Shangguan Wei'er's face was filled with pain. Her trembling hand clutched her left eye tightly, as if that could stop the assimilation of the will of Destruction.
At this moment, she had shed the usual facade of a strong woman, revealing an extremely fragile side.
In this law-of-the-jungle world, she knew all too well that as a woman, if she carelessly showed weakness, those harboring ill intent would seize the chance to manipulate her and use her up, down to the last drop.
So for a long time, she had carefully disguised herself, using toughness and shrewd methods to struggle forward through complicated situations.
Even when facing sharp-eyed people like Lu Jingming and Gu Yue, she had successfully hidden her abnormal state.
Yet before Ye Guyi, she couldn't help but lower all her defenses.
After all, Ye Guyi was one of the few people she could trust.
And since she chose to reveal everything to Ye Guyi, she no longer intended to keep hiding it.
At present she was at the end of her rope; Haiyuan City had become her only hope. She could only pin her fate there, praying to find a sliver of life and shake off this shadowing annihilation.
She had no other choice!
"I'll find Xiao Ming. I'll beg him—he can do anything!"
Ye Guyi's eyes reddened; she clenched her teeth, her words full of hope.
In her heart, Lu Jingming was like an omnipotent god. As long as he made a move, he would surely rescue Shangguan Wei'er from the desperate abyss.
She couldn't bear to watch Shangguan Wei'er sink step by step into the depths of annihilation, becoming a thrall to that terrifying power.
"No need. Xiao Ming can't save her. The brand of annihilation has already sunk into her soul. Release is her only salvation."
Jingliu appeared silently, the icy long sword in her hand glinting coldly in the dim light.
Her tone was so flat as to be almost indifferent, as if stating a commonplace fact. But Ye Guyi sharply caught the fleeting killing intent in her eyes.
"No, Teacher Jingliu, please don't—there must be a way. Lady Herta—yes, Lady Herta—she must have a way."
Panicked, Ye Guyi spread her arms, shielding Shangguan Wei'er like a mother beast guarding her young. Her voice trembled with fear and anxiety.
In this moment of despair, she grasped at every possible straw. Lady Herta's vast knowledge and power gave her a sliver of hope.
Looking at Ye Guyi standing in front of her, warmth welled in Shangguan Wei'er's heart. A gratified smile blossomed on her pale face—but in the next instant, it faded into a bitter smile.
From the start, she had chosen to hide her condition because she feared facing a scene like this.
She knew better than anyone that the brand of annihilation had long been like maggots gnawing at bone, tightly entwined with her soul, fused as one.
To remove the power of destruction would be to erase her soul. From the moment Annihilation set its sights on her, the gears of fate had begun to turn toward the irretrievable; she had already lost the possibility of being saved.
Yet when she saw Ye Guyi again, she couldn't help but kindle an unrealistic fantasy in her heart, hoping for a miracle.
"Herta is not omnipotent."
Jingliu frowned slightly. As the former Sword Master of the Xianzhou Luofu, she had weathered countless storms and knew deeply the horror of the Antimatter Legion.
Over long years, those targeted by Destruction were like beasts mired in a bog; few could break free from the dogging doom and survive.
Even the Intelligentsia's Herta was powerless before such soul-deep assimilation by Destruction.
After all, it wasn't her field. Her wisdom and abilities were astonishing, but she wasn't all-powerful.
If anyone could, perhaps that genius who studied life and soul, Ruan Mei, might save Shangguan Wei'er.
However, Ruan Mei was not in this world right now—distant water can't quench immediate thirst. Shangguan Wei'er's end was already set.
Unless a Servant Ruan Mei appeared. Otherwise, to disrupt Lu Jingming's plans and summon Ruan Mei for Shangguan Wei'er—was she worth it?
Shangguan Wei'er was undoubtedly clever and resilient.
The instant she realized she'd been afflicted, she made a snap decision, using powerful psychic soul arts to partition her soul and spiritual power, trying to suppress the assimilation of Destruction for a short time.
But her so-called partition was merely building a fragile defense in a corner of the soul, isolating a small part. It wasn't a true, complete split.
