Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 458 The Final Blow!
The final blow in section 466!
"Go! Go quickly!" A blurry figure appeared in the Firefly Network, calling out anxiously to Senior Brother Xu Ran, "Firefly Ignitioner... the hope of the Firefly... cannot perish here!"

Senior Brother Xu Ran was filled with grief. He knew that these guardians of the torch were buying them time, using their will and even their lives to pave a path for them to survive.

He whirled around, grabbed Xu Qinghan, and rushed towards the outer edge of the ancient star battlefield. He knew he couldn't betray those who had sacrificed themselves; he had to survive, he had to carry the torch of hope, and find a true way to fight against the Lord of Nothingness!
"Trying to leave?!" The Lord of Nothingness's voice echoed again, carrying a hint of coldness and mockery.

Countless Void Hunters and Fallen Ones, under the power of the Void Lord, became even more ferocious, rushing towards Senior Brother Xu Ran like madmen.

Senior Brother Xu Ran held Xu Qinghan in his arms, and the power of the Flame erupted around him, transforming into a golden barrier that blasted away the Fallen Ones who rushed towards him.

He knew this was a race against fate, and he had to break through and survive!

He suddenly accelerated, transforming into a golden streak of light as he rushed toward the edge of the ancient battlefield in the starry sky.

However, just as he was about to rush out of the ancient battlefield, a pitch-black crack suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of him!
The crack was filled with endless void power, from which a huge hand formed from void power reached out and grabbed directly at Senior Brother Xu Ran!

That was the Lord of Nothingness, once again using the power of his true form to intercept him!

"Damn it!" Senior Brother Xu Ran's expression changed drastically. He felt that terrifying pressure, an irresistible force.

He suddenly threw Xu Qinghan behind him, and at the same time burned his own source. The power of the fire erupted around him, turning into a dazzling golden pillar of light that rushed directly towards the void giant hand!
"The flame... burns out!" He roared, a thunderous roar that was the final blow he unleashed as he burned his life force!
boom!
The golden beam of light collided violently with the gigantic void hand, producing a deafening roar. The void collapsed, the laws of nature were annihilated, and a massive black hole of nothingness was formed.

Senior Brother Xu Ran's body cracked inch by inch within the golden pillar of light, blood splattering everywhere. He knew he could not contend with the power of the Lord of Nothingness, but he had to fight for a chance of survival for Xu Qinghan!
"Senior brother!" Xu Qinghan was in the air, enveloped by the power of the flame. Although she was unconscious, she seemed to sense something and let out a sorrowful murmur.

Under Senior Brother Xu Ran's final strike, which burned his very essence, the giant void hand trembled violently. Although it was not completely destroyed, it was temporarily halted for a moment!
In that instant, Xu Qinghan was given a precious chance to live!
Enveloped in the power of the flame, Xu Qinghan shot out of the ancient battlefield of the starry sky like a meteor and plunged into the vast depths of the universe!

"Xu Ran... how dare you!" The Lord of Nothingness roared in anger. It never expected that Senior Brother Xu Ran would burn his own essence to fight for the life of the one who ignited the flame!
It tried to pursue, but the power unleashed by the Fireline Network in the ancient battlefield, and the final blow from Senior Brother Xu Ran burning his very essence, made it unable to pay attention anymore.

In the ancient battlefield, the power of the Flame Network and the Lord of Nothingness clashed fiercely, causing the entire ancient battlefield to tremble and countless star fragments to collapse, as if the end of the world had arrived.

After the final strike that burned his very essence, Senior Brother Xu Ran's body completely transformed into countless golden specks of light, dissipating into nothingness.

He used his own life to pave a path for the hope of passing on the torch!
……

In the vast depths of the universe, Xu Qinghan was enveloped by the power of the flame, drifting through the endless starry sky.

The ancient divine flame within her body grew stronger and stronger under its nourishment, and her injuries slowly healed.

She didn't know how long she had been drifting; it felt like an era, or perhaps just a moment.

When she awoke again, she found herself lying on a soft grassy field.

She suddenly opened her eyes, and what came into view was a vibrant world.

Here, birds sing and flowers bloom, streams murmur, ancient trees reach for the sky, and the air is filled with vitality. The sky is azure, and white clouds drift lazily by, making it seem like a forgotten paradise.

