Why must the devil be Defeated?

Today, many people near the wilderness where Shane resided witnessed a dazzling meteor shower.

The meteor shower came suddenly and left just as abruptly, drawing the attention of numerous merchant caravans and even military troops.

In particular, the noise it created was such that, while the Imperial City might not have noticed, those closer to that stretch of wilderness couldn't possibly be unaware.

This led to quite a stir, and there were already those reporting back to the Imperial City.

Surely before long, many would learn that a meteor shower, the same kind that had obliterated the Leferut Family the night before, had appeared once again in this wilderness.

Therefore, it was inevitable that the Imperial Knight Order would come to investigate the area.

Of course, Princess Cappelen, leading the Broken Blade Knights consisting of female warriors, was the closest to the event and thus bore witness to the most shocking sight.

At this time, although they had already left the battlefield behind, they had not yet left this wilderness.

Each of them had hunted down a demon, skinned its fur, and after cleaning it, draped it over themselves, finally fashioning some garments to cover their modesty.

However, the disturbance caused by the meteor shower was simply too vast, and the aftermath was terrifying, catching the group of female knights off guard. They were blown away by the dust storm like a tsunami, ending up sprawled on the ground, covered in dust and dirt, coughing incessantly.

Cappelen was among them, lying on the ground, her face filled with horror as she watched the direction in which the meteor shower had faded.

"What power is this?"

Cappelen trembled.

She saw at a glance that the meteor shower was Shane's Celestial Magic.

Other than Shane's Celestial Magic, no one else could induce such a phenomenon.

It was precisely this realization that left Cappelen shocked and in disbelief.

She had once been defeated by Shane's Celestial Magic.

Although at that time, Shane used the "Starry Arrays," a versatile Celestial Magic, rather than the "Aurora Meteor Shower," which was the most destructive large-scale Celestial Magic. Yet, Cappelen always felt that even if Shane had used his current magic back then, it couldn't possibly have been this powerful.

That destructive force simply seemed beyond the realm of magic.

At the very least, Cappelen had never seen anyone else's magic achieve such a scale, truly a power that could shock the heavens and move ghosts and deities.

Of course, what Cappelen didn't realize was that even back then, Shane could have unleashed the "Aurora Meteor Shower" with this level of force if he had wanted to.

You see, because of the vast range and immense destructive power of the "Aurora Meteor Shower," he had always restrained its use, for turning a large city into rubble was something Shane could have managed back then.

But if Shane from that time wanted to unleash the "Aurora Meteor Shower" with such power, it wouldn't have been as effortless as it was now.

The reason it seemed so easy now was twofold: one, his Magic Power had grown much stronger than before, and two, "Li Jian Heavenly Destiny" amplified his magic far more than his previous Level 10 "Magic Guide" Skill.

Cappelen believed that Shane at that time couldn't possibly have cast such powerful Celestial Magic, simply because she did not know the full extent of Shane's power then.

To whip out an AOE magic like "Aurora Meteor Shower" in human combat was unquestionably unthinkable.

Had the High Priest not summoned the Undead Army, Shane wouldn't have resorted to such a powerful weapon.

Unaware of all this, Cappelen could only grasp one fact amidst her shock.

That was...

"He... he has become so much stronger than back then..."

Cappelen was stunned.

...

Meanwhile, the battlefield where Shane was located had calmed down.

Amidst the ruins cloaked in dust, You Lin gently flapped her Dragon Wings, allowing Shane, who was riding on her head, to easily survey the entire panorama below.

The meteors that had rained from the sky were gradually turning into remnants of Magic Power and disappearing.

The ground was riddled with craters, at first glance resembling the surface of the Moon.

The army of the dead was completely buried under the meteors, either lying scattered about or with bodies that were no longer intact. Some were even buried beneath the rubble, turning the battlefield into a gruesome sight of corpses strewn everywhere.

The waterfall too had been destroyed by the meteors, turning into a ruin with water flowing nonstop, lacking the impressive force it once had.

The space behind the waterfall's rock wall was now fully exposed.

Shane glanced at the rock wall space and then diverted his gaze back to the ruins below.

After a moment, Shane felt a stir in his heart, closed his eyes, and extended the Perception of his "Outer Destiny."

Before long, a smile played on Shane's lips, and with Instant Movement, he vanished from atop You Lin's head, arriving at a shadowed area.

"Granting·Confinement."

After arriving, Shane stretched out his hand and without a word cast his magic.

He had used this magic a few times. Its infrequent use did not mean it was useless.

