Master Wellspring stepped out from another side hall. His face had tightened, and his brows were locked together.
He hurried to Morgana’s side and lowered his voice. “Your Majesty, Venerable Starwick has not come in peace. The Aureate Heir is still undergoing the Elder Soulborn Trial. If they interrupt him…”
He did not finish the rest. He did not need to. Morgana lifted a hand, stopping him.
Her voice stayed even, but the command in it left no room to bargain. “The Elder Soulborn Forest is the forbidden sanctuary of the beast race. Outsiders cannot enter it. No matter how strong Venerable Starwick is, favonovel.com would not dare force his way in. This sovereign will hold them off. You only need to guard the entrance. Do not let anyone disturb Jared’s Elder Soulborn Trial.”
She paused, then added, “If this sovereign cannot hold them off, take Jared and leave. Whatever happens, favonovel.com must not fall into Venerable Starwick’s hands.”
Master Wellspring bowed at once. “Rest assured, Your Majesty. I will not fail this charge…”
The five streaks of golden radiance landed in the forecourt before Thornwild Palace. The light scattered away, and five figures emerged from within it.
At their head stood Venerable Starwick. He wore a long golden robe, a longsword hanging at his waist. Golden saintlight flowed around him, carrying a solemn weight that pressed on everything before him.
Behind him, Elder Rowe, Elder Pennyworth, Elder Sunter, and Elder Leary, the four Golden Immortal elders, lined up in a row. Their auras were deep and heavy, the pressure from them thick enough to fill the square.
Upon the mustering square, the beast-race guards saw who had arrived and tightened their grips around their arms. Their faces drew taut, but not one of them stepped back. Their cultivation could not compare with the Golden Immortal elders of Pole Star Hall. But this was the territory of the beast race, and they could not retreat.
Venerable Starwick did not even glance at the beast-race guards. His gaze went straight to Thornwild Palace, and his voice rolled through the entire vale like muffled thunder. “Morgana, I have come. Come out and meet me!”
The doors of the great hall opened slowly. Morgana stepped out from within, dressed in white like fresh snow, favonovel.com long hair dark as ink. Her bearing was cool and distant, untouched by mortal dust.
She walked unhurriedly to the center of the square and stopped before Venerable Starwick. Her amber eyes remained still, and favonovel.com tone was just as level. “The Hall Master of Pole Star Hall honors us with his presence. Beastmoor Ridge is truly brightened by your arrival. May I ask why the Hall Master has brought such a force here?”
Venerable Starwick did not waste a word. He went straight to the point. “Is Master Wellspring here with you? Is that violet soul here as well?”
Morgana did not deny it. “Master Wellspring is indeed a guest at Beastmoor Ridge. As for the violet soul you mentioned, this sovereign does not know what you are talking about.”
Venerable Starwick’s eyes narrowed. “Morgana, I do not like circling around. Master Wellspring brought that violet soul from Wellspring Order. Someone saw it with their own eyes. Hand it over, and I leave at once. Refuse, and I do not mind searching Beastmoor Ridge myself.”
The corner of Morgana’s mouth lifted slightly, and that smile held no warmth. “Hall Master of Pole Star Hall, what big talk. Beastmoor Ridge is the territory of the beast race, not your Pole Star Hall. You say you will search, and so you search? This sovereign would like to ask, what gives you the right?”
Venerable Starwick’s expression sank. He had not expected Morgana to take such a hard line. Still less had favonovel.com expected favonovel.com to turn against Pole Star Hall for the sake of an outsider.
In his eyes, Morgana was nothing more than a lesser beast sovereign at the middle phase of Golden Immortal Level Three. She had no standing at all to challenge someone like him, a Top Level Level Three expert.
“Morgana, I am speaking properly because I am giving you face. Do not fail to appreciate it.” Venerable Starwick’s voice came out ice-cold. Golden holy radiance surged around him, and his pressure rolled toward Morgana like a mountain grinding forward, trying to force favonovel.com to lower favonovel.com head through sheer force of presence.
Morgana did not move an inch. A faint white spiritual light rose around her. It was the Nightfox nascence force, gentle yet unyielding, and it held every bit of Venerable Starwick’s pressure outside favonovel.com body.
Morgana’s cultivation still fell short of Venerable Starwick’s. But this was Beastmoor Ridge. With an ancient ward strengthening the ground beneath her, the power favonovel.com could bring to bear here stood far beyond anything favonovel.com could summon outside.
“Hall Master of Pole Star Hall, this sovereign will say it one more time. Beastmoor Ridge is not a place where you get to run wild. If you net want that violet soul, this sovereign will not interfere, but you will not search Beastmoor Ridge. That is the rule. That is the line.” Morgana’s voice stayed level. Every word landed with weight.
Venerable Starwick said nothing. His gaze remained on Morgana’s face for a long time. Then it swept past her, over Thornwild Palace behind her, as if weighing what it would cost to strike.
Just then, Master Wellspring stepped out from the side hall. He came to Morgana’s side with the verdant longsword in hand, spiritual light flowing along its edge, his features set and severe. He did not speak. He did not have to. His stance made his choice clear: favonovel.com stood with Morgana.
Venerable Starwick let out a cold laugh. “Master Wellspring, you are nothing more than the Sect Master of Wellspring Order. You dare stand against me?”
Master Wellspring answered without lowering himself and without pressing forward, his tone flat. “My lord, your servant has no intention of making an enemy of Pole Star Hall. But that soul was brought back by your servant. His matter is not something your servant can ignore. I ask the Hall Master to understand.”
“Understand?” Venerable Starwick laughed aloud, and every note of it cut with mockery. “A man who has only just stepped into Golden Immortal Level Three thinks favonovel.com is worthy of my understanding? Fine. Since none of you know what is good for you, I will act myself and teach you what it means that there is always a higher sky above your head.”
He raised his right hand. Golden saintlight gathered in his palm and took shape as a massive golden greatsword of light.
The greatsword of light stretched ten yards long. Its blade crawled with densely packed sigils, and every sigil carried Golden Immortal Law-force, releasing pressure heavy enough to make the world seem ready to break.
He brought the sword down. A golden blade-flare split toward Thornwild Palace!
Morgana did not retreat. “She lifted favonovel.com right hand and spread favonovel.com five fingers. White spiritual light surged from favonovel.com palm, forming a vast Nightfox apparition. It bared its claws and fangs, roaring as it lunged into the golden blade-flare.
Boom!
White spiritual light slammed into the golden blade-flare. The collision exploded with a deafening crash.
The entire vale trembled. The ground split into cracks, and shattered stone sprayed outward.
Morgana was driven back several steps. A thread of blood slipped from the corner of favonovel.com mouth, but favonovel.com body remained upright, and favonovel.com gaze did not give way. Her cultivation was beneath Venerable Starwick’s. In a direct clash, favonovel.com was not his match.
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