Chapter 14: The victor's verdict
**Swoosh!**
In a heartbeat, Tanoshi was already in front of Qing Lan.
"Abyssal Evil Law—Underworld End Claw!"
Pitch-black death energy gathered on her palm, transforming into an indestructible, lethal claw aimed directly at Qing Lan's heart. If this struck, death was certain.
However...
**Swoosh!**
"!"
*Gone?* Tanoshi stared in shock.
A shadow flickered beside Tanoshi's face—a perfectly shaped yet explosive right leg lashed out.
**BOOM!**
Tanoshi was sent flying. The white tentacles on her back instantly cocooned her, absorbing the impact as she rolled across the ground, neutralizing the force. She kicked off the earth like a cannonball, charging back toward the "traitor."
*She's dangerous. She must be eliminated now!*
But Qing Lan thought the same. Appearing before Tanoshi, she opened her mouth as countless water elements coalesced.
*Dragon Breath! I have to dodge!* Tanoshi thought, but her body couldn't keep up with her brain. She was hit point-blank by the high-pressure water jet and pinned to the ground.
"Abyssal Evil Law—Sacred Crystal Shield!"
A massive ice shield materialized, blocking the torrent. The potent freezing power didn't just stop the attack; it froze the water into a pillar of ice, crawling back toward the source.
Hiding behind the shield, Tanoshi countered immediately.
"Abyssal Evil Law—Emerald Hydrogen Bomb!"
She compressed a massive orb of light into the size of a volleyball and hurled it with thunderous momentum. This orb of demonic light, capable of both destroying an island and bringing it new life, was the ultimate punishment for the Goddess's betrayer.
Qing Lan would not go down quietly. Her hands formed complex seals, gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
"Jiao, Kang, Di, Fang, Xin, Wei, Ji."
As the seals completed, seven brilliant stars appeared—the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon of the East. They linked together, forming a celestial star map in the shape of a soaring dragon. It was both the sturdiest shield and a spear that could pierce any defense.
"Four Symbols Immortal Dao—Seven Star Sword!"
Seven blades composed of starlight rained down upon Tanoshi. Yet, this was exactly what Tanoshi wanted.
"Emerald Hydrogen Bomb—Doomsday Star Cluster!"
Tanoshi clapped her hands together, and the emerald orb split into hundreds of small light shells. They fell like a meteor shower in a high-saturation saturation attack. The two forces collided in mid-air, triggering a chain of massive explosions.
Tanoshi sat cross-legged behind her shield, unfazed. She began to analyze the situation.
Even though Qing Lan had achieved a breakthrough, her raw strength hadn't quite surpassed Tanoshi's yet. If the fight continued, Tanoshi was sure to win... *if* she had enough mana.
But she was being rejected by the planet's Will, unable to replenish her energy from the outside. Qing Lan, however, seemed to have been acknowledged as the new "Azure Dragon." In the middle of the world's largest ocean, the endless moisture and pure mana from the sea were constantly refilling her reserves.
*What should I do?* Tanoshi pondered. *I can hold out for five or six more hours. Should I brute-force it, or use my last resort?*
Suddenly, Tanoshi spotted something. A cold smile touched her lips. This was it—the opening for a one-hit kill.
Qing Lan noticed the change below. Tanoshi was charging straight up at her, holding her shield high.
*A desperate gambit? Useless!*
Qing Lan funneled every ounce of her energy into her strongest attack to end Tanoshi right there.
**CRACK!**
To Qing Lan's horror, their shields collided and shattered into dust simultaneously. Tanoshi appeared right in front of her face. They were so close she could feel Tanoshi's breath.
"Vassal Contract—Mana Binding!"
"!"
The tentacles on Tanoshi's back shot out like a giant web, pinning Qing Lan's limbs. More shockingly, the mana inside Qing Lan's body froze. The source was the Cthulhu-like mark on her hand—the Water God Mark from their original contract.
"It seems power went to your head, and you missed something so obvious," Tanoshi whispered. "It's over."
Tanoshi's left hand struck out, piercing Qing Lan's left chest.
"Pffft!" Qing Lan coughed up a spray of blood, her face frozen in disbelief.
"Declaration! The status of the vassal, Qing Lan, is hereby stripped. You are demoted to a Slave."
"You betrayed your master—that is disloyalty. You coveted my husband—that is unrighteousness. Therefore, I pass judgment!"
"First: You shall serve your sentence in the waters surrounding my kingdom. Use your Azure Dragon blood to channel the ocean's mana back into this island and repel all invaders for five hundred years."
"Second: All private vows between you and my husband are nullified. Without my permission, you shall not see him for the rest of your life."
"Third..."
Tanoshi whispered the third rule into Qing Lan's ear. Hearing her final sentence, Qing Lan could only close her eyes in resignation.
"I... understand."
They returned to the ruins of the hotel and dug Tang Ping out from the rubble. He was alive but unconscious. With a wave of her hand, Qing Lan summoned a stream of pure water to wash the filth from herself and Tang Ping.
She leaned down and kissed Tang Ping deeply right in front of Tanoshi.
Tanoshi remained silent.
"Miss me, my love," Qing Lan whispered, holding him as if he were the most precious treasure in existence.
"Put your clothes on and go," Tanoshi commanded.
"Yes, my Master..."
Qing Lan stood up, manifesting an elegant light-green palace gown. She began her walk toward the sea.
"You... could have broken the contract just now, couldn't you?" Tanoshi called out.
Qing Lan's back stiffened, but she didn't turn around.
"You are the descendant of the Azure Dragon. In this world where the Age of Gods has ended, you are a blessing. The World's Will wouldn't reject you; it would give you more power to win you over. With that power, your essence changed. You could have broken that contract in less than a second and blocked my strike. But..."
"I just got distracted," Qing Lan interrupted. "Who would've thought my mana would stop? That's all."
*Stop... don't say any more...*
"A loss is a loss. Making excuses would be pathetic."
With those final words, she left without looking back. No one saw her face; no one knew her thoughts as she embarked on her five-hundred-year journey alone under the starlight.
Tanoshi stood alone, her thoughts a mess. Having grown up in the "hell" of the White Sand Sea, she knew the winner took all. But Qing Lan had made a choice. Was there something more important than winning love or a fight?
Tanoshi knew the answer. She possessed something just as important.
"You won the core but lost the fruit? Hah... cunning woman!"
She looked down at Tang Ping, who was still mumbling Qing Lan's name in his sleep. A cold, playful smile curved her lips. "Fickle man... wait until I'm done with you."
"Time to correct the mistake."
She cupped Tang Ping's face gently, as if inspecting fine porcelain. Then, she opened her mouth—revealing not human teeth, but the Abyss.
**CRUNCH!**
With a sharp snapping sound, Tang Ping's body went rigid and began to convulse. His limbs eventually went limp like a marionette with cut strings. Only a shivering, satisfied moan echoed in the silence.
Finally, Tanoshi moved to a specific spot in the ruins. She snapped her fingers, and the debris cleared to reveal a marble slab engraved with a multi-tentacled monster. She activated it with her divine power, and a door to a subterranean vault creaked open.
She almost stumbled, exhausted. "I really overdid it..."
She needed to finish this and find a way to recharge.
She walked through the long corridor into a vast chamber containing three massive black metal blocks. She placed her hand on the central block, feeling the cold surface.
"Awaken!"
At her command, the metal glowed with a faint white light. Circuit patterns began to pulse across the surface, turning from white to a deep purple.
"From today on, you are my second servant on this planet," Tanoshi declared. "I bestow upon you a name. Respond to me with your loyalty, Supercomputer—**Monica**!"