Phantylia wasn't taking any chances after watching Pei Guang cook her roots earlier. She deliberately positioned the plants farther away from his reach while keeping several of them close as a buffer zone. These plants began absorbing the life force of everyone in the area, steadily draining their vitality and turning it into energy for Phantylia.
The draining wasn't immediately lethal, but the slow corrosion was undeniable. Even with a mountain of consumables, their stamina would eventually give out.
Yet, just as the plants took root, they were struck by precise ice arrows, each one tipped with Pei Guang's signature flames.
Compared to Phantylia herself, the plants were fragile. Under the blazing fire, they shriveled up and burned within seconds, transforming into roasted Undying Lotuses.
Phantylia scoffed. "Keeping up those flames must be exhausting for you. How long do you think you can sustain it? My power, on the other hand, is limitless!"
As if to prove her point, she summoned even more lotuses, blanketing the area with their life-stealing presence.
But once again, Pei Guang's flames cooked every last one of them before they could take root.
Pei Guang sneered. "I might not be able to cook you just yet, but roasting your weeds is no problem. So sit tight—I'm going to burn you alive, piece by piece."
Phantylia finally realized just how much trouble Pei Guang posed. Although she still lacked effective long-range attacks, she was beginning to understand that dragging this fight out could lead to her suffering the same fate as the Abundant Ebon Deer—slowly roasted to death by Pei Guang's relentless tactics and summoned flames.
To make matters worse, she noticed Pei Guang's increasing control over the fire. At first, he had relied on March 7th's arrows to deliver his flames. But now, he could manipulate them remotely, shaping the fire into precise forms and directing it through openings in her flesh with alarming accuracy.
She had one powerful long-range technique prepared, but it was originally intended as a finisher—something to use after capturing Pei Guang up close to guarantee his destruction. However, it was clear now that she wouldn't get that chance.
Her instincts screamed that if she didn't act soon, her body might be destroyed before she even fully adapted to it. She couldn't afford to wait any longer.
"It seems there's no better way to crush insects like you… than by dropping a star on your heads."
With that declaration, Phantylia raised her hand, and the entire space shifted.
The atmosphere darkened, and waves of destructive energy filled the air. It felt as though they were suddenly standing on the surface of a dying planet. In Phantylia's palm, a miniature sun began to form.
It wasn't a real star, but a condensed manifestation of the Path of Destruction. Even so, its power was enough to shatter entire planets without the protection of Paths or Aeon-blessed abilities.
Faced with such an apocalyptic attack, Pei Guang was already preparing to run. But just as he was about to give the order, Jing Yuan stepped forward with a confident smile.
"Ah Guang, your plan worked perfectly. You really pushed her into revealing her trump card. Now it's my turn—I can't let you show me up, can I?"
At that moment, the air around Jing Yuan shifted.
"Radiant spirit, heed my word…"
The oppressive aura of destruction was suddenly countered by a brilliant surge of the Path of the Hunt.
The illusion of the dying planet vanished, replaced by a sky as clear and vast as the horizon itself. Behind Jing Yuan, a massive golden figure clad in armor emerged—his Lighting Lord. It moved in perfect synchronization with him, raising a blade as Jing Yuan did.
The energies of Destruction and the Hunt collided, locking the two forces in a standoff. Despite the sheer power involved, there were no explosions or cataclysms—only the steady, silent clash of two opposing Paths.
Phantylia stood frozen, her hand gripping the miniature sun, ready to crush it downwards. Meanwhile, Jing Yuan and his Lighting Lord were poised to strike, their blades slowly descending toward Phantylia.
It was a contest of pure Paths.
And Phantylia was already at a disadvantage. Her body was still adapting to its newfound strength, leaving her vulnerable. Meanwhile, Jing Yuan had been conserving his power from the very beginning, waiting for this exact moment to strike.
Bit by bit, the golden figure's blade inched closer toward Phantylia, its gleaming edge reflecting the light of her burning star.
Pei Guang immediately understood what he needed to do. Standing less than ten meters from Jing Yuan on the x-axis, he began dancing on the spot. At that moment, Jing Yuan felt his strength boosted by precisely ten percent—and surprisingly, even the Lighting Lord was affected by the buff.
At the same time, as the two Paths clashed, Pei Guang's battle BGM kicked in.
But the moment the music started, Pei Guang froze. His expression stiffened as he muttered, "Wait… this song…?"
Before he could finish, the lyrics began playing. It was a song by Ayumi Miyazaki—one Pei Guang knew all too well. As the music swelled, the Lighting Lord's power didn't just stabilize; it gained an additional ten percent boost.
"It's so easy, anyone can give up the fight and run away…"
That's right—the BGM was none other than Brave Heart, the iconic Digimon evolution theme. And the moment it played, the Lighting Lord began moving, its blade cutting through the air.
Watching this unfold, Pei Guang couldn't help himself.
"Jing Yuan-mon, evolve! Lighting Lord-mon!!"
The battlefield had been tense up until now. Everyone—March 7th, Stelle, and even the others—had been completely focused. Pei Guang had warned them to be ready to teleport out if things went south and to come back later for loot.
But his shout completely shattered the tension.
March 7th burst out laughing. "Pfft! Jing Yuan-mon? Lighting Lord-mon? Ah Guang, you're too much!"
Before Stelle could add her own commentary, an unexpected change drew everyone's attention. A brilliant light burst forth from Bailu, who had been watching the spectacle unfold.
Stelle's eyes widened. "Wait, something's happening! Bailu-mon's evolving! Luminara Dragon Maiden—The Healer of Light!"
And just like that, Bailu's body began to change. The light engulfed her, and in the blink of an eye, the petite girl transformed into a figure closer to March 7th in height. Her small dragon horns elongated, her chest fully developed, and her braided hair flowed down in loose waves. Her tail, once visible, vanished entirely as part of the transformation.
Despite the physical changes, Bailu's eyes retained their usual innocence, shining with pure, untainted light.
Fully evolved, Bailu seemed to instinctively understand what she needed to do. She tossed her signature gourd into the air, and from it emerged a massive, dark-brown dragon.
Raising her right hand, Bailu aimed directly at Phantylia and—without hesitation—flipped her off.
The coffee-colored dragon immediately dove toward Phantylia, slamming into her body. Whether it was pure mischief or actual strategy, Bailu had the dragon repeatedly crash into Phantylia's chest, while its liquid contents spilled into her mouth.
The sight gave Dan Heng an idea. Just as he was about to act, he noticed something new in the shared inventory—a trash bag. Turning to glance at Pei Guang, who was still dancing and pumping out buffs while the Digimon theme blared, Dan Heng's face twitched.
Pei Guang met his gaze and nodded. Then, with complete seriousness, he pointed to his mouth.
Dan Heng took a deep breath, suppressing his disbelief. Pulling out the trash bag, he summoned a pink water dragon that coiled protectively around him. The dragon held the trash bag gently in its mouth as it circled the Lighting Lord, waiting for the perfect moment to humiliate Phantylia.
The tides of battle began to shift.
If Jing Yuan had fought alone, his attack might have barely matched Phantylia's weakened form, and the stalemate could have dragged on.
But with the buffs, music, and relentless support from the others, Phantylia's destructive aura was starting to crumble.
A ten percent boost might not seem impressive at first glance—most games let you make up for that through skill. But the issue here wasn't just the boost to Jing Yuan; it also applied to his Lightning Lord. On top of that, the battle BGM didn't just add another buff to the Lightning Lord—it also triggered Bailu's evolution. Whether her transformation was temporary or permanent didn't matter—what did was that it happened right when they needed it most.