The Villain Princess survived the Imperial Riot

Just as the Knight Commander had said, its power was degenerating in an unfamiliar direction.

Weak, tiny, like an ant.

As a result, this body not only does not provide any help, but instead becomes a burden that makes it unable to move.

Death is approaching.

Qiu Su is a kind of deception. It has no thoughts and no life. It just comes to people, so there is no death.

Therefore, (Noelle) was first of all her own, and secondly her enemy, the golden worm that gathered the abandoned memories of her father and her enemies.

For the first time, she felt the horror brought by the shadow of death.

"bluff!"

The golden worm's head broke open, and half of the body of a woman with a perfect figure emerged from the skull. She grew on the top of the golden worm's head, and under her ribs were countless slender and sharp tentacles.

The book had reclaimed all its power, and the Knight Commander before him had been reduced to the level of a mortal. She was merely a mortal! Even if she had fallen to the same level, how could a mortal life compare to the immortal golden worm?!

"I don't think you've ever killed someone like this. To you in the past, it was always so easy and effortless, as if life was truly worthless. So I'll tell you a truth through practical experience..."

Clara pulled out her corroded arm, the rotting flesh clinging to the bone, making it unusable. With her good left hand, she pulled out the scimitar hanging from her leg, like a slave in a gladiatorial cage, facing an unstoppable beast.

"Cutting flesh and blood is not as easy as you think."

Volume 67: Dreamer: . You Are Her

The arc moon disappeared, the blood-red tide receded, and countless golden-red worms withered, leaving only layers of thin skin and shells to testify to the past.

The coiled golden worm was reduced to a lifeless skeleton. The woman who emerged from its brow was half-skinny and covered with hundreds of knife wounds, leaving only a pale and bloodless appearance.

Clara closed her [Time Notes]. Her wounds were scabbing at an extremely slow pace. Once the High Knight's divine protection was broken, it would take years for her to recover on her own. Even if power was slowly returning to her body, it would only prevent her from dying from excessive blood loss.

"Is it dead?"

The tall knights who were maintaining the barrier and restraining the golden worms looked at each other in bewilderment.

When the golden worm interfered with the entire valley in its true form, even Mines and Stein felt that the mission had to be abandoned.

Not only because the evil magic displayed by the golden worm is too tricky, but also because it inherited the legacy of the high knight.

I don't know how the worm possesses the High Knight's divine protection. In short, a worm monster with the body of a High Knight cannot be completely killed even if all the troops in the valley are mobilized.

Moreover, it is an evil spirit that bewitches people's minds. Whether ordinary soldiers can resist the spiritual impact is still unclear.

As a result, Clara used a simple attitude to chop off the evil spirit one by one, until all the blood flowed out.

Having also transformed into a mortal body, the golden worm obviously has a stronger life and body. Even if Clara's will and skills are superior, it is almost impossible for a mortal to defeat the giant beast.

Clara sheathed her knife without any sadness or joy, she just looked at the corpse of the golden worm.

Its massive skeleton boasted a thousand arms and legs, its twisted, ugly bristles covered in red spots like eye pupils. Simply watching it irritated those around it, as if a nameless rage was waiting to be vented, pouring out all its hatred and disgust.

"No, it's not completely dead yet."

Clara frowned, her mind was deep, her spirit floated to the surface, looking at the vast and magnificent scenery of the Sea of ​​Origin and the material world overlapping with it.

Reality and dreams reflect each other. Secret practitioners of different paths will develop different spiritual perceptions based on their respective fields in order to perceive those hidden things.

Tashu cannot see the complete soul like spiritual practitioners, but Clara still realized that Noel's soul did not return to his dream home with the withering of his body.

The souls of mortals will quickly disintegrate after death, only a few will leave behind lingering obsessions, and even fewer obsessions will become evil spirits due to curses.

Compared to secret cultivation, the soul of a mortal is as pale as a piece of rice paper. Just soak it in water and no trace of life will be left.

Theoretically, the souls of secret cultivators can live forever, but due to the connection with their dreams, after losing the anchor of their physical bodies, their souls will return to their dreams, and they will be forced to dissolve in the sea of ​​​​origin, welcoming the destined nothingness.

In order to avoid that horrible and dark ending, the secret practitioners naturally developed many countermeasures.

