By now the three aliens who'd been separated had come to their senses. They wanted to help the Violet Princess, but the two Gods of Wine and the Gourmet, as well as the Keeper and Bookworm, kept them at bay.
As soon as Lan Jue regained consciousness the Paragon's first thought was to choose his next target.
He knew that with the Harmonious Swords he and Zhou Qianlin could kill at least one Nirvana-level alien. But would it be enough to change the tide of the battle?
The answer was no.
With four Infinite-level aliens, they were incredibly strong. Their resources were deep, and they relied on a secret technique from the alien planets to remain unaffected by universal protogenia for long periods of time.
The Paragon's side looked strong, but they didn't have as many experts as the Paragon's. Once they suffered casualties, the Paragon's forces would collapse.
If they wanted to change the tide of the battle, they had to kill the strongest of the enemy.
Only by killing the strongest could they deal a heavy blow. Even if reinforcements came, they would have the strength to resist.
That was why he chose the Violet Princess. But not even Lan Jue could have guessed the Pontiff would choose to sacrifice himself.
When the Violet Prince broke free from the Photographer's grasp, Lan Jue knew the best they could do was injure the Violet Princess. They couldn't kill her. Their goal would be difficult.
There was even the possibility that the enemy would kill their own.
But in that moment, Lan Jue hated the Paragon.
His Holiness the Pontiff.
He chose to sacrifice himself.
It was the first time.
Lan Jue admired the Pontiff.
The Pontiff had sacrificed his own life to clear the Citadel's name in the eyes of the Paragons.
It had to be said that this was the only chance the Pontiff's Citadel had to rise again.
And it had succeeded.
The Violet Prince tried his best to save her, but the Cameraman was able to keep him at bay. The Princess' body began to disintegrate, and the Violet Prince struggled to come to her aid.
He could only watch as the Violet Princess' body crumbled to pieces.
Under the combined power of the three divine swords, it gradually collapsed.
Lan Jue didn't dare let his guard down. He knew how tenacious the Violet Princess' life force was, especially when she was no longer a doppelganger.
These creatures were known for devouring life force. Give them the slightest chance and they'd rise from the ashes.
He'd done everything in his power to control the Violet Princess's destruction.
As the outer layer of his body was peeled off.
Gradually, a translucent purple-gold crystal began to appear.
This purple-gold crystal was octagonal in shape.
Just above the Violet Princess' chest.
Dazzling purplish-golden light radiated outwards, and even the three Divine Swords' sword lights were unable to land on it.
The purple-gold crystal suddenly broke free from its body.
As it struggled free, the rest of the Violet Princess's body crumbled to dust under the onslaught of the sword's light.
But when the crystal slammed into the net of swords, the force of its impact caused a crack to appear in the net. It continued onward toward the home worlds.
It had to get away!
The strongest of the three Paragons was a Nirvana Adept, and if they kept going all out, it would be hard to keep up.
The Violet Princess' vital crystal had found an opening.
Everyone knew that the vital crystals of the aliens were their true source of life. If they let it escape, it wouldn't be long before another Violet Princess appeared on the battlefield, in front of humanity.
Lan Jue, however, was prepared for this.
He'd fought the aliens for so long, if he hadn't thought of this, he'd be a failure.
Pfft!
The purple-gold crystal that was flying at high speed suddenly came to a stop as if it had hit a huge net.
In fact, it had once again collided with a large net. This large net was blue in color!
The blue net converged and swept up in an instant, wrapping him within it.
A figure emerged from the void. It was Neptune and Huali.
Hua Li had long since arrived on the battlefield. He'd rushed to Middle Heaven's aid when the fighting broke out.
The Cameraman had already teleported them out.
Just as he was about to enter the fray, Lan Jue sent him a message telling him not to rush into action.
As expected, the Violet Princess' vital crystal tried to flee, but Huali caught it.
At her peak, ten Huali's wouldn't be a match for the Princess. But with only her vital crystal, her only advantage was her speed.
Hua Li had been prepared for this, so he was caught in the web of protogenia. Although he struggled left and right, he couldn't escape.
Lan Jue appeared in front of Huali with Zhou Qianlin in tow. Her right hand slapped the net like lightning, and the Boundless Starlight Domain enveloped the Violet Princess' vital crystal.
