Chapter 424: Shooting the Sun, New Hope, Cooperation

In that moment, the shooting star that represented blessings entered her soul.

A burst of radiant light exploded, strands of deep red magic, almost fading away, bloomed like flowers nourished by rain, growing wildly and rapidly multiplying in the midst of the storm and dust, instantly swelling into the shadow of the Red Lotus that enveloped Spirit Peak, colliding fiercely with the falling Divine Needle.

Boom, boom, boom, boom…

Light and heat flooded the sky above Spirit Peak, scorching clouds and waves of energy swept even the dark monkey standing upon the clouds in the Modeling Heaven and Earth, and from Fulong Town, the terrifying figure was no longer visible, only the sounds of shaking earth and mountains echoed.

At that moment, in the central area sheltered by the Red Lotus shadow, a person, who was severely injured, had gouged out her eyes, and was nearly out of blood, was wrapped in bright deep red light. Petal after petal of Red Lotus grew from flesh, eye sockets, and bones, bringing vibrant life.

Mizunoe Shini’s chaotic mind suddenly became clear; the Red Lotus within her soul no longer withered. The Lantern Gem, placed among the flower’s core, was being washed by a soft pure white light, and all the misty dust seemed to be blown away by a strong wind, returning to its original purity.

“This is…”

“Pure white light?”

Even if she had never seen the gift of pure white.

But after feeling such warmth and greatness, and being comforted and healed, the first thing that came to her mind was the Miracle Wall, which had stood for 17 years on the planet without seeking anything in return, and had sheltered humanity for 17 years.

And as thoughts flowed,

A strange and mysterious power, different from the lamp, magic, and Flower of the Soul, merged into every part of her body and stirred in her soul, gradually growing stronger!

— [Sunshot].

This is…

A new spell?

No, this is not magic; it is another kind of power that belongs to the [Pure White], different from that of a magical girl.

Mizunoe Shini’s thoughts floated, her body completely restored, with light Magic Armor covering her torn shirt and suit pants. The broken hair tie made her long hair fall like a waterfall; it seemed as if she had returned to six years ago.

In an instant, the passing years were turning back.

The lost youthful spirit and heroism, with the comfort of [Pure White] and the arrival of [Sunshot], were swept up by heavenly fire, reigniting fiercely within this body that was no longer young.

In an instant, the shadow of the Red Lotus protecting Spirit Peak shattered. Countless streams of magical power gathered in her hands, taking on the essence of ancient myths to forge a divine bow, surrounded by golden feathers and cold fire, using the original Magic Armor.

The Great Sage in the sky pressed down with his staff, sweeping away the dust and the remaining warm air.

The Divine Needle in his hand was filled with spirit; each strike was a peak of skill, leaving no trace, as if, under the guidance of the Three Purities, he truly grasped the unmatched technique that could sweep away a hundred thousand heavenly soldiers.

No matter how the strategic command center calculated, locked on, or predicted, the incoming missiles were like disorderly flies, all shattered by the countless dark shadows of the staff created by the Divine Needle, which struck, slashed, or poked.

It would have been enough to just shatter them, but the shadows extending from the staff also possessed some kind of celestial ability, minimizing the explosion’s power of the missiles, at most overturning the skin flakes on the surface of the Divine Needle.

The materials left behind after the missiles exploded would instead replace the damaged parts, becoming a part of the staff, further strengthening its power.

This Great Sage, revived from a mythological story with all the remaining strength of the Three Purities, using their authority to turn dreams into reality, was clearly not easy to deal with, and… was even becoming stronger!

Mizunoe Shini placed her fingertip on the bowstring, gathering all her magic energy, pushing forth the power of blessings, and glanced up at the increasingly fierce and terrifying monkey, wondering within herself:

“It’s the incense.”

“There are probably thousands of people in Fulong Town who have seen his figure.”

“This kind of gaze is like a silent acknowledgment, believing in the revival of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, further enhancing the effect of turning falsehood into reality.”

“That’s why it quickly used Modeling Heaven and Earth to make itself larger, making it incredibly noticeable, towering above the clouds.”

Luckily, Fulong Town only had a few tens of thousands of permanent residents.

If this were Sea City, Kyoto, or even just a second-tier city with millions of people, this fake Great Sage could have gained tens or hundreds of times more incense.

