"Let the power of Destruction erode your flesh and blood, forging you into pawns of Lord Nanook!"
"Soul-Capture, Spirit-Tether!"
A powerful pressure radiated outward from Phantylia's body in a ring, drilling relentlessly into everyone's minds.
The instant they touched that pressure, no one could move.
When players heard the words "Soul-Capture, Spirit-Tether," they saw the energy bars above every team member's health crossed with an X.
"It's decided—I'll start with this arrogant, insufferable General of Luofu."
The mystic lotus touched by Phantylia's fingertip passed through space and appeared beneath Jing Yuan's feet, rapidly lifting him.
Above his head, another mystic lotus waited.
The moment Jing Yuan broke free from Phantylia's mental assault, he only had time to thrust his array blade upward—
The two mystic lotuses clanged together like cymbals; after the ferocious impact exploded, they hurled Jing Yuan back to the ground.
"General!!"
The sudden scene made March 7th cry out in shock.
Phantylia raised her massive hand and slammed it down toward Jing Yuan, pinning him and suspending him in midair.
"Hahahahaha—"
The lingering shock force blasted the ground into flying dust and dealt varying degrees of damage to the Nameless group.
Leon's wings slowly retracted into his body, revealing Stelle and March 7th, whom he had shielded.
"You two okay, Stelle, March?"
"…Y-yeah! You?" Stelle waved a hand in front of her face, brushing away the dust.
"I'm fine. Welt, Dan Heng?"
While quietly shifting his hand seal, Leon did not forget to check on his companions.
Cough, cough… "I won't die."
Welt's breathing was ragged; even buffered by Leon's barrier, that force was hard to bear.
Sensing movement overhead, everyone looked up at Phantylia.
"Hmm hmm hmm hmm…"
Phantylia stared at Jing Yuan with a smiling gaze.
Destruction power surged from her palm into Jing Yuan's body, forming a special link to ensure he could no longer escape.
"I wonder—if the Xianzhou General becomes a void soldier, will Luofu descend into civil strife once more?"
Phantylia slowly leaned her face closer to Jing Yuan, as if admiring a trophy; her eyes spelled mockery.
"Tell me, wouldn't such destruction be more interesting?"
"Haha…"
Jing Yuan slowly raised his head, revealing a face with upturned lips; the inexplicable reflection in his pupils made Phantylia's heart jolt.
"Phantylia, has no one ever told you not to casually connect your power to another…?"
"…! You still want—"
Phantylia instinctively tried to sever the link, but her mind suddenly ached, struck by an unknown impact.
Jing Yuan seized the moment, manipulating the power that had silently infiltrated Phantylia's body to storm her mental depths like a tempest.
At the same time, Leon did not idle; he completed the final step of his seal.
"Cycle… Reversal!"
The giant dragon—which in Phantylia's eyes lacked killing power and presence—suddenly crunched the hourglass in one bite—
"Ah—!"
Even with Phantylia's strength, the instant the dragon shattered the hourglass, her body was torn apart by an unknown force.
Just as she was about to regain the upper hand in the mental clash, this strike plunged her back into disadvantage; while her body regenerated, Jing Yuan suppressed her mercilessly.
The dragon did not dissipate after crushing the hourglass; instead, it whipped its tail, its colossal body surging into Stelle's lance, which had been devoid of flames.
Black flames ignited at the lance tip, instantly engulfing the entire shaft, then spreading to wrap Stelle completely.
"Stelle! Stab Phantylia's head with it!"
The barrier vanished; a brilliant blue light burst from Stelle's back, forming a pair of light wings.
"Flame lance…"
Stelle's brain hadn't caught up, but her body acted first; eyes sharp, she shot skyward.
"Dan Heng! Now—" Jing Yuan roared.
"—Charge!"
Black flames blazed fiercely; Stelle gripped the flame lance with both hands, instinctively becoming a streak of black light that pierced Phantylia from the center of her forehead.
"…My power… how could…?!"
Pierced through the brain by the black-flame lance, Phantylia discovered she had lost control of the power within her body.
Yet this lasted less than half a second.
But that half-second was enough for Dan Heng, following Stelle, to hurl the Cloudhymn spear into Jing Yuan, severing his link with Phantylia.
It was enough for Jing Yuan, the instant the link broke, to summon the Divine Lord.
The Divine Lord's massive array blade, radiating blinding golden light, stabbed viciously into Phantylia's back, pinning her firmly to the ground.
Dazzling radiance bloomed, rapidly melting the body condensed from Ambrosial Arbor power beneath the blade.
Victory was decided!
From Stelle piercing Phantylia, to the Cloudhymn spear striking Jing Yuan, to the Divine Lord's array blade penetrating Phantylia's body—
The entire sequence took less than half a second; the three moved in seamless succession, as if honed through thousands of drills into perfect synergy.
That shocking impact, dazzling effects, paired with flawless background music.
Countless players, already stirred, felt their emotions—
Ignite completely the instant black flames flared on Stelle's lance tip and Leon's low shout rang out!
[SO GOOD!!]
[TOO GOOD!]
[The turnaround came so fast!]
Seeing Phantylia skewered, players finally let their hearts—suspended in their throats—drop.
Great great great great great!
Bad news: there's a knife!
Good news: the one knifed is Phantylia.
Jing Yuan wasn't knifed, Leon wasn't knifed—everyone's fine.
The Divine Lord's massive silhouette faded along with Phantylia's body.
The wind gradually died.
Seeing the battle settled, Jing Yuan sighed in relief and plummeted powerlessly.
Dan Heng reacted swiftly, rushing forward to catch him.
The light wings behind Stelle vanished; she hurried back to the group.
Seeing Leon sway and start to fall forward, she paled and strode over to catch him.
"What's wrong, Leon?!"
"…It's nothing."
Leon draped an arm over Stelle's shoulder and smiled weakly.
"At least I didn't pass out this time…"
March 7th: "Don't talk. Rest."
Seeing something off with Leon, her heart tightened; she ran to his other side and supported him with Stelle.
First Jing Yuan, then Leon.
Two people who looked utterly drained collapsed toward the ground one after another, scaring many players.
Only when both remained conscious did they pat their chests and exhale.
They thought the knives had learned to tease, waiting in the back.
Good that there weren't any. Good…
"Well done, General of the Hunt."
A mass of green flame descended from the sky, emitting Phantylia's voice.
March 7th tensed, reflexively moving, but Leon's palm stopped in front of her face, signaling no need to panic.
"But what you destroyed in unison was merely a body I shaped at whim."
"And you—how much longer can you hold?"
"The day of Luofu's destruction is near."
Hearing this, Jing Yuan gave a cold laugh, straightened, and reached out to snuff the flame.
"Pawn of Destruction, tell the Legion—the Hunt's vengeance will surely come!"
"Hmm hmm hmm hmm…"
Phantylia's laughter echoed in the space, fading gradually with the flame's extinction.