She constructed an independent barrier.
To prevent the decisive battle between Lu Duo and Galio from endangering the ordinary residents, Lilis established the duel grounds in a sparsely populated area south of Huyin Town.
The final battle would take place within the barrier, and this barrier only allowed the duel representatives from both sides to enter.
At the same time, she also arranged a special spell to project the images from inside the barrier onto a screen in the central square. Originally, the scenes inside the barrier could not be directly observed from the outside, but as the barrier’s creator, Lilis could achieve a broadcast through her spell. Thus, a large number of townspeople gathered in the square, nervously watching the battle on the screen.
The rules of the duel were extremely simple—when the representative of one side died, the duel would end. Even if the other side subsequently died from severe injuries, the victory would still be valid. In other words, the side that died first was judged the loser.
To ensure the outcome could be determined, Lilis gave Lu Duo a divine artifact capable of “imposing a restraint.”
The mutual destruction ritual Lu Duo originally planned to use would cause both sides to die simultaneously, making it impossible to determine a winner. The function of this artifact was to impose an additional restriction during the ritual.
Once the restraint was imposed, a curse would be born within the core of Lu Duo’s ritual.
Similar to the golden magical puppet Wei Yang had once seen in the garden, this curse would first attack its ritual target, Galio, slaying her, before then turning on its summoner—Lu Duo.
Lilis’s plan was clear—as long as White Dragon died first, they would win.
***
June 20th, 11:58 AM
The two duel representatives entered the barrier.
Inside the barrier, Lu Duo’s expression was resolute.
‘Lady Wei Yang, I will win.’
A few days ago, in order to survive, she had prayed to the gods of the outside world, but there was no response. In the end, in near despair, she prayed to an evil god named “Da E,” and everything changed.
The envoy Wei Yang came to her side, and her life returned to an ordinary semblance of having her mother’s company. She began to hold expectations for the future.
If she could just keep living, could this life continue forever?
But that was ultimately just a fleeting illusion.
She could no longer turn back.
***
11:59 AM
Lu Duo formed hand seals, focused her mind, and magical power slowly rose from her shoulders.
RESTRAINT SPELL: PURIFICATION
Along with a low chant, immense magical power surged from within her.
DESCEND—
Galio noticed her actions but did not intervene.
The official start time for the battle was noon. Preparations of this level did not cross the line, and he did not care.
I SUMMON BY CONTRACT THE GHOST GOD FROM THE OTHER SHORE—JIDU
Countless twisted forms surged from the shadows, and pitch-black magical power was fully released.
JIDU
The ghost god Jidu fully manifested.
***
June 20th, 12:00 PM
The most ominous humanoid apparition, steeped in shadow, descended within the barrier.
“Good luck, Sun Dragon… I’ll be watching from behind.”
Leaving these final words, Lu Duo sank into the viscous shadows, entering a state akin to suspended animation.
As long as Jidu slew Galio, she would also die when the ritual ended. But since Galio would die first, victory would belong to the Huyin Town side.
Galio silently watched the ghost god before him, slowly removing the divine artifact from his face—the “Veil of Obscured Sight.” After casually discarding this limiter to the side, his clear and majestic golden pupils, belonging to the dragon race, were revealed.
HALT
Before Jidu could act, the dragon’s word of power was already invoked.
Jidu was instantly fixed in place, unable to move.
Galio opened his mouth, and blazing flames condensed. A breath reaching two hundred thousand degrees Celsius instantly incinerated Jidu’s upper body.
Faced with an attack of this level, Jidu’s body should have been unable to withstand it.
Galio lowered his head slightly, his tone indifferent:
“It’s over.”
However—
In the next instant, the ghost god’s body completely regenerated.
As a curse born from restraint, Jidu was almost unaffected by conventional attacks. Unless it was a force of a specific nature, it could not cause substantial damage.
It was like an indestructible puppet; once manifested into the world, it would pursue its target relentlessly until death.
Galio quickly understood this.
“Then let’s continue.”
Just as he prepared to invoke his word of power again, Jidu suddenly vanished from the spot.
The next moment, a miniature black hole materialized out of thin air, swallowing Galio.
BOOM!!!
The black hole rapidly collapsed after devouring its target, nearly tearing apart the space within the entire barrier.
In the central square, Lilis and the townspeople watching through the screen were elated.
However, as the dust settled—
Galio stood unharmed in his original spot, even holding Jidu’s severed head in his hand.
“H-how… how is that possible? An attack of that magnitude was completely ineffective!?”
A nun beside her hurriedly tried to comfort Lilis:
“It’s fine! No matter how strong Sun Dragon is, he cannot completely destroy Jidu. As long as we drag it out, once his magical power is exhausted, we will definitely win!”
“…I hope so.”
Shadows surged again, serpentine tongues of darkness coiled around Galio, hurling him high into the air.
Jidu’s ability was not limited to regeneration.
As a ghost god, it would constantly adapt and evolve according to its opponent, even actively seeking methods that could effectively kill them.
Since the black hole was ineffective, it changed its attack method.
However—
Galio unleashed his blazing dragon’s breath once more.
The same high-temperature blast struck Jidu head-on.
But just like before, it remained completely unscathed.
“Boring.”
Magical power trembled.
With just a light wave of his hand, Galio’s scattered draconic aura crushed Jidu into powder once again.
In front of the screen, Lilis clenched her hands tightly. Even knowing Jidu could not be truly destroyed, White Dragon’s power was still terrifying.
Sure enough, Jidu completed its rebirth and evolution once more.
HALT
The word of power was invoked again.
But this time, it was Galio who was fixed in place.
Jidu’s evolution was not a slow accumulation, but a leap-like metamorphosis.
Shadows spread and expanded, and a massive eight-grip sword covered in serpentine patterns emerged from within. Jidu used its serpent tail to grip the sword’s hilt, advancing toward the immobilized Galio.
This sword strike would ignore all hardness and defense.
As long as it existed in this world, no matter what it was, it would be severed.
Jidu raised the eight-grip sword, and the slash fell—
Sssshhhh.
Feathers drifted down, sunlight shone brilliantly, and particles of magical power dissipated in the air.
“How… is this possible!?”
Lilis’s veins bulged.
Within the screen, inside the barrier where no one should have been able to enter, a second figure appeared.
That person, at a speed no one could react to, instantly annihilated Jidu.
***
12:01 PM
The mutual destruction curse ritual was forcibly interrupted.