In the areas swept by Angelic Divine Power, the land would become pure, with a faint sacred aura lingering.
In contrast, areas contaminated by Rakshasa Divine Power turned into desolate, purplish-black scorched earth, difficult to restore life to for hundreds of years, filled with toxicity and curses.
Light and shadow interlaced, Divine Power surged wildly.
The figures of the two goddesses collided and separated repeatedly in the storm of destruction. Every exchange shook the heavens and the earth.
This was not merely a contest of power, but an outpouring of conviction, hatred, and the complicated blood ties between the mother and daughter.
Lu Jingming watched quietly, his gaze profound.
The outcome of this battle would determine the final ownership of the Spirit Empire and the trajectory of the twisted relationship between the mother and daughter.
On the solitary peak, Lu Jingming's party stood like statues, gazing at the astonishing divine battle in the distance that had raged for three days and three nights.
The sky seemed permanently divided in two: one half was an eternal golden daylight, and the other was a deep, purplish-black perpetual night.
Qian Renxue's Angelic Wings were spread, and her sacred radiance forcefully dispelled the contamination and suppression brought by the Rakshasa Domain.
The Angelic Mark on her forehead flashed. Her divine sense probed like an invisible radar, accurately capturing Bibi Dong's every movement concealed within the purplish-black evil aura.
Bibi Dong swung her Rakshasa Scythe. The Netherworld Rakshasa's blade attacked like a phantom from all directions, only to be precisely intercepted by Qian Renxue's Angelic Light Cleave. Golden, cross-shaped sword light constantly bloomed in the air, mutually annihilating the purplish-black scythe blades with continuous explosive sounds.
Qian Renxue once tried to use her Angelic Divine Sense to lock onto Bibi Dong's core, but she was hindered by the warped, resentment-filled Divine Power barrier of the Rakshasa God, making it difficult to fully imprint.
Bibi Dong also launched the Calamity Curse Extermination, drawing upon the resentment of the earth to form a curse net, but it was firmly blocked by Qian Renxue's Angelic Domain. Sacred light and curse violently consumed each other, emitting a "sizzling" sound of corrosion.
As time passed, the battle gradually escalated. Qian Renxue gathered her Divine Power, and the Angelic Sacred Sword transformed into a hundred-meter-long giant blade. She unleashed a Sun Sacred Sword attack, the crimson-gold blade carrying terrifying heat capable of incinerating everything, scorching and twisting the surrounding space.
Bibi Dong shrieked, her Rakshasa Manifestation merging with her. The Rakshasa Scythe erupted with the deepest gloom, clashing head-on with the Sun Sacred Sword.
"Clang—!!!"
In this collision, the space at the core shattered like glass, and the resulting shockwave instantly flattened the mountain range below, melting it into a crimson magma lake. The nearby areas swept by the Rakshasa Divine Power immediately transformed into a purplish-black crystallized wasteland emitting poisonous fumes.
Due to the electromagnetic corrosion remnants left from the previous sneak attack by the Demon Emperor, Bibi Dong's body began to ache subtly under such high-intensity clashes. A barely perceptible sluggishness appeared in her movements.
Qian Renxue keenly captured this momentary lapse. The Angelic Shield instantly activated, allowing her to forcefully withstand several attacking Hell Ghost Hands. Simultaneously, the Sacred Light Shone upon her, and her Divine Power climbed again. Pure-golden liquid light flowed across her Divine Armor, and her offensive grew even fiercer.
The battle entered a white-hot phase.
A gigantic Angelic phantom appeared behind Qian Renxue, initiating Angel, Judgment.
A massive golden light pillar, seemingly from the core of the sun, tore the sky and enveloped Bibi Dong.
Under this light of judgment, Bibi Dong's movements were visibly sluggish. The surrounding Rakshasa Divine Power violently fluctuated and dissolved as if encountering its nemesis.
Seeing the unrivaled might of the Judgment Light, Qian Renxue changed her sword stance, immediately following up with Angel, Purification.
A crimson-gold cross merged into the light pillar, transforming it into a colossal Purification Sphere of Light, like a small sun, which swallowed Bibi Dong and her Rakshasa Manifestation whole.
The temperature inside the Sphere instantly soared to several thousand degrees and continued to climb. Qian Renxue continuously injected Angelic Divine Power and the True Sun Fire, intending to refine the Evil God within.
The Sphere shook violently, with purplish-black light wildly surging inside—Bibi Dong was resisting desperately.
The power of the Rakshasa Scythe and the Rakshasa Manifestation were pushed to the extreme, and layers of Forbidden Annihilation Barriers were deployed within the Sphere, attempting to isolate the pervasive Purification Sacred Flame.
