack. They exchanged a glance and suddenly said, “Sorry, Forest Guardian, we couldn’t force Ouneva out.”

The Black Tide was startled but quickly realized something, and without a word, he rapidly retreated!

Yet as he retreated, someone suddenly appeared behind him, colliding solidly with the Black Tide. The Black Tide felt as if he had crashed into some steel alloy, the intense recoil making his bones feel soft and his head dizzy!

The person who appeared behind the Black Tide was a young man, seemingly ordinary in appearance, but his eyes were murky and heavy, like those of a weathered elder. Having been bumped by the Black Tide, he didn’t move an inch, quietly looking at the Black Tide and said, “Can you call Ouneva out?”

The Black Tide dared not respond, immediately changing direction and fleeing frantically.

He had already recognized who this young man was, and even though he had just been empowered by the Lord of myriad glories, every cell in his body and soul was screaming-run!

This young man was named Qinyi.

Yes, the very Qinyi of the Qinyi Alliance. Or rather, the Qinyi Alliance was established in his name.

Like the ‘Pope of Annihilation’ Ouneva, ‘Forest Guardian’ Qinyi was also one of the three legends of the Land of Senlo!

Qinyi’s life was filled with mysteries, enough to fill several books. He was born into the Qinyi cult, but by his youth, the Qinyi cult had already perished. A normal person would then turn to another cult, yet he took Qinyi as his name, joining no cult, wandering the Land of Senlo like a freshwater fish in the sea.

After becoming a legend, he focused on promoting a consensus: the War of Faith must not affect non-sorcerer civilians! No matter which side wins, they are not allowed to massacre enemy civilians!

In the past, since civilians would join the war effort, civilian casualties were common. If the victorious cult wasn’t inclined towards order and goodness, massacres out of spite weren’t impossible.

Many speculated that his experiences in youth made Qinyi persistent about this, and many doubted Qinyi’s solitary pursuit. After all, even if you’re a legendary sorcerer, the Land of Senlo is vast; if I commit evil deeds without your knowledge, what can you do?

Yet under Qinyi’s gradual influence, the atmosphere began to change bit by bit. Those cults inclined towards slaughter were actively attacked by Qinyi and soon vanished into the dust of history; meanwhile, many cults inclined towards order openly supported Qinyi’s stance, mutually supervising each other for any civilian harm.

The reason, of course, wasn’t that everyone feared Qinyi’s might, but that Qinyi’s stance aligned with the era’s theme, increased productivity, and benefited everyone. Many cults knew they should protect civilians, but none advocated for the entire continent to adhere to this baseline like Qinyi did.

Due to this influence, Qinyi’s reputation in Senlo soared, earning him the honorific ‘Forest Guardian,’ praising him for protecting countless ordinary people who couldn’t fight.

Facing the threat of the Four Pillars Cult, all cults knew they had to unite, but any union needed a leader, and no matter who led, other cults would surely be unwilling. At this point, they naturally thought of Qinyi, this highly respected and unthreatening strong figure, leading to the birth of the Qinyi Alliance.

It’s said that Qinyi is not only the oldest legendary sorcerer but also the oldest elder in Senlo.

Though the Forest Guardian’s fearsome reputation isn’t as flashy as the Pope of Annihilation’s, Qinyi once fought against cults alone, forcing countless cults to kneel and admit their wrongs. How could he not be a killer?

Whether divine hosts or blessings from the Four Pillars, they only enhance sanctuary sorcerers to the legendary level. But Qinyi, a living legend, has defeated divine hosts countless times, even if not in one strike, at least with a slap that can’t be counted. The Black Tide dared not even touch him-no, he already did, and the recoil still left him a bit dizzy.

“Don’t let others see your back, or you’ll easily lose things,” Qinyi said calmly, as if reminding someone not to have their wallet stolen.

The Black Tide suddenly stopped. He turned his head blankly and saw Qinyi holding a heart in his hand.

He pressed his left chest with his hand, waited a few seconds, and confirmed that he had no heartbeat.

What Qinyi held was his heart.

Spatial Fist-Claw Miracle: Heart Extraction…

Snap.

Qinyi crushed the heart, and the Black Tide closed his eyes, falling to the ground like a rag.

Limber and Cornelia bowed deeply to him and charged towards the city wall, unleashing a massacre. A sanctuary sorcerer in a state of Divine Hosting was an unstoppable tactical weapon. The Four Pillars sorcerers were utterly defenseless, crushed like garbage.

