The Crystal Chandelier cast spider web-like ice cracks across the Dome, while Luna curled up in the Lustrous Cradle, biting down on the Teething Stick. Her baby blue pupils reflected the dancing moonlight on Aelia's Battle Armor.
The mass of Star Sand completed the Defensive Formation, climbing up the Silver Boots of the Lady of the Fortress, coiling into a Rose Totem entwined with Thorns at her waist.
"The back of the Contract should bear the Family Crest." Aelia's fingertip traced over the suspended Tears of Marriage Vow, and the cedar fragrance from twenty years ago mingled with a bloody smell that hit her like a wave.
In the icy crystal of Leonard's Last Night, Leonard pressed the blood-stained Violet Emblem onto the Parchment, clearly whispering eternal words of love in her ear.
Qin Si suddenly burst through the Carved Door of the Library of Hidden Books, clutching a Remnant Page from the Light and Dark Codex that fluttered to the ground. "The Third Young Master has deciphered the Forbidden Technique on page thirty-seven!"
Those gaps in the Defensive Formation displayed by Star Sand...
"It’s the First Consort’s curse." Luna suddenly waved her small hand, dusted with Star Sand, and laughed out loud. Her chubby knuckles "accidentally" struck Aelia's waist where the Rose Totem rested.
Flowing Yin Sha seeped into the Battle Armor Patterns, burning away the dark traces left by the fading Violet Emblem into ashes.
A roar from the direction of the Cellar announced a magical explosion as Lucius crashed through Stained Glass, wielding his Judgment Gun.
The silver-haired youth was smeared with Ashes from Nightingale Grass, and he pointed his gun at a half-burnt Remnant Page of the Marriage Certificate. "Mother, there’s something hidden in the East Tower..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Leonard appeared at the end of the spiral staircase, shrouded in black mist.
The hem of his cloak, embroidered with Dark Patterns, dripped with rose garden Luna. When he caught sight of the intact Defensive Formation on Aelia's Battle Armor, a spider web of ice cracks suddenly erupted from his left hand's ring finger.
"Aelia, let me explain." He raised his hand to conjure a light sphere formed from Cedar Sap but was rebuffed as soon as it touched the Tears of Marriage Vow.
The ice crystals from Leonard's Last Night began to swirl rapidly, revealing every Magic Mark he had left on each full moon night over twenty years at West Suburban Villa.
Luna seized the opportunity to toss the Teething Stick into the air, while the Silver Bowl spilled its Star Sand, perfectly covering the missing formation point on the Ground.
As Aelia's Leonard's Boots crushed the last grain of dark purple Sandy Gravel, the entire Glorious Demon Fortress was suddenly enveloped in silver moonlight.
All the stone pillars engraved with the Violet Emblem twisted and ultimately froze into the shape of Moonlight Roses entwined around them.
"Father even tampered with the Defensive Formation," Lucius said as he plunged the Judgment Gun into the Ground, its barrel reflecting a shadow that flitted past the window of the West Tower. "Brother San said that secret box requires Shuang Sheng Bloodline to..."
Suddenly, the cry of a Night Owl interrupted him.
The black mist from Leonard's Palm transformed into chains that coiled around Aelia, but upon touching her Neck necklace, they were seared into Qing Yan.
The Lady of the Fortress tore apart her Pearl Necklace, and twenty Dong Zhu fell to the ground, transforming into sword-wielding Angel Statues—just like the Guardian's Tear he had personally placed around her neck during their wedding.
Luna's Cradle was suddenly overturned by a gust of wind; she flipped in mid-air and grasped onto the falling Wedding Canopy. The dark embroidery of Star-Moon Pattern on her infant clothing resonated with the Defensive Formation.
As Aelia's Leonard's Sword pierced through Leonard's Pauldron, the small infant "happened" to tumble into Qin Si's arms, leaving a half-Serpent Mark imprinted on the maid's Sleeve from her Star Sand-covered Palm.
"Take Luna to the Library of Hidden Books!" Aelia shouted as she severed the approaching Black Fog Chains. The Rose Totem on her Battle Armor suddenly burst forth with Blood-red Light.
