The Virtuous Dark Witch

Chapter 50

She channeled witch power to extract the viper's venom and infused it into the needle. Then she continued forward. Her sharp five senses warned her: the land was filled with poisonous creatures.

Darkness fell. A new moon slowly rose in the east. The deeper Elara went, the more she suppressed her aura, trying to blend into nature.

Cinderaven perched on Elara's shoulder, carefully identifying their location. He had been to Rodrik Valley once, but that was a long time ago. The place had clearly changed drastically. He wondered what the Larissa family had done here.

"We've reached the heart of the deep valley," Cinderaven said in an extremely low voice. The vegetation grew increasingly scarce. Some plants had even mutated. His heart grew heavier. "At this speed, we'll reach the Sunken Sun Pit in less than half an hour."

All the way, Elara had noticed the withered and dying plants—leaves falling, buds dropping. Clear signs of mercury poisoning. A suspicion formed in her mind. "Is Duke Austin Corell's body being stored in mercury?"

Cinderaven suddenly turned to look at the calm-faced Elara. "How did you know?" Fisher could project his soul. Benily Larissa could erase soul memories. Could Elara read soul memories?

Elara ignored him, her expression shifting slightly. She had already confirmed that silver was lethal to the Andros clan. What about mercury? Why would the Larissa family keep Austin Corell's body in mercury?

By the time they reached the Sunken Sun Pit, it was completely dark. The moonlight was slightly brighter than before. Elara regulated her breathing, frowning deeply at the barren wasteland. She did not dare go further and hid in a hidden corner.

It was no wonder the Larissa family had survived for so long. The place had been corrupted by mercury, completely lifeless. Without life, there was no vegetation aura. Without vegetation aura, even a Witch Ancestor could not sneak into the Sunken Sun Pit undetected—unless they stopped absorbing energy entirely.

"So this is why they ruined this place," Cinderaven gained a little respect for the Larissa family. Everyone knew witches hid by merging with nature. The key was aligning their aura with the surrounding life.

Without life, aura could not be hidden. Anyone approaching would be exposed immediately.

Elara slowly slowed her breathing and closed her eyes. She used the wind to sense the auras in Rodrik Valley. She needed to know where Roxane was.

Meanwhile, Roxane also slowed down, no longer walking with her eyes closed. She could see the place from her memories. But ever since entering Rodrik Valley, a strange subconsciousness inside her had reappeared. It did not want her to get close. It was telling her to turn back.

This subconsciousness had existed since she was little. Many times, she had followed its guidance and gotten what she wanted. But during the incident at the Stirling Manor, it abandoned her, leaving her in despair.

"Why are you stopping me?" Roxane kept moving forward. As she did, the subconsciousness gradually faded. It seemed to know it could not stop her and wisely retreated.

But Roxane was not stupid. The appearance of this subconsciousness meant danger lay ahead in the deep pit. Last time, she had encountered no obstacles. Now there was danger. Combined with what happened twenty years ago, it was not hard to guess who was responsible.

She suddenly stopped. "Light Witches. Larissa family," she murmured.

She wanted to turn back, but she could not accept it. Images of her humiliation flooded her mind uncontrollably. Roxane's whole body tensed. She breathed in and out repeatedly, suppressing her urge to lash out. But resentment quickly took over her heart—and her beautiful eyes.

He had looked at her with focus. Twenty years had passed, but he had become her only salvation and beauty in her nightmares. She had long been lost. And now she needed his salvation more than ever. Her hesitant gaze turned resolute. She would return to Andrea Capital in glory. She would make the entire Andrea Kingdom bow to her.

Beautiful images chased away the last of her hesitation. Her hands at her sides tightened slowly. Her red lips curved into a smile. Then she turned back the way she came.

Ever since being turned by a low-born Andros noble, she had hated the inferior blood running through her veins. But at this moment, she was grateful that blood had given her power.

Rodrik Valley was not large, but it was full of poisonous creatures. The deep pit ahead was cold and desolate. It needed some excitement.

Elara, hidden outside the Sunken Sun Pit, opened her eyes the second Roxane turned around. "She turned back." Was she giving up, or had she discovered something?

"Turned back?" Cinderaven scoffed disdainfully, crossing his wings over his chest. "Proves that when faced with real difficulty, all that 'love at first sight' is fake."

"Is it?" Elara disagreed. "Love might weaken in the face of hardship. But trust me—l**t and greed never do."

She did not know if Roxane loved Austin Corell. But she was certain Austin Corell's power and authority were fatally tempting to both humans and the Andros clan.

