"If you had surrendered earlier, you wouldn't have ended up like this. Farewell, you little thief."
The witch drew her dagger, watching as Chen Xuan fell to the ground, then walked towards Joan.
"Envoy, Your Excellency!" Joan was shocked and lost in panic.
"He is not an envoy at all, not even a follower of the Lord." The witch shook her head regretfully. "I suggest you give up resisting... This way, when I am declared an evil witch, you can be exonerated and remembered as a hero of France. If you insist on resisting, it will be confirmed as treason..."
Suddenly, she saw Joan's expression change.
From surprise, grief, and hesitation to an unparalleled devotion.
...As if she was seeing the Lord she believed in with her own eyes.
Could it be?
The witch swiftly turned around, a sword light swept past, and even though she jumped back quickly, she was still one step too slow!
The Qi Sword sliced into her midsection, cutting open her abdomen like a hot knife through butter!
Blood gushed out immediately.
Her face turned pale, eyes wide with disbelief as she looked behind.
Chen Xuan had stood up again!
"How is this... possible?"
He should have been pierced through the heart by her!
What kind of power does he possess?
An immortal body!?
For Chen Xuan, the scene he saw was different—the red-haired witch instantly moved behind him as another voice entered his mind, uttering simply three words: "It's done."
Then he saw the opponent pull out a dagger and stab towards the air. It was as if another Chen Xuan was standing there while he became the phantom. This phenomenon happened not only to the enemy but also to Joan; from shock to fervent belief, Chen Xuan could fully imagine his "resurrection" scene.
"What kind of spell is this?"
"The Eight Gates Array. Those who fall into it and cannot extricate themselves are controlled by thoughts about life, death, sorrow, and joy." Liu Shuyue's voice came through again, as if she had anticipated his thoughts, "It's a type of Talisman Technique, though deploying it is a bit troublesome, once set, it can be invincible. Her life is now yours."
Looking at the witch half-kneeling on the ground, Chen Xuan raised three Qi Swords, aiming them at her once more.
The sword had clearly damaged her organs. Now, she couldn't even dodge a sword, moving significantly might cause the wound to expand, and her intestines might slip out.
Ultimately, it comes to this step.
Chen Xuan took a deep breath, ready to let the Thousand Thoughts Sword thrust out.
Only to see the red-haired witch grit her teeth, slam the ground with one hand, and in an instant, she vanished without a trace, replaced by a metallic barrel the size of a tree stump, emitting a constant ticking sound.
This is—a bomb!?
Indeed, since she could swap places with specific objects, as long as she prepared one outside in advance, it equates to always having a retreat route, right?
But using a bomb as a retreat is too ruthless. This barrel is filled with high explosives, its power sufficient to flip the entire dungeon upside down!
"Jeanne, Liu Shuyue, run!" He warned sternly.
At this moment, an invisible hand grasped him.
"Rest Sect, open!" Liu Shuyue shouted softly, and a wave of water burst out from a cell!
"Let's go."
Chen Xuan was completely confused about what was happening at the scene and where the water came from, but at such a critical moment, he had no choice but to trust her. He grabbed the incoming Joan with his other hand, allowing himself to be dragged into the water by Liu Shuyue. Amidst the rushing water, he vaguely saw a pitch-black opening appearing on the stone wall of the cell, with water gushing out from the hole.
Through the opening, the light suddenly turned extremely dim, and then he felt himself rising rapidly, after a dozen seconds, he finally broke through the water and breathed fresh air again!
"Cough... Where is this?" Chen Xuan looked around and found that both the dungeon and castle were gone, surrounded by a lake rippling with waves, and above was a dazzling starry sky.
Suddenly, a dull sound came from very far away, like a thunderclap on dry ground.
He looked in the direction and saw many firelights shining there.
"Could it be that the sound of the explosion just now came from the palace?"
"More or less." Liu Shuyue also revealed herself at this moment, yet compared to Chen Xuan, her hair was completely unruffled, not a drop of water on her, evidently using some Water Avoidance Technique. "This technique can be used for attack and defense, advance and retreat. Since you said to run earlier, I opened the Rest Sect, and it looks like it sent us to a lake near the dungeon."
Crossing several miles in the blink of an eye...
It seems the Talisman Technique is also a comprehensive Top-Grade Ultimate Skill.
"I didn't expect that person to be able to instantly escape the Eight Gates Array even after losing their mind; this Abyss Sea's magic is truly formidable." Liu Shuyue glanced at Joan, who was still bewildered, "Luckily the guest was safely rescued, so this trip was worthwhile."
Crazy Thursday, huh...
Whether you look at her nickname or her weaponry, she seems like someone from his era. But how could such a person exist in the world he knows?
