Mo Yuan gripped the shaft of the Lancer with both hands, and the Soul Power around him suddenly turned violent.
As he recited the Liberation Incantation, Soul Power rushed into the lance.
The black-and-white Abyss Flower shuddered. Its pitch-black blade and gleaming white shaft seemed to intertwine as the powers of life and death compressed at its tip.
In an instant, the power compressed at the tip erupted.
A pillar of pure white light shot skyward. Blinding radiance swallowed the battlefield, while an abyssal black current coiled around the pillar. Decay Power and Genesis Power became one.
The earth and sea split with spiderweb cracks beneath the shockwave. Air tore apart, and everything nearby disintegrated.
Mo Yuan showed no fear of Di Tian's surging dragon breath. He stepped forward and drove the Lancer straight at him.
With its First Power unleashed, the Holy Lance locked onto its target. Decay Power spread from its black blade, corroding the energy around it. Even the faintest traces of life broke apart under that strike.
Light burst outward, scattering countless petals like a white flower in bloom. Destructive power poured forth and tore the formidable dragon breath apart in a single blow.
Mo Yuan drew the lance back. The pillar of light slowly faded, its black and white returning to the weapon. Only the lingering shockwave remained.
"What?"
Di Tian's eyes widened. He had lost count of how many times Mo Yuan had shocked him today.
Every time he thought the human had reached his limit, Mo Yuan revealed a stronger power and shattered that assumption.
That strange lance in particular, with Decay Power winding around it, made even Di Tian unwilling to let it touch him.
"Well, Di Tian? Still want to try?"
Mo Yuan took a deep breath and leaned on the Abyss Flower to keep himself standing on the devastated beach.
His cultivation was still too low. Though he could recreate various Divine Keys, he struggled to draw out their true power.
Just now, using the Abyss Flower's First Power once had nearly drained his Soul Power. If he had not made a habit of storing rare metals in his Storage Soul Tool and using his Third Soul Skill to recover Soul Power quickly, he would already have collapsed.
Even so, his eyes remained bright. His mind worked fastest when the stakes were highest, and he knew he could not show the slightest sign of weakness now. Otherwise, everything he had done would be wasted.
"Hmph! Don't get cocky, human. You're only a Soul Elder. After using such a powerful Soul Skill, how much Soul Power could you have left?" Di Tian asked grimly.
"Heh. No need to worry about me, Beast God. If you want to know whether I can still fight, come find out."
Mo Yuan held out a hand, and Stellar Sea Harmony appeared in his palm, looking like a mechanical sphere.
"Stellar Sea Harmony, Zero Power..."
Soul Power surged toward Stellar Sea Harmony once more, and an invisible singularity appeared in his palm.
The space around it twisted sharply. Even the moonlight bent toward it and vanished, making it look like a pitch-black hole.
Seawater, sand, stones, and even the residual energy in the air poured into that black hole as though it could swallow everything.
"What is that?"
Di Tian beat his wings and instinctively flew upward. A nine-colored glimmer flashed across his right claw.
But a moment later, he checked himself.
Eyeing the Pseudo-Black Hole in Mo Yuan's palm warily, Di Tian said, "Is this really necessary? I might survive that attack, but you certainly won't."
"Afraid?" Mo Yuan asked with a sneer.
"Tch..." Di Tian gritted his teeth. He had been bested by a human today, but he did not dare gamble. His liege stood right beside that human, and the eerie thing in Mo Yuan's hand could definitely destroy space. If Di Tian refused to back down and the human lashed out in desperation, what then?
Besides, he was not sure the Dragon God's Claw could stop that attack. There was even less reason to take the risk.
With that thought, Di Tian transformed into his human form and landed opposite Mo Yuan, less than fifty meters away.
"Well, human? I've shown my sincerity. Shouldn't you sit down and talk now?"
Mo Yuan pretended to consider it, then dispelled the Pseudo-Black Hole in his hand.
It had only been a imitation of a Pseudo-Black Hole.
After all, unleashing the Abyss Flower's First Power had nearly consumed all his Soul Power. How could he possibly unleash Stellar Sea Harmony's Zero Power?
He had used Stellar Sea Harmony's Third Power, Singularity Reconstruction, to bluff Di Tian.
Though it was not entirely a bluff. Singularity Reconstruction was dangerous in its own right, and he could elevate it to a Pseudo-Black Hole at any time.
It would just cost him his life.
As for sacrificing his life, that hardly seemed unacceptable for a Herrscher of Reason, one of a group known for its fine tradition of "giving up their lives again and again."
Still, if he could stay alive, why would he choose to experience death?
Di Tian breathed a sigh of relief when Mo Yuan put that terrifying thing away. He fixed his gaze on him. "Well? What exactly do you want?"
Mo Yuan did not answer at once. He waved toward Na'er, and a silver light flashed from the Necklace around her neck.
The next moment, Na'er dropped out of the folded space and was transported in front of him.
He gently straightened her disheveled collar. Na'er could hold back no longer. She threw herself into his arms, tears streaming down her face and soaking his collar.
Mo Yuan took a deep breath and gently patted her back. Then he said quietly, "I know everyone has their own fate. Even if she didn't choose hers, she may still have no choice but to follow it."
Those words were meant for Na'er as much as Di Tian.
"I won't press you for answers. But remember this: she is no one's possession, nor is she something to be cast aside at will. She is Na'er, and she is my sister. I will never allow anyone to hurt her."
"I can guess some of what you're planning. I won't stop you from carrying it out, but I'll ensure Na'er's safety in my own way."
Mo Yuan gently eased Na'er away from his chest and wiped the tears from her cheeks with his fingers.
He opened his palm. A faintly illusory Black Feather appeared there.
The feather floated into Na'er's forehead.
Na'er blinked. She did not feel a thing.
"The Necklace I gave you can do more than that. It also has Soul-Conducting Communication built in. Whenever you miss me, just think of me, and you can talk to me. As long as I'm free, of course."
Na'er clutched the Necklace and nodded firmly.
With that done, Mo Yuan looked up at Di Tian again.
"All right. I've said what I needed to say. You can go."
Di Tian gave him a surprised look, but after all that had been said, he went to Na'er's side. A Spatial Passage opened beside him.
"Being apart for a while doesn't mean goodbye forever. It means we'll have an even better reunion. Go on, Na'er."
"Mm! Brother, I'll miss you."
Na'er smiled sweetly and waved to Mo Yuan, then disappeared into the Spatial Passage.