somehow, Bai Ling managed to momentarily boost her magical power at the cost of her own life, breaking through the insurmountable chasm between a Saint Archmage and a Magic God. She had temporarily elevated her magical strength to a level nearly matching that of a Magic God—a true miracle.
At that precise moment, the white sphere of light, compressed to its absolute limit, shone with a dazzling brilliance. Under the control of the Fire Phoenix, it violently slammed down upon the magical barrier established by Bai Ling.
With a deafening roar, the two potent streams of energy met without any fancy maneuvering, instantly causing the surrounding magical energy to surge and swirl madly; the entire Domain of the Gods seemed to tremble under the impact.
Bai Ling, shielded within her magical ward, immediately felt an incredibly terrifying force relentlessly squeezing her protective barrier. Even the shield, significantly enhanced by the life energy she had sacrificed, appeared unable to withstand this overwhelming pressure.
The multicolored magical barrier distorted grotesquely under the crushing energy, looking as if it might shatter at any second. Seeing this, the golden light radiating from Bai Ling intensified, and more golden radiance poured frantically from her body into the colorful shield.
The latent, subtle colors within the magical barrier suddenly flared brilliantly as the countless streams of golden light flooded in. Countless rays of seven-colored light fiercely repelled the white radiance, holding it firmly back.
It could advance no further.
Before long, the white sphere of light finally dissolved completely under the tenacious resistance of the colored light. Only the faintly visible, muted colors remained clinging to the periphery of Bai Ling's magical barrier, though they too seemed on the verge of vanishing, and the entire shield was violently shaking.
Although the magical barrier had powerfully withstood the Fire Phoenix’s attack with Bai Ling’s aid, it had suffered severe damage.
More than half of its energy was depleted, and Bai Ling’s face instantly turned deathly pale. Her long, dark hair had, in the blink of an eye, turned completely snow-white.
It was clear that although Bai Ling had resisted the Fire Phoenix’s terrifying blow by expending her life potential, her own vitality had been gravely sapped, hence the transformation of her hair.
As the master of the shield, Bai Ling was assailed by a wave of dizziness that nearly stole her footing.
She barely had the strength to stand straight, her body swaying uncontrollably, suffused with an indescribable exhaustion and agony.
Her limbs felt weak and sore, an excruciating state.
Bai Ling knew these were the signs of extreme life force overdraft, creating an urge to collapse immediately—a sensation a hundred times better than this current suffering. Yet, she was acutely aware that at this critical juncture, she absolutely could not fall.
If she collapsed, not only would all her preceding efforts be wasted, but Mo Han, who was currently casting his spell, would surely perish.
Just then, Mo Han’s magic reached its crescendo. Behind him, the elements representing the source of Death magic—cyan, blue, and red, yellow—were gathering.
Behind Mo Han.
They coiled and twisted furiously, so potent that even the Fire Phoenix, suspended in mid-air, sensed the terror of this energy.
It let out an involuntary, fearful cry.
The Fire Phoenix had not anticipated that a mere Saint Archmage like Bai Ling could withstand the full force of a strike from a God-level powerhouse. This completely overturned all established power doctrines; had it not witnessed it firsthand, no one would ever believe it.
After launching two consecutive white spheres of light, the Fire Phoenix’s imposing aura had weakened considerably. Such magical attacks, while devastating, were severely taxing on magical reserves. These were terrifying spells nearly equivalent to Divine Curses—even for the mighty Fire Phoenix, unleashing two in quick succession induced fatigue.
Seeing Mo Han’s spell nearing completion, the Fire Phoenix could afford no more restraint and had to fight desperately.
The Fire Phoenix in the air began to shriek mournfully, and a strange, blood-red hue emanated from its body. As this crimson color appeared, the Fire Phoenix’s previously weakened momentum surged suddenly.
This meant the Fire Phoenix was utilizing some method to temporarily elevate its energy. Fundamentally, this was no different from Bai Ling consuming her own essence to enhance her power—it was a method that drained life energy.
