Chapter Sixty-Two: Reimu’s Outburst, Link Takes Action

The act of shielding one another from harm might sound melodramatic, even laughable to some, but when Link witnessed it with his own eyes, and when it was those close to him making such a sacrifice, he found no humor in it at all.

He stared at the two gravely wounded elders and the stunned Lingmeng, his fists clenching in anger as he turned his gaze toward Sanny. If the sacred stone from the Hall of Paladins hadn’t been stolen, would he have allowed the dark demon to hurt anyone? Victory had been within his grasp, yet he had been outmaneuvered by a cunning old woman. Link was seized by a wild urge to risk everything and take her on.

Of course, that was just a fleeting thought. Link was well aware that if he charged ahead, he’d likely be obliterated by a single casual blow from the demon before reaching his target.

Meanwhile, Lingmeng finally came to her senses, her gaze complex as she looked at the two elders. “Why did you save me?” she asked.

The two weakened elders exchanged a glance and then managed a faint smile. Lingshui coughed up blood and replied weakly, “Why even ask? Isn’t it only natural for a mother to save her child?”

Lingmeng stared at her in bewilderment.

Lingmu continued, “Lingmeng… forgive us. We know we made you do many things you didn’t want to do in the past. But as mothers, who among us doesn’t love her child? Even if we are not your real mothers and gave you an unhappy childhood, to us… you are our daughter.”

“You…” Lingmeng opened her mouth as if to say something, but found herself at a loss for words.

The dark demon, however, gave them no time for tenderness. With a mere gesture, the two elders were suddenly swept toward her, colliding headlong into a shroud of darkness she conjured, and were swiftly consumed by it.

In their final moments, their eyes remained on Lingmeng—not with panic, not with fear, nor with pleading, but only with gentle affection and deep reluctance: the gaze of mothers looking upon their child one last time.

In the blink of an eye, the two elders vanished as if they had never existed. The dark demon then drew a deep breath and said, in a low, indifferent voice, “Those two humans had a decent flavor. But it’s not enough. I want more—more souls and flesh, more darkness.”

It became clear: the demon had consumed the two elders, in a manner both strange and horrifying. Even their souls had been devoured, leaving no trace behind.

Witnessing this, the survivors drew sharp breaths, a chill running the length of their spines.

“Ah—!”

At that moment, Lingmeng let out a scream filled with remorse, rage, and madness. As she cried out, an even more astonishing phenomenon occurred: her power began to surge uncontrollably. The Yin-Yang Jade radiated a fierce crimson glow, and the very atmosphere for hundreds of meters around began to boil.

Fourth rank, fifth, sixth, seventh!

Finally, as her strength reached the seventh rank, the pace of her ascent slowed. The overwhelming pressure of her aura clashed with that of the dark demon, and everyone else felt the crushing force upon them suddenly lighten.

The sudden upheaval left all present utterly stunned. When they recovered, Lingfeng—the only surviving elder of the Celestial Spirits—gasped, “Lingmeng is recklessly drawing out the power of the Yin-Yang Jade! This can’t go on—her body won’t withstand it! Lingmeng, stop! You can’t bear such strength right now!”

Lingmeng paid no heed, her eyes burning with hatred as she fixed them on the dark demon. The demon, after her initial surprise, nodded and spoke calmly, “Now that is what a vessel of the Yin-Yang Jade should look like. At last, you’re worthy to hear my name—my name is Rumia.” She paused, then added, “But you’re still too weak. You’re no match for me.”

“Shut up!” Lingmeng roared in fury, leaping into the air to attack Rumia. Rumia merely smiled and rose to meet her.

The two seventh-rank powerhouses began their battle in the sky, darting and soaring in a spectacle reminiscent of immortal heroes. Such was the combat of seventh-rank fighters: in the world of Sora, once one reached the sixth rank, they could briefly defy gravity using aura and magic, though it was costly. Only at the seventh rank could one remain aloft for extended periods, though even then they had to periodically seek footing during a fight—much like the legendary masters of martial arts novels.

This was a conflict on a level that no one else could interfere in, so the others could only watch. Link took the opportunity to help Lingfeng to his feet and left her in the care of the Celestial Spirits’ followers.

Lingfeng, as the one who led the sealing formation, had suffered the worst magical backlash. Coupled with bearing the brunt of the dark demon’s aura, she was now completely immobilized. Otherwise, she too would have joined the others in protecting Lingmeng.

There’s an old saying: “An old hand at home is a treasure indeed.” Link knew well the value of this last surviving elder and was determined not to let Lingfeng perish as well. After entrusting her to the care of her followers, Link said, “Elder Lingfeng, my condolences for Elders Lingmu and Lingshui. Rest assured, I will do everything in my power to defeat the dark demon.”

