Holding Jizo Mitama and Sakura Fubuki horizontally in front of him, the blood-red color in Ming Yu's eyes deepened. A thin black shield formed around his body, isolating him from the endless lightning.
But in this ocean of lightning, the shield was like a small boat, tossed about, flickering in the raging storm as if it would capsize and perish at any moment.
Looking at the sea of gold that filled his vision, Ming Yu let out a muffled groan, a trace of blood seeping from his clenched jaw.
Unlike Himeko under the control of the Xuanyuan Sword, Dark Jixuanyuan's attacks, in both quality and quantity, were not something a sword plus an A-rank Valkyrie could compare to. This was a true Herrscher-level attack!
In the dense beams of lightning, Ming Yu could not find the slightest gap. His senses were almost completely overwhelmed, as if nothing existed between heaven and earth but this boundless thunder.
He had no choice but to endure it head-on!
Hearing the roar of lightning in his ears and feeling the might of the thunder crashing down on his shield, Ming Yu truly felt the huge gap between him and an S-rank, a chasm that was almost on the level of life itself.
Although the attack he was enduring was already very strong, Ming Yu knew that he was not the main target of Dark Jixuanyuan's assault. Compared to what the Principal was facing, he was just being taken care of as an afterthought.
But even this was almost too much for him to bear.
A numbing sensation spread through his arms. The shield, on the verge of breaking, failed to block all the lightning. A small portion of the aftershock hit Ming Yu, causing the flow of Honkai Energy in his body to become sluggish.
Feeling his body grow heavier, Ming Yu's will did not waver. He desperately mobilized the Honkai Energy in his body to resist the lightning's assault.
Although Ming Yu had never personally witnessed the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, he had a faint feeling that Dark Jixuanyuan's lightning at this moment might not be inferior to a full-power strike from Herrscher Mei.
Although Herrschers were hailed as the ultimate embodiment of physical laws, limited by the Herrscher's own development of their abilities, not every Herrscher could display a level of power that matched their title.
Therefore, it wasn't particularly surprising that Dark Jixuanyuan could surpass the Herrscher of Thunder in lightning control.
In the sea of lightning, Ming Yu's concept of time gradually blurred. Perhaps a long time had passed, or perhaps it was just the blink of an eye.
With a crisp shattering sound, the extremely dim black shield above Ming Yu's head could no longer bear the burden and completely disintegrated in the raging thunder.
Looking at the golden lightning bolt descending from the sky, Ming Yu tried his best to keep his eyes open, and the Jizo Mitama in his hand met it without any sign of weakness.
But before the longsword and the lightning could collide, two golden chains extended over with a clatter, intertwining to envelop Ming Yu, meeting the bolt of lightning first.
With a crackle, the lightning, as thick as an infant's arm, struck the chains, but it only caused them to tremble violently.
"Phew~"
Ming Yu let out a long breath, his heart still pounding with fear. He had no confidence at all that he could have taken that last lightning bolt. If not for the Principal's help, he would have been skinned alive, if not killed.
Looking through the gaps in the chains, the golden sea of lightning had gradually thinned, revealing the original scenery of this space. Even for a Judgment-class Honkai Beast, the amount of Honkai Energy was ultimately limited; it couldn't sustain such an attack indefinitely.
As the lightning gradually dissipated, the two chains protecting Ming Yu also retreated, retracting into Judah.
"Hmph! Annoying insects, you're still not dead?!"
With a cold expression and a contemptuous gaze, Dark Jixuanyuan sat on a black warhorse she had summoned at some point, speaking from a commanding position.
Although the cold arrogance in her expression hadn't diminished in the slightest, the light of the blood-red gem on Dark Jixuanyuan's forehead had visibly dimmed. Clearly, launching the previous attack had also been a significant drain on her.
"An attack of this level is nothing to an S-rank Valkyrie!"
The Principal tilted the Judah in her hand to the right, revealing a face with a hint of a smile. Although her expression was still relaxed, her heavy breathing betrayed her true condition.
Even if she were alone, resisting the previous attack would not have been so simple for her, not to mention she also had to protect two of her subordinates.
The Principal's original conservative nun's habit had disappeared, replaced by a set of purple armor that exposed large areas of her fair skin. Four thick skirt armor plates with spikes were gently swaying with their owner's movements.
Violet Executer!
