"Young Master!"
Obsidia Shade appeared on the outskirts of the goddess warriors and witnessed the horrific scene before her. Aurelian Dragon lay on the ground, two javelins embedded in her body, covered in wounds. The Eight Golden Phoenix Guards were nowhere to be seen, but the messy footprints and specks of blood on the ground testified to their ordeal.
Looking at the goddess warriors surrounding the Aurelian Dragon, Obsidia Shade cried out in grief and rage, "You actually killed him? You all deserve to die!!"
The goddess warrior gave her a cold look. The two goddess warriors who had fired their javelins drew another javelin from their backs and walked towards Obsidia Shade. Meanwhile, the other goddess warriors continued to attack the "barrier of life" surrounding the Aurelian Dragon. Given their formidable strength, they believed they could break through the eight guardians' "barrier of life."
Obsidia Shade knew that these goddess warriors, being gods, were the most terrifying enemies, but she was still confident in eliminating them. She was going to use the ultimate dark magic, "Apocalypse of the Demon God," to destroy everything. This was also because after seeing the appearance of the Aurelian Dragon, she was heartbroken by his death and resolved to follow him to the afterlife.
Seeing the two goddess warriors approaching, Obsidia Shade gave a bitter laugh, tousled her hair, and raised her longsword, slashing three deep wounds into her body. Amidst the goddess warriors' bewildered gazes, a calm but lifeless voice began to resound.
"Endless sorrow, profound grief, sovereign who holds the power of destruction, master of darkness, may you emerge from the depths of hell, guide us with blood, and fulfill the final pact..."
"Endless sorrow, profound grief..."
The two goddess warriors standing in front of her repeated the words, then their expressions suddenly changed drastically, and they exclaimed in unison, "This isn't..."
"Apocalypse of the Demon God!!" The leader of the goddess warriors noticed something amiss and flew over, charging straight at Obsidia Shade, her lightning spear already out of her hand.
No wonder she was so nervous. During the War of the Hundred Races, they had suffered greatly at the hands of the Dark Race. As one of the most powerful life forms, the Goddess Warrior was practically immortal, but when faced with the ultimate dark magic "Demonic Revelation" used by the highest-ranking elder of the Dark Race, even the most powerful life form would be destroyed in an instant. This magic destroyed everything in its path, even the caster himself, making it arguably the most devastating spell in the world. However, with the Dark Race sealed away and the War of the Hundred Races ended, this spell had long become a legend. Now, it had reappeared on this woman—how could they not be nervous?
What's wrong with me today? First I encountered a "life barrier," and now I've run into someone who can use "Demon God's Revelation." Looks like my luck is really bad!
All the goddess warriors had the same thought, and they all flew towards Obsidia Shade, hoping to kill her before she could cast a spell.
It was too late. The change in the sky had already occurred. A powerful beam of light enveloped Obsidia Shade. The goddess warrior leader's incomparably powerful javelin attack was enough to pierce through the iron wall, but it had no effect on Obsidia Shade. She was bounced away, and the powerful force made the goddess warrior leader's delicate body tremble as she reached out to catch her.
Obsidia Shade's clear, beautiful eyes blazed with demonic light, the black beams shooting out like tangible swords, sending a chill down the spines of the two goddess warriors in front of her. This was the first time they had felt such a chill since the war between the hundred races.
Obsidia Shade remained unresponsive, watching as the javelin pierced her body. Several violent bolts of lightning struck from the air, shattering the seemingly indestructible javelin into a dozen or so pieces that scattered in a terrifying display. The two goddess warriors screamed as they fell, their bodies seemingly enveloped in billowing smoke, exhibiting horrible signs of convulsions.
The leader of the goddess warriors gritted her teeth and shouted, "Form ranks!"
Thirteen goddess warriors joined forces to form the "Thirteen Stars," surrounding Obsidia Shade and waiting for the moment when the world turned dark to engage in a life-or-death duel with the demonized Obsidia Shade.
The earth began to tremble, thunder roared in the sky, and continuous shockwaves swept across the land, turning this beautiful place into a terrifying demonic realm.
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Led by the Fire Maiden, the Wind Thieves fled in disarray, taking Lucifer's body with them. The tall, thin, masked man also sensed the danger and, along with his companion who had been severely wounded by Phoenix Vane, quickly departed with the Fire Maiden.
