They say that hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. But what if the woman in question was a Sun stage, I think even hell itself would want to run away.
The Cryptic Sun's surprised expression lasted only a fleeting second after the Blue Sun's whispered "Got you," before his body violently t the ground. The sound of his skull smashing into the earth was deafening, shaking the entire cave with its force. Dust and debris exploded into the air, swirling like a tempest around us, and the ground beneath us trembled from the impact.
The mont he tried to rise, dazed and confused, the Blue Sun was already in motion. Her foot connected with the side of his head with such terrifying speed that she broke the sound barrier before her heel even struck him. The force of the blow sent him hurtling across the cavern, crashing into the walls like a ragdoll, cracking stone and leaving deep grooves in his wake.
Anyone else—anyone less than a Sun-stage cultivator—would've had their head completely obliterated, torn off from their shoulders, turned to nothing but a bloody mist in the air. Even a Sun-stage being like the Cryptic Sun barely survived. His life was spared only by the endless network of protective formations etched into his skin, tiny sigils shimring faintly around him.
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But even those were barely enough. Half of them had been disintegrated on impact, the other half struggling to function, flickering like the last embers of a dying fla.
The Blue Sun didn't hesitate. She stalked forward, hamr in hand, her face a mask of cold fury. The cavern seed to darken as her presence grew, each step resonating with the promise of unrelenting violence. She was intent on showing him a world of pain, and the re thought made wince in sympathy.
The Cryptic Sun, still trying to collect himself from the savage beating, could do nothing but brace for the onslaught.
anwhile, I was tapped out—completely drained. My body felt like it was held together by nothing but sheer willpower. My brain felt like liquid mush, pulsing painfully with every heartbeat. Blood trickled from my eyes, nose, and ears, staining my skin in grotesque streaks.
I was pushing my mind beyond its limits, trying to keep everything together, but every second felt like I was teetering on the edge of oblivion.
I forced myself to move, stumbling forward on legs that barely responded. My vision swam as I made my way toward the Dusking Sun. His massive form lay unconscious, bound and trapped by unnatural roots that burrowed into his back, siphoning his Qi like parasites. Each labored breath from him seed to co with a pained groan, his entire body convulsing from the relentless energy drain.
"Sorry, old man... Just bear with ," I muttered under my breath, knowing he couldn't hear . I ripped the roots from his back, one by one, each pull causing him to shudder in agony even though he remained unconscious. Thick, black liquid oozed from the wounds, the remnants of the sinister formations that had kept him trapped.
His body was a shell of its forr self, but he was still alive, if only barely.
I dragged the Dusking Sun closer to the Lording Sun, who was also in a dire state. His physical injuries weren't apparent, but his mind... his mind was fractured. His Qi had been drained to dangerous levels, and he teetered on the brink of madness. His eyes were vacant, lost in so unfathomable abyss. It was as if the essence of who he was had been siphoned away along with his energy.
I reached into my holding bag and pulled out a handful of rejuvenating pills, carefully placing them into the Dusking Sun's mouth. Slowly, they lted on his tongue, their restorative properties working to close so of his wounds, though it was obvious it wouldn't be enough to heal him fully.
I turned my attention to the Lording Sun, slipping mind-soothing pills between his lips. His reaction was instant—he snapped at my fingers like a feral beast, nearly biting them off in the process. I yanked my hand back just in ti.
"Easy, old man," I muttered, wiping the blood from my hand on my already stained robes. It was clear that Junfei's betrayal and the energy drain had taken a more severe toll on him than I had realized.
Suddenly, a cold, bone-chilling voice echoed through the cavern.
"Seems like Junfei wasn't enough to keep the two of you at bay."
A shudder ran through my entire body, goosebumps breaking out across my skin as I turned to face the source of the voice. The Death Sun hovered above the ground, his skeletal hand wrapped around the Wisest Sun's neck like a vice grip.
Panic seized my heart.
