The old man you see with your phone is highly suspicious.

At this moment, everyone was shocked by the owner of the voice. Even Austin could not imagine that Xue Lude could pull out such a gorgeous mecha that seemed to exist only in fantasy.

“No, you’ve come at just the right time.” Everyone laughed.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xue Dinglu launched the Tian Ting into the air. He wasn't going to give the other side any time to react and said directly, "Full power, target is the enemy a kilometer away."

The crystal on the chest of the Skybreaker burst forth with endless energy conduction. Starting with zero frames, it immediately unleashed its ultimate move, a sign of respect from Xue's Law to the opponent.

"Star-Burning World-Destroying Cannon!"

A surge of intense heat energy overflowed from its chest, and the light and heat that shone in the sky bombarded the giant tree from bottom to top.

If the Star-Burning World-Destroying Cannon were to strike Mausoleum, Indonesia, the entire North America would be transformed into a hellish landscape of obsidian and glass by this terrifying energy. Even the Atlantic Ocean would be burned to ashes, seawater would flood in, and the entire South America and Eurasia would become a barren wasteland where life could hardly survive.

So it was a shot from the bottom up. In my imagination, this attack should have easily burned the giant tree, and even if the remaining heat spilled into the sky, it would have raised the average temperature of the world considerably, and it would take many years for it to reach equilibrium.

Just now, the seawater in the distant Atlantic Ocean was almost evaporated by more than half a meter.

However, when the light and heat disappeared, all that remained on the other side was a charred piece of wood. The Star-Burning World-Destroying Cannon had worked, but the result was far from satisfactory. The giant tree even began to shed its charred outer bark, revealing new shoots inside.

"How is this possible? An attack capable of burning the sea could only cause this level of damage to that thing?" Neither the people on the shore, nor Hermin with Xue Lu, the old ghost, nor the Greeks could believe this result.

“Tier 5… Indeed, it is a fragment of the Venerable King…” Xue Luding closed his eyes. The next moment, his consciousness connected with the entire world. Xue Luding asked the world consciousness directly.

"Mom, can you give me the information now?" Xue Dinglu asked.

Before he even arrived in this world, he had guessed that Blue Star might not be so simple. After all, based on his experience, there might be more than one being above the fifth rank on Blue Star.

For other civilizations, Tier 5 is an insurmountable barrier. Even for a renowned power like the Iron Curtain, Tier 5 is the upper limit.

Currently, among those above level 5, Xue Law only knows about the Interstellar Corps, but the Interstellar Corps is clearly a group that does not reject the use of the "King's" power.

And, the Great Sage...

However, Xue's Law may now know that the Great Sage has probably not reached level 5 yet; he should be around level 5.

"I'll tell you everything after it's over."

Xue Lu took a deep breath. In other regions, the Tian Ting, which had unleashed the Star-Burning World-Destroying Cannon, would be paralyzed and completely unable to move. However, on Blue Star, his home turf, the machine could still continue to operate.

However, it's unclear how long it will take to recharge before launching another planet-destroying cannon.

"If all else fails, escape back. I will destroy this world along with it," the world consciousness transmitted.

Xue Dinglu closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he saw the girl who was hugging him tightly. Her body was deteriorating rapidly again, and she was aging quickly.

As a collective of human consciousness, her death may mark the extinction of humanity in this world.

"Do you have any other means? The only attack capable of harming it is that sword, but that sword is completely unusable right now. Even if it were activated, a single attack wouldn't be enough to kill it. It's like a plant rooted in the ground; you've only killed its surface, the roots remain alive," the World Consciousness said.

"Unless you can make that strange sword unleash an even greater level of attack power, or even gather the prayers of more than half of the people in this world right now, but that's impossible, because the other side has already fused with the souls of 52 billion people."

“I will allow you to take the other people away from this parallel world, and I will give them new identities.”

The concept of world consciousness has been discussed repeatedly.

