Regarding Yan's current Grand Tutor.
Celestial Master Bai and Celestial Master Li held him in high regard. Not only was his strength formidable, comparable to their own, but his greatest strength lay in his strategic planning, like a grandmaster.
His attitude toward the Sui Beast fragments was naturally not one of complete extermination like the Sui Regulator Commission.
After all, if a Sui Beast fragment was pushed to the brink, the power it could unleash was enough to endanger tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of people. They naturally wouldn't do something so foolish. Coexisting with the Sui Beast fragments and cooperating with those who were friendly was more in line with Yan's current philosophy.
Moreover, Yan had no choice but to treat them gently.
After all.
The twelve Sui Beasts were too powerful. Casually suppressing them could lead to unimaginable consequences if they rampaged. Yan already had to defend against the northern demons and also resist the Seaborn from the south. If Yan's territory suffered severe damage from the resistance of these twelve Sui Beasts...
On the mountaintop.
The Sui-Xiang's massive body coiled in the sky above, blotting out the sun and scattering the clouds. Though it was night, the orange radiance made it as bright as day. The divine might pressed down like a tide, causing the vegetation on the mountain to twist.
The people of Shangshu didn't know what was happening. They could only see *something* in the night sky. Many were afraid, but more were just watching the spectacle. After all, this was Shangshu, the heartland of Yan. Even if there was really something in the sky, they trusted Yan, and they trusted their country.
"It seems... it's not just an illusion..."
Nian took a deep breath. Looking left and right, she saw that Dusk had, at some point, already hidden behind everyone else. Nian herself discreetly took half a step back.
"It certainly isn't."
Ling was unconcerned. Seeing the wine in her cup was empty, her long, nimble dragon tail hooked a new, unopened jug of wine and brought it to her hand. She began to drink, *gudu gudu*.
"'Divine Will Manifestation.' It grants this thing life. It looks like a shadow, but in reality, it has form and spirit. Plus, Second Brother injected a part of his divine soul—one of his one hundred and eighty-odd parts—into this Sui-Xiang. It has already transcended the category of a shadow and has, to an extent, become a living being. It's just a Sui-Xiang condensed from the shadows in our hearts. Very realistic."
Ling passed the wine gourd she had just drunk from to Lucas Reeve beside her, smiling. "It's been a while. Care for a drink?"
Lucas Reeve glanced at it. The mouth of the wine gourd was wet.
"Er...."
"Not right now."
"Tsk... such a buzzkill. You weren't this shy when we were in the north back then."
Ling joked casually.
Then she went back to drinking by herself.
"ROAR!!!"
The Sui-Xiang coiling in the air roared once more.
Under the force of the roar.
The vegetation on the peak instantly withered as if its life force had been sucked dry. The surrounding air distorted. If Ling hadn't used her power to protect it, this pavilion might have collapsed from the Sui-Xiang's breath.
Dusk: "—!!"
Dusk, terrified, gripped Ling's sleeve, while Nian instinctively grabbed Lucas Reeve's sleeve. Nian hadn't expected Lucas Reeve to actually know Sister Ling.
After all, even if this Sui-Xiang was just an illusion containing a fraction of power, the deterrent force belonging to the most ancient of gods was no joke. However, Skadi and Laurentina felt little fear in their hearts. They were Abyssal Hunters. They had just recently beheaded a deep-sea god. Although they had paid a terrible price, their combat record was genuine.
Surtr also said nothing, walking over to silently take Lucas Reeve's hand. If Lucas Reeve needed it, she would offer her strength at any time.
"What should I do?"
Lucas Reeve looked at Ling beside him.
But Ling just chuckled.
"Just like how you helped me defeat the Sui-Xiang back then."
Back then...
Lucas Reeve seemed to recall something, but the memory wasn't complete. The new memories in his mind were like fragments—very clear, but incomplete.
Tsk tsk...
I'm gradually becoming like Surtr was... a head full of inexplicable memory fragments...
Lucas Reeve couldn't help but inwardly mock himself with a bitter smile.
