505: Chapter 440: Weaknesses Revealed, Flaws Exposed During Transitions

The tactic of rotating purification lasted for an entire year.

Every month, Lin Zhou would lead the squad deep into the Anchor Point to suppress the contamination level of the Lord of Nothingness to below 20%.

The Lord of Nothingness would repair itself each time, but the speed of repair was getting slower and slower.

From an initial recovery of 5% per month, it dropped to 4%, then to 3%.

Its power was being consumed, and the countdown to its awakening was extending.

[Anchor Point · Annual Record]

- After the first purification: contamination level 20%, self-healing speed 5% per month

- After the sixth purification: contamination level 15%, self-healing speed 3% per month

- After the twelfth purification: contamination level 10%, self-healing speed 2% per month

The phantom of the Lord of Nothingness became dimmer each time than the last.

The dark red veins slowly squirmed on the surface of the crystal, but the amplitude of the squirming was getting smaller, like exhausted snakes.

But Lin Zhou knew it had not yet reached its limit.

After each purification, it would suddenly accelerate its repairs at a certain point—not at a constant speed, but in pulses.

It was as if it saved up its power and then released it all at once.

Li Mo captured this pattern.

"Captain, the repair of the Lord of Nothingness is not continuous; it is pulsed."

Li Mo pulled up the data analysis chart, which showed a curve that rose steadily, then jumped sharply, and then rose steadily again. "It usually repairs slowly at a rate of 2% per month, but every three months, there is a 'Repair Pulse' that recovers 5% to 10% of the contamination level at once."

[Repair Pulse · Data]

- Frequency: Once every three months

- Amplitude: 5% - 10%

- Duration: Approximately ten seconds

- Energy source: The power of the Lord of Nothingness itself

"Ten seconds..." Lin Zhou stared at the curve. "During these ten seconds, it draws its power away from maintaining its awakening to repair the Anchor Point. That means the power maintaining its awakening will weaken."

"Theoretically, yes. But ten seconds is too short; we don't have enough time to do anything."

"There is enough time. During the next pulse, I am going in."

Qin Qing's expression changed. "Captain, you want to enter the core of the Anchor Point? During the pulse?"

"Yes. When it repairs the Anchor Point, its defense weakens. Those ten seconds are when it is at its most vulnerable."

"It's too dangerous. If the pulse ends early, you will be trapped inside the core."

"That's why we need precise timing."

Lin Zhou looked at Li Mo. "When is the next pulse?"

Li Mo calculated quickly. "In twenty-three days, with an error margin of no more than six hours."

Twenty-three days.

Lin Zhou did not sit idle. He had Li Mo modify the Array Breaker into an "Anchoring Device" that could be used inside the Anchor Point.

The principle was the same as a spatial Anchor Point, but the goal was not to stabilize space, but to stabilize Lin Zhou's existence—to prevent him from being erased under the impact of the power of the Lord of Nothingness.

[Anchoring Device · Data]

- Principle: Using the Origin Stone of Space as the core to anchor the user's existence in the river of civilization

- Effect: Immunity to existence erasure, duration thirty minutes

- Consumption: One Origin Stone of Space

- Quantity: Li Mo made three

Twenty-three days later.

The squad teleported to the periphery of the Anchor Point again. The gap in the barrier was still there, and three Array Breakers were maintaining a channel with a diameter of thirty meters. But Lin Zhou did not let everyone enter—this time, only he went in alone.

"Captain, I'll go with you." Wang Meng gripped his battle axe tightly.

"No. The pulse is only ten seconds; more people would just get in the way. With just me, the target is smaller."

Lin Zhou pressed an Anchoring Device against his chest, the silver-white light seeping into his godhead. "Also, I need you to coordinate from the outside. If I don't come out within ten seconds, use the Array Breakers to expand the gap and forcibly pull me out."

Qin Qing nodded. "Ten seconds. Not a second more."

Lin Zhou stepped into the gap and flew toward the core of the Anchor Point.

The dark red veins on the surface of the crystal were dimmer than last time, but the phantom in the center was still slowly squirming.

The eyes of the Lord of Nothingness were tightly closed, the dark red light beneath the eyelids flickering, like a star about to extinguish.

Lin Zhou stopped ten meters in front of the crystal, not getting any closer. He was waiting for the pulse.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The dark red veins on the surface of the crystal suddenly flashed violently.

Grey-white mist surged out from the veins, converging toward the center of the crystal.

The phantom of the Lord of Nothingness opened its mouth—not to breathe, but to devour.

It was devouring the energy of the Return to Void it had released, and then using that energy to repair the Anchor Point.

[Repair Pulse · Activated]

- Duration: Ten seconds

- Contamination level: 10%... 12%... 15%...

- Defense strength of the Lord of Nothingness: Decreased by 50%

"Now!"

Lin Zhou rushed toward the crystal, the Sword of Civilization in hand, slashing at a crack on the crystal's surface.

