"Fatty—" All the partners cried out in pain upon seeing this.
"Go support him!" Cui Yajie's eyes turned red, and she immediately wanted to rush over, but was pulled back by Zhang Lexuan.
"None of you come over!"
In the very next moment, a blinding and scorching golden light erupted from Xie Huanyue. The Snow Lotus pattern on his body disappeared, and his severed body actually reconnected.
This meant that Wei Na's soul had been obliterated. Every princess acting as a sacrifice to reproduce the majesty of the Sun God Giant had thoroughly merged her soul, martial soul, and flesh into Xie Huanyue's Sun God true body.
Lacking the time to grieve, Xie Huanyue clenched his fists, every inch of his muscles tensed and ready. Opposite him, the Star-Devouring Monster's spider-like massive body hovered in the void, its eight thick legs like twisted mountain ranges. Bizarre universal laws coiled around its body, continuously releasing deadly cosmic radiation that flashed with a cold light under the dark clouds.
Xie Huanyue struck first again. He pushed his legs hard, and the air was instantly compressed, emitting a dull explosive sound. Like a golden meteor, he flew towards the cosmic aberration. His right fist was held high, condensing the core power of the sun, and the surrounding space distorted from this scorching energy. With a roar that broke the firmament, his right fist, carrying endless heat and light, smashed towards the cosmic aberration like a shell.
Seeing this, the cosmic aberration instantly crossed its two front legs, forming a black defensive net. The light of the universal laws on its legs flared, weaving an indestructible shield. Xie Huanyue's fist smashed heavily onto the shield. In an instant, the golden and black lights collided madly, and powerful energy fluctuations spread outward like surging waves. The surrounding stars trembled violently under this force.
However, this strike from Xie Huanyue did not work. The cosmic aberration emotionlessly swung its other six legs. Each leg flashed with deadly cosmic radiation, like sharp blades, whipping towards Xie Huanyue at extreme speed. Wherever the legs passed, space was corroded into black rifts by the radiation, and a pungent burnt smell permeated the air.
Xie Huanyue's figure flashed, disappearing from the spot like a ghost. A second later, he appeared above the cosmic aberration, rapidly spinning his body in the air. Utilizing centrifugal force, his legs kicked out rapidly like high-speed propellers, driving the scorching air currents around him to form a golden storm. This storm acted like a giant broom, blocking the cosmic aberration's whipping legs. The scorching air and cosmic radiation neutralized each other, emitting crackling sounds and splattering light.
For a time, everyone watched the life-and-death struggle between the two behemoths, deeply shocked by the scene before them.
"Don't daze out! Everyone, quickly gather your soul power and be ready to provide backup at any time!" Ju Zi shouted, pulling everyone back from the shocking sight.
In the arena, the struggle between the two sides continued.
Immediately after, Xie Huanyue gathered his strength again. His fists struck out in rapid succession, streaks of golden fist light slashing towards the cosmic aberration like lightning.
The fist light tore the air. Wherever it passed, the mist of the universal laws coiling around the cosmic aberration's body dissipated one after another, emitting sizzling sounds as if struggling in pain.
The cosmic aberration still showed no emotional fluctuations. Its body suddenly swelled, and the cosmic radiation on its eight legs became increasingly robust. Then, with a fierce swing, countless rays of cosmic radiation shot towards Xie Huanyue like a dense rain of arrows.
These rays were extremely fast, reaching Xie Huanyue in the blink of an eye. Wherever the rays passed, space disintegrated like broken glass.
Xie Huanyue's face was grave. He condensed the sun's power to the extreme, light erupting from his entire body to form an incomparably beautiful starlight shield in front of him.
The radiation rays hit the shield, instantly emitting crackling sounds. The light on the shield flickered continuously, like a candle flame swaying in the wind, threatening to go out at any moment.
Xie Huanyue gritted his teeth and increased his power output. The light on the starlight shield became robust once more, firmly blocking the radiation rays.
Soon, the Star Crown pattern on Xie Huanyue's body disappeared. This also meant that Xu Jiujiu's soul had been obliterated.
At this time, the cosmic aberration opened its bloody maw. A powerful suction force emanated from it, and the surrounding heaven and earth origin power was madly devoured by it.