One can either cultivate a spiritual mind, confining the soul to the spirit realm, shielded from the erosion of the Sea of ​​Origin. Or, like a spiritual mind, pursue an immortal body, capable of rapid recovery from any damage, preserving the soul. Another option is to completely surrender to the Dream Mythology and become their servant and subject.

Clara could sense that Noelle in front of her could neither live forever apart from her body nor return to her dreams to become nourishment for the world.

"She's not dead, she escaped?" Mines reloaded his hand cannon and observed the environment vigilantly.

"No, her body is dead, but the worms don't simply cling to a body. They are bewitching creatures. As long as the bewitching creatures are there, there's a chance of resuscitation."

Stein stepped forward and, drawing upon his years of knowledge of heresy, made a reasonable guess.

"The Censorate's numerous historical records list 129 types of enchantments. Enchantments cannot be eradicated, only isolated or prevented. Most of the worms the Censorate has dealt with are small-time worms, deeply infected by objects containing enchantments, and are vulnerable. The truly troublesome ones are those worm masters possessed by enchantments. You can think of them as the embodiment of enchantments, acting on human will. Every appearance of a worm master often brews a widespread disaster."

"I've never heard of that." Mines shook his head.

"Because a High Knight's duty is loyalty and killing. They don't need to deal with sewer rats, nor do they need to understand overly complex matters." Stein sneered and pointed to his heart. "Bewitching lies within everyone, and you have no way of knowing whether it will become a weakness for the worm to infiltrate. The more you know, the closer you become to it. Instead of agonizing over it, why not become pure... But isn't purity just another form of bewitching, a distortion of oneself?"

"That's enough, Mr. Inquisitor, just say the worm." Clara vaguely felt that Stein was about to say something disloyal, so she decisively cut him off.

"In the archives of the Sun Dynasty from three hundred years ago, there's a species of insect masters. They're parasites. Besides their original bodies, they can also leave eggs in some puppets, allowing them to revive when necessary," Stein explained. "However, this carries certain risks, and insect masters wouldn't make such a choice unless it was absolutely necessary."

"why?"

"Puppets are also worms, the only difference being who sits on the throne. For a worm to be reborn, its original body must have suffered severe damage, leaving it incredibly weak. In this state, if it takes over a weak body, its strength will be reduced to a level where even an apprentice can handle it. However, if it takes over a powerful body, the owner of that body is more likely to turn against it, taking over the dominant consciousness and becoming the new worm master."

After all, in the world of worms, bewitchment is more like a scepter that symbolizes power, and it also tempts the worms to possess it and snatch it.

When the monarch's power is strong, he can still decide the life and death of his ministers. However, if he executes a minister when his power is at stake, he will probably be asked, "Why did Your Majesty rebel?"

"Thus, every body the worm master inhabits undergoes a lengthy cultivation process, subtly controlling their minds and preventing any rebellious behavior," Stein continued. "If we want to find this worm's eggs, it's best to start with Noel Tinson's close associates."

Clara immediately looked strange.

Stein noticed her expression and asked, "Does Your Excellency the Knight Commander have any clues?"

"Noel Tinson is the drill instructor who trains the new recruits."

"Then start with the new recruits. Separate everyone, search their spirits, examine their souls, and perform skin and bone dissections. We'll have results quickly," Stein said calmly. "I think given the Iron Army's character, they're willing to make even small sacrifices."

Clara said, "The one who receives her instruction most often is Her Royal Highness the Princess."

"..."

For a moment, everyone's expression changed and they were all silent.

Who dares to investigate the princess? Who can investigate the princess?

Just as the high knights present did not believe that the worms could bewitch the high knights a few hours ago, in the correct understanding, the Celestial Dragons are the noble descendants of the God-Emperor, perfect and flawless. Not to mention being bewitched, even if it is a shortcoming, it can only be a unique characteristic of those in high positions!

As the princess of the Celestial Dragon, it is even more impossible for her to allow her lackeys to question her authority!

The princess cannot be a worm. Anyone who questions this will die.

Even if the princess turned out to be a worm, they would only pretend to be serious and serve her cautiously.

If you dare to question the princess today, will you question the emperor tomorrow?

"It couldn't have been Your Highness," Stein quickly corrected. "It was Your Highness who ordered the execution of Noel Tinson. This means she anticipated this and would never have been harmed by the worms."

"Yes, yes, the Chief Inspector is absolutely right." Everyone agreed and did not want to touch on this topic anymore.

