"Pathetic... utterly pathetic."
"After centuries, does the Xianzhou no longer have a single Cloud Knight worthy of the name?"
On the Skysplitter, at the Wardance Ceremony Arena, Hoolay's massive form loomed over the arena, surrounded by the "corpses" of fallen Cloud Knights.
"Damn it... We have to move now!"
Yanqing, arriving on the scene, narrowed his eyes at the sight before him. With a shout to signal his comrades, he drew his sword and charged forward.
"March, protect yourself. Don't push yourself too hard." Sensing the overwhelming pressure radiating from Hoolay, Yunli's heart tightened. She nodded to March 7th, raised her "Old Mettle," and followed Yanqing into the fray.
Though Yunli had absolute faith in March 7th's capabilities, Hoolay's mere presence exuded an aura of danger that couldn't be underestimated.
"Mm-hmm, I know, Master Yunli," March 7th replied.
Like Yunli, March 7th also felt the oppressive aura emanating from Hoolay.
Yet she hesitated not a moment, drawing her sword and charging forward without reservation.
Please, a mere Hoolay, a trivial Borisin Warlord? He's hardly enough to make me cower and retreat to hide behind Sister Lumina's protection.
After all, Hoolay, the man standing before her, was arguably the weakest opponent March 7th had faced in recent months.
Just think of the enemies she'd battled before:
Phantylia the Lord Ravager, Sunday the Godlord of Order who had successfully stolen the Power of Harmony's Emanator, and Aventurine, one of the Ten Stonehearts who could wield the Power of Preservation's Emanator from the Foundation...
Having reflected on her past battles, she now considered her current opponent:
A Borisin, who had been imprisoned in the Xianzhou's Shackling Prison for centuries and whose strength had yet to fully recover since his escape.
It wasn't that Hoolay lacked imposing presence, nor that he was inherently weak. Rather, compared to the formidable foes March 7th had previously faced, Hoolay simply paled in comparison.
Having defeated Phantylia the Lord Ravager, Aventurine, and the Godlord Sunday, March 7th naturally felt no fear facing a mere Borisin.
She charged forward, raising her twin swords, determined to strike Hoolay down.
As for the outcome...
Well.
Just as March 7th was about to close in, Hoolay unleashed a blade strike that sent her flying backward with its shockwave.
In plain terms, if March 7th had been alone, she likely wouldn't have even managed to get close.
"Youth is truly wonderful, always in such a rush," Lumina remarked, summoning Phantylia Kitten and cradling it in her arms, stroking its fur again and again.
Watching the three youngsters dash forward instantly, she couldn't help but sigh like an old woman.
"Meow? (This trash? And the Xianzhou actually bothered to devise a whole plan for this?)" The Phantylia Kitten, nestled in Lumina's arms, sensed Hoolay's aura and instantly narrowed its eyes with disdain.
While Hoolay's strength and title as the Borisin Warlord were undoubtedly formidable in the eyes of the Xianzhou people, to the Phantylia Kitten, he was no different from an ant sitting at the same table—utterly insignificant.
With three Generals currently stationed on the Xianzhou, even in her prime, the Phantylia Kitten would likely have to lie low and keep a low profile.
The Phantylia Kitten's disdain for the Generals of The Hunt was well-founded.
However, as the list of things she scorned grew, she had to start taking notice.
At least, confronting the Xianzhou head-on like Hoolay was doing was something the Phantylia Kitten would never attempt.
Not because she lacked the ability, but because there was absolutely no benefit to such a reckless act.
"Why do you care so much about what others do?"
"Maybe the Xianzhou has its own deeper reasons," Lumina said, glancing around before her eyes lit up as she spotted an excellent vantage point.
She walked over and surveyed the entire Wardance Ceremony Arena, nodding in satisfaction.
"Um... March 7th and the others... they can't beat that big guy."
"Really... really aren't we going to help?"
Little Swarm looked at Sister Lumina, then back at March 7th and the others battling in the arena. She pursed her lips and asked, her voice tinged with concern.
Little Swarm never questioned her Great Creator's decisions, but watching this battle...
They can't win, they can't win. No matter how I think about it, it's impossible for them to win, right?
