The battle at the Xianzhou Luofu's port between Mo Wang and Phantylia was apocalyptic, a conflict so fierce it blotted out the sun and moon.
To the ordinary people of the Xianzhou, both combatants were powerhouses they couldn't dare to cross. A single shockwave from their clash could annihilate droves of them.
But what they didn't know was that for Phantylia, this battle was utterly infuriating.
Over the years, it wasn't as if Phantylia had never fought followers of the Preservation. But she had never encountered anyone like Mo Wang, who was basically a human turtle shell. It was giving her a massive headache.
And if that were all, it would be one thing. But Mo Wang's offensive power was also absurdly high.
The high damage of the Destruction, the armor-piercing attacks of the Hunt, the relentless pursuit of Elation, even the freezing attacks of Remembrance... Phantylia felt as if she were fighting followers of every Path at once.
She had never faced such a disgusting opponent. She couldn't kill him, he hit harder than she did, and escape was impossible.
What a hopeless fight!
Phantylia was certain that if it weren't for her vast experience as an Emanator and certain innate racial abilities, Mo Wang would have already flattened her into a meat patty.
This young upstart fought with no honor, using tricks and sneak attacks against a veteran Emanator like her, who was tens of thousands of years old. It was outrageous!
"What's wrong? Is this all the mighty Lord Ravager has?" Mo Wang taunted, thoroughly enjoying himself as he chased Phantylia across the battlefield.
Phantylia gritted her teeth, a sense of powerlessness washing over her. As a Lord Ravager, she was used to being the one who struck fear into others. When had she ever been hounded like this? Yet against Mo Wang, she couldn't even find an opening to retaliate, forced to do nothing but flee.
I can't let this continue!
Phantylia resolved to find a way out of this predicament, or she might genuinely fall here today. She came to an abrupt halt, her hands flying through a series of seals as the energy within her surged. Instantly, a black energy barrier materialized around her, attempting to block Mo Wang's advance.
"Oh? Done running?"
Mo Wang's lips curled into a cold smile. He raised his weapon high, bringing it down with world-destroying force.
BOOM—!
The black energy barrier shuddered violently under the blow, threatening to shatter at any moment. Phantylia's face paled as she felt her energy rapidly depleting, while Mo Wang's assault showed no signs of weakening.
This guy... does he have no limits? she thought in shock. She had never seen such a terrifying opponent, one whose power seemed to flow endlessly.
CRACK—
Finally, a fissure appeared on the barrier under Mo Wang's relentless attacks, spreading rapidly like a spiderweb. Phantylia's expression changed drastically. She knew that once the barrier broke, she would be utterly defenseless.
No, I have to go all out!
A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes. She bit her tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood as her hands formed another series of seals, her internal energy burning furiously.
"Now, die!"
At Phantylia's roar, the sky darkened. Countless black meteors rained down from above, crashing toward Mo Wang with overwhelming destructive power.
"Now this is more like it."
Mo Wang looked up, a spark of excitement in his eyes. With a mighty swing of his weapon, he sent a massive energy blade soaring into the sky, shattering the meteors one by one.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The explosions were incessant, plunging the entire Luofu port into an apocalyptic scene. The ground crumbled, buildings were reduced to rubble by the shockwaves, and the port's waters churned into a colossal tsunami that threatened to swallow everything.
Phantylia grew paler and paler, her energy reserves nearly depleted. But Mo Wang was still as vigorous as ever, completely unaffected.
This guy... what kind of monster is he?!
Despair filled Phantylia's heart. She never imagined she would one day be pushed into such a desperate corner.
"I never thought Mo Wang had become this strong," Welt murmured, taking a deep breath as he watched Mo Wang completely overwhelm Phantylia.
At this point, Mo Wang could dominate even a veteran Emanator. Welt had no doubt that in a little more time, Mo Wang would have the power to take on an Aeon single-handedly.
"I'll fight you to the death!"
Phantylia was on the verge of a breakdown. Seeing Mo Wang still hot on her heels, she prepared to launch her ultimate attack. Mo Wang, sensing her intent, prepared to do the same.
Just then, a gigantic guandao suddenly sliced down between them. In that instant, both Mo Wang and Phantylia instinctively halted their attacks.
The golden guandao landed on the Luofu's ground with terrifying force. Both of them knew that if that blow had connected... well, at least Phantylia was certain she would have been grievously wounded.
They both looked in the direction the attack had come from. There, hovering in the air, was Jing Yuan, his face as black with rage as Zhang Fei's. [T/N: Zhang Fei is a famously dark-complexioned and fiery-tempered general from the classic Chinese novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms.]
"Jing Yuan?!"
Phantylia's heart sank. Mo Wang alone was more than she could handle. Now she had to face Jing Yuan, an Emanator of the Hunt, as well?
Well, she was done for. She might as well ask her boss to come collect her corpse.
"Er, General Jing Yuan?"
Although Jing Yuan had arrived, Mo Wang had a bad feeling about this. More specifically, Jing Yuan's face was looking a little too dark for comfort.
"Do the two of you have absolutely no regard for me?" Jing Yuan asked, his voice dangerously low. He looked down at the ruined port, nearly coughing up a lungful of blood himself.
The Luofu was already in a precarious situation because of those Abundance followers. And now, two Emanators show up and blow up his most important port. The cost of materials and reparations to other factions... just thinking about it gave Jing Yuan a splitting headache.
When it rains, it pours. Right now, Jing Yuan had only one thought: find the person responsible for this mess and kill them!
Don't be fooled by his usual smiling demeanor. On the battlefield, Jing Yuan was a renowned god of slaughter. As a follower of the Hunt, there were no true "good guys." Anyone who hadn't taken tens of thousands of lives wouldn't even dare show their face.
