Chapter 56: Complete Progenitor vs. Chthon!! The True Origin of the moonlight blade — — Awakening of the Third Key
Manhattan, Central Park.
The moonlight of the Third Blood Moon shrouded the entire city like a red curtain.
Li Heng's first strike severed the fingertip of Chthon's index finger, and purplish-black blood spewed from the wound, splashing onto the scorched lawn. The moment every drop of blood hit the ground, it corroded fist-sized pits into the earth, hissing aloud.
But the giant hand merely paused slightly, and the flesh at the wound began to regenerate at a speed visible to the naked eye — — new bones, tendons, and skin grew rapidly wrapped in purplish-black energy, and in less than three seconds, the severed index finger had completely regenerated.
What was even worse — — the rift expanded to nearly five meters wide as the blade's wound healed, and the purplish-black flames at the edge of the rift spread outward like living creatures, devouring all matter they could consume.
An aura far more ancient and dark rushed forth from the depths of the rift, an aura that made all life tremble from the depths of their souls — — the aura of the Old Gods.
"Back then, Varna only used the moonlight blade to cut off one of my arms — —" Chthon's laughter resounded directly in the depths of all bystanders' souls, low and hoarse, like vibrations emanating from the chaos at the dawn of the Universe.
"Complete Progenitor, do you think that inheriting his blade allows you to inherit his power?"
Li Heng steadied his figure in mid-air, his slit pupils intertwined with dark gold and pitch-black showing no retreat at all.
He lowered his gaze to look at the moonlight blade in his hand — — the silver-white blade was tinged with an eerie blush under the illumination of the Blood Moon, while the dark golden bloodline pattern inside the blade was pulsing rapidly, as if some living entity were awakening.
He did not answer Chthon's words — — instead, he gave his answer with practical actions.
He gripped the moonlight blade tightly, turning his hand to pierce the blade into his own palm.
Dark golden blood flowed down the bloodline pattern on the blade, quickly absorbed by the blade body — — after absorbing Li Heng's blood, the moonlight blade suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly brilliant radiance!
That radiance condensed and compressed on the blade like substance, ultimately forming a hair-thin dark golden blade light at the edge!
[Ding!! God-Slaying Form · Second Stage — — Liberation Successful!!]
[The moonlight blade completely resonates with the Complete Progenitor Bloodline! God-Slaying Powercoverage reaches 99.7%!!]
[Warning: This form will continuously consume the host's vitality and soul fragments! Current consumption rate — — approximately 0.8% of total vitality per minute! It is recommended to end the battle within 15 minutes!]
"Who told you — — that I only have Varna's blade?"
The God-Slaying Power within his body erupted comprehensively like a tide under the moonlight — — that was a power homologous to the moonlight blade yet even more violent — — God-Slaying Power!
That was the power stripped from Atum, enough to devour any Old Gods!
Dark golden energy gushed out from Li Heng's body like a storm, spreading outward with him as the center — — the purplish-black flames spreading on the ground burned madly as if poured with oil the moment they touched the dark golden energy, and then turned into nothingness amidst low wails.
After sensing the aura of the God-Slaying Power, the giant hand showed a trace of obvious retreat for the first time — — even the purplish-black flames inside the rift dimmed slightly for that split second.
"Atum's aura — —!"
For the first time, a trace of emotion that Li Heng had never felt from him appeared in Chthon's voice — — fear, "How could you have that lunatic's power inside your body — — impossible — — Atum has already been banished by me to the fringes of the Universe — — it's impossible for him to still leave fragments here — —"
His voice cut off abruptly — — because Li Heng had moved again.
It was not teleportation, not transfer — — but transforming into a stream of dark golden light, crashing toward that huge purplish-black palm like a meteor.
The moonlight blade cleared the way ahead, and that dark golden blade light on the edge sliced open a pitch-black spatial rift in the void — — that was the trace of dimensions themselves being torn apart by the God-Slaying Power!
"This strike — — makes up for the strike Varna didn't finish cutting back then!"
The moonlight blade slashed horizontally — — the dark golden blade light drew a perfect arc, cutting across the wrist of the purplish-black giant hand — — no explosion, no loud noise — — only an extremely fine, thread-like cut.
Then — — that giant hand was severed at the wrist.
Purplish-black blood spewed from the wound like a breached flood, flooding the scorched lawn below into a purplish-black ocean — — the severed hand convulsed a few times after hitting the ground, then turned into a pool of purplish-black pus, completely purified and evaporated within seconds by the God-Slaying Power lingering on the moonlight blade.
An enraged roar from Chthon came from the depths of the rift — — that roar made the ground of the entire Manhattan vibrate slightly, caused all glass windows to shatter into powder at the exact same instant, and made all ordinary people feel at that moment as if their hearts were gripped and then released by an invisible giant hand.
