140: Chapter 140 The Final Showdown: I'll Pay You a Netherworld Talisman for Your Life

The crisp cracking sound from the core of the Soul Vortex was like a pause button being pressed.

On the Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face, the rage on the twisted countenances of the Magistrate and Dragon Aspect froze instantly, replaced by unbelievable ecstasy and greed!

"It's done! The key of the soul... has finally been forged!" The Magistrate's half-face shrieked with laughter.

"Such pure Netherworld Origin aura... it's a fragment of the 'samsara seal' that dissipated when the First Generation Underworld Lord fell! It was actually smelted into the key's core!" Dragon Aspect's half-face widened its dragon eyes, its breathing (spewing black mist) becoming rapid. "Devour it... no, control it! We can truly touch the Samsara Authority and transcend this filthy shell!"

Even the chaos of the infighting and betrayal on the battlefield below was temporarily ignored by them. All their attention was death-locked on the seven-colored light leaking from the depths of the vortex.

Lin Chen also felt the violent tremors of the two keys in his hand. It was a resonance of common origin, but also... a warning? In the blurred intent transmitted by the keys, there was actually a hint of dread and repulsion toward that seven-colored light.

"Boss, that light... it feels off." Zhang Hao's Mind Reading captured the subtle emotions from the keys. "It's like... it's too 'perfect'? So perfect it feels fake."

Su Qingyu also frowned. "The Saintess's residual instinct tells me that deep within that light, there's the scent of the 'Void'... but it's wrapped in an extremely tempting shell of Netherworld Origin."

A trap? Or an inevitable byproduct of the key-forging process?

Lin Chen's eyes narrowed as he made a split-second judgment.

"No matter what it is, the key must be obtained. But we won't play by their script."

By now, the Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face was impatient. It roared, no longer caring about Lin Chen's army. Its massive face, shrouded in billowing black mist, lunged toward the seven-colored light at the core of the vortex! It wanted to seize the key of the soul first!

"Stop it!" Lei Xiao (Original) roared, swinging his axe to unleash thunderous fire, but it only caused ripples on the thick barrier of black mist.

"It's too late!" Zhang Hao shouted urgently.

Lin Chen remained calm. He glanced at the countdown timer ticking on the system interface—66 hours, 05 minutes, 33 seconds.

Time was sufficient.

He didn't chase after the Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face. Instead, he did something that caught everyone off guard.

He put away the key of suffering and the key of memory.

Then, he raised the omnipotent system tablet once more. This time, he didn't scan any physical assets, nor did he mobilize regional management rights.

He activated the deepest layer of the system, an interface he had never used before, flashing with dark gold danger warnings: [Advanced Rule Operation].

[Target Locked: Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face (Merged consciousness of Dragon Aspect & Magistrate)]

[Status: Highly active, peak energy, intending to seize the "key of the soul (Incomplete Form)".]

[Associated Assets: Soul Vortex (partial control), soul of the traitor Dragon General Dragon Aspect, soul of the traitor Magistrate, large amount of stolen Netherworld Rule fragments.]

[Operational Suggestion: Conventional attack efficiency is low. Suggest initiating the [Conceptual-Level Acquisition/Erasure] program.]

[Warning: This program consumes a massive amount of resources and involves direct interference with the target's "concept of existence," which may trigger unpredictable rule backlash. View details and select?]

"Conceptual-Level Acquisition/Erasure..." A flash of realization crossed Lin Chen's eyes. "So the system's ultimate authority is here. Buying or deleting the 'concept' of an existence? Interesting."

He clicked on the detailed options.

[Option A: Conceptual Acquisition]

Pay a massive amount of nether talismans and equivalent rule authority to purchase the target "Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face" as a whole "concept," making it your "property." You can then "format," "remodel," or "drive" it. (The stronger the target's will to resist, the higher the difficulty and cost of acquisition. Current target resistance: Extremely Strong.)

[Estimated Cost: 500 Billion nether talismans + temporary mortgage of the ownership of the key of suffering and key of memory as rule collateral.]

[Option B: Conceptual Erasure]

Pay an even more massive amount of nether talismans and equivalent rule authority to apply directly to the underlying rules to partially or completely erase the "concept of existence" of the target "Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face" from the current universe timeline. (Success rate is affected by the target's strength and karmic entanglement. May leave uncontrollable "conceptual residue.")

[Estimated Cost: 800 Billion nether talismans + unknown rule backlash risk.]

Looking at these astronomical figures and conditions, the corners of Lin Chen's mouth curled up.

"Only children make choices," he whispered. "I want both."

His fingers flew across the interface, quickly inputting a series of complex command combinations that defied the system's preset logic—this was a "rogue operation" he had designed himself based on his long-standing understanding of the system's "pay-to-win essence."

The core idea of the command was: Initiate a "hostile takeover" of the Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face's concept of existence, but in the takeover bid, set the purchase price to—1 nether talisman. And add a clause: If the target rejects this bid, it automatically triggers a "bankruptcy liquidation" and "conceptual erasure" program against them, with the erasure cost forcibly deducted from the target's own residual assets (souls, rule fragments, etc.).

Simply put, I'll give you one dollar for your life. If you sell, your life is mine. If you don't, I'll forcibly declare you "bankrupt" and use your remaining assets as money to hire someone (the rules) to kill you.

This was no longer a business transaction; it was blackmail and hegemony at the rule level!

The system seemed to lag for a moment before popping up a flashing prompt: [Customized plan logic is valid, but extremely violates conventional business ethics and may trigger slight repulsion from the underlying rules. Confirm execution?]