"Yes, Mom, yes." Xue Dinglu smiled. In his hand, the blade of the "Salvation Holy Sword" kept shrinking. The next moment, the entire blade disappeared, leaving behind a "Y"-shaped prop with only a hilt and guard, like a toy.

"The final setup still needs to be activated... Old man, do you want to become light?" Xue Luding smiled, holding Hermin in his arms, and spoke to the old undead within him.

“This is…” The old ghost was stunned.

The toy in his hand glowed as he detached from the Skybreaker, transformed into light, and arrived at the shore, stepping into the ritual.

“It’s just as you think.” Xue Luding smiled, radiating a soft glow. Hermin froze, looking at Xue Luding in her arms. At that moment, her age seemed to shrink: 30… 20… 15…

"Imagine materialization, by this order, there is only one way to deal with the 'monster'!"

Turn me into light!

This was their last resort, the final method they had prepared on this beach, in this ritual: to shatter the darkness with the concept of "light."

Even if it's just a figment of imagination, a false light.

Chapter 197 Childhood Hero

Inside the giant tree, Brinton couldn't help but hum softly.

To him, humanity was nothing more than "surplus value".

He was an old aristocrat whose family had prospered since the Hundred Years' War. They then diversified their investments, helping Washington defeat Great Britain, helping Lincoln defeat the Southern slave owners, and investing in World War I and World War II.

To this day, they remain on the winning side.

For them, the world was reduced to two options: "surplus value" and "competitors." After eliminating their competitors through the Salem incident, the world was left with only surplus value.

After all, aren't those students who study like crazy, those office workers who are living in a daze, and those ordinary people who are heavily in debt and are already doing their best just to survive, just tools living in a cage?

Wouldn't it be justified to liberate them and thus turn their value into a stepping stone for these great pioneers?

Moreover, they themselves are merely stepping stones: children who develop depression from studying for more than 12 hours a day, corporate slaves who work overtime and only get 4 hours of sleep a day, and homeless people who are heavily in debt and can only sleep by numbing themselves with alcohol and drugs...

Isn't that all the value they have?

"The world is just a damned cage. Whether it's childhood, school, work, or debt, ordinary people can never truly escape the shackles of the world."

"So, I've come to help you, to help you break free from the shackles of this world."

Inside the giant tree, Brinton smiled and spoke to the old man who loved crafts.

"Since this world is a damned cage, then I will take all of you away from this world and fly to the vast universe, where there is no studying, no working, no debt, and everyone is only focused on one goal!"

"To roam the starry sky!"

After saying that, he felt the feedback from 52 billion souls emanating from Zijra.

Numbness, exhaustion, negativity, and apathy...

This is the feeling that was collectively transmitted back by those 52 billion souls.

"To the world, there's no difference between them being alive and dead. Countless mountains and shackles weigh them down: obedience, learning, work, earning money... but no one treats them like human beings." Seemingly seeking the old man's approval, he continued, sharing his thoughts.

"The expenses of supporting their elders, the expenses of their spouse, the cost of raising their children, and the burden of living and studying have turned them into tools. They are already giving their all just to stay alive."

“Only I, only I, treat them as human beings,” he said. “I treat them all the same. After all, whether they are rich or poor, mystics or ordinary people, the weight of their souls is the same to me.”

“I treated them as human beings, and I gave them a new life.”

Love Crafts: "..."

These outrageous remarks left even the evil spirit dumbfounded, and it almost made it up to say, "Aren't you going a bit too far?"

For him, the so-called equal treatment simply means that everyone can be put on the table; whether they are put on the table to eat or to be eaten is another matter entirely.

"So, they're not dead yet?" the old man who loves crafts said.

"Yes, they will not die. After I achieve immortality, they will also achieve immortality and witness all my great deeds in the starry sea," he said, announcing the fate of these people like a tyrant.

