Chapter 1555
Chapter 1555: Section 1556: Hope of Dawn Chapter 1555: Section 1556: Hope of Dawn After silencing Xueli, amidst her ugly expression, the Black Classic raised the balance scale high in its hand.
A strange energy emanated from the scale.
On the left pan of the scale, a phantom shadow of a cage appeared, and on the right pan, a thick-covered book materialized–it was Serum's Dark Prison Codex.
At this moment, the pages of the Dark Prison Codex were flipping rapidly, with rows of Prison Codex rules and punishment laws leaping out from the book as if they had come to life, floating mid-air.
Each row of laws had the words “guilty,” “judgment,” and “heresy” written on them.
These laws, resembling notes on a score, were initially floating around the Dark Prison Codex. But when the Black Classic uttered the word “sentence,” the laws, as if lined up in a queue, drifted toward the cage on the left pan, then fused into the cage, making it transition from a phantom shadow to reality.
At the same time, the dark mist that pervaded the entire arena began to roil as well. It was as if countless hands stretched out from dark waters, attempting to drag Xueli into the depths of darkness.
Faced with the current situation, she was utterly powerless and could only escape the range of the dark mist by flying or leaping out of the arena. Flying would put her at a disadvantage without the support of solid ground against the immense Black Classic; leaping out would be tantamount to admitting defeat.
Xueli did not want to concede defeat, but she genuinely lacked the strength to break free.
After struggling with the dark mist for a long time, she was ultimately enveloped by the swirling dark fog.
When Xueli opened her eyes again, she found herself within the cage on the left pan of the scale.
The Black Classic spoke again: “Prison Codex punishment, heretic judgment!”
With those words, the Black Classic's long sword hung over Xueli's head, seemingly announcing the signal for the sentence.
The floating laws accelerated, ceaselessly entering the cage that imprisoned Xueli.
With each row of laws that entered, Xueli's complexion grew a shade paler.
At the judge's seat, Sabo's expression flashed with admiration as he said to Angel, “I'm starting to understand why you said this match would be exciting.”
“In the Black Classic, I feel the power of order, perhaps due to the judiciary? And order is the lifeblood of rules. Though still unformed, one can already see its boundless potential.”
Heresy judgment, God of the Prison Codex. Rudimentary Domain of Law, power of rules.
Each element added to the excitement of the match. From the bulging eyes of the audience and their tense expressions of holding their breath, worried about affecting the viewing experience, one could tell that this match had completely overturned their previous stereotypes.
Perhaps it was not the most exciting match in the current Star Competition, but it would undoubtedly become a hot topic for a time.
Whether it was Xueli's strength, comparable to a seed of potential, or Serum's immense Book Spirit which overturned everyone's perception, both provided excellent talking points.
Sabo looked back at the match. Xueli was now thoroughly locked in the cage, with punishment edicts turning her face pale and blood seeping from the corners of her mouth, looking extremely miserable.
Sabo sighed, “It seems that your little friend is indeed about to turn the tables.”
“That's not necessarily the case,” Angel now held a different opinion.
Curious, Sabo looked over, “Why? Do you think Xueli still has a chance of victory?”
Angel was silent for a moment: “Serum has a hidden card up his sleeve; does Xueli not have one? I've always felt a hidden power within Xueli.”
He had mentioned to Serum the day before that by using the God of the Prison Codex move, there might be a chance of victory, but that was just a possibility. The prerequisite was that Xueli had not used her hidden power.
Angel looked towards the distant cage where Xueli was held.
Though she was undergoing the prison's punishment, she did not admit defeat; instead, biting her lips, she muttered relentlessly.
Since Xueli had been chanting from the beginning of the match, her behavior seemed quite normal. However, Angel noticed that each time Xueli chanted, a hidden force within her surged as if colliding with a shackle.
Would the situation change if this power broke free?
Not long after Angel's words, the outcome everyone assumed was settled once again shifted dramatically.
Time rewound a few minutes earlier.
In the cage, Xueli was barely keeping herself standing, her grit was all that she had.
The edicts emerging from the Dark Prison Codex, though merely entering the cage without physically harming Xueli, were a mental torment for her, even more distressing than bodily harm.
A stern voice echoed in her ears, passing judgment on her life.
It was as if someone had opened her Memory Box; every event she felt guilty about from her birth appeared before her as images. These were accompanied by solemn, just whispers, making Xueli feel as though she was standing naked in a courtroom, subject to public scrutiny, with every flaw and defect becoming the origin of her sins.
