21: Unraveling the mystery through the ruins, the Heavenly Sacrifice reveals its power.
Morning light pierced through the cracks in the dome of the abandoned Heavenly Dao ruins, falling onto the moss-covered stone slabs. Lin Chen held Nian Xue as they stepped over the dilapidated threshold. Lin Qingxue followed closely behind, her Transcendence Level ice crystal sword hovering at her side; the Grandmist cold energy flowing from the blade froze the dust in the air.
"Daddy, it's so cold here, and there are weird noises." Nian Xue tugged at Lin Chen's collar, her little head shrinking into the crook of his neck.
Lin Chen's Ancient Gods Divine Sense instantly spread out, covering the entire ruin—in the three-story underground secret chamber, twelve Puppets wearing Heavenly Dao Runes armor were moving along the passageway. Each Puppet held a long spear engraved with the characters "Sacrifice" in its hand, their steps as orderly as precision instruments.
[Monster Name: Heavenly Dao Sacrifice Puppet]
[Rank: 72 (origin level)]
[Quantity: 12]
[Tactics: Block all exits, set up a sacrificial array with rune spears, and extract Souls after trapping the target.]
"They want to trap us inside." No sooner had Lin Chen finished speaking than the stone door behind them slammed shut, and blood-colored Heavenly Dao Runes began to appear on the ground, spreading along the cracks in the stone slabs.
Lin Qingxue instantly deployed her Ice Domain, the Transcendence Level Ice and Snow Law spreading along the runes and freezing the blood-colored patterns into icicles. "Husband, there are Puppets coming from the left passage!"
The first Puppet burst through the door, its spear piercing toward Nian Xue with the power of the Heavenly Dao. Lin Chen's eyes turned cold, and his Space Law was instantly activated. The Puppet's movements stopped instantly, and the spear froze three inches from Nian Xue's forehead.
"Shatter."
As the word fell, the Puppet, along with its spear, was instantly torn into fragments by the power of space, leaving behind only a rune core shimmering with the luster of the Origin. The remaining Puppets, upon seeing this, did not rush forward rashly. Instead, they dispersed, and the tips of their spears began to condense blood-colored energy, attempting to set up an array remotely.
"Want to set up a sacrificial array? No chance." Lin Qingxue swept her ice crystal sword, and a Grandmist Ice Blade sliced through the air, instantly severing the spears of three Puppets. Lin Chen channeled the Law of Thunder, and purple-gold lightning spread like a spider web. The remaining nine Puppets were pierced by the lightning, and the Heavenly Dao energy within them erupted with a bang.
[Ding—Killed origin level Heavenly Dao Sacrifice Puppet x 12, experience shared]
[Lin Chen Rank: 65]
[Lin Qingxue Rank: 65]
[Lin Nianxue Rank: 5]
Nian Xue poked her head out from Lin Chen's arms and looked at the fragments of the Puppets on the ground. "Daddy, why can these wooden dolls move?"
"They are controlled by bad things." Lin Chen picked up the twelve rune cores and activated his Sublimation Talent. "Just right to reinforce your pendant."
[Ding—origin level rune core x 12 → chaos rank rune core x 12 → void-rank rune core x 12]
The cores were instantly wrapped in a void halo, and Lin Chen fused them into the Void Jade Pendant at Nian Xue's neck. The jade pendant hummed, and reverse patterns of Heavenly Dao Runes appeared on its surface, its aura becoming increasingly restrained.
[void-rank life jade pendant · Enhanced]
[New effect: Reflects non-heavenly dao grade rule attacks, automatically identifies sacrifice-type traps.]
"This way, you won't be afraid of those bad things' traps." Lin Chen pinched Nian Xue's little face and turned to walk toward the depths of the secret chamber.
Just as they stepped into the second floor, a burst of hurried footsteps approached. Three Elf Clan warriors wearing green leaf armor rushed over. The leader had a blood-colored arrow stuck in their shoulder, their aura chaotic but their eyes vigilant.