However, she was already wounded, and her Divine Power consumption was immense. In the face of Qian Renxue, whose power was both elementally superior and purer and more magnificent, she was ultimately insufficient.
The Sphere's light gradually suppressed the internal purplish-black evil aura. Bibi Dong's presence visibly weakened.
On the solitary peak, Lu Jingming looked at the gradually stabilizing Purification Sphere and asked, "Teacher, what do you think the outcome of this battle will be?"
Jingliu's cold gaze never left the battlefield. Hearing the question, she said faintly:
"Elemental counteraction, where one's strength wanes as the other's grows. Qian Renxue's Angelic Divine Power already has an inherent suppression over the Rakshasa Evil Power. Bibi Dong's old wounds are not healed, and after a prolonged fight, her Divine Power circulation must be sluggish. Qian Renxue's victory is certain."
She paused, then added.
"It appears to be a fight to the death, but both sides have held back. If Qian Renxue had gone all out, Bibi Dong might not have lasted until now. The blood bond is, after all, an unbreakable shackle."
Gu Yuena's purple eyes flickered with the brilliance of laws. She focused more on the essence of Divine Power:
"Light and darkness, creation and destruction, are inherently two sides of the same universal coin. But the Rakshasa Power is too extreme and prejudiced, losing balance. Faced with the supremely positive, upright, and magnificent Angelic Divine Power, it is naturally constrained everywhere."
Firefly and Castorice stood quietly beside Lu Jingming, offering no opinions.
Just then, two figures appeared almost simultaneously on the other side of the solitary peak.
One was Sparkle, wearing a fox mask and a yukata, skipping and jumping as if coming to watch a grand fireworks display.
The other was Vita, with an elegant posture, a mysterious smile playing on her lips, and eyes filled with probing and playfulness.
Their eyes met in the air, and both were startled.
Sparkle's eyes curved into crescent moons. She spoke with an exaggerated, theatrical tone, as if reading lines on a stage:
"Oh my~, isn't this our dear Sister Vita? Did you also run over to watch this... hmm, 'family melodrama'?"
She deliberately emphasized "family melodrama."
Vita was not annoyed at all; instead, she smiled even more sweetly and charmingly. She gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice like a feather tickling the heart:
"Hehe, my little sister is still so lively and cute. I was just curious what kind of 'fun' could make our esteemed Masked Fool, Miss Sparkle, willing to take off her mask and stand quietly beside a certain someone?"
She glanced pointedly in Lu Jingming's direction.
Sparkle reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, immediately refuting, but her tone still maintained its performance-like extravagance:
"Mask? Oh~ my dear Sister Vita, your words are too hurtful. I always present the most authentic 'me,' you know. Aren't you the same?"
She tilted her head, her gaze beneath the mask flickering with cunning.
The two traded barbs back and forth, their words filled with veiled sarcasm, seemingly affectionate but actually revealing each other's secrets, perfectly demonstrating the "plastic sisterhood."
They both knew full well that the other had been "recruited" by Lu Jingming, but that didn't stop them from verbally giving each other a hard time—this was their unique expression of "friendship."
Lu Jingming ignored the bickering of the plastic sisters. His gaze returned to the battlefield.
Just as Jingliu predicted, the enormous Purification Sphere of Light slowly began to shrink. The purplish-black aura inside had been compressed to the extreme, becoming barely noticeable.
Qian Renxue's figure appeared supremely holy and majestic in the golden light.
The three-day divine battle was finally drawing to a close.
And during these three days, the Spirit Empire's army, commanded by Hu Liena and Golden Crocodile Douluo, had advanced irresistibly, already breaking through the Star Luo Empire's last defense line, their forces heading directly for Star Luo City.
The bell for the unification of the continent was about to ring.
As the colossal Purification Sphere eventually converged, turning into specks of golden light and dissipating into the air, the scene within was revealed.
Bibi Dong was kneeling on one knee, supporting her body with the Rakshasa Scythe to prevent herself from completely collapsing.
The Rakshasa Divine Armor on her body was dim, covered in fine cracks. The hideous Rakshasa Manifestation had long since dissolved.
Her face was as pale as paper, traces of purple divine blood remained on her lips, and her aura was incredibly weak. Only her purple eyes still burned with the flame of defiance and obsession.
Qian Renxue hovered in front of her. Her Angelic Divine Armor was still brilliant, but three consecutive days of intense fighting also made her breathing slightly rapid, and the Angelic Mark on her forehead was slightly dimmer.
She looked at the battered Bibi Dong below, her eyes immensely complex, holding the relief of a victor, the heartache of a blood relative, and an indescribable heaviness.
"The winner is king... Do it."
Bibi Dong's voice was hoarse and cold, carrying the indifference of utter despair.
