63: Encountering a dragon in a deep ravine, they ignited a divine fire; the allied forces joined forces to break through the guardian.

The thick black seawater of the Transcendence Sea Trench was filled with a chill. Tiny frost flowers condensed on the ice armor of the vanguard team's chariots, and Clear Snow's Ice and Snow Domain had expanded to its limit.

"There's movement ahead!" Clear Snow suddenly ordered the chariots to stop. Ice blades condensed at her fingertips, and her Divine Thought probed into the darkness—a massive black shadow was swimming a hundred zhang away.

Lin Chen led the main force team to catch up quickly. The laser cannons on the chariots were aimed at the shadow, and sacred plant vines glowed green at the muzzles: "It's a Transcendent Sea Jiao! Prepare to attack!"

The shadow suddenly burst out of the water; it was the guardian beast, the Transcendent Sea Jiao—a hundred zhang long, with scales as black as ink, a dark crystal embedded between its brows, and an aura reaching the Peak Perfection Transcendence Level!

"Roar!"

The Sea Flood Dragon spat out a thick black tide, carrying a corrosive aura straight at the chariots. Clear Snow immediately deployed her Ice and Snow Domain, her pale purple cold Qi freezing the black tide and instantly covering the ice surface with a layer of black frost.

"vanguard team, pin it down! main force team, attack!" At Lin Chen's command, the vanguard team's chariots fired ice arrows that pierced through the black tide; the main force team's laser cannons fired in unison, their pale gold lasers wrapped in sacred plant powder as they struck the Sea Flood Dragon's scales.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The lasers hit the scales, and sparks flew off the black scales, yet they didn't penetrate—the Sea Flood Dragon's defense was stronger than expected! It swung its long tail, swatting at the nearest chariot. Stone Spirit Clan warriors immediately fired stone anchors, their claws catching the tail fin to slow down the attack.

"Use the Origin Divine Fire!" Lin Chen's palm ignited with a thick golden divine fire, which he threw at the Sea Flood Dragon. The divine fire scorched the black scales upon contact, leaving burn marks. The Sea Flood Dragon roared in pain and spat out even more black tide.

The Spirit Plant Clan Alchemist immediately threw out sacred plant powder, which turned into a pale green mist upon contact with the black tide, purifying the corrosive aura. Wood Spirit Clan warriors shot out vines, entangling the Sea Flood Dragon's limbs in an attempt to restrict its movements.

Nian Xue sat in the chariot, a Void Light Orb condensing in her palm: "Daddy, I'll help you!"

The light orb flew out and accurately hit the dark crystal between the Sea Flood Dragon's brows—cracks appeared on the dark crystal, and the Sea Flood Dragon's aura instantly weakened!

"Good job, Nian Xue!" Lin Chen was overjoyed. He teleported above the Sea Flood Dragon's head and struck the dark crystal with the Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule—"Crack!" The dark crystal shattered, and the corrosive power of the black tide plummeted.

The Sea Flood Dragon struggled frantically, its long tail sending two chariots flying. The Dragon Clan Branch Dragon Guards immediately unfurled their dragon wings, their golden wings striking at the Sea Flood Dragon's eyes to draw its attention; Elf Clan Archers fired light arrows, their fletching entangled with sacred plant vines, piercing into the Sea Flood Dragon's wounds.

"Support Team, heal them quickly!" the Star Spirit Clan Leader ordered. The Support Team's chariots drove up to the damaged vehicles, the Spirit Plant Clan Alchemist threw out healing pills, and Sea Spirit Clan warriors used Origin Water to repair the chariots' hulls.

Clear Snow's Ice and Snow Domain suddenly contracted and then exploded outward—pale purple cold Qi condensed into ice spears, which shot densely into the Sea Flood Dragon's wounds. The ice spears exploded upon entry, frostbiting the Sea Flood Dragon's internal organs.

The Sea Flood Dragon's aura grew weaker and weaker. Lin Chen seized the Opportunity, condensing his Late Diamond Stage Origin in his palm, and combined it with the Origin Divine Fire to strike with his strongest blow—"Boom!"

The attack hit the Sea Flood Dragon's core, and its massive body crashed to the ground, turning into a sky full of Origin light spots, leaving behind only a Peak Perfection Transcendence Level crystal core and a pale gold Flood Dragon Pearl.

"We won!" everyone cheered. Nian Xue ran out of the chariot, and the Little Sea Spirit hugged her leg, spinning happily: "We defeated the big monster!"

Lin Chen picked up the crystal core and the Flood Dragon Pearl. The crystal core glowed with a thick golden luster, while the Flood Dragon Pearl could purify the deep-sea black tide. He broke the crystal core into small pieces and distributed them to the experts of each clan: "Absorb this, and we can break through to the Transcendence Level!"

