Let's rewind to a short time ago, at the " Pink Fairy " milk tea shop in Cloud Stone Market.
Just as Xinghe and March 7th changed into their work clothes and were about to study how to make oatmeal porridge, Dan Heng ran in carrying Cloud-Piercer Spear.
"Something terrible has happened, everyone—" Dan Heng burst through the door, " Trinnon and Trianne have disappeared! They were last seen in..."
" Abyss of Fate!"
"Hey? What are they doing there?"
March 7th was startled by the commotion. Even the last remaining member of the Sanctum of Prophecy, Oronyx, had perished. He couldn't understand why Trinnon and the others had gone there.
And most importantly, Teacher Tribbie is still at the bubble tea shop! How could she not have invited her along...?
Hmm, it seems things are more serious than we thought!
There was no time to mourn the Nameless's special oatmeal porridge. Using Fulisina's " Gate of Myriad Paths," the group rushed to Janusapolis, the " Abyss of Fate."
"Sister Priestess, aren't you coming along?"
Looking at Fulisina, who was still enjoying her delicious milk tea, March 7th felt that the sense of security brought by the " Eternity " Emanator was still too strong.
"Endless shackles... bind me..."
Xing's eyes were half-moon shaped; she had just been helping her restrain the black-robed swordsman not long ago, how could she change her attitude so suddenly?
However... this slightly melodramatic statement contains a lot of information! The priestess isn't interested in the black-robed swordsman, which means he's not the " Lord Ravager "!
There's only one truth: the black-robed swordsman is Amphoreus!
Now, Janusapolis, the " Abyss of Fate "
Inside the Sanctum of Prophecy, Star General, with his mimicry baseball bat slung over his shoulder, watched Flame Reaver with great interest.
Blessed with " Eternity " and " Flipping Coin," she arrived here much faster than others.
"Step back. Or die."
As soon as the Flame Reaver finished speaking, his figure vanished from before Xing's eyes.
Xing sneered, then delivered a precise backhand block, using her baseball bat to deflect the Flame Reaver's attempt to sneak up from behind. A blinding surge of energy erupted at the point where the blade and bat clashed.
The massive impact sent Xing staggering back several steps, her boots scraping two shallow marks on the temple floor tiles, but her smile only widened, "Wow~ You're way more exciting than those Voidranger of the ' Antimatter Legion '!"
The Flame Reaver sighed inwardly. He deliberately chose a non-lethal spot for his attack, and suppressed the force to the edge of what an ordinary Pathstrider use, but Xing's combat intuition and reaction speed still exceeded his expectations.
His figure vanished again, flickering like a ghost in various places such as the temple dome, the shadow of the giant pillars, and behind the altar.
Each appearance was accompanied by a condensed, almost tangible point of light from a dark, ethereal beam, shooting towards the star from an extremely tricky angle.
Dozens of afterimages of Flame Reaver seemed to appear simultaneously within the temple, their starlight weaving into a deadly net.
Xing did not choose to pursue, which would also consume a great deal of space. " Teacher Ye Yan said—" she shouted loudly, and slammed the bat into the ground:
"To deal with players who can teleport, you need to use lock-on skills to relentlessly attack them!"
Buzz!
The mimic baseball bat disintegrated into dozens of metal fragments entwined with azure star trails, like a swarm of living bees, trailing shimmering contrails as they shot toward the coordinates of each of the Flame Reaver's flashes!
"Haha~ This is the power of ' Eternity ' and ' The Hunt '!"
Automatic tracking, relentless pursuit!
"Tsk." A barely audible sigh came from under the Flame Reaver's hood, and he was forced to increase the frequency of his movements.
The " Gate of Myriad Paths " opened and closed, its eerie light shimmering. He seemed to be traversing a torrential rain, dodging every stray fragment that tried to track him.
The fragments collided with the spatial ripples left behind after he disappeared, exploding into bursts of energy fireworks that illuminated the temple in a bizarre and surreal way.
With his amazing dynamic vision and anticipation, Xing managed to block the fragmented attacks by swinging the re-formed bat body during the gaps in the attack.
The battle reached a high-speed stalemate. Trinnon and Trianne hid behind a huge broken stone pillar, watching in a daze.
"Go for it, Little Little Grey!" Trianne clenched her little fist and shouted to Xing.
"Um... shouldn't we leave here first?"
