The scholar's determination to move forward was steadfast, unwilling to stay behind.

After all, no one knows when the next clock chime will sound. Once it does, the city will be plunged back into darkness, with space twisted into chaos, making it difficult to find the entrance to the Spirit Realm again.

Unless divine power is used once more.

But the consumption of divine power, given the scholar's current state, might be too much to bear.

So he had no other choice.

Moreover.

Everyone in the Eclipse Moon Realm could sense if something was wrong, and once the scholar used divine power, they would come rushing here immediately.

The reason they haven't come yet.

Is likely because they have already encountered misfortune or are stuck in a situation they cannot escape from in this city.

Waiting endlessly.

Would be gambling with everyone's lives.

The scholar led the group through the passage beneath the square, reaching the entrance to the Spirit Realm, and directly lifted the seal on the Spirit Realm's tunnel.

The Black Forest Realm's most common scenery is its emerald-green forests.

Mostly consisting of needled trees, pitch-black in color, with leaves appearing needle-like and dark gray.

Corpses were scattered everywhere, a bloody scent wafting through the air, belonging to both humans and other races. Clearly, a fierce battle had taken place here.

After everyone gathered together.

A sense of security greatly increased among the group, after all, they were elite members of the Eclipse Moon Realm, hailing from different parts of the continent, each a top expert in their area, making such a scene difficult to affect them.

The scholar wasted no words, leading the Silence Bookstore's crusading team directly towards the castle.

Baiyu had visited once before.

But in that short time, many more corpses lined the roadsides, mostly belonging to Deep Divers and some demons and other races.

It appeared.

That they had experienced some internal conflict, each corpse looking terrible.

The scholar glanced at the corpses on both sides, saying nothing, continuing down the road to the outside of the castle. This fortress, once used to resist invasions by other races and demons, had now become a dwelling for these monsters.

For some reason.

They hadn't advanced further, coming to the tunnel's exit or attempting to breach the tunnel's seal, their purpose unknown.

Demons, other races, and humans had fought for so many years, just to enter the Canglan Star.

But now the passage lay before them, even with a seal, only requiring enough force to break it.

Yet they did not act on it.

The scholar, having reached the castle, did not proceed further but stood outside, frowning at the structure.

The other Eclipse Moon Realm cultivators saw the guardian stationary, prompting them to stop as well.

After a moment's silence, the scholar raised his Divine Staff and began chanting once more, clearly initiating another powerful divine technique.

However, his chanting was interrupted before completion.

The chime sounded again.

This time, the chime did not cause the darkened anomaly as before, or rather, the chime only affected the city and not the Black Forest Realm.

Nonetheless, it interrupted the scholar's chanting.

A dark shadow appeared above the castle: "Followers of the God of Wisdom, return, this is not a place you can breach. Instead of sacrificing yourselves meaninglessly here, better to defend other places; you're likely short-staffed given the current situation, right?"

The scholar said nothing, instead raising his Divine Staff and pointing it forward.

Bang!

A burst of light exploded, shattering the shadow instantly, turning into clusters of gray-black vapors descending from the sky.

"Foolish fanatic, since you seek battle, I'll give you battle."

From within the castle.

The voice echoed once more.

Soon after, the castle gates opened of their own accord, a Deep Diver army charging towards them, cloaked scythe-bearers in black also approaching from the sky above the castle, exuding a violent intent to kill.

"Executioners of the Green Mother, and the clan of the Mirage King's Deep Divers, it seems two Evil Gods have allied in this city."

The scholar sighed, his withered and shrunken body suddenly regaining vitality, his skin, once dry as tree bark, growing firm and radiant, while his shrunken muscles swelled, revealing powerful strength.

He raised the Divine Staff high, stamping it heavily into the ground: "Charge, for humanity, slaughter these heretics!"

"Charge!!"

"Charge!"

Leading bravely, he charged at the oncoming Deep Diver army, pulling with both hands, and a blinding white divine light erupted, demolishing the entire city wall in front of him.

Due to the sheer power of this strike.

The upper half of the scholar's Divine Robe shredded into tatters, exposing muscles that belied his head of white hair.

These atypical muscles astounded Baiyu and most others.

They had assumed the God of Wisdom's guardian would be a Spirit Master, who would have thought, in fact, he was a close-combat berserker.

Following the scholar's lead.

The Silence Bookstore's crusading team's members followed suit; when the leader charges, they naturally couldn't stand idly by.

Thus, those from the crusading team also drew their weapons, charging alongside their leader.

In a short time.

The Deep Diver army was pushed back repeatedly, several Eclipse Moon Realm Deep Divers overwhelmed by the scholar's might.

Each punch he landed exploded with white divine light, causing massive damage.

Most Deep Divers were slain by this move.

Enemies attempting to attack the scholar were also instantly disrupted by the divine light flowing from him, suffering injuries or immediate death.

Apart from that.

No matter what Spirit Technique the scholar used, it appeared effortless, without the need for preparation or preliminary actions.

Incredibly powerful, almost superhuman. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Behind him stood the massive visage of a book with a human face, clearly his contract spirit.

Just like the knight behind Kelly, and the Black Moon Giant Baiyu had contracted.

These spiritual bodies dealt massive damage.

In sum.

The scholar nearly single-handedly overwhelmed the Deep Diver army, ferociously pressing several Deep Diver Eclipse Moon Realm entities back step by step.

Meanwhile, the other martial artists.

Engaged in combat with those black-robed scythe creatures.

These creatures also bore Eclipse Moon Realm strength, but were clearly less resilient outside their black fog environment.

Under siege from the Eclipse Moon Realm group, resistance was futile.

Baiyu quickly dispatched one of the scythe creatures, and upon death, their bodies dissipated into black mist, leaving behind a green Green Mother Tree Seed.

Clearly.

This was the power driving them, derived from the Green Mother's strength.