102: One day to die, the final battle at the Ruins.

Sword light tore through the Void Realm, speeding through the endless Star Sea.

Lu Qingxuan, carrying Su Linger, rushed towards Guixu at a speed surpassing the movement of stars, each step spanning tens of thousands of Star Domains. The remaining Yin Origin within the Sword Embryo in his chest was violently fluctuating, and fine cracks appeared on the surface of the Dark Gold Ring—Heavenly Fate Child's intensity in extracting Yin Origin had exceeded the ring's concealing limit.

"Only seven hours left..." Yin's weak voice came from the ring, carrying suppressed pain. "That traitor used the true form of the 'wheel of destiny'... forcibly severing my connection with Guixu..."

"Senior, how much longer can you last?"

"At most... after three hours, my consciousness will be completely in Chaos, becoming a Guixu Calamity that only knows destruction." Yin's voice grew weaker. "We must reach the depths of Guixu within three hours, otherwise..."

The rest of the sentence was unspoken, but Lu Qingxuan understood.

Otherwise, the myriad Heavens would face a completely insane Chaos Ancient God, controlled by Heavenly Fate Child.

"Qingxuan, there's an anomaly in the Star Domain ahead." Su Linger suddenly pointed to the left.

Lu Qingxuan's Divine Sense swept across, and he saw that in that Star Domain, dozens of stars were "aging" at an unusual speed—the starlight dimmed from brilliant to faint, then completely extinguished, the entire process taking only a few breaths. The extinguished stars did not cool but directly turned into gray powder, dissipating into the Void Realm.

"Traces of Decay Law..." Lu Qingxuan's eyes were cold. "Decay Extinction's true form is on its way; this is the aura it leaked as it passed by."

Even while traveling, it could instantly decay stars; the power of the Ancient God's true form was indeed far beyond imagination.

"Must be faster." The seven strands of Immortal Qi in Lu Qingxuan's body circulated frantically, increasing the sword light's speed by another thirty percent.

But at this moment—

In the Void Realm ahead, a gigantic golden net spanning a million miles suddenly appeared!

Each thread on the net was composed of countless intricate Fate Runes, and the net's meshes reflected scenes of creation and destruction across the myriad Heavens. The moment the giant net appeared, the Karma lines of the entire Star Domain were forcibly disrupted, and the flow of time became chaotic.

"Heavenly Fate Child's 'Fate Net'..." Su Linger's face turned slightly pale. "He wants to slow us down!"

Before she finished speaking, the golden giant net suddenly contracted, enveloping the two like a net from Heaven and Earth!

Lu Qingxuan's eyes turned cold, and the zhan xu sword was unsheathed.

"Immortal Sword: Barrier Break!"

The gray-white sword light struck the net, erupting in a harsh metallic screech. Wherever the sword light passed, Fate Runes constantly shattered, but for every one that shattered, ten new runes emerged from the Void Realm to replenish it!

This net was not a physical attack, but a "Karma Cage" woven by Heavenly Fate Child using Fate Law—as long as one was within the Karma system of the myriad Heavens, it would be difficult to completely escape!

"Use the reincarnation mirror!" Lu Qingxuan shouted.

Su Linger understood, raising the reincarnation mirror high, her Purple Firmament Reincarnation Body burning to its limit.

"Reincarnation: Karma Reversal!"

The mirror surface erupted with a heaven-reaching purple light. Wherever the light shone, the shattered and reborn Fate Runes suddenly "flowed backward"—newly born runes retreated into the Void Realm, shattered runes re-condensed, and even the net's contraction speed began to reverse!

The reincarnation mirror could illuminate all Laws and reverse Karma!

Although with Su Linger's current cultivation, she could only affect the net for an instant, that instant was enough.

"Slash!"

Lu Qingxuan injected all seven strands of Immortal Qi into the zhan xu sword. The sword body's gray-white Immortal Light surged, transforming into a sword rainbow that pierced through Heaven and Earth, forcibly tearing a hundred-mile gap in the golden net!

The sword light enveloped the two, rushing out of the gap, and continued to speed away without looking back.

Behind them, the golden net slowly dissipated, and Heavenly Fate Child's indifferent voice came from the Void Realm:

"Two of the three god-slaying artifacts have been obtained... The last 'world-breaking cone' is in the core of the Star Alliance Council... You're too late..."

The voice gradually faded.

Lu Qingxuan's expression was grave.

Heavenly Fate Child was right; it would take at least five hours to reach the core of the Star Alliance Council from here, and then turn to Guixu, which was simply too late.

"Senior, is there any other way to obtain the world-breaking cone?" he asked the ring.

Yin was silent for a moment: "Yes... When Bronze Artisan Ancestor forged the three god-slaying artifacts back then, he left three 'Artisan God's Secret Treasures' in the myriad Heavens. One of them... is on the 'Shattered Artisan Star' at the edge of the Guixu Sea Eye."

"Shattered Artisan Star?"

