It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

Bai Lin breathed a sigh of relief and landed on the ground. After Katie jumped down at the right time, he fell backwards. While closing his eyes and breathing, Bai Lin said,

"Could you please tell me beforehand next time you play like this?"

"Oh, I don't want to see you get hurt, it's just too sudden." Katie's hands radiated a faint green light as she spoke softly. Hearing Katie's voice, Bai Lin felt a refreshing breeze on his skin, and the slight resentment in his heart was completely dispelled.

"So, is there any progress?" Bai Lin asked the key question.

"Of course..." Katie was about to respond when another loud bang erupted, and the ground shook violently. In the distance, a sphere of golden light suddenly appeared. As golden magic flowed in from all directions, the sphere gradually expanded, swirling like a whirlpool, devouring the magic. The monster was forced to turn its gaze in that direction and temporarily stopped moving.

Long Yucheng was floating in the air, holding a sword in both hands, the blade pointing upward, as if holding a sacred weapon. He closed his eyes, aligning his movements with his hands, in a perfect prayer posture.

Just like what Bai Lin had seen on Katie in the past, the golden light that emanated from all living things now flowed like a tide towards the golden sphere above him. The sphere, restless like a flame, was about to reach its peak, forming a sharp contrast with his silent body.

"Holy light, itself, should illuminate all things. To imbue a sword with light is to deliver the most heartwarming defeat to the opponent. Using light to guide others' path forward is one of our duties as paladins."

Long Yucheng's deep voice drifted through the air, recounting his declaration. The gathering of holy light demanded strength from the entire land, and the response it received truly validated his claim to illuminate all things. Receiving light, giving back light.

As the holy light gathered, the blade in his hand grew a bit bigger, completely transforming into the style of a two-handed sword. The reliefs of angels and demons also became more ferocious, foreshadowing the launch of an attack.

"Now, evil and murderous monsters stand in the way of humanity's sacred mountain. I will use my own light to dispel this evil darkness."

As the words fell, Long Yucheng moved, and his body, which should have been silent, suddenly ignited with a large amount of platinum flames like the sphere. His open eyes reflected the burning sphere, and the golden ring burned in his pupils like a flame.

"Modeled after the sun that shines upon the earth, I hope this brings you rest in peace, monster."

Daytime in Saint Walda

He swung his sword horizontally, slashing it out. The golden sphere was ripped apart as if by a hurricane, extending in the direction of Long Yucheng's strike. A flood of golden light seeped into the monster's body, and in the blink of an eye, a violent explosion shattered the creature's abstract form, rendering it even more aesthetically pleasing. Vast shards of flesh were also evaporated by the holy light. Amidst the resounding explosion, the monster fell backward, and for a moment, the forest fell into silence again.

“…Killed him?” asked the female archer.

"No, but at least I can rest for a while. Are you thirsty?" The black-robed wizard answered beside her.

The archer glanced at him and tossed him the water bag he had strapped to his waist, clearly showing a tacit understanding. The black-robed mage took it and drank without hesitation. The mage, who had always been talking, was naturally the one who needed water.

Chapter 132 The Scales of Judgment

Looking at the two people in front of her, the pastor, who had reunited with the team, suddenly felt a sense of unreality. She suddenly felt that she was not a member of this team at all. She was the only one who had not provided any help from beginning to end, and no team member would communicate with her.

The only skill she possessed was healing, something the Paladin captain could actually do. She, who had always prided herself on her beauty, felt a profound sense of failure after seeing Bai Lin's face today. Meanwhile, the warrior carrying his companions on his back had been diligently working on the battlefield, even treating her, whom he had only just met, with tenderness.

Perhaps, she only has some knowledge of exorcism that she learned in the temple, which can be considered her unique feature.

The priest bit his lip and looked up, asking, "Yucheng used that kind of attack, which must have consumed a lot of magic power... Should we go and help him?"

When the female archer heard this, she turned around in surprise and said, "I never thought you would say this."

The priest's words were instantly silenced by the archer's retort. A wave of shame washed over her, and she replied emotionally, "Of course. It's a priest's duty to look after my teammates!"

After a moment of shock, the archer's lips curled into a faint smile. Although she had long been dissatisfied with this priest who was just a vase in the team, as the most experienced adventurer in the entire team, she always believed that people can change, and those who grow are naturally talented and adaptable.

She nodded. "You are right. Your assessment of the battle situation is indeed sound. I hope you can maintain such a clear mind and take good care of this team during your upcoming adventures."

After saying this, the archer extended a hand towards the priest.

