The Altar Descends

Dragon King was in shock. Luo Lan was Han Sen's mother, and if she died during this conflict, it would drive Han Sen mad.

Everyone who looked upon Luo Lan wished to help her, but she was coming under fire from all directions, just as they themselves were. A rescue did not seem possible.

But then, she did something else. Luo Lan threw a white fluffy orb into the sky.

It was Snowball, and he clearly wasn't fond of what Luo Lan had just done. He rained down tears and summoned a big white orb.

Boom!

All the grizzly powers were absorbed by the ball, in its descent to the ground. Despite the number of hits it incurred, it did not break. It was a little misshapen by the beating, but it rebounded to its original shape quickly after.

"Ignore the orb; kill the woman first!" Sky King shouted.

The army rushed towards Luo Lan once more, and like a guided bulwark, the orb rolled before her, deflecting all the hits that came.

Of course, there was a limit to the damage it could ultimately sustain. And it couldn't protect her from every single strike from every single angle. An emperor had managed to find an opening in her defense, and with a fist that wielded a killing frost, he saw his chance to get her.

Luo Lan was still focused on Sky King, and she didn't have the time to turn around and take the emperor out. She seemed likely to suffer the devastating strike, but before she did, the sound of a bird was heard chirping in the distance.

The red fish-bird had suddenly appeared, and it swooped down to gnaw at the emperor's chilling fist, and had him reeling back screaming.

Luo Lan comforted the bird, and then turned to look around. The battlefield she purveyed was bad. There were far too many creatures and spirits to deal with, and the rhino's healing could only support them for a short while longer. If this went on, it'd only be a matter of time before they lost.

Dry Bone King was on the verge of death, despite the constant sustenance of strong heals. His foe had gotten the better of him.

Furthermore, as good as the heals were for keeping someone on their feet, death was death for most. No heal could resurrect the dead.

"It looks like I have to use this, then." Luo Lan pulled out a jue and poured wine into it.

Han Sen had left it behind in the Third God's Sanctuary, hoping Luo Lan would be able to summon him down, to bring those who could not traverse the Ten Steps of the Holy Door back with him.

Of course, if someone could not traverse the Ten Steps of the Holy Door, their bodies would not be fully cleansed, and allow them a further ascension to become gods. Still, it was better than not being able to become a demi-god, and dying.

Luo Lan brought out a bloodbag and poured its contents into the jue.

Han Sen had given her a bag of his blood before, during a time of respite in the Alliance. By using his blood, it should have been possible for her to summon him from the Fourth God's Sanctuary.

After pouring Han Sen's blood into the jue, the item she held had a reactive jolt.

"Alu-Alu-Alu!" Xie Qing King was battling No God Emperor and two other abhorrent emperors at the same time. As dire as the situation was for him, he wasn't shying away, and he hadn't even been stricken with an ounce of fear.

He was stronger than he ever had been, though. And while he could keep up with the three that assaulted him, he knew that even he would not be able to last forever.

Zero was also still in battle, and her Bone Dagger could do nothing against the mirror her combatant wielded. If she was able to find a way to destroy it, then felling the enemy himself would be easy.

"Don't worry; I'll help you kill her!" Two emperors arrived at her enemy's side, then leaped forward to attack Zero.

Pang!

Dry Bone King's shoulder was delivered a hefty cleave that took out a large chunk of the bone. Then, a bolt of lightning blasted him a few miles away, sending him crashing into a mountainside that soon came crumbling down.

Dry Bone King had barely managed to get back on his feet when he saw a large sword come down towards him. It was there to finish the job.

By some divine intervention, or so it felt, a creature appeared and ate the metallic weapon. And so did a bird.

"A Metal Eater!" the king spirit exclaimed.

"Go to hell!" A river of electric bolts then came bearing down on the Metal Eater.

The Metal Eater started to glow, and then it blocked the thunder attacks. Its defense was very strong, but it still bled.

But it was a Metal Eater, not a Thunder Eater. It couldn't eat and digest thunder powers.

Qing Jun, as this went on, was surrounded by eight king spirits. She had not yet opened her tenth gene lock, however, and without the Holy Rhino there, she would have been killed many times over by now.

Rock Giant was engaged in combat with a spirit, too. Their fight was wild, and the land was torn asunder and thrown upside-down amidst their rampage.

Water Fairy had found herself shrunk, as the water of her composure was taken away in the current of the enemy's water-streams she had to fight with. She hadn't yet opened ten gene locks either, so she was at a disadvantage, as well.

The humans were all surrounded, and just as they were about to lose, they heard a weird noise come from the Holy Rhino.

Luo Lan was seen drinking wine atop the colossal creature, and the jue in her hand was beginning to shine red. This same color was then reflected in the dark, swirling skies above.

The sky was torn in half, revealing an altar that descended down towards them. Upon it was a statue, modelled and sculpted to the look of Han Sen.

The creatures that wanted to kill Luo Lan turned to see the altar, and then, their faces changed.