223: Chapter 223 He is the true... "Purifier"!

Under Zhang Qilin's earth-shattering blade, the entire battle situation was instantly reversed.

That golden blade aura not only cleared the enemies ahead but also left a bottomless, terrifying slash mark on the mirror-smooth black ground, its edges still burning with golden flames!

This slash mark, like an impassable chasm, made the surviving "Mantis Guards" afraid to step forward for a moment.

Their combat programs, composed of pure logic, seemed to have encountered "abnormal data" they couldn't process for the first time—a creature beyond their understanding capable of instantly destroying their kind.

"Quick! Keep up!"

Lin Tianyi was the first to react; he knew this brief deterrence wouldn't last long!

The five of them followed closely in Zhang Qilin's footsteps, sprinting with all their might along the path of life forcibly carved out, toward the deeper parts of the circular corridor!

Zhang Qilin took the lead; his state at this moment was unprecedentedly powerful.

Under his Golden Pupils' gaze, the complex energy flows within the entire spire became clearly visible to him.

He could "see" that all the energy, like streams flowing into the sea, ultimately pointed in the same direction.

That was the heart of the hub! And also the place where "The Creator" was suppressed!

His left hand tightly gripped the "Xirang" that had almost fused with his flesh and was continuously providing vast energy, while his right hand dragged the black gold ancient blade, which was burning with golden flames.

The tip of the blade scraped across the ground, leaving a trail of dazzling sparks, as if guiding the way for the companions behind him.

"Little Brother... you... what brand of super-strength pill did you eat?"

Fatty followed behind, running out of breath, yet he still didn't forget to exercise his talent for snarky commentary.

He watched Zhang Qilin's back, which looked like a god descending to earth, and felt his cognitive limits being refreshed once again.

"This is no longer human; this is a walking miracle..." Song Yiqing's eyes were filled with awe and shock.

He could clearly feel that the life energy radiating from Zhang Qilin at this moment was as vast as a sea of stars, making even him, a user of "Qi Sense," feel bursts of insignificance and trembling.

[Internal defense system... upgrading...]

[Initiating... 'Arbitrator'... protocol.]

The cold, synthesized voice sounded again.

This time, there seemed to be a hint of... gravity in its tone.

As the voice faded, a heavy alloy gate at the end of the corridor ahead slowly rose.

What walked out from behind the gate was no longer a "Mantis Guard".

It was a... giant humanoid mech over ten meters tall!

Its entire body was crafted from an unknown dark golden metal, with smooth lines full of power.

Its left arm was a massive, transformable energy shield; its right arm was an Annihilation Cannon with a muzzle diameter of over a meter, gathering terrifying energy!

Its head was no longer compound eyes, but a huge, single-eyed crystal emitting a ghostly blue light.

When that single crystal eye locked onto Zhang Qilin, a sense of crisis, a hundred times stronger than before, instantly enveloped everyone!

"Arbitrator"!

This was the true, highest-level... guardian of this spire!

"Spread out!"

Zhang Qilin's Golden Pupils shrank sharply; he could feel that the energy gathering in the Annihilation Cannon on the enemy's right arm was enough to completely vaporize them all, along with this corridor!

Boom——!!!

A thick, pure white beam of energy, like a water barrel, blasted out with a momentum exceeding the speed of light!

Wherever it passed, space seemed to be scorched and twisted!

The moment Zhang Qilin issued the warning, everyone instinctively lunged toward the walls on either side!

Lin Tianyi and Fatty rolled awkwardly to one side.

Wang Xianzhi and Song Yiqing lunged toward the other side.

And the only one facing this destructive blow... was Zhang Qilin!

He did not dodge!

Because he knew that if he dodged, this energy cannon would blast through the entire corridor, possibly triggering a structural collapse of the entire spire!

He knew even more that his state at this moment existed to deal with an opponent of this level!

"Roar——!"

The Kylin's roar resounded again!

He did not choose to take it head-on but poured all his strength into his legs!

In the split second before the energy cannon was about to hit him, he vanished from the spot as if he had teleported!

"What?!" Lin Tianyi watched this scene in horror.

The next second, Zhang Qilin's figure appeared above the "Arbitrator's"... head!

He had actually stepped on the edge of that destructive energy beam, moving against the flow in an anti-physical, unbelievable way, reaching the enemy's front in an instant!

The black gold ancient blade in his hand flared with golden flames!

"Die!"

A cold word was spat from his mouth.

He and his blade became a golden meteor, slashing fiercely toward the... huge blue single-eyed crystal on the "Arbitrator's" head with the momentum of splitting heaven and earth!

That was its energy core, and also its only... weakness!

The "Arbitrator's" reaction was extremely fast!

Its left arm energy shield instantly transformed and blocked upward!

Clang——!!!!!!

A loud noise, enough to shatter stars, erupted inside the spire!

The golden blade and the blue energy shield slammed into each other!

The entire space was trembling violently!

A visible shockwave of intertwined gold and blue energy spread wildly in all directions with them as the center!

Lin Tianyi and the others were violently blown away by the shockwave, crashing into the walls, feeling as if their internal organs had shifted.

Crack——

A tiny crack appeared on the "Arbitrator's" energy shield!

And Zhang Qilin was also knocked backward by the immense recoil, coughing up a mouthful of Qilin Blood in mid-air!

Although he had temporarily awakened his bloodline, the opponent was, after all, a crystallization of the previous era's technology! This blow was almost a draw!

However, the "Arbitrator" would not give him any chance to catch his breath!

Its single-eyed crystal flashed with blue light, and an invisible, powerful mental shock instantly locked onto Zhang Qilin in mid-air!

[Detected... abnormal mental fluctuation...]

[Executing... soul... erasure...]

Hum!

