Neville’s roar silenced the soldiers. They all stared at their general, whose eyes were bloodshot and his entire body trembling with fury. For a moment, no one dared to speak.
They understood his pain and shared his rage. That was why they’d lost control earlier.
But they had to control themselves. After all, it was a basic military discipline. No matter how deep their hatred, they had to hold it in until they received the order to attack.
Still, their silence didn’t mean their anger had cooled. If anything, it burned hotter with every second, growing heavier and more dangerous as it waited for release.
Just then, the tense silence was broken by three black sedans speeding toward the compound and stopping at the main gate.
When the soldiers saw the license plate on the lead car, they immediately cleared a path.
Matthias had finally arrived.
When the car door opened, the prince stepped out, followed closely by five elderly men in suits.
They varied in shape and stature-tall, short, thin, stocky-but all wore matching attire and radiated overwhelming energy. None of them made the slightest effort to hide it.
Even standing still, they exuded intense pressure, like mountains looming over everyone around them.
These were the five masters that the force backing Matthias meticulously cultivated. Four of them had reached the level of developed grandmaster, while the leader, a tall, lean man, was an ultimate grandmaster.
One ultimate grandmaster, and four developed grandmasters. No matter where they stood, this was a force capable of dominating an entire region.
Besides Sword Union, Celestial Alliance, and Mystic Arts Order, no other guild in the country could simultaneously call on so many top-tier experts. Even then, Sacred Wrym Summit was an exception.
In terms of military strength, Matthias was without question the most formidable of the royal heirs. His confidence in vying for the throne came entirely from the forces behind him.
As soon as Matthias stepped out of the car, Neville rushed over to ask for orders. His fury had already reached the boiling point.
“Your Highness, Zeus is still inside. Every half hour, he kills another hostage. Should we launch our attack now?” he asked.
“A frontal assault would be reckless. Lock down every entrance and wait for my orders,” Matthias said grimly.
He’d already seen the mangled corpses at the gate. With his usual temper, he would’ve stormed in by now.
But Seamus’ warning echoed in his mind. He reminded Matthias to avoid a direct clash with Zeus at all costs. Otherwise, he would lose his elite troops for nothing.
“Mr. Galen Frost,” Matthis said, turning to the tall, lean elder. “To prevent anything from slipping through, I need the five of you to set up a formation and seal off the entire estate.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” Galen nodded, then quickly instructed the other four experts. ” Finnian and Sylas, north and south. Valerius and Corwin, east and west. I’ll take the center. Let’s show the bastards inside what our formation is capable of.”
“Got it.”
The four elders answered in unison. They shot off in four directions like a blur, and stopped midair above each quadrant of the estate.
Galen didn’t stay idle, either. He launched himself straight above the estate.
“Begin formation!”
With a low shout, the five men formed hand seals in unison, and their bodies emitted bursts of blood-red light.
“Rise!”
Once the formation was set, they pointed toward the sky.
Five beams of blood-red energy shot up and converged about 300 feet above to form a glowing sphere. It grew rapidly and expanded nearly 15 feet across in just a few seconds, but it didn’t stop there.
Once the energy was full, the five men, led by Galen, bit their fingers. They formed hand seals again, then simultaneously pointed at the sphere above.
“Five Sanguine Elemental Seals-Activate! “they said in unison.
The next second, the blood-red sphere erupted in a blinding surge of crimson light. A translucent red barrier burst outward from its core and expanded rapidly in all directions.
Within five seconds, the entire estate was sealed inside this blood-red barrier. At first glance, it looked like a giant blood-red eggshell.
Once the formation was completed, the shield gradually faded until it vanished completely, as if it had never existed.
Of course, that was only the surface. The shield would reappear instantly when any of the five willed it. This was their signature move-the Five Sanguine Elemental Seals.
The formation was both offensive and defensive, and it even boosted the power of its users. Most importantly, the five masters could share their cultivation strength through the formation. No attack weaker than ten times their combined strength could break through.
“Your Highness, the formation is complete. You may proceed without worry. As long as the five of us stand, no one can harm you.” Galen’s voice rang from above, calm and confident.
“Thank you,” Matthias said, bowing to each of the five men before stepping into the estate with Neville.