She struggled to sit up, feeling the surging power within her. The ancient divine flame danced within her, radiating a blazing golden light; her body had fully recovered, even stronger than before.

However, when she thought of her senior brother Xu Ran's sacrifice, her heart ached suddenly, and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Senior brother..." she murmured softly, her voice filled with sorrow.

She knew that her senior brother had sacrificed himself for her and for the hope of passing on the torch.

She clenched her fists tightly, her eyes shining with determination.

"Senior brother, I won't let you sacrifice yourself in vain!"

She felt the flame within her pulsating, a power that represented not just strength, but also a legacy, a belief. The sacrifices of Yu Kong, the old man, the half-fallen, and her senior brother all became her driving force.

She must survive, she must become stronger, and she must find a way to save the universe!
She stood up and scanned her surroundings. This was a secret realm shrouded in ancient formations, completely isolated from the outside universe.

She could sense that this secret realm contained a rich primordial power of the universe, as well as a faint but tenacious aura of a kinship flame.

"Is this... the sanctuary of the torch?" Xu Qinghan's heart stirred.

She had seen some records in the Guardian's legacy that in various corners of the universe, there were secret realms opened up by ancient guardians. They were protected by powerful formations, isolated from the world, and served as sanctuaries for the Flame and the last strongholds of the Flame Guardians.

She walked deeper into the secret realm, each step filled with unwavering conviction.

She knew that perhaps more torches, more guardians, and... a way to fight the Lord of Nothingness were hidden here!

She walked through an ancient forest, and suddenly the view opened up before her.

It was a vast valley, and in the center of the valley stood an ancient altar. On the altar, a blazing golden flame was burning fiercely, radiating immense power.

Around the altar sat hundreds of figures. Some were human, others were beings of other races, and they all exuded powerful auras, yet they were all incredibly old, as if they had endured countless ages. They were the Guardians of the Flame!
They sensed Xu Qinghan's arrival, and suddenly opened their eyes, all staring at her.

In those eyes, there was surprise, there was scrutiny, but more than anything, there was hope and expectation.

"Torchbearer...you've finally arrived..." an aged voice rang out, carrying a hint of weariness, but more so a sense of relief.

An elderly man dressed in ancient hemp clothing stood up from the crowd. His hair was completely white and his face was marked by the passage of time, but his eyes shone like stars, radiating wisdom.

He is the guardian of this sanctuary of the torch, and one of the leaders of the Torch Network.

Xu Qinghan looked at the old man and her heart trembled. She could sense that the old man possessed a vast power within him, a power of the ancient flame that was even more ancient and powerful than the ancient god's flame!

"Junior Xu Qinghan pays respects to senior!" Xu Qinghan bowed respectfully.

"No need for formalities," the old man said with a smile. He walked up to Xu Qinghan, reached out his hand, and gently pressed it between her eyebrows.

A gentle yet powerful force of the torch flowed from the old man's palm into Xu Qinghan's body.

Xu Qinghan felt a surge of warmth. Under the nourishment of the old man's flame, the ancient divine fire within her body became stronger and more stable.

At the same time, a massive flow of information flooded into Xu Qinghan's mind.

That is about the origin of the Flame, the secrets of the Lord of Nothingness, the future of the universe, and... the eternal struggle of the Flame Guardians!
Xu Qinghan closed her eyes, processing the information in her mind. She knew she had arrived at the true core of the Flame, where she would uncover the deepest secrets of the universe and find the true way to confront the Lord of Nothingness!

"Child, you bear the hope of a torch, you bear the future of the universe." The old man's aged voice echoed in Xu Qinghan's ears, "Torchbearer...you will be the key to ending this catastrophe!"

Xu Qinghan suddenly opened her eyes, which shone with golden light. She felt the mission she was entrusted with, a mission that was both heavy and glorious.

"Senior, please tell me... how can I completely defeat the Lord of Nothingness? How can I save my senior brother and save this universe?!" Xu Qinghan's voice was firm, filled with an undeniable determination.

The old man looked at Xu Qinghan, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

“Defeating the Lord of Nothingness is no easy task,” the old man said slowly. “It is not a physical entity, but the opposite of the origin of the universe, the ultimate manifestation of the return of all things to nothingness.”

