It did not take long for the essence to drain.Apart from Jerna's faint groans of pain, the battlefield was silent.
Mammon's arm shrank back to its normal form. With a flick of his wrist, a great ball of blood surged from his palm into Jerna's broken body.
He exhaled long and deep, crimson eyes flashing with magic, lips curling into a satisfied smile.
Having devoured the life essence of both the Sacred Griffin and Jerna, he felt invincible.
Yes… very good.
The genes of these two light-born creatures were exceptional. Especially Jerna—though weaker than Shen Ji, she carried the blessing of the Goddess of Light herself, and even the trump card of angelic descent. Her bloodline was rare, precious.
And now, it belonged to him.
Mammon raised his hand. At his fingertips danced a sphere of light, dazzling and pure, in stark contrast to his own nature.
A ghost king—an evil being born of darkness—yet now, evolving toward light.
Sarcasm? Or mockery? Even he could not tell.
His power had shifted. His strongest abilities were no longer rooted in shadow, but in radiance. The dragon he became was no longer a wyrm of abyss—but a divine dragon.
A ghost king, half-baptized in holy light.
The irony stung like fate's cruel jest.
"Who are you really?"
Shen Ji's cold voice broke the silence. Her silver eyes narrowed at Jerna, whose broken body writhed on the ground. Strange blue sigils spread across her skin, glowing faintly.
Puzzlement flickered in Shen Ji's gaze. With such powers, Mammon should have been known to the Alliance. Yet until now, he had never appeared in any records.
Mammon merely chuckled, his expression unreadable."Questions can wait. The real matter is…"
He turned his gaze toward Ecbert.
Jerna was down. The Sacred Griffin crippled. Of the three Redeemers of Light, only Ecbert still stood.
Elsewhere, the Divine Guard and Light Guardians were held back by Shen Ji's elites. The Light God Realm's defenses had collapsed—only the Singer of Light remained, still hidden in the central temple of Hangcheng.
Mammon's voice was steady, deep."If we retreat now, it's still in time. What do you say, Shen Ji?"
He would obey her command—she was, after all, the leader of this operation. With Jerna fallen, the Light God Realm had already suffered a crippling blow. Retreat now, and strike again later at Ecbert, when the moment was right.
Shen Ji's eyes glimmered with thought, then resolve.
"No. We end it here."
Her tone was sharp as a blade."The Singer's absence proves one thing—there is a reason he refuses to act. This chance will never come again. Two Redeemers have already fallen. This last one must die, or we may never corner him again."
Mammon regarded her quietly. Cold-faced, silver-haired, yet sharp of mind. Her reasoning was flawless.
Ecbert's strength was formidable—his Light Barrier nearly unbreakable. Even with her Five-Yao Blessing, Shen Ji could barely scratch it. But now, with Mammon's strength added to hers, perhaps the impossible could be done.
The male commander remained silent for a breath, then nodded grimly.
"So be it. Today, the last Light Redeemer dies."
But just as their intent sharpened, a piercing cry shattered the air.
"Tweet—!"
Both Shen Ji and the commander froze, their expressions darkening as they turned.
From the ruins, a massive creature emerged. Ten meters tall, wings spanning twice that, a body white as ivory traced with violet sigils. Its long beak gleamed like a spear, its aura fierce, violent, suffocating.
The Sacred Griffin.
But no longer the same. Larger. Stronger. Corrupted.
Shen Ji's gaze flicked to Mammon, her voice low."…This was your doing?"
Mammon said nothing—only smiled faintly as he admired his creation.
The commander's eyes narrowed. He needed no answer. This monster bore Mammon's mark, through and through. But how?
The griffin had been broken, its essence drained, its very soul extinguished. Yet now it lived again—reborn, twisted, evolved.
If the griffin could return…
Shen Ji and the commander exchanged a glance, their thoughts converging.
Their eyes turned sharply to Jerna.
She no longer writhed in agony. The blue markings across her skin pulsed steadily. Her wounds, even the fatal gash carved by Shen Ji's blade, were gone—erased as though they had never been.
And then—
Her eyes snapped open.