Black mist surged endlessly from within the rift. Saturated with the potent power of the Void Origin, the mist corroded everything it touched, even eating away at the very fabric of space to form tiny black holes. Lin Mo halted his advance, his Dragon Power flaring into a sturdy protective barrier to ward off the erosive mist. He could clearly sense an incomparably mighty and bizarre power thrashing frantically within the crevice. This was the core strength of the Void Origin—far surpassing the combined might of the four Void Sovereigns from ten years prior.
"Qian Renxue, wait for me. I will definitely defend this world; I won't let your sacrifice be in vain!" Lin Mo swore silently in his heart, a flash of absolute resolve in his eyes. He violently converged every ounce of his Dragon Power and Divine Power within his body—and even recklessly ignited his Dragon Emperor Source—gathering it all into the palms of his hands. The pale blue Dragon Power and golden Divine Power intertwined, morphing into a colossal sphere of energy. Within this sphere, countless draconic phantoms spiraled, radiating an apocalyptic, world-destroying might. "Abyssal Dragon Emperor: Strike of the Source!" Lin Mo roared, viciously hurling the energy sphere directly into the breach of the golden array.
BOOM! The moment the sphere impacted the rift, a deafening roar erupted. The golden array convulsed violently as the black mist within the crevice was instantly suppressed by the sphere's power. The frantic thrashing of the Void Origin was temporarily alleviated.
A surge of joy washed over Lin Mo. Just as he prepared to channel more power to completely seal the rift, a far more terrifying burst of black energy exploded violently from within. Surging forth like a tsunami, it instantly swallowed the energy sphere. Immediately after, a colossal Hand of Void reached out from the crevice, swiping viciously at Lin Mo.
Pitch-black as ink and wreathed in bizarre black mists, the Hand of Void utterly shredded the space in its path. Lin Mo's protective barrier was instantly shattered by its overwhelming force. His body was struck by a massive impact, sending him flying backward like a kite with a severed string. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his Soul Wings dimming completely as his meridians suffered severe damage.
"Lord Lin Mo!" The Soul Masters in the distance paled in horror at the sight. Many tried to rush forward to his aid, but they were firmly entangled by black threads of light, completely unable to break free.
Seeing Lin Mo sent flying, a flicker of madness crossed Zhao Feng's eyes. He fiercely converged every drop of his Faith Power and Soul Power—even burning a portion of his life force—transforming into a golden streak of light as he charged at the Hand of Void. "Holy Battle Axe: Martyrdom for the Dao: Ultimate Form!" Zhao Feng's roar was laced with absolute resolve. His body fused with the battle axe once more. This time, the axe's radiance grew even more blinding as golden runes spread to every corner of its energy blade, brimming with the ultimate power of faith to protect the world.
"Cleave!" The golden energy blade hacked ruthlessly into the wrist of the Hand of Void, letting out a sharp, colossal crack. A massive gash was carved into the hand, black mist gushing from the wound as the hand's movement instantly froze.
But the power of the Void Origin was simply too overwhelming. In the span of a single breath, the hand's wound rapidly healed, and it actually swelled even larger before violently swatting down at Zhao Feng. Zhao Feng's expression drastically changed. He tried to dodge, but it was too late. The Hand of Void slammed heavily onto his body. Zhao Feng let out an agonizing scream as his energy blade form instantly dispersed. His body was sent flying, crashing brutally to the ground. Covered in severe wounds, his aura weakened to the absolute limit. The battle axe slipped from his grasp, falling to the side, as he no longer had the strength to hold onto it.
"Zhao Feng!" Lin Mo struggled to prop himself up. Seeing Zhao Feng heavily injured and collapsed on the ground, profound grief welled up in his eyes. He wanted to rush over, but his body simply refused to obey. His Dragon Power was almost completely depleted, and the burning of his Dragon Emperor Source had caused his life force to rapidly drain away.
Right at this moment, the breach in the golden array expanded once more. Even thicker black mist poured out as the aura of the Void Origin grew increasingly dense. The entire center of the Void Desert began to violently tremble. The fissures in the ground widened, and countless grains of yellow sand cascaded into them, instantly swallowed into nothingness.
"Hahaha! Insignificant humans, did you truly believe you could stop me like this?" A bizarre, icy voice echoed from the rift in the golden array. The voice did not belong to any of the Void Sovereigns; it came from the Void Origin itself, dripping with endless apathy and greed. "Qian Renxue's power is already exhausted, and yours is on the verge of drying up. Today, I shall inevitably break through this seal, devour the entire world, and reduce all living things to nothingness!"
Hearing this voice, the Soul Masters present displayed expressions of utter despair. Many had completely exhausted their Soul Power and were covered in wounds, finding it exceedingly difficult to even stand. The black threads of light continued to erode their bodies, and more and more Soul Masters collapsed to the ground, unable to rise again.
Even so, quite a few Soul Masters held their ground. A resolute light flickered in their eyes without the slightest hint of retreat. They thought of Qian Renxue's sacrifice, of Lin Mo and Zhao Feng's perseverance, and of the homes and loved ones they were protecting. They could not give up, and they would not give up.
"We can't give up... we cannot give up..." A young Soul Elder, riddled with injuries and whose meridians had been eroded by the Void energy, stubbornly mustered the very last trace of Soul Power in his body, channeling it into the golden array. "We cannot let the world that Lady Qian Renxue protected with her life be destroyed in our hands!"
Though his voice was faint, it was brimming with determination. Hearing his words, the surrounding Soul Masters saw the light of hope reignite in their eyes. They one after another gritted their teeth, mobilizing the final dregs of their Soul Power to continuously pour into the golden array, persistently holding off the assault of the black threads.
Looking at those persevering Soul Masters, Lin Mo's heart overflowed with emotion and renewed strength. He knew that he couldn't fall; neither could Zhao Feng, nor could any of the Soul Masters. He painstakingly propped himself up and retrieved the fragment of Qian Renxue's Angel's Heart from his bosom. The fragment had turned completely dim, yet it still emitted a faint wisp of Divine Power. Lin Mo clutched the fragment tightly, using his residual Dragon Power and life force to nourish it. He silently chanted Qian Renxue's name, his heart holding onto but a single faith: he must hold the seal and protect this world.
A miracle occurred in that very moment. When the Angel's Heart fragment sensed Lin Mo's determination, felt the unyielding spirit of the countless Soul Masters, and resonated with Qian Renxue's lingering will, it abruptly erupted with blinding golden light. The radiance grew exponentially, instantly illuminating the entire center of the Void Desert, even outshining the glow of the golden array itself.
Countless specks of golden light surged from the fragment, flying toward the surrounding Soul Masters. Nourished by these golden specks, the meridians of those eroded by the Void energy began to gradually mend, and their Soul Power started to slowly recover. As for those who had already collapsed, some actually slowly opened their eyes and stood back up, the resolute light burning in their eyes once more.
"This is... Lady Qian Renxue's power!" a Soul Douluo cried out in ecstatic surprise. He could feel the Void energy within his body being rapidly purified by the golden specks of light, while his Soul Power continued to surge back. "Lady Qian Renxue hasn't left us; she has been protecting us all along!"
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