322: SS-level reward! Whispers of a forbidden existence!

That ancient, hoarse whisper, as if drifting from the upstream of the river of time, was like a cold steel needle, fiercely piercing into the deepest part of Lin Fan's Soul.

“Interesting little bug…”

“You have ‘His’ scent on you…”

Inside the bridge, Lin Fan’s figure had just condensed on the resurrection anchor point, and his entire body froze in place as if struck by lightning.

SS-level death—that was the ultimate horror, where even the concept of existence itself was erased.

At that moment, he felt that he was no longer an “existence” but was reduced to “nothingness” itself.

If not for the System, he would have been completely forgotten by this Universe, leaving not even a trace.

But at this moment, the lingering fear originating from the erasure of his existence was instantly dispelled by that eerie whisper.

Little bug?

He?

Lin Fan’s pupils contracted violently.

What exactly was that will that had awakened from the stone sword?

Who was “He” that it spoke of?

Was it some existence that created the System? Or some secret related to his Transmigration?

Countless thoughts exploded in his mind like a raging storm.

For the first time, he felt that his proud resurrection ability, in front of such ancient existences truly standing at the pinnacle of the Universe, might… not be foolproof.

A cold chill shot from his tailbone straight to his crown.

“Calm down!”

Lin Fan bit the tip of his tongue sharply, the intense pain forcing him to break free from his chaotic thoughts.

Especially at times like this, he couldn't panic.

Fear aside, he still had to check the rewards!

He took a deep breath and immersed his mind into the System.

Lines of blood-red logs clearly appeared in his vision.

【You have been completely erased by the will of an ‘Unknown Existence’, and traces of your existence have been eliminated…】

【Death Rating: SS!】

SS-level!

Seeing this unprecedented rating, Lin Fan’s heart pounded uncontrollably.

This was the highest death rating he had received so far!

The previous S+ rewards were already Heaven-Defying to the extent of “Myriad Thunder Body” and the Chaos Thunder Seed.

What would an SS-level reward be?

He suppressed his excitement and scanned downwards.

【Congratulations on receiving the reward: Passive Talent ‘Existence Exemption’!】

【Existence Exemption: Your concept of existence has undergone an ultimate level of tempering and reinforcement. When you are again subjected to an erasure-type attack targeting ‘existence’ itself, you can exempt 10% of the erasure effect. This exemption effect can be enhanced as your understanding of the Law of Existence deepens.】

Lin Fan’s breathing instantly hitched!

Exempt 10%!

It didn’t seem like much, but the significance within it was terrifying!

This meant that the next time he encountered an unreasonable attack like the stone sword’s will, he would no longer be utterly defenseless, instantly “deleted” from the Universe.

That 10% exemption was his capital for resistance, his room to struggle!

This was no longer a simple increase in defensive power.

This was a reinforcement of him at the most fundamental level of “existence”!

This trump card was invaluable!

His gaze continued downwards, falling on the second reward.

【Congratulations on receiving the reward: Special Item ‘A Wisp of Origin Sword Master’s Will’!】

A faint glow appeared out of thin air in his palm.

The light was extremely dim, as if it could extinguish at any moment. There were no power fluctuations within it, nor any Sword Intent emanating from it.

It was like a wisp… a faded phantom extracted from a distant memory.

【A Wisp of Origin Sword Master’s Will: A wisp of the will remnant of the original owner of that stone sword…】

【Usage One: Integrate it into your Divine Soul to gain an opportunity for an Epiphany directly facing the ‘Origin of Swordsmanship’.】

【Usage Two: Release it to simulate one trillionth of the stone sword owner’s pressure, instantly annihilating a Star Domain. (Note: This action is highly likely to once again attract the attention of the ‘Unknown Existence’.)】

【Usage Three: ??? (Requires higher authority or special conditions to unlock.)】

Lin Fan looked at the red annotation after the second usage, and the corner of his eye twitched involuntarily.

This reward even came with a second invitation to seek death?

System, you’re really going all out.

He suppressed the ecstasy and urge to complain in his heart, carefully putting away this wisp of will.

The SS-level reward indeed did not disappoint him.

Whether it was the ultimate life-saving talent “Existence Exemption” or the infinitely potential special item “Origin Sword Master’s Will”, both caused his overall strength to undergo another qualitative leap.

Especially the former.

In the future, his courage to seek death could be even greater.

After doing all this, he finally had time to deal with the aftermath of the Ten Thousand Swords Burial.

He walked out of the secret room.

Inside the bridge, Li Hanyue stood quietly in front of the porthole, like an ice sculpture.

She didn’t turn back, but Lin Fan could feel that her constantly taut aura finally relaxed a little the moment he appeared.

In her hand, the “Concentric Talisman” was emitting a faint but steady light.

The surface of the jade talisman was already covered with fine cracks, as if it would completely shatter with a light touch.

Lin Fan’s heart tightened.

He could imagine the immense mental pressure she endured during his repeated deaths, and the Concentric Talisman repeatedly extinguishing and reigniting.