"Complete Progenitor — — you have angered me — —!!"
As Chthon roared, the rift began to expand wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye — — five meters — — ten meters — — twenty meters — — the edges of the rift seemed to be forcefully torn open by some unstoppable force, and the rift burning with purplish-black flames formed a huge vortex above Central Park!
At the center of the vortex — — a huge purplish-black arm covered with dark red scales was slowly and firmly reaching out from the rift.
This arm was at least three times larger than the previous giant hand — — the length of a single finger exceeded that of a bus, and every scale on the arm reflected an eerie glow under the illumination of the Blood Moon.
[Ding!! Chthon's descent progress: 7% → 31%!! Detected that the true body's arm is crossing the dimensional barrier!! Estimated complete descent time — — 11 minutes!!]
Li Heng hovered in mid-air, his arm holding the moonlight blade trembling slightly — — not out of fear — — but because the previous strike consumed a massive amount of energy, coupled with the vitality burning of the God-Slaying Form, his physical strength was rapidly declining.
Wanda's voice came through the Soul Contract, carrying anxiety: "Li Heng — — your vitality is rapidly depleting — — you won't last long like this!"
"11 minutes — —" Li Heng responded through the contract, his voice still calm, but carrying a hint of unmaskable fatigue, "Enough — — enough for me to sever this arm of his and seal that rift back up."
He took a deep breath, his dark golden slit pupils burning with unyielding light — —
But just as he was preparing to launch another attack — —
On the ground not far behind him, within that scorched lawn soaked by the severed hand's pus, an extremely tiny purplish-black rootlet quietly drilled out from the soil.
The rootlet was as thin as a hair, almost invisible under the light of the Blood Moon — — it moved rapidly along the ground like a water snake, quietly approaching the ankle of Wanda, who was standing at the edge of the sealing barrier to maintain energy — — and then, gently wound around it.
Wanda's body shuddered violently at that instant — — within her green eyes, purplish-gold light suddenly flared without warning!
Chthon's voice exploded in her mind — — "You are my vessel — — always have been — —"
Li Heng sensed Wanda's abnormality through the Soul Contract and whipped his head around — —
He saw Wanda standing in place, her body rigid, her green eyes completely swallowed by purplish-gold — — that trace of purplish-black pattern left behind when the moonlight blade infused her with energy was rapidly spreading in her palm, like some living virus spreading along her blood vessels toward her entire body.
"Wanda — —!"
But just as he was about to rush toward her — — that giant arm had completely reached out from the rift — — its five fingers closed — — clenching into a fierce fist — — and then smashed toward Li Heng's location like a purplish-black meteor!
Li Heng had to sharply turn and dodge in mid-air — — that fist grazed past his body, and the remaining shockwave of energy flipped him away dozens of meters, plowing a deep trench on the ground before he barely managed to stop.
He half-knelt at the bottom of the trench, a trace of dark golden blood seeping from the corner of his mouth — — looking up — — Wanda was still standing in place, but her body began to slowly levitate, surrounded by purplish-black Chaos Magic — — that magic was no longer pure scarlet, but had been infected by Chthon's energy into an eerie color intertwined with purplish-black and scarlet.
Her lips parted slightly, and what came out was not her voice — — "Complete Progenitor — — you are indeed very strong — — but do you think — — that I would really place all my bets on that hand?"
"From the very moment you first touched the moonlight blade — — I knew — — you would definitely bring it before her — — let her complete the energy infusion — — and then — — reactivate the mark I left in her magic core — —"
"Every time you grow stronger — — you are placing a piece — — on my chessboard."
Chthon's laughter echoed in the air — — while Wanda, floating mid-air, slowly raised her right hand — — purplish-black Chaos Magic condensed in her palm into a twisted energy spear — — and then, she pointed the spear tip at — — Li Heng.
In those eyes swallowed by purplish-gold, there was no emotion at all — — as if standing before her was not her lover — — but an enemy that needed to be eliminated.
Li Heng stood up from the trench, looking at Wanda, who was controlled by Chthon's will and raised her spear aiming at him — — he was silent for a moment, and then suddenly smiled.
In that smile, there was no fear or anger — — only a deep helplessness and determination seemingly gushing from the deepest part of his soul: "You know, Chthon — — you made a fatal mistake."
"You controlled Wanda — — but you forgot one thing — —"
He raised the moonlight blade, the dark golden light on the blade still as sharp as ever under the illumination of the Blood Moon — — he pointed the tip of the blade at his own heart — — the location of the blood pact ring.
"Between me and her — — it's not just a Soul Contract."
