Heaven-Mending Creation—one could say it was the most eye-catching ritual in the entire Cangyan.
Especially this time. Xi had clearly intended for this ritual to resolve every problem the realm faced.
But no one expected Heaven-Mending Creation to erupt into utter chaos.
A Heliobus inexplicably lodged within a sword suddenly burst forth and even clashed with the leader of all Heliobi.
The scene left everyone stunned, their hearts filled with suspicion.
They couldn't help wondering if this was some bitter ploy orchestrated by Xi herself.
Otherwise, how could all of this happen with such perfect timing?
But when Sora brought his sword down, everyone finally reached their own conclusions.
A rainbow radiance gathered along Sora's arm. As he used that brilliance to block the surrounding flames, he also made it impossible for Xi to defend.
A cascade of factors led to the success of that strike.
Most critically, controlling this body proved far more difficult than Xi had anticipated.
She had assumed that, after forming a contract with General Futian, her strength would surpass that of ordinary Heliobi.
Yet Sora's body had just given her a harsh lesson.
This body could indeed unleash far greater power—but that power was completely beyond her control.
After repeated struggles, Xi finally revealed a fatal opening.
Sora seized it and used a Separation technique to reclaim his body.
Sword-light shimmering with seven-colored brilliance flashed across Xi's chest, plunging the arena into sudden silence.
The uproar vanished; so did the dazzling effects—every burning flame disappeared.
"Has it been decided?"
"Has Lord Xi, ruler of the Cangyan for so many years, actually been defeated?!"
"Impossible! For centuries, Lord Xi never met a match. This nobody could never threaten her!"
Whispers of doubt and disbelief rippled throughout the crowd as everyone stared at the two figures, uncertain of the outcome.
But in that moment, platinum flames reignited across Xi's body.
She looked completely uninjured.
"Your swordsmanship truly is remarkable. Neither Futian nor that old Sword Champion could compare to you," Xi said as she turned to face Sora. The wound on her chest was still clearly visible.
"But in the end, they both died. And I'm still standing."
Flames flared, and the wound on her chest slowly began to mend.
This wasn't the self-healing ability of Sora's body, but Xi's own flames enveloping her from the outside.
She had shielded Sora's body from the slash, taking the blow herself.
Sora suffered no damage; the Separation's effect had been completely absorbed by her instead.
A small, forcibly separated Heliobus drifted weakly in midair, clearly dazed.
When Xi tried to pull it back, she felt a strange energy surrounding it.
That energy temporarily prevented her from absorbing her fellow Heliobus.
Realizing this, Xi clenched her fist and lifted her gaze toward Sora again.
"And from here on, I'll keep surviving—you can't threaten me."
She temporarily withdrew from her fusion with Sora's body, hiding it deep within herself.
She planned to finish everything first, then take her time mastering the body.
Summoning her strength again, the flames that had gone out roared back to life.
Dozens of meters high, a wall of fire wrapped around the central platform, blocking all view.
"Is Lord Xi finally getting serious?"
Seeing the flames surge skyward, some in the crowd couldn't help growing excited.
Clearly, Xi was about to unleash her true power.
The towering firewall split into countless streams of flame that rapidly converged. Soon, a figure wielding a spear appeared suspended in midair.
When that figure emerged, a wave of nostalgia swept across some of the elders.
Because beneath the flames, that figure was none other than General Futian, once the protector of the Xianzhou.
Yet others unconsciously furrowed their brows.
Because the spear that had once killed the chosen leader of the Xianzhou people had been thrown by that very figure.
Whether he had once been General Futian no longer mattered—within the Cangyan, that figure represented only Xi.
Sora looked at the figure and mentally compared it to the one he'd seen in that boundless darkness before.
This one seemed a bit smaller.
Seriously, stop—he wasn't here to nitpick.
"Isn't there some misunderstanding between us?"
Sora refuted Xi's earlier accusation. "I never intended to threaten you."
His words drew immediate jeers from the crowd.
To them, he was clearly intimidated after witnessing Lord Xi's true strength.
"Are you surrendering?" Xi asked, genuinely curious. Could this interloper really be giving up?
"No, no. My objective has been the same from the start."
Sora restated his purpose.
He hadn't appeared to fight Xi. He only showed up because Xi tried to seize his body.
"So, if you could just give me back my body, I'll leave immediately."
As long as he got his body back, he would walk away. That had always been his plan.
But Xi's reply was just as straightforward.
"I trust no one—least of all you humans."
The spear shifted, its tip pointing directly at Sora's face.
"The Sui Emperor once chose to trust that person and formed a contract. As a result, he lost his mind, and what little remained of his shattered body now powers other Xianzhou."
"And as for freedom? Even now, it's nothing but a distant dream. Once we served our purpose, we were sealed away."
After enduring betrayal and thousands of years trapped in endless darkness, she no longer had the capacity for trust.
She treasured this hard-won freedom and refused to let anyone threaten it.
"That's why I must complete Heaven-Mending Creation. That body is the most crucial material. I will never give it to you. If you want it, you'll have to take it from me."
The threat was naked and clear. Xi had no intention of giving the body back.
Yet at that moment, confusion flickered across Sora's mind.
If he hadn't misheard, didn't Xi just say she had agreed to something with General Futian?
Why was she saying one thing and doing another?!
But clearly, behind this lay a deal no one else knew about.
And it wasn't something Xi could openly speak of here.
"Looks like I'll just have to take back my body by force."
"If you can manage it!"
The massive, flame-wreathed spear plunged down with overwhelming force.
Clang!!
Sword and spear collided with a sharp crack.
Sora braced his sword in front of him, blocking the blow. Tremendous pressure bore down from above.