This technique allowed the Fire Phoenix to boost its already depleted power by one level temporarily, but afterward, it would severely damage its overall strength. The Fire Phoenix would never resort to this final measure unless facing certain death, preferring to risk its strength over being annihilated by Mo Han’s magic.
However, this desperate measure only fueled the Fire Phoenix’s resentment towards Bai Ling and Mo Han. To think that it, a peak God-level expert, was being forced by a nascent God-level being and a young man who hadn't even reached the God level to employ a strategy that would cripple its strength for a long time to come—this was utterly intolerable for a Divine Beast that valued power above all else. Before the Fire Phoenix, a white sphere of light, even more potent than the previous one, began to rapidly compress at an astonishing speed, its destructive power seemingly exceeding that of the earlier spheres.
Clearly, the magic fueled by the Fire Phoenix’s life potential not only temporarily restored its own strength but actually elevated it by another level.
Gazing at the Fire Phoenix hanging in the air, a look of despair crossed Bai Ling’s face. She could readily sense that this coming magical assault was stronger than the last, but her own magical reserves were entirely spent; she possessed no excess energy to intercept it.
Yet, Bai Ling understood that even at her peak, she likely couldn't withstand magic unleashed by a Divine Beast consuming its life potential. Such power was far beyond what a Saint Archmage could block; perhaps even a Magic God would have to flee for their lives under such circumstances, let alone a mere Saint Archmage.
Watching the white magical orb controlled by the Fire Phoenix draw nearer, Bai Ling felt a sensation of powerlessness for the first time.
She knew that even her desperate efforts would be futile to stop this attack, and Mo Han’s magic was clearly slower to manifest. Seeing this, Bai Ling could only offer a wry, bitter smile.
In truth, Mo Han, caught mid-casting, was in immense peril. The departure of Latin and the others had ignited a furious rage within him, compelling him to unleash the supreme Light Divine Curse without regard for the cost, seeking vengeance for his companions.
However, the magical energy required for this Light Divine Curse far exceeded Mo Han’s expectations. Even for Mo Han, a Magic God, whose mana reserves were outrageously vast, despite having prepared thoroughly and enriched the ambient magical energy around him, and even with the aid of the Sacred Dragon Staff, it was insufficient to meet the Divine Curse's demands. The curse acted like a bottomless black hole, constantly absorbing every iota of his mana.
Eventually, Mo Han’s abundant magical supply could no longer sustain the need.
He was forced to expend his own life potential to continuously replenish his mana. Even so, at the final stage, the mana required for the curse had reached a monstrous peak, impossible to satisfy even through life force sacrifice.
Seeing the Divine Curse on the verge of backlashing due to insufficient mana, a deep sense of unwillingness and anger welled up in Mo Han’s heart.
If this continued, he would not only fail to avenge Latin and the others but would also doom himself and Bai Ling.
For the first time, Mo Han regretted his actions.
He didn't regret the decision to cast the spell; he regretted his insufficient strength to complete it, which meant failing his revenge and likely sacrificing his and Bai Ling’s lives.
But regret was useless now.
Still, Mo Han knew that given another chance, he would still unhesitatingly cast the Divine Curse. He understood that without unleashing such a high-tier spell, the Fire Phoenix, now a Divine Beast, could never be destroyed. If it wasn't destroyed, he and Bai Ling would inevitably die.
Just as Mo Han felt he could no longer hold on, the Fire Phoenix’s expression shifted in the air. Simultaneously, an overwhelmingly potent magical energy violently tore open the Domain of the Gods that the Fire Phoenix had established earlier.
A streak of seven-colored magical energy ripped through the domain and instantly shot toward Mo Han. It was the seven-colored magic unique to Magic Gods. This pure magical energy flooded Mo Han’s body, instantly replenishing his depleted mana reserves.
With the support of this energy, Mo Han's nearly uncontrollable spell stabilized, and incantations poured rapidly from his lips.
Concurrently, before the Fire Phoenix’s white light could strike them, a portion of that seven-colored energy split off and swiftly erected a resilient magical barrier around Mo Han. The barrier was finally completed at the last possible moment before the white light descended.