[Race: Natural Elf Clan]
[Rank: 68 (Transcendence Level)]
[Status: Being hunted by Heavenly Dao Puppet, no hostility.]
"My Lord! Please save our clansmen!" The Elf warrior knelt on one knee. "We discovered a Heavenly Dao sacrificial array in the depths of the ruins. Our clansmen are trapped by the Puppets and are about to be sacrificed!"
Lin Chen probed the core of the ruins with his Ancient Gods Divine Sense and indeed sensed dozens of elf auras trapped in a blood-colored array. Hovering above the array was a Heavenly Dao Commander Puppet with a body size far exceeding that of ordinary Puppets.
[Monster Name: Heavenly Dao Commander Puppet]
[Rank: 80 (chaos rank)]
[Ability: Control sacrificial array, extract the Souls of living beings to convert into Heavenly Dao energy.]
"Lead the way." Lin Chen did not hesitate; saving people would also allow him to figure out the details of the sacrificial array.
The Elf warrior was overjoyed and hurriedly got up to lead the way. Passing through the narrow passage, the scene at the core of the ruins came into view—in a blood-colored array with a diameter of one hundred meters, dozens of elves were bound to the array eye by chains. In the center of the array, the Heavenly Dao Commander Puppet was holding its spear high, preparing to launch the sacrifice.
"Attack!" At Lin Chen's command, the Space Law instantly enveloped the array. The chains binding the elves shattered inch by inch. Lin Qingxue's ice crystal sword slashed out a Grandmist Ice Blade, heading straight for the Puppet's head.
The Heavenly Dao Commander Puppet reacted extremely quickly, sweeping its spear horizontally. The power of the Heavenly Dao collided with the ice blade, shaking the entire ruin. It did not linger in the fight but instead turned to manipulate the array, attempting to trap everyone within it.
"Want to run?" Lin Chen channeled the Law of Light, and a dazzling light instantly dispersed the blood-colored energy of the array. Ancient Gods Pressure erupted, and the Puppet's movements instantly stalled. Lin Qingxue seized the opportunity, and her ice crystal sword pierced through the Puppet's core. Grandmist cold energy spread along the wound, freezing the Puppet into an ice sculpture.
[Ding—Killed chaos rank Heavenly Dao Commander Puppet x 1, experience shared]
[Lin Chen Rank: 66]
[Lin Qingxue Rank: 66]
[Lin Nianxue Rank: 6]
The Elf Clan Elder hurriedly stepped forward to thank them. "Many thanks, My Lord, for your help! We found a Heavenly Dao stele in the array, which records the secrets of the sacrifice."
Lin Chen followed the Elf Elder to the center of the array, and a black stele engraved with Heavenly Dao Runes came into view. He lightly touched the stele with his fingertips, and clear text instantly emerged from the runes:
[Heavenly Dao sacrifice plan · Progress 40%]
[Goal: Collect the Souls of all races, extract the Origin of void-rank living beings, and promote the Heavenly Dao world to origin level.]
[Next step: Locate remaining void-rank living beings and activate the Ultimate Sacrificial Array.]
"It really is aimed at Nian Xue." Lin Chen's eyes were grave. The stele suddenly became scalding hot, and a cold consciousness flooded into his mind: "... void-rank target locked... Ultimate Sacrificial Array will open in 3 days... All resistors are sacrifices..."
The moment the consciousness disappeared, the stele exploded with a bang. Lin Chen shielded Nian Xue in his arms, and a Grandmist Ice Blade blocked in front of Lin Qingxue. The debris was completely blocked by the ice blade.
"My Lord, once the Ultimate Sacrificial Array is activated, the Souls of all living beings in the mission world will be extracted!" The Elf Elder's face was pale. "We must destroy the energy source of the sacrificial array within 3 days!"
Lin Chen nodded, his Ancient Gods Divine Sense probing into the depths of the mission world, sensing a Heavenly Dao energy source hidden in the lava core. Just then, a cold laugh came, and ten Abyss Race warriors wearing black robes appeared at the entrance of the passage, holding daggers that exuded the aura of Chaos.
