402: Divide your forces! Head towards the ruins of different eras.

Zhao Linger held Lin Fan, every inch of her body trembling slightly.

It was not fear, but the exhaustion brought by surviving a catastrophe.

Her tears had dried up, leaving only a numbness of relief.

The body in her arms was icy, its breath so weak it seemed it could cease at any moment.

"We... survived."

She repeated it again, as if trying to convince herself.

Suddenly, she froze.

A sense of power, unprecedented, surged thunderously through her dried-up Meridians.

This power was complex, carrying the tearing sensation of the space storm, yet it was terrifyingly pure.

She looked within herself; the originally solid barrier of her Realm was now covered in cracks, as if it only needed a gentle push to step into a brand new world.

She lifted her head abruptly, looking at Li Hanyue and Fatty Zhang not far away.

Li Hanyue was looking down at her own palms; those eyes, usually as still as an ancient well, were filled with shock and confusion.

Sword Intent flowed spontaneously over her skin, more solid and sharper than ever before.

"My... my spiritual power..."

Fatty Zhang also sensed something wrong. He felt the spiritual power within his Dantian, which had suddenly become much more "thick," with a blank face, his chubby face full of confusion.

A blessing in disguise.

In that space storm capable of tearing gods apart, these survivors had passively completed a life-or-death "Body Tempering."

Everyone was immersed in this sudden change, not noticing that Lin Fan, held in Zhao Linger's arms, moved his eyelids slightly.

His consciousness floated up from the endless darkness.

[Resurrection protocol complete.]

[Body reconstruction complete.]

[Current divinity rank: Lv.5]

[Warning: Resurrection Anchor stability dropped to 6%. Please replenish Soul Energy or reduce death frequency as soon as possible, Host.]

The cold System prompt made his just-awakened consciousness instantly plunge into an ice cellar.

The Resurrection Anchor only had 6% stability left.

This meant he could no longer die as recklessly as before.

Every death could be his last.

'Good grief, I've almost lost everything.'

'Is the price of the Empty Fort Strategy this high?'

He slowly opened his eyes.

What met his gaze was Zhao Linger's face, filled with worry and exhaustion.

Her eyes were red; clearly, she had just been crying.

"Lin Fan, you're awake."

Zhao Linger's voice held a hint of hoarse surprise. She wanted to help him sit up, but was stopped by Lin Fan raising his hand.

"Don't move."

Lin Fan's voice was very soft, yet carried an unquestionable calmness.

He struggled to lean against Zhao Linger, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic plaza, finally landing on the completely extinguished control console.

His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached the newly awakened Li Hanyue, Fatty Zhang, and the Great Elder of the Tomb Keepers.

"Our current location is on the edge of the 'Scarlet Expansion Zone,' a 'Lawless Zone' that has not been recorded by any civilization."

The Great Elder of the Tomb Keepers struggled to lift his head, his cloudy eyes full of shock.

"Divine Venerable... how do you know?"

Lin Fan did not answer.

He continued.

"The Purification Fleet will catch up sooner or later, and that 'World-Eater Worm' could return at any time."

"Hiding here is just waiting for death."

The atmosphere in the plaza instantly changed from the relief of surviving a catastrophe to becoming incredibly heavy.

"Then... what should we do, Brother Fan?"

Fatty Zhang was so anxious he was scratching his head.

"The ship is broken, and we're lost; isn't this a dead end?"

"It is not a dead end."

Lin Fan shook his head.

For the first time, his gaze revealed an unprecedented depth, as if he could see through the future.

"This is not a dead end."

"This is a game of chess."

"A chess game set up by the gods, and we are just pieces on the board."

He looked at the confusion and horror appearing on everyone's faces and slowly stated the cruelest truth.

"Our world, everything we have experienced, is just a game for existences in a higher dimension."

"And the only way to jump off the board is to find the 'key to breaking the stalemate' scattered in the ruins of various epochs."

key to breaking the stalemate.

This term seemed to carry a certain magic, striking at everyone's heart.

"You mean..."

Li Hanyue's voice was somewhat dry.

"Our previous battles, our escape... were all arranged?"

"Yes, and no."

Lin Fan's gaze swept over her.

"The board gives us the rules, but how to move is our own choice."