With the influx of origin power, its body became even more massive, and the strength on its eight legs also grew more powerful. It swung one leg, carrying the force of ten thousand tons, sweeping horizontally towards Xie Huanyue. The wind from the leg directly tore a massive opening in space.
Xie Huanyue was fearless. He took a violent step forward, leaning his body, and his right fist punched out at an extremely rapid speed. This punch contained his firm conviction to protect everyone and all the power of the Sun God.
The wind from the punch collided with the cosmic aberration's leg, emitting a deafening loud noise. The powerful force distorted space, forming a super massive energy vortex.
"Ooooaaaahhhhh—"
In the energy vortex, Xie Huanyue and the cosmic aberration's powers continuously clashed. Xie Huanyue's fists continuously swung, every strike carrying scorching solar power, while the cosmic aberration relied on its massive body and bizarre universal laws to tenaciously block Xie Huanyue's attacks.
The two sides exchanged blows back and forth, neither giving way. The entire surface of the earth trembled in this fierce battle.
The battle entered a white-hot stage. The cosmic aberration attacked once more. It fused the devoured heaven and earth origin power with its own cosmic radiation, forming a massive black energy sphere, and hurled it towards Xie Huanyue.
Wherever the energy sphere passed, space was corroded into a massive black hole. All surrounding matter was ruthlessly sucked into it, emitting bursts of terrifying whistles.
Xie Huanyue's eyes grew grave. Knowing the power of this strike, he first took a deep breath, raising the solar power to an unprecedented height.
Immediately after, the light around his body flared up, forming a massive solar domain. Within this domain, the sun's power was infinitely amplified, the temperature skyrocketing to the point where the surrounding void began to melt.
Xie Huanyue raised his right fist high. The light on his fist illuminated the entire battlefield, and a look of madness and resolution flowed in his eyes.
"I promised my brother to protect everyone for him, to protect this continent..."
The moment the black energy sphere flew over, he threw a punch, meeting the energy sphere head-on. Solar power and dark energy clashed madly at the point of contact between fist and sphere, emitting blinding light and violent explosions.
The powerful energy fluctuations caused the surrounding space to continuously distort and collapse, forming small black holes. These black holes collided and merged with each other, producing even more terrifying energy turbulence that rampaged through the void like ferocious beasts.
Xie Huanyue exerted his strength, and his powerful fist force shattered the black energy sphere, sending energy fragments splattering in all directions.
However, the Star-Devouring Monster did not suffer heavy trauma from this hit. Its body changed once again. The universal law light originally coiling around it became denser, forming a massive vortex that completely enveloped its body within.
Within the vortex, countless rays of cosmic radiation shot out madly, like a dense barrage, covering Xie Huanyue.
The Swan pattern on Xie Huanyue's body began to burn. His body moved rapidly within the light, relying on his agile movements and profound maneuverability to continuously dodge the monster's radiation rays.
Occasionally, the radiation rays brushed past his body, leaving charred marks, but he did not retreat in the slightest. He gathered his strength once again, the muscles all over his body tensed like a volcano about to erupt.
Xie Huanyue let out a loud shout. Both his fists punched out simultaneously, two streaks of golden fist light carrying the sun's endless power charging towards the cosmic aberration's vortex.
The fist light and the cosmic radiation rays in the vortex crashed together, emitting a series of explosions. The golden fist light continuously twisted and deformed under the impact of the radiation rays, but Xie Huanyue roared, continuously increasing his power output.
In the fierce energy collision, Xie Huanyue gradually gained the upper hand. His fist light broke through the blockage of the radiation rays and charged into the cosmic aberration's vortex.
Inside the vortex, the universal laws and the solar power engaged in a final showdown. Light flashed, and explosions rang out continuously. The entire Douluo Continent trembled in this showdown.
With the continuous injection of Xie Huanyue's power, the cosmic aberration's vortex began to gradually disintegrate. Its body also showed cracks one after another under the impact of the solar power.
The cosmic aberration still showed no emotional fluctuations. It continued to attack, trying to make a final struggle. But its power seemed to have been exhausted in the previous battles; every attack appeared somewhat weak.