She knew that once the soul truly split and became incomplete, what awaited would be a fate even worse than assimilation by Destruction—soul dissipation and the total obliteration of self-awareness.
After all, she was just a Titled Douluo on the Douluo Continent, not a transcendent with a mighty divine sense; her control and use of the soul had insurmountable limits.
Moreover, how could the assimilation method of the Lord Ravager Celenova be so easily resisted?
As the Emanator of Destruction, what Celenova did with a flick of her hand was a natural disaster to Shangguan Wei'er.
Perhaps Celenova hadn't even paid much attention to this small character, but the unintentional overflow of her destructive power had already driven Shangguan Wei'er into a desperate situation.
Even with all her might to partition her soul, she still could not shake off Celenova's assimilating power.
Otherwise, why would survivors be so rare wherever Destruction rampaged?
Martial souls on the Douluo Continent are countless and varied. Shangguan Wei'er's martial soul granted her a brief resistance to assimilation, but the vast difference in power was like a chasm before her—no matter how she struggled, she could not cross it.
In the face of absolute power, all resistance seemed pale and feeble.
It was on this judgment that Jingliu decided Shangguan Wei'er was beyond saving.
To prevent Celenova from fully controlling her in the future, turning her into a puppet to harm Lu Jingming, Jingliu was ready to act personally and end it.
In her view, short pain was better than long pain. Rather than letting Shangguan Wei'er lose herself in endless agony and struggle and become a threat to others, it was better to let her be released—perhaps her final mercy.
"What a terrifying power."
Istaroth sat lightly on a branch, her bare feet dangling lazily, her tone as languid as ever, as if nothing in the world could stir her emotions much.
But when her deep gaze fell on Shangguan Wei'er, a trace of hard-to-spot pity flickered there.
As one who wielded the authority of time, though she possessed transcendent power, she had to admit that before the power of Destruction, she too was powerless.
Time's power could change many things, but in the face of a soul-deep brand of Destruction, it had nowhere to take hold—unable to reverse a fated annihilation.
"If it were only the body, Black Abyss White Flower might work. But the soul… I'm sorry."
Durandal shook her head gently, an apologetic look on her face.
The Black Abyss White Flower in her hand, a powerful weapon with decomposition and creation, might show wonders for bodily problems.
But now Shangguan Wei'er faced a crisis of the soul. However strong Black Abyss White Flower's power, it could not reach into the depths of the soul; it could do nothing for her condition.
Durandal agreed with Jingliu. In her view, when facing an unavoidable threat, eliminating it early was necessary to prevent more innocents from being harmed—an unwilling yet necessary choice.
The little building was limited in space. The aura released when Shangguan Wei'er revealed that left eye, altered by destructive assimilation, was especially conspicuous in such a confined place, instantly drawing the gaze of almost every Servant.
Servants are condensed from negative emotions and energy; they are hypersensitive to Destruction.
Raiden Mei stood quietly to the side, her eyes filled with complex feelings.
Shangguan Wei'er's current plight was so similar to those in her world who were eroded by the Honkai.
Those swallowed by Honkai also struggled in despair, ultimately reaching an inevitable tragic end.
"So it's like this!"
Lu Jingming also sensed the commotion outside, and at the same time, he caught that fleeting breath of Destruction.
He quickly came outside and saw Ye Guyi standing between Jingliu and Shangguan Wei'er.
Lu Jingming understood immediately and felt a headache coming on.
He hadn't expected that Celenova had casually tampered with Shangguan Wei'er long ago.
Thinking about it, someone like Shangguan Wei'er, without a powerful backer and with middling strength, was indeed an ideal target for manipulation.
It was just that her concealment had been too good. Her martial soul was unusual to begin with, and her soul skills even stranger.
After all, the magical land of Douluo Continent never lacked martial souls with bizarre effects.
Shangguan Wei'er's current state was that Celenova had stamped her with a brand of Destruction.
Harmonious power intertwined with Destruction, making her chances of breaking away from Celenova's control approach zero.
