[Vol. 6] Chapter 260: The Second Turning Point
It wasn't until the last streak of light shot into the sky and disappeared into the dark heavens above the Underworld that the Ferryman slowly pulled the long pole from the water. It looked toward the fox-eared girl who still stood in place, her expression hidden behind a mask.
The grand feat just now appeared to have been created by the Ferryman itself, but in reality, it had only served as a pivot. The true force behind this miracle came from the girl in front of it.
[Stronger, more complex, yet clearer. It seems that the influence of the wheel of fate on you is weakening.]
[You... have become different from before.]
"Oh? Really~? Can you be more specific?"
The triangular fox ears on the top of the white fox girl’s head twitched a few times, almost as if she were smiling.
"You’re still as hard to understand as always."
But, she had indeed seen through the surface to the essence of it.
Without a doubt, the current Violet was far stronger than the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden from before.
The [Ultimate Art] was the peak and ultimate form of a law. According to the memories left by Dawn, gods might inherently possess divine realms and divine power, but not every god could wield their exclusive [Ultimate Art]. To do so, they needed to comprehend and push the concept they represented to its utmost limit...
Or rather, only by becoming the Main God could one unleash such overwhelming, world-reversing power.
In the past, Dawn might have been able to use [Bloodstained Horizon, Reversal of Yin and Yang], a mighty art capable of reversing the life and death of a whole world, but the price to pay for such power was undoubtedly far greater than what Violet was facing now.
After feeling the amount of SP in her body and confirming she didn’t need to rely on magic to recover yet, the white fox girl turned back to the Ferryman.
"Well, I’ll head back now. Thanks again for your help~"
[This is your own power, no need to thank me. By the way, earlier, did you... ?]
"Hmm?"
The blue flame that formed the Ferryman's head gently swayed, causing ripples.
[It’s nothing. Go deal with the affairs in the living world.]
"What? You're being all mysterious again. Fine, I’ll see you next time!"
After bidding farewell, the girl once again took to the air, flying toward the now darkened sky of the Underworld. She quickly disappeared from sight.
The red spider lilies all over the ground were swaying happily, as if bidding farewell to the long-absent cultivator. The Ferryman's hollow eye sockets stared at the spot where she disappeared for a long time, its thoughts unclear.
[To take on two powers at once... such boldness, old friend. What exactly are you trying to do...?]
Leaving behind this cryptic remark, the figure shook the long pole and once again drifted toward the distant calm river, vanishing into the shadows.
…………………………
When Violet's consciousness returned to her body, her fingers, which had been plucking the strings, stopped at the perfect moment, her song finished.
Actually, [Bloodstained Horizon, Reversal of Yin and Yang] wasn’t a power that had to be activated through the music. It was just that Dawn had a personal interest in this form and created it that way.
From the memories left behind, it seemed Dawn really enjoyed arts. Not just music, but also painting, calligraphy, playing chess, and dancing. Most of the powers Dawn had were more focused on assistance, creation, coordination, and subtle manipulation, rather than widespread destructive capabilities.
As for the relationship between the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden and the Supreme Sacred Fox God, it was more like the dynamic between a crafty strategist and a mighty general. One skilled in intellect, the other in combat.
Hmm... maybe calling her the Fox Strategist would be more fitting?
Well, leaving those random musings aside, there was still something crucial to deal with.
The demons and evil spirits rampaging in the Ancient Spirit Realm were essentially soldiers and followers derived from unspeakable [Apocalypse] entities. They are akin to vassals of vassals, separated by two generations of relationship. They weren’t strong enough to make it difficult for the Spirit Fox Shrine Maiden and the Fox God to handle them.
With the full power of [Bloodstained Horizon, Reversal of Yin and Yang], Violet was confident she could wipe out all the level 80, or at least level 70, minor enemies. But for those stronger than that, it would be harder to defeat them through wide-area attacks.
After all, the primary function of this [Ultimate Art] was to reverse the balance of life and death, resurrecting those who had died recently and weakening the enemies. It was more of a supportive ability, not like [Ultimate Art: Radiance] or [Ultimate Art: Divine Judgment], which were focused on direct attacks.
