Qian Renxue's phantom flickered faintly. Her gaze swept across the mountains and rivers, landing upon the cheering crowd before the Monument of Heroic Spirits, and a gentle smile graced her lips.
"They have done even better than we imagined." Her voice was as light as a breeze, yet it carried a conviction that transcended time and space. "A century of peace and development, the emergence of ten Limit Douluos, the complete closure of the Void Space passage... these were things we wouldn't have even dared to dream of back then."
Lin Mo stood to the side, his blue-and-gold phantom looking somewhat translucent in the sunlight, but his eyes remained as sharp as ever. "Indeed. Back then, we gave it our absolute all just to barely seal the Void Sovereign's origin and repel the will projection of the Source of the Void. Who could have anticipated that, a century later, the next generation would completely eradicate this blight?"
Zhao Feng fell silent for a moment. Withdrawing his gaze from the distant crowd, he looked down at the Void Desert beneath his feet—now a vibrant land teeming with life. Suddenly, he furrowed his brows, the golden light within his phantom fluctuating slightly.
"What is it?" Lin Mo acutely sensed Zhao Feng's shift in demeanor.
"Do you two feel... like something is awakening in the depths of this land?" Zhao Feng's voice turned grave. His phantom slowly crouched down, pressing his palm against the empty air, as if sensing the pulse deep within the earth.
Qian Renxue's phantom jolted. Her angelic wings instantly unfurled, golden light erupting from her body as her eyes grew incomparably sharp. "Zhao Feng is right. There is an exceptionally faint, deeply concealed power of the Void seeping out from the abyssal underground. If the three of us weren't in our phantom states—hyper-sensitive to energy fluctuations—we would never have noticed it."
Lin Mo's expression changed instantly. The phantom of his Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul surfaced behind him, his blue-and-gold wings blotting out the sky as nine phantom golden soul rings orbited his body. "How is that possible? Hasn't the Void Space passage been completely shut down? That Void power should have lost its source and gradually dissipated by now!"
"It's not the Void Space passage." Qian Renxue's voice dropped, a look of disbelief flashing through her eyes. "It's the Void Sovereign's origin. We didn't completely purify it back then; we only sealed it deep underground. Over the past century, the power of the seal has been gradually weakening, and it... is actually awakening."
Zhao Feng shot to his feet, the phantom of his Divine Conviction Battleaxe appearing in his grip as a golden light of conviction shot into the sky. "We must notify Su Chen and the others immediately! If the Void Sovereign's origin fully awakens, its power might not be as strong as the Source of the Void's will projection from back then, but it's still more than enough to destroy the entire Douluo Continent!"
Qian Renxue shook her head. Her phantom began to solidify, golden light surging from her body as she forcibly condensed a physical form at the cost of consuming her soul origin. "It's too late. Notifying them and organizing a counterforce will take at least three days. But the Void Sovereign's origin will fully awaken in twelve hours at most. We must act immediately—strike while it's still in the early stages of awakening and at its weakest to completely purify it."
"But your soul origin..." Lin Mo said urgently. "A century ago, to seal the will projection of the Source of the Void, you already depleted the vast majority of your soul origin. Your phantom state can only sustain itself for a century. If you forcefully condense a physical form again, your soul will..."
"Dissipate entirely." Qian Renxue spoke these four words calmly. There was no fear on her face, only unwavering resolve. "I know. But I have lived for a millennium and guarded this land for a millennium. That is enough. How much longer can your phantom states last? Three years at most, right? If the Void Sovereign's origin awakens, you two would charge in without hesitation too, wouldn't you?"
Zhao Feng and Lin Mo exchanged a glance, neither speaking, because they knew she was telling the truth. As phantoms, though they lacked physical bodies, their will and conviction remained. If the Douluo Continent fell into crisis once more, they would absolutely not hesitate to burn their remaining soul origin to buy time for the living.
"Then stop talking nonsense." Qian Renxue's voice turned sharp. Her physical form had completely condensed; her pristine white angelic gown fluttered in the wind, and her colossal angelic wings spread behind her. Nine golden soul rings orbited her, radiating a heart-palpitating God-level pressure. With a clench of her right hand, a golden Angel Holy Sword materialized in her grasp. Divine flames flowed along the blade, its tip pointing straight down into the abyss of the earth.
"Zhao Feng, Lin Mo, you two are in charge of locking down the perimeter and preventing the Void power from spreading. I will dive underground and directly attack the Void Sovereign's origin," Qian Renxue swiftly issued her orders. "Remember, your phantom states cannot withstand the erosion of the Void power; you can hold out for two hours at most. If I haven't purified the Void Sovereign's origin within two hours, you must retreat immediately, inform Su Chen and the others, and organize a new seal."
"Two hours?" Zhao Feng frowned deeply. "That's too short! You're going deep underground alone to face the Void Sovereign's origin—it's too dangerous!"
Qian Renxue turned to Zhao Feng, a look of unquestionable majesty in her eyes. "This is an order. A millennium ago, I was the Angel God, and I am still a God today. Your mission is to protect the next generation, not to die alongside me."
Even before her words faded, Qian Renxue's body had already transformed into a streak of golden light, plunging straight down into the depths of the earth. Hard rock and soil offered no resistance before her. Wherever the golden light passed, the earth split open into a deep chasm. Countless golden motes of light drifted out from the crevice—this was Qian Renxue's divine power purifying the residual Void power lingering underground.
Zhao Feng and Lin Mo exchanged a glance, both seeing a mix of helplessness and resolve in each other's eyes. They knew Qian Renxue was right; their mission was to protect the living, not to act on impulsive heroism. Yet, they simply couldn't stand by and watch her fight alone.
"Lock down the perimeter, and support Lord Qian Renxue as much as we can," Lin Mo said. The phantom of his Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul erupted with force. Blue-and-gold light transformed into a colossal dome, enveloping the entirety of the Void Desert. Countless runes circulated across the dome's surface, each one imbued with the power of purification, capable of blocking the spread of the Void power.
The phantom of Zhao Feng's Divine Conviction Battleaxe cleaved downward. The golden axe-glow morphed into countless golden chains that extended from the inner walls of the dome, burrowing deep into the earth. These chains not only restricted the Void power but also channeled Zhao Feng's power of conviction underground to reinforce Qian Renxue.
Deep underground.
Qian Renxue moved at blinding speed. The golden streak of light pierced through the strata, driving relentlessly toward the earth's core.
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