Chapter 48: How can a human body possess such terrifying strength!
It was unexpected to find such an outstanding person in Sky Sanctuary. She rarely interacted with the disciples there, and could recall fewer than five names.
After thinking for a while and coming up empty, Sylvia finally said, "Just tell me his name. If he's as you describe, I can instruct the High Priest to give him extra guidance and care."
"Thank you, Supreme Goddess!" Emily's voice was shy and soft.
Finally, hesitantly, she whispered, "His name is... Timothy."
"Hmm?"
"Timothy!"
The air seemed to freeze.
Sylvia felt her brain turn to mush, completely dumbfounded.
She forced herself to sort through her thoughts, piecing everything together.
"So, this girl couldn't figure out if she really liked Timothy. Caught up in her feelings, she came to me. And after a bit of persuasion from me, she had an epiphany and decided to confess to Timothy?"
What in the world was going on!
Sylvia was so frustrated she felt like spitting blood.
"Thanks to your guidance, Goddess, I've decided to go find Timothy and tell him how I feel," Emily said confidently and gratefully, bowing deeply to Sylvia before turning to leave.
"Wait! Don't go!" Sylvia suddenly panicked and stopped her.
"Huh?" Emily looked puzzled.
"I mean..." Sylvia was a mess inside, scrambling for the right words.
Then, an idea struck her, and she declared righteously, "Humph! You've got some nerve, talking about love in front of me, the author of 'Uselessness of Spiritual Partners'!"
"But didn't you tell me, Goddess, that if it's true love, I should go for it boldly? That even holding hands with the one I love is okay?" Emily was completely taken aback.
"That, that was just a strategy I made up," Sylvia said with moral righteousness, her aura untouchable and commanding. "I said those things just to test if you would stay true to yourself. But I didn't expect your heart to be so weak, swayed by a few words from me into wanting to confess."
Sylvia sighed deeply. "You have potential, which is why I wanted to guide you back to the right path. All this is for your own good. I must find a way to correct your misguided thoughts."
With that, Sylvia commanded loudly to the hall outside, "Someone take Emily to the penance hall for reflection. Assign ten disciples to recite 'Uselessness of Spiritual Partners' around her every day. Don't release her until she can recite it in her sleep!"
Two High Priests immediately rushed into the hall and seized Emily.
Emily's mind was in chaos.
"This isn't right, something's seriously off! From start to finish, the High Goddess seems like a completely different person! There must be some misunderstanding!"
"High Goddess, you've misunderstood! After listening to your advice, I've completely fallen for Timothy. I don't want to go to any penance hall, nor do I want to read 'Uselessness of Spiritual Partners' anymore. Please let me go confess to Timothy!" Emily shouted desperately.
"She's too deep in her delusion, likely tainted by evil spirits, which is why she's having such absurd thoughts. Take her away. If we confine her long enough, constantly exposing her to the teachings of 'Uselessness of Spiritual Partners,' she should be cured," Sylvia said, seemingly heartbroken, as she looked at the High Priests.
"Indeed, High Goddess, you saw right through Emily's corrupted spirit when no one else could," the High Priests said admiringly as they escorted Emily out.
"It's a misunderstanding, Goddess, I'm not possessed!" No matter how hard Emily tried to argue, it was futile.
Soon, she was dragged to the penance hall by the High Priests, surrounded by several disciples who recited 'Uselessness of Spiritual Partners' over and over as they walked...
"Stop, please stop!" Emily could only curl up in a corner, pitifully covering her ears.
"Phew, that was close."
Back in the grand hall, Sylvia finally relaxed and casually started eating grapes.
Distracted by her thoughts, she soon had her cheeks bulging with grapes, which contrasted amusingly with her otherwise cold and stunning beauty, adding an unexpectedly cute charm.
Sylvia sighed in relief internally, grateful she had asked Emily one more question about who she wanted to confess to.
Otherwise, it could have turned into a real disaster.
'And that Timothy guy!'
Sylvia stomped her foot in frustration.
She couldn't believe that just a trip to the Mystic Realm had given him the chance to flirt around.
When he got back, she was definitely going to set him straight!
Meanwhile, at the Doomed Soul Sect, a dark mass of beasts swarmed around the sect like a tidal wave.
Although these beasts weren't a significant threat to the trained disciples, the real terror lay in the beastmen hidden among them.
Having undergone beastification, each one's strength had reached terrifying levels.
Combined with the endless stream of beasts, the surrounded Doomed Soul Sect clearly stood no chance.
Above them, a gaunt, short old man with red hair, vertical pupils, and a body covered in bristles sneered down at the Doomed Soul Sect.
"Vexator, the one who killed your minions was Zephyra, the envoy of the Star Palace. If you've got any real guts, go bother Goddess Sylvia, picking on Doomed Soul Sect is beneath you!" Morvran shouted angrily at the skinny old man.
"My two minions died here, so naturally, I came here. Otherwise, their deaths would be so pitiful," Vexator replied with a sleazy grin.
"Bullshit!" Morvran was furious. "With your bloodthirsty and cold nature, would you really go to war over two deaths? You clearly have been coveting the treasures of the old masters of Doomed Soul Sect for a long time and just found a lousy excuse!"
Vexator didn't respond but simply stretched out his withered, branch-like arm with a sinister smile and waved it downwards.
Instantly, as if on command, a tide of beasts surged forward, especially the beastmen transformed by magic, who roared madly and charged towards Doomed Soul Sect without hesitation.
The sect's defensive array was incredibly strong, instantly turning any beast that touched it to ashes.
However, the relentless beasts kept hurling themselves at the barrier, dissolving within it.
Morvran's eyes widened as a chill ran down his spine.
He had thought these beasts were useless, but now he understood.
That old man never intended to use these beasts as combat forces,he wanted to use their flesh and blood to wear down Doomed Soul Sect's defensive array!
Now, with continuous impacts, although most of the beasts had turned into pools of blood, the light from the defensive array was gradually dimming and becoming unstable.
Facing such a suicidal assault, even the strongest defensive array left by the old masters was losing its effectiveness!
"That old devil!" Morvran gritted his teeth in anger.
The Beastmaster Sect was willing to sacrifice half of its disciples, permanently turning them into beastmen, just to doom him!
"Roar!"
The roars continued, and as the defensive array weakened, more and more beastmen broke through and invaded the Doomed Soul Sect.
Like wolves among sheep, these beastmen, several times larger than ordinary humans, with sharp claws and fangs and terrifyingly strong bodies, easily slaughtered the disciples of Doomed Soul Sect.
Sweeping through, a large number of Doomed Soul Sect disciples were torn apart, their blood soaking the ground.
Fear quickly spread throughout.
The disciples who had once sworn loyalty to the Doomed Soul Sect, ready to die for it, were now utterly terrified, scrambling to escape with everything they had.
But from all directions, orcs kept pouring in relentlessly.
The vast Doomed Soul Sect was completely surrounded,there was simply no way out.
Despair spread instantly. Many disciples' legs gave way, and they collapsed to the ground, giving up any resistance and letting themselves be slaughtered.
"What do we do now, Master?" the cries and shouts continued nonstop, but Morvran could only clench his teeth in silence.
Vexator, the reclusive old master of the Beastmaster Sect, had emerged after a century. With his beast transformation, he alone possessed the terrifying strength of a Mystic Core pinnacle.
Though these orcs weren't as formidable as him, each was comparable to a Doomed Soul Sect elder.
Without defeating Vexator, these orcs seemed to have an endless supply of power.
It looked like today might be the end for the Doomed Soul Sect.
More and more disciples were dying, and the frenzied orcs were about to break into the heart of the Doomed Soul Sect.
Despair hung heavy in the air, and facing these orcs, no one could see a way out.
But just then, someone pointed to the sky, shouting excitedly, "Brother Timothy is back!"
Instantly, all eyes turned skyward.
As they barely made out the figure in the sky, everyone erupted into frenzied cheers.
"Brother Timothy is back, we might just be saved!"
"That's right, after all, Brother Timothy has been to the Sky Sanctuary!"
The disciples clung to this hope like a lifeline.
But Morvran and a few elders still looked grave.
They realized that only Timothy had come. Without the others from the Sky Sanctuary, Timothy alone couldn't possibly defeat Vexator, who was at the peak of Mystic Core strength.
It seemed that not only was the Doomed Soul Sect doomed, but Timothy might also be in grave danger.
Vexator, who was gleefully controlling the orcs, suddenly noticed Timothy and his vertical pupils flared with anger: "One more step, and you die!"
Timothy smiled, took a step forward, and stood right in front of Vexator: "I hear you're an orc? How about we test our strength?"
"You're seeking death!" Vexator roared, his hand slashing down like a claw.
His seemingly frail hand was actually filled with terrifying power.
The strength of beast transformation was formidable because it converted a person's potential and cultivation into pure physical power.
No physical cultivator could match a beast-transformed being in raw strength.
However, as Vexator's claw came down, he stared in disbelief.
He found his hands completely caught by Timothy.
"Ever heard of arm wrestling? I've never had a chance to try it with anyone. How about we give it a go?"
Timothy suddenly exerted force.
For the first time since his transformation, Vexator, who thought his strength was limitless, felt an inexplicable fear.
He frantically summoned all his strength in an attempt to resist.
A wave of intense heat surged, and Vexator stared in shock at the golden patterns on Timothy's arms.
Suddenly realizing that the power in his hands was growing more terrifying and unstoppable, he cursed, "Damn it!"
A strange array appeared on Vexator's chest as he roared, his fangs growing and his beast transformation intensifying.
Yet, even as he tapped into all his potential, he found he couldn't withstand the overwhelming force.
"Crack, crack."
With Timothy exerting a bit more force, a crisp sound followed.
First the wrist, then the forearm, and finally the entire arm was filled with excruciating pain.
"Crack."
Suddenly, both of Vexator's arms snapped.
Endless pain surged through him, his eyes bloodshot and filled with terror.
"How can a human body possess such terrifying strength!"
But the next second, Timothy's hand was already on his head.
"Boom."
The beast-transformed head, covered in coarse hair, also burst apart.