Chapter 126: Failed Redemption

The group stood in a circle around Yue Longze, the atmosphere heavy and silent.

"Alright everyone, I'm counting on you!"

Yue Longze felt little burden; success would be great, but failure would be of no great consequence—at worst, he would simply continue to have the Murakumo Sword suppress the spirit of Alien Reiblood. In a sense, he could even use this as motivation to strive harder to improve his own strength.

However, the others were clearly not as relaxed as Yue Longze. After all, this was Alien Reiblood, an entity that had dominated the universe for tens of thousands of years! He was notorious, and terrifying beyond measure. Even Belial, who had once turned the Land of Light upside down, was merely a product of Alien Reiblood. One could easily imagine just how horrific such a being was.

Strong energy fluctuations radiated from the surroundings; the air churned as power surged. This was the combined strength of the Ultra Brothers and all members of the Ultimate Force Zero.

Among them, the energy from Zero was the most dazzling—a pure, holy white light.

Shining Ultimate Zero form!

Facing the powerful spirit of Alien Reiblood within Yue Longze, Zero had shifted directly into his most powerful form.

A glimmer of hope rose in Yue Longze’s heart. Perhaps, just perhaps, they might succeed! Zero’s Shining form possessed a remarkable ability to suppress evil entities. The others were equally impressive, especially Zoffy, whose energy was exceptionally profound as the eldest of the Ultra Brothers.

...

"Such powerful energy fluctuations!"

Outside the borders of the Land of Light, the patrol squads felt the energy erupting in the distance and were filled with astonishment. It was truly shocking. Other non-combatants also looked toward the churning energy in the distance with fearful eyes, feeling stunned.

"Do not panic!"

Father of Ultra appeared in time to offer reassurance; he had not participated in the treatment of Yue Longze himself. With the comfort and explanation from such an influential leader, the crowd finally eased their minds and breathed a sigh of relief. Firstly, Father of Ultra had suffered heavy, incurable injuries in his youth, which prevented him from exerting his full power; secondly, his timely presence prevented the Land of Light from falling into a panic.

...

On the other side:

"Hah!"

The group coordinated perfectly, unleashing their energy in unison. A kaleidoscope of brilliance surged into Yue Longze’s body, attempting to purify and erase the spirit of Alien Reiblood within him.

"Whoosh!"

In an instant, Yue Longze’s entire black form was enveloped in intense, dazzling light. He looked as if he were bathing in a spring of energy, appearing remarkably sacred. The group felt a surge of joy—perhaps it was working!

The energy continued to churn like a turbulent sea, rising and falling. In an instant, that roiling power poured into Yue Longze’s body.

But then, the unexpected happened.

Yue Longze’s body suddenly grew calm. The dazzling light covering him dissipated in an instant, and the surging energy vanished completely. It was as if nothing had ever happened. The energy that had poured into him seemed to have simply vanished into an abyss.

The group was struck with disbelief. Zero was the most shocked of all; could his Shining form’s power truly have had no effect at all? It wasn't that Zero was being arrogant, but his Shining form genuinely possessed strong purifying effects against evil.

Facing this result, Yue Longze felt a slight disappointment; he could clearly sense that the energy had done nothing to Alien Reiblood. The Murakumo Sword, however, continued to calmly suppress the spirit. Deep within, the spirit of Alien Reiblood sneered in disdain—how could such energy possibly affect him? Only one strand of energy was somewhat unique, though it was far too weak; had it been stronger, it might have posed a threat. Clearly, that energy had come from Zero in his Shining form.

The spirit then focused its attention on the sword hovering above Yue Longze’s head. The righteous aura emanating from that plain, unassuming blade was too intense; it hated that sword. It had been suppressed for so long, trying countless times to break free and consume this vessel of pure dark energy, but it had failed every time—all because of that sword. That simple, unadorned blade.

...

Unwilling to give up, the group adjusted their states, gathered their energy, and tried again. The result remained the same: failure. Zero was not yet fully adept at controlling his Shining form, and after two attempts, he passively reverted to his normal state.

"Damn it..."

Zero’s tough fists clenched and loosened, then clenched again. He hadn't expected his Shining form to be completely ineffective.

Yue Longze composed himself and looked at the others.

"If it failed, it failed; it’s no big deal!" Yue Longze tried to keep his tone light. "I won't have any problems for now!"

"Little Ze, stop trying to comfort us," Glenfire said, stepping forward to press a hand on Yue Longze’s shoulder. His tone sounded as carefree as ever, but his words were sincere and earnest. "If you tell me that being possessed by the spirit of Alien Reiblood won't cause any issues, I wouldn't believe it even if I died!"

A warmth spread through Yue Longze’s heart, but he still smiled bitterly. "I am really fine!"

The others still looked at him with disbelief, their eyes filled with worry. The more Yue Longze tried to prove he was fine, the less they believed him. Finally, it was Zero who stepped forward to speak on his behalf. Having spent so much time with Yue Longze, he hadn't noticed anything unusual; he could vouch for the fact that Yue Longze was truly okay.

Hearing this, the group finally set their hearts at ease. Although Zero could be unruly, he was not one to speak recklessly. Still, they remained a tiny bit uneasy. After all, the existence of the Alien Reiblood spirit within Yue Longze was an undeniable fact.

...

In the empty Ultra Coliseum of the Land of Light, the bustle and roar of the crowds were long gone. Yue Longze stood alone in the center of the arena, lost in thought.

After a long while, Yue Longze sighed softly. This trip to the Land of Light had been for nothing. He would have been better off staying in the depths of space, purging the monsters corrupted by dark energy and the mass-produced Darklops units.

"Little Ze, what are you thinking about?"

Zero had followed Yue Longze’s energy signature to the Coliseum. Yue Longze didn't speak, merely turning his head to glance at the suddenly appeared Zero without surprise.