The sun slowly sank into the mountains, and night fell on the Western Territory.

The envoy group found an open space not far from the road and set up tents.

A bonfire was quickly lit in the middle of the tents. The warriors took off their armor, stretched their weary bodies, and sat in a circle around the bonfire, boiling water and cooking porridge.

Ailixiya went into the tent with a basin of hot water. "High Priest, please wash your face."

"Thank you." Mira smiled and nodded, dipping the towel into the water. "We'll arrive at Border Town tomorrow. It's been a tiring journey."

"Compared to dealing with evil beasts, this is nothing," she replied. "However, your riding skills have impressed me. I thought priests were not good at traveling long distances."

"Haha, I wasn't born a priest. When I used to be a merchant, riding a horse was a common thing." Mira wiped the dust and sweat off her face with the towel and handed the basin to the female warrior. "Wash yourself too. How are you feeling now?"

"What?" Ailixiya was taken aback.

"About the Divine Punishment Army," the priest shook her head with a smile. "Your mood is written all over your face. Is it because of Abrams' words?"

"..." She took the basin without answering.

"We will encounter many difficulties and challenges. If we cannot overcome these thresholds, not only the church but the entire world will suffer. To block those terrible enemies, sometimes sacrifice is necessary," Mira said. "It's a difficult choice, but don't forget the Church's Proverb."

"Choose the lesser of two evils," Ailixiya said softly.

"That's right. To measure whether the price is worth it, you have to see what the purpose is. Most importantly, the Divine Punishment Army's transformation ceremony is completely voluntary. When Abrams' brother decided to become a member of the Divine Punishment Army, he was already prepared to dedicate himself to the Church. This is a noble ideal, and his name will be engraved on the Tablet of Glory, passed down with the Church's glory."

"Thank you for your guidance," Ailixiya said, touching her chest with her right hand. "I feel much better."

The High Priest was right. They all dedicated themselves to follow the glory of God. No matter what the result, the Divine Punishment Army at least followed their own beliefs. Thinking of this, she felt that the depression in her chest had dissipated a lot.

"I'm glad I could help you," Mira chuckled. "Let's go out for dinner. They should have prepared it already. To be honest, I've been drinking porridge lately, and my tongue can hardly distinguish the taste."

"Fortunately, today is the last day," Ailixiya also laughed. "Tomorrow we should be able to enjoy the lord's personal hospitality and a sumptuous banquet."

After eating a bland dinner, the Inquisitor chose the night watchmen. The Inquisitorial Warriors who were not assigned tasks went into the tents and went to bed early. Ailixiya was no exception. She and the priest returned to the tent, put out the oil lamp, and covered themselves with bedding.

Not knowing how much time had passed, just as she was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly heard a slight muffled sound in her ear—like something falling to the ground. Soon, there was a second sound.

This time, she also heard the sound of armor touching the ground. It was not obvious, but it was definitely not an illusion.

Her eyes snapped open.

Rolling over and getting up, Ailixiya quickly grabbed the two-handed sword beside her and slowly leaned against the edge of the tent, preparing to lift a corner to observe the situation. On the other side, the Inquisitor's roar had already come, "Enemy attack! Warriors, engage!" The roar broke the silence of the night, and the camp instantly boiled.

Then there was a loud noise!

The Inquisitor's voice came to an abrupt halt.

She no longer hesitated, rolled out of the tent, and saw that the Inquisitor's great sword had been split in half. No... not only his sword, but the Inquisitor himself was split open. Blood shot into the sky, and illuminated by the bonfire, he knelt down weakly, his body separated to both sides, slowly falling at the feet of a woman.

This

The woman holding a strange giant sword was the attacker. She was completely covered in a black robe, and the hood covered her face. Under the shadow of the brim, Ailixiya only saw a pair of golden pupils shining brightly.

Two more Inquisitorial Soldiers rushed up, but in front of that terrifying weapon, the two men's resistance was futile. The enemy took away a warrior with one slash, and split both man and sword again. The loud noise came from the moment the weapons collided, sparks and debris splashed everywhere, followed by the sound of blades rubbing against flesh and bones. This nightmare-like sound almost froze the female warrior's blood.

"It's a witch!" someone exclaimed.

The enemy is only her... The person who dares to attack the Inquisitorial Army with her own strength, apart from the fallen who have obtained the power of the devil, there is no other possibility!

"Take the priest away!" Ailixiya suddenly heard a steady voice in her ear.

She turned her head and saw that it was Abrams.

"You actually want me to leave my companion and leave first?" Ailixiya widened her eyes.

"Otherwise, you will only die here meaninglessly, don't you understand!" He frowned and roared, "The other party is not afraid of God's Punishment Stone, only transcendents have such abilities. I will try my best to stop her, you take the priest and go in the direction of Changge Fortress! Remember to take the main road, and immediately call for help if you encounter a merchant caravan!" After speaking, he rushed towards the enemy with his sword.

Transcendent, she took a breath. According to legend, only the Divine Punishment Army can fight against them. If you encounter a transcendent witch, you should immediately ask the local church for help. Ailixiya knew that what the other party said was right, staying here would only make them sacrifice in vain.

Five teammates had already fallen on the field. The remaining Inquisitorial Warriors changed their strategy and used the tents and terrain to launch a guerrilla fight, which could buy them more time. But she knew that in front of a transcendent who was far superior to them in strength and speed, annihilation was only a matter of time.

She bit her lip, rushed into the tent, pulled up Mira, who had already put on her shoes and was waiting for news, and ran towards the place where the horses were tied.

"What happened?" the priest asked in a deep voice.

"A transcendent attacked the camp! I must take you away!" She jumped on the horse. "Please hurry!"

However, it was impossible to see the road conditions when traveling at night. If you ran wildly on the potholed road, it would be easy to trip the horse's legs. If you jogged, you would not be able to run far before being caught up by the enemy.

Ailixiya decided to let the horse run along the avenue, while she and the priest sneaked into the woods on the side of the road. Without light, it would not be easy to find them.

The sound of weapons colliding gradually faded away. She held Mira's hand, identified the surrounding environment by the dim moonlight, and continued to go deeper in the direction away from the avenue. Maybe they would encounter wild animals or poisonous snakes, but it was better than encountering a witch.

Until the two stumbled to a location near the Juejing Mountains, Ailixiya breathed a sigh of relief. The other party did not seem to be chasing them. Except for the annoying bird calls above her head, the surroundings were silent.

"What should we do next?" Mira asked.

At this time, she still did not seem too flustered. This calmness made Ailixiya admire her. "Your Excellency, we can find a sheltered place here, spend the night first, and then return to Changge Fortress to seek support at dawn."

"Aren't you going to Border Town to seek refuge? It takes at least a day and a night to go back from here."

"No need," Ailixiya shook her head. "The transcendent came too coincidentally. I suspect that the lord has already colluded with the witches. It is too dangerous to go to the town now."

"What you said makes sense—" She suddenly froze, her eyes staring straight behind the female warrior.

Ailixiya's heart sank. She turned her head and saw the black-robed woman slowly walking out of the dark shadows of the trees, her eyes like shining stars. An owl hovered down and landed on her shoulder. (。)