Just before the Longsword in End's hand pierced Bai Xin's abdomen, it suddenly saw a burst of golden light erupting from the girl's chest—a light so intense that not even her clothes could conceal it! The energy within that glow stirred an inexplicable yearning in End, yet filled it with deep dread.
As the Longsword slid into the girl's abdomen as effortlessly as cutting through butter, End didn't relax. The aura of that golden light still lingered—and grew stronger.
"Hmph! Just tricks and illusions!" End tried to mask its unease with words, but its violently trembling, withered hands betrayed its true fear. It feared the energy within that light!
When End prepared to activate the life-force absorption of the Soul Devourer Longsword—usually so reliable—it found the function completely unresponsive. Its commands vanished like a stone sinking into the ocean, without a trace of reply.
Realizing something was wrong, End tried to drop the Longsword and retreat. But to its horror, its hands were stuck to the hilt of the Soul Devourer, unable to break free! Its entire body felt subdued by an unseen force, ignoring commands from its brain.
"Huh? What's going on?" End's voice carried fear and confusion, yet lacked ordinary panic.
"Hmph!" Bai Xin, who had been silently bowing her head, suddenly snorted coldly. A surge of powerful energy erupted from her like a tidal wave. End was flung backward like a tiny boat battered by a giant wave, and the Soul Devourer was knocked away. Yet, Bai Xin's smooth abdomen bore not a single mark.
The golden light now seemed fused with Bai Xin. Her hair had turned a radiant, shimmering gold, and her pupils had transformed into burning Golden Pupils. Yet, her eyes held no focus—only blank confusion. She seemed driven by shallow consciousness and instinct alone.
Around her body, the entwined Holy Light coalesced into an elegant, non-bulky gown resembling a formal dress. The moment her slightly confused Golden Pupils saw End, boundless fury erupted!
"Aaaahhh!" Bai Xin roared unconsciously. With a casual wave, a massive, intricate golden magic circle appeared before her. The powerful, ancient energy within it churned restlessly like a caged beast. The moment the array finished charging, the energy burst forth like a runaway horse—a torrent of golden light flooding out, as if the entire world had turned gold.
End watched as bands of light, inscribed with precise runes, emerged from the complex golden array beneath its feet, wrapping around its legs. Suddenly, it threw its arms wide and laughed maniacally. The wind whipped its black robe, making it look like a black owl spreading its wings. In a fervent voice, it shouted, "I offer all of myself! To the great Lord!"
The instant the vast ocean of light scattered End, Bai Xin—with her Golden Pupils wide open—seemed to regain a shred of sanity upon seeing the highway plowed into a massive trench and a section of residential buildings vanished. With effort, she lifted the magic circle before her, aiming it upward. Fortunately, the Seal Barrier blocked the light beam for a moment; otherwise, the entire city would have been carved into a path.
The light beam brushed past White Feather, startling him. Seeing the tide turn, he unleashed his power—a massive cyan whirlwind that slammed into the Seal Barrier alongside the light beam.
The Seal Barrier, already cracked and crumbling under the light beam's impact, shattered with a crisp sound like breaking glass when hit by the whirlwind. With a loud crash, the entire barrier disintegrated. Unleashed, the furious cyan whirlwind coiled around the thick light column, shooting straight into the sky, melting a huge rift through the endless sea of clouds.
With the Seal Barrier gone, both ordinary people and ability users noticed the miraculous light column and whirlwind. A strong wind swept through Dawn Harbor city, making countless unprepared citizens shiver.
"W-what's happening over there?!"
"Is this a battle between high-level ability users? How could it be in a small place like Dawn Harbor?"
...
Wang Jun, who had been packing up to go home for a good night's sleep, was now listening to a report with bloodshot eyes. He hadn't slept for nearly two days—last night spent assisting an investigation—and had hoped to rest today, but trouble had struck again.
"According to observations, there's an A++-level and an S+-level energy fluctuation in that direction! We also detected energy particles resembling fragments of a Seal Barrier. The reason we didn't observe the phenomenon earlier must have been due to this barrier," said the slightly overweight observer, staring at data on a newly installed high-range monitor.
"Ahhh, it seems this trouble is caused by our government's old rival, 'Heavenly Mandate'," Wang Jun said with a headache.
"Boss? What exactly is Heavenly Mandate?" asked Hei Ying, a sturdy middle-aged man. The term was utterly mysterious to him, a mid-level ability user who had only heard the name. Wang Jun, a high-level ability user, clearly knew more.
"Ah, I won't go into details. Simply put, it's a gathering of lunatics and freaks. No one knows what they're after, but they're experts at these Seal Barriers. I just don't know why they'd set up such a huge barrier right under our noses and cause this much commotion," Wang Jun replied, rubbing his sore eyes. Reluctantly, he turned to the ability users before him and said, "This time, Lei Jiang brought me recovery supplies. I'm almost fully restored. Let's move out quickly to check it out before things escalate. Sigh, it's our duty after all."
Before anyone could respond, the chubby observer suddenly said, "Oh, almost forgot, boss. Lady Cold Night Feather sent us a message through unknown means, informing us she's on-site."
Upon hearing this, Wang Jun, who had been about to gear up, froze. With a dark expression, he slapped the observer. "Damn it, why didn't you say earlier? Ah, looks like we only need to clean up the scene. Phew, forget the gear—let's just go like this." The last sentence was directed at Hei Ying and the others.
Hei Ying asked doubtfully, "Boss, can Cold Night Feather really handle this alone? After all, there's A++ and S+ level energy fluctuations..."
Wang Jun chuckled, "I asked Lei Jiang about her strength. I still remember the first time that ever-confident Lei Jiang showed a trace of apprehension. He told me, 'Against her, I'd suffer a complete defeat!'"
Everyone present gasped. Who was Lei Jiang? A top-tier S+ ability user, a legend among ability users. Yet after just a glance, the usually confident Lei Jiang admitted he'd be utterly defeated. Just how strong was that beautiful lady?
"Alright, no dawdling. If we hurry, we might catch the show!" Wang Jun ruffled his messy, bird-nest hair and said to those behind him, then pushed the door open and left first.
