Currently, on the Luofu.
"Let this moon's radiance—illuminate ten thousand rivers!"
A terrifying Frost Sword Qi struck Phantylia's body. At this moment, she had already donned the Divine Abundance Body she had always dreamed of, and coupled with the power stolen from the Carefree Wanderer, the current Phantylia had surpassed the level of an ordinary Emanator.
After Jingliu powerfully swung that sword, her body instantly went limp, as if all her strength had been drained away. Her chest heaved violently, and she gasped for air, as though every breath required all the strength she had.
Ever since Jing Yuan arranged the battle plan, Jingliu had been holding fast to this battlefield, tirelessly swinging the sword in her hand. Seven hours of continuous, full-strength swinging left her arms aching; every swing felt like struggling against a thousand-pound weight.
However, despite her desperate efforts, the results were negligible.
Blade, who was nearby, was suffering just as much. He and Jingliu had been fighting continuously until now, barely having a moment's rest.
"I'm not helping the Luofu; I'm here to avenge Kenta."
That's what he told Jing Yuan. Also, as a side note, he had already died twice.
Kafka had already left the Luofu; no one knew where she went.
Welt wiped the corner of his mouth and adjusted his glasses. He had conjured countless Black Holes over the past few hours; it had been a long time since he had experienced such an intense battle.
The Astral Express would not abandon a world in distress, and every one of them wanted to avenge Kenta.
Suddenly, a voice came through their communication devices.
"Everyone, return to the camp first. Support from the Yaoqing Xianzhou is arriving soon. Come back to discuss strategy, and then coordinate with the reinforcements for a counterattack."
Jing Yuan transmitted the message to the several people on the battlefield via the combat communication equipment.
Thus, although the few people on the battlefield, including Stelle, were reluctant, they gritted their teeth and retreated first.
——————
Inside the military tent, the few people who had witnessed Kenta's death were all present.
Inside the tent, besides the sound of Jing Yuan laying out the tactics, there was almost no other noise. Everyone was silent, as if a massive boulder was pressing down on their hearts.
Unwiped tear streaks remained on March 7th's cheeks, appearing like traces of her internal suffering. Her normally vibrant and energetic face now looked somewhat pale and weak, as if it had lost its luster.
Her signature bright pink hair also seemed to have lost its usual vibrancy, becoming dull and lackluster, as if covered by a gray haze.
Dan Heng still maintained the appearance of the Dragon Lord at this moment, keeping his head down and remaining silent.
Without warning, as if he had thought of something, he subconsciously took out a drop of blood wrapped in a stream of water from his pocket.
"Dragon Transformation Technique..."
He muttered to himself, his voice so faint that only he could hear it.
But suddenly, his wrist was seized.
He lifted his eyes to look and found that the person who had acted was none other than Blade.
Blade's gaze was gloomy, his face like frost, and his expression so dark it seemed water could drip from it.
"Imbibitor Lunae, what are you trying to do?"
He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, and his question drew the attention of everyone present.
They all looked towards the two men. The members of the Astral Express didn't notice anything specific, only wondering why the two had suddenly confronted each other.
But this scene took on a different meaning in the eyes of the other Xianzhou Natives.
"Dan Heng! Absolutely not!"
Jing Yuan spoke first, his expression uncharacteristically serious, even revealing a hint of tension.
Jingliu said nothing, but the slight tremor in her hands betrayed the turmoil within her.
Dan Heng, however, was currently lost in his own consciousness.
A person very similar to him, yet definitely not him, appeared in his mind.
That person had the same dragon horns as him, and Dan Heng knew exactly who he was.
"Dan Feng..."
The person slowly approached him, and the words spoken echoed in his mind like a nightmare.
"Dan Heng... resurrect Kenta."
Dan Heng's pupils dilated when he heard this.
"No, you failed last time..."
"But you are not me, right? You always say that..."
"Yes, I am Dan Heng..."
"You know best, don't you? You have more experience than me; you know where the problem was last time..."
"..."
"Dan Heng..."
Dan Feng's voice suddenly became incredibly clear, as if someone was whispering right into Dan Heng's ear.
"Dan Heng, just do it for our sake, okay..."
"Use the Dragon Transformation Technique on Kenta."
(The sound of a shepherd's flute from the outskirts of the city, settling upon that remote village.)
Dan Heng:
[Agni's Struggle].jpg.
The perspective returned to reality.
Dan Heng said nothing, yet it was as if he had said everything.
He suddenly sighed.
"Kenta is dead. I have no heart left to distinguish right from wrong."
He looked up, meeting the gazes of the crowd, which were filled with surprise, anger, or complexity.
"I am not him. I have more experience than him. This time, I have a ninety percent chance of success."
Hearing this, Blade couldn't help but roar out.
"Imbibitor Lunae! Are you insane! Do you know what consequences this will bring?"
Seeing that a quarrel was about to erupt, Jing Yuan quickly stepped forward to stop the two.
"Gentlemen, the Yaoqing reinforcements are arriving soon. I suggest we deal with Phantylia first, and also... Dan Heng, do not make the same mistake again."
Dan Heng closed his eyes and remained silent.
Jing Yuan secretly sighed, saying nothing more.
——————
Ten minutes later.
The Luofu dispatched all available combat personnel.
The people who were just in the Military Camp had now arrived deep within the Scalegorge Waterscape. The Cloud Knights were responsible for dealing with the Antimatter Legion outside, while the truly difficult opponents were left to them, the high-level combatants.
"Oh~, you're back? I thought you had fled in disarray."
Seeing everyone return, Phantylia mocked them with interest. She withdrew the hand that was absorbing the power of the Ambrosial Arbor and swept her disdainful gaze over those present.
"Hmph, little pawns of [Destruction], daring to trespass upon my Luofu today, you will certainly witness the sharpness of [The Hunt]!"
Jing Yuan waved his hand, and immediately, everyone launched an attack against Phantylia's massive body nearby.
Dan Heng's Water Dragon, Welt's Black Hole, Jingliu's Sword Qi, Stelle's Flame Lance, March 7th's Six-Phase Ice, Jing Yuan's General, Blade's near-suicidal attacks... Everyone gave their all, using every trick they had, just to leave a slight wound on Phantylia's almost infinitely regenerating Divine Abundance Body, and to buy more time for the approaching reinforcements.
"A little faster, General of Great Victory of Yaoqing."
Jing Yuan used his General to chop off one of Phantylia's arms again, but in the blink of an eye, it grew back.