Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 172 Abyss Symphony
Xu Yan's gaze was like the most precise probe, fixed on the spectrum lines that were constantly collapsing and reassembling.

He saw the deep blue representing cold desolation, the dark red symbolizing violent destruction, and several brilliant golden rays hidden deep in the background, sometimes guiding and sometimes suppressing all the lines like a conductor's baton.

Deeper still, in the most central and chaotic region of the spectrum, he sensed a faint, yet strangely familiar, fluctuation that resonated with the platinum inheritance power deep within his bloodline.

Father...where are you?
Lin Lan's warning and the information A Zhe found out turned into cold, irrefutable evidence, crashing into his heart.

This was by no means a simple killing; it was an evil ritual that used him and Zhiwei as sacrifices in an attempt to uncover a long-buried secret!
Chen Zhiwei's breathing quickened slightly. As a talisman master, she had an innate sensitivity to energy forms.

This violent visual symphony made her instinctively feel uncomfortable and threatened, but more than that, she felt a provocative anger.

She subconsciously clenched the finger wearing the dimensional ring, inside which lay five thousand Soul-Eroding Talismans and three thousand Chaos Stones, the most direct way for her to respond to this "invitation".

“Senior brother,” she spoke softly, her voice exceptionally clear in the absolutely quiet carriage, “the energy tide decays regularly every forty-seven seconds, lasting approximately one and a half seconds. The dark red line’s activity is inversely proportional to the dark blue line…”

She was analyzing rapidly, trying to find exploitable rhythmic flaws in this deathly symphony.

She did not back down at all, her eyes sharp as a drawn talisman.

A hint of approval flashed in Xu Yan's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Remember these points. Once inside, we might be separated or surrounded. Making good use of these gaps is our chance to survive."

He slowly closed his eyes, not to rest, but to forcibly synchronize his mental perception with the raging spectrum.

He was simulating, deducing, and mentally rehearsing countless possible battles that were about to take place.

Silver-tier I psionic energy operates at high speed within the newly formed energy matrix, cold and efficient, like a loaded gun, just waiting for the trigger to be pulled.

The hovercar continued its silent journey, as if carrying them through the barrier between reality and illusion, heading towards a meticulously crafted, enormous trap.

After an unknown amount of time, the huge spectrum screen suddenly changed!
All the chaotic, intertwined energy lines suddenly contracted and coalesced towards the center, forming a deep, dark vortex that seemed capable of devouring all light and hope.

At the center of the vortex, a crimson light shone, rapidly expanding until it coalesced into a line of cold, blood-written countdown numbers, hovering against the boundless darkness:

【00:10:00】

ten minutes!
At the same time, that cold, synthesized voice sounded again, echoing in the pure white carriage, carrying a programmed, emotionless "enthusiasm":
【Distinguished 'performers,' welcome to the 'Abyss Symphony' theater. The stage is ready, and the prologue is about to begin. Please arrive at the designated coordinates before the countdown ends, and immerse yourself in this great and eternal movement. May your souls resonate perfectly with the melody…】

The countdown numbers, like the heartbeat of death, pounded in the silent space, striking the souls of the two people.

Xu Yan's heart sank. Unlike his previous life where he faced death alone, this time he clearly sensed that the trajectory of fate had deviated and was sliding into a deeper abyss.

Jiang Yu's move was earlier, more ruthless, and more ingenious than the "script" he remembered. This was not a simple repetition, but a life-or-death test with escalating difficulty.

He glanced at Chen Zhiwei, who was standing guard beside him, and all his distracting thoughts vanished instantly—no matter how desperate the situation ahead, he had to fight his way out.

Chen Zhiwei took a deep breath, sat up straight, and the spiritual light on her talisman robes swirled slightly, reflecting the resolute light in her eyes.

No words were needed, no encouragement required.

Xu Yan extended his hand, and Chen Zhiwei placed her hand in his palm without hesitation.

Their hands were clasped tightly, and their strength and belief were silently transmitted and intertwined.

They knew that the door to the hovercar would open the moment the countdown reached zero.

Outside the door, the familiar city will no longer be open, but a killing stage called "Abyss Symphony" prepared by Jiang Yu for them.

Xu Yan felt the surging power within his body, the thousands of deadly weapons dormant in the dimensional ring, and Chen Zhiwei's unreserved trust.

