"Hey, buddy, this is my body. Mind getting out?"
Another voice suddenly echoed inside Xi's mind, throwing her into stunned disbelief.
This body shouldn't have any consciousness at all—that was the one thing she'd confirmed repeatedly during these past days.
Yet now, a consciousness had abruptly appeared within it, even politely asking her to leave.
Interesting.
The surrounding races also noticed the sword hanging at the body's waist and began watching gleefully.
Heliobi could possess living beings or objects. The current situation was clearly a classic scenario of Heliobi fighting over a vessel.
Such a delightful drama—how could they not enjoy it?
Thus, everyone held back, eagerly awaiting further developments.
Other races restrained themselves, but the remaining Heliobi reacted differently:
"Hey! Who the hell are you?!"
"You bastard, daring to interrupt Xi at this moment! Do you have a death wish?!"
"Get out here, you bastard!"
The Heliobi shouted angrily, demanding that Sora vacate immediately.
Xi quickly suppressed their clamoring voices.
"What did you just say?" Xi spoke again, her tone curious.
"I said, buddy, this body is mine. Could you please get out?"
Sora felt helpless.
Who would have guessed the Final King—that scheming old bastard—would interfere at a time like this?
He'd originally planned to reclaim his body discreetly.
But now, a task that could've been done quietly had devolved into conflict.
"You're claiming this is your body?" Xi almost laughed.
"Of course. I know every inch of it better than anyone else. Obviously, it's mine."
Sora spoke confidently. After all, he'd occupied this body for over twenty years; naturally, he knew every little detail.
Xi paused for a brief moment upon hearing this.
Seizing the chance, Sora quickly injected more of his spirit, steadily reclaiming control.
Better get my body and run quickly, or else Ahri and the others will get dragged into this mess.
"Your reasoning makes sense," Xi suddenly said as Sora gained partial control, "but unfortunately, I can't give this body back to you."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—that's just unreasonable. It's literally my body!"
"If I don't complete the Heaven-Mending Creation now, the entire Azure Flame Realm will perish completely."
Xi's voice became unusually calm: "Whether for my personal ambitions or my contract with Futian, I must have this body!"
As she finished, Sora sensed Xi's power rapidly increasing.
She was going for brute force.
To the onlookers, scattered platinum flames ignited on Sora's body, noble and fearsome—Xi's unmistakable hallmark as ruler of the Azure Flame Realm.
Yet, despite her full strength, she still couldn't expel Sora's consciousness.
His compatibility with the body greatly exceeded hers, indirectly confirming he was indeed its true owner.
But—so what?
She desperately needed this body to complete the Heaven-Mending Creation. Without it, the realm built upon the ruined Xianzhou would collapse.
When that happened, the skies would tear, and lives would be lost, violating her promise to General Futian.
No matter what, she had to take this body!
"All of you—my brethren, lend me your strength!" Xi called out to the other Heliobi.
Her power alone might not surpass Sora's inside the body, but she could still become stronger.
Heliobi could fuse. They could enhance their powers externally. The others planned to merge with her anyway, so why not right now?
"The leader calls, and I answer first!"
"Heliobus Number One, Weibenlu—ready!"
One after another, flames surged into Sora's body, further fueling the blazing platinum fire.
Xi's power multiplied wildly, briefly reclaiming dominance.
Not to mention, her personal strength was already exceptional—she was, after all, the child of the Sui Emperor, the famed leader of the Heliobi who once fought alongside the Aeon of The Hunt.
Xi inherited that tremendous strength!
Her flames enveloped Sora's body. His hair turned platinum, and his eyes gradually took on a golden sheen.
"I can grant whatever you desire. Power, women, wealth—all yours."
"But I need this body to protect every life in the Azure Flame Realm."
Xi felt Sora's hesitation, noticed his silence.
Sensing him thinking things through, she patiently waited.
"But...there are still many delicious things I haven't tasted yet," Sora finally murmured.
"Whether it's the Sweet Dreams SoulGlad from Penacony or the Berrypheasant Skewers from Xianzhou Luofu—I still want to taste them with my own tongue..."
Being a spirit was convenient, allowing him to pass through walls, but the loss of taste was his greatest regret.
He'd finally managed to rest for a month, yet he'd sampled less than a fraction of the galaxy's culinary wonders.
"So I definitely won't hand over this body!"
