This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 253 [From the Origin of the Stars to Their Destruction]
Covered in starstones, Ping Xingdou's body convulsed violently, and his gaze went completely vacant, replaced by a void filled with starlight.

The Stars were enraged—the precious vessel they had carefully chosen and eroded for so long was on the verge of collapse just before its complete transformation! Ping Xingdou's obsession was too unique; without him, finding a suitable vessel would take an unknown amount of time!

The rage, born from the countless dead souls, surged forth as a tangible force from the darkness below the mountain.

A dazzling yet awe-inspiring nebula slowly rises from the bottom of the canyon.

The nebula was like a living thing, constantly twisting and churning, its starlight flickering within, as if countless faces screaming in agony were floating and sinking inside. In the center of this raging nebula, the outline of a colossal statue gradually became clear.

The statue, made of dull starstone, depicts a bizarre alien theological scene.

At the base of the statue, some winged humanoid beings are devoutly ascending upwards. Their faces are blurred, yet they reveal a yearning for some supreme being. The winged beings rise like mountains, but the top of the statue is not the deity they seek, but a massive, lightning-shaped crack—a sign of impending destruction!

Above the lightning bolt was a massive golden spear!

The spearhead was a massive crystal, radiating a ghostly blue light, and it was thrusting down at the ascended beings below with the air of a judge!
The winged beings shattered the moment they touched the lightning, turning into specks of stardust. Their path to ascension did not end in sublimation, but in destruction.

This scene is filled with religious cruelty and despair, telling the story of how a civilization's yearning for ascension was strangled by tangible forces.

"What the hell is that...?"

Yi Jian gasped, stunned by the bizarre sight that had appeared out of nowhere.

But what shocked him even more was the design of that golden spear—its smooth lines, its judgmental stance…it looked so familiar…?
"Old...Old Han..." Yi Jian's voice stammered, "That...that...that thing, is it the Golden Gift...like Brother Nie's magical spear..."

Yes, this spear is almost identical to the Golden Gift, except that the crystals inlaid on the spearhead of the Golden Gift emit a gentle yet firm white light, while the spearhead of this statue is a cold, dark blue.

Why does something so similar to Nie Weiyang's weapon appear in the image formed by the star's ashes?

Is it a coincidence, or is there some deeper connection between them?

Yi Jian's thoughts were momentarily confused. But just then, something cold gently touched his arm, making him shudder and come to his senses.

Han Jiangxue calmly withdrew her ice axe, her gaze fixed on the rising nebula and the statue within it, her voice low: "Now is not the time to ponder this, don't get distracted!"

Yi Jian jolted awake and instantly came to her senses.

Han Jiangxue is right. Whatever the statue means, the most important thing right now is to deal with the nebula, which is clearly hostile.

Ping Xingdou... or rather, this unknown enemy is not dead, and the battle is far from over!

Yi Jian forcibly suppressed his surprise and doubt, and refocused his mind. The light in his hand flashed again, and the outline of the sniper rifle appeared and disappeared as he aimed at the ever-expanding nebula.

Han Jiangxue's body was filled with intense cold, the ice crystal fortress became even more solid, and more sharp ice spikes spread from the ice layer on the ground, ready for battle.

The enemy before them was more bizarre and powerful than ever before.

But... it's okay!

"Don't run back when the fight starts later," Yi Jian joked with a smile. "We can't let all of humanity down, okay?"

Han Jiangxue glared at him, annoyed: "Stop talking nonsense! Is this the time for jokes?"

The nebula rising from the canyon solidified completely, transforming into a massive, tangible statue.

It stood tall and imposing, obscuring the already gloomy sky and radiating a chilling pressure. At the heart of the statue was Ping Xingdou, who was being held on by the power of the Star Ember and had fallen into a deep coma.

Countless dim starlight converged from various parts of the statue like blood vessels, connecting his broken body and turning him into a pitiful core node.

[The World Boss has appeared. Sighted location: Huaxia - Zhongzhou - No. 1 Xunshan Ruins. The "Leader-Level Hostile Target Files" have been updated. Please view the [World Boss: From the Origin of the Stars to Destruction] section.]

Yi Jian and the other person were taken aback.