A cold and arrogant smile curved at the corners of his mouth.

Jiang Yu, your symphony... I'm here.

【00:00:01】

【00:00:00】

The moment the crimson numbers finally reached zero, the door separating the inside and outside of the hovercar, along with the screen in front displaying the dark vortex, vanished silently, as if erased by an invisible force.

There was no shock as expected, no sense of spatial shift, only an absolute, all-consuming darkness and deathly silence that rushed towards me.

Next comes weightlessness.

It felt as if I had been thrown into an abyss in an instant, plummeting rapidly into the unknown depths.

The five senses are stripped away in the very first moment, and only the soul screams.

But the tightly clasped hands of Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei became the only anchor point in this illusory fall.

The spiritual energy within their bodies circulated instinctively, and the silver-level contractors' strong physical qualities and mental resilience allowed them to adapt to this abnormal state in a very short time.

Xu Yan bit his tongue hard, the metallic taste of iron filling his mouth. A sharp pain pierced through his mind like an electric current, and his eyes were forced to focus under the infusion of spiritual energy.

As darkness recedes, a chilling truth is revealed: they are falling into an abyss pieced together from countless fragmented images.

A few meters away, the half-burnt skyscraper met a strange stretch of murky seawater, only to be smashed apart by a tumbling mass of tombstones.

The fragments of space rubbed and cut against each other like shards of glass, emitting a tooth-grinding shriek.

The biting wind, like an icy tongue, licked his skin, leaving a tingling numbness.

Even more terrifying were the sounds around my ears.

It wasn't just noise; it was thousands upon thousands of sticky whispers drilling directly into the brain:

"Help me...", "It hurts...", "Stay here together..."

Above these fragmented curses was a heavy, wet breath, like the opening and closing of a giant lung, making him feel as if his soul was being pulled out with each inhale.

"Stay calm! It's mental pollution!" Xu Yan shouted in a low voice, which, enveloped in spiritual energy, was like a sharp blade cleaving through the fog, clearly reaching Chen Zhiwei's ears.

Chen Zhiwei's face was slightly pale, but her eyes were clear as a spring. Her fingertips moved swiftly through the air, and a calming talisman glowed faintly, spreading like a warm current, temporarily dispelling the chilling whispers that tried to entangle her. "Understood!"

This weightless and chaotic fall seemed to last forever, yet it also seemed to last only a moment.

Sudden--

"boom!!!"

They felt a tangible impact beneath their feet, and the immense force caused their knees to bend slightly. Their spiritual energy automatically protected them, cushioning most of the impact.

The instant his feet touched the ground, Xu Yan felt the power inherited from his father within him ripple without warning, like a lake surface tossed with a pebble. A faint yet clear heat and pull emanated from it, pointing towards the depths of the earth beneath his feet.

Almost at the same time, the piece of rusty iron he had casually bought at a stall in Liuquan Market, which he kept close to his body, also seemed to be attracted by an invisible magnet, and began to tremble slightly, emitting an old and cold aura.

Two strange movements, originating from different sources but both closely connected to the "past," appeared simultaneously at this eerie moment, causing Xu Yan's heart to sink.

At the same time, an oppressive, suffocating pressure surged from all directions, and the air was filled with a strong, pungent smell that was a mixture of rust, decay, and a strange, sweet odor.

The light was extremely dim, as if the last rays of twilight were imprisoned here.

They landed on a vast, empty metal surface covered with strange markings.

Looking up, there was no ceiling, only endless, churning, dark red energy clouds that resembled filthy blood, and the heavy breathing sound seemed to originate from there.

Is this the interior of the abandoned psionic matrix? Jiang Yu's stage?

Almost at the same time that the two landed.

"Ho-!"

Accompanied by a tooth-grinding sound of bones grinding and a thick aura of death, a dozen semi-transparent, distorted shadows, exuding resentment and hunger, leaped out from the surrounding shadows and ground carvings like sharks that had smelled blood.

They were low-level ghosts, but there were many of them, and their auras were faintly connected to the matrix itself, carrying an abnormal frenzy.

"They're here!" Chen Zhiwei's eyes sharpened, her reaction was surprisingly quick.

She lightly flicked her fingers, which were adorned with the dimensional ring, as gracefully as if playing a musical instrument. Dozens of spirit-corroding talismans instantly appeared in front of her, floating and swirling around her.

