87: Shocking Death, Epic Reward

The beam of light, impossible to capture with vision, had locked onto Lin Gou.

It was not energy, nor was it Law.

It was a pure concept.

Termination.

【Warning! Detecting a 'True Spirit Annihilation' level attack! Law lock has been completed!】

【Temporary anchor point reaction is too slow! Short-distance resurrection has been sealed!】

【Host will suffer irreversible obliterating attack in three seconds!】

The System's alarm, for the first time, carried an unprecedented urgency.

Three seconds.

The blink of an eye for a Mortal.

The interval of a Cultivator's breath.

For Lin Gou, it was the final curtain call of a grand performance.

There was no fear in his mind.

Time was infinitely stretched.

A pretty face, tear-streaked like pear blossoms after rain, suddenly appeared.

Zhao Linger.

Her eyes, always filled with worry, were silently looking at him.

"Senior Brother, you... how can you joke with your life again!"

Her voice was choked with sobs, full of uncontrollable fear.

Lin Gou's heart was gently touched.

He could feel that in the distant main peak hall, that delicate figure was staring intently at the water mirror, her small hands clenched tightly, even her breathing had stopped.

Following that was another face, sculpted like ice and snow.

Li Hanyue.

Her hand rested on her sword hilt, her gaze still cold and clear.

"You... don't die."

That almost inaudible instruction, given so quickly, was now exceptionally clear.

This woman, though she spoke of disbelief, had secretly prepared a last resort to perish together with him.

And Su Meier.

That enchantress, full of mysteries, her breath like orchids.

"Don't really die, older sister is very interested in your 'luck'."

Lin Gou's lips curved into an uncontrollable, wild smile.

Of course, he wouldn't truly die.

But this time, he wanted to die more realistically, more shockingly than any previous time.

He wanted his "sacrifice" to be like a red-hot branding iron, deeply seared into everyone's hearts.

Especially, their hearts.

This was not just for the rewards.

It was also to solidify his most important and safest anchor point.

The human heart was the most stable anchor point.

Second second.

Lin Gou slowly raised his hand.

No hand seals, no defense.

In his palm, at some unknown point, a flickering, destructive golden lightning had condensed.

Demon Breaking Divine Thunder.

A Divine Ability impossible for a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator to master.

This was something he had painstakingly obtained from the Heavenly Dao, using countless rewards from "being struck dead by lightning."

It was his true trump card, prepared for the Devil Head.

First second.

The gray concept of "Termination" was already within reach.

Lin Gou's entire body began to show fine cracks on his skin.

In the Alliance Hall, everyone watching through the water mirror saw this desperate scene.

"No—!"

Qingyun Sect Leader suddenly stood up, his eyes bloodshot.

The Elders beside him had ashen faces.

It was over.

Everything was over.

"Senior Brother!!"

A heart-wrenching wail burst from Zhao Linger's throat.

Her vision went black, the entire world lost its color, and her body softly fell backward.

Li Hanyue's pupils constricted violently, and Sword Qi erupted around her, about to activate that jade-shattering Sword Array.

However, everyone's actions were a step too late.

In the water mirror.

Facing the gray beam of light capable of obliterating everything, Lin Gou did not dodge.

He turned around.

There was no fear, no despair on his face.

Only a smile.

A crazy, bloodthirsty smile, filled with endless heroism.

He spread his arms as if embracing his fate.

"Come!"

He mouthed two words silently.

Then, the golden Divine Thunder in his palm exploded with a bang!

He chose to self-destruct!

There was no earth-shattering roar.

In front of the water mirror in the Alliance Hall, everyone only saw the most unforgettable and contradictory scene of their lives.

A gray beam of light representing "Termination."

A golden lightning representing "Destruction."

Centered on the young man in green, they collided with a thunderous impact!

The world, in that instant, lost all sound and color.

Only the ultimate gray and the ultimate gold remained.

Gray devoured gold.

Gold tore through gray.

Lin Gou's figure, at the intersection of these two ultimate forces, was torn apart inch by inch, disintegrated, turning into the most primitive light particles, and then completely annihilated.

He left no trace of his existence.

Even the space he occupied was forcibly carved out of this world.

Crack—

The water mirror in the hall was covered in cracks, and finally, with a "bang," it shattered into countless specks of light.

The last image was frozen on Lin Gou's crazy and brilliant smile, embracing destruction.

Dead silence.

A dead silence where a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone stood rooted to the spot, like clay figures from which their souls had been drawn.

Their minds were blank.

They had witnessed the most tragic and heroic mutual destruction.

A Foundation Establishment Stage Disciple.

Used his life to buy the most precious time for the entire Alliance.

He used his flesh and blood to forcibly hold back a Devil Head Clone comparable to a Nascent Soul.

"Disciple Lin..."

Qingyun Sect Leader's lips trembled, and old tears streamed down his face.

"It is this Sect Leader... this Sect Leader who has wronged you!"

The Elders behind him all lowered their heads, their faces filled with shame and sorrow.

These Golden Core Immortal Masters actually needed a junior Disciple to pave the way with his life.

"No... it can't be..."

