546: Chapter 481: Tracking Down the Remnants, Discovering the Last Stronghold

After the restoration work on Node No. 2401 was completed, Iron Face delivered the interrogation records of the three captives to Lin Zhou's desk.

The testimonies of the three were highly consistent—their superiors were already dead, but their subordinates were still alive.

There were about thirty subordinates, their hiding place unknown, known only to their direct superiors.

And those superiors had been killed by his own hand during the battle.

The trail seemed to have gone cold, but Iron Face had extracted a memory fragment from the godhead core of one of the captives—not a complete memory, but a coordinate, etched onto the Void mark deep within the godhead.

[Memory Fragment · Coordinates]

- Location: Edge of the Chaos Star Domain, deeper within the former site of the Guixu Rift

- Type: Spatial coordinates (accurate to six decimal places)

- Label: Withered Star Realm

- Status: About to be swallowed by Guixu

Lin Zhou input the coordinates into Li Mo's detection System.

Li Mo pulled up the Star Map and zoomed in on the area near the coordinates, magnifying it one hundred, one thousand, then ten thousand times.

Finally, deeper in the former site of the Guixu Rift, about 100,000 kilometers from the edge of the New Universe, he discovered a dim star.

It was not a star, but a star realm mostly eroded by guixu energy—the Withered Star Realm.

The star realm was originally a small galaxy with a diameter of about one light-year, but it had now been compressed by guixu energy to a diameter of less than 100 million kilometers.

The edges of the star realm were slowly disintegrating, with grayish-white mist pouring out from the disintegration points.

[Withered Star Realm · Data]

- Original Diameter: One light-year

- Current Diameter: Approximately 80 million kilometers

- guixu energy Concentration: 500 times that of the outside

- Rule Stability: 10%

- Internal Time Flow: One day outside, one year inside

- Estimated Full Consumption by Guixu: Approximately 30 days

Lin Zhou's pupils contracted sharply.

One day outside, one year inside.

This meant that if he entered the Withered Star Realm for thirty days, only thirty days would pass outside, but he would spend thirty years inside the star realm.

Thirty years of lonely battle, his godhead integrity would continue to decline, memories would be lost, and the water level of the river of civilization would slowly run dry.

But he had to go.

Because the last stronghold of the Void Sect was hidden there, along with their last core reserve of guixu energy, and secrets that might be crucial to the Gate of Guixu.

"Captain, you cannot go alone." Su Yueyao stood beside him, moonlight flowing in her palms, "Thirty years of loneliness, your godhead cannot withstand it."

"Therefore, I need a team. But the number of people cannot be large, because the resources inside the star realm are limited; if there are too many people, the supplies won't be enough."

Lin Zhou selected his team.

Wang Meng, Qin Qing, Su Yueyao, Iron Face, Golden Scale.

Five people, plus himself, a six-man squad.

[Withered Star Realm · Exploration Team]

- Number of People: 6 + Dragon Vein Golden Scale

- Average Godhead Rank: LV800

- Equipment: Civilization Armor · Enhanced Version, Space Folding Grenade, Automatic Repair Device (Portable Version)

- Supplies: 1,000 units of essence of order, ten pieces of seed of civilization, food and water for thirty days (external time)

Wang Meng gripped his battle axe. "Captain, thirty days—thirty days outside, thirty years inside. When we come out, what will the outside world be like?"

"Still thirty days. The Gate of Guixu won't descend for another four months, so the time we come out will be just right."

Qin Qing looked at Lin Zhou. "Captain, the effectiveness of my Net of Law will be halved in guixu energy. Thirty years, my godhead integrity might not hold up."

"Therefore, we must make it a quick battle. Find the stronghold, destroy it, and evacuate immediately."

Lin Zhou stepped into the teleportation array.

A silvery-white light enveloped the six of them.

As the light dissipated, they appeared at the edge of the Withered Star Realm.

Grayish-white guixu energy churned before their eyes, and the edge of the star realm was slowly disintegrating, with grayish-white mist occasionally flashing with dark red light—that was the fragment of the guixu energy core.

The scene inside the star realm was like the apocalypse—the stars had extinguished, the planets were covered in thick grayish-white dust, the atmosphere had been stripped away, and the surface was covered in cracks, from which mist of guixu energy surged.

[Withered Star Realm · Internal Data]

- Time Flow: One day outside, one year inside

- guixu energy Concentration: 500 times that of the outside

- Rule Stability: 10%

- Visibility: Less than 100 meters

- river of civilization Consumption: 10,000 Divine Power per minute

Lin Zhou unfurled the river of civilization, and the blue-gold light enveloped the six of them.

The water level of the river began to drop slowly from five percent.

In one hundred days, the water level would drop by one percentage point.

In thirty years, the water level would drop by one hundred percentage points—he simply didn't have that much water level.

So he had to find the stronghold within thirty days, otherwise the river of civilization would dry up.

"Captain, thirty days is not enough; the scope here is too large. With a diameter of 100 million kilometers, even with Golden Scale leading the way, it will take at least a year to search it all." Li Mo's projection flickered in the communication link, unstable due to interference from the guixu energy.

"Therefore, we cannot search. We must lure them." Lin Zhou looked at Iron Face.

Iron Face nodded, injecting the Fire of Justice into a fragment of the guixu energy core.

The fragment was "defined" by the Fire of Justice as a "beacon," which could emit specific guixu energy fluctuations to the surroundings.

This fluctuation could be perceived by the believers of the Void Sect—it was the frequency of their internal communication.

[Fire of Justice · Beacon]

- Principle: Define guixu energy fragment as a "beacon," emitting Void Sect internal communication frequency

- Coverage: 100 million kilometers in diameter

- Duration: Three days

- Consumption: 1,000 Divine Power

The beacon was activated, and dark red light flickered in the grayish-white mist.

Three days later, the beacon's energy was exhausted, but it hadn't attracted any believers.

Lin Zhou frowned.

Could it be that there was no one in the stronghold? Or had they seen through that the beacon was a trap?

"Captain, perhaps they are not in this star realm." Wang Meng said.

"No, they are here." Lin Zhou pointed to a grayish-white planet in the distance.

There was a building on the surface of the planet—not naturally formed, but man-made.

The style of the building was consistent with the strongholds of the Void Sect: dark red exterior walls, twisted runes, and the mark of the Möbius strip.

[Void Sect · Final Stronghold]

- Location: Withered Star Realm, Third Planet

- Building Type: Underground fortress

- Scale: Approximately ten kilometers in diameter

- Number of People: Estimated thirty

- Defense: guixu energy shield, corruption turrets

Lin Zhou led the squad to fly toward the third planet.

The grayish-white mist became thicker, and the concentration of guixu energy rose from 500 times the outside to 1,000 times.

The consumption of the river of civilization soared from 10,000 Divine Power per minute to 20,000.

His water level was dropping rapidly.

[Lin Zhou · Status]

- river of civilization Water Level: 5% → 4.5% → 4% (expected to drop to 0 in three days)

Three days.

He could only hold on for three days.

He had to break the stronghold within three days.

The squad landed on the planet's surface.

The surface was covered with thick grayish-white dust; stepping on it was like stepping on snow, but the dust would corrode the coating of the Civilization Armor.

Su Yueyao's moonlight flowed around her body, blocking the dust from the outside.

Golden Scale's Dragon Breath evaporated the dust in front, clearing a path.

The entrance to the stronghold was below the surface, a dark red metal door.

The mark of the Void Sect—the Möbius strip—was engraved on the door.

Lin Zhou pressed his hand on the door, and the Fire of Civilization seeped into the cracks of the door.

The runes on the door were ignited, the dark red light faded, and the door slowly opened.

