The main issue was the timing and setting.
If this were a normal day in Penacony, Sylvia would've thrown her arms around Acheron right in front of Welt and called out "Mei!" without hesitation.
She might even have tossed in that classic line, "I want to drink Mei's… milk!" or something along those lines.
But alas, they were currently on the Xianzhou, locked in a standoff with Phantylia.
Miscalculation, truly.
Sylvia let out a quiet sigh.
Phantylia seized the moment to sweep her gaze over the group.
Noticing Sylvia's slight frown and that unmistakable look of regret on her face, Phantylia's mood instantly brightened. Wearing an expression of assured victory, she addressed Jing Yuan and the others:
"Honored guests, your timing is impeccable. Behold—do you see this magnificent vessel of mine? The miracles of Abundance are no mere rumor."
As she spoke, Phantylia subtly attempted to deconstruct the greatsword.
If she could just claim the Ambrosial Arbor—or even reclaim that portion of her power Sylvia had sealed away—then today's game would be as good as won.
Yet, whether she tried to channel energy into it or locate some hidden slot, every attempt ended in failure. The sword absorbed her power without any reaction, and no slot revealed itself.
Gripping the hilt tightly, she felt no surge of energy flowing into her body.
All she could sense was that familiar power, dormant within the blade. Beyond that, there was nothing.
Part of her wanted to just smash the sword apart by force.
But they were in the middle of a confrontation. Not only was Jing Yuan watching like a hawk, but even if he held back, if she suddenly started wrestling with a giant sword in front of everyone, she'd lose all momentum in an instant.
There was no way Phantylia would willingly show weakness at a time like this.
Better to find a way to break the stalemate and split the group up.
Backed by the Ambrosial Arbor—even in its half-ruined state—a steady stream of power still flowed to her through their connection. In terms of endurance, Phantylia was confident she could outlast them all.
With that thought, she could hardly wait to launch her attack.
"Perfect, you're all here together. Allow me to use this new power to grant you… annihilation!"
As she spoke, multiple Abundance Lotus and Destruction Lotus bloomed from the void, arrayed in an intricate formation before the group.
"Young friend Sylvia, fall back for now. Leave this to me."
Jing Yuan swung his glaive and stepped forward, calling out to the Astral Express crew:
"Everyone, focus on clearing those phantom blossoms. I'll break through her defenses!"
As he spoke, the towering figure of the Lightning Lord rose from the depths, and Jing Yuan himself floated into the air, glaive in hand, charging straight for Phantylia.
"Hehe~ Go on, try your best. Then savor the gifts of Destruction to your heart's content!"
Phantylia laughed wildly, her form rapidly expanding into that of a colossal being, her body now predominantly black, brimming with boundless destructive power.
Destruction energy surged from her fingertips as a massive palm descended from above, bringing with it a terrifying pressure that bore down on everyone.
"Dan Heng!"
Jing Yuan's expression sharpened. He called out to Dan Heng, and the two shot upward, assaulting the gigantic figure.
Welt, meanwhile, set his sights on the phantom lotuses. Stelle and March 7th naturally followed suit, though their efforts seemed less imposing compared to the others.
Standing shielded behind the group, Sylvia felt both amused and touched.
When trouble hit, these people really didn't hesitate to jump right in.
Acheron didn't move, instead keeping a vigilant watch over the battlefield from Sylvia's side. It was unclear whether she was holding back as a reserve or simply prioritizing Sylvia's safety.
Sylvia wasn't in a rush to join the fray just yet.
She took a moment to assess the situation.
Phantylia seemed to be struggling, especially against the Lightning Lord. Compared to her original portrayal, this version of Phantylia was clearly operating at a significant disadvantage.
Facing the combined efforts of Jing Yuan and Dan Heng, the fight was much more evenly matched—nothing like the overwhelming advantage she'd had before.
Down below, the three Express members were steadily clearing the troublesome phantom lotuses, though they too were locked in a stalemate for now.
Welt's strength was more formidable than Sylvia had imagined—the power of his black holes was both brutal and uncompromising. But he was clearly holding back somewhat, keeping a close eye on March 7th and Stelle's movements.
"Hahaha—! Jing Yuan, with the endless power of Abundance at my back, if all of you together can't take me down, then you might as well die!!"
It seemed her testing of the new body had reached a temporary conclusion.
The power of Abundance began to shine through more and more brightly, reflecting in Phantylia's increasingly formidable strength.
Her attacks grew sharper, her expenditure of energy more reckless.
Yet the greatsword in her hand remained unresponsive, like a useless lump of metal.
Sylvia now focused her mind, attempting to use that greatsword as a conduit to release a portion of its sealed power—hoping to disrupt Phantylia's focus.
She knew that even if she reclaimed the sword, it was unlikely to turn the tide decisively against the current Phantylia.
Acheron didn't seem inclined to intervene, at least not yet. Sylvia understood her reasoning, so it was best to try and end this battle with the forces already present.
In fact, that very sword Phantylia had stolen might just create an opening for Jing Yuan and Dan Heng—allowing the Lightning Lord to sever Phantylia's connection to the Ambrosial Arbor, just as in the original events.
To be honest, while Sylvia often loaded Cards or Fullbottles from the greatsword, channeling power still relied on her Core as the foundation.
She'd then use her body as a medium to transfer that energy into the sword, treating it as an extension of herself.
Doing the reverse—sending power from the Core into the sword, then using the sword as a medium to release it—was something she'd never actually tried.
But if this sword, bound to her Core, could transfer power from its blade back to the Core, then theoretically, sending power back along the same path should be possible.
That was exactly what Sylvia was attempting now.
--+--
Meanwhile, Phantylia was indeed gaining momentum.
Though her new vessel hadn't achieved the perfection she'd hoped for, it was still exceptionally capable. No matter how violently or recklessly she wielded it, the body endured flawlessly, as if without limits.
In contrast, Jing Yuan—the aging general of the Xianzhou—how much longer could he hold out?
Strip away the Lightning Lord, and the so-called General of Divine Foresight was merely a highly skilled Pathstrider.
As for her connection to the Ambrosial Arbor, while it seemed less stable than before, the ceaseless flow of power it provided still left Phantylia inwardly astonished.
She sneered, the force in her strikes growing ever stronger.
And then, suddenly, the greatsword—which should have been inert—erupted with an immense surge of power.
The familiar energies of Abundance and Destruction came flooding forth like a tidal wave.
BOOM—!!!
Terrifying flames ignited along the blade and swiftly spread across Phantylia's form.
The colossal power seemed limitless, pushing her body to a critical threshold in an instant.
It's coming!
Phantylia trembled with excitement, her face flushed.
She could feel it—she could feel it!
The nearly overflowing Abundance energy transformed into golden light that crawled over her pitch-black body.
The powers of Abundance and Destruction intertwined.
"Jing Yuan, Sylvia—! Today, you shall become Emanators of Destruction! Hahahaha—!"
--+--
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.