Xiao Hongchen cautiously glanced at Meng Hongchen beside him, seeing her face etched with worry, her fair hands tightly clenched. He felt a secret dread.
If Lu Jingming truly met with an accident, his lovesick sister might actually try to kill him with a knife.
"You better not die, you bastard!" Xiao Hongchen prayed inwardly, unable to stop himself from mumbling.
His gaze darted between Meng Hongchen and the battlefield, his heart filled with anxiety and unease.
"Same to you, it'd be a pity if you died!"
Lu Jingming replied. He still wanted to see the conflict erupt between the Harbinger and Skirk; if the Harbinger died by his hand now, all the fun would be gone.
At the same time, he pushed the power of the Abyssal Darkness to its limit, and an aura of death burst forth from his body.
The phantom of a Gray-Winged Angel flashed behind him, an incarnation of death itself.
"Hear me, Angel of Death's Decree!" As Lu Jingming whispered, the power of death seemed to materialize.
The angel representing death slowly raised the dimly glowing Sword of Finality . The blade flowed with the light of stillness and death, as if narrating the end of all things in the world.
"Oh no!" Durandal and Hoshimi Miyabi's expressions instantly changed.
They clearly realized that this strike from both Lu Jingming and the Harbinger was a full-power, no-holds-barred attack.
The collision of such immense power would likely result in one being killed and the other injured, or perhaps both of them dying on the spot.
What began as a friendly spar had somehow devolved into a loss of reason for both, leading them to disregard everything but unleashing their strongest moves.
Boys were prone to this kind of hot-headedness in a fight; once their emotions were ignited, it was hard to pull back, unlike her and Hoshimi Miyabi, who always knew when to stop their own spars.
Durandal and Hoshimi Miyabi exchanged a look and nodded simultaneously.
Without a word, they leaped from the viewing platform like two shooting stars, rushing towards the battlefield at high speed, intent on stopping the potentially disastrous battle at the last moment.
However, their action was clearly a step too late—it seemed everything was already past the point of no return!
"Stop them, Istaroth!" Just at this critical moment, a clear yet anxious voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone looked towards the source of the voice, seeing Gu Yue's figure appear on the grandstand.
Standing beside her was a white-haired girl.
The girl had an exquisite little braid swept to the side, adding to her melancholic demeanor.
She wore a luxurious white dress with gold patterns, the skirt flowing lightly like clouds.
The giant golden ring above her head emitted a soft, mysterious glow, seemingly connected to some force of cosmic law.
Her gaze was deep and distant, carrying a faint sadness yet subtly revealing an air of transcendence and divinity.
Istaroth tilted her head slightly. A faint shimmer silently flickered in her strange, dreamy golden eyes.
In an instant, it was as if an invisible hand gently nudged the hands of time.
Accompanied by a series of crisp, pleasant chimes, the golden Time Dial above Istaroth's head shone with a gentle light.
The moment this light bloomed, the entire world seemed to hit a pause button, becoming profoundly silent.
Hoshimi Miyabi and Durandal, who were rapidly descending, were frozen in the frame, maintaining their forward-leaning posture, completely motionless.
The surrounding spectators, previously noisy, instantly fell silent, their faces still showing expressions of shock, worry, and others, yet unable to make any sound.
Lu Jingming and the Harbinger, whose figures were about to collide, were also suspended mid-air. The spears in their hands, carrying the chilling aura of death and destruction, were solidified in that moment, as if the passage of time had lost its effect on them.
Time, in this instant, had utterly stopped flowing.
Istaroth took a light step, her bare feet treading the void as if on invisible stairs, steadily walking toward the center of the arena.
Her posture was graceful and calm, as if untouched by any worldly concerns.
Arriving between Lu Jingming and the Harbinger, she gently raised her hand. Her slender fingertips moved slightly, and the two spears, containing the auras of death and destruction respectively, were slowly pushed apart as if guided by an invisible force.
"The power is very similar to Ronawa's!" Istaroth looked at Lu Jingming with curiosity, a probing light flashing in her eyes.
The power she sensed, the one that bestowed death upon all things, involuntarily reminded her of Ronawa, yet a closer perception revealed subtle differences.
"She must be the Ruler of Death. Her authority is indeed very similar to mine!" In the midst of this prohibited time, Lu Jingming's voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence.
His voice was steady and low, clearly echoing in Istaroth's ear.
"As expected, you possess other Authorities. Authorities on the level of the Electro Archon and the Dendro Archon cannot resist my Authority of Time!"
Istaroth did not show surprise that Lu Jingming was able to escape the influence of her Authority's domain.
She maintained her melancholic expression, exuding a sense of laziness, as if nothing in the world could stir much turmoil within her.
The moment she saw Lu Jingming, she had keenly detected the presence of Raiden Makoto and the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
After all, the fragments of the Archons' Authorities originated from the Heavenly Principles, and she—Istaroth, the Sustainer of the Heavenly Principles and one of its Four Shades—was, in a sense, a clone of the Heavenly Principles, naturally possessing a special sensitivity to these Authority fragments.
Under normal circumstances, the Authority fragments of the Electro Archon and the Dendro Archon would be unable to resist the power of the Sustainer of Time.
However, the fact that Lu Jingming could speak within the realm of time stillness fully illustrated the issue.
Facing Istaroth's questioning gaze, Lu Jingming did not respond directly, merely offering a slight smile.
He naturally knew what was happening. The True Authority he possessed was of a higher rank than Istaroth's Authority of Time, so even when she activated time stop, he was not completely paralyzed.
But he also knew that there was a power gap between him and Istaroth currently. If he were to forcefully break free from the constraints of time, it would inevitably consume his precious True Power.
However, there was no need for that in the current situation, as Istaroth was not an enemy. As a summoned attendant of Gu Yue, she was, in a sense, an ally.
"You are very interesting, what a pity!" Istaroth sighed softly, her words carrying a hint of regret.
She was currently just a memory construct; her memory and power were incomplete. Otherwise, she might truly have invited Lu Jingming to visit Teyvat.
After all, an existence with an Authority that surpassed hers, if it were to descend upon Teyvat, would very likely become a new Descender, bringing new hope and change to that world.
"I'm glad to be evaluated by you like that!"
Hearing Istaroth's voice, which was almost identical to the drunken bard's in Mondstadt, a strange sensation arose in Lu Jingming's heart.
It was hard to imagine that this melancholic girl, radiating divine light, had some kind of intricate and unknown connection with the fellow who constantly exclaimed "Ehe."
Istaroth gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the soft movement carrying a dreamlike beauty.
At some unknown point, her figure had silently returned to Gu Yue's side.
And the instant she returned to Gu Yue's side, the frozen world, like a machine restarting, instantly returned to normal.
The moment time began to flow again, Lu Jingming immediately retracted his attack.
The Harbinger, due to inertia, still released his final strike.
But the direction of his attack had been subtly altered by Istaroth during the time stop.
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi