Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 455

463 sections of space collapsed, and all things perished.
She knew she couldn't die here! The old man's sacrifice, Yu Kong's sacrifice, everyone's sacrifice—none of it could be in vain!
"go!"

A deep voice rang in her ears; it was the “half-fallen” awakened by the flight! Like ghosts, they burst forth from the chaotic battlefield, using their broken bodies to shield Xu Qinghan, fearlessly charging towards the pioneers.

"We... pave the way for the torch!" roared a half-fallen being, its body riddled with holes from the corrosive power of nothingness, yet a glimmer of clarity and resolve flickered in its eyes. It suddenly grabbed the pioneer's massive leg, and the remaining power of law within its body erupted instantly, attempting to bind it.

"Get out of my way!" the Pioneer roared, stomping the half-fallen into a bloody pulp. But more half-fallen rushed forward, sacrificing their lives to buy Xu Qinghan even a moment's respite.

Xu Qinghan's eyes welled up with tears. These beings, once corrupted by nothingness, had now chosen self-sacrifice to protect hope. Their sacrifice was more powerful than any words, making the fire within Xu Qinghan burn even brighter.

Without further hesitation, she turned abruptly and rushed deeper into the forbidden zone. She knew she couldn't let these sacrifices go to waste; she had to survive, she had to find more torches, she had to find a way to save her senior brother!
Deep within the forbidden zone lies the core of this ancient land, its most mysterious and dangerous area. Countless secrets lie buried there, possibly concealing the true power of the universe's origin, and... even more guardian spirits.

"Chase her! We can't let her escape!" The Pioneer roared angrily. It sensed the rapid growth of the flame within Xu Qinghan, a threat that had to be nipped in the bud.

It strode forward, chasing after Xu Qinghan. Its speed was extreme, each step traversing vast distances, causing space to collapse and all things to perish in its wake.

Xu Qinghan ran desperately, feeling the terrifying aura of the pioneers closing in from behind. She gritted her teeth, unleashing the power of the Flame to its fullest extent, weaving through the chaotic currents of laws, avoiding the deadly spatial rifts and void traps.

Her body was in excruciating pain; the forced exertion of power had pushed her to her limit, but she dared not stop for even a moment.

"The Flame... the Flame..." she kept chanting in her heart. The power of the Flame flowed through her body, repairing her injuries, nourishing her soul, and at the same time frantically absorbing the primal power around her.

Deep within the forbidden zone, the scene became even more bizarre. The mountains here were no longer broken, but completely distorted, as if kneaded by some invisible force. An ancient and weathered aura permeated the air, mixed with the decaying power of nothingness.

She saw ancient ruins, crumbling palaces, and broken stone tablets inscribed with long-lost runes. These ruins were eroded by the power of nothingness, yet they still exuded a faint ancient aura, as if telling of a glorious past.

"This is... an ancient god's ruin?" Xu Qinghan's heart stirred.

She had seen some records in the Guardians' Legacy about the ancient gods at the beginning of the universe. They were among the oldest and most powerful beings in the universe, possessing the secrets of the universe's origin. It is said that when the Lord of Nothingness first invaded, some ancient gods, in order to protect the universe, burned their life force, merging their essence into the forbidden zone, transforming it into a flame to suppress Nothingness.

Could this be the burial place of the ancient gods' embers?

This thought made Xu Qinghan's heart pound. If the ancient divine flame truly existed here, perhaps she could find more power to unleash the "Flame Ignition" secret technique and save her senior brother!
"Roar!"

The roar of the pioneer was close at hand; it had caught up!
Xu Qinghan didn't have time to think. She rushed towards a dilapidated ancient palace. The palace had been corroded beyond recognition by the power of nothingness, but its former grandeur could still be vaguely seen.

She rushed into the palace, and an even more intense ancient aura rushed towards her, accompanied by a powerful force of nothingness. Inside the palace, everything was in ruins, with countless broken stone statues and runes scattered on the ground.

Deep within the palace, there was a massive altar. In the center of the altar, a faint golden light flickered, enveloped by a dense layer of gray void power, as if it might be extinguished at any moment.

"The Flame of Protection!" A look of surprise flashed in Xu Qinghan's eyes. That was the other flame of protection she had been searching for!
This flame was much weaker than the one within her body, clearly having been eroded by the power of nothingness for countless years, almost extinguished. Yet it still stubbornly flickered, radiating a sliver of undying vitality.

"It was indeed hidden here!" The Pioneer rushed into the palace. When it saw the flame, a glint of greed and destructive desire flashed in its eyes.

"The Lord of Nothingness will devour all the embers!" the Pioneer roared, raising its massive claws and slamming them down on the embers on the altar, attempting to utterly destroy them.

Without a second thought, Xu Qinghan lunged at the altar, shielding the flames with her own body.

"No!" she roared, and the fire within her body erupted instantly, forming a golden light barrier in an attempt to block the pioneer's attack.

boom!
As the giant claw descended, the golden light barrier shattered instantly. Xu Qinghan's body was struck as if by a giant hammer, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood, flying backward and crashing heavily into the wall of the palace, creating a huge hole in it.

Her body was almost falling apart, her bones groaned, and her soul trembled violently. But her gaze remained fixed on the altar.

The Pioneer's massive claws had already touched the faint embers, and the power of nothingness surged in frantically, attempting to devour them. The golden light dimmed further, as if it would be extinguished at any moment.

"It can't be... turned off!" Xu Qinghan struggled to stand up, but her body wouldn't obey her commands.

Just then, the fire in her chest suddenly throbbed, and an unprecedented power erupted from her body!
This power is no longer just the flame of the Sky, but a fusion of the fragments of the cosmic origin she absorbed on the battlefield, the will of those half-fallen who sacrificed themselves, and the final roar of the ancient armored elder!

This force carries an indomitable belief, a will to pass on the torch, and a dedication to protecting the universe!

"The flame... resonance!" The secret technique from the Guardian's inheritance flashed through Xu Qinghan's mind.

She suddenly stretched out her hand, pointing to the flame on the altar. At the same time, golden light from her chest shot up into the sky, transforming into a golden beam that shot directly towards the altar.

The beam of light pierced through the Pioneer's ethereal power, striking precisely the embers on the altar. *Whoosh!*
The two flames trembled violently in the air, as if some ancient connection between them had been fully activated at this moment.

The fire on the altar, resonating with Xu Qinghan's fire, suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light. It was no longer faint, but became blazing, instantly dispelling the surrounding void power!
"What is this?!" the Pioneer roared in surprise. It sensed the threat posed by this power. It was no longer just a simple flame, but contained some ancient and powerful will!

The flame, resonating with the flame, suddenly rushed towards Xu Qinghan and instantly merged into her brow!
boom!
A tremendous power exploded within Xu Qinghan's body, instantly enveloping her in golden light. Countless ancient runes appeared around her, representing the most profound secrets of the Guardian's heritage, which were now fully activated within her.

Her injuries healed instantly, and her withered body was filled with power again, and this power was several times, even ten times, stronger than before!
Her soul was also elevated, her perception of the origin of the universe became clearer, and her understanding of the power of nothingness became more thorough. She could feel that she had become one with this ancient forbidden zone, and could feel the pulse of every inch of the land and the flow of every law within it.

This is not just an increase in strength, but a leap in the level of life!

"The Ancient God's Flame... indeed!" Xu Qinghan opened her eyes, which shone with golden light. She felt the vast and ancient power within her body, the Ancient God's Flame, which had perfectly merged with the Sky-Soaring Flame to form an even more powerful Guardian Flame!
"You...you actually fused with the ancient god's flame?!" The Pioneer roared in disbelief, sensing the powerful aura emanating from Xu Qinghan, an aura that even made it feel a sense of apprehension.

"Ignite the flame!" Xu Qinghan ignored the pioneers and suddenly raised her head, her gaze piercing through the palace and locking onto the twisted anchor point in the center of the forbidden zone.

She felt the surging power within her body, and she knew that she was now able to use the "Ignite the Flame" secret technique!

