At the end of the corridor, Xia De’s familiarity at this moment wasn't just because of the white mist door in front of him, but also because he had seen this corridor before.
Through the gift of the Father of Infinite Trees, he learned the truth of the Witch War in the fifth epoch: two Witches, using the power of the Witch Council, attempted to end the fifth epoch. And at that time, the passage those two pretty ladies entered the Council through was the very corridor Xia De and Miss Aurora had just walked.
Therefore, behind the white mist door in front of them now, it must be the Witch Council.
Using the Time Corridor requires the “Time” Ling Rune, incantations, and a time key.
Using the Space Labyrinth requires the “Space” Ling Rune to open walls, contact with an Ancient God statue, and chanting incantations.
Using the Judge’s Court requires the “Balance” Ling Rune, an Ancient God’s holy emblem, and incantations.
If one speculates according to this pattern, entering spaces left by the Ancient Gods requires at least three conditions: a Ling Rune, an artifact, and incantations.
As for the Witch Council, Xia De knew about the “Thirteen Witch Ornaments,” which should be equivalent to the time key, the Ancient God statue, and the holy emblem. And the song just now should also be one of the conditions, though Xia De wasn't sure if it was an incantation or a fourth condition outside of the three.
But even if it truly was an incantation, Xia De still didn’t know the Ling Rune. He didn't know the name and main divine authority of the Ancient God corresponding to the Witch Council, and in the all things are impermanent card, the name of the card corresponding to the Witch is simply “Witch.”
“Ladies, what’s behind this door?”
Xia De asked, feigning ignorance, while wondering if he should take this opportunity to reveal the history of the “Witch War” he had seen.
“What do you think it would be?”
Miss Aurora asked.
“Behind this vision-obscuring white mist door, it could be an ancient hero pinned to the ground by a halberd, or a Church Pope skilled in using enchanted dual swords—a formidable enemy we need to challenge.”
Xia De babbled casually.
“No, no, Mr. Hamilton, this is not some gladiatorial arena.”
Miss Aurora brushed her hair back:
“Since you’re unwilling to go in first, then come with me. Also, if you feel any discomfort in your body, retreat immediately; you don’t have to follow.”
“Discomfort? What kind of discomfort?”
Xia De asked, feigning curiosity. He guessed that entering the Witch Council required certain conditions. Although he had been brought here by the Witch, he might not be able to pass through that white mist door.
“It’s hard to say, but as long as you retreat in time, I think there won’t be any life-threatening danger at least.”
She took Xia De’s hand:
“Let’s not waste any more time here.”
Then she stepped into the white mist door first.
Although his hand was held, Miss Aurora’s grip wasn't very strong; Xia De could break free at any time. However, the Outsider himself was curious about what would happen next, so he followed the Witch towards the door.
This wasn't the first time Xia De had passed through a “door” of a similar structure, and this time was no different from his previous experiences. He crossed the threshold and stepped into the space shrouded in white mist.
It was very similar to the Time Corridor and the Space Labyrinth; in fact, the current environment was almost identical to the two before they became active. If it were the Time Corridor, a single step would lead into past time; if it were the Space Labyrinth, Xia De would need to touch a landmark.
Miss Aurora still held Xia De’s hand. She turned and carefully scrutinized Xia De again, as if confirming whether he truly existed.
“Are my clothes inappropriate?”
Seeing her gaze, Xia De deliberately asked. The Witch shook her head:
“They’re very appropriate, just a bit unexpected. I mean, this ritual went unexpectedly smoothly.”
“That’s good. But what do we do next?”
Xia De pretended to observe the surrounding white mist, reaching out to brush some of it. In these strange spaces left by the Ancient Gods, Xia De would show traces of Divine Radiance on his body as soon as he summoned his Destiny Ring. But without summoning his Destiny Ring, he was in a normal state.
“Should we walk around? The mist here is really thick.”
Xia De said. Miss Aurora seemed startled and immediately said:
“No, absolutely do not wander around, remember, absolutely do not wander around!”
The brown-haired Witch therefore didn't release Xia De’s hand, as if worried he would disappear if she let go.
“Wait a moment.”
She raised her hand, which wore the relic 【Witch’s Gold Ring (Right First)】, gently kissed the ring face, and then softly said in delarion:
“May the hidden Chaos protect me, also a Witch.”
This should be the true incantation, and Xia De tried hard to remember the pronunciation.
The ring emitted a soft white light, which dispelled the surrounding white mist, making the scene around the two of them clear.
This place looked like a Sacrificial Ground, and also like a meeting hall. A massive gray-white stone round table was placed on the open ground, surrounded by thirteen old stone high-backed chairs.
This time, Xia De wasn't observing from a third-person perspective, so his observation of the scenery was more detailed. He could see that behind each of the thirteen stone chairs was a symbol. Those symbols didn't represent numerical sequences, but rather concepts like “Time,” “Space,” “Earth,” “Sun,” etc.
He could only see the symbols behind these four chairs.
Around the open ground where the stone table and chairs were placed, dilapidated stone steps ascended level by level, until they were obscured by white mist at the highest point.
