He had always assumed that with the Origin of the Void sealed, the only passage from the Void Space to the mortal realm was the one at the golden array. But now it seemed that the Void Space was far more massive than he had ever imagined. Beneath the Void Desert, there were actually other hidden spatial passages; they had merely been concealed by the power of the Origin of the Void and shrouded by the light of the seal, remaining undiscovered all this time. Now, five years later, as the seal's power stabilized, that hidden passage had gradually revealed itself, allowing the aura of the Void to silently seep through.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from outside the hall. Zhao Feng hurried in with several commanders of the Void-Suppressing Army, his face equally grave.
"Lin Mo, something has happened. Just now, while the army was patrolling the edge of the desert, they discovered three low-tier Void creatures. They aren't the types we've encountered before. They aren't very strong, but they are extremely bizarre, and they burrowed out from beneath the desert. The aura on their bodies is completely different from the Origin of the Void within the seal."
Hearing this, Lin Mo's expression grew even heavier. He waved his hand, sharing the results of his recent probe with Zhao Feng: "I just discovered a hidden spatial passage beneath the array. It's another entrance to the Void Space that was previously concealed. Now it's starting to leak aura and has bred Void creatures. This is only the beginning. If we don't seal this passage quickly, stronger and more numerous Void creatures will inevitably pour out from here in the future. When that happens, the continent will fall into crisis once again."
Zhao Feng gripped his battleaxe, a fierce light flashing in his eyes.
"I will immediately lead the Void-Suppressing Army to lock down this area and fully investigate the underground passage, purging all the Void creatures that have seeped through. You are in charge of reinforcing the spatial barrier and sealing the passage. We absolutely cannot let this crisis spread."
"Alright." Lin Mo nodded. "You must be careful. Although these newly spawned Void creatures aren't strong, the characteristics of their Void power might have changed. Do not underestimate them. I will circulate the Heart of the Angel and my Dragon Emperor Origin right now to reinforce the spatial barrier and try to seal this passage."
The two immediately split up to take action. Zhao Feng led the Void-Suppressing Army and completely locked down a hundred-mile radius around the Holy Dragon Void-Suppressing Hall, conducting a carpet search for the underground Void creatures. Wherever they went, if any Void aura was detected, they immediately used the power of conviction combined with divine power to purify it. In just half a day, they cleared out over a dozen low-tier Void creatures. These creatures had bizarre forms—some looked like subterranean crawlers, others like shadow phantoms. Their defensive power wasn't high, but they excelled at concealment, making them incredibly difficult to detect.
Meanwhile, Lin Mo sat cross-legged beside the golden array. He slowly took out the Heart of the Angel and held it high above his head while circulating his entire Dragon Emperor Origin. Light blue and golden rays intertwined, forming a massive light shield that enveloped the entire underground passage area. He silently chanted sealing incantations, thoroughly fusing the power of the Angel and the power of the Dragon. This fused power transformed into intricate, dense patterns that seeped into the underground spatial barrier, repairing the fine crack little by little in an attempt to completely seal the hidden passage.
But just as the crack was about to be fully repaired, an extremely cold and overwhelmingly powerful aura suddenly surged from the depths of the passage. This aura was far more terrifying than the Origin of the Void from back then; it carried a domineering, sovereign-like pressure that instantly breached the spatial barrier and lunged toward Lin Mo. Lin Mo's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly circulated his power to resist, but was still forced back several steps by the aura, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.
"Is this... the aura of the Void Sovereign?" Lin Mo was horrified. He could clearly feel that the master of this aura possessed strength far surpassing the sealed Origin of the Void. This was the true, high-ranking sovereign of the Void Space. The aura from just now was merely a trace of his will, yet it possessed such terrifying might.
