Shuhu was dead.
Truly dead, by the twenty-fifth stroke of Acheron's blade.
The Abundance's nature had gifted Shuhu with tenacious vitality beyond compare.
Even as his body was being devoured by the Nihility, Shuhu remained conscious.
He even tried gnawing on the Ambrosial Arbor to prolong his own life.
If left alone like that, in a few centuries, Shuhu might well have broken free from the Nihility and clawed his way back to life.
But Acheron didn't give him that chance.
She even took a seemingly casual swing at the Ambrosial Arbor itself, making Teng Xiao—watching from the sidelines—jump.
The Arbor instantly withered, becoming bleak and broken.
Shuhu's last hope of saving himself was shattered.
Only when Shuhu's body had been completely swallowed by the Nihility, did she finally sheathe her blade.
As for the followers who had come with Shuhu, Teng Xiao, now free to act, had already replaced and eliminated them one by one with the Lightning Lord—not a single one remained.
With a soft 'click'—the blade returned to its scabbard.
Her faded long hair and clothes swiftly regained their original color.
The bloody tint in her eyes also receded, becoming that somewhat dazed gaze once more.
But the moment she sheathed her sword, Acheron suddenly felt a wave of emptiness surge in her heart, making her stagger briefly.
Though the System's power quickly shielded her from the effect, Acheron still felt a lingering unease.
This wasn't the Nihility's power corroding her—it was her own unconscious absorption of nihilistic thoughts after willingly touching the Nihility.
"Are you alright?!"
Teng Xiao was startled by her stumble, but Acheron quickly steadied herself.
"It's nothing, just some aftereffects." Acheron shook her head, signaling she was fine.
But inwardly, she wasn't calm.
The Nihility's invasive nature was far too strong.
Even with the System purging the influence of fate-based powers, that formless ideological contamination had nearly bypassed the System's defenses.
Fortunately, it held in the end.
But it served as a warning.
The power of Fate wasn't something to be toyed with lightly.
Each Path was intertwined with its own doctrines and ideologies.
Those Emanators who could fully merge their will with their Path's ideology… to put it bluntly, weren't far from the end themselves.
She'd have to be more careful from now on.
The System could only activate certain countermeasures after she herself sensed something was wrong.
If one day she were ever influenced so deeply by a Path's ideology that she failed to notice the change…she might truly become a devil of that Path.
As Acheron sheathed her blade, that instinctive, heart-gripping fear that hung in the air finally began to fade.
The Cloud Knights along the river, snapping back to awareness, erupted into fervent cheers!
Disturbed by the noise, Acheron took the chance to glance at her interface.
[Emotional Value] had risen more than expected.
So, slaying Shuhu really was akin to a lifesaving grace for the Luofu.
And this was just from the Cloud Knights present on the battlefield.
If news of Shuhu's destruction were to spread, the entire Xianzhou Alliance would likely provide a considerable amount of Emotional Value.
But there was a problem.
This guy Shuhu had died and come back to life multiple times already.
Other factions tended to be cautious about whether he was truly gone for good.
They might not pay too much attention.
Hmm…
Acheron pondered briefly.
She'd wait and see.
If it was enough for her next draw, then staying on the Xianzhou Luofu for a while would be fine.
This power of the Nihility couldn't be used recklessly. But if it really wasn't enough for a second draw, then she'd have to set her sights on another Emanator.
Like that Emanator of Destruction, Celenova.
She usually moved with her legion, preferred straightforward, overwhelming tactics, and was relatively easy to locate.
Unlike the others, who were often elusive.
Teng Xiao, standing nearby, saw that Acheron seemed to have emerged from her thoughts, and finally cupped his hands in salute.
"Lady Acheron, your great mercy is remembered. Please stay on the Luofu for a few days. You have saved our ship from calamity. We must repay this kindness."
With his divine power withdrawn, Teng Xiao, like Acheron with her sheathed blade, no longer radiated the overwhelming pressure of battle.
"Ah, very well."
Acheron didn't mind.
She'd come here precisely to make a name for herself.
She just felt a little sorry for that other Acheron still running around posing as a Galaxy Ranger.
If she were recognized later and someone immediately begged an Emanator for help…
She could only hope it wouldn't cause trouble.
Teng Xiao was inwardly delighted.
Excellent, excellent!
Even if she seemed to be some inexplicable Emanator of Nihility, if she claimed to be a Galaxy Ranger, then she was a Galaxy Ranger!
A Galaxy Ranger officially recognized by the Xianzhou Alliance!
Who agreed? Who objected?
Besides, this Lady Acheron seemed to have excellent control over her power.
Standing this close, he didn't feel the slightest discomfort.
When she'd drawn her blade earlier, aside from taking out the Luofu's weather system, there hadn't been a single casualty.
With that level of control, Teng Xiao would have to have his brain broken by Shuhu to even think of ostracizing her.
Not only would he not ostracize her, he'd firmly pull her to their side!
Firmly claim her as part of this great victory for the Xianzhou!
And as for Shuhu, who always revived?
Teng Xiao was convinced the bastard was truly dead this time.
The Abundance's blessing indeed granted powerful vitality, but it wasn't an invincibility card. Teng Xiao had always felt that, aside from being hard to kill, Shuhu had no other redeeming qualities.
If he himself had been an Emanator of Destruction, not a Pseudo-Emanator of the Reignbow, Shuhu would never have harassed the Xianzhou Alliance so many times.
And this time, they'd even faced an Emanator of Nihility—scarier than Destruction.
Good grief.
Just standing nearby back then had made Teng Xiao tremble all over.
Shuhu's screams had been utterly miserable.
Nothing like the previous times, where he'd grinned in the face of death, spouting nonsense about 'death being an illusion' or whatever.
He didn't say any of that this time.
Because he was really dead.
Teng Xiao turned his head and shouted in Jingliu's direction,
"Jingliu! Come here. I need you to accompany the Luofu's great hero."
Then he turned back to Acheron to explain, "Jingliu is the Luofu's Sword Champion. As the general, I cannot leave the battlefield just yet. I hope you understand."
His tone couldn't have been more polite.
Acheron almost couldn't take it—you're the mighty Luofu General, is this degree of courtesy really necessary?
And hadn't Jingliu nearly been beaten to death earlier? This guy really knew how to assign tasks.
"General, please focus on your duties. I'm perfectly fine exploring on my own."
Just then, Jingliu arrived before them.
Those beautiful eyes of hers had not yet been consumed by madness—they were firm and bright.
Her gaze held reverence as she looked at Acheron and performed a deep bow.
"Xianzhou natives recover quickly. My body is already fine, my lady. Please allow me to change clothes and accompany you."
Hearing this, Acheron didn't refuse.
She was genuinely curious about what Jingliu was like before her fall into mara.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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