Distorted and blurry… it was impossible to see clearly.
Just the shadows alone made Mu Xuan feel as if the surrounding air had fallen into an irreversible distortion.
Her entire lungs felt as if they were being squeezed tightly by a pair of hands; it was difficult to breathe.
“Get down…”
Cethlenn forced her body up, her tone weak.
She wasn’t the High Priestess, so she wasn’t in mortal danger. However, her power had inevitably declined significantly. She might have been at the peak of the Mohorovicic Layer before, but now, she was only at the Deep Sea Layer.
Cethlenn understood perfectly that once such an existence awakened, it was impossible for them to stop it. He only needed to glance at them to kill them.
However, Cethlenn also knew the real reason for His awakening. He was not the only one!
Distorting and devouring were instincts carved into Their very bones.
“But… that other pollution source is a ticking time bomb.”
Mu Xuan heard Cethlenn’s words and had no intention of throwing her life away in a direct confrontation. Since Cethlenn planned to gamble, Mu Xuan intended to see exactly what she was betting on.
Moreover, Mu Xuan knew that even if her injuries were fully healed or even if she became 10,000 times stronger, she couldn’t cause any actual damage to Him.
Obediently lying low, Mu Xuan also suppressed her power of Light to the maximum extent.
‘I can’t let Him notice me!’
*Whoosh* —
The surroundings were quiet, but those maddening whispers were like maggots in her bones, constantly drilling into her brain.
Pressing herself tightly against the ground, Mu Xuan endured the discomfort in her mind without moving an inch.
The dull churning sound in the sky continued. Cethlenn’s fingers tapped lightly on the ground as she began a countdown in her heart.
*Thump… thump… thump…*
Her heart beat steadily. The moment the black mist surged and a thunderous roar echoed from the sky, Mu Xuan stood up and raised her scepter without needing Cethlenn’s reminder.
“HOLY WORD, JUDGMENT!”
“HOLY ANTHEM, CHORUS!”
The majestic power of Light broke free from its restraints. Perhaps due to the influence of that previously violent power, the Light had become even more destructive. As it surged out like a raging tide, it also caused Mu Xuan a tearing pain.
Closing her eyes with a deep frown, Mu Xuan slowly extended her hands from her sides to above her head and then brought them together.
A golden sword of light formed once again, and countless golden phantoms appeared around her. Like an entire choir, the sky was painted gold, echoing with holy and ethereal voices.
However, in the next second, the whispers were accompanied by the piercing cries of children, along with the sensation of twisted pain and maddening murmurs.
‘He found me!’
Mu Xuan didn’t linger. She swung her hands downward. The massive golden sword of light followed her movement, cleaving toward the sky.
The golden phantoms, facing the endless black mist, also rushed toward the sky like a swarm of bees in an instant.
‘There’s no need to deal with Him…’ Mu Xuan knew this well.
Though she didn’t know why the two sources of pollution converged because of Him.
But this was Mu Xuan’s chance… her only chance!
The golden sword of light dimmed rapidly as it neared the sky. Mu Xuan’s arms trembled slightly as she increased the injection of the power of Light.
The pollution source was like kindling waiting to be lit; it only needed a tiny spark of Light to be instantly detonated.
‘In other words… as long as I can bypass Him and send a bit of Light over there…’
At that thought, Mu Xuan steeled herself.
Cracks appeared on her skin again. The endless power of Light, carrying a hint of destruction, burst forth from the cracks and formed even more golden phantoms.
“HOLY LIGHT, CORONATION!”
Then, Mu Xuan’s small red lips parted slightly, and the scepter floating in the air erupted with a dazzling light.
The newly formed golden phantoms merged continuously, transforming into the massive silhouette of a holy angel of Light.
Six pairs of pure white, holy wings spread out behind it. The faceless angel of Light glanced at Mu Xuan and, without a word, shot straight into the black mist in the sky like an arrow from a bow.
Radiant light bloomed, tearing through the thick, dense black mist and cutting off the maddening distortion.
Mu Xuan carefully directed the other golden phantoms, flying higher into the sky.
‘As long as… as long as I touch it…’
However… even if His power was incomplete, it wasn’t something Mu Xuan could handle.
It seemed that the angel of Light had annoyed Him, as the light that was once at an advantage suddenly dimmed.
*Skree* —
Countless black pillars erupted from nowhere, riddling the angel of Light with holes in an instant.
The golden sword of light was also worn away by the re-enveloping black mist in an instant.
Mu Xuan’s brow twitched. Seeing the number of light units she could command plummet, she didn’t hesitate and stabbed the scepter directly into her chest.
The translucent, dreamlike blood from her heart dripped slowly down the scepter. The entire space seemed to freeze, as if a pause button had been pressed.
Then, a smile tugged at the corner of Mu Xuan’s mouth. Her silver hair was disheveled, making her look a bit wild and crazed.
An even more violent power of Light surged once more, striking toward the sky with everything she had.
This move attracted almost all of His attention.
This time, it wasn’t whispers and cries that came, but the endless wailing of 10,000 corpses, carrying an even more corrosive pollution that spread rapidly.
The Light… was also beginning to mutate!
“Ugh…”
Straining, she pulled the end of the scepter out of her chest. Mu Xuan’s figure swayed twice, and she finally collapsed to the ground, unable to hold on any longer.
The moment Mu Xuan fell, the power of Light around her instantly transformed into terrifying shadows, ready to choke her at any moment.
“Cough, cough… So, haven’t you realized yet…?”
“Monster…”
As the last two words left Mu Xuan’s lips, a silver light appeared again.
Those shadows were obliterated by the silver light in an instant.
“Your Highness…”
Holding [Lyrasel], Cethlenn stood firmly in front of Mu Xuan to protect her.
She wasn’t in good shape either… but what did that matter?
Watching the black pillars stabbing down from the sky, Cethlenn showed no sign of backing down.
“Will we win…?”
Hearing Mu Xuan’s weak voice, Cethlenn paused for a moment before nodding firmly.
“We will win!”
Just as Cethlenn finished speaking, the stabbing black pillar slammed hard into [Lyrasel].
But Cethlenn gripped the ground with all her might, forcing herself to block the black pillar.
But there was… far more than just one black pillar.
Just as a second black pillar was about to pierce Cethlenn’s head, it suddenly went soft, poking her forehead weakly.
“Cethlenn…”
Immediately after, a sharp explosion rang out from the sky. A massive vortex suddenly formed, and a terrifying force pressed down toward the ground in an instant.
Feeling that terrifying power, the smile on Mu Xuan’s face grew even wider.
‘I won.’