After absorbing it, Lin Chen's Origin concentration soared from 20% (Post-Late Diamond Stage) to 30%, and his Divine Thought range expanded to 420 kilometers; Clear Snow went from 43% to 53%, her Ice and Snow Domain now covering fifty-five zhang; Nian Xue went from 23.5% (Early-Late Diamond Stage) to 28.5%, her Void Power able to cover twenty zhang; A Qing broke through to 40% of the Post-Early Stage Transcendence Level, her dragon wings glowing with a thick golden light.

The team rested for a while, repairing the damaged chariots and replenishing origin liquid and Medicinal Pills. Sea Spirit Clan warriors used the Flood Dragon Pearl to purify the surrounding black tide; the seawater gradually returned to a pale blue, and the outline of the Transcendence Holy Temple in the distance became clearer.

"Set off for the Holy Temple!" Lin Chen ordered. The eight chariots reformed their formation and drove toward the depths of the trench. The sacred plant seedlings had grown to a zhang tall, their leaves glowing with protective light, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

After traveling for about an hour, a golden archway appeared ahead—it was the entrance to the Transcendence Holy Temple. Ancient Transcendence Runes were carved on the door pillars, emitting a thick golden Origin aura.

"The Holy Temple entrance!" the Star Spirit Clan Leader shouted excitedly, his crystal stone light shining directly at the archway, "Behind that door is the Transcendence Origin Pillar!"

The team got out of the chariots and walked to the archway. Lin Chen took out the five core crystal cores of the clans and embedded them into the grooves of the door pillars according to their positions—Crystal Spirit Clan (Blue), Wood Spirit Clan (Green), Stone Spirit Clan (Grey), Dragon Clan (Gold), and Elf Clan (Cyan). The grooves instantly lit up, and the archway slowly opened.

Behind the door was a golden hall with a hundred-zhang-tall Origin Pillar standing in the center. The pillar's body emitted a Perfection Transcendence Level aura, and the Transcendence Codex floated at the top, glowing with a dazzling golden light.

"The Transcendence Origin Pillar!" Everyone stepped forward excitedly. Lin Chen was the first to touch the pillar—rich Origin energy flooded into his body, and his Origin concentration rose from 30% to 40% (Post-Late Diamond Stage), showing faint signs of breaking through to the Transcendence Level.

After Clear Snow touched the Origin Pillar, her concentration went from 53% to 63%, and her mastery of the Ice and Snow Law reached 95%. After Nian Xue touched it, hers went from 28.5% to 33.5%, and the demon god mark on her forehead flashed with a purple-gold intense light. After A Qing touched it, she went from 40% of the Post-Early Stage Transcendence Level to 50% of the Post-Early Stage, and her Dragon Breath could melt Transcendence Level metal.

The members of each clan touched the Origin Pillar in turn, and their strength significantly improved: the Star Spirit Clan Leader went from 5% of the Late Stage Transcendence Level to 15% of the Late Stage; the Dragon Guard Leader of the Dragon Clan Branch went from 8% of the Late Stage to 18% of the Late Stage; and ten members each from the Wood Spirit Clan and Stone Spirit Clan broke through to the Early Stage Transcendence Level.

Lin Chen walked to the top of the pillar and took down the Transcendence Codex—the codex flipped open automatically, and the runes on the pages flew into his mind: to break through to the Transcendence Level, one needs "Origin Unification"—fusing one's own Origin, the clan's Origin, and the world's Origin, and then absorbing the core energy of the Origin Pillar.

"Everyone, prepare to break through!" Lin Chen told the crowd, sharing the contents of the codex with the clan leaders. "I'll try to break through first, and then I'll help everyone once I succeed!"

He sat cross-legged before the Origin Pillar and operated his Origin Cultivation Technique—his own Late Diamond Stage Origin, the core crystal core Origins of the clans, and the Transcendence Level world Origin gradually fused, forming a thick golden Origin sphere.

The core energy of the Origin Pillar flooded into the Origin sphere, and Lin Chen's aura began to skyrocket—30% to 50% to 80% to 100%!

"Boom!"

The aura of the Transcendence Level erupted, and Lin Chen's Divine Thought range instantly expanded to 500 kilometers. His Anti-Heavenly Dao Rule carried the pressure of the Transcendence Level, making the surrounding air tremble.

"He broke through! Lord Lin Chen has broken through to the Transcendence Level!" everyone cheered. Nian Xue ran over and hugged Lin Chen's leg: "Daddy is so amazing!"

Lin Chen picked up Nian Xue and said with a smile, "Next, I'll help you all break through. We'll go to the top floor of the Holy Temple together and see the Peak of the Transcendence Level!"

Clear Snow walked to Lin Chen's side, her eyes full of relief: "Husband, we have finally taken this step. From now on, we will walk the path together."

The team rested in the hall, and Lin Chen began to help the experts of each clan break through—he channeled the energy of the Origin Pillar toward everyone and, combined with the methods from the Transcendence Codex, helped them fuse their Origins.

Sunlight poured through the golden dome of the Holy Temple, falling on everyone, warm and bright. At the top floor of the Transcendence Holy Temple lay the Peak Opportunity they sought; their path of transcendence had only just begun.