Pillar of Yita

He withdrew his bow, turned to the other side, and no longer glanced at those flexible constructs climbing up the slope.

Meanwhile, Fang Hong also withdrew his hand, the flexible constructs in mid-air entered a low-consumption state, maintaining only the most basic flying capabilities, hovering above the forest. Then he moved forward and walked out of the forest.

The actions on this side were almost immediately caught by the artisans on the other side, who saw a young man emerging from the woods and were just about to make a move. But the previous voice nearly immediately sternly stopped everyone:

”Ignore him, don’t waste time—”

”The real target is that Dragon Hunter, bypass him, go straight past that kid!”

”He’s just a bait.”

But that voice suddenly stopped.

Because, in his wide-eyed gaze, beams of light were shooting from the bait in his mouth, landing in front of him. And stepping out from the unfolded gates of light were silver-glinting Dual-Wielding Swordsmen, only their silver double blades had long become one with their double arms.

The contiguous light gates almost formed a wall of light.

Beyond the wall of light were rows of Female Swordsmen with crossed double blades, a silver barrier that took shape in an instant.

One, two, three...

...seven, eight...

Twelve.

Twelve Energy Angels.

The commander among the craftsmen almost gritted his teeth as he read out this number, as if he no longer recognized the number twelve, thousands of words at this moment only transformed into a curse in his heart. ”You’ve got to be kidding me...” But ghost or no ghost, he had to issue that order:

”Attack...attack, bypass that kid, they’re just some Variant Sword-Bearers...”

”Just...just some Variant Sword-Bearers, crush them...”

But the imagination was beautiful, the reality was cruel.

Even though Fang Hong’s Energy Angels were far inferior to the opponents’, they couldn’t be crushed in an instant—just killing twelve pigs would take a moment, right? Moreover, the Energy Angels in Fang Hong’s hands couldn’t be called ’pigs’ by any means. Besides, the opponent hesitated for just a moment.

That moment of hesitation was enough to decide a lot of things.

The Energy Angels blinked, launched a sudden attack. Another blink, they distanced themselves. However, in the next moment, under the opponent’s attack, they dissipated into ashes.

But Fang Hong pressed the information crystal again.

Another seven Sword Bearers were summoned.

But this time, they were no longer Energy Angels, just ordinary Type III Walkers—a support from the Grand Princess for them.

The Walkers shattered in an instant as well.

Then three Fearless Ones followed.

After three rounds of attacks, Fang Hong had retreated less than ten meters—but nearly half a minute had passed.

Finally, the Orphen Twin Stars descended from the sky with a thunderous roar, shaking the surrounding constructs so that they staggered. And then it was over, for in the next moment, the surrounding constructs seemed to have paused time, their movements frozen—for in that brief half-minute, Ye Hua had already slain nearly half of the opponent’s craftsmen.

The remaining people were also frightened and harbored thoughts of retreating. And that commander, who had been hiding in the shadows, seemed finally to realize the irreversibility of the situation and had no choice but to issue the order through gritted teeth.

”Retreat—”

But the response he got to this order to retreat.

Was a tiny voice from a girl on the battlefield.

”Gravel of the Sand Sea—”

The voice wasn’t loud, but it seemed to have a kind of magic power, enough to pass through the entire battlefield and embed itself into everyone’s hearts.

That was the last segment of the ”Book of Sand,” the immortal classic of Istania, a legend that every Desert People had more or less heard of, with its words like a nursery rhyme in the final passage.

”Gravel of the Sand Sea, traverse from above the sands of time, to fix everything here...”

”To set the thousand years of moonlight of Istania upon this desert.”

That magically charged voice passed above the forest as the bright moon broke through the heavy clouds, shining on the forest.

Then the forest disappeared, forming a stretch of rolling sand dunes, shrubs and vines retreated, leaving only a crescent moon to light the white sand dunes.

And atop the undulating sand sea, a young Natural Historian girl, holding the ancient Magic Guided Book, looked steadily at everyone standing on the sand dunes—King of Sand Barbaltan, the Imperial Knights, the surrounding constructs, Ye Hua, Fang Hong, and the Alchemists rendered without cover in the distance—

The commander stood in the crowd, far away, aghast at this scene.

It seemed he only now realized what kind of mistake he had made.

”Natural Historian!?”

Beside King of Sand Barbaltan, was there also a Natural Historian?

But where on earth did these people emerge from.

...

At the same moment.

Fang Hong also finally took a good look at these Alchemists, these rather different peers, these rumored ’Fallen Alchemists.’

As he had expected, these people were wearing attire from Earth, with somewhat peculiar patterns on their wrists, necks, and shoulders, although it was too far to see clearly. However, apart from a few, at least from appearances, they could easily be identified as Istania People.

These strange Alchemists, with their clothing, appearing in this place, indeed seemed a bit odd.

Looking at these people, Fang Hong couldn’t help but frown.

From their attire, it clearly shouldn’t be some kind of prank. But why dress like this, he truly couldn’t understand. Could it be just to make people mistake them for Invokers? It seems there could only be this possibility, though it would be quite absurd.

For Invokers, in Eteliria, wouldn’t dress like this either.

Would they?

...