Garrick Stonewall, his face filled with alarm, ordered his soldiers to leave immediately. The trembling of the earth had already caused many warhorses to jump restlessly and neigh tremulously. A feeling of impending doom enveloped everyone. Whether it was Fast or Wu'an's soldiers, they grabbed their horses and hurriedly retreated from the camp, not caring about anything else.
Lynette Quill didn't know the reason for this change; all she knew was that Aurelian Dragon and Phoenix Vane were there. Ignoring Garrick Stonewall's advice, she also hurried towards the back of the mountain.
The astonishing changes here also caused people hundreds of miles away to put down their work and look at the ever-changing and terrifying demonic cloud in the sky with puzzlement, wondering what was going on.
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Fifty miles away on a mountain path, a short traveler was also drawn to this strange phenomenon. He looked up and whispered, "What is this? Such heavy demonic energy!" Just then, a thunderclap split the dark clouds, and a hideous face could be vaguely seen vanishing into the air.
"Little Ling'er, what did you see?" the traveler murmured to herself. She was Lyra Draconis, who had left the dragon's homeland to come to Fast in search of the "Dragon Heart Sutra". If it were anyone else, they would not be able to see those unusual phenomena at all, but as a descendant of the dragon race and possessing the "Dragon God's Sense", she could naturally see things that others could not.
A thought flashed through her mind, "Could it be...?" Lyra Draconis stopped thinking about it. She had only heard of such a scene in the stories of the elders. As a member of the dragon race, she had a responsibility to prevent this tragedy from happening, just as her ancestors had done in the war of the hundred races.
Lyra Draconis, no longer slow and deliberate, leaped into the air.
"The divine dragon soars into the sky!"
Her small stature seemed to suddenly change, transforming into a long shadow that swept rapidly through the air, with countless white clouds forming and churning around her.
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Phoenix Vane appeared silently behind the goddess warrior. With a sweep of her phoenix eyes, she took in the entire situation. Her delicate body swayed slightly. She had come all the way from Tianlang Pass, only to end up like this. She had arrogantly considered herself a god of war with infallible strategies and boasted of her superior wisdom. In an instant, all her thoughts vanished.
Phoenix Vane let out a mournful cry, suppressing the pain in his heart. He knew that there were bigger things to do now, and if not handled properly, the area within a hundred miles would be devastated and a terrible sight to behold.
Obsidia Shade's eyes had turned completely black, as deep as a bottomless abyss, and he exuded a terrifying chill that surged forth like a raging torrent, wave after wave, endless and sharp as a blade. The people around him had their hair disheveled and danced wildly in the air, their clothes rippling in the air.
The longsword was finally raised, but it was no longer a longsword in the usual sense. The longsword in Obsidia Shade's hand had become completely black, shining with a dark luster. There was an immense attraction emanating from the sword, making people feel that they should try it out as soon as possible.
Although the longsword was slowly thrusting towards the goddess warriors in front, it appeared incredibly fast to them. They seemed completely unable to react properly, only able to watch helplessly as the sword came towards them. Only then did they truly understand why the "Demon God's Revelation" was the nemesis of the gods; those who fell into its clutches would involuntarily develop an irresistible psychological resistance, even readily accepting the outcome.
"stop!"
Phoenix Vane gathered all his strength and swiftly cast the "Blessing of the Wind God" onto his longsword. The longsword, emitting a blue light, transformed into a lithe blue shadow and collided with the sword in Obsidia Shade's hand, which was filled with dark demonic energy.
The azure shadow shattered into countless streams of light, scattering in all directions. The supreme true power condensed on the sword remained motionless, as if it had sunk into the sea. Phoenix Vane knew that the longsword in Obsidia Shade's hand had lost its true blade and was now merely a sword shape condensed from dark demonic energy.
However, by blocking the way, she temporarily halted the entire process. Otherwise, when the dark sword drank the blood of the gods, boundless darkness would have officially descended upon the earth.
Lynette Quill stood speechless, staring at the horrific scene before her. The beautiful place from moments before had been transformed into this hellish wasteland; the change was simply unbelievable.
As Phoenix Vane pondered how to stop Obsidia Shade, a powerful gust of air swept rapidly from the opposite side of the small lake. The legendary image of a dragon was faintly visible in the thick clouds, and a figure flashed in the clouds, sweeping across the lake like a whirlwind, causing the water to churn rapidly with terrifying force.
Amidst the sonic boom, Lyra Draconis appeared before everyone. With a quick glance, she took in the entire situation and her expression changed drastically. She stretched out her delicate, jade-like hand, and a dragon-shaped energy claw, almost tangible, shot out rapidly, heading straight for the dark energy sword in Obsidia Shade's hand.
