Chapter 105: Spirit Runes Combat (Part Four)

Chapter 105: Spirit Runes Combat (Part Four)

The Elemental Spirit, being a natural energy form, was capable of damaging spiritual beings.

And with resentment as their driving force, they had entered a frenzy of blind rage.

A multicolored, humanoid black energy form swooped into the Xila army, weaving through their ranks.

Multiple elemental orbs surrounding it materialized into weapons, piercing and attacking the spiritual beings of the Xila Star Region.

Apart from Sol's spiritual form, none of the others—whether large, small, or equipped with armor—could withstand a single assault from the Elemental Spirit.

The spiritual beings shrieked in terror as they were attacked.

They scattered in every direction, yet the Elemental Spirit relentlessly pursued them.

The skeletal dragon was also twitching its tail at the edge of the battlefield, lashing out with its tail and obliterating a string of spiritual forms, leaving no trace behind.

"Damn skeleton!"

Seeing this, Sol unleashed one soul rune after another: Soul Curse, Soul Slice, Abyss Fear, and more.

However, the skeletal dragon created by the Magical Fantasy Poem was soulless and thus immune to all soul-based damage.

These attacks, which once weakened S-rank Spirit Warriors, had no effect on the bone dragon, feeling like nothing more than a tickle.

"If I can't take down this skeleton, then I'll take you down, Cang Cheng!"

With a ferocious expression, Sol charged toward Cang Cheng.

But the skeletal dragon and Elemental Spirit stood like insurmountable mountains before him.

Sol couldn't even get close to Cang Cheng, and instead, the Elemental Spirit and skeletal dragon struck him multiple times.

"What kind of rune is this? How could it render me so powerless?"

Sol used every trick he had, but nothing worked.

He felt like a desperate rat, toyed with by a cruel predator.

This was completely different from what he had imagined, from the situation during the last Spirit Runes battle.

He thought the people of the Canglan Star Region would be defenseless against soul damage, that he would see them begging for mercy before him, that crushing the Canglan Star Region would be as easy as crushing ants.

However… now it was he who was helpless, he who was in a dire state, and he who was being toyed with!

How could this be!

How could the Canglan Star Region have become so powerful?!

He refused to acknowledge it!

Intense emotions caused Sol's spiritual form to burst with tremendous energy, its color changing from grayish-white to reddish-black, and its size expanding.

Emotions and curses fueled his power, causing it to surge, making the world seem insignificant.

This elevated his abilities to a new level.

"Haha! People of the Canglan Star Region, do you think this is enough to defeat me? How naive."

Sol opened his mouth and unleashed a soul roar.

A tremendous scream echoed through the skies, and the vibrating waves of energy spread outward in all directions.

Both the Elemental Spirit and the skeletal dragon fell to the ground under the onslaught of this sudden violence.

The soldiers from the Canglan Star Region were also hit by the soul shock, their faces turning pale, and they felt an icy chill, as if their souls had been drained.

The soul attack was impossible to defend against.

Without the defensive Spirit Runes on their gear, Sol's attack would have wiped them all out.

The soldiers, having narrowly survived, wore expressions of lingering fear.

Mù Xīng, Mo Yu, and the others also felt their own insignificance under this attack.

The universe was too vast. Capabilities from another star system were endless.

Just as they were basking in the pride of the Canglan Star Region's new energy weapons, they were blindsided by the enemy.

If it weren't for Prince Cang Cheng's presence, they would have never withstood that strike.

They needed to become stronger, or they wouldn't survive the next encounter.

"No wonder he's lived for two thousand years."

Thanks to his 'Magic Shield' and 'Soul Guard' from his recent ascension to archmage, the attack barely fazed him.

Still, he was taken aback by the sheer power of Sol's attack.

But Cang Cheng wasn't done yet—his magic could still escalate.

Cang Cheng raised his hand and instantly inscribed multiple Spirit Runes.

A golden light fell upon the Elemental Spirit and the skeletal dragon, covering them with a golden armor.

A sense of teamwork ignited within them.

Full attribute blessing completed.

"Now, strengthened, go and strike back!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the scattered bones reassembled.

The body of the Elemental Spirit also became more solid.

The Elemental Spirit leaped and sat on the skeletal dragon. A scythe specialized in attacking spiritual forms materialized in its hand.

Both born from the same pile of skulls, they now shared a telepathic bond, thanks to Cang Cheng's influence. Without a word, they moved as one, targeting Sol's spirit.

The Elemental Spirit summoned raw elemental power, leaving a trail of explosions in its wake.

The skeletal dragon unleashed a bone-chilling breath that incinerated souls.

Their combined assault quickly turned the tide, and Sol's confidence crumbled.

"No... IMPOSSIBLE! This can't be happening!"

"How could a mere human like you possibly... have the power to suppress someone from the Xila Star Region?"

As he spoke, Sol's spiritual body was pierced through the chest by the Elemental Spirit, the elemental explosion throwing his internal energy into chaos.

Taking advantage of the moment, the skeletal dragon's breath seeped into his body, consuming and eroding Sol's spiritual energy.

