Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 173 The Strongest Gold

"It's now!"

Although Chen Zhiwei was shocked by the sudden change in the world, her instincts, honed from years of fighting side by side, allowed her to seize the opportunity instantly.

The three powerful enemies were briefly weakened by the matrix backlash and energy countermeasures.

"Senior brother, let me help you!"

Her sharp rebuke was both a reminder and a sign of trust.

Before she finished speaking, a fierce glint flashed in her eyes, and the dimensional ring burst forth with light.

Instead of just a few dozen, hundreds of Thunderfire Talismans, representing the entire stockpile, poured out like a golden torrent, transforming into a destructive storm that swept over the three Soul Reapers whose auras were disordered.

This almost drained most of her spiritual energy, and her face turned pale instantly, but her eyes remained firm.

Lightning and flames intertwined to form a web of death, forcing the three soul-reapers to divert their attention to defend themselves.

At the same time, Chen Zhiwei swung his other hand sharply, precisely scattering the last two thousand Chaos Stones he had stored.

"Chaos Stone, activate!"

Om-!
Two thousand pebbles were activated simultaneously, instantly forming an unprecedented and extremely intense chaotic storm, like an invisible quagmire, which not only interfered with psionic energy but also began to erode their mental perception.

The three soul-reapers felt a blur before their eyes and a buzzing in their ears; their precise control over their own energy instantly plummeted.

The talisman's direct assault and the data bomb's silent erosion formed a brilliant tactical combination, tearing a crack in the seemingly indestructible golden barrier.

"Annoying ants! Get out of my way!"

The Envoy of No Form suppressed his churning blood and qi, his heart filled with a mixture of shock and anger. The tacit understanding and decisiveness of the two people's cooperation exceeded his expectations.

His black robe billowed as he attempted to forcefully disperse the attack with his powerful spiritual energy.

However, when the Chaos Stone's "data erosion" power came into contact with their protective aura, it was like a spark splashing into an oil depot. The erosion power spread and amplified in the opposite direction, following their connection with the dark red matrix beneath their feet.

"Ugh!"

The Weeping Messenger was the first to be affected; the dark golden light around him fluctuated violently and then suddenly dimmed.

The Grim Reaper attempted to condense a black hole, but felt his psionic energy struggling as if in viscous glue. The black hole twisted and disintegrated as soon as it appeared, and the backlash made his throat taste sweet, causing him to spit out a small mouthful of blood.

It's now!

Xu Yan, who had been guiding and adapting to this new force with her eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

Deep within his pupils, the platinum flames no longer burned quietly, but transformed into surging lava.

His aura fluctuated violently at the boundary between the peak of silver and gold, and his skin even cracked with fine bloodstains due to the excessive power he was bearing, but he seemed unaware of it.

The ancient and majestic aura that was subtly integrated with the entire Platinum Matrix caused the three Soul Reapers to feel a tremor and... fear originating from the level of life itself.

"Zhiwei, step back!" Xu Yan roared, his voice hoarse with surging power.

He moved!
There was no earth-shattering opening move; he simply concentrated all his strength, will, and understanding of the power left by his father into a single punch.

With a single step forward, the ground cracked, and the twisting of the waist and the thrusting of the shoulders propelled the power of the entire body through every joint, culminating in a thunderous explosion of fist strength.

Wherever the fist passed, the air was pushed aside by the extreme force, forming a scorching and distorted vacuum trajectory.

The Formless Messenger's pupils constricted sharply, a deadly sense of crisis making the hairs on his body stand on end.

He roared and held back, unleashing his golden-level spiritual energy at an unprecedented speed. He even burned some of his own essence, instantly forming a profound "Dark Erosion Barrier" in front of him that seemed capable of devouring all light and energy.

The barrier was as solid as obsidian; it was the strongest defense he had ever possessed!

The next second, the fist arrives!

"boom------!!!!!"

There was no stalemate, no probing; it was a brutal clash between two completely different rule systems.

The fist struck the barrier, but the expected explosion did not occur immediately.

There was only a tooth-grinding "sizzle" sound, as if a piece of raw meat had been pressed onto a red-hot iron plate.

The "dark erosion barrier" that devoured the light was quickly "corroded" into a hole at the boundary where it came into contact with the platinum flame, just like wood thrown into strong acid.

