Chapter 194: March 7th: Wow, Phantylia is huge! Stelle: She really is.
"What is… that? Is it a dragon?"
The Astral Express crew, alongside Jing Yuan and his retinue, had finally reached the deepest sanctum of the Scalegorge Waterscape.
The sight that greeted them stole the breath from their lungs. Entwined around the ancient, colossal Ambrosial Arbor was the form of a great dragon, its posture suggesting a mythical beast that had fallen from the heavens. March 7th couldn't help but cover her mouth, a soft gasp escaping her lips.
"We have reached the end," Dan Heng explained, his voice low. "This is where the roots of the Ambrosial Arbor lie—the very place where the miracles of Abundance manifest."
He gestured toward the draconic formation. "The old saying, 'Bow to the three claws, pay homage to the divine wood,' refers to this very spot. Under the constant suppression of successive High Elders, the Arbor's roots have contorted into the shape of a dragon-shaped burl."
Dan Heng sighed, a heavy weight in the sound. "Now, I shall undo this final seal…"
His gaze shifted to Jing Yuan, who had already stepped forward, his eyes scanning the assembled group behind him.
"Everyone," Jing Yuan began, his tone calm but imbued with an unquestionable certainty, "I assume you are all ready?"
The number of people gathered here far exceeded his initial expectations. They were, after all, about to face Phantylia, a Lord Ravager of the Annihilation Gang. Jing Yuan didn't know if she had descended in her true form, but even a mere avatar of such a being possessed strength not to be underestimated. The ordinary Cloud Knights hadn't even been permitted to enter this deep.
Yet the lineup standing before him now could only be described as luxurious.
Originally, Jing Yuan hadn't planned on allowing Jingliu and Luocha to accompany them; they were, technically, still his prisoners. Blade and Kafka weren't supposed to be here either. According to Elio's script, their roles had concluded. At most, they were meant to have one final, heartfelt chat with Stelle and Caelus.
But then… Leon had strolled right in, casually carrying Bailu in his arms.
The entire crowd had been momentarily stunned into silence.
Jingliu and Blade had followed him without a second thought. Left with little choice, Luocha and Kafka had trailed after them.
Ultimately, with the addition of the Astral Express crew, the force gathered here was far larger than Jing Yuan had ever envisioned. And strangely, this fact settled a bit more peace into his heart.
Whether Leon was truly Akivili or not, how could someone who walked side-by-side with gods be an ordinary person? Such an individual shared a deep bond with the Trailblazers; if a critical moment truly arrived, there was no way he would simply stand by and watch.
With this unexpected layer of "insurance," Jing Yuan felt his chances of victory had solidified. He gave a slight, decisive nod to Dan Heng.
Dan Heng understood. Saying no more, he raised his palm. Ancient, azure power flowed from his fingertips, and with a soft hum, the final seal dissolved.
Instantly, the dragon burl's hollow eyes flared to life with an eerie, spectral glow.
In the next moment, the world spun. Everyone was seized by an invisible force, their forms dissolving as they were pulled into the gaping maw of the massive dragon head.
"Hmm? Hehe… Is the newcomer the esteemed General of the Luofu?"
Phantylia's voice echoed from the depths of the void, laced with her signature frivolous laughter.
"That wicked thing really is waiting for us! Come out if you have the guts, Phantylia!" March 7th shouted, her voice brimming with righteous momentum before Jing Yuan could even speak.
"Oh my… My benefactors have come as well? Don't be in such a hurry," Phantylia's leisurely laugh echoed, utterly at ease. "This little lady hasn't finished her makeup yet~ No wonder the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus think so highly of themselves. This miracle of the Ambrosial Arbor… it truly possesses the power to create life and overturn the world."
"Everyone, be careful," Jing Yuan reminded them, his voice a low rumble. The deeper they ventured into this strange space, the more the surrounding scenery became misty and ethereal, filled with a celestial aura that barely concealed a lethal intent.
"I leave my back to all of you," Jing Yuan chuckled, his gaze sweeping over the powerful figures at his side.
Dan Heng nodded. "Understood."
Blade just grunted. "Hmph."
Jingliu's voice was dismissive. "A mere Phantylia…"
Bailu, however, was panicking. "Wait! Why… why did I end up coming in here too?!!"
