"Heavy Pressure Shock Wave." A thunderous boom seemed to descend from the heavens.

The air compressed and locked tight.

Flora attempted to raise her hand to erect a shield, but the surrounding space tightened like iron bands, instantly cutting off the flow of magic power.

"Crack—!"

She heard her shoulder bone fracture with her own ears, and in the next moment, she was slammed onto the ice surface by the heavy pressure, spewing blood and losing all sensation in her right arm.

As she fell, she only saw the slender figure on the rock platform above violently shaking.

It was Dilin.

The ringing in her ears spread throughout the whole world.

The sensory light web shattered, and magic power flowed out like blood from her veins.

He staggered back a step, as if the world was spinning.

Finally, his already overextended body collapsed, eyes open yet unfocused.

"Force retreat!" Flora ordered desperately, blood trickling from the corners of her lips.

The Ice Frost Array suddenly deployed, she swung her broken magic staff, "Ice Wall, Fog Barrier Technique, Ice Shock Burst," all accomplished in one breath, sealing off the cliff entrance along the withdrawal route.

Thick fog spread, and layers of ice walls stacked up, exploding amidst vibrations in an attempt to block the enemy's advance.

The Wind Mage roared, unleashing waves of fierce winds, disturbing the sight of the insect corpse warriors.

The insect corpse warriors pressed forward, fearless.

They surged like tidal waves, hunting cruelly amid blood and snow.

To fight for a chance of survival, five mages stepped forward to cover the retreat.

Bursting Technique, Magma Trap, Thunder Strike Technique exploded in succession, shattering the mountain and collapsing the rock layers.

Devouring the enemies, they also swallowed up their last images.

One was torn apart by the insect corpses, two were pierced by giant claws, and the rest were pushed into the valley bottom by the shock wave, leaving no remains.

Flora forced herself to lunge into the snow towards the unconscious Dilin, attempting to drag him with a shield—

Only to be hit next by Lake's "Fixed Pressure Fall Strike".

Bang!!!

The space seemed to collapse instantly, compressed into a giant hammer that smashed down.

She was slammed hard into the ice surface, her ribs shattered, the flow of magic power within her became chaotic, nearly fainting.

"Take... him away!!"

Flora shouted furiously, coughing blood, as seven survivors bit their teeth and, on the verge of magic power collapse, strained to lift Dilin and drag Flora out with difficulty.

Amidst the flying snow, flames and explosions intertwined behind them.

In the end, less than a quarter of the mage corps escaped with their lives.

On the other side, in front of the Snow Swearer altar.

Silent cold snow fell, the air seemed stagnant.

On the high platform, the Desperate Witch in a pitch-black ceremonial robe stood quietly.

His figure was slender, with fingers pale like dead wood, yet he traced elegant and eerie arcs in the air as if controlling a puppet.

"Tsk tsk... a few kittens actually managed to crawl away from the sacrificial altar." His voice was like the crackling of ice bells, or the buzzing of insects from decaying flesh, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Oh well," he whispered, a gentle yet hollow smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "Today is indeed a day worthy of celebration."

He turned slowly, his ceremonial robe trailing the ground like ink pouring over still-liquid blood.

The blood flowed silently along his path, as if paving a red carpet leading to the Abyss.

And beneath his feet, within the sleeping black rock layer, a colossal foreign entity slowly awoke.

The giant insect cocoon that covered the stone bones began to pulse, the sound of its writhing akin to waves crashing on the shore, causing the entire plateau to subtly resonate.

Sticky cracks opened from the core, and thousands of insect eggs bubbled and shattered in the blood plasma, emitting a putrid scent.

Below the high platform, the not-so-uniform cheers of thousands of Snow Swearer warriors were intoxicating.

He would personally unveil this grand chaos planned for many years.

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