Jing Yuan instinctively glanced upward, meeting the gaze of the colossal Aeon that served as Xianzhou's protector. For the first time, the usually emotionless deity appeared to convey something more—a sense of determination.
Jing Yuan couldn't explain it, but he felt as though the Divinity was silently reassuring him: "Don't worry, Jing Yuan. You distract the enemy—I'll handle the damage."
Though unsure if this was truly an omen from the Reignbow Arbiter, the unwavering presence of the Aeon steeled his resolve.
"Everything is in place," Jing Yuan murmured. "Even without outside help, mere pawns of Destruction cannot truly destroy the Luofu…"
As an Emanator of the Reignbow Arbiter, Jing Yuan held the power to request divine intervention. Yet, he refrained from doing so unless absolutely necessary. Summoning the Reignbow Arbiter to directly intervene would save Xianzhou—but at a great cost. Casualties would be immense, and those harboring resentment toward the Reignbow Arbiter's methods would only grow more vocal.
While Jing Yuan saw the Aeon's willingness to protect Xianzhou as a blessing, many viewed it differently. Sacrificing friends and family to fuel an indiscriminate divine strike often felt like a pyrrhic victory. Should such an event devastate the Luofu, even if half the population survived, the unity of the Xianzhou would shatter.
With this in mind, Jing Yuan knew he needed alternative forces: the power of the former High Elder of Vidyadhara, and the presence of the Trailblazer.
Pei Guang's arrival had already bolstered Xianzhou's strength by at least ten percent, and Dan Heng's presence gave him the confidence to face even an Emanator like Phantylia.
Xianzhou, from its generals to its common soldiers, deeply valued gratitude. With the Trailblazers aiding them so significantly, Jing Yuan was determined to ensure their safety. He silently vowed that if Phantylia confronted him, he would ensure she had no chance to harm them.
Looking at the Divinity once more, Jing Yuan couldn't help but smile.
"Strange things have been happening ever since the players showed up," he said. "If I told the others that you might be developing a sense of thought, I imagine they'd be shocked!"
With that, Jing Yuan rose and began his preparations. He could feel the pull of Phantylia's power, and it was time to move toward Scalegorge Waterscape. Dan Heng would open the path, and together, they would defeat the Emanator.
This time, Jing Yuan felt confident. Fu Xuan had grown stronger, and with the Trailblazer's unpredictable power, he believed in their ability to protect the Luofu.
"Let's go!" he ordered.
His meticulous plans left nothing to chance. He had prepared for every outcome, even the possibility of his own death. Xianzhou had been organized to function seamlessly in his absence, with contingency plans for Fu Xuan or a successor to take the helm.
Meanwhile, Jing Yuan dispatched the Cloud Knights with precious cargo to the Scalecorge Waterscape. This was a promised reward for Pei Guang's efforts: a collection of 328 rare porcelain artifacts from Xianzhou's many inner sanctums.
Though the number seemed ordinary, Jing Yuan couldn't shake the feeling it carried some hidden significance. Regardless, he intended to fulfill his promise before the battle.
He continued to marvel at how Pei Guang managed to extract treasures from these seemingly mundane decorations. Strangely, only items that had aged in the inner sanctums yielded valuable rewards—newly crafted ones were useless.
While Jing Yuan prepared, Phantylia—now in her energy form—was still reeling. March 7th's first slap had destroyed her physical body, but that didn't matter much to her. After all, as a heliobus, her essence was what truly mattered.
However, it was the second slap—delivered to her very core—that left her utterly disoriented.
The body Phantylia inhabited was casually constructed, and losing it meant little to her. But the second slap from March 7th wasn't just physical—it left her essence, if she could call it that, reeling.
Phantylia growled in frustration. "You'll all become my Voidrangers!"
Glancing toward Pei Guang's group, she refrained from pursuing them immediately. The power March 7th displayed was an enigma—no traces of Imaginary law or energy, yet effortlessly crushing her Destruction's power and sending her flying with a mere slap. She would remember this humiliation and repay it a thousandfold.