"I Still Don't Know What I Went Through That Year".avi
Hooo....
Lucas Reeve took a deep breath. A golden glow surfaced in his black pupils. In the center of his eyes, a crimson, four-pointed diamond pattern appeared. His entire aura seemed to become more mysterious.
Ling, beside him, seemed quite nostalgic. She shifted to the side and continued drinking her wine.
"Nian... Dusk..."
Lucas Reeve said slowly.
"The so-called Sui-Xiang is nothing more than the fear hidden deep in your hearts. Sui is you, and you are Sui. You are inherently one whole."
And just then.
Lucas Reeve's right hand slowly rose. He didn't know why he was doing this, but it was as if an instinct from his memories was guiding him, as if his past self had said this to someone else before.
As Lucas Reeve raised his hand.
Suddenly, golden runes representing the Rule began to manifest.
These runes twined around Lucas Reeve's arm, quickly dyeing it completely golden. At the same time, the Originium ore veins lying dormant on the surface or underground around Shangshu seemed to come alive. A special power was continuously drawing the energy from this Originium, turning it into crimson threads that slowly converged toward the mountaintop, into Lucas Reeve's hand.
The Doctor's physical strength was worrying, so Lucas Reeve was relying on his own Spiritual Power to drive this.
"But... but..."
Because Ling was ignoring her, a frightened Dusk had no choice but to grab the hem of Lucas Reeve's clothes.
"We are us, Sui is Sui..."
Lucas Reeve smiled faintly. Under Sui's pressure, the entire world seemed to have changed color. As the Sui-Xiang roared again, Dusk couldn't help but close her eyes.
"The Sui-Xiang originates from your hearts. And your fear is the source of Sui's power. The more you fear, the stronger the Sui-Xiang becomes. Running away is useless, Dusk. Only by facing it head-on can you win a chance at survival."
"But!!"
Dusk bit her lip.
In the fierce wind, Dusk's beautiful hair and clothes whipped about loudly.
"I don't have Sister Ling's power... If I had her strength, I'd also..."
"Hahaha~"
Just then.
Nian, at the side, started laughing.
"I'm not as strong as Sister Ling either, but have you ever seen me afraid of that old geezer?"
Dusk silently retorted: "You're not afraid... so can you stop standing so far back?"
"Habit, habit... It's the old geezer, after all..."
Nian scratched her head.
"However, I've never admitted defeat."
Nian's hand gripping Lucas Reeve's hem tightened.
If Nian had encountered the Sui-Xiang alone, perhaps she would have been afraid, perhaps even lost herself in the Sui-Xiang's terror. But... it was different now.
In the past, in Yan, in Lungmen.
Nian didn't have many friends. Or rather, she had no friends at all. Other than the homebody Dusk and the elusive Ling, Nian had no one she could truly speak her heart to. She wandered alone, drifting through Lungmen, roaming its streets and alleys, searching for her purpose in existing, numbing herself with filmmaking and hotpot.
However.
Nian was different now.
After meeting Lucas Reeve, she once again felt warmth. The warmth of home, the warmth of companions, the warmth of friends.
Eating hotpot together, making movies together, watching movies at night together, shopping together, laughing together.
This kind of life had filled Nian's once-lonely heart.
And it was through this life.
Nian increasingly felt.
That she was a living person!
Not some useless Sui Beast fragment separated from that damn Sui. She was human, she wanted to enjoy her own life, not live under the old geezer's shadow forever.
Therefore.
Nian would not lose, and she *could* not lose. She didn't want to lose the life she had now.
Hooo....
Nian took a deep breath. Originally hiding behind Lucas Reeve, she mustered her courage, took a step forward, and took Lucas Reeve's other hand.
"I... really don't want to lose to the old geezer..."
Nian smiled. "After all, my second movie hasn't started shooting, I haven't won the 'Best Director' title, and..."
Nian glanced at Lucas Reeve but said nothing.
BOOM—
Along with a flame-like explosion.
Raging flames ignited on Nian's body.