"That was Bronze Artisan Ancestor's Artifact Refining workshop back then. It was shattered during the Ancient God War and fell to the edge of Guixu," Yin said. "There should be a 'prototype' of the world-breaking cone in the Secret Treasure. Although it's not a complete Divine Artifact, if activated with Immortal Qi, it can exert seventy percent of its power."

"That's enough." Lu Qingxuan immediately changed direction. "Coordinates!"

Yin transmitted the coordinate imprint into Lu Qingxuan's Divine Sense.

Sword light cut through the starry sky, speeding towards the edge of Guixu.

---

Shattered Artisan Star.

This was a completely dead star, its surface covered with crisscrossing cracks, as if it could completely shatter at any moment. There was no atmosphere or life on the star's surface, only countless ruined bronze buildings and scattered Artifact Refining debris.

Lu Qingxuan and Su Linger landed in front of a half-collapsed bronze grand hall.

On the lintel of the grand hall, four ancient characters, already mottled, were carved: Artisan God's Workshop.

"The prototype is in the 'Sword Forging Pool' in the deepest part of the grand hall," Yin said. "But Bronze Artisan Ancestor set up three trials here back then; only those who pass can take the prototype."

"What trials?"

"The first trial is to identify ten thousand metals," Yin said. "At the entrance of the workshop, there are ten thousand kinds of Divine Metal fragments. You need to identify three specific 'World-Breaking Divine Metals' within a hundred breaths."

Lu Qingxuan looked at the entrance of the grand hall, where indeed piles of dense metal fragments lay, each emitting different Law fluctuations.

"I'll do it." Su Linger stepped forward, the reincarnation mirror floating before her. "Reincarnation: Myriad Flow Reversal!"

The mirror light shone on the pile of fragments, and a phantom of time's flow appeared on the surface of each fragment—the entire process from being mined, melted, forged, to finally becoming a fragment. In just three breaths, Su Linger reached out and took three dark silver metals from the thousands of fragments.

"World-Breaking Silver, Void Iron, Dimension Copper." She accurately named them.

An aged voice of praise came from the depths of the grand hall: "A Legacy Disciple of Purple Firmament Sovereign Lord... good eyesight."

Boom.

The first grand gate opened.

"The second trial is to temper the prototype," Yin continued. "There are three untempered prototype blanks in the Sword Forging Pool. You need to temper them to the 'Self-Generating Spiritual Light' Realm within a thousand hammers."

The three entered the depths of the grand hall, and a boiling bronze molten pool appeared before their eyes. Beside the pool were three head-sized dark gold metal blanks, and a Bronze Heavy Hammer floated beside the pool.

Lu Qingxuan stepped forward. The moment he grasped the heavy hammer, a heavy force came—this hammer was as heavy as a star!

"Ordinary Cultivators would find it hard to even pick up, let alone swing it a thousand times," Yin reminded.

Lu Qingxuan said nothing. The seven strands of Immortal Qi circulated within him, and the heavy hammer felt weightless in his hand.

He picked up a blank and threw it into the molten pool. Three breaths later, he fished it out and swung the hammer down.

Clang—!

The hammer fell like thunder, sparks flew from the surface of the blank, and thirty percent of the Impurities within were shaken out.

Clang, clang, clang, clang—!

The sound of hammering was like a torrential rain. Under the blessing of Immortal Qi, each hammer blow contained the power of creation. The blank deformed, condensed, and sublimated at a visible speed.

After nine hundred ninety-nine hammers, the blank had transformed into a three-foot-long conical prototype, with dark gold spiritual light flowing on its surface, subtly exuding a sharp aura capable of piercing through the Void Realm.

Self-Generating Spiritual Light!

The second grand gate opened.

"The third trial..." Yin's voice paused slightly. "Artifact Soul Recognition."

In the deepest part of the Sword Forging Pool, a phantom figure slowly condensed—an elderly phantom clad in bronze armor, with white hair and beard, holding a forging hammer, his eyes like torches.

"Artisan Ancestor's Remnant Soul..." Su Linger whispered.

The Bronze Artisan Ancestor's Remnant Soul swept its gaze over the two, finally resting on Lu Qingxuan.

"The Legacy Inheritor of Chaos Sword Master... you have his Sword Intent on you." The Artisan Ancestor's voice was deep. "But the world-breaking cone is not a sword. Do you know why it was forged?"

"To break open the devouring Origin and destroy the Gluttonous Array Core." Lu Qingxuan replied.

"Wrong." The Artisan Ancestor shook his head. "The true meaning of the world-breaking cone is to 'break boundaries'—not just the boundaries of space, but also the boundaries of Law, the boundaries of fate, and even... the boundaries of life and death."

He pointed to the prototype in Lu Qingxuan's hand: "If this awl is completed, it can break all shackles. But you must answer one question: If one day, you need to use this awl to break the Karma boundary between yourself and your beloved to save all living beings, what would you choose?"

The question struck at the heart.

Su Linger looked at Lu Qingxuan nervously.

Lu Qingxuan was silent for three breaths, then slowly said: "I won't let that day come."

"What if it's destined to come?"

