"You've finally arrived~
" the girl said slowly, her clear and beautiful voice devoid of any joy or anger, containing only an endless chill.
"Who... Who are you?!"
Theresa's eyes widened as she cried out in disbelief.
If one were to ignore the differences in clothing, the girl who had suddenly appeared before them was identical to the girl who had previously appeared on the Xuanyuan Sword!
By now, Theresa already knew that the girl on the Xuanyuan Sword was Ji Lin, the very same person who had sealed Chiyou with her own life.
But this girl now possessed the same appearance as Ji Xuanyuan!
Although their appearances were identical, the swirling black corruption within the red gem on her forehead, as well as her lifeless gray eyes and the blood-drop mark on her cheek, all exuded an eerie aura.
Soon, a stunning conclusion formed in the Principal's mind, and the girl's next words confirmed her suspicion.
"Names and such are meaningless to me. But when I was still human, people called me Ji Lin." A wicked smile appeared on the girl's lips as she answered nonchalantly.
"Back then, she used her own life to seal Chiyou. But over the long years, the hope in her heart gradually faded, leaving only endless loneliness and hatred. In the end, that led to my existence."
Ji Lin, no, it should be Dark Jixuanyuan, spoke the cruel truth with a faint smile while stretching her body, as if showing off the excellence of this form, completely ignoring the darkening expressions of Theresa's group.
"Shut up!" Fu Hua, who was usually calm, suddenly shouted, her tone colder than ever before. "You have no right to speak of Ji Xuanyuan's affairs!"
Listening to Dark Jixuanyuan's faint words, an inexplicable rage rose in her heart, so much so that she almost lost her usual composure.
But after she spoke, the light in Fu Hua's eyes suddenly dimmed.
She knew very well that this emotion should have come from her self of five thousand years ago, from the being known as Chiyuan.
This uncontainable anger was so vivid, yet she had forgotten all her memories of Ji Lin. Those memories that should have been precious, she had not retained a single trace of them.
"That's right, Ji Xuanyuan is a hero who protected humanity. Her legacy is not for the likes of you to judge!"
Glancing at Fu Hua with some surprise, the Principal immediately added in the most resolute tone.
"Even if you have an inseparable connection, that hero who guarded Shenzhou is in no way comparable to a monster like you who embodies the will of the Honkai!"
Ming Yu also raised the Jizo Mitama in his hand and shouted in an unquestionable tone.
Looking at the still-smiling girl ahead, Ming Yu couldn't help but let out a long sigh. Ji Lin, who had protected the land of Shenzhou with her life, had her soul and will suffer such a fate after death. It was nothing short of a powerful irony.
The ancient hero was like this, and the Valkyries of the present day shouldered a similar fate.
These girls who worked so hard to fight against the Honkai, slaying Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts, would themselves turn into Honkai Zombies seeking to destroy everything once the Honkai Energy in their bodies went out of control. And the more powerful the Valkyrie, the greater the destructive power after their Zombification.
From this perspective, how were they any different from Ji Lin?
The three of them knew this well in their hearts, and they understood that the girl before them could indeed call herself Ji Lin. But the more they knew, the more they were unwilling to admit this fact, unwilling to admit this incredibly cruel reality.
"Hehehe~" Dark Jixuanyuan continued to chuckle lightly, as if she didn't care about their words at all. "Whether I am or not, what does it matter?"
With that, the girl's right hand made a slight grasping motion, and a completely black Xuanyuan Sword appeared in her hand. It complemented her black battle skirt perfectly, and a tyrannical and oppressive aura began to permeate the space.
Seeing Dark Jixuanyuan's reaction, the Principal deployed Judah without hesitation. With a golden spear in each hand, a faint binding field began to spread out.
As the power of the Key of Binding began to diffuse, the flow of Honkai Energy in the air became considerably more sluggish, and even the light from the red crystals on the rock walls dimmed slightly.
Glancing at the deployed giant cross with some surprise, the smile on Dark Jixuanyuan's lips did not fade. Although the power of the Key of Binding was indeed very strong, for an existence of her level, unless it was at point-blank range, the suppression Judah could exert on her was minuscule.
And the Principal was clearly aware of this, which was why she never expected to defeat the enemy this way.
With a light swing of the golden spear in her hand, the chains connected to the cross instantly transmitted Theresa's will to Judah. Several spears immediately shot out, tracing different arcs as they sped towards Dark Jixuanyuan.
At the same time, the Principal herself charged towards Dark Jixuanyuan without any sign of weakness, the tip of her golden spear gleaming with a dangerous light.
Noticing Theresa's move, Dark Jixuanyuan still wore a faint smile. Her sword moved like the wind, the ancient black blade violently clashing with the golden spear, producing a crisp sound of metal striking metal. She deflected all the incoming golden spears before slashing towards the approaching white-haired nun.
*Clang~*
The two golden spears were firmly blocked by the black Xuanyuan Sword, sending a shower of sparks flying, but they could advance no further.
The Principal, possessing both Kaslana bloodline and Honkai Beast genes, was formidable in strength, but Dark Jixuanyuan, augmented by her Herrscher-level massive Honkai Energy, was in no way inferior, and even showed signs of overpowering the Principal.
*Clang~*
Dark Jixuanyuan exerted her strength again. A large amount of Honkai Energy was channeled into the ancient black sword, transforming into a powerful force that sent the golden spears flying back.
So strong!
Watching the black Xuanyuan Sword narrowly miss her eyes, Theresa was secretly alarmed. Not only was Judah's suppression effect useless against her, but she couldn't even gain an advantage in strength, which was her forte.
Quickly steadying herself, the Principal swung her spear at Dark Jixuanyuan, and the previously deflected golden spears once again stabbed towards her from different angles.
"Hehehe~ Interesting."
Noticing the flying golden spears, Dark J_Jixuanyuan chuckled lightly, as if she were merely watching an interesting performance.
The black Xuanyuan Sword danced left and right, as if alive in her hand, always striking the weak points of the golden spears with perfect timing, causing them to lose their momentum and slide aside.
As the spears were continuously deflected, Theresa slowly began to lose ground. The swing of her spear was severely restricted by the black Xuanyuan Sword, making it increasingly difficult for her.
Even with two seals limiting most of its Honkai Energy, Chiyou still possessed a Honkai Energy intensity comparable to a Herrscher. And all of this Honkai Energy was currently converged in Dark Jixuanyuan's body, making her an existence on par with a Herrscher.
Except for lacking a Herrscher's authority, Dark Jixuanyuan was in no way inferior to a Herrscher in any aspect!
Perhaps the original Chiyou's combat skills were still at the level of a wild beast, but when its core fused with Dark Jixuanyuan, this problem that plagued most Honkai Beasts was solved.
And such a Chiyou would undoubtedly be an even more terrifying enemy!