Armor: After finding the Demon-Sealing Box, I won't eat beef.

Li Ziyang didn't believe it at all.

"You're not real armor at all."

"True armor never indiscriminately slaughters innocent lives."

"You're just a fake with an empty shell of armor! Today I will defeat you!"

She stood languidly in the chaotic mist, completely ignoring his harsh words.

Then, with a condescending and flippant tone, he said, "Whether it's armor or not is not up to you to decide."

I'm simply restoring the world to how it should be.

"Once I refine you, no one on this planet will be able to stop me."

She looked Li Ziyang up and down, as if examining prey trapped in a cage.

The Emperor Armor is the ultimate form of the five elements of the Bright Universe.

It certainly possesses the power to drag her into the abyss of the universe.

But this young man in front of me is really terrible.

It's just the standard form of the Emperor Armor.

This means that Li Ziyang never truly gained the emperor's approval.

She made her own judgment.

There's no need to take it seriously; there's absolutely no need to go all out.

This is her domain.

Absolutely home ground.

The longer it drags on, the more of Li Ziyang's armor energy will be devoured.

When he is exhausted and his life is over, it is easy to harvest the crops.

I will definitely stop you.

Li Ziyang took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his inner panic.

He kept encouraging himself, trying to steady his faltering belief.

Directly summon weapons.

The Aurora Sword was firmly held in his hand.

Without further hesitation, he stepped forward, gripping the Aurora Sword and thrusting it straight at the candle's vital point.

Clang—!

A crisp, piercing sound of metal clashing resounded throughout.

Li Ziyang's pupils shrank suddenly, and he froze on the spot.

The scene before him overturned his understanding.

The sharpest Emperor Aurora Sword was now firmly held in Zhu's hand.

The sword's edge pressed firmly against her palm.

It cannot cause any damage.

How is that possible?

The power of the Aurora Sword has been repeatedly confirmed by Meizhen, Wu Dongshan, and everyone else.

But now, they can't even break through the opponent's physical defenses.

Zhu gently twisted his neck, and the armor made a clicking, mechanical sound.

She looked at Li Ziyang, whose face was full of shock, and gave him a cold, mocking smile.

"Little guy, your vision is too limited; you can't imagine my strength."

"You can't even trigger the Emperor's ultimate form, and you dare call yourself an Emperor Summoner?"

"Hehehe—"

"To be honest, you are the real emperor who is all talk and no action."

The moment she finished speaking, she suddenly tightened her grip on the sword.

A massive surge of violent dark energy instantly flooded the sword, and high-frequency vibrations spread throughout the entire Aurora Sword.

Om-!

A piercing, vibrating sound exploded, and Li Ziyang's right hand, which was gripping the sword, went numb instantly.

My arm trembled violently, and I felt an extremely strong tearing force coming from my palm.

He could barely hold the sword hilt; all his strength was rapidly draining away.

The two remained locked in this stalemate for about ten seconds.

The vibration frequency of the sword increased, and the dark light gathering in her palm became increasingly dazzling.

Li Ziyang finally couldn't hold on any longer, and his five fingers loosened weakly.

The next instant, the indestructible Aurora Sword became as fragile as glass.

It shattered into countless tiny fragments of light, which were instantly refined by the surrounding alien energy.

Not a single trace was left.

"Holy crap!!!"

Li Ziyang gasped, his hair standing on end.

My heart was pounding wildly, and fear instantly overwhelmed me.

Even the Emperor's armor's signature sword was crushed with a single hand.

At that moment, he realized with absolute clarity that the enemy before him was someone he could not contend with in his current state.

"See? I told you you're a fake emperor, but you still won't admit it."

Her tone was flippant, as if she were toying with a toy that was about to break down.

"Now, taste my sword."

A crimson longsword instantly materialized in his palm, carrying an aura of destruction that could incinerate everything, and rushed straight at Li Ziyang.

Li Ziyang panicked.