The dark red energy attempted to wriggle and repair itself, but it was forcibly dispersed and disintegrated by some supreme rule contained within the platinum light. Ultimately, it could not withstand the pressure and burst open!

"Crack... Boom!"

After holding out for about a second, the supposedly absolute defense finally gave way and collapsed completely.

The impact of the explosion sent Xu Yan staggering back several steps, his sleeves torn to shreds and his fists a bloody mess.

The remaining force of the punch, like a raging dragon breaking free of its restraints, slammed into the crossed arms of the Formless Messenger.

"puff--!"

He was as if struck by the aftershocks of a starship's main cannon; his feet left the ground, and he flew backward.

The black robe shattered into pieces like butterflies in the air, the mask flew off, revealing a face filled with horror and disbelief, and the golden blood that spurted from its mouth drew a dazzling arc in the air.

One punch!
At the cost of severe injury, Xu Yan directly shattered the gold-level sacrificial defense.

"Senior brother!" Chen Zhiwei exclaimed. Seeing Xu Yan's fist covered in blood and flesh, he immediately suppressed the dizziness caused by the depletion of spiritual energy and activated the last few healing talismans.

The soft green light, like silk threads, wrapped around Xu Yan's torn and bleeding arm, barely stopping the bleeding, but unable to immediately alleviate the excruciating pain caused by the backlash of the power.

At this moment, the messengers of sorrow and sneer were already in a state of panic.

The Nameless Messenger, the strongest among the three, was struck by a single punch and left in a state of life or death.

Seeing Xu Yan's blood-stained figure looking at them again, the two of them lost all will to fight.

"go!"

The Weeping Messenger let out a shrill cry and suddenly crushed the dark gold compass in his hand. A sinister burst of force propelled his figure backward like a ghost.

The grinning messenger became even more ruthless. He slapped his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood essence. Amidst the billowing blood mist, his figure split into three, transforming into three blurry, blood-red afterimages that fled in different directions.

They didn't even dare to block for a moment, and directly used a life-saving escape technique that depleted their own life force.

"Trying to leave?! Leave your life behind!"

Xu Yan's eyes were as cold as ice that had stood for millennia. He forced up a mouthful of already churning matrix power, ignoring the tearing pain coming from his meridians. His figure swayed like a ghost as he took the lead in chasing after the true form of the Weeping Messenger, whose aura was the strongest.

"Your crying is too loud!"

Xu Yan's voice was hoarse, yet it carried an undeniable sense of judgment.

He did not throw another punch, but instead pointed his fingers like a sword, drawing upon the remaining platinum light around him, concentrating it on a single finger, and pointed it out from a distance.

"laugh--!"

A super-thin platinum ray struck first, instantly piercing through the layers of dark gold light that the Weeping Messenger had hastily erected, and precisely struck his back.

The weeping messenger froze abruptly, and the light from his escape vanished in an instant.

He looked down in disbelief at the scorching white light emanating from his chest. The light rapidly spread throughout his body, like a purifying holy fire, igniting his sinister spiritual energy.

"Ugh..." He let out a short, desperate cry, wisps of white smoke rising from his body as he plummeted from mid-air. His aura instantly weakened, and although he did not die immediately, he had completely lost his fighting ability.

Almost simultaneously, Xu Yan didn't even glance at the fate of the Weeping Messenger. He changed his stance, leaving a scorched mark on the ground with the power of the matrix. He turned and rushed straight at the three bloody afterimages of the Grinning Messenger.

"Illusion? Disperse!"

He let out a low shout, and the white-gold flames in his eyes burned again. Although they were not as intense as before, they were enough to see through illusions.

His gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto the afterimage on the left that contained real blood and energy.

This time, he clenched his fist again. Though the light on his fist was dim, it carried an indomitable and fierce aura.

"This punch was delivered on behalf of my father!"

The punch flew out like a meteor chasing the moon, ignoring the interference of the other two phantoms, and landed solidly on the back of the Grim Reaper's true form!

"boom!"

The muffled thud was mixed with the clear sound of bones cracking.

The grin on the grinning messenger's face turned into horror and pain. His protective aura shattered like paper, and blood gushed from his mouth and nose as if it were free. He flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the ruins dozens of meters away, kicking up a cloud of dust, and then fell silent.