This pure divine power poured into Lucas Reeve's body, merging with the crimson energy sphere on his right hand.
Ling, beside them, smiled and nodded, feeling rather gratified.
The Sui-Xiang...
It comes from their individual hearts. Others can help for a time, but not for a lifetime. Even if Ling had the power to disperse this Sui-Xiang directly, she couldn't truly help her younger sister. They had to rely on themselves. And Lucas Reeve...
He had lived with Nian and Dusk for so long. In reality, he had already been imperceptibly changing them.
To defeat the Sui-Xiang, the first step is...
To see oneself clearly.
To understand why one lives, and...
Whether one is an independent individual, or a part of Sui.
"Come on, Dusk! Let's beat this old geezer together."
Nian extended a hand to Dusk, who was behind her. However, Dusk was too scared to even look up.
She had none of her usual stubborn bravado or the aggressive energy she had when flaming people twenty times a second in video games.
"Don't be afraid, Dusk."
Lucas Reeve turned his head, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, his expression incomparably gentle.
"Defeat this Sui-Xiang. Haven't you already found your meaning in life?"
"Meaning in life..."
Dusk murmured.
"You don't want to go the rest of your life without being able to play games, do you?"
"Me!! How could I!!!"
Dusk panicked.
She grit her teeth and let go of Lucas Reeve's hem. However, just as she let go, the Sui-Xiang roared again, frightening Dusk so much she felt as if she'd lost her support. She staggered and nearly fell.
Surtr, Skadi, and Laurentina caught Dusk.
"You can do it! Little Dusk!"
Laurentina cheered Dusk on.
"You can do it..."
"I..."
Dusk bit her lip. Suddenly, she raised her head, a fierce glint flashing in her jewel-like eyes.
"*Yan Profanity* *Yan Profanity* *Yan Profanity*, you old geezer, go to ***."
Dusk's 18-hit Zaun-style greeting combo left Ling, who was watching from the side, a bit stunned. Then, she burst out laughing.
As Dusk, she was very civilized and only spewed vitriol online. But one had to admit, those colorful words really could give someone courage at a critical moment.
Dusk rushed over and grabbed Nian's other hand. Her cyan divine power burned, transforming into radiance and pouring into the flaming energy sphere in Lucas Reeve's hand.
"So... what's so scary about the Sui-Xiang?"
Lucas Reeve smiled faintly.
Then, boundless golden energy coiled around his body.
[The Lance that Shines to the End's End (Rhongomyniad)]
Lucas Reeve's eyes turned completely golden.
The multicolored Holy Lance, condensed from special power, shot out toward the Sui-Xiang's body.
The multicolored radiance pierced the heavens.
Amidst the Sui-Xiang's roar, it directly pierced its head, then shot through the clouds, scattering the surrounding dark clouds completely.
ROAR!!
The Sui-Xiang roared in fury. Inside it was a soul fragment of their Second Brother, and that soul fragment was also scattered and destroyed by the Holy Lance's piercing.
The Sui-Xiang's illusion vanished.
The night sky returned to calm, with only scattered multicolored particles of light drifting down from the sky, like snow.
"It's over. You've overcome yourselves."
Lucas Reeve smiled at Nian and Dusk.
"Hmph! I told you that old geezer was no good."
Nian proudly puffed out her chest, while Dusk's expression remained calm, but the excitement in her eyes couldn't be hidden.
Nian: +3000*20
Dusk: +5000*20
Ling: +5000*30
+5000
A full 315,000 Prayer Power flooded into Lucas Reeve's soul in an instant.
It was understandable that Dusk maxed out, but what was with Ling maxing out? As for Nian, she had provided 2,000 before, so only 3,000 remained.
Tsk tsk... a full 310,000. This trip to Yan was totally worth it.
Wait?
Where did that last 5,000 come from?
At this moment, in Shangshu, many citizens saw the multicolored radiance flashing in the sky. The colors were beautiful... giving people hope.
And just then.
An aged figure appeared in Shangshu. He raised his head, looked at the sky, and a smile crossed his lips.
"Is it over?"