The chaotic pillar of light erupting from the cathedral district swayed in the night sky, casting Elosia into an eerie tableau.
Shrill alarms pierced the heavens as countless figures surged toward the light, and the city descended into growing unrest.
Jie Ming and the others had assumed that causing such a commotion would make escaping the capital extremely difficult.
Seraphinaâs presence was reduced to a minimum, her unique talent allowing her to buy precious time even if confronted by a demigod.
Kaelernâs body shimmered with complex radiance, Anya was wreathed in faint green light, and intricate runes danced at Rexâs fingertips.
Beyond their individual talents, they spared no expense, deploying high-tier wizard artifacts to cast protective spells on themselves.
Rex had even prearranged his army of constructs, waiting in a concealed forest on the outskirts, ready to provide support.
If a demigod-level force was dispatched, this massive construct cluster would self-destruct to delay the enemy, buying them time to escape.
Yet, to everyoneâs surprise, their escape was remarkably smooth.
Though the capital was in chaos, with alarms echoing through the clouds, inexplicably, no high-ranking authority capable of taking charge appeared.
It was as if the entire kingdomâs leadership, including dozens of legendary powerhouses, had mysteriously vanished.
âStrangeâŠâ A strong sense of doubt surged in Jie Mingâs heart.
This chaos wasnât an inevitable result of the arraysâ activation.
On the contrary, this âleaderlessâ state suggested some other force was secretly disrupting the capitalâs command system.
âCould there be others acting behind the scenes?â
âNot sureâŠâ
âBut itâs good for us.â
âLetâs get out of here!â
They faced no obstacles, swiftly breaking through the capitalâs outer defenses and slipping into the dense forest beyond.
Soon, the five stood atop a small hill on the cityâs outskirts. Behind them, Elosia blazed with light yet was mired in chaos, the faint sounds of alarms and civilian cries reaching their ears.
It was clearâthey had escaped.
At that moment, all five suddenly tensed, simultaneously looking skyward.
The night sky, which should have been illuminated by the capitalâs chaotic light, was now dominated by a far more terrifying sightâa massive rift!
Like a void maw cleaved by a giant axe, it was deep and twisted, radiating palpitating waves of law.
It was the planeâs barrier being torn open!
Jie Mingâs pupils contracted sharply.
âHow⊠how is this possible?!â he blurted out.
It wasnât yet time for this monthâs contribution tally. Why had high-tier wizards torn the barrier now?
More crucially, this wasnât the usual single high-tier wizard projectionâmultiple high-tier wizard phantoms had appeared at once!
The moment the planeâs rift fully opened, several colossal, blurry figures emerged from it!
Merely standing outside the rift, these phantoms exuded an abyssal, overwhelming pressure, making the air of the entire Elosia plane tremble.
The sheer power instilled soul-deep dread in the low-level wizards.
Almost simultaneously, radiant divine lights shot skyward from the depths of the capitalâs temple, distant holy mountains, and faith convergence points across the plane.
These were Elosiaâs deities!
Sensing the planeâs barrier breach, they projected themselves instantly.
The deitiesâ phantoms materialized around the rift, cloaked in holy light, their faces majestic. But upon seeing the high-tier wizard phantoms, their calm expressions turned to shock, anger, and wariness!
âWizards!â a deity roared in fury.
Immediately, a fierce war erupted between the two sides!
Vast divine power clashed with profound wizardry outside the planeâs barrier. Each collision was like a meteor streaking across the sky or two mountains crashing together, producing silent yet deafening booms.
It was a clash of laws, a contest of wills.
The entire night sky trembled, the energyâs aftershocks like gales, making the capitalâs lights flicker below.
However, this time, the wizards showed no restraint.
Unlike past instances where a single phantom probed or intimidated, multiple high-tier wizards united, shattering the surrounding deity phantoms with devastating force!
âSo⊠so strong!â Kaelern murmured.
The others said nothing, but their eyes were filled with shock.
This was likely their first time witnessing high-tier wizards unleash their full power, while the deitiesâ phantoms seemed frail in comparison.
