Chapter 1285 3nd
The vast, golden-red spiritual space stretched out before her, beneath which surged spiritual energy like molten gold, and countless shimmering specks of memory hung in the sky. This was Fu Hua's training ground deep within her consciousness, the final battlefield she had chosen for this clash of conscious power.
The Herrscher's consciousness, forcibly torn apart and reduced to its most fundamental core, coalesced here into a constantly twisting, flickering humanoid ball of light. It had lost its vast, ghostly blue sea of fire and countless clamorous echoes of thought, leaving only the purest, cold, and chaotic essence of "consciousness" and the power of "differentiation." Its power had weakened to an unprecedented degree, making it difficult to even maintain a clear form.
It "looked" at Fu Hua, who was suspended in mid-air ahead, dressed in a white cheongsam. The spiritual pressure emanating from her was like a mountain, heavy, steady, and impenetrable. The outcome was already decided, and it knew it had no chance of winning.
But... it didn't want to die. Even in this broken, deformed form, even burdened with endless chaos and pain, the obsession with "existence" itself, born from the collapse, and the fear of "annihilation" tainted by the devouring of countless human thoughts, caused it to erupt in a final frenzy.
"Huh... Ugh—!!!"
There were no words, only the most primal roar of consciousness. The Herrscher core transformed into a sharp, ghostly blue streak, no longer pursuing skill or power, only the most instinctive and savage charge, shooting straight towards Fu Hua! This was the last struggle of the defeated, like a moth drawn to a flame.
Fu Hua's eyes flickered slightly. She recalled Alicia's seemingly casual yet earnest request before the battle: "Hua, if possible... give that child an 'end.' Find an ending... that can make it 'stop.' After all, it was once a collection of countless 'voices.'"
Stop... instead of simply destroying it?
Faced with the Herrscher charging straight at her, filled with despair and madness, Fu Hua did not choose to crush or seal him directly with Feather of Dust. She slowly took a breath, her feet slightly shifting in the void, assuming the starting stance of the Void Sword Qi—a posture purely belonging to a martial artist, used for "confrontation" rather than "execution".
In the golden-red space, it seemed as if invisible currents began to swirl and converge at Fu Hua's fingertips. She did not use Yu Duchen's mysterious and unpredictable spiritual power, but instead transformed her vast spiritual power into the purest and most condensed "intention" and "qi".
The next moment, she moved.
His form was like a crane, graceful and swift. His fingertips sliced through space, leaving behind a condensed, crimson-gold trajectory that seemed capable of slicing through the very essence of the soul, precisely targeting the core of that dark blue light.
There was no explosion, no loud noise. Only a collision and dissolution at the purest level of consciousness.
The crimson-gold "sword energy" and the dark blue "madness" converged and annihilated in the air. Fu Hua's "intention" was like a rock, encompassing, guiding, and then... smoothing out the final chaos and sharpness. This was not a life-or-death battle, but more like a grandmaster giving a final, dignified "farewell" to an opponent who had gone astray and was suffering from madness.
The azure light gradually dimmed and softened within the golden-red "sword energy," and the sharp roars transformed into countless subtle whispers, like sighs, before finally fading into silence. The last glimmer of blue light, like a candle flickering in the wind, swayed gently before being completely extinguished, transforming into pure spiritual energy particles that merged into Fu Hua's golden-red spiritual space, becoming part of its solid foundation.
The core consciousness of the Herrscher who merged "Consciousness" and "Thousand People" reached a relatively peaceful end here. Fu Hua slowly withdrew her power, standing alone in the spiritual void, watching the dissipating light, and remained silent for a moment.
In the heart of the Sahara Desert, the scorching sandstorms continue.
Chu Xia, who had been gazing into the distance, suddenly chuckled softly, breaking the long silence: "It's been resolved... a bit faster than expected." Her tone was ambiguous, neither approving nor disappointed, as if she were commenting on something trivial that had nothing to do with her.
Zijing, who was standing nearby, had just withdrawn most of his attention from supporting the various battlefields. Hearing Chuxia's words, he glanced at her, his eyes still filled with inquiry and wariness. This girl hadn't brought him here just to see the scenery.
"Don't look at me like that," Chu Xia turned around, a sweet but enigmatic smile on her face. "We belong to the same 'source,' shouldn't we coexist peacefully and have a good chat?"
Zijing paused for a moment before speaking, "It's not that I'm unwilling to express friendliness. But 'friendliness' needs to be built on mutual honesty and clear intentions. I'm being patient; I'm watching your attitude." So far, although Chuxia has been mysterious and her behavior somewhat incomprehensible, she hasn't shown excessive hostility or engaged in any destructive actions like her other "self." This is why Zijing is willing to wait here rather than forcefully interrogate her.
Chu Xia tilted her head, her smile unchanged: "Of course I'm on the friendly side, okay? I can guarantee that. But..." She shrugged, "I can't prove it to you right now, after all, I do have my own 'little goals.' Before those goals are achieved, there are some things I can't say outright, and some things I have to do."
Zijing could sense several powerful auras rapidly approaching the desert from afar—likely Qianjie and the others who hadn't yet joined the battle. At the same time, he also vaguely sensed a tightly concealed surveillance presence emanating from orbital altitude—Otto had activated Schicksal's satellites, constantly monitoring this area.
The atmosphere became somewhat subtle and tense as the girl frankly admitted that she had "ulterior motives" while simultaneously claiming to be "friendly."
Just as Zijing was pondering how to respond further and being wary of any unexpected situation that might arise from the girl herself—
A sudden change occurred!
Inside the Tianming Observatory, the piercing alarm sounded so loudly it almost lifted the roof off!
"Report! In the central region of the Sahara Desert, the concentration of Honkai energy is beginning to surge abnormally!"
"Exponential growth! It has already surpassed 1000 HW... 5000 HW... HW! And it's still rising!"
"Energy reaction pattern analysis... matches the characteristics of the Herrscher at birth by more than 90%!"
"How is this possible?! Two Herrschers were just dealt with! Could it be a third one?! This frequency..."
The observer's voice was filled with disbelief and horror. The occurrence of so many high-intensity Herrscher reactions in such a short period of time was beyond the comprehension of existing Honkai theories.
In the desert, Amethyst felt it most directly. The surrounding air seemed to freeze instantly, not physically, but as if some higher-level "existence" was being forcibly infused and activated! The sand beneath her feet trembled slightly, emitting a low-frequency resonance, and the Honkai energy particles floating in the air gathered and activated at an unprecedented speed, reaching a terrifying threshold sufficient to evoke a Herrscher within a few breaths!
He suddenly looked at Chu Xia, his eyes flashing with purple light: "What did you do?!"
Chu Xia simply smiled and took a small step back, her movements as light as a dance.
Immediately afterwards——
boom! ! !
A beam of light, over a hundred meters in diameter and composed entirely of incomprehensible high-dimensional energy, fell straight down from directly above the clear, cloudless sky without warning! It didn't originate from a satellite or any known spacecraft; it seemed more like it was "projected" directly from the void! The target was incredibly precise—it was early summer, just a step back!
A blinding light instantly engulfed the girl's figure and also Zijing's vision. The light contained not only destructive energy, but also a peculiar fluctuation of rules, as if it were "calibrating" or "activating" something!
Alarm bells rang in Zijing's mind, and almost instinctively he wanted to mobilize his power—whether for defense, interruption, or reconnaissance. However, the instant his thought arose—
hum!
Centered on the early summer scene enveloped by beams of light, a semi-transparent spherical barrier, flowing with intricate golden patterns, suddenly expanded at a speed beyond comprehension! The barrier expanded at an unbelievable pace, instantly engulfing the amethyst before it could even fully react!
The moment the barrier was formed, Zijing's expression changed drastically!
He felt that the special powers flowing within him, as well as his "connection" and "adaptability" to this world, were being forcibly silenced by an invisible, absolute force of rules! It wasn't a seal, nor a stripping away, but a higher level of "suppression" and "silence," like freezing a surging river into solid ice in an instant! He could still feel the presence of power, but he couldn't mobilize it in the slightest. Even the basic enhancements to his body began to fade, making him like an ordinary person who had never possessed any power before!
