"Cirrus~ It's Cirrus~ Don't abandon us... Help us~"
The Heliobus fragments shrieked as they darted about in chaos.
"Heehee, as we agreed, it's time for me to fulfill my promise."
Cirrus floated off Felicity's shoulder. As if afraid Felicity would go back on her word again, it transformed into a fireball and shot forth.
The fireball seemed to become a small sun, its faint light illuminating half of Fyxestroll Garden.
It had been granted a sliver of the power of Abundance by Felicity, and as a Heliobus that wasn't too weak to begin with, it could naturally take Furynox's place.
The previously leaderless Heliobus fragments instantly rushed into Cirrus's spectral body, and a vast power erupted with Cirrus at its center.
It was certain that the Great Heliobus it had formed was stronger than Furynox—not only because it wielded a portion of the power of Abundance, but also because the consciousness now commanding the Great Heliobus's body was its own, Cirrus!
"Hehehe, hahaha!!!"
It flaunted its power wantonly, its body swelling to dozens of times its original size. It stared at the crowd before it with immense excitement, as if gazing upon insignificant ants.
"Such a marvelous opening act. Won't you all cheer and applaud for me?"
Cirrus laughed arrogantly as an attractive force suddenly surged toward Felicity.
The power within Felicity's body was far too dangerous; even with the strength of a Great Heliobus, it didn't dare to rashly invade her. It chose another method to defeat her.
To seize control of her mind directly!
No matter how formidable your power, your spiritual strength could not possibly withstand that of a Great Heliobus. As long as it could seize Felicity's soul, it could then use her power to potentially turn the entire Luofu upside down!
Just then, a clap of thunder boomed. A golden phantom of the Divine Lord had appeared behind Cirrus at some unknown point, dyeing the sky a brilliant gold.
It was Jing Yuan. The general of the Luofu had finally arrived at this crucial moment!
He arrived on the scene with his hands behind his back, his solemn gaze sweeping over Felicity and Cirrus before finally resting on Felicity, who was in a standoff with the Heliobus. He seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
The general of the Luofu could afford to ignore Cirrus, for even against a Great Heliobus, the Ten-Lords Commission was not without countermeasures. But what he had sensed was the power of Abundance on the level of an Emanator. As the general of the Luofu, it would be inexcusable for him not to intervene.
At the same time, the verdant green light suddenly dimmed. It wasn't that Cirrus had completely wrested control, but rather that another, more terrifying power had erupted from within Felicity.
"Wait, this isn't right."
Though they were far apart, Cirrus heard Felicity's whisper.
—*What isn't right? This absurdly immense power.*
To Felicity, it certainly wasn't right. This time, it wasn't the power of her soul that had been awakened, but another, even stronger power of Abundance.
*What the hell? Has my Abundance power gotten even stronger?*
*Why?*
Felicity stood suspended in mid-air. The verdant green light, after dimming, flared brightly once more. The phantom of a colossal, sky-reaching tree materialized behind her.
*Clang—*
The instant the phantom of the great tree took form, a spear of lightning suddenly struck down, followed by countless thunderbolts that rained upon Felicity.
Jing Yuan raised his hand, his expression frozen on his face.
He swore he had acted purely on instinct.
He had recognized the phantom's origin at a single glance—the Ambrosial Arbor, the scourge that had plagued the Luofu for countless years. The moment he sensed an aura similar to the Arbor erupt from within Felicity, his mind had gone blank.
Emanator of Abundance. The Ambrosial Arbor. As these two terms connected, a scene from the past naturally surfaced in his mind. The calm and composure brought by centuries of experience and growth vanished in an instant; he even found it difficult to breathe.
The moment he processed it, the Lightning-Lord's thunder had already descended.
"I..."
He subconsciously tried to say something, but felt a chill wind strike from above his head.
He looked up and saw that a massive, translucent purple diamond had formed above him at some point. A petite, puppet-like girl then leaped on top of the diamond, bringing a heavy hammer down to smash it viciously in his direction.
The Lightning-Lord immediately returned to Jing Yuan's side, raising a hand to crush the massive diamond.
Jing Yuan, meanwhile, stared with some surprise at Herta as she landed lightly before him, asking in a slightly bewildered tone:
"Lady Herta?"
"General of the Luofu, I don't care about the struggle between you and the Abominations of Abundance, but Felicity has never done anything to harm anyone. By rights, she should not be a target of your 'Hunt' for vengeance."
Herta's expression was terrifyingly grim. She brandished the large hammer, which was completely at odds with her petite frame, her gaze icy.
Felicity was her important... her important test subject. How could she let her just die here?
Jing Yuan was at a loss for words.
He didn't know how to answer, but the bolt of thunder had already struck. He waved a hand to dismiss the Lightning-Lord and turned his gaze to where Felicity was.
Felicity was still standing there.
The Lightning-Lord's power was truly immense, comparable to a full-force strike from Phantylia. The terrifying thunder had nearly pierced through Felicity's entire body, shrouding all signs of life.
Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough.
It was no wonder the Ambrosial Arbor had withered. The majority of the Arbor's original power of Abundance had voluntarily integrated itself into Felicity's body. Coupled with the fact that she seemed to have accidentally followed the path of the Abundance in earnest, the multiple buffs stacked on her had directly inflated her into something even more than an Emanator.
Felicity even began to wonder if someone could now gain immortality just by taking a bite out of her.
Like some kind of Tang Sanzang's flesh.
She reappeared before the floating smoke, completely unscathed.
"You're still alive?"
Cirrus was instantly scared out of its wits. Although the lightning bolt hadn't struck it, it had sensed the attack with crystal clarity. If it had been the one to take that blow, its soul would have surely been scattered, and it would have reverted to countless Heliobus fragments.
That was terrifying.
It finally understood how that 'Ignamar' had lost back then. The General of the Luofu was truly not someone it could afford to provoke in its current state.
But it didn't matter. Heliobi have endless lifespans and are undying and indestructible. As long as it still existed, it would have the chance to grow stronger. When that time came—
Just as Cirrus was about to spout some threats, it realized Felicity's attention wasn't on it at all.
The young woman turned her head, her gaze falling behind her. She noticed that everyone present was staring at her, most with expressions of shock or bewilderment. Only Herta maintained her usual cool indifference.
In the end, it was Bailu who spoke first. The child was the least patient, her soft, sweet voice filled with worry.
"...Big Sis Felicity, are you okay?"
Felicity tilted her head and thought for a moment. She felt that this was probably the time to say something reassuring. After a brief pause, she let out a soft chuckle and said:
"Heh, it's just a fatal wound."