"puff--"

After being forced to drink more, Xu Yan finally reached his limit. He spat out a mouthful of blood, knelt on one knee, and barely supported his body with his trembling arm. He was panting heavily, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Chen Zhiwei immediately rushed to his side, supporting his almost collapsing body. Feeling his trembling and coldness, her eyes were filled with heartache, lingering fear, and a hint of relief at surviving a disaster.

With both players having exhausted their trump cards and sustaining injuries, and Xu Yan even managing to unleash a series of powerful bursts of energy, the situation finally saw a dramatic but brief reversal.

Just as Xu Yanqiang took a deep breath, preparing to deliver the final blow to the three messengers on the ground—

A sudden change occurred!

Deep within the matrix, the dark red energy that had been writhing like a living thing suddenly came to a standstill.

It wasn't a calm, but a more chilling, absolute stillness.

It was as if even "time" itself was frozen at this moment.

Immediately afterwards, an indescribable heavy "presence" descended, not from external pressure, but directly from the deepest part of everyone's heart, causing Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei's breathing to stop instantly, and even their spiritual energy circulation to become obscured.

In the air, the originally leaping platinum flames were like insects thrown into amber; the light solidified, and the speed of their movement slowed down by more than ten times.

Even more horrifying was that the platinum matrix patterns on the ground and walls, activated by Xu Yan, began to be stained with a layer of filthy dark red at a visible speed, as if pure water had been dripped with thick ink, quickly deteriorating and decaying.

"Om..."

A deep, resonant hum, as if from the depths of hell, did not travel through the air, but vibrated directly in the brains of all living beings.

The solidified, dark red energy center caused space to twist and fold like crumpled paper.

A tall, slender figure wearing a cold, demonic judge mask stepped out from the distorted void.

His movements appeared calm and unhurried, but the ground beneath his feet silently turned to dust the moment he stepped down, not exploding, but completely annihilated, leaving behind bottomless, pitch-black footprints.

Dark red energy, like submissive servants, gathered and surged beneath his feet, transforming into viscous waves that accompanied his every step, fiercely and resolutely eroding and compressing the remaining platinum light around him.

Jiang Yu, the end is near!
He didn't even look at anyone, but the supreme pressure emanating from the level of life itself made Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei, who had just gone through a fierce battle, feel as if they had fallen into an ice cave, their blood almost freezing and their thoughts becoming sluggish.

The newly ignited flame of hope seemed so faint in the face of absolute, despairing darkness that it appeared it would be extinguished at any moment.

Meanwhile, the three soul hunters, who had been ashen-faced, suddenly felt a surge of elation and awe upon sensing this aura.

"My lord!" The weeping messenger's voice trembled with sobs, a mixture of excitement and submission.

"My lord!" The grinning messenger struggled to get up and bow.

Even the unconscious Wuxiang Messenger's body was twitching slightly unconsciously, as if his soul was instinctively responding to his master's call.

Jiang Yu's gaze finally swept over them indifferently, his expression no different from when he looked at the rubble and debris around him.

"waste."

He uttered two cold words and casually flicked his sleeve.

Three "blood crystals," condensed like blood diamonds and radiating immense life energy, shot out and precisely entered the bodies of the three envoys.

The immense energy dissipated, and the injuries of the three people stabilized rapidly. Although they were not fully healed, they were able to stand up with difficulty, bowing their heads and standing solemnly to the side, not daring to even breathe loudly. They were completely different from the fierce and ruthless people they had been in front of Xu Yan just now.

After finishing this trivial task, Jiang Yu's gaze finally fell on Xu Yan, who was struggling to stay upright.

It was a top-down, soul-penetrating examination.

He stared at Xu Yan silently for two seconds, as if admiring a work of art about to be destroyed.

Then he spoke, his voice calm and even, yet each word as heavy as a star, striking Xu Yan's heart:
"With his silver body and the legacy of his deceased father, he was able to injure three of my men..." He nodded slightly, his tone carrying a cruel, almost approving tone, "If Xu Haoyu knew this in the afterlife, he could rest in peace. He was indeed a remarkable man back then."

The phrase "back then" was deliberately emphasized, conveying a sense of indifference that the glory had been completely relegated to the past.