"Boom!"
The powerful energy surged forth like a raging torrent crashing against the shore, causing everyone to tremble. The goddess warriors, bearing the brunt of the attack, were particularly vulnerable, flying through the air and crashing to the ground. However, this actually relieved them from their crisis, as they finally awoke from the overwhelming demonic illusion. They scattered in all directions, each maintaining a safe distance of about ten feet from Obsidia Shade.
Lyra Draconis's pretty face turned deathly pale. This earth-shattering blow had almost exhausted all her energy. She wondered how she would deal with it if the Dark Lord really possessed Obsidia Shade.
Phoenix Vane rushed to her side, blocking her way, and whispered, "Return to power as soon as possible!"
Lyra Draconis glanced at her gratefully, knowing that this stunningly beautiful woman possessed strength no less than her own, and felt quite relieved. With these goddess warriors added to the mix, they could still put up a fight. In any case, it was always good to give herself some hope.
Obsidia Shade's face turned pale, then quickly returned to a translucent jade color. Phoenix Vane warned, "Everyone be careful, the final moment has arrived!"
The changes in the sky had ceased, but the tremors that had been faintly visible on the earth grew increasingly intense. All the birds and beasts scattered in terror, sensing the approach of the end times. The beautiful lake churned and surged, even producing a tsunami-like roar. Suddenly, a thunderbolt shook the mountains, changing the very color of the sky and earth. Black lightning danced in the air, creating terrifying patterns. The final moment had finally arrived.
Everyone was waiting for the black light to strike Obsidia Shade, and then they would all rush forward to try and defeat her in her momentary weakness upon first appearing.
A strange thing happened: the terrible lightning bolt did not strike Obsidia Shade, but instead tore through the "life barrier" built by the Eight Guardians with their lives, and struck the Aurelian Dragon, who was protected by the spirits of the Eight Guardians.
Everyone stared in disbelief at the sudden turn of events, a scene they would never forget. Later, when Aurelian Dragon curiously pressed for an answer, everyone avoided the question, only saying that he looked like a devil.
Struck by such a fierce blow, Aurelian Dragon sprang up from the ground, his clothes vanished, and his black hair stood on end, pointing straight to the sky. Even more astonishingly, his wounds healed instantly, and the two javelins embedded in his body flew out and bounced to the ground.
Aurelian Dragon straightened up, his red and black eyes slowly sweeping across the entire area. The Fiery Sword in his hand emitted purple flames, and everyone watched his movements in silence.
One step, two steps, three steps.
Suddenly, he roared and transformed into lightning, rushing straight towards the goddess warrior leader standing in the distance. The Fiery Sword in his hand lost its shape, resembling a flame leaping in the air, its purple hue mesmerizing all who beheld it.
Lyra Draconis was the first to react. With a sharp cry, she transformed into a streak of light, her hands flashing out in unison. Two white beams of light emanated from her palms, dancing in the air as if they were alive. She finally unleashed her ultimate move, "Dragon God Annihilation."
Phoenix Vane was horrified and cried out, "No!" She raised her hands, and a tangible blue spear appeared in her empty hands, with wisps of blue smoke emanating from its shaft. She sighed inwardly, wishing she had kept the Wind-Splitting Spear with her; she wouldn't be going through all this trouble now, having to use the "True Spear of Wind."
Seeing the two beams of white light hurtling towards Aurelian Dragon's back, Phoenix Vane didn't hesitate to swiftly throw her "True Spear of Wind," formed from true energy, diagonally striking Lyra Draconis's "Dragon God Annihilation." This was purely a case of emotion overcoming reason; for her, Aurelian Dragon being alive was the greatest comfort, and no matter what changes he might have undergone, she couldn't allow Lyra Draconis to harm him.
The white light paused upon being struck by the "True Spear of Wind," then intertwined with the blue light, creating a beautiful scene in the air: two beams of white light flanking a blue shadow, dancing as they rushed toward the back of the Aurelian Dragon.
Unaware of his surroundings, Aurelian Dragon's flaming sword was already upon the head of the goddess warrior leader, its overwhelming force locking onto its target. He had only one thought in his mind: to kill this enemy, to avenge the harm she had inflicted upon them.
The other goddess warriors tried to rush to their aid, but it was too late. The leader of these goddess warriors, true to her reputation as the most skilled among them, struggled to break free of the binding force, took a slight step back, raised her javelin, which crackled with intense electricity, and slammed into the Fiery Sword.
"boom!"