All his past combat experience consisted only of sparring with Bei Miao, Xin Nan, and a few others within their team.

In those exchanges, he only went so far as to stop short of defeating his opponent, and he could easily win without even using his full strength.

He had never experienced such a life-or-death battle before.

Faced with Zhu's swift and fierce offensive, his mind went blank.

There was no time to think about tactics; they could only rely on their most instinctive reaction to raise their hands and block.

However, the difference in speed and strength between the two sides was too great.

The ultimate speed and explosive power that the Emperor Armor should possess were completely absent in him.

bang bang bang! ! !

A series of rapid impacts rang out.

Within seconds, Li Ziyang was struck in the chest and back by the crimson longsword.

Blinding flashes of light erupted from the surface of the armor, sending fragments flying everywhere.

This was a one-sided, decisive victory with no suspense whatsoever.

Li Ziyang lost completely, without even the slightest chance to fight back.

His innate talent and bloodline were deficient.

No matter how hard you train, you can't make up for your innate weaknesses.

Even more fatally, he lacked any advanced practical combat experience.

On their first battle, they faced the Candle, a top-tier boss born from the dark universe.

There is no gradual growth process, and no opportunity for trial and error.

From the moment they stepped onto the field, they were in dire straits.

Every defeat, every time he was powerless to resist, eroded the belief in his heart.

He began to doubt himself and the imperial armor he wore.

The Emperor Armor relies most on the summoner's true heart and beliefs.

The moment my belief collapsed.

The power of the armor will gradually fade away.

Zhu Leng watched as his mental state crumbled.

Having fought for so long, I have already seen through the weaknesses of this artificial imperial armor.

She pinpointed the weakest point on Li Ziyang's body.

That artificial imperial belt.

"This is what allows you to barely merge together, isn't it?"

She murmured softly, gathering a massive amount of dark, alien energy in her palm.

The crimson longsword's sharpness surged, transforming into a bolt of lightning that precisely pierced the core of the belt!

boom! ! !

Sizzle sizzle—!!!

The violent energy collision exploded with a piercing electrical sound.

The sword failed to pierce the emperor's belt, but the terrifying impact still sent Li Ziyang flying.

He crashed heavily onto the chaotic ground, struggling to get up.

The moment I lowered my head, my heart sank to the bottom.

A menacing crack had appeared on the sturdy imperial belt.

Fragments of electric light kept leaking from the crack.

A continuous stream of imperial power is rapidly leaking out through the crack.

Li Ziyang felt weak and powerless all over, and his internal strength was being rapidly depleted.

The soul felt as if it were being pulled by countless invisible hands, causing immense pain.

"Why...why did this happen..."

Extreme fear consumed his heart.

From the moment he joined the ERP research lab, everyone told him that the Emperor Armor was the ultimate armor that was invincible in the world.

But now, the invincible armor has cracked, and the invincible power is dissipating.

Is this what invincibility means?

"Impossible! The Emperor Armor will never lose!"

He kept muttering to himself, frantically trying to brainwash himself.

He tried to suppress the despair spreading in his heart with his last remaining obsession.

But Zhu will never give him a chance to turn the tables.

As a monster born from the dark universe, she knew all too well the terror of the Emperor's Armor.

That is the embodiment of the power of the universe's rules, which will enlighten the user in dire straits.

The consequences could be disastrous.

Therefore, she must shatter Li Ziyang's beliefs before he comes to his senses.

Whether the Emperor loses or not is none of your business.

"Li Ziyang, you are just a fragile human being."

"The one who is truly worthy of wielding the power of an emperor has never been you."

"I don't believe it!!!"

With red eyes, Li Ziyang roared out.

Unwilling to accept defeat, he dragged his increasingly heavy body and charged forward with a punch.

"I am a descendant of the Village of Light and Shadow! I possess imperial blood!"

I won't lose! Absolutely not!

The roar reverberated through the chaotic space, yet it was pale and powerless.

