Chapter 46: Gift Competition

Sylvia was just about to stealthily yawn.

Uther VII stood up immediately.

“To show our respect to our honored guest, We have prepared a special gift.”

His voice echoed through the banquet hall.

Everyone’s attention instantly focused.

Sylvia inwardly groaned.

She dreaded this kind of overly ceremonial moment the most.

“Ah, here we go again…”

She silently complained in her mind.

“Can’t we just skip these pretentious rituals?”

“I just want to go back and lie down…”

Uther VII took from the bishop beside him a crystal box emitting a soft glow.

The box was completely transparent.

Inside were countless tiny holy light runes inlaid.

It looked incredibly valuable.

“This is the finger bone of the first-generation Paladin Arthas.”

He carefully held the box.

His voice full of obvious reverence.

“Arthas was the greatest Paladin a thousand years ago.”

“His relic still contains pure holy light power to this day.”

Upon hearing this, Avira’s eyes flashed with a dangerous light.

“Old man, you’re giving us a dead man’s bone as a gift?”

Her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Is this how you humans treat guests?”

Uther VII hurriedly explained, “This is no ordinary bone!”

“This is the most sacred relic!”

“It can purify all evil and dispel all darkness!”

Sylvia’s heart skipped a beat as she listened.

Purify evil?

Dispel darkness?

Isn’t that exactly what counters the Blood Clan?

“This old man is definitely stirring trouble!”

She raged silently in her mind.

“To openly show a Blood Clan-countering relic right in front of the Blood Clan?”

“Is he looking for death?”

Sure enough, the moment Uther VII opened the crystal box, a powerful surge of holy light instantly exploded forth.

The entire banquet hall was shrouded in white brilliance.

The temperature suddenly rose.

Avira immediately furrowed her brows.

Her body instinctively stepped back half a pace.

That holy light power was indeed uncomfortable for her.

Like being forced to stand under the scorching sun in summer.

Ophelia’s expression also slightly changed.

A trace of displeasure flickered in her blood-red eyes.

The other Blood Clan guards present retreated outright.

Some of the weaker ones even let out faint sounds of pain.

“This old man is absolutely doing this on purpose!”

Sylvia’s anger boiled inside.

“To bring out a relic that counters the Blood Clan in front of us.”

“If this isn’t provocation, then what is?”

However, when the strong holy light touched Sylvia, something strange happened.

The holy light caused her no harm.

Instead, it seemed to encounter a massive vortex, being unconsciously absorbed by her.

Sylvia just felt the surroundings suddenly brighten, then dim again.

Nothing else.

“Huh? That’s it?”

She blinked, a little puzzled.

“I thought it would hurt.”

“So holy light is this weak?”

“It’s not even as thrilling as my sister’s killing intent.”

But in Ophelia’s eyes, the scene was entirely different.

To her, that light which tried to harm her daughter

was directly consumed as nourishment by Sylvia’s divine nature.

“Weak light.”

Ophelia sneered coldly in her heart.

“Not even a single hair of my daughter can it touch.”

Seeing this, Uther VII’s eyes burst with unprecedented fanatic light.

In his eyes, Sylvia wasn’t absorbing the holy light, she was purifying this relic!

“My god!”

He cried out inwardly.

“The Holy Body is purifying the first Paladin’s relic!”

“Her holiness far exceeds our imagination!”

“Even Arthas’s holy bone submits to her!”

The more he thought, the more excited he became.

“This is the true Holy Body!”

“Imprisoned holy light!”

“She is holier than any relic!”

“Oh my heavens.”

“She can purify a thousand-year-old relic!”

“What incredible holiness!”

Avira looked at Uther VII’s obsessed expression.

She found it extremely irritating.

“Old man.”

Her voice full of impatience.

“You take this garbage as a gift.”

“Is that because you look down on my sister?”

Uther VII came back to his senses and quickly waved his hands.

“No, no, no!”

