Chapter 403: Blissful Light

The western part of Ironthorn Crown, the border of the city-state.

Vivid, fiery scale powder showered down, creating a blazing crimson sea spanning a thousand miles. Countless demons thrashed and struggled within the sea, only to be consumed before they could even move. Their avatars detached from their bodies, attempting to find new possessors to form new contracts, but were instead sealed and captured high in the sky.

Light and storm formed a seal against the demons. Countless magic circles were generated one after another, a vast and vast sea that covered the entire border of the vein sequence. The demons merged into the light, imprisoned as terrifying "cards." Tens of thousands of seal cards poured in like snowflakes, piling up behind the makeshift fortifications.

Ji Huaisu retracted his strength and leaned against the fortifications like mud. "Stop the third wave! Damn, I've been making up seals so much that my brain is about to explode. When will the reinforcements arrive?"

"The majority of the troops are at the front with Xiaoye and the others. It's great to have Grandpa leading them~" Qingxia said enviously while manipulating the scale powder, "I want to be at the front too!"

"This pass is as important as the front line. Once they break through, they'll go straight to Mansa Star Fortress. Then we'll be truly helpless." Vander rolled his eyes. "So both of you pay attention and don't miss any of them... There's a big one over there!"

Needless to say, the two also witnessed the strange changes in the distance. A black mountain range suddenly emerged from the sea of ​​scaly powder. Dense tentacles flowed across the mountain's surface like maggots, and blood like oil seeped from its cracks. Lurking amidst the demonic tide were the "Chosen of the Crescent Moon," comparable to Sephiroth 5, second only to the Sons of the Limb Spider in the Black Moon system!

"Fuck, some outsiders are starting to lose their shame! They're already at this level and still acting like small fry!"

"Honestly, have you ever seen a Fallen One with any shame?! Damn it! It even has the Dark Moon Blessed Purifying Scale Powder and it can't burn through. Gulibo, call the manager!"

Gulibo looked up from the cabbage fortress: "The manager is busy chewing rainbows and can't handle it!"

Everywhere in the battlefield was in desperate need of manpower. The three veterans from the bookstore had just finished helping to defeat Parriman before being transported back to defend the border. Upon hearing this, Qingxia grabbed Fander, and the Eye Demon splattered with slime. "What do you want, you bastard?"

"I'll go there for a bit~ Ji Huaisu, please help speed up!"

"Alright!" Ji Huaisu said nothing and swung his Swift Wind Stick vigorously. "Go, black sheep!"

Qingxia used the Free Wind to accelerate, soaring at full speed. Almost instantly, she smashed through the swarm of demons and arrived in front of the Chosen Ones. She lashed out with her Qingkun Spear, matching the Chosen Ones' tentacles with equal force. The Chosen Ones cast a foul gaze at her, and Qingxia simultaneously raised her Fander!

"Vander. Use hypnosis!"

"Surrender, surrender, surrender, surrender!!" Vander screamed.

The Crescent Moon's Chosen froze for a moment as the destructive bombardment struck, vaporizing over a third of their size. Death bombs simultaneously struck vital points, their diffused notion of death instantly obliterating them. Qingxia leaped, carrying Finder, onto the Wheel of Judgment as it flew across the battlefield. Behind them, missiles rained down like meteors, showering countless fireworks of destruction.

"Being a sniper is so cool~" Qingxia exclaimed.

"You won't feel that way when you're in close combat with a gun," Shaxx said.

He parked the car behind the fortifications. The intense fighting had caused the Wheel of Judgment to radiate intense heat, and nearly 40% of its components were on the verge of disintegration. Several giant blades folded together, forming a makeshift repair shop. Repairs were lightly wound around the bean stalks, producing universal replacement parts and replenishing specialized ammunition, restoring the World-Splitting Wheel to new condition.

