The Hourglass of Beginnings pressed down on Yue Bingyao, its power making the air feel like thick syrup, trying to slow her, to pin her in a single moment for the killing blow. But her lunar domain held, a sphere of constant, steady light that refused to be compressed or distorted.
"Is this all the God of Time can muster?" she asked, her voice still calm, though a faint strain was now detectable. "You summon your other selves to fight your battles and hide behind artifacts? I expected more for someone who wants to be the new Creator."
Her words were a deliberate provocation, aimed at the prime Nian Shi observing from the rear.
One of the copies, more aggressive, lunged forward with a roar, its Blade aiming for her heart. "You dare mock us?!"
Yue Bingyao's eyes narrowed slightly. "I do not mock. I state fact."
