Heaven-scorching flames, thick with the scent of destruction and carrying faint, elusive traces of nihility, raged across the sky as if determined to burn the entire Exalting Sanctum to ashes.
"Not bad at all, General of the Xianzhou… and you, Sylvia. Consider this merely the first probe. The day of the Xianzhou's ruin draws near. We shall see if you can withstand the crushing tide of our legions—"
Phantylia's voice echoed from within the conflagration, making it impossible to pinpoint her location.
After a moment, Jing Yuan finally gave up the pursuit and descended slowly.
He lowered his gaze to Sylvia, who nodded back, silently conveying that she would handle the aftermath.
Shink! The sword in her hand was thrust into the ground.
With a flip of her wrist, the massive crimson blade was back in her grasp. But before its signature 'background music' could even begin to play, Sylvia reached up and removed both the Hazard Trigger and the Fullbottle.
The flames wreathing her body instantly receded.
As the power of the Hazard Trigger faded, the backlash from forcibly containing such overwhelming energy nearly made her vision go dark and sent her tumbling into unconsciousness.
"Sylvia—!?"
Right then, a startled cry rang out behind her, accompanied by a waft of delicate fragrance.
Sylvia felt herself being drawn into a warm, comforting embrace.
She tilted her head slightly and caught sight of a small, snowy-white wing and flowing blue hair.
Oh… It's Robin.
She'd almost forgotten the little songbird was still here.
Leaning on Robin's arm to steady herself, Sylvia stood up straight.
On the other side, Jing Yuan landed, his blade in hand, while the Lightning Lord had long since vanished.
Yet, the entire Exalting Sanctum still groaned in distress, and the flames continued their rampage across the sky.
"Are you alright, Miss Sylvia?"
"I'm fine. Let's deal with the problem in the sky first."
Sylvia waved a hand dismissively. With one arm still supported by Robin, she twisted the cap of the Fullbottle with her other hand and raised it high toward the heavens.
Then—WHOOSH!
The sky-borne flames seemed to find a vent, plunging down in an apocalyptic torrent.
An endless sea of fire hurtled directly toward Sylvia, startling Robin so badly her whole body went rigid, her eyes squeezing shut on instinct.
Sylvia stood there, arm still raised, when suddenly a head buried itself into the crook of her neck.
Simultaneously, the cascading flames surged toward the Fullbottle, swirling into it.
After waiting a good while without feeling any searing heat, Robin cautiously peeked open her eyes. She witnessed the astonishing sight of the raging inferno pouring entirely into the small bottle.
It was only as she let out a sigh of relief that Robin realized what she had just done. A faint blush of embarrassment colored her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Jing Yuan, along with Fu Xuan—who had arrived belatedly with a large contingent of Cloud Knights—watched with keen curiosity, their eyes fixed on Sylvia and the tiny bottle in her hand.
As the vestiges of Phantylia's power flowed into the bottle, its originally semi-transparent body gradually turned opaque. The tremors shaking the Exalting Sanctum began to subside.
With the final wisp of flame sucked into the bottle, peace was finally restored to the district.
However, a massive, crimson blade scar remained etched across the sky, spanning nearly the entire dome of the Exalting Sanctum cavern—a mark that refused to fade.
Sylvia glanced down at the Fullbottle, which had now evolved directly into a purple-tier item.
A small, smug sense of satisfaction bloomed within her.
--+--
[Heliobus Fullbottle (Purple Tier): Contains the power of two Heliobi. Cannot be unbound.]
[Absorbed a significant portion of Phantylia's power and Destruction energy. Quality upgraded to Purple.]
[If the power of this Fullbottle can be wielded to its full potential, even a Lord Ravager would be no cause for fear!]
--+--
But that phrase, 'a significant portion'…
Sylvia's brow arched slightly as she looked up at Jing Yuan. "General…"
"She got away," Jing Yuan replied with a slight shake of his head.
"The earlier flames interfered too much. I only sensed someone piercing the spatial barrier, but couldn't intercept them in time… However, that servant of Destruction is severely wounded, her power greatly diminished. That, at least, is good news."
Phantylia had cut her losses and fled the moment the situation turned.
With her presence saturating the entire sky earlier, Jing Yuan alone had been stretched too thin to manage everything.
Sylvia simply nodded, offering no further comment.
She didn't particularly care whether Phantylia lived or died—her own objective had already been achieved.
By leaving behind most of her form, Phantylia had also left the bulk of her power. And now, all of it had become Sylvia's hidden ace.
Seeing Sylvia accept the outcome with a nod, Jing Yuan inwardly sighed in relief.
Sylvia had not only shielded the Xianzhou from calamity, but he himself had nearly arrived too late to offer support.
A slight misstep, and Phantylia might have escaped entirely unscathed. Failing to capture her outright left Jing Yuan feeling somewhat apologetic.
Just then, his gaze fell upon the massive sword from the Artisanship Commission, still planted to the side.
Its originally pale cyan blade had now turned ashen gray, covered in a web of fine cracks and exuding a deeply unsettling aura.
"Miss Sylvia, might I take a closer look at this sword?"
"By all means, General."
With Sylvia's permission, Jing Yuan walked over, pulled the longsword from the ground, and examined it carefully.
He recalled clearly that just before Sylvia delivered that final strike, she had slapped something onto the blade, causing its entire appearance to transform.
It had only reverted to this state after the attack concluded. And only now did he notice the sword had been left in such a condition.
Moreover, the residual energy clinging to the blade…
A subtle shift flickered in Jing Yuan's eyes, but he quickly composed himself.
Sylvia was still being supported by Robin. Every part of her ached.
While she wasn't bleeding externally, the backlash from the lingering Nihility energy was running rampant inside her.
The power of Permanence within her was fighting to suppress and counteract it.
She needed Acheron's help to purge this as soon as possible, so she had little desire for further conversation.
"Miss Sylvia, perhaps I could have someone escort you and your friend to a quiet place to rest? Once the Cloud Knights have finished managing the scene, we can discuss matters in detail."
"That would be much appreciated, General."
"No trouble at all. You fought without regard for your own safety to repel a powerful enemy for the Xianzhou's sake. How could we possibly neglect our hero?"
With that, Jing Yuan summoned Fu Xuan, who was currently directing the Cloud Knights' relief efforts.
"Fu Xuan, I'll handle the follow-up here. Why don't you take Miss Sylvia to find a place to recuperate? Have a physician check her over as well, in case there are any lingering effects."
Fu Xuan, who had just landed, heard Jing Yuan's words and looked toward Sylvia, who was leaning on Robin.
A slight frown creased her brow. She walked over and took hold of Sylvia's other arm, guiding both of them onto a nearby starskiff.
"You really… When you encounter a Lord Ravager, instead of running immediately, you actually dare to fight? Do you have a death wish? If Jing Yuan hadn't arrived quickly, you…"
Earlier, when Sylvia sensed something was amiss, she had contacted both Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan.
Jing Yuan had rushed straight to the battlefield, while Fu Xuan mobilized the Cloud Knights, preparing for the possibility of the Antimatter Legion's appearance.
Now, those forces were being deployed for disaster relief.
Listening beside them, Robin was starting to feel uneasy.
What did that mean…
'Lord Ravager'? Did it mean what she thought it meant?
--+--
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.