"Comparing me to that thing, Zephyro? Once this battle is over, I'll tear you in half. I doubt Lord Nanook will mind."
Celenova wore a skintight combat suit, her pure white hair framing the face of a mature beauty.
Her purple eyes brimmed with destruction.
She had chosen this outfit specifically for her assault on the Luofu, naturally because it suited her fighting style.
After all, before setting out, she had already known that the Luofu had more than one Emanator.
And now, Zephyro's words had angered her.
The Lord Ravagers were even less harmonious than other Emanators. To Celenova, Zephyro's remarks were the equivalent of grinding her aesthetics of destruction into the dirt, then spitting on them and saying she had no mind of her own and could only imitate others.
"Heh. Come and try, if you have the guts, 'Vanguard General' who replaced Zhuluo."
Zephyro snorted, utterly unconcerned about Celenova.
Celenova was right. They were indeed Lord Ravagers, Emanators personally blessed by an Aeon. But precisely because they were Lord Ravagers, internal warfare was another way of practicing their own paths of destruction.
Thus, Nanook would never care whether they lived or died. Death was also an enactment of destruction; Nanook could simply create another Lord Ravager.
"Still, those insects with nothing but brains do have a little technical skill."
Zephyro looked down on everyone, including Iron Tomb, who championed the "collapse of wisdom." Yet even he had to admit now that intelligence had its uses.
Of course he knew what the Xianzhou Luofu possessed.
Avoiding detection, even for such a short time, was quite an accomplishment.
Still, it certainly did not fit his aesthetics of destruction.
If he had been alone, he would have charged straight in-by pushing a star toward the Luofu, for example, or igniting one nearby.
But this time, there were at least two Emanators aboard the Luofu, and one was an Emanator of [Elation] whom none of them wanted to fight. If that Emanator of [Remembrance] had not left, there would be three.
And if they were discovered ahead of time and the other Xianzhou ships sent reinforcements, there would be more than three Emanators.
If the Xianzhou were also allowed to prepare... Thus, even he had to make preparations, if only for the Imaginary Wall.
They were Lord Ravagers, not Lord Morons.
"Heh. Rather than believing those people have technical skill, I'd sooner believe the Aeon of [Elation] wants some entertainment."
Celenova had a different view. She had already worked it out on her way to the Luofu.
The Luofu's Diviner had a Divine Eye bestowed by Nous, along with the Matrix of Prescience. Celenova did not believe the creations of those insignificant schools could thwart the Luofu's Diviner's observations.
"It doesn't matter. If that Aeon wants entertainment, let them watch. We can make a guest appearance once in a while, too."
Arms folded, Zephyro sped toward the Luofu alongside Celenova.
"After all, our target this time is the Imaginary Wall. What could be more entertaining than Lord Ravagers setting their sights on the Imaginary Wall?" Qlipoth had blocked a strike from Nanook, so the Imaginary Wall must have been greatly weakened. But that was only in relative terms. If they placed the Imaginary Wall in the furnace, they could create warriors clad in armor made from it.
Nanook was no rigid, hidebound god.
The stronger the Antimatter Legion became, the more spectacular the destruction would be.
Most importantly, they could keep disgusting the factions of [Preservation] for a long time.
As long as their own devotion remained pure, that was enough.
Behind them, tens of thousands of Doomsday Beasts, Calamity's Vanguard, and nearly a million Voidrangers followed them through the jump.
This time, they had committed massive resources.
"If the Luofu's general has any brains..." Celenova's voice traveled through the imaginary energy.
Chapter 91: I Can Trust You, Right?
"They're here!" Inside the Seat of Divine Foresight, Lingchen suddenly raised his head. Aha had sent him a hint through his mask: if he defeated the Lord Ravagers using his own power, the Aeon would grant him more power from the Path.
The blessing of [Elation] Lingchen currently possessed was already powerful enough. What he needed was energy.
Although Aha also wanted to see how far Lingchen's own power had developed, the warning had indeed come at just the right moment.
After all, that was my plan, too.
An opportunity like this comes once in a blue moon, and I can even get Aha's power for free. Aha really has no dignity.
