Chapter 157: About to Begin

"There's nothing we can do about it!" Brenda looked helplessly at the pile of medicinal herbs. Each group had been assigned different potions, mostly focusing on supplementary effects.

Perhaps because Xius happened to be in their group, or perhaps because the ingredients for natural potions were easier to gather, early that morning, the Silver Rose sent people to pile all the materials right here, to Brenda's astonishment.

"By the way, with so many people from our potion group sent out, will the potions we brew be enough to sustain the defense lines?" Xius asked with some curiosity. Logically speaking, Silver Rose was the largest potion supplier in Holy Circle City. Now that so many people had been dispatched, he wondered if it would be enough for the frontline consumption.

"Don't worry about that. Our Silver Rose has always kept a massive stockpile of potions precisely for situations like this. Besides, the number of people in Silver Rose isn't small right now; the reason you didn't see many before was because most of them were stationed at our branches. They have all been regrouped now!" Brenda was extremely busy, flipping through documents in her hands and signing them with a pen from time to time.

"I see!" Xius hadn't expected Silver Rose to have prepared an ace up its sleeve in advance. Judging by this, the other wizard organizations must have made preparations ahead of time as well.

"Furthermore, during this period, the ruling wizards of our Silver Rose have joined forces with others to set up quite a few teleportation arrays, so everything will be in time no matter what!"

"Teleportation arrays?" Xius was suddenly startled by this news. If large-scale teleportation arrays were truly going to be used, the plan to raid Holy Circle City this time might as well be over.

"Don't overthink it. They are just small teleportation arrays, mainly used for transporting supplies, much like the ones inside our Silver Rose. They can't transport many people at a time!" Brenda explained, assuming Xius was surprised by how so many arrays could be set up in such a short period.

"However, the Ring of Light Tower has really pulled out all the stops this time, producing quite a few ancient teleportation scrolls. Otherwise, it would be impossible to reach the periphery of the Lost Domain in such a short time. What a pity, these teleportation scrolls are single-use; otherwise, this battle would be much easier!"

Hearing this, Xius couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. If those were large-scale teleportation arrays, Xius felt he might as well honestly stay inside Holy Circle City and brew potions.

"Alright, I have to attend an internal meeting of the Silver Rose shortly, so make yourself at home. All the glassware in our laboratory has been replaced with new ones, and you can get yourself acquainted with them. In any case, don't leave the Silver Rose, and contact me if anything urgent comes up!" With that, Brenda hurried away.

"Sigh, I'll just wait for those heading to the front lines to leave first!" Xius felt there was nothing else he could do; all his actions had to be put on hold until the people within Holy Circle City departed.

"Hum!"

"Hum!"

As noon approached, the roadsides of Holy Circle City were packed with people. The wizards bound for the front lines walked down the wide streets, preparing to use the teleportation scrolls to reach their respective defensive positions.

Nearly all the wizards in Holy Circle City were present at the scene, yet amidst this bustling atmosphere, everyone's mood was far from good. Most were wearing forced smiles, and some had already received intelligence, making them acutely aware of the kind of enemies they were about to face.

"Attention all wizards assigned to the front lines! Please proceed immediately to your respective teleportation coordinates. The teleportation scrolls will activate in five minutes!"

"Repeating! Attention all wizards assigned to the front lines! Please proceed immediately to your respective teleportation coordinates. The teleportation scrolls will activate in five minutes!"

In the air, a wizard riding a broom was broadcasting the notice to the crowds of wizards gathered below.

Upon hearing these words, the wizards stirred into a restless motion and began walking toward various designated sectors.

Five minutes later, the teleportation scrolls activated precisely on schedule, dispatching the wizards to their respective frontline outposts across the Lost Domain.

With the departure of these wizards, Holy Circle City instantly emptied out, leaving only a scattering of wizards who glanced at the locations of the teleportation scrolls and turned to leave.