This is the city-state's standard wartime workshop. It consumes three seeds and can handle most maintenance situations below the Holy Honor Cup. Gulibo modified the design with his ingenuity, increasing the efficiency by 34% based on the standard functions and adding the function of producing soy milk.

It held a small whistle and blew, "Repairs will be completed in 10 seconds. I've prepared new plant bullets!"

Shax wordlessly picked up a bunch of pea-like things and said, "What is this?"

"The self-splitting pea bomb that I researched with Feifeid can absorb enemy energy from a long distance," Gulibo said happily.

"Let's see how the next round of attacks pans out." Shax took a sip of cold water. "Let's go. A big guy's coming. Ji Huaisu, you're on your way too!"

Several more terrifying shadows emerged, including a skeletal dragon with hollow eye sockets, spreading its wings and leaping over the sea, spewing poisonous mist. The commandos of the funeral procession also arrived. Ji Huaisu summoned the Dragon of Misfortune and, along with the Wheel of Judgment, attacked the enemy. Gulibo quickly switched seeds: "The next batch is the Death Outcasts. Everyone, switch to the Physics Seeds!"

"Got it!"

The Gubo gardeners, on their short legs, raced to cultivate new war plants on the spot under the command of Gulibo. They had always been one of the most aware races, and even before the official dispatch order was issued, a large number of Gubos had already spontaneously supported the front lines and defended their country.

At this moment, thunder roared in the sky, and the big seal manager fell from the sky into the sea, sending the rainbow evil to the second dimension in the most miserable way. The otter editor looked up from its back and said: "For some reason, my little employee seems to have adapted to the battlefield."

"I guess bad company breeds bad company," said the Crucian Carp manager. "But the enemy seems to be getting more and more numerous! We're in serious trouble with our current strength!"

“Just hold on a little longer. Until Velvet succeeds…”

·

Not only around the military camps, but also along the borders of every vein, citizens were spontaneously joining the battle. After all, they were citizens of the city-state who had lived and multiplied along the front lines. Even if they had no desire to fight, the instinct to fight had become a collective memory.

With the death of Pariman, the influence of the independence movement finally faded, and courage was aroused in the hearts of the people. Citizens who were still able to fight joined the soldiers, while those who were unable to fight took up positions in the rear, such as transporting supplies.

The city-state's military strength was surprisingly sufficient to cope with the chaos of war, thanks to the large number of autonomous combat plants produced by the independence faction... These modified plants were originally intended for use in the civil war, but they were first used on the battlefield to defend the city-state. Their love for the city-state played a role in another way.

A small number of citizens remained bewildered, most of them young people born after the war who had never experienced a real war. They hid in their homes and wandered the streets, wondering, "What's the point of this?"

The elders scolded, "Even a small island like Paradise has come to support the front line. How can we be cowards hiding away?"

"But even the sacred tree has no energy left to protect us..."

"It is because of your cowardly voice that the sacred tree has weakened!" The old men said with full energy, "If you want to live, then stand up! Even just praying to the sacred tree is better than being dazed!"

"Will Master Shenshu become stronger if this continues?"

"How would I know? But now is the time for the survival of the city-state, it's worth a try!"

Thus, the tiny voices of confusion were surrounded and assimilated by the vast chorus of solidarity. Thoughts shifted unconsciously, with Parriman's death and the instinct for survival becoming the most direct driving force. Ironically, at this critical juncture, with the city about to fall, the people's hearts united as never before.

Their awakening was real. If it had come sooner, perhaps the city-state would have had a chance to recover. But now, war had broken out, and the gods had entered the battlefield.

Therefore, some things are irreversible and everything is still falling into the abyss.

·

At the Jingsha border, the otter editor suddenly gasped. The seal suddenly reared up and retreated to shore. It shouted to the front line, "Everyone, retreat to the city! The light poison is coming!"

Ji Huaisu had just engaged the bone dragon when she saw the illusory sea surface glow for some unknown reason. She watched as the water solidified, transforming into a sludge-like state. A murky light emanated from the mud, spreading in all directions, transforming the illusory sea wherever her eyes took her.

