269: Chapter 269 Absolute Purification

"Court of World Purification..."

Ling Ye chewed on this cold and unfamiliar name. Watching the near-collapsing fear in Old Shi's eyes, the chill in his heart—fresh from escaping the "Order Corridor"—instantly merged with the gloom from the depths of the canyon, freezing his limbs and bones.

"What is that?" His voice was hoarse, carrying the exhaustion of surviving a disaster and the solemnity of facing the unknown.

Old Shi leaned against the cold rock wall, body still trembling slightly from weakness and fear. Old Shi took a few deep breaths, trying to calm churning emotions, but the gaze remained unfocused, as if fallen into some unbearable, deliberately sealed depths of memory.

"That is... a legend, or perhaps a nightmare, that circulates within the highest levels of the "Dark Nest," or more accurately, is only occasionally mentioned in the most ancient "Forbidden Archives" and "Pioneer Notes."" Old Shi's voice was dry, like sandpaper rubbing against rock. "The "abyssal eye" contamination that we... the "Dark Nest" study, that chaotic, twisted, all-eroding energy... it is said that in the extremely distant past, it was not without "natural enemies.""

"Natural enemies?" Ling Ye's pupils contracted slightly.

"Yes... natural enemies." Old Shi looked up at the twisted, dark red sky above the canyon, eyes hollow. "Legend has it that before the power of the "abyssal eye" had completely gone dormant, or rather, in an even more ancient era, there existed a force or entity that pursued absolute "Order" and absolute "Purity." They called themselves the "Court of World Purification," or as those in the know called them... the "Temple of Order.""

"They viewed the chaotic contamination of the "abyssal eye," as well as the "Abyssal Remains," "aberrations," and even all uncontrollable, "disordered" energy and life forms derived from it, as "errors," "viruses," and "cancers of the Universe" that must be "Purified.""

Ling Ye's heart sank little by little as Old Shi narrated.

He recalled the cold, harsh energy field in that ruin that tolerated not a shred of chaos, remembered those metal "Puppet"s that were like precision machinery with no signs of life, and remembered their cold intent: "Unauthorized intruder, executing detention scan."

"So... that ruin..." Ling Ye's voice carried a hint of a chill he hadn't even noticed himself.

"If the legend is true... that is very likely an outpost, observation station, or "Purification" base left behind by the "Court of World Purification."" Old Shi's voice trembled with despair. "In legend, the power of the "Court of World Purification" is the exact opposite of the "abyssal eye." They are not "evil"; in some ancient records, they were even considered "Guardian"s or "The Scavengers." But their method of "guarding" is... absolute, cold, and unquestionable "Order.""

"They would use a very special, highly "ordered" energy to "comb through" and "regulate" chaotic contamination. The process... is said to be extremely painful, like forcing a tangled mess to straighten out, or reshaping a melted wax figure. Those who fail are completely annihilated, turning into pure energy dust. And the very few who "succeed"... are said to be assimilated by "Order," becoming... a part of them, becoming "Puppet"s and tools to maintain that absolute "Order.""

Old Shi suddenly grabbed the grayish-green, deformed right hand, fingernails almost digging into the flesh, eyes filled with extreme fear: "You just said... those humanoids in the incubation pods... some covered in dark silver metal structures... connected to energy conduits... that... that is very likely the product of being "Purified," "remodeled," and "assimilated by Order"! They are no longer living people, but... "apostles," "guards," or some kind of "Order" carrier for the "Court of World Purification"!"

Ling Ye fell silent. Old Shi's description matched perfectly with what he had just seen and felt in the ruin. That cold energy field, those lifeless mechanical guards, those eerie "humanoids" in the incubation pods... everything pointed to that legendary "Court of World Purification."

"Do they... still exist? In this era?" Ling Ye asked the most crucial question.

Old Shi shook the head blankly: "I don't know... the ancient records of the "Dark Nest" are also very vague. Some say that a long time ago, the "Court of World Purification" had a world-destroying war with the "abyssal eye," and in the end, both sides went dormant. Others say they just changed their form of existence, hiding on the "flip side" of the world, still silently carrying out their "Purification" mission. But one thing is certain..."

Old Shi looked at Ling Ye, eyes filled with unprecedented seriousness and warning: "Any place that has a connection to the "Court of World Purification" is an absolute forbidden zone. Their tolerance for "disorder" is zero. Any existence that is not "authorized" and carries chaotic energy (like the contamination in my body) or abnormal energy imprints (like that ring of yours), once discovered by them, will be judged as a "target needing Purification.""

"That you were able to escape just now is simply... a miracle. Or perhaps that ruin might be in some sort of "low-power" dormant state, and the activated defensive power was just the tip of the iceberg. Otherwise..." Old Shi did not continue, but the lingering fear in the eyes explained everything.

Ling Ye touched the "xuanyuan ring" in his chest pocket, which was now cold and silent. It was it that, at the last moment, erupted with power to resist that "Order" force field, allowing him to narrowly escape. This ring and the power of the "Court of World Purification" seemed to have some deep, opposing yet related connection?

"Then... what about "the key"?" Ling Ye suddenly asked, "In the legends of the "Court of World Purification," was there any mention of "the key"? Or something similar?"

Old Shi froze for a moment, recalling carefully, but eventually shook the head: "No... at least not in the limited ancient archives I have come into contact with. "the key" is a secret regarding the "Origin" of the "abyssal eye" that the highest levels of the "Dark Nest" are pursuing independently; it seems to be a completely different path from the "Order" route of the "Court of World Purification." However..."

Old Shi paused, as if remembering something: "In legend, the "Court of World Purification" mastered a kind of... technology or power that can "define," "lock," and "regulate" energy and rules. In a sense, perhaps that is also a kind of... alternative "key"? It's just that it is used to "lock" chaos, rather than "open" anything..."

Ling Ye fell into deep thought. The situation was even more complex than he had anticipated. Deep in the "Rift Canyon," not only was the contamination source of the "abyssal eye" sleeping, but an ancient ruin of the "Court of World Purification," which stood in opposition to it, was also hidden there. That these two extremely opposing forces existed simultaneously in this desperate land—was it a coincidence, or... some kind of inevitable balance? Or was it the center of a vortex of an even more terrifying conspiracy?

And he, an "intruder" carrying a mysterious ring, bearing the "Ancient Ring" mark, and accompanied by a contamination symbiote, seemed to have been involuntarily swept into the ancient game between these two behemoths that spanned long ages.

"We... must leave here." Ling Ye finally made a decision, voice low and firm. "That ruin is too dangerous; it's not something we can explore right now. Moreover, I triggered the alarm; although they didn't chase out for the moment, there's no guarantee there won't be subsequent changes. We cannot stay here for long."

Old Shi nodded immediately; wanting to get away from that place even more than Ling Ye did. That "Order" energy, to the contamination within the body, was both a temptation and a fatal threat.

The two did not dare to rest any longer, enduring pain and exhaustion, supporting each other as they continued to trudge forward along the rock wall, heading in a direction away from that "Gate of Order."

Ling Ye turned back and took one last look at the direction of the cave entrance, hidden deep in the dim canyon, emitting an ominous purple light.