“But Blanche is quite strong, Lady Narcissa. She managed to injure you yesterday,” the guard said, voicing his concern. “Even though you were caught off guard, her Frostfall technique is truly formidable. The four of us-”
“What are you afraid of?” Narcissa snapped impatiently. “She’s badly wounded, and her strength has been seriously weakened. With the four of us working together, and my Violebolt Orb in hand, can’t we handle one wounded opponent?
“Besides, my husband knows I’m taking care of things here. If I’m ever in real danger, the protective charm he left me will activate. He’ll be able to sense it, then come to my aid.”
At the mention of her husband, a flicker of pride crossed her eyes. Her husband, Alarion Jornell, held considerable status among the younger generation of the Jornells of Amethysius. His cultivation had reached the early stage of Core-Forged Arcanist, and he cherished her above all.
Seeing that Narcissa had made up her mind, the three guards fell in line.
“We’re at your command, Lady Narcissa.”
“Send word to Elder Sevran. Tell him Blanche may be fleeing toward the northwestern mountains. We’ll track her down first and request that he come with reinforcements immediately,” she ordered.
With a sharp wave of her hand, she added, ”
Move out. Today, that wretch will have nowhere to escape.”
Four streaks of light shot into the sky, racing toward the northwest mountains. Fueled by her thirst for revenge and eager to prove herself, Narcissa didn’t notice how conveniently this lead had come. Blanche’s eyes snapped open in the valley.
“They’re here,” she murmured to herself. Through a faint signal sent by Snowy using their unique link, she knew at least four powerful presences were rapidly approaching. One of them carried that detestable purple lightning spiritual energy that could only belong to Narcissa.
Blanche took a deep breath to suppress the dull ache from her injuries, her eyes sharpening with resolve. In one swift motion, she slipped away from the heart of the formation and took up a position near the valley entrance, with a clear line of sight and an easy retreat
Moments later, the air split with sharp whooshing sounds as four figures landed just outside the valley entrance. It was Narcissa and her three guards.
As soon as she arrived, she surveyed the valley ahead. The mist inside was slightly thicker than in the surrounding mountains, but nothing out of the ordinary.
She scanned the valley with her divine sense and found no obvious disturbances or strong energy fluctuations. Only a faint chill lingered deep within the valley.
Narcissa scoffed. “So, you’re hiding here after all. This mist might provide some cover, but it can’t hide that icy aura of yours.”
She was certain Blanche was somewhere in the valley, nursing her wounds. Her confidence surged, and killing intent blazed in her eyes.
“Blanche, get the fuck out! Did you really think hiding in this ravine would keep me from finding you?” Narcissa gathered her spiritual energy. Her voice cut through the valley, echoing off the cliffs.
“You saw what happened to those insects from the Weston family, right? That’s what happens to anyone who stands against me. Today, I’ll make sure you suffer ten times worse than they did.”
A moment of silence fell over the valley. Then, a clear, cold voice echoed from the mist, calm and steady but carrying a piercing chill.
“Narcissa, you’ve slaughtered innocents and wiped out entire families. No wrongdoing goes unpunished. Today, I will see justice done for those who died unjustly.”
Before the words finished echoing, a figure in white emerged slowly from the mist. It was Blanche. Her face was still somewhat pale, but she stood tall, her icy gaze fixed on Narcissa and her guards.
“Justice? And you think you’re in any position to demand it?” Narcissa sneered. When Blanche stepped into view, the faintness of her energy waves erased Narcissa’s last trace of doubt. She threw her head back and laughed.
“Blanche, you’re staring death in the face and still talking tough.”
She furned to her guards and barked, “Get her! I want her alive. Break her core first, then destroy her arms and legs.”
At her command, the three guards moved in unison. They split apart and closed in from different angles, forming a triangle as their weapons flared with spiritual light.
Blanche looked ready to meet them head-on. But just as the three were about to surround her, she suddenly leaped backward. Her hands formed seals as she called out, ” Formation activated!”
At that moment, the mist in the valley seemed to twist and thicken as if stirred by an invisible hand. It rolled and curved, swallowing Narcissa, her three guards, and Blanche. The mist did more than block their sight as it also disrupted their divine sense.
Narcissa felt her senses pushing outward only to sink as if into quicksand, unable to reach far. Even more alarming, the flow of her spiritual energy had inexplicably slowed.
“A formation? You actually set up a formation?”
Her shock turned to anger. She hadn’t expected Blanche to have this trick up her sleeve, but she quickly regained her composure.
“Just a cheap trick. What can a formation laid by your wounded body possibly do to me? Break it!” She brought out the Violebolt Orb, and purple lightning erupted, attempting to disperse the mist and strike the formation’s nodes.
The three guards also employed their techniques, attacking in all directions. However, the Mistbinding Trap borrowed power from the valley’s terrain. Its formation nodes were well hidden, and it wasn’t designed for powerful direct attacks.
For the moment, the lightning and sword aura vanished into the thick mist, creating ripples without immediately breaking the formation.
At that moment, Blanche’s figure flickered in and out of the mist. An ice spike shot from nowhere, followed by a chilling palm strike. The attacks weren’t overwhelmingly strong, but paired with the formation’s interference, they threw Narcissa and her guards off balance.
