"We won! We won!"
Cheers swept across the entire battlefield like a tsunami. Countless Soul Masters raised their weapons high, their eyes glistening with tears of excitement. A millennium of preparation and the sacrifices of countless heroic spirits had finally been rewarded with victory in this moment. The Void Sovereign had been utterly purified by Lin Mo's God-level power. Stripped of their master's empowerment, the Void creatures fell in droves beneath Lin Mo's God-level light blades. The remaining creatures scattered and fled, retreating like an ebbing tide.
Zhao Feng stowed his Divine Conviction Battleaxe, the golden power of conviction around him slowly withdrawing. Letting out a long breath, he turned to look at the exhausted yet exhilarated soldiers behind him. Bathed in blood, the soldiers of the Void-Suppressing Army stood tall; some had even lost arms or legs, yet their backs remained ramrod straight, their eyes brimming with pride. The young students of the Soul Master Academy leaned on one another for support, their faces radiant with the joy of surviving the calamity. Soul Masters from the major sects recalled their Martial Souls one after another, beginning to treat the wounded and clear the battlefield.
"Commander Zhao Feng, we won!" Su Chen, covered in blood, ran up to Zhao Feng. His Light Dragon Hawk Martial Soul had been retracted, the golden wings disappearing to reveal a pair of ordinary wings on his back, but his eyes remained bright and full of excitement. "The Void Sovereign was defeated by Lord Lin Mo! We protected the continent!"
Zhao Feng patted Su Chen on the shoulder, a gratified smile appearing on his face. "Yes, we won. A thousand years of effort has not been in vain. The heroic spirits in heaven can finally rest in peace."
Su Chen's eyes grew slightly red. Thinking of his fallen parents and the names on the Monument of Heroic Spirits, an indescribable emotion surged in his heart. He took a deep breath, fighting back the tears, and nodded solemnly.
Lin Mo slowly descended from the sky. His Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul retracted, the interwoven blue-and-gold wings dissolving into specks of light, and the God-level pressure around him gradually faded. His face was somewhat pale, and traces of blood still lingered at the corner of his mouth. Defeating the Void Sovereign had consumed a massive amount of his God-level power; he had even tapped into his Origin power, taking a heavy toll on his body. Yet, he still stood with a straight back and resolute eyes, showing no signs of weakness.
"Lin Mo!" Zhao Feng strode quickly to his side, his eyes full of concern. "Your injuries..."
"I'm fine." Lin Mo waved his hand. His tone was calm, though tinged with exhaustion. "The Void Sovereign's origin has been utterly purified by me. Within a thousand years, he will not be able to condense into a physical form again. This time, we have bought ourselves enough time."
"A thousand years..." Zhao Feng repeated the number in a low voice, his gaze turning profound. A millennium—for ordinary people, it was the passing of dozens of generations. But for beings like them, Limit Douluos and Titled Douluos, it was merely a fragment of their long lives. But Zhao Feng knew that a millennium of peace would be enough for the Douluo Continent to cultivate far more outstanding Soul Masters, enough for the Void-Suppressing Army and the Heroic Spirits Academy to grow mightier, and enough for the living beings of this land to multiply and become stronger.
"Zhao Feng." Lin Mo turned to look at him, a hint of gravity in his eyes. "Although the Void Sovereign has been defeated, I can sense that the Void Space hasn't been completely shut off. While those Void creatures have temporarily retreated, the passage to the Void Space still exists; it has merely been temporarily sealed by my God-level power. This seal can hold for a hundred years at most."
Zhao Feng's brows knitted tightly. "A hundred years? Didn't you say a thousand?"
"A thousand years refers to the time it will take for the Void Sovereign to condense into a form again," Lin Mo explained. "But the passage to the Void Space is a product of the spatial rifts here. Completely closing it requires a far more colossal amount of power—even power at the level of a True God. My breakthrough to the God-level relied on the Heart of the Angel, my Dragon Emperor Origin, and the augmentation of the power of conviction from countless heroic spirits over the millennium. This state cannot be maintained forever, nor is it enough to permanently close the passage. In a hundred years, the seal will loosen, and Void creatures will surge forth once again."
Hearing Lin Mo's words, the surrounding Soul Masters felt the joy on their faces instantly freeze, replaced by deep concern. A century—for an ordinary person, it might be a lifetime, but for the development of an entire world, it was merely the blink of an eye. They had just survived a brutal battle where countless comrades had perished and countless families had been broken. Must this tragedy repeat itself in a mere hundred years?
"Then a century it is!" Zhao Feng's voice was as resolute as iron. He gripped his Divine Conviction Battleaxe, the runes on the axe head flashing with golden light. "A hundred years is enough time for us to cultivate even more experts, enough time for us to research a way to completely shut the Void Space passage. Lin Mo, you are not alone. We have the living beings of the entire Douluo Continent as our backing, and the will of the heroic spirits as our guide. A century from now, we will definitely eradicate this threat for good!"
"Well said!" A raspy yet forceful voice rang out from the crowd. Everyone turned to look and saw a white-haired elder slowly approaching. He wore a flowing white robe and held an ancient staff; mounted at the top of the staff was a fist-sized golden gemstone that pulsed with a rich power of conviction. The elder's face was benevolent, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's. The powerful fluctuations of soul power radiating from him made it glaringly obvious—he was a Limit Douluo.
"Grand Elder of the Heroic Spirits Academy, Zhou Tianxing." Zhao Feng gave a slight nod upon seeing the elder, a flash of respect in his eyes. Zhou Tianxing was one of the founding elders of the Heroic Spirits Academy. Already a Titled Douluo a millennium ago, a thousand years of cultivation had allowed him to break through to the Limit Douluo realm. He had always presided over the academy, guarding the Monument of Heroic Spirits and nurturing generation after generation of young Soul Masters.
"Young friend Lin Mo, Commander Zhao Feng, you have done remarkably well." Zhou Tianxing walked up to the two men, his aged palm gently stroking the golden gemstone atop his staff. The power of conviction within the gem fluctuated slightly, as if responding to his touch. "A millennium of preparation and the sacrifices of countless heroic spirits have brought us today's victory. Even if it is only a temporary one, this triumph is enough to bring solace to the heroic spirits in heaven."
Lin Mo looked at Zhou Tianxing and bowed slightly. "You honor me with your praise, Grand Elder. If the Heroic Spirits Academy hadn't cultivated countless outstanding Soul Masters over the millennium, if the Void-Suppressing Army hadn't guarded the frontier with their lives on the line, and if the living beings of the continent hadn't held fast to their unwavering conviction, then I, Lin Mo, alone—no matter how strong my power—could never have defeated the Void Sovereign."
"Alright, enough of the mutual modesty." Zhao Feng smiled, then turned his gaze back to the battlefield. The exhausted soldiers had already begun clearing the field, treating the wounded, and sorting out the aftermath. Civilians were also flooding in, bringing food and medicine to help tend to the injured. Though the battlefield was still steeped in blood and sorrow, it also overflowed with unity and hope.
"Let's head back and rest first," Zhao Feng said. "We won this battle, but our casualties are far from light. We need to get everyone back to heal and recover their strength. As for the threat a century from now... we will discuss it in due time."
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