The Defeated Saintess Is On A Journey To Tame The Evil God Book 01 Chapter 07.10.2 - Red Epiphyllum

Humm, humm, humm—

Blue flames erupted around Vivian, encircling her fragile form. She advanced toward Steam Man, frozen within the spatial bubble. Her steps were unsteady, yet the frostfire in her eyes burned fiercely. The ice-blue light surrounding her began to solidify, slowly shifting to a silver hue.

After a few steps, she was enveloped in silver armor, frostfire flickering through the chinks. The helmet’s opening revealed two glowing vertical slits—Elder Dragon eyes.

Humm, humm, humm—

Steam Man, trapped within the bubble, thrashed to break free, alchemical steam and fire erupting from his body—only to be quickly smothered by frost.

Suddenly, the silver knight’s pace quickened. She shattered the space next to her and pulled out a massive sword burning with frostfire from the void. When its tip touched the ground, a trail of blue fire ignited in its wake.

Xing Mo instinctively stepped back. Not because she didn’t want to help Senior Vivian, but because she knew what was about to happen.

"Disintegrate!" The Elder Dragon tongue surged forth and coalesced into True Speech, and a strange white light enveloped the massive blade.

Vivian lunged, her sword slashing through the air, unleashing a dazzling, tsunami-like blade ray.

Boom—

In the wake of the blade ray, the space shattered like glass, and cracks echoed from the spatial bubble with Steam Man.

At that moment, Xing Mo played her strings, summoning the Starflow Horizon.

Boom—

Steam Man exploded into a swirl of ghostly black smoke, stirring up a violent wind. Then, with a final implosion, he vanished into nothing.

Is he dead? Xing Mo’s spirituality stirred, feeling the presence of a massive creature passing overhead. Yet, when she looked up, there was nothing. No. He escaped… but he's badly injured.

Senior Vivian had unleashed a strike infused with the power of Disintegrate. For any ordinary being, it would have been enough to obliterate them. But Steam Man didn’t die. He was a specter—disintegration was his natural state, and aggregation was the abnormal one. To truly destroy him, they still needed to find the Black Heart controlling him.

...

Alice stared in disbelief at Vivian, now clad in shimmering silver armor, and struggled to stand, "Vivian..."

At the sound of her voice, the knight turned slowly, the cold vertical slit eyes radiating an immense pressure that made Alice shudder.

In an instant, the vertical slit eyes softened before reverting to clear blue eyes, "Alice…"

The silver armor dissolved into frostfire and vanished. Vivian stood there, her face weary but with a faint smile. A blood-soaked wound marked her chest. The excessive consumption of spiritual force had halted her self-healing, leaving her in a vulnerable state.

Alice rushed forward, catching the wobbling Vivian, and the two sank to the ground together.

"It's been so long since I've slept in your arms..." Vivian murmured weakly.

"You've been through a lot, Dragon Girl." Alice gently stroked Vivian's long silver-white hair, "Rest now."

Vivian trembled briefly, then drifted into unconsciousness, curling up in Alice’s embrace.

"Go after Austin…" Alice urged, looking up at Xing Mo.

Xing Mo nodded, then her gaze swept across the devastated hall. No survivors. Everyone was dead.

Prince Austin had fled toward the sky. He shouldn’t be able to get far.

Closing her eyes, Xing Mo focused, and when she reopened them, the world was tinged with ash-gray. A pitch-black trail snaked upward from the center of the hall, leading through the hole in the ceiling.

He won't get away. Determined, Xing Mo raised her wand, preparing to pursue him.

But just then, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air from behind—

Whoosh—

Xing Mo reacted instantly, turning sharply to dodge the spear that came hurtling from the entrance. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted a tall man in formal attire entering the banquet hall, leading a group of yellow-robed Wizards who quickly surrounded them.

"Ah, very good, very good." The tall man clapped his hands with a smirk, "That was quite a spectacle. Now, it’s time to wrap things up."

The Wizards raised their wands, each emitting lights of different colors, all aimed at Xing Mo.

"How… how is this possible?" Alice murmured, "The Church should have surrounded this place already…"

"The Church's ants are all dead." The tall man replied with a smile, "Song of Death saw to that. They were reduced to nothing more than rags…" The tall man paused for a moment and then bowed elegantly to Xing Mo: "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Argus, an Undying."

Xing Mo’s mind raced. Argus… where have I heard that name before? A scene flashed before her eyes—the eating contest! Right! He was Aurora’s opponent that night. And the prize? An invitation to Prince Austin’s birthday banquet!

"Ah, you’ve figured it out. Very good," Argus said with a sly grin, "That subordinate of yours—so foolish. We only needed to send a few men to convince her to join the contest, and she actually took the bait… securing the invitation."

So that’s it... Xing Mo thought. Prince Austin must’ve discovered that I’m a servant of the Tree of Life and was investigating Steam Man. He must’ve orchestrated this, influencing those around me to lead me into a trap.

But what they never could never have expected… was that the "subordinate" they tricked into the eating contest was actually the Evil God herself. Xing Mo wondered how Prince Austin would react if he discovered the truth.

After a brief pause, Xing Mo spoke, her voice low and steady, "What's your goal?"

"Our goal?" Argus chuckled, "Ah, this is a multiple-choice question. Either cut off your hand and give it to me. I only want the mark on it. Or… I’ll take it from your corpse. And believe me, before that happens, you’ll suffer far worse."

As Argus spoke, his eyes narrowed, and golden sand began pouring out from his formal attire. The sand swirled around him, forming a bronze armor over his body. A jackal mask materialized on his head. In that instant, a true Undying stood before Xing Mo.

He wants the mark on my hand? Xing Mo thought. Just as Aurora warned—Prince Austin is after the authority of life. So that’s his goal? Then there’s nothing left to discuss.

"I choose neither." Xing Mo said with a calm smile.

The yellow-robed Wizards instantly tensed. Undying Argus sneered, summoning a spear of sand into his hand, "You're just a weakling, servant."

"We’ll see." Xing Mo replied softly, her voice steady. Golden light flickered in her eyes like molten lava.

Alice, still cradling the injured Vivian in her arms, struggled to get up. Her spiritual force had been completely drained from casting Mourning Bird’s Cry.

"Junior! You—"

"Don’t worry, Senior." Xing Mo reassured her, "It's no big deal."

She turned and winked at Alice with a playful smile. But when her gaze returned to Undying Argus, the fire in her eyes had intensified, burning with fierce determination.

Now that things had escalated, there was no point in holding back. Xing Mo lifted her wand, and a resonant melody filled the air as five strings lit up.

Surrounded by blazing flames, she murmured, "Five string magic—Flame Spirit's Authority."