164: The Pantheon and the Truth

Above the reception platform, in the shadow cast by the ancient stone pillars, only the heavy, bellows-like panting of those few "Scavenger" followers remained, caused by extreme fear.

They prostrated themselves, burying their heads deep into the crevices of the cold Chaos stone platform, trembling violently like chaff, unable to muster even the slightest shred of resistance!

Lin Ye calmly watched the 30,000 points of [Origin Points] slowly emerging from the shattered Divine Spark of the scar-faced leader.

"Thirty thousand points..."

He slowly exhaled a mouthful of stale Qi.

This was merely the "nourishment" that a King of the "Scavenger," who was at the Middle Stage of the [Realm Lord] Realm, could provide.

An unprecedented, intense craving for "Origin Points" suddenly surged forth from the deepest part of his heart!

He knew that his [myriad realms furnace], which had just undergone its ultimate upgrade, was a bottomless black hole!

To evolve the *God-Demon Prison Suppressing Scripture*, which was powerful enough to suppress all heavens, to a higher Realm! To Cultivate the *Lightning Light Shadow Evasion*, which was capable of traversing space and time, to Perfection! To truly control his own destiny in this terrifying Divine Realm where "Realm Lords are worthless, and Dominators walk everywhere"!

He needed... more! More! Ten times, a hundred times more... Origin Points!

And these few "Scavengers" before him, who had long since been scared witless, were the best source of intelligence for him to acquire the "first pot of gold" in this Divine Realm!

He slowly walked up to the "Scavenger" follower who was still frantically kowtowing and weeping.

He raised his right hand, and then, under the gaze of the "Scavenger" filled with endless fear and despair, he gently pressed it onto his... crown!

"No... Divine Venerable Lord... have mercy..."

The howl of the "Scavenger" abruptly stopped!

"*God-Demon Prison Suppressing Scripture* — Soul Search!!!"

A silent roar exploded in his heart!

The "Scavenger" didn't even have time to let out a scream; the eyes that were previously filled with fear were instantly replaced by emptiness and... confusion!

Everything he had experienced over the past few millennia! All his knowledge of the center of this Divine Realm! All the secrets in his mind regarding the "Hall of Ten Thousand Gods," regarding the Dominator, regarding the "Origin Crystal"...

In that instant, they were forcibly extracted by an irresistible terrifying force, like a bursting flood!

...After an unknown amount of time.

When Lin Ye slowly retracted his still fair and slender right hand, the "Scavenger" beneath his feet had already collapsed onto the ground, completely lifeless, like a puppet drained of all Divine Soul!

As for Lin Ye, his handsome, wicked face, which had been filled with cold killing intent, was now... blank!

Replacing it was an extreme chill originating from the deepest part of his Soul, a feeling that defied description!

"Thump."

He staggered back two steps. His dark eyes, which had been full of endless confidence and dominance, revealed for the first time a trace of uncontrollable... horror!

"Lin Ye?! What's wrong with you?!"

Su Qingyue's expression changed drastically! Without hesitation, she flashed to his side and supported his slightly trembling body!

She could clearly feel that Lin Ye's hand was so... cold!

"Heh... Heh heh..."

Lin Ye slowly raised his head. He looked at Su Qingyue's beautiful face, which was filled with worry, and on his pale face, he slowly curved a bleak smile that was uglier than crying.

"Qingyue..."

He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse, as if it didn't belong to him.

"We..."

"It seems... we came to the wrong place."

...Within the torrent of memories, filled with the fear and despair of that "Scavenger," Lin Ye finally... glimpsed the bloody truth of this "Center of the Myriad Realms Divine Domain," hidden beneath the Holy Light!

This was not some "Divine Realm" meant to receive powerhouses from all heavens.

This was fundamentally... a colossal, unimaginable... "Prison"!

A terrifying Prison that used the "Center of the Myriad Realms Divine Domain" as its cage, billions of lower planes as its "pastures," and these "Heavenly Chosen Ones" who had Ascended after countless hardships as its... "nourishment"!

And these so-called "Ascenders," from the moment they stepped onto this land, had already been branded with the mark of a... "Sacrifice"!

The "Hall of Ten Thousand Gods"!

That towering divine hall standing at the edge of the continent, seemingly in Fusion with the entire Universe and starry river!

It was not some "Holy Land" that issued missions, rewarded good, and punished evil!

It was the... Dominator of this Prison!

It allowed them to fight, allowed them to plunder, and even allowed them to charge toward the seemingly lofty Realms of [Realm Lord] and Dominator!

All of this was merely for the purpose of... "raising Gu"!

To raise... fatter "sacrifices"!

Because... every ten thousand years!

When the number of [Realm Lord] (God Emperor) level powerhouses within this "Prison" accumulated to a certain extent, the "Hall of Ten Thousand Gods," which had been silent for ten millennia, would... awaken!

To bestow what was called... "Divine Grace"!

That was a bloody... "Harvest"!

In the fragmented memory images of that "Scavenger," Lin Ye "saw" it firsthand!

