Shangguan Wei'er's face was contorted with pain. Her trembling hand tightly covered her left eye, as if that could stop the assimilation by the will of Destruction.
In this moment, she dropped her usual persona of a strong, capable woman, revealing an extremely fragile side.
In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, she knew that if she easily showed vulnerability as a woman, those with ill intent would take advantage, completely "devouring" her.
For a long time, she had been meticulously disguising herself, relying on tough and shrewd methods to navigate the complicated situation.
She had even successfully hidden her abnormality from perceptive individuals like Lu Jingming and Gu Yue.
Yet, in front of Ye Guyi, she unconsciously dropped all her defenses.
After all, Ye Guyi was one of the few people she could trust.
And since she chose to reveal all this to Ye Guyi, she no longer intended to keep hiding it.
She was now desperate; Deepsea City had become her only hope. She could only entrust her fate there, hoping to find a glimmer of life and escape the relentless Destruction shadowing her.
She had no other choice!
"I'll go find A'Ming. I'll beg him. He can do anything!"
Ye Guyi's eyes were red, her teeth clenched, and her voice was full of hope.
In her heart, Lu Jingming was like an omnipotent deity; if he intervened, he would surely save Shangguan Wei'er from her desperate situation.
She couldn't bear to watch Shangguan Wei'er gradually fall into the abyss of Destruction and become a slave to that terrifying power.
"It's no use. A'Ming can't save her. The Brand of Destruction has already penetrated her soul. Release is her only salvation."
Jingliu's figure appeared silently. The frosty longsword in her hand gleamed coldly in the dim light.
Her tone was so flat it was almost cold, as if she were stating a simple fact. But Ye Guyi keenly caught the fleeting murderous intent in her eyes.
"No, Teacher Jingliu, please don't! There must be a way! Lady Herta, yes, Lady Herta! She must have a solution!"
Ye Guyi frantically spread her arms, instinctively shielding Shangguan Wei'er like a protective mother beast. Her voice trembled with fear and urgency.
In this desperate moment, she grasped at every possible straw. Lady Herta's vast knowledge and power offered her a sliver of hope.
Shangguan Wei'er looked at Ye Guyi shielding her, and a warm current flowed through her heart. A look of satisfaction bloomed on her pale face, but it quickly turned into a bitter, self-mocking smile.
She chose to hide her condition from the beginning because she feared facing this very situation.
She knew better than anyone that the Brand of Destruction was like a parasite clinging to her soul, tightly interwoven and fused with it.
Trying to eliminate the power of Destruction was equivalent to destroying her soul. From the moment Destruction targeted her, the gears of fate had already begun to turn, sliding toward an irreversible path. She had lost the possibility of being saved long ago.
Yet, upon seeing Ye Guyi again, she couldn't help but ignite a tiny, unrealistic fantasy in her heart, hoping for a miracle.
"Herta is not omnipotent."
Jingliu slightly frowned. As the former Sword Champion of the Luofu, she had endured countless trials and possessed vast knowledge, giving her a deep understanding of the Antimatter Legion's terror.
Throughout the long years, those targeted by Destruction, like trapped beasts sinking into a quagmire, rarely broke free from the relentless misfortune to survive.
Even Herta, the Emanator of Intellect , was powerless when facing this soul-deep assimilation by Destruction.
After all, this was not Herta's specialized field. Her wisdom and capability were astonishing, but she was not all-powerful.
If anyone could save Shangguan Wei'er, it might be the genius Lady Ruan Mei, who specialized in the fields of life and soul.
However, Ruan Mei was not in this world right now. Distant water cannot quench a nearby fire, and Shangguan Wei'er's fate was already sealed.
Unless a Servant Ruan Mei appears, is one Shangguan Wei'er worth disrupting Lu Jingming's plans to summon Ruan Mei?
Shangguan Wei'er was undoubtedly intelligent and tenacious.
The moment she realized she was afflicted, she immediately used her powerful Spirit-type Soul Skill to decisively segment her soul and mental power, attempting to briefly suppress the assimilation by the power of Destruction.
However, her so-called segmentation was merely constructing a fragile defense in a corner of her soul, isolating a small part of it; it was not a true, complete split.
She knew clearly that once her soul completely split and became incomplete, a fate more terrifying than assimilation by Destruction awaited her: the dissipation of her soul and the complete annihilation of her self-awareness.