Ming Yu's pupils shrank as he recognized this battlesuit that was exclusive to Theresa. Finally, this S-rank Valkyrie was getting serious.
Glancing down at the silent golden ancient sword at his waist, Ming Yu couldn't help but sigh. It was already this late, and there was still no sign of the help Ji Lin had promised. Was he going to be stood up just like that?
In the chronicles, Ji Lin could dismantle the Xuanyuan Sword into three parts to strengthen the weapons of the main trio, which showed that she still retained a certain degree of influence over the Xuanyuan Sword.
But just now, he was in such a perilous situation, and this sword did nothing. This lowered his already low expectations even further.
Forget it, this isn't my thing in the end. The only thing I can truly rely on is the power I have mastered myself!
Shaking his head, Ming Yu refocused his attention on the battlefield.
"Is that so?" A playful smile appeared on Dark Jixuanyuan's face. "Perhaps that's true for you, but for the other two little ones, that's not necessarily the case."
As soon as her voice fell, she gently pulled the reins in her left hand and squeezed the horse's belly with her slender legs.
Receiving its master's signal, the black horse let out a sudden neigh, its body turning into a streak of light and charging straight at the still-panting blue-clothed Valkyrie.
Go for the softest target. And Fu Hua, as an ordinary A-rank Valkyrie, was undoubtedly the softest of the three.
So fast!
Fu Hua, who had just recovered from the sea of lightning, her eyes narrowed, but she couldn't see any of Dark Jixuanyuan's movements at all, only that extremely dangerous streak of black light.
After a moment's hesitation, she still chose to cross her arms in front of her chest, mobilizing a defensive amount of Honkai Energy befitting an A-rank Valkyrie.
The black streak of light arrived in an instant. A pitch-black ancient sword swept up from below, breaking through Fu Hua's defense without any resistance, and then cut through the Valkyrie's bracers with unstoppable momentum, sending a spray of crimson blood into the air.
*Bang!*
The immense and irresistible force from the black Xuanyuan Sword struck Fu Hua, sending her body flying viciously. She slammed heavily into the rock wall behind her, producing a heart-stoppingly loud noise.
"Fu Hua!?" Seeing Fu Hua's figure deeply embedded in the rock wall, the Principal cried out anxiously.
"Cough cough~ I'm... fine."
Feeling the sharp pain from all over her body, Fu Hua propped herself up against the rock, half-kneeling on the ground. She opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, responding weakly.
Looking at Fu Hua's rather miserable state, Ming Yu was speechless. If she hadn't dispersed the force just now, Fu Hua would have been able to enjoy St. Freya's limb reattachment service after the battle.
Was it really necessary to go this far for an undercover mission?
Without time for further thought, Ming Yu's gaze returned to Dark Jixuanyuan. He didn't think he could have taken that last strike unscathed.
The Principal at the side also brandished her Judah, and golden chains extended towards Ming Yu, weaving a dense net that separated him from Dark Jixuanyuan.
With a single strike, an A-rank Valkyrie was rendered combat-ineffective. Dark Jixuanyuan's speed in her warhorse state was simply cheating!
Seeing their actions, a wicked smile appeared on Dark Jixuanyuan's lips. The warhorse beneath her took a few light steps forward, then suddenly turned its head and charged at the Titans standing by on the side with the speed of lightning.
To Theresa and Ming Yu's surprise, Dark Jixuanyuan slapped the horse's back with her left hand, launching her body into the air, while the warhorse below suddenly melted into a puddle of black viscous liquid, engulfing all the remaining Titans.
Black brilliance surged on the liquid, and the Titan mechs dissolved at a visible rate. Even the three Godfather mechs couldn't put up any resistance.
As the mechs gradually dissolved, the liquid rapidly shrank, reforming into the shape of a warhorse.
Landing steadily on the horse's back, Dark Jixuanyuan stroked the warhorse's red mane and said with satisfaction, "As expected, these things are most suitable as armor for my beloved horse."
Unlike the original, somewhat skinny warhorse, the new Xuanyuan Warhorse was noticeably larger. The heavy armor on its body not only didn't weigh it down but made it even more spirited. After all, what it had devoured was not just the metal that made up the mechs, but also the large amount of Honkai Energy contained within the Titans!
As if in response to its master's words, the warhorse raised its head and let out a loud neigh, the blade-like horn on its head gleaming with a frighteningly cold light.