Seeing Miranda Joy''s ability to control bodies, Dean Bruce was nowpletely certain—she was the one responsible for the disappearances in Pur-cloud Imperial Capital!


    He also understood why Miranda Joy hadn''t tried to stop Nichs William''s spellcasting.


    In her eyes, controlling those soldiers made them even more effective.


    When the soldiers were moving of their own ord, they naturally feared for their lives. But with Miranda Joy in control, she had no such reservations. She manipted them without hesitation, forcing them to advance, firing arrow after arrow at Apollon Joy.


    As long as Apollon Joy was killed, it didn''t matter what Dean Bruce did—whether he escaped or not—she would undoubtedly secure the throne!


    Her goal was clear.


    Buzz—


    Nearby, the siege ballista trembled violently, and it seemed as though the bolts couldunch at any moment.


    At this point, Dean Bruce no longer needed to hide. After all, Miranda Joy had positioned herself behind her soldiers, making it impossible for him to ambush her directly. His only option was to destroy the siege ballista!


    But before making his move, Dean Bruce cast Thousand Mountains Fortresson himself, just in case the ballista''s explosion harmed him.


    With Thousand Mountains Fortressand Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountaincast simultaneously, lightning surged from within Dean Bruce. In an instant, he dashed toward the siege ballista, his lightning-charged fist smashing directly into its core.


    Boom!


    A terrifying explosion rang out as mes erupted. The shockwave, carrying scorching heat, engulfed all the soldiers nearby.


    Sizzle sizzle—


    The sound of burning flesh filled the air. Even though the soldiers were under the control of the pink butterflies, they could no longer advance. Their bodies copsed to the ground, slowly turning to ash.


    As for the ghostly souls hovering over their heads, they began to weaken and fade.


    When a person is near death, their soul naturally dissipates as well.


    The st''s shockwave was so intense that after consuming the soldiers, the mes continued to surge toward the mages and Miranda Joy.


    Sensing the intense heat and magic, Miranda Joy didn''t dare resist. Suddenly, pink wings appeared on her back, lifting her swiftly into the air.


    The mages weren''t as lucky. Though the mes had weakened as they traveled, the mages were still hit, left writhing in agony on the ground, though not immediately consumed by the fire.


    Miranda Joy scanned the battlefield swiftly and immediately raised her staff, preparing to cast a spell to rescue the fallen mages.


    But Dean Bruce wasn''t about to give her that chance.


    Once again, he cast Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain. Pale mist appeared out of thin air, instantly isting Miranda Joy, cutting off her vision and causing her to panic.


    Sensing the surge of magic around Miranda Joy, Dean Bruce nced toward Terrynas Gold, who was locked in fiercebat with his avatar and Shelly William. Without hesitation, he sped his hands together, casting the powerful spell: Wailing Fiery Tomb.


    Buzz—


    In an instant, the entire battlefield rippled with strange waves and intense heat.


    Snap! Snap! Snap!


    With sharp cracks, tombs descended from the sky, entrapping every mage, including Terrynas Gold and Miranda Joy.


    Rumble—


    Scorching mes erupted from within the tombs. A chorus of anguished screams rang out but quickly grew faint.


    Only Miranda Joy and Terrynas Gold managed to break free from their tombs, shattering them with force.


    However, the relentless mes still clung to their bodies, continuously burning them and inflicting damage.


    At this moment, Miranda Joy decided not to hold back any longer. She pulled out a magic scroll from her cloak and tore it open.


    Ssh!


    Instantly, the sound of rushing water echoed as a milky-white stream descended from the sky like a waterfall, enveloping both Miranda Joy and Terrynas Gold. The mes on their bodies were extinguished.


    As for the others?


    With their limited strength, there was no way they could withstand the mes conjured by Dean Bruce. They had long been burned to ashes.


    "This... this is the Wailing Fiery Tombspell?"


    Nichs William eximed in awe. "To eliminate so many in an instant? Incredible! The gap between me and my master is far too great!"


    Shelly William nodded slightly in agreement. He could sense that Dean Bruce hadn''t held back anything.


    In such a situation, Shelly was more than happy to regard Dean Bruce as family.


    In a world governed by magic and cultivation systems, the bond between master and apprentice is far stronger than in the technological world!


    Miranda Joy''s eyes were cold as she stared intently at Dean Bruce. In a chilling voice, she said, "I underestimated you. I didn''t expect you to wield such power with just an avatar!"


