Chapter 116 : The Threads of a God

Solaris had waited a very long time for this day.

She would kill Lu Mo here, kill that rebel, that dissenter.

She would make Cecilia complete the sacrifice, and make the Saintess fully unleash the divine artifact’s power at the cost of her life.

She would enter the deepest part of the Demon King’s throne, and point the Slayer at the Demon King.

She would ultimately kill the Demon King.

She would ultimately stand at the pinnacle of The Holy Sanctuary, and even of the entire human race, in the future.

She would be immortal.

She would… leave her name for ten thousand generations!

***

She stood before Lu Mo, an aura of God-blood and holy power radiating out from her.

She held the divine sword capable of slaughtering everything, golden divine patterns flowing in the depths of her eyes as she coldly stared at Lu Mo within the cage.

It was as if Lu Mo’s life and death now rested solely on her whim.

And she, it seemed, had in this moment become…

A being close to a god.

“Demonkin Lu Mo… do you admit your crimes?”

Solaris faced Lu Mo, her voice cold as the divine pressure completely enveloped the girl.

Lu Mo said nothing, merely looking at her calmly.

“Nothing to say?”

“No matter… your answer is not important. Slayer will execute you, erase every trace of your existence from this world—”

“This is, the Slaughter.”

Solaris declared solemnly, uttering the divine artifact’s true name.

“And Cecilia, after this, you should be prepared for the sacrifice.”

She then quickly spoke to Cecilia, who was beside them, furious to the extreme.

She didn’t even glance back at the Saintess.

Seeing this, Cecilia grew even more enraged, trembling with anger.

“Solaris, you’re dreaming!”

“Slandering Miss Lu Mo, killing teammates within the Demon King’s throne…”

“You are utterly unworthy of being a Hero!”

“I’d rather die than offer a sacrifice to someone like you!!!”

At that moment, she suddenly took a dagger from her spatial ring and pressed it against her own neck.

“!”

Lu Mo recognized that dagger.

It was something she had given Cecilia for self-defense.

It contained a single Heaven-Defying Realm sword technique. Once activated, it could instantly inflict heavy damage, even kill—

Solaris.

But now that Solaris had stepped into the Heaven-Defying Realm and mastered the Slayer, this single technique could hardly cause her much harm.

Yet, this technique could instantly annihilate Cecilia’s soul and body completely.

“Release Miss Lu Mo.”

Cecilia looked at Solaris, her gaze resolute, her tone icy:

“Otherwise, I will end my life here, and you won’t get even a shred of sacrifice from me!!”

When she was little, she had been very afraid of death.

Because if she died, there would be nothing left, she would never see Lu Mo again.

But now, she suddenly wasn’t afraid of death at all.

Because to her…

Lu Mo was more important than her own life.

In her view, her own life was the only bargaining chip she had to negotiate with Solaris now.

“Hah… hahahaha…”

But at that moment, Solaris suddenly laughed.

Cecilia spoke coldly, “Solaris, you—”

“Does your opinion matter?”

Solaris interrupted her.

“You are a Saintess. Saintesses exist only to be sacrificed. Your opinions do not matter.”

“You… should not possess your own will.”

“You… should not defy the Hero, defy the gods!”

Cecilia’s eyes grew even colder.

But just as she was about to retort—

Solaris suddenly turned around, pointing the Slayer at her.

At that very moment, a sudden change… occurred!

Divine power rippled out, surging upwards.

It seemed to trigger something at the far end of the sky.

The sky above their heads seemed to twist faintly.

Then, a heavenly light suddenly spilled down from that distorted space.

Like… a single ray of sunlight breaking through a gloomy sky.

The heavenly light fell upon Cecilia.

Illuminating her.

And also illuminating…

That faint, intangible thread that existed behind her!

“!”

Lu Mo’s eyes fixed fiercely on that thread at that moment.

She remembered that thread!

She could never forget that thread!

Many years ago, when Cecilia had cried in her arms, she had faintly sensed the existence of that thread!

And now, that thread had actually reappeared, triggered by the divine artifact!

What was that thread?

A thread of fate?

Or… a thread of a god?

“Now, prepare for the sacrifice.”

Solaris spoke indifferently. When she looked at Cecilia now, it was no longer like looking at a girl, but at a tool, a disposable item.

The patterns on the sword blade trembled.

A response came from the far end of the sky, and at that moment, it gave that thread a gentle tug.

“Ugh—”

Cecilia felt her entire being sink into a daze.

Intense light, sacred murmurs, appeared in her mind at that moment, completely suppressing her will!

“What… is this…”

She immediately tried to awaken the dagger’s power.

But her body also refused to obey her now.

She stood there dumbly.

As if she had completely turned into a puppet at that moment.

That thread… had completely taken control of her!

At the far end of the sky, that invisible hand plucked the thread behind her once more.

Her body, at this moment, was about to drop the dagger in her hand and actively begin the sacrificial ritual.

No…

I can’t…

I absolutely won’t…

Cecilia struggled with all her might, wanting to awaken the dagger’s power and end her life right now!

But she couldn’t.

That thread was becoming clearer, more substantial.

And she felt her consciousness growing fuzzier, her body feeling less and less like her own.

She felt her consciousness descending into chaos.

She wanted to save Lu Mo, to help Lu Mo now, to resolutely carry her will through to the end.

But this intense sense of control, this deep despair, was also awakening the memory from her childhood that she least wanted to face.

In that memory, she was weak and cowardly.

Present and past.

Strength and cowardice.

Two times, two personalities, constantly clashing within her chaotic consciousness.

“Miss… Lu Mo…”

She wanted to save Lu Mo, but she had also always depended on Lu Mo.

And in the end, it seemed she still hadn’t completely escaped her past.

As her consciousness was about to be completely suppressed, she seemed to return to the day the old man died, when loneliness and sorrow threatened to drown her like a dark tide.

Back then, she had run desperately.

Just to see the girl beyond the wall, the one who had given her warmth and love.

“Help me… Miss Lu Mo…”

Cecilia murmured instinctively.

It was the “magic” Lu Mo had told her about long ago.

Just call out, and Lu Mo would appear, driving away all those who bullied her.

“Lu Mo… help you?”

Solaris heard Cecilia’s murmur.

She suddenly felt like laughing.

Lu Mo is about to die, how can she help you?

Do you really think Lu Mo is omnipotent?

“It’s about time…”

Lu Mo’s voice rang out coldly at that moment.

From the start, she had been paying attention to the thread behind Cecilia.

And now, that thread seemed to have truly manifested in reality.

Perhaps… it was time.

“About time for what?”

“Is it time for you to go?”

Solaris turned her head, about to speak mockingly, but the next second, she froze in shock!

Because…

She saw that Lu Mo, at this moment, was actually walking towards the holy sword light that formed the cage.

The aura of the Heaven-Defying Realm spread out.

And at this moment… a profound darkness also slowly unfolded, centered on Lu Mo.

In that instant, it completely devoured the demonic aura belonging to the Duke’s token within the cage!

The girl looked up, her clear, cold eyes seeming to reveal an abyss!

“Lu Mo, you—”

Solaris felt her scalp go numb, suddenly sensing an extremely intense life-or-death crisis!

And in that instant, ultimate darkness erupted abruptly!

The cage formed of sword light shattered into pieces.

The girl, holding a sword of utter blackness, propelled by endless darkness.

Towards the enemy present, towards Solaris—

Towards that thread that could finally be touched…

She slashed!