Lin Xi was naturally not going to be killed by a single dagger.
The instant Chun drove the blade into Lin Xi's body, this Plague Cardinal—no, he was no longer a Plague Cardinal—this Extinguisher annihilated every inch of the blade embedded in his flesh, stripping it of all lethality.
Seeing this, Cheng Shi finally understood why Chun insisted on using a rust-eaten dagger for her revenge. The rust wasn't by choice. Every ti the dagger was plunged into Lin Xi's body, he would decay it further.
Over ti, the dagger that had witnessed the curtain fall on their love had itself "fallen," until this very mont when it exited the stage of vengeance for good, no longer fit for use.
"How does fear taste, you stinking rat?!"
Under normal circumstances, Chun would never have stopped after a single strike. But Cheng Shi's sudden stripping of Lin Xi's faith had genuinely shocked her, too. This was no simple curse deconstruction. The [Decay] power on Lin Xi's body wasn't a curse; it was a blessing.
'So why could he erase even a god's blessing?'
'Shouldn't only another god be able to affect a god's power?!'
It was the sheer impact of this reality that caused Chun to hesitate for one second, and that one second was all Lin Xi needed to find his opening for retreat. His expression twisted as he activated his talent, trying to use the swirling [Decay] dust to distance himself. But reality slapped him awake the very next instant, cruelly informing him that he was no longer a [Decay] believer.
Now, at last, fear materialized on Lin Xi's face. His skin twitched; his pupils shrank to pinpoints.
But he was still a battle-hardened peak player. After an instant of extre panic, Lin Xi decisively abandoned all dignity and scrambled backward on all fours. Simultaneously, he swept his hand out and banished everything before him into a world on the brink of annihilation.
The two, already on high alert, were never going to fall for that. They'd long since vacated the area and, after Lin Xi's slightly stiff maneuver, circled behind him.
Chun could see Lin Xi trembling. For the first ti, she had a visceral sense that the end was near for her nesis, and it was all because of Cheng Shi, this terrifying... player, who could strip others of their faith and curses.
'Let's just call him a player for now.'
She refused to waste even a single second and let his efforts go to waste. Transforming into the Queen of Thorns, she used the omnipresent shadows to flash directly in front of Lin Xi. In his slack-jawed disbelief, she whipped a mane of dense thorn-hair toward his eyes, throat, and heart.
She was certain this strike would end all her suffering. And yet—
"Watch out!"
Cheng Shi's expression twisted as he shouted the warning.
He had already sensed sothing was off about Lin Xi. If this man could adapt quickly after losing his faith, then there was no way he'd stand there trembling once the imdiate crisis had passed. That kind of pointless behavior would squander the survival window he'd fought so hard to earn, compressing his own chances of living.
The stupor and trembling were both feints. Baiting the enemy into rushing in was the real goal!
Lin Xi was a formidable opponent indeed, daring to gamble on his adversaries' impatience even at a mont like this!
Even stripped of his faith, where did he find such confidence? What was the source of his trump card?
In that instant, Cheng Shi's heart leapt into his throat. But the Chosen assassin was simply too fast. His thoughts couldn't keep up with Chun's movents. She'd already closed in and unleashed her ultimate attack on Lin Xi.
The mont he realized the danger, Cheng Shi raised his hand and fired Sinner Redemption without hesitation. No more playing dangerous gas. He had to snuff out every threat in its infancy.
But when you realize danger is upon you... it's usually already too late.
As Go Lis's Grudge unfurled from the Void, tentacles raining down toward Lin Xi like a storm, a pale, gaunt hand suddenly tore through the fabric of space above Lin Xi's head. With a casual swipe—
Go Lis's Grudge vanished.
Chun vanished.
Everything within dozens of ters vanished. All that remained was that hand and Lin Xi, and in its grip was a familiar command banner, fluttering without wind, radiating a dread-inspiring pressure.
Cheng Shi's pupils contracted violently. Every hair on his body stood on end.
Lin Xi's trump card really was a God!
Herobos!!!
The only entity that could banish Go Lis's Grudge into annihilation, erase everything in the vicinity, and reclaim that command banner from Chun's hands was the Envoy of [Oblivion]: Herobos!
Cheng Shi recognized the presence before him in a single second and, before the next second even began, threw every last card he had.
It wasn't that he didn't want to win through cunning. Under [Oblivion]'s overwhelming pressure, he had no confidence in haggling with an Envoy of [Oblivion]. He knew he had nothing of value to offer this leader of World Destroyers, while the other's devotion was more than enough to erase him from existence.
So [Oblivion] had indeed fought dirty, though the big one hadn't co in person. It had sent the smaller one instead.
But even the smaller one was more than he could handle.
In that instant, Cheng Shi fired five bolts of thunder toward Herobos's hand, identical to the ones used to blasphe [Oblivion]. He knew the thunder might be useless against an Envoy, but he needed ti. Even a single breath of thinking ti. Otherwise, he was certain he would die here.
'Wait. Die?'
'[Death]!'
'I've got it!'
A flash of inspiration struck Cheng Shi's mind. The next second, he pulled the escort knight's corpse back out of the Molten Coffin, jamd the Door Key into its eye socket, and watched the bones scatter upward and stack themselves into a doorfra. He shoved open the gate to the Abyss of Desire.
He was practically working with both hands. The instant the Door Key's effect activated on one side, his other hand was already re-marking Herobos's hand, firing a second round of Sinner Redemption.
And he didn't forget to activate Chaos Acting, transforming himself into...
Aph Ros!
That's right. Cheng Shi hadn't chosen to run, because he wasn't sure he could outrun Herobos's [Oblivion] power.
This was the leader of the World Destroyers, a being who had dragged an entire city into annihilation. Even if Cheng Shi used [Ti] to flee as far as he could, could he truly escape the reach of that power?
Cheng Shi didn't dare gamble on it. So he chose to trust [Deceit]!
"Aph Ros" took a single stride and planted himself at the threshold of the Abyss gate. In his hand, he toyed with a [Corruption] container as if bouncing a ball, fixing the soon-to-descend Herobos with a playful, knowing smile.
Herobos had indeed broken through the trial's shackles and descended into reality. But as it tore through the barrier of the mortal world, it suddenly sensed a wisp of [Corruption]'s aura. That faintest hint of desire emanating from the [Corruption] container caused a montary hitch in both its actions and its perception, just long enough for Cheng Shi to seize the window and complete his disguise.
No deity wanted to be anywhere near [Corruption]. After all, it was a collection of desires that not even [Order] had managed to conquer.
So when Herobos manifested and found Aph Ros standing directly before it, its grave gaze swept the surroundings. It frowned slightly.
"Aph Ros?
You cannot possibly be here."
Herobos was suspicious, but the [Corruption] container couldn't be faked. Hence the contradictory statent.
And it was precisely this [Corruption] container that absorbed Cheng Shi's emotions and fear, granting him the clarity of mind to face an Envoy of [Oblivion] who could annihilate him at any mont. He opened his mouth, speaking in Aph Ros's tone:
"Herobos, who gave you the courage to snatch soone in front of ?"
The icy challenge had barely landed before Go Lis's Grudge tore through the Void once more, descending upon this place.
In an instant, two forms of dual-Envoy power coexisted in the world. In this trial of [Corruption], they now stood face to face with another Servant God of [Descent]: Herobos!
...
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