Chapitre 312: Domains of War
Kathyln exhaled deeply, steadying her nerves as she marched at the forefront, flanked by Jeong Moyong and Tian Gu, the heads of two of the most powerful families in the East. She had come far, standing now as their equal in power, her mastery of magic honed to its peak.
But despite her calm facade, unease stirred within her.
This wasn't like anything she had faced before. The Northern Continent's skirmishes, brutal though they had been, were mere shadows compared to this—a full-scale war. Here, every decision rippled across thousands of lives, and the weight of command bore down on her shoulders with a heaviness she hadn't expected.
"Don't overthink it," Jeong Moyong said quietly, his gaze fixed ahead. His tone carried neither criticism nor warmth, just practicality. He didn't look at her, but the words struck true.
Kathyln exhaled again, forcing her shoulders to relax as she nodded. Worry would accomplish nothing. She had to be strong—not just for herself, but for her little sister, for everyone who was counting on her.
Her senses suddenly sharpened. The air thickened, heavy with the unmistakable presence of power. Two presences, to be precise—strong and foreboding. She shivered as their auras brushed against her mana senses.
"Two, then," Tian Gu said, his crimson eyes narrowing. Around him, flame mana swirled, wild and alive, reflecting the strength of his mid Immortal-rank.
Jeong Moyong's blade materialized smoothly from his subspace, his fingers wrapping around the hilt with practiced precision. He radiated calm, yet the air around him seemed to hum with the weight of impending battle.
"Tian," Jeong said, his tone clipped.
Tian nodded without hesitation. From his palm, a small, concentrated orb of fire took shape. It glowed a vivid red before turning a brilliant blue, its heat so intense that the air around it shimmered and warped. With a flick of his wrist, he launched the sunlike orb—not at their approaching enemies, but toward the location of the distraction force.
The battle erupted without warning. Kathyln's wind magic tore through the air as Moyong's blade flashed with deadly precision. Tian conjured a second sun, smaller but no less lethal, which hovered ominously over his outstretched hand.
Their opponents were Immortal-rankers cloaked in blood and night magic. The clash of powers lit up the battlefield like a storm unleashed. Moyong's Sword Domain carved through reality itself, his strikes unraveling the enemies' magic. Tian's Domain of Solar Majesty turned the ground to magma, his celestial flames consuming everything they touched.
Kathyln's own Domain brought forth a realm of razor precision. Her Storm Domain enveloped the battlefield, gales of wind disrupting enemy movements. Each spell was calculated, exploiting the smallest openings in their defenses. The weight of leadership fell away in the heat of battle, replaced by the clarity of survival.
The enemy blood mage roared, their Domain transforming the battlefield into a grotesque, pulsating realm. Blood constructs shattered Tian's flames, their power amplified tenfold within the Blood Domain.
"Enough of this," Moyong said sharply. His Sword Domain expanded in retaliation, clashing against the Blood Dominion. The collision fractured space itself, shockwaves flattening the surrounding terrain.
Tian seized the moment, reforming his sun into a blinding star. The miniature celestial body tore through the Blood Dominion, its impact cataclysmic. In the aftermath of the explosion, Kathyln struck. Her wind ripped through the weakened defenses, shattering the blood constructs.
The night mage's Domain plunged the battlefield into darkness, but they were fighting a losing battle. Kathyln's ice scattered the shadows, creating paths for Moyong's blade to find its mark.
As the dust settled, their enemies stood battered and bloodied, their Domains flickering. Kathyln met the eyes of her companions, no longer the uncertain leader but a warrior who had proved her worth.
"Let's finish this," she said, her voice steady.
Their combined assault lit up the sky—fire, wind, and steel weaving together in a devastating symphony. The battlefield erupted one final time as they moved to end the fight.