The tone shifted abruptly, that hint of amusement instantly transforming into blatant mockery and icy coldness:
"Unfortunately, when a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. What he left you was nothing but a mirage, fleeting and ephemeral."

Jiang Yu slowly raised a hand, his fingers long and slender, his skin deathly pale. He didn't point at Xu Yan, but rather at the ruined space that held so much of the past, and gently pressed it down.

"Ten years ago, Xu Haoyu lost everything here."

His voice suddenly turned incredibly sinister, carrying a malice and pleasure that had been building up for ten years.

"Today, before this invisible tomb of his, I will crush his bloodline, his last hope... with my own hands."

"Let him taste what it means to... lose everything!"

"A tomb?!"

These two words, like poisoned ice picks, pierced Xu Yan's eardrums instantly and plunged into his mind in a way far more cruel than a physical attack.

He was struck as if by lightning, and swayed violently.

"No...impossible..." a faint voice screamed in his heart.

For ten years, the mental fortress he built with official terms like "missing," "trapped," and "suspected" proved incredibly fragile in the face of these two words.

He imagined his father fighting a desperate battle in some desperate situation, drifting through some time and space, but he dared not touch the cruelest possibility—death.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, rusty despair, like an underground spring gushing forth, instantly overwhelmed him.

He felt a sudden dizziness, as if the solid ground beneath his feet was collapsing.

His throat was gripped by an invisible giant hand. He opened his mouth, but could only let out hoarse, hissing sounds like a broken bellows.

"You...you're talking nonsense..." He finally managed to squeeze out a few words, his voice broken, tinged with a sob and bloodlust that he himself didn't even realize it, "My father...he..."

already dead?

These four words, like four invisible mountains, pressed down on the back of his tongue, so heavy that he could not utter them no matter what.

It's as if, as long as it's not spoken aloud, that towering figure will still exist in some corner of the world, only temporarily unable to return.

In the previous life, we clearly reunited on the night of the blood moon. Is this life completely different?
He kept shaking his head, unable to believe it.

"Senior brother!" Chen Zhiwei noticed that something was wrong with him and exclaimed in surprise, instinctively wanting to get closer.

She could clearly see Xu Yan's face turn pale instantly, and his eyes, which had been burning with fighting spirit, were now just empty and filled with the pain of imminent collapse.

Her heart clenched tightly, not only out of fear of the current crisis, but also because of the fatal blow Xu Yan was suffering from the past.

"It seems you really don't know anything." Jiang Yu's voice rang out again, his calm tone now filled with a cruel, cat-and-mouse-like pleasure.

He admired every trace of pain on Xu Yan's face, as if he were admiring a masterpiece.

Then, he dropped the final bombshell, speaking casually, yet every word was piercing:
"Oh, right, perhaps I should have made it clearer."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze beneath the mask carrying a pure malice as he locked onto Xu Yan's violently trembling pupils.

"It's not just Xu Haoyu."

"Your mother, that foolish woman who tried to protect him..."

"...Just like your father, I personally ended their lives."

boom--! ! !
These words were no longer like an icicle, but rather like an entire ten-thousand-year-old iceberg being smashed into Xu Yan's heart.

His parents...both...died at his hands?!

"Ugh... Ah...!!!"

Xu Yan suddenly bent over and let out a painful whimper that sounded like a wild beast, unlike any human voice.

My mind went completely blank; all thoughts and beliefs were crushed in that moment by absolute hatred and despair.

The platinum psionic energy that had been resonating with the matrix and burning tenaciously around him seemed to have lost its last support, letting out a mournful cry. Its light dimmed instantly to the point of almost going out, leaving only wisps, like the breath of a dying man, swirling around him.

He raised his head and looked at Jiang Yu, his eyes no longer filled with fighting spirit, but with boundless, empty pain and chaos.

Jiang Yu seemed finally satisfied.

"Pitiful."

He uttered those two words calmly, as if delivering a final judgment.

The next moment, Xu Yan was given no chance to catch his breath.

"Om-!"

A surge of dark red spiritual energy, ten times more powerful and a hundred times colder than before, erupted from Jiang Yu's center, like a colossal beast awakening to destroy the world, carrying a pure will to annihilate.