"Edict!"

She gave a clear shout, and her spiritual power activated the talisman.

Dozens of talismans simultaneously lit up with a ghostly blue light, the runes came to life, and transformed into invisible storms of information pollution targeting the essence of the soul, sweeping out in an instant.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, but the ghosts at the forefront, like ice blocks thrown into boiling oil, let out extremely shrill howls that pierced the soul. Their spiritual structures visibly twisted and disintegrated, turning into wisps of blue smoke and dissipating.

In just one encounter, the first wave of ghosts was mostly wiped out.

This is the power of the data bomb "Spirit Erosion Talisman"!

It offers near-rule-based restraint against attacks at the information logic level and against ghosts that rely on fixed patterns of existence.

"It works!" Chen Zhiwei's spirits lifted.

But the ghosts seemed endless, with more shadowy figures surging in from all directions, including several fierce ghosts with darker colors and auras closer to E+ level!

"Use sparingly! Take turns providing cover!" Xu Yan said in a deep voice, his figure already rushing out like a ghost.

He did not use the energy-consuming Spirit-Eroding Talisman, but relied on his Silver Rank I physical body and spiritual energy to smash his fists and feet into the ice and snow like red-hot irons. Wherever he passed, low-ranking ghosts collapsed upon contact.

He was more like a moving wall, creating a safe environment for Chen Zhiwei to cast spells.

At the same time, he flicked his wrist, and several seemingly ordinary "Spirit-Eroding Talismans" silently rolled to several key points where ghosts emerged.

As several silver-level vengeful ghosts roared and charged past the talismans.

"burst."

Xu Yan's mind stirred.

The encrypted spiritual energy signal preset inside the talisman was instantly activated!
There was no firelight, only a very brief and sharp noise, like an electronic device overload.

The charging ghosts froze abruptly. The yin energy surrounding them became chaotic and conflicting, like a program out of control, even backfiring on them. They let out painful and confused roars, and their attack suddenly stopped.

The surging tide of ghosts behind them also became somewhat chaotic.

The two, one attacking and the other supporting, one close-range and the other long-range, cooperated perfectly.

Xu Yan is like the strongest shield and the sharpest spear, while Chen Zhiwei is like a tactical interference master who controls the overall situation.

The Spirit-Eating Talisman cleared the area, and individual martial arts were used to eliminate targets precisely. Surprisingly, they managed to hold their ground firmly against the seemingly hopeless onslaught of the ghost tide.

However, Xu Yan's heart sank.

These ghosts are just an appetizer.

The real killer move—the three Soul Reapers, and even Jiang Yu himself—has not yet appeared.

Moreover, he could clearly feel that the huge matrix beneath his feet was coming to life at a slow but steady pace.

Dark red energy, like blood, began to flow slowly along the strange markings on the ground, converging towards a distant core.

The lingering energy, a faint resonance with his bloodline and belonging to his father Xu Haoyu, became increasingly clear with the flow of energy, carrying a sense of sorrow and resentment.

This stage was far more complex and dangerous than he had imagined.

He punched away a fierce ghost that was trying to ambush Chen Zhiwei, his gaze sharp as a hawk's as he scanned the dark and vast space.

"Warm-up is over." Xu Yan flicked his wrist, and the yin energy he had been carrying evaporated under the platinum spiritual light.

He didn't turn around, but his voice clearly reached Chen Zhiwei's ears, "The main person is coming. Prepare according to the second plan."

Chen Zhiwei held three gleaming lightning talismans between her fingertips and quickly moved half a step closer to him, forming a simple back-to-back formation.

"Understood, leave the left side to me." Her voice was slightly hurried, but unusually firm. Their brief exchange, amidst the ghost's wailing, built an invisible barrier of trust.

His voice echoed in the empty matrix, like a resolute provocation.

The next moment, deep within the matrix, three dark golden pillars of light did not "soar into the sky," but rather rose slowly like magma gushing from the ground, carrying a high temperature that caused even the metal ground to twist and melt.

The light was not dazzling, but rather heavy and viscous, swallowing up even the light itself and leaving only a deeper darkness in its wake.

The immense golden-level pressure was like an invisible tsunami, no longer "washing" but crushing over.

A humming sound of unbearable strain filled the air. The remaining low-level ghosts didn't even have time to whimper before they exploded into clouds of pure Yin energy, which were greedily absorbed by the three dark golden pillars of light.

As the light faded, three distinct figures were revealed, standing atop a broken pillar, a twisted pile of metal, and a pool of viscous blood, respectively.

The weeping messenger on the left, with a hunched back, seemed to be sobbing as well, the face on his black robe appearing to weep as well.

He didn't form any hand seals, but instead slowly moved his finger, which was dripping with black tears, through the air. Wherever it passed, even the light became bent and dimmed, as if sorrow itself was eroding reality.

"Touch of Lamentation..."

A faint sigh emanated from beneath his mask, a sigh that penetrated directly into one's consciousness, stirring up the deepest, most painful memories.

The grinning messenger on the right carries a twisted serrated knife on his shoulder and chuckles from his throat as if he's crushing bones.

He stomped his foot, and the viscous blood pool beneath his feet exploded into a cloud of blood mist, merging into the violent baleful aura surrounding him.

"Don't break them all at once, Wuxiang! I'm going to tear their bones apart with my own hands!"

He roared, his voice filled with undisguised, pure destructive urges.

Meanwhile, the Formless Messenger in the center, with his smooth mask reflecting the chaotic light and shadow around him.

He showed no reaction to his companion's words or actions, but simply raised one hand and lightly tapped his fingers in the air as if playing the piano.

As he moved, the dark red markings on the ground seemed to come alive, spreading and intertwining precisely, constructing a cold and efficient logic for the prison.

"Target confirmed. Execute the 'stripping' agreement."

His voice was completely flat, as if he were reading an insignificant report.

Three gazes, some filled with pity, some with cruelty, and some with emptiness, were like three invisible shackles, simultaneously nailing Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei to each other.

The air was completely frozen, and psionic energy was as obscure as if it were traveling through glue.

Chen Zhiwei's breath hitched, feeling unprecedented pressure, and she subconsciously called out softly, "Senior Brother..."

Xu Yan's gaze, like a cold probe, swept rapidly over the three figures.

The "Iron-Faced Ghostly Woman," "Drill Arm," and "Lantern Shadow" from my past life did not appear. Instead, three unfamiliar beings emanated a golden-level aura and possessed a more profound and dangerous presence.

“Jiang Yu…you really went to great lengths to kill me.” He felt a chill in his heart. Although the three silver-level contractors in his previous life were also troublesome, they were still within a calculable range.

The mere presence of these three individuals was enough to stun his spiritual energy circulation; this was a qualitative difference, and they were truly top-tier hunters who could threaten his life.

He tilted his head slightly and analyzed quickly in a cold voice that only Chen Zhiwei could hear, his tone carrying an unquestionable certainty:
“Look closely. The one on the left exudes a sorrowful and chilling aura. The tear stains on his black robe are eroding the surrounding light. He is the type that specializes in attacking the mind. You should always have your mind-clearing talisman ready.”

"The one on the right has a murderous aura that is almost tangible, and his power is probably extremely domineering. Don't take his attacks head-on."

His gaze finally locked onto the figure in the center, that smooth, mirror-like, empty "formless" mask, which seemed to devour all probing senses.

“But the most dangerous one… is the one in the middle.” Xu Yan’s voice was heavy as iron. He sensed the energy of the matrix beneath his feet converging on the faceless one in an extremely subtle way.

This level of control is something that ordinary assassins cannot possess.

"He gives me the feeling that he's almost one with this godforsaken place. If we don't deal with him first, we probably don't even have a sliver of a chance of winning."

Just as the opponent's overwhelming pressure was fully unleashed, he keenly sensed a slight discord.

Although this power was vast and overwhelming, making his spiritual energy circulation sluggish, it lacked the true golden-level smoothness and resonance with heaven and earth. Instead, it revealed a kind of superficiality and restlessness after being forcibly elevated.

"Was it a secret medicine, or some kind of temporary infusion formation? It looks like gold, but it's just standing on the threshold..." This thought flashed through his mind. "The Judge has given an order." The voice of the Faceless Messenger came through the mask, carrying a hollow echo, as if multiple voices were superimposed, "Xu Yan, hand over your inheritance, and you can join my ranks and receive the Judge's blessing. Chen Zhiwei, you too can live."

This condition is more insidious than direct killing.

"Dream on!" Chen Zhiwei immediately rebuked, but she was not blinded by anger. Instead, using Xu Yan's body as cover, her fingertips silently gripped a stack of talismans in her sleeve. At the same time, she said quickly in a very low voice, "Senior brother, they are stalling for time. The spiritual energy on the ground is accelerating."

Xu Yan nodded almost imperceptibly, confirming her judgment.

A mocking smile curved his lips, and his voice echoed clearly in the space:

"The Judge's Blessing? It's probably just like your forcibly boosted spiritual energy—it looks impressive, but inside it's a complete mess, isn't it?"

With a single sentence, he directly exposed the opponent's biggest secret. At the same time, the Silver I-level spiritual energy within his body and that wisp of platinum inheritance power erupted. Instead of resisting head-on, he pierced the weakest point of the connection between the three people's pressure like a sharp cone.

"Do it!"

Almost the instant Xu Yan uttered the word "make a move," the three Soul Reapers responded and sprang into action.

Instead of rushing closer, they spread out in a triangular formation, their movements synchronized, their hands forming the same hand seals.

The dark red markings on the ground lit up in response, as if blood vessels were being activated, emitting a deep hum, and the psionic energy of the entire matrix was being frantically drawn and gathered.

"Soul-Locking Domain, open!" the Nameless Envoy declared coldly.

In an instant, it wasn't just a few chains, but the entire space seemed to come alive, transforming into a cage.

Countless streams of dark red energy, like living tentacles, shot out from the ground, the air, and even the shadows beneath our feet. They were not physical entities, but they carried a chilling aura that imprisoned spiritual energy and froze souls, weaving together a net that converged toward the center.

"The area is too large; we can't force our way in!" Chen Zhiwei judged instantly. Instead of trying to defend from all directions, her eyes sharpened, and she shouted, "Senior brother, frontal assault!"

Before she finished speaking, the three lightning talismans between her fingers transformed into three dazzling bolts of lightning, not attacking the messenger, but ruthlessly striking the "energy net" directly in front of the two of them.

Amidst a deafening roar, the lightning and dark red energy clashed violently, forcibly tearing a brief gap in the impenetrable net.

"go!"

Xu Yan and she were of one mind. Almost at the same moment the gap appeared, he grabbed her waist, his body flashing with platinum-gold spiritual light, and rushed towards the gap like a shooting star against the current.

However, the other two messengers had been waiting for this very moment.

Just as the two were about to move, their old power activated but their new power yet to be generated, the messenger wearing the "Weeping" mask slipped out from a shadow on the side like a ghost, silent and incredibly fast.

He pointed his fingers like knives, the tips of which were wreathed in a black mist that made people feel dizzy, and thrust them straight at Chen Zhiwei's temple.

This attack was delivered from a tricky angle and contained a strange power that could directly strike the soul.

Xu Yan's momentum had already surged forward, and it was too late for him to turn around and block.

"Right side!" he roared, grabbing Chen Zhiwei's arm and suddenly pulling her to his left. At the same time, he bent his right arm, his elbow wrapped in blazing platinum spiritual energy, and like a warhammer, he rammed straight into the Weeping Messenger's wrist without dodging or avoiding.

He chose the most dangerous, but also the most effective, strategy: to relieve the siege of Wei by attacking Zhao, and to strike where the enemy must defend!

"laugh!"

Elbow and fingertips collided violently!
The platinum aura and the black mist violently clashed, producing a teeth-grinding sound. Xu Yan felt a chilling aura trying to penetrate his arm's meridians, but it was forcibly repelled and evaporated by his even more powerful and intense spiritual energy.

The Weeping Messenger was also jolted by the immense force, his attack instantly crumbling.

Chen Zhiwei, who was being protected by him, had already prepared for her next spell during the displacement process. Her gaze was fixed on the Wuxiang Messenger who was trying to mend the gap again.

In a flash, the two completed a perfect crisis response and offensive-defensive transition.

Xu Yan caught a glimpse of the Weeping Messenger's silent, deadly blow aimed straight at Chen Zhiwei's back, and his heart nearly stopped.

He tried to turn around, but the dark red energy tendrils around him were like a persistent leech, frantically wrapping around him and slowing his movements down to even a fraction of a second.

