Chapter 90: Xianzhou 20
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In the crimson sky, as if painted with a layer of red pigment, the amorphous mass of flesh transformed by Shuhu exuded an eerie vitality. This sight instilled terror while simultaneously stirring an involuntary yearning within one's heart.
After a brief exchange, Su Qing and Dan Feng reached the same conclusion.
Opportunity must not be missed. Having already severely wounded Shuhu, they needed to seize this chance for a decisive victory.
With a clear dragon's roar, Dan Feng charged towards the fleshy mass, engaging Shuhu in fierce combat.
Su Qing summoned his flying sword, swiftly eliminating the remaining Abundant Evil minions to prevent them from being bolstered by the domain's effects.
[Qingque: Careful!]
Simultaneously, he ordered the cloud riders to retreat. The soldiers were unafraid of sacrifice but should avoid needless losses. In its current form, the Abundance Emanator rendered ordinary troops ineffective.
The disciplined cloud riders, having witnessed the Divine Monarch summoned earlier, fully complied with Su Qing's commands.
However, as they withdrew to the boundary, they found themselves trapped at the edge of the Bloodbath Prison Realm, unable to escape.
[Silver Wolf: Is this like locking us in a boss fight?]
[Stelle: Seems about right.]
[March 7th: Huh, are you using game terms? I don't quite understand...]
[Stelle: Translation - Shuhu: If you don't slay me today, none of you will leave.?]
[March 7th: Got it now!]
Dan Feng's dragon heart pounded fiercely, her claws and breath brimming with rage.
Yet despite being a High Elder, no matter how powerful, she could not defy the emissary of the God of Life itself.
Su Qing and Dan Feng, attacking Shuhu together, could only temporarily suppress it.
Su Qing realized that to turn the tide, they needed at least one more strike as devastating as their initial assault on Shuhu.
However, Shuhu had lost its fixed form, flickering erratically in mid-air, seemingly straddling the boundary between reality and illusion.
Even if Su Qing summoned the Divine Monarch again, he couldn't guarantee a direct hit without someone controlling Shuhu first.
Just as he was about to communicate this to Dan Feng, he noticed something amiss with her condition.
The usually calm eyes of the Azure Dragon were now bloodshot, indicating she had fallen into a state of extreme fury and confusion—rendering communication impossible...
Not good!
In close combat with Shuhu, Dan Feng had succumbed to Dragon Berserk!
[Silver Wolf: This boss is incredibly tough, with a confusion effect to boot!?]
[Sparkle: Tsk tsk, maybe give Dan Feng a smack with your heavy sword? See if it can jolt him back to his senses?]
[Bailu: (Covering eyes)(Feeling uneasy at this prospect) N-no, what if striking Dan Feng in his Dragon Berserk state causes pain and triggers a counterattack on Su Qing...]
As Su Qing continued battling Shuhu, he pondered their predicament.
The situation was indeed grim. Dan Feng was deeply entrenched in Dragon Berserk, while the Bloodbath Prison Realm's eerie bewitching power steadily intensified. Not only were the Cloud Knights struggling to resist, but Su Qing himself also felt the familiar sensation of vines attempting to grow within his chest—an indication of assimilation creeping closer.
If all else failed, he would have no choice but to summon the Divine Monarch for a desperate final stand. However, without controlling Shuhu precisely, missing could allow it to escape, potentially leading to immeasurable devastation...
Just as the crisis reached its peak, demanding a decisive action regardless of the consequences—
At that very moment, the blood-red boundary of the Bloodbath Prison Realm shattered, revealing an utterly dark "sun" emerging onto the battlefield. Like a black meteor streaking across the sky, this obsidian sun pierced through the chaos.
[Stelle: The one wielding this black hole...is Bai Heng?!]
Echoing her countless previous instances commanding the star ferry, Bai Heng approached with unwavering determination. The star ferry sliced through everything like an arrow, swiftly reaching the heart of the battle.
This black sun emitted a palpable aura of annihilation.
Inside the star ferry, Bai Heng's usually vibrant face had turned pale, as if she had pushed herself beyond her limits. Her voice trembled, managing just enough strength to call out, "Su Qing..."
"Go!" Su Qing commanded.
There was no time for further explanation. Activating Ether Editing, his figure flickered as he swiftly transported Bai Heng away from the heart of battle.
By summoning this black hole, Bai Heng had already played a crucial role.
The star ferry, propelled by its momentum, crashed towards Shuhu. While the explosion's flames could not harm it, the black sun engulfed the vessel effortlessly.
This force shattered everything around it into the finest dust, sweeping debris into a storm of power. Even Shuhu's amorphous mass of flesh, momentarily, could not escape.
In the Bloodmire Prison Realm, the crimson hue intensified even more.