As she turned, she caught a glimpse of Luna’s Hand Back, where traces of Star Sand had yet to dry. The winding curve matched precisely with the pattern drawn by Second Brother three days ago before he fell unconscious on the Astrology Platform.
Leonard suddenly crushed his Oath Ring, and shards of the exploding Magic Crystal formed an inverted violet in the Dome.
When the first petal landed on Luna’s Cradle, an Ancient Bell Sound echoed from deep within the castle—it was precisely at that moment twenty years ago when their wedding had begun.
The moonlight suddenly turned Blood Red.
Luna stretched out her small hand in Qin Si's embrace, the Star Sand gathered at her fingertip piercing through the Blood Moonlight, projecting the Serpent Pattern Box's Xu Ying onto the wall.
As Aelia's Jian Feng pressed against Leonard's throat, the baby let out a heart-wrenching Loud Cry that shattered all the suspended wedding vows of Leonard's Last Night.
From the East Tower came the sound of shattering porcelain, Brother San's exclamation mixed with the rustling of ancient pages penetrating the walls: "Big Brother's Wheelchair is glowing!"
At this moment, at the darkest peak of the castle's tower, the Young Master, unable to stand due to Magic Backlash, stared at the suddenly Emerging Defensive Formation Hologram.
His Pale fingers brushed over the Violet Emblem appearing on the Wheelchair Armrest, and within the crystal ball, everything happening in the Library of Hidden Books was reflected; the Magic Potion for healing backlash stirred ominously in the Judgment Silver Cup.
The Violet Emblem on the Wheelchair Armrest suddenly heated up, Zhuo Tong grasped his Palm, and Young Master Victor stared at the shattered wedding vows of Leonard's Last Night in the crystal ball, a bitter taste of Healing Potion rising in his throat.
The Core of the Defensive Array stones embedded in the corners of the Wheelchair suddenly glowed with Blue Light, slicing the upside-down violet Projection into countless fragments.
"So Father even tampered with my Wheelchair." He tore away his silk Bow Tie, revealing a dark purple scar on his neck left by the backlash.
When the crystal ball reflected Mother’s Battle Armor adorned with a Burning Thorned Rose, he abruptly tightened his grip on the Magic Potion in the Judgment Silver Cup; liquid splashed onto the Wheelchair Armrest, corroding the Violet Emblem into strands of Qing Yan.
Victor suddenly coughed violently, his Pale knuckles gripping the Defensive Formation Hologram that appeared on the armrest.
Those flowing Silver Threads transformed into a scene from Twenty Years Ago when Father taught him to draw his first Magic Circle—back then, the man's Palm still carried the scent of cedar, securely enveloping his small hand holding a pen.
"Mother..." The young man broke free from the Gilded Chains hanging behind his Wheelchair; those restraints binding him for over a decade emitted a crisp sound.
As the last half of the violet seal fell, Victor trembled as he propped himself up. The crystal ball, covered in Ice Cracks, suddenly reflected the Magic Mark of the West Suburban Villa—identical to the Forbidden Technique pattern deciphered by Third Brother.
At that moment, in the ruins of the Astrology Platform, Second Young Master Algernon was staring at the dissipating starlight of Palm.
The dark Magical Veins implanted by his dear friend were now resonating with the castle's trembling Defensive Formation.
He staggered to support himself against a broken stone pillar and saw his shadow projected on the wall suddenly sprout demonic Demon Horns.
"Did you think you had cracked the Contract Backlash?" The laughter of his friend Leon pierced his eardrum, and the Guardian Array they had drawn together transformed into a vortex that devoured magical energy.
Algernon suddenly grabbed a jar of Star Sand and smashed it against the wall. The splattered Yin Sha coalesced in mid-air into the Rose Totem on Mother’s Battle Armor, shattering his demonic Projection.
The youth's bloodshot eyes suddenly reflected the Silver Light erupting from the direction of the Library of Hidden Books. It was the brilliance of Sister’s Star Sand intertwined with Mother’s sword energy.
When he saw Father’s Black Fog Chains wrapping around Luna’s Cradle, he instinctively poured the last half bottle of Healing Potion over the dark Magic Mark.
Amidst the searing pain on his skin, the dissipating starlight suddenly reformed into a prototype of the Guardian Array.
Meanwhile, inside the Library of Hidden Books, Third Young Master Theodore was staring at the automatically turning pages of the Light and Dark Codex.
The Curse written in Ancient Elvish Language on a Remnant Page suddenly came to life, crawling up his arm along his Fingertip.
The boy was horrified to discover that these Curses originated from the Talent Test Spell taught to him by Father—this very Spell had led him to mistakenly believe he was suited for Dark Magic, causing him to waste three years neglecting his training in Light Magic.
"It turns out it was a deception from the very beginning." Theodore angrily tore at the sleeve embroidered with a Violet Emblem, revealing a rotting wound on the inner side of his Forearm, corroded by Dark Magic.
As Luna's Loud Cry pierced through the stone walls, the young man suddenly grabbed the Star Sand and smeared it over his wounds.
When Yin Sha made contact with the rotting flesh, a sizzling sound emerged, and he felt the long-lost element of light surging within him.
The castle shook violently as Victor's Wheelchair sparked bright flames at the top of the tower.
The young man pressed his trembling Twin Legs against the Ground, his Bloodshot eyes fixated on the Hologram of Mother, stained with blood, holding the Jian Feng.
When Leonard's Oath Ring shattered completely, he suddenly realized that the Magic Flow of the Core of the Defensive Array was in perfect alignment with his own self-destructive Magic Circuit.
"Mother, don't touch the array!" Victor screamed as he crushed the crystal ball, sharp fragments cutting into his Palm.
As blood dripped onto the Hologram, the entire Glorious Demon Fortress's Defensive Formation suddenly revealed a network of crimson veins—each energy conduit ultimately converging at the Coordinate Point of West Suburban Villa.
This shout reverberated through the shaking Magic Element across the castle, causing Aelia's Jian Feng to freeze in mid-air for half a second as it aimed at Leonard.
In that fleeting moment, the Lord transformed into black mist and slipped into a suddenly appearing Space Rift, leaving behind a fragment of his Burning cloak.
At that moment, Luna's Star Sand formed a circular barrier, blocking Lucius from pursuing through the rift.
An infant's Palm, smeared with Yin Sha, pressed against the Serpent Mark on Qin Si's Sleeve. The maid suddenly realized in terror that this mark perfectly matched the Soul Devouring Incantation recorded in the sacred texts.
"Take her to..." Aelia's command was interrupted by a surge of blood rising in her throat; she noticed that the Rose Totem on her Battle Armor had spread to her neck without her realizing it.
As she turned to look in the direction of the Children, moonlight illuminated her eyes, revealing glimmers of water—holding within them all the cherished moments from their twenty years of marriage. Yet now, they had transformed into Ice Spikes piercing her heart.
Victor's wheelchair crashed through the Tower Iron Gate, and a strange flush spread across the face of the young man, Pale.
When he saw the Blood-colored Patterns flowing on Mother’s Battle Armor, he suddenly tore off the backlash suppression collar from his neck and hurled it to the ground.
As the Violet Gem embedded in the collar shattered, the entire castle's Defensive Formation emitted a dying hum reminiscent of Leonard's Sword.
"Be careful, brother!" Theodore's shout echoed from below the spiral staircase.
The boy raised the Holy Light Shield, condensed from starlight, to deflect the falling Zhuan Shi. The aura of Light Magic was astonishingly pure—his talent, which he had neglected for three years, was now wildly absorbing the dissipating magic power of the Defensive Formation.
Algernon burst into the hall with his decaying right arm just in time to see Lucius’s Judgment Gun pierce through the last remnants of black mist.
Suddenly, a smile emerged on Second Brother’s face, covered in Dark Patterns. With his left hand smeared with Star Sand, he traced a fragmented Guardian Array in the air, briefly intercepting the Magic Fluctuation coming from the direction of West Suburban Villa.
