In the alliance, the more they attack me, the stronger I become!

Cheng Xiao took another closer look at the Darkin Demon Sword in front of him, and suddenly realized that Aatrox no longer had the heroic appearance of a god-warrior as before.

Given Aatrox's reputation and strong self-esteem, he'd likely present himself as a god-warrior if given the chance—or at the very least, imitate it, using the greatsword's true form. There's only one possible explanation for this:

He can only appear in this form.

Even in the soul world, he could not transform into a human form.

"Brother To, let me feel better."

In order to verify his idea, Cheng Xiao not only did not drive away the annoying Aatrox, but instead directly let part of his energy enter Aatrox's Darkin Demon Sword.

Inside, what he saw was no longer a pathetic giant sword, but a god-warrior with a tall stature and covered in golden light.

In this way, Cheng Xiao was very sure.

Aatrox... After being "forced to retreat" by Lissandra in the dream world last time, his energy was no longer able to penetrate the Darkin Sword and reach other people's soul world in a short period of time.

I'm still a bit confused though - theoretically, Aatrox was forced back into the Darkin Blade to sleep for a while, so why is he awake now? Or... was he never asleep at all?

"Why? You still can't help but admire my magnificent form?"

Aatrox, who looked like a god-warrior, laughed heartily, seemingly very pleased with the "worship" of this mortal before him.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes..." Cheng Xiao was too lazy to attack the other party and retreated back to her own soul world.

Then, he carefully sensed it - there was indeed only his soul and energy in his body. All of Aatrox's magic was suppressed in his sword, without any crossing the line.

In addition...

The human form Cheng Xiao transformed into gradually became blurry and distorted, as if it would dissipate at any moment. Instead, his soul felt the existence of his body again, and the outside world formed a series of broken pictures before him.

He saw a pair of ice-blue wings.

Like... a bird? No, there's no way a bird this big could exist.

The broken images gradually formed a regular pattern, and Cheng Xiao gradually saw the owner of the wings.

Although this was the first time he saw it in the real world, he had seen it countless times in the canyon before - Ice Crystal Phoenix Anivia.

This demigod, skilled in summoning blizzards, is releasing her energy... and the black ice in front of her is slowly melting.

It is worth mentioning that the melting of the True Ice is not overall, but partial - the left half of the True Ice that seals the Darkin Demon Sword does not move at all.

Then, Cheng Xiao saw another human standing next to Anivia. It was Lissandra.

He understood everything immediately.

Combining the scene we see now with what Lixiansandro said in her previous dream... they are probably trying to save themselves now.

Cheng Xiao was very relieved.

But... I'm also worried.

He withdrew his gaze and looked back at the Darkin Sword floating in front of his soul.

Lissandra and Anivia... were probably tricked by Aatrox. This cunning Darkin wasn't completely asleep; he was still conscious.

Although it seems that his energy can no longer penetrate the shackles of the Darkin Demon Sword, it is hard to say whether he has any backup plan... Maybe this is all part of his plan?

Cheng Xiao has always been skeptical and vigilant about possible dangers.

And the caution in his eyes was also seen by Aatrox.

The scarlet giant sword spun two and a half circles in place, and a dazzling red light flashed at the hilt, as if Aatrox himself was laughing.

"You cowardly maggot, you're still hesitant at this moment? You're really ridiculous!"

"I can't help it. You're the one who even plotted against a cowardly maggot." Cheng Xiao retorted, "Don't great god warriors disdain to play tricks? It seems I overestimated you."

"Trick? Are you worthy? I'm just teasing you ridiculous mortals." After two months of mutual insults training, Aatrox's verbal skills have obviously improved a lot, and he was not led by the rhythm and broke the defense.

"I was just teasing you a little, but you actually believed that I was forced into a deep sleep by you... Ridiculous, truly ridiculous!"

Hearing this, Cheng Xiao wanted to continue mocking the other party for being stubborn, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Because he knew it was true.

He sensed something was amiss at the time, but the situation was urgent and he had no time to think about it... Now it seems that Aatrox didn't really lose the "wave" against them - how could he and a weakened Lissandra suppress Aatrox, whose soul had not been damaged at all?

Aatrox was indeed acting at the time... He deliberately returned to the Darkin Blade...

but……

Cheng Xiao recalled the scene at that time and once again sensed the aura of the giant sword in front of him.

Even if Aatrox was acting at the time, he was now certain of one thing—

"But you really can't let your power pass through the Darkin Sword and reach my soul world now. Even if you deliberately lost to us at that time, the subsequent seal on your energy is true."

"Oh? It seems that you, a maggot, are not completely hopelessly stupid." Aatrox nodded in appreciation, but his laughter still revealed disdain and mockery.

"It's true that I can't release my power for the time being, but so what?"

"So what..." Cheng Xiao frowned, "Then I will be free again, and you will continue to be sealed here."

"That suits me just fine, maggot," Aatrox laughed. "Since darkness is inevitable, I'd rather enjoy it quietly and alone. You noisy maggot, I'm glad to be without you. I detest your disgusting words!"

"Really?"

"How could that be false!?"

"You're willing to let me go just to avoid being yelled at?"

"Humph, if it weren't for you, a despicable maggot, also possessing an immortal body..."

"That's not right. Aren't you the one who wakes me up every time? You came here to get scolded, right?"

"..."

Aatrox realized the flaw in his words and fell silent.

After a moment, he had to be honest to a certain extent: "Your departure from here will also pave the way for me to regain my freedom."

"Oh?" Cheng Xiao became interested again. "Are you planning to take advantage of this opportunity to sneak away? Or have you done something so that as soon as I leave, you can follow me out and start a killing spree?"

