Chapter 99: The Jet-Black Crown

“That jet-black pillar… what is it?”

“Could it be the Demon King making a move again?”

“Or is some terrifying existence about to be born from the demon race?”

For a moment, both humans and demons within the mist were horrified to the extreme.

Everyone was discussing it, with constant speculation.

Looking at that jet-black pillar that seemed even deeper and purer than the Demon Emperor’s Eye…

Everyone, at this moment, felt a tremor that went deep into their souls.

Solaris murmured, gazing into the distance toward the direction of the jet-black pillar.

“What exactly happened over there…”

Feeling the terrifying pressure washing over her, her expression kept changing.

If she wasn’t mistaken, the place where the jet-black pillar shot into the sky was precisely the location where Lu Mo had gone to carry out her extermination mission.

Such a spectacle, such pressure…

Without a doubt, no Earth Vein realm existence could possibly survive that jet-black pillar!

Lu Mo was absolutely, undeniably dead.

For Solaris, this was undoubtedly good news.

Yet, at this moment, she didn’t feel the slightest bit of joy in her heart.

The shock and fear she felt toward the jet-black pillar had already drowned out everything else.

“Miss Lu Mo…”

Cecilia stared blankly as the jet-black pillar soared into the sky, her spirit broken, her face deathly pale at this moment.

She kept repeating Lu Mo’s name.

“Miss Lu Mo… Miss Lu Mo…”

Finally, her entire body began to tremble, and she immediately tried to rush toward Lu Mo’s location without a care for anything else.

She didn’t want anything to happen to Lu Mo!

She had to see Lu Mo now!

Immediately!

Right away!

If something really happened to Miss Lu Mo…

No, nothing will happen to Miss Lu Mo.

She won’t die…

She’s always been omnipotent…

But then, Cecilia saw a figure suddenly appear, blocking her path.

It was Solaris.

Solaris looked at her with a cold gaze, forcibly suppressing the trembling in her heart, and spoke in a frigid tone.

“Miss Cecilia, in a situation like this, where do you think you’re going?”

Cecilia met that icy gaze and answered through gritted teeth.

“I’m going over there… I’m going to find Miss Lu Mo!”

Solaris took a step forward and continued.

“Don’t you know how terrifying that jet-black pillar is?

That is a power belonging to the demon race. Even a peak Earth Vein cultivator would evaporate in an instant before it!

Its appearance over there is enough to show how terrifying and dangerous the situation there is!

And Lu Mo—”

She was about to say Lu Mo couldn’t possibly be alive.

But Cecilia interrupted her the next second.

“No… that’s impossible!!!”

Her face was stubborn, insisting on refuting, firmly believing Lu Mo would not die.

“I’m going to find Miss Lu Mo… I’m going to bring her back.”

Cecilia said, continuing forward against the pressure Solaris was releasing.

In her view, Lu Mo was the person she could least afford to lose.

And Solaris had been deceiving her, hindering her all along.

Even…

Lu Mo going to that extermination location had a lot to do with Solaris!

Solaris might have deliberately sent Lu Mo there.

In that message, she likely hid some things, not telling them.

Seeing how Cecilia was still so concerned even though Lu Mo was most likely already dead, Solaris finally couldn’t hold back.

She roared furiously.

“Enough… ENOUGH!!!”

The intense anger startled her teammates nearby.

“What is she to you? Your master? Or your hero?”

“Lu Mo… Lu Mo…”

Solaris spoke faster and faster, her tone growing more intense.

“She’s already dead! She won’t be coming back!

And Cecilia, remember your identity!

You are the Saintess, the Saintess who is to offer everything for the Hero and the Divine Artifact!

I, am the Hero! Your Hero, the number one ranked Hero!

And Lu Mo… she is nothing!

Her death is meaningless, meaningless to you and me, meaningless to the Holy Sanctuary!”

As she spoke, she approached Cecilia and grabbed her wrist forcefully.

“You exist for the Divine Artifact, for me!”

She gripped with immense force, almost enough to crush bone.

“Let go of me! What are you doing!”

Cecilia struggled.

Solaris said coldly.

“I now have reason to believe Lu Mo has completely corrupted you, causing you to lose the integrity of a Saintess and your normal judgment.”

Her eyes no longer concealed anger and greed.

“The situation is dangerous and urgent now. Cecilia, I want you to perform the offering now. Give me the power within you that should rightfully be mine.”

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m doing this for your own good.

And this… is your fate.”

The fate of the Saintess.

Destined to have no self.

Destined to offer everything for the Holy Sanctuary and the Hero.

If it were a long time ago, Cecilia might have been at a loss.

But at this moment, she raised her head and looked Solaris directly in the eye.

Her eyes held distance and disgust.

“What if… I refuse?”

“Refuse?”

Solaris laughed, a scornful, mocking laugh.

“You don’t have the right to refuse.”

***

At the same time, near the jet-black pillar.

Facing the jet-black pillar directly, Nie Xu Gong was the one who understood best just how terrifying this giant pillar was.

He had nearly fallen to his knees just moments before.

Because that giant pillar contained a terrifying pressure approaching the level of a Demon Emperor!