With the Ambrosial Arbor's first fruit on the verge of forming, Phantylia planned to claim it and forge her strongest body yet. In her imagination, this hybrid of Destruction and Abundance would be invincible, capable of using Xianzhou's downfall as fuel for endless power.
All of this were her fantasies as reality, however, saw her limping toward the tree, muttering threats to herself over the ocean. The wards of the Vidyadhara that once sealed the Ambrosial Arbor had weakened with its growth, allowing her to sneak in and wait for Pei Guang's group. She vowed to prepare a "special gift" for them and added March 7th to her personal hit list.
"No Path's power can touch her? Fine. Let's see if she can withstand pure physical force!" Phantylia hissed.
Alone over the sea, she vowed dramatically, "We'll meet again at the Ambrosial Arbor, Player Pei Guang!"
Meanwhile, her disgraceful performance had been recorded and broadcast across the universe, once again becoming a galactic sensation. Those who knew the truth reveled in the absurdity, while others speculated that some powerful entity was intentionally humiliating the Emanator of Destruction.
Back at the Alchemy Commission, as Phantylia retreated to prepare for her next confrontation, Fu Xuan, leading the Cloud Knights, rushed to the scene, emboldened by the dissipating fog. She charged ahead but stopped dead at the sight before her.
The other Cloud Knights followed suit, their collective silence matching Fu Xuan's stunned expression.
Scattered across the area were three piles of remains. The first was a heap of severed limbs, the second a headless but otherwise intact corpse, and the third a neatly arranged pile of mara-struck soldiers and abominations' heads, all stored in a large crate. To complete the macabre display, a small incense burner stood in front of the crate, with three lollipops sticking out like ceremonial offerings.
The Cloud Knights audibly gasped.
"Master Diviner…"
While most of them weren't strangers to the carnage left behind by Abominations of Abundance, they had never expected to see such a gruesome scene on their own soil. To them, it seemed as though someone—perhaps even an Abomination—had intended to devour the bodies part by part.
Fu Xuan, too, paused to process the sight. She wasn't frightened but rather amazed at Pei Guang's unorthodox methods. His actions might have been brutal, but they were undoubtedly effective in breaking the morale of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
She found herself conflicted. As someone tasked with upholding justice, she couldn't condone such barbarity. But as a Xianzhou leader, she couldn't help but approve of how thoroughly Pei Guang had dismantled their enemies.
Turning to the others, Fu Xuan gave a resolute order. "Record everything. Let these images serve as a warning to all—this is the fate of those who side with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus."
Fu Xuan initially thought that believing in the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus would lead to such a miserable fate—being butchered like this. However, her subordinates clearly had a different perspective. Their thought was that believing in that sect's teachings would result in being devoured by its monstrous spawn.
Although their perspectives differed, their ultimate goal was the same. From this point onward, the Alchemy Commission had provided the Xianzhou people of Luofu with a stark warning about the consequences of faith in the Abundance. Just witnessing this scene could potentially deter some aimless, go-with-the-flow types, similar to how Banxia once was.
After assigning this matter to the Cloud Knights, Fu Xuan pressed forward relentlessly, leading them onward and upward.
At this moment, Fu Xuan had a feeling—a sense that Pei Guang's earlier words had been realized. She recalled Pei Guang's plan: to kill all of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus followers before shutting down the furnace. Judging by the current state of things, did they truly manage to wipe them out?
Following a path forward, she ascended the steps and reached the central area where the largest cauldron stood. There, she began to hear unsettling sounds.
Panting, pleas for mercy, and cries of terror. Most of them were women, mixed with…
Hearing these sounds, Fu Xuan didn't hesitate for a moment. She clasped her hands together, and a violet barrier enveloped her surroundings. Her Third Eye lit up as she sprinted up the stairs two steps at a time.
"Followers of the Abundance! Do not harm…"
Fu Xuan froze in her tracks as she reached the top of the steps. The sight before her caused her expression to solidify, and a thought crossed her mind: 'Who is truly the enemy here?'