"It's decided; let's start with this arrogant Xianzhou General!" Phantylia descended upon them.
With a gentle tap on the Shattered Black Lotus, it instantly bloomed beneath Jing Yuan's feet, while another Black Lotus emerged above him.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, both activated their crushing force of Destruction.
Jing Yuan's health bar, initially at three-quarters full, plummeted to just 1%, leaving him barely alive!
Guinaifen was startled, as the victory condition for this battle required Jing Yuan to survive!
Now, with Jing Yuan directly targeted and seemingly unable to escape, the situation looked dire.
Subsequently, Phantylia raised her palm, gathering wind and thunder within it.
She struck down towards Jing Yuan!
Already half-kneeling, Jing Yuan could not evade this attack.
Amidst the shattering of debris,
Phantylia effortlessly lifted Jing Yuan in her grasp, manipulating him like a marionette!
"Hahahaha..."
"I wonder if transforming General Xianzhou into a Voidranger would ignite another internal conflict in Luofu?"
"This kind of 'Destruction' is indeed more intriguing..."
Initially, players had defeated Phantylia in the game, but no one anticipated such a plot twist!
Witnessing Jing Yuan being completely dominated left viewers stunned.
Luofu players were particularly outraged!
"How did Jing Yuan suddenly end up under Phantylia's control?!"
"What about the others? Save him!"
"Don't harm our General!!!"
"What is happening?!?"
"Is Jing Yuan going to sacrifice himself?"
"No!!!!!"
Just then, Jing Yuan, who appeared weak and near death, suddenly lifted his head.
His eyes reflected an unprecedented determination and composure.
Phantylia sneered, "What do you still hope—"
Before she could finish, her pupils abruptly widened.
Jing Yuan, using this connection, unexpectedly managed to shatter the lotus behind him.
With all his might, he clenched his hands tightly!
"Dan Heng! Now's your chance!"
Golden light filled Phantylia's eyes as her arms, positioned at her head, froze, seemingly momentarily restrained by Jing Yuan.
Behind them, the Divine Monarch raised their weapon.
Instantly, Dan Heng soared into the sky.
***
Dan Heng thrust his spear.
Transforming into a streak of azure light, it severed Jing Yuan's connection with Phantylia!
Simultaneously,
The Divine Monarch launched an attack on Phantylia, successfully shattering its physical form!
As for Jing Yuan,
with the link abruptly cut off, he became severely weakened, unable to keep his eyes open any longer.
He plummeted from the sky.
Fortunately, Dan Heng swiftly caught Jing Yuan just in time.
"If not for Dan Heng severing the connection with his spear strike, the Divine Monarch's blade would have eliminated both Jing Yuan and Lord Ravager's physical forms simultaneously. They truly gambled with their lives!"
"Thankfully, their coordination was impeccable; otherwise, our General might not have made it through."
"Wahh... He's the Divine Strategy General! He should be orchestrating victories from afar, not risking everything like this. Jing Yuan detests gambling, yet he went all out for the Xianzhou this time!"
"Our General is already over 800 years old and still personally takes to the front lines—my heart can't bear it!"
"With such a General leading Luofu, we truly feel secure deep within our hearts."
"Although we won, Phantylia had infused Jing Yuan with destructive power earlier. Could that pose a future threat?"
"After this battle, I hope the General steps down and focuses on recuperation. Health must come first."
However,
although they had emerged victorious,
it seemed Phantylia was not yet defeated.
Golden flames floated in the air as her voice echoed:
"Well done, General of The Hunt."
"But I've merely lost a hastily crafted physical form."
"And you,"
"How long can you endure?"
"The day of Xianzhou's destruction is nigh."
Dan Heng attempted to help Jing Yuan rise, but Jing Yuan extended a hand, gently declining their assistance. With a soft chuckle, he said:
"Heh..."
"Leave now, pawn of Destruction."
"Tell your legion:
'Revenge for The Hunt'
"is inevitable."
With a wave forward, Phantylia's apparition dissipated.
Yet, her mocking laughter continued to reverberate.
"General, are you...all right?"
"I'm still holding on." Jing Yuan turned and looked at Dan Heng. "It seems our past understanding hasn't faded away."
