Chapter 197: A desperate gap

“Just saying ‘sorry’ is enough for you? I think you’re nothing but a treacherous rat!”

Perletti trembled with rage as she lifted her lantern and prepared to charge forward—

Only for a warm hand to firmly press down on her shoulder.

She froze for a moment and abruptly turned around.

Judy had somehow broken free from the pressure. Her fiery red hair danced wildly in the wind.

“Big Sister Judy…?”

Her face was pale as paper, yet her eyes were incomparably resolute. She shielded Perletti behind her, voice hoarse but carrying unquestionable strength.

“This… is the grudge of our generation. It has nothing to do with you.”

She had already made up her mind.

The entanglements surrounding the Blood Witches and the tragedies of the elves were shackles left behind by the previous era.

Perletti was merely a child not even a hundred years old.

She should never have been dragged into this bloody storm.

Nor should she become anyone’s chess piece.

“But…”

Perletti still wanted to say something, only to be silenced by Judy’s stern gaze.

“Even if your Göttin has committed sins…” Judy’s voice softened slightly, carrying faint gentleness. “You’re still just a child.”

Suddenly, warmth surged through Perletti’s heart.

She had always believed that once her light element powers and Blood Feast were exposed, she would become the target of every witch’s hostility.

But Judy gave her an entirely different answer.

“You’re only a child. The past shouldn’t be your burden to bear.”

“What an unexpected development.”

Xiaomu’s voice rang out once more.

“I originally intended to invite everyone to enjoy a drink together within the palace gardens. It seems that opportunity no longer exists.”

She paused briefly before finally revealing the truth. Her voice passed clearly through the World Tree’s branches into everyone’s ears.

“There is not much time left before the ritual begins. Since matters have reached this point, there is no need for further concealment.”

“To the witches who possess the divine power of light elements—”

“The God of Nature has long since fallen. The elves cannot continue existing without a god’s protection.”

“Therefore, I shall ascend to godhood through the authority of the God of Nature sleeping within the World Tree.”

“However, this authority has remained dormant for too long. Only through your power can it fully awaken.”

“Pah! What pretty words! You just want to sacrifice us to this damned tree!”

One witch finally exploded in fury, cursing Xiaomu loudly, despair filling her eyes.

Xiaomu did not deny it.

“Yes.”

“When you allowed the witches to stay within the Elven Forest back then, this was already your plan from the start, wasn’t it?!”

Another witch demanded angrily.

“As for that…” Xiaomu replied calmly, “there is no need for me to explain myself to any of you.”

Her voice suddenly became vast and all-encompassing.

No longer did it come merely from her mouth.

Instead, it echoed from every leaf and branch of the World Tree itself, resounding across the entire Elven Forest and reaching every elf’s ears.

“The elves’ independence today was not achieved through the royal family’s efforts.”

“It was Night Witch Feiye—the close friend of the vampire queen—who single-handedly forced back the vampire army.”

“The close friend of the vampire queen? We witches have someone like that?”

Whispers instantly spread through the crowd.

Every witch present had lived for centuries at minimum, yet none had ever heard this name before.

“Caroline! Did you already know about this? Is that why you told us to flee toward the vampire border?!”

One witch suddenly turned toward Caroline, her voice filled with accusation.

“It’s only natural that you don’t know her.”

Xiaomu’s voice sounded again, carrying faint melancholy.

“She was solitary by nature and never showed herself over the centuries.”

“Back then, unable to bear watching both races slaughter one another, she offered herself as collateral and persuaded the vampire queen to withdraw her troops.”

“Otherwise, today’s elves would likely have long since become vampire livestock.”

“The elves’ centuries of peace were all built upon her sacrifice.”

“Besides myself, almost no one knew this.”

A trace of relief entered Xiaomu’s tone.

“Speaking of it now finally eases one burden in my heart.”

“Even if Feiye herself has long forgotten the matter, I neither dared nor wished to betray her sacrifice.”

