But the power of the Void Origin was simply too overwhelming. The cracks in the golden seal grew larger and larger until, with a crisp crack, the seal shattered completely. Lin Mo was sent flying backward by the shockwave, coughing up a massive mouthful of blood. His Dragon Emperor Source suffered further damage, and his aura became incredibly faint.
Right at this moment, a golden figure suddenly shot out from within Lin Mo's body. The figure possessed a graceful silhouette, wreathed in golden radiance, and the face belonged to none other than Qian Renxue! Although her figure appeared somewhat ethereal, it exuded a powerful Divine Power. Clearly, this was Qian Renxue's lingering will, awakened by the power of the Angel's Heart fragment at the most critical juncture for the Soul Masters.
"Qian Renxue!" Lin Mo and Zhao Feng in the distance saw this figure, their eyes revealing both shock and ecstatic joy, their voices carrying a slight choke.
Qian Renxue glanced back at Lin Mo and Zhao Feng, revealing a gentle yet resolute smile. It was the exact same smile from ten years ago, carrying that unwavering conviction to protect the world. "Lin Mo, Zhao Feng, and all the Soul Masters—you've endured so much!" Qian Renxue's voice was gentle yet powerful, echoing across the entire center of the Void Desert. "The Void Origin's power is too great. It's nearly impossible for you to seal it completely on your own. Let me help you!"
As her words faded, Qian Renxue's figure slowly ascended. The golden light around her grew increasingly dazzling as the fragments of the Angel's Heart gathered in her palms, fusing into a complete Angel's Heart that radiated the ultimate Divine Power. Qian Renxue formed a seal with her hands, fully mobilizing the Angel's Heart's power. It transformed into a colossal pillar of golden light that descended over the breach in the golden array.
"Angel Seal: Source Imprisonment!" Qian Renxue's roar shook the heavens and the earth. The golden pillar slammed down over the rift, synergizing with the power of Lin Mo and the Soul Masters to completely suppress the Void Origin. The black vortexes instantly dissipated, and the Void Creatures in the process of descending were thoroughly purified by the pillar's radiance.
"Thank goodness! Lady Qian Renxue has returned!" Seeing this, the Soul Masters revealed ecstatic expressions. Their morale surged as they one after another mobilized their remaining strength, channeling it into the golden pillar to help Qian Renxue reinforce the seal.
The Void Origin's voice was filled with despair and fury: "Qian Renxue! You are clearly already dead, how can you still appear?! I refuse to accept this! I will devour the entire world!" It strained its absolute last ounce of strength, erupting with another massive surge of black power that crashed into the golden pillar. But this time, the pillar's power was far too overwhelming. The black energy was instantly devoured, and the Void Origin's aura began to weaken at a rapid pace. Ultimately, it was thoroughly imprisoned within the golden array by the pillar of light, never to thrash about again.
Qian Renxue's figure gradually grew ethereal once more. She looked back at Lin Mo and Zhao Feng with a gratified smile: "Lin Mo, Zhao Feng, this is all I can do. From here on, the responsibility of protecting this world is in your hands. Remember, no matter how great the hardships you face, do not give up. As long as you hold the conviction to protect in your hearts, you will be able to overcome anything."
"Qian Renxue, don't go!" Lin Mo shouted at her fading figure, tears welling in his eyes. He tried to rush over, but was blocked by the power of the golden pillar.
Qian Renxue shook her head, her smile remaining as gentle as ever: "I am not leaving. I will always be protecting you, and protecting this world. The power of the Angel's Heart will remain by your side, helping you fend off the invasion of the Void energy. Farewell, my friends. Farewell, the world I gave my life to protect."
As her voice faded, Qian Renxue's figure dissolved into countless golden specks of light that merged into the Angel's Heart. The gem's radiance grew even more dazzling before it slowly drifted down into Lin Mo's hands. The golden pillar of light gradually retracted, finally merging into the golden array. The array's light became incomparably resplendent, the cracks on its surface completely mended. The Void Origin was thoroughly sealed within the array, unable to leak even a trace of its aura ever again.
The lingering warmth of the Angel's Heart still rested in Lin Mo's palm. That gentle golden light slowly seeped into his meridians, soothing the internal organs that had been shaken and ruptured when the dual seal broke, and firmly branding Qian Renxue's final will deep into his soul. Across the center of the Void Desert, the violent tremors finally subsided. The yellow sand dancing wildly in the sky slowly settled to the ground. The earth, which had been torn apart by the collision of energies, was now wrapped in a faint golden halo. The fissures healed at a visible rate, leaving only trenches of varying depths to testify to the sheer brutality of the apocalyptic battle that had just taken place.
Propping himself up on legs that had long since gone weak and numb, Lin Mo slowly rose from the sandy ground. The pale blue Soul Wings around him had already retracted. The light of his Ninth Soul Ring remained brilliant, but it had lost some of its previous sharpness, gaining a more grounded, heavy solemnity instead. He looked down at his palm. The originally shattered fragment of the Angel's Heart had now condensed into a palm-sized golden crystal. Within the crystal flowed a soft divine halo, and one could faintly see the ethereal silhouette of Qian Renxue's faint smile. Every pulse of the crystal resonated subtly with his Dragon Emperor Source. The Dragon Power and Divine Power had completely fused, no longer distinct from one another. The overbearing dragon aura that originally belonged to the Abyssal Dragon Emperor was now mixed with a holy, protective essence—possessing both the sharpness to suppress all evils and the gentleness to shelter all living beings.
Not far away, Zhao Feng was half-kneeling on the ground, leaning heavily on his battle axe. The axe's blade was covered in fine cracks, and its golden Power of Faith had long since been completely exhausted. He was covered in yellow sand and black Void stains. The spot on his shoulder where the Void Worm's venom had grazed him still bore a faint black mark; had the Angelic Light not purified it in time, he likely would have been entirely eroded by the Void energy. Hearing the rustle of Lin Mo standing up, Zhao Feng snapped his head up. His eyes were bloodshot, yet still burned with an astonishing light. Seeing Lin Mo safe and sound, and then looking at the completely repaired, radiantly glowing golden array, his tightly clenched jaw finally relaxed. He let out a long, turbid breath from his chest. His entire body instantly went limp, yet he stubbornly forced himself not to collapse.
"We did it... we actually did it..." Zhao Feng's voice was as hoarse as sandpaper, carrying an uncontrollable choke and the profound relief of a survivor. "Lady Qian Renxue... she used her final will to help us hold this last line of defense."
Lin Mo slowly walked over to him and reached out to help him up. The golden halo on his fingertips gently brushed over Zhao Feng's wounds, instantly purifying the residual Void energy and making the pain vanish without a trace. He didn't say a word. He simply turned his head to look around, his gaze sweeping across the devastated, chaotic battlefield. It felt as though an invisible giant hand was tightly clutching his heart, aching so much he could barely breathe.
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