The power of Remembrance temporarily rewrote the perceptions of the onlookers.
Under 'Huohuo's' manipulation, though these people saw everything unfolding and understood that some sort of incident had occurred, they remained unhurried.
It was as if they were merely watching some local roadside attraction, casually stepping aside to clear a path.
This mental distortion wasn't overly dramatic. Consequently, many people were still acting like curious spectators—holding up their phones to take photos or sending messages to friends and family.
'Huohuo' didn't bother interfering; she trusted that Jing Yuan would be able to smooth over these minor details later.
"Phantylia, Emanator of Nanook... strictly speaking, I also carry power once granted to me by Nanook, which helped me through some difficult times."
'Huohuo' had somewhat complicated feelings regarding Nanook.
On one hand, the Aeon had chosen to bestow power upon her at the very beginning, giving her the lifespan to survive and the strength to protect herself. She acknowledged that debt of gratitude.
Because of this, she hadn't even harbored a killing intent when she moved against the Lord Ravager.
On the other hand, as someone who did not wish to see the world destroyed, she was inevitably destined to stand in opposition to Nanook, who sought the universe's total annihilation.
In the future, it wouldn't just be the Lord Ravagers—she might truly have to face Nanook THEMSELF in a fight to the death.
"..."
Phantylia seemed to want to say something, but in the end, nothing escaped her lips.
"I originally intended to turn a blind eye. After all, as an Aeon, it's not appropriate for me to interfere so casually."
'Huohuo' stared at Phantylia. With a flick of her hand, a paper talisman appeared between her fingertips. She then struck a ritualistic pose, her lips moving in a silent incantation.
Though the talisman looked utterly ordinary, Phantylia sensed a terrifying power within it—one capable of tearing her soul to shreds.
Phantylia panicked instantly. While her Heliobus nature allowed her to maintain her consciousness even if her form was split, would she even have a chance to survive if that talisman landed?
"Wait! Respected Aeon of Elation! I swear I will never set foot on the Luofu again! I beg of you, spare my life!"
However, Phantylia's desperate plea only made 'Huohuo' chuckle.
"Still trying to play mind games with me even now? Oh, Phantylia, I truly don't know whether to call you ambitious or simply blind to the situation."
She paused for a beat before continuing.
"To be honest, I really had no interest in interfering with your schemes. But you just had to fix your gaze on Qingque, and you just happened to wander right in front of me. She is my chosen proxy; you practically handed me the excuse to strike. You can only blame your own rotten luck."
As she spoke, the talisman at her fingertips was slapped directly onto the ball of flame.
Sizzle—
The flames that had been burning incessantly, radiating heat and Destruction, were instantly suppressed.
Not only did the temperature drop to a point where it couldn't even boil water, but the power of Destruction was locked firmly within her form, rendered completely unusable.
"Wait, wait—I'll do anything! I am a Lord Ravager, I hold so much intelligence! Spare me, I don't want to die yet!!"
Phantylia watched in horror as her body and power were sealed by a single slip of paper.
That latent, unreleased power felt like a blade that hadn't yet left its scabbard, its hidden edge warning her: Do not even think about peeling this talisman off.
Hearing Phantylia's terrified begging, 'Huohuo' gave the great Heliobus a light smile. Honestly, compared to Phantylia's cowardly display, she actually preferred Celenova's personality a bit more.
Phantylia enjoyed the self-destruction of civilizations, yet she utterly loathed the destruction of herself.
Then again, considering she was a Heliobus—a race notorious for their survival instincts—it was probably unfair to judge her by human values.
--+--
Meanwhile, across the street...
Qingque, who had been wondering how to approach Huohuo, was now completely speechless.
Her eyes went wide as she stared at "Yuelong," who had suddenly transformed into a Heliobus. That woman she'd recently befriended was actually a massive Heliobus?!
As for the real Huohuo, her eyes were brimming with tears. If she weren't afraid that the sound of her crying would draw even more attention, she would have burst into loud sobs right then and there.
What on earth was that Heliobus thing?! And why did she have to fight it right in front of so many people?!
Don't do such eye-catching things in public while wearing my face!!!
"Why, why, why!!!! There are so many people, waaaah... Not like this! From tomorrow on, the entire Xianzhou Alliance is going to recognize me! I won't be able to stay on the Luofu anymore!"
The moment Huohuo thought about Bai Ming using her face to suppress some random Heliobus in the middle of Exalting Sanctum's busy district—with a massive crowd watching and people likely livestreaming it—her vision went dark.
She nearly fainted again.
"No... I won't be able to show my face ever again. I wonder if Madam Xueyi would support my transfer to another ship to be a Judge there... waaaah."
Several times Huohuo wanted to run over and stop it, but every time she saw the layers of crowds, her legs felt like lead.
