"The power of the Ambrosial Arbor is truly wondrous..."
"With this body, when will self-destruction come?"
Within the Ambrosial Arbor Space, Phantylia, her form towering like a skyscraper, remained entranced by her physical body, constantly engaging in acts of vanity.
"This Phantylia... Despite her domineering mature woman appearance, her words and actions are so childish."
"No wonder she's even easier to deceive than March 7th... She'll probably die without even realizing how."
In a hidden corner of the Ambrosial Arbor Space, unnoticed by Phantylia, a white-haired sneak stealthily observed her, offering corresponding commentary.
Has your wicked demonic claw already extended to the Lord Ravager?
And why are you so skilled at this voyeuristic behavior?!
Witnessing Lumina's practiced ease in voyeurism, the System's Dao Heart instantly shattered.
"That's just how talent works. There's nothing I can do about it," Lumina shrugged, her face radiating innocent helplessness.
"And besides, this isn't eavesdropping, okay?"
[?]
"Ahem, ahem." Lumina coughed a few times, composed herself, and began to explain:
"What exactly is eavesdropping? It's when someone with malicious intent secretly observes and scrutinizes another person without their knowledge, constantly watching and sizing them up. That's eavesdropping."
[But isn't that exactly what you're doing?]
"Shut your mouth! Don't you know it's incredibly rude to interrupt someone when they're speaking?" Lumina snapped, annoyed by the System's interruption.
[You said...]
"Ahem, while what I described is a definition of eavesdropping, it's not the whole picture. It depends on the context and the individuals involved," Lumina continued, seeing the System's hesitation.
"Take me, for example. What's my status? What kind of person am I?"
[ A nameless little Physician? ] The System replied, drawing on Lumina's repeated self-introductions.
"Correct." Lumina nodded at the answer.
"But at the same time, I'm also a super invincible beautiful girl."
"Is it considered voyeurism when a beautiful girl spies on another beautiful girl?"
[Wait... doesn't that count?]
"Of course not!" Lumina frowned, her logic shaky but her conviction unwavering.
"When a beautiful girl looks at another beautiful girl, it's simply mutual attraction between two beauties!"
"It was just that I was momentarily captivated by her beauty, unable to resist hiding in the shadows to silently savor the sight!"
Lumina spoke with such grand and righteous conviction that the System momentarily found itself almost believing her.
[Hold on, you...]
"Shhh... Don't speak. Jing Yuan and the others are coming."
Snapping back to its senses, the System instantly recognized the flaw in her argument. Just as it was about to object, Lumina cut it off.
[Fine...]
"Not only has Phantylia's size grown massively, but she's also become so bloated..."
Lumina shook her head as she watched the battlefield. Despite Phantylia's overwhelming power, she was locked in a back-and-forth struggle with Jing Yuan and the Astral Express Crew.
Thank goodness this idiotic Phantylia isn't my subordinate, Lumina thought. Otherwise, her sheer stupidity would probably drive me to destruction...
As Lumina continued to mock Phantylia as a fool, the battlefield underwent a cataclysmic transformation.
With the descent of a meteor, Phantylia began unleashing her power as a Lord Ravager of Destruction.
Her once grayish-blue skin gradually turned purple.
"Everything in the Cosmos will end in Destruction, without exception—whether it be The Hunt or Abundance..."
Entering her second phase, now wielding the power of Destruction, Phantylia's form swelled even more grotesquely.
"Why are you dragging me into this?" Lumina muttered.
Though Phantylia hadn't explicitly named who she meant by "Abundance," Lumina couldn't shake the feeling that she meant her.
Makes sense, she mused. If Phantylia hadn't worried about Xianzhou's General seizing the opportunity to strike during their clash, she probably would have unleashed Destruction within the Ambrosial Arbor long ago...
Hmph... But it should be her who's destroyed.
"Xianzhou General, can your meager strength possibly sustain you through this cataclysm?"
On the battlefield, Phantylia continued to swell, her gaze fixed on Jing Yuan, brimming with contempt.
Perhaps, in her eyes, Jing Yuan and the Astral Express Crew were merely struggling futilely before the inevitable end...
But Lumina saw this dimwitted Phantylia as nothing more than a raving lunatic.
If I had such overwhelming power, I would have already started counting my "trophies."
"Hmph, Phantylia, you treat us like ants... Yet you're the first among the Lord Ravagers to actually struggle against such insects!"
Seeing Phantylia's contemptuous gaze, Jing Yuan burst into hearty laughter, raised his Formation Blade, and delivered a scathing taunt.
"Hmph!" Jing Yuan's taunt struck home immediately. Phantylia's expression instantly turned glacial.
Bang!
"Does the General wish to meet the others?"