The true threat to the Ancient Spirit Realm lies in the highest powers…
Following the spread of the [Ultimate Art] magic, Violet's perception swept over the countless wildly growing trees in the lower world, which, despite the weakening effect of the art, continued to fiercely battle against the Celestial Guardian Army. Finally, her focus locked onto two overwhelming presences far above all the monsters and beings, along with the divine authority that had descended into this world.
The light flickered, and the mystical tree in her palm transformed into a silver blade. Looking at it, the white fox girl couldn't help but feel a sense of reflection.
"[Blade of Hollow Mark]... So the true answer was right in front of me all along. That fox, Konghen, really does have a twisted sense of humor."
She drew the silver blade down, aiming it at a distant point.
Normally, without a fixed coordinate, the [Blade of Hollow Mark] couldn't achieve such teleportation, but… the current situation was an exception.
"Clear the path for me, and guide me to your true master."
The silver light erupted, engulfing the white fox girl, and she disappeared without a trace.
…………………………
Beyond the Mirror Valley, at the Western Kingdom's defense line.
It was as if awakening from a long and deep sleep. The quiet consciousness slowly returned as her eyes opened. The girl named Bai’er had once again returned to the real world.
"What... is this...?"
"Bai'er!!!"
The sudden soft embrace caught the girl off guard. She instinctively tried to push the person away but quickly recognized the identity of the one holding her. Her face flushed slightly, and she could only awkwardly open her arms in a flustered manner, not knowing how to react.
"M-Master Ling Feng, what are you doing?!"
But the gray-haired girl simply scolded in a voice tinged with tears, tightening the embrace. Although the strong scent of blood from the intense battle rushed into her nose, the warmth and softness of the body in her arms were a comfort Bai'er had never felt before.
"Silly girl, you silly girl! Why did you rush in like that? Did you forget about my bloodline? Even if I was hit like that, I wouldn't necessarily die, you big fool!"
Listening to her master's complaints, Bai'er, still feeling disoriented as if her soul hadn’t fully adjusted to her body yet, began to recall.
Those strange trees suddenly emerged from the ground and attacked Ling Feng, who was too busy with the battle to be distracted. Then... she had instinctively pushed her away, only to be pierced through by the sharp, dagger-like branches and die. Those memories flashed in her mind.
Not knowing what to say, Bai'er could only smile awkwardly.
"Hehehe... After all, I'm your guard, it's my duty to protect you. When I saw the danger, I didn't really think too much, my body just moved on its own. I thought, as a martial artist, I should be able to take it, but who would have known that thing was so powerful? It really pierced me through in an instant..."
This was a lie.
Ling Feng had known from the very beginning why this girl had voluntarily requested to be her guard, and why she always risked her life to protect her. Bai'er herself clearly understood this too.
They both knew it from a long time ago, but they never spoke of it, keeping it unspoken to maintain their respectful relationship, afraid they would end up not even being friends in the end.
However, with what had happened today, after witnessing a loss, could Ling Feng still ignore the feelings of the girl in front of her?
With that thought, Ling Feng gently released the girl, who she thought would never again feel warmth, her expression complex.
Bai'er, sensing her master's hesitation, glanced at the battlefield that had been reversed after the Celestial Guardian Army joined and the [Ultimate Art] descended. She quickly switched the subject.
"By the way, where did those huge suits of armor come from? And I clearly died, but why am I alive again? Did you use some kind of secret technique to save me, or turn my body into a puppet or something to keep my soul and consciousness?"
"How could I have such ability..."
Temporarily setting aside her conflicting thoughts, Ling Feng looked up at the Immortal Island, still glowing with dazzling light and power, even though the music from the [Ultimate Art] had faded.
“Bai'er, do you remember when we were at the Spirit Veil Merchant Guild in Xiangshou County, the One-Eyed Diviner gave us both a reading?”
"Oh, that one? Of course I remember. He said I had three turning points in my life. The first one was when I participated in the last [Four Saints' Immortal Selection Ceremony]... and the second one was about to..."
"Huh?!"
Seeing the surprised expression on her guard, the gray-haired girl sighed softly, nodding slightly.
"Yes, and what kind of experience could be considered a greater turning point than coming back to life and the reversal of a world? In this world, the only existence capable of such a miracle is that one person."
"I've already overestimated her identity as much as possible, but now it seems I was still wrong..."