[Stronghold Entrance · Opening]

- Method: Fire of Civilization cracking

- Time Taken: Three minutes

- Consumption: 1,000 Divine Power

Behind the door was a downward passage, with countless twisted runes engraved on the walls on both sides.

In the runes, one could vaguely see painful human faces—those were the Souls of the sacrificed captives, sealed in the runes as the energy source for the stronghold.

Su Yueyao's moonlight expanded in the passage, the silvery-white light shining on the runes, and the painful expressions on the human faces softened a bit.

"Captain, these Souls are still here." Su Yueyao's voice trembled.

"Still here. After the stronghold is destroyed, use the river of civilization to purify them."

The passage extended downward for about a kilometer, reaching the core area of the underground fortress.

This was a huge circular hall, about a kilometer in diameter, with a dome about a hundred meters high.

In the center of the hall, a dark red crystal with a diameter of ten meters was suspended—a guixu energy core, larger than any he had seen before.

Around the crystal stood about thirty believers wearing grayish-white cloaks.

Their godhead Ranks were between LV300 and LV600, and their pollution levels were between thirty percent and eighty percent.

[Void Sect · Final Remnants]

- Number of People: About 30

- Average Rank: LV450

- Pollution Level: 30% - 80%

- Leader: Black-robed Deacon (LV800, Pollution Level 90%)

- guixu energy Core: 1 (ten meters in diameter)

The leader was a withered old man, his right eye had turned grayish-white, and his left eye still had a trace of clarity.

He wore the robes of a Black-robed Deacon, with dark gold patterns embroidered on the cuffs.

He was the last Black-robed Deacon of the Void Sect, and the oldest one.

He had lived for five hundred years, lingering on under the erosion of guixu energy.

"Lin Zhou, you still found this place." The old man's voice was like metal friction.

"The Void Sect is finished. Your leaders are all dead, only you remnants are left. Surrender."

The old man laughed. "Surrender? We have waited for five hundred years just for this day. The Gate of Guixu is coming again, and the Sea of Void will pour into the New Universe. We are not remnants; we are the vanguard."

He raised his hand, and a crystal the size of a fist was suspended in his palm—not a guixu energy core, but the key to the Gate of Guixu.

With it, the Gate of Guixu could be opened in advance.

[Gate of Guixu · Key]

- Form: Dark red crystal, fist-sized

- Function: Can open the Gate of Guixu in advance (no need to wait for the predicted time)

- Current Status: Not activated

- Activation Method: Inject guixu energy (requires 1,000 units)

"Activate it!" The old man threw the crystal toward the guixu energy core.

Lin Zhou rushed forward, and the Sword of Civilization slashed at the crystal.

The sword light was blocked by the old man's shield, and the crystal fell into the core.

The core absorbed the crystal, the dark red light surged, and a grayish-white beam of light shot out from the core, straight to the dome.

[Gate of Guixu · Early Opening]

- Opening Progress: 1%... 2%... 3%...

- Estimated Full Opening: About thirty minutes

- Consequence: The Gate of Guixu will open in the Withered Star Realm in thirty minutes, and the Sea of Void will pour into the star realm.

Lin Zhou's pupils contracted sharply.

If the Gate of Guixu opened here, the Sea of Void would first swallow the Withered Star Realm, and then spread to the New Universe.

And this place was only 100,000 kilometers away from the New Universe, so the Sea of Void would reach the edge of the New Universe within a month, two months earlier than the predicted three months.

"Stop it!" Lin Zhou rushed toward the core.

Thirty believers swarmed over, blocking his way.

Wang Meng led the vanguard to charge, his battle axe shattering the shields of three believers.

Qin Qing's Net of Law entangled five believers, and Iron Face's Fire of Justice performed existence judgment.

Su Yueyao's moonlight illuminated the entire hall, suppressing the believers' guixu energy.

Golden Scale's Dragon Breath forced ten believers back.

