Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 369: Chapter: 368 Heavenly trials.

Auranel Continent

In the territory belonging to the Hayes Clan, the sky above a particular region had turned completely black, with thick clouds covering the heavens as lightning continuously struck the ground below.

The strange phenomenon was especially noticeable because the rest of the Hayes Clan’s territory remained completely untouched by it, with the sun still shining brightly beyond the boundary of the dark clouds.

It was almost as though two completely different skies existed within the same territory, one peaceful and clear while the other was being consumed by a violent storm.

The reason behind this unusual phenomenon was a single person, Elizabeth, and the phenomenon surrounding her was known as a Heavenly Trial.

Every world in the universe possessed a soul, or rather, a consciousness of its own. It was not something that could be easily seen or communicated with, nor did it possess emotions or personal desires in the way ordinary living beings did.

Its purpose was to maintain the balance of life within the world, and each world possessed its own method of doing so. In the Auranel World, the method chosen by its consciousness was known as the Heavenly Trial.

These trials existed to test spell casters when they reached a certain level of power, preventing their advancement from becoming something that could be achieved without consequence.

When a spell caster reached the Void Core, their path toward Ascension was no longer determined solely by their own rank and accumulation of strength.

They had to face the Heavenly Trials, and with every trial they successfully overcame, they would obtain runes that became permanently integrated with their power.

The greater the number of runes a spell caster possessed, the stronger and more powerful their spells would become, meaning that the trials were not merely obstacles standing in the way of advancement but also a means of strengthening those who managed to overcome them.

A spell caster had to successfully pass five Heavenly Trials before they could enter the Infinite Core.

Those who reached the Infinite Core were nearly invincible against anyone below their rank, because their core would merge completely with their body, changing the way they absorbed and refined mana.

Instead of relying solely on the reserves contained within their core, an Infinite Core spell caster could absorb mana directly through their body and refine it almost instantaneously before using it.

Their entire body essentially became part of the cycle of mana absorption, refinement, and expenditure, allowing them to fight for far longer without worrying about exhausting their reserves.

However, reaching such a state was anything but easy. Each Heavenly Trial became more difficult than the previous one, and the fifth trial was naturally the greatest obstacle before a Void Core spell caster could step into the realm of the Infinite Core.

Today’s trial was Elizabeth’s fifth Heavenly Trial.

Once she passed it, she would become an Infinite Core Space Path Spell Caster.

Screeech!

A deafening cry suddenly echoed through the darkened sky as the enormous black clouds parted.

A giant eagle descended from the heavens, its enormous body completely covered in raging lightning as it spread its wings and lunged toward the tiny figure standing beneath it.

Compared to the enormous creature, Elizabeth looked almost insignificant, yet she remained completely still as the lightning illuminated the area around her.

Her golden hair fluttered violently in the wind, while the robe covering her body had already been torn apart in several places. Numerous wounds could be seen across her skin, some still carrying traces of blood, but her expression remained completely calm.

There was no fear in her golden eyes, nor was there any hesitation as the lightning-covered eagle rapidly approached her.

Countless black spikes suddenly appeared in the sky around Elizabeth. Without saying a word, she simply raised one hand and moved it slightly, causing every single spike to shoot toward the descending eagle.

The spikes tore through its enormous body one after another, piercing its wings, chest, and limbs before emerging from the other side.

The eagle let out an enraged roar as it struggled against the attack, but Elizabeth showed no reaction. She simply reached out and grabbed the air in front of her.

The space surrounding the eagle suddenly twisted violently.

A massive spatial crack spread outward, tearing through the area around the creature before swallowing its entire body. The eagle didn’t even have enough time to release another roar before the surrounding space completely ripped it apart, destroying its body in an instant.

Faint particles of light began to emerge from the remains of the destroyed creature. Those particles slowly drifted through the air before moving toward Elizabeth and merging into her body.

As they disappeared into her, countless mysterious runes began forming across her body, each one representing the reward granted for successfully overcoming the Heavenly Trial.

Soon, Elizabeth’s entire body began glowing with a deep black light.

The light gathered around her body before slowly moving toward her chest, where it shone with increasing intensity.

Every part of Elizabeth’s body began radiating a strange resonance, a power so intense that merely looking directly at her became difficult. Then, after a few moments, the light suddenly disappeared.

So did her core.

It had completely merged with her body.

Elizabeth Augustus Hayes had officially become an Infinite Core Spell Caster.

At almost the exact same moment, the black clouds covering the Hayes Clan’s territory began to disperse. The violent lightning vanished, the darkness receded, and the clear sky that had existed outside the trial once again spread across the region as though nothing had happened.

Elizabeth slowly descended toward the ground.

Her expression remained completely emotionless as she landed in front of the knights who had been waiting for her. They had remained there throughout the Heavenly Trial, standing guard without daring to interfere, and the moment Elizabeth appeared before them, one of the armored knights immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

”Has the meeting started?” Elizabeth asked, her voice cold and unpleasant, almost like blades scraping against one another.

The knight, whose entire body was covered in armor, lowered his head even further before replying, ”Yes, Matriarch. The meeting has already started.”

”Mm. Very well.”

Elizabeth then turned toward her personal maid, the woman responsible for handling the majority of the matters concerning her while she was occupied with other affairs.

Her gaze remained calm as she asked, ”Was there any news regarding the clans and kingdoms that have been avoiding us?”

The maid immediately bowed and began reporting.

”Reporting to the Matriarch, the clans are still avoiding us. They claim that their forces are currently scattered because their enemies are watching their territories and waiting for an opportunity to attack. They are especially concerned about the Zyan Clan of the Vahana Continent, as they believe the Zyan Clan may take advantage of their absence and target their lands. Because of this, they have stated that they have no intention of joining the war at this moment.”

Elizabeth’s eyes gradually turned cold.

The temperature around the surrounding knights seemed to drop as an invisible pressure spread from her body, causing those nearby to instinctively tense. She remained silent for several moments before finally speaking in the same cold tone.

”Issue a verdict.”

Her gaze swept across the people standing before her.

”Tell them to cease every conflict they currently have among themselves and join the war. They have one week to provide me with a response that satisfies me. If there is still no satisfactory answer by the end of this week, then the Hayes Clan will massacre them and annex their territories, regardless of whether those territories belong to a clan, a nation, or even an empire.”

Elizabeth’s expression remained completely indifferent as she continued.

”Whether they want to participate or not is irrelevant. They will join the war with their full forces. If anyone attempts to interfere with this order, or if we discover that they are deliberately holding back their forces after joining, they will be replaced.”

After saying that, Elizabeth turned toward the direction of the meeting without waiting for another response.