"There is also one — — even you yourself didn't notice — — the third key."
"Soul Resonance — — can be upgraded to Soul Covenant— —"
"I never wanted to take that step — — but you forced me."
He pierced the tip of the moonlight blade into the skin of his chest — — dark golden blood dripped down the blade — — the moment it touched the blood pact ring — — his body and Wanda's body — — simultaneously lit up with an unprecedented radiance!
That radiance was not dark golden — — not silver-white — — nor was it purplish-black — —
Instead, it was a pure, newborn — — white light, just like the moment the Universe was born.
"Soul Covenant — — Initiate."
The white light engulfed everything.
Chapter 57 Soul Covenant! The Birth of Twin Souls —— Chthon, Get Back Here!
White light.
Ubiquitous, pure, and as pristinely white as the moment the Universe was born, light gushed forth from the blood pact ring on Li Heng's chest, enveloping the entire Central Park in a sacred radiance.
That light was not dark golden —— not silver-white —— nor purple-black.
Instead, it was a newborn light that had never appeared on Earth before.
Soul Covenant —— officially initiated.
[Ding!! Soul Covenant —— emergency activation!!]
[Warning: Soul Covenant is an irreversible operation! The souls of the host and Wanda Maximoff will complete their fusion in this state! Once the fusion is complete, they cannot be restored to independent soul forms!]
[Confirm execution ——]
[Fusion progress: 1%... 5%... 12%...]
In the white light, Li Heng felt his soul being pulled by an irresistible force —— that force was not external, but came from within himself —— from the ancient mechanism deep within the blood pact ring that had slumbered for countless years.
He could feel Wanda's soul —— that warm, bright soul as brilliant as the stars —— approaching him.
In the white light, the two souls attracted and intertwined with each other like two meteors ——
Then —— touch.
At that instant, he saw everything about her.
Her childhood —— a little girl crying in the ruins of Sokovia, whose parents were taken away by a second artillery shell, and she and Pietro waited under the cold rubble for two days and two nights before being rescued.
Her fear —— inside the Hydra laboratory, chosen by that purple-black gem, Chaos Magic rampaging through her body like a fierce Beast, hurting her so much that she almost crushed her teeth.
Her loneliness —— within the Avengers, everyone maintained an indescribable, subtle distance from her —— because she was too strong, strong enough to make everyone uneasy.
Her love —— on that rainy night in Brooklyn, holding a black umbrella, he stood in front of her and said ‑cLet's go home‑d, and at that moment she felt that perhaps this world was not so bad after all.
Everything —— memories, emotions, power —— blended, collided, and recombined in the white light ——
Deep within Wanda's soul, the purple-black mark left by Chthon was struggling frantically —— like a Beast trapped in a trap, desperately trying to escape the shroud of the white light —— but the white light did not give it any chance.
[Fusion progress: 30%... 50%... 70% —— Chthon's mark detected to be abnormally active —— neutralizing with God-Slaying Power ——]
[Neutralization successful! Chthon's mark residual resonance —— completely cleared!!]
[Fusion progress: 85%... 95% ——]
[100%!! Soul Covenant —— completed!!]
The white light dissipated.
On the scorched turf of Central Park, Li Heng and Wandaopened their eyes at the same time.
Their eyes —— had changed.
In Li Heng's dark golden and silver-white vertical pupils, an extremely thin green halo was added —— that was the imprint of Wanda's soul. And in Wanda's green eyes, a trace of dark golden flowing light was also added —— that was the trace of Li Heng's soul.
The two souls had become one.
They could feel everything about each other —— heartbeat, breathing, emotions, thoughts —— without even needing to speak, they knew what the other was thinking.
‑cYou... actually really...‑d Wanda looked at Li Heng, her voice trembling slightly. She could feel that Li Heng's soul had completely fused with hers —— from this moment on, they were no longer two independent people —— but two sides of a single soul.
‑cYou said it before —— ‑cDon't be afraid, I am here‑d.‑d Li Heng's mouth curved up slightly, revealing that somewhat roguelike smile that Wanda knew all too well, ‑cNow I am not just ‑cHere‑d —— I am ‑cAlways here‑d.‑d
Wanda looked at him, a thin layer of mist welling up in her green eyes —— but she did not cry. She took a deep breath, suppressing her emotions, and then turned around —— facing the still-expanding purple-black rift.
‑cBeat that old monster back first —— other matters can be discussed later.‑d
Li Heng clenched the moonlight blade and stood by her side —— the two stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the huge arm that had completely reached out from the rift.
At the same time —— their powers began to resonate.