    "But do you really think eliminating those few people changes anything? At this very moment, the entire Pur-cloud Imperial Capital''s forces are under mymand!"


    "I''ve already sent word. Reinforcements will keeping, wave after wave. I don''t believe your magic is limitless. You can''t keep this up forever."


    "If you leave now, handing Apollon Joy over to me, we''ll pretend this never happened. We can go our separate ways, never crossing paths again. What do you say?"


    "He… has nothing to do with you. There''s no need to risk your life for him."


    As she spoke, the water filled the entire area, turning it into a shimmeringke. A glowing boundary appeared at the edges, forming a barrier that trapped Dean Bruce and hispanions inside.


    Not only that, but the water also transformed into pure magical energy, flowing into the bodies of Miranda Joy and Terrynas Gold, restoring their strength.


    Clop, clop, clop—


    The sound of galloping horses echoed from all directions, causing Dean Bruce''s eyes to narrow slightly.


    Apollon Joy''s face was pale with fear, anxiety evident in his expression.


    Nichs William, however, remained unfazed. After all, there had been many times before when Dean Bruce seemed to be in dire straits, only to effortlessly escape. By now, Nichs was used to it.


    Miranda Joy took a careful look at Dean Bruce and spoke softly, "I''m curious—Apollon has no connection to you. Why are you so insistent? The situation has escted to this point. Do you truly believe you can stand alone against the entire imperial army?"


    "Even a Sage Maguswouldn''t dare face hundreds of thousands of soldiers alone!"


    She wasn''t wrong. No matter how powerful a Sage Magusor warrior saint might be, their magic and stamina had limits. Without the ability to recover, no matter how many soldiers one could y, the endless waves would eventually exhaust them, leading to their death.


    Even Dean Bruce wasn''t sure if he could battle soldiers all night and survive. But he had other means.


    As long as he could buy enough time, victory would be his!


    Dean Bruce''s eyes glinted mischievously as he smirked. "You know, earlier this afternoon, you tried to seduce me by taking off all your clothes. How is it that now you''ve be so cold and heartless?"


    "Terrynas, do you really think that once someone like her ascends to the throne, she''ll honor any of her promises to you? She''ll probably have you killed first!"


    "Because you''re the only one who knows just how many insane things she''s done to get there."


    Hearing this, Terrynas Gold''s face subtly changed.


    Miranda Joy, however, remained calm and indifferent to Dean Bruce''s words. She said coolly, "If you agree to leave Apollon here, perhaps spending the night with you isn''t out of the question."


    As her words fell, everyone''s expressions shifted dramatically. Their gazes toward Miranda Joy were now filled with horror.


    This woman was ruthless beyond belief!


    Sighingand shaking his head slightly, Dean Bruce still didn''t give in. Seeing the nearby soldiers—thousands of them—charging forward, Miranda Joy''s voice turned cold again. "Since you''re so determined to die, I won''t hold back!"


    "Attack!"


    At hermand, the soldiers raised their bows once more, and another siege ballista was pushed forward.


    Just as Dean Bruce was about to retaliate, an aged voice suddenly echoed through the air: "Miranda, enough. Stop this!"


    "We know you''re aiming for the throne, but such ruthless actions—kidnapping the families of your father''s officials and attacking your brothers—have crossed the line!"


    As these words rang out, the water in the air abruptly ceased, and a burst of searing fire erupted, evaporating all the water.


    From the sky, a towering figure descended slowly. His head was crowned with fiery red hair, and his robes were emzoned with the symbols of me.


    "Hmm?"


    "Grandmaster, you''vee?"


    Terrynas Gold hurriedly bowed to the man, his face finally showing fear.


    Miranda Joy, being a member of the royal family, wasn''t at risk of losing her life no matter her actions. But Terrynas? He could easily be the scapegoat.


    Whoosh whoosh whoosh—


    The sound of cutting through the air followed, and several more figuresnded. Each of them appeared older, some in their fifties, others even older, perhaps a hundred years or more.


    Seeing this, Terrynas Gold copsed to the ground in despair.


    Miranda Joy, however, was shocked. "How did you all escape? I made sure to trap you with my array!"


    The group didn''t respond to Miranda Joy''s question. Instead, they nodded slightly toward Dean Bruce, acknowledging him.