Elara looked up at the bright moon, in no hurry to act. "Let's wait a little longer. There might be a pleasant surprise."

"What if Roxane really gives up?" Cinderaven felt discouraged. He never should have left Windis Larissa alive back then.

"Then we'll wait until midnight, when the moonlight is at its strongest." She had come this far. She had to find a way in. Midnight moonlight should weaken the accumulated sunlight. She would summon nearby dark spirits to gather in Rodrik Valley, using the chaos to slip in.

Knowing Elara was not giving up, Cinderaven almost cried tears of joy. "Cinderaven is honored to have such a brave master." He did not want his body left with Windis Larissa at all. It would be a great humiliation.

"For your honor, I'm risking my life," Elara was not fooled by the scheming crow. She only wanted Austin Corell's body to fully investigate the Twin Holy Spirits Curse—and to prevent Fisher from taking over the empty shell.

Fisher's soul was already difficult enough to deal with. If he gained Austin Corell's body too, the situation would become truly terrible. Just thinking about it gave her a headache.

Time passed. The entire Rodrik Valley fell into an eerie silence under the moonlight. Mist rose from the ground at some point. Elara sat in a rocky crevice, eyes closed, wrapping herself and Cinderaven in moonlight.

A soft breeze blew. The mist shifted, leaving no trace. But Elara, wrapped in moonlight, suddenly opened her eyes. "The surprise is here." Roxane had not disappointed her.

Cinderaven did not share her excitement. He narrowed his black eyes. "A group of nearly a hundred Andros is heading this way." He could not be wrong. "They're coming from the west."

"There shouldn't be many Andros left in Anastas City." It had only been a few days since the m******e. But Elara trusted Cinderaven. "They aren't turned ones?"

"No." Cinderaven instinctively felt this approaching group did not belong to the eight great Andros nobles. He fell silent for a moment, then looked complicated."They aren't heading for Rodrik Valley. They're going east. Are they just passing through?"What was east? Elara had come from the east.

Elara understood. They were planning a rebellion. She was about to turn and chase after the rebels when a faint rustling reached her ears. They were here!

Just two minutes later, countless poisonous snakes, insects, birds, and beasts were driven toward the Sunken Sun Pit. The sound alone told her the numbers were massive. Elara and Cinderaven exchanged a look. They had to admit Roxane was capable.

The commotion naturally caught Windis Larissa's attention at the bottom of the pit. Being pulled from her beautiful fantasies by something annoying, she was furious. Reluctantly, she looked away, picked up the birch pillar, and prepared to drive it back into the rock. But before she could drive it in even a third of the way, a silk sack hurtled through the air above the Sunken Sun Pit.

Red-shelled scorpions rained down accurately into the pit. Windis Larissa channeled full witch power and struck the birch pillar with one palm. The pillar sank deeper. The heavy chains reappeared, locking the man's limbs at the center of the pond.

She summoned her Crimson Jade Bamboo Staff, threw it upward to meet the dense scorpions, and blinked her bright golden eyes. Flames rose in her pupils. The already scorching heat in the pit spiked sharply, warping the air.

But the red-shelled scorpions lived year-round in Rodrik Valley and were highly heat-resistant. The intense heat only made them uncomfortable, not dead.

Windis Larissa realized this and immediately summoned countless colorless light blades, illuminating the dark pit in an instant. She flicked her jade-like fingers. The blades shot upward. In moments, scorpion corpses fell. Within a minute, the stench of burning filled the Sunken Sun Pit.

Elara, hidden in the shadows, watched Roxane return and hurl sack after sack of poisonous creatures into the air above the pit. She smiled. She had to thank the world's fashion—without wide skirts, there would be no sacks.

Feeling the temperature around her keep rising, Elara knew Windis Larissa would leave the pit soon.

Elara stood up and adjusted her aura. With so many poisonous creatures gathering, hiding her aura was no longer a problem. She slowly drifted toward the pit on the wind, summoning nearby dark spirits to add to the chaos in Rodrik Valley—though she did not let them near the Sunken Sun Pit itself.

Wave after wave of poisonous creatures were killed. The stench in the pit was unbearable, and the ground was covered in disgusting insect and snake corpses. Windis Larissa's patience was wearing thin. She was already a half-Witch Ancestor, only one step away from full Witch Ancestor status. When had she ever been treated like this?

After killing another wave of Crimson-Tongue White Vipers, Windis Larissa finally snapped. She clenched her right hand, and the Crimson Jade Bamboo Staff appeared. She channeled full witch power and swept it through the air. A soft white sun arc tore through the sky, turning into a white wolf that charged upward, clearing everything in its path.