In Lingchen's eyes, a mask with constantly changing expressions danced atop a spinning crystal lotus.
"General, urgent news! The Diviner of the Divination Commission has sent word that the Lord Ravagers Celenova and Zephyro are leading tens of thousands of Doomsday Beasts, Calamity's Vanguard, and nearly a million Voidrangers toward the Luofu. They are expected to arrive in one system hour."
Qingzu also hurried up to Jing Yuan at that moment, panic written across her face.
Her earlier composure was gone.
Shortly before the two Lord Ravagers arrived, Fu Xuan had finally broken through the "instrument's" blockade for a brief moment, using the Divine Eye and the Matrix of Prescience to detect their whereabouts.
Aha had not put much effort into the blockade. After all, completely blocking everything would leave no entertainment.
More importantly, Lingchen would definitely get angry.
The information she divined left Fu Xuan breathless.
Using that as a starting point, Fu Xuan divined countless approaches. In the end, she discovered that only by pushing the Divine Eye and the Matrix of Prescience to their limits, contacting the Aeon of [The Hunt], and drawing down an arrow could they overcome this threat.
Such enormous numbers, and two of the Lord Ravagers most skilled in combat.
With so little time, the Luofu could no longer call on the other Xianzhou ships for help.
Fu Xuan could not imagine how the Luofu was supposed to face them.
"Chen..." Fu Xuan clenched her fists tightly and looked up at the simulated sky.
By then, the approaching, immense quantities of imaginary energy of [Destruction] had made it impossible to maintain the simulated sky. Only the ecological circulation system still functioned. When people looked up, all they saw was the fathomless depths of space.
[Don't worry, Xuanbao. Mere Lord Ravagers are nothing. Dealing with them will be as easy as reaching into my pocket.]
"Lord Diviner...!?" Qingque looked at Fu Xuan in slight panic, only to find her gazing up at the sky.
"Trust him, Qingque. He may be an Emanator of [Elation], but he has never lied to us, has he?" Despite saying that, Fu Xuan had already made her decision. If Lingchen could not defeat them, she would contact Lan of [The Hunt] directly to create a chance of survival for the Luofu-and for Lingchen.
Ultimately, they had only experienced Lingchen's power once, and he had almost entirely relied on the system to take shortcuts when absorbing the Imaginary Wall.
Moreover, Lingchen had never unleashed his power on her. He had only said how powerful he was and that Aha was interested in him. There had never been a real battle.
He had fought Feixiao once, confirming that his combat skills were excellent, but that had been a sparring match, not a fight to the death. Thus, Fu Xuan only knew that Lingchen was powerful; she could not determine exactly how powerful he was.
"Yes, I understand, Lord Diviner!" Qingque nodded firmly.
Though the surrounding diviners were panicking, seeing Fu Xuan and Qingque remain composed gradually calmed them as well.
"Send out a report. Contact
the Earth-Balance Commission and the Cloud Knights. Contact Jing Yuan and prepare for battle."
Fu Xuan swiftly made her decision.
There were simply too many residents aboard the Luofu to evacuate them within one system hour, and the Antimatter Legion's numbers were equally terrifying.
Whether they gathered the residents together or left them scattered, the casualties would be horrific.
Jing Yuan's Lightning-Lord was a divine spirit geared toward single-target combat. He could not possibly hold off so many enemies.
The number of Doomsday Beasts was terrifying as well.
Thus, keeping people scattered might result in fewer casualties than gathering them together.
"Lord Ravagers..." Yukong raised her head, sensing the imaginary energy suffused with savage violence in the void.
"They've had such a tremendous impact before even arriving. So these are the two Lord Ravagers most adept at combat."
The pilots were already prepared.
According to the news Fu Xuan had sent, the casualties in this battle might be enormous. There was even a risk that the Luofu would be destroyed.
But... "Lingchen, you said my past would never repeat itself. I can trust you, right?" Yukong also wanted to see what a miracle looked like.
The man Aha had taken an interest in! The Ten-Lords Commission had also made its preparations.
