What a joke?!

How could a lower plane possibly have a being strong enough to withstand his full-powered strike?!

His strength was among the top in the Theodore plane!

"Damn it! Damn ants!!"

Celestine's face twisted with anger and frustration. He couldn't believe it!

This must be a coincidence—perhaps that plane had some special defensive mechanism.

Or maybe the other side used some kind of one-time forbidden artifact!

Blinded by rage, he ignored the severe backlash he was experiencing and slowly raised his hand again.

The remaining Holy Light energy began to gather recklessly!

He refused to believe the other side could withstand a second strike!

However, just as he was about to launch another attack, a terrifying, ancient pressure far greater than the domain corridor suddenly descended!

Buzz—!

In an instant, the space in the area Celestine occupied shattered like fragile glass.

Endless space storms and energy black holes materialized out of nowhere, emitting a chilling aura that froze one's very soul!

"Get out!"

A voice full of authority and anger rang directly in Celestine's soul!

For the first time, a look of horror appeared in Celestine's eyes.

He realized he had been locked onto by an unimaginable and incomprehensible existence!

"Not good! I almost forgot!!"

A shadow of death instantly engulfed his heart.

The obsession with revenge seemed laughable in the face of absolute life-threatening danger.

Reluctantly, he cast one last glance at the direction of the lower plane and then immediately turned, fleeing with the fastest speed of his life!

Outside the domain corridor.

The powerful beings of the Sanctum of Light were anxiously waiting.

Feeling the chaotic and terrifying energy fluctuations coming from the corridor, they furrowed their brows.

After all, this was a forbidden place even Celestine dared not linger in.

But this time, he had led them into this dangerous zone for the sake of vengeance, and many were already growing resentful.

Just then, the planar barrier ahead suddenly trembled violently.

The next moment, Celestine's disheveled figure burst out from within.

"Quick! Stabilize the portal!"

The temple warriors were startled, but they were well-prepared. They quickly joined forces to cast a massive Holy Light barrier to suppress the space turbulence that was trying to escape the corridor.

Boom!

After a deafening roar and blinding flash of light, Celestine barely managed to escape the domain corridor's range.

"Lord, how is the situation? Did you succeed?"

A temple priest asked with concern.

Celestine glanced at him, his face as dark as ever.

"Guess," he rasped, his voice filled with venom.

"Return to the temple immediately!"

And so, the group from the Sanctum of Light, having come in full force, returned in defeat.

Back at the Sanctum of Light, Celestine immediately announced he was entering a deep meditation state to recover, forbidding anyone from disturbing him.

Cough, cough... Damn it!

Inside the private chamber, Celestine coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, his face visibly pale.

"I don't believe it... You can't hide in that lower plane forever! The day you ascend will be the day you perish!"

His eyes burned with an unquenchable hatred.

This mission had not only failed to avenge him, but it had also left him severely injured, and he had wasted a precious fragment of Source of Holy Light—he had lost both his wife and his soldiers!

At the same time, outside the magnificent gates of the Sanctum of Light.

A woman dressed in a simple star-patterned robe, barefoot, slowly walked toward the temple.

Her gaze was deep, as if containing the endless vastness of the starry sky.

"Stop! This is the sacred ground of the Sanctum of Light. Outsiders must leave immediately!"

A holy knight guarding the temple immediately stepped forward to chastise her.

The woman seemed not to hear and continued walking toward the temple, her steps unhurried.

Within a few steps, her figure had already passed through the outer defense magic array and arrived at the temple's main gates.

Seeing this, the holy knight's expression changed dramatically. He was about to draw his sword and confront her.

A powerful guard captain hurried over.

"What's happening?"

The captain looked in the direction pointed by his subordinate.

Upon seeing what was happening, his face changed drastically. He immediately kneeled on one knee and performed the highest-ranking knight's salute.

"Princess Isabella!"

The holy knight, terrified, immediately dropped to his knees.

"Subordinate, paying respects to Princess!"

At that moment, the entire outer area of the Sanctum of Light was shaken.

The saintess had returned!

Isabella, the current saintess of the Sanctum of Light!

She was hailed as the most talented person in the history of the temple, even prophesied to possess unparalleled potential to reach the Ether realm!

She also had another identity.

She was the granddaughter of Lord Celestine!

"Where is my grandfather?"

Inside the temple, Isabella spoke with a neutral expression.

A temple priest quickly stepped forward and respectfully answered.

"Your Highness, Lord Celestine recently declared that he was entering a deep meditation."

"Deep meditation?"

Isabella frowned slightly.

"What about my sister Eileen?"

"Has she returned from the lower plane for her trials?"

She scanned the senior temple members in the room.

"This..."

The priest's face immediately revealed hesitation.

Seeing this, Isabella's heart was instantly filled with an ominous premonition.

Her expression darkened, and her voice turned icy.

"Tell me the truth! What exactly happened?!"

Isabella had always held a nearly compensatory affection for Eileen.

This feeling stemmed from the guilt deep within her heart that she couldn't shake off.

Since Eileen was born, she seemed to live in her elder sister's radiant shadow.

All the attention, praise, resources, and status were inevitably poured into Isabella, the chosen one.

And all Eileen could receive was the neglect of the corner.

This long-standing unfairness and neglect quietly twisted Eileen's heart.

In a bid to gain even the slightest attention, she began acting erratically, even intentionally violating temple laws, hoping to leave her mark on the family and the temple through extreme measures.

However, things didn't go as she hoped. Her actions not only failed to gain attention but instead led to her being shunned by most people.

Only later did the then-Lord Celestine, in a moment of conscience, begin to pay attention to this forgotten granddaughter.

He started to give Eileen some late-coming care and guidance.

But unfortunately, once wounds were inflicted, they were difficult to heal completely!

This explained why Eileen had taken such drastic actions, attempting to use forbidden magic to seize Lilith's fate's blessings.

Everything she did was to prove to everyone—and to herself—that she was not insignificant, that she had value, and that she could even shake the established fate!

Seeing the temple priest's hesitant expression, an ominous feeling surged in Isabella's heart.

Her calm eyes locked onto the priest before her.

In an instant, the priest felt a pressure from a higher life level descend upon him.

He could hardly breathe, and his soul trembled!

How terrifying was the rank of the saintess?!

Under Isabella's unquestionable gaze, the priest finally trembled and spoke the truth.

"Saintess... Eileen... her soul mark... has extinguished. She perished in that lower plane!"

Boom—!

A violent aura, mixed with sorrow and anger, erupted from Isabella's body!

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