"Kill me, and you can firmly secure your position as the Spirit Empire's Empress, with no further worries."
She raised her head and looked directly at Qian Renxue, with unconcealed mockery in her eyes.
"Or... are you too soft-hearted to strike? How can you lead a vast empire with such indecisiveness? If you don't kill me today, I will recover my strength another day, stage a comeback, and take back everything that belongs to me..."
Just then, the space subtly fluctuated. Lu Jingming stepped out with Jingliu and the others, hearing Bibi Dong's final words exactly.
Lu Jingming looked at Bibi Dong, who was slumped on the ground yet still defiant, and smiled softly, his tone imbued with absolute confidence:
"That day will never come."
Bibi Dong abruptly turned her gaze to Lu Jingming, her purple eyes filled with cold scrutiny:
"Lu Jingming... what is your motive for all this scheming?!"
She then looked at Qian Renxue, her tone carrying a barely noticeable urgency, as if delivering a final warning.
"Cooperating with him is like playing with fire. His ambition is far from limited to this. You will lead the Spirit Empire into an abyss of eternal doom."
Despite her own near-collapse, and despite the fact that she may not have much genuine affection for the Spirit Empire, at this moment, a mother's instinct made her speak these words.
She did not trust Lu Jingming; this unfathomable man was absolutely not worthy of trust.
Lu Jingming heard this, shrugged helplessly, his smile appearing somewhat innocent: "It seems the Pope has a very deep misunderstanding of me."
"Misunderstanding?"
Bibi Dong sneered, her voice carrying a sharp sarcasm.
"I would never misunderstand someone whose very bones radiate arrogance and who views all sentient beings as mere chess pieces."
As she spoke, she looked at Qian Renxue and continued, "In his eyes, you may have some value, but ultimately, you are just a more important chess piece on his board. Do you truly believe he will give you his genuine affection?"
Just as Lu Jingming prepared to say something more, Qian Renxue suddenly moved.
She retracted the Divine Power surrounding her, and the Angelic Wings behind her dissolved into specks of golden light. She walked step by step to Lu Jingming.
Under Lu Jingming's slightly stunned gaze, she made a gesture that surprised everyone—she gently, yet incredibly firmly, leaned into Lu Jingming's embrace, resting her cheek against his chest.
Immediately, she raised her golden eyes to look at the shocked and disbelieving Bibi Dong, her voice clear and forceful, carrying a resolute declaration:
"You are wrong."
"I am not his chess piece."
"After the Spirit Empire completely unifies the Douluo Continent, I, Qian Renxue, will marry him and become his wife."
"At that time, we will no longer be mere allies but husband and wife. We will jointly rule the Spirit Empire and lead it towards a glorious future you cannot even imagine."
"You...! Puh—!"
Seeing this scene and hearing this earth-shattering declaration, Bibi Dong felt a rush of blood surge to her head. A powerful mixture of anger, frustration, and worry intertwined, causing her qi and blood to churn. She could no longer suppress her injuries and violently spat out a large mouthful of blood. Her body swayed, nearly collapsing to the ground.
She pointed at Qian Renxue, her finger trembling, unable to utter a single word.
Behind Lu Jingming, Gu Yuena's purple eyes instantly turned cold. The elemental powers around her faintly surged uncontrollably.
Firefly and Castorice's eyes also showed a hint of sharpness.
All three women looked at Qian Renxue with undeniable hostility.
They had long noticed that Qian Renxue's attitude towards Lu Jingming was unusual, but they never expected her to so directly declare her claim.
Lu Jingming quickly recovered from his initial surprise.
He lowered his head to look at Qian Renxue in his arms, whose posture was intimate but whose eyes held a trace of subtle nervousness and determination. He immediately understood her intention—it was both to completely extinguish Bibi Dong's hopes and to establish her unbreakable alliance, perhaps even more, with him in front of everyone, especially Bibi Dong.
Feeling the soft warmth of the delicate body in his embrace and that undeniable declaration, the smile on the corner of Lu Jingming's mouth deepened slightly.
With a beauty proactively throwing herself into his arms, how could he refuse?
Moreover, pushing Qian Renxue away at this moment would undoubtedly be a harsh public slap in the face, causing her to lose all dignity, which he was absolutely unwilling to see.
Thus, he naturally reached out and gently wrapped his arm around Qian Renxue's slender waist, his posture natural and intimate, tacitly agreeing to her statement.
This scene stimulated Bibi Dong so much that her vision darkened, and she nearly fainted.
Gu Yuena also gritted her teeth and said, "That heartbreaker."
In a corner not far away, Sparkle and Vita, who had witnessed everything, exchanged a knowing look.
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