"Indeed," Chen Xuan suppressed his doubts and said, "Let's head back to the shop first, Gildre is still waiting there."
...
...
"My Lady Jeanne... I'm so glad you're safe!" The general, who had been anxiously pacing at the door, immediately rushed up, his face full of joy, "That damned evil witch didn't torment you, did she?"
Jeanne shook her head, "I heard from the Envoy that you have been running around to rescue me, thank you."
"You are the commander-in-chief, the Holy Maiden who saves our country, what I did was necessary!" Gildre quickly waved his hand, "The soldiers on the frontline are all waiting for you to return, as long as you declare your innocence, they will surely stand firmly by your side!"
"I..."
"Are you worried about the evil witch? Even with her devilish tricks, she can't control all the front line troops at once. We can all raise arms together and urge His Majesty, and surely His Majesty will change his mind—"
"No!" Jeanne interrupted resolutely, "How is that different from rebellion? The front line troops are for dealing with the British, I have no right to use them privately!"
"That witch... probably won't reappear." Chen Xuan suddenly spoke, "Although she escaped, with such injuries, it's almost as if she's dead."
Whether she would die or not was hard to say, but if she really came from the same world as himself, her goal was for Jeanne to die as recorded in history. This time, her operation was a complete failure, and the fabricated identity of the witch had become meaningless.
He just couldn't quite understand the disturbance to history, which he was also worried about, so he had specifically researched it extensively before. But the result showed that Jeanne's fate hadn't deviated at all; she was still defeated and captured near Compiegne. This indicated the Holy Maidens from two worlds were not the same, so why was someone still so concerned about her death?
Furthermore, Crazy Thursday's understanding of abilities seemed to be higher than his.
Who exactly was she?
"Yet with one witch down, there might be another rising." Chen Xuan continued, "They are the claws of Hell, as long as their purpose isn't achieved, more will endlessly appear."
Jeanne said worriedly, "That's what I'm afraid of too..."
"I have a proposal that might be useful."
"Please speak, my lord."
He gently patted the Holy Maiden's shoulder, "Why not retire now?"
"Re...tire?"
"How could you!?" Gildre immediately opposed, "My Lady Jeanne is the flag of the army, the beacon for the soldiers, we can't lose her!"
"Which is better, that or her dying?" Chen Xuan countered.
"Uh..." Gildre was at a loss for words.
"Can't she still be your spiritual pillar guiding you in your fight even if she isn't the commander anymore? Her staying alive is the most important thing." He analyzed bit by bit, "The witch's goal is to eliminate Jeanne, and there are some nobles in the palace who aren't fond of her either, rather than let her stay in the spotlight as a target, it'd be better for her to retire and protect herself. The dungeon is likely blown up, and also flooded, normal logic would assume Jeanne has died, so why not turn this to our advantage to fool the Devil's pursuit."
"Moreover, retirement doesn't mean detachment from the world, if the British attack again, she can always return." Chen Xuan looked at Jeanne, "But this is just a suggestion, the final choice is yours to make."
Jeanne pondered for a long time and finally relaxed her furrowed brow, "This indeed seems to be the most proper solution. The country won't lose strength due to internal strife, and my fate at the hands of the witch satisfies all parties."
"My lady..." Gildre looked pained, but compared to completely losing the Holy Maiden, this was a good result, "I understand. Your will is my mission, I'll assist with the retirement arrangements."
"I entrust this to you, General."
Finally, Jeanne pulled Chen Xuan aside, hesitated for a moment, then softly asked, "Envoy, may I ask the omnipotent Lord a question?"
"You want to know if what the witch said is true?"
Jeanne's eyes widened, "You... knew?"
It's so plainly written on your face, it'd be strange if I couldn't guess. Chen Xuan nodded slightly, "The Lord has granted me revelation."
The young woman unconsciously clasped her hands tightly before her chest.
"She said if I continue living... the country would fall into decline, the army would panic, and the fragmented resistance would be defeated by the British invaders. My mission was completed after reclaiming Orleans and Reims City, and what people needed more was a sacrificial Holy Maiden to unite their hearts..."
Her voice got smaller and smaller until she was left speechless.
Though in prison, she could counteract her doubts with anger towards the witch, that didn't mean she could completely dismiss those words. Jeanne D'Arc was always sincere and passionate, considering every problem seriously.
"The answer is, it doesn't matter."
She was stunned, "It... doesn't matter?"
"Yes, the so-called prophecies are just guesses about the future." Chen Xuan said with a smile, "And what the future ultimately becomes depends entirely on the people of the present world, it's ever-changing and cannot be summed up by just one prophecy. In other words, as long as you have the will to make it happen..."
He opened his hands to her, "Then fate is in your hands."