"Now, I am going to make the next choice."

He looked at everyone.

"We must split up."

"What?"

Fatty Zhang was the first to shout, his voice changing pitch.

"Split up? Brother Fan, what kind of joke are you making! Your body now, you'd fall over if the wind blew! I absolutely disagree!"

Zhao Linger also held onto Lin Fan's arm tightly, shaking her head desperately.

Her eyes were red again.

"No... I cannot let you go on an adventure alone again, absolutely not."

Her attitude was unprecedentedly firm.

Seeing their emotional reaction, Lin Fan was not angry; instead, a warm current flowed through his heart.

But he knew this was not the time to be soft-hearted.

"Listen to me."

His voice remained calm.

"Putting all our eggs in one basket is the biggest gamble. If we stay together, the target is too big; once found, we will all be wiped out."

"If we go separately, we have a slim chance of survival."

He looked at Zhao Linger, then at Li Hanyue.

"During the epoch transition, your bodies were tempered by the space storm, and you are already standing at the threshold of the True Immortal Realm."

"I have one last thing here that can help you."

As he spoke, he extended his finger, and a wisp of light, so faint it was almost invisible, mixed with golden and Chaos colors, emerged from his fingertip.

This was the last remaining residue after he detonated the World Origin.

He divided this wisp of light into two and touched them onto Zhao Linger's and Li Hanyue's foreheads respectively.

Hum—

Two distinct yet equally powerful auras exploded.

Around Zhao Linger, countless phantoms of growing plants and trees appeared, and a gentle yet majestic Life Qi soared into the sky.

Behind Li Hanyue, it seemed as if a battlefield of mountains of corpses and seas of blood appeared, and the fierce, unmatched Sword Intent cut deep scratches into the surrounding metal floor.

True Immortal Realm.

Done.

Everyone was shocked into silence by this sudden change.

Lin Fan's face, however, turned a shade paler.

He looked at the dumbfounded Fatty Zhang and said slowly.

"Fatty, your task is the heaviest."

"You stay, and together with the Grand Elder, organize all survivors, repair the Ark, and establish our first stronghold in this Lawless Zone."

"This is our retreat path."

Fatty Zhang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was stopped by Lin Fan's gaze.

That gaze told him this was not a discussion; it was an order.

Lin Fan's gaze finally landed on Zhao Linger and Li Hanyue.

From his bosom, he took out two light talismans condensed with his remaining Divine Power, recording the coordinates.

"Linger, these coordinates point to an epoch ruin known as the 'Nightmare Swamp.' I need you to find something, the 'Veil of Nothingness.' It can block the gods' detection and is the key to our concealment."

He handed one of the light talismans to Zhao Linger.

"Hanyue, these coordinates lead to a ruin named the 'Sea of Quicksand.' There, you will find the 'Sands of Time.' Obtaining it, we might be able to repair some functions of the Ark."

He handed the other light talisman to Li Hanyue.

"Where... am I going?"

Li Hanyue gripped the light talisman and asked in a low voice.

Lin Fan looked up, gazing into the depths of the dark Void Realm, as if he could see a cold world composed of countless gears and code.

"I am going to find the last thing."

"The core of the key to breaking the stalemate."

He said, enunciating every word.

"Mechanical Divine Kingdom."

The moment of parting had finally arrived.

There were no excessive words.

Zhao Linger looked at Lin Fan deeply, as if to carve his current weak appearance into her Soul.

She turned and rushed without hesitation towards a damaged gap in the Ark, her figure turning into a beam of green light, disappearing into the vast Void Realm.

Li Hanyue performed a solemn sword salute to Lin Fan.

"Take care."

The next moment, she merged with her sword, turning into a brilliant sword rainbow, and broke through the air in another direction.

On the core plaza, only Lin Fan remained, along with the disappointed Fatty Zhang and the silent Grand Elder.

Lin Fan withdrew his gaze, holding onto the control console, and slowly stood straight.

He did not look at the other two, only tightly gripping the last light talisman, which flickered with a cold blue light, in his palm.

He took a step, walking towards the huge crack in the ship's hull that led to the outside.

Each step was slow, yet incredibly firm.

His back looked desolate, yet carried the determination to head towards the final battlefield.