"Now, give me your hand. Your legs are shaking, but you are the only one who can restore the captain to his full condition, so you still need to persevere for this journey. Of course, I will help you."

Looking at the archer's outstretched hand, the priest was also stunned for a moment. She actually believed in her? She slowly took two steps forward, placed her hand on it, and said softly, "Thank you...thank you."

"You're welcome. We are teammates. It is our duty to take care of the priest." The archer answered cheerfully.

The black-robed mage frowned, about to say something when a sudden shriek shattered the momentary peace and harmony. The source of the sound was the sound of a tentacle tearing through the air. It instantly shattered the protective layers of the trees and headed straight for its target. When the priest saw the white, hand-like substance, thicker than the trees, her pupils suddenly constricted, even as the tentacle grew larger.

what do I do?

Despite her resolve, the priest was still too unfamiliar with combat. The sudden surge of tentacles left her no room to dodge, not to mention she was still a novice. At that moment, the priest felt like an elderly woman in a wheelchair seeing an unmanned truck hurtling towards her: aware of the danger, yet powerless to act.

Someone seemed to be shouting in the distance. Who was it? By the time the priest came to her senses, she felt a dizzying sensation. She was knocked to the ground by the immense force, and the massive hand slammed down hard. Refocusing her gaze, she clearly saw the female archer, who had been chatting with her so kindly just moments ago, pinned to the ground by the massive hand.

The female archer spat out a mouthful of blood with a hideous look because of the overly powerful impact, and then the tentacles were withdrawn as quickly as they came, without giving the remaining people any chance to react.

"No!" The priest screamed after a brief moment of confusion. She had no ability to destroy the tentacles, and she didn't know what else to do. This feeling of powerlessness transformed into the most primitive human emotion: tears.

"How could...how could this happen?" She knelt weakly on the ground, and the black-robed wizard beside her also asked the same question in his heart.

how come?

The sudden acceleration, the sudden attack—everything seemed too abrupt, something completely missing from the target intelligence when he accepted the mission. Everything happened so fast that he didn't even have any spells prepared. After a brief moment of daze, he immediately and abruptly pulled the priest to his side and moved with her.

The black-robed mage ran, gritting his teeth. Even if he cast a spell now, it would be too late to remedy the situation. At the very least, he couldn't let his teammates' sacrifice go to waste.

Bai Lin and the other person, who were in the distance, naturally also observed the archer being captured. Bai Lin's pupils widened, and then he looked at Katie next to him, "Hurry up and save her!"

Katie stood there in a daze, shaking her head. "It's impossible to save him. After splitting the dragon's power, I can no longer cast spells as freely and quickly as before."

Bai Lin was clearly anxious, her breathing becoming rapid. Regardless of her body not yet fully recovered, Bai Lin jumped up and said, "Let's go. Since we can save him once, we should try again."

Katie gave Bai Lin a complicated look, then nodded. She understood it very well, and Bai Lin understood it too, but whether to do it or not was one thing, and whether or not to be able to do it was another.

Bai Lin's figure swiftly moved through the forest, soon emerging from the sea of ​​leaves. Looking into the distance, she saw the hand feeding the archer into the remaining half of the monster's mouth. In the blink of an eye, the archer was devoured by the evil blood-red and bottomless blackness, vanishing without a trace.

The monster that had devoured the archer began to move again, sprouting countless new branches and a pair of hideous white fleshy wings from its shoulders. A red light flashed across the monster's body, momentarily obscuring Bai Lin's vision. Then, to her amazement, she saw infinite red pupils sprouting from the monster's outstretched wings.

From the monster's chest, a series of hoarse metallic sounds like the friction of gears emanated. They slowly converged together, forming a fragmented human language.

"The carrier is ready... The judge has switched to the final judgment mode!"

Another flash of red light passed, and a flood of red beams swept out from its wings. Those that sprayed toward the ground instantly destroyed a large area of ​​forest, leaving a charred landscape. Bai Lin didn't bother saving the archer, and quickly dodged in mid-air. Fortunately, the lasers were slow and cumbersome, disappearing completely after just a few seconds. For Bai Lin, hiding was not a problem.

The Judge stood up again, spread its wings, and the remaining tentacles were evenly arranged under the wings on both sides of its body, like...

Like a balance scale.

Chapter 133 Resonance of Heart

Seeing the giant's transformation, Bai Lin immediately decided that she couldn't rush in any further. She observed the other's body.

Despite undergoing such a drastic transformation, it still hadn't managed to restore its original form. Even the main trunk supporting its body bore numerous wounds from the blows inflicted by Long Yucheng, appearing somewhat shaky. Though only supported by its injured legs, the monster's unusually large form remained intact, resisting the unbalance. Perhaps those swaying tentacles held some secret...

"Bai Lin." Katie suddenly called out.

"Hmm, what's up?" Bai Lin replied, keeping a close eye on the monster's movements as she saw it didn't move. Because the monster's speed was so astonishing, Bai Lin didn't dare act rashly. After all, without Gungnir, her mobility had greatly decreased.

"I already know the limitations of its resurrection. But to kill it completely, it still depends on you."

Bai Lin was not surprised by Katie's words, and she agreed immediately, "Well, tell me, I will do my best."

"Monsters can't regenerate parts of themselves that have been struck by magic power in a short period of time. Given their nature, we naturally need to use endless magic power, which is your flame."

Bai Lin was slightly taken aback. Why did Katie suddenly bring this up? After the battle with Chronostia, Bai Lin had tried to mobilize the flame again, but ultimately only managed to produce a small flame every few days. In Claire's words, she was truly abandoned by the Goddess of Magic—a forsaken child of heaven.

"Although you are not very efficient at converting the magic power in the atmosphere, you did give me a portion of your essence when you resurrected me. In other words..."

Katie paused and continued in a softer tone, "We are now connected in heart and soul, with an inseparable bond deep in our souls."

"Ahem." Bai Lin coughed twice, "Could you please not use such ambiguous terms..."

Katie immediately adopted a more blunt attitude. "That's not as ambiguous as it sounds. Remember that day when I poured all my dragon power into you? Although I didn't see it with my own eyes, I imagine it must have been tough."

Bai Lin couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat when she heard Katie's words. Indeed, she didn't want to recall the feeling of having one side torn apart by the high-temperature energy erupting from within, while the other side was constantly being repaired.

Seeing Bai Lin didn't react, Katie continued to explain, "That day, I stripped the dragon essence from my body and injected it into yours as pure energy. But today is different. Draw magic power from me, which means putting my magic power into your body. This is like forcibly picking a lock. Not only will it not fit the keyhole, but it may also fail."

"If it's more serious... there's even the possibility of a direct physical explosion. However, considering we now possess the same essence, and I'm somewhat confident in my ability to control magic, that shouldn't happen. But the choice is still yours."

If possible, Katie didn't want to take this approach. Although she had basic goodwill towards the humans outside the village, and would feel sorry for their deaths, and also hoped that they would not die a violent death... but they were strangers after all, and naturally could not compare to Bai Lin.

But Bai Lin was different. Even though they had only known each other for a short time, Katie could sense the intense emotional turmoil she felt when the female archer was captured and Bai Lin was powerless to save her. Whether it was the weapon clenched in her hand or her lips bitten so hard beneath her helmet that they seemed to bleed, both revealed her anger and a touch of sadness.

And when that anger and resentment towards the opponent eventually slowly turned into a sense of powerlessness, that was when a truly desolate feeling was revealed. In any case, Katie believed that Bai Lin had the right to know the method of killing the enemy, and she would respect her choice, not to mention.

As human beings, neither of them wanted to see more people get hurt.

Bai Lin took a long breath and uttered two words steadily.

"We must do it."

Katie nodded slightly, then pressed herself against Bai Lin's body. "Feel the vibrations in your body, and imagine that the flame is your beating heart. I will slowly adjust the frequency and replenish your magic power."

Bai Lin obeyed Katie's words, closed her eyes, and listened to the voice within. Closing her eyes amidst nature, feeling the wind and the scent of flowers and plants was a natural pleasure. But now, Bai Lin could only smell the charred scent of burned vegetation, which only solidified her resolve to shatter the scale.

Gradually, Bai Lin could clearly sense Katie's heart behind him, and it gradually synchronized with hers. It was as if he could see two cores beating in unison in the darkness of his closed eyes. His own heart was burning fiercely, and he could see unknown birds and beasts flying through it, stirring up waves of heat.

The beautiful golden-orange feathers of her tail spread a warm aura of fire throughout her body, dispelling the fatigue in Bai Lin's muscles. In some works, unceasing flames are often associated with the phoenix, so it's no surprise that Bai Lin would associate this with the phoenix. Even the wings she wore when she used Miyantian Sheng were a reflection of her dreamlike imagination of the phoenix.

Katie's feathers, on the other hand, were enveloped in a golden mist. The pure white wings enveloped her heart, just as her own pure and flawless body was. Beneath the mist lay a beautiful night sky strewn with endless stars. As the feathers drifted down, misty golden light also fell within, creating a magical and graceful scene.