After all, she was only a Title Douluo on the Douluo Continent, not a super-existence with a powerful Divine Sense. There were insurmountable limits to her control and use of the soul.
Moreover, how could the assimilation methods of the Annihilation Monarch, Celenova, be so easily resisted?
Celenova, as an Envoy of Destruction, acted casually, yet her simple action was a catastrophe that Shangguan Wei'er could not resist.
Celenova might not have paid much attention to the "small role" of Shangguan Wei'er, but the mere power of Destruction that inadvertently leaked out had already plunged Shangguan Wei'er into despair.
Even if she used every trick in the book to segment her soul, she still couldn't escape the entanglement of Celenova's assimilation power.
Otherwise, why would there be so few survivors in the places ravaged by the power of Destruction?
The martial souls on the Douluo Continent were varied and wondrous, and Shangguan Wei'er's martial soul gave her the ability to briefly resist assimilation. But the vast disparity in strength was an uncrossable chasm before her. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't bridge it.
In the face of absolute power, all resistance seemed so pale and weak.
Jingliu's decision to intervene was based on her judgment that Shangguan Wei'er was beyond saving.
To prevent her from being completely controlled by Celenova in the future, becoming a puppet in the enemy's hands, and taking actions detrimental to Lu Jingming, she was prepared to end it herself.
In her view, a short sharp shock was better than prolonged agony. Rather than letting Shangguan Wei'er gradually lose herself in endless pain and struggle, becoming a threat to others, letting her find release now was perhaps the last act of mercy.
"Terrifying power!"
Istaroth, sitting lightly on a branch, her bare feet casually dangling, spoke in her usual lazy tone, as if nothing in the world could evoke much emotion from her.
But when her deep gaze fell upon Shangguan Wei'er, a faint flicker of pity flashed within it.
As a being who controlled the authority of time, though she possessed extraordinary abilities, she had to admit that even she was powerless against the force of Destruction.
While the power of time could change many things, it was ineffective against a Brand of Destruction that penetrated the soul; it could not reverse the inevitable fate of annihilation.
"If it were just a physical issue, the Abyss Flower might have an effect, but the soul... I'm sorry!"
Durandal gently shook her head, an apologetic look on her face.
The Abyss Flower in her hand, a powerful weapon with the ability to decompose and create, might have magical effects when dealing with physical problems.
However, Shangguan Wei'er was facing a crisis at the soul level. No matter how strong the Abyss Flower was, it could not reach the depths of the soul and was powerless to help her condition.
Durandal agreed with Jingliu's approach. In her opinion, eliminating an unavoidable threat in advance was a necessary, albeit unfortunate, choice to prevent more innocent people from being harmed.
The small building's area was limited. The aura released by Shangguan Wei'er's left eye, which was visibly altered by Destruction's assimilation, was highly conspicuous in the cramped space, instantly drawing the attention of almost all the Servants.
Servants were beings condensed from negative emotions and energy, giving them an almost supernatural sensitivity to the power of Destruction.
Raiden Mei stood silently nearby, her eyes filled with complexity.
Shangguan Wei'er's current predicament was strikingly similar to those infected by the Honkai in her world.
Those consumed by the Honkai's power struggled in despair, ultimately meeting a predetermined, tragic end.
"It's actually this situation!"
Lu Jingming also noticed the commotion outside. At the same time, he caught the fleeting trace of the aura of Destruction.
He quickly went outside and saw Ye Guyi blocking Jingliu.
Lu Jingming instantly understood the situation and couldn't help but feel a headache.
He hadn't expected Shangguan Wei'er had been casually messed with by Celenova a long time ago.
Thinking about it, someone like Shangguan Wei'er, who lacked a powerful backer and whose own strength was in an awkward middle ground, was indeed an excellent target for manipulation.
One could only say that Shangguan Wei'er had hidden it too well. Her martial soul was already unique, and the effects of her Soul Skills were bizarre.
After all, the Douluo Continent never lacked martial souls with strange effects.
Shangguan Wei'er's current condition was that she had been branded by Celenova with the Mark of Destruction.
The powers of Harmony and Destruction were interwoven, making the possibility of her breaking free from Celenova's control virtually zero.
Even if Herta came, she would likely be unable to solve it. Mobius was equally powerless. Lu Jingming racked his brain and could only think of Ruan Mei, as she was the only one with a successful record of dealing with the Mark of Destruction.
