"I am Alice, leader of the Witches of Fate. I need to go to the Council Hall. What is it? Do you still intend to block my way?" Alice stared coldly at this witch of the Sidonthiria Clan.
"I wouldn't dare. Uzzah is willing to show you the way!"
Even though it was only a First Grade adept who stood in front of Uzzah, Alice possessed the halo of a witch leader on her head. Alice was not a person that Uzzah should provoke for no reason.
Witch Uzzah could only make way for this dominant and pushy Witch of Fate Alice. She accompanied Alice and her party as they flew into Werning City.
Two hours later, the long ringing of the Witch Council Hall's bells echoed throughout the city.
Many Werning civilians walked out of their rooms upon hearing the ringing bells. They gathered in the streets and gazed at the Council Hall, where the ringing had come.
This sound of a ringing bell was incredibly foreign to most people. It caused them to be at a loss as to what to do!
However, for some seniors, the ringing of these bells had instead awakened the distant memories that had been buried in their brains.
"This ringing. I know now. This is the bell sound when the witch leaders declare a meeting. I remember, I remember; my old grandfather had once described this tone to me when I was really young."
The audience couldn't help but be shocked when they heard the old man's excited shouts.
Most people in this crowd had lived their entire lives in Werning City. Yet, this was the first time they had heard of such bell tolling. Could it be that the long-sealed Witch Council was about to be reactivated once again?
"The meeting of the witches? Must all the witch leaders come when they heard this sound?" Someone confusedly asked.
"They will definitely come. As long as they are Northern Witches, and can hear this bell ringing, they will come." The elderly man seemed to be yelling at the top of his lungs amidst the chattering, despite his weak breathing.
As the center of authority in the Northern Lands of the past, Werning City had been silent and quiet for far too long!
All the citizens felt a passionate joy that they couldn't hide swell in their hearts now that they once again heard the ringing of the bells that had been quiet for a hundred years. Excited and joyful expressions broke out on their faces.
People cheered and danced, almost instantly turning Werning City into a sea of happiness!
As the civilians were celebrating on their own, countless apprentice witches with Sidonthirian emblems hopped onto their brooms and rushed out of Werning City. They flew towards the lands of the various witch branches.
…………
Alice, who had barely climbed onto her seat as the leader of the Witches of Fate, had exercised her rights as a leader and submitted a suggestion for all witch branches to convene for the Witch Council.
For a moment, the effect of this matter rippled throughout the lands, causing a commotion everywhere. Everyone was discussing and gossiping, not knowing what the new leader of the Witches of Fate was planning.
The various witch branches were even more confused. They had absolutely no idea how to deal with this troublemaker that didn't play by the rules.
According to the traditions left behind by the ancient witches, only witch leaders could actively propose and organize a Witch Council. A democratic vote would then decide the more difficult internal affairs of the witches.
However, as time passed and the witch branches invested more and more efforts into the prosperity of their personal lands, the Witch Council that had once been the institution of absolute highest authority over the Northern Witches started to lose its significance. Even when conflicts broke out between the branches, the leaders only needed to get together to discuss a solution. They very rarely relied upon the great 'weapon' that was the Witch Council.
Thus, the Witch Council's authority was slowly stripped away and reduced to a shell of what it used to be. It became a place where the various witch branches took turns to manage the neutral public cities.
However, while the excellent reputation of the Witch Council could be sealed in the past, it could never truly wiped away.
That was why the entire Northern Lands erupted into disorder when the bells of the Werning Council Hall rang once again.
The witch leaders didn't like Alice, and they didn't wish for the Council to reign above their own rule. However, all of them could only cast aside their work with angry expressions and hurry to that familiar yet foreign City of Werning the moment the bells rang.
For a moment, things started to intensify around Werning City. Many witches hurried to this place by marching day and night. On the third day after the bell rang, the Pale Witch Leader, who resided furthest away, had also appeared in the Council Hall.
All the Witch Leaders of the Northern Lands had now arrived in Werning City.
After one hundred and thirty-two years, the next Witch Council had finally gathered.
…………
The so-called Council Hall was, in truth, no more than an ancient, fortress-style castle.
The place where they held the council was also no more than a dimly lit hall on the second level of the castle.
Three long, narrow windows were nestled in the walls of the hall, and not much sunlight could get in. This place required torches to illuminate everything, even during the daytime.
A ubiquitous long table had been placed in the hall. Fourteen crude chairs made of wood sat alongside the table. Apart from the black chair at one end of the table, all thirteen other chairs were placed on both sides of the table.
The corresponding witch emblems were carved into the seats of the chairs.
At this moment, only eight people sat in the thirteen chairs; five of them were missing. On the other hand, no one even dared to go close to the black chair at the end of the table.
It was said that the black chair was the seat of the Witch Queen.
No one dared to infringe the might of the Witch Queen in this holy place!
Even if she had traveled beyond the realm for more than ten thousand years.
Chapter 477 Large-Sized Plane
"Alice, what exactly are you planning?"
The first to start trouble was the leader of the Dark Witches, Circe.
One couldn't blame her for her rage. Now was the critical moment of the Shadow Tide that the Dark Tower was undergoing. Every time of the year when the Shadow Tide erupted, Circe had to be at the Dark Tower as the leader of the Dark Witches. She had to ensure that no incidents befell the land of their origin.
But now…
Circe was bound by the clauses of the ancient contracts when the bells of the Council Hall rang. She had no choice but to come to this old and rotting 'Hall' to listen to the story of this ignorant little brat.
A child that dreamed of being their equal despite only being First Grade.
Circe wasn't the only furious witch leader.
The leader of the Agony Witches had even been called to this place by her clansmen while fighting on the front lines of a planar battlefield.
The leader of the Agony Witches couldn't hide the murderous intent on her face. It showed every time she thought of that intense battlefield that teetered on the precipice of victory and defeat, and of the three nights she had gone without sleep in order to hurry to Werning City.
There were six Fourth-Grade witches and one Third Grade witch that sat in the massive Council Hall. When all of them stared at the lonesome Alice with hostile gazes, the overwhelming pressure from their Spirits was enough to paralyze any First Grade adept.
Alice stood there with her face flushed white. She bit her lip tightly and had to use all her strength to ensure her body didn't start trembling.
A First Grade witch like her was insignificant to this hall full of high-grade witches. If the old contracts hadn't bestowed upon her the rights she deserved as the leader of the witches, she wouldn't even have the right to listen in on this meeting, much less speak in it.<
br />
Alice's blue eyes swept across everyone. The energy field and spiritual flux that spilled out of the witch leaders' bodies were so overpowering that tears started to flow. Every single person in this room was like a miniature sun in Alice's eyes. The magical light that they released was so intense that Alice risked blindness when staring at them for more than three seconds.
In this situation, Alice would not be able to see the faces of the witches, even if she opened her eyes as wide as she could.
Alice was worried that Dark Witch Leader Circe might start yelling. Just the shockwave from the sound might be enough to kill a mere First Grade witch like herself.
Fortunately, these witch leaders still knew how to restrain their magical powers and Spiritual flux, despite their rage. They made sure not to hurt this witch leader sitting in front of them. Alice's abilities might have been insignificant, but ancient contracts protected her status and identity.
Cases of public infighting had yet to happen among the Northern Witches. At least the leader-class witches still knew how to maintain the good of the whole.
"Alice, we are all waiting for your answer," Of all the witch leaders, only Death Witch Khesuna seemed to be calm. However, her words still caused Alice's heart to tremble in fear, " Convening the Witch Council is a right that all witch leaders share. However, the witch that asked for this meeting has to provide a sufficiently important topic. Otherwise, we witch leaders are entirely allowed to cast votes and strip you of your rights as the leader of the Witches of Fate."
Alice remained silent in her seat. After a long while, her emotions had calmed down. After she had gotten used to the pressure from the other witches, Alice finally started speaking.
"Witch leaders, I have gathered everyone here to restore the glory of all Northern Witches." Alice stuttered as she spoke.
"Hmph! We are not here to listen to your empty words. Glory? What kind of glory? How are we doing it? You had better begin talking about something more practical!" Dark Witch Circe grunted unhappily.
"A large-sized plane… a large-sized plane that has advanced to that level for no more than a thousand years. This… will it be enough to restore the glory and prosperity of the Northern Witches?" Alice had to adjust her breathing to make her words come out smoothly even while under the pressure of many Spirits.
"A large-sized plane?"
"A large-sized plane…"
The witch leaders were shocked. For the first time, they started expressing a little interest in Alice's suggestion.
"Be clearer. What does this large-sized plane have to do with the Northern Witches?" The one to speak this time was still the Death Witch Khesuna.
Having said that, the Fourth Grade Death Witch waved her hand at Alice and cast an Undead's Protection of her. This way, Alice would be unaffected by the Spiritual pressure of the high-grade witches!
"Thank you, sister Khesuna!" A trace of blood finally returned to Alice's face. She smiled and nodded to Khesuna, "I specially gathered everyone here for the sake of restoring the former might of the Northern Witches. To fulfill this goal, I intend to offer up the coordinates of a large-sized plane that has ascended to that level for no more than a thousand years. I wish to call upon all my sisters to fight our way into that world. If we Northern Witches can take down that plane with our abilities, will we ever need to worry about the issue of rising to prominence?"
The various witch leaders were utterly shocked.
The value of a large-sized plane was so significant that even the people in this hall were hard-pressed to give an approximation.
The coordinates of a small-sized planeworld were currently worth a million magical crystals in the World of Adepts.
It wasn't even a plane that had been conquered. That was the price for an untouched planeworld: one million magical crystals.
Similarly, a mid-sized planeworld's coordinates would be a hundred times that of a small-sized plane.
A large-sized plane?
Its value could not be estimated!
It was important to note that even the World of Adepts was no more than a large-sized plane.