Lingfeng managed a bitter smile. “Archbishop Neil, our plan has failed utterly. What more can we do? Would the Father still show us a miracle?”

She was clearly exhausted, her hope battered by setback after setback. And at the most critical moment, Link had been powerless to act. She no longer believed divine intervention was coming.

Link had no way to explain, so he could only try to comfort her. “Don’t worry. Now that Lingmeng can stand against the dark demon, we’ll find a way.”

Lingfeng’s face grew even more grim. “Archbishop Neil, please stop Lingmeng quickly. Her body cannot endure the full power of the Yin-Yang Jade. At most, she has five minutes before she collapses.”

“Five minutes?” Link frowned slightly, then turned his gaze to Sanny in the distance, his eyes narrowing. “Let's give it a try. Elder Lingfeng, have your people assist me. If we can take back the stone from Sanny, I can destroy the dark demon. That stone is the treasure the Father bestowed upon me for this very purpose!”

Without waiting for a reply, Link dashed toward Sanny, mentally commanding White Spirit in the sky to prepare for a surprise attack.

Though Sanny was watching the battle between Lingmeng and Rumia, she never let her guard down around Link, the prophesied emissary of the true god. The moment Link made a move, she shifted her focus and waved her hand, sending two shadow monsters at him.

Link immediately gathered his internal energy to prepare for combat, but at that moment, Saga and Aiolos—who had been knocked aside earlier—rushed over and intercepted the shadow monsters on his left and right.

As he fought, Saga called out, “Archbishop, leave these monsters to us! Go deal with the fallen priestess Sanny!”

Link nodded without hesitation and charged at Sanny. At that moment, the Bas family—who had until now been little more than bystanders—also rushed in to help, led by Brand, who had acted decisively upon seeing Link move.

Soon the Celestial Spirits’ followers arrived as well, with all but two—who stayed to care for Lingfeng—joining the fray.

Faced with so many assailants, Sanny’s expression changed. Even with her formidable strength, she would surely lose against such numbers.

Just then, Rumia, in the midst of her duel with Lingmeng, suddenly raised a hand and sent a wave of black energy toward Sanny. The energy merged into Sanny’s body, and after a moment’s surprise, Sanny’s face lit up with joy. She glanced gratefully at Rumia and then declared, “Foolish mortals, behold the mighty power my master has granted me! Come forth, legion of darkness, and destroy these humans!”

At her command, a horde of shadow creatures erupted from Sanny’s own shadow, pouncing on the crowd like a pack of ravenous wolves. Though these monsters were not especially powerful, their sheer numbers forced everyone into a desperate melee.

Only Link, using his supreme speed and agility, managed to slip past the shadow monsters and reach Sanny, attacking her with a Sunstrike Finger. Sanny, seeing Link’s extraordinary skill and knowing her shadow monsters were useless against him, made no attempt to retreat, and instead met his assault head-on with her own dark power.

Sanny’s own strength was already mid-fourth rank—enough to easily overpower two bronze saints. Though Link’s abilities had soared since learning Lightfoot Steps, he could only fight her to a standstill; victory would be impossible alone.

Thus, while fighting, Link signaled White Spirit to approach Sanny quietly and, spotting an opening, ordered a surprise attack.

But just then, another shadow monster sprang from Sanny’s shadow, intercepting White Spirit and entangling it in battle, thwarting Link’s plan.

Watching as White Spirit became mired, Sanny sneered, “Impressive, Archbishop Neil. You certainly have plenty of tricks up your sleeve. If not for my own hidden cards, I might very well have suffered a grievous loss.”

Link remained silent, his brooding expression betraying his frustration. For now, with the situation unchanged, he could only continue to stalemate with Sanny.

Meanwhile, Lingmeng’s battle with the dark demon Rumia reached a fever pitch. Though Lingmeng was enraged, she was well aware of the dangers a seventh-rank clash posed to bystanders. She deliberately drew Rumia away from the others, and Rumia, unconcerned, followed her.

It had to be said: seventh-rank battles were truly extraordinary. This seemingly frail young woman, now at seventh rank, moved with blinding speed, every blow shattering stone and rending earth. Her magic seemed endless—she rained down magical projectiles like a storm, forming walls of firepower so dense they made the scalp prickle.

Any ordinary foe would have been obliterated, but Lingmeng faced Rumia, a dark demon even mightier than herself. Such brute force tactics were useless.

――――――――

There was another earthquake today—the tremors were obvious. Sichuan truly is plagued by disasters. Sigh… Praying for all those affected.

Well, even an earthquake can’t stop me from updating. With that, I am invincible in all the world!