Under this relentless attack, Sol's spiritual form calmed down from its berserk state.

And because the time limit for his spiritual form had expired, Sol ended his spiritual transformation, entering a period of weakness.

As Sol returned to his physical form, his once-handsome face was now a grotesque mix of decay and emptiness.

One half of his face was ravaged by age, etched with deep wrinkles and dark age spots.

The other half of his face was a hollow, skeletal void, devoid of any trace of the soul that once animated it.

"How could I possibly lose? I can't lose, I won't lose..."

Sol seemed to fall into a delirium, unable to accept his defeat.

He had lost to someone he considered worthless, those so-called 'incompetent' people of the Canglan Star Region.

Despite his many tricks, he had lost without being able to put up a fight.

His confidence crumbled.

Sol turned his gaze toward Cang Cheng.

Just emerging from his spiritual form, Sol could perceive things that others couldn't.

He could see that around this rumored weak Fifth Prince, a powerful aura swirled, embracing him with an almost tender intensity.

The energy was excessively abundant, so much so that even someone who had lived for over 2000 years like Sol found it dazzling.

It was as though he were the cherished favorite of the entire star region's energy.

Unsurpassable, undefiable.

Who was Cang Cheng, really?

Sol wanted to know the answer, but there was no opportunity left.

The Elemental Spirit and the skeletal dragon finally finished him off, one gnawing off his head, the other shattering his body with its tail.

After confirming there was no energy fluctuation left in Sol, having avenged themselves, the two bowed and bid farewell to Cang Cheng.

They had avenged themselves.

The two transformed into shimmering points of light and floated toward Cang Cheng.

They affectionately brushed against Cang Cheng's cheek, conveying their joy.

——Thank you——

——You're welcome——

The light weakened and dissipated into the air, leaving no trace as if nothing had ever existed.

Cang Cheng had never intended to confront the Xila Star Region head-on; there were too many tricks and unknowns on their side.

He couldn't guarantee that the people of the Canglan Star Region would survive under the attacks from the Xila Star Region.

Therefore, he had Hilmeth directly force the opponent's spiritual form out, then condensed his own spiritual form to counter theirs.

Fortunately, the Xila Star Region was too arrogant, confident that their spiritual form state was invincible, and used this ability despite its obvious side effects during the battle.

Moreover, the Xila Star Region had no defense against him and couldn't predict what tactics he would use. Otherwise... Hilmeth wouldn't have gotten hold of the opponent's body so easily.

Thanks to his careful planning, everything was falling into place perfectly.

"Phew... I'm a bit tired."

Prince Cang Cheng sighed.

From the battle against the Element Star Region until now, he had used five magister-level spells in a row, and his magic power was somewhat depleted.

Hilmeth brought out a mental energy recovery potion and put it to Prince Cang Cheng's lips.

"Tired?"

Prince Cang Cheng drank from Hilmeth's hand.

"If we win, I’m not tired."

They smiled at each other and leaned in close, oblivious to everyone else.

After the massive floating fortress, once soaring high in the sky, crashed to the ground, it was nothing but scrap metal.

Half of the land around the deep crater was an extremely cold, icy color. The never-melting, extremely cold polar ice reflected sunlight like a piece of art, beautiful to behold.

However, just moments ago, this seemingly fragile icy world had instantly extinguished all the flames of the elemental beings.

On the other side of the crater, the battle between spiritual forms had left the ground deeply scarred.

Amidst the ruins and the ashes of war, there was a haunting, almost beautiful, desolation.

Hilmeth put down the heavy cannon.

"Whoa? Is this how we won against the Xila Star Region? Why do I feel like I was just a leg attachment on the spectator stand?"

Mentioning this, the other soldiers nodded one after another.

The soldiers had originally prepared themselves for a final deadly battle with no return, but who would have thought that against the Element Star Region and the Xila Star Region, it was almost entirely thanks to Prince Cang Cheng.

In the past, the Spirit Warriors who charged at the front didn't have much chance to shine, whereas the previous support personnel—Weapon Masters, alchemists, and Spirit Rune Masters—had actually helped a bit.

Can you believe we just sat back and watched while Prince Cang Cheng did all the work?

The people of the Canglan Star Region, watching the live stream, were equally surprised by the outcome.

Was the Canglan Star Region—and Prince Cang Cheng—always this powerful?

Ever since Hilmeth blasted the airborne fortress with a single shot, the worldview of the people of the Canglan Star Region had been refreshed again and again.

Since when did powered armor become comparable to starship-grade weapons?

Could beings from the Xila Star Region really perform soul projection?

This is insane!

What does Lord Cang Cheng want with Sol's body?

Then, everyone watched as Lord Cang Cheng single-handedly conjured two massive, scientifically inexplicable entities on the battlefield.

The translucent Elemental Spirit and the skeletal dragon made of skulls left the people of the Canglan Star Region completely stunned.

Oh my god! Are you kidding me?

Lord Cang Cheng can also leave his body and even create a skeletal dragon out of nowhere!

What happened to our understanding of reality? Where’s the science in all this?

Can we, the people of the Canglan Star Region, really do this?

