The night sky split apart as pure mana burst forth, a torrent of light so immense it turned darkness into day.
"Too much… that's ridiculous." Li Yuqin clicked her tongue, staring at the old man standing half-sunken into the earth. This power is several times greater than Chantwell's…
Mammon's crimson pupils narrowed. "Half-step epic… he's unsealing himself."
Indeed, this was no mere flare of energy—it was the breaking of ancient restraints. For years, Ecbert had sealed his own magic, age making concealment necessary. But now, faced with Shen Ji and her allies, the Redeemer of Light was forced to reveal his true strength.
The storm of mana gradually subsided. Ecbert exhaled, his cloudy eyes now gleaming with depth and unfathomable wisdom. Gone was the gentle aura of a weary priest—what stood here was a figure mysterious, profound, and impossibly dangerous.
"It has been a long time since I revealed this side of myself," Ecbert said softly. "Can I persuade you to walk into my temple? If it's not necessary, I would rather avoid bloodshed."
The only answer he received was the flash of Shen Ji's blade.
"The Redeemer must die!" she hissed, her long knife blazing with the Four Rays. Cold murderous intent burned in her eyes. Retreat was no longer an option—this old man would never let them go.
Ecbert lifted his staff in calm prayer. "God will guide us forward."Holy light blossomed, raining down in countless spears.
Shen Ji's blade cut through them, its edge unrelenting, the momentum surging straight at Ecbert.
"God will protect us."A light barrier shimmered to life, holding firm against the strike.
Above, Jerna mounted the sacred griffin, her knight's sword reshaping into a spear. The holy beast's wings thundered, carrying her into the sky. The knight and griffin became one, glowing with a blinding radiance as she charged at the giant-headed warrior.
"Sinful human! Accept judgment! Arbitration of Light!"
The male head roared, his body swelling into a ten-meter giant. His fist, vast as a boulder, met griffin and knight in a cataclysmic clash. Shockwaves ripped through the battlefield, reducing the land to rubble.
Hangcheng descended into chaos. Civilians fled. Holy Guards scrambled. The Human Alliance's reinforcements rushed in desperation toward the perimeter—they could not interfere in a battle of this scale.
Mammon and his hidden companions watched from the shadows.
"The Light God Realm and the Human Alliance… their conflict was inevitable," Mammon muttered. "Rand's chaos only hastened it."
"Lord, do we intervene?" Naruto asked nervously.
Mammon shook his head. "Not yet. The temple still shelters a Singer of Light. We must see why she has not moved."
On the battlefield, Shen Ji tore through a divine arrow, wind wrapped around her blade as she closed in again.
"Five Rays!"Her knife gleamed with five-colored light, slicing against Ecbert's holy barrier. The ground quaked, cracks spreading in every direction. The barrier shuddered, fractured—but held.
Ecbert's calm voice carried through the storm. "Impressive… but not enough."
His eyes flared with endless magic.
"Xuan Guang—Sevenfold Heaven!"
A colossal array formed in the sky, seven blazing spheres of heavenly magic condensing beneath it. The sheer force crushed the air.
Shen Ji's instincts screamed danger. She leapt back, blade ready.
"All life has meaning," Ecbert intoned. "But you hinder the goddess. You must be erased."
The staff struck earth. The heavenly spheres descended.
Mammon's expression tightened. One of the spheres was falling directly toward their position.
"Damn it," he whispered. "He's found us."