Luna let out a Yiya sound in Qin Si's arms, and as the infant's Star Sand unintentionally fell onto the Serpent Mark on the maid's sleeve.
When Aelia’s Leonard's Boots stepped over the scattered Pearl Fragments, no one noticed Qin Si’s fingertip tremble suddenly—those transformed into Angel Statues, Dong Zhu, now glimmered with a ghostly Green Light similar to that of the Serpent Mark.
The castle bells abruptly fell silent at the moment the wedding was set to begin. Under the Blood Moonlight, all Violet Emblems transformed into thorny roses.
Victor finally staggered to touch the edge of Mother’s Battle Armor. His knee twisted painfully as it slammed against the Marble Floor from forcing himself to stand, yet he stubbornly raised the Core of the Defensive Array stone that displayed the coordinates of the western suburbs.
"Mother," he said, his bloodied palm cradling the slightly warm stone, "please allow me..." The weak ending faded into the suddenly sweeping night wind, but Aelia understood the burning determination in his eyes—that was a boy who had been forced to abandon his Magical Talent ten years ago, now reigniting his Soul Fire to protect his family.
Lucius suddenly leveled his Judgment Gun before him, its tip reflecting the falling Violet Petals outside.
The magical flowers that should have bloomed at the wedding twenty years ago now bore the dark aura of the West Suburban Villa on each petal.
As the last petal touched the ground, a clear, bright laugh of a baby echoed throughout the Glorious Demon Fortress—Luna's Star Sand flowed through the Earth Rift into a sealed chamber deep within the castle.
Qin Si's palm radiated a trembling warmth through the cold Silver Armor, while the Serpent Mark on the maid's sleeve slightly warmed as it brushed against Aelia's wrist scar.
She gently removed the blood-stained Xuanbing Bracers from the Lady of the Fortress, her voice wrapped in Honeysuckle's healing magic: "You once taught me that the thorns of the Thorned Rose are born from the glory of protection."
Aelia leaned against a cracked stone pillar, tilting her head back as moonlight filtered through the shattered dome, casting fragmented silver frost on her eyelashes.
The violet-adorned archway from their wedding night twenty years ago now transformed into floating shards of an oath, each reflecting Leonard setting up a magic circle at the West Suburban Villa.
Suddenly, she grasped Qin Si's hand, and the maid's wrist Serpent Mark stirred to life, leaving a stinging sensation of ice and fire where their palms met.
"Madam?" Qin Si stumbled back in alarm, knocking over a silver bowl filled with Star Sand.
The flowing Yin Sha formed a winding sheen pattern on the ground, perfectly aligning with the mark on her sleeve.
Luna suddenly emitted a short Yi Ya sound from her cradle, her tiny hands covered in juice patting against the gilded railing.
Qin Si hurriedly turned to tend to her, and the Liuli Bottle hanging at her waist swayed, creating ripples of light purple—this was the calming juice she had specially prepared for Little Master that morning.
"Mother." Lucius knelt on one knee, laying his Judgment Gun on the ground. The boy's silver hair was still dusted with Nightingale Grass ashes. "Brother San discovered that the Teleportation Circle at West Suburban Villa requires five direct bloodline descendants to apply pressure simultaneously." The tip of his gun traced intersecting lines on the ground, revealing shadows of Three Brothers rushing from different directions.
Victor leaned against the golden handrail of the spiral staircase, panting as drops of healing potion dripped from the hem of his faded mage robe.
As his incomplete Magic Circuit touched the steps of the Dark Pattern, the entire Spiral Staircase suddenly illuminated with the blue veins of a Defensive Formation. This discovery ignited a Red Glow in his grayish Pupil, and the probing technique he had condensed at his Fingertip was identical to the initial stance taught by Father twenty years ago.
Theodore's Light and Dark Codex suddenly flipped pages on its own. The boy's right hand, infused with Light Magic, pressed against the tattered Yellowed Pages, while his left hand still bore the decay corroded by Dark Element.
When Algernon burst through the doors of the Library of Hidden Books with his rotting right arm, the Magical Fluctuation between the brothers collided in mid-air, creating an unusual Light Spot that melted the floating shards of their oath into Liquid Amethyst.