As their hearts became increasingly synchronized, Bai Lin felt herself getting better. Suddenly, she felt a suffocating sensation, as if someone had strangled her throat, causing her entire body to go numb. At the same time, Bai Lin could no longer see any images of care. A large amount of golden light sprayed into her body, slowly transforming into the color of fire, burning her body wantonly, not sparing any part of her body.

Like a drowning person being pulled out of the water, Bai Lin opened her eyes, gasping for air. Her pupils shifted, the focal point now engulfed in orange-red flames. Naturally, burns appeared all over her body. Fortunately, the burns weren't as extensive this time, and as the heat radiated outward, Bai Lin felt the pain subside slightly.

Chapter 134: Judgment at Noon

With a sizzling sound, a mist rose behind Bai Lin, evidently Katie casting a cooling spell. The moment Bai Lin's vision cleared, the Judge launched another barrage of lasers, while tentacles rapidly coiled around her. With her magic boost, Bai Lin's movements became even more swift. After dodging the attack with a flip and a leap, she swiftly slashed with her shield. With her blazing magic, the blazing flames tore through the tentacles, blocking them all before the sharpest barrier.

Bai Lin adjusted her stance and landed in the woods. Thanks to the energy of magic, she no longer needed to rely on darting through the trees for mobility, instead using the dense forest to conceal her form. Despite the vast area of ​​forest destroyed, nature's protection was still reliable for a human-sized body.

The tentacle attacks didn't stop for long after Bai Lin entered the forest, though the frequency of their attacks slowed considerably, allowing her to easily dodge them. Clearly, they possessed a certain sensitivity to magic, but unlike Cresce and Chronostia, they couldn't detect their target more directly than the naked eye.

"Is it all right if I just slowly grind it down?" Bai Lin asked as she ran, suppressing the burning sensation in her throat that threatened to burst into flames. She was like a Wuling Hongguang with a sports car engine, her heart pounding beyond her capacity, forcing her entire body through a workout beyond her limits. The possibility of collapse loomed at every moment, and the pain was naturally inexhaustible.

Fortunately, the so-called Phoenix Flame, the magical property named Miyan by the system, was still doing its best to restore her body. Although Bai Lin was not confident that he could completely destroy the opponent before he fell, if that was the case, he had no choice but to give it a try.

"Of course not. Although you have gained a large amount of magic power, you are still too unfamiliar with how to use it. The current plan is to go to Longyu City and ask if they can still prepare such a powerful attack. If not, we will have to find another way."

Based on the black-robed wizard's previous questions and his spellcasting accuracy, Katie judged that he would at most cast a few more fireballs, and that when her side launched a general attack, he would surely notice the change in magic power and attack together.

Besides, the magic power in Bai Lin will only gradually dissipate, and it would be too difficult to replenish it again, so finding only one is the right choice.

After Katie pointed the way, Bai Lin soon arrived at the edge of Dragon Jade City. He knelt on one knee, propping himself up with his sword, panting heavily. His shield was charred, like the horrific scorch marks on the ground. He had clearly been affected by the laser.

Bai Lin stopped and described the situation as Katie intended. After hearing this, Long Yucheng struggled to stand up, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his free hand. He mumbled something and staggered for a few seconds.

Before he could reply, Bai Lin sensed the sudden presence of the tentacles, and lifted Long Yucheng with one hand, moving sideways to avoid the tentacles. He then imitated the military doctors in American movies, stared into Long Yucheng's face, and shouted, "Can you do this?"

"I'll try my best." After being yelled at, Long Yucheng came to his senses a little. After Bai Lin's action was completed, he stood still and held his sword with both hands.

Bai Lin frowned. She sensed something was off, but couldn't put her finger on what it was. Time was running out in the battle, so she could only nod and walk away in the opposite direction.

Judging from previous performance, Saint Varda's Daylight seemed to have some special properties, preventing monsters from attacking it during its casting time. If Bai Lin, who couldn't control his magic, were to launch an attack nearby, it would likely affect Dragon Jade City, so she chose to stay away first.

Although Bai Lin's vision had been somewhat affected by the flames, he could still clearly see the thin threads of light floating past him and gathering towards the location of Longyu City, but the number was obviously far less than before, probably because the vegetation had been damaged.

Katie's chanting voice also became increasingly blurred in her ears. Although the reliable mage behind her had been using the Eye of Tiamat to provide her with some coolness, Bai Lin's consciousness still became blurred as it gradually faded. Finally, after a high syllable, Katie said,

"Output with all your strength!"