He saw that the "Center of the Myriad Realms Divine Domain," which had been full of prosperity and glory, instantly turned into an Asura Hell the moment "Divine Grace" descended!

The lofty "Hall of Ten Thousand Gods" actually transformed into a terrifying black hole capable of devouring all heavens!

Endless "World Origin" power, like a world-ending tide, frantically swept through every corner of this land!

Whether they were at the Initial Stage of [Realm Lord] or the Peak of [Realm Lord], all the powerhouses who had ascended to the divine throne within those ten thousand years were instantly... drained of all their Origin power before that irresistible terrifying force, like fragile ants!

Their Divine Sparks shattered!

Their Divine Souls vanished!

All the supreme Dao Fruits they had painstakingly Cultivated over billions of years were completely transformed into the purest "nourishment" and were frantically... devoured by that terrifying black hole, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea!

And all of this... was merely to... sustain!

To sustain the "Dominator of Finality" who slept in the deepest part of this "Prison"!

This was... the bloody... ultimate truth of the center of this Divine Realm!

"No... impossible..."

After listening to Lin Ye's narration, which was filled with endless coldness and despair, the beautiful face of Su Qingyue, which had been full of determination and gentleness, instantly lost all color!

She staggered back two steps, her clear, cold eyes filled with uncontrollable... horror!

"Then... then we..." she spoke with difficulty, her voice hoarse, "Aren't we..."

"Doomed?"

Lin Ye slowly shook his head.

His dark eyes, which had been filled with horror, were now... unusually calm.

"No."

"We..."

He slowly raised his right hand.

In his palm, the mysterious and profound "prison suppressing divine spark" was, at this moment, generating an unprecedented... violent resonance with the System that was already integrated into the deepest part of his Soul!

Buzz—!!!

A terrifying will, indescribable and filled with endless sorrow, unwillingness, and towering Battle Intent, suddenly and explosively... awoke from the deepest part of his Divine Soul!

[Ding!]

[The System has detected that the host has accessed the core secret of "World Origin"...]

[The System has detected the aura of the "Dominator of Finality"...]

[System Final Protocol... Activated!]

[The "Spark"... Awakens!]

A vast torrent of information that did not belong to this world, or even this Universe, suddenly exploded in his mind!

Those were ancient scenes... filled with endless tragedy and resolve!

The Ancient Divine War... which took place countless epochs ago, far beyond reach!

After experiencing the most tragic "betrayal," the lineage of the Chaos God-Demon suffered continuous defeats and was on the verge of... complete annihilation!

Just at that final, most desperate moment!

The leader of the "Chaos God-Demon," who had been pierced through the heart by the ancestor of the Heavenly Profound Divine Emperor, actually used the last trace of his Divine Soul Origin in the instant before his demise to transform his already shattered "heart"... No!

He split his Supreme Divine Spark, which had already achieved Fusion with the Chaos, into two!

One piece transformed into the "key of the void god," Sealing his lifelong Legacy and... unwillingness! Waiting for a destined person to open it!

And the other piece... astonishingly, transformed into a "Spark"... filled with endless hope and resolve!

It burned all of its divinity, tore through the terrifying Seal of the "Lord of Ten Thousand Gods" that could envelop all heavens and myriad Realms, carrying the final defiance and... will of the Chaos God-Demon lineage!

It fell into... endless Reincarnation!

It fell into... the lowest plane, the most barren and most... inconspicuous place, long forgotten by all deities!

— The Sky South Realm!

And that "Spark"... was the [Cultivation AFK System]!!!

..."So that's how it is."

Lin Ye slowly opened his eyes.

He finally understood.

Why he obtained the... System.

Why he... came here!

None of this was a coincidence!

But... destiny!

He was the chosen chess player of the Chaos God-Demon lineage, whose countless Battle Souls, unwilling to perish, had been silent for billions of years!

And also... the Avenger!

He slowly turned around, looking at the dead, gray sky filled with endless despair and oppression, and at the "Hall of Ten Thousand Gods" standing at the edge of the continent, seemingly representing supreme authority and order.

A cold smile, filled with endless madness and... dominance, slowly curved upon his handsome face.

"A Prison?"

"A Harvest?"

"Dominator of Finality?"

He slowly raised his right hand. The "prison suppressing divine spark," which was already connected to his Bloodline, emitted Supreme Divine Might in his palm, powerful enough to make ten thousand demons submit!

"System!"

His voice, filled with endless Battle Intent, resonated throughout the world like a final decree!

"Update... Mission!"

[Ding!]

[The Ultimate Series Mission — [Ascend to Dominator]... has been changed to...]

[— [God-Demon... Return]!]

[Ultimate Mission Objectives:]

[One: Ascend to the [Dominator] Realm, wield the Origin, and reforge... the Chaos Divine Spark!]

[Two: Slay the "Dominator of Finality," overthrow the "Hall of Ten Thousand Gods," and shatter... the Myriad Realms Prison!]

[Three: For the Ancient "Chaos God-Demon" lineage...]

[— Vindicate their name!!!]