In an instant, everyone's expression changed drastically. If the black sphere of light exploded, releasing the black lightning within, what would that mean? Everyone knew perfectly well that the entire bar would be instantly leveled by the powerful electric field, and no one except the two powerful individuals would survive. Theodore's face turned ashen: "William, do you want to suffer mutual destruction?"
A trickle of dark blood flowed from the corner of Duke William's mouth. He remained silent, instead pounding even harder and faster into the weakest point of the folded space. The powerful dark mental force field nearly forced the structural points of the barrier together, threatening to collapse in the blink of an eye. Theodore, meticulous in his planning, had blocked all exits upon entering the barrier. William had no choice but to force his way out, shattering the barrier in the process. Fortunately, he was a powerful figure of dukely strength; this powerful and bizarre barrier was no match for him.
With a cracking sound, like shattering glass, the barrier finally showed a tiny crack after Duke William's desperate pounding. Duke William's shadow immediately transformed into a wisp of black smoke and slipped out through the gap, which was less than a centimeter wide.
"Theodore, don't get your hopes up. Either you quickly use your damned holy light to quell my dark lightning, or you're prepared to pay with the lives of everyone to kill me. I know the weaknesses in the hearts of you hypocrites. You can't bear to see your subordinates die, and you can't kill me either. I've remembered this. You just wait, we Dark Blood Clan will definitely exact a bloody revenge on your Arbitration Council!"
Outside the barrier, Duke William's angry voice echoed through the air, gradually fading into the distance. Clearly, William was fleeing rapidly as he spoke. As a proud and powerful vampire grand duke, the repeated escapes were a blow to his vanity, but he had no choice; if he fought for honor, he might lose his life.
Theodore, the Vice-Chief Arbitrator, wore a grim expression, like dark clouds gathering before a storm. He hadn't expected William to pull this stunt. If he hadn't used his Light Spiritual Field to control the black lightning, he might have been able to intercept William, but the three Arbitrators behind him would certainly have perished, and the two human girls in the corner would likely have been killed as well. And if the power of the dark lightning were dissipated, Duke William might even have escaped to the sea.
He lacked Duke William's ruthless decisiveness, capable of disregarding the lives of Marquises Banier and Gaia. Every arbitrator was an invaluable asset to the Arbitration Council; once lost, they were difficult to replace. Superhumans were rare enough, but those with devout faith in God were even rarer. Rather than potentially injuring or killing a vampire duke, it was better to preserve the lives of his three priceless subordinates. Otherwise, even if he killed Duke William, Theodore would likely receive no reward upon returning to the Arbitration Council; he might even be lucky to escape blame.
In fact, it wasn't that William didn't want to save his two subordinates, but he was in dire straits himself and had no choice but to decisively abandon the two unfortunate marquises. Even so, William was seriously injured by the Holy Flame of Light and would not be able to recover for at least a year and a half. The vampires suffered a huge loss, and the Remore family lost all its elites and would not be able to recover for a long time.
With a frustrated sigh, Theodore extended a finger, and a soft holy light emanated from his fingertip, instantly transforming into a winding, milky-white band of light that slowly wrapped around the black sphere of light about to erupt. The power of the Holy Flame of Light gradually receded to prevent a more intense burst of dark lightning from triggering.
The black sphere of light thwarted its expansion, attempting to burst, but the omnipresent holy light suppressed this force, precisely controlling it to the brink of explosion. Simultaneously, it slowly eroded the power of the black lightning, like peeling away layers of a cocoon. With each rotation of the light band, the black sphere shrank, its dark luster gradually dimming before it began to shrink further.
A few minutes later, Theodore finally withdrew the holy light. The band of light traced a perfect S-shape in space before flowing back into Theodore's hand. The black sphere of light had become a bright black dot, which, under the gaze of the power of light, flashed and disappeared in an instant.
"Thanks be to the Lord for his glory, which allows me to destroy the evil creatures of darkness. Amen." Theodore's expression became solemn. He devoutly made the sign of the cross on his chest, clasped his hands together, and slowly said this. Then he began to chant an unnamed hymn indistinctly.
The three judges behind him also adopted the same posture, lowering their heads and closing their eyes as they sang hymns of praise to God.