The only difference was that the World of Adepts had developed into a large-sized plane several tens of thousands of years ago. The strength of its natives had grown to their fullest. That gave them a chance to rise and become one of the most powerful planar conquerors in the multiverse.
If what Alice claimed turned out to be true, and the plane that she offered up was indeed an immature planeworld, then there wouldn't be too many Fourth Grade powerhouses in that plane. In that case, while they might not be able to colonize the entire plane completely, the Northern Witches could still obtain a sizeable territory there with the full united force of every single branch. They could then scour the place for resources. That was a feasible plan!
However, why was Alice so willing to offer up these coordinates, given how valuable they were? If the same situation had occurred any other witch leader, they would have hidden the truth and profited from their discovery by themselves. They would lead their own clans to stir trouble in the foreign realm, and never offer to share it with the others.
It was important to note that the final spoils of war were uncertain. No one knew who would profit the most once they shared the coordinates and a portal opened to the new world.
If your luck was terrible, you might run into the armies of the planar natives the moment you broke into the plane. Don't even talk about scouring for resources then; even the army you brought there could be wiped out.
Alice didn't seem to possess an advantage over the rest in this particular point!
The more the witches considered, the more unimaginable the situation felt like to them.
Yet, everyone started having a vague answer when they thought of Alice's current powers.
It was a large-sized plane!
Even if it had only advanced from a mid-sized plane not long ago, its fundamental power was still there. It didn't matter how weak the enemy was. They were not enemies that a bunch of First Grade adepts could knock over.
If a First Grade adept like Alice burst into that world, the most likely outcome for them would be being crushed to death by the enemy like a bedbug. There would be no room for resistance.
As for keeping the coordinates in her hands and going there to find a chance once her powers had increased; this was such a simple thought that it was almost funny.
By the time Alice had grown her fangs, the enemy would probably have developed into a real monster. Then the difference in power of both parties would not be shrinking. Instead, it would be widening at an increasing rate.
That was why Alice offered up this item that she could not lay her hands on. She would go after a more practical and obtainable benefit while doing a favor for the other witches.
The witch leaders' expressions softened when they understood this. For the first time, they felt as if Alice the brat wasn't that bad. Even the cold leader of the Agony Witches had put on a much better expression.
"Alice, if everything you said earlier was true., then how do you intend to prove it? Do you just intend to hand over the coordinates of that world right now?" Death Witch Khesuna was a calm and experienced individual. She was the first to voice her doubts.
"I hope you all can pick two representatives to head to the Tower of Fate. I will hand over the world coordinates there. You can check the validity of the coordinates of said world. However, before everyone is done preparing for the invasion, I wish to keep the world coordinates in my hands alone. What about this plan…" Alice immediately tossed out the idea that she had cooked up after long periods of thinking.
The witch leaders looked at each other and gave it some thought. They found nothing wrong with the idea.
"That is good," Khesuna nodded, "Then sisters, let us cast our votes. Who shall be responsible for the verification of these world coordinates?"
There was no question that the representative had to come from one of the six Fourth-G
rade witches. That was why Third Grade Coldwinter Witch Leader Morgana was automatically excluded.
The six Fourth-Grade witches were of the same grade, but they still held different reputations and respect in the group. That was why everyone quickly chose Death Witch Khesuna and Dark Witch Circe without much fuss.
The Pale Witch Sylvia was also a decent candidate. However, before she became the Witch of Fate, Alice had been a member of the Moya Clan, subordinate to the Pale Witches. Thus, to avoid any possibility of collusion, the witch leaders chose Circe, the witch who clashed directly with Alice, as the judge.
However, while everyone had just reached an agreement and were filled with satisfaction, Dark Witch Circe's body suddenly trembled. Black mist filled the space around her.
"How bold of you, Alice! How dare you send someone into the Black Mystery to take a prisoner away from me. You are seeking your grave."
Circe waved both of her hands and a surge of mysterious shadows immediately wrapped around Alice's body.
Chapter 478 Poison Witch Endor
The bright light of the teleportation array slowly faded away from the room.
Six vague silhouettes slowly turned solid and appeared before Greem.
"Welcome... Lady Endor!"
It was obvious that Greem had hesitated with his choice of title. That was why he was staring right down Mary's amused eyes when he straightened his body and looked up.
Six people had teleported to Fire Throne. Poison Witch Endor, Bloody Mary, her three Blood Knights, and that old fox Vanlier. Even though they looked completely fine on the surface, Greem could see, through countless minor details, the grievous wounds that Mary and Endor had suffered through.
Poison Witch Endor, in particular, was in a terrible state. Shadow substances had severely corrupted her body during her lengthy detainment in the half-shadow space that was the Dark Mirage. It seemed Endor would have to take a long time off to treat her body before she could regain her former strength.
"Kid, it seems this old hag's gonna have to stay here at your place for the moment." Poison Witch Endor's spirits were high despite the damage to her origin powers. A trace of compassion surfaced on her hideous and sinister face.
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