Fear often stemmed from the unknown.
The abyss-like gaping maw that had suddenly appeared looked like some sort of creature. Where its eyes should have been were two enormous circular holes, and the sights within them were simply beyond description.
Even Leina, who had always been thick-nerved, could not help showing terror when facing this thing.
Her arm remained raised level. Because she was controlling the stellar drive into the Sun Core, her eyes shone with golden light. Fear spreading through her heart made her forget to dodge, leaving her only able to wait stiffly for the unknown disaster to arrive.
Hua Ying, who was responsible for protecting her, finally recovered from her immense shock. Though she had no idea what this thing before them was, the extremely hostile aura it gave off told her that nothing good would happen if they remained where they were.
Her thoughts raced. She could no longer worry about anything else and reached out to seize Leina's arm, intending to pull her out of the maw's range of devouring. However...
Too fast!
The gaping maw closed far too quickly. Before Hua Ying could even beat her wings, it had already swallowed both her and the Light of the Sun.
Damn it—!
She looked toward Hua Zhen in despair...
Father~
"Hmph—!"
Watching the gaping maw about to close, Hua Zhen let out a cold snort. He stretched out his left hand, and a golden sphere quickly appeared in his palm. With a soft pop, the golden sphere shattered.
Immediately afterward, Leina and Hua Ying inside the maw clearly saw through the narrowing gap that, as the sphere broke apart, a gray Qi Shield instantly spread outward. Everything around them lost its color in that instant, as though someone had pressed pause on the world. Even