Golden light gathered before her palm, condensing into a constantly swirling sphere of energy. At the same time, the subspace lances surrounding her took on the same hue-the radiance unique to Taixu Sword Energy.
High above, the Herrscher of Sentience narrowed her eyes, her gaze piercing layers of smoke and dust to settle on that figure.
For a moment, time and space seemed to have fallen into disarray.
What she saw was no longer that inexperienced girl, but the stubborn, hidebound Old Antique of her memories, who had long since vanished.
That fleeting illusion made her heart skip a beat.
So that was it.
No, rather, she had always known subconsciously.
Though she refused to admit it in her heart, the truth lay before her: the being before her who possessed Taixu Sword Energy was certainly not herself.
The seed of doubt had quietly taken root in her heart.
Kiana focused all her attention, concentrating her thoughts to their utmost. "Divine Essence is the pinnacle of change..."
As the final thought locked into place in her mind, the golden radiance grew ever more dazzling, on the verge of its final eruption.
The mass of golden light in her palm abruptly burst, becoming an enormous sword that spanned heaven and earth.
Kiana snapped her eyes open, and her shout shattered the surrounding silence.
"Taixu Sword Energy: Divine Essence!"
The Herrscher of Sentience opposite her let out a piercing howl, her voice twisted by her utter refusal to accept defeat.
"How could I possibly lose to the likes of you?!"
A golden-red phoenix beat its wings and soared into the sky, colliding head-on with the golden divine weapon suspended in midair.
Boom!
The roaring continued without end, violent shock waves sweeping in all directions like a tsunami, wiping away every last