That's too late!

The thought pierced my mind like an ice pick.

At this critical moment, Chen Zhiwei's performance far exceeded his expectations.

She didn't panic and turn around or block, as that would only expose more of her vitals to the other party.

Instead, she didn't even turn around, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, and without hesitation, she pressed something she had been holding in her hand to the ground.

Those weren't talismans, but three inconspicuous gray pebbles, embedded in the ground in a triangular shape.

"Ling Shu, chaos!"

She spoke in a clear, sharp voice, not a shout, but one that carried a peculiar penetrating power.

The three pebbles emitted a low hum, not creating an explosion or a barrier, but rather releasing an invisible, distorted field.

Just as the weeping messenger was about to succeed, he suddenly staggered!
He felt as if he had suddenly stumbled into a maze of funhouse mirrors, his spatial perception became disordered, and his fingertips, which were originally aimed precisely at his back, involuntarily deviated a few inches.

What bothered him even more was the circulation of spiritual energy within his body, which seemed to have been mixed with impurities, becoming obscure and stagnant.

It's now!

Using the force of the opponent's deflected attack, Chen Zhiwei twisted her waist, and the light on her talisman robe shone brightly.

"Hey!"

The sharp fingers grazed her arm with great risk, leaving a trail of blood, and a chilling, deathly aura seeped in.

She let out a muffled groan, her face instantly turning three shades pale. But using the force of the impact, she slid several meters to the side and forward, simultaneously throwing out several "Ice Thorn Talismans" radiating a chilling aura. They weren't meant to injure the enemy, but rather to block their path and buy herself a precious chance to catch her breath.

The whole process was as smooth as flowing water, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.

She wasn't passively dodging; rather, she was using the opponent's strength and her own pre-planned methods to complete a thrilling displacement and tactical delay.

The weeping messenger steadied himself, his voice trembling with sobs and a disturbing tone: "Why...why resist this eternal slumber? Join us, and there will be no more pain..."

"A good response."

The Nameless Messenger, who had been observing from the sidelines, offered a nonchalant comment, as if his companion's mistake had nothing to do with him.

His gaze passed over Chen Zhiwei, who was temporarily out of danger, and locked onto Xu Yan, who was still struggling with the energy tentacles.

Unfortunately, it's just a drop in the ocean.

Before he could finish speaking, the messenger wearing the "smirking" mask had already raised his hand.

He simply spread his five fingers slightly, aiming at Xu Yan.

Within his palm, the air suddenly collapsed, and a pure black dot, the size of a thumb and seemingly capable of swallowing all light and sound, quietly emerged.

There was no grand gesture, but the air around Xu Yan instantly became thick and sticky, and an irresistible dragging force from the depths of his soul suddenly descended.

He felt as if his consciousness, memories, and even emotions had become physical entities, about to be forcibly torn from his body and thrown into the endless darkness.

The spiritual energy that was originally surging within his body instantly became like being stuck in a quagmire, difficult to mobilize under this attack targeting the very essence of his soul.

Soul attack!

Moreover, it's the kind that's extremely pure and high-level!
Xu Yan's thoughts almost froze, and her vision began to blur and spin.

"Brother!"

Just as Chen Zhiwei suppressed the chill that was seeping into her arm, she saw Xu Yan swaying and looking dazed. Her heart pounded with fear, and she rushed over without thinking.

"Don't come any closer! Guard your mind!"

Xu Yan forced out a furious roar through gritted teeth. This roar was not only a warning to Chen Zhiwei, but also a forceful spur to his own consciousness.

His eyes were bloodshot, and veins bulged on his forehead. In the suction that seemed to be about to completely disintegrate him, he gave up the struggle for external energy and instead followed the guidance of instinct and inheritance, slamming all his mind and will into the "extraordinary blueprint" left by his father, which carried the unknown and power within his body!
boom!
It was as if an invisible hammer had shattered some kind of shackle that had been binding the very essence of his life. Under the oppressive suction that almost tore his soul apart, the platinum rune imprinted deep within Xu Yan's bloodline, which had been dormant for so long, was truly "activated" for the first time.

It is not ordinary psionic energy, but a power closer to the "rules" themselves, carrying the vast aura of order, creation, and oath.

This power sensed the mournful call from the depths of the Matrix, originating from the same source outside, and also felt the soul attack of the Grim Reaper, filled with plunder and destruction. Like a desecrated monarchy, it spontaneously combusted with unquestionable majesty.

Wherever it passed, the spiritual energy within Xu Yan's body, which had been slightly sluggish due to the forced enhancement and matrix suppression, was instantly "smoothed out," and the structure of the energy circuit became more robust and efficient at the microscopic level.

An indescribable, powerful aura, mixed with his own indomitable will, transformed into a platinum radiance refined to the extreme, which burst forth fiercely from the "core" of his existence.

There was no sound, yet it sent shivers down the spines of everyone present.

The dark vortex in the palm of the grinning messenger, which devoured everything, was as if it had encountered its natural enemy the moment it came into contact with the platinum radiance. The "devouring" rule that constituted its energy was directly disintegrated and restored to its original order by the superior "order" rule. After being violently twisted, it was completely annihilated with a "poof".

"Uh!"

The grinning messenger was struck as if by a heavy blow. He groaned and staggered back several steps. Although his masked face made it impossible to see his expression, the violent fluctuations in his aura and the disbelief in his eyes revealed the turmoil in his heart.

"Damn it! This kid has a thorn in his soul! I'm going to uproot it!"

"The matrix has been triggered?!" The Faceless Messenger's voice turned icy, his usual indifference finally breaking down, replaced by a sharpness mixed with solemnity and greed. "What the Judge is looking for is not an inheritance, but a 'key' that can rewrite the 'rules'... It's deep within his soul! We can't test it any further. Unleash the 'Triangle Soul-Suppressing Domain' and forcibly strip it away!"

Upon receiving the command, the three moved with lightning speed, instantly forming an equilateral triangle that surrounded Xu Yan and his companion.

No longer just simple golden light, but three powerful spiritual energies of different attributes, like tangible pillars of light, surged from their bodies, rapidly intertwining and connecting in the air.

One was a dark gold with binding properties, another was a pale white with disintegrating power, and the last was the pure, turbid gray light of the Formless Messenger, used for suppression.

The three beams of light formed a rotating and contracting three-dimensional triangular pyramid in the air. Before they had even fully fallen, the terrifying spiritual pressure had already cracked the ground and caused the air to groan under the unbearable weight.

This is their true combined attack technique, designed to completely imprison, disintegrate, and extract everything from the target.

Xu Yan knelt on the ground, breathing heavily. The backlash from his soul had almost drained his spirit, and his mind felt like it was being pricked by needles.

But when he looked up, his eyes burned with an almost frenzied brightness.

He clearly felt that deep within the matrix beneath his feet, the platinum power of the same origin was becoming more active than ever before because of the complete boiling of his bloodline, and even... conveying a faint, sorrowful and resolute guidance.

“Zhiwei,” his voice was terribly hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed out from his throat, “Do you trust me?” He didn’t turn around, but his taut back conveyed all his trust and entrustment.

Chen Zhiwei looked at the triangular pyramid that was about to descend, radiating an aura of destruction, and then glanced at Xu Yan, who had completely entrusted his back to her. Her bloodied lips curled into a forced smile, without the slightest hesitation:

"My life is already tied to yours!"

Before she finished speaking, she resolutely took a step forward, frantically forming hand seals, pouring all her remaining spiritual energy into the last few life-saving jade talismans.

Layer upon layer of seemingly fragile light shields rose again. Even knowing it was futile, she was determined to buy Xu Yan this last bit of time.

"it is good!"

Xu Yan let out a low roar, completely severing the last trace of hesitation in his eyes.

He no longer looked at the despairing combined attack array above his head, but instead followed the guidance of his bloodline and the call of his father, concentrating all the remaining spiritual energy in his body, the burning platinum inheritance, and even the newly awakened soul power into a single point.

He was neither attacking nor defending against the three messengers.

He wants to... carve through the earth and reconnect with that power that has been dormant for ten years.

"Jiang Yu—!" He roared to the sky, not in despair, but as a declaration of war, "You want to take it? I'll let you see enough!"

Before he finished speaking, he pointed his fingers like a sword, transforming all his power into an invisible and intangible "chisel" that embodied all his will, and fiercely "chised" down at the matrix ground beneath his feet, at the source of the resonance.

