Lin Chen heard these words, and his heart trembled violently. He instinctively raised his head to look at Bai Ling, who had floated towards the center of the altar.
Their eyes met, and Bai Ling's pale face broke into an unprecedentedly brilliant smile, one devoid of any fear of death.
"If not for you, I would have died long ago."
"The extra time I have is all given by you."
Lin Chen opened his mouth, yet no sound came out. He could only clench his fists in silence, his nails digging deep into his palms.
Beside him, Zhong Nan watched this scene, a trace of reluctance flickering in his eyes. But he knew better; this was destiny.
Bai Ling was not lying.
If she hadn't met Lin Chen, she would have perished from the backlash of her unfortunate fate long ago, reduced to a pile of bones.
Every day she lived, every time she grew stronger, even every evolution of the Calamity-Devouring Beast seemed to have been prepared for this moment in the dark.
In this shocking scheme that spanned ten thousand years, everyone was a chess piece.
Bai Ling was the vessel, Tree Ancestor was the protector, Thunder Immortal Bear was the gatekeeper, Zhong Nan was the executor...
Even Gu Wei, the first-generation National Preceptor who founded Cangling Ancient Country, was a chess piece.
As the planner of this event, Gu Wei calculated the secrets of heaven and the hearts of men, ultimately calculating himself into the scheme.
He sacrificed his life and soul solely to bring Lin Chen, the only "king," from another world.
This was a life-and-death gambit for the Human Race, using ten thousand years and countless exceptional individuals as the price to gamble against the Heavenly Dao.
While Lin Chen silently watched Zhong Nan, his heart violently struggled.
"Whoosh——"
A graceful figure broke through the void, landing on the other side of the seven-colored altar.
Lin Chen was stunned:
"Senior?"
The newcomer was Qin Shaoshao.
At this moment, her expression was solemn. She took a deep look at Lin Chen and then walked up to the altar without hesitation.
"Qin Shaoshao's revival was not accidental."
Zhong Nan quickly explained, looking at Qin Shaoshao:
"To step into the realm that no one has ever reached, having vast energy alone is not enough; one also needs immense spiritual power to control it."
"Bai Ling's Calamity-Devouring Beast can absorb everything in the world and convert it into pure 'energy.'
"And Qin Shaoshao, with her naturally born spiritual body, has her soul touching the other shore after experiencing life and death, allowing her to absorb the 'spiritual power' of all the deceased Immortal Beasts in this world."
"Only when the physical energy and spiritual soul simultaneously reach the pinnacle, and the essence, energy, and spirit are united at the top, can one break through the barrier of the Heavenly Dao and step into——Immortal Among Immortals!"
Lin Chen remained silent.
He looked at Bai Ling on the left and Qin Shaoshao on the right.
The two women said nothing but silently stood at the yin-yang poles of the seven-colored altar, their eyes determinedly fixed on him. No words were needed; that look said it all.
Just as the whisk in Zhong Nan's hand was about to stroke, ready to perform the final taboo immortal technique.
Lin Chen suddenly spoke, asking a question:
"Are we sure to win?"
Zhong Nan's hand paused slightly.
He looked up at the Demon Realm Supreme that had almost fully emerged, watching the sky-darkening Demonic Qi, and said earnestly and honestly:
"No."
"But..." Zhong Nan's voice suddenly rose, filled with desperate resolve:
"This is the last card we humans have! There's no other way!"
Boom——!!!!!!
With Zhong Nan's shout, the whisk in his hand turned into three thousand white threads, instantly piercing the array core of the seven-colored altar.
"With my shattered soul, I sacrifice to the sages!"
"Seven-colored altar, reverse heaven and earth!!!"
Buzz buzz buzz——
The originally silent seven-colored altar began to spin wildly, bursting with the most dazzling light.
On the left, Bai Ling.
The Heaven-Swallowing Beast's phantom behind her suddenly expanded a thousand times, opening its massive mouth that seemed capable of devouring the universe.
In an instant, a terrifying suction swept across heaven and earth.
In Fallen God Mountain, the corpses of the recently fallen Immortal Beasts of the Human Race and Divine Race exploded, turning into a torrent of essence Qi.
From Gu Ning's shattered body, the remaining Ancestor Dragon's origin and national destiny Dragon Energy were forcefully extracted.
Even the Spiritual Qi left in the shattered mountains and earth vein were gathered together.
Scorching Blood Energy, golden Dragon Energy, black Demonic Qi...
Countless streams of energy converging like rivers run into the sea, crazily poured into Bai Ling's body, transformed by the Calamity-Devouring Beast into the purest and most original origin power!
On the right, Qin Shaoshao.
She closed her eyes and pressed her palms together, her entire being radiating a holy white light.
"Borrow the power of all beings..."
An invisible spiritual ripple spread across Cangling Ancient Country, even extending to the neighboring Nanfen Ancient Country, Ancient Kingdom of Xijun...
Those Beastmasters, Spirit Beasts, and Spirit Beasts that had long since died seemed to be summoned by some force.
Countless tiny, invisible white points of light rose from every corner of the earth.
These were the wishes of all beings, the indomitable will of humanity, encompassing fear, hope, prayers.
Millions of streams of spiritual telekinesis crossed mountains and seas like a brilliant galaxy, converging into Qin Shaoshao's brow!
"Lin Chen! Take it!!!"
Zhong Nan shouted loudly as his body began to burn, obviously exhausting his remaining life force to maintain the array.
Lin Chen no longer hesitated and stepped into the center of the altar.
Boom! Boom!
On the left, Bai Ling transformed into a seven-colored torrent containing world-destroying energy.
On the right, Qin Shaoshao transformed into a pure white pillar of light containing the will of all beings.
Two forces capable of shattering stars simultaneously blasted into Lin Chen's body!
"Ahhhhhhhhh——!!!!!!"
Lin Chen screamed toward the sky, the pain surpassing the limits of his flesh, as if ten thousand worlds exploded and reformed inside him.
His skin split inch by inch, and the golden blood evaporated the moment it flowed out.
His bones turned to powder and instantly regenerated.
If it were anyone else, even an Immortal Venerable, they would have exploded and perished.
But at this moment, the mysterious "Bloodline Golden Hand" within Lin Chen's body, Gu Wei's contingency plan, finally unveiled its true form.
It transformed into a golden shackle, binding these two violent forces, forcibly merging, compressing, and transforming them!
"Detecting transcendental energy... merging in progress..."
"Detecting wishes of all beings... transcending in progress..."
"Level breakthrough... Level 100... breaking the limit!"
Thunk.
Amidst heaven and earth, a heartbeat suddenly echoed.
This heartbeat made the descending Demon Lord pause, revealing an uncertain expression.
The seven-colored altar faded away.
Bai Ling and Qin Shaoshao's figures disappeared, and Zhong Nan's figure also turned to ash.
In the void, only Lin Chen remained.
At this moment, his clothes had long vanished, replaced by a robe of the Great Dao formed from chaotic laws.
Behind him floated nine divine rings, each seemingly nurturing a world within.
His left eye depicted the birth of the universe, and his right eye its destruction.
As he stood there, the surrounding time and space automatically receded, as if he was the sole center of this universe, transcending all laws——
Immortal Among Immortals!
Or perhaps...
God!