They were liberated; no one needed to struggle and fight in this world anymore. They gained eternal life and extraordinary power.

But what about their own feelings?

No one cares about their feelings. They are the most important cogs in the machine, the foundation of this makeshift world, but no one really cares about the feelings of these foundational figures.

If living is painful, then there's no need to live this way.

After realizing that the old man who loved craftsmanship did not ask any more questions, Brinton couldn't help but smile with pleasure. He had already convinced the evil spirit, and now all he needed to do was take the next step to gain its complete and loyal submission.

The sense of accomplishment from having your former idol become your subordinate is a million times greater than any other thrill!

Now, he can completely leave this planet, because this ruined planet has no use for him whatsoever; he would even despise it if it were left here.

But is this really that simple?

At that very moment, light appeared!

Endless light rose from the opposite shore, right beside the mechs they had ignored. Under the night sky, the endless light transformed into a giant shining with light.

That light, that appearance, how could it be!

Even Brinton, an elite member of the old aristocracy, knew about famous tokusatsu dramas, but why would products from tokusatsu dramas appear in this world?

……

"According to our reporter, a large number of strange tree roots have appeared around the world at the same time. These roots first destroyed all institutions, military bases, and transportation routes. At the same time, it is estimated that more than 50 billion people have been infected and turned into monsters..."

"These monsters are like zombies, instinctively biting and infecting the nearest uninfected people. The number of zombies is increasing rapidly, and the military base and all important units have been destroyed... We are completely unable to organize an effective resistance..."

"This is a TV reporter. This might be my last report. Wish me luck..."

The signal infrastructure was still intact. At this moment, countless survivors hiding in their houses watched in horror the scene reported by the reporter on television.

It is even quite possible that during the reporting process, some reporters will be killed on the spot by those plant-like monsters, and new buds will sprout from their corpses, making them one of those "zombies".

Despair gripped people all over the world.

A real biohazard has broken out, a real apocalypse has begun, but now, who will save them?

"No, Boston radio reports that a monster over a thousand meters tall has appeared here, suspected to be the real body of a zombie. And there's also a mecha, an incredibly huge mecha!" The reporters' words were a beacon of hope, a single spark of light in the darkness, for people watching TV, picking up their phones in the shelter, or listening to the radio in the fire-ravaged basement.

"No, the mech failed. We don't know which country's secret weapon it was, but it failed... Did our last counterattack also fail...?" The female reporter on the Boston coast cried out at that moment.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how much longer I have to live, or how much longer you all have to live. The world might end today, but I will be hosting one last news broadcast..." The female reporter's voice trembled with fear...

But no one would blame her, because she was so close to the battlefield that they could feel the fear of the towering plants on the peninsula across the sea.

Is it already too late to win? Is humanity doomed?

Everyone covered their faces and wept; women sobbed, children cried—this moment was playing out all over the world.

The sudden disaster shattered their peaceful lives; no one could have imagined that the end of the world would come in this form.

But at that moment, a questioning voice suddenly came from the news, and the cameraman turned his lens. They zoomed out and saw a boy standing on the beach, radiating a faint light, holding a little girl who looked to be only about 12 years old in his arms.

In that shot, the boy held a sword hilt that looked like it had lost its blade, and the Y-shaped hilt emitted a pulsating light.

"That's... light? Impossible... What's going on?" the female reporter exclaimed in surprise.

At that moment, people all over the world who were still struggling to maintain basic communication and order connected their signals to this place. In front of billions of people, they saw a boy on the beach, holding a girl in one arm and a glowing object that looked like a toy in the other.

The scene seemed incredibly familiar, and most people were stunned.

The sea breeze tousled the boy's hair, and in the distance, a monster over a thousand meters tall roared to the heavens. It seemed to have broken free of its roots, standing upright on the ground despite being a plant.

In front of billions of people, the boy raised the transformation device in his hand and made a move that was familiar to countless people!

Light, unparalleled radiance!