The sudden incident caught the Holy Judgment High Court completely off guard.

The explosion first attracted the attention of many guards; just as they were about to check it out, they noticed the mass of dense mist towering dozens of meters high.

For years, they had arrested people trying to infiltrate the Holy Mountain for intelligence, but such a blatant approach was unprecedented.

As a result, they didn’t know what to do and could only probe the source of the disturbance amidst the chaos.

However, it was apparent that there were more High Court Guards at the entrance and inside the Pellus Church. Compared to the intruders using shadow teleportation to sneak in, they were more familiar with the terrain and quickly discovered two hiding figures.

With a loud bang, a battle broke out inside the cathedral.

Meanwhile, Li Rui grabbed Cheng Mingyue, using the Escape Technique to scale the mountain wall and evade the cautious High Court Guards closing in.

The two were surprised to find that there were more uninvited guests on the Holy Mountain than expected. Taking advantage of the noise inside the Pellus Cathedral, many were heading in the same direction as them.

"We can only choose another target," Li Rui explained, "but with them drawing fire, we’re less likely to be noticed."

In the midst of the sudden change, switching targets was not out of the question; with someone as bait, it was just perfect.

Li Rui didn’t continue using the Escape Technique because once discovered by a powerful figure in the Holy Judgment High Court, it was evident they’d pay more attention to him since the Escape Technique was a rare ability.

Soon, the situation at Pellus Cathedral attracted the attention of true powerful figures. A gust of wind blew by, scattering the mist ball almost instantly. Then, several streaks of light darted from the mountaintop, rushing into the cathedral.

Simultaneously, battles of varying intensity erupted in other directions on the mountain. No one expected the situation to escalate like this.

The group had been lurking quietly; then suddenly, someone flipped the table.

"Those two are so annoying," Cheng Mingyue said, "Everything was peaceful."

Li Rui chuckled, "Isn’t that perfect?"

"Where are we going now?" Cheng Mingyue asked.

Li Rui replied, "To the mountaintop. There’s going to be a great battle below; let’s see what’s happening with the statue at the top. If things go south, the mountaintop is more conducive to my Escape Technique."

The two swiftly evaded the powerful aura and dashed toward the mountaintop.

Rushing like this would surely get them noticed normally, but with the mountain in chaos, they were less conspicuous.

"Stay close to me."

As Li Rui charged forward, he reminded Cheng Mingyue so that if anything unexpected happened, he could use the Escape Technique to get both of them out.

The situation had turned into a one-off opportunity. After checking the statue’s battle traces, staying longer would be hard. However, without the current chaos, sneaking into the shrouded statue would be challenging.

In the fully darkened night, the two sprinted up the mountain, increasingly awed by the grandeur of the draped statue.

Even from a distance, an invisible pressure could be felt. Rumors said the statue was once a peak, initially a bas-relief carved on the mountain that gradually became a complete sculpture by hollowing out the mountain.

Halfway up, Li Rui intended to descend from the side to approach the statue, but he suddenly stopped Cheng Mingyue with an outstretched hand.

Hiding in the shadows, the two looked ahead, seeing the two they had been calculating against earlier: the tan-glasses and middle-aged Nan Jiumei.

".... Why are they here?"

Cheng Mingyue implied these fellows should’ve been trapped in Pellus Cathedral, besieged by the Holy Judgment High Court, or perhaps already dead after Li Rui’s plans.

Li Rui whispered, "It seems the older one is a Puppet Master, a rare advanced Wizard class. The ones in Pellus Cathedral were decoys; their true selves have ascended."

"Hmph, so cunning," Cheng Mingyue said. "Why so serious? Shouldn’t we ambush and kill them?"

Li Rui answered, "As far as I know, Isa Eso is a consultant for the Western Anomaly Bureau, and he’s a Puppet Master."

"So what?" Cheng Mingyue said dismissively. "He’s not the only one, right?"

"But since the last assassination mission with Brother Gui in the Chaotic Land, that guy appeared. His target is me."

"Oh, that’s no coincidence," Cheng Mingyue said, "So should we kill them?"

Li Rui clicked his tongue, "Hold on, I just realized that tan-glasses guy looked familiar. I remembered; despite subtly altered features, his face betrays his identity, like Roger Simon."

Cheng Mingyue clapped her thigh, gritting her teeth, "Yeah, it really is him."

An encounter with an enemy is always intense; Simon almost punched her to death in the Secret Realm battlefield.

Li Rui frowned, "There are others around us; let’s not rush and wait."

Currently, the duo—likely Isa Eso and Roger Simon—also remained cautious, despite the seemingly empty surroundings. Clearly, danger lurked in the transparent air.

It was nighttime, the mountaintop lamps were off, illuminated only by the moon overhead. In this dim setting, a flash of silver suddenly streaked through.

The light appeared only for a moment, like a western line angled at forty-five degrees plummeting from midair to the ground before vanishing.

Afterward, an extremely fine silver light cut the ground, and the two figures standing there were severed at the waist.

However, there was no blood splatter. The fragmented bodies hit the ground with sounds like wood.

Using puppets as substitutes, the suspected Puppet Master Isa Eso evaded the attacks. But more silver lights swiftly followed.

What was once a thread now became rain—not a summer storm, but a spring drizzle, slicing even the air with each passing drop.

"Awooo—"

The young man with tan glasses finally dropped his act, roaring as he transformed, revealing his demon-like muscular form. It was undoubtedly Roger Simon.

Transformed, he charged ahead at the curtain’s target. The silver lights cut his body but quickly regenerated, rivaling the force of life itself.

Li Rui and Cheng Mingyue watched coldly. Isa Eso vanished, and the unseen attacker remained hidden.

Despite at least five figures present, Simon was the only visible one advancing through the sharp cuts.

More densely grouped silver lights targeted Simon as a dark figure spun midair. Several puppet-like figures rigidly dashed to a single position from various directions. Each puppet’s arms ignited with dark green flames, clashed at the center with crossed hands.

Crash!

The air shattered like glass, revealing a sinister figure sneering.

Bald with blue eyes, faintly glowing from the pupils, his wide mouth bore an eerie grin.

Li Rui was certain this face didn’t belong to any top Holy Judgment High Court figures, at least not from known records.

Suddenly, Isa Eso appeared, and Simon halted, both clearly shocked.

"Oudira Gondor!"

Rarely did Simon show such blatant surprise, "Impossible, why is there a world NPC here?!"