Windis Larissa tapped the ground and followed the white wolf. Roxane, who had been waiting for this moment, threw the three bulging, wriggling sacks by her legs all at once, then quickly darted away.

A flash of bright yellow burst out of the Sunken Sun Pit. Windis Larissa sensed her surroundings and chased Roxane on the wind.

Elara held her breath. The second she confirmed Windis Larissa was gone, she darted into the pit.

Cinderaven felt a surge of excitement at seeing his body again. They were finally reunited. Thankfully, the white shirt and pants were still on.

Elara's mind was tightly focused. She had no time to admire Austin Corell's stunning face. Her gaze swept the bottom of the pit, then she walked straight to the birch pillar half-embedded in the rock. She channeled witch power and pulled upward. The pillar looked ordinary, but it was as if it had fused with the rock—extremely difficult to remove.

Cinderaven, perched on her shoulder, wanted to help but was only a bird. "This must have been forged by that old thief Witch Ancestor Monrali Larissa." Otherwise, with Elara's current realm, pulling out a birch pillar would not be this hard.

Elara pressed her lips together, held her breath, and focused entirely on the pillar. Sweat soon beaded on her forehead, but the pillar still rose slowly, stubbornly.

Outside the Sunken Sun Pit, Roxane ran desperately. Once away from the pit, the strange subconsciousness inside her returned. This time she did not resist. She fled east as it commanded.

Windis Larissa, who had chased after her, felt deeply offended and furious. She would not let anyone go who had found this place—they knew what was hidden here.

Roxane ran as fast as she could, sensing the path ahead and the temperature around her. When she felt the heat change, she clenched her fists. Tiny, sharp blades emerged from her fingertips.

As the temperature grew hotter, she ran even faster. When it peaked, she suddenly stopped, turned, and struck. The blades on her fingers met Windis Larissa, who could not brake in time.

"Ugh…" Windis Larissa could not believe this insignificant turned being dared to trap her. She struck out with a palm. This was exactly what Roxane wanted—she had already landed a hit and planned to retreat. She pulled back and darted toward the pit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Windis Larissa lifted her leg to block her, but a bitter cold suddenly surged through her body. Her eyes widened in rage. "Poison!" She quickly put away her staff, sat cross-legged, and channeled witch power to the bleeding wound on her abdomen.

At the bottom of the Sunken Sun Pit, Elara used every last bit of strength to finally pull the birch pillar free from the rock. The heavy chains locking Austin Corell's limbs vanished as she had hoped. But before she could catch her breath, Cinderaven spoke. "Roxane is back."

Let her come back. Elara feared Windis Larissa, not Roxane. But even so, she did not have time to wipe the sweat from her face. She flicked a wisp of witch power toward the center of the Mercury Pond.

Cinderaven held his breath. He was about to get his body back. But when the witch's power reached the center of the pond and inexplicably dissipated, he knew something was wrong. "What's happening?"

Elara's eyes widened. She leaped straight to the center of the pond, spun, and reached for the sleeping beauty—only to grab nothing but air. She went to the opposite side of the pond. A few tiny mercury beads confirmed the pond was real.

There was no time to think. She sensed a foreign aura approaching. Elara immediately gathered moonlight, wrapped herself and Cinderaven, and dove into the Mercury Pond, pressing against the wall.

Almost as soon as the ripples in the pond calmed, Roxane stepped into the Sunken Sun Pit.

Things were different now. Twenty years ago, she had been a weak Rozin girl. In the darkness, all she could see was his beautiful eyes—more stunning than anything in the world.

Today, darkness could no longer keep them apart. She stared lovingly at the man lying at the center of the pond. She finally understood why she had kept rejecting Brett Hall. Her heart had been lost here twenty years ago. How could she love again?

She flew toward the center of the pond, wanting to embrace him. But just like Elara, she only grabbed a handful of mercury. Roxane stood frozen on the opposite side of the pond, affection still on her face. She stared at her hand in confusion. "What's going on?" She refused to believe it was all fake. She flew toward the center again, but the result was the same.

"No… no," Roxane felt her world collapsing. "It's not fake. He… he's Duke Austin Corell. He's real."

Twenty years ago, he had opened his eyes and looked at her. She would never forget that feeling. She flew toward the center once more—but before she could arrive, a bright yellow beam of light crashed down from the sky. The Crimson Jade Bamboo Staff swept through the air and struck her waist.

Roxane dodged instinctively. She had not expected the woman to return so quickly. The poison had not been strong enough. Her long fingers slid along the seam of her dress and tightened. Tiny sharp blades reappeared on her fingertips.

