46: At the moment of reckoning, chaos fell silent.

Inside the cave, time passed in silence. Lin Fan sat cross-legged at the entrance, his three-thousand-zhang Chaos Domain naturally circulating around him. Though not fully deployed, its invisible pressure already caused the surrounding Evil Qi and chaotic Laws to retreat, creating a relatively peaceful sanctuary. With his eyes slightly closed, he stabilized his Late-stage World Lord cultivation and familiarized himself with the new Chaos Domain fused with the Annihilation Concept, all while acting as a Protector for his allies who were doing their best to restore their Origins.

Mo Yuan, Su Zhiqing, and the others gathered deep within the cave, each holding a World Origin Divine Crystal as they absorbed the pure World Origin power within. Their faces remained pale and their breathing fluctuated, but they were in a much better state than their previous near-death condition. Sacrificing their Origins to save Lin Fan had taken a massive toll, but it wasn't without benefits. This unreserved blending of power had given them a deeper understanding of each other's Dao and the essence of power itself.

Several days later, Mo Yuan was the first to open his eyes, the demonic light within them restrained. Though his Aura hadn't fully returned to its Peak, he had recovered seventy to eighty percent. He looked at Lin Fan at the cave entrance, sensing that Chaos Aura as deep as the sea—capable of containing and evolving all Laws—and a flicker of complexity crossed his eyes, which quickly turned into pure Battle Intent.

Following him, Su Zhiqing, the Buddhist Son, the Elf, the Giant Clan Warrior, Zi Linger, Ethereal Moon, and the Primordial Void Dragon also finished their meditation one after another, their strength recovering to roughly seventy percent. Though not at full strength, they were now capable of fighting.

Their gazes met, and without needing words, they all saw the resolve in each other's eyes.

Sensing everyone waking up, Lin Fan slowly opened his eyes. Within them, the meanings of Chaos and Annihilation swirled as he calmly looked at everyone. "How is your recovery?"

"Enough to fight again!" Mo Yuan said succinctly.

Su Zhiqing nodded. "Indeed." The others also voiced their agreement as their Battle Intent reignited.

"Good." Lin Fan stood up, his three-thousand-zhang Chaos Domain rippling slightly as it enveloped everyone. A majestic and warm power flowed back into them, helping them further regulate their Auras. "Then let us go meet that old friend. It is time for a reckoning."

Their goal was clear: return to that canyon and completely crush the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit!

The group turned into streaks of light, rushing once more toward the darkness-shrouded canyon. This time, their speed was many times faster, and their Aura was completely different from when they had fled in panic!

Before they even reached the canyon, that heart-wrenching Annihilation will surged forth again like a tide, carrying rage and icy killing intent. The darkness above the canyon grew even thicker, as if it had condensed into something physical.

"Ants, you dare return to seek death!" The Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit's raspy, cold voice boomed. Darkness gathered, and that dark-crystal-like figure emerged once more, its crimson gaze locking onto Lin Fan at the head of the group. "Hmm? Your power... it has actually..."

It clearly sensed the completely different, more powerful, and instinctively repulsive inclusive Aura emanating from Lin Fan.

"I have come back to take your life," Lin Fan said in a flat tone, yet filled with unquestionable determination. He took a step forward, leaving the group to face the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit alone.

"Arrogant! Even if you have had a Breakthrough, before my Law, you are still nothing but a clay chicken! Great Nirvana Burial!" The Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit was completely enraged. It wasted no more words and directly unleashed its strongest killing move! A darkness even deeper and more absolute than before spread out, intending to bury Lin Fan along with the Alliance members behind him! However, this time, as Lin Fan faced this terrifying 'Burial,' his eyes didn't flicker in the slightest.

He didn't even deploy his full Chaos Domain; he simply raised his right hand. Within his palm, gray Chaos currents gathered, interspersed with threads of deep black light. A miniature Chaos vortex, seemingly containing the birth, death, and Reincarnation of the Universe, slowly took shape.

"Chaos Return to Void Attraction."

He gently pushed the vortex from his palm. As it left his hand, it expanded instantly, turning into a hundred-zhang diameter Chaos black hole that silently met the sweeping 'Great Nirvana Burial'! There was no earth-shattering collision. The absolute darkness capable of burying all things was, upon contact with the Chaos black hole, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, being frantically devoured and absorbed! The power of the Great Nirvana Burial not only failed to destroy the black hole but instead became the nourishment to strengthen it!

Chaos can evolve all things, and it can also return all Laws to the void! After fusing the true meaning of the Law of Annihilation, Lin Fan's Chaos Dao had already gained the ability to actively 'attract' and 'digest' Power of Annihilation!

"What?! This is impossible!" The Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit let out an unbelievable roar, its crimson eyes flickering violently. "You can actually devour Annihilation?!"

It could not understand how a mere Late-stage World Lord could master such a Heaven-Defying ability!

"Your Law, to me, is now nothing but resources," Lin Fan said, his tone still calm. He controlled the hundred-zhang Chaos black hole like a gluttonous beast, continuously devouring the power of the Great Nirvana Burial and crushing toward the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit in reverse!