"But I'm afraid you won't get the chance!"
In the next instant, Phantylia's languid demeanor vanished, her entire body transforming into gold as she simultaneously channeled the Paths of Destruction and Abundance. An overwhelming, peerless aura erupted, crashing over Jing Yuan and every member of the Astral Express Crew. Their palms grew clammy, and they involuntarily tightened their grips on their weapons.
"Ha ha ha ha..." Seeing their reactions, Phantylia's maniacal laughter reverberated throughout the Ambrosial Arbor.
"In the next act, I'll transform you into Voidrangers... Let the power of Destruction corrupt your flesh, forging you into Nanook's pawns!"
Her eyes darted around, seemingly assessing each person present to select suitable candidates. Then, a faint smile flickered across her lips as her gaze locked onto Jing Yuan. With a wave of her hand, she summoned several lotuses imbued with both Destruction and Abundance energies.
"Decided. Let's start with you, arrogant Xianzhou General..."
As her words trailed off, Jing Yuan felt an invisible force lock onto him.
!
In the next instant, a lotus flower suddenly bloomed beneath Jing Yuan's feet, lifting him high into the air. Before anyone could react, the lotus exploded.
The resulting dense fog instantly engulfed the entire scene.
"General Jing Yuan!" The Astral Express Crew frantically dispersed the fog.
"Hahahahaha... hahahaha!"
As the fog cleared, the Astral Express Crew finally saw the situation clearly.
Jing Yuan was firmly imprisoned by an unknown force, surrounded by countless golden rays radiating an aura of Destruction, relentlessly pouring into his body.
"I wonder... if we turn the Xianzhou's General into a Voidranger, will the Luofu... descend into another civil war?"
Phantylia, her face slowly drawing closer to Jing Yuan's, wore a mocking smile that widened as she watched him struggle helplessly.
"Hmph." Sensing his body gradually collapsing, Jing Yuan didn't react with the terror Phantylia expected. Instead, the corner of his lips slowly curled into a triumphant smirk.
"Hm?" Phantylia frowned, her smile vanishing as she wondered why Jing Yuan could still laugh even at this moment.
But Phantylia soon understood... Golden light erupted behind her as the Lightning-Lord shattered through the void.
In the instant Phantylia turned her head, a resolute glint flashed in Jing Yuan's eyes. With every ounce of his strength, he urged the Lightning-Lord to unleash its thunderous judgment.
Dan Heng, possessing the Dragon Lord's power, seemed to sense something. His eyes glowed as he raised his spear and hurled it with all his might.
The spear transformed into a dragon, striking the cage imprisoning Jing Yuan with unerring accuracy. The Permanence's power shattered the barrier in an instant.
As the cage shattered, the Lightning-Lord's thunder descended, targeting Phantylia's body and unleashing an endless torrent of Judgment.
Free from the cage's restraints, Jing Yuan slowly descended from the air and was caught in Dan Heng's arms.
"Cough... cough..." Jing Yuan coughed weakly, exhaustion seeping through him, and struggled to his feet.
"General Jing Yuan! Are you alright?" Seeing the scene before them, the crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief and hurried to his side, their voices filled with concern.
Jing Yuan shook his head, his face grave as he stared ahead, a growing sense of foreboding rising within him.
"Ha ha ha ha... Well done, General of the Luofu..."
Just as Jing Yuan had feared, a burst of laughter announced Phantylia's colossal form reappearing before them.
Her flawless body showed no signs of damage, as if the Lightning-Lord's strike had left her completely unharmed.
"N-no... That can't be right! How is Phantylia completely unharmed?!" March 7th's voice trembled as she stared at the unscathed Phantylia, her face a mask of disbelief.
"[Abundance]..." Jing Yuan murmured, his gaze fixed on Phantylia. A realization seemed to dawn on him, and his eyes lowered in resignation.
"Hahahaha! No matter how meticulously the Divine Foresight General plots, he could never have foreseen my alliance with the Abundance Emanator!" Phantylia's laughter echoed through the Ambrosial Arbor space, her eyes gleaming with triumph as she watched Jing Yuan's apparent resignation.
She raised a hand to admire her flawless body, muttering to herself, "All thanks to the Abundance Power that woman left behind when she crafted this vessel... Otherwise, this lovely form of mine would have been lost forever."
"Since you've proven so helpful, I'll postpone your [Destruction] a little longer..."
"Hahahahahaha... HAHAHA!"
With Jing Yuan completely incapacitated, Phantylia reveled in her unprecedented arrogance.
"You talk too much. I can hardly stand it anymore..."
Just as Phantylia prepared to savor the pleasures of their [Destruction] one by one, a gentle voice whispered in her ear...