“Therefore, when Isabena came seeking my help back then, even after Blood Witch Masha killed Diye, I still agreed to shelter the witches.”

Those past events could have remained buried forever.

Xiaomu could have lied and shifted every crime onto the witches instead.

But she couldn’t.

Some debts remained debts no matter what.

She could never overcome that guilt within herself.

“So… where is Feiye now?”

Caroline’s brows tightened further, urgency finally leaking into her voice.

She had been guessing Feiye’s whereabouts all this time.

In terms of strength, Feiye might not surpass Xiaomu—

But Feiye could summon Thyra.

That was their final trump card.

Yet now, Feiye had disappeared.

“Feiye has been placed under a sleeping spell and rests within my chambers.”

Xiaomu’s voice remained calm and emotionless.

“This spell will continue until the very moment my Seed of Life completely withers away.”

Over centuries, she had already mastered the World Tree’s authority to perfection.

Ascending to godhood had always been just one final step away.

The only obstacle had been the God of Decay, Danluo, within the World Tree.

Now that Danluo had departed, she could finally risk everything.

She knew these witches would never willingly offer themselves as sacrifices.

If gentle methods failed, force was the only remaining option.

As for Feiye…

Xiaomu simply did not want this benefactor to personally witness the elves “repaying kindness with betrayal.”

Eight hundred years of peace had been gifted by Feiye.

But the elves’ future ultimately had to be seized by their own hands.

At that moment—

A blazing red streak suddenly tore across the sky, carrying devastating force as it smashed directly toward Xiaomu!

Yet Xiaomu merely raised one hand and effortlessly blocked the attack.

Judy stood before the crowd, face deathly pale, veins bulging violently along the hand Xiaomu had caught.

Though hot-tempered, Judy was far from reckless.

Xiaomu still hadn’t attacked because the ritual preparations were not yet complete.

If they didn’t resist now, when would they?

“Tch… If you want to fight, then fight already! Stop standing around spouting nonsense!”

Judy cursed furiously, ruthlessness flashing through her eyes.

She knew ordinary magic was useless against Xiaomu.

So she gritted her teeth and poured every ounce of magical power in her body into her hand.

A point of white light quietly bloomed at her fingertips.

In an instant, that pure white radiance expanded with overwhelming force, swallowing everyone’s vision completely.

【Transcendent Magic • Supernova】

A deafening explosion erupted.

Terrifying heat waves swept outward while violent shockwaves blasted nearby witches into the air.

Perletti was no exception.

A tremendous impact hurled her backward, smashing her spine heavily against the invisible barrier.

Her throat sweetened as blood nearly sprayed from her mouth.

After an unknown amount of time, Perletti finally slowly opened her eyes.

The world before her spun violently.

Everything doubled and blurred while endless buzzing filled her ears like swarms of bees crashing around inside her skull.

White flames.

So this was Judy’s transcendent magic?

Just the aftershock alone had nearly shattered all her internal organs.

Struggling, Perletti supported herself against the barrier and slowly stood up.

Her heart sank lower and lower.

To imprison them, Xiaomu had actually constructed such an absurdly sturdy barrier around the World Tree.

That woman’s schemes were meticulous to a terrifying degree.

Grinding her teeth, Perletti looked toward Judy—

Only to see Judy kneeling on one knee.

One of her arms had turned charred black, the wound so severe bone was visible. Clearly, the spell’s backlash had nearly destroyed her.

Meanwhile, Xiaomu slowly emerged from behind layers of protective tree vines.

Her robes fluttered elegantly.

Her hair remained perfectly neat.

Not even a speck of dust had touched her dress.

She remained graceful and composed as ever.

“Do you see now?”

Xiaomu’s gaze swept across the pale-faced witches. Her voice was indifferent, carrying suffocating pressure.

“This is the gap between us. Resistance is meaningless. If you obediently wait for the ritual to begin…. …I can at least grant all of you a swift death. One that won’t be too painful.”