"Bastard!" The Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit was both shocked and furious. Its dark-crystal body erupted with monstrous black flames, and countless black spears, curse runes, and twisted chains condensed from the Law of Annihilation shot toward Lin Fan and the Chaos black hole like a rainstorm!

"Everyone, move!" Lin Fan shouted.

The Alliance members, who had long been prepared, moved instantly!

"Demon Prison Saber Mountain!" Mo Yuan roared, his Demonic Blade Domain transforming into a purgatory of sharp Saber Qi, slashing toward those black spears!

"Glazed Sword Wall!" Su Zhiqing pointed her fingers, and a sky-piercing glazed sword energy transformed into a barrier, blocking the sky full of curse runes!

"Buddha's Light Shines Everywhere, All Laws Untouchable!" The Buddhist Son sat in the Void Realm, his golden Buddha's light like a great sun, purifying the twisted chains!

"Nature Entanglement!" The Elf channeled the power of nature, and countless resilient vines burst from the ground, binding the movements of the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit!

"War God Charge!" The Giant Clan Warrior turned into a blood-colored meteor, crashing directly into the body of the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit!

"Nine-Tails Burning Heaven!" Zi Linger's demonic power fully erupted, her purple flames turning into a sea of fire that scorched the darkness!

"Reincarnation Tribulation Finger!" Power of Reincarnation condensed at Ethereal Moon's fingertip as she pointed toward the core of the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit!

"Great Void Dragon Chain!" The Primordial Void Dragon performed a Dragon Clan secret technique, as silver-white spatial chains wove through the Void Realm to reinforce the Seal!

With Lin Fan confronting and pinning down most of the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit's power, the Alliance members were able to give their all, bringing their respective Domains and Divine Abilities to their limits! Powerful attacks of various attributes poured down on the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit from all directions like a storm!

Though the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit was powerful, it had lost its absolute suppression at the Law level and was being constantly drained by Lin Fan's Chaos Return to Void Attraction. Under the coordinated and fierce assault of the Alliance, it was suddenly forced into a passive position!

Cracks began to appear on its dark-crystal body, its crimson gaze dimmed significantly, and its Aura rapidly declined!

"You all deserve to die!" It let out an unwilling and venomous roar, attempting to detonate part of its Origin for a final counterattack.

"It's over." Lin Fan's eyes turned cold. The hundred-zhang Chaos black hole suddenly shrank, transforming into a gray-black beam of light condensed to the extreme. Like the first ray of light at the dawn of creation, and like the final judgment that ends all things, it instantly pierced through the Void Realm, ignored all defenses, and struck the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit directly between its brows—the core of those two crimson lights!

"Chaos Annihilation, Return to Origin Finger!" The finger energy entered the body but did not explode. Instead, like the most overbearing solvent, it instantly disintegrated the core structure of the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit, completely breaking down, devouring, and converting its majestic Power of Annihilation and lingering will!

The Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit's roar stopped abruptly. Its dark-crystal body shattered like broken glass, piece by piece, finally turning into a pure torrent of darkness that was completely absorbed, suppressed, and refined by Lin Fan's Chaos Domain!

Inside the canyon, that suffocating and terrifying pressure suddenly vanished. The pervasive darkness receded like a tide, revealing the original dark-red sky. Though still desolate, it had lost some of its deathly silence.

The Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit had completely fallen! The Alliance members looked at Lin Fan, who stood proudly in the Void Realm slowly withdrawing his finger, and at the increasingly deep and vast Chaos Aura around him, their hearts filled with shock and excitement.

They had won! In a true sense, they had relied on their own strength to defeat an important branch spirit of the Lord of Annihilation!

["System," Lin Fan whispered in his heart, checking in at this moment of victory and reckoning, "Check in at the place where the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit fell."]

[Ding! Check-in location detected—Place of the Annihilation Lords Branch Spirit's Fall (contains pure Annihilation Origin and the intent of a victorious struggle). Special check-in conditions met. Check-in successful!]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Innate Chaos Qi (Fragment)!]

Another tiny but incredibly pure wisp of Innate Chaos Qi merged into Lin Fan's Dantian, blending with his original wisp and making it slightly larger, more solid, and more active. Though it was only a fragment, many small bits would add up, providing immeasurable benefits to the Foundation of his Chaos Dao.

Lin Fan felt the increase in his power. His gaze swept over the messy canyon below and the ruins of the destroyed dark portal. He said in a deep voice, "Though this branch spirit is destroyed, the threat of the Lord of Annihilation has not been rooted out. We must find a way to completely Seal or destroy it as soon as possible."

He looked at everyone with a firm gaze. "Before that, we need to become stronger and unite more forces from the Six Realms. This Myriad Worlds Battlefield may only be the starting point of our journey."

After this battle, the Alliance's cohesion and confidence reached their Peak. Everyone understood that by following Lin Fan, they might truly be able to carve out a path to resist Annihilation and protect the heavens.

The reckoning was complete; a new journey was already beneath their feet.