Xi heard this, her consciousness revealing genuine regret.
Then there was no choice but to forcibly eject him.
Yet, just as Xi prepared to fully unleash her power, the sword possessed by Sora suddenly detached itself from the body's waist.
What was this?
Talking tough, yet fleeing immediately?!
Xi couldn't understand Sora's intention, but if he willingly surrendered, she wouldn't refuse.
At that moment, her vision returned clearly through the body's eyes.
Unexpectedly, she saw a shadowy figure standing before her.
What...what the hell is this?!
Xi hesitated briefly before noticing the figure holding a sword in one hand, and a peculiar book in the other.
"Just lured you into a trap."
He'd let these Heliobi merge first, then separated out afterward, saving him from endless fights.
"Saikou Hakkou! Who is the shining sword? Saikou Isshou! Kingin no chikara wo eta kagayaku ken! Saikou!
'[SAIKOU HAKKOU]!'
'[WHO IS THE SHINING SWORD]!'
'[SAIKOU ISSHOU]!'
'[KINGIN NO CHIKARA WO ETA KAGAYAKU KEN]!'
'[SAIKOU]!'
The sword hilt struck down, and the book flipped open.
A brilliant glow instantly filled everyone's eyes as a resounding voice echoed clearly:
'[SAIKOU HAKKOU]!'
'[GET ALL COLORS]!'
'[X SWORD MAN]!'
"I'm now the sword reclaiming my body—no, I'm the swordsman!"
'[EPISODE 1: FULL COLOR DE SANJOU]!'
'[BA-BA-BA-BAN]!'
The transformation completed. Across from the body wrapped in blazing platinum fire, a figure in brilliantly flashy colors stood proudly wielding a shining sword.
"That's...so cool!" Ahri's eyes sparkled excitedly, captivated by the dazzling scene.
Those around her silently nodded in agreement.
"It was so loud just now..." the Vidyadhara leader muttered, digging into her ear irritably. The earlier noise was painfully loud.
Several among the Xianzhou delegation tried excitedly to rise, but their youthful leader raised his hand, calming them.
"No need to rush. We still don't fully understand the current situation."
His gaze locked firmly on the two opposing figures.
Xi stood possessing Sora's body, surrounded by platinum flames, appearing as a divine figure descended from the heavens.
Across from her stood an eye-catching warrior with a helmet like a radiant star, clad in vibrant, multicolored armor.
To witness such a spectacle at the Heaven-Mending Creation ceremony—this alone made the entire event worthwhile!
Everyone waited with bated breath for the next development.
"Displaying this form in front of me—are you saying you intend to fight to the end?"
Xi calmly addressed Sora, "Are you certain? If you choose this path, the power, wealth, and beautiful women I offered will vanish entirely."
Sora responded with unwavering decisiveness, proving his choice with a single word:
"Obviously!"
Not letting him enjoy good food was practically asking for his life!
Therefore, Sora now showed absolutely no mercy!
"Give my body back!"
Sora shot forward like a sharp arrow, his Kougouken sword drawing a golden arc in the air.
Xi raised her arm to block the blow, scattering the platinum flames enveloping it. Her arm trembled violently, splitting into multiple ghostly afterimages.
This sensation of separation...
"It's you!"
Xi immediately recognized this feeling. It undoubtedly belonged to that annoying guy she'd faced earlier outside the Azure Flame Realm.
She'd thought she'd crushed him into scrap metal, sending him hurtling somewhere down into the depths of the Azure Flame Realm. Yet here he was—not only unharmed, but also daring to seize control of this body at such a critical moment!
"Obviously, it's me!"
Sora stomped hard, launching himself into the air while delivering another fierce slash mid-leap.
Unfortunately, Xi, now fully aware of Sora's identity, wouldn't foolishly block him again. Platinum flames surged around her body, forcing Sora's strike to miss completely.
But that attack was merely a feint!
Sora's real move was his lightning-fast follow-up as soon as he touched the ground!
The previously tense standoff shattered instantly. The scene erupted into chaos, with fiery explosions and flashes of sword-light filling the entire area.
Intense impacts echoed relentlessly through the air.
Every swing of Sora's sword was precise and powerful, while Xi relied on her commanding control over the platinum flames to counterattack and defend.
Sora's swordsmanship flowed seamlessly, each strike radiating dazzling colors and brilliant sparks.