She could only huddle miserably in a street corner, whispering her grievances, hoping her complaints would somehow reach 'Huohuo' through the air.
"Wait, wait, wait—Mr. Tail, help me!!"
"Huh? This involves me too? Sorry, can't help ya. Just accept your fate."
"Waaaah..."
Huohuo hid behind the wall, looking pitiful as she watched someone using her appearance to show off in front of the masses.
She felt so much second-hand embarrassment she could have curled her toes right through the floorboards.
Over on 'Huohuo's' side…
--+--
She wasn't paying any attention to what the real Huohuo was doing.
She figured the girl was either crying or yelling "Mr. Tail, help," which was close enough to the truth.
'Huohuo' feigned reaching into her pocket, but in reality, she used the power of Permanence to instantly reshape a command flag. She held the flag like a dagger and suddenly slashed downward through Phantylia's form!
Rip—
The weakened flames were sliced in two.
The severed portion of the flame tried to erupt the moment it was freed from the seal, but it was drawn in by the command flag.
It spiraled into the fabric like a fiery serpent, gradually staining the flag a deep shade of orange.
Under 'Huohuo's' deliberate control, the power of Abundance flowed through the handle, merging with the power of Destruction and tinting the flag with a hint of gold.
Under the influence of Equilibrium, the two powers were perfectly balanced.
Phantylia was shaken to her core.
The power of Destruction could actually be integrated with Abundance to create something even more potent? To her, such a thing had only ever been a hypothesis; she never expected to see it fully realized.
Even in this life-or-death moment, Phantylia's will remained fixated on that flag, unable to look away.
That was exactly what she had always pursued—a vessel that could withstand the power of Destruction!
But Phantylia quickly snapped back to reality as 'Huohuo' produced a strangely shaped gourd, aimed it at her, and barked a command:
"Get in!"
Before Phantylia could beg again, a massive suction force erupted from the gourd, swallowing her whole in one gulp.
"Phantylia, today I slice away half your form and spare your life. As for what happens next, that's none of my business."
"...Thank you for your mercy, My Lady."
Trapped inside the gourd, Phantylia no longer had the strength to speak.
Having her body forcibly torn apart meant half her power had been crudely stripped away.
Of course, the loss of raw strength was secondary—Phantylia's "Aesthetics of Destruction" never relied on head-on combat anyway. What truly terrified her was 'Huohuo's' attitude.
She couldn't tell if that "none of my business" was a promise or a threat.
Would she really stay out of it? Did Phantylia dare to gamble?
This time her life was spared, though she didn't know why the Aeon had held back. But there was no telling what would happen next time. Who knew if she'd be lucky enough to survive twice?
"Where is My Lady taking me?"
"The Shackling Prison. Or, I could send you back to Celenova and trade you for one of her avatars to be my little warm-up maid. What do you think?"
'Huohuo' offered a suggestion that, to Phantylia, sounded downright "diabolical."
"...I'll take the Shackling Prison."
Phantylia rejected the proposal without a second thought.
If she stayed in the Shackling Prison, she might still find a way to manipulate things. But if she sold out Celenova while she was this heavily injured, how could she ever show her face in the legion again?
Celenova was currently accompanied by that new Lord Ravager; if they came looking for an explanation, Phantylia wouldn't even have the strength to resist. She'd be crazy to give up their location.
"You really won't consider it?"
"Not at all. I have no idea where Celenova has been lately. If you don't believe me, look for yourself." Phantylia went so far as to incinerate that portion of her own memory.
Everything else was negotiable, but betraying her comrades in this state was a line she wouldn't cross.
"How boring."
She had actually wanted to go find Celenova for some fun. It had been a while; she wondered how the restructuring of Celenova's legion was going. There hadn't been a peep of news lately.
After sealing the gourd and handing it over to a nearby Cloud Knight officer, 'Huohuo' scanned her surroundings.
A good portion of the people in the parlor were staring at her, and more Cloud Knights were arriving outside.
However, due to the influence of Remembrance, the rushing soldiers didn't seem surprised or alarmed. It was as if they had just encountered a routine incident and were simply maintaining order.
To those watching these events unfold from a distance, however, the situation was a massive headache.
Specifically, the fact that she was doing all this while wearing the face of a Ten-Lords Commission Judge was incredibly flashy.
Now, not just the people of the Luofu, but many outside factions would remember the face of this green-haired foxian girl.
Among those watching, Jing Yuan found it the hardest to keep his composure. Especially when he saw the gourd containing a Lord Ravager being casually tossed to a random Cloud Knight officer.
Jing Yuan couldn't take it anymore; he stood up and started heading for the door.
That is a Lord Ravager! Can you please not be so casual about it?!
Even if you're too lazy to make the trip yourself, you could have at least held onto it for a few minutes—Fu Xuan is practically already there!
Did she really have to give him a heart attack like this?
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL