The Defeated Saintess Is On A Journey To Tame The Evil God Book 01 Chapter 07.09.2 - Red Epiphyllum

Upon seeing the black magic string formation, Xing Mo swiftly waved her wand, summoning scalding flames—

Boom—

The inferno engulfed Prince Austin's study, the blistering heat tearing apart every inch of space. The temperature was hot enough to melt anything.

But when the flames receded, the string magic formation remained. Its physical vessel had vanished, leaving only illusory black lines floating in the air.

"Aurora!" Xing Mo pressed the mark on the back of her hand.

"So that’s how it is. He wants to siphon my power..." Aurora's voice echoed in Xing Mo's mind, cheerful yet cold, "You can’t destroy this string magic formation, and neither can I. This power is ancient, far older than you think…"

"Why can he wield the power of the Tree of Life?" Xing Mo's gaze locked onto the floating string magic formation.

"The authority of life isn't mine alone—it also belongs to an Old God. But they're long dead. Prince Austin is using their remains as a medium to steal my power through the mark on your hand."

As Aurora spoke, a vision flashed in Xing Mo’s mind: a brilliant golden sun, with the silhouette of a bird cast against its light. Slowly, the bird’s form disintegrated into a swirling mass of black mist—constantly shifting.

"Gold Sun Wheel... the God worshiped by the imperials? And that black mist... what is it?"

Still reeling, Xing Mo heard Aurora’s voice again, "Formless Mist? Ah, now I know your true name... Your turn is coming..."

Before Xing Mo could respond, Aurora's voice quickened, "There's no time for that. Anyway, it has all been for nothing. Retreat now. The anomaly you sensed earlier was a mythical creature summoned using the Black Heart, and it’s already under Prince Austin's control."

"With that monster and Steam Man present, you don’t stand a chance. Run."

"Steam Man?" Xing Mo blurted, "What do you…?"

Just then, screams erupted from the banquet hall. Xing Mo quickly kicked off her high heels and, with her feet clad in white stockings, dashed across the red carpet, reaching the balcony door in seconds.

She pushed it open and stepped to the edge, her eyes catching sight of the swirling black mist below. From within the darkness, the outline of Steam Man emerged—his sword plunged into Vivian.

"Wh—" Xing Mo instinctively began to shout, but bit back the words.

She watched in silent horror as Steam Man lifted his sword, Vivian still impaled, and hurled her body across the hall like a discarded doll—

Bang.

Vivian slammed into the wall and fell limp onto the red carpet, not moving. Her hollow blue eyes stared blankly at the chaos unraveling before her: guests dissolving into black mist, Church priests flailing helplessly before being swallowed by the dark.

Below the banquet dais, Senior Alice was frantically waving her wand, her long red hair whipping wildly, her expression manic.

"This is a trap. Everyone here is doomed—there's no escape." Aurora’s voice rang out, "The Church of the Starsea has lost. This is Prince Austin’s victory."

...

Xing Mo stood frozen, watching as Alice screamed Vivian’s name, unleashing wave after wave of fire magic at Steam Man. But her efforts were in vain—none could penetrate his defense.

Alice was going to die.

Without a second thought, Xing Mo leaped from the balcony, then landed gracefully in the banquet hall, a gust of hot wind cushioning her landing. Sprinting toward Alice, she plucked three strings in a row, then shattered the blazing ring that had formed in her hand—

—Eyes of Light.

Hummm—

Steam Man, after blocking Alice's fiery assault, shifted his massive bronze sword and swung it fiercely at her.

Alice raised her wand to counter, but before she could react, sparks flew through the air, striking Steam Man—

Boom—

Steam Man staggered back two steps. Seizing the opportunity, Alice unleashed a fiery whirlpool that slammed into him—

Boom—

Smoke engulfed Steam Man. Alice looked up sharply, just in time to see Xing Mo racing toward her.

"Junior Xing Sheng?" Alice muttered in confusion, "Why are you—"

"Senior, get down!" Xing Mo shouted, just as the black smoke burst apart. A massive bronze sword ray cut through the air like a tidal wave—

Boom—

Alice rolled nimbly to evade Steam Man’s strike, then raised her wand again.

At the same moment, Xing Mo also raised hers. Without hesitation, the two shouted in unison: "Pristine Dragonfire!"

The sound of three strings being strummed reverberated through the air as two raging torrents of Dragonfire erupted from different directions, engulfing Steam Man completely. This was no ordinary fire—it originated from Dragonkind, who could stimulate the power of the string of fire with their roars alone. It could not be controlled, only unleashed, its only purpose utter destruction.

On the dais, Prince Austin observed the spectacle with a smile, softly clapping his hands. Most of the Church priests in the banquet hall had been slaughtered, their bodies consumed by black mist.

Raising his wand, Prince Austin traced a glowing green pattern in the air.

Hummmmm...

The black mist surged from all corners of the hall, swirling toward him and shrouding his figure.

"Song of Death, my servant." Prince Austin murmured.

He suddenly shot into the air, smashing through the ceiling and vanishing into the night sky.

Boom—

Moments later, the Dragonfire dissipated, and Xing Mo rushed to Senior Alice’s side, raising her wand. Alice glanced at her but didn’t speak, only murmuring softly, "Go after Prince Austin. He must pay…"

"No, you can’t handle Steam Man alone." Xing Mo replied, "We need to drive him away first."

"If Austin escapes, more people will die!" Alice’s tone grew sharp, no longer calm, "Hurry, go after him. I know you can…"

She paused, realizing how much she trusted this junior—even though Xing Sheng was only a first-year student, with only three strings at her command. Yet, somehow, Alice believed in her. Somewhere deep down, she had already noticed something, something she couldn’t fully grasp.

She even anticipated what Xing Sheng would say next.

"No, I won’t leave." Xing Mo shook her head, her eyes glowing like molten gold.

Just then, Steam Man’s figure reappeared. His massive sword had melted into molten iron, and though unarmed, the steam alchemy formation on his body continued to hiss and spew steam. Flames flickered amid the steam, unstable and wild, ready to tear them both apart.

...

Alice didn’t argue further. She twirled her wand, summoning golden flames around her, "Then let’s finish this quickly…"

With an elegant spin of her wand, Alice illuminated five strings in the air, like a conductor guiding an orchestra. Her dark red eyes shifted to a brilliant gold.

In an instant, the entire space rippled with illusory lines, and distant wails echoed as if from another world.

Five-string magic: Mourning Bird’s Cry.