"Phantylia… what exactly is she doing?" March 7th asked, standing on her tiptoes to get a better look.
In the distance, atop a massive lotus pedestal, cyan-gold flames burned silently. The pedestal rose slowly, lifting into the air until it hovered before the forehead of a colossal body taking shape in the gloom.
At the same time, the pervasive mist parted like a grand curtain, finally revealing Phantylia's current form in its entirety.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—she's… she's huge!" March 7th's eyes were wide as saucers.
"Indeed… an impressive scale," Stelle murmured in agreement.
Leon also nodded, silently giving Phantylia's aesthetic choices a thumbs-up in his mind. He had to admit, this Lord Ravager had impeccable taste when it came to crafting a vessel. She had sculpted the body formed from the Ambrosial Arbor into a titan that possessed both divine and destructive beauty.
Her slender limbs were like carved white jade, entwined with branches that formed cyan-gold patterns resembling a suit of light armor. Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, its ends seeming to merge with the very roots of the Ambrosial Arbor. At the center of her brow, the burning lotus pedestal pulsed, emitting a pressure that made one's heart palpitate.
"Everyone, do you see this beautiful physical form?" Phantylia's voice connected, filled with satisfaction for the body she had personally crafted. "The miracle of Abundance truly lives up to its name…"
She gave her right hand a light shake, and an exquisite folding fan unfurled between her fingers. Her left hand rose to lazily support her chin as she looked down upon the small figures below, her lips curling into an undisguised sneer.
Now that she wielded the power of the Ambrosial Arbor, blessed by the dual Paths of Destruction and Abundance, her strength was far beyond what it had been in her previous Suiyang form.
"Let me think… what should I do with this body?" Phantylia mused, no longer taking the people below seriously. Among this group, the strongest was merely Jing Yuan. Oh, and there were two little ones who bore the power of Destruction, but compared to her current might, they were still worlds apart.
She raised her left hand slightly, and two burning lotus blossoms condensed from thin air.
Then, she flicked her finger.
With just that casual, dismissive gesture, a violent current of air exploded into a hurricane that tore through space, sweeping directly toward the group.
"Heh… a mere flick of the finger." A bloody light flickered in Blade's eyes. The Unreachable Side hummed as it left its sheath, unleashing a wave of blood-red sword energy to meet the storm head-on.
The sword aura and the wind pressure collided violently, letting out a piercing shriek as the scattered air currents whipped everyone's clothes about.
Jingliu stepped forward, frost spreading from beneath her feet. "Formation, deploy. Dan Heng, control the water."
Dan Heng understood immediately, striking the ground with the butt of his spear, Cloud-Piercer. The power of the High Elder surged, drawing upon the endless moisture within the Scalegorge Waterscape. Droplets of water across the sky froze in mid-air. Infused with Jingliu's glacial sword intent, they transformed into thousands of prism-like ice crystals, suspended between heaven and earth, each one reflecting Phantylia's massive and eerie figure.
"Trivial tricks," Phantylia chuckled and waved her fan. The leaves of the Ambrosial Arbor rustled without wind, and countless vines, crackling with purple-black energy, erupted from the ground. They shot forward like venomous pythons seeking prey, strangling toward everyone.
"The power of the Stellaron… I've experienced it, too." Stelle stepped forward, the Flame Lance in her hand spinning into a scorching ring of fire that incinerated the approaching vines.
Caelus followed closely behind her. A pale gold glow of Preservation shimmered over his gauntlets as he smashed the stray, whip-like branches to pieces.
Kafka let out a leisurely sigh, her fingers brushing over the long blade at her waist. "Elio said this battle… would be quite troublesome."
Before her voice had even faded, her blade was already unsheathed.
A slender, impossibly sharp silver light passed by in utter silence. In its wake, several roots as thick as stone pillars were cleanly severed, toppling with a heavy thud.
Luocha stood quietly at the rear, a golden field of light expanding gently with him at its center. A warm radiance brushed over everyone's shoulders like a comforting veil, silently dispelling the corrosive aura of Destruction that permeated the air.
"Please, don't stray too far from me," he reminded them warmly, the cross in his hand glowing with a soft, steady light.
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