Gazing at the weakened Azhdaha, Sam Li descended slowly from midair. The moment his feet touched the ground, the vibrant flowers that had adorned it instantly lost their vitality, each one turning to ash and dissolving into Ether.

Just as Sam Li had anticipated.

What appeared to be a scene teeming with life was, in truth, nothing but hollowed-out shells—husks drained of energy by the Ether. A world disguised as vibrant life, ready to vanish at the slightest touch.

Sam Li faced the colossal giant directly, shielding Azhdaha behind him.

"Fear not. I am here."

Azhdaha's voice was heavy.

"Fear dwells not in my heart. I can still fight—"

Though unwilling, the truth was clear—Azhdaha had suffered severe wounds and no longer possessed the strength to fight on.

Moments later, the Adepti—Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and Mountain Shaper—approached, standing firmly behind Sam Li.

Cloud Retainer spoke solemnly.

"Why not destroy it today? That would directly seal the Hollow Zero."

Moon Carver, ever eager for battle, added excitedly, "This colossal creature seems mightier than any God we've faced before. This will be a truly exhilarating fight!"

But Mountain Shaper's expression remained grim.

"Do not underestimate the enemy. The aura emanating from it is terrifying..."

Such an adversary—they had never encountered one like it before.

Yet at that moment, Sam Li spoke calmly.

"Jiehu, Houzhang, Azhdaha is injured. Take he back first."

Hearing this, Cloud Retainer quickly protested.

"Geo Emperor… Mr. Sam Li, if we unite our strength, our chances of victory will be greater. Just like back then—"

In her haste, she had inadvertently called out the Geo Archon's title.

Beside her, Moon Carver, Mountain Shaper, and Xiao remained silent, but their intent was the same. None of them wished to let Sam Li fight alone.

Sam Li, however, said firmly, "Now is not the time for a decisive battle. You shall withdraw with Azhdaha for the moment. I will cover your retreat."

His reasoning was clear. He could sense the immense, divine power radiating from the giant—an aura as overwhelming as that of the gods upon the Celestia.

The two gems embedded in the giant's chest, radiating with solar brilliance, filled Sam Li with deep apprehension.

If mishandled, the strange energy contained within those gems could easily annihilate all of New Eridu. Even the humans of the Outer Ring would not escape unscathed.

Such a price was one Sam Li could not afford to pay.

And that was assuming he could even defeat it. In truth, given his current stage of transformation, Sam Li had yet to reach his peak. Victory was far from certain.

Moreover, Azhdaha was still severely weakened, far from his full strength.

For all these reasons, Sam Li had no desire to begin a decisive battle now. He ordered Cloud Retainer and the others to escort the wounded Azhdaha to safety, while he stayed behind to gauge the enemy's power and cover their retreat.

Even so, Cloud Retainer, Moon Carver, and the others were reluctant to leave him alone. But since Sam Li had issued a direct order, none dared to disobey.

After a few last words of concern, they prepared to withdraw with Azhdaha.

Azhdaha protested angrily.

"I have not been defeated! I can still fight—"

Moon Carver sighed helplessly.

"You've shrunk to the size of a little Bangboo. What's the point of fighting? Focus on regaining your former strength first..."

Azhdaha roared in frustration.

"Houzhang, put me down—"

Moon Carver said nothing.

Before retreating, the Adepti not only took Azhdaha with them but also escorted Hoshimi Miyabi and Tsukishiro Yanagi to safety.

As their feet touched the dreamlike ground, Hoshimi Miyabi and Tsukishiro Yanagi immediately sensed something was wrong. The moment they made contact, the flowers and strange creatures nearby seemed to wither instantly, disintegrating into drifting ash.

Within this world that had appeared so full of life lurked only deathly stillness.

Before the immortals and their companions had gone far, an ethereal, eerie voice echoed from behind:

"Abundant Geo power... devour, evolve, ascend—follow me into the starry sky—"

It was the giant's voice. It could actually recognize Geo power.

Moon Carver and Cloud Retainer exchanged uneasy glances before reluctantly continuing their retreat.

Once the others had departed, Sam Li remained, studying the mountain-like giant before him.

The colossal being seemed to be observing him in return. Its vast eyes, like twin suns and moons, gleamed with a strange and dazzling light.

After a long silence, the giant moved.

Just as it had attacked Azhdaha earlier, it extended an enormous hand and struck toward Sam Li.

At the same time, an eye slowly opened within its palm. That eye contained a swirling cosmos, like a black hole ready to devour Sam Li and make him part of its own being.

But compared to the Dragon King Azhdaha, Sam Li was much faster.

With a sudden burst of strength, the earth quaked beneath him as he leapt skyward, narrowly evading the giant's massive hand.

His opponent had made the first move—so Sam Li would not stand idle.

"Reciprocity is the way of the world. Geo Spear—"

At his command, the Geo beneath the earth surged upward, coalescing into a colossal spear hundreds of meters long that shot toward the giant's body.

In an instant, powered by Sam Li's full strength, the Geo spear seemed to cross space itself, hurtling straight toward the mountain-sized colossus.

Even so, before the giant's incomprehensible form, the spear appeared small.

To Sam Li's surprise, it pierced effortlessly through the giant's defense, impaling its body with thunderous force.

Yet he felt no triumph.

He quickly realized that the giant's massive, translucent body wasn't physical at all—it was a "phantom," a form composed of strange energy interwoven with Ether.

Before Sam Li could ponder this further, the giant began to move again, striding forward with heavy, thunderous steps.

It swung its massive hand once more.

Sensing the danger, Sam Li dodged at blinding speed. When he turned to look back, he saw that the giant's strike had torn open the surrounding space itself.

Seeing this, Sam Li's expression hardened. He hadn't expected such an existence to lie hidden in the very core of Hollow Zero.

For the first time, he felt true pressure—and danger.

If his role progression had advanced further, or if he had already unlocked the Planet Befall ability, perhaps he would have had more ways to face the giant before him...