Starlight flashed as the Five Thunders came to life.
Primal chaos, All-Heaven, and Violet Heaven Lightning bombarded the vital crystal. Gradually it quieted down and ceased its struggle.
There was a flash of starlight, and the crystal was tucked away by Lan Jue.
The Violet Princess was dead!
An Infinite-level alien had finally fallen, and it was the Violet Princess, a descendant of one of the alien planets.
The Violet Prince had recovered from his shock, but the six aliens were already on the scene.
After killing the Violet Princess, the Pharmacist didn't pause for even a moment. She turned and flew toward the three Nirvana-level aliens. The Bookworm and the others were at their wits' end.
With her help, however, they were able to stabilize the situation.
At Lan Jue's direction, Huali flew toward the Driver. Things were stable there. The Clockmaker, the Pauper, and the Driver were having a hard time keeping the alien at bay, but the Wine Master had returned to the battlefield. With him and the Clockmaker working together, they were able to hold off the Infinite-level alien.
With Neptune and Huali's help, the situation was even better. They were now evenly matched.
Lan Jue and Zhou Qianlin hovered in space. Six Nirvana-level aliens were heading toward them.
The two of them had to use their strength to block these six powerhouses in order to barely maintain the stability of the battlefield.
Lan Jue's eyes shone with a clear light. The Violet Princess was dead, and so was their Pontiff.
After the battle began, with the addition of Xiuxiu's death, the number of casualties on their side was greater than the enemy's.
It was time to reap the spoils of war.
The Boundless Starlight Domain unfurled, and the stars in the distance flared to life once more. This time, however, the light from the stars shone over a vast area.
The six Nirvana-level pirates were immediately enveloped by the domain and were completely trapped.
Lan Jue and Zhou Qianlin joined their swords, and a rainbow light swept out to block the path of the six aliens.
The gentle Queen of Heaven Domain spread out to cover the Photographer's battlefield, shielding her from the universal protogenia.
Lan Jue's face was as calm as still water. He had calmed down, and the calmer he was, the stronger he was.
Zhou Qianlin's mind was linked to his. Her rainbow light swept out, and the six Nirvana-level aliens were stopped in their tracks.
However, they quickly responded.
While humans were improving in the fight against the aliens, the aliens were improving as well!
The six avatars of Monarch, Empress, and Imperial Concubine stood hand in hand, encircling the city. Their Creation and Destruction Domains swirled around them.
Their bodies began to change.
Rays of violet light flowed into their bodies, merging with each other until they became one.
A powerful aura burst forth from within.
How could this be?
Lan Jue was stunned by the sight.
The six aliens before her had transformed into a monstrous being with three heads and six arms.
This three-headed, six-armed alien had the body of Monarch at the front, and the Empress and Imperial Concubine at the back.
Three as one, three heads and six arms!
As they merged, their auras soared. In the blink of an eye they surpassed the recently slain Princess and the Violet Prince, who was still fighting the Photographer.
They were comparable to the avatars Lan Jue had encountered on Monarch's planet, perhaps even stronger.
"Humans, you will perish. Do you think you have any chance of resisting?
Surrender now, and you will share the immortal realm. "Monarch's deep voice boomed.
Lan Jue didn't even bother to answer. Instead, he slowly thrust Captus forward, and the power of the Ten Thousand Streams to the Sea surged toward his opponent.
Qianlin called upon the power of the Harmonious Swords of the Thousand Swords of Hundred Forms and Thousand Transformations. The two swords joined together, and the light of the Harmonious Swords of Zhou Qianlin and Qianlin rose to the Infinite level.
The three-headed, six-armed avatar's six arms shimmered with light as each wielded a weapon.
A sword, a spear, a halberd, an axe, and a battle-axe.
The Violet Monarch at the front wielded a sword and a blade. Golden violet light flickered, and its aura surged.
The six weapons swung out in unison. Six beams of golden violet light converged to meet Lan Jue and Zhou Qianlin's Harmonious Swords.
Boom--! The Boundless Starlight Domain shook violently.
Lan Jue and Zhou Qianlin felt a wave of energy crash into them. They staggered backward through the air.
(To be continued.)