The Goddess of Justice, from her lofty position, looked down upon her and, with the sword of justice, punished her past.
Her scars, chronic illnesses, and private matters she did not wish to be known became tools for the other party to condemn her. Even though Xueli was well aware this was the opponent's trickery, when her most concealed matters were exposed, she couldn't help but feel devastated.
Especially when the image of a man flashed before her eyes, she almost couldn't stand any longer.
The solemn whisper of justice and authority continued in her ears: “He is the person you love most and also the one you fear most, but why are you avoiding him? Is it because you feel you have wronged him?”
“With your own faith, you have destroyed someone who loved you, and the belief you adhered to is flawed in its very essence. You killed his loved ones, an act of grave sin, guilty, deserving punishment!”
Xili vehemently shook her head: “No, I was helping him… Shut up, just shut up!”
However, no matter how much Xili screamed, the voice that judged her kept echoing in her mind. Like a curse that imprisoned her thoughts, it coldly mocked and relentlessly jeered at her.
Under the relentless assault, Xili eventually curled up in the cage, holding her head.
She tore open old scars and faced her past directly.
The more frightened she was, the more shackled she became; the more she couldn't bear to look back, the more abject she felt.
At this moment, Xili confronted her unworthy past, as pitiful as dust settled in the depths of a decayed swamp.
Seeing her in this state, everyone thought that Serum had won.
But sometimes, the more one is pushed to the edge, the clearer one can see oneself.
And Xili's situation was quite special.
For many years, Xili had always whispered to herself, “Everything before my eyes is merely the darkness that obscures my pursuit of hope. To see the brightest hope, I must first go through a deeper darkness.”
She understood the principle but had never set out to practice it, always repeating “pursuit of hope” on her lips, but the force suppressed in her heart was just that, repressed, never released.
She feared facing such a version of herself.
Just like Serum, he had always been afraid to take the step of “balancing the Black Classic, revisiting the laws” because he feared that after taking this step, the Black Classic might face dire outcomes. He feared losing the Black Classic, never to recover it.
Even though Serum knew that to progress further, the Black Classic had to take that step.
He understood the principle, but he was bound by various external factors, afraid to move forward, afraid of progression.
Xili was the same, always speaking of seeking hope, always saying, “Only after experiencing the deepest darkness can one welcome the most brilliant hope,” but she still dared not confront her past. Just like the previous duel with Cold-Eye Cat, Xili didn't think she would lose; but halfway through, she saw that person.
Not even having the courage to continue the match, she conceded and fled.
Xili and Serum may not have been cowardly people; they didn't fear death, they didn't fear scars. But as soon as it involved the softest, most treasured, and most feared aspects of their hearts, they withdrew.
And this match was actually an opportunity for them, a chance to reconcile with their past selves.
In the end, Serum had let go of his hesitations; he trusted the Black Classic and took a step forward.
The same went for Xili; the power of the Black Classic forcibly pulled her to confront her past, and when she reached her lowest point, it was also the moment she recognized and committed to her true self.
She whispered again, “To see the brightest hope, I must first go through a deeper darkness.”
This time, she did not just speak with her lips.
As her words fell, the force long suppressed in her heart was finally released.
All of a sudden, the darkness enveloping Xili faded away, and an extremely brilliant light radiated outward from her chest.
Darkness dissipated, light approached.
The power hidden in the deepest part of Xili's body was finally liberated. It was pure light, the hope Xili had always pursued.
Just as the Black Classic said, “The light from others cannot illuminate the deep recesses of an individual's heart.”
Hope should never be sought outside; it's always been within oneself.
When Xili dissipated the dark power and revealed the strength of pure light, the tide of battle changed once again.
The God of the Prison Codex, though mastering the rules of justice, in essence, originated from dark power. Light and dark have always intertwined yet constrained each other, and when Xili wielded the sword of hope-filled light, even the sturdiest cage shattered into fragments.
Xili's strength had already reached the pinnacle of an Apprentice, far surpassing Serum. Even though the power of the Black Classic was formidable, its master was after all Serum, still constrained by Serum's limitations.
When Xili used the light to conquer the darkness, the Black Classic was unable to resist.
After a burst of dazzling light.
Xili fell from mid-air to the ground.
Behind her, the sword in the massive hands of the God of the Prison Codex was cut into two, tumbling onto the ring.
Xili didn't make another move, because on the other side, Serum had already lost consciousness under the overwhelming power of light, lying unconscious.
And after the Black Classic's sword was cut, it finally bowed its head.
Following the judge's command, the match was over.
Xili, victorious!