"Teacher, hold your hand for now. Robin might have a way!"
Lu Jingming looked at Ye Guyi's stubborn eyes, feeling helpless, and decided to find a way to resolve the matter first.
If possible, he didn't want to give up on Shangguan Wei'er easily. She was indeed a talented person, and if he could secure her allegiance, she would certainly be an asset to his foundation.
Talent was scarce right now, so he would save her if he could.
If it were the Brand left by another Annihilation Monarch, it might truly be beyond help. But if it was left by Celenova, Robin might actually be able to come up with a solution.
After all, Robin was also a user of Harmony's power, and Celenova's power carried a strong imprint of Harmony.
Although the gap between Robin and Celenova's strength was vast, Celenova's influence on Shangguan Wei'er was merely incidental, so there was still hope for salvation.
Hearing Lu Jingming's words, Jingliu, who had already raised her longsword, gently lowered the chilling, ice-forged blade.
Since Lu Jingming had made his decision, she didn't need to be the villain.
"A'Ming, thank you!" Ye Guyi immediately looked grateful.
She knew in her heart that she was powerless to stop Jingliu from acting. Jingliu not killing Shangguan Wei'er on the spot was already showing mercy.
"Don't thank me yet. Whether she can be saved is still unknown."
Lu Jingming shook his head helplessly.
He could only say there was a glimmer of possibility. After all, the methods of an Annihilation Monarch, even done casually, could be a major headache.
"Heh, hand her over to me. I'm quite interested."
A green figure quietly appeared at the door. Mobius's snake-like eyes looked at Shangguan Wei'er, especially her left eye, filled with intense curiosity.
Based on Jingliu's attitude, this seemed to be a problem that even Herta might not be able to solve.
If she could successfully solve it, wouldn't that be a fascinating achievement? Moreover, she was extremely curious about Celenova's power.
According to Lu Jingming's description, Celenova was a powerhouse on the same level as the Herrscher of the End in their world, both belonging to the so-called Emanator class.
And there were differences in strength even among Emanators. As someone specializing in Destruction, whose predecessor was the Emanator of Harmony, Celenova was an outstanding powerhouse even among Emanators.
The thought of researching the power of a being on the same level as the Herrscher of the End excited Mobius, who subtly licked her lips with her small tongue. Her gaze toward Shangguan Wei'er became even more intense.
Sensing the uncomfortable gaze of the snake-like woman, Shangguan Wei'er felt a chill in her heart.
In front of Mobius, she felt as if she had turned into a weak, pitiful, and helpless guinea pig.
Shangguan Wei'er looked at Lu Jingming with pleading eyes, hoping he would refuse Mobius.
After all, she had no say in the matter right now. Lu Jingming not killing her instantly was already a huge courtesy.
"Don't break her. She's very useful."
Lu Jingming frowned slightly, then, under Shangguan Wei'er's nearly tearful gaze, said the words that sealed her fate.
Mobius was a scientist specializing in life research. Letting her study it might actually lead to a solution.
Of course, the prerequisite was that she didn't break Shangguan Wei'er.
"Little Guyi, save me!"
Shangguan Wei'er cried out for help to Ye Guyi.
But this time, Ye Guyi could only look at her with an expression of being unable to help.
While Mobius was dangerous, as long as Shangguan Wei'er cooperated, she wouldn't generally be in mortal danger. After all, Lu Jingming had already given his word.
Mobius would have to respect Lu Jingming's command; otherwise, Lu Jingming might team up with Elysia to forcibly make Mobius wear a pink dress.
"Hehe, come with me!"
Mobius ignored the struggles of her new "guinea pig." A massive, pitch-black serpent slowly emerged from the void, instantly dragging Shangguan Wei'er into the space.
Mobius's figure also vanished. Her target was only Shangguan Wei'er—or rather, the residual power left by Celenova on her.
"Don't worry, you'll get a complete Alliance Master Shangguan back. Probably!"
Seeing Ye Guyi's worried expression, Lu Jingming offered comfort.
But by the end of his sentence, his tone unconsciously carried a hint of uncertainty.
Mobius's actions were notoriously unpredictable, and no one could guarantee what Shangguan Wei'er would experience in her hands.
Hearing Lu Jingming's reassurance, Ye Guyi's mouth twitched. Was that supposed to be comforting?
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