This time, it wasn't infiltration or guidance, but the most brutal and direct approach—covering and devouring. The ceiling, the floor, the surrounding ruins… everything in sight was stained with that suffocating dark crimson within a hundredth of a second.

The platinum flames that were struggling to resist in the air were as if they were being violently extinguished by an invisible giant hand. The light was instantly compressed and dispersed, and could only curl up in a narrow area of ​​less than three meters around Xu Yan, swaying uncertainly, as if it would be completely annihilated in the next second.

Xu Yan groaned, his bones creaking under the strain.

It wasn't just physical pressure, but a suffocating feeling on a spiritual level. But what made his eyes widen in horror was—

"cough!"

Chen Zhiwei, who was standing next to her, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the invisible pressure also came down on her.

Her face turned deathly pale instantly, her delicate body trembled, yet she still stubbornly stood half a step in front of Xu Yan.

"Zhiwei!" Xu Yan shouted hoarsely, trying to pull her back behind him.

He saw the blood at the corner of the girl's mouth and felt an even greater pain than when he learned of his parents' deaths.

Chen Zhiwei, however, gripped his trembling hand tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with no fear, only resolute tenderness: "Senior brother... don't get distracted."

She was even worried that he would be distracted by her!
This scene elicited cruel sneers from the three envoys nearby.

The mourner whispered hoarsely, "Even on the verge of death, he still clings to his children's affections."

The grinning messenger licked his lips, his eyes filled with smug satisfaction.

Even the heavily injured Wuxiang Messenger had a cold, mocking look in his eyes behind his mask.

Jiang Yu's gaze finally swept over Chen Zhiwei for the first time, his eyes looking at her as if she were an inconvenient insect.

"Deep affection and loyalty? Then let's bear it together."

Before he finished speaking, the invisible pressure suddenly increased.

Chen Zhiwei groaned, her knees buckled, and she almost fell to the ground, only managing to stay upright thanks to Xu Yan's strong grip.

"Jiang Yu!" Xu Yan's eyes were bloodshot, and his voice trembled with extreme anger. "If you have a problem, take it out on me!"

"Coming after you?" Jiang Yu seemed to have heard something amusing. The raised hand continued to slowly press down, each subtle movement bringing even more terrifying pressure. "When did Xu Haoyu's son become so naive?"

His voice suddenly turned cold, carrying a mocking cruelty:

"The Eighteen Secret Manuals—your trump card, why not use it?"

Xu Yan's heart skipped a beat.

This was his biggest concern—from the moment he stepped into this place, he felt an unusual “cleanliness.” This space had been thoroughly purified by some kind of force, and there was no negative energy to drive it.

Jiang Yu seemed to see through his thoughts, and a contemptuous sneer came from behind his mask:

"Looks like you've figured it out. That's right, I've cleaned away all the 'impurities' here." His voice suddenly turned cold. "Did you think I'd give you another chance to summon those filthy things like I did in the ancient tomb?"

Jiang Yu transformed this space into a deadly trap specifically targeting the "Eighteen Gates Secret Records," especially the ghost magic spells within it.

If Xu Yan attempts to summon ghosts, he will likely fail. Instead, the summoned power will be instantly devoured and transformed by the dark red domain that Jiang Yu absolutely controls, and may even... turn against its master.

What a ruthless scheme! What meticulous preparation!
Xu Yan felt a chill in his heart.

Jiang Yu not only overwhelmed him in terms of strength, but also excelled in tactics and in his understanding of his trump cards.

After that brief encounter in the ancient tomb, the man had already figured out one of his most important methods of dealing with enemies, and laid a trap for him.

Upon hearing this, the three envoys all showed expressions of awe.

It turns out that the Lord had already laid a trap, completely sealing off this kid's last escape route.

"Today, even if you burn your life force and forcibly open the eighteen gates of hell..." Jiang Yu's voice was like a final judgment, each word carrying a chilling coldness that froze the soul, "summoning countless vengeful ghosts..."

He leaned forward slightly, and even through the mask, Xu Yan could feel the cold gaze behind him:

"It won't change your fate. This is the end of the Xu family bloodline."

He forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his blood caused by the news of his father's death and the other party's scheming, his eyes sharp as knives as he met Jiang Yu's mocking yet cold gaze.

He responded to the other person's "reminder" in a voice that was almost hoarse, yet carried an undeniable air of judgment, enunciating each word clearly:
"It seems... you're afraid after the ancient tomb."