An ice-cold, hoarse, and entirely emotionless voice slowly traveled through the spatial passage into Lin Mo's ears. Like a frigid wind from the deepest abyss, it made one's blood run cold: "Lowly mortal creatures, you actually dared to seal my subordinate and ruin my plans. Within a thousand years, I will surely shatter the spatial barrier, flatten the mortal realm, and reduce this land to a purgatory of the Void. Your so-called protection is nothing but a dying struggle."
As the voice fell, that overwhelming aura instantly vanished. However, the crack in the spatial passage widened once more, and even more Void aura seeped out. From deep underground, the faint roars of countless Void creatures echoed, as if a massive army was mustering on the other end of the passage, ready to strike.
Lin Mo's face was as dark as water. He slowly stood up and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. The light of the Heart of the Angel in his embrace had dimmed slightly; clearly, resisting that aura just now had consumed a massive amount of its power. He knew that the true crisis had only just begun. The Origin of the Void from back then was merely a minor player in the Void Space. Now, the true Void Sovereign had set his sights on the mortal world. The thousand-year deadline was their death sentence.
Hearing the commotion, Zhao Feng immediately rushed back into the hall. Seeing Lin Mo's condition and sensing the increasingly dense Void aura from deep within the passage, his heart sank. "What happened? Is there a stronger Void entity?"
Lin Mo nodded, his tone unprecedentedly grave: "It is the Void Sovereign, the true ruler of the Void Space. He declared that within a thousand years, he will break through the spatial barrier and invade the mortal realm. What we sealed before was just his pawn. Now, the true great enemy has emerged."
Zhao Feng shuddered. He gripped his battleaxe so tightly his knuckles turned white, yet there wasn't the slightest fear in him. Instead, his eyes grew even more resolute: "A thousand years is enough time for us to grow stronger, enough to cultivate more experts, and enough to reinforce all our defense lines. If he dares to come, we dare to fight. Even if we have to fight another war, even if it costs us our lives, we will absolutely never let him set foot in the mortal realm."
Looking at Zhao Feng's determined eyes, the heaviness in Lin Mo's heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a conviction of certain victory. He looked up into the distance, toward the direction of the Douluo Continent, toward the towering Shrine of Heroic Spirits, and spoke slowly: "You're right. A thousand years isn't for us to wait passively; it's to prepare for war with all our might. We will inherit the will of the heroic spirits, strengthen the Void-Suppressing Army, research methods to repel the Void, and elevate the combat power of the entire continent. This time, we will take the initiative. We will reinforce all spatial passages and completely sever any possibility of a Void invasion. Even if the Void Sovereign attacks, we will fight side by side and utterly defeat him."
"Lord Qian Renxue's heart of protection, the sacrifices of all the heroic spirits—we cannot let them down. This continent will be protected by us. A thousand years from now, even if we face the Void Sovereign, we will never retreat!"
...
Ever since the descent of the Void Sovereign's will, Lin Mo and Zhao Feng completely abandoned any thoughts of a peaceful life, embarking on a thousand-year path of preparation for war.
First, Lin Mo expended a century of his own cultivation, combining it with the full power of the Heart of the Angel, to lay down a "Twin Dragon Void-Suppressing Barrier" outside the hidden spatial passage—a barrier even more unbreakable than the golden array. Using the Dragon Emperor Origin as the guide and the power of the Angel as the core, he thoroughly blocked the passage. At the same time, he planted tens of thousands of warning soul tools around the barrier; any fluctuation of Void aura would be detected instantly. Afterward, he traveled across the entire Douluo Continent, even venturing to the extreme northern lands and the deep seas of the East Ocean, probing every spatial barrier to find any potential Void passages. Spending hundreds of years, he repaired and sealed all the hidden spatial rifts around the continent, leaving not a single hidden danger behind.
At the same time, combining his own insights into the power of the Dragon and the power of the Angel, Lin Mo created a "Holy Dragon Void-Repelling Art" suitable for all Soul Masters to cultivate. This technique not only improved soul power but also condensed divine power, perfectly countering the power of the Void. Whether they were assault-type, defense-type, or support-type Soul Masters, all could cultivate it.
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