Holy light dimmed rapidly under wizardryâs corrosion, defensive arrays were instantly torn apart, and the once-lofty deities roared in angry defiance, their bodies crumbling only to reform with effort.
The deities fought desperately, summoning angel legions and unleashing divine punishments, their holy light surging toward the wizards like a tide.
The light collapsed, the figures faded, and the angels dissolved into specks of light amidst their roars.
As destruction loomed, a massive, ancient deity phantom in the sky let out a plane-shaking roarâit was the phantom of God Above Gods!
Its deafening roar carried fury and resolve.
The surrounding main deities, stunned briefly, began absorbing the remaining faith energy, igniting their divine flames, clearly preparing to amplify their power, trigger the planeâs origin, and perish with their enemiesâŠ
Then⊠the war ended.
To Jie Ming and the others, it was as if the scene before them had skipped a frame.
One moment, the sky was ablaze with law-level clashes, God Above Godsâ roar echoing, everything hurtling toward mutual destruction.
The next, the scene shifted.
All the deities, including the roaring God Above Gods and the struggling main deities, were firmly restrained by the wizards in unimaginable ways.
Some were bound by chains, others locked in runes, some sealed in mysterious vialsânone escaped.
The angel legions were like lambs to the slaughter, swept up en masse by the wizards, not one left behind!
The deity phantoms in the sky faded, leaving only their true forms gripped in the wizardsâ hands.
This signified the deities had been completely sealed, like captured specimens, floating silently in midair, stripped of their former sanctity and majesty.
The eerie, rapid scene shift made Jie Ming and the others feel nauseous.
By the time they processed what had happened, it was all over.
The wizards had meticulously sealed every captured deity and angel using various methods.
That brief moment felt like a war spanning eons.
Unbeknownst to Jie Ming and the others, in a temporary mental domain formed by the high-tier wizardsâ mental energy, powerful wills were rapidly clashing.
Each collision transmitted vast amounts of informationâa makeshift âgroup chatâ for the high-tier wizards.
âNo wonder old Locke acted during the last contribution tally. He mustâve sensed these kidsâ moves and wanted to nab the deities first!â an aged voice said, tinged with irritation.
âI knew that old crook was up to no good, always stealing kills!â another voice grumbled.
âThese kids are ruthless. This faith contamination tactic reminds me of my first time exploring a plane like thisâŠâ
âBullshit! You were scared as a dog back then, hiding for half a day before daring to come out!â
âBastard, you looking for a fight?!â
âCome on, letâs hurt each other! Think I wonât dissect your specimens in secret?â
Though the high-tier wizards bickered shamelessly in the mental domain, they maintained a dignified facade.
Standing tall, exuding immense authority.
After capturing every deity and angel without exception, the wizards gave a reserved nod toward Jie Ming and the othersâ direction, as if acknowledging their contribution.
Then, without looking back, they turned and passed through the massive plane rift, leaving Elosia behind.
Jie Ming rubbed his eyes, unsure if heâd seen correctly.
He couldâve sworn one of the wizardsâLocke, likely just beaten by the othersâlooked bruised, but he couldnât be certain.
The rift healed swiftly after their departure, the sky returning to darkness, with only the capitalâs eerie, chaotic light still flickering.
Everything fell silent, as if the earth-shattering battle had been an illusion.
The five stood in the forest, staring at each other, their faces etched with shock and disbelief.
Theyâd thought their contamination plan would merely provide the high-tier wizards an âopportunity,â a fleeting âwindow.â
They hadnât expected the wizards to act so swiftly, seizing the chance the moment it appeared.
As Jie Ming processed the staggering scene, his wizard artifact flashed with lightâa direct communication from the wizard camp.
A deep, authoritative voice resonated in their minds: âThe trial mission has been completed ahead of schedule. All apprentices, return to the camp immediately. Your contributions in this plane will now be evaluated!â
Even though heâd orchestrated it all, Jie Ming felt dazed.
It was⊠over, just like that?