"I was afraid that I... would summon something you couldn't control... so I cleaned this place so... 'clean'!"

This statement was not merely a casual remark, but rather Xu Yan's most direct counterattack and test in a desperate situation.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Jiang Yu's usually calm and steady demeanor showed a barely perceptible fluctuation.

Although his expression was hidden behind the mask, the sudden deepening of his eyes and the instantly heavier spiritual pressure around him indicated that Xu Yan's words had precisely pierced a corner of his heart.

"Sharp-tongued." Jiang Yu's voice turned completely cold, the hint of mockery vanished without a trace, leaving only pure, soul-freezing killing intent. "Since you insist on courting death, then take your father's legacy with you and... be annihilated."

He said no more, and the hand that was slowly pressing down suddenly accelerated.

The pressure increased again! Chen Zhiwei finally couldn't hold on any longer, and knelt down on one knee, blood continuously spilling from the corner of her lips.

But she still held Xu Yan's hand tightly, as if it were her last reliance in life.

Xu Yan felt the warmth from his palm and looked at his lover's painful yet stubborn appearance. An unprecedented sense of despair and anger surged in his chest.

He had not avenged his parents, his beloved suffered because of him, and even his last trump card was seen through by the enemy...

At that moment, he truly understood what it meant to be at his wit's end and to be in a desperate situation.

Jiang Yu's hand, pressing down faster, resonated throughout the entire dark red area.

The destructive energy was highly condensed, not spreading outwards, but transforming into a dark red shockwave visible to the naked eye, distorting light, like the spear of death, piercing Xu Yan's brow with unparalleled precision.

This attack will not only shatter his physical body, but also completely annihilate his soul, cutting off all possibilities.

The shadow of death was like ice water poured over his head. Xu Yan's pupils constricted, and all his spiritual energy, willpower, and even the power of the platinum matrix left by his father were suppressed by this absolute aura of death.

He wanted to move, to struggle, but his body felt as if it were sealed in ancient ice, and he couldn't even lift a finger.

"Is it going to end soon...?"

A thought popped into my head uncontrollably.

Scenes from his rebirth flashed through his mind—the near-death experiences in the ancient tomb, the struggles to survive in dire situations, the shock of unraveling the mystery of spiritual energy infusion, and... every moment fighting alongside Zhiwei.

He had hoped this time would be different, that the truth would be revealed, and that justice would be served for his parents…

Unexpectedly, in front of someone like Jiang Yu, he was still like an ant.

Even the mysterious "Abyss" within him, which had once granted him immense power, seemed utterly silent, offering no response to the approaching destruction. Was it also powerless to resist, or... was there another reason?
Unwilling! Overwhelming resentment and anger roared in his heart, but could not break through the frozen space and time.

“Senior Brother——!”

Chen Zhiwei let out a heart-wrenching cry.

She recklessly burned her life essence, trying to break through the invisible force field that bound her, even if it could only buy him a fraction of a second.

Blood seeped from her seven orifices, turning her vision crimson, but all she could see was Xu Yan's figure about to be devoured.

At this critical moment, her gaze suddenly met Xu Yan's.

There were no words, no sound transmission.

It was just a glance between them.

Xu Yan saw the resolute love in her eyes, the madness of being willing to die together, and the silent cry—to live!

Chen Zhiwei saw the resentment, apology, and... final lingering affection for her deep in his eyes.

Time seemed to stretch out infinitely at that moment.

Just as the dark red shockwave was about to touch Xu Yan's forehead, and the destructive energy had already caused a burning and tearing sensation between his brows—

"Boom——!!!"

Above the matrix, the sky, which had been shrouded in dark red energy, was suddenly torn apart.

Within the churning dark clouds, countless white-gold lightning bolts danced wildly, as if the heavens and earth were enraged.

A fierce wind howled throughout the entire matrix space, and the ancient array patterns that had been dimmed seemed to be infused with life, lighting up one after another and emitting an increasingly loud buzzing sound that resonated with the thunder in the sky.

This sudden change in the natural world caused Jiang Yu, who was originally determined to succeed, to pause slightly.

His brows furrowed beneath the mask, and for the first time, an expression of disbelief flashed in his eyes—this world was actually resisting his will?