If targeted at Magic Power, it could even confine it, rendering a Mage helpless, unable to tap into their magic power for casting spells.

But this time, Shane targeted something he had never seen before—a "soul."

Because, the Necromancer herself had said that even if her body were destroyed, her soul would still be intact.

And sure enough...

"Ah!"

With a piercing scream, a Crystal Ball emerged abruptly from the shadows. It bore a green glow, as if something had possessed the crystal ball, causing the green light to struggle within.

Unfortunately, the green light seemed to be what Shane had confined; no matter how it struggled, it could not move the crystal ball at all.

Shane unhesitatingly reached out and grasped the crystal ball in his hand.

"You look much better as this ball than you did in your original form of dry bones, High Priest."

Shane chuckled merrily.

"Let... let me go...!"

The voice of the High Priest rang out from the crystal ball, filled with outrage and alarm.

"Let you go?" Shane asked with a smirk that was not quite a smile, "Do you think that's possible, my High Priest?"

"You... what do you want?" The High Priest, both shocked and angry, cried out loudly, "I warn you, you can't touch me, release me at once!"

Such words sounded somewhat blustering yet not entirely without reason.

Killing methods were many and varied in this world, but ways to annihilate a soul were far scarcer.

If it were not so, how could the High Priest have ever snatched a sliver of life from the grasp of the life Goddess herself?

Aside from the fact that the Life Goddess Anima hadn't detected her lingering soul, there were also reasons why souls were difficult to sense and destroy.

Confronted with the High Priest who was only a soul, even demons like Ai Yi might find themselves powerless, and only a few with special abilities would be able to deal with her.

For instance, Lilith, whose authority could permeate and influence even souls; if the High Priest fell into her hands, she would surely be miserable.

Then there was Milu, a Ghost Demon with the Unique Skill "Ghost Species" that allowed her to exist like a true ghost, and for her, annihilating a soul might be as trivial as crushing an ant.

As for Shane...

"Pfft!"

He raised the Holy Sword in his hand and, as magic power surged and made the blade shine with a golden light, he slashed decisively at the soul of the High Priest within the crystal ball, the blade passing through the sphere of light.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah...!"

The High Priest immediately cried out in pain as if injured.

"How is this possible!?"

The High Priest was both in pain and horror.

How could that sword possibly harm her soul?

Wait...

A sword that could harm one's soul...?

"I know! I know!"

The High Priest finally understood why she found the power emanating from the sword in Shane's hand somewhat familiar.

Because it was the strongest weapon known to all in this world and the very weapon she had always feared.

This sword had the power to vanquish even the Demon King, a nemesis to the Demon Clan, capable of restraining all evil, purifying all corruption.

The Death Qi would be purified by it; her Undying creature's soul also had to see it as an enemy.

That was...

"The Holy Sword!"

The High Priest cried out in disbelief.

"You possess the true Holy Sword...? You are...!?"

The High Priest realized Shane's identity.

How could this be?

How could this be!?

She roared within her mind.

But more than disbelief, more than shock, fear took precedence in occupying the High Priest's heart.

Only at this moment did the High Priest realize she was in danger.

The Holy Sword Master before her had the power to truly annihilate her.

With this realization, the fear inside the High Priest could no longer be contained.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

The High Priest could only desperately struggle and plead for mercy.

Shane watched the scene, unmoved.

Even so, his face still wore a cheerful expression.

"Wouldn't it have been better to behave like this from the start?" Shane said leisurely, "Talking tough when death is upon you, that's something third-rate characters would do. You, a legendary Necromancer who once shocked the world, a being even the Life Goddess Anima could not kill, surely aren't a third-rate character. You shouldn't be doing such low-grade things, right?"

Having said this, the High Priest had indeed run into terribly bad luck by encountering Shane.

"Just answer my questions honestly, and you might play a larger role, perhaps even living a few more chapters, understand?"

Shane's threat, devoid of any tension, was naturally incomprehensible to a relic like the High Priest who had lived for thousands of years.

But she had no other choice but to comply.

She might not be a third-rate character, yet she feared death more than anyone.

Originally, she had become a Necromancer, turning herself into an Undead creature, striving for immortality. Even after being defeated by the Life Goddess Anima, she had clung to a marginal existence for thousands of years, daring not to show her face.

This proved precisely how much she valued life and feared death.

Therefore...

"I... I'll listen to you! I'll do whatever you say!"

The High Priest, under the influence of fear, gave up everything.

Only then did Shane nod in satisfaction.