162: Anchor point crystallization

With this declaration, the dark vortex expanded once more! A second giant claw reached out, fiercely gripping the edge of the vortex! A hideously grotesque head, unimaginably massive, slowly squeezed out from the vortex! The head resembled a hybrid of a dragon and an octopus, covered in the same dark gold scales, but it had no eyes. Instead, it possessed a giant mouth filled with spiral-shaped sharp teeth and a single, bizarre vertical pupil in the center of its forehead that constantly shifted colors!

Wherever the vertical pupil swept, space was "erased" like a fragile canvas, revealing the void of darkness behind it!

"Information light screen data updated!" Inside the base, the voice of the myriad laws heavenly stele avatar carried a rare hint of solemnity. "Target data: Rank 7 special mutant—'Shadow of the End'! Estimated combat power: 300 million Yu!"

"300 million Yu?! That's fifty percent stronger than the Sun-Eater Star-Devouring Beast?" Luo Hou's destruction Origin battle-axe fell to the ground with a clang. For the first time, a look of complete despair appeared on the face of this Destruction Temple Prodigy.

"Space erasure... this is an existence that touches 'beyond the Origin Law'..." Luo Shen's Eternal Light flickered like a candle in the wind under this pressure, appearing on the verge of collapsing.

"It's over... it's all over..." Countless Trial Participants slumped to the ground, the light fading from their eyes.

The head of the Shadow of the End had fully emerged from the vortex, and that bizarre vertical pupil locked onto Lin Yuan. It seemed exceptionally "interested" in this little bug from the Destruction Broodmother.

"Interesting ant... your Soul... emits an enticing scent..." A hint of confusion accompanied the ripple of its will. "Let me... take a closer look..."

The vertical pupil suddenly constricted! A bizarre beam of light, its color indescribable, instantly crossed space and shot toward Lin Yuan!

Wherever this beam passed, space was not shattered but completely "erased"! It left behind an irreparable trail of absolute void!

Death! An unprecedented premonition of death enveloped every inch of Lin Yuan's Soul! He had no doubt that even with the defenses of his Origin Dharma Body and the chaos heavenly evolution robe at their Peak, being hit by this beam would result in being completely erased from a conceptual level!

There was no way to avoid it! No way to block it!

At this critical moment!

"Extra-regulatory interference! Executing erasure protocol!" The voice of the myriad laws heavenly stele avatar suddenly rang out!

Buzz—!!!

A brilliant silver pillar of light descended from the sky, instantly enveloping Lin Yuan! The Shadow of the End's erasure beam slammed violently into the pillar, kicking up countless bizarre spatial fragments like shattered mirrors, but it ultimately failed to penetrate!

"It's you again... that annoying 'Spirit of the Heavenly Stele'..." The Shadow of the End's will rippled with anger. "But this time... you cannot stop me..."

Its massive body continued to squeeze out of the dark vortex. With every part that emerged, the space in the ruins of the Thousand Absolute Star City became more distorted and broken! The base light screen trembled violently, with more and more cracks appearing; it was clearly unable to resist this level of erosion for long!

"Attention all Trial Participants!" The myriad laws heavenly stele avatar's voice echoed through the base. "Final mission change: Destroy the Shadow of the End Anchor! Target has been marked!"

Lin Yuan's bracelet suddenly vibrated, and a beam of light projected out, pointing behind the Shadow of the End—deep within that dark vortex, a tiny altar composed of pale bones was faintly visible! A pitch-black crystal floated above the altar, continuously providing energy for the Shadow of the End's descent!

"That is... the Anchor Crystal left behind when Thousand Absolute Star City fell a hundred years ago!" the myriad laws heavenly stele avatar continued. "Only by destroying it can the connection between the Shadow of the End and its main body be severed!"

Lin Yuan understood instantly. This Star City had been tampered with a hundred years ago; the so-called star beast nests and broodmothers were all just a facade. The true "pollution source" was this Anchor Crystal buried deep underground! It had been slowly eroding the Star City until the destruction of the broodmother forced it to reveal itself!

"Anchor Crystal? Shadow of the End and its main body?" But now was not the time for thought. Most of the Shadow of the End's body had already squeezed out of the vortex. Once it fully descended, the entire trial area would be conceptually "erased" by it!

"Ant... don't even think about it!" The Shadow of the End seemed to sense his intention, and that bizarre vertical pupil lit up again! This time, the target was not Lin Yuan, but the base light screen! It wanted to exterminate the other Trial Participants first to cut off any possibility of interference!

"Stop it!" Lin Yuan roared. Ignoring his heavy injuries, he forcibly activated his Origin Dharma Body! It transformed into pure propulsion, carrying him like a meteor toward the head of the Shadow of the End!

"Seeking death." The Shadow of the End's will rippled with disdain as a tentacle covered in dark gold scales whipped out from the vortex, lashing toward Lin Yuan! Wherever the tentacle passed, a pitch-black void crack was whipped into space!

The speed and power of this strike far exceeded Lin Yuan's limit for evasion! Just as he was about to be cut in half by the tentacle, several brilliant lights suddenly lit up within the base!

"Destruction · World-Severing Slash!" Luo Hou's roar rang out! A black-red axe-light tore through space, slamming fiercely into the side of the tentacle! Although it failed to cut it off, it caused the tentacle's trajectory to deviate slightly!

"Eternal Bulwark!" At Luo Shen's light cry, milk-white barriers transformed into chains that manifested out of thin air, coiling around the tentacle and further slowing its speed!

"Space Slicing!" Clear Emptiness formed hand seals, and the space around the tentacle was forcibly sliced, weirdly extending its attack distance!

Other top Prodigies also took action! Sword Without Dust's Death Sword Qi, Cang Jiuyou's Nether Vortex, Xing Li's Fate Threads... Although their attacks were like mosquito bites to the Shadow of the End, the superposition of dozens of interferences finally bought a sliver of life for Lin Yuan!

Lin Yuan grazed the edge of the tentacle in a hair-raising bypass. The chaos heavenly extreme sword slashed along the surface of the tentacle, sending up a trail of eye-piercing sparks, but it failed to break the defense! The defense of a Rank 7 Peak special mutant was truly terrifying!

"Concentrate attacks on the Anchor Crystal!" Lin Yuan bellowed, his figure never stopping as he continued to charge toward the dark vortex!

"Stop him!" For the first time, a hint of panic appeared in the Shadow of the End's will. More tentacles whipped out from the vortex, while that bizarre vertical pupil lit up again, its target aimed directly at Lin Yuan!

Inside the base, the silver stele that the myriad laws heavenly stele avatar had transformed into suddenly shone with magnificent light!

"Initiate erasure protocol!"

Buzz—!!!

A silver pillar of light, more brilliant than any before, erupted from the top of the stele. It instantly crossed space and slammed violently into the Shadow of the End's vertical pupil!

"Roar—!!!" The Shadow of the End let out a roar of agony. Its vertical pupil was forced to close, and the attack was interrupted!

Seizing this opportunity, Lin Yuan had already rushed to the edge of the dark vortex! The terrifyingly corrosive energy made him feel as if he were in a furnace; his chaos heavenly evolution robe was further damaged, and his skin began to ulcerate. But his gaze remained ice-cold, staring fixedly at the bone altar and the pitch-black crystal deep within the vortex!