Chapter 100 : Knight, Hero

Nie Xu Gong had fallen.

And Lu Mo did not spare the remaining nine demons. Black thorns tore through space, instantly piercing their bodies and tearing them to pieces.

Every demon present had been completely annihilated.

In the mist, only the young girl remained in the end.

Lu Mo stood in place, slowly dispersing her Heaven-Defying power.

As the darkness and thorns faded, the black crown atop her head also gradually dissolved.

Yet, the aura of a demon still emanated from her.

Dark demonic energy clung to her wounds, continuously repairing her body.

“Human power and demonic power… has the balance finally been broken?”

Lu Mo murmured.

She had killed Nie Xu Gong.

But in doing so, she had also shattered the boundary within herself between human and demon.

The demonic portion of her power now held the upper hand.

She felt that the mist formed from demonic energy was no longer an obstacle for her, but had become a kind of aid.

The mist was even being actively absorbed by her bit by bit, becoming her power.

And as Lu Mo gained the recognition of the Sinful Emperor’s Armament and formed a connection with the Sword of Final Annihilation, her body was also resonating with the sword, radiating that terrifying and ominous aura.

It seemed she had truly stepped into an abyss from which there was no return!

She raised the hand holding the Sword of Final Annihilation.

At this moment, her arm had been corrupted.

Black patterns spread from her fingertips, creeping up her entire forearm.

They resembled intertwined thorns and blooming flowers, now carrying a strangely beautiful, almost bewitching quality.

“Great, now I’m a real edgy girl. And I definitely can’t take the civil service exam anymore.”

Looking at her arm, Lu Mo mocked herself with a self-deprecating remark.

Having become like this, could she still go back?

Lu Mo thought to herself.

But she also knew that no matter what, she had to return.

She had to find Solaris and uncover the truth.

She also had to ensure Cecilia’s safety.

If Solaris’s true intention was indeed to have a Grand Duke-level demon kill her…

Then Cecilia’s situation would be extremely dangerous!

“I need to find a way to suppress this demonic aura for now.”

Lu Mo murmured, searching for a solution.

As her gaze swept over Nie Xu Gong’s corpse once more, the Sword of Final Annihilation in her hand actually trembled slightly.

It seemed hungry.

At this moment… it wanted to devour all the Heaven-Defying realm power within Nie Xu Gong’s body.

Lu Mo certainly wouldn’t let the sword do that.

Who knew what further mutations would occur in the Emperor’s Armament and her own body if it consumed Nie Xu Gong?

Lu Mo immediately pressed down on her own arm, simultaneously using her will to suppress the fluctuations from within the sword.

But at a certain moment, her eyes suddenly flickered.

She felt as if voices had appeared in her mind.

Coming from the Sword of Final Annihilation.

From deep within the sword… that fragment of authority originally belonging to the Primordial Demon Emperor!

***

The scene shifts back to Cecilia.

Solaris was now very close to Cecilia.

When she tightly grasped Cecilia’s wrist and stepped closer, Cecilia’s expression changed on the spot.

Cecilia immediately erupted with Geomantic power, trying to stop Solaris.

However, Solaris’s talent and realm in Sacred power far surpassed her own.

She could only watch helplessly as Solaris broke through her Geomantic power and approached.

She tried to retreat.

But she failed.

Solaris’s hand seemed to have locked onto her wrist, leaving her with nowhere to escape.

Solaris stood less than a foot away from Cecilia.

“The offering.”

Solaris said coldly. “I command you to offer it.”

It was like an order.

An unquestionable, undeniable order.

A command that the Hero gave to the Saintess, one that must be obeyed.

But Cecilia just lowered her head, biting her lip tightly, unmoving.

As the pressure descended, her body trembled even more violently.

“Cecilia, I hope you understand what is most important.”

“You should think more about how you can make greater contributions to the human world, to the Holy Sanctuary.”

“You must also understand that offering yourself to me is your most glorious duty.”

“I have been very tolerant and patient with you…”

Solaris spoke again.

Before her, Cecilia had almost no power to resist.

Yet even so, in the end, Cecilia still lifted her head and looked directly at her.

Her gaze was icy, her expression stubborn.

Because she bit down too hard, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Even with nowhere to run, even powerless to struggle…

She would still resist to the end!

This is what Lu Mo taught her.

She was the Saintess, but she was also herself.

This was her choice, as Cecilia!

Solaris glanced at her and sighed.

The next second—

She suddenly grabbed Cecilia by the throat!

And slammed her hard against the ground!

“Guh—”

Cecilia felt a sharp pain in her neck, followed by the back of her head hitting the ground hard.

