Chapter 35: The Vanished Saintess

The top-floor conference room of the Central Government Building in Yuhai City.

The atmosphere inside was exceptionally oppressive.

People sat on both sides of the long table.

Military officers in crisp uniforms, civil officials with grave expressions, and a few sergeants who had rushed from the eastern defense line.

As the main commander of the Central and Eastern war zones of the Covenant, Bai Wushang sat at the head of the table, still in his elegant white military uniform, still exuding that intimidating aura that demanded respect. However, compared to usual, his face was a few shades paler, with faint dark circles under his eyes. Clearly, he hadn’t slept in a long time.

“And then? Go on.”

His voice was still steady, but those familiar with him could detect the suppressed exhaustion in it.

Upon hearing this, the officer who had risen respectfully nodded and brought up a holographic projection. On the map over the Pacific Ocean, the icons of three fortresses had turned dark red, each marked with a large X.

“As of now, the shadow dragon that burst out of the rift has destroyed three air fortresses: Michelangelo, Saint Paul, and Skull. All have crashed.”

A low sigh echoed through the room.

“Causalties?”

“Not yet fully calculated. Estimated… more than thirty thousand dead…”

Bai Wushang closed his eyes, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

“Where is the monster now?”

“It’s still roaming over the eastern Pacific.”

Another officer stood, bringing up satellite imagery. In the image, a blurry shadow was slowly moving above the ocean, the surrounding sea surface stained black by the deathly aura it emitted.

“The people Blood Spirit Domain sent to scout it were also killed. Based on its movement patterns, it probably won’t cooperate with other Abyss forces. It seems to be… attacking indiscriminately.”

Bai Wushang opened his eyes, a flicker of complex light crossing his ice-blue pupils.

“Indiscriminate attacks?”

“Yes. It attacks all humans and aliens that approach it, with no particular selectivity.”

Bai Wushang fell silent for a moment, his expression easing slightly.

“In that case… it’s relatively better.”

“Find a way to guide it toward the North American region, let those aliens slaughter each other, and preferably cause more trouble for Blood Spirit Domain. Also, keep a close watch on that rift on the moon’s surface. If that realm channel fully forms, we need to know its scale immediately.”

“Yes!”

The officer sat down. The conference room fell silent for a few seconds.

Bai Wushang raised his hand to his forehead, rubbing his temples with his fingers. His back looked especially weary in the sunlight streaming through the window. After all, not only had Lei Ze been causing trouble recently, but the situation outside the Covenant had also been growing worse.

Under such immense pressure, even Bai Wushang of the Sage Ruins realm felt mentally and physically exhausted.

Just as Bai Wushang sighed, the conference room door was suddenly pushed open.

Under the puzzled gazes of the officers, a guard hurried in and went straight to Bai Wushang’s side.

“M-Master Bai Wushang… urgent report.”

Bai Wushang turned his head, frowning. “What is it?”

“The Saintess, the Saintess… she’s gone.”

The moment these words were spoken, the room fell into dead silence.

Everyone’s expression changed abruptly.

Bai Wushang’s pupils constricted, and the fatigue on his face shattered in an instant, replaced by an indescribable fury.

“What did you say?!”

“T-this morning, Lady Teresa went as usual to deliver breakfast to the Saintess’s room and found it empty… The Saintess wasn’t in her bed, nor in the garden… We don’t know where she went for now.”

The guard’s voice was trembling.

“Master Mochen has already blocked the news and is conducting a full-scale search, but… there’s still no clue…”

Bai Wushang’s fist clenched tightly.

“Y-you bunch of idiots! How could you lose track of a person!”

With anxiety gnawing at him, Bai Wushang slammed the table and stood up, sending a sharp glare at Ling Che, who also wore a grave expression.

“Deploy all of Yuhai City’s defensive forces and the police. Bring the Saintess back immediately!”

“Y-yes!”

Bowing repeatedly, Ling Che dared not delay. He immediately turned and ran toward the door.

Watching Ling Che’s retreating figure, Bai Wushang bit his lip with a complicated feeling.

A flicker of an indescribable unease appeared in his furious eyes…

The Saintess.

That monster…

Has she run out?

