"How?"
The Death Archon, Ronova, whose true name had just been spoken, fixed her gaze on Morax:
"Hmph, you dare, but can you truly stop me?"
"I do not know."
Morax stood firm: "But I shall give it my utmost."
"You… are not enough."
Ronova let out a faint, mocking laugh.
Sweating profusely, Venti drifted over to Morax's side.
"Um, I can't—"
"You aren't enough either. Let her step forward."
Before Venti could finish, Ronova cut him off directly.
"..."
Venti's eyes filled with conflict as he looked toward the old man.
"It is fine," Morax shook his head slightly.
As a god of people, she dared to risk Venti's safety.
Moreover, this was a matter of Liyue.
The mere fact that Venti was willing to speak up in this critical moment was already commendable.
One could not demand more.
"Old man, what about the last three times? And now this time? How exactly did we manage to summon this unreasonable one?"
Venti muttered through a sound transmission.
Among the Four, two were gentle and even willing to guide humanity.
But the other two… their natures varied.
Even with their restrictions, they were domineering, unruly, and unreasonable.
The Death Archon, Ronova, was precisely one of those.
"I do not know~"
Morax sighed helplessly.
Previously, he had not been anxious—he even thought of seeking her out.
After all, reviving the dead should inevitably alert the one who governed death.
But Yingda had been revived for two days without incident.
Heulia and Guizhong as well.
He once thought perhaps she had chosen to ignore it.
Yet today, disaster struck.
Why now? He could not fully understand.
Could it be that she had been asleep before, and only woke now to find things amiss?
Or perhaps, three times is the limit?
"Then this is troublesome."
Venti shook his head, unsure what to do.
"Rex Lapis!"
Yingda and Xiao halted their strikes, looking at Morax anxiously.
"No matter~"
"The rest, I will handle."
Morax raised a hand slightly, signaling he understood.
This was no longer something the two could meddle in.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the angelic phantom cracking apart.
It was a pity—just one or two seconds more, and the revival would have succeeded.
Ronova had to appear precisely now.
This would not be easily resolved.
"Is there room to negotiate?"
Morax was the first to speak.
If it could be settled through words, fighting was best avoided.
"Those who defy death… all must be slain."
Ronova's words were calm, but the meaning was clear.
"All of them?"
Morax's heart stirred as he asked:
"How many do you count?"
Four in total had been revived.
With some strange discrepancies earlier, a theory formed in his mind, awaiting confirmation.
"How many?"
The scarlet eye in the heavens widened in fury:
"All of them!"
She had only detected one.
But from Morax's words, could there be many?
"Why has she sensed only one?"
"I require a count."
Morax pressed further.
"..."
Ronova fell silent, seemingly confirming something.
The Death Archon's silence revealed much to Morax.
She did not know how many had been revived.
At most, she was only aware of Yingda.
The difference?
The answer surfaced clearly in Morax's heart.
Brother Taro!
Only Yingda had been revived through the Book.
The other two had been personally resurrected by Taro.
Ronova's perception must have been blocked.
That would explain it.
But then—
Why did she not appear when Yingda was revived?
Too late to intervene?
So she had only observed in secret…
And waited until this time to catch them red-handed?
"Her, alone!"
After a long silence, the Death Archon finally spoke, the scarlet gaze locking onto Yingda behind Morax.
Whether Morax shielded her or not—it mattered little.
What she saw, she had to judge.
What she did not… she could overlook.
Bound still by the Rules, this was the extent of her authority.
For now, so be it.
Afterward, she would watch Liyue closely until she unearthed the source.
"..."
So it was bluffing, then?
In that case, Morax could haggle a little.
A smile appeared faintly on his face.
But before he could speak—
Crack!
A sharp noise echoed.
Everyone's eyes turned instinctively toward it.
The angelic phantom, gripped by the scarlet hand, had fractured—then burst apart completely.
The phantom dispersed, but Funan and Minu were nowhere to be seen.
The Death Archon had used her authority over death to forcibly interfere.
The revival had failed.
The Book of the Holy Angel tumbled slowly downward.
Ronova's massive hand immediately reached for it.
This item was the culprit of the resurrection.
She would never allow it to remain.
"Rex Lapis!"
Yingda and Xiao cried out in alarm.
Morax frowned, sighing inwardly as golden light gathered in his hand.
So it came to this—he would have to act.
This book had been entrusted by Brother Taro.
No matter what, he could not let it be taken.
Crack!
Just as the hand was about to seize the book—
The first magical trap triggered.
Gray light burst forth.
Time itself froze.
10th-Tier Magic: Time Stop!
"Time?"
As the gray light spread, Venti acted instantly.
Azure light wrapped around the group.
"..."
It freed them from the stasis.
"Istarl? No, Heidar!"
Ronova's gaze sharpened as the power of death surged, forcefully breaking the stasis with rule authority.
The time stop shattered.
Immediately, the second trap activated.
A tiny black dot appeared upon the Holy Angel's Book.
A dreadful pull erupted—enough to devour worlds.
10th-Tier Magic: Black Hole!
Caught off guard, the scarlet hand was seized instantly.
Drawn in, crushed, twisted, and annihilated—no escape.
Before several stunned witnesses, the Death Archon's conjured hand was destroyed completely.
"?"
They could all sense Ronova's confusion.
They themselves mirrored it.
For a moment, Ronova froze—then fury ignited.
But before she could strike again—
The third trap detonated.
Silently, the world seemed to split apart.
A violent tearing force swept through them.
10th-Tier Magic: Severance!
"?"
The scarlet eye widened, shaken by the rift.
Even she reacted quickly, shielding herself with rule power.
But the delay was costly—
Within the great eye, one of the smaller pupils simply vanished.
"..."
The Death Archon was injured.
A minor wound, perhaps—but a wound nonetheless.
Crack!
Another sharp sound rang out.
Everyone's hearts pounded.
Each trap harsher than the last.
How many more of these did he have?
(End of Chapter)
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