Phantom Pain of Days Past

The tentacles broke off.

Cuixisi's Clinking Power is no longer present.

Unable to draw upon the infinite mystical elements of the River of Origin, Cuixisi is now nothing more than a powerful monster; though still formidable, she is no longer invincible.

The Aberrant Dragon roared and howled, flapping its tattered wings as it swooped down.

Kang De pointed, and space shifted, releasing another meteor. Faced with this unstoppable flying fire, Cuixisi spun around and chose to retreat. He had lost his infinite energy and dared not use such a luxurious light spear to meet the attack again... Moreover, Kang De had already taught him a lesson enough.

The meteor streaked through the sky at incredible speed, crashing into the dome of the sky. The earth shook violently, rocks collided and exploded, and large chunks of rock tumbled and slid into the Purple River, creating a spray of water.

Amidst this deafening roar, flames erupted from his battle suit as Kang De Phase Gate, unleashing a barrage of fire to halt Cuixisi's advance. "Don't let him touch the river!"

We can't let that bastard restart the cheat program.

The silver dragon roared and swooped down, while A Xing's figure leaped among the falling rocks like a soaring Flame, each closing in on Cuixisi, who was eager to reconnect with the Spirit River.

Above the Purple River, where shockwaves surged and rocks pierced the air, the intensity of the fierce battle intensified. The Aberrant Dragon wielded its whip-like blades and engaged in a fierce close-quarters combat with A Xing and Lily.

The disgusting, ugly whip-like lashes, covered in barbs and bone spurs, whipped through the air with sonic Warhammer, clashing with the gauntlet and warhammer. The battle was evenly matched. Cuixisi was strong, but she had only recently acquired her body and energy, while the Dragon Girl and A Xing were masters of close combat, more than capable of handling this fast-paced fighting.

The roar of smoothbore cannons echoed from below.

Flames erupted from the firepower fortress of the White Mist World, fin-piercing missiles bombarded the area, and arrow-shaped projectiles continuously struck Cuixisi's energy shield, diverting and weakening the Aberrant Dragon's attention from the side.

The enhanced dynamic vision brought about by the physical strengthening of the Black Beast Crystal, the acceleration of the divine power of time, and even the Extraction of powerful elves during the Goth-Moon War —these improvements are enough for Kang De to see clearly the movements of A Xing and Lily. The divine power of space has given him unparalleled spatial perception. Now, Kang De has all the qualities to become a top sniper, except that his weapon is a tank cannon.

Once the target was locked and the firepower was predicted, Horus, with his mind in perfect harmony, reacted instantly with electromagnetic signals and fired his cannon. With the support of advanced fire control systems, the accuracy of modern tank cannons far surpasses that of sniper rifles. Even when the Dragon Girl and the A Xing engaged Cuixisi in a close-quarters rapid-fire battle, Kang De was still able to accurately and safely hit Cuixisi with his fin-piercing bullets.

After all, this armor-piercing projectile is essentially a crossbow bolt, relying on kinetic energy rather than explosive fragments to cause damage.

The violent impact shook the already crumbling shield, and the powerful kinetic energy continuously hindered the Aberrant Dragon's downward momentum. A Xing and Lily's offensive became increasingly urgent, and the tactical objective at this stage was clear.

That is to continue to deplete and weaken Cuixisi's power as much as possible.

Then banish it to the White Mist World!

As long as we can push this guy into the White Mist Space, victory will be assured.

After a brief struggle, Cuixisi also came to his senses. He understood Kang De's plan and realized that the current situation was tricky. For him, the key to reversing the disadvantage was also very simple.

That is to re-establish the connection with the River of Origin.

Once he regains that inexhaustible source of divine power, he can rebuild his advantage.

Upon realizing this, the Aberrant Dragon roared and withdrew all its attacks. It even abandoned the repair of its body, using all the mutated power within it to create a shield, facing Kang De's barrage of fire, ignoring the relentless pursuit of A Xing and Lily, and plummeting downwards!

Kang De shouted, "Get out of the way!"

A Xing and Lily immediately retreated, and another fireball broke free from spatial constraints, its surging kinetic energy suddenly erupting as it struck Cuixisi.

The dragon flapped its wings to dodge, mysterious elements flowing on their own. Sensing the unstoppable attack coming towards it, distorted power accumulated from its side, then a sonic boom erupted, shaking the air. The recoil propelled the massive dragon body to the side. Cuixisi spread its four wings and suddenly changed direction, accelerating!

--Damn, this works!

The silver dragon pursued relentlessly from the sky, while Kang De intercepted it from below. The fiery meteor struck the dome once more, sending debris flying and threatening an even greater collapse.