The Wisest Sun looked utterly spent, his usually regal and composed figure now resembling that of a mummified corpse. His once vibrant arm was now shriveled, withered like dead wood, hanging limp by his side. Yet, even in this state, the Wisest Sun managed to flash a grin, his eyes gleaming with defiance.
Then, in an instant, his body dissolved into shimring law scripts, disintegrating like a mirage in the desert heat.
The Death Sun's hand clenched around nothing. His hollow eyes narrowed in frustration, realizing too late that he had been holding a re illusion.
"Seems like I grew too old. I really can't fight him with so much restraint," the Wisest Sun reappeared beside , his form solidifying out of thin air, whole once again. He flexed his hand, and the once-shriveled arm regained its strength, the skin becoming hale and healthy, returning to its natural state.
A sigh of relief escaped my lips. I had thought he was done for.
"None of us can truly win if we go all out," he continued, shaking his head. "I'll either destroy the entire region—which is sothing I don't want—or the Death Sun will destroy the gate, which is sothing he doesn't want."
"A stalemate, then?" I asked, wiping the blood from my face. It was clear to now that this wasn't a battle of might but one of control. Both of these titans were holding back, neither willing to be the one who plunged the world into even greater chaos.
"Quite so," the Wisest Sun nodded grimly.
Another boom echoed through the cave as the Cryptic Sun's battered body was sent skidding across the ground, his body bouncing like a ragdoll. He left a trail of blood and broken stones in his wake. His face was a mask of agony, blood pouring from his mouth and nose. His body was a broken husk, a testant to the Blue Sun's wrath.
She strode forward, her hamr slung over her shoulder, her blue eyes blazing with righteous fury. Every step she took echoed through the cavern, her presence as imposing as a storm on the horizon. The Cryptic Sun lay before her, his chest heaving, blood pooling beneath him.
There was no sympathy in her gaze. Only cold, brutal satisfaction.
"I guess there's no point in continuing this fight," the Death Sun said with a smirk as he glanced at the ruined form of his ally.
"So you're giving up?" the Wisest Sun asked, though there was a note of disbelief in his voice. He knew as well as I did that the Death Sun was not one to surrender.
The Death Sun let out a low, hollow laugh. "Give up? No. I haven't lost. Not yet." He glanced at the Wisest Sun, then at . His expression was one of sick amusent, as if we were all pieces on a chessboard that he had been carefully manipulating from the start.
"Do you honestly think the other Suns will allow you to roam free? After all the destruction you've caused?" the Wisest Sun snapped, his voice filled with disgust. "The lives you've taken... the blood on your hands... It's enough to turn my stomach."
"Oh, you and your righteous indignation," the Death Sun chuckled. "You still fail to see the larger picture. My actions have always been for a goal far beyond your limited comprehension, oh Wisest of Suns."
The Wisest Sun's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his staff. "I know what you're planning, Death. I've seen the Rakshasa and the Walkers. But that's not all you've got, is it?"
His words sent a chill down my spine. What was he talking about? More Walkers? More monsters lurking in the shadows?
The Death Sun's grin widened, his rotting lips curling into a twisted smile. "Wise indeed. Yes, they're already waiting. And while your forces are distracted with the real threat high above, I have an army ready to rise. Do you honestly think your pitiful defenses can stop them? Billions of Walkers, ready to swarm the Beyond at my command.
They will devour everything in their path. You won't be able to save them all."
My stomach churned at his words. Billions of Walkers? How the hell could we possibly stop sothing like that? I clenched my fists, my mind racing, trying to think of a way out of this. The weight of his threat was crushing, a dark cloud that hung over us, threatening to smother every glimr of hope.
The Wisest Sun's eyes narrowed, a glint of calculation in them. "What do you want, Death Sun?"
The Death Sun's gaze shifted to . His bony finger pointed directly at my chest, his sunken eyes gleaming with malice. "I want the crystal you carry."
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