Even if Herta came in person, it would be hard to solve. Mobius would also be helpless. After thinking it over, Lu Jingming could only think of Ruan Mei—only she had a track record of resolving brands of Destruction.
"Teacher, hold your hand for now—Robin might have a way!"
Seeing the stubborn look in Ye Guyi's eyes, Lu Jingming felt helpless and could only think of a way to deal with this first.
If possible, he didn't want to give up on Shangguan Wei'er either. She was indeed talented; if he could win her over, she would surely bolster his foundation.
Talents were scarce; save if you can.
If the brand had been left by another Lord Ravager, perhaps it would truly be hopeless. But if it was Celenova's, Robin might figure out a solution.
After all, Robin also wielded Harmony, and Celenova's power bore a strong mark of Harmony.
Though Robin and Celenova differed vastly in strength, Celenova's effect on Shangguan Wei'er had been unintentional, so there was still hope.
Hearing Lu Jingming, Jingliu slowly lowered the icy sword she had already raised.
Since Lu Jingming had decided, she had no need to play the villain.
"Xiao Ming, thank you!" Ye Guyi's face showed gratitude.
She knew she was powerless to stop Jingliu. The fact that Jingliu hadn't killed Shangguan Wei'er on the spot was already mercy.
"Don't thank me yet. Whether we can save her is still unknown."
Lu Jingming shook his head helplessly.
All he could say was that there was a sliver of possibility. The Lord Ravager's methods, even done casually, were vexing.
"Leave her to me. I'm quite interested."
A green figure appeared at the door. Mobius looked at Shangguan Wei'er with serpent-like eyes, especially at her left eye, full of intense curiosity.
From Jingliu's attitude, this seemed like a problem even Herta might be unable to solve.
If she could solve it, wouldn't that be fascinating? Besides, she was very curious about Celenova's power.
According to Lu Jingming, Celenova was a powerhouse on the same level as the Herrscher of Finality in their world—both at the so-called Emanator level.
And even among Emanators, there were differences. As the specialist of Destruction, formerly an Emanator of Harmony, Celenova was outstanding even among them.
Thinking of studying a power on par with the Herrscher of Finality, Mobius stuck out her little tongue and licked her lips, her gaze on Shangguan Wei'er growing hotter.
Feeling the unsettling gaze of this serpent-like woman, Shangguan Wei'er shuddered.
In front of Mobius, she felt like a small, pitiful, helpless lab mouse.
Shangguan Wei'er cast a pleading look at Lu Jingming, hoping he would refuse Mobius.
At this moment she had no choice. The fact that Lu Jingming hadn't killed her right away was already a great favor.
"Don't break her. She's quite useful."
Lu Jingming frowned slightly, then, under Shangguan Wei'er's near-teary gaze, said words that made her despair.
Mobius was a scientist focused on life research. Letting her study the matter might indeed find a solution.
Of course, assuming she didn't "break" Shangguan Wei'er.
"Little Guyi, save me!"
Shangguan Wei'er called to Ye Guyi for help.
But this time, Ye Guyi could only show a look of powerlessness.
Though Mobius was dangerous, as long as Shangguan Wei'er cooperated, she generally wouldn't be in mortal danger—especially since Lu Jingming had spoken.
Mobius would give Lu Jingming that face. Otherwise, Lu Jingming might join with Elysia to force Mobius into a frilly pink dress.
"Hehe, come with me."
Ignoring the new little lab mouse's struggle, a huge jet-black serpent slowly surfaced from the void, instantly dragging Shangguan Wei'er into space.
Mobius's figure vanished as well. Her target was only Shangguan Wei'er—or, more precisely, the remnant of Celenova's power in her.
"Relax. I'll return you a complete Common Alliance Leader Shangguan. Probably."
Seeing Ye Guyi's worried face, Lu Jingming spoke to comfort her.
But by the end, his tone unconsciously carried some uncertainty.
Mobius's style was ever unpredictable; no one could guarantee what Shangguan Wei'er would experience in her hands.
Hearing his comfort, Ye Guyi's mouth twitched. Was that supposed to be reassuring?