"How dare you," Windis Larissa's face was still pale. When she saw the birch pillar had been pulled free, her expression changed and she grew alert. Whoever had pulled it out had real ability. No wonder they dared enter Rodrik Valley.

"The Larissa family dares to imprison Duke Austin with despicable means. That is true audacity," Roxane hated the Larissa witches deeply. "The great Light Witches are nothing but this."

Windis Larissa looked at her with contempt. "What about you?" Why are you here?"A low-born, impure turned being coming for Austin—she knew exactly what she wanted. Amber cat eyes. She already knew who she was."Roxane Mullin."

Her status was low, but she was famous across the Mal Continent. A frail Rozin girl who had been the sole favorite of the noble Andros founding ancestor Duke Brett Hall for five years. Many women envied her. But that was in the past.

She knew who she was? Roxane fell silent, fully on guard. Windis Larissa did not want to waste words. Anyone who coveted Austin would die by her hand.

The clashing power at the bottom of the pit caused ripples on the Mercury Pond's surface. Hidden inside the pond, Elara judged the battle by the ripples and faint sounds.

Outside the pond, Roxane was knocked to the ground again. After assessing her strength, Windis Larissa was in no hurry to kill her. She was just an ant. She would t*****e her to death slowly.

Thanks to Andros self-healing, Roxane stood up again within a minute. Her eyes were filled with malice as she looked at Windis Larissa. When the witch attacked, Roxane smiled darkly and suddenly closed her eyes. The strange consciousness returned.

The ripples on the pond grew more violent. Elara took the chance to take out the venom-infused silver needle and waited quietly. Cinderaven held his breath, also watching the movement outside the pond.

When Roxane, eyes closed, dodged her attack again, Windis Larissa seemed to realize something and stood still. As expected, Roxane turned and counterattacked. Her blades touched Windis Larissa's waist. Windis Larissa grabbed her wrist and struck her neck.

A crisp c***k echoed as the neck broke. Elara, pressed against the pond wall, shot upward and threw the needle.

Windis Larissa panicked. She had not expected a third person at the bottom of the Sunken Sun Pit. She dodged instinctively—but it was too late. The silver needle tore through the air and sank into her waist.

Windis Larissa hated Roxane for distracting her. She was about to twist her head off when she sensed coldness behind her and quickly darted away.

Having missed a fatal blow, Elara took the chance to shatter all of Roxane's bones, then kicked her out of the Sunken Sun Pit. She faced Windis Larissa directly.

"West Sea Forest," Windis Larissa stared at the silver-pistiled black mandala crown. "Elara Dessey." Thinking of what Witch Ancestor Monrali had said, her heart ached. "I can understand why you've come for Austin."

By now, she understood. The birch pillar had not been pulled out by that lowly Roxane Mullin. This one was the true hidden threat.

Elara did not listen to her nonsense. With a thought, a silver-winged eastern dragon roared as it burst forth from her upper dantian. Now that she had the upper hand, she would take advantage of Windis Larissa's injury to finish her off.

Cinderaven flew off Elara's shoulder and landed beside the Mercury Pond, his black eyes fixed on the body at the center.

After flying out of Elara's upper dantian, the Silver-Winged Eastern Dragon lashed out with its tail, clearing everything in its path.

Although Windis Larissa lived in seclusion in Rodrik Valley, she had been informed by the Alsace Mountains about the new Lord of West Sea Forest. Seeing her now, she thought Elara was even more powerful than the rumors said.

Young, strong, and deeply scheming. She did not dare underestimate her. She channeled full witch power, stomped her right foot hard, and gritted her teeth to force the poisoned needle out of her flesh.

Elara caught the flying Silver-Winged Eastern Dragon Staff. She flicked her left hand, and another silver needle shot through the air.

Windis Larissa used witch power to suppress the bitter cold inside her body. But the venom on this needle had been refined by witch power, hundreds of times stronger than Roxane's. Her body could not recover its agility quickly. Yet the needle was closing in. With no time to think, her eyes hardened. She released her grip, and the Crimson Jade Staff flew out and slammed into the rock.

Seeing this, Elara immediately recalled the needle, leaped into the air, and warned Cinderaven, "Danger!" This woman was truly ruthless. To buy time, she was releasing the witch power stored in her staff.

Cinderaven heard her and dove straight into the Mercury Pond.

In an instant, all the insect and snake corpses at the bottom of the Sunken Sun Pit were swept away. Even the surface of the birch pillar cracked.