"Friendship is magic... huh?"

The Prince was stunned for a long time. He then slowly nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. "Well said."

This made Huai Shi feel a bit guilty for using a line from a children's cartoon.

Not rejecting the precious respite Huai Shi had offered, the Prince calmly composed himself. He raised his head once again amidst the praise of his subjects, radiating vigor.

"Such a battle is truly exhilarating, Huai Shi. Why didn't we meet sooner?"

He lamented wistfully. "Just a bit earlier, even earlier, long, long ago... If we had met on that vast land, become acquainted, and embarked on adventures together, how wonderful would that have been?"

"I appreciate the deep bond you're expressing, Lord Prince, but shouldn't that kind of thing be said by a girl?" Huai Shi shrugged. "Don't be fooled by appearances; I can be quite a jinx to my teammates."

"That is truly a pity."

The Prince chuckled softly.

The White Horse let out a long neigh, its hooves clattering against the ground. It exhaled a hot breath as its wings suddenly spread, each feather already transforming into light.

Wings of holy light unfurled from within this Hell, as he greeted his enemy with a pure and hearty smile.

"Then, let us begin anew!"

"Alright!"

The grand melody of Ode to Joy rose again. Huai Shi unleashed his Sacrificial Knife and Axe, roaring thunderously as he charged forward.

Endless power coursed through him, and he felt as if he had transformed into light.

Wherever he passed, the chaotic Source Substance spread across the land. Seeds falling from his broken pocket began to sprout and grow. Quickly, towering trees emerged, swiftly transitioning from decay to a majestic and cold forest.

The Mountain Ghost roared. Stepping onto the newly grown trees, it dashed toward the sky, and the Axe Blade slashed down!

The Sword Blade swept across.

Thunderous booms exploded in the skies.

The White Horse neighed loudly, its wings of light flaring again as it forcefully resisted Huai Shi's blow. Then, an even more majestic power surged from the Prince's body. Fissures appeared on his handsome face, and his deep blue eyes grew even more serene and profound.

The Prince was burning.

Pure light condensed on the Sword Blade, and the authority of iron burst forth as it slashed down!

Unmatched sharpness.

Huai Shi felt his wrist jolt violently. Even the Axe Blade, supported by layers of power, cracked open, and a grievous gash was left on the back of the Sacrificial Knife.

He was sent flying backward.

But the Pegasus spread its wings and pursued, the Prince raising his sword to strike again!

In mid-air, however, Huai Shi seemed to give up all resistance. He stretched his limbs and exhaled the hot breath from his chest. The next instant, dark green firelight burst from his eyes.

It was as if the Sun itself shone upon him.

Phantoms broke free from his body, each wielding knives and axes, as they faced the Prince's onslaught. The Mountain Ghost roared, spewing out a three-foot-long stream of cold fire.

From his hands, the Lock Chain shot out with a howl, wrapping around the neck of the Pegasus.

Then, the Long Spear, Short Knife, and Sharp Axe burst forth with a roar. Their deep echoes blended into a rhythm that merged perfectly with the climax of Ode to Joy.

A chord!

With the blessing Lily had given him, Huai Shi, after some preparation, could now unleash techniques such as Dragon.

Irresistible!

The White Horse let out a piteous shriek.

A fissure cracked open on its neck, blood spurting out. The Prince's Sword Blade trembled from Huai Shi's hack, its tip flying off and clattering to the ground.

It broke.

The White Horse's wings spread, allowing it to hover in the sky. The Prince, astonished, lifted his Sword Blade, staring at the fractured Treasure Sword. Soon, a smile of admiration touched his lips.

"With this strike, I shall repay your impressive skills, Huai Shi, my challenger!"

Above the stage of the Sky Dome, he gazed at the falling youth, slowly raising the Sword Blade in his hand and declaring loudly, "With my whole spirit entrusted to this sword, virtue will live on in our legend—"

In the rousing chorus, amid the praise of the masses and the expectations of the Teenage Girl, a pillar of light like fire rose from the Sword Blade.

The fiery light wound around the broken Sword Blade and ascended. Like a Banner of Light, it shot towards the heavens, leaving long, slender trails imprinted in the eyes of all amidst the gale.

The resounding call of horns burst forth, proclaiming the Prince's bravery and skill, praising the divine might and power this sword carried.

"O Great Spirits of God, let this sword be my witness!"

As the Prince cried out, the Banner of Light held high, virtue and hope burst forth in a blinding radiance. This pure and dazzling light occupied the sole axis between Heaven and Earth.

As the Prince raised his voice in proclamation, the burning, colossal Sword of Light descended. "—This long, harrowing night comes to an end!"

It was a torrent of light unleashed from the Sword Blade. It shot straight ahead, unbending and unyielding, with an indomitable spirit, ruthlessly shattering all obstacles in its path.