Abandoning all defenses and disregarding life and death, all for the sake of detonating the final "gift" left by his father, buried deep in the past.

crazy?

Let's see who can stay crazy the longest!
Almost at the same instant his power erupted, the Formless Messenger's eyes flashed with a sharp light: "Kill him!"

The rotating triangular pyramid crashed down, and all the light shields that Chen Zhiwei had set up melted and shattered instantly, like ice and snow under the sun.

A devastating light was about to engulf the two of them completely.

"Buzz——————————!!!"

The sound did not come from the ear, but from the feet, from the space itself, from the depths of the soul, a deep hum, like a giant beast that had been sleeping for thousands of years opening its eyes and roaring.

The humming sound, originating from the depths of the earth, did not resonate in the ears, but rather reverberated directly in the hearts and souls of all living beings.

Like the pulse of the slumbering earth, it is profound and ancient, carrying a primal power that commands all things to submit.

Then, something unexpected happened!
Centered on Xu Yan's "chisel strike point," platinum flames erupted, not only purifying the dark red marks but also seemingly injecting new "life" into this desolate metallic space.

Wherever the light reached, the cracked ground did not collapse; instead, it was covered by a layer of flowing platinum radiance, becoming solid and stable.

For the three soul-reapers, this change was fatal.

The dark red matrix network beneath their feet, which had been providing a continuous source of energy, now seemed to have its source cut off, and its light dimmed rapidly.

The dark red energy tendrils that were originally integrated with the matrix and controlled it like an extension of its own arm disintegrated and dissipated within the platinum light domain.

Even more serious is the backlash.

The Triangular Soul-Suppressing Domain was forcibly torn apart, and the three people, as the core of the formation, simultaneously experienced violent tremors, with muffled groans seemingly emanating from beneath their masks.

The black teardrops around the Weeping Messenger evaporated several times faster; the malevolent energy that the Grinning Messenger drew from the blood pool also became murky and its power greatly reduced.

Their golden-level aura, having lost the support of the matrix and being restrained by the power attribute, showed obvious fluctuations and decline.

"Their power has been weakened! This field of light is helping us!"

Chen Zhiwei keenly sensed the disorder in the other party's spiritual energy and the change in the environment, and she immediately realized that this was an excellent opportunity.

The lightning and fire talisman she threw out exploded at the edge of the platinum light domain. The lightning seemed to be slightly amplified by the energy of the light domain, becoming even brighter and further disrupting the enemy's formation.

At this moment, Xu Yan felt extremely strange.

He stood in the center of the light field, as if connected to this purified land.

He could vaguely "sense" that the three Soul Reapers were like three discordant "stains" in the Platinum Light Domain, their positions and energy intensities reflected in his mind in an intuitive way.

"Impossible! This power..."

The Weeping Messenger was horrified and speechless. He felt that his spiritual energy, which he had painstakingly cultivated and was biased towards the cold and yin attributes, was like thin frost exposed to the scorching sun in the face of this platinum flame. Its circulation was extremely sluggish and filled with instinctive rejection and fear.

"It's Xu Haoyu! He's been dead for over a decade, how could he still have such residual power?!" The grinning messenger was both shocked and furious, trying to stabilize his chaotic aura.

Only the Envoy of No Form, his gaze piercing through the flames beneath his mask, was fixed on Xu Yan. He no longer saw a simple rebel, but a "key" deeply resonating with the matrix beneath his feet.

"It's not a remnant... it's a resonance! He's guiding it with his bloodline... This matrix isn't some abandoned facility at all, it's a seal left behind by Xu Haoyu?!" This thought sent chills down his spine.

At this moment, Xu Yan felt extremely strange.

He seemed to have traveled through ten years and heard his father's sigh, filled with weariness and determination.

A vast, desolate, yet incredibly warm power was flowing continuously into his limbs and bones through the bridge of his bloodline.

This power did not crudely elevate his realm, but rather, like the most meticulous craftsman, it rapidly engraved, reinforced, and optimized the newly formed "extraordinary blueprint" within his body.

The originally blurry rules and runes became incredibly clear, the energy circuits became more complex and perfect, and even his soul was undergoing a thorough tempering, becoming more resilient and transparent than ever before.

"Father……"

He understood that this was both a refuge left to him and a heavy responsibility.

(End of this chapter)