This time, Dan Heng did not contradict him. Instead, he closed his eyes and let out a faint snort.
Jing Yuan lightly rubbed his forehead, his voice carrying a heavy sigh. "Phantylia... What a formidable enemy. If she hadn't tried to infuse me with the power of Destruction, transforming me into a Voidranger, the outcome might have remained uncertain."
"Thanks to Dan Heng's well-timed strike, Phantylia, closely linked with me, sustained severe damage, and her connection to the Tree of Foundation was severed."
"Is Phantylia...still alive?"
Jing Yuan shook his head and replied, "Unfortunately, Emanators of Destruction do not succumb easily. However..."
Seeing Jing Yuan's voice trail off, Welt added, "For now, Phantylia lacks the strength to cause further chaos, nor need we worry about it attempting to influence the Tree again. The only concern is that sealing the Stellaron will require more time..."
"These matters can be left for Fu Qing to handle... I just feel...somewhat weary..."
"General, open your eyes—you mustn't fall asleep now!"
"Hey! Wake up—"
The scene blurred.
As Jing Yuan's vision gradually faded,
it ultimately turned completely black.
A caption appeared:
[A short while later, you summoned Fu Xuan and the Cloud Knights. The star ferry carried you towards the Exalting Sanctum.]
The view shifted, returning to the Exalting Sanctum.
[With dragons soaring high, their depths unfathomable. Completed]
Trailblazing Quest - Interlude Break: To learn what unfolds next, stay tuned for the continuation.]
"Ah? That's it? Ah?"
"Feathered Spirit, can you make the main quests longer?!?!?"
"Lao Yu, great job cutting it off (exasperated)"
"The General is gone... Waaaaah!"
"What if the Blindfold General was just tired?"
"Let the General rest for an entire major update!"
Yet another Trailblazing mission had concluded.
Guinaifen felt utterly unsatisfied!
There were still so many unanswered questions—
"Will General Jing Yuan be alright afterward?"
"Will Dan Heng return with them on the train?"
"I can't stand this Version 1.2 for even a second longer!"
In her frustration,
Guinaifen decided to challenge the newly opened weekly boss instance once again!
After about fifteen minutes...
She emerged victorious!
Taking a sip of water, she exclaimed, "Even fighting Phantylia for the second time, the overwhelming pressure is still intense!"
... ...
At that moment,
the interface popped up with the weekly boss rewards.
Apart from the standard experience and Relic rewards, there were also materials specific to the new weekly boss instance:
"Infinite False Body's Regret."
"It seems like this item resembles the golden hairpin atop Phantylia's head," Guinaifen observed while reading its description:
["No matter how many bodies it seized, its desires remained unfulfilled. Just like those seeking elixirs of immortality, it yearned for an enduring vessel, free from the fear of [Destruction]. It knew this was an elusive dream, forever out of reach."]
["I have witnessed countless worlds engulfed by the flames of the betrayed Creator, and I once was one such flame myself. Dancing at His fingertips, yet deeply aware that when the fuel runs out, so too shall the fire extinguish..."]
"This..."
"What does this mean...? Despite being under Destruction Aeon Nanook, Phantylia herself greatly feared [Destruction]?"
"So... she has been continuously seizing bodies in search of eternal existence."
"But repeatedly failing. Consequently, she fixated on the power of [Abundance], promising longevity."
"Right? Am I understanding this correctly, Little Gui?"
The viewers' comments were captivated by this description.
"An Emanator of Destruction fearing destruction itself? Now that's rich!"
"No wonder! At first, she praised it as a Miracle of Abundance, but after her physical form was destroyed, she dismissed it as hastily crafted. Phantylia, you're quite contradicting yourself..."
"She truly cherished this body until we defeated her."
"She even prepared three sets of clothes..."
"Hahaha, so that's how it is! Despite appearing nonchalant, deep down she's furious about its destruction!"
"Phantylia plans to shed more tiny pearls at home."
"As expected from someone who admires mortals' self-destruction; never conceding verbally, even for a moment."
"Thank you, 'PhantyliaStillDenying,' for sending a Super Star Ferry!"
"Originally, only Phantylia knew her true embarrassment, but now everyone is fully aware..."