His feet sank in, carving long, deep trenches across the ground.
Even though Xi's body had grown enormous, her movements were still lightning-fast.
Her first thrust missed; she spun the spear cleanly, then snapped the butt upward from below—
BOOM!!
The earth split, dust burst skyward, exposing concrete and machinery underneath.
A figure shot up through the haze, soaring rapidly into the sky.
And when the smoke cleared—of course, it was Sora.
"I never thought this power would end up used against me…"
Sora felt helpless. Moments ago, he'd planned to use his smaller size to slip in and land two quick attacks.
But he hadn't expected her weapon to track him as if it had eyes.
And this power—he recognized it instantly.
Wasn't this the very power of the HUNT he'd used before?
The Hunt locked onto its target. Every strike hit true.
Xi had just used that very trait to launch him skyward.
And she clearly wasn't done. She charged after him, thrusting again!
The towering, blazing figure tore up through the air, spear driving straight for Sora's chest.
"You really hold a grudge, don't you!?"
It had just been one slash—did she really have to hold a grudge this badly?!
Sora quickly realized every one of her strikes targeted his chest.
Her intention couldn't be clearer: revenge for the scar he'd marked her with.
Honestly, her vengefulness even put Titania to shame.
But Xi ignored his complaints, her onslaught only intensifying.
The spear moved as if it had been her partner for centuries.
But her target never changed—the chest of his shadow-form body.
Every stab, sweep, thrust, pierce, tap, feint—all aimed squarely at that same spot.
It made defending easy, yet forced Sora higher and higher into the sky.
"Weren't you planning to reclaim your body? Is this all you've got!?"
Xi gathered her strength and lunged with a ferocious strike.
The blow was so powerful and fast that it triggered a sonic boom at point-blank range.
Recognizing its force, Sora struck the Wonder Book.
"[SAIKOU HAKKOU]!"
Radiant light flared into a shield before him, intercepting the spear.
CRACK—BANG!
The spear tip burned brilliantly; the instant it touched the shield, the shield shattered.
Xi was startled to find the shadowy figure behind it vanish at the same time.
Had he disappeared?
No—Sora had simply dispelled his armor.
Now reduced to a single sword, he slid down along the spear's path.
"After setting you up so many times—you finally took the bait!"
Did she think he'd blocked all those attacks for nothing?
Every one of those frontal blocks had been for this moment!
The Kougouken dropped from above, blade gleaming with golden radiance.
"You bastard!"
Sora's ambush caught Xi completely off guard. She never imagined he'd think of such a tactic.
Amid her storm of attacks, Sora had found his chance.
He intended to end the fight with this strike—
"But your speed is far too slow!"
Her spear was enormous, granting an extraordinary reach.
Even though Sora dodged, he was still too far away.
Flames burst from Xi's body, blocking his descending blow; she swung the spear's handle and knocked him aside.
But if Sora could dismiss his armor, he could certainly summon it back.
"You've attacked me so many times—at least let me return the favor once! Basic courtesy, alright!?"
"Idou Saikou! Ashi Saikou! Full color goes to leg! Episode 3: Colorful Kick de doka-dokan!"
'[IDOU SAIKOU]!'
'[ASHI SAIKOU]!'
'[FULL COLOR GOES TO LEG]!'
'[EPISODE 3: COLORFUL KICK DE DOKA-DOKAN]!'
Flames surged up—yet achieved nothing.
A figure burst free from the inferno, charging forward.
Its body was entirely gray, save for the vividly colored right foot.
'[FINISH READING]!'
'[SAIKOU WONDERFUL]!'
"[X-SWORD BREAK]!!"
Countless colors blossomed around Xi, overwhelming her vision.
Because Sora's kick had already slammed into her forehead.
BOOOOOM!!
Xi snapped backward as if struck by a massive hammer. Fireballs erupted from her back one after another.
All the Heliobi she'd fused with were forcibly separated by the strike.
Her huge form deflated like a punctured balloon—but Sora's true body wasn't among them.
Then I'll just do it again!
'[UDE SAIKOU]!'
'[FULL COLOR GOES TO ARM]!'
'[EPISODE 2: COLORFUL SWORD DE ZUBA-ZUBAN]!'
Saikou Shadow gripped the Kougouken, and together with Sora, charged once more.
Though Xi's consciousness was hazy after Sora's brutal kick, she still sensed the incoming danger.
Her spear had shrunk back to normal size, but she wielded it with fierce strength.
Unfortunately—for her—it was useless against Sora.
In a blink, he slipped through her guard and landed two clean cuts.
Two objects burst from her back.
Losing her support, she collapsed into a mass of platinum flames, plummeting downward.
But Xi didn't care about her form; her eyes were locked on the other object expelled from her.
It wasn't Sora's body, but another figure—one barely recognizable as human beneath its charred Abundance branches.
Only the burn marks made its shape discernible at all.
And the identity of that figure was...
Before Sora could react, Xi rushed back into it, rapidly restoring her human form.
"Hmph!"
She prepared a midair kick—
But suddenly froze.
Sora seized the moment to reclaim his body. Landing lightly, he luxuriated for a moment in the sensation of real flesh and blood.
Yes—this was real.
But when he turned to Xi, he saw she wasn't attacking. She stood still, looking upward.
Confused, Sora followed her gaze—and froze.
Across the blue sky stretched a smear of pure black.
Like a void devouring everything, it swallowed all surrounding color.
"The Heaven-Mending Creation failed to proceed as intended… the sky… is falling," Xi murmured.
---
T/N: ORA!!!! changed azure flame domain or whatever to Cangyan to better fit Xianzhou ships