Ye Wen could only shrug helplessly as he looked at Apollo, who had fallen stiffly to the ground, unable to close his eyes. He figured it would be strange if the man could close his eyes under these circumstances.

Pulling his longsword from Apollo's corpse, Ye Wen brushed his hand across the blade, which still shimmered with moonlight. The light instantly receded, and the sword no longer radiated the formidable power of the Moon Goddess; it now looked like any ordinary longsword.

Turning his head, he glanced at Artemis, who remained in a drawn-bow stance, though her entire demeanor was stunned. Ye Wen smiled and said, "Are you planning to shoot me like that?" Startled, Artemis looked at Ye Wen, then back at the Solidar's Starfire she had pulled back, and frowned slightly. In that last instant, her instinct had been to raise her weapon and attack Apollo; her mind hadn't even processed what was happening before her body moved. This was something she had never experienced before.

Dissipating the condensed magic arrow, Artemis casually sheathed her bow and stood still, observing Ye Wen from head to toe. She noticed that whenever her gaze settled on him, the slight panic in her spirit calmed wonderfully; only then did she feel at ease.

After a moment of thought, she understood this was due to her experience with Ekaterina, and Artemis let out a frustrated sigh.

Ye Wen hadn't noticed these things, or perhaps he simply wasn't paying attention. Standing before Apollo's body, watching the Solar Divine Power ceaselessly dissipate into the surroundings, Ye Wen felt a profound sense of pity.

Especially when he noticed that the Solar Divine Power within Apollo’s body was not entirely consolidated. This reminded him that Apollo’s status as the God of the Sun was not an inherent position but one he had forcibly seized later on.

"Does this mean this Solar Divine Power can also be used by me?" Generally, the divine powers held by Western deities cannot be used by others because they carry very distinct personal imprints. When a deity perishes, the corresponding divine power vanishes with them.

Apollo’s situation was somewhat unique. He had eliminated the original Sun God long ago and usurped the title, attempting to seize all the Solar Divine Power. Unfortunately, although he managed to take a portion of the power, he could never truly convert it into his own strength.

Because of this, although Apollo’s divine power was immense, he could never advance further! It was precisely because Apollo’s strength was almost permanently capped, meaning he could never threaten Zeus’s position, that Zeus felt secure in heavily relying on him.

The power dispersing now was what Apollo had forcefully seized long ago. After years of tempering, the original imprints had indeed eroded significantly, but Apollo could never fully stamp his own mark upon it. It reached this point at best—he could wield it, but never as smoothly as his own divine power.

Furthermore, since Apollo already possessed the Sun God’s divine seat and was constantly generating his own Solar Divine Power, this residual portion held little intrinsic value for him. Now, however, it benefited Ye Wen!

If Ye Wen were to absorb this residual strength into his body, it would certainly offer a slight boost to his power! Moreover, for Ye Wen, there was no possibility of being unable to use it or having it clash with his existing power.

Ever since mastering the Hūntiān Bǎojiàn, Ye Wen’s body had become a universe unto itself, capable of containing all things. This mere fragment of Solar Divine Power would cause no issue whatsoever. However, out of caution, Ye Wen refrained from absorbing it immediately and instead… drew another longsword and plunged it directly into Apollo’s corpse. This action caused Artemis’s already furrowed brow to tighten further.

Although she felt little affection for her brother, even harboring hatred for him! He was, after all, birthed alongside her and shared Olympus heritage.

Ye Wen killing him was one thing; desecrating the corpse now seemed excessive? But just as Artemis approached, intending to speak, she was startled to realize that the second sword Ye Wen drew was not the one he used to kill Apollo. They were almost identical in appearance, differing only in the pattern on the circular guard; at a quick glance, they looked like the same blade. But as she drew closer, Artemis immediately sensed the difference between the two longswords. The first sword had clearly radiated the principles of the moon; she could even feel that the source of the moonlight power on that blade was herself. She couldn't comprehend the method Ye Wen used to manipulate her own divine power and had intended to question him about it later.

The one before her was different. The blade of this sword pulsed with an orange-red glow, and the divine power emanating from it was clearly Solar Divine Power, with the source naturally being the impaled Apollo!

As time passed, the light on the sword grew brighter and brighter. Nearly all the Solar Power dispersing from Apollo’s body was absorbed into this longsword. Finally, the sword became like a miniature sun, emitting a radiance and heat that ordinary people could not withstand.

Artemis and Ye Wen were fine, but Anita, standing nearby, felt as if she had fallen into hell. In that moment, she suspected she might die. The terrifying heat not only caused the nearby lake water to evaporate, filling the area with steam, but also affected the air quality. Anita felt the temperature becoming unbearable, and breathing grew increasingly difficult.

Yet, she never considered fleeing. She only gazed at Artemis not far away with eyes tinged with sorrow, looking like a pet abandoned by its master. Ye Wen happened to glimpse this and felt a pang of pity for the female elf, intending to intervene.

Unexpectedly, Artemis moved faster than him. With a casual wave, a dewdrop-sized droplet of water, shimmering with moonlight, floated before Anita’s forehead and dissolved into her body, leaving behind a crescent-moon pattern on her brow.

As this symbol appeared, a shield of moonlight instantly materialized, protecting Anita from the scorching Solar Divine Power.

"The Moon Goddess... has not abandoned us!" Ye Wen heard her murmur. He glanced at the sword still absorbing Apollo's divine power, then dismissed it, turning instead to ask Artemis, "She seems... very attached to that reincarnated goddess of yours!" Artemis did not shift her gaze from the sword, but she answered Ye Wen’s question, "They... were actually abandoned elves! They slowly formed a new lineage after receiving my protection!" Ye Wen instantly understood; so this was the origin of the so-called Lunar Elves!

As they spoke, the light on that longsword gradually faded, revealing its original form again. Only a faint orange-red luminescence still flowed along the blade—much softer and calmer than before. But Ye Wen could sense that having been tempered by the Solar Divine Power, this longsword had definitively ascended to a higher tier.

Originally, he hadn't been particularly fond of this pair of divine swords; he just carried them along as collectibles, a small tribute to the memories of his childhood.

He hadn't expected to encounter this damned environment and have to measure up against the Sun God! What was even more interesting was having the deities representing the Sun and Moon right beside him, their divine emanations incredibly potent and perfectly aligned with the celestial bodies. It was convenient, then, that he took out the Moon Sword to deal with Apollo.

Simultaneously, he used Apollo's divine power to temper the Sun Sword. This way, the tempered Sun Sword would no longer be entirely dependent on the presence of the sun to display its formidable might; it had truly become a genuine divine sword.

"But this way, this pair of divine swords no longer seems matched as a pair!" Such a minor detail was inconsequential. Ye Wen casually drew the sword and gripped it. A feeling of comfort, like being bathed in warm sunlight on a cold winter day, spread from his palm throughout his body. This must be the miraculous effect of the sword, having been newly tempered.

Artemis glanced at the sword in Ye Wen's hand, then watched as he flipped his palm; his previously empty hand now held another longsword. This sword, however, appeared utterly ordinary at first. Only after a moment, as if resonating with the divine power within her body, did light flash across its blade.

However, one sword shone brilliantly while the other was reserved; one exuded immense momentum, while the other possessed a long, drawn-out aura. While the sword radiating lunar energy looked more powerful, both Ye Wen and Artemis could see that it was significantly inferior to the divine sword that had absorbed the Solar Divine Power.

"What a pity that the paired divine swords now have such divergent fates!"

Ye Wen’s lament was merely an offhand remark. He was about to sheath both swords when Artemis reached out to stop him, telling Ye Wen, "Give me the longsword that can absorb Moon Goddess power. Perhaps I can find a way to make it match the one that absorbed the Solar Divine Power."

He turned to look at Artemis, perhaps surprised that she asked. But he was not stingy by nature, and these divine swords were hardly rare treasures anyway. He readily gifted them to Artemis—for the Shu Mountain Sect, if they wished, they could forge a hundred of these pairs.

In truth, it was close; it was said that Zheng Ying had already started selling them after making ten pairs. Though their practical utility was somewhat lacking, they still possessed some power in specific situations, making them desirable defensive artifacts for less affluent cultivators.

Thus, these swords weren't inherently valuable. Only the Sun Sword in Ye Wen's hand, having gained the tempering of divine power, could barely be considered a noteworthy artifact.

Artemis accepted the sword and touched it against the armlet on her right bicep. With a faint flash of light, the longsword vanished. That armlet had been on her since birth—besides decoration, it served to store her personal weapons. Artemis placing the sword there indicated the importance she placed on this Moon Sword.

Turning back to Apollo's corpse, it had long since completely turned to dust. Because all its divine power had been absorbed by that divine sword, the mighty Sun God of Olympus had left virtually no trace in this world.

Thinking of this, Ye Wen felt a touch of sorrow for the deity: "It would have been so good to just be the Sun God. Why did he have to be such a Sis-con! Sis-cons never have good endings! If there's a next life, please don't be a Sis-con!" As he said this, he never considered that his own junior sister counted as a 'sister' in that context.

