With a low, resonant hum, the limiter on the Herrscher Core within her was disengaged. The power of the Heliobus sealed within the Fullbottle erupted instantly under Sylvia's will!!!
Boom—!!
A pillar of bluish-green flames shot toward the heavens, instantly vaporizing the ceiling overhead. Accompanied by a terrifying shockwave and the sharp crack of compressed air, the colossal column of fire tore into the sky!
The entire Exalting Sanctum began to shake violently, as if the very space itself was on the verge of collapsing.
Countless pedestrians and Cloud Knights alike turned their gazes toward the towering pillar of fire.
"S-Sushang?! Everyone, look! What's happening over at the Exalting Sanctum?!"
Guinaifen, her livestream interrupted by the sudden quake and roar, instinctively swung her camera toward the fiery column on the horizon.
Calling out to Sushang—a Cloud Knight—and her viewers, she captured the distant event through her lens.
Over at the Divination Commission...
Qingque, acting unusually out of character, wore a worried expression as she swiftly processed the work before her.
"...The Master Diviner rushed off earlier looking rather grim. Could something truly major have happened?"
Precisely because she knew a little about the matters discussed between Sylvia, Fu Xuan, and the General, Qingque's thoughts ran deeper, her concern more acute.
--+--
Meanwhile.
Having released the safety restrictions on her Herrscher Core, Sylvia was mobilizing the Heliobus power from the Fullbottle with a nearly reckless abandon, holding nothing back.
Her goal wasn't because she thought the Heliobus in the bottle could rival Phantylia.
It was because this particular Heliobus had once merged with Acheron's body, only to have its consciousness nearly erased in an instant by the touch of Nihility.
This Heliobus retained a considerable degree of Nihility, and this Nihility originated from within Acheron—its quality was on par with that of an Emanator.
Furthermore!
Heliobi could fuse with and devour each other.
What Sylvia intended was actually quite simple: draw out the power of the Heliobus from the Fullbottle, and then feed it to Phantylia.
Due to the nature of Heliobi, Phantylia instinctively gulped down the Heliobus energy Sylvia unleashed.
And because this Heliobus had been corroded by Nihility, Phantylia's swallow meant she ingested the power of Nihility along with it.
Of course, things went smoothly for Sylvia's plan, but for Phantylia, it was utterly revolting.
Forget continuing her invasion of Sylvia's body; Phantylia immediately vomited the freshly consumed Heliobus right back out.
She shrieked and fled Sylvia's form in an instant:
"Nihility—?! You're actually using a Heliobus devoured by Nihility!! Madwoman, you utter madwoman!"
Phantylia was livid.
This lunatic had not only stuffed a Nihility-tainted Heliobus inside herself, but during that brief invasion, Phantylia had also sensed traces of extensive Nihility erosion that had once existed within Sylvia's body.
Connecting that with the power of Permanence within Sylvia,
Phantylia reached a conclusion so insane it shocked even her.
This madwoman not only dared to force the power of Nihility into her own body, but also had the audacity to use that Nihility to temper her path of Permanence!
A lunatic!
An absolute, pure madwoman!
Phantylia finally understood how Sylvia had acquired such a formidable physique.
Playing a daily game of Nihility versus Permanence inside her own body, and not dying outright—how could such a body not be strong?
But the Permanence power within Sylvia was no match for the Nihility within that Heliobus.
The Nihility clinging to that Heliobus was not only intensely concentrated but also overwhelmingly potent.
If not for a special device limiting the Heliobus's output, this madwoman would have been long dead.
And just now, Sylvia had released all restrictions without a second thought, letting the Nihility power erupt.
Her attitude seemed completely bent on blowing both herself and Phantylia to bits.
'If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!!'
That concentrated Nihility power nearly made Phantylia's vision go dark on the spot. There was no way Sylvia could have survived that explosion on her own.
From just that brief contact, Phantylia had already sensed the distinct, corrosive touch of Nihility.
If she weren't a Lord Ravager, with potent Destruction power within her to resist it, she might have been physically stunned on the spot.
Literally, physically stunned.
For ordinary lifeforms, Nihility's corruption might work from the outside in.
But Phantylia was a Heliobus—a lifeform that could be said to consist solely of spirit.
The Nihility power that coiled around her acted directly upon her very soul.
Even that momentary contact left her feeling intensely uncomfortable, her consciousness flickering dizzily.
Simultaneously, she cursed Sylvia and the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus with every fiber of her being.
Now her reaction speed was being bogged down by the Nihility power.
Even a significant portion of her internal Destruction energy had to be diverted to contain the spread of Nihility.
Watching Phantylia immediately bolt, cursing all the while, Sylvia couldn't help but grin.
Robin, who had been shielded by Sylvia and remained unharmed, looked at her with deep concern.
Robin wished she could help—by casting a supportive buff on Sylvia, for instance.
Though they'd only just met, during the successive clashes where Sylvia was clearly at a disadvantage, the protective flames enveloping Robin's body had never wavered in the slightest.
That alone was enough for Robin to understand Sylvia's character.
But now, of all times, she had lost her voice.
The power of Harmony couldn't be conveyed without song, leaving her momentarily unable to aid Sylvia.
All she could do was stay hidden, trying not to distract Sylvia.
Sylvia, for her part, paid no attention to Robin at the moment.
With a flip of her hand, she retracted her greatsword and drew the brand-new blade she had just retrieved from the Artisanship Commission.
Sylvia couldn't help but reflect on her earlier premonition that this sword would be used against some great foe.
She never expected she'd be turning around to wield it against a Lord Ravager.
Using the lingering flames and smoke as cover, Sylvia clenched her teeth and frantically channeled the Heliobus power into the greatsword.
The flames grew denser, more condensed, until they seemed to liquefy, flowing over the blade like liquid fire.
And with the restrictions lifted, the faint, flickering presence of Nihility power was palpable enough to make anyone's heart palpitate just from being near.
Sylvia didn't dare delay. In this state, she herself was akin to a half-source of Nihility contamination.
Prolonging it would allow the spreading Nihility to corrode the surrounding environment.
So Sylvia immediately raised her sword and shot toward the airborne Phantylia like a meteor.
Extremely condensed flames coiled around the greatsword, transforming into a massive blade of light that came slashing down!
Phantylia, hampered by the Nihility, couldn't evade in time.
Or perhaps she never even imagined Sylvia could still strike after being subjected to such an intensity of Nihility power.
The fact this individual hadn't simply died on the spot was utterly absurd.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.
And so, unable to dodge, the colossal blade of light struck Phantylia squarely.