In the vast center of the Void Desert, the figures of Soul Masters lay scattered across the ground in every direction. Some had long lost their breath, their bodies dissolving into specks of light; some were heavily injured and unconscious, their auras faint; and some barely propped themselves up, lacking even the strength to raise a hand. That final battle just now—from the Void Origin summoning reinforcements, to the tidal wave of Void Creatures, to the shattering of the dual seals and the descent of Qian Renxue's will—had taken barely half an hour. Yet, it caused this allied force, composed of the continent's various elites, to lose over half of its numbers.
That Title Douluo who had burned all his life force and soul power to become a golden speck of light merging into the energy torrent was gone without a trace. He left behind only a Soul Bone glowing with a faint halo, quietly lying on the sand. It was the crystallization of his life's cultivation and the final testament to his defense of the world. That young Soul Master who had just broken through to Soul Douluo and perished together with the Void Cheetah didn't even leave a last word. He left only a broken Soul Tool, speaking of his final stand. And there were countless other young Soul Masters and veteran Douluo. They were either swallowed by Void venom, completely eroded by Void energy, or had died of exhaustion. They couldn't even leave intact bodies, completely turning into specks of light between heaven and earth, merging into the land they protected with their lives.
The surviving Soul Masters either sat paralyzed on the ground weeping silently, or leaned on each other to check their comrades' injuries. There were no cheers, no jubilation, only endless silence and grief. This victory came at too heavy a price; it was a momentary peace exchanged for the lives of countless people. They had defeated the Void Origin and defended the mortal world, but they had forever lost their battle-comrades and their closest partners.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the tears in his eyes. He carefully tucked the Angel's Heart in his palm into his robes, protecting it with his Dragon Emperor Source. Then, circulating his remaining Dragon Power and Divine Power, his voice—though slightly hoarse—remained steady and powerful, echoing across the entire battlefield: "All surviving Soul Masters, hear my orders. Immediately take count of the casualties. Gather the heavily wounded in one area; the lightly wounded will tend to each other. Fully circulate your soul power to resist the residual Void energy. No one is to leave the array's perimeter without authorization."
His voice carried the majesty of the Dragon Emperor, as well as an empathetic gentleness. The Soul Masters, originally drowning in grief, snapped out of their daze. Forcing down the pain in their hearts, they began to move. Several Title Douluo who could still move stepped forward to take charge. They divided the work clearly: some were responsible for sweeping the battlefield to search for survivors, vowing to do everything in their power to save anyone with even a single breath left; some were tasked with clearing the residual black mist, using their own soul power in tandem with the lingering might of the Angel's Heart to thoroughly purify the Void evil power scattered across the sand; and the rest were responsible for gathering the belongings of the fallen. They carefully organized the Soul Bones, Soul Tools, and Martial Soul tokens, preparing to send them back to their families or sects later, allowing the martyred heroes to rest in peace.
Leaning on his battle axe, Zhao Feng walked step by step to the front of the golden array. He looked up at this sealing formation, which was entirely golden and covered in complex runes. At the core of the array, one could faintly sense a weak but violent aura—that was the Void Origin, thoroughly imprisoned. At this moment, the Void Origin had long lost its former arrogance. Only a weak, lingering fluctuation remained. Bound by the triple imprisonment of Qian Renxue's Angel Seal, Lin Mo's Dragon Emperor Seal, and the Soul Masters' soul power Seal, it was firmly locked in the array's core. It could no longer stir up even the slightest storm, let alone summon reinforcements from the Void Space.
"How long can this array hold?" Zhao Feng asked in a deep voice, his tone filled with worry. He knew all too well how bizarre and tenacious the Void energy was. Even though it was sealed now, no one could guarantee it wouldn't break out again. After all, its previous counterattacks had already shown everyone its terror.
Lin Mo walked over to the array and gently touched its surface with his fingertips. A gentle yet resilient power flowed back along his fingers. He closed his eyes, using his spiritual sense to communicate with the array and the Angel's Heart in his robes. A long time passed before he slowly opened his eyes. There was a hint of solemnity in his gaze, but also absolute certainty: "With Lady Qian Renxue's Angelic Source at its core, supplemented by the continuous suppression of my Dragon Emperor Source, and the mutual balance of the triple seal, the Void Origin absolutely cannot break through in a short time. In as little as a thousand years, or as many as ten thousand—as long as the seal isn't destroyed by external forces, the Void energy will never leak out, and the mortal world will remain safe and sound."
Pausing here, Lin Mo's gaze swept across the battlefield again, his voice dropping a few octaves: "But the hidden dangers still exist. The Void Space is far larger than what we just faced. What the Void Origin summoned earlier were merely low-tier creatures from the edges of the Void Space. If stronger Void Sovereigns detect the commotion here in the future, or if people with ulterior motives attempt to break the seal and release the Void Origin, the consequences would still be unimaginable. This battle is not the end; it is merely the beginning of our path of protection."
Zhao Feng nodded. He understood Lin Mo's meaning. Peace was never eternal, especially on this crisis-ridden Douluo Continent, where unknown threats always lurked in the shadows. They had won this battle, but they couldn't afford the slightest slackening. They had to reorganize their forces as quickly as possible, consolidate their defenses, and pass on the conviction to protect. They needed to ensure that future generations of Soul Masters would forever remember this sacrifice and the responsibility of protecting the world.
Over the next three days, the center of the Void Desert became a temporary triage and recovery camp. Having nearly exhausted his own Dragon Emperor Source, Lin Mo spent day and night circulating his Divine Power and Dragon Power to heal the heavily wounded. His figure shuttled back and forth across the camp. From Title Douluo to young Soul Elders and Soul Kings, as long as they still had a breath left, he never gave up on them. The Angel's Heart in his robes seemed to possess a spirituality of its own. Whenever Lin Mo's power was exhausted, it would emit a faint golden halo to replenish his strength and double the healing effects. Under the nourishment of this power, many critically wounded Soul Masters on the verge of death gradually pulled back from the brink.
Zhao Feng, meanwhile, took charge of the camp's defense and order. Leading a group of lightly wounded Soul Masters who still had combat power, he set up layers of defensive perimeters around the array. This was partly to guard against any remaining Void remnants in the desert, and partly to prevent unknown forces from approaching the sealed grounds. At the same time, he dispatched messengers to rush back to the Douluo Continent overnight. They were to spread the news to the major sects and empires, announcing the joyous news that the Void Origin had been sealed, while also requesting that the major powers send reinforcements and healing Soul Masters to retrieve this heavily battered allied force.
During those three days, Soul Masters continuously woke up from their pain, but a small number of the critically injured ultimately couldn't pull through, closing their eyes forever. Every time they bid farewell to a fallen comrade, low sobbing would echo through the camp. Lin Mo and Zhao Feng always stood at the very front, bowing deeply to the departed heroic spirits. They knew that these Soul Masters had traded their lives for peace, and their names deserved to be remembered by the entire continent.
On the morning of the fourth day, as the sky turned a pale white at the horizon, the sound of Soul Tools breaking through the air finally came from the edge of the desert. A massive force of reinforcements and healing Soul Masters had arrived. Leading them were the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Holy Order Soul Masters left behind by the Spirit Hall, and the royal Soul Master legions of the two great empires.
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