The commandos sent by the funeral procession were touched by the strange sea of ​​light before they could even formally engage. They gradually sank into the light, like victims sinking into an unseen swamp. Without a trace of resistance, without a trace of fear, the remaining skeletons melted away by the light.

Their "bodies" squirmed and swelled with bits of light and fire. Ji Huaisu saw with his own eyes vague shadows emerging from the light and drifting towards the sky with soft singing.

"Fuck, why do I feel a little..." She got goosebumps, "Looks a little familiar..."

"Hurry, hurry, hurry..." Vander screamed, "Run, fucking run! It's a god! The God of Destruction!!"

It looked so familiar, so familiar. The inexplicably shifting world, the faint sound of singing, even the sky itself had changed imperceptibly. The sky was ablaze with a brilliant radiance, auspicious clouds drifting in the light. Winged angels descended from the clouds, taking souls with them and floating them skyward.

Deep within the radiant clouds, there lay a magnificent and solemn throne. The deity sat peacefully on it, holding a lotus and chanting softly.

"The thousand-year journey of suffering will eventually come to an end. The compassionate light of heaven baptizes all living beings."

"The divine light cleanses evil, and one crosses the boundless sea of ​​suffering. The body is liberated and the mind is elevated, and one enjoys eternal peace."

She flung the lotus in her hand, and a sea of ​​light instantly spread, replacing the sea of ​​illusions. Rays of rosy light descended, falling into the eyes of all living things. The rules of the world shattered at this moment, and the endlessly expanding mind allowed the will of the gods to replace reality!

"The God's heart has turned."

"The Land of Eternal Bliss and Purity, the Land of Gospel!"

Ji Huaisu turned around and ran without saying a word. She controlled the dragon of disaster and gathered all her fighting power, flying towards the depths of the city regardless of anything.

She finally remembered the source of this sense of déjà vu: it was the exact same despairing experience. The chanting was the voice of a god; she had just witnessed the soul of another collapsed god.

This time, the god is no longer a reflection of Sephiroth 2, she is the collapsed god of Sephiroth 7 in its prime, and her will can burn the entire continent to ashes!

·

“Faster…faster!!”

In the deepest part of Mansa Star Castle, Old Jingsha stands on the altar.

The face behind him had faded almost to nothing, a mere scratch on his skin. His hands were raised high, muscles tensed, like a giant god holding up the sky in Earth mythology. His back bore an immeasurable weight, a microcosm of an entire nation.

The shadowy form resembled an illusory floating continent, with countless tiny figures scurrying across it. That was the very concept of the Jingsha city-state, a city-state that, even now, relied solely on Jingsha's power to soar into the sky. If Jingsha were to withdraw his power at this moment, the city-state would immediately lose its support and fall into the ocean.

The sea of ​​light gradually engulfed the city-state, and the pressure on Old Jingsha's back surged. If this continued, the city-state would be swallowed by the Gospel Nation before he could even reach his limit. But Old Jingsha was powerless to distract himself, as dozens of chains of filthy mud formed, tightly binding him to his back.

That was a magic spell cast by Wang Quan during the chaos. As long as the chain existed, Jingsha would be unable to take any real action.

Behind the thorny robe, thousands of pale blue spiritual energies tangled with the chains of mud. Velvet, staff in hand, stood amidst a sea of ​​millennium bugs, combining hundreds of thousands of them into various verification instruments, helping her decipher the curse of kingship layer by layer. The tips of her hair glowed a brilliant blue from the over-concentrated spiritual energy.

"Breakthrough on the 876th floor, current progress 96%... Estimated decryption completion in 1 minute and 34 seconds! Are you ready?"

"I can hold on for five seconds!" said another voice.

"Now, it's time to decide the outcome!" Old Jingsha roared, "Captain, you have one minute and 34 seconds!"

(End of this chapter)