171: Heavenly Mandate

When the words "Heaven's Mandate" echoed through his soul,

the entire world seemed to fall silent for an instant.

It was a declaration of origin.

As if an invisible seal had been stamped upon the laws of this world, proclaiming the arrival of a new sovereign.

The remaining sand on the battlefield stopped rolling, and the smoke in the air solidified.

Even the arcs of electricity sparking on the wreckage of the Dawn Star in the distance became sluggish at this moment.

Erosion of Darkness, who was about to make his move, had lost the composure on his face.

His eyes were filled with disbelief.

"The world is… echoing for him?"

"And this kind of forceful interference with the underlying rules… This is… True Name?"

He unconsciously gasped, a tremor in his voice that he hadn't even noticed.

Inside the Dawn Star's bridge, there was dead silence.

A technical officer looked at the monitoring screen in front of him, which was flickering with countless garbled codes, his voice a little strained.

"Commander… local space… space parameters are being reset."

"No, they're being defined. All our detection equipment has failed, this… this is beyond the instrument's understanding!"

"True Name… a Legend who has awakened his True Name…" Erosion of Darkness was somewhat lost in thought.

As a seasoned Legend, he knew better than anyone what this meant.

To awaken one's own unique "True Name" upon first entering the Legend realm!

This was a fundamental leap in the level of life.

It was an admission ticket to the domain of Demigods.

A memory flashed through his mind.

"Youfeng Valley… a few days ago, it was said that a Legend who awakened the True Name 'Annihilation' almost wiped out the Third Legion's vanguard single-handedly…"

"At the time, everyone thought it was just an excuse made up by those guys from Youfeng Valley to cover up their incompetence…"

He looked at Su Jin. Could this guy be the monster from the intelligence report?

No… that's not right.

That person's True Name was 'Annihilation,' representing the end and the dead silence of all things.

But this one… is 'Heaven's Mandate,' representing supreme authority and dominion.

One person cannot possess two completely different True Names!

This means…

The Blue Star Alliance, in a short period of time, in the Molten Heart World.

Has produced two monsters who awakened their True Names upon first entering the Legend realm?

Are they crazy!

Such prodigies, whose potential is enough to make even Demigods take notice, they just casually send them to the front lines?

Are they not afraid that the Dark Star Empire's Demigods will find an opportunity to personally intervene and nip these future threats in the bud?

In an instant, countless thoughts exploded in Erosion of Darkness's mind.

But all his thoughts ultimately converged into one incredibly clear, incredibly urgent practical question.

How could he… escape from such an existence?

A Legend who has awakened his True Name and a Legend who has not are completely different species.

Especially for a research-oriented Legend like him, specializing in law erosion and analysis.

The opponent's "authority" to directly tamper with rules was simply his natural bane!

However, Su Jin clearly wouldn't give him time to think of a countermeasure.

"Now,"

Su Jin's voice rang out again.

"It's my turn."

He stood there.

The emperor's robes woven from starlight and shadows behind him fluttered without wind.

Although his feet were firmly on the ground, he gave the illusion of sitting atop the world.

He simply raised his right hand.

An alarm blared in Erosion of Darkness's heart, and he unhesitatingly pushed his domain to its limit.

Profound darkness spread wildly around him.

The power of erosion, capable of "dissolving" all things, surged towards Su Jin like a bursting dam, attempting to reclaim this tampered-with law.

But this time, that unfailing power of erosion, a thousand meters from Su Jin, was like hitting an invisible wall.

No, it wasn't a wall.

It was this space, this law, actively "repelling" him.

The 'World' had gained consciousness and was resisting him.

"In my world, your laws… are invalid."

Su Jin spread his five fingers, and then, gently clenched his fist.

A word spoken, a law obeyed!

"Boom!"

The entire Gobi battlefield.

No, the entire space within tens of thousands of meters, let out a violent roar with this single grasp!

Erosion of Darkness felt an irresistible mighty force squeezing him from all directions; it was an expulsion at the law level.

His "Erosion" domain, like a drop of ink clutched by an invisible hand, was forcibly squeezed out of the "clear water"!

"Pfft—"

Erosion of Darkness violently spat out a mouthful of black blood, a sign of damage to his origin.

The shock on his face had turned into bone-chilling terror.

"This… this is the power of 'Authority'!"

He finally understood the terror of "Heaven's Mandate."

If his "Erosion" was about smearing and deleting on the pages of rules.

Then Su Jin's "Heaven's Mandate" was the author and owner of this book.

If the author said your alterations were invalid, then not a single word could be changed.

Inside the Dawn Star's bridge, Chen Shanhe and all the surviving officers were completely stunned.

They leaned on the control panel, mouths agape, staring blankly at the miraculous scene on the screen, their minds a complete blank.

One second ago, they were despairing over the powerlessness of their own Legend.

The next second, the enemy's Legend, that seemingly invincible, demonic existence, was spitting blood and retreating with a single, understated movement from their opponent.

What exactly… was happening?

"Run!"

Erosion of Darkness had now abandoned the dignity of a veteran Legend; only this one word remained in his heart.

He violently tore open the space in front of him, and a dark rift opened in response, leading to an unknown void.

This was one of his famous life-saving techniques; even Legends of the same rank would find it difficult to stop.

He didn't hesitate, turning to plunge into the rift.

Su Jin watched his fleeing back, his gaze calm, and he uttered a faint sentence.

"By decree: This realm, forbidden to pass."

As soon as the words fell.

That spatial rift that had just been torn open.

It violently squirmed and contracted as if it had a life of its own, finally "healing" forcibly under Erosion of Darkness's horrified and desperate gaze.

Space, it refused his passage!

"No!!!"

Erosion of Darkness let out a hysterical roar.

He furiously mustered all his strength, attempting to tear space again.

But the laws around him seemed to have become an indestructible crystal wall; his power crashed against it, creating only tiny ripples, with no other effect.

He was imprisoned in this world, where Su Jin called the shots.

Su Jin's figure appeared silently before him.

Those eyes, like a starry sky, gazed at him calmly.

"The game is over."

Su Jin raised his hand, extended his index finger, and pointed it at Erosion of Darkness from a distance.

"Your existence is not recorded in this realm."

"Then…"

"Return to nothingness."

There was no light, no explosion.

Just an invisible ripple, gently spreading out from his fingertip.

Erosion of Darkness's body suddenly stiffened, all his struggles and madness frozen on his face.

He lowered his head, looking at his hands in disbelief.

His body, starting from his fingertips, was transforming into the purest golden light particles, slowly dissipating.

That wasn't destruction, but a kind of… 'reclamation.'

The concept of his existence, all his information, all his power.

Under the authority of "Heaven's Mandate," they were stripped away, restored, and reabsorbed by this world.

"Heaven's… Mandate…"

Erosion of Darkness uttered the last two words with difficulty, his eyes filled with endless regret.

Finally, his entire body transformed into golden dust, dancing across the sky.

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, like a splendid dream, he vanished without a trace.

A Dark Star Empire Legend, famous for centuries.

A level 15 powerhouse—Erosion of Darkness.

Fell.