"Second Brother, watch out!" Theodore shouted as he cast a Light Shield to block the falling Amethyst liquid. The pure Light Element caused the Dark Pattern on Algernon's face to fade momentarily.
The second young master stared blankly at his normal shadow projected on the wall before suddenly grabbing a jar of Star Sand and smashing it against the corner's speaking crystal—those recordings of his dear friend Leon's earnest teachings were now tainted by the Dark Aura of West Suburban Villa.
Luna's Teething Stick unexpectedly rolled to Qin Si's feet, and as the maid bent down, the stopper of her Liuli Bottle quietly loosened.
The baby blue Pupil reflected the Light Purple mist spilling from the bottle's mouth, a sweet and cloying fruit fragrance mingling with a Bloody Smell that filled the air.
Qin Si hurriedly tightened the bottle stopper, unaware that the Serpent Mark on her sleeve was absorbing the escaping mist.
"Mother, the Core of the Defensive Array stone shows that West Suburban Villa hides..." Victor's words were interrupted by a surge of blood rising in his throat as he collapsed to the ground. Yet, his Palm's Holographic Projection stubbornly hovered in mid-air.
The coordinates of those array eyes flowing with Dark Magic resonated with the Violet Emblem left on his Wheelchair Armrest, scorching a charred Track into the air.
Aelia's Leonard's Boots crushed the last shard of Amethyst, and blood suddenly seeped from her Rose Totem into her skin at her Ear.
She reached out to gently touch Victor's trembling shoulder, her Fingertip stained with Blood Pearl drawing a Thorn Pattern on her son's pale forehead. "Ten years ago, I sealed your Magical Talent with my own hands; now..."
"Please, Mother, lift the seal." Victor grasped her bloodied Xuanbing Bracers. The backlash scar on his neck suddenly glowed with a faint blue Red Glow. "My incomplete Magic Circuit can precisely trace back to Father’s traps." He tore open his collar to reveal a violet Brand at his Heart. Those Dark Patterns once mistaken for curses were now resonating with Theodore’s Remnant Page from the sacred text in hand.
Lucius suddenly inserted the Judgment Gun into the Ground Cracks, the gun's body reflecting the faint glow drifting from the kitchen.
The boy's pupils constricted in surprise. "That’s the scent of Father’s exclusive Frost Flower tea!" Before he could finish his sentence, a crisp sound of porcelain clinking echoed throughout the castle, as if invisible servants were preparing for a grand feast.
Luna, cradled in Qin Si's arms, suddenly waved her tiny hands excitedly, the Star-Moon Pattern on her infant outfit resonating strangely with the fruity aroma wafting through the air.
The maid quickly restrained the restless Little Master, but the Serpent Mark on her sleeve crawled up the Cradle's Railings, responding to the baby's grasping strength.
As the last wisp of light purple mist seeped into the Jin Wen path, a sweet Cedar Fragrance of freshly squeezed raspberry juice drifted from the kitchen.
Algernon suddenly pressed his temples and took a step back; his decaying right arm oozed black slime amidst the fruity scent. "Be careful of the Cedar Fragrance..." His warning was cut short as Theodore's palm surged with radiant magic, enveloping everyone in a pure white Light Shield.
At the moment when the Light Element made contact with the fruity aroma, it crystallized in midair into countless sparkling Hexagonal Ice Crystals.
"It's a Dual-Element Magic Trap!" Victor shouted as he crushed a Holographic Projection, and the exploding magical fragments formed a protective barrier.
When the last ice crystal hit the ground, the fruity aroma from the kitchen suddenly intensified intoxicatingly. Bright red raspberry juice began to swirl automatically in the Liuli Pot, with a few drops dripping from the spout and burning small, mesmerizing halos into the stone bricks below.
Luna's pupils widened as she giggled at the drifting fruity scent, her tiny hands dusted with Star Sand reaching toward Qin Si's waist where the Liuli Bottle hung.
The maid frantically pressed down on the bottle's opening, unaware that light purple droplets were slowly seeping out from inside the cork sealing away the enchanting magic.
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