"This body, forged by the miracles of Abundance, is truly perfect beyond my imagination."
Phantylia chuckled lightly, casually pointing a finger. Yellow lotus flowers sprouted from the ground, instantly covering most of the area around the group, brimming with vitality.
Stelle's heart stirred. As someone experienced, she knew the mechanics of these yellow lotuses—they periodically drained a battle point. But the question was… how would this mechanic manifest in reality?
"Phantylia, no need for these petty tricks," Jing Yuan said coldly. A golden divine spirit, the Lightning-Wielding Thunderclad, rose behind him, wrapped in golden lightning and wielding a sharp formation blade. Its massive form towered even over Phantylia.
This was the Luofu's guardian spirit, the Divine Lord.
The Divine Lord's movements lacked any flashy swordplay. It simply raised its formation blade, accompanied by a low rumble of thunder, and struck at Phantylia with an unadorned slash—
"Hah, Mr. Jing Yuan, I've been possessing young Yanqing for three years and know you're no ordinary man," Phantylia said, gently stroking a yellow lotus. "To deal with you, how could I resort to petty tricks?"
Whoosh—
The sky full of yellow lotuses bloomed in unison, targeting the Divine Lord. They began to drain its energy, and the once-dazzling spirit dimmed noticeably in an instant. The formation blade in its hand shattered into specks of light, fully consumed by the lotuses.
Absorbing nutrients and turning them into its own growth was a hallmark of the Abundance's power.
"Tch… She even stole the power of Abundance?"
Jing Yuan's expression grew graver. He poured all his effort into commanding the Divine Lord to engage Phantylia while addressing the others, "Everyone, I'll handle Phantylia. I ask you to help me eliminate these illusory flowers!"
"Got it!"
The group responded in unison. Bailu and Dan Heng exchanged a glance, nodding in silent understanding. They extended their hands, and a sound like muffled thunder seemed to come from the horizon. The ground began to tremble faintly, accompanied by the sound of surging water—
Rumble—
A water dragon, hundreds of meters tall, soared from the ancient sea, crashing with earth-shaking force into the densest cluster of lotuses!
The terrifying impact swept through, destroying hundreds of lotuses in the blink of an eye.
The energy drained from the Divine Lord emerged from the lotus wreckage, gradually restoring its dimmed form, making it solid once more.
The battlefield was in the Scalegorge Waterscape's ancient sea. To eradicate the sky full of yellow lotuses, Dan Heng and Bailu, with their area-of-effect attacks, were the most suited for the task.
"Watch this lady summon a few more water dragons to smash these lousy flowers!"
Encouraged by the success, Bailu flicked her tail excitedly, teaming up with Dan Heng to cast Cloudhymn again. Another water dragon began to form—
Crack—
Caught off guard by the assault, the yellow lotuses didn't just sit idly by. Even without Phantylia's direct control, they followed their biological instinct to "seek profit and avoid harm." Two of the most vibrant lotuses opened their petals toward Dan Heng and Bailu, launching a counterattack.
Whoosh—
Two golden orbs of light were forcibly drawn from Dan Heng and Bailu. In an instant, both felt as if they'd stayed up for three days straight: mentally drained, physically weak, and eyelids so heavy they could fall asleep on the spot…
"March! Destroy those two flowers draining battle points!" Stelle's expression changed as she shouted.
"Understood."
March 7th responded expressionlessly, gripping her Six-Phased Ice like a javelin. The trembling of her arm showed the sheer force she was putting into the throw.
Her weapon gradually became encased in pink and blue ice crystals, faint white mist rising from it. Even from a distance, Stelle could feel a chill approaching.
March 7th took a deep breath, spun half a circle, and hurled her Six-Phased Ice—
Zing—
The weapon sliced through the air, emitting a sharp whistle, piercing through every yellow lotus in its path with unstoppable momentum. Green sap splattered, and the energy drained from Dan Heng and Bailu returned to them.
Even then, the Six-Phased Ice's momentum didn't falter. While Phantylia was distracted by her struggle with the Divine Lord, it struck her shoulder.
"Urgh—"
Though such an attack would normally be a mere scratch to Phantylia, at this critical moment of her clash with the Divine Lord, it was like adding a feather to one side of a scale, tipping the balance.
Boom—
Seizing the opportunity, Jing Yuan commanded the Divine Lord to pin Phantylia's body down. Golden, frenzied lightning raged, eroding the vitality of her form.
"Aaahhh—You… you dare damage this body!" Phantylia roared furiously. "You'll pay for this!"
Phase one cleared?
Stelle's heart leaped with joy, but then she remembered something: when Phantylia shifts to her second phase, they'd have to endure an area-of-effect attack…
As if confirming her fears, the once-vibrant sealed space grew ominously dark. The power of Destruction replaced Abundance, and Phantylia, previously suppressed by the Divine Lord, grabbed its neck, regaining the upper hand in their direct confrontation.
The sky full of Abundance lotuses now bore purple Destruction marks. Within seconds, they transformed into Destruction lotuses.
Crack—
A purple fissure split open beneath the group's feet, spreading like a spiderweb. The destructive energy within surged, as if it would erupt any second—
"Phantylia, you dare!"
Without the Absorption of the Abundance lotuses, the Divine Lord's power was restored. Jing Yuan conjured a formation blade and thrust it toward Phantylia's heart!
Crack—
The blade pierced her body, but instead of anger, Phantylia laughed. "…Hahaha, Mr. Jing Yuan, this body formed from the Ambrosial Arbor can still regenerate. But can your companions revive like Abundance creatures? Hahahahaha—"
A gleeful smile spread across Phantylia's face as she snapped her fingers lightly—
Boom!
"Everyone, watch your feet!"
Stelle shouted a warning, but before anyone could react, the ground beneath them shattered. The power of Destruction erupted, swallowing the group in an instant.
It's said that before death, adrenaline surges, heightening reaction speed and creating a "slow-motion" illusion in the brain.
So Stelle watched helplessly as the ground beneath her turned into a "volcano crater," spewing purple, destructive energy.
A wave of powerlessness washed over her. She strained with all her might, hoping to catch one last glimpse of her companions, but time and her field of vision were limited. She saw only March, Dan Heng, the small Stellaron… and a flash of fiery red—
Wait, red?
Rumble—
A massive explosion erupted, reducing most of the sealed space's landing points to nothingness. Stelle's vision blurred, but then she found herself cradled in someone's arms in a princess carry. A familiar, gentle face came into view.
Seeing that face, Stelle froze, almost believing she was dreaming.
"Phew… That was close. Almost didn't make it."
Himeko exhaled softly, her warm breath brushing Stelle's face, silently affirming her reality.
"Little one, you okay? …Heh, are you so surprised you can't even speak?"
"I told you, as long as I'm your navigator, I won't let any passenger come to harm."