"Then I will break 'destiny' itself." Lu Qingxuan's eyes were sharp. "If fate wants me to choose, I will use this awl to break fate."

The Artisan Ancestor's Remnant Soul was silent for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! What a 'break fate'! That old fellow Chaos Sword Master truly didn't misjudge you!"

He raised a hand and pointed. The prototype suddenly lit up, transforming into a dark gold stream of light that merged into Lu Qingxuan's glabella.

[Obtained: World-Breaking Awl Prototype (Chaos: Half-Divine Artifact)]

[Effect: Can break all Law boundaries, has special attack against devouring-type Laws, requires Immortal Qi to activate]

[Hint: The prototype needs to be nourished with heart blood within three hours for initial recognition as master]

Lu Qingxuan felt a conical imprint appear on his glabella, containing a sharp power capable of piercing through myriad worlds.

The three trials passed!

"Not much time left..." Yin weakly reminded. "Two and a half hours remaining..."

Lu Qingxuan nodded, just about to leave—

The entire Shattered Artisan Star suddenly vibrated violently!

The grand hall's dome was forcibly torn open by a gigantic claw covered in black scales, and a crimson eye, like a blood moon, peered through the crack!

"I've found you..." Gluttonous's voice boomed. "Artisan God's Secret Treasure... world-breaking cone... How could I let you take it!"

It actually tore through the Void Realm with its true form, pursuing them here!

"Go!" Lu Qingxuan pulled Su Linger, sword light exploded, smashing through the grand hall's dome and soaring into the sky.

Behind them, the black giant claw slammed down, and the entire Shattered Artisan Star instantly exploded under this one claw, turning into cosmic dust!

Lu Qingxuan did not look back, pushing the sword light's speed to its limit, fleeing desperately towards the Guixu Sea Eye.

Gluttonous's true form relentlessly pursued from behind, annihilating stars and turning Star Domains into a devouring Hell wherever it passed.

"He doesn't dare to pursue with full power," Yin suddenly said. "Heavenly Fate Child is forcibly extracting my Origin in Guixu. Gluttonous must preserve its strength for the final ritual... he just wants to delay you..."

Indeed, although Gluttonous pursued closely, it did not unleash its true devouring Divine Ability, merely interfering with its oppressive aura.

"Then let's see who's faster."

A fierce glint flashed in Lu Qingxuan's eyes, and the seven strands of Immortal Qi in his body burned simultaneously!

"Immortal Sword: Void Escape!"

The sword light suddenly blurred, as if detaching from reality, rapidly shuttling between the real and the illusory. This was his "Void Escape Technique," simulated by activating the zhan xu sword with Immortal Qi. Although it consumed a vast amount, its speed increased tenfold!

A trace of shock and anger flashed in Gluttonous's crimson eyes. It opened its mouth and spewed a devouring torrent, but Lu Qingxuan's sword light had already escaped into a deeper layer of the Void Realm, disappearing from sight.

---

Guixu Sea Eye.

Guixu now was completely different from before.

The ten-thousand-mile rift had completely closed, replaced by a black altar towering a million zhang. The altar was triangular, with a figure suspended at each of its three corners—

At the east corner, Heavenly Fate Child's true form sat cross-legged on a golden wheel of destiny. The wheel rotated, and billions of Karma threads extended to the center of the altar, extracting dark gold Ancient God Origin from a colossal corpse.

At the west corner, Gluttonous's true form had transformed into a black hole. Countless tentacles stretched from the edge of the black hole, also piercing into the corpse, devouring its essence of flesh and blood.

At the north corner, Decay Extinction's Divine Body was shrouded in gray-white decaying Qi, and mold spots spread like living things, corroding the core of the corpse's Divine Soul.

In the center of the altar, Yin's corpse was firmly bound by triple chains, its crimson eyes half-open and half-closed, its consciousness on the verge of collapse.

"Only the last twenty percent of Origin remains..." Heavenly Fate Child spoke indifferently. "After it's drained, Yin will completely become the stepping stone for us to reach the 'Dao Master Realm'."

"Those two little bugs are almost here." Gluttonous's black hole rotated. "Should one of us go intercept them?"

"No need." Decay Extinction's gray-white eyes swept towards a certain spot in the Void Realm. "They're here."

As his voice fell, a gray-white sword light tore through the Void Realm, defiantly descending on the edge of the altar!

Lu Qingxuan and Su Linger stood on the sword, their gazes sweeping over the scene on the altar, their expressions extremely grave.

Yin's corpse was as dim as a flickering candle in the wind.

"Finally here..." Heavenly Fate Child slowly opened his eyes, golden eyes reflecting the myriad stars of the Heavens. "Perfect, to witness the dawn of a new era."

Lu Qingxuan gripped the zhan xu sword, and the world-breaking cone imprint on his glabella lit up.

"New era?" His voice was cold. "I see it as the end of an era."

The seven strands of Immortal Qi in his body erupted simultaneously, and the Chaos Immortal Sword Body illuminated the darkness!

The final decisive battle begins now!