Darkness.
The flames of the burning undead and the shadows of the returning fleet were like a reversing galaxy, crashing into that mass of darkness.
The ghostly blue soul fire was annihilated in large patches the moment it touched the darkness, but more undead followed one after another. They transformed the unyielding spirit they had accumulated over countless years into a pure mental shock, shaking the core of the Evil Dragon again and again.
Illusory shadows of sails struck the dark body and shattered, only to reconverge the next second. Carrying the obsession of the ships from when they were alive, they launched one determined charge after another.
Jiang Ming and his three companions were also fighting hard. They moved along the edges of the frantic tide of undead, attacking the tentacles and derivatives spreading from the darkness. They cleared small obstacles for that massive torrent of souls and also anchored their own fresh, living existence like a lighthouse in this war that transcended life and death.
Elvira’s Severance giant scissors swung like the wind, cutting through streaks of flowing filth. Her combat style became increasingly simple and sharp. However, no one noticed that deep within her crimson eyes, that inhuman, cold luster was uncontrollably deepening and spreading.
The torrent of impurities originating from the desires of the people in the Lower City resonated with the extreme emotions of death, resentment, and unwillingness on the battlefield at this moment, madly catalyzing her transformation.
Lillian’s Arcane Missiles weakened the density of the darkness, while Elvia’s life energy struggled to maintain the physical strength and mental defense lines of her companions.
Jiang Ming’s bullets focused on the nodes of the Evil Dragon that were constantly shifting forms. The Power of Breaking Delusions allowed him to barely capture the momentary patterns within the chaos.
The battle continued for an unknown amount of time, until the giant eye covering the mountain let out a silent, soul-shaking wail. Countless fine cracks split across the bloodshot eyeball.
Until that pulsating dark heart suddenly stopped, and cobweb-like pale cracks surfaced on its exterior; until countless tentacles hung down weakly and melted.
The flames of the Sea of the Dead dimmed by more than half, and countless figures dissipated in satisfaction or peace.
The returning ghostly sails also gradually became transparent, drifting away with the waves.
The Evil Dragon’s form completely collapsed, turning into ash-like black snowflakes falling from the sky. Before they even hit the ground, they vanished into nothingness.
The wind brought fresh air. The Argo sat quietly at the shore, as if the war that transcended reality had just been a dream.
They had won.
Elvia sat on the ground in exhaustion, yet a smile was on her face.
Lillian let the light around her body dissipate. Panting slightly, she looked toward Jiang Ming with a sense of relief in her eyes.
Jiang Ming put away the Raven. He felt the Crown and The Horn in his arms return to tranquility at the same time, but there was not much joy in his heart, only heavy fatigue and a trace of lingering doubt.
Then, he saw Elvira.
“Sister?” Elvia struggled to stand up.
“Don’t come over!” Elvira’s voice was terrifyingly hoarse, carrying a forced, suppressed tremble.
Jiang Ming walked toward her one step at a time, his pace heavy.
When he reached a few steps behind her, Elvira slowly turned around.
Jiang Ming’s breathing stopped.
Moonlight spilled over her. The left half of her body was still human, stained with blood and utterly exhausted.
But the right half of her body, from her arm to her cheek, presented a translucent state, as if composed of faint starlight and flowing data. Beneath her skin was no longer flesh and blood, but complex geometric patterns of light.
Her right eye had completely turned into pure silver. There was no pupil, only a cold, mirror-like surface indifferently reflecting the starry sky. A few illusory shadows of glowing wings drifted faintly behind her right shoulder.
An indescribable pressure, both holy and terrifying, was uncontrollably radiating from her body.
She was turning into an Angel. And the process was already irreversible.
“Jiang…” She struggled to spit out his name with the half of her lips that were still human. Her left eye was filled with pain, struggle, and deep fear, as well as… a sliver of humble prayer.
Just then, a voice rang out directly within her transforming brain. The voice was beautiful, ethereal, and filled with endless temptation and understanding. It was Lilith.
‘Look, Elvira… no, my dear chosen one. Do you feel it? This vast vision, this perception that touches the essence of the rules, this eternal existence beyond the life and death of mortals… this is your true home. Why cling to that fragile, short, pain-filled human shell and emotions? Embrace it, complete your sublimation. You will be able to see the true veins of the world, and you will possess the true power to protect what you want to protect… you can even pull him into this eternity as well.’
‘You should also understand that protection requires power, right?’
The voice carried a seductive strength, painting a heart-shaking picture. The last sentence, in particular, pointed directly at the deepest desire in her heart that she didn’t even dare to examine closely.
Elvira’s entire body shook violently. The brilliance on the right half of her body flashed intensely. She suddenly clutched her head and let out a groan of extreme agony.
“I…” She squeezed the sound from between her teeth. Her left eye stared fixedly at Jiang Ming, her gaze like that of a drowning person grabbing onto the last piece of driftwood. “I… am… Elvira… I…”
She could not bear to look at Jiang Ming, her sister, or everything she cherished with those kinds of eyes.
“With… monsters… I would rather…” Her gaze suddenly became resolute. It was a look where peace after total realization intertwined with madness.
“Elvira! No!” Jiang Ming finally reacted from his shock and lunged forward.
But it was too late.
Elvira raised her left hand, which was still human but trembling incessantly. Her five fingers formed a claw, and without a moment’s hesitation, she thrust it fiercely into her right chest—the position of her heart that was flickering with inhuman brilliance and undergoing the transformation into an Angel!
*Puff—*
The magnificent brilliance on the right half of her body suddenly began to dim, fluctuate, and disintegrate.
She spat out a large mouthful of blood, and there were actually specks of golden light dust mixed within the blood. As if all support had been drained from her, her entire body slumped backward.
Jiang Ming finally reached her side. Before she hit the ground, he caught her and held her tightly in his arms.
“You idiot! You… idiot!!” Jiang Ming’s voice was trembling. He tried to mobilize the Spirit Source Heavenly Wind to examine her injuries and stop that terrible process of self-destruction, only to find that as soon as his power touched the chaotic, collapsing state inside her, it was violently repelled, even drawing a more fierce backlash.
She was completely disintegrating from the inside.
Elvira lay in his arms, her breath of life fading rapidly like a flickering candle in the wind.
The right half of her body returned to its human appearance, but it was covered in fine, porcelain-like cracks that constantly leaked pale golden light. Her left eye was still crimson, but it had lost focus, turning with difficulty to find Jiang Ming’s face.
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