Abandoning all attacks and self-repair, and focusing all her energy on her shield, Cuixisi braved the onslaught of the storm, letting the armor-piercing rods pierce her body and tear her flesh apart, stubbornly breaking through Kang De's repeated barrages, getting closer and closer to the Purple River below.

The shield trembled precariously, flickering unpredictably. Lily's attacks intensified, Cuixisi's body continuously exploding, purple liquid splattering everywhere—a bloody and gruesome sight. The Aberrant Dragon roared furiously, "You cannot stop me! This is the prophecy of the Dragon God; greatness will be entrusted to great hands. I will make the dragon race once again..."

In a flash, he saw Kang De appear below him.

It stood between itself and the River of Origin.

"Go to hell!"

The mysterious elements within its body were constantly being depleted, desperately needing replenishment. This near-starvation-like hunger drove Cuixisi to madness. Its mind and eyes were filled with the River of Origin; it yearned to return there, to draw upon that great power, to reshape its body, regain its divine strength, to vanquish all enemies, to offer Lily on the altar, to complete the prophecy and ritual, and to release the seeds left behind by the ancients...

Obsession, madness, depravity, distortion—it roared with hatred.

Without a second thought, he lunged at Kang De.

Kang De stretched out his hand, and the Dragon God Power tore through space.

The Phase Gate unfolded like a vortex.

"Go inside!"

The mystical element, sensing the terrifying opening of the portal to the other side, reacted swiftly, as if in their first encounter. The unleashed mystical energy ignited the airflow, blowing out a violent breath that formed an energy wave as dense as iron, blocking the frame of the Phase Gate.

Before she could even move, Lily gathered power in her right fist, and the sealed mysterious elements surged into her glove, descending from the sky with the force of wind and thunder. "Get down!"

The swift bombardment collided with the energy shield, the kinetic energy was transferred, and the unparalleled power was transmitted to the mutated dragon's body, causing Cuixisi's body to suddenly sink—but it wasn't enough! It only penetrated a little bit into her chest and abdomen!

Kang De shouted sternly, "A Xing!"

A response came from above the earth's dome.

The towering dome of this underground world was already teetering on the brink of collapse after being bombarded by Kang De's two meteors. Its structure was severely damaged. A Xing held the Warhammer upside down, his body spinning violently in the air. The powerful centrifugal force, along with his innate divine strength, suddenly blasted out, breaking through the surface and blasting the dome apart!

Huge rocks and boulders crashed down with a deafening roar.

Guided by A Xing in mid-air, it changed direction and crashed down with the force of a landslide.

The energy shield dimmed again, Aberrant Dragon roared in pain as another portion of it was forced into the White Mist World.

But that's not enough.

Closing the spatial gate at this moment would only be enough to scrape off a small part of his body, probably not enough to kill him. Once the gate is closed, Cuixisi can easily escape and immediately disappear into the Purple River, rendering all her previous efforts futile.

Kang De shouted sternly, "Again!"

Without him saying a word, A Xing and Lily each mustered all their strength and began to furiously bombard Cuixisi's back.

The massive rock was deflected and flew into the Purple River, splashing up a thunderous wave. Countless mysterious liquid elements sprayed out, scattering everywhere. They were deflected by the air currents created by A Xing and Lily, blown away by the air waves from the vector nozzles of the battle suit, and also landed on Cuixisi.

The Aberrant Dragon greedily absorbed this power as if it were a life-giving rain. Its precarious energy shield shone brighter, and its repulsive force against the Phase Gate gradually increased.

"Father!" Horus said in a deep voice, "It has been replenished!!"

Even new, tiny tentacles grew on the Aberrant Dragon's body, stirring restlessly, attempting to bypass the Phase Gate and reach down into the Purple River below.

Kang De gritted his teeth as the mysterious elements' repulsion of the Phase Gate became a protracted battle. His spatial divine power was operating at full capacity, deepening his connection with the White Mist World. This external repulsion also placed a huge burden on his mind. And the bad news didn't stop there. In this arm-wrestling match, Cuixisi was gradually turning the tide.

The reason it hasn't been banished to the White Mist World yet is because the mysterious elements within it are holding it up.

Since that's the case...

The Fire Thief endured the violent turmoil in his soul, forcibly diverting his spiritual power, thread by thread, through the Phase Gate to directly intercept and decompose the unknown substance from the Purple River.

First, Cuixisi must not be allowed to continue absorbing these splashed mystical elements.

Analysis and Extraction —the process was extremely smooth, just like always.

The difference is that the previously Extraction mystical elements had already been absorbed and fused by Cuixisi, while this time the mystical elements are the purest substances flowing in the River of Origin.

It has not yet been Aberrant Dragon.

The next moment, countless fragments of his mind exploded rapidly in Kang De's mind.