Realizing the critical moment at hand, Shuhu emitted an indescribable shriek, causing splitting headaches and internal turmoil akin to boiling blood.
As tension heightened, maintaining composure became all the more essential.
Su Qing gently exhaled, releasing a breath laden with impurities.
Subsequently, the colossal golden silhouette once again manifested on the battlefield.
The combined presence of the black hole and Divine Monarch finally roused Dan Feng from his Dragon-Mad state.
With a hoarse roar, reminiscent of a dragon's desperate cry, Dan Feng prepared for a final, life-or-death struggle.
However, Su Qing shook his head.
Awakened from Dragon-Madness, Dan Feng was visibly exhausted. Moreover, blood-red skies stretched overhead, releasing corrosive and assimilative rain.
The six Non-Grasp swords trembled, all pointing in the same direction. With unspoken understanding, the newly revived Dan Feng instantly grasped Su Qing's intent.
On the battlefield, there was no room for hesitation or debate.
At this moment, Su Qing effectively served as Luofu's general, wielding supreme command over the battle.
Dan Feng let out a low groan, his bloodshot dragon eyes locking deeply onto Su Qing. Then, with a mighty sweep of his colossal dragon form, he soared across the sky, shielding the cloud knights below from the falling blood rain.
Bai Heng sat dazed on the ground, her face pale. Yet, her gaze pierced beyond the azure dragon body to fixate on the figure soaring above.
None of the participating Cloud Knights would ever forget this scene.
It was a true Emanator-level confrontation.
Despite the horrifying spectacle of Shuhu and the Bloodmire Prison Realm, the immense Divine Monarch spanning the entire battlefield radiated a pure golden light. Unaffected by any malevolent influence, it instilled courage and confidence in those beneath its glow.
Enveloped in golden lightning, Su Qing seemed like the very embodiment of the Imperial Bow. With each swing of the Divine Monarch's giant blade, he struck Shuhu squarely, held fast by the black hole.
Shuhu displayed an astonishing resilience; even with half its body engulfed by the vortex, it continued to regenerate against the onslaught of thunder and golden light. The Divine Monarch relentlessly pinned it down, wielding the massive sword again and again, as if battling a stubborn affliction, steadily annihilating Shuhu's flesh.
Within the towering golden silhouette, Su Qing's breaths came rapidly.
The situation had devolved into a war of attrition, now hinging on who would falter first. This was their best opportunity—Su Qing could not allow the Abundance Emanator, skilled at regeneration, any chance to recover.
Little did they know, Shuhu itself was equally astonished.
This should have been Su Qing's first time commanding the Divine Monarch. Yet how could he inflict more damage than Teng Xiao ever managed?
[Kafka: It's due to the Legendary Demon Hunter Epaulette...]
[Kafka too was amazed. Equipment obtained from Tianyi-5 played such a pivotal role in this critical battle eight hundred years ago aboard Xianzhou.]
"This ability to traverse time and alter cause and effect truly surpasses comprehension, as Herta suggested."
With the Divine Monarch's fourth strike, Su Qing was already nearing exhaustion. By the fifth, he pushed himself desperately...
Finally, on the sixth descent of golden lightning, something seemed to shatter. The Bloodmire Prison Realm cracked open from its zenith, revealing the original sky.
In an instant, remnants of flesh and the black hole dissolved into nothingness. No further regrowth occurred for the remaining blood matter.
The Divine Monarch vanished.
As soon as Su Qing relaxed, his vision blurred, drained of all strength. After battling Shuhu relentlessly, enduring the annihilating aura of the black hole, and repeatedly invoking the Divine Monarch beyond his limits, even this unparalleled body, tempered through millennia aboard Xianzhou, had reached its end.
Su Qing descended from the sky, faintly seeing Dan Feng rushing towards him, intent on catching him.
Just before his consciousness began to fade,
his final thought was:
Has Shuhu died?
Wait...
With the 'Kill' ability active, if Su Qing had truly defeated Shuhu, he wouldn't feel nothing at all...
Forcing his eyes open, Su Qing scanned the falling flesh fragments with familiarity, honing in on a small piece that emanated a sense of impending danger.
In his final conscious effort, he commanded a heavy sword to fly forth, piercing through that particular mass and securely pinning it down.
Then, as if landing upon a dragon's body, Su Qing slowly closed his eyes.
The live stream subsequently went dark.
[Viewers held their breaths, waiting anxiously for any new developments, but no further footage appeared.]
[March 7th: So...so what happened to Su Qing? Wait, don't tell me! The previous simulations were quite cheerful...]
[Black Swan: It seems like it might not be over yet.]
[March 7th: Really? (sighs in relief) As long as Su Qing is alright...]
[Little March, unaware, even Black Swan didn't realize that this sigh of relief may have been premature.]