At that time, it would have been hard to find a candidate among captain-level witches who could control this wild monkey.

But there were no ifs.

Or rather, the current advantage was a certainty; it was those lovely and admirable magical girls who, six years ago, sacrificed their lives to suppress the outbreak of the [Three Purities], stopping the expansion of the forbidden area, which limited its power when it erupted again, allowing it to only come to the sparsely populated Fulong Town.

“I… will not let your sacrifices go to waste.”

Mizunoe Shini’s determination burned bright.

Six years ago, she had already fully blossomed, but due to her talent, her magical power had been stuck at the lowest level of the River realm, and she had not awakened a single characteristic.

But now, blessed by [Sunshot] and shining with the lantern, she could unleash [Scatterflowers], and she would not let this fierce monkey escape from Fulong Town.

With her thoughts set, the divine bow in her hands bent like a full moon in the heat of her will and magic energy. She shot an arrow that was not a straight shot nor a rain of arrows but countless sparkling lights.

The sky was flooded with brilliant colors, each beam of light filled with spirit, resembling a ferocious thunder dragon, a burning fire phoenix, a violent beast, a sacred kylin, and a dazzling golden crow!

These countless divine beasts, wonders, and elements formed a lively and dynamic array of arrows, treating the Great Sage’s overpowering staff as nothing, weaving around the numerous shadows of the staff and striking directly at the shadowy monkey that had lost its fiery gaze, shattering its Modeling Heaven and Earth!

In an instant, the Great Sage, standing on clouds, fell from the sky, returning to the form it had in the temple. The Sea Stabilizing Needle lost its power, and most of its outer layer scattered like heavy rain.

At the same time, the official response did not disappoint; the Ether Satellite—Fuxi—captured the precise coordinates and, like a deity punishing on behalf of heaven, unleashed its long-prepared bombardment.

In the next moment, a torrent of light poured down from the sky, like a dragon devouring its enemies, biting down on the falling monkey, causing a huge amount of Etheric Substance to swirl, gather, and collapse, ultimately splitting apart to release thermal energy that vibrated through dimensions, melting the enemy.

At this point, the power of the [Three Purities] had almost vanished, and the Great Sage, stripped of its support, returned to its original form. Its remains, along with the Sea-Settling Needle, evaporated in this attack, falling silent.

Mizunoe Shini watched this scene and finally relaxed, a pleased smile forming on her lips. Suddenly, everything went dark, and she collapsed on the spot. It was not until five minutes later that the emergency responders rushed in and took her to the hospital.

At the same time, similar events were happening one after another.

“In the Sacred United Country, the ancient city of Helda experienced a wild incident in the Helldir restricted area. The local space-time was twisted, creating a special maze that devours history, matter, and life. Three groups of magical girls, skilled in conceptual techniques, are collectively forming the Mortal Realm Barrier to combat the chaos.”

“In the Donghong Federation, a village on the border of the Extreme Winter Country was hit by salt rain. Hundreds of villagers, soil, and buildings were turned into salt, crushed into pure white crystal warriors marching into the territory…”

“On the island of Sri Lanka, the hometown of the world government representatives, comparisons with the warning map of [Pure White] suggest it has fallen under the influence of Amahl’s erosion. An investigation by the Countermeasures Bureau agents revealed that over ten thousand people had undergone a spiritual awakening…”

“In the capital of Lesotho, a phenomenon of holy light emerged. Many believers prayed to Jesus, gathering their faith into a mass of angelic feathers that crossed many lands…”

Even though Chu Yuanqing had given humanity an overall map, schemes like Amahl’s, which were subtle enough to have key characters heading in hundreds of directions, were forcibly revealed using marked power paths.

The Countermeasures Bureau was still extremely busy, overwhelmed with tasks, and operating under extreme pressure, barely managing to stabilize the situation.

Luckily, there were examples like Mizunoe Shini, who shone with the light of humanity and gained blessing recognition, helping to ease the burdens of the overwhelmed Countermeasures Bureau.

This also made the existence of blessings officially recognized by the higher-ups.

Although in the past, [Pure White] leaked a batch of blessings, none of them were like [Sunshot], which was as powerful as a Taboo Technique with an unknown limit.

This was both joyful and worrisome.

