A voice, majestic yet utterly indifferent, resonated.
It calmly stated, "A great calamity approaches, and this realm, being the nexus of myriad worlds and the chessboard for the divine, is bound to witness conflicts. Should he perish so readily here, it would merely signify that the esteemed one has misjudged. There is no need for Stellar God to intervene excessively."
"With that being the case... then I shall continue my slumber," Yina yawned languidly, shifting her position before drifting back to sleep, blatantly ignoring the peril John was facing.
...
In the external world, only a few breaths of time had passed.
Venomous Serpent was now less than ten meters away from John, a mere blink for a supreme-tier awakener poised to strike.
As everyone held their breath, ready to act, the dark sky seemed to briefly illuminate.
A cold voice emerged beside everyone's ears, stating indifferently, "You are correct that only absolute power can secure victory, but it seems you have misunderstood your own standing."
Everyone paused, puzzled.
This voice was...
Venomous Serpent's pupils contracted suddenly, a profound sense of danger causing his scales to stand on end.
He looked up towards the sky in alarm.
There, a beam of silver-white sword light tore through the heavens, carrying with it a terror as if it could cleave the world asunder, hurtling directly towards him.
Venomous Serpent's pupils trembled, his breath nearly halting.
Celestiblade Victor?!
Wasn't he detained by another steward?
How could he still manage to strike at him?
No time was left for further thought.
In just an instant, the fiercely piercing sword light was already before him.
Venomous Serpent's feet powered against the ground, causing it to shatter loudly.
His massive body shot out like a cannonball, attempting to evade Victor's strike.
Yet, the dazzling blade aura, as if possessed with vision, traced a beautiful arc through the night sky, striking the still-airborne Venomous Serpent with precision.
"No!!"
Horror painted Venomous Serpent's face as he erupted in dense green light.
Numerous snakes desperately formed a flesh shield, trying to block this terrifyingly potent blade aura for him.
But the sharp sword light sliced through the snake shield and Venomous Serpent's defenses effortlessly, then continued across his grotesque, massive body before its momentum carried it to the ground.
"Boom!!!"
The majestic blade aura stirred the air, whipping up dust and debris into the sky.
The barren earth was sliced open like tofu, creating a deep, hundred-meter long trench by the fearsome blade aura.
Venomous Serpent was bisected by this dreadful sword, black blood raining down and sizzling as it corroded the ground into a pocked landscape.
"Thump!" Venomous Serpent's massive body hit the ground, forming two large craters several meters in diameter.
Countless snakes cut by the blade aura fell into the craters, their severed parts still twitching.
Black blood poured from the wounds of the dark serpent, his scale-covered face twisted even more grotesquely in pain.
Yet, Venomous Serpent's vitality was stubbornly resilient; he didn't die immediately.
Snakes writhed and squirmed at the wound on his bisected lower half, seemingly trying to repair his body.
Venomous Serpent didn't even have the chance to scream before he was instantly minced into pulp by Victor's blade aura.
Witnessing this scene, Femme Fatale was utterly shaken, fear filling her eyes.
Venomous Serpent, both in terms of survivability and strength, was significantly stronger than her.
Yet, even he couldn't withstand a single move from Victor, let alone Femme Fatale herself, who was even weaker.
At this moment, Victor's gaze turned precisely towards her.
The murderous intent in his eyes nearly suffocated Femme Fatale.
Trembling, she pleaded with a face stricken by terror, "Don't kill me, please don't kill me, I have the antidote!"
With that, Femme Fatale quickly retrieved a crystal vial from her storage ring and hurriedly tossed it towards Dark Fox.
Dark Fox was in a much better condition compared to Old Dog and Gold Flash.
Cautiously inspecting the antidote thrown by Femme Fatale, she confirmed it was safe before consuming it.
Almost immediately, Dark Fox's complexion visibly improved, her state significantly better than before.
Femme Fatale then fell to her knees, begging, "Captain Victor, I was forced into this. I was just a dancer before being seduced into joining the Dusk Sect. I haven't committed any evil deeds, please spare me, please..."
Tears streaked down Femme Fatale's face, making her appear pitiful and moving.
Victor's expression did not soften; it turned even colder.
He indifferently raised his long sword, his gaze lowering as he said, "You might not be aware of how many people you've killed, including the innocents, but the criminal records of the Hidden Stars are crystal clear..."
Before Victor could finish his sentence, Femme Fatale's previously pitiable face turned ashen.
Without a second thought, her figure transformed into a burst of pink light, attempting to escape with the speed of lightning.
However, Victor would not afford her the chance to flee.
He lifted his long sword and with what seemed like a casual swing, unleashed a slash.
The next moment, a dazzling silver sword light tore through the sky, heading straight for Femme Fatale.
Sensing imminent danger, Femme Fatale frantically looked back, only to see the sword light rapidly enlarging in her eyes.
The brilliant sword light flashed and was gone in an instant.
Puff!
Femme Fatale's head soared into the air as blood spurted like a fountain.
Her body, still carrying momentum, ran a few meters forward before slowly collapsing to the ground.
Thump!
Femme Fatale's head landed, her eyes still wide with terror and disbelief.
The onlookers couldn't help but swallow hard at this sight.
Everyone knew Victor was strong, but few had witnessed him in action.
Only at this moment did they realize just how formidable Victor was, understanding why he was called the Celestiblade.
The Celestial Judgement Blade, inescapable!
Victor slowly sheathed his sword, the blade pristine and untouched by blood.
He descended from the air, arriving where Old Dog and Gold Flash lay.
Gazing at them, Victor's expression remained calm.
Yet, deep within, there was a hint of sorrow.