“Captain Rui Guo, the Mother Earth of the Watchers… I’ve long admired you.”

  After the dark spirit fully merged back into the black-robed crone, she stretched lazily, not even sparing Rui Guo a glance.

  Timo Yang remained dazed, a flicker of black light passing through his eyes before his consciousness slowly returned to reality.

  “I’ve always held you in high regard. To think our first meeting would be so… deadly.”

  The old woman descended unhurriedly from the altar, treating Rui Guo with complete disregard.

  Hearing this, Rui Guo was stunned. How could this half-dead, crown-wearing crone know her?

  She searched her entire past mentally but found no memory of this woman.

  “Evil Cultivators deserve death! Demon—no matter who you are, today you die!”

  Anyone who harmed innocent children and extracted their spirit-roots deserved execution, regardless of identity.

  Captain Guo’s killing intent surged. The colossal stone spike beneath her feet instantly transformed into a spear of solid steel, plummeting mercilessly toward the black-robed figure below.

  Yet the old woman made no move to dodge. She allowed the spiked boulder to crash down upon her, carving a deep crater into the ground—still, she did not act.

  “Spirit Lord!”

  The Ice-Evil Cultivator roared, mustering all her strength to coalesce the dark spiritual energy around her, freezing the iron cage that trapped her.

  With a final shriek, her Frost Breath shattered the cage. Black ice blades shot toward Rui Guo in a relentless barrage.

  Rui Guo didn’t bother evading. Protected by her tri-colored spiritual energy, the ice blades vaporized into mist before her eyes.

  Seeing this, the Ice-Evil Cultivator completely lost control. She levitated into the air, toxic fog mingling with spreading frost.

  As the poisonous mist expanded, Rui Guo simply flung the manacles hanging at her waist.

  The shackles shot out, binding the evil cultivator instantly. Her spirit-root was sealed; she collapsed to the ground, powerless.

  “This is the very aura that nearly took my son’s life! You won’t die easily. You will face the Watchers’ judgment!”

  “Auntie Guo! It really is you!”

  Once Timo Yang’s consciousness fully cleared, the first thing he saw was Auntie Guo’s towering figure nearby. Even the Evil Cultivator had been subdued.

  The black-robed crone who had tormented and tried to consume him was nowhere to be seen.

  Nearby, the massive boulder had left a deep pit in the ground.

  Freed from control, Timo hurried to Rui Guo’s side, searching frantically.

  “Just now… I saw Lulu!”

  “You saw correctly. That girl is locked on the wall! You little rascal—to help Fei gather intelligence, you’ll try anything!”

  “I’m sorry, Auntie Guo!”

  Hearing Lulu’s shout, Timo looked up and saw her pinned to the wall by stone manacles, helpless as a caged bird.

  Rui Guo shook her head in resignation. A flick of her finger, and the stone locks released. Lulu leaped down, landing beside Rui Guo in a few bounds.

  “Auntie Guo, you have no idea how dangerous it was! If I hadn’t pretended to join them, they would have eaten me! I don’t want to die that horribly!”

  “Hahaha…”

  The Ice-Evil Cultivator laughed maniacally at this. Even so, she found she didn’t despise the girl before her.

  “Still laughing? The Watchers’ judgment makes even ghosts tremble. You’ll be crying soon enough!”

  Lulu shed her playful demeanor, threatening the evil cultivator.

  “My tears dried up long ago. The Spirit Lord gave me rebirth! I believe she is deathless, undying!”

  Hearing the evil cultivator’s laughter, Timo suddenly remembered Fei.

  “Wait… Auntie Guo, there’s another Evil Cultivator! He controls fire energy! He’s the one who stole my Awakening Stone! He and this evil cultivator attacked Fei together!”

  “Under Mother Earth’s protection and with Yue’s healing arts, Fei will not die.”

  Hearing Timo’s words, Rui Guo focused her senses for a moment, confirming no other high-level energy masters were present.

  Yet the pervasive necrotic energy here made her deeply uneasy.

  Rui Guo studied the Ice-Evil Cultivator before her. Her powerful spiritual pressure forced the evil cultivator’s head down.

  Just as she was about to interrogate her, Lulu’s shout interrupted.

  “Auntie Guo, what about these children?”

  Somehow, Lulu had already reached the control panel and shut down the energy-draining devices.

  “Their spirit-roots have been extracted. I’m afraid from now on, they can only be… Nulls.”

  “Hmph! That is your limited view! Before our Spirit Lord, these children can become first-class warriors!”

  Rui Guo wasn’t angered by the evil cultivator’s interruption, only puzzled.

  It was true that Nulls could become warriors through physical training, but the gap in power compared to energy masters was vast.

  “Short-sighted. You’ll never achieve greatness. So this is the strength of the ancient Watchers…”

  As Rui Guo prepared to let the evil cultivator continue, the old woman’s voice suddenly echoed through the air.