While the three Immortal-rankers pressed their advantage, dominating their two Immortal-rank foes, Tian's celestial attack finally reached its target. The concentrated sun of pure flame detonated among the vampires diverted by the distraction force. The explosion was cataclysmic, consuming many in its fiery embrace and sending shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Those who survived were left with little choice but to retreat, scrambling to reinforce their stronghold.
The female Vampire Ancestor, locked in combat with Sun, cast a fleeting glance toward the chaos before commanding her contracted cultist, "Go. I will handle things here."
The cultist hesitated, his aura flickering as if weighing his options, but ultimately obeyed. With a swift motion, he disappeared into the fray, leaving her alone against the unyielding assault of her opponent.
Yet even as she stood tall, her mind churned with uncertainty.
Her opponent was absurdly powerful.
Sun Zenith was not just holding his own—he was pushing her to her limits. Already, she had been forced to regenerate multiple times, her body torn apart by the precision and force of his strikes. His attacks had the weight of a mountain and the speed of a tempest, and even within her Domain, where her power should have been absolute, she struggled to gain the upper hand.
It was an infuriating predicament for Noctisya. For centuries, her strength had been unchallenged, her name whispered in fear. To face a foe not only a fraction of her age but also of a lower mana rank—and to be losing—was a humiliation that burned deeper than her wounds.
Sun's blade gleamed, its edge pulsing with the energy of his second movement, Fan of the Scattering Pearls. The violet-hued astral blossoms it created shimmered with devastating beauty, disintegrating everything they touched. Each strike seemed to disrupt the very fabric of her Domain, tearing away its influence and neutralizing her advantage.
Noctisya gritted her teeth, her crimson eyes narrowing as she reformed a blood-forged spear in her hands. The weapon was an extension of her will, its edge sharp enough to sever space itself. She lunged, aiming for his exposed side, her movement cloaked in the veils of her Domain.
But Sun anticipated her.
His blade shifted, effortlessly parrying her strike, the blossoms of his astral energy consuming the spear's edge before it could reach him. With a fluid counter, he slashed upward, severing the spear in half and sending shockwaves through her Domain. The power of his Gift, the Unbreakable Vajra Body, made her own retaliatory strikes feel futile; his durability seemed impenetrable, and his stamina showed no signs of waning.
"You're faltering," Sun said, his tone calm but edged with disdain. "I expected more from an Ancestor."
Noctisya's eyes flared with indignation. With a roar, she unleashed a torrent of blood magic, her Domain twisting into a storm of crimson blades that rained down upon him. The sheer force of the attack cratered the battlefield, carving trenches into the earth.
But Sun didn't retreat. His blade moved like a brush on a canvas, carving arcs of violet light through the storm. Each swing dissolved the blood blades into harmless mist, his astral energy burning through her magic with ruthless efficiency.
Her Domain quaked under the weight of his attacks, the ground beneath them fracturing as the battle escalated. For the first time in centuries, Noctisya felt an unfamiliar chill—a creeping sense of doubt. This mortal man, this Ascendant, was dismantling her piece by piece.
Still, she refused to yield. Her pride as a Vampire Ancestor demanded it. Regenerating the remains of her shattered spear, she charged once more, her form blurring as she pushed her speed to its limits.
But Sun was faster.
His blade met hers mid-air, a deafening clash of astral energy and blood mana that sent shockwaves rippling outward. For a fleeting moment, her crimson spear held against the violet blossoms of his art. But then, with a final surge of power, Sun's blade shattered her weapon completely, the petals of Fan of the Scattering Pearls enveloping her.
She stumbled back, her body wracked with pain as the violet petals carved through her defenses, leaving deep, smoldering wounds.
"Enough games," Sun said, his voice unyielding as he raised his blade once more. "You were a challenge. But this ends now."
Noctisya's breath came in ragged gasps, her regeneration struggling to keep pace with the damage she had sustained. She summoned what remained of her strength, her crimson eyes blazing as she prepared to retaliate. But even she knew the truth.
She was losing. And against an opponent like Sun Zenith, there would be no second chances.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone