457: Chapter 392: Taking advantage of the opportunity to infiltrate, the Mo family breaks the formation silently.

The purification of the heart of the abyss was proceeding slowly above the Fire of Civilization of the New Universe. However, that dark red crystal still needed thirty days to completely transform into the Heart of Order, and Lin Zhou had no time to wait. He had to take advantage of the chaos inside the King of Deception's castle to infiltrate deeper into the core—where not only was the original body of the heart of the abyss (already taken), but also an ancient map marking the "Void Rift" in the deepest part of Guixu. That was the final connection point between Guixu and the Old Universe, and the source from which Guixu energy gushed out.

[Void Rift · Map Information]

- Location: Edge of the Old Universe, the deepest part of Guixu

- Source of Annotation: Ancient Civilization (older than The Transcendent)

- Status: Sealed (but the Seal is collapsing)

- Estimated Total Collapse: Approximately one hundred days

“One hundred days.” Lin Zhou looked at the map, his brow furrowed. “The source of the Guixu energy must be sealed. Otherwise, the New Universe will also be eroded.”

“But it's too far away,” Qin Qing said. “Near the edge of Guixu, the rules have completely collapsed, and even a Civilization Projection is difficult to maintain.”

“Therefore, we need a more efficient way to infiltrate.” Lin Zhou looked toward Li Mo.

Li Mo pushed up his glasses and pulled up a blueprint.

[Space Folding Teleportation Formation · Technical Data]

- Principle: Centered on Mohist Mechanical Arts, combined with Daoist space-folding principles to create temporary teleportation channels

- Teleportation Distance: Maximum of 10,000 kilometers at a time (requires Anchor Points)

- Anchor Point: Requires pre-placement of teleportation Coordinate Stones

- Consumption: 100,000 Divine Power to activate, 1,000 Divine Power per minute to maintain

- Scale: Can teleport a squad of ten people or fewer

“The teleportation Formation needs Anchor Points. We must place a Coordinate Stone inside the 666th floor castle to teleport directly there from the New Universe.” Li Mo pointed to the King of Deception's castle on the map. “The Coordinate Stone is only the size of a fingernail and can be hidden in any crevice. The question is, who will go to place it?”

Lin Zhou thought for a moment: “I'll go. My Fire of Civilization can simulate the abyss aura, so I won't be discovered.”

“It's too dangerous.” Su Yueyao shook her head. “Last time you acted as bait, you were almost surrounded by golems.”

“Last time was to deliberately lead them away; this time is an infiltration. It's different.”

Lin Zhou took the Coordinate Stone from Li Mo's hand—a small silver-white stone with its surface covered in space runes. He placed the stone into the Divine Kingdom Core and turned to face everyone.

“Brothers, I will infiltrate the castle to set the Coordinate Stone. Once successful, we can teleport directly there, take the map, and then evacuate.”

“How long?” Qin Qing asked.

“Three days. In three days, whether successful or not, I will return.”

The 666th floor of the Endless Abyss, the King of Deception's castle.

Following the Soul trials and execution events, the atmosphere inside the castle had become extremely oppressive. Soldiers patrolled in silence, their eyes filled with fear and exhaustion. They were afraid that the next person dragged onto the altar would be themselves.

Lin Zhou disguised himself as a low-level devil soldier, wearing black armor stripped from a corpse, and blended into a patrol squad to enter the castle. The abyss aura simulated by the Fire of Civilization merged perfectly with the residual aura of the original owner on the armor; even the devil soldiers beside him did not notice.

[Disguise · Infiltration Status]

- Identity: Low-level devil soldier, Number 3874

- Original Owner Status: Executed during the Soul trial, body not yet processed

- Disguise Effect: Abyss aura 99% similar, behavior patterns simulated through Chen Xuan's School of Names 'Concept Assimilation' technique

He walked along the corridor toward the depths of the castle. The patrol route only went as far as the middle levels and could not enter the high levels or the underground core area. He needed to quietly break away from the squad at a certain junction.

[Castle Map · Key Areas]

- Middle Levels: Soldier barracks, warehouses, cafeteria

- High Levels: King of Deception's chambers, treasury, throne room

- Underground: Original site of the heart of the abyss, ancient secret room, magic trap core

The target on the map was the Underground Secret Room—where the ancient map was kept. However, the entrance to the underground area was behind the treasury on the high levels, requiring him to pass through three magic traps and the alert range of two Abyssal Golems.

Lin Zhou pretended to tie his shoelaces at a junction and broke away from the patrol squad. He slipped into a derelict side corridor, at the end of which was a narrow staircase leading to the high levels. The narrow staircase was in disrepair and had no guards.

He followed the narrow staircase upward and reached the high levels.

The high-level corridors were empty—most of the guards had been reassigned to the plaza to maintain Order. Only occasional patrol squads passed by, at intervals of about fifteen minutes.

[High Levels · Guard Data]

- Patrol Squad Density: Four squads per hour

- People per Squad: Ten

- Captain Rank: LV400-LV500

- Perception Ability: Moderate

After a patrol squad passed, Lin Zhou quickly crossed the corridor and reached the back of the treasury.

The treasury doors were tightly shut. Originally, there were two Abyssal Golems in front of the doors, but after he had lured them away last time, the King of Deception had not replaced them—because making a golem required a hundred years. Now, only a layer of Guixu energy shield blocked the door.

[Treasury Defense · Current Status]

- Abyssal Golems: 0 (not replaced)

- Guixu Energy Shield: Active

- Magic Traps: 30% disabled (due to Belial's execution, some traps were not maintained)

Lin Zhou raised his hand, and the Fire of Civilization condensed in his palm. He did not attempt to break the shield; instead, he melted the fire into a thin film and covered the surface of the shield. The fire film simulated the frequency of the Guixu energy, making the shield mistakenly believe it was a part of itself, and it slowly parted to both sides.

[Mohist Formation-Breaking Art · Silent Infiltration]

- Principle: Using Fire of Civilization to simulate target energy, merging into the shield to establish a "channel"

- Effect: Shield does not trigger alarms or generate energy fluctuations

- Consumption: 1,000 Divine Power per minute

- Passage Time: Approximately thirty seconds

Thirty seconds later, Lin Zhou passed through the shield and entered the treasury.

The inside of the treasury was a mess. The fragments of the seventy-two Demon God statues destroyed when he took the flame seed last time were still piled in the corner, and the twelve newly arranged Abyssal Golems had already been lured away by him. The treasury was empty, with only a few boxes of worthless abyss crystals scattered on the floor.

He crossed the treasury and reached the hidden door at the back.

The hidden door led to the Underground Secret Room. There was no lock on the door—only a layer of ancient magic Seal. This layer of Seal had nothing to do with the King of Deception; it was left behind by an Ancient Civilization even older than The Transcendent.

[Ancient Seal · Data]

- Type: Concept Seal (based on the principle of "Negation of Existence")

- Effect: Unauthorized individuals will be "negated of existence," essentially erased from reality

- Breaking Method: Likewise using "Concepts" to counter—using the "Existence Affirmation" of the Fire of Civilization to offset it

Lin Zhou pressed his hand against the Seal, and the Fire of Civilization poured in.

The fire and the Seal collided; there was no explosion, no light—only a silent confrontation. The Seal tried to negate his existence, but the Fire of Civilization, with "Civilization Legacy" as its core concept, negated the "negation."

[Concept Confrontation · Progress]

- Seal Strength: 70%...50%...30%...

- Consumption: 5,000 Divine Power per minute

- Estimated Breaking Time: Approximately five minutes

Five minutes later, the Seal dissipated.

The hidden door slid open silently.

Lin Zhou entered the Underground Secret Room.

The secret room was not large, about fifty square meters. The walls were covered in ancient murals—not in an abyss style, but older symbols resembling oracle bone script. In the center of the room, a dark red crystal fragment floated—it was not the main body of the heart of the abyss, but a small piece that had broken off.

[heart of the abyss Fragment · Data]

- Size: Fingernail-sized

- Contained Energy: Rule Fragment of the Abyss

- Function: Can serve as a teleportation Anchor Point (when combined with a Coordinate Stone)

Beside the fragment lay an ancient scroll of animal hide—the map.

Lin Zhou picked up the hide and unrolled it.

[Void Rift · Complete Map]

- Location: Edge of the Old Universe, the deepest part of Guixu

- Distance: Approximately 100,000 kilometers

- Path: Pass through the remains of the Chaos Star Domain, bypass the Guixu Projection gathering areas, and cross the space-time turbulence zones

- Seal Status: Imminent collapse (remaining time approximately ninety days)

- Seal Type: Set by an Ancient Civilization using "World Keystone" as the core and "Fire of Civilization" as fuel

“Ninety days...” Lin Zhou put away the map.

He took out the Coordinate Stone and embedded it into the heart of the abyss fragment. The fragment and the Coordinate Stone fused, emitting a faint silver light.

[Teleportation Anchor Point · Successful Placement]

- Location: Underground Secret Room, King of Deception's castle, 666th floor of the Endless Abyss

- Anchor Stability: 98%

- Teleportable Number: Ten people

- Activation Method: Li Mo initiates the teleportation Formation in the New Universe

Lin Zhou hid the fused Anchor Point in a crack in the secret room wall and covered it with the Fire of Civilization to erase all energy fluctuations.

[Anchor Point · Hidden Status]

- Visibility: 0 (obscured by Fire of Civilization)

- Detectability: Extremely low (requires perception at the Peak of high-tier divine power to discover)

He exited the secret room and reactivated the Ancient Seal—although the Seal had been broken, the "mark" left by the Fire of Civilization could serve as a temporary key, allowing him to pass through again without needing to break it again.

[Seal · Temporary Key]

- Effect: Lin Zhou himself can pass through freely

- Duration: Seven days

- Others still need to break it

Lin Zhou passed through the treasury, went through the Guixu energy shield, and returned to the high-level corridor.

In the corridor, a patrol squad had just passed. He waited for three minutes, and in the gap before the next patrol squad, he crossed the corridor, returned to the narrow staircase, descended to the middle levels, and blended into another patrol squad.

Everything went smoothly.

He left the castle and returned to the New Universe.

New Universe, beside the teleportation Formation.

Li Mo was debugging the Space Folding Teleportation Formation. The Formation was octagonal, with each corner inlaid with a space crystal, and the other Coordinate Stone (the sub-stone) left by Lin Zhou was suspended in the center.

[Space Folding Teleportation Formation · Status]

- Sub-stone: Activated

- Mother-stone: In the 666th floor secret room

- Connection Status: Stable

- Teleportation Readiness: Ready

“Captain, we can teleport now,” Li Mo said.

Lin Zhou looked at the Formation and was silent for a moment.

“Brothers, this time, we aren't just taking the map. We also need to do one thing—leave some 'traces' in the castle to make the King of Deception think Marbas's people did it. That way, the abyss civil war will continue, and they won't have the energy to focus on us.”

“What traces?” Chen Xuan asked.

Lin Zhou took a badge from Marbas's personal guard out of his robes—one he had captured during the battle on the 777th floor.

“Drop it at the entrance of the secret room. The King of Deception will find it and become even more convinced that Marbas is the mastermind.”

“Brilliant.” Chen Xuan smiled.

“Let's go.” Lin Zhou was the first to step into the teleportation Formation.

The Formation activated, and a silver-white light enveloped the ten-person squad.

[Teleportation · Parameters]

- People Teleported: 10

- Teleportation Distance: Approximately 10,000 kilometers

- Consumption: 100,000 Divine Power

- Time Taken: Approximately ten seconds

Ten seconds later.

Lin Zhou opened his eyes; before him was the Underground Secret Room—they had successfully teleported to the Anchor Point's location.

In the secret room, everything was as before. The Seal was intact, and the temporary key from the Fire of Civilization allowed him to pass through easily.

He took out the badge of Marbas's personal guard and dropped it on the floor at the entrance of the secret room. The residual Abyss Devilish Qi on the badge perfectly matched Marbas's mark.

[Forged Evidence · Badge]

- Source: Captured during the battle on the 777th floor

- Ownership: Marbas's personal guard

- Residual Aura: Marbas's mark

- Probability of Discovery: High (patrol squads regularly check the vicinity of the secret room)

“Go.” Lin Zhou led the team and teleported back to the New Universe.

Three days later.

A castle patrol squad discovered the badge at the entrance of the secret room during a routine inspection.

The news was reported through the Ranks, eventually landing on the King of Deception's desk.

The King looked at the badge, his face ashen.

“Marbas... Not only did you steal my flame seed, but you also sent people to infiltrate my secret room?”

He ordered a search of the interior of the secret room.

The soldiers broke the Seal (which took three days) and entered the secret room—only to see empty walls and a deactivated Coordinate Stone (which Lin Zhou had left intentionally).

[Coordinate Stone · Status]

- Type: Space teleportation Anchor Point

- Ownership: Unidentifiable (purified by Fire of Civilization)

- Function: Deactivated

“Your Majesty, this is a space teleportation Anchor Point. Someone teleported out from here,” a Black-Armored General reported.

“Who?”

“Unknown. The Anchor Point has been destroyed and cannot be traced.”

The King of Deception gripped his scepter, his knuckles turning white.

“Pass down my Orders: assemble the entire army.”

“Target—Marbas's 555th floor.”

“This time, this King will personally take his head!”

[Abyss Civil War · Escalation]

- Trigger: Badge discovered

- King of Deception's Troops: 100,000 (remaining)

- Marbas's Troops: 70,000 (remaining)

- Estimated Duration: Several months or even years

In the New Universe, atop the Watchtower.

Lin Zhou looked at the battle situation in the abyss on the Star Map—the two armies had already begun to engage, and the flames of war were reignited.

“Captain, they're fighting again,” Qin Qing said.

“Let them fight.” Lin Zhou put away the map. “We have more important things to do.”

He turned to face everyone.

“Brothers, the map of the Void Rift has been obtained. That is the source of the Guixu energy. Seal it, and Guixu will lose its power.”

“When do we depart?”

“Thirty days from now. Once the heart of the abyss is purified and transformed into the Heart of Order, we will use it to reinforce the stability of the New Universe's rules. Then, we head into the depths of Guixu.”

“This time, it is the final battle.”

The group was silent, then they responded in unison: “Yes!”

Lin Zhou walked down from the Watchtower.

Behind him, the Fire of Civilization burned.

It illuminated the New Universe and also lit the way home.