Xiao Rou and Xia Lan exchanged glances. Both women were well-traveled and knowledgeable, but neither had ever dealt with the Arbitration Institute before. Seeing the arbitrators' special ceremony naturally filled them with novelty and curiosity. Moreover, both women simultaneously noticed that after Theodore and the others sang the hymn, the aura of light indeed became stronger. This aura brought an exceptionally warm, comfortable, and bright feeling, even carrying a sacred quality that cleansed the soul. For a moment, they both felt refreshed and invigorated.
"Honorable Vice-Chief Arbitrator Theodore, and the three Arbitrators, greetings! I am Xia Lan, the deputy leader of Group One from the China Superpower Headquarters. This is my friend Gu Xiaorou. We were trapped here by vampires and berserkers. Thanks to your rescue, we were able to escape. Thank you so much!" After the four finished reciting, Xia Lan immediately stepped forward, first introducing herself and Gu Xiaorou with a smile, then expressing her gratitude, and specifically mentioning the name of the Superpower Headquarters. Although the Arbitration Institute has always been known for its glorious and positive image, who knows if they might also have greedy thoughts of robbery when facing the Heavenly Eye? Therefore, Xia Lan's words also contained a hint of testing.
Theodore and the three adjudicators were simultaneously taken aback. They hadn't expected that these two stunningly beautiful young women were actually superhumans from the Chinese Superhuman Headquarters. What a coincidence! Theodore was relatively unfazed, but the three adjudicators' eyes lit up. Clearly, the two graceful and beautiful young women had greatly impressed them. Although they were devout to God and adhered to ascetic doctrines, this did not prevent the young adjudicators from having the right to pursue beauty.
"Oh, so it's Ms. Xia Lan from the China Superpower Headquarters. My apologies for not recognizing you sooner." Theodore was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered and smiled faintly. "More than ten years ago, I accompanied the Chief Arbitrator to meet your Chief Instructor Tang Tiejin. Mr. Tang left a deep impression on me. The China Superpower Headquarters and the Arbitration Institute have always had a good relationship. It's a great honor that I can take this opportunity to save you today."
Xia Lan was overjoyed, finally relieved. Judging from Theodore's attitude, the Arbitration Institute and the Superpower Headquarters clearly had a good relationship. Moreover, Theodore seemed unaware of the Heavenly Eye incident, or perhaps he was pretending not to know to avoid embarrassment for both sides. At least, the two women no longer needed to worry about hostility.
"Lord Theodore, what brings you here? Did you know in advance that Duke William and his party would be coming here?" Xia Lan asked after thinking for a moment. One powerful figure after another appeared in this small underground bar, and in a specially set-up isolation barrier. If no one had set a trap, even a ghost wouldn't believe it.
Just as Theodore was about to answer, he suddenly felt a tightness in his heart, as if some nameless entity was crawling through his mind. A faint black aura flashed across his face, causing Theodore's expression to change drastically.
Chapter 266 The Gu of Barriers
Not only Theodore, but everyone in the underground bar had a drastic change in expression. Almost everyone felt an unnamed presence slowly crawling through their minds. The mental field of a superhuman is sensitive. Apart from special superhumans like Ling Yun who occasionally act crazy, very few people would have a vague feeling. If such an indistinct presence were to occur, it would usually indicate danger or that someone else was using a mental attack technique.
Since it's a feeling that crawls through the heart, it's not a simple illusion, but a truly real existence. This indicates that an inexplicable unknown has entered everyone's heart, whether in the actual heart or merely in pure consciousness. The method doesn't matter; what matters is that this entry wasn't permitted by anyone, signifying a powerful intrusion.
Immediately following, an aura of despair, cruelty, and ruthlessness slowly rose from the depths of everyone's hearts. This aura was so cold and so cruel that it involuntarily instilled boundless chill in people's hearts. Intense negative emotions began to rise rapidly, repeatedly accumulating until they reached their peak in the blink of an eye. Everyone even couldn't help but have thoughts of going mad, wanting to kill those around them and then torture themselves to death. The aura of bloodshed and slaughter began to intensify, forming a force field that was almost tangible.
