Within the strange space, the shifting fortunes of the world continued, yet the battle between Yakumo Yukari and Haruhi Suzumiya was drawing to a close. This was evident from the expressions on their faces and their trembling bodies; clearly, their reserves of power had reached their absolute limit.

While mere alteration might not consume vast amounts of energy, transforming the fundamentally non-existent (from nothing) into something existing, even on a small scale and not truly ex nihilo, was unsustainable for them for much longer. After the newly formed world was destroyed and rebuilt several times, it finally collapsed with a resounding boom.

Seizing this moment, Yakumo Yukari, suppressing the weakness consuming her body, opened a Gap, instantly arriving behind Haruhi Suzumiya. A red rope flew from her hand, tightly binding the other girl.

"Ah!" Haruhi Suzumiya cried out involuntarily, struggling fiercely, but the rope, for reasons unknown even to her, refused to yield, unbreakable even by her strength.

This utterly shocked Haruhi Suzumiya. After all, Yakumo Yukari’s power level was comparable to her own. Even though she was currently so weakened she could muster less than a tenth of her strength, her opponent should be in the same condition. Why could she be restrained? It defied all logic!

"...Hee hee, it’s better if you don't struggle too much, you know." Yakumo Yukari looked at her mockingly, a sweet smile gracing her lips. "This rope is called the Heaven's Ring. You can probably guess its purpose. Yes, it’s an artifact specifically designed to bind those who have reached the Celestial Tier."

Haruhi Suzumiya’s face immediately paled. "Why do you have something like that?"

"Because I have one more youkai than you do."

Yakumo Yukari extended her hand, hoisting Haruhi Suzumiya up, and departed through a Gap.

When Youyou transmitted the coordinates to her earlier, she had simultaneously gifted her the Heaven's Ring—a supreme artifact capable of restraining a powerhouse at the First Realm of the Celestial Tier. Naturally, a Quasi-Celestial couldn't resist it. However, this item had one flaw: it only took effect when the target was in a state of extreme exhaustion; otherwise, it was useless.

In other words, if you couldn't defeat your opponent outright, possessing the Heaven's Ring was pointless. While Yakumo Yukari hadn't defeated Haruhi Suzumiya, ending the fight in a draw meant both were simultaneously weakened to their limits, allowing the Heaven's Ring to activate. In a way, this could be considered a trial set by Youyou.

"Ha! Leek Punch!"

On the dazzlingly lit stage, Hatsune Miku’s expression was perfectly calm. She moved with effortless grace, looking every bit the seasoned swordswoman. Then, taking a deep breath, she let out a sharp cry and shot forward like a cannonball aimed at Mikoto.

"This is troublesome," Mikoto sighed, feeling a slight headache. When she was still an Esper, her bare-handed punches alone generated force on the level of 325KG. Since then, her power had multiplied at least four or five times, augmented by various close-combat techniques. Even without her Divine Powers, she had expected to subdue Miku within a few moves. She hadn't anticipated that this mere Diva would possess close-combat skills nearly equal to her own, resulting in a stalemate after such a prolonged exchange.

How to put it? Cheat mechanisms were just too powerful!

Mikoto sighed inwardly, then focused her mind, gathering her full strength. But just as she prepared to attack, her expression suddenly froze, then broke into a laugh, and she retracted all aggression. "It seems I don't need to move after all." "Eh?!" Miku had been advancing with fierce momentum, but mid-air, she suddenly felt the power within her body abruptly cut off, leaving her bewildered. Before her confusion could turn to panic, she deflated like a punctured ball, landing on the stage with a thud.

Miku’s face met the stage in the most intimate embrace, and she didn't get back up.

Mikoto walked over and easily flipped her body over. Miku’s face was slack, her expression resembling that of a deeply worn-out girl.

"Why... why did my... power... suddenly... stop...?"

Miku stammered, her voice imbued with utter exhaustion.

"Did you forget? An hour has passed." Mikoto reminded her.

"An hour?" Miku snapped back to memory. Her miracle drug was heaven-defying, but its duration was strictly limited to one hour. Furthermore, this cheat had a side effect: the ensuing state of weakness also lasted for an hour.

If she were in a perfect state, this side effect could be negated, but realizing this now, tears welled up in Miku’s eyes.

Seeing her agonizing struggle to cry, Mikoto patted her shoulder and kindly advised, "That's why I told you before: Cheats carry risks; use enhancement drugs with caution."

As the words fell, a red rope flew from Mikoto’s hand, binding Miku as well.

With both Quasi-Celestial hosts subdued, the battle between the Kings of Worlds raged on uninterrupted. From this vantage point, they could still see Lin Xiaoke and Xixi locked in fiery combat.