The sword light slashed into the crack without meeting any resistance—the defense had indeed weakened.

The crack expanded, revealing the golden core inside the crystal.

[Crystal · Status]

- Shell integrity: 100% → 80%

- Internal core: Exposed

Lin Zhou compressed the river of civilization into a thin stream and injected it into the core through the crack.

[river of civilization · Core Purification]

- Target: Core of the Anchor Point of the Lord of Nothingness

- Consumption: 200,000 Divine Power per minute

- Effect: Core contamination level -2% per second

The dark red of the core faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the gold became brighter and brighter.

The phantom of the Lord of Nothingness began to struggle, the dark red light beneath its eyelids flickering violently.

It wanted to interrupt the repair pulse and pull its power back to defense, but the pulse had already started and could not be stopped midway.

[Status of the Lord of Nothingness]

- Defense strength: 50%... 40%... 30%...

- Awakening countdown: Fluctuating

Five seconds, six seconds, seven seconds...

Lin Zhou boosted the power of the river of civilization to the limit.

[Core · Purification Progress]

- Contamination level: 15%... 10%... 5%...

At the eighth second, the contamination level of the core dropped to 0%.

Golden light filled the entire crystal, and the phantom of the Lord of Nothingness became transparent, almost invisible.

It let out a silent roar, the pulse was interrupted, and the defense strength instantly recovered to 100%.

[Crystal · Status]

- Contamination level: 0%

- Lord of Nothingness: Asleep (Deep)

- Awakening countdown: Approximately three years

But Lin Zhou had no time to celebrate.

The moment the pulse was interrupted, a beam of dark red light shot out from the phantom of the Lord of Nothingness, heading straight for his chest.

The beam was too fast; there was no time to dodge.

Lin Zhou blocked with the Shield of Civilization, but the beam pierced through the shield and struck his chest.

[Lord of Nothingness · Counterattack — Existence Erasure]

- Target: Lin Zhou

- Effect: Delete target existence

- Duration: Three seconds

Lin Zhou's body began to turn transparent.

His godhead integrity plummeted from 100% to 50%, and memories poured out like a dam breaking—he forgot how he had come to this Universe, forgot that he had once been a Transmigration traveler, forgot Earth, forgot Huaxia, forgot the Hundred Schools of Thought.

He remembered his name was Lin Zhou, remembered he was the Legion Commander of the Civilization Guardian Legion, and remembered the names of Su Yueyao, Qin Qing, and Wang Meng.

But the faces behind those names became blurred.

[Lin Zhou · Status]

- godhead integrity: 100% → 50%

- Memory loss: Massive (Transmigration memories, Earth memories, partial faces of people)

- Fire of Civilization: Automatically repairing

The Anchoring Device activated, and silver-white light enveloped him.

His existence was anchored in the river of civilization, the transparency stopped, and the godhead integrity stopped dropping.

[Anchoring Device · Effect]

- Existence erasure: Stopped

- godhead integrity: 50% (Stable)

- Duration: 25 minutes remaining

Lin Zhou gritted his teeth and retreated from in front of the crystal.

He flew toward the gap, the crystal behind him flickering alternately between gold and dark red.

The phantom of the Lord of Nothingness re-condensed, but it was dimmer than before. Its power had been consumed.

[Status of the Lord of Nothingness]

- Power reserve: 70% → 50%

- Awakening countdown: Three years

- Anchor Point contamination level: 0% (Needs to re-accumulate)

Lin Zhou rushed out of the gap and knelt on one knee at the edge of the barrier.

"Captain!" Qin Qing rushed over.

"I'm fine. Just lost some more memories."

Lin Zhou stood up. "But the contamination level of the Anchor Point has dropped to zero. The power of the Lord of Nothingness has also been consumed."

"You did it." Su Yueyao's moonlight enveloped him, repairing his godhead.

"It wasn't just me."

Lin Zhou turned around and looked at the crystal interwoven with gold and dark red.

It was still rotating, but the speed was much slower. The awakening of the Lord of Nothingness had been delayed once again.

"Let's go, back to the fortress."

After returning to the fortress, Lin Zhou handed the Anchoring Device to Li Mo for research.

If the Anchoring Device could be used on more soldiers, they would not have to fear the existence erasure of the Lord of Nothingness in the future decisive battle.

[Anchoring Device · Improvement Direction]

- Current: Single-user use, consumes Origin Stone of Space

- Improvement goal: Group use, using the river of civilization as an anchor

- Estimated completion: Approximately one year

Lin Zhou stood on the city wall, looking in the direction of the Chaos Star Domain.

In the grey-white mist, the dark red spots of light were almost invisible.

The power of the Lord of Nothingness had been consumed by half, and its awakening was delayed to three years later.

"Captain, in three years, can we win?" Qin Qing walked over.

"Yes," Lin Zhou looked at her. "Because we are not alone."