Zhao Linger was supported, slowly waking up.

She stared blankly at the shattered water mirror, her tears long dried, leaving only hollow despair.

"Senior Brother... you promised me... you would come back..."

She murmured to herself, her voice as light as a dream.

Although she knew Lin Gou's secret.

But this time, it was too different.

That was True Spirit Annihilation!

It was a complete obliteration at the Law level!

Could he... still come back?

An unprecedented fear, like countless icy small hands, tightly gripped her heart.

"Ah—!!"

A suppressed roar, pushed to its extreme, burst from Li Hanyue's mouth.

She drew her sword.

The spiritual sword named "Frost Moon" let out a mournful hum.

The soaring Sword Intent almost ripped off the roof of the hall.

"Demonic fiend! I will not rest until you are dead!"

Her entire being seemed to transform into a burning sword, about to rush towards the Demon Suppression Abyss... into the chaotic Sea of Consciousness.

Lin Gou felt as if he had a very, very long dream.

Until a series of cold System prompts, like a thunderclap, woke him up.

【Ding! Detecting that the Host, in full view of everyone, self-detonated and perished together with the main force of an ancient Heavenly Devil Clone far exceeding his own strength!】

【Behavior judgment: Saved the Sect from danger, protected fellow Disciples, bought crucial time for the Orthodox Alliance, causing a huge positive impact!】

【Method of death: Before being hit by 'True Spirit Annihilation', actively detonated 'Demon Breaking Divine Thunder', judged as self-termination!】

【Death rating: SS-Rank · Heroic Death!】

【Epic reward settlement in progress... Congratulations, Host!】

【Reward One: Massive Cultivation Initiation! Host's Cultivation will directly increase to Foundation Establishment Late Stage Perfection!】

【Reward Two: Righteous Path prestige skyrocketed! Host's prestige Rank in the Orthodox Alliance has been elevated to 'Revered'! Permanent title [Qingyun Hero] has been imprinted!】

【Reward Three: Special Divine Soul Cultivation Technique! Obtained Heaven Rank incomplete scripture "Undying Battle Soul"! The heavier the Divine Soul damage, the stronger the Battle Intent, and the more resilient the Divine Soul becomes after recovery, with a significant increase in Divine Soul power!】

【Reward Four: Heavenly Dao Law gift! Obtained a trace of complete [Demon Breaking] Law fragment! Possesses natural suppression and damage bonus against all Demonic Path Cultivation Techniques and Demonic creatures!】

【Reward Five: Special item! Obtained one [Grand Elder's Apology Gift Pack]! Contains surprises!】

A series of reward prompts, like the most wonderful celestial music, played in Lin Gou's consciousness.

He felt like his entire being was about to float away.

SS-Rank!

Heroic Death!

This wave, he had profited immensely!

A majestic, vast, and extremely pure spiritual Qi appeared out of thin air, surging madly into his reshaping body.

His Meridians were widened, his Dantian was expanding.

The Cultivation Bottleneck, which was originally only at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, was instantly broken through as if it were made of paper!

Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

Peak Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

Foundation Establishment Late Stage Perfection!

Just one step away, he could sense the Golden Core Heavenly Tribulation!

At the same time, in his Sea of Consciousness, an incomparably profound golden scripture slowly emerged.

"Undying Battle Soul"!

Each ancient character was filled with unyielding Battle Intent.

His Divine Soul power, under the illumination of this scripture, skyrocketed at a visible speed, becoming incomparably solid and resilient!

A rhombic Law fragment, imbued with the aura of destruction and purification, quietly floated in the center of his Sea of Consciousness.

The [Demon Breaking] Law!

Lin Gou suddenly opened his eyes.

He found himself in the most secret Immortal Cave he had set up long ago in the Sect's back mountain.

This was his final anchor point.

He moved his fingers, feeling the unprecedented, explosive power within his body.

Unprecedented strength!

He looked inward at his Dantian; the overflowing spiritual Qi gave him the illusion that he could punch a mountain apart.

He then probed his Sea of Consciousness; the resilient and powerful Divine Soul made his perception of the surrounding world ten times clearer!

Lin Gou slowly stood up and patted off non-existent dust from his body.

He opened the so-called [Grand Elder's Apology Gift Pack].

A golden light flashed.

An ancient, cloud-patterned token lay quietly in his palm.

On the token were three bold characters, written with the flourish of a Dragon and Phoenix.

supreme elder's decree!

Seeing this decree was like seeing the Grand Elder himself!

Lin Gou's lips curved into a satisfied arc.

With this item, he could basically walk sideways in the Qingyun Sect.

He walked out of the Immortal Cave and looked up in the direction of the Demon Suppression Abyss.

The Demonic Qi in the sky there seemed to have dimmed considerably.

Presumably, Li Hanyue and the others had succeeded.

"Just a Clone, and it dropped so many good things."

"If I were to kill the Devil Head's main body..."

Lin Gou's eyes shimmered with the light of "greed" and "anticipation."

He knew that taking down a Clone would only invite even more frantic retaliation from the Devil Head's main body.

The real great war had only just begun.