Clara immediately instructed, "Major Reinhardt, you must seal this place and remain stationed. Don't let anything happen to this corpse. I'll be returning to Cloudtop on my griffin now. Regardless, report this to Her Royal Highness as soon as possible."

The Golden Worm's carcass was too large to be transported back to Cloudtop. Furthermore, even the corpse still held a curse, which would have made even a high knight feel irritated. If an ordinary person came into contact with it, they would likely turn into a murderous maniac.

……

Mirror Mountain of Yunling.

This is already the edge of the Yunling Mountains. Going deeper, apart from the network of trade routes connected by the scattered towns, it is almost a wild dark forest.

Bandits, robbers, strange beasts, and demons engage in horrific and brutal fights every day. However, the empire completely turns a blind eye to everything here and is unable to effectively manage these complex areas.

The only effective way to govern is probably to kill people, leaving bones exposed in the wilderness and making the people tremble in fear. Then, some prestigious locals can be appointed as lords and mayors to ensure that a specified amount of money or materials are collected in taxes every year.

With poor transportation and a vast territory, it is normal for a secret cultivator to control the believers in one or two towns to practice.

Due to blizzards and poor harvests, countless Yunling mountain dwellers have been lost. As the princess' carriage traveled along the rugged mountain roads, it even encountered several groups of newly born undead. It was unknown whether they were naturally formed due to excessive death or infected by some kind of curse.

After eradicating a group of zombies transformed from refugees, the princess' carriage arrived at the cave that Garcia mentioned.

"Your Highness, we've discovered a cave ahead that's not marked on the map."

A soldier reported next to the carriage that the Iron Army's cavalry were parked on both sides of the mountain road, and griffins and falcons were circling in the sky.

Hestia got off the carriage, and Garcia hurried forward to greet her. "Your Highness, this is where I encountered that strange woman. She possessed the results of Luisa's research, and it was with her help that I was able to continue on this path."

"Let's go in and take a look, Dad." Hestia nodded and at the same time instructed, "Also, cuff Professor Garcia. I'm sorry, professor, I've wronged you for a while."

Garcia nodded in understanding, and smiled wryly, "Your Highness, my loyalty to the Empire is evident to all. I would never plot to harm Your Highness!"

"So best."

"Your Highness, how about I take some people in to check it out, and then bring the news back to you." A major said respectfully.

"No need. Let me see where Professor Garcia studies the truth." Hestia's face was expressionless. When the sergeant handcuffed Garcia with the mystical shackles, she frowned slightly. "Professor's right hand is so beautifully white. How does he maintain it?"

"Maybe it's the experimental environment, Your Highness. I don't know." Garcia looked blankly at his right hand. His skin was pure white, not a sign of age at all. He stretched out his left hand, and the pale, wheat-colored skin revealed soft blue veins. "Ah, what on earth was the reason..."

Iyana seemed to be lost in thought, and a flash of surprise suddenly appeared in her eyes. She hesitated and said, "Your Highness..."

"It's okay, let's go in and take a look." Hestia said, then stepped into the cave.

With Garcia as the guide, dozens of elite Iron Army soldiers and Sentinel Falcon Guards followed in front and behind, and four arcane warlocks accompanying the army were investigating the environment inside the cave and sensing any mysterious powers that might be hidden.

There was the sound of a clear spring, the gurgling of a hidden river coming from nowhere, and a cold, damp wind blowing through the hall.

The deeper you go, the more standardized and neat the path becomes, with obvious signs of human construction. Gradually, unlit torches begin to appear on both sides of the path, and in the recesses on the walls, specimens of various creatures are displayed, including not only birds and beasts in the mountains and forests, but also humans and evil spirits.

"Professor Garcia, do you usually research forbidden techniques here?" Hestia teased. "This place is probably fifty kilometers away from Cloudtop City. You work tirelessly every day. You're truly in good health despite your age."

"No, Your Highness, I don't know this place..." Garcia said fearfully. He suddenly realized that the environment in the cave was both strange and familiar to him, so he hurried to explain, "I don't remember anything like this in the cave! I remember that this was just a study room where Luisa's manuscripts and books were hidden. I..."

"Okay, don't argue for now."

Hestia waved her hand, and she saw a light ahead, and a vast cave appeared deep in the road.

"It's so cold." Chloe exhaled, and white mist immediately condensed in the air.

The temperature in this cave is actually even colder than the heavy snow outside.

The caves did not contain the books Garcia had described, but only coffins lying in niches and countless oil candles burning eternally.