On one hand, among the group of continuously awakening blessings, there were many magical girls who could immediately boost their team’s strength, giving humanity a stronger foundation.

On the other hand, many clues indicated, directly or indirectly, that all blessings came from [Pure White]’s gift. Together with that map and the increasingly distant, illusory, and fragile reality of the high wall, this meant the other side was not far from a complete collapse.

When even more powerful blessings were born one after another, creating courageous heroes filled with hope for humanity, the entire world would face a boss far exceeding the current level—the thirteen [Calamity Gods].

In the meeting, everyone was discussing fervently:

“Blessings are the last spark of light given to humanity by [Pure White]. Like magical girls, they would become the brightest beacons in moments of despair, guiding civilization on its path forward.”

“From now on, seek out all who inherit the pure white light, just like the lighthouse, for there may be key figures hidden among them who can change the situation.”

“If the blessing comes from the power of pure white, when all the inheritors of the blessing unite, is there a chance they can create another tall wall to protect civilization for 17 more years?”

“No matter what, we need to gather all the strength we can. Even if the Dazzling Stage project fails, it can still hold back the Disaster group for a little longer, and perhaps this extra time can spark new hope.”

So, the Countermeasures Bureau worked busily on the tasks given by pure white to combat the increasingly troublesome Calamity God, while also mobilizing all resources to pave the way for the final Dazzling Stage project and to find the inheritors of the blessing.

Time passed in this tense environment, and soon another two days had gone by.

Donghong competition area, City of Stage, underground base.

This place, like the other competition areas, was home to a grand dungeon that was a marvel.

The difference was that this base was dug through the island, reaching deep into the ocean. When descending in the elevator, they could pass through a transparent section that allowed a view of the outside.

But that was already several kilometers deep. Looking out, what one felt was not the vibrant life of an aquarium, but a profound darkness that seemed eternally silent, without a hint of sound.

It was clear that, unlike the other underground bases, its structure, design, defense strength, and depth were all extraordinarily surreal.

But considering that this competition gathered all the hopes of Donghong, one could understand the important meaning of the dungeon’s existence.

At this moment, in a certain private dormitory in Area A1.

This pure white living space was filled with so many teams that the four little idols had been waiting for the competition to progress since they took the stage two days ago, wasting their youth in this villa that satisfied all their needs for food, fun, and leisure.

Of course, this was just the surface, the “fact” presented to the audience.

A girl lay on the soft big bed, her little feet in white socks raised and swinging, making one want to squeeze those particularly soft legs. She stared at her game console, tired yet happy, with her bright green eyes wide open, filled with the expectation of seeking comfort after a long day.

But in the next moment, a certain sakura girl burst through the door with excitement, hurriedly walking over, and tapped Liuli’s leg playfully, saying earnestly and happily:

“Liuli, stop playing Mario, we just received our sixth mission!”

Tang Liuli was stunned, her happy smile frozen on her face, clearly shocked by her teammate’s terrifying efficiency.

No, sister, we were fighting the Titans 24 hours ago, facing the angels in the western countries 19 hours ago, clearing a giant disaster nest in a third-tier city 11 hours ago, tracking Ares’ shadow 6 hours ago, unleashing double-digit Taboo Techniques, and crossing seven continents to support four magical girl teams 3 hours ago.

We just got back and hadn’t rested for even an hour, and now you tell me we have another mission?

Kirimi Miyuki completely did not understand the pain of the cat, as she pulled the tearful Liuli along, feeling energetic and eager to meet with Chu Wang Shu, Xie Qingxuan, and Charlotte.

— Mission system.

This was a feature that could only be shown to the competitors after the first stage scores exceeded 90 points and they entered the second round of the competition. They could connect to the Countermeasures Bureau’s system panel to take on various types of missions at any time.

Upon completing a mission, besides contribution points and bonuses, there were also scores that determined the outcome of the competition.

The higher the score, the easier it was to advance; it was a simple idea.

On the day the Donghong competition area began, Pure White was the first team to advance with full marks, while in the neighboring Sacred competition area, Charlotte also advanced with full marks.

Coincidentally, the mission systems of the two competition areas shared resources and did not interfere with cooperation.

So, pure white teamed up with Charlotte, using each other’s ability to move freely across time and space, achieving an incredible level of task efficiency.