The intense heat gradually dissipated. Ye Wen and Artemis walked shoulder-to-shoulder to Anita. Seeing that Anita was unharmed, her condition was still far from ideal. Ye Wen casually pulled out a pill and tossed it over.

Anita instinctively caught it, then looked confusedly at the small, inky-black pill in her hand.

"Swallow it. It will alleviate the injuries within your body," Ye Wen had struck her with a powerful blow earlier; the female elf had endured it without fainting only through sheer willpower, but her injuries hadn't miraculously healed because of that. Afterward, she was compressed and scorched by Apollo's unrestrained divine power. Although her external appearance seemed fine, perhaps a bit disheveled, her internal state was severely damaged. If not treated properly, it would leave fatal hidden dangers.

Considering that this woman had at least faithfully guarded the Moon Goddess, Ye Wen didn't feel right just leaving her. Hence, he gave her a pill to help her.

Though Anita didn't know exactly who Ye Wen was (or what god?), seeing how intimate he was with the goddess she worshipped (she now understood that the goddess she revered was merely an avatar of this powerful being; therefore, she should show equal reverence to this man), he couldn't be evil, right?

After all, the Moon Goddess was so kind and pure! Furthermore, this black-haired man had never truly gone for a killing blow; even when the elves attacked him, he hadn't killed a single one.

Lifting her hand, Anita popped the pill into her mouth, instantly regretting it the moment the drug dissolved upon touching her tongue and slipped into her stomach. But the terrible taste made her think she was about to die! Ye Wen's punch hadn't killed her, Apollo's power hadn't crushed her, but she nearly perished from the terrifying flavor of that pill.

Anita even suspected that the man before her wasn't a god at all, but an evil demon, otherwise why would he torture her with such a dreadful concoction?

"It would have been cleaner to just kill me with a single stroke!"

Fortunately, although the pill tasted vile, its efficacy was undeniable. Anita quickly felt the agonizing pain inside her body gradually subsiding. Cold sweat stopped pouring from her forehead. The miraculous healing effect left her somewhat stunned; her pointed ears even twitched unconsciously. Her dazed appearance was rather endearing.

However, she only spaced out for a moment. Seeing the man and the Moon Goddess about to depart, she immediately stood up, rushed to Artemis, knelt on one knee, and pleaded respectfully, "Goddess, please do not abandon your people!"

Artemis looked down at Anita kneeling before her. She tried to maintain the cold, aloof demeanor she had held moments before but couldn't manage it. She sighed helplessly, "You heard everything just now. With your intelligence, you cannot fail to understand the implications of those words!" Anita kept her head bowed, maintaining the single-kneeled posture.

"I am not a god of this world. The Moon Goddess you believed in was merely an avatar born from an accident; she is gone now. I cannot remain in this world, so..."

Anita still didn't look up, but Ye Wen noticed something continuously dripping onto the ground, wetting the exceptionally dry earth scorched by Apollo's divine power.

Artemis saw it too but felt helpless, unless...

"Unless... you are willing to follow me and leave this world!"

Anita jerked her head up, her eyes wide with disbelief and a very clear joy. "Is that possible, Your Ladyship the Goddess?"

Artemis considered it, then nodded firmly. "There aren't that many Lunar Elves anyway; taking them all is fine! Of course, if anyone is unwilling, I won't force them!" "No, our entire tribe is willing to follow the Goddess away!" The Lunar Elves were outcasts among the elves, elves abandoned by their original clans for various reasons—perhaps for making mistakes, perhaps because their bloodlines were impure. Many Lunar Elves were female elves captured and mated with other races, giving birth to mixed-bloods who were ostracized from the moment they were born, having almost no place to belong. While Anita went to gather her kin, Artemis recounted the history of the Lunar Elves to Ye Wen.

As for Anita, the most loyal guard of the Moon Goddess...

"I was once the most formidable huntress among the Sherwood Forest elves, but after taking an arrow to the knee, I lost everything I once possessed! In utter despair, I bid farewell to our Chieftain Thane and left my original clan, wandering the continent. I happened to arrive here and encountered the great Goddess, and… she healed a wound I thought would never mend!" Just then, Anita returned with her people and narrated her experience personally. "From that day forward, I resolved to dedicate everything I have to the great Moon Goddess!" It was a solemn oath, but as Ye Wen heard it, his mind involuntarily drifted elsewhere, suddenly filled with vivid, beautiful, and wicked images.

Shaking his head, Ye Wen suddenly recalled that a group of clowns was still eyeing the elves covetously. But now that all the Lunar Elves were preparing to leave this world with Artemis, even if those fellows found this location, it would likely be all for naught.