  Rui Guo felt the atmosphere grow oppressive, an aura suddenly swelling to overwhelming intensity.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Hearing the voice, Timo noticed dark vapors seeping from everywhere, converging beneath the massive boulder.

  Then, with a thunderous BOOM, the boulder tore free from the ground and hurtled toward Rui Guo.

  “No! She’s not dead!”

  Rui Guo reacted instantly, catching the colossal rock with her bare hands and hurling it aside. It smashed through a stone door behind her, skidding far down the corridor.

  Amidst the Ice-Evil Cultivator’s maniacal laughter, the black-robed crone emerged from the crater, levitating, her body radiating necrotic energy.

  A closer look at the boulder revealed the spikes on its underside had long turned to dust.

  “I decide who lives and who dies! Today, I will kill you, Mother Earth, then transform you into my servant. A fitting outcome.”

  As she spoke, the black-robed woman floated higher. With a wave of her hand, the spirit stones within the glass containers began flying toward her.

  As the multi-hued stones shattered one by one, the released spiritual energy was sucked into her body.

  The crone transformed from a withered husk into a middle-aged woman—full-figured, vibrant, brimming with vitality, the ruby crown upon her head.

  Rui Guo tried to attack, but an immense spiritual force instantly suppressed her. In all her long life, she had never felt so helpless.

  Just as she thought this was the woman’s full power, the crone—her eyes now glowing—turned her gaze to the Ice-Evil Cultivator.

  “Offer me everything. When this ends, I shall grant you rebirth.”

  Hearing this, the Ice-Evil Cultivator stood up with pious devotion.

  The shackles binding her shattered. Gathering her spiritual energy, she floated toward her master.

  The Spirit Lord opened her mouth and drained the evil cultivator’s energy dry.

  By the time the Ice-Evil Cultivator became a desiccated corpse, the Spirit Lord’s body shimmered with white light.

  Rui Guo could only feel the spiritual energy saturating every corner of the crypt.

  Her Tri-Element power seemed insignificant before this force.

  “Behold the true might of a Spirit-Driving Evil Cultivator!”

  As the light faded, Rui Guo’s eyes widened. Five-colored radiance now encircled the black-robed Spirit Lord.

  Rui Guo stared in stunned disbelief.

  “You… you were slain in battle long ago!”

  The woman’s face filled Rui Guo with shock. This was the former Holy Lord of the Sanctuary, whose statue stood in the Hall of Heroes.

  “Hahaha… Her soul was merely my offering. Now, it’s your turn!”

  With the black-robed woman’s shriek, the power of Five Elements coalesced around her, five-colored spiritual energy swirling over her form.

  Rui Guo had no time to think. She gathered her Tri-Element energy, her body swelling even more gigantic, ready for a final, desperate fight.

  Just as the Spirit Lord was about to strike, she glimpsed a dark figure flash past and burst into the crypt.

  “You! Since you’re here, why haven’t you acted?”

  The moment the Spirit Lord’s words fell, a bolt of black lightning shot from the darkness. Rui Guo had no time to evade. It pierced straight through her body.

  The Five Elements Descend

  “Auntie Guo!”

  Lulu and Timo Yang cried out in unison.

  By the time the two children reacted, a bolt of crimson-black lightning had already struck Rui Guo.

  Rui Guo staggered but refused to retreat. How could she let harm come to the children behind her?

  A violent explosion of crimson-black electricity erupted between her and the black-clad figure.

  The shockwave spiderwebbed massive cracks across walls and floor.

  Only the space directly behind Rui Guo remained untouched.

  She knew this was an energy master of her own level. In recent decades, few had reached elemental peak—let alone broken through.

  The Ice-Evil Cultivator, devoured earlier, had only escaped her cage thanks to necrotic power.

  But this masked figure was different.

  Their power came purely from the Five Elemental Forces—and their lightning was far stronger than ordinary.

  Corrupted by necrotic energy, this mutated lightning struck Rui Guo head-on. Cracks instantly spread from her neck, fracturing across her skin.

  This defensive layer was an earth master’s final life-preserving technique—just like Fei’s.

  Its weakness was the neck. It couldn’t withstand a blow this strong.

  “Traitor!”

  As the defensive coloration faded, Rui Guo truly felt the necrotic aura’s oppression.

  Venturing this deep into cursed land was a first for her.

  Eyes wide, she analyzed the figure’s build and movements, searching for identity.

  The disguise was flawless. Even after breaking her defense, they remained cautious.

  Rui Guo’s body continued expanding—now twice her opponent’s size.

  Thud. Thud.

  Two heavy stomps; her bare feet sank deep into the earth.

  Thud. Thud.

  Two more—she drove both hands in like a bear.

  This stance was Mother Earth’s ultimate technique: fusion with the land itself.

  The black-clad figure wisely avoided direct confrontation. Objective achieved, they melted back into shadows.

  Rui Guo burned with rage. In all Watchers’ territory, only five knew her weakness.

  All former comrades. Captain Yang and Canglan had fallen. Who could it be? None wielded lightning in her memory.

  As thoughts raced, her body resonated with earth’s spiritual energy. The shattered defense slowly restored.

  For the first time, strain showed on Captain Guo’s face. If the Spirit Lord struck full force now, she and the children would likely perish.

  Lulu and Timo sensed her concern. Exchanging a nod, they gathered their faint spiritual energy.

  Then they stepped closer, standing firm at her sides—guarding left and right.

  High above in the clouds, the Saint-Emissary sensed the Five-Element surge. His closed eyes snapped open.

  “Found it!”

  The three Guardians set down their roasted meat.

  “Found what? The Spirit-Driving Evil Cultivator?” Guardian Mo could hardly believe it.

  “Where a Spirit-Driver appears, chaos follows!” Guardian Jin’s face darkened with worry.

  “Then what are we waiting for? I’ve wandered enough—stuck half a year, eating and drinking all day. I’ve gotten fat!” Guardian Zhu patted his belly, beard bristling.

  The Saint-Emissary offered no explanation. With a lift of his gaze, a rift tore open.

  He stepped through first; the three Guardians followed.

  Back in the crypt, the black-clad figure watched Rui Guo from shadows above.

  Seeing her draw earth energy, they seized the moment for another fierce strike.

  Just as they closed in, a blue figure intercepted—Lulu’s novice lightning.

  The move horrified Rui Guo. Impressed by the girl’s rapid progress, but a novice against that opponent was an egg striking rock.

  Meanwhile, Timo sensed air disturbance. Black light flickered in his eyes.

  His consciousness briefly left his body, riding wind into the black-clad figure.

  For one breath, Timo awoke within the other.

  Though momentary, the figure hesitated noticeably before Timo’s spirit was violently yanked back.

  BOOM!

  A deafening crash—stone mountain erupted from the ground, blocking the strike.

  “Hmph! Even if you truly are a Spirit-Driving Evil Cultivator, I, Rui Guo, will fight you today! As long as I stand upon the earth, my power is endless!”

  With her roar, the tiled floor heaved.

  Small stone mountains rose, isolating experiment platforms and children in a labyrinthine maze.

  The black-clad figure, forced to land, found paths blocked by peaks—sharp spikes erupting. Thrown into disarray, they vanished again.

  “Now this is the strength an ancient legion should possess! But before me… it is still insufficient!”

  The maze half-formed when the Spirit Lord’s mocking laugh cut through. Everything froze.

  Rui Guo didn’t understand. She only felt her spiritual energy sealed—impossible to summon.

  “Before me, all living beings are ants! Your death shall be sung by generations…”

  The Spirit Lord spread her hands. In her vision, Rui Guo was merely energy conduit. Restricting her was clamping a pipe.

  Everything around her was a puzzle—she could rearrange and distort at will.

  “This feeling… is truly exquisite!”

  The Spirit Lord extended five fingers, about to scramble surrounding space.

  Suddenly, energy rippled. A rift tore open.

  The Saint-Emissary stepped through, followed by three Guardians.

  Recognizing them, the Spirit Lord was stunned—completely unexpected.

  “The power of Five Elements is truly a spectacle!”

  The gray-robed leader showed no surprise, examining the Spirit Lord appreciatively.

  Seeing the four and their Sanctuary emblems, Rui Guo thought: So it really is the Sanctuary. Hiding above the wastes a month… now they appear.

  “Emissary Pan! Perfect timing! Rui Guo of the Watchers, a traitor, insulted the Holy Lord. She must be executed!”

  Emissary Pan had broken through thirty years ago. Addressed as “Emissary,” he smiled faintly.

  Observing the shimmering Five-Element energy, he waved a sleeve. Spatial illusion dissipated—beneath the crown, no full-figured woman, but a dark spirit.

  “We left you a legacy as great leader, yet you remain obstinate, defiling this world with necrotic power…”

  “Hahaha… Hypocritical dogs! You dare lecture me?!”

  Before words faded, the dark spirit gathered five-colored energy. Space trembled and warped; everything began tearing.

  “Return to One!”

  The Saint-Emissary spoke calmly, exerting spatial power to mend the rifts.

  Yet he fell short, strain showing.

  The three Guardians, hearing the command, channeled their spiritual energy into him, stabilizing the distortion.

  “Her vessel has reached its limit. Mother Earth, join us. Infuse your energy to purify her!”

  With that, the Emissary channeled all his spiritual energy into the dark spirit’s shell.

  Everyone watched as energy flooded the woman’s form. Empowered, surrounded by five-colored spiritual wind, for a moment she seemed a deity descended.

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