There were no lamps as light sources here; the faint mist in the air and the dense white mist above them were glowing. The light wasn't very bright, but it was enough for Xia De to see the red-haired woman already seated around the round table.
It wasn't a stranger; it was Miss Galina Cavendish. She seemed to have been waiting here for a while. When Xia De saw her, the Duchess was boredly filing her nails with a small silver-white file, and a book lay beside her.
Hearing the sound, she looked up, raising an eyebrow in surprise:
“Oh, you actually made it in, but you two are really slow. Good afternoon, Xia De.”
She waved to Xia De as a greeting, and Xia De responded:
“Good afternoon, Miss Jialinna.”
He frowned slightly:
“Excuse me, have you two planned something that only I don’t know about?”
“He actually made it in.”
The brown-haired Witch was also very surprised. She looked at Xia De’s hand, which she was holding, impolitely squeezed it a few times, then carefully let go. Xia De didn't disappear immediately because of it.
“Should I explain the situation here, or will you?”
So Miss Aurora asked Miss Jialinna, but Xia De, who had already thought it through, interjected:
“I think I’ve seen this place before.”
He frowned slightly, and before the two Witches could ask, he added:
“No, I really have seen this place.”
He looked up at the ascending rows of stone steps:
“Yes, I’ve seen this white mist, I’ve seen this space.”
“Where have you seen this place?”
Just a moment ago, one was surprised and the other bored, but now the expressions of the two Witches suddenly became serious.
“Past time. Although the Academy thinks I’ve only used two time keys so far, I’ve actually used three. I once, in past time, through a time key, spied on two pretty ladies going here.”
He briefly described the Witch War, omitting keywords like “Council” and “Witches,” pretending not to have connected that event with the Witch Council. Then he sighed:
“At the time, I felt very bewildered, not understanding what it meant, and not knowing who to tell about it. If I had known earlier that this place was related to the Witch Council, I would have told Miss Jialinna directly.”
“A time key can actually spy inside the Council?”
Miss Jialinna touched her smooth chin, looking around in disbelief, as if worried someone was spying on them. Miss Aurora had never heard of such a thing either. With both Witches present, Miss Aurora’s delarion sounded even less standard:
“Is this an accident? Or does the Ancient God of Time have the power to spy on other Ancient Gods? Or is it due to Hamilton’s uniqueness? After all, unless one possesses the power of a Witch, no one should be able to enter here.”
Both Witches turned their heads to look at Xia De:
“Ladies, I’m not a Witch; I’m a normal male.”
He emphasized again.
“Of course you’re not a Witch.”
Miss Aurora snorted, seeming very certain of this point.
“Of course you’re not a Witch, otherwise your emblem would react to yourself. That alchemical item is very reliable.”
Miss Jialinna also said, then motioned for Miss Aurora to sit down and talk. However, Xia De couldn't casually sit on the stone chairs around the table; each position here represented a seat in the Witch Council. Regardless of whether Xia De could sit down, if he did, the Witch holding that seat would certainly be able to sense it.
“Let’s make a long story short. Although I’m sure no one will suddenly come in, just in case, Xia De shouldn’t stay here long.”
Miss Jialinna said. Xia De took the opportunity while Miss Aurora was sitting down to observe the symbols on the chairs behind them.
Miss Aurora’s symbol was “Light,” while Miss Jialinna’s symbol was “Balance.”
“Hamilton, you’ve probably guessed some things. Yes, this is the true Witch Council. The name of our organization is actually because we control this place.”
Miss Aurora said.
“What exactly is this place?”
“The space left to us by the Ancient God - Chaos Witch, a great one who holds divine authorities such as 【Unknown】, 【Uncertainty】, and 【Secrecy】.”
Miss Jialinna explained simply, without mentioning the true power of the Witch Council.
“This place has existed since ancient epochs and follows a consistent principle: only those who possess Witch power can enter here. In the sixth epoch, there are only thirteen true Witches in each generation. Besides them, our cultivated successors and a few followers can also come here when led. The fifth epoch is self-explanatory; theoretically, every Witch is qualified to enter, but only Witches who possess the ornaments are qualified to hold a seat.”
“What about earlier epochs?”
Xia De asked curiously.
“Just as the Ring術士 system flourished in the sixth epoch but wasn’t actually founded in the sixth epoch, the emergence of the Witch system wasn’t in the fifth epoch either, but can be traced back to the fourth epoch. The number of Witches in the fourth epoch, according to the records preserved by the Council, was similar to the situation in the sixth epoch, while earlier epochs cannot be traced. However, it must be that similar ‘Witch’ powers existed.”
Miss Aurora said.
“We use this place for meetings and regularly exchange intelligence, Knowledge, and relics. Thirteen Great Witches form the Council, creating a loose yet secretive organization—this is the truth of the Witch Council.”
Miss Jialinna added, but didn't mention the “voting” Xia De had seen once, or the true function of the Council.
“But I don’t possess the power of a Witch; I’m very sure of that.”
He hesitated, pointing to himself, and slowly asked:
“How exactly did I get in?”