Witnessing this, the surrounding crowd watched in stunned amazement. The newcomer was actually fighting Xi evenly!
Admittedly, Xi was still adapting to this new body, but for the fight to unfold in such a manner was already far beyond expectations.
Not to mention...
"It's not just noisy, it's ridiculously flashy," commented the current leader of the Vidyadhara, once again offering sharp criticism.
She understood being loud before battle. Such theatrics to build morale were common enough. But the fact that this guy continued to produce flashy sound and visual effects even while fighting—this utterly baffled her.
What, did he plan to annoy Xi to death with noise alone? Nobody sane would ever attempt such a foolish strategy!
"Mark my words, Xi will defeat this fool within thirty moves!" she declared confidently.
She knew Xi's strength well. Suppressing this opponent would be a simple matter.
Unfortunately, the battle's outcome quickly defied everyone's expectations.
Because Sora, who still had time to trigger sound effects and light displays mid-battle, was actually gaining the upper hand.
In mere moments, the two had already exchanged dozens of moves!
Seeing Sora survive far beyond thirty exchanges, the Vidyadhara leader awkwardly cleared her throat and amended her statement, "Alright, the thirty-move guess was my mistake. Still, I firmly believe Xi will defeat him in the end!"
She remained supremely confident. She knew Xi's capabilities intimately, and events would surely unfold as she predicted!
However, the two combatants fighting fiercely in the arena had no idea about the chatter around them.
Sora's sword left behind trails of vivid brilliance in the air, each stroke dazzling with a different color.
Another fierce clash between the two erupted into a fiery shockwave, sending powerful gusts sweeping across the spectators' faces. Those weaker quickly retreated, distancing themselves from the escalating chaos.
As the wave subsided, both fighters flew backwards several dozen meters through the air.
Xi swung her arm to forcibly stabilize the flickering, unstable afterimages, staring intently at her opponent.
As a Heliobus, her mastery over fire was unparalleled. However, due to the unfamiliarity of this newly acquired body, her movements had become sluggish and delayed.
Though she'd thoroughly refined the body to allow smooth possession, she still couldn't fully control it during battle. Worst of all, the rapidly rising heartbeat disrupted her fighting rhythm entirely.
How does this guy even fight with this kind of body?!
Shouldn't one maintain a calm mind during battle? Then why was this body's heart pounding so violently?!
Doesn't he feel any pain from such intense heartbeats?!
As Xi pondered her confusion, she suddenly sensed a sharp whistling sound behind her!
The figure knocked away just moments ago had merely been a shadow. And shadows could always be recalled to the main body!
Sora had found the perfect opportunity for a surprise attack!
Under normal circumstances, Xi could easily defend if she reacted promptly.
Sadly, due to her delayed reactions in this unfamiliar body, she'd missed her best opportunity.
Since defending was impossible, Xi quickly changed her strategy. Summoning her extensive combat experience, she condensed a spear of pure flame and hurled it straight at Sora's head!
However, she'd made a crucial misjudgment.
At this moment, Sora's most valuable asset wasn't his head!
The hilt of Sora's sword gently tapped the Wonder Ride Book, and as pages flipped rapidly, an endless stream of brilliant light surged forth.
'[IDOU SAIKOU]!'
'[UDE SAIKOU]!'
'[FULL COLOR GOES TO ARM]!'
'[EPISODE 2: COLORFUL SWORD DE ZUBA-ZUBAN]!'
"Hey, hey, hey—how can this noisy nonsense block an actual attack?!" The Vidyadhara leader jumped up, unable to hold back her complaints any longer.
Who had ever heard of light and sound effects stopping a deadly attack?!
"This is cheating! Cheating!"
Xi herself was similarly caught off-guard, her reaction delayed by sheer astonishment.
And in combat, one misstep meant certain defeat!
She could only watch helplessly as Sora's sword rapidly closed in toward her chest.
Closer and closer it came. Xi's mind raced frantically, with countless merged Heliobi consciousnesses brainstorming desperately to find a solution.
Suddenly, a single clear idea surfaced in Xi's mind.
Since his attacks caused separation...
Slash!
A gleaming sword flash passed straight through her chest.
---
T/N: HEH the forms look coooool
"Mm. If you've read this far, I suppose you're at least a little invested."
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Say thank you to Maomao guys