[Race: Abyss Shadow Clan]
[Rank: 75 (chaos rank)]
[Purpose: Under the instruction of Heavenly Dao consciousness, capture the void-rank living being, silence the Elf Clan.]
"Lord Lin Chen, hand over that child, and we can let you die more quickly." The leader of the Abyss Race sneered, his figure gradually merging into the shadows. "Lord Heavenly Dao is about to ascend, resistance is useless."
"Hostility detected, kill." Lin Chen's tone was flat, and the Space Law suddenly contracted. The Abyss Race warriors who had merged into the shadows were instantly dragged out by force, their bodies turning into blood mist under the pressure of space. The remaining few were so frightened that they turned to flee, but Lin Qingxue's Ice Domain instantly enveloped the passage, freezing them into ice sculptures before they were completely shattered.
[Ding—Killed chaos rank Abyss Shadow Clan x 10, experience shared]
[Lin Chen Rank: 67]
[Lin Qingxue Rank: 67]
[Lin Nianxue Rank: 7]
The Elf Elder looked at the remains on the ground, his eyes full of awe. "My Lord, the energy source is in the lava core. We can lead the way."
"No need. You should leave here first and find a safe place to hide." Lin Chen shook his head. "We will handle the matter of the Ultimate Sacrificial Array."
The Elf Clan knew they couldn't help, so they bowed respectfully and left hurriedly with their clansmen.
Lin Chen held Nian Xue, exchanged a look with Lin Qingxue, and turned to walk toward the lava core. Just as they stepped out of the ruins, huge Heavenly Dao Runes suddenly appeared in the distant sky, and the energy of the entire mission world began to become chaotic.
[Mission World Warning: The Ultimate Sacrificial Array will be activated in 3 days, and all living beings will be forced to participate in the sacrifice.]
"Time is running out." Lin Chen quickened his pace, channeling the wind element, and took Lin Qingxue and Nian Xue into the air.
On the way, they encountered several waves of Survivors controlled by the Heavenly Dao consciousness, including the Machine Race, Blood Demon Race, and even a few humans. They were no longer fighting alone but had formed squads to set up ambushes, using various traps to try to delay them.
But in the face of Lin Chen's absolute strength, these ambushes were like paper. The Space Law allowed him to teleport behind the enemies, and the Law of Thunder killed them instantly. It took no more than a few seconds before all the enemies turned into points of light.
In the evening, the three finally arrived at the lava core. A blood-colored array with a diameter of one thousand meters hovered above the lava, and a black stone pillar exuding the aura of the Heavenly Dao was inserted in the center of the array—it was the energy source of the sacrificial array.
[Heavenly Dao Energy Pillar]
[Rank: 85 (grandmist rank)]
[Function: Provide energy for the Ultimate Sacrificial Array, can self-repair.]
Just as Lin Chen was about to make a move, the stone pillar suddenly lit up, and a huge Heavenly Dao phantom appeared. "Lin Chen... you destroyed my plan... But it doesn't matter... 3 days later, you and that child will become the nourishment for my ascension..."
The phantom let out a cold laugh, and the stone pillar released a blood-colored beam of light, piercing straight at Lin Chen. The Void Jade Pendant at Nian Xue's neck lit up instantly, and the beam was reflected by the jade pendant, crashing into the lava and stirring up thousands of giant waves.
"Your opponent is me." Lin Chen handed Nian Xue to Lin Qingxue. "Watch over Nian Xue, I'm going to destroy the energy pillar."
Lin Qingxue nodded, held Nian Xue tightly, and opened her Ice Domain to the maximum. "Husband, be careful."
Lin Chen leaped up, his Ancient Gods Body erupting with golden light, his fists wrapped in Space and Law of Thunder, and he smashed fiercely into the energy pillar. The stone pillar vibrated violently, and dense cracks appeared on its surface, but it did not shatter.