This bearing reflected an inner virtue and integrity; this power was the unquestionable epitome of nobility.

Merely watching, one could understand the hope entrusted to that figure. Merely listening, heads would bow amidst those impassioned declarations.

The eternal night, cleaved by a single strike.

And then, brightness filled the sky.

In the dead silence, even Ode to Joy, brimming with happiness and blessings, was shattered by the roar of this sword. Countless enhancements and buffs were broken by its strike.

The vast forest disintegrated under the light's illumination, its trees snapping and collapsing with a thunderous sound.

All darkness was purified.

The long night came to an end.

Dawn arrived.

This was an attack that fundamentally countered the forces of darkness, a terrifying assault with no blind spots or gaps, tearing apart all darkness and heralding the arrival of light.

As the rising dust and burnt-out ashes gradually dispersed in the wild wind,

Behind layers of shattered barriers, Huai Shi's emaciated figure slowly looked up. A fractured sound came from his broken face, as though he were about to crumble into pieces.

Countless dark Source Substances slowly dissipated from his shell.

"The transformation between life and death... so this is it?"

Huai Shi's lips moved, fragments peeling from his face. As the corners of his mouth curved upward, a smile of dawning realization spread across his face. "So that's how it is..."

On his bare torso, from the gash on his chest, new flames began to rise where the firelight had been slowly extinguishing.

Where his blood dripped, a withered blade of grass began to grow greenly from a crevice in the stage. An ethereal dewdrop fell, landing on Huai Shi's cracked palm.

And in an instant, the cracks in his palm began to heal.

This was the true power and miracle hidden within the Mountain Ghost Stigma.

Not to assimilate death, but to embrace it. Not to plunder life, but to coexist with it.

Unlike the Yin Soul, which drew closer to death by continually absorbing negative Source Substance, this life force, born from death, sought the form closest to life's true essence.

After shedding all meaningless burdens, it achieved a pure circulation of life force, flowing like water—from high to low, from the many to the few. Through this borrowing and repayment, an incredible miracle was created in a moment too brief to be described even as 'a single thought.'

It was like a tiny deposit into an account about to be closed, an account already stripped of its entire balance.

Even a value as minuscule as 0.0001 was the critical marker distinguishing something from nothing.

Even if the massive trunk and lush branches were reduced to ashes, as long as a single rootlet remained, life could continue. It could grow anew, sprout, survive the long winter, and welcome a grand blossoming.

Only when all the dark Source Substance had evaporated did Huai Shi grasp this essence from the Stigma's Transformation. If not for that sword strike, he didn't know how long it would have taken him to personally experience the Mountain Ghost's changes and growth.

Now, relying only on that single blade of withered grass beneath his feet,

Huai Shi had brushed against the borders of death's kingdom and returned. Amidst Lily's endless rain of light, his countless wounds slowly healed.

He stepped forward, feeling as if his old shell had sloughed away.

Rebirth.

Huai Shi gripped his knife and axe, smiling proudly towards the Prince in the Sky Dome, reasserting his presence.

Immediately, vitality, now free from untold darkness, surged from his chest. The Source Substance flowed smoothly, freely converting between two stages, forming a perfect Cycle.

"Then, I shall repay you with this, Your Highness!"

From Huai Shi's low murmur, a Roaring Outburst erupted. The clash of knife and axe rang out, a heavy rhythm rising from the steel.

—Sword Art: Ornament Play!

As if a starting key had been pressed.

A vast will was conveyed in that heavy beat, unmistakably transmitting Huai Shi's intent to every musician in the orchestra.

After a brief moment of astonishment, the old man at the Pipe Organ raised his hands and slammed them down on the keyboard before him.

As the pedals were depressed, massive air valves hidden within the walls slammed open. Hot steam rushed through the pipes, scouring the ancient reeds, causing everything to shake violently.

It was as if the entire world was plunged into turmoil.

A heavy melody burst from the old man's fingertips—terrifying and majestic, with a thousandfold reverence, ten thousandfold sanctity, and a millionfold severity!

Such is Fate.

But now, within the surging melody, Fate had run its course to its end. It awaited the final judgment and trial, facing the light of salvation and the thunder of Punishment.

Doomsday was here!

"Let the Holy Spirit and Prophets bear witness: the world shall melt in a fiery blaze!"

As the melody unfurled, the deep tones of a cello seemed to burst forth from Huai Shi's hands, resonating outwards.

Under Lily's guidance, the singers in the choir stalls opened their mouths in unison. Their deep voices overlapped, becoming a roar that shook Heaven and Earth.

"That day is the day of the Heavenly Kingdom's wrath, the time when the Judge shall come! Majestic trumpets will resound in all directions; Death and Nature themselves shall tremble with fright!"

"The day of wrath is upon us!"

They cried out, proclaiming, "The day of wrath is finally here!"

And so, the thunder of judgment was now held in Huai Shi's hands!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.