A strong sense of dizziness washed over her.

“Cecilia, all of this, you brought upon yourself.”

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Solaris looking down at her.

That gaze held anger, greed, and a trace of madness.

“Whoosh—”

The next second, a sword gleam swept past her body.

A corner of her dress was cut open, revealing fair skin.

Soon, a bloody mark appeared, and blood seeped out.

It hurts…

Doesn’t this count as attacking a comrade?

Cecilia grew increasingly panicked inside.

Attacking a comrade was against the rules in the Holy Sanctuary.

So why was no one stopping Solaris?

She turned her head to look at another woman not far away.

The woman noticed the gaze but simply turned away, pretending she saw nothing.

She stood on Solaris’s side, naturally choosing to turn a blind eye.

How could this be…

The panic in Cecilia’s eyes intensified.

At this moment, Solaris slowly crouched down, looking at her.

“Since you are unwilling to offer yourself willingly, then I have no choice but to employ some of the Holy Sanctuary’s forbidden methods.”

She looked down at Cecilia’s abdomen.

The Holy Sanctuary did have methods to force a Saintess to complete the offering.

Suppress the soul, inscribe an array on the body, forcibly initiate the offering.

This method had an extremely high failure rate and was far less effective than a willing offering.

But Solaris had no other choice.

The power of the Geomantic Peak realm pressed down on Cecilia, rendering her immobile.

Then, Solaris took out an Inscribing Pen from her spatial ring.

The sharp tip of the pen slowly descended towards Cecilia’s skin.

Shadows completely enveloped her.

A profound sense of powerlessness and loneliness washed over her at this moment.

She suddenly remembered her childhood.

Those children snatching her toys, pushing her to the ground.

Shadows blocking out the sunlight.

She remembered that low wall.

In the years before Lu Mo appeared, she had always been alone and powerless.

She whispered softly:

“Miss… Lu Mo…”

And now, Solaris seemed to have become another wall.

The sharp pen tip was about to fall.

At that very instant—

“Shriek—”

The sound of space tearing!

Solaris’s hand holding the pen was pierced by something, exploding in a spray of blood!

Intense pain struck, and she jerked her hand back.

Looking down, a fragment of a sword had pierced through the back of her hand!

So fast!

When did—

The next moment, she felt a killing intent lock onto her.

Looking up—

Her pupils contracted sharply.

“Lu… Lu—”

Isn’t she dead?

Yet right now, Lu Mo stood before her!

“Miss Lu Mo?”

Cecilia also looked up.

The light that had dimmed in her eyes reignited.

Lu Mo saw her lying on the ground.

Saw the wounds on her body.

And saw Solaris holding the Inscribing Pen.

She spoke coldly:

“Did you do this?”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a terrifying pressure.

The air temperature plummeted.

Solaris’s heart jolted.

“Did you do this?”

Lu Mo asked again.

Her tone held a trace more anger.

Pressure descended once more.

Solaris felt rage churning inside.

“That’s right, I did it!”

She roared angrily:

“So what?”

“This is a matter between the Hero and the Saintess, not something a mere knight like you can interfere in!”

“You… are not worthy!”

She had endured this for far too long.

“It’s all because of you that things turned out like this!”

“You’re just a mortal without any Sacred power!”

“What right do you have to question me?”

“What right do you have to act recklessly before me!”

Her killing intent surged.

“Do you really think… I don’t dare to kill you?”

She had lost to Lu Mo before.

Had been chased.

All of that was humiliation.

Now, she was at the Geomantic Peak, her Severing Sword nearly fully awakened.

She didn’t believe she would lose.

Lu Mo did not respond.

She simply took out an intact sword from her spatial ring and walked towards her.

Solaris smiled.

She discarded the Inscribing Pen.

The Severing Sword returned to her hand.

Power erupted as she charged forward!

Sacred power and God-blood intertwined, forming a sword-wielding battle spirit.

It was the embryonic form of a Heaven-Defying phenomenon!

The woman in the distance was shocked.

Solaris was approaching the Heaven-Defying realm!

“Miss Lu Mo, be careful!”

Cecilia cried out.

But it was already too late.

The battle spirit raised its radiant greatsword, thrusting straight forward!

Lu Mo did not dodge.

She simply reached out her hand.

Touched the sword’s edge.

And then—

Clenched it tightly!

“Crack—”

The sound of shattering rang out.

The sword’s edge was crushed to pieces in her grip!

At the same time, a terrifying realm fluctuation erupted from her body.

Solaris’s pupils contracted.

“Heaven-Defying…”

She said, her voice trembling.

Lu Mo had truly stepped into the Heaven-Defying realm!