Ten minutes later, the Qinyi Alliance breached the city walls, and the Vine Giant City was officially conquered!

Not to mention a month, the Vine Giant City couldn’t even hold for a day! Once a legend enters the fray, the tide of battle shifts immediately!

So Qinyi found it strange-why hadn’t Ouneva appeared yet? In the past, he had refrained from acting several times because of his secret standoff with Ouneva. Without an eighty percent certainty, legends dared not easily initiate combat, as even a sanctuary might not withstand legendary spellcasting, and a single clash could lead to death.

However, even if Ouneva appeared, it would make no difference. He had already discussed with ‘Death Song’ Essara that the Four Pillars Cult must be exterminated this time. Even if Ouneva intervened, the two legends would not retreat a single step.

Essara was lying in ambush three kilometers away. Initially, Qinyi planned to lure Ouneva into the ambush circle. Besides, other sanctuary sorcerers and divine hosts from various Senlo cults were continuously heading towards the Silent Spiral. Even if Ouneva miraculously survived, he would face the formidable restraint of Essara and Qinyi, along with the joint siege of over a dozen sanctuary sorcerers.

However, even if the Four Pillars Cult was annihilated, the war would not end.

Qinyi saw clearly that many cults intended to end it all in one decisive battle this time. After all, with all the cults gathered together, it was like gathering all the troubles in one place, making it easier to resolve, wasn’t it?

As long as they killed off the other cults, they could enter a new divine era.

Life is short, and most Senlo people can only live to 28. Two hundred years is too long, so long that no one is willing to wait anymore.

Tired, let it be destroyed.

Kill, until a dawn is carved out.

The siege of the Four Pillars Cult was just an insignificant beginning. The true conclusion was still being drafted. Whether an undisputed victor would emerge to unify Senlo or everyone would be defeated and continue the chaotic era of strife, no one knew until the last moment.

Qinyi watched the people slaughtering each other on the ground and murmured, “Qinyi, Qinyi…”

The meaning of Qinyi is to search for the days of the past, also referring to yesterday. The Qinyi Sect is actually a branch of the Tribulation Fire Chapel, with ideals aimed at restoring the glory of the past.

Yet, this oldest man of Senlo looked at the slaughter on the ground and revealed a gratified smile: “Senlo… is finally stepping towards tomorrow?”

Boom!

Suddenly, the entire world erupted in a violent tremor, even affecting Qinyi in the air. When the Forest Guardian regained his senses, he saw a massive crack splitting the earth in two, with the Vine Giant City right in the middle, also divided into two halves…

No!

Qinyi looked up and saw a massive scar in the clear sky, as if it was about to bleed!

He was nearly a hundred years old, having witnessed numerous era changes and the extinction of countless cults. What scene hadn’t he seen? But this situation, he had truly never seen before!

The sky… could it actually be wounded?

In a daze, Qinyi found himself falling. He didn’t mind, spreading his virtual wings and attempting to ascend with a Movement Miracle.

But it was all in vain.

He couldn’t resist the gravity from the crack at all, as if something was nullifying his resistance!

What was it?

What was it!

Qinyi, who had competed for the Wishflux Inheritance, though he didn’t master the Fate Sect, had cultivated some sense of fate. In his desperate struggle, he finally sensed what was obstructing him.

It was the torrent of fate.

An unseen, untouchable, colorless, and tasteless torrent of fate was flowing into the earth’s crack from all directions, like water gushing into a sewer from an unplugged reservoir. Legendary sorcerers caught in the torrent of fate couldn’t resist this power that transcended all rules, being dragged from the heavens to the mortal realm.

Qinyi saw the disciples of the Four Pillars, saw the alliance sorcerers, saw sanctuary sorcerers like Limber, and even saw the corpse of the Black Tide. Beliefs, feuds, interests-these trivial matters no longer mattered. Everyone was trying to grasp whatever they could, but in the end, everyone was swept into the crack like garbage.

But they were not alone. Across the entire Senlo wasteland, everyone was swept away by the invisible torrent of fate. Anything they grasped couldn’t bear their weight-wooden beams would collapse, stones would shatter, even the earth would be torn apart.

Some went with the flow, some fought desperately, some united in cooperation, and some pondered alone. But ultimately, they all flowed towards the end of Senlo-

The Silent Spiral.