Just as the Fiery Sword and the Lightning Javelin collided, white light and blue shadow entered Aurelian Dragon's body. His naked body emitted a strange light, engulfing him in a bizarre and fantastical illusion.
After a loud bang, the incandescent lightning spear transformed into countless streaks of light and electricity, like stars falling from the sky and scattering in all directions, creating a truly magnificent scene.
The Fiery Sword in Aurelian Dragon's hand trembled violently, emitting a resentful cry, and flew several feet away, embedding itself straight in the ground, instantly turning the surrounding area into scorched earth.
All the goddess warriors cried out in unison, while the leader turned ashen-faced, staring blankly at the strange-looking Aurelian Dragon trapped in the light and shadow.
Lyra Draconis and Phoenix Vane arrived simultaneously behind Aurelian Dragon. Phoenix Vane grabbed Lyra Draconis's raised hand, blocking her palm strike aimed at Aurelian Dragon. Lyra Draconis was about to retaliate when Phoenix Vane glanced at her with his expressive phoenix eyes. Lyra Draconis was startled; she seemed to sense Phoenix Vane's thoughts, a feeling completely different from how she usually perceived others' thoughts—as if their hearts were communicating simultaneously.
At this moment, the leader of the goddess warriors made a move that greatly surprised them: she suddenly knelt down before Aurelian Dragon, bowing her head in silence. Figures quickly followed, and all the goddess warriors knelt before Aurelian Dragon. Now they were no longer enemies fighting to the death with him, but completely submissive servants.
A terrifying killing intent flashed in Aurelian Dragon's eyes, followed by a look of confusion. His hand slowly reached out and struck the goddess warrior leader at his feet. If it were to strike her, it would surely kill her. However, the goddess warrior leader remained kneeling as if in submission, showing no sign of resistance, and the other goddess warriors also remained unresponsive.
Phoenix Vane couldn't help but step forward and shout in Aurelian Dragon's ear, "Aurelian, stop!"
Aurelian Dragon's body jolted, and she stopped moving. She turned around and looked at Phoenix Vane, her eyes filled with even more confusion. Suddenly, she uttered a muffled sound: "Phoenix!"
Phoenix Vane was overjoyed, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, and she quickly nodded and replied, "It's me, it's me!"
Aurelian Dragon's gaze gradually cleared, the light emanating from her body fading, and she reached out to grasp Phoenix Vane's shoulder. Phoenix Vane's beautiful eyes were filled with tears, yet her delicate face held a smile.
Her hands, raised in the air, slowly moved toward Phoenix Vane's shoulders, trembling but determined. However, her hands did not reach her target. When they were still a finger's width away from Phoenix Vane's body, her hands suddenly stopped moving, as if blocked by something.
Aurelian Dragon's face showed a struggle, the lines of his facial muscles arranging in strange combinations, sometimes ferocious and terrifying, sometimes confused and helpless, and sometimes calm and serene. Never before had anyone seen so many expressions on one person's face simultaneously.
Phoenix Vane could no longer resist; she reached out her hands, wanting to touch the Aurelian Dragon's body.
A strange look flashed in Aurelian Dragon's eyes. His face returned to calm, but he looked extremely weak, as if he had gone through an extremely fierce battle and exhausted all his energy.
Aurelian Dragon suddenly exclaimed, "I feel so awful!" Before she could finish speaking, she fell backward to the ground.
Phoenix Vane hugged him tightly, feeling his heart still beating. Overjoyed, she shouted to Lynette Quill, "He's alive!"
"Thump!" Lynette Quill breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground. This series of unexpected events had kept her on her toes, even more so than fighting a master. Now she could finally relax.
A series of thuds rang out. First, Obsidia Shade collapsed to the ground as the strange sensations on her body subsided. Lyra Draconis, having lost focus, realized she was completely out of luck; the previous attacks had exhausted all her energy, and she too slumped to the ground.
Phoenix Vane lay on Aurelian Dragon's bare chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, feeling utterly exhausted. Yet, at the same time, she was overjoyed; the feeling of having something lost and then regained was wonderful.
The sky had returned to normal; the dark clouds had dispersed, and the bright moon appeared, its gentle light illuminating the chaotic earth. A sense of relief rose in everyone's hearts. Although they didn't understand why such a turn of events had occurred at the last moment, it was indeed a fortunate thing; the fate of destruction had not befallen the creatures on earth.
Shouts rang out in the distance, and Garrick Stonewall and his Golden Phoenix Guards rode up to find them.