Chapter 703

Chapter 703

Sophia's breathing was steady and deep, as if she had fallen into the deepest sleep. Yet, around her, there was a faint, incredibly pure golden glow surrounding her body!

This glow was like the softest morning light, silently flowing around her, shielding her from the violent mental corruption of the outside world.

It was this golden glow that, while Sophia was asleep and unable to defend herself, passively yet incredibly effectively resisted the invasion of the Mind Control Elixir! It acted like a sacred shield, protecting the peace of her soul.

While I was filled with anger and shock, fear also gripped my heart. I never imagined that Sophia, the person I love most, had also been dosed with the Mind Control Elixir! When did this happen to her?

Wasn't it only the members of the Elite Alliance who were targeted by the New World Alliance with the Mind Control Elixir?

My heart clenched tightly, but then a wave of indescribable warmth wrapped around me.

It was Sophia! It was the hidden power within her! In her most unconscious and vulnerable moment, this protective instinct, rooted deep in her bloodline, was fully awakened!

"Sophia," I whispered, my voice carrying a faint tremble of fear and relief.

I didn't dare to imagine what would have happened if this power hadn't protected her.

Would she have killed Lily, Mia, Isabella, Ava, and the others?

And with Lily carrying a crossbow, would she have shot Sophia dead?

"Mr. Smith, Ms. Brown, she..." Tony, of course, knew what was happening inside the room. The strange glow around Sophia must have left him shocked and uncertain.

"She's fine," I said firmly, my voice filled with immense relief and undeniable certainty.

This assurance instantly calmed Lily and the others, who were tensely watching from inside. Their tight shoulders relaxed a little, though their eyes remained wary, fixed on the "companions" slowly approaching from outside.

My gaze returned to those slow-moving warriors, controlled by madness. The softness in my eyes vanished, replaced by cold determination.

"They've been corrupted," I said, my voice like ice, "The Mind Control Elixir has twisted their mental core."

I slowly raised a hand, fingers spread wide, palm facing the warriors who were closing in like slow-motion puppets. In the center of my palm, a pure, dazzling silver light brighter than the stars began to gather.

"Aether Blood..." I murmured, each word seeming to carry a strange rhythm, stirring the energy in the space around us.

As I spoke, the silver light in my palm suddenly expanded! It was no longer the gentle suppressing field that had covered the area before. Instead, it transformed into countless thin, silver threads of light, almost like living things!

These threads were incredibly precise, as if they had a life of their own. In an instant, they crossed the space and silently pierced into the forehead of every corrupted warrior!

The moment the silver threads struck, all the corrupted warriors shuddered violently!

Their stiff, slow movements completely stopped! The madness on their faces twisted to an extreme as they let out short, pained roars! Their bodies convulsed intensely!

"Mr. Smith!" Tony shouted in alarm, thinking I was about to kill them, "Are you really going to kill them?"

"Purify!" I declared, my voice like a divine command.

The silver threads piercing the warriors' foreheads suddenly burst with a soft yet powerful light! This light wasn't destructive; it carried a sacred power that cleansed the soul and washed away corruption!

The silver light flowed like a clear spring, surging through the threads into the corrupted mental cores of the warriors!

Even harsher screams rang out, but this time, there was a hint of struggle and clarity mixed in with the pain. The frenzied red in their eyes faded at a visible rate. Their hollow, bloodthirsty gazes began to show intense pain, confusion, and faint traces of returning sanity!

Their movements were no longer stiff. Instead, they writhed and struggled violently from the immense pain of purification. Sweat streamed down their foreheads like small rivers, mixing with tears shed from the agony.

My hand remained steady in the air, the silver light in my palm flowing consistently. Fine beads of sweat appeared on my forehead as well, my eyes focused and serious.

Purifying mental corruption was far more draining than simply suppressing it. It was like using the most delicate scalpel to remove a tumor from the soul—one wrong move could cause irreversible damage.

Time passed slowly amidst the pained roars and the flowing silver light.

Finally, when the red completely faded from the first warrior's eyes, leaving only extreme exhaustion and confusion, his body went limp, collapsing to the ground in a faint. The purification process triggered a chain reaction.

One, two, three...

The warriors surrounding the hall collapsed one after another after the intense pain of purification, falling into unconsciousness.

When the last warrior fell, the silver light in my palm instantly retracted. I let out a long breath, my face slightly pale, but my eyes grew deeper and brighter.

I could feel that the source of corruption in these warriors' mental cores had been forcibly removed. Though their minds were severely damaged and needed rest, at least they were back to normal!

They were no longer puppets of the New World Alliance!

The hall's door was suddenly yanked open.

Lily was the first to rush out, her face filled with the excitement and lingering fear of surviving a disaster, "James! Are you okay?"

Her eyes anxiously scanned me, finally settling on my tired but still upright figure. Only then did she relax.

Mia, Isabella, Ava, and the others followed closely behind, surrounding me with concerned looks.

"I'm fine," I said, giving them a reassuring glance. My eyes moved past them, locking onto Sophia, who was still quietly sitting in the chair, enveloped by the faint golden glow.

I quickly walked over.

"Sophia passed out when the elixir took effect, and then this glow appeared around her," Lily explained quickly, her tone full of awe and confusion, "Thank goodness for this light! Otherwise, our mental defenses might not have held up against the strong corruption outside!"

I reached Sophia and crouched down in front of her. I didn't immediately touch the golden glow. Instead, I just gazed deeply at her peaceful sleeping face.

I could feel the glow slowly fading and receding, as if the protective power was quietly withdrawing after confirming absolute safety.

I reached out a finger, gently brushing a strand of hair from Sophia's forehead. As my fingertip touched the edge of the fading golden glow, a warm, pure energy filled with endless protective intent instantly flowed into me.

"Sophia..." My voice was low and gentle, carrying immense relief at having her safe again, "Sleep now, it's okay. I'm here."

As if she heard my voice or felt the warmth of my touch, Sophia's long eyelashes trembled ever so slightly, as if she was about to wake from her deep dream.

My heart trembled lightly with her.

At that moment, Colt's figure appeared in the hall!

He still had that playful, carefree smile on his lips.

"Grandpa, was it you who protected Sophia?" I asked in surprise.

Colt chuckled twice, glancing at Sophia, then at Sabrina, before his sharp gaze swept over Lily, Mia, Ava, and Isabella.

"My granddaughter-in-law isn't just Sabrina. Every one of these girls is a potential granddaughter-in-law! So, it's my duty to protect them!"

Lily stuck out her tongue and placed her crossbow on the table, "I never said I wanted to be James's wife!"