Each of the Eightfold Heavenly Dragons possessed irresistible might. One sweep of a tail shattered worlds; one blast of breath collapsed space; one roar shook the cosmos... Everywhere their colossal forms passed, remnants of shattered planets marked their passage.

However, dealing with Lin Xiaoke was not nearly as straightforward. As showers of light rained down, the attacks of the Eightfold Heavenly Dragons were rendered almost completely ineffective. She materialized the power of her Word of God as a downpour of light; she was the deity of this heaven and earth, omnipotent.

Both fighters had exerted their utmost, and their current power levels were nearly matched. Yet, Xixi, having endured several consecutive battles beforehand, had suffered far greater energy depletion than Lin Xiaoke, and signs of fatigue were gradually emerging.

"Are you not stopping yet, Xixi?" Lin Xiaoke suddenly spoke.

Xixi responded by unleashing wave after wave of Order Energy, making her stance clear.

"You aren't doing this of your own free will; you're doing it for that person. While I don't necessarily think your actions are wrong, the object of your devotion is misplaced. If you truly cared for that person, wouldn't revenge be more important?"

"What did you say?!" Upon hearing this, Xixi's face changed instantly, and her offensive attack halted abruptly.

Lin Xiaoke simultaneously withdrew her power. "Having fought this long, I believe you have calmed down enough. Now, I will tell you everything I know..."

Then, Lin Xiaoke recounted precisely what had occurred during the Fourth Divine War.

After listening, Xixi’s expression shifted erratically. The Evil King had been manipulated by the Proxy God; although the First Dark King died by the Evil King's hand, it was more accurately the Proxy God who killed him. She had never known such a thing!

After a long silence, Xixi raised her head to face Lin Xiaoke and said in a grave voice, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Lin Xiaoke sighed, "In our previous encounters, I didn't know you had such a connection to the First Dark King, and you were guarded against me. You might not have believed me, and even if I had told you these things then, it wouldn't have benefited you. The situation just now was the same; when someone is not calm, they often mistake their own obsession for the sole truth." "........." Xixi was instantly rendered speechless.

A moment later, as the imposing aura around Xixi receded, she recalled all Eightfold Heavenly Dragons. The void quieted once more. The girl tilted her head back, and two streams of clear tears traced paths down her cheeks. She had originally resolved that this battle, win or lose, would be her grave. Having fulfilled her obsession by losing the one she loved most, she saw no further reason for existence. But!

"It turns out... I still have a reason to exist." These words, firm yet sorrowful, revealed a resolve that would never look back.

In the endless star domains, the momentum of Lin Luo's and the Evil King's battle also began to wane from its peak. After all, such a high-level power expenditure could not be sustained indefinitely, especially given their current forms of existence.

This life form greatly stimulated their power, but at their current cultivation level, sustaining this form for a short battle was manageable. However, if prolonged, the longer they merged with their respective powers and the deeper it permeated their souls, the higher the likelihood they would remain in this form until reaching the Celestial Tier before they could revert.

The Evil King cared nothing for her own body and committed fully. Lin Luo, however, dreaded remaining in this state; how would he ever enjoy intimacy later? But if he intentionally conserved his strength, he would immediately concede the momentum, making it difficult to defeat the overwhelmingly fierce maiden. Helplessly, he could only push the potential consequences aside for the moment and commit fully to the fight.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

Although their power had diminished significantly, their cultivation remained at the Quasi-Celestial level. As the Destruction's Finale and the Army of Lost Souls continuously collided, the destruction of the universe intensified. From one end of the star domain to the other, the planets they obliterated were countless, not to mention the resulting black holes and spatial turbulence. Annihilating high-level Earth realm experts was effortless.

Clash! Clash! Clash!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the battle dragged on, Lin Luo’s Fiery Phoenix had shrunk from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters. The Evil King’s Army of Lost Souls had suffered ninety percent casualties and could not regenerate quickly.

But the fight still did not cease... Continue!

Boom!

Another impact. The Black Flame Phoenix and the Army of Lost Souls made their closest possible contact. Violent fluctuations radiated outwards, but at that very moment, the unexpected occurred.

The Destruction Black Flame vanished in an instant. Lin Luo's Mental Seed separated from its constructed protection, transforming into a phantom spiritual image. Simultaneously, the Evil King’s Army of Lost Souls dissipated completely, leaving only her soul body suspended in the void.

This sudden, abrupt change shocked both parties, but the inertial forces of their attacks did not cease with their astonishment. Before either could react, they collided with each other.

Then, passing clean through the other’s body, they halted, suspended motionless in the void.

Like statues, completely still!