Xie Huanyue seized the opportunity. He completely merged himself with the sun's power, transforming into a massive Giant of Light. The body of the Giant of Light emitted endless radiance, and his every movement carried powerful energy fluctuations. He raised both fists high and smashed them towards the cosmic aberration's body.
The Sun pattern also disappeared along with this, and Xu Tianzhen's soul perished.
The Sun Giant's fists, carrying world-destroying power, smashed directly onto the cosmic aberration. With a dull, heavy bang, the cosmic aberration's body began to rapidly collapse. Its eight legs were the first to break, and then its body gradually disintegrated, turning into countless dark fragments...
At the same time, the surface of Xie Huanyue's massive body was continuously covered by crystals, ultimately collapsing loudly.
In a daze, he stood in a pure white world—
Here, there was no terrifying Star-Devouring Monster, nor were there the partners he wanted to protect.
There was only a tall Giant.
The Giant looked down, a trace of reminiscence in his eyes.
"Six million years ago, my greatest regret was not being able to stand by the King's side and fight alongside him."
"Thank you very much, inheritor. I have finally personally slain this beast."
Xie Huanyue merely shook his head. "Well... as the price for risking my life, it seems I've reached my limit too."
"Yes. Do you have anything else you want to say?" Apollo knelt down and asked.
"Can I see them one last time?" Xie Huanyue thought for a moment and spoke his inner thoughts truthfully.
"Their souls have already perished. You cannot meet again..." the Sun God answered with regret.
"I see..." Xie Huanyue gave a free-spirited smile. "Then there's no choice. Thank you for lending me your strength."
"Do you not regret it? You still have a ten-year-old daughter..."
Xie Huanyue froze. After a long time, he finally smiled.
"Since Maron was born, the first thing I do every morning when I wake up is tell her that I love her."
Xie Huanyue counted on his fingers. "Exactly three thousand times."
"That's enough..."
...
With the death of the cosmic aberration, this soul-stirring battle finally seemed to have concluded.
Xie Huanyue slowly reverted to human form. A tired but relieved smile hung on his face, along with a bit of pride. This time, it was he who successfully protected the Douluo Continent, shielding the partners he cared about from disaster.
"Catch him!" Wu Feng hurriedly shouted.
"I'll do it!"
Nanmen Yun'er was the fastest, arriving before Xie Huanyue in practically an instant and catching him.
She abruptly discovered that Xie Huanyue's body, which had always been as elastic as rubber, was as hard as a stone.
"Fatty!" Nanmen Yun'er was instantly shocked and lost her color, picking up Xie Huanyue and flying back.
Ji Juechen, Zi Mu, and the other partners from the original Straw Hat Brigade rushed out one after another, gathering around their former captain.
However, Xie Huanyue's entire person had been thoroughly crystalized. Along with his life, he was frozen in this moment.
"Fatty!" Cui Yajie immediately burst into loud wailing. Their Death-Fire-Sea team had walked together from the very beginning until now; they didn't expect to lose one at the very end.
Jing Ziyan hugged Ji Juechen's arm, weeping uncontrollably. Zi Mu silently lit a cigar. Ye Wuqing's eyes were red, and his entire person stood as still as a sculpture...
The entire arena was in dead silence. This man who had always shouted about becoming the continent's overlord, Demon King Huo Yuhao's best brother, the Eden Alliance's strongest guardian deity, was gone.
—
Maron abruptly sat up from her bed. She seemed to have had a very, very long dream. In the dream, her father and mother had gone to a very far place.
As if sensing her awakening, the figures of Xie Huanyue and Xue Zili were slowly projected onto a trigger-type soul guide screen.
"Daddy? Mommy?" This was the first time Maron had seen this soul tool.
"Be good, Maron. This soul tool is a toy Daddy asked your Auntie Meng to make for you." In the projection, Xie Huanyue held his wife with one hand, his face full of smiles.
"Daddy, Mommy..." Maron was somewhat confused. She had just deactivated the Martial Soul Xyz with Huo Yunhan and Huo Siting and was still very weak.
"Your Uncle Huo Yuhao is Daddy's best brother. In the future, if there's anything you want to buy or have, just ask your Uncle Huo. He will buy it for you in Daddy's place."
"Finally... Daddy and Mommy love you three thousand times."
Author's Note: Fatty, rest in peace.