"It's useless... This energy pillar is made of grandmist rank Materials... You can't destroy it!" The Heavenly Dao phantom laughed wildly.
Lin Chen sneered, his Sublimation Talent activated, and he lightly touched the energy pillar with his fingertips. "Can't destroy it? Then I'll change its attributes."
[Ding—grandmist rank Heavenly Dao Energy Pillar → void-rank Heavenly Dao Energy Pillar (cannot be further sublimated)]
[Attribute change: From "Sacrificial Energy Source" to "Anti-Sacrificial Energy Source", can absorb Heavenly Dao energy to counter-impact the sacrificial array.]
The energy pillar instantly faded from its blood color and turned into a void halo, and the Heavenly Dao Runes on its surface began to operate in reverse. The Heavenly Dao phantom's expression changed drastically. "Impossible! How can you change the attributes of the energy pillar!"
"That's none of your business." Lin Chen punched the energy pillar, and it released Void Power, instantly dispersing the Heavenly Dao Runes in the sky.
[Ding—Destroyed Heavenly Dao sacrificial array energy source (partial), Ultimate Sacrificial Array activation time delayed by 7 days.]
The Heavenly Dao phantom let out a shrill scream and dissipated completely. Lin Chen landed beside Lin Qingxue and took Nian Xue. "It's temporarily safe."
Nian Xue reached out her little hand and touched Lin Chen's cheek. "Daddy is amazing!"
Night fell, and the three found a cave near the lava core to rest. Lin Chen pulled up the panel to confirm their current status:
[Name: Lin Chen]
[Race: Perfect Ancient God (Tier 2)]
[Rank: 67]
[Talent: Sublimation (Unique Rank · Concept Rank)]
[Attributes: Strength 801660, Agility 801660, Physique 801660, Spirit 801960] (Based on doubling at Rank 60, +100 attributes per Rank)
[Skills: Ancient Gods Body (Enhanced), Ancient Gods Pressure (Enhanced), Ancient Gods Divine Sense (135 km), Law of Thunder / Space / Light (Perfection)]
[Traits: Law Affinity (Perfection)]
[Name: Lin Qingxue]
[Race: Ice and Snow Nine-Tailed White Fox (Transcendence Level)]
[Rank: 67]
[Talent: Heart of Ice and Snow (mythical-grade), Grandmist Ice Soul (origin level)]
[Attributes: Strength 1310000, Agility 1750000, Physique 1310000, Spirit 2350000] (Based on doubling at Rank 60, +10000 attributes per Rank)
[Skills: Ice and Snow Divine Power / Nine-Tails Power / Ice Domain (Perfection), Grandmist Ice Blade / Ice and Snow Origin Control (Perfection)]
[Name: Lin Nianxue]
[Race: Ancient Demon God]
[Grade: void-rank]
[Rank: 7]
[Talent: Void Immunity (void-rank)]
[Attributes: Strength 5007, Agility 5007, Physique 5007, Spirit 5007] (+1 attribute per Rank)
[Equipped: void-rank life jade pendant · Enhanced]
[Mission Time: 26 days remaining]
[Rest Limit: Not enabled]
"Although it was delayed by 7 days, the Heavenly Dao will surely have other means." Lin Qingxue said softly, her eyes full of worry.
Lin Chen held his wife and child tightly, his tone firm. "No matter what means he has, I will block them. Before the Ultimate Sacrificial Array opens, we must improve our strength as soon as possible and be prepared."
Nian Xue leaned against Lin Chen's arms and whispered, "Daddy, Nian Xue will also work hard to become stronger to help Daddy protect Mommy."
Lin Chen and Lin Qingxue smiled at each other, their hearts full of warmth. Outside the cave, the lava was still rolling, but the three in the cave had the determination and courage to fight against the Heavenly Dao.
The fangs of the Heavenly Dao's conspiracy had been revealed, and the crisis of the ultimate sacrifice was approaching. This war concerning the living beings of all races had only just entered the white-hot stage.
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