The legends of the famous guns have long been etched in the hearts of many, each gun carrying its own saga, thus ensuring their eternal renown. These young prodigies, though they may have glimpsed the might of these guns, had never faced one so directly before—especially not one as legendary as Manjushaka among the Ten Great Guns.
The bloom and wither of the flower on the other shore signifies the rise and fall of life.
Even Anwen, despite his vast knowledge, felt a chill down his spine as he gazed upon the flower. Though he had delved deeply into many studies, he could not comprehend the workings of Manjushaka, nor why the appearance of the River of Styx’s flower always heralded the loss of life. Enthusiastic as he was for research, he was no fool and did not wish to conduct a first-hand study of the flower.
For a moment, the Evernight powerhouses forgot they could flee; their thoughts were consumed by: “How did Manjushaka end up here?”
Ruluo reacted the quickest, with nerves as coarse as his laughter, which startled everyone.
Pointing at the flower, he bellowed, “How could Manjushaka possibly be in the Maelstrom? You must be mistaken, yes, mistaken! A little flower scared you like this?”
As Ruluo’s laughter thundered, the flower seemed to sense something, swaying angrily and suddenly withering!
Aiden gasped, Edward sidestepped tens of meters away, and Anwen’s eyebrows arched slightly, his fingertips glowing. A wall of hexagons, akin to a honeycomb, appeared in front of him, separating himself from Ruluo.
In an instant, Ruluo stood alone, his every hair standing on end, mouth forming a large ‘O’, followed by a blood-curdling scream and a frantic turn to run!
At that moment, he did not know why or how to run, but his gut instinct told him he must, even if it was futile.
Ruluo’s eight segmented legs flailed wildly, but the anticipated launch never came. His massive body remained stationary, weaving a chaotic web of golden threads in the air.
As the River of Styx’s flower withered, all grew silent.
Suddenly, Ruluo fell silent, staring fearfully at his spider-like form. A soft crack echoed, and several fissures appeared at the end of one leg.
Spider demons were known for their hard exoskeletons, and Ruluo, with his exceptional talent, had even tougher blade-like limbs. However, the hardest points were also the weakest. Once the exoskeleton cracked, the leg would be temporarily useless, needing time to heal.
Ruluo held his breath, not daring to move, staring intently at the cracks. After three seconds, no new fissures appeared, and he sighed in relief, drenched in sweat.
He noticed the menacing gazes of Anwen, Edward, and Aiden, and even Dusk’s untrustworthy eyes, fixated on his vital points.
Proud and arrogant, Ruluo felt enraged. Not only did they refuse to help, but their looks were murderous.
Ruluo declared, “Such a small flower, nothing more!”
In an instant, all looked at Ruluo as if he were a fool. One flower’s bloom and wither had cost him a limb, and he still claimed it was “nothing more”?
If eight more flowers appeared, wouldn’t Ruluo lose all his legs and maybe even an arm?
Amidst the shock, the group marveled at the horror of Manjushaka, even surpassing the legends. A single flower had harmed Ruluo, one of the spider demon’s finest. How did Gesetu survive a direct attack from Manjushaka?
Ruluo laughed, but found no response. The others’ expressions were uncertain, making him sneer. Just as he was about to mock them, Dusk, with a peculiar look, said, “You said, a small flower, nothing more?”
Ruluo paused, sensing something amiss, but with his boast out there, how could he retract it?
“Yes, I did. What of it?” he responded proudly.
Dusk’s expression became even more odd, pointing behind Ruluo without a word.
Irritated, Ruluo turned around, finding a sea of flowers of the other shore unfolding, each flower on the verge of blooming and withering. Innumerable, they far exceeded a hundred or a thousand.
One Manjushaka cost Ruluo a leg; now, this field of flowers could easily kill him multiple times over. Ruluo was speechless.
The flowers bloomed and withered in an instant, and Ruluo knew escape was impossible. Resigned, he sighed, “Why me again?”
“Because you have a loose tongue…” Dusk muttered to herself, keeping her thoughts silent.
Staring at the flower sea, everyone, including the arrogant Edward, dared not move. The special traits of Manjushaka were evident, unpredictable and unavoidable. They all tried to minimize their presence, not wanting to draw the attention of Manjushaka’s master, whose scrutiny could doom them as it had Ruluo.
Anwen, who had been gazing at the sky, asked, “Is Miss Zhao Ruoxi here? Could you show yourself?”
From the empty sky, a voice both gentle and clear replied, “Do you think, because I lack origin power, you can trick me out to kill me?”
Anwen immediately shook his head, “Of course not! I assure you with my status as the young master of the Demonkin…”
Before he could finish, a stunning girl appeared in mid-air, looking down at him with a hint of mockery. “Your assurance means nothing. Do you really think you can kill me just because I’ve shown myself?”
Suspended in the air, the girl was breathtakingly beautiful, her features slightly obscured by a mist. For some reason, Anwen averted his gaze, unable to meet her eyes.
After a moment, Anwen realized his reaction and looked back. This time, he was prepared, but her mocking gaze made his cheeks flush.
Zhao Ruoxi, floating high above, surveyed the strongest of the Evernight’s young generation. Despite lacking origin power, her presence was overwhelming. The countless blooming and withering flowers around her were enough to dampen the arrogance of any prodigy.
With Zhao Ruoxi’s appearance, the atmosphere grew tense. Edward, Ruluo, and Aiden exchanged glances, but no one could think of a solution.
According to legend, the current owner of Manjushaka was weak and powerless, requiring constant protection and unable to sustain a single shot. No one expected to encounter her in the Maelstrom. Yet, her actual presence dispelled any thought of verifying the legends.
The situation was delicate, with the ever-changing flowers always a step away from becoming a death trap.
“Will we be wiped out?” Aiden whispered to Anwen.
“No, among so many flowers, there must be fakes. The records don’t mention Manjushaka having such power,” Anwen replied calmly.
“So what is she waiting for?”
“Perhaps…?” Anwen had an idea.
Zhao Ruoxi floated, neither attacking nor speaking, lost in thought. The Evernight powerhouses, valuing their lives, did not dare to act rashly. While most shared Anwen’s belief that Zhao Ruoxi couldn’t kill them all, they knew her target would be doomed.
After a tense moment, Zhao Ruoxi’s eyes lit up. “Got you!”
Half the flowers around her instantly withered, and a muffled groan, filled with pain, echoed through the air—it was the Witch’s voice.
A distant light emerged, followed by countless luminous points, flying towards Zhao Ruoxi. Each point absorbed surrounding origin power, growing larger, and soon formed a torrent of light, surging across the distance, straight for Zhao Ruoxi!
This was the same attack the Witch had used against Zhao Jundu. Though less grandiose, it was more fluid and unpredictable, merging and separating at will, leaving one bewildered.
Despite the illusions, the light’s terrifying power was undeniable.
This was the confrontation between the Witch and Zhao Ruoxi. The bloodline elites and Ruluo did not intervene. Strangely, Anwen also remained still, his pupils reflecting complex patterns, watching the battle intensely.
Only Aiden moved quickly, but as he aimed, his face changed—he couldn’t lock onto Zhao Ruoxi. She was there, in the air, seemingly within reach, yet in Aiden’s perception, she was nowhere to be found.
Aiden hesitated, considering firing blindly, but he sensed it would be futile.
This battle was between Zhao Ruoxi and the Witch. But did the Witch truly possess the power to counter Manjushaka?
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