“This is the highest symbol of respect to Her Highness!”

“This relic is priceless!”

“It is one of our church’s most treasured treasures!”

“Most treasured treasure?”

Avira sneered coldly.

“This broken bone?”

“I can cut out a bunch with a single sword casually.”

The atmosphere instantly grew tense.

Sylvia felt the knife-edge tension around her.

She hurriedly spoke to smooth things over:

“Well… thank you, Your Holiness, for the kindness.”

“This gift is very precious.”

Her voice soft and utterly non-threatening.

But to Uther VII’s ears, these words were like heavenly music.

“She accepted!”

“The Holy Body accepted our gift!”

He was so excited he almost teared up.

“This shows deep down she still yearns for the light!”

“She is signaling to us!”

“She is willing to be saved!”

Just then, Ophelia slowly stood up.

“Since we have received the gift,”

“then it’s time for us to return the favor.”

Her voice was calm, but everyone could feel the terrifying pressure contained within.

Ophelia stretched out her hand.

A fist-sized black crystal formed in her palm.

The crystal was pitch black throughout, but inside countless stars twinkled.

So beautiful it took one’s breath away.

But even more frightening was that with the appearance of this crystal, the entire banquet hall’s light began to be swallowed.

The magnificent crystal chandeliers dimmed.

Even the candle flames flickered precariously.

“This is the Heart of Eternal Night.”

Ophelia said coldly.

“Condensed purely from the Law of Night.”

“I made it myself.”

Sylvia stared at the beautiful black crystal.

Unable to look away.

“So beautiful…”

She sighed inwardly.

“Mother’s craftsmanship is really something.”

“This looks way better than that broken bone.”

“Mother really knows how to give gifts.”

But the humans present felt something else entirely.

***

The dark aura emitted by the Heart of Eternal Nigh made them deeply uneasy.

Some weaker nobles even began to tremble.

“Wh-what is this?”

King Lorion couldn’t help but whisper.

“Manifestation of the Dark Law.”

King Aiseline answered.

His voice clearly filled with fear.

“Something like this, can only be created by those who wield the Law Authority.”

Uther VII gripped his scepter tightly.

Cold sweat formed on his forehead.

He could feel the terrifying power contained within the Heart of Eternal Night.

It was no ordinary dark magic.

It was power on the level of the laws themselves.

“This is a provocation against our holy light!”

Bartholomew, captain of the Sword of Judgment, thought angrily.

But he dared not speak it aloud.

Because he clearly understood, facing an existence of this caliber, any reckless action was suicide.

“Thank you, Your Majesty the Queen, for your generous gift.”

Uther VII forced a smile and said.

“We will cherish it dearly.”

Ophelia nodded.

Gently pushing the Heart of Eternal Night toward the humans.

The crystal slid across the table.

Where it passed, even the air thickened.

Sylvia looked at the sharply opposed gifts on either side.

Feeling utterly helpless.

On one side was a relic meant to purify darkness.

On the other was a crystallization of pure dark law.

“This isn’t a gift exchange at all.”

“This is outright declaring war!”

“Can’t things be less hostile?”

She silently complained.

“I just want to eat quietly.”

“Then go back and sleep.”

“Why does even eating have to be so exhausting?”

But obviously, things were not so simple.

Uther VII looked at the Heart of Eternal Night on the table, then back at Sylvia.

The light in his eyes burned even brighter.

To him, all this was a test.

The Blood Clan queen brought out a crystallization of the Law of Night to test the Holy Body’s reaction.

And the Holy Body just accepted their holy bone, showing deep down she still yearned for the light!

“I understand now!”

Uther VII shouted wildly inside.

“This is the signal from the Holy Body!”

“She is telling us she wants to be saved!”

“The Blood Clan queen is testing our resolve!”

“She wants to see if we truly want to save the Holy Body!”

“So deep!”

“Even the gift exchange hides secret meanings!”