The dark golden Ancestor Power surged from Li Heng's body, and the crimson Chaos Magic surged from Wanda's body —— the two forces intersected and fused in the void between them, forming an unprecedented, brand-new energy —— the intertwined dark golden and crimson flowing light spiraled and coiled in the air like two giant dragons, exuding a terrifying aura sufficient to tear dimensions apart!
[Ding!! Twin Resonance Soul Covenant Form —— Activated!!]
[Host and Wanda Soul Fusion Degree: 100%! Energy Interoperability: 500%!!]
[Comprehensive Combat Power Assessment —— S-RankPeak —— Breakthrough!! Current Combat Power Level: SSS-!!]
[New Ability Awakening Detected —— ‑cPrimordial Blade‑d: The moonlight blade and Chaos Magic perfectly fuse under the Soul Covenant state! Can release a one-time ultimate slash! Power Level —— Exceeding SSS!!]
[Warning: After the Primordial Blade is released, the Soul Covenant will enter a 72-hour cooldown period! During this period, the comprehensive combat power of the host and Wanda will drop by 60%! Please use with caution!!]
Deep within the rift, Chthon felt that unprecedented aura —— his laughter came to an abrupt halt.
‑cThis is —— Soul Covenant?! Varna's crazy theory —— you actually really ——‑d
For the first time, a previously non-existent emotion appeared in his voice —— not fear —— but anger. Pure, scorching anger like magma.
‑cYou think fusing souls can defeat me? I am —— an Old God! A —— God that existed before your Universe was born!‑d
Amidst Chthon's roar, that giant arm suddenly clenched into a fist —— purple-black energy surged from the rift like a tsunami, condensing into a thick layer of energy armor on the surface of that arm —— then, it smashed toward Li Heng and Wanda on the ground like a purple-black meteor!
The power of that punch was enough to wipe the entire Manhattan off the map.
Li Heng and Wanda raised their heads at the same time —— their eyes reflected the falling purple-black giant fist —— then, the two raised their hands simultaneously.
Li Heng's right hand held the moonlight blade.
Wanda's left hand covered the blade body of the moonlight blade.
The intertwined dark golden and crimson power poured into the blade like a torrent —— the silver-white moonlight blade underwent a transformation at this moment —— the blade changed from silver-white to dark gold, then from dark gold to crimson, and finally —— settled into a pure white color like fresh snow.
The Primordial Blade —— awakened.
‑cChthon ——‑d Li Heng's voice and Wanda's voice overlapped at the exact same moment, like a single person speaking, ‑cDidn't you want to descend?‑d
‑cThen come on ——‑d
‑cWe'll send you —— back.‑d
The two swung their blades simultaneously ——
A pure white light blade gushed out from the edge of the moonlight blade —— that light blade was not long, less than two meters —— but the aura it exuded caused the air in the entire Central Park to freeze —— even time seemed to stall at this moment.
That light blade carved a perfect arc in the void —— like the rising moonlight at dusk —— like the breaking dawn —— like the very first ray of light at the birth of the Universe ——
Then ——
It cut into Chthon's purple-black giant fist.
No explosion —— no loud noise —— no Impact.
That white light passed through the purple-black energy armor like cutting tofu —— passed through the skin covered in dark red scales —— passed through bones a hundred times harder than steel —— entering from one end of the fist and coming out the other.
The cut surface was as smooth as a mirror.
One second of silence.
Then —— that huge arm, from the fist to the shoulder, along the trajectory traced by that white light —— neatly —— split into two halves.
Purple-black blood gushed from the incision like a waterfall —— but the moment it touched the air, it was completely evaporated by the lingering echoes of the white light —— leaving not even a shred of residue.
Deep within the rift, Chthon let out a roar of extreme Fury—— that roar was like billions of pieces of glass shattering simultaneously, making everyone's eardrums ooze blood —— but the rift itself, under the influence of the white light's lingering echoes, began to irreversibly contract ——
Twenty meters —— fifteen meters —— ten meters —— five meters ——
‑cComplete Progenitor ——! This is not the end ——! I will come back ——!‑d
Chthon's voice came out at the final moment of the rift closing —— carrying endless resentment and unwillingness —— then, the rift completely closed in the night sky of Central Park, leaving only an extremely thin, almost invisible spatial scar, faintly flickering under the blood-red moonlight.
Then —— the Blood Moon also began to recede.
That blood-red full moon hanging above New York saw the dark red on its edges fading bit by bit —— changing from dark red to orange-red, from orange-red to light gold —— and finally, returning to normal silver-white moonlight.
The Third Blood Moon —— had ended.
On the scorched turf of Central Park, Li Heng and Wandafell to their knees simultaneously —— the release of the Primordial Blade drained almost all of their energy, and the cooldown period of the Soul Covenant had begun to