Among the crowd, Mo Fan and Lingling's faces changed drastically.
"Damn it," Mo Fan said with a grimace, "a single Great Monarch, why does disaster always follow me?"
Beside him, Lingling took a deep breath, her youthful face showing a thoughtful expression. As her mind raced, she grabbed Mo Fan's sleeve urgently, saying, "Hurry, no matter how strong a Monarch is, they can't instantly kill everyone."
"We still have a chance. Let's gamble on probability! With Sister Xin Xia's healing magic, we can stay alive."
As she spoke, the little girl tugged hard at Mo Fan's sleeve, almost losing her balance.
She turned in shock and saw Mo Fan standing tall and unshaken, staring blankly at the figure on the back of the Moon Moth Phoenix.
At the same time, the mage corps defending Yantai City was also alerted.
At the head of the formation, Commander Nie Lengshan's expression froze as he gazed at the Moon Moth Phoenix in the sky.
His body trembled; he closed his eyes and drew a long breath, then opened them resolutely and commanded, "Full battle formation! Even if we can't match a Monarch demon, we must buy time at all costs, evacuate the civilians, let as many escape as possible."
"Go sound the alarm, Black Calamity!"
Before Nie Lengshan could finish, he noticed several figures atop the Moon Moth Phoenix's back, faces filled with astonishment: "Wait…"
Among them was an elderly woman living in seclusion in the town. She sensed a familiar aura and slowly opened her eyes, disbelief written across her face.
Yan Shi rose abruptly, ignoring the collapsing chair beneath her. She stepped forward unsteadily, her voice trembling with grief: "Moon Moth Phoenix, is it really you?!"
The events thirty years ago were an indelible pain in her life.
She had cruelly exploited the trust of the totem, striking the Moon Moth Phoenix while it was unguarded, betraying their friendship and abandoning the legacy of the Guardians.
After that battle, Yan Shi withdrew from the magical world. At the peak of her youth, she had reached Semi-Forbidden Spell mastery, just one Earth Core away from Forbidden Spell, and with her battlefield achievements, full power was within reach.
But what did it matter? She had refused, because even Forbidden Spell power could not bring back the Moon Moth Phoenix's life.
"How could it be you, you were scattered into feathers before the leaders' eyes thirty years ago," she murmured, unable to believe Moon Moth Phoenix was still alive. She stepped slowly onto the sky, as if supported by invisible force, eager for reunion.
Ring!
The Moon Moth Phoenix softly cooed, gently flapping its wings as it hovered midair, gazing at the elderly woman with sorrow and remembrance.
Seeing this, Yan Shi dared not approach, not even meeting its gaze. She stood frozen, lips trembling, wanting to say sorry, yet feeling unworthy.
After a long silence, her eyes shifted to the figures atop the Moon Moth Phoenix's back—Lu Jun and the others.
"You, you found it?"
Yan Shi said wistfully, "You are its new guardian, then. Even to me, I am no longer worthy."
Lu Jun shook his head slightly, speaking calmly: "Senior, I'll be brief. The Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree is a trap and scheme woven over centuries."
He then recounted the full sequence of events. Yan Shi's expression changed repeatedly, finally hardening into a killing intent.
After finishing, Lu Jun said indifferently, "Whether you believe it or not, this tree must be destroyed."
In truth, letting Yan Shi gradually uncover the truth was the best method. Simply explaining it would not convince someone of her age.
Otherwise, the cost would be too high, thousands of hunters across the country shedding blood, and the city guard of Yantai revealing the truth of the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree.
Though Lu Jun was not exactly a saint, he also found it reckless to change nothing even with a guaranteed victory.
Moreover, if the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree absorbed this wave of blood and truly ascended to Emperor-level, he would be in trouble.
Even a one-in-a-million chance was too risky.
Lu Jun fixed his gaze on Yan Shi, thinking: "What will you choose?"
Unexpectedly, Yan Shi decisively replied without hesitation: "I trust you!"
Seeing Lu Jun surprised, she slowly smiled: "You slew the Red-Clad Cardinal, hero of the Ancient Capital, brought glory to the nation, a top-tier powerhouse with a place in the world. Naturally, what you say is trustworthy."
"Of course, the most important thing is that the Moon Moth Phoenix is a totem, connected to humanity. That counterattack years ago was reasonable under the circumstances."
Yan Shi sighed, unwilling to elaborate. As a Guardian, she could not betray the totem so quickly.
At the time, the presence of a Forbidden Spell-level force and threats to the local population forced her hand.
Yet she refused to argue, betrayal was betrayal, wrong was wrong, merit was merit, fault was fault.
Lu Jun understood: what has happened will happen again, and what has been done will be done again. Yan Shi's situation thirty years ago mirrored Tang Yue's current situation in Hangzhou.
People like Zhu Meng existed then as they do now.
Only Tang Yue was lucky, someone stepped forward, and everything was ultimately saved.
Yan Shi's gaze fell on the Moon Moth Phoenix, sensing that beneath its radiant appearance lay a hollow strength. It had been heavily injured, retaining only enough power for one final battle.
After this battle, it would be gone.
The two met each other's eyes, no words needed; they understood each other's hearts. Their final fight together would avenge what happened thirty years ago!
Buzz!
Just as Lu Jun and Yan Shi were speaking, a figure rose not far off in Yantai.
Behind Nie Lengshan, the Wind Wings stirred, his expression solemn. Unafraid of the Moon Moth Phoenix's authority, he slowly spoke, "Summoner, for what purpose have you come?"
Soon, after Lu Jun and Yan Shi explained, he was astonished, frowning thoughtfully.
Before Nie Lengshan could weigh truth and consequence, the military orders at his waist flickered, as if a message had arrived.
Receiving it, his expression shifted subtly. He saluted the two respectfully: "Yantai Commander Nie Lengshan reporting as ordered."
Moments earlier, Nie Lengshan had received simultaneous instructions from both the Ministry of War and official authorities, allowing him to fully follow Lu Jun and Yan Shi's orders without hesitation.
Lu Jun pondered briefly: is this Hua Zhanhong and Shao Zheng? Have they been watching me all along?
He did not dwell further, when the time is right, he would meet them in person.
Next, Lu Jun gave Nie Lengshan a direct command: "Put the entire city on alert, and forbid hunters from entering the mountains."
"We are to exterminate the Heaven Crown Purple Linden Tree!"
Hearing this, Nie Lengshan acted decisively. He turned to calm the citizens and relay the command.
"Luckily, I almost thought we were done for. Turns out a domestic summoner elder is intervening, it's his summoned beast."
The hunters exhaled in relief, though complaints were not absent.
"What? I came all the way to Yantai, and now we're forbidden from entering Kunyu Mountain? Damn what kind of order is this?"
"Unacceptable, I'm reporting this."
But when Nie Lengshan explained that the order came from the Moon Moth Phoenix's master hovering above, no one dared speak further.
Thus, the commotion in Yantai settled. Only Mo Fan in the small town remained stunned, frozen in place, unable to react for a long time.
"Damn, when did Lu Jun become so impressive?"
For additional chapters
Versatile mage {40 chapters}
Fairy Tail{30 Chapters}
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