Is the pinnacle of being a Spirit Rune Master just… metaphysics?

My whole world just exploded—can someone put it back together for me?

The people of the Canglan Star Region had their mouths wide open, some nearly dislocated.

They were also relieved that Lord Cang Cheng was on their side. If he were an enemy…

Cang Cheng could probably wipe out an entire planet by himself!

His power matches General Xilimos.

After watching the Elemental Spirit ride the skeletal dragon and pummel Sol’s spiritual form, the people of the Canglan Star Region suddenly realized…

“So, this means… we won?”

“There don’t seem to be any other enemies on the battlefield, so… we won?”

“Was it really that easy?”

“I find it hard to believe.”

“Did we really win? Are we finally getting promoted to a Class B civilization?”

…

The people of the Canglan Star Region voiced their confusion, and the soldiers still on the Spirit Runes battlefield shared the same puzzlement.

“Did we really win?”

“Probably?”

“Was it really that easy? I feel like I’m dreaming.”

With both the Element Star Region and Xila Star Region destroyed, doesn’t that mean the Canglan Star Region won the Spirit Runes battle?

Just as the soldiers were about to celebrate…

“Wait, it’s not over yet. The Elemental Core has not been destroyed. The Element Star Region can resurrect with the core. We need to destroy it.”

Lord Cang Cheng, who had just recovered his magic, interrupted everyone.

His eyes fell on the fallen fortress, which was emanating an ominous aura.

Cang Cheng furrowed his brow. "Something feels off."

At the same time, Hilmeth gave the order, "Defensive formation!"

The well-trained soldiers immediately sprang into action, assuming a combat-ready stance.

Almost simultaneously with Hilmeth's order, a dark curtain shot up into the sky.

The blackness blotted out the sun, turning day into night in an instant. The sky took on a turbid, polluted hue, exuding a twisted and chaotic aura.

A few soldiers in the army looked at the sky for two seconds before blood began to seep from their seven orifices, and they vomited fragments of their internal organs.

Cang Cheng warned, "Look down and close your eyes. Don't look directly at the sky."

The rest of the soldiers all closed their eyes.

Cang Cheng looked up, staring directly at the darkened sky.

A pair of enormous, murky pupils appeared on the black curtain, barely distinguishable as a red belonging to the fire element, but covered with a layer of grayish-black malevolent energy.

"The 50,000 element cores have been corrupted after being tainted by the spiritual entities of the Xila Star Region. This is the Dark Spirit Lord, an energy form composed of malevolent souls."

Cang Cheng took a deep breath.

"The Dark Spirit Lord combines the characteristics of two star regions' races and uses 50,000 element cores as its energy source. Its strength is equivalent to an SS or even SSS rank."

Hilmeth, the strongest fighter here, was only at S+ rank.

This ominous giant that appeared unexpectedly far exceeded the abilities of everyone present, creating an insurmountable gap in combat strength.

Currently, Cang Cheng's ability was only at S rank, a few levels lower than the Dark Spirit Lord.

But Cang Cheng wasn’t about to back down from this massive, unpredictable threat. Fear didn’t even cross his mind.

Face it, rise above it, and defeat it!

He was going to win, no matter what.

Cang Cheng ordered, "Ming Bai, protect these people."

"Yes," Ming Bai responded.

Ming Bai, the only one among the 100,000 soldiers of the Canglan Star Region immune to the Dark Spirit Lord, stepped forward.

His eyes flashed with data, and he quickly deployed the robots to set up large shields, activating the Spirit Runes on them.

Ming Bai had transformed himself into a super-intelligent being. He could enter a state of absolute rationality as an AI, making him immune to spiritual attacks.

"Mo, let's go!"

With that, Cang Cheng moved to Hilmeth’s side, looked up, and gently pressed his cheek against Hilmeth’s.

A blinding light erupted around them, and the elements swirled and surged, merging into a surge of power that flowed into their bodies.

Soul Guard — Power Sharing, engaged.

Twelve ethereal figures coalesced behind Cang Cheng as he slowly levitated.

The polluted sky cleared somewhat, and sunlight poured through a small patch of the sky, bathing Cang Cheng in a soft golden glow, making him look like a divine being.

Cang Cheng’s hands moved swiftly, drawing Spirit Runes that lit up one by one in the air, glowing a bright blue.

"Hilmeth, give me some time."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Hilmeth subsequently stepped into the air and walked through the void.

Flames erupted from Hilmeth, spreading outward in a blinding burst of light.

The sky was filled with fiery weapons, their cannons and blades now aimed directly at the Dark Spirit Lord.

The sheer force of the flames was overwhelming, and the air grew unbearably hot, as if the very heavens were ablaze.

It was as though the fire of a Creator had ignited the world, driving back the darkness.

Hilmeth’s aura intensified, and he gripped a fiery sword in one hand and a flaming sniper rifle in the other.

His blue eyes blazed with a fiery intensity, mirroring the ferocity of his battle-ready spirit.

Carrying countless fiery weapons, he became a brilliant cascade of meteors, setting the dark, polluted sky ablaze.