The three envoys were horrified and looked up at the sky in terror.

This aura, seemingly from ancient times, made their very souls tremble.

Xu Yan, who is now locked in a death trap, is undergoing a dramatic transformation from the inside out.

The first thing he felt was that the rusty iron plate he kept close to his body suddenly became scalding hot, not with a burning pain, but with a warm, resonant feeling, as if connected by blood.

Immediately afterwards, the dormant "extraordinary blueprint" within him was completely activated by this warmth, and countless previously obscure nodes began to flash at an unprecedented frequency.

An indescribable, gentle yet incredibly powerful force was awakening from the deepest part of his body.

“This is…” He struggled to turn his eyes and looked at Chen Zhiwei beside him, who was also stunned by the strange change.

The despair that had been in the girl's eyes was replaced by shock. She keenly sensed the strange changes happening within Xu Yan's body—that warm and ancient aura was dispelling the shadow of death brought by Jiang Yu.

"Buzz————————!!!"

A bell tolling far deeper than the matrix resonance, seemingly traversing eternity, resounded from within Xu Yan's body, perfectly harmonizing with the thunder in the heavens and earth.

At this moment, Xu Yan felt that he was no longer an independent individual, but had transformed into the vessel of this ancient bell, becoming a bridge connecting to some great being.

Centered on the suddenly lit "platinum starlight" on his chest, a pure halo, indescribable in words, rippled outwards like water.

Where the light passed, something happened that made even Jiang Yu pale—

His dark red shockwave, powerful enough to annihilate souls, was directly "negated" by some supreme law the moment it touched the halo. It was not canceled out or destroyed, but rather like words written on a sand table being erased out of thin air, completely returning to "nothingness"!
Moreover, the space that Jiang Yu had forcibly solidified began to loosen, and the suffocatingly thick spiritual pressure dissipated like snow melting in the spring sun.

The crimson domain's erosion of the matrix was forcibly interrupted, and instead, it retreated steadily under the illumination of the platinum light.

"Impossible!" the Weeping Messenger screamed, the scene before him shattering his understanding.

Under everyone's shocked gaze, the starlight on Xu Yan's chest suddenly swelled.

It did not leak any world-destroying energy, but its very existence was like an absolute "coordinate," forcibly "defining" the laws of this world back to a more ancient and orthodox order.

Amidst the light, a figure materialized from the ethereal, slowly solidifying.

That solid figure was dressed in a set of old-fashioned combat uniforms that looked simple but exuded an extraordinary aura.

The dark fabric faintly shows the marks of battles over the years, yet it remains spotless, as if even time itself couldn't bear to leave too many blemishes on it.

However, what is most striking are the two large, white-gold characters behind him, written with sharp, vigorous strokes, seemingly imbued with boundless fighting spirit and will—

"The strongest!"
These two words are not simply decorations or slogans.

They moved slowly against the backdrop of platinum, exuding an absolute conviction that made the surrounding space tremble.

They seem to be silently proclaiming a myth of an era to all witnesses: Under platinum, I am invincible; even platinum can be exchanged for one!

His posture is as upright as an ancient pine tree, which cannot be bent by the wind and rain of time.

He has a handsome face with strong, chiseled features. His eyebrows and eyes are seven-tenths similar to Xu Yan's, but he has accumulated too much of the vicissitudes and hardships that Xu Yan has not yet experienced.

Those deep eyes gazed calmly ahead, without any deliberate sharpness, yet naturally exuding the majesty of someone who had long held a high position and was in control of the world.

He simply stood there, without saying or doing anything, and his very existence became the center of this world. A supreme aura of "I am invincible" arose spontaneously, causing all things to bow down.

The world that had been stained red by Jiang Yu was now being purified, quickly returning to its original solemn platinum base color.

It was this face, buried deep in Xu Yan's memory, that had appeared in countless old photos and dreams—

Xu Haoyu!
The instant Xu Haoyu's illusory image solidified, an invisible pressure swept across the entire space like a tidal wave.

The three Soul Reapers, who had just consumed the Blood Source Crystal and barely managed to stand, felt as if they were being crushed by a towering mountain, making even breathing extremely difficult.

"No...it's impossible!" The Weeping Messenger trembled, his voice choked with sobs, "He was clearly already..."

The grin on the grinner's face froze completely, replaced by a deep-seated fear.

He staggered backward, as if the gaze of that phantom was more terrifying than death itself.

Even the strongest Wuxiang Messenger couldn't help but kneel down on one knee.

This was not a gesture of respect, but an absolute suppression on a life level, causing his gold-level psionic core to groan and his body to instinctively choose to submit.

The shadow of ten years ago has not faded with time; instead, it has returned in an even more terrifying form!
"Jiang Yu".

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure finally spoke. His voice was calm as still water, yet it was like a resounding bell striking deep into everyone's soul.

The entire space trembled slightly at his voice.

"Ten years have passed, and you've certainly improved."

His gaze swept over Jiang Yu, as if scrutinizing a substandard work of art: "How dare you...bully my son?"

This seemingly casual remark is more intimidating than any roar.

The moment the words fell, the platinum light at the core of the entire matrix surged, as if in response to the return of its master.

Jiang Yu's unwavering composure finally began to crack.

When the surging dark red spiritual energy around him touched the platinum radiance emanating from Xu Haoyu, it violently trembled and dissipated as if it had encountered a natural enemy.

"Xu Haoyu!"

Jiang Yu's voice was almost squeezed out from between his teeth, each word carrying the fury of being humiliated, and a trace of fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

His face, clad in the mask of the judge of the underworld, twitched slightly, and his right hand, which had been as steady as a rock, clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white from the excessive force.

The person he had witnessed fall, the person he thought had long since become dust in history, actually stood before him again in this way, just as he was about to complete his final revenge.

The dark red spiritual energy around him, which was originally as vast as the River Styx bursting its banks, now began to churn and tremble violently and out of control, like a lake with a boulder thrown in! It was not something he was actively controlling, but rather an instinctive tremor as if he had encountered a natural enemy!
"You really... weren't quite dead?!" His gaze was fixed on the illusory figure, trying to see through its true nature. "This is impossible! I witnessed your demise with my own eyes! A mere remnant of your will dare to play tricks on me?!"

Xu Yan stood frozen in place, his pupils contracting sharply.

The figure blocking his way was not broad, and even appeared somewhat thin due to its illusory nature, yet it was like a world barrier that appeared out of nowhere, completely isolating the boundless aura of death brought by Jiang Yu.

It was so familiar...so familiar that it made his soul tremble.

It is the outline that he traced with his fingers countless times on yellowed photos, the obsession buried deep in his childhood memories that supported him through all the loneliness and hardship.

"dad……?"

A dry, trembling syllable was squeezed out with difficulty from his bloodied lips.

It was as if they were confirming an impossible miracle, yet afraid that even a slightly louder sound would shatter this fragile illusion.

However, when that call ended, the figure remained solid, even seeming to become clearer because of his call—

All the emotions that had been building up over the past decade exploded like ignited explosives.

It was not joy, nor grievance, but a raging fire that surged into the sky, a mixture of endless pain and fury.

"Xu Haoyu—!"

Xu Yan suddenly took a step forward, not to rush into the embrace, but to clench his fist and use all his strength to punch the illusory figure hard.

The fist passed right through without any resistance, only creating a ripple of light.

But this futile action poured out all his anger and confusion.

"Why?!" he roared, his voice distorted by extreme emotion, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face, mingling with the blood on his cheeks. "Tell me why?! How could there be a father like you in this world?!"

He pointed to his chest, the place where "Yuan" slept, his words dripping with blood:

"You sealed that terrifying 'Abyss'...that kind of thing...into your own son's body?! Do you know what I've been through all these years?! I'm even afraid to close my eyes, afraid that when I wake up, I won't be myself anymore!"

Ten years of fear, loneliness, and struggle transformed into the sharpest question at this moment, piercing the figure he had longed for day and night.

"Why...why are you treating me like this?!"

The final question was punctuated by an uncontrollable sob.

He was like a child who finally found an adult to confide in, only to discover that the adult was the culprit; all his strength crumbled at that moment.

He let his arms fall limply, his shoulders trembling violently, and large tears fell onto the scorched ground.

The spiritual energy that Jiang Yu had almost crushed flickered violently around him due to the overwhelming emotional turmoil, just like his shattered heart.

(End of this chapter)