Xiao Rou and Xia Lan both groaned at the same time, taking a step back. Their mental energy fields emanated from their bodies, instantly enveloping every part of them as they struggled against the overwhelming negative emotions. Their two beautiful, snow-white faces were filled with expressions of pain and endurance, and their pearly white teeth almost bit their thin lips.
Theodore and the three Arbitrators were in no better shape. The power of light was constantly being released, trying to dispel the negative and dark emotions. Holy light is usually the best and most effective weapon to suppress dark emotions, but for some reason, this negative aura seemed to be sprouting from the depths of everyone's hearts. While it was being constantly wiped away by the holy light, it was also constantly growing, as if it had taken root in the depths of consciousness, gradually growing stronger and then branching out. The power of light was shrinking more and more, while the negative aura was growing stronger and stronger.
In the blink of an eye, the Arbitrators could no longer suppress the madness emanating from their hearts. Their faint holy light flashed for a moment in defiance before fading completely. Their pristine white robes were instantly shrouded in a thin layer of gray. The three young Arbitrators suddenly closed their eyes tightly, and when they opened them again, their previously bright and confused eyes had turned blood red.
The three exchanged a glance, when suddenly a thick, blood-red light surged from their grey robes. After a bloodcurdling scream, three thick beams of blood-red light, unleashed with all their might, shot from each of their hands and clashed violently. With a deafening boom, the colliding beams of blood-red light merged into a sea of blood composed entirely of negative energy, instantly filling the narrow space of the underground barrier.
"What are you doing?! Have you forgotten your devotion to the Lord? Wake up!" Theodore shouted angrily. Although the feeling of suffocation in his heart was getting tighter and tighter, he could still remain sober thanks to the strength of the vice arbitrator.
Upon hearing the deputy chief arbitrator's thunderous roar, the three arbitrators froze for a moment, each with an expression of utter agony, their hands clutching their heads as they trembled uncontrollably. Years of piety and a mad, negative energy were locked in a fierce and agonizing battle within their consciousness. The deputy chief arbitrator's summons had plunged them into a battlefield no less intense than war itself. On one side was the noble aura of light, and on the other, the dark terror that constantly bred negative emotions. These two opposing yet equally powerful forces engaged in a tug-of-war, utterly ravaging their fragile and peaceful consciousness.
With three soft thuds, as the battle of consciousness reached its climax in a very short time, the young adjudicators finally succumbed to the overwhelming pressure, collapsing to the ground, coughing up blood, and losing consciousness instantly. Their mental state had been severely damaged, and although they still had the breath of life, it was unknown whether they would be able to wake up.
Theodore watched helplessly as his three carefully selected subordinates collapsed to the ground in the blink of an eye. These were his students, whom he had trained for many years, yet they had been severely injured by a mysterious mental attack in this nameless underground bar. In that instant, his heart was breaking and his eyes were bloodshot. He frantically raised his hands, and countless milky-white holy lights emanated from them. In the blink of an eye, the power of light filled the entire barrier space like a deep sea, and countless holy flames, as bright as lotus flowers, danced and burned away everything that might be considered dark energy.
Xia Lan's slender and graceful body trembled incessantly. She was exceptionally gifted and incredibly intelligent, far surpassing ordinary people. However, this also shaped her complex and impure personality, making her most susceptible to the negative influences. Her consciousness was already blurred, filled with mad and murderous thoughts. If it weren't for her equally resolute and courageous character, which had been forcing her to endure, she probably would have lost control of herself long ago.
A faint yet pure spiritual energy field suddenly enveloped her cloud-like hair, instantly dispelling most of the negative energy. Xia Lan opened her small mouth, breathing slightly, her gentle, flowing eyes seeing a snow-white, soft hand steadily dispelling the frenzied thoughts in her mind—it was Gu Xiaorou, whose face was also pale. She gave a bitter smile, about to say thank you, but a feeling of being struck by lightning suddenly exploded deep within her consciousness. Xia Lan felt as if something had slammed into her forehead, and after spitting out a mouthful of blood, her consciousness plunged into darkness.
