[Chapter 165: Seven Lamps of Dominion Rite]
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows and revealing every detail in the room, yet the atmosphere felt even more eerie and terrifying. Especially with the four non-human figures standing silently to the side.
Anne Hathaway glanced at them from the corner of her eye, then quickly looked away, her heart pounding wildly, a bitter taste rising in her mouth. She could feel her bladder pressing insistently.
The furniture was either smashed by Bathsheba or shoved aside; the entire room was a mess. The floor was littered with shards of wood, broken bowls, and fragmented dishes, leaving no clear path to walk.
Daniel reached out, summoned his consecrated ashwood sword, and said decisively, "Let's move, to the courtyard."
There was one thing to be grateful for about Bathsheba: she wouldn't run. She had locked down this place, refusing to yield. Instead, she would curse anyone who dared step foot on her ground.
Anne and the four ghosts followed Daniel outside into the backyard, which felt larger, more open. But there were no lights here either. Only a thin sliver of pale moon hung in the sky, casting a faint glow that barely outlined the yard.
Still, as a Lesser Ascendant, even this dim light was enough for Daniel to see clearly.
"Bathsheba, you are still hiding? How long do you plan to keep this up?" Daniel called out coldly, scanning the shadows.
A chilling, sinister laugh echoed through the courtyard. "Hehehe... Why would I, Bathsheba, servant of Lord Satan, need to hide?" The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, layered with a damp, haunting echo. "I'm just preparing... the finest funeral for all of you. Awaken, my curse."
Boom, boom, boom...
The ground trembled subtly beneath their feet.
Soil in the courtyard began turning over on its own, revealing several clay pots carved with eerie symbols that writhed like snakes. The air around them crackled with frightening energy.
Suddenly, the symbols glowed with an eerie green light. A terrifying and malevolent power instantly swept over the entire house.
Daniel's Innate Thunder Body flared, lightning arcing across his skin.
Boom!
The Seals on Anne Hathaway's body ignited in response, sending waves of protective power radiating outward.
The four ghosts fared worse. They collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony, their screams ripping through the night.
"Not good!" Daniel waved his hand, releasing a surge of refined magic to shield them temporarily.
These four had come at the command of the Ascendant. If Daniel allowed them to suffer Soul Scattering, it would be a significant loss of face.
"Hahaha, die, all of you! You will be sacrifices for my Lord!" Bathsheba's crazed laughter echoed through the yard.
Daniel's expression hardened. Bathsheba was far stronger than he had anticipated. She had manipulated this land beforehand, setting a sacrificial Formation. Though useless against him, it was deadly for Anne and the others.
Daniel stomped his foot, calling forth a surge of Earth energy that shattered the clay pots instantly.
The green light vanished.
Yet the terrifying power did not dissipate.
"It's useless," Bathsheba's voice hissed again. "Once the sacrificial power is activated, no one can stop it unless every life within the Formation is sacrificed."
Daniel's gaze darkened as he looked at Anne.
Under the moonlight, her face was pale, fear etched deep into her features. Protected by the power of a Seal, she was safe for now, but once its energy was exhausted, the consequences could be catastrophic.
"Hold on," Daniel said firmly.
He reached out and drew his consecrated ashwood blade. His voice rose in a steady, solemn cadence:
Seven Lamps of Dominion, let your holy radiance govern the firmament.
Sovereign Judge of the Highest Order, let your glory shine without measure.
An unseen power seemed to answer his call. The atmosphere grew heavy as an immense, ancient presence settled over the land.
Above the heavens and across the earth, cut off corruption at its source.
Let your authority descend upon this altar and make judgment manifest.
Boom!
The immense power surged into Daniel's body. His aura burst outward, filling the courtyard with terrifying pressure.
"What? What is this power?" Bathsheba's voice cracked with shock.
Let consecrated light pass through mist and shadow, leaving no place concealed.
Let every realm bear witness, and let every unclean spirit stand before judgment.
More energy poured into Daniel, his aura climbing higher still.
"No, I can't let him continue!" Bathsheba shouted sharply. "Sacrifice! Accelerate!"
At her command, the sinister power intensified.
The Seals protecting Anne flared one last time, burning fiercely to shield her.
The power sustaining the four figures teetered on the brink of collapse.
Let corruption be erased, every captive soul set free, and the righteous path restored.
Authority affirmed. Judgment sealed.
Boom, boom, boom!
As Daniel spoke the final lines, his entire aura shifted.
Pfft...
His clothes burst apart, and his body shot upward. From his original height of 6 feet 1 inch, he surged to 6'7", then kept growing. 6'11", 7'6", until he reached roughly 8 feet tall.
Muscles bulged, veins writhed beneath his skin like twisting earthworms.
His form was wrapped in glowing orange-red currents of energy, causing the space around him to warp slightly.
Anne stared, dumbfounded by his imposing transformation, momentarily forgetting the danger around her.
The four ghosts were equally shocked, disbelief shining in their eyes.
The towering Daniel lifted his gaze, locking eyes on a shadow in the courtyard's corner.
"Come out."
He pointed a finger.
Boom!
Celestial lightning flashed violently, striking the space before them.
Bathsheba, forced out of hiding, stumbled into view.
Disheveled and wild-eyed, her malice radiated in waves.
"It's useless! The sacrifice can't be stopped! You will all die! You will be offerings for my Lord!"
"Is that so?" Daniel's giant face was cold and unyielding. "You don't understand power. Break!"
He raised his giant fist, orange-red energy bursting forth, crackling with electric arcs.
Boom!
His fist crashed into the ground.
Rumble!
The earth shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck in a localized area.
A sweeping, immense force radiated from his fist, mixed with leaping bolts of lightning.
Boom, boom, boom!
Wherever Daniel's power passed, all evil forces evaporated like steam on snow.
The evil energy that had engulfed the house began to vanish rapidly.
"No! No! How is this possible!" Bathsheba screamed, desperation shattering her voice.
"Hold on! Hold on!"
But against such overwhelming power, the sacrificial Formation she had so painstakingly set up was fragile.
The Seven Lamps of Dominion Rite's power tore her Formation apart with brutal ease.
Every curse she had buried was wiped out completely.
And Daniel had accomplished all of this with a single punch.
*****
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