485: Chapter 420: Fierce Battle and Capture of the Enemy, the Void Mark Reveals Clues

The direction the minor leader fled was toward the edge of the Guixu in the Old Universe. Lin Zhou did not pursue immediately. He knew that the person was severely injured and could not get far. Moreover, he needed a live captive; he needed to know how many more hidden agents the Void Sect had in the New Universe and who was behind them. A minor leader with a severed right arm and only 70% of his divine godhead remaining would not be hard to track. But Lin Zhou did not pursue; he had set a larger trap.

He had Qin Qing spread the news: the fake Guixu energy core replica seized from the supply team was the real deal, had been transported back to the fortress, and was being prepared to be sent to the core area of the New Universe for research. The news was "leaked" through several encrypted channels; as long as there were still people from the Void Sect listening, they would definitely know.

The real Guixu energy core was the key to opening the Gate of Guixu. The minor leader would inevitably report to his superior upon escaping. His superior—perhaps the last Cardinal, or perhaps an even higher existence—would definitely send people to seize it. Or, come to seize it personally.

Lin Zhou waited in the fortress for three days. On the third night, the detector captured a faint spatial fluctuation—someone had used a teleportation array to teleport from the edge of the Old Universe to the periphery of the Seventh War Zone.

[Spatial Fluctuation · Data]

- Location: Northwest of the fortress, approximately 500 kilometers

- Type: Spatial Teleportation Array

- Number of people: Estimated under ten

- Energy characteristics: Guixu energy

"They are here." Lin Zhou stood up and looked towards the direction of the Chaos Star Domain.

He mustered his troops. Wang Meng, Qin Qing, Su Yueyao, Chen Xuan, and fifty elites from the Civilization Guardian Legion. Dragon Vein Golden Scale accompanied them. The team passed through the teleportation array and lay in ambush near the source of the fluctuation in advance. The projection of the ark of civilization was compressed to its smallest size, its deep blue light nearly invisible in the gray-white mist.

[Ambush Team · Data]

- Number of people: 54 + Dragon Vein Golden Scale

- Average Divine Godhead Rank: LV600

- Equipment: Civilization Armor · Enhanced Version

- Location: Surrounding the spatial fluctuation source, in a ring formation

- Distance: 10 kilometers

At 2:00 AM, a spatial rift tore through the Void Realm. Dark red light poured out from the rift, condensing into eight figures. The leader was an old man wearing dark red robes with a withered face. His cuffs were embroidered with dark gold patterns, identical to the Cardinal seen before. His divine godhead Rank was about LV3500, but his divine godhead integrity was only 40%—he was still suffering from severe injuries. Behind him followed seven believers, with Ranks between LV500 and LV800.

[Void Sect · Incoming Data]

- Number of people: 8

- Commander: Cardinal (LV3500, 40% integrity)

- Members: 7 (LV500 - LV800)

- Objective: Seize the Guixu energy core

"He is the last Cardinal," Lin Zhou said in a low voice.

"Captain, should we attack?" Wang Meng gripped his battle axe.

"Wait. Wait until they get closer to the fortress. Lei Zhan's heavy armor legion is there to support us."

The Cardinal led the seven believers flying towards the fortress. They were fast, but did not use a teleportation array—to avoid being detected. When they were only one hundred kilometers away from the fortress, Lin Zhou gave the order.

"Move out."

The projection of the ark of civilization suddenly expanded, its deep blue light illuminating the Void Realm for ten kilometers around. Dragon Vein Golden Scale poked its head out from the Divine Kingdom, and its Dragon Breath engulfed the believer at the very back. Su Yueyao's moon radiance expanded, silver-white light shrouding the remaining believers; their dark red flames flickered in the moon radiance, becoming dim.

[Battle · First Wave Data]

- Believers: 7

- Kills: 1 (Dragon Breath)

- Remaining: 6

- Our losses: 0

The Cardinal's expression changed drastically. "An ambush!"

He turned to flee, but Lei Zhan's heavy armor legion had already deployed the Steel Bastion behind him. The shield wall was a hundred zhang high and ten zhang thick, with dark gold defensive runes flowing on the ramparts.

[Steel Bastion · Data]

- Defense: Can withstand a full-force blow from a high-tier divine power

- Durability: 2 million points

- Effect: Friendly unit defense +50% within range

"You aren't going anywhere." Lei Zhan stood on the ramparts, his greatsword held across his chest.

The Cardinal gritted his teeth and lunged at Lei Zhan. Wang Meng rushed out from the flank, his battle axe hacking towards his head. The Cardinal dodged, but Wang Meng's axe was too fast, slashing across his left shoulder.

[Cardinal · Status]

- Divine Godhead Integrity: 40% → 35%

- Left shoulder: Minor injury

Lin Zhou did not rush to make a move. He let Wang Meng and Lei Zhan exhaust the Cardinal's Divine Power, while he observed the formation of the remaining six believers. They had coordination, but it wasn't a military formation; it was more like some kind of ritual formation. The six of them stood in a hexagon, with dark red energy flowing between them.

[Believer Formation · Analysis]

- Type: Hexagram Array

- Function: Guixu energy convergence

- Goal: Summon Guixu Projection

"Interrupt them," Lin Zhou ordered.

Fifty elites charged simultaneously, the Sword of Civilization burning in everyone's hands. The believers were separated and surrounded, their formation collapsing.

[Battle · Second Wave Data]

- Believers: 6

- Kills: 4

- Captives: 2

- Our losses: 5 minor injuries

Seeing the believers captured, the Cardinal went completely insane. He burned his remaining divine godhead, turning into a pillar of dark red light, and lunged at Lin Zhou.

[Cardinal · Ultimate Skill — Guixu Descent]

- Effect: Burn all divine godhead, summon Guixu Projection

- Cost: Divine godhead integrity drops to zero

- Power: Full-force blow of a Peak high-tier divine power

Lin Zhou did not retreat. He took a step forward, and the river of civilization surged out from his Divine Kingdom, turning into a cyan-gold torrent that rushed towards the Cardinal.

[river of civilization · Purification Mode]

- Consumption: 100,000 Divine Power per minute

- Effect: Wash away Guixu energy

The river collided with the pillar of light, erupting with blinding radiance. The pillar of light was swallowed by the river, and the Cardinal's body began to become transparent.

"Mor... tal... You... cannot win... Guixu..."

His body turned into gray-white light spots and dissipated.

[Cardinal · Fallen]

The battle ended. The two captured believers were taken back to the fortress. Lin Zhou interrogated them personally.

He walked into the interrogation room, and Qin Qing stood to the side. Iron Face, the special commissioner, was also there—he had specifically come to assist with the interrogation.

The two believers were bound to chairs by chains of rules, their divine godheads sealed, unable to resist. Their eyes were hollow, with only two faint dark red flames still burning.

[Captive · Data]

- Number of people: 2

- Rank: LV600, LV650

- Status: Moderately corrupted (70% divine godhead integrity)

- Consciousness: Partially remaining

Iron Face walked up to the first captive and reached out to press his forehead. "In the name of justice — Judgment."

[Judgment · Skill]

- Effect: Force the target to tell the truth

- Consumption: 1000 Divine Power per question

- Side effect: -5% divine godhead integrity of the judged

"What is your name?"

"Nameless."

"How many strongholds does the Void Sect have left in the New Universe?"

"Don't know... I am only... an executor..."

"Who is your superior?"

"White-robed Bishop... but he... is dead..."

Iron Face released his hand and looked at Lin Zhou. "He is a low-level executor and doesn't know much."

Lin Zhou nodded and walked to the second captive. This person was of a higher Rank, LV650, and the dark red flames in his eyes were brighter. Iron Face activated Judgment again.

"What is your name?"

"Nameless."

"How many strongholds does the Void Sect have left in the New Universe?"

"Three... but... I don't know... the location..."

"Who is your superior?"

"The Cardinal... is already... dead..."

Iron Face frowned. "Your superiors are all dead, why did you still come to seize the Guixu energy core?"

The captive was silent for a moment. "Because... the organization... still exists... the order... came from... higher up..."

Iron Face and Lin Zhou exchanged a look.

"Who is higher up?"

"Don't know... I only... heard... a voice... in the Void Realm... there is a voice..."

"What did the voice say?"

"Seize... the core... open... the gate... welcome... the Master..."

Iron Face's hand trembled slightly. "Master? Who is the Master?"

"The Incarnation of... Guixu..."

The captive's eyes suddenly widened, and the dark red flames surged violently. His divine godhead began to burn—a precursor to self-detonation.

[Captive · Self-detonation]

- Method: Burning divine godhead

- Power: Full-force blow of a Peak Mid-Tier Divine Power

- Countdown: 3 seconds

"Back off!" Lin Zhou rushed forward, condensing Fire of Civilization in his palm and pressing it onto the captive's chest. "Don't — die!"

The flames seeped into the captive's divine godhead, wrapping around the burning divine fire. The dark red flames were suppressed by the cyan-gold light, and the self-detonation was forcibly interrupted.

[Captive · Status]

- Divine Godhead Integrity: 70% → 10%

- Self-detonation: Interrupted

- Status: Near death

But Lin Zhou's Fire of Civilization caught a trace of residual consciousness deep within the captive's Divine Soul—not the consciousness of the captive himself, but from some existence in the Void Realm.

It was a mark. A dark red mark, carved onto the core of the captive's Divine Soul. The mark was in the shape of a Möbius strip, with no beginning and no end. The mark emitted energy fluctuations of Guixu, but purer and more ancient.

[Void Mark · Data]

- Type: Rule Mark

- Source: Unknown (suspected to be Guixu itself)

- Function: Control believers, transmit orders

- Strength: Extremely high

- Status: Self-destructing

The mark was self-destructing. Lin Zhou gritted his teeth, condensing the Fire of Civilization into a needle, stabbing it into the core of the mark, and peeling off a small fragment. The mark erupted with blinding dark red light, then completely dissipated.

The captive's Divine Soul lost its support; his eyes closed, and the divine fire extinguished.

[Captive · Fallen]

Lin Zhou knelt on one knee, gasping for air.

"Captain!" Su Yueyao rushed over, enveloping him with moon radiance.

"I'm fine. Just a large consumption of Divine Power." Lin Zhou stood up, holding a tiny dark red fragment in his palm—the remnant of the Void Mark.

[Void Mark Fragment · Data]

- Size: Fingernail

- Source: Guixu itself

- Information contained: Partial (can be analyzed)

- Status: Unstable

"What is this?" Iron Face stared at the fragment.

"The Void Mark. The Divine Soul cores of the Void Sect believers are all carved with this mark. The orders were transmitted from this mark—from Guixu itself."

Iron Face's expression changed. "Guixu... has consciousness?"

"Not consciousness, but instinct. Guixu's instinct is to devour all existence. The Void Sect is just its tool. It doesn't need believers; believers are just a means. Its goal is to devour the New Universe."

Iron Face was silent.

Lin Zhou put the fragment away. "I need to analyze this fragment to know what Guixu is really planning."

Li Mo spoke over the communication link: "Captain, give me seven days."

"Is seven days enough?"

"Enough."

For seven days, Li Mo shut himself in the laboratory, repeatedly scorching the fragment with the Fire of Civilization. On the evening of the seventh day, he walked out of the laboratory, his face pale, but his eyes shining.

"Captain, it has been analyzed."

[Void Mark Fragment · Analysis Result]

- Source: Guixu core

- Function: Transmit orders, pollute divine godhead

- Order content: Seize the Guixu energy core, open the Gate of Guixu, welcome the "Master"

- "Master" identity: Incarnation of Guixu's will — Lord of the Void

- Lord of the Void Status: Sleeping (in the deepest part of Guixu)

- Awakening countdown: Approximately three years

"Lord of the Void..." Lin Zhou murmured.

"The Incarnation of Guixu's will, estimated Rank LV10000+. If it wakes up, no one in the New Universe can stop it."

Lin Zhou was silent.

"Three more years."

"Yes."

He stood up, walked out of the barracks, and stood on the ramparts.

Qin Qing followed him. "Captain, in three years, can we beat the Lord of the Void?"

"I don't know. But in these three years, we can become stronger."

"How to become stronger?"

"Develop the Way of Civilization. Let more people become Civilization Walkers. Let the Fire of Civilization burn throughout the New Universe. When the Fire of Civilization is bright enough, the darkness of Guixu will be illuminated."

Lin Zhou looked towards the direction of the Chaos Star Domain.

In the gray-white mist, the dark red light had already disappeared. The last remnants of the Void Sect had been wiped out, but the true enemy was still sleeping.

Three years.

He still had three years.

"Captain, what are you thinking about?" Su Yueyao walked over.

"Thinking about where we will be in three years."

"Here. By your side."

Lin Zhou held her hand.

"Good."

Qin Qing looked at their backs, the corners of her mouth slightly raised. She turned and walked down the ramparts.