[Stelle: What was the outcome of this battle exactly? @Fu Xuan]
[Fu Xuan: Jingliu might have more insights on the details.]
[Jingliu: ...]
[Jingliu had been intensely focused throughout the entire scene.]
[From Su Qing's perilous entrapment within the Bloodmire Prison Realm to his desperate defeat of Shuhu, Jingliu was deeply concerned and pained throughout.]
[Indeed, precisely because of this, when faced with such questions, Jingliu wished to share the remarkable achievements Su Qing earned in that battle with everyone.]
[After organizing their thoughts, Jingliu began speaking:]
[Jingliu: We can assess the outcome of the battle by examining how Su Qing's involvement altered Xianzhou's history.]
[Jingliu: First, naturally, he delayed and nearly eradicated Shuhu. This feat alone constitutes an unparalleled and indelible contribution.]
[Qingque: So is Shuhu truly dead?]
[Fu Xuan: It's rumored that at the deepest level of Xianzhou's prison, there exists a sealed box opened only by joint decree of the marshal and ten kings. Within it, it is suspected that Shuhu's divine sense lies imprisoned.]
[Fu Xuan: Previously, no one could confirm if this was true. However, based on recent events, the mass of flesh Su Qing impaled must be the entity now confined within that box.]
[Jingliu: Yes, for the following eight hundred years, Shuhu vanished without a trace. It seems likely that this mass of flesh housed both Shuhu's physical form and divine sense.]
[Jingliu: Second, due to Su Qing's exceptional combat prowess, which held off the enemy directly, Luofu was able to redeploy its forces against the reanimated star constellations. Consequently, Luofu suffered the least casualties compared to previous Shuhu uprisings.]
[Fu Xuan: This venerable one recalls that even after General Teng Xiao stepped down, he continued to contribute for over a century, ultimately shaping Luofu's current prosperity.]
[Fu Xuan: Without Su Qing, General Teng Xiao facing Shuhu would likely have ended disastrously...]
[Jingliu: That brings me to my third point—Su Qing's actions altered the destinies of countless individuals, including not only General Teng Xiao but also Bai Heng.]
[Mentioning Bai Heng stirred Jingliu emotionally; they took a deep breath before continuing.]
[Jingliu: If it weren't for Su Qing, when Bai Heng arrived at the battlefield, she would undoubtedly have been engulfed by the black hole, leaving behind perhaps just a few traces of blood.]
[Jingliu: Although Bai Heng ultimately perished, at least her divine sense and body remained intact.]
[Jingliu: If reincarnation truly exists, as she mentioned that day, may she find peace in her next life...]
[March 7th: Does Jingliu mean Bai Heng still...???]
[March 7th: No way! I can't bear seeing anyone sacrifice themselves!?!]
[Herta: The black hole Bai Heng wielded might involve Emperor Sui or even powers related to Nihility. Just transporting it to the battlefield was an extraordinary feat.]
[Acheron: ... (noticing key terms) (briefly surfacing) (then silently submerging again)]
[Black Swan: It's somewhat peculiar; she also sealed many of her own memories. Yet every time Acheron surfaces, I feel inexplicably anxious—why is that?]
[Seele: Speaking of Su Qing, his final thoughts were still about whether Shuhu was truly vanquished. It makes me tear up so much.?]
[Himeko: We've been discussing Su Qing's achievements.]
[Himeko: But if he were here, he would undoubtedly credit Dan Feng for staunchly blocking Shuhu and Bai Heng for delivering the black hole. He'd say the outcome of this battle belongs to the collective efforts of all at Luofu.]
[Jingliu: Yes, if it were him, he definitely would say that.]
Despite their previous contentious exchanges, Jingliu and Himeko now found themselves in agreement.
They both understood Su Qing's character well. In fact, it was precisely because of this understanding that Jingliu had become drawn to Su Qing, her heart firmly captivated by him.
[March 7th: So, Su Qing, promise me—you mustn't die, okay?! What would Jingliu do without you?!?]
[March 7th: @Black Swan, since the story isn't over yet, what happens next? If only Su Qing could survive, then maybe Bai Heng could be revived too!]
[Qingque: Little March, your expectations are almost too perfect... Although I wish for a flawless ending as well.]
[Black Swan: Well then, since it's not over yet, let's see how things unfold.]
The audience initially expected the scene to continue from the aftermath of the battle.
To their surprise, the view abruptly shifted.
Time had jumped forward—to after the great conflict ended.
Yingxing and Dan Feng appeared on screen.
Once inseparable companions, they were now engaged in a heated argument.
[As Jingliu watched them quarrel, she seemed to recall something.]
[Suddenly, an intense surge of anger arose within her, seemingly out of nowhere.]
[This fury was so potent that even Jingliu's Demonic Yin Body began subtly destabilizing...?]