"Why would a great god-warrior need such petty tactics?" Aatrox scoffed. "When the time is right, you'll be begging me to leave, weeping and on your knees. Then you'll use whatever means necessary to free me."

"...What nonsense are you talking about again?"

"Oh, you'll understand sooner or later."

The Darkin Sword began to retreat, the forbidden magic spell cast by the former Twilight Aspect within the blade tugging at Aatrox's soul.

His voice became smaller and smaller, but his confident and brutal tone struck the heart more and more directly:

"Wait until you've survived in the outside world for hundreds or even thousands of years, until everyone you wanted to protect gradually dies of old age and disease, until you've searched every corner of this world and still can't find a way to kill yourself, until you've grown tired of this repetitive world..."

"When you realize that everything you do is in vain for the whole world, you will understand..."

"You will understand my will and my great goal of slaughtering the gods..."

"You will come back to me..."

"You will join me in destroying the world..."

"Of course, the most important thing is that I don't want to see you, a noisy maggot, anymore. I want peace and quiet!"

Aatrox's voice faded away, and Cheng Xiao understood the fundamental purpose of his actions.

Aatrox wanted him to leave this place, and would one day take him away. Rather than being sealed away forever together with everyone else, he would rather wait quietly for a thousand or eight hundred years before regaining his freedom - after all, considering his past experiences, being sealed away for a few hundred years was nothing.

And he had acted in front of Lissandra before, pretending to be defeated... probably so that Lissandra could melt the True Ice without worry, otherwise his plan would not be possible.

After understanding everything, Cheng Xiao no longer hesitated.

He did not try to stop Anivia and Lissandra's actions, but quietly felt the True Ice covering his body melt away bit by bit.

His soul world became increasingly blurred, replaced by the vision of the real world. He gradually saw everything in the outside world clearly and could feel his strong heartbeat again.

And at the last moment before he left, Aatrox, who was sealed again in the Darkin Sword, was also watching him quietly.

Looking at the back of that mortal.

He could sense the will to protect others and understand Cheng Xiao's willingness to sacrifice herself to seal the Destroyer.

In that figure... he saw the glory of himself and Queen Setaka in the void war.

The meaning of the existence of the God Warriors.

"Even a cowardly mortal like me does have a silver lining... This despicable body will one day become a weapon for a god-warrior..."

"Humph."

---------------------------------------------

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The ice is gradually melting.

But this is a seal created by Lissandra by sacrificing her life force. It is an extraordinary True Ice created by combining True Ice magic and Void magic bestowed by the Void Watcher. Even Anivia would find it difficult to quickly break the seal.

Judging from the current speed, it will take at least a few days and nights to completely release Cheng Xiao.

The only thing to be thankful for was that this melting process didn't require further input of magic power, meaning Anivia no longer had to keep an eye on it. Now all she had to do was wait, and when enough time had passed, Cheng Xiao would naturally regain her freedom.

"Okay."

Anivia twisted her neck wearily, her icy blue wings folding back together. She had expended considerable magic power melting this block of True Ice, and now she was exhausted.

She hadn't felt this tired in a long time. If it weren't for Ornn's sake and the promise Lissandra had made for her, she wouldn't have risked releasing the demon and expended so much effort to rescue a mortal whose character she didn't even know.

Now that the problem is solved, it's time for her to go home and have a good sleep.

Lissandra, standing by, questioned, "Is this all right? But... isn't Cheng Xiao still frozen?"

She could also feel the slow melting of the True Ice, but she didn't know that the melting would not stop even if Anivia left.

She thought Anivia was going to run away halfway through.

The beautiful and majestic Ice Crystal Phoenix gave the mortal another cold look, too lazy to explain.

She originally wanted to leave immediately, but then she changed her mind...she suddenly had a better idea.

Compared to her two older brothers who are either taciturn or rude and violent, Anivia, as the "sister", is more kind and benevolent towards humans, but sometimes she is also more mischievous.

If you are busy, she will help; if you are grudged, she will remember it.

Only by exercising her pettiness in unimportant moments can she live a happier life and avoid looking bitter and resentful like Volibear every day.

"Well," Anivia nodded at the ice sculpture, pretending to think. "I have to say, the seal you created with your life force is incredibly strong. Even I can't easily break it."

Upon hearing this, Lissandra's composure suddenly faltered. "What should we do? Can't even you save Cheng Xiao?"

"No, no, no, don't underestimate the power of a demigod." Anivia shook her head again, looking very confident. "I just said it can't be easily dispelled, not that it can't be dispelled."

"Then now..."

"Can't you see this ice sculpture is—oh, well, you can't," Anivia said, making a rude, infernal joke about the man's physical flaws. "Even though you can't see it, this piece of True Ice is actually melting."

"I know, but aren't you leaving? How should we proceed?" Lissandra asked quickly.

I've been tricked... Anivia secretly revealed a sly smile.

She pointed her wing at the ice sculpture that froze Cheng Xiao, "Do you know how birds are born?"

"The bird...of course it knows." Lissandra had not yet realized the seriousness of the problem.

"Hatching eggs, right? I suppose you've seen that—before you went blind, I mean?"

"Yeah... I've seen it."

"The principle is the same now—I've transformed this ice sculpture into an 'egg,' and now I need someone who understands True Ice magic to 'hatch' it."

"Um……?"

"Just like how I was reborn." Anivia spun in a circle, showing her soft and beautiful wings. "I can transform from Eggnivia into Anivia, and the ice sculpture can also transform into Cheng Xiao."

"Then... what should I do?" Lissandra still didn't quite understand.

"You hatch eggs the same way a bird hatches them," Anivia explained. "You must do your best to hatch them."