[Battle · First Wave]

- Kills: 15

- Remaining: 15

- Gate of Guixu Opening Progress: 10%

Lin Zhou rushed to the core, and the river of civilization surged out of his divine kingdom, wrapping the core.

He tried to purify the core with the river, but the core was too big, ten meters in diameter, and the concentration of guixu energy was ten thousand times that of the outside.

The purification speed was only one percent per second, requiring one hundred seconds.

And the opening of the Gate of Guixu only required thirty minutes.

[guixu energy Core · Purification]

- Core Diameter: Ten meters

- Purification Speed: 1% per second

- Estimated Full Purification: One hundred seconds

- Gate of Guixu Opening Progress: 10%... 15%... 20%...

One hundred seconds, enough.

Lin Zhou compressed the water level of the river of civilization, increasing the purification speed to two percent per second.

Fifty seconds later, the core was half purified.

The Gate of Guixu opening progress was twenty-five percent.

The old man rushed forward, the grayish-white flame in his right hand shooting toward Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou dodged, the flame grazing his shoulder, and his godhead integrity dropped from ten percent to nine percent.

Su Yueyao's moonlight blocked the second flame, and Golden Scale's Dragon Breath forced the old man back.

[Old Man · Status]

- godhead integrity: 80% → 70%

- Gate of Guixu Opening Progress: 30%

Fifty seconds, the core was eighty percent purified.

The Gate of Guixu opening progress was forty percent.

The old man's frantic counterattack grew weaker, his godhead integrity dropping to fifty percent.

Thirty seconds later, the core was one hundred percent purified.

The guixu energy core turned from dark red to gold, the key to the Gate of Guixu was purified, and the opening progress stopped at forty-five percent.

[Gate of Guixu · Opening Failed]

- Opening Progress: 45% (Stopped)

- Key: Purified

- Core: Converted into essence of order (about 10,000 units)

The old man knelt on the ground, his godhead integrity dropping to ten percent.

He looked up at Lin Zhou and smiled. "You cannot stop Guixu. The gate has already opened forty-five percent. In half a year, it will still open."

Lin Zhou walked to him and pressed the Fire of Civilization onto his chest.

The old man's guixu energy was stripped away, and his body dissipated into grayish-white light spots.

[Void Sect · Final Remnants Cleared]

- Kills: 30

- Captives: 0

- Seized: guixu energy core (purified), 10,000 units of essence of order

- Gate of Guixu Opening Progress: 45% (Needs re-sealing)

Lin Zhou stood in the hall, looking at the golden core that had been purified.

The Gate of Guixu had opened forty-five percent; although it had not opened completely, the gate was already "loosened."

In half a year, it would still open, and it would be faster than predicted.

Because the gate had already opened a crack, the Sea of Void could seep out from the crack.

"Captain, will the Gate of Guixu open in half a year?" Su Yueyao asked.

"Yes. And the opening speed will be faster than predicted. Because the gate has already opened a crack." Lin Zhou looked at the golden core, "But, we still have half a year. Half a year, it is enough."

He turned and led the team away from the Withered Star Realm.

Outside, only three days had passed.

Lin Zhou stood on the Wall of Heroes, looking at that sea of stars.

The Fire of Civilization of 100,000 towns was like a sea of stars in the night sky.

The Gate of Guixu opening progress was forty-five percent; in half a year, it would fully open.

The Sea of Void would pour into the New Universe.

The Civilization Principle Defense Line would face its true test for the first time.

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

"Thinking about myself in half a year."

"You will come back."

Lin Zhou looked at her and was silent for a moment. "Okay."

The two stood side by side on the Wall of Heroes, watching the sea of stars.

The Fire of Civilization was burning, illuminating the road ahead, and also illuminating the direction of the Gate of Guixu.

Half a year later, he would walk into that gate.

But at this moment, he stood by her side.

That was enough.