290: The Watchful Eyes of God, the Choice of Ants

That voice did not come through the ears, nor did it pass through the Divine Sense; instead, it rang directly within the "conceptual" level of Lin Fan's existence.

Grand, cold, and ancient.

It was as if the first wisp of rules from the birth of this Universe was passing judgment upon him.

"Ant."

"Who permitted you... to touch my remains?"

Just a dozen or so words.

Lin Fan had just advanced to the Body Integration Stage and transformed into the "Overlord Divine Body." That majestic power, sufficient to shake the stars, and the composure of being one with the Laws of heaven and earth, collapsed in an instant.

He was like a child who had just learned arithmetic, forcibly dragged into a hall where the Origin of the Universe was being discussed.

He could not hear it, could not see through it, and could not understand it.

Under the gaze of this will, his proud Overlord Divine Body actually let out a faint, overwhelmed wail. Fine cracks appeared on his newly formed dark-gold skin, as if it might shatter like porcelain at any moment.

The surrounding space completely solidified.

No, it wasn't solidified.

It was "rewritten."

The spatial Laws here were no longer Laws he could comprehend, but had become the private Domain of this will. He was like a flying insect fallen into a spiderweb, and every thread of this web was woven by a god.

He could not move an inch.

Even a single thought operated with immense difficulty.

This was the first time since Lin Fan's Transmigration that he felt such a pure, such a thorough... sense of powerlessness.

This was not a gap in power levels, but a crushing blow from a different dimension of life.

The other party hadn't even truly made a move against him; a mere "gaze" was enough to cause him to begin disintegrating from the very root of his existence.

In the deepest part of the Divine Silence Ruins, within that absolute darkness, something seemed to slowly "open" its eyes.

Lin Fan could not "see" it with his naked eyes or Divine Sense.

But in his perception, the entire world had become a giant eye, unimaginable in scale.

Nebulae were its pupils, and Laws were its textures.

And he was but a speck of eyesore dust within this eye.

That grand will, carrying a trace of eternal indifference, rang out again.

"Upon your body is the aura of my Bloodline."

"However, you are not my descendant."

"You... are very peculiar."

Within this will, there seemed to be a nearly imperceptible trace of... curiosity.

Like a god who had lived for infinite ages and was accustomed to the birth and death of the Universe, finally discovering an ant with a unique behavioral logic.

Lin Fan's heart was thumping wildly.

Danger!

Unprecedented danger!

He even felt that at this moment, his System was operating with some sluggishness.

[Ding! Warning! Hyper-dimensional information interference detected...]

[Warning! System analysis capability suppressed, unable to assess current death risk...]

[Warning! ...Bzzzt...]

For the first time, the System's notification sound was filled with static, like corrupted code.

Lin Fan's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

Even the System can't hold on?

What level of ultimate BOSS is this?!

I just came to grind a dungeon; how did I end up triggering the dungeon's hidden Creator God?!

The will ignored the stormy waves in Lin Fan's heart, continuing its "scrutiny" on its own.

"A fleeting trace of life, yet able to defy the fixed number of the end."

"You died and returned to life within my Domain."

"Interesting."

It... it saw it?

It not only saw him being erased by the Restriction but also saw through the essence of his resurrection?

Lin Fan's scalp instantly felt like it was exploding!

This was his greatest secret, his ultimate trump card, which had never been seen through by anyone!

Yet before this ancient existence, he seemed to be transparent.

Fear, like a cold tide, submerged his Divine Soul.

But under this extreme fear, a thought so absurd it bordered on the ridiculous uncontrollably popped into Lin Fan's mind.

If I'm killed by an existence of this level... what would the reward be?

A legendary Immortal Artifact? Or a Divine-Grade Cultivation Technique that allows one to ascend to heaven in a single step?

Or perhaps, a 'God Rule Fragment'?

Once this thought appeared, it was like a prairie fire that could no longer be contained.

Fear of death is instinct.

But seeking death... was already a habit integrated into his Soul!

Just as Lin Fan's thoughts began to slide in a dangerous direction.

That grand will issued an order to him that he completely could not understand.

"Ant."

"Die once more."

The air seemed to completely freeze at this moment.

Lin Fan was entirely stunned.

What?

Say that again?

He suspected that this will was too ancient, causing some kind of malfunction in the Divine Soul transmission.

However, that cold, clear, and unquestionable will repeated it once more, dispelling all his fantasies.

"Right here, under my gaze."

"Die once more."

"Let me see exactly what kind of 'Dao' supports your Reincarnation."

Lin Fan: "..."

He was completely dazed.

There's actually such a good thing?

No... that's not right.

This is definitely a trap!

It's some kind of higher-level snare that he couldn't understand!

Perhaps the other party wanted to capture his Soul Origin the moment he died? Or maybe they wanted to follow the Karma line of his resurrection to directly find and destroy his System?

Countless possibilities flashed frantically through his mind.

But no matter which one it was, they all pointed to one result.

—He would mess up.

The kind where he would die completely and never be able to resurrect again.

Lin Fan's expression became more solemn than ever before.

He looked at the void before him shrouded by the divine will, felt the pressure that could erase everything, and took a deep breath.

Then, he squeezed out an incredibly humble smile that looked worse than crying.

"Gre... Great Existence."

He used all his strength just to barely allow his Divine Thought to transmit this broken sentence.

"Did... did you make a mistake?"

"I'm just a passing ant, I don't want to die..."

At this moment, the instinct of a master actor overrode everything else.