Erza fired only one shot, but its power plunged the entire city into silence. Even the rioters and looters, seizing the chaos, were shuddering with fear at such an apocalyptic sight.
Watching the Legendary Ship in the sky unleash its terrifying firepower, everyone felt only one thing.
The heavens and the earth were crumbling!
"Kaz... Kaz... We can’t let him escape. If he isn’t dealt with, he’ll become an even bigger threat sooner or later."
Amidst the burning flames.
Qiong Yue’s voice grew weaker, filled with a deep attachment to the world.
"Don’t worry about me. After I die, you will be the new master of Erza. A Legendary Ship Master is among the highest ranks in the East Prosperity Imperial. You must always be careful, as both alien races and the empire will focus their attention on you." Qiong Yue’s voice was a faint whisper: "Kaz has taken most of the damage from the Annihilation Cannon, coupled with the backlash from the Demon God Beast when it died. He is now nothing but a spent arrow; find him and kill him!"
The sound of crackling.
Qiong Yue’s entire body transformed into clusters of blood-red flames, bursting in the air, in the silent hall only the crackling of fire could be heard.
Baiyu could see the silhouette amidst the flames.
Qiong Yue’s body continued to grow larger in the fire, fiery red feathers bursting from beneath her skin, her hands and feet becoming stiff, growing sharp claws.
Now Baiyu understood.
The layer of fire covering Qiong Yue’s body was a means to prevent her from completely mutating.
When her mutation completed, it would be the moment she was entirely consumed by fire. She had long planned her own end. Otherwise, if she completed the mutation, it would cause devastating damage to Linjiang.
"I am almost at my limit. Kaz and the Eye of the Black Moon have been severely injured by me, now the Simulation Realm is at its weakest, from here you must rely on yourself... the path of a Martial Artist, in the end, must be walked alone."
Qiong Yue used her vast Blood Qi, channeling it all into the Heart of the Dance in her hand. The entire Heart of the Dance began to tremble irregularly, with cracks appearing on it.
The Heart of the Dance is the key to open Erza’s heart.
The one in Baiyu’s hand is the backup.
The Heart of the Dance in Qiong Yue’s hand had already shattered, which also signified that the control of the Legendary Ship Ika Erza was officially transferred.
"Now, let me do one last thing for the whole of Linjiang."
Amid the surge of Blood Qi.
The Heart of the Dance suddenly fractured, then thousands of black barrels emerged from the body of Erza, aimed at the sky above Linjiang City, spewing fire wildly.
The colossal sounds of explosions and roaring erupted over the city.
A brilliant firework soared into the sky.
In the legendary Ship Master’s palace, the flames on Qiong Yue’s body finally surged up, consuming her from head to toe in an instant, leaving only a pile of black and white ash.
In the sky above Linjiang City.
The sky, which had been shrouded by the Simulation Realm for a full week, now fractured inch by inch, with cracks spreading, making the sky seem like a shattered mirror, teetering on the brink of collapse.
Qiong Yue used the last of her life force to open a breach in the Simulation Realm at its weakest.
Outside Linjiang City.
Yuwen Ba saw this breach, a complex expression on his face, a mixture of joy and sorrow.
Qiong Yue ultimately still died.
He didn’t waste time, letting out a long howl, Blood Qi surging from his body, like a mighty river, fiercely striking at the breach in the Simulation Realm over Linjiang City.
"Everyone, expand this breach for me, hurry!"
The prefect’s indisputable command spread out.
Even An Ruyi and Lin Qingsong, the two deans of the Martial Arts School, were now doing their best, demonstrating their True Martial Intent, and striking fiercely at the breach in the Simulation Realm.
The breach continued to widen.
And the Simulation Realm, like a leaking cup, could no longer maintain its enclosure over Linjiang under external forces.
Inside and outside the city.
Everyone who could understand the situation in the sky now felt a sense of surviving a disaster, and of course, they also held deep respect for Qiong Yue’s sacrifice.
"It’s over, the Abyssal Ascetic Association will be erased from history this time."
Somewhere in Linjiang City.
The quiet voice of the Oracle came, neither joyful nor sorrowful, and it was unclear what the expression beneath her mask was. She held a grotesque old man’s mask in her hand.
It belonged to the previously sacrificed "River Lord."
"Master, we didn’t retrieve the Eye of the Black Moon this time, regarding the Divine Court side..."
The surrounding people spoke in low tones.
The Oracle shook her head: "No matter, the Divine Court itself is relatively loose, everyone joined this organization for various reasons.
Failing the mission is just failing it.
The death of the River Lord affects the others in the Divine Court far more than mere mission failure. Initially, this mission, the River Lord and I were conveniently here, so we came over straight away, but what we didn’t expect was to enter the Divine Country of a primordial Divine Spirit.
This Kaz turned out to be someone significant as well.
You all disperse, none of your rewards will be cut."
The Oracle waved her hand.
The masked subordinates retreated one by one.
The Oracle took one last glance at the ever-expanding rift in the Simulation Realm, retracted her gaze, secured her mask tightly, and began to think about how to safely leave Linjiang.
Now that the Simulation Realm was breached, it meant the Abyssal Ascetic Association and Kaz’s plans had completely failed.
This matter should come to an end.
Although the Black Moon still hung in the sky, without the Eye of the Black Moon to guide it, it would soon dissipate. The successive waves of strong reinforcements from Maple Leaf County would firmly control this area.
It must be now to leave.
Otherwise, soon, it would indeed be impossible to leave.
Though the Divine Court has always maintained a low profile, it remains a mysterious organization, naturally resented by official forces.
Underneath the Golden Rainbow Academy.
Yang Jinhua opened the door to the safe house, sitting in the courtyard, quietly staring at the sky: "I didn’t expect Qiong Yue to be so decisive, but it’s always been her way."
Jiang Xi, Lan Ziyue, Qin Shou, Qianren, and a large group of Linjiang City’s students emerged one by one.
Their faces showed noticeable fatigue.
Some of the girls even had tear stains on their faces, quietly sobbing.
These were all outstanding students of Linjiang City, and at the moment the incident occurred, Qiong Jiu had arranged for Yang Jinhua to safeguard the students.
The safe house in the Golden Rainbow Academy was spacious enough to accommodate them all.
Not all of Yang Jinhua and the other school teachers could reach the Golden Rainbow Academy safely.
Many bid farewell to the world forever mid-journey.
"Teacher Li, on the way... stayed behind to stop the aberrant form to protect us."
"Sun Yiling died; I saw her swallowed by the aberrant form, I, my mind went blank at that moment."
"Feng Yuan aberrated a few days ago..."
A group of students, under the guidance of their psychological master, revealed the information they knew, detailing those confirmed dead, and those who were missing.
This process was exceedingly painful.
Many vibrant individuals suddenly turning into corpses, becoming aberrations, was something no one could accept.
"Every batch of students grows rapidly only after experiencing true life and death."
Yang Jinhua glanced at the despondent students behind him, then at the Legendary Ship in the sky, feeling slightly moved: "An old tree uses its last glow of life to shield saplings from harsh winds, merging its body into the soil upon death, allowing the saplings to grow robustly.
In this cycle, it continues to flourish into a forest.
The Human Race has been thriving in such cycles, advancing wave after wave, living incessantly..."