"Which one of you," Jing Yuan asked, a smile on his face that didn't reach his eyes, his killing intent so thick it was suffocating, "is responsible for this?"
Having never gone all out before, Jing Yuan was seriously considering killing an Emanator today just to see what it was like.
"It was her! The Lord Ravager!" Mo Wang declared without a moment's hesitation, pointing a finger at Phantylia. I'm innocent!
"Huh?" Phantylia was stunned. Wait, you were the one who caused all this damage! Why are you pinning it all on me?
"What are you looking at? I'm with the Preservation, you know! I stand in staunch opposition to villains like you who only want to destroy everything!" Mo Wang proclaimed righteously. "Any objections to me saying you did it?"
He flashed his two "get out of jail free" cards—his status as a follower of the Hunt and the Preservation—and declared that he had nothing to do with this mess.
Before Phantylia could even get a word out, Jing Yuan had already directed the lightning lord to attack her. The 40-meter-long blade descended with savage force.
Phantylia's face went deathly pale. She never expected Jing Yuan to join the fray, much less with such a ferocious opening move. The colossal guandao seemed to tear the very fabric of space with each swing. She could only desperately dodge, not daring to block.
"Jing Yuan! Are you insane?!" Phantylia shrieked as she dodged. "I am a Lord Ravager! Do you really think you can kill me?!"
"Lord Ravager?" Jing Yuan sneered, his attacks growing even more relentless. "Hah! Today, even if an Aeon were here, they'd have to leave something behind! Did you really think you could run wild on my Luofu?!"
A chill went down Phantylia's spine. She had never seen Jing Yuan this furious. The usually smiling Emanator of the Hunt was now like an enraged beast, his killing intent sky-high, every strike aimed to kill.
Seizing the opportunity, Mo Wang joined in, beating the downed dog. The mighty Lord Ravager Phantylia was now being pummeled by two Emanators, unable to even lift her head.
"You... you've gone too far!"
Feeling the terrifying power closing in from behind, Phantylia fell into complete despair. She knew there was no escape for her today.
"If you won't let me live, then let's all die together!"
A crazed light filled Phantylia's eyes. She bit her tongue, and the energy within her began to boil.
"Not good! She's going to self-destruct!" Jing Yuan shouted, his expression changing drastically.
Mo Wang also sensed her intent. His face flickered for a moment before he regained his composure. "Self-destruct? Hah, you think you can take us down with you?"
Phantylia's body began to swell rapidly, the very air around her twisting under the pressure of her energy. A mad grin spread across her face, her voice hoarse and shrill. "Hahaha! You want my life, don't you? Then let's die together!"
BOOM—!
With a deafening roar, Phantylia's body exploded. A terrifying shockwave of energy swept outwards, completely obliterating the Luofu port and dyeing the sky blood-red.
"Holy crap, she's for real?!" Mo Wang's head swam. He hadn't expected her to actually go through with it.
"Damn it!" Jing Yuan's face turned green. If Phantylia really self-destructed, the Luofu would be finished.
In that critical moment, Mo Wang played his trump card.
"Sky Thunder! Push her out of here!"
In an instant, the massive form of the Sky Thunder materialized behind Mo Wang. Under his control, it moved to suppress the force of Phantylia's self-destruction.
The Sky Thunder, like an unshakable mountain, bore down on the terrifying energy. The violent power struggled against its restraints like a chained beast, trying to tear free.
CRACK—CRACK—
Fissures began to appear on the Sky Thunder's surface, spreading like a spiderweb. Mo Wang's face grew pale, sweat dripping from his brow. The immense pressure from the Sky Thunder felt like a mountain on his shoulders, making it hard to breathe.
"Hold... on!"
Mo Wang gritted his teeth, pouring his own energy into the Sky Thunder. His hands gripped the controls so tightly his knuckles turned white, veins bulging on his arms.
He had underestimated the power of an Emanator's self-destruction. An explosion of this magnitude could probably injure even an Aeon. If he weren't a dual Emanator with two Paths and a Stellaron to draw power from, he would have already buckled.
"It's just a self-destruct! Watch me push it out with the Sky Thunder!" Mo Wang roared, a look of grim determination in his eyes. He poured every last ounce of his strength into the mecha, as if burning his own life force.
BOOM—!
With Mo Wang's final, desperate push, the Sky Thunder finally managed to contain the explosive energy and shove it out of the Luofu's atmosphere.
RUMBLE—!
In the distant sky, Phantylia's energy finally detonated, blooming like a giant black sun that momentarily illuminated the entire horizon. The shockwave was so powerful that it made the very ground of the Luofu tremble.
"Huff... huff..."
Mo Wang collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his face as white as a sheet. The Sky Thunder, its mission complete, disintegrated into countless fragments that rained down around him.
Seeing the explosion finally pushed away, a smile of relief spread across his exhausted face.
"That was a huge loss," he sighed. He never thought Phantylia would pull a stunt like that at the very end.
Now the Sky Thunder was destroyed, and he had no idea how long it would take to repair it. His giant robot... he hadn't even had it for that long.
"Mo Wang! Are you okay?!"
March and Welt rushed to his side, seeing him fall.
"Yeah, I'm... I'm okay, just..." Mo Wang looked at March, on the verge of tears. He didn't even know what to say. The thought of being without his Sky Thunder was heart-wrenching. If he'd known this would happen, he would have just used it to finish Phantylia off from the start.
What a disaster.
Mo Wang: Sky Thunder, my Sky Thunder! (Picture him rolling on the floor.)
Someone else in an equally terrible mood was Jing Yuan. He stared at the massive crater where his port used to be, feeling a sudden urge to faint.
He just had one question: how in the world was he supposed to fix this?