A glimmer of sobriety shone in Anri's eyes as he stood up, realizing he was surrounded on all sides. In his exchanges of blows with Lian, he felt they were opponents of equal strength. However, he noticed that Lian's Qi was depleting faster than his own, leading him to believe that, eventually, he would devour him.
However, with the group around him covering all his openings and attacking his blind spots, the battle became dangerous enough to awaken his survival instincts and snap him out of his frenzy.
Edea was enveloped in a holy aura as Rumi healed all her wounds in a matter of seconds. With this newfound power and the dense Qi emanating from the bodies of the other four young women, the group's strength increased significantly.
Everyone was immersed in the battle, completely focused and filled with determination. After enduring rigorous training, they were finally fighting alongside Lian and becoming useful to him.
"Eclipse Formation," the five of them said in unison as they positioned themselves once again in formation. The air around them began to rotate slowly as if they were enveloped in a current of water. The space around them started pulsating, and it felt like the world was filled with waves of energy.
Their Qi was merging perfectly, continuing to increase and become denser. The Eclipse Formation was a divine technique taught by Lian, something extremely rare even in the Divine Plane. To execute it successfully, everyone involved needed to trust each other completely.
Their mental worlds and Qi merged, and any malicious intent from any of them could be fatal to a companion. In a world where everyone fought against each other for resources and power, trusting someone completely was nearly impossible.
The demon fiercely charged at the group like a black shadow, targeting the weakest link first. However, a sudden gust of wind enveloped the entire group, and despite its onslaught, the demon felt no impact.
It quickly turned, only to have its movement intercepted by Lian's saber, slicing through the air. Then, a storm of attacks unleashed itself like a tempest. Time passed, but the intensity of the assaults showed no signs of diminishing. In fact, they only grew more powerful, with strikes delivered at an increasing speed.
On the other side of the scene, the sight was chaotic and desolate. Only one-third of the humans and griffins who had faced the Dark Elves remained alive, and even then, they were severely injured. The bodies of the dead were used as shields and distractions by the Elves, who relentlessly cornered the survivors in a desperate fight.
Saya was covered in her own blood, displaying wounds all over her body. By her side, Artemis struggled to stay on her feet, using her soul energy to sustain her companion. Exhaustion was evident on their faces as they listened to the thunderous crashes coming from Lian's battle, feeling a deep sense of powerlessness.
Both fervently yearned for victory, but reality proved cruel and relentless. Time slipped through their fingers, and they knew they couldn't hold on much longer. Destiny seemed sealed, and the shadow of defeat loomed over them like an inevitable sentence.
Saya, who had recently joined Lian's group, believed she understood deeply the dedication and determination of everyone in their pursuit of strength. However, as she observed the few surviving griffins, severely wounded and fighting on the brink of death, she felt in her core how weak and incapable she was.
Suddenly, Lian's voice echoed in her mind. "The greatest strength of a cultivator is not their talent, lineage, or any technique, but rather the will to protect."
"You can explode with ten times your strength when facing death. But if you have something to protect in your heart, you can explode with a hundred times the strength."
"Look at your sisters fighting by my side. They wanted to become stronger and were willing to give up anything, even their own lives if necessary. That is the power of a will to protect."
"Only when you have something to protect can you advance with all your might. Only when you have something to protect can you possess an unwavering determination in the face of death. Only when you have something to protect can your hearts grow firm and advance courageously."
With every word from Lian, Saya felt a fervor in her chest, and suddenly her powerful bloodline Qi began pulsing through her meridians.
Suddenly, a sinister power approached them. Three Dark Elves attacked from behind, aware that Saya and Artemis were the leaders and that by eliminating them, the battle could be ended more quickly.
The speed of the bloodthirsty blades was so overwhelming that neither Saya nor Artemis had a chance to dodge. The smell of death permeated the air, and the feeling that their lives hung by a thread grew stronger. They knew that if they couldn't block that strike, death would be inevitable.
A firm and determined expression appeared on Saya's face. Her feathers gleamed intensely, and mysterious runes appeared around her, enveloping her in a divine aura. A faint, sacred mark revealed itself in the space between her eyebrows.
As soon as the mark appeared, countless electric sparks began to swirl around her body. They spun as if seeking to merge with the world around them but lacked the energy to strengthen that fusion.
In the blink of an eye, Artemis made the decision to place her complete trust in the young Royal Griffin. Lian had already warned her that in desperate situations, Saya would be the key to reversing the course of events. The power of the ancestral lineage of a Royal Griffin was terrifying yet reliable.
Artemis transferred her remaining Qi and soul power to Saya like an overwhelming torrent. Saya's eyes, in her true griffin form, shone brightly, and the laws of lightning converged as a destructive power around her feathers.
The world around her seemed to slow down, and all sounds vanished completely. All that remained was the terrifying aura emanating from Saya. A small Royal Griffin enveloped in white and sacred lightning fiercely charged at the three Dark Elves who stood in her way.
The earth trembled, and a powerful wave of Qi exploded. A terrible astral wind swept everything in its path. The three Dark Elves were turned into a bloody mist, leaving no trace.
Saya's momentum did not stop, and with unwavering determination, she courageously advanced against the remaining enemies. The world around her lost all color, leaving only the power of the white lightning that enveloped the Royal Griffin in a dazzling spectacle.
A powerful explosion of Qi shook the battlefield, knocking down even those who were hundreds of meters away, forcing them to repeatedly prostrate themselves.
When the vision returned to normal, the bodies of the griffins that had been used by the Dark Elves disappeared, dissipating as if they had never existed. Only seven Dark Elves could be seen, fallen and unconscious at a considerable distance. They were bloodied and severely injured but still alive.
Saya found herself at the center of destruction, having returned to her human form and lying unconscious. Seeing that, Artemis approached her with concern but soon breathed a sigh of relief to find her well.
"It's too terrifying!" thought or exclaimed the few humans who were still alive. Despite being in a higher realm than the young girl, the attack they witnessed far surpassed their imagination. The difference was overwhelming. If they had been a little closer, they would have been crushed without any chance of defense.
The surviving griffins were overwhelmed, almost shedding tears in the face of the impressive power Saya had awakened from her ancestral lineage. The return of the Sovereign brought new hope and a bright future for these majestic creatures.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battle, Lian and the demon exchanged powerful blows before stepping back. Lian felt everything that was happening across the entire battlefield, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
He was concerned about the other side, but Saya had proven herself reliable and determined. Now he could fully focus on facing his opponent.
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Author's Note: Read the Weekly Deal bellow!