“I’m back.”

Lin Fan walked to her side, his voice very soft.

Li Hanyue slowly turned around.

Her face was deathly pale, without a trace of color. Her usually clear and cold eyes were now bloodshot, filled with deep exhaustion, and a hint of… lingering fear that even she hadn’t noticed.

She didn’t speak, just looked at Lin Fan, as if to confirm that he was truly unharmed.

“It’s alright, it’s all over.”

Lin Fan gently took the nearly shattered jade talisman from her hand.

The moment his fingertips touched her cold skin, Li Hanyue’s body trembled imperceptibly.

As if startled awake, she quickly averted her gaze, returning to her usual cold demeanor.

“The core area, has it been explored?” Her voice was a little hoarse.

“It has been explored.” Lin Fan nodded, and with a thought of his Divine Thought, he transmitted the last coordinate, representing SS-level death, and the information about the stone sword, into her mind.

“That place… cannot be visited.”

The moment Li Hanyue received the information, her delicate body trembled violently, and her ice-lake-like eyes for the first time revealed a look of horror.

She couldn’t imagine what kind of power it was that could completely erase Lin Fan, along with his “traces of existence,” just by being “looked” at.

She was silent for a long time before slowly nodding.

“I understand.”

…At the same time.

In some unknown corner of the Universe, deep within a Chaos Star Domain that did not belong to any known star map.

There were no Laws here, no energy, only an eternal silence and nothingness.

An ancient palace, as old as the Universe itself, floated silently at the center of this void.

Inside the palace, several figures sat cross-legged.

They seemed to have been sitting for billions of years, covered in the dust of time. If not for a faint, elusive aura, they would have been indistinguishable from inanimate objects.

Suddenly.

The eyelids of a white-haired old man, sitting at the head, which had been closed for countless eons, twitched violently!

“Hmm?”

He slowly opened his eyes. What a pair of turbid yet profound eyes they were, devoid of any emotion, only cold rivers of fate, composed of countless runes, slowly flowing within them.

“The Heavenly Secrets… are in Chaos.”

His hoarse voice broke the eternal silence.

As his words fell, the other figures in the hall also awakened one after another.

“It’s the Sword Tomb’s Return to Emptiness.” A gaunt middle-aged man calculated with his fingers, his brows deeply furrowed. “An ‘effect’ that shouldn’t exist has appeared out of thin air, disturbing the Law of Annihilation of the Return to Emptiness.”

“It’s an anomaly.” Another old woman spoke coldly. “A living being has broken free from the shackles of ‘fate’s trajectory’, appearing at a time and place where it shouldn’t exist.”

“Investigate!” The white-haired old man at the head spoke in an unquestionable tone.

They were the Heavens Evolution Sect.

Observers of the Heavenly Dao, maintainers of fate.

Their mission was to observe the trajectory of the Universe and eliminate all “anomalies” that could potentially lead to the collapse of the “Heavenly Dao.”

And individuals like Lin Fan, who died and resurrected, whose Karma should have dissipated but reappeared again and again, and who could even return from “existence erasure,” were precisely the most dangerous and essential top-tier anomalies that they defined as needing to be erased!

A moment later, the middle-aged man’s face became incredibly solemn.

“Deduction… failed.”

“The existence of this anomaly is shrouded in an impenetrable mist. Any Heavenly Secret art attempting to peek into its Origin has been blocked.”

“Oh?”

A hint of surprise flashed in the white-haired old man’s turbid eyes for the first time.

“To be able to shield Heavenly Secrets, it seems the Karma behind this anomaly is not small.”

He slowly stood up, the dust on his body rustling down.

“Very well.”

“Then we shall use the ‘Heavenly Secret Treasure Mirror’.”

At these words, everyone in the hall’s expression changed.

The Heavenly Secret Treasure Mirror was the Heavens Evolution Sect’s most treasured possession, a true Chaos Spirit Treasure! It possessed the supreme power to deduce all things and perceive their Origin!

But each use consumed a massive amount of the Sect’s Luck.

“Grand Elder, to use the Treasure Mirror for a mere nascent anomaly, is it…?”

“There is no such thing as a mere anomaly.” The white-haired old man coldly interrupted him. “Any dust particle that deviates from its track could, in the future, cause the entire river of fate to collapse.”

“Our mission is to thoroughly… crush it in its nascent state.”

He took a step, and his figure disappeared from the main hall.

The next moment, he appeared on an even more ancient altar.

At the center of the altar, an ancient stone mirror floated, its surface a chaotic expanse, as if it could devour all light.

The white-haired old man extended a withered finger and gently touched his brow.

A drop of golden blood, containing vast power of fate, emerged from his fingertip and slowly dripped onto the stone mirror.

Buzz—!

The entire Chaos Star Domain trembled violently.

On the chaotic surface of the stone mirror, countless lines of Karma began to frantically intertwine and flash, as if searching for that “point” that shouldn’t exist in the vast Universe.