"Have they arrived already?" Lurking in the sea, Samuel could clearly perceive the energy fluctuations of the teleportation scrolls.

Not only him, but the sea monsters he had stationed in the surrounding waters had also sent messages reporting that humans were already setting up defense lines.

"There are quite a few good things inside this Holy Circle City!" Samuel certainly recognized teleportation scrolls, but such items had been extremely precious even in his era; he hadn't expected Holy Circle City to pull out so many at once.

This caused Samuel a bit of heartache. In his eyes, these items already belonged to him.

"Hm?" Just as Samuel was still paying attention to the wizards who had just been teleported in, a masked man in the sky entered the sea entirely alone.

"Why are you here?" Samuel looked with some surprise at the man who had kept his mask on all this time.

Samuel clearly remembered inviting him on several occasions previously, only to be ignored by the other party. He wondered why the man had taken the initiative to come this time.

"The forces on Holy Circle City's side have been hollowed out almost completely. When do you plan to make your move?" The masked man was shrouded in black mist, making it impossible for Samuel to discern his facial features.

"Wait a little longer. Now is not the time!" Samuel had his own plans, and besides, he had already agreed on the date of the attack with the Deep Sea Demon Whale.

"However, I am curious: what is your purpose in doing this?" Samuel refused to believe that this masked man would help him for no reason.

"The same as your purpose!" Phantom did not hide his intent and told Samuel directly.

"You know of that thing's existence!" Samuel's tone instantly turned cold. The fewer people who knew about the Abyssal Bloodline, the better.

"Is that how you treat your partner? The thing you want is currently inside Holy Circle City. I could go back right now, kill him, and leave, but I didn't do that, did I?" Phantom was not afraid of Samuel. In other words, he had met the real Samuel long ago.

"What do you want?" The look in Samuel's eyes toward Phantom was now filled with disgust. What he hated most was being schemed against by others, and he could not fathom the specific strength of the person before him.

If Phantom really leaked the news of the Abyssal Heir's bloodline, it would spell massive trouble—something Samuel had no desire to see.

"After it's done, I need a portion of the Abyssal Bloodline!" Phantom stated his goal.

"Very well!" It was only a portion of bloodline, something Samuel could afford to spare.

"I also need you to help me lift this!" Phantom exposed a brand on his arm.

"This is?" Samuel looked at the brand on Phantom's arm, and finally recalled where the familiar aura he sensed from Phantom came from.

"Hahaha! And here I thought you belonged to some major faction; turns out you're just another pitiful being kept as a slave!" Samuel laughed mercilessly, seemingly trying to provoke Phantom into striking.

"Soon, very soon!" Unfazed by Samuel, Phantom simply repeated the phrase over and over.

"Tell me, I'm quite curious: your master wants the same thing I do, so how is it that you came to help me? Aren't you afraid he'll kill you?" Samuel already knew who Phantom's master was; reckoning by it, the two of them had known each other for a long time.

"He can barely protect himself right now, and what I want is something he can no longer give me. If he didn't still hold leverage over me, I wouldn't have let him live!" Phantom said without a shred of emotion, making it evident that he had suffered a great deal of torment over the years.

"Hehe, calculating the time, it really is about time. Helping you isn't impossible, but as you know, I am quite interested in that palace!" Samuel was not one to work without a return. Now that Phantom was asking a favor of him, the initiative lay entirely in his hands.

"I will tell you everything completely once it's done!" Phantom did not hesitate; as long as he could rid himself of the brand on his body, he would agree to anything.

"Your mission this time should also be the Abyssal Bloodline, but I'm curious: if you bring the target back directly, won't your master lift this brand for you?" Samuel continued to probe Phantom, hoping to fish out other secrets.

"He is currently beneath the Earth's Core in the Lost Domain. I've followed him for many years, and I know very well what's on his mind. The moment the bloodline is delivered to him will be the moment I die." Phantom betrayed his master without a moment's hesitation.