And what does she intend to do? Why at a time like this…

****

While the upper echelons of Yuhai City were plunged into chaos over the Saintess’s sudden disappearance, in the commercial district of Yuhai City…

A group of “suitable ones” just out of the Qionglan base were strolling on the bustling street.

To get along with his future colleagues, Mu Cangyun, as the chief of this blessing ceremony, naturally came along. He was holding a milk tea, standing by the street, his brows slightly furrowed, quietly observing to the side. In the direction he was looking, a few other suitable ones were talking incessantly, their voices laced with undisguised panic.

“Three bases? That fast? Is it really true?”

“My cousin’s friend served on the Saint Paul… still haven’t contacted him… I guess the news is real.”

“The media hasn’t reported it, probably to avoid panic.”

“Of course… to destroy three air fortresses in one go. That new realm might really be on the level of the Seven Great Abyss.”

“This, what should we do…”

…

Mu Cangyun didn’t join the discussion, just quietly listened to their words.

Although those suitable ones were ordinary in strength, being the new generation of noble families, their information was quite valuable to Mu Cangyun.

As he took in their words, the chosen one’s expression grew heavier.

‘Shadow dragon, a new Abyss? Really not good news…’

‘Mu Cangyun had just become a chosen one. He needed stable development time. If the Covenant faced a huge crisis due to the birth of a new Abyss at this time, it would be a massive blow to his plans for steady growth. Right now, he couldn’t even deal with an A-level realm, let alone an Abyss-level threat…’

“Sigh.” Mu Cangyun sighed.

“Hey.” At the same time, he called out in his heart.

The target of his call was naturally his guide, “Bai.”

“Why have you been so quiet?” Mu Cangyun asked mentally.

After all, this system in his soul was usually very talkative, but now it had been silent for an unusually long time. That made him a bit curious.

In response, Bai paused for a few seconds before speaking again, his tone tinged with rare seriousness.

“That place… it’s still here.”

‘That place? What could make this guy’s tone change?’ Mu Cangyun was surprised.

“Do you mean the newly appeared realm? What kind of place is it?”

“Night Wish Palace.”

Mu Cangyun frowned. He had never heard of that name, but Bai’s tone made him uneasy.

“Night Wish Palace?”

“It’s a trial ground the goddess used in the early days to select chosen ones.” Bai’s voice lowered, losing its usual roguishness. He had no intention to hide anything, revealing all he knew.

“Back then, there was no proper guide system. To become a qualified chosen one, one had to challenge the Night Wish Palace.”

‘Challenge the Night Wish Palace? So it’s like a dungeon?’ “Clear stages, defeat the boss, and eventually gain the qualification?”

“No. It’s more like a survival game. As long as you can leave the Night Wish Palace alive, you pass.”

Hearing that, Mu Cangyun stopped breathing for a moment.

“Leave alive?”

“Yes. No matter the method, as long as you come out alive, you pass. And as for the passing rate, as far as I know, it’s less than ten percent…”

Hearing this, a chill ran down Mu Cangyun’s spine. ‘If you don’t pass, doesn’t that mean you die? After all, those qualified to become chosen ones were the blessed children of the goddess. And even such geniuses would likely die in that place?’

“What’s inside?” Mu Cangyun voiced his doubt.

“I don’t know the details either, since it predates my birth. I just didn’t expect it to appear here.”

Mu Cangyun’s expression grew even more grave.

But just as the new chosen one fell into silence, the crowd nearby suddenly stirred.

“The Saintess!”

“It’s the Saintess! Not a cosplayer! It’s the real Saintess!”

“The Saintess? Hurry! Let’s go see!”

…

‘Huh?’

Hearing the commotion, Mu Cangyun’s eyes narrowed. After a brief daze, he followed the sound.

Then he saw, at the end of the street, in front of a hospital, a pure white figure standing quietly. White hair cascaded like moonlight, a pure white long dress fell to her ankles, bare feet on the gray ground, hugging a patched, somewhat lopsided teddy bear. A white eye mask covered her eyes, revealing only a smooth forehead and delicate, unrealistically fine jawline.

She stood there like an angel who had wandered into the mortal world.

The moment he saw that exquisite face, Mu Cangyun froze in place.

The Saintess? It’s really her? Why is she here?

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