"Oh yeah..."
The intense attack and defense within the Sanctum of Prophecy lasted for several minutes... This was already a huge burden for Xing, whose breathing became slightly rapid and sweat appeared on his forehead.
For the Flame Reaver, this level of 'performance' should have been a piece of cake.
But at this moment, his brows furrowed slightly beneath his mask, and his gaze turned to the outer perimeter of the temple.
Several familiar and lively auras, like pebbles thrown into calm water, clearly penetrated the thick Bulwark of the temple and entered his domain.
First and foremost... was the unwavering power of the Scions of the Dragon, as deep and unyielding as the ocean. Dan Heng gripped the Cloud-Piercer Spear, waiting for the star within to give a signal.
The Flame Reaver made a swift decision. Continuing to entangle them was pointless, and the risk of exposing his identity had to be avoided.
What goes around comes around. Just as Xing seized upon a fleeting opening in his " Gate of Myriad Paths," and the baseball bat was about to slam into his shoulder—
The crescent-shaped ritual sword in the Flame Reaver's hand emitted a dazzling light as he feinted.
boom--!
Xing's swing was abruptly halted, as if he had been sealed in amber for millions of years, and his mind went blank for a moment.
The pursuing fragments of the baseball bat seemed to have hit an invisible Bulwark, flying back with mournful cries.
Taking advantage of this brief suppression, the Flame Reaver's figure completely blurred and disappeared from sight.
"Don't even think about running away!"
Xing broke free from his stagnation, roared, and hurled his bat with all his might, transforming it into a blue meteor that tore through space!
However, it was ultimately too late.
The Flame Reaver vanished without a trace, leaving only a few wisps of dust drifting away.
" Trinnon! Trianne! Xing--!"
Accompanied by the energetic yet anxious shouts of March 7th, several figures rushed into the temple gate like the wind.
"Are you alright?" Tribbie spotted Trinnon and Trianne supporting each other behind the pillar and immediately rushed over.
Xing withdrew her gaze from the dome, glanced at the empty crack, and curled her lip:
"You run fast..."
The group helped each other out of the temple, still on guard against the Flame Reaver had already fled.
"Where is that swordsman in black robes?" Trinnon asked in a panic.
"... Damn it! It really was that guy." Phainon gritted his teeth. "We're still a step too late. That guy might be after the ' Years ' Core Flame!"
"The fact that the three of you are safe and sound is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. Gentlemen, we should set off immediately, splitting into two groups: one to stay behind in Abyss of Fate and join up with Aglaea's reinforcements to return safely to Okhema."
Phainon suggested, "The other team will follow me to hunt down the black-clad swordsman and retrieve the Core Flame."
Do you know what it's up to?
"I didn't have time to explain to the three of you before, but actually, Teacher Anaxa and I had long had concerns about the Black Tide and had already made some preparations. We can discuss the details on the way. Opportunities are fleeting, so we must seize the moment."
"Report! Phainon... Ah, everyone is here. I'm so glad you're all alright."
An Okhema scout rushed over and reported the situation to Phainon.
"Did Aglaea send someone?"
"Indeed! Lady Aglaea is already aware of the situation, and she even sent a message through someone—"
" Phainon, I understand that the swordsman means a great deal to you. But if you rush into action without a long-term strategy, you'll likely be the only one to lose your life in vain."
"... Of course. Hatred is the poison that kills heroes—I have no intention of fighting alone. If that swordsman is truly connected to the Black Tide, he is no opponent that the Chrysos Heirs can underestimate."
"I had planned to return to the Holy City to discuss strategy with Aglaea. This is a siege; we need more help."
"Let's stick to our previous division of labor. March 7th, Hyacine, and I will stay behind to meet up with the reinforcements, explain the situation to them, seal off the Abyss of Fate, and search for the black-robed swordsman."
"Teacher Dan Heng, can I come too?" March 7th stared blankly at Dan Heng.
"Yes," Dan Heng continued, " Phainon, take the rest of the people back to the Holy City and tell Aglaea about your plan."
" Trianne should stay in Abyss of Fate! Maybe we can find that bad guy through the ' World-Splitting Gate '!" Trianne raised her hand and volunteered.
" Trinnon will also stay in Abyss of Fate. That way, if there's any progress, the two sides can support each other."
"Please, everyone. Xing, Teacher Tribbie, let's go."