A crown materialized in the center of the Honkai energy halo.

Upon the circlet-like crown, shining like gilded gold, thorns symbolizing four authorities gradually extended towards the sky.

Red, purple, black, white.

The power contained within these thorns adorned the crown with a breathtaking radiance.

And this.

This was merely the curtain rising on the evolution.

"Shoo!"

The dark-gold Honkai energy halo was the first to expand. The power of authority imbued within it made it no longer deep and restrained:

"Iridescent Gold."

Shining with such splendid light.

Lu Xing would use such a name to describe its current color.

The next moment.

The Honkai energy halo, its radius magnified countless times, began to slowly move towards Lu Xing's back, gradually stopping at a position that should be behind his head—it replaced the original position of the Space-Time Ring, becoming the most conspicuous part of Lu Xing's body.

As for the Space-Time Ring that was originally behind him...

16 rhombic fragments.

Under the influence of Honkai energy continuously surging in from the void, they constantly split, replicated, and reassembled, until their number reached the exaggerated figure of 64.

No, they could no longer be described as "fragments."

They had transformed into 64 pitch-black rhombic crystals. Embedded within them, golden "gems," half their size, appeared strikingly in the center of each crystal. Together, they formed an even larger ring, slowly revolving around Lu Xing.

This "organ" that substituted for arms was the Honkai Emperor's primary offensive weapon.

An ordinary Honkai Emperor.

The Honkai energy reserves within their bodies only allowed them to maintain "four" such weapons, but these suspended around Lu Xing...

Could only barely be considered "auxiliary" equipment.

All of the above.

These were still just changes to Lu Xing's "external structure"; its main body, the core structure evolved from the Temple-class, had not yet changed.

Because...

The tide of Honkai energy emerging from the void, comparable to that of a medium-sized rift, was currently insufficient for him to fully transform.

Until—

From within the Honkai Crystal, a direct link to the Imaginary Space, and emerging from it, a golden Honkai energy, existing in a state between solid and liquid, of a color never seen before, spread throughout his entire body!

"Kcha!"

Shattering, disintegrating, condensing, reconstructing!

"CRACK!!"

Entangled and enveloped by Honkai energy, a colossal figure slowly coalesced and took shape.

————

Like a gigantic, inverted cone-shaped sarcophagus.

Lu Xing's main body had transformed into a massive obsidian crystal, engraved with countless golden demonic sigils.

On the surface of these sigils of unknown meaning, the overflowing streams of light even materialized into three-dimensional pictograms; as they flowed, they further decomposed into a golden mist that swirled around the main body.

The crystal was not perfectly smooth.

At the intersections of its chiseled edges and angles, all protrusions and indentations formed elegant yet lethal curves—this was Lu Xing's "defensive form," no, to be precise, his "slumbering form." After these curves fully extended to their limits...

"Zzennngg—Kacha!!"

A Honkai Beast, seventy to eighty percent similar to an ordinary Honkai Emperor, yet entirely different within, graced the skies above.

The remaining "twenty to thirty percent" of differing structures.

Had long since departed from the category of a Honkai Emperor.

Four above, two below.

Perfectly symmetrical, appearing like several crystals stacked together, connected by circular energy halos, these parts appeared on both sides of the body in a way that was both illogical and perfectly fitting—they were Lu Xing's six limbs... That's right, unlike the predicament of ordinary Honkai Emperors lacking arms and legs, Lu Xing possessed a full four arms, currently retracted, much like an "Asura."

When needed.

These arms, linked to the main body by spatial power, could launch attacks in ways beyond imagination.

And simultaneously with transforming into its ordinary form, the two pillars at Lu Xing's waist that "supported" the Honkai energy halo instantly became wings stretching to their limits on either side, like lotus leaves accentuating the halo's splendor.

This was...

————

Race: Judgement · Variant · Imaginary Emperor · Honkai Proxy

Level: 60

Abilities: Spiritual Perception, Frostflame Charge, Frostflame Thrust, Dawnbreaker, Aegis, Echo, Traverse, Teleport, Infinity, Super Perception, Subspace Lance, Photon Cutting, Species Iteration, Space-Time Rend, Atomic Breath, Thought Interference, Molecular Manipulation, Electromagnetic Mastery, Imaginary Link.

Equipment: Midnight's Atajina

Attack: 367 (Hyper)

Speed: 367 (Hyper)

Constitution: 367 (Hyper)

Evaluation: Emperor

————

"Your mission (Kill one Herrscher) has been completed."

"Your level has increased to Lv.59."

"Detected that the holder has killed a [Herrscher] for the first time."

"Achievement 'Hero of Salvation' completed."

"Based on the rank of the 'Herrscher' killed, you will randomly unlock one weakened Authority based on the types of abilities you already possess."

"Herrscher Authority [Imaginary Link] has been unlocked."

[Imaginary Link: Allows the holder to communicate with the Imaginary Space and obtain Honkai energy replenishment from it.]

"Based on [Imaginary Link], your [Blazing Star] has advanced to [Subspace Lance]."

"Evolution commencing—"

"..."

"Detected that the holder has advanced to [Honkai Emperor]."

"Achievement 'Monarch' completed."

"Based on the type of 'Honkai Emperor' advanced to, you have unlocked the [Exaltation] function."

[Exaltation: Consume Honkai energy to perform a semi-permanent enhancement on Honkai Beasts belonging to the legion. Enhanced attributes cannot exceed 50% of your own maximum value. The enhanced target's attributes cannot exceed your own upper limit. When enhancing multiple targets, the total attributes cannot exceed 100% of your own.]

Was it over?

Not at all!

As the golden halo at the "arm" positions gradually brightened, arms condensed from black crystal slowly extended out from the void.

One grasped the lance, the other seized the Herrscher Core.

Then—

"Zzennngg!!"

"Your mission (Use a Honkai Core to enhance a weapon) has been completed."

"Your level has increased to Lv.60."

"Detected that the holder's level has reached Lv.60. You have unlocked the [Skill Super-Breakthrough] function."

[Skill Super-Breakthrough: Skills already unlocked/expected to be unlocked by the holder, with a grade below "Blue," will be unconditionally upgraded to the corresponding non-elemental "Blue" grade.]

"Based on [Skill Super-Breakthrough], your [Hold Shield] has advanced to [Aegis]."

"Based on [Skill Super-Breakthrough], your [Cutting] has advanced to [Photon Cutting]."

"Based on [Skill Super-Breakthrough], your [Fission] has advanced to [Species Iteration]."

[Aegis: The maximum defense coefficient of holding a shield is increased from 200% of Constitution to 300%.]

[Photon Cutting: Cutting no longer requires the "Suspended Wing" main body to initiate, instead being replaced by a high-energy particle stream condensed from Honkai energy.]

[Species Iteration: The race requirement for individuals split by Fission is reduced by 1 (upgraded from being able to split Knight-class to being able to split Temple-class). The limit on the number of split individuals is removed.]

This, then, was the true power of the "Imaginary Emperor."