She formed hand seals and chanted an ancient incantation, the most profound secret technique passed down through the guardians. As the incantation resounded, the golden flames within her body erupted from her chest, transforming into a dazzling golden beam that shot directly towards the anchor point in the center of the forbidden zone!
That golden beam of light, carrying the power to purify everything, the faith of the guardian, and Xu Qinghan's obsession with her senior brother, instantly pierced through the barrier of the void power and directly struck the anchor point!
Rumble!
The entire restricted area trembled, and the anchor point emitted an unprecedentedly violent roar. The gray light pillar wrapped around it suddenly contracted, as if it had sensed a huge threat.

Under the impact of the golden beam of light, the void power within the anchor point began to churn violently, like boiling magma. And within this churning void power, a faint flame of "self," under the continuous interference of the Sky-Soaring Flame, was finally ignited completely!
"Senior brother!" Xu Qinghan felt the flickering of that "self" fire, a faint but tenacious life force, the very essence that belonged to Senior Brother Xu Ran!

"Roar!"

Inside the anchor point, Senior Brother Xu Ran's body trembled violently. He let out a painful roar, which was no longer just empty coldness, but also contained a trace of human struggle and pain.

"How is this possible?! The torch has been lit... and it actually worked!" The Pioneer roared in shock and anger, unable to believe what it was seeing.

It charged towards Xu Qinghan, attempting to interrupt her secret technique. However, Xu Qinghan was empowered by the ancient god's flame, her power surging. She swung her hand sharply, and a golden blade of light ripped through the void, directly striking the Pioneer.

"Get out of my way!" Xu Qinghan's eyes were filled with determination; she couldn't let anyone interrupt her!
The golden blade of light, carrying the power to purify everything, instantly struck the Pioneer, producing a "sizzle" sound. A deep wound was slashed into the Pioneer's massive body, from which jet-black blood flowed, carrying an aura that corroded all things.

The Pioneer let out a painful roar, unable to believe that a Flame Ignitioner who had just merged with the ancient god's flame could inflict such damage on it!

“This is… the power of an ancient god!” A hint of fear flashed in the pioneer’s eyes.

No longer caring about Xu Qinghan, it rushed towards the anchor point, trying to use its own strength to suppress the ignited fire of "self".

However, Xu Qinghan's secret technique of igniting the flame had already been activated, and golden beams of light were continuously injected into the anchor point. Nourished by the flame, the flame of "self" grew at a visible speed, and it began to devour the void power in the anchor point, gradually expelling the corrosive energy.

"No! The power of the Lord of Nothingness... cannot be desecrated!" the Pioneer roared, channeling all its power into the anchor point in an attempt to contend with Xu Qinghan's power.

Two unparalleled forces clashed fiercely inside the anchor point; nothingness and embers, destruction and life, engaged in a primal contest at this moment!
The entire forbidden zone descended into unprecedented chaos, with space constantly collapsing, laws completely disrupted, and countless living beings turning to dust under the influence of this power.

Xu Qinghan's face turned pale. Even with the blessing of the ancient god's fire, using the "Ignition of the Flame" secret technique required a huge price. Her life force was rapidly draining away, and her soul was under immense pressure.

But she did not give up. Her gaze remained fixed on the anchor point, on the growing flame of her "self".

"Senior brother... come back!" she roared, pouring all her strength, all her faith, and all her hope into the golden pillar of light.

Inside the anchor point, Senior Brother Xu Ran's body trembled even more violently. The "self" fire within him resonated with the tinder, unleashing unprecedented power and beginning to backfire on the power of the Lord of Nothingness!

"Roar!"

A roar that was not human came from inside the anchor point. In that roar, the power of the Lord of Nothingness was shaken, and a crack appeared on the anchor point!
"How is this possible?! He actually... broke free of his restraints!" the pioneer exclaimed in disbelief.

The cracks on the anchor point grew larger and larger, and golden rays of light shone through them. It was Senior Brother Xu Ran's "self" fire, which, under the ignition of the torch, erupted completely!

"Nothingness... Get out of here!" A familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from inside the anchor point. The voice was filled with pain and struggle, but even more so with an indomitable will!

boom!
The anchor point suddenly exploded, turning into countless fragments!
A figure enveloped in golden light burst forth, his body shrouded in the power of nothingness, but that power was being gradually purified and dissipated by the golden flames within his body.

He is none other than Senior Brother Xu Ran!

(End of this chapter)