As his strength continued to drain, his movements became increasingly sluggish and he posed no threat whatsoever.

Zhu gently turned to the side, casually dodging his fist with a relaxed and comfortable movement.

next second.

With a light flick of his longsword, he precisely struck Li Ziyang's shoulder armor.

Li Ziyang was once again brutally slashed and knocked to the ground.

Zhu slowly stepped forward, mimicking Lin Zhen's posture from back then.

He stood firmly on his breastplate, looking down at the disheveled loser.

His eyes were full of mockery towards the weak.

"You humans are truly pathetic."

"Those who constantly talk about justice are, in the end, nothing but sophisticated egoism."

"This applies not only to you humans, but to all living beings in the entire Bright Universe."

"In my eyes, all living beings are evil."

Li Ziyang was pinned down and unable to move, so he could only forcefully speak up to refute.

"You're talking nonsense! We humans have always lived a law-abiding and diligent life."

We have never initiated invasion or plunder!

"Hehehe."

Zhu raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly, her tone cold and cruel.

Is it possible that for you creatures, simply existing is a sin?

"Living is a sin? What kind of logic is that!" Li Ziyang gritted his teeth and angrily rebuked.

"This is not a principle, it is a universal truth."

The candle slowly began to speak, recounting its worldview.

"The entire universe is like a finite cell; all energy and all matter are constant and finite."

"Every breath of air you take, every resource you consume, is mortgaging the lifespan of the universe."

"Compared to top-tier life forms like stars, humanity's consumption is negligible."

"But the essence will not change."

"Just like the sun you see when you look up, it releases light and heat day and night without ceasing."

But its energy will eventually run out, and it will eventually go out.

"The same goes for the universe."

"The existence of all living beings is at the expense of the universe's origin."

"All I did was clean up the excess energy and let the universe live a little longer."

"Now tell me, what exactly is true justice?"

Li Ziyang was stunned and speechless for a moment.

He hadn't read much and had never thought about such a grand question.

I only roughly understood the logic behind the candle.

But they had no idea how to organize their thoughts to refute it.

During this period, the surrounding forces of absorption and pulling grew stronger and stronger.

The imperial power within him became increasingly chaotic.

Ten minutes, just ten minutes.

Li Ziyang was never able to muster even a sliver of conviction to win.

His heart was already filled with fear.

Finally, the emperor gave up on the summoner.

The dazzling golden light faded instantly, and the armor disintegrated and vanished.

Without the protection of his armor, Li Ziyang was instantly refined.

They vanished into this world.

With the last threat eliminated, Candle had nothing more to worry about.

She turned and took control of the entire dark realm, beginning to expand the area covered by the red rain with unbridled abandon.

……

Outside, the crimson rain continues unabated.

Every minute and every second, countless ordinary people are accidentally splashed with rainwater.

Its body transformed into wisps of red smoke, drifting into the sky with the wind and rain, only to be completely swallowed up by the illusory image of the Candle Dragon.

The atmosphere inside the ERP research room was eerily silent.

Meizhen stared intently at the black screen, waiting for a very long time.

They never received any signal that Xin Nan, Dong Shan, and Zi Yang would return.

She knew in her heart that everything was over.

Everyone is in grave danger.

The emotions that had been suppressed for so long collapsed, and tears instantly blurred her vision.

She wept silently, utterly powerless to do anything.

Tears can't save anyone, nor can they stop this world-ending catastrophe.

The red rain continues to pour down, and the end of the world descends upon City D.

The survivors, who narrowly escaped the erosion of the rain, were trapped in the isolated city.

Food supplies are running out, and resources are scarce.

For a bite to eat, the once harmonious neighbors were torn apart.

They started fighting and killing each other.

The ugliness of human nature is fully exposed in desperate situations.

In just one month.

The expansion speed of the dark clouds high in the sky is becoming increasingly terrifying.

It spread from City D to surrounding cities, eventually engulfing the entire Asian continent.

……

Hope City.

When dark clouds covered the entire sky, a torrential, scarlet rain poured down.

Having learned from the disaster in City D, the residents here closed their doors and windows early on, not daring to go out even a step.

The whole city was filled with fear and unease, and everyone felt insecure.

A young man stood quietly by the window of an ordinary residential building.

He looked out the window at the eerie blood-red rain, his heart filled with curiosity.

In a moment of impulse, he reached out the window and let the scarlet rain soak his palm.

"There was definitely a problem."

Qiao Shefei instantly withdrew his hand and vigorously shook his palm, trying to shake off the rain.

But it was too late.

The scarlet raindrops had already seeped silently into his body through his skin pores.

The next second, a strange itching and emptiness swept over my whole body.

It's like countless tiny insects are frantically gnawing at your life force inside your body.

This kind of pain is a hundred times more terrifying than physical injury.

Just a few days later, Qiao Shefei paid a heavy price for his recklessness.

His body gradually faded and disintegrated, turning into a sky full of red smoke.

Finally, it floated into the sky and was swallowed whole by the Candle Dragon in the dark clouds.

Fortunately, his physique was extraordinary, far surpassing that of ordinary humans.

That's how they managed to hold on for a few more days and avoid collapsing instantly.

……

Five months later.

Dark, ominous clouds covered the entire Earth.

The relentless crimson rains have caused a significant rise in global sea levels.

Countless low-lying coastal cities were submerged by seawater and red rain.

The real apocalypse arrived as scheduled.

It wasn't just humanity that perished.

The flowers, trees, birds, beasts, and all living things on Earth have reached the end of their lives, facing extinction.

Several years have passed in the blink of an eye.

The human population, which once numbered in the billions, has dwindled to less than a million.

The candle, which had devoured billions of living beings, completed its first transformation.

They have successfully entered their prime of life.

Her ability to devour increased exponentially.

At first, the vegetation, grass, and flowers could barely survive.

Now it will be instantly refined by the red rain.

Reinforced concrete buildings left by humankind.

It could not withstand the erosion of the red rain day after day, and gradually melted away.

Ten years later.

The Earth's volume has shrunk by a full circle compared to its original size.

Between the vast expanse of heaven and earth, not a single sound of living beings could be heard.

The entire Earth was deathly silent, devoid of any life.

In this vast world, only Lin Zhen remains standing in this desolate land.

He watched quietly as the candle devoured everything and grew stronger step by step.

They did not intervene from beginning to end.

No one knew his intentions, no one understood his forbearance.

In fact, the reason is very simple.

The essence of a candle is never as simple as just devouring living beings.

She's more like a natural-born cosmic eraser.

If there are mistakes in the writing made with a pencil, they will be erased by an eraser.

And what the candle devours is not only the material things and lives of the world.

And also the time, space, and all the predetermined trajectories of fate in this world.

I once asked him about it.

With his supreme status at the Eternal Star level, overlooking all things in the universe, he was already free from all attachments.

Why do mortal obsessions still remain?

The answer has always been in Lin Zhen's heart.

He had an obsession, an obsession that spanned the years.

He wanted to save someone.

He wanted to reverse fate and rewrite her tragic life.

With his current strength, he has mastered the complete power of an emperor.

They do indeed possess the ability to travel through time and revisit the past.

However, the universe has strict rules and numerous barriers.

Even celestial life forms cannot alter established facts that have already occurred.

If an ordinary person were to gain the power to turn back time, they could change a part of the past.

They might feel smug, thinking they've reversed their fate.

But Lin Zhen saw things very clearly.

The so-called change is nothing more than the emergence of a completely new timeline.

Those tragic past events have never disappeared.

It's just hidden in the old timeline, but it still exists in reality.

It's just self-deception.

To truly erase the past.

Only by breaking through the Hengxing level and stepping into the legendary cosmic-level life form can this be achieved.

That realm is too far away for Lin Zhen now.