The World Boss [Destruction Since the Origin of the Stars] has entered combat. Challengers: [Yi Jian], [Han Jiangxue], [Huaxia Military]. Target's current HP: 180025/200000, Target's current total energy: 5901/10000, Target's current danger to all humanity: Medium. Target's current location is displayed on the global map: Huaxia - Zhongzhou - No. 1 Xunshan Ruins. The "Leader-Level Hostile Target File" has been updated. Please browse the [World Boss: Destruction Since the Origin of the Stars] section and pray for the warriors!

Yi Jian: "?!" Han Jiangxue: "Huh?"

Wait a minute, what is this thing? A world boss?!

We're going to fight the world boss? Us?

Wait a minute, the Chinese military? Are there military personnel nearby?!
[From the Origin and Destruction of the Stars]:

uninvited guest.
-
The embers of an unknown civilization harbor malice towards all nascent civilizations.
After being destroyed by the Border Wars, they became the new perpetrators.

• When a non-interstellar civilization is detected nearby, the system transforms into an Ascended Statue state and enters combat mode.

• In combat, continuously cast [Call of the Distant Visitor] on the surrounding environment to summon nearby intelligent creatures as [Companions] to merge into [Ascension Statue].

• The [Ascension Statue] exoskeleton can be detached. Active detachment transforms it into a [Guardian Statue], which continuously attacks targets within its area of ​​effect. Passive detachment temporarily disables the exoskeleton's mobility. Damaging the exoskeleton during this period reduces the [Ascension Statue's] health.

• Releases an area-of-effect buff skill [Ascension of Stars] once every 10 minutes, temporarily increasing all attributes of [Guardian Statue]. Every six casts, unlocks a new skill for Guardian Statue.
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New skill list: [Dry cough], [Weakness], [Vomiting blood], [Edema], [Rotting], [Defeat].

• Normal attack is [Star Descent Strike].

• Killing requires destroying the [core].

• After death, it will transform into a [settlement casting], which will have a long-term negative impact on the surrounding environment.

• Unless affected by the [Taunt] skill, it will prioritize attacking any juvenile intelligent creatures in the vicinity.
-
The tower gazes upon it, as do the watchmen.

The battle instantly entered its most brutal phase, with Han Jiangxue and Yi Jian bearing the brunt of the attack.

Even though simple shots could blast large swathes of starstone and leave horrifying craters on the statue, and Han Jiangxue's frigid icefalls could instantly freeze large areas of the statue, slowing its movements... however, this terrifying creation's regenerative abilities were beyond imagination!
The worshippers around them had all knelt down and bowed their heads in worship to the statue.

Whenever a part of the statue—especially the Ascended relief on the base, or the outer structure—is destroyed by the two men's powerful blows, intense starlight surges from the surrounding believers, who are pulled toward the statue as if by invisible threads, screaming in agony.

Their flesh and souls were absorbed the instant they touched the statue's remains, acting as a binder to reclaim some of the star embers, transforming them into new starstones. At a visible speed, the damaged parts were repaired to their original state, even becoming more grotesque. Meanwhile, its health bar fluctuated wildly, a truly unsettling sight!
"This will never end!" Yi Jian shouted through gritted teeth as he dodged the starlight attacks unleashed by the statue.

The rate of destruction cannot keep up with the rate of regeneration, and each repair means that more humans are swallowed up...

"We must find the core! Or stop its absorption of believers! If necessary..." Han Jiangxue's voice remained calm, but she paused for a moment. Yun Shu's face appeared before her eyes, making her unable to say "annihilate all believers" for a moment.

Yi Jian didn't force her to say anything, but the fine beads of sweat on their foreheads showed that they were both exhausted.

Just as the two were starting to feel their strength waning, the roar of engines, footsteps, and shouts of awakened beings came from afar!
People from all over Central Plains have arrived!

Although the main force may be tied down by crises in other areas, military patrols, adventurers, and professionals who have come to investigate after sensing the unusual energy fluctuations in the area are converging from all directions!

"It's Han Jiangxue and Yi Jian! Where's Nie Weiyang?"

"What kind of monster is that?!"

"Holy crap, world bosses?! Two world bosses spawned in Zhongzhou in a row?!"

"BYD is really exciting..."

"Don't stand still! Attack! Cover them!"

In an instant, a barrage of skill lights rained down on the statue high in the sky.

Although their individual power was far less than that of Han Jiangxue and Yi Jian, their concentrated fire effectively slowed down the statue's repair speed and distracted it.

A brutal tug-of-war has begun!

(End of this chapter)