Xiao Rou knelt on one knee, too weak to stand upright. Negative energy was also growing within her, but since undergoing the simulation within the yellow book's barrier and the second-layer mental energy field's balancing consciousness cultivation, she could barely cope with this sudden mental attack. However, the negative energy was swift and increasingly intense, and coupled with her assistance to Xia Lan, her resistance was weakening, her consciousness gradually becoming blurred, and in the blink of an eye, her slender body was about to sway and collapse to the ground.
Theodore strode over to Xiaorou's side, silently chanted two lines of a sacred hymn, then flipped his palms, and two beams of holy light gently emanated from them, striking Xiaorou and Xia Lan. Both women shuddered simultaneously; Xia Lan groaned and slowly awoke, while Xiaorou exhaled deeply, immediately feeling much better.
Theodore's face showed a trace of pain. Although he was the strongest among them, the negative aura also had the greatest impact on his consciousness. It was like a raging flood constantly assaulting his consciousness. If it weren't for the pure consciousness he had cultivated over the years and the powerful light energy supporting him, Theodore's performance at this moment would probably be worse than Xiaorou's.
Although the power of light could continue to sustain it, Theodore was not an inexhaustible sun. In just a moment, the powerful Vice-Arbitrator began to feel the strain, while the rampant negative energy seemed endless. The Holy Light could only barely dispel the surface negative energy, but could not eradicate it completely.
Most importantly, no one, including Theodore, could understand where this negative emotion came from. It seemed to have appeared suddenly, and there must be an unknown entity launching an attack. However, even with Theodore's strength, he could not find the unknown or lurking enemy.
"Your Excellency Vice-Chief Arbitrator, have you found any flaws?" Xiao Rou asked through gritted teeth. She struggled to lift Xia Lan's head and hold it in her arms. The dark aura was growing too fast. Although there was the dual suppression of the mental field and holy light, there was still an omnipresent aura of madness emerging. It seemed that the air in the entire barrier was filled with invisible negative energy, which could be generated almost endlessly.
The pure white holy light had just been emitted when it was shrouded in a layer of lifeless gray. The aura of darkness could coexist with the power of light, and it was becoming increasingly resistant. The holy light had to expend more power to erode even a small portion of the negative aura, but in the blink of an eye, more and more solid negative aura arose again. The three of them even had a strange feeling that this aura was no longer just growing in their hearts, but outside their bodies, within the barrier, and in every place they could see and feel. They were just struggling in a sea of negative aura and would be swallowed up sooner or later.
"No, we can't find it, and we can't get out for the time being. I can't use any more of my Light Spiritual Field power to break the barrier's restrictions," Theodore said with a wry smile.
Xia Lan slightly parted her bloodless lips, and in just a moment, a layer of gray appeared on her jade-like face. The girl's eyes contained unparalleled pain, and she even thought that dying immediately would be much better than enduring this omnipresent pain.
"What should we do?" After a long while, Xia Lan finally spoke slowly. The joy of thinking that she had escaped was immediately gone. This time, however, it was even more terrifying because she didn't even know where the enemy was.
Xiao Rou frowned slightly. Her mind was much purer and calmer than Xia Lan's. Therefore, even while being eroded by the negative energy, she was still able to focus on understanding its characteristics. Since she couldn't find the source of the attack from the outside, she could only look for the cause within the dark negative energy itself.
For some reason, this dark and negative aura gave her a sense of déjà vu, as if she had seen it or experienced it before. Her memory was usually very clear, but this feeling had become unusually vague, which in itself meant that the dark aura had had a huge impact on her.
"Have you discovered anything, Ms. Gu Xiaorou?" Theodore's eyes flickered, and he had already noticed Xiaorou's difference. Despite the immense pressure, he still did not forget his humble and polite nature.
Xiao Rou thought for a moment and said, "I should have seen the nature of this negative aura. There is another attack method that is very similar to it, but because the negative emotions are attacking my mental body right now, I can't clearly grasp anything or find the source of the attack."
Theodore felt a slight disappointment and couldn't help but sigh. Xiaorou's words, while offering some insight, were mostly nonsense. Was he really going to die here today? Or was the mysterious person who delivered the message simply trying to trap him inside?
"If only he were here, he would definitely be able to find out the reason." Xiaorou sighed and said, her eyes suddenly softening and her tone becoming gentle, as if she were looking at her lover with deep affection.