In an instant, Bai Lin seemed to have found an outlet. He slashed the ground with a knife, cutting off a tentacle while leaping high up, leaving behind a large pit full of burn marks. The pit looked as if it had been hit by explosives, and it looked terrifying.

With this strike, Bai Lin, having leaped from the forest, regained some clarity. She took a deep breath, and her beautiful orange-red wings spread out again on either side of her. The feathers, like crystal carvings, formed a stark contrast with the vibrant crimson of the flames. Or perhaps, it was actually a moment of peace before the storm.

With a flap of her wings, Katie leaped from Bai Lin's body. Bai Lin would soon enter a dangerous area. Although Katie wasn't the type to calmly cast spells from a safe location, her fighting style leaned more towards supporting melee combat while leveraging her ranged advantages. However, being caught in the center of the explosion was clearly irrational.

Katie was somewhat confident in her control of magic power. After slightly manipulating the wind flow, she stabilized her body on a relatively tall bald tree trunk, ready to use the dragon essence to provide spell support at any time.

Although she no longer caused any major damage after dividing her magic power, she still had to fulfill her duties.

Bai Lin dodged several laser beams as she soared into the air. Then, a streak of light filled her entire field of vision as it quickly passed overhead, like a stingray of light. From the sky pierced by the light, a golden liquid oozes forth, rapidly forming a giant sword of light as it descended.

Noon Court Decision

Like a hilt studded with holy bones, the slender yet solid greatsword, like a sacred weapon, fiercely pierced through the monster's defensive tentacles and pierced into its body. Afterward, the remaining light in the crack completely disappeared, and the greatsword transformed into a stream of light, splitting the monster's body directly in half.

Chapter 135 Gentleness Leads to Death

Clearly, the attack from Longyu City was very effective. Taking advantage of the moment when the monster stopped attacking due to the damage, Bai Lin flapped his wings and attacked from high to low.

Mi Yantian·Xiao Wuyingchuan

Her body continued to accelerate as she fell, gradually engulfed by flames. The increasingly intense flames obscured her increasingly threatening form. While missiles might be a more apt description, the sharp edge of her elbows was always poised for launch.

The reason he didn't choose the most powerful combo was because he had to consider his attack range this time. Simply dealing damage to a monster with an unclear health bar wasn't going to be effective. Instead, he transformed himself into a bomb, creating a perfect landing point with his elbow strikes, and then unleashed a perfect burst of flames.

If time and condition allowed, after the opponent fell to the ground, using a ground elbow strike would not only take advantage of one's weight advantage, but also create more space for the following ground technique. And the one who could strangle such a giant would obviously be the Mi Yan that was surging wildly in the wind.

With a thunderous boom, Bai Lin collided with the monster's flesh. Following the incision, she charged forward, tearing through the monster's flesh with a brutal force, ultimately landing on the ground. The wings, previously gathered to protect Bai Lin's form, instantly spread open, unleashing their full savagery. As rings of fire erupted, the monster's flesh finally succumbed to the onslaught of energy and exploded.

Crimson flames ignited the sky, shredding all sounds within the blast radius like a storm, and stained vast swathes of land with the same fireworks. Gradually, strands of flames swirled in the air, slowly flowing toward Bai Lin's body, like a scene of hundreds of birds paying homage to a phoenix.

Bai Lin, at the center of the explosion, naturally suffered considerable damage. The flames returned as a natural response to protect her master. Even with her utmost strength, parts of the monster's body remained unincinerated. Bai Lin knew this, but she was powerless. Simply lying there, motionless, had already exhausted her strength.

Although she also understood that failing to deal with such a monster once would be equivalent to failure, Bai Lin believed that her companions would not just watch from a distance on the battlefield.

Katie, of course, responded to Bai Lin's deepest plea. When the black-robed mage launched a few fireballs from afar, Katie unfurled her dragon-blooded wings. She drew forth the long-prepared magic circle, first exhaling a breath that altered the attributes of the target's flames, then forcibly channeling her powerful affinity for the elements into equally violent spells.

Besides fire, wind also has this property. As a unidirectional swirling airflow blew out from her side, several scars appeared on the monster's body. At the same time, Bai Lin's flames finally covered the monster's entire body.

Katie sat down weakly on the treetop, panting. Clearly, her magic power had been exhausted, but the mission was a complete success. Just as she breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to greet Bai Lin's triumphant return, the eyeballs on the wings suddenly burst into flames and fell from the heat wave's canopy.