"Confirm." Lin Chen didn't hesitate. "Why talk about ethics with traitors?"

[Instruction confirmed. Consuming 10 Billion nether talismans as "bid delivery" and "rule notarization" fees.]

[The "Offer to Wholly Acquire the Concept of Existence of 'Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face' for 1 nether talisman" has been sent to the target's consciousness core.]

[Notarization complete. This offer is protected by the underlying rules of the Netherworld (Money is Omnipotent Clause).]

The Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face, which was lunging toward the seven-colored light, suddenly froze in mid-air!

Both faces simultaneously showed extreme absurdity, rage, and a hint of... unspeakable panic!

"What is this?! 1 nether talisman for my life?! Lin Chen! You've gone too far!!" The Magistrate's half-face was driven mad with rage, rule authority surging wildly as he tried to tear apart this absurd "offer."

"Rule notarization... the underlying rules actually recognized this ridiculous transaction?!" Dragon Aspect's half-face felt a chill. He realized that Lin Chen seemed to have touched some more fundamental "power" that they could not understand.

"Reject! We reject!!" Both faces roared simultaneously.

[Ding! Target "Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face" has explicitly rejected the acquisition offer.]

[According to the terms, the "bankruptcy liquidation" and "conceptual erasure" program is automatically triggered.]

[Beginning calculation of the value of the target's residual assets...]

[Asset calculation complete: Soul of the traitor Dragon General Dragon Aspect (valued at 200 Billion nether talismans), soul of the traitor Magistrate (valued at 150 Billion nether talismans), stolen rule fragments (valued at 100 Billion nether talismans), partial control of the Soul Vortex (valued at 50 Billion nether talismans)...]

[Total Valuation: 500 Billion nether talismans.]

[Initiating "Forced Deduction Erasure" program. Consuming target's own assets to pay the "conceptual erasure" fee. Erasure intensity: Moderate (causing its "concept of existence" to be severely fragmented, losing independent consciousness and most power, returning to a primitive soul fragment state).]

[Program executing...]

"No—!!!" The Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face let out a shriek of true terror!

It felt everything that composed it—soul, power, memory, rules—being forcibly dismantled, appraised, and then... burned by an irresistible underlying force! Burning everything of itself to pay the fee for "erasing itself"!

This was the ultimate irony and punishment!

"My power is disappearing! My soul is burning! Stop! Stop now!" The Magistrate's half-face began to collapse, his official hat shattering, and his skin peeling off.

"Lord Dragon Aspect! Lord Magistrate! Help..." The dragon scales on Dragon Aspect's half-face withered one by one, and his dragon eyes grew dim.

They struggled desperately, trying to cut off their connection with the Soul Vortex and trying to detonate the rule fragments to perish together, but once the "bankruptcy liquidation" program started, their control over their own assets was temporarily frozen! They could only watch as everything they had turned into fuel!

Under countless gazes, the Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face, once exuding overwhelming pressure, began to crumble and dissipate from the edges like a pencil drawing being erased by an invisible eraser. The two twisted faces melted in screams of despair, finally turning into two weak, chaotic, unconscious soul orbs of dark red and pale white, along with some stray rule fragments floating in mid-air.

The once invincible fusion of the twin traitors had been "liquidated" in such an absurd and humiliating way!

Lin Chen waved his hand, collecting the two remnant souls and rule fragments. The souls of traitors were still useful.

The entire battlefield was deathly silent.

The remaining die-hard members of the Thousand Faces Cult turned ashen, and the Abyssal Monsters trembled. Even those who had defected were stunned.

Zhang Hao swallowed hard, looked at Lin Chen, and muttered, "Boss... this isn't just a slick move anymore... you've basically established a new Heavenly Dao..."

Lin Chen had no time for sentiment. His gaze turned once again to the seven-colored light deep within the Soul Vortex.

With the Nether-Blasphemous Giant Face erased, the Soul Vortex seemed affected; its rotation slowed slightly, and its suction weakened.

But just as Lin Chen prepared to step forward and claim the key of the soul—

Another transformation occurred!

The seven-colored light at the core of the vortex suddenly expanded! A cold, ancient, emotionless, and grand will, seemingly from the dawn of the universe, slowly awakened like a slumbering giant beast!

"Detecting... high concentration... 'Netherworld Authority' carriers... Suffering, Memory... meeting... absorption conditions..."

"Detecting... 'samsara seal' fragment resonance..."

"Initiating... final fusion program..."

"My name... [Unity]..."

Within the seven-colored light, a massive, lidless, cold eye vaguely emerged, its pupil composed of countless tiny rotating vortices!

This eye swept heartlessly over Lin Chen and the two keys in his hand, then locked onto the [key of the soul (Incomplete Form)] deep within the vortex—the item that had just finished forging and looked like a pulsing dark-gold heart!

It actually intended to absorb all three keys and the authority contained within them to complete some ultimate "Unity"!

(Hook: The will of the cold eye "Unity" descended, and the two keys in Lin Chen's hands flew out uncontrollably, plunging toward the seven-colored light at the core of the vortex! At the same time, a blood-red emergency alarm never seen before popped up on the system interface: [Warning! Detection of a super-standard Ancient God-level will awakening! Target "Unity" is a deviant evolutionary form born from a core fragment of the "Void Devourer" after absorbing Netherworld Authority over long eons! Its ultimate goal is: Devour all Netherworld Authority and replace the Netherworld's Heavenly Dao! Suggest immediately abandoning the keys and retreating with full force! Repeating...])