His demonic power was being suppressed.

Several of his subordinates had directly collapsed, foaming at the mouth and losing consciousness.

Only now, as that pressure gradually faded, did he slowly regain his composure.

“Is this… the power of the Sin Emperor’s Weapon?”

Nie Xu Gong murmured.

The Sin Emperor’s Weapon was absolutely not something a human could casually touch.

He figured Lu Mo had presumptuously grasped the Emperor’s Weapon, angering it.

That’s why it erupted with such a terrifying spectacle.

Announcing to the whole world—it was an Emperor’s implement.

That girl was probably already directly annihilated, not even ashes remaining.

“What an overconfident human…”

Nie Xu Gong sighed, turning to leave.

He planned to return and reseal it after the jet-black pillar dissipated and the Emperor’s Weapon calmed down.

“Whoosh—”

Right then, the sound of space tearing abruptly rang out from behind him!

He whirled around.

He saw a gray-black shadow suddenly shoot out from within the jet-black darkness, stabbing straight toward him!

That gray-black color was even deeper, even more chilling than before.

Nie Xu Gong instantly transformed into mist.

“Rip—”

However, the gray-black shadow, in that instant, ignored the boundary between reality and illusion, landing directly on him.

Piercing through his arm!

“What?!”

Nie Xu Gong’s pupils contracted sharply.

From that gray-black shadow, he sensed a trace… of Heavenly Dominion realm aura!

He finally saw the shadow’s full appearance.

It was no longer an Earth Vein dead branch.

But… thorns.

Like tentacles reaching out from the abyss.

“Tap, tap, tap—”

Behind him, footsteps sounded.

Nie Xu Gong turned.

He saw the girl walking slowly out from within the jet-black darkness.

Deep black dyed the ends of her hair, covered her wounds, becoming an extension of her skirt.

Darkness spread out from her.

Thorns grew from the darkness, piercing into the mist, even suppressing the Annihilation Mist.

Holding the Sin Emperor’s Weapon, she walked forward step by step.

And above her head, the ultimate darkness coalesced—

Forming a crown of thorns.

“She… was acknowledged by the Sin Emperor’s Weapon?”

Nie Xu Gong was shocked.

That was simply impossible!

The Sin Emperor’s Weapon could only be used by existences at the Demon King level!

A human girl absolutely could not…

Could it be that the Primordial Demon Emperor had revived, possessing her body?

But the next moment, his fantasy was completely shattered.

The girl swung her sword at him.

She wasn’t corrupted!

She was still herself!

Yet, with a human body, she controlled the Emperor’s Weapon!

The sword fell—

Easily tearing through the Annihilation Mist!

Nie Xu Gong was forced to block with his scythe.

In the violent collision, he felt the true power of the Emperor’s Weapon.

It was a sword.

But it was more like a piece of pure darkness.

Blood-red ancient patterns flickered faintly within.

As Lu Mo’s will merged into it, sword intent soared.

The Emperor’s Weapon began to reveal its true edge.

The two collided.

Nie Xu Gong’s body actually began to sway!

“Crack—”

Cracks appeared on his scythe.

More and more.

Finally—

It completely shattered!

Nie Xu Gong was sent staggering back.

Lu Mo stepped forward and brought her sword down again.

“Rip—”

Flesh tore.

An arm flew through the air.

Nie Xu Gong’s arm was directly severed!

Simultaneously, he felt his power and vitality being forcibly devoured!

The Emperor’s Weapon was growing stronger.

A portion of the power fed back to Lu Mo, repairing her body, strengthening her Heavenly Dominion power.

This was precisely the characteristic of the Sin Emperor’s Weapon.

Devour.

Annihilate.

Sin Emperor’s Weapon—Final Annihilation.

Devour the opponent’s power, make it one’s own.

Annihilate everything it cuts.

Lu Mo awakened the Emperor’s Weapon, using its devouring power to forcibly step into the Heavenly Dominion realm.

Now, her power surged explosively.

Even with the imbalance between human and demonic power, she was confident she could kill Nie Xu Gong before losing control!

Darkness spread.

Thorns expanded.

The entire area was completely dyed black.

The Annihilation Mist was completely suppressed.

Sword gleams flashed.

Nie Xu Gong kept getting injured.

His power rapidly drained away.

And Lu Mo’s aura grew even more terrifying.

A Duke-level existence was now utterly powerless to resist!

Finally—

Nie Xu Gong was bound by darkness.

Thorns pierced through his limbs.

The girl walked up to him.

Crowned with thorns, draped in darkness and blood.

She raised the Emperor’s Weapon high.

And delivered the final judgment.

In that instant—

Nie Xu Gong was dazed.

Standing before him was no longer a human girl.

But…

A Demon King!

Or even—a Demon Emperor!

“You… what exactly are you…”

His roar was cut short.

The Final Annihilation sword fell.

Jet-black darkness swallowed everything.

“Whoosh—”

The final sound of annihilation rang out.

The world returned to silence.

The Annihilation Mist completely dissipated.

But the darkness and thorns continued to spread within the mist.

For a long time, they did not fade.

Deeper than the Annihilation Mist.

More terrifying than Nie Xu Gong.