In an instant, the flow of information surged and churned, and countless fragments of memories appeared in my mind.

This is Extraction.

Extraction not only the essential Element, but also Extraction of the soul.

Rays of light from bygone days shimmered in the sea of souls, the swirling fragments like ancient photographs, snapshots of fleeting memories.

A dried-up ocean, a cracked earth, nearby Stellaris, and a dark, terrifying eye in the sky. The sun's light fades, eternal night descends, countless lives are destroyed, and forests are swallowed by surging tides. In this dark and hopeless world of collapse, an enlightened being rises against the tide, attempting to rekindle the flame of Civilization.

Among those massive fragments of souls, the most numerous were the images of that person.

Those who raise their banners call for the extraordinary to reunite under their flags, to rebuild morality and sacrifice.

Those Light Bearer.

She was the person Kang De saw in his Space-Time Flashback.

This time, Kang De saw her face clearly.

His soul trembled violently, and Kang De wore an expression of disbelief.

"A Xing!"

Extreme shock distracted him, and at the same time, the mental pressure from Extraction the soul fragments reached its peak, making it difficult for the Phase Gate to operate!

In an instant, the portal shattered, turning into fragments that closed shut. Cuixisi let out a painful roar as a small section of her chest and abdomen was instantly severed by the rapidly closing spatial laws, causing a large amount of purple blood to gush out!

However, the Aberrant Dragon was not alarmed but delighted, as everything was just as Akatum had predicted!

It looked down at Kang De, whose face showed pain, and roared, "Die!"

The sharp claws pressed down fiercely, and eight whip-like chains converged and stabbed from all sides.

Horus retreated rapidly as his suit emitted a burst of light, but without needing to resist the Phase Gate, Cuixisi's pressure lessened considerably. She then focused her power on a surprise attack, moving with incredible speed, and in an instant, she was already close to Kang De's chest and abdomen!

At the critical moment, Lily flashed in front of Kang De, blocking the claw attack with her powered iron fist, while eight whip-like chains stabbed from all directions, the breath of death close at hand.

A fierce glint flashed in the Dragon Girl's eyes.

Her body jerked violently, and immense power erupted from a single point. The restraints on her chest armor shattered, and the mysterious energy contained within surged into her heart like a torrent!

A blazing purple light flashed from her eyes as Lily threw a punch. The air vibrated violently, and the eight whip chains were blasted outwards by the shockwave. The power of this punch far surpassed that of the past!

Cuixisi was first startled, then her face lit up with ecstatic joy.

"By the Dragon God!" he exclaimed with elation, "You have received the Dragon God's blessing! Lily! I knew it!"

The Dragon Girl had already transformed into her dragon form, grabbing Kang De and flying backward. Cuixisi, having even forgotten to return to the River of Origin to repair her body, gave chase without a word: "Don't run!"

With its four wings flapping and whips whipping, Cuixisi roared, spewing venomous breath, "You cannot defy your fate! Lily! Kill that human, and we..."

The silver dragon roared, "A Xing!"

A Xing used the rock wall as leverage from the side to charge forward like a cannonball, aiming at Cuixisi's flank in an attempt to disrupt her rearguard action. However, Cuixisi ignored her attempts to distract her, letting her attacks bombard her shield, her entire attention focused on Lily and Kang De.

Insufficient attack power.

Without hesitation, A Xing shattered the restraints inside the armor.

The mysterious elements, purified and rendered harmless by Kang De, surged into his body.

The next moment, a bright light shone from her chest, then spread throughout her entire body. The intense light enveloped her body in a dense stream of light, and intense pain ravaged her soul. This was the phantom pain of the past, sealed away, ancient, forgotten, and engraved. Indescribable sorrow, despair, and joy exploded in her heart, and countless fragments were unlocked from the sealed seal, filling her entire soul.

A Xing suddenly covered his head.

In her intense agony, she saw Kang De being carried away by the silver dragon, hiding from everyone.

"Kang De..."

"Kang De..."

The figure, real or imagined, inexplicable, seems to exist in my distant memory, until two years ago, until today, forever and ever.

Despite the excruciating pain, the A Xing charged toward Cuixisi, who was pursuing Kang De.

Cuixisi turned her head abruptly, exclaiming in surprise, "You...!"

Two waves of light formed from mysterious elements clashed fiercely, with dazzling purple light dancing wildly and shockwaves exploding.

Suppressing the soul-crushing pain, Kang De looked at the bursting purple light. He saw the light dissipate, and A Xing's body fluttered down like a kite with a broken string, falling into the River of Origin.

Then it vanished without a trace, leaving not a ripple.

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PS1: Update... Do I need to repeat what I said in the previous chapters? (Expressionless)