"However, there is still a chance." The old man looked at the blazing fire on the altar. "The fire is the hope of the universe's origin, the ultimate in vitality and creation. Nothingness and the fire are two sides of the same coin, interdependent yet mutually antagonistic."

"The ultimate secret of the torch is... that the torch is eternal!"

"The flame burns eternally?" Xu Qinghan was shocked.

“Yes, the flame is eternal.” The old man nodded. “That is the highest realm of the flame, and the ultimate goal that the guardians of the flame have pursued throughout the ages.”

"Only when the flame reaches the realm of eternity can it truly contend with the Lord of Nothingness, and even completely purify him!"

"Eternal flame?" Xu Qinghan was shocked. This phrase seemed to contain the most profound secret of the universe, surpassing all levels of power she had ever understood.

“Yes, the flame is eternal.” A wise light shone in the old man’s aged eyes. He slowly withdrew his hand from her brow, the lingering embers of the flame at his fingertips dancing on her forehead like a miniature golden star. “That is the highest realm of the flame, the ultimate goal pursued by the guardians of the flame throughout the ages. It is not merely the accumulation of power, but a complete understanding of the origin of the universe, a transcendent state of oneness with the Great Dao of the Flame.”

He raised his hand and pointed to the blazing altar fire in the center of the valley, his voice deep and ancient: "What you see is the 'form' of the fire, its manifestation in the material universe. But the eternity of the fire is its 'spirit,' its eternal and indestructible essence between nothingness and existence."

"The Lord of Nothingness is not purely 'evil,' but rather the other side of the origin of the universe, the ultimate state of annihilation and destruction. The flame and nothingness are two sides of the same coin, interdependent yet mutually antagonistic. When the power of nothingness reaches its peak, the universe will come to an end, and everything will return to annihilation. The flame, on the other hand, represents the ultimate state of life and creation, the only hope for the universe to seek rebirth in annihilation."

The old man's words, like the resounding toll of a bell, resonated deep within Xu Qinghan's soul. She had never imagined that the Lord of Nothingness had such a profound background, that he was not simply evil, but rather a part of the laws of the universe.

"The eternal flame is meant to break this opposition, to elevate the power of the flame to a level that can encompass the void, so that it is no longer a simple confrontation, but... purification." A deep compassion flashed in the old man's eyes. "Only with the eternal flame can we truly contend with the Lord of Nothingness, and even completely purify it, freeing the universe from this endless cycle."

Xu Qinghan was deeply shaken as she processed this shocking information. Purify the Lord of Nothingness? This sounded even more incredible than defeating it.

"Senior, then... how can one reach the realm of eternal flame?" Xu Qinghan's voice trembled slightly as she felt the heavy yet glorious mission on her shoulders.

The old man sighed softly, his gaze sweeping over the aged figures around the altar. They were all guardians of the torch, including many powerful figures who had once been renowned throughout the universe. But at this moment, they all placed their hopes on Xu Qinghan.

"The path to eternal flame is long and arduous. Throughout history, countless flame igniters have followed one after another, yet none have truly reached it," the old man said slowly. "The ancient divine flame within you is one of the sources of flame, possessing infinite potential. However, to fully unleash it and reach the realm of eternity, you need to undergo three great trials."

"The first trial is 'Reunion of the Flame'," the old man said, pointing to the blazing flame on the altar. "In the universe, the flame is not just a single flame. Throughout the long ages, in order to fight against the Lord of Nothingness, the flame split into countless sparks, scattered throughout the universe. Some of these sparks were corrupted by the Nothingness, while others were hidden in secret realms by ancient guardians. You need to find and merge these scattered sparks, bringing them back together to restore the flame to its complete form."

Xu Qinghan suddenly remembered the flame that had been suppressed by the Lord of Nothingness and then awakened by her and her senior brother on the ancient battlefield in the starry sky. It turned out that it was just one of many flames.

"The second trial is 'Tracing the Origin of the Flame.'" The old man's voice became even more solemn. "The birth of the flame is closely related to the origin of the universe. To reach the realm of eternity, you must trace the source of the flame and comprehend the fundamental laws of the universe in order to truly master its mysteries. This requires you to enter some ancient places forgotten by time, and you may even have to touch the forbidden zones at the beginning of the universe."

Xu Qinghan's heart pounded. A forbidden zone at the beginning of the universe? What a terrifying place that must be.

(End of this chapter)