Chapter 364: Thrust

Her aura changed.

If before she seemed agile and cunning in battle, now she resembles a Heroic Spirit about to unleash true power.

Some aspects belonging to Ge Ni Wei Er were, under extreme pressure and combat instinct, seemingly provoked more deeply.

The giant insect also seemed to sense the threat, emitting a warning hiss, all its limbs tensing, ready for the next assault.

"Master,"

Gui Naifen didn't turn around, but her voice came clearly, "Give me three seconds... no, two will do! A Xing, that... the stinky Salted Fish, can it still be used?"

Ailisi Feier froze for a moment, then nodded heavily, "I'll do my best!"

Although she is not adept at direct combat, as an android and an excellent Magus, her support abilities are not weak.

She immediately began a rapid chant, her silver hair moving without wind, her red eyes intensely focused, strands of magical Barrier's soft light projected through the air toward Gui Naifen.

A Xing said nothing, merely weighing the Immortal Salted Fish in her hand that emitted a subtle aura, then looked at the giant insect's shell gap near its mouth, still not fully closed after the recent slime spray.

She nodded and said simply, "Fine. The angle's good."

"Alright!"

Gui Naifen inhaled deeply, her two hands gripping the long spear blazing with golden‑red Flame, and she lowered her body slightly.

The Dragon Shadow around her almost solidified, individual dragon scales clearly visible, emitting a deep, majestic dragon roar.

All her strength, all her spirit, focused on the next strike.

The giant insect moved!

It seemed unwilling to give the opponent a chance to charge, its massive body surging with a crushing momentum, roaring forward, all its scythe‑like claws spreading like a moving death grinding machine, bearing down on Gui Naifen!

The ground beneath its feet roared and trembled.

Now!

A Xing moved!

Her figure darted like a phantom, not charging the insect's front but sprinting along an extremely sharp side angle; the moment the giant insect's attention was fully drawn to the charging Gui Naifen, she leapt violently, her arm infused with power, hurling the Immortal Salted Fish in her hand like a javelin, striking the shell gap near the insect's mouth with perfect precision!

"Go! Salted Fish thrust!"

The Salted Fish turned into a faint streak of light, silently slipping into the gap.

Time seemed to pause for an instant.

Then—

"Goo... woo—!!!"

The giant insect's forward momentum abruptly halted, then it emitted the most mournful, terrifying howl since the battle began!

Its massive body began to roll violently, its scythes hacking indiscriminately at ground and air, gouging one large crater after another.

The shell gap near its mouth opened and closed wildly, spewing not slime but an indescribably intense, foul, yellow‑green smoke!

"Chemical attack... took effect."

A Xing landed, watching the giant insect writhe in pain, and commentated expressionlessly.

"Well done, A Xing!"

Gui Naifen's eyes brightened, the Flame in her golden pupils burning to the limit, "Next—watch me!"

The power she had stored for so long erupted with a roar!

She drove both feet forcefully into the ground, her whole being merging with the long spear in her hand and the almost solidified golden‑red Dragon Shadow behind her, becoming a blazing streak that tore through the night!

"Take this move—!" The girl's clear shout harmonized with the majestic dragon roar, "Flame Gun, charge!" (Star:?)

No longer probing, no longer skirmishing.

The golden‑red meteor, defying the rolling foul smoke, surged with decisive force, striking the shell at the junction of the insect's head and torso exposed by its pain—likely its core, the manifestation of the Node!

The giant insect sensed the lethal threat, wildly swinging its scythes to intercept, but the severe pain and chaos in its body severely hampered its movements.

"Pfft—!!!"

The burning spear tip, bearing unmatched piercing power and purifying Flame, drove deep into that shell!

The red Dragon Shadow surged along the spear shaft, exploding inside the giant insect!

"Boom—!!!"

A massive explosion roared from within the giant insect!

Blazing red Flames erupted from its eyes, mouth, and shell gaps!

Its mountain‑like body swelled violently, then, amid a series of muffled blasts, shattered with a roar!

Countless shell fragments and slime were purified by the fire, leaving only the purest chaotic magical core, which hovered over the arena's center for a moment before bursting like a punctured balloon with a "pop" and vanishing completely.

Node, destruction complete.

The golden‑red streak landed, revealing Gui Naifen's figure.

She knelt on one knee, propping her body with the long spear, breathing heavily, drenched in sweat, the light in her golden pupils dimming rapidly, the Dragon Shadow dissipating.

That strike almost drained her strength.

"Did... did it succeed?"

She looked up, seeing only a wrecked, scorched arena and the fading magical afterglow, still unable to fully believe.

Ailisi Feier hurried over, supporting her, and asked worriedly, "Lancer, how are you?"

"I'm... I'm okay, just a bit drained."

Gui Naifen grinned, though exhausted, her eyes sparkling, "That moment felt great! It's like... I recalled something, and also seemed to have gained something."

Perspective shift.

Black Tower regained consciousness from a brief dizziness, finding herself perched sideways on a floating Magic Staff in a rather ungraceful pose.

Below her lay the ruined Liu Dong Si and a faintly pulsating violet‑black giant cocoon.

(Illusion Realm lifted? No, it collapsed. That annoying kindergarten teacher's Cognition shackles also vanished... good.)

Her violet‑black eyes quickly regained clarity.

However, just at the Shana she focused her mind—

The space behind twisted violently, a raging torrent of magical energy intermingled with countless cold glints of swords, like a golden tsunami, pouring down without warning!

"What?!"

Black Tower startled, its magic auto‑triggered, and a multi‑faceted prism shield stitched from tiny magic mirrors instantly unfolded layer by layer behind it.

"Ping‑ling‑pang‑lang—Boom!!!"

The shield held for less than half a second before it shattered.

The ensuing Noble Phantasm torrent hit solidly!

"Ugh!"

She let out a muffled hum, and she and her staff were violently slammed from the air by the massive force, like a meteor piercing the already crumbling temple ruins, carving a deep trench in the ground before being buried in the broken stones and rubble.

In the sky, the golden ripples slowly receded.

Gilgamesh's figure appeared.

The ancient Hero King now looked rather disheveled, his golden armor stained with dust, his scarlet eyes burning with pure fury.

He had previously been blasted by San Yue Qi's "no‑martial‑ethics" Noble Phantasm "Star‑Crest Train·Create‑Your‑Death!" and sent flying an unknown distance, only barely making it back by clinging to a golden vessel.

Upon returning, he saw the woman floating in the air; old and new grudges surged instantly, and he launched a surprise attack without hesitation.

"Hmph, Miscellaneous Cultivation."

He looked down at the rising dust, a smug sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

Surprise attack?

To the King, eliminating an eyesore like a bug requires no particular method.

Immediately, his gaze was drawn to the peculiar giant cocoon below.

The foul aura emanating from it filled him with genuine disgust.

"What disgusting thing is this again?"

Hero King frowned, too lazy even to check Black Tower's fate, and the golden ripples behind him expanded massively again, "Let the King's treasury cleanse it completely!"

More, denser Noble Phantasm lights ignited, targeting the cocoon below.

This volley's scale far exceeded the earlier attack on Black Tower, clearly intending to erase the entire Yuan Cang Shan summit along with this "disgusting thing" from the map.

However, just as the Noble Phantasm was about to descend—

"Dong!"