"Sister, do you think we'll survive this time?" Hanya and Xueyi were heading toward the Prison of Deep Seclusion.
At a moment like this, unrest could easily break out in the Prison of Deep Seclusion. They had to take precautions.
"Yes. I believe we will.
Not only that, the Luofu will survive as well."
Xueyi glanced at Hanya beside her.
"Though we have never met that Emanator of [Elation], the information from the Ten Lords cannot be wrong. If his strength did not exceed that of a single Emanator, the Ten Lords could not possibly have let the matter go."
"Mm, that's true. But this time, it's because of that Imaginary Wall, isn't it? Who would have thought it would draw in two Emanators?
The Ten Lords have their own intentions, too, but they're clearly still hesitating. This is an opportunity, though one built on the whole of the Luofu. If that Emanator of [Elation] isn't what he claims to be, I'm afraid all the Luofu's massive losses in the coming battle will be blamed on him. Even several layers of skin wouldn't be enough for them to strip away.
Ah, just thinking about all their twists and schemes makes me want to find a quieter job. Unfortunately..." Listening to Hanya chatter endlessly beside her, even Xueyi's puppet body showed a trace of a smile.
She thought about Lingchen's preferences, then looked at her younger sister.
If that man really succeeded, could she send her sister over to him as well?
After all, they had never met him even once. Perhaps Lingchen quite liked this gloomy type.
Chapter 92: Ready for Battle "They really came."
Topaz looked up at the sky. The savage aura of [Destruction] was spreading continuously. "This power..."
Topaz's expression grew grave as well.
It seemed they had misjudged the information.
"The Divination Commission sent a message, Topaz.
Looks like they've divined who's coming."
Aventurine smiled and opened his phone. But as he read, his gaze grew increasingly solemn, and even his carefree smile disappeared.
"What's wrong?" Topaz had only just reported the day's events.
The company had made its choice, but after learning that the Lord Ravagers might attack, this had become a genuine turning point.
Over the past few days, she had often spent time having fun with Lingchen. Naturally, Topaz had not uploaded that information. She had only uploaded her recent investments.
Topaz had her own dignity, too. She could upload Lingchen's hobbies and interests because that was work, but she did not want to treat the genuine feelings that had developed as work as well.
Even if those above her had that intention.
Thinking about it left Topaz somewhat helpless. That contract had effectively sold her to the company outright.
She had simply happened to meet several benefactors in succession, all of whom were decent people.
Within the company, there were people below P36 who took improper routes to promotion, as well as people forced to do all sorts of things by those with power over them. She had merely been lucky.
Thinking of it that way, Topaz actually felt a little fortunate.
"The Lord Ravagers Zephyro and Celenova are leading tens of thousands of Doomsday Beasts and Calamity's Vanguard.
Nearly a million Voidrangers are coming."
Aventurine read out the information the Divination Commission had sent to his phone.
With that many Doomsday Beasts, those two Lord Ravagers were absolutely determined to win.
Doomsday Beasts were forged by the Antimatter Legion using fragments of Dusk Beasts as their foundation and the anguish of countless remains in the Warforge as their catalyst.
The obsession of vengeful spirits became tangible hands, while shadows of bygone calamities condensed into tails that blotted out the heavens.
Doomsday Beasts imprisoned the wills of beings who had neither found peace nor perished completely. At their core was an engine powered by dark matter.
They were true weapons for destroying celestial bodies.
And their numbers this time... "Tens of thousands, nearly a million, and the two strongest fighters among the Lord Ravagers..." Topaz's face went a little pale.
With just one-tenth of the authority of an Emanator of [Preservation], Topaz already felt she had surpassed the vast majority of Pathstriders.
That was their greatest source of confidence as specialists in liquidating nonperforming assets.
Otherwise, how would they dare casually visit those civilizations to collect debts?
"Exactly. With these numbers, the Luofu's general definitely can't hold them off. Under normal circumstances, even two Emanators probably couldn't. Apart from the Emanators, this whole Luofu will probably have to say goodbye."
Aventurine shrugged. After his initial solemnity, he actually started smiling again.