Zhang Qilin's head felt as if it had been struck hard by an invisible giant hammer!

Countless chaotic negative messages filled with slaughter and destruction flooded into his mind like a tide!

Even his Golden Pupils showed a hint of unfocusing!

This was... an attack directly targeting the soul level!

Just as his consciousness was about to be swallowed by this torrent.

The "Xirang" in his arms suddenly emitted a soft, cool aura, like a stabilizer, steadying his collapsing mental world.

At the same time, deep within his bloodline, a more ancient, more noble will was... angered by this external mental attack!

That was the pride... belonging to the "Kylin"!

"Get out!!!"

A roar from the depths of his soul turned into a tangible mental storm, rushing back out!

Boom!

The single-eyed crystal on the "Arbitrator's" head shuddered violently, and the blue light on its surface dimmed for an instant! Its invincible mental attack was, for the first time... forcibly rebounded by a biological entity!

Now is the time!

Zhang Qilin seized this fleeting opportunity, enduring the intense pain in his soul, flipped in mid-air, and threw the black gold ancient blade in his hand with all his might, like a javelin!

The target was still that single-eyed crystal!

And he himself, borrowing the force of the throw, fell backward, landing right beside Lin Tianyi and the others.

"Go! To the core!"

He roared, golden blood hanging from the corner of his mouth.

His strength was fading rapidly. He knew he could no longer completely destroy this "Arbitrator"; all he could do was create a path for his companions!

That black gold ancient blade, burning with golden flames, turned into a soul-chasing, life-taking streak of light, arriving in front of the "Arbitrator" in an instant!

The "Arbitrator's" energy shield had just taken a heavy blow and hadn't had time to fully recover; facing this all-out throw, it could only choose to... take it head-on with its own body!

Puchi——!

The black gold ancient blade, carrying unrivaled penetrating power, deeply... stabbed into the "Arbitrator's" single-eyed crystal!

Zzzzz——!!!

Blue electric arcs burst out wildly from the crystal!

The "Arbitrator's" massive body trembled violently, and it let out bursts of piercing, wailing sounds like metallic cries!

Its movements froze completely!

"Well done!" Lin Tianyi was both surprised and delighted.

The five of them, without hesitation, rushed past the paralyzed "Arbitrator" and sprinted into the deep passage behind it that led to the core!

[Inside the livestream, the barrage had completely disappeared]

Everyone was rendered speechless, shocked by this battle that felt like gods fighting.

They could only watch helplessly as the five small figures on the screen rushed into the deeper darkness.

...

At the end of the passage was a huge, star-like circular domed hall.

In the center of the hall was a bottomless circular abyss.

Countless thick, energy-glowing black chains extended from all directions, plunging into the abyss, as if binding some... terrifying existence.

And directly above the abyss floated a massive... golden sphere composed of countless complex ring structures, slowly rotating.

That was the energy core of the entire spire, and even the entire "Guixu"!

"Zhulong's" message said that "The Creator" was suppressed beneath the hub.

Then... He must be in that abyss!

"We... have arrived."

Song Yiqing looked at the scene before him, his voice trembling.

However, the moment they stepped into the hall.

A long, lingering sigh, as if spanning billions of years of time, suddenly sounded in everyone's mind.

The voice was gentle, refined, yet carried a hint of indescribable fatigue and... compassion.

[Finally... someone... has come...]

[The inheritor... carrying the 'Xirang' and the 'Kylin Bloodline'...]

[Pity... you are too late...]

As this voice sounded, the golden core above the abyss in the center of the hall shone brightly!

Within the light, a semi-transparent humanoid shadow composed of pure energy slowly emerged.

It was the image of a middle-aged man wearing a white robe, with a handsome and gentle face, and the bearing of an ancient scholar.

His eyes were filled with wisdom and vicissitudes.

"Are you... here to awaken me?"

He looked at Zhang Qilin and asked with a smile, but the smile carried a hint of... indescribable eeriness.

"Are you... 'The Creator'?" Lin Tianyi asked vigilantly.

"'The Creator'? Heh... that is merely a clumsy term the 'Purifiers' use for me."

The man shook his head and said slowly:

"I am 'Zhulong'."

"The last 'Zhulong' of the Tomb Guardians family."

"And also... the first... prisoner to have been locked up in this cage for... thirty-seven thousand years."

What?!

This statement was earth-shattering!

Everyone was stunned!

This person before them was actually... the 'Zhulong' who left that final message?!

He... is still alive?!

"This... this is impossible!" Song Yiqing said in horror, "That message..."

"That message was indeed left by me, that is correct."

The "Zhulong" shadow said with a wry smile.

"That was a warning I left for those who came after, back when I still had a trace of 'humanity'."

"It is just a pity that I overestimated the resilience of human nature and underestimated... the erosion of 'Guixu'."

His gaze slowly swept over everyone present, finally landing on the "Xirang" in Zhang Qilin's hand and the power of the Kylin Bloodline that had not yet fully faded from his body, a flash of... greed and desire appearing in his eyes.

"My children (referring to the Scavengers) have done well; they successfully lured the... 'nourishment' I need most to me."

"Kylin... my fellow kin..."

His voice became full of temptation.

"Give up resistance... merge your bloodline, your life, and this piece of 'Xirang'... into me."

"Let me... end all of this."

"And then, I will lead you all... home!"

The moment his voice fell, his gentle and refined face suddenly began to twist!

Behind him, from within the abyss, countless pitch-black... giant tentacles filled with ominous and insane auras, suddenly shot out!

Where was there any suppressed "The Creator"?!

This so-called "Zhulong" himself... had already merged with the core of this spire and the will of the entire "Guixu"!

He was the... most terrifying... BOSS here!

He was the true... "Purifiers"!