Even though the big guy seemed rather weak to Little Swarm, March 7th and the others seemed even weaker...
This barely qualified as a fight; it felt more like children playing house.
March 7th, Yanqing, and Yunli were all children, while the big guy was an adult.
The adult was playing house with the children, matching his strength to their capabilities, using just enough force to engage them in the game...
Little Swarm could sense the power flowing within the big guy's body.
If fully unleashed, March 7th and her companions could be defeated in an instant...
"Don't worry, there won't be any problems."
"March and her friends will win. Just trust them."
Hearing these words, Little Swarm understood that Lumina was deeply concerned about March 7th's safety.
Lumina chuckled softly, soothing Little Swarm's anxiety while assuring her with unwavering certainty: they will win.
"Hmm... okay." Satisfied with this assurance, Little Swarm stopped dwelling on the matter.
If the Great Creator said they would win, then they undoubtedly would.
As for her own inability to see any hope of victory in the battle... Little Swarm concluded that the fault must lie within herself.
My strength must be lacking, my vision must be flawed.
Otherwise, how could she have reached a conclusion so contrary to the Great Creator's?
What the Great Creator says, what the Great Creator thinks—that must always be right!
Though Little Swarm saw no hope of victory in March 7th and her companions, believing that continuing the fight would only lead to needless casualties, she remained a steadfast devotee of Lumina, her faith unwavering. When Lumina spoke, Little Swarm's first instinct was to discard all her previous assumptions.
Her small eyes fixed intently on the Wardance Ceremony Arena, scrutinizing the movements of the three small figures and the one large one, seeking to glean some insight from their actions.
I must have overlooked something to arrive at a conclusion contrary to the Great Creator's!
Little Swarm observed meticulously.
Observing... observing... observing...
"Ugh... Ah! The ring!"
Before long, Little Swarm spotted the crucial element:
The Great Creator's ring.
It contained a fragment of the Creator's power, which should allow March 7th to crush the massive creature with a single strike.
But... could this truly be considered March 7th's own power? Would it still count as a legitimate victory?
A flicker of doubt crossed Little Swarm's mind, but she quickly suppressed it.
If the Great Creator says it's true, then it must be true.
Nodding firmly, Little Swarm cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted, "March 7th, go get 'em!"
"March 7th, you got this! Beat that big guy!"
"Unleash your hidden power and crush Hoolay with your butt!"
March 7th: ?
Lumina: ?
Yanqing, Yunli, and Hoolay: ?
Little Swarm's unexpected cheer from the sidelines left question marks hovering over nearly everyone's heads.
March 7th's question mark stemmed from disbelief: What hidden power?! Little Swarm, stop making things up! This is hard enough as it is!
Lumina's puzzlement was equally simple: Wait, what happened to my innocent little swarm? How did she turn into this?
How can a child who's barely a few months old say things like "crush him with your butt?!"
Stelle, what exactly have you been teaching her?!
As for Yanqing and Yunli, their reaction was simpler: pure astonishment. "March has hidden power? How come I never knew?"
As March 7th's master, Yunli hadn't spent an exceptionally long time with her, but several weeks of "demon training" had given Yanqing and Yunli a solid understanding of March 7th's physical capabilities.
Based on March 7th's physique alone, there was no sign of hidden power.
This was the source of Yanqing and Yunli's confusion.
Hoolay's confusion was even simpler:
There's still someone else here?
Where did this person come from?
With a single sweep of his blade, Hoolay sent the three youngsters flying and turned toward the source of the voice.
What he saw next made him jump back in shock.
Hoolay's gaze immediately locked onto Lumina.
Though Lumina had concealed herself, her current form was that of a small, white-haired bundle no more than 1.3 meters tall.
But Lumina's concealment wasn't perfect.
As Hoolay's gaze fell upon her, she deliberately leaked a trace of her aura, allowing him to sense her presence.
The moment Hoolay sensed that aura, he froze in place, stunned.
Perfect opportunity! Attack now!
Yanqing didn't care what Hoolay was thinking.
All he knew was that Hoolay was now completely vulnerable, making this the last chance for an all-out assault!