Two streams of energy, stronger than before, collided. A more violent magical fluctuation surged forth. The Domain of the Gods, already torn by the previous magical lights and hanging by a thread, could no longer endure the force of these two immense powers. With a loud bang, it fractured completely.
That seven-colored magical barrier, after absorbing the impact of the white light, flashed brilliantly and then exploded into countless particles, vanishing into the air.
At the same time, the Fire Phoenix in mid-air spoke with intense malice, “Blythe, get out here! In the Death Forest, no one besides you, you monster, can tear open my Domain of the Gods.”
“Hmph, Crotinus, after all these years, you haven't improved one bit,”
Blythe, clad entirely in black, slowly materialized above the shattered domain. Then, with a single, gliding step, the vast distance between them vanished instantly.
Blythe’s form flickered eerily, and he appeared before Bai Ling and the other, standing between them and Crotinus, staring coldly at his counterpart. “Crotinus, after all this time, you still only pick on those far weaker than yourself. Don't you find it dreadfully boring?” From Blythe’s words, Bai Ling and the others learned the true name of the Divine Beast Fire Phoenix. Crotinus glared fiercely at Blythe, spitting out resentfully, “Hmph. Do you expect me to stay here in the Death Forest waiting for some beast worthy of my effort? Must I, like you, waste hundreds of years cooped up in an ancient ruin waiting to die of old age?” Crotinus then asked with suspicion, “What connection do you have with these two youngsters that you would break precedent to intervene? You swore an oath to me long ago. Have you, Blythe, as a member of the Dragon Clan, also gone back on your word?” Blythe merely shook his head slowly, “When I came here years ago, I only agreed that as long as you didn't provoke me, I would not make you an enemy. But these two are my friends. If you intend to kill them, I must intervene to stop you. That certainly doesn't violate my vow.”
Hearing Blythe’s response, the Fire Phoenix, Crotinus, felt his expression change. He knew that if Blythe moved to stop him, he wouldn't stand a chance. Glancing behind Blythe, he saw that Mo Han’s magic, aided by Blythe’s presence, had stabilized and was nearing completion. Once Mo Han’s spell finished, he would have absolutely no hope.
At this realization, Crotinus entertained thoughts of fleeing. Although running was beneath a Divine Beast, preserving his life was paramount. If he fled with all his might now, he might still escape.
What Crotinus feared most was Blythe actively blocking him; as a fellow peak God-level expert, he doubted he’d get away if Blythe interfered.
With that thought, Crotinus let out a cold snort and quickly declared, “I didn’t realize you, Blythe, had friends. Today, I’m simply unlucky.”
Saying this, Crotinus began to spread his massive wings, clearly preparing for retreat.
Just then, Blythe sneered, and countless seven-colored lights materialized around the Fire Phoenix. A massive magic array instantly enveloped the immense body of Crotinus, preventing his departure.
Blythe spoke with a gentle smile, “What, leaving so soon? My friend here went to great lengths to cast his Divine Curse; surely you wish to witness it before departing?” Seeing Blythe actually intervene, Crotinus’s face finally shattered, and he roared in anger, “Blythe, do you think this magic array can hold me?” Blythe shook his head, smiling faintly, “Of course, I know this array won't hold you for long. But I am quite confident it will last until my friend finishes his spell.”
Hearing Blythe’s words, Crotinus realized Blythe spoke the truth. While the array couldn't kill him, delaying him long enough for the young man behind Blythe to complete his Divine Curse would be more than enough.
A look of utter despair washed over Crotinus’s face. He glared fiercely at Blythe and accused, “You despicable Dragon Clan member! You never dared face me head-on before, and now you conspire with this boy to strike me down. Is this the arrogance of your Dragon Clan?” Blythe remained smiling, replying blandly, “Many years ago, I stopped considering myself part of the Dragon Clan, so there's no use trying to bind me with that title; it’s a waste of effort. You should focus on how you plan to survive the coming Divine Curse.”
Hearing Blythe’s response, Crotinus knew he wouldn't be leaving here alive today. With a Dragon Clan member whose power was in no way inferior to his own siding against him, Crotinus effectively faced two God-level experts simultaneously—he had zero chance of victory.
Jumping toward