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The high priest clenched her fists, her knuckles turned white due to the force, and there was a crackling sound between the bones. She took a deep breath, suppressed the grief and anger in her heart, and left the room with a resolute look. Edmund's sacrifice made her realize more deeply that the threat brought by Elvira had arrived, and the Holy City must take action immediately. She walked quickly through the corridor, her steps were steady and powerful, and every step seemed to be stepping on the fate of the Holy City. The moonlight outside the corridor poured in through the window, casting mottled light and shadow on the ground, setting off her tall and straight figure, adding a solemnity.

The guards watched the high priest go away, not daring to make any sound, and a solemn atmosphere filled the air. They knew that the Holy City was facing an unprecedented crisis.

The high priest convened all the high-level officials of the Holy City for an emergency meeting. The news came out, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up layers of ripples. The high-level officials of the Holy City gathered in the conference hall with solemn expressions, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it was breathless. The dim light shone on their faces, making them look even more haggard, and their eyes were full of anxiety and uneasiness.

"Everyone," the high priest's voice was low and powerful, with a trace of grief that was difficult to conceal, "Captain Edmund... has died in the line of duty."

As soon as she finished speaking, there was an uproar in the conference hall. The senior officials whispered to each other, and some even couldn't help but exclaimed. Captain Edmund was an elite warrior of the Holy City, powerful and respected by everyone. His death was a huge blow to the Holy City.

The high priest raised his hand and signaled everyone to be quiet. He took a deep breath and continued, "According to Captain Edmund's report before his death, the enemy... has become stronger. She calls herself Avella, and possesses unprecedented dark power and soul abilities."

She paused, looked at everyone, and her tone became heavier: "Avella's strength is far beyond our imagination. She can even easily defeat Captain Edmund. This shows that our previous judgment was seriously biased and we underestimated her strength."

The words of the high priest were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart, making them feel suffocated. They realized that the crisis facing the Holy City was more serious than they imagined.

"What should we do now?" An elder asked in a trembling voice, his voice full of fear and uneasiness.

The high priest took a deep breath and said slowly: "We must come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible, otherwise, the Holy City will face a catastrophe."

At the meeting, everyone had a fierce debate on how to deal with Avella. The war faction advocated that the whole city should fight Avella to the death. They believed that the Holy City was their home and they must defend it to the death. The conservative faction suggested that the power of the holy stone should be restored first. Only with the blessing of the holy stone can we deal with the enemy.

"We can't sit and wait for death!" A representative of the war faction said excitedly. He slammed the table and said firmly, "The Holy City is our home, we must fight to the end!"

"Fight? What to fight with?" A representative of the conservative faction retorted, his tone full of helplessness, "Captain Edmund has lost, who else can be her opponent? Instead of sacrificing in vain, concentrate your strength and find a way to restore the energy of the holy stone."

"Restore the energy of the holy stone? We don't even know what happened to the holy stone, how can we restore it? And the restlessness of the ice abyss beasts is getting more and more frequent!" The representative of the war faction did not give in, "We must act immediately, otherwise it will be too late!"

The quarrels in the conference hall became louder and louder, and the atmosphere became more and more tense. Everyone expressed their opinions and argued endlessly, but they could not reach a consensus.

The high priest listened quietly to the arguments of the crowd, frowning, with complex light flashing in her eyes. She knew that no matter which option she chose, she would pay a huge price. She had to make a difficult decision, a decision that would determine the fate of the Holy City.

She slowly stood up, stretched out her hands, and was about to signal everyone to be quiet.

Mark rushed in.

"Lady Selina, I heard that Toby died?" Mark said. He and Toby had traveled from the tribe to the Holy City together, experienced all kinds of dangers, and had a very close relationship. Although he knew that Toby might have betrayed, he was still very sad to hear the news of his death.

"Yes, Mark." The high priest said slowly

"There is even worse news. Lily is also dead."