A dozen or so minutes ago, aboard the Astral Express outside Amphoreus.
Jing Yuan, Feixiao, Jade, and other representatives of the joint fleet had come aboard the Express after witnessing the Amber Lord quarantine the entire Amphoreus system from the rest of the cosmos.
They no longer needed to face off against those few Lord Ravagers; the Amber Lord hadn't left yet, and no one was bold enough to stir up trouble at a time like this.
However, when they arrived on the Express and saw the Chrysos Heirs continuously destroying the End Crystals only for them to regenerate, the worried expressions on Jing Yuan and Feixiao's faces deepened.
The fact that the End Crystals could constantly regenerate was something Herta hadn't mentioned. Clearly, their intelligence was flawed. This rendered their original plan completely useless. If they were to stubbornly press on with it now, they would likely waste manpower and resources for absolutely no gain.
"Himeko, we can't just stand here and watch! We have to go help Fu Zhu!"
March 7th and Stelle were on the verge of tears. The more powerful the Ender Dragon appeared, the more worried they became.
Although they had always had immense faith in Fu Zhu, believing he could always turn disaster into triumph and make miracles out of the mundane, this Ender Dragon had repelled even the Amber Lord! Even Qlipoth, the Aeon whom many considered the most powerful, was helpless against it!
Stelle anxiously watched the screen, where the Chrysos Heirs and Fu Zhu were locked in a "bitter struggle." Fu Zhu was being constantly attacked by the Ender Dragon without even a chance to fight back. She quickly grabbed Himeko's arm and shook it frantically.
"If all else fails, just teleport me down there! Who knows, maybe I can help with something?"
Dan Heng was also gripping Cloud-Piercer tightly, his eyes glued to Fu Zhu on the screen, not daring to look away for even a moment, fearing that Fu Zhu would meet with danger the second he did.
Himeko looked at the three of them, who were frantic with worry, feeling just as helpless. Although she was equally concerned for Fu Zhu's safety, as the matriarch of the Express crew, she knew she had to remain calm, especially at a time like this.
"March, Stelle, and you too, Dan Heng. I know you're anxious, but it would be pointless for you to go down there. In fact, joining the battle might just disrupt Fu Zhu's rhythm. Trust me, staying here is the greatest support you can give him!"
Jing Yuan, standing nearby, noticed the trio's agitation. He turned to them and managed a faint smile. "Don't worry. We will not stand idly by. If Fu Zhu is truly in danger… I will personally go and support him."
Jing Yuan's words made the three of them freeze. Dan Heng, in particular, frowned and looked at Jing Yuan. "You…"
Jing Yuan simply smiled and waved his hand. "I've said it before. Fu Zhu is my friend, a friend of the Luofu, and our benefactor. I will not sit by and watch him perish."
Dan Heng wanted to say that Jing Yuan had already done them a great service by bringing the fleets of the Luofu and the Yaoqing to assist in this battle, and that there was no need for him to risk his own life.
But in the end, Dan Heng lowered his head and said in a small voice, "Thank you."
Jing Yuan looked at the bowing Dan Heng, a faint, almost imperceptible smile gracing his lips. He replied in an equally soft voice.
"Back then, he did the same thing. No matter what the consequences, he had to save his friend. Rationally, I know it's the wrong choice, but now… I understand his way of thinking back then."
Only Dan Heng faintly heard Jing Yuan's words. He shot his head up to look at Jing Yuan, but by then, the general had already turned his gaze back to the screen.
It was during this brief exchange that the situation on Amphoreus suddenly changed!
The Ender Dragon's form began to gradually "devolve."
"What's happening? The Ender Dragon is 'devolving' and getting weaker?"
Although they didn't understand what was happening on the battlefield, this was undoubtedly good news for everyone.
Seeing this, Jing Yuan made a snap decision and turned to Feixiao. "Feixiao, I'm entrusting this place to you. You have full command of the Luofu from now on!"
Although he didn't know why the Ender Dragon was "devolving," the tides of battle were ever-changing. He couldn't let this opportunity slip by!
Feixiao immediately nodded in agreement.
"Understood. Be careful."
"Mm."
Just as Jing Yuan was about to leave, Stelle suddenly cried out.
"Big Bro disappeared!"
Everyone immediately shifted their gaze from Jing Yuan back to the screen. Just as Stelle had said, Fu Zhu had somehow vanished from Amphoreus!
This sudden turn of events made everyone's hearts clench. Fortunately, Stelle was there to explain, "Big Bro isn't in any danger. It looked like he left on his own just now."
Her words brought a slight sense of relief to everyone. A short while later, Fu Zhu reappeared in the video feed, but this time, he walked towards Cyrene and Mem, who were in the rear.
He didn't know what Fu Zhu said to Cyrene, but she suddenly stepped forward and hugged him. The rest of the Chrysos Heirs also gathered around them, one by one, each with a smile on their face.
Stelle watched this scene, an indescribably strange feeling in her heart. She scratched her head and asked the others, puzzled, "Did Big Bro find a solution while he was away? Why are they all smiling?"
"I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this," Dan Heng said.
Then, to their astonishment, the Chrysos Heirs began to vanish, one after another!
What was even more shocking was that the entire world of Amphoreus began to shrink at a rapid rate!
In just a few seconds, the whole of Amphoreus had shrunk down to the size of a small island!
"Amphoreus is gone?!"
Jing Yuan immediately realized he could hesitate no longer and quickly turned to leave the Astral Express.
By the time he was gone, the scene on the screen showed Fu Zhu, clad in a full suit of diamond armor, charging towards the Ender Dragon.
…
By the time Jing Yuan arrived at the main island, he saw Fu Zhu engaged in a close-quarters brawl with the Ender Dragon, which was perched on the portal structure. The sight struck him as incredibly strange.
It was as if the two of them weren't in a life-or-death battle, but were instead… playing?
Jing Yuan shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Just as he was about to draw his saber and lend Fu Zhu a hand, the Ender Dragon took flight from the portal. Fu Zhu backed away and happened to notice him.
"Old Jing? Why are you here?"
Fu Zhu was a bit surprised. According to their plan, Jing Yuan and Feixiao should have been dealing with the Lord Ravagers. Why was he here?
"I'm here to help you. The Amber Lord is here, so the Lord Ravagers won't dare to make a move."
Jing Yuan had just taken a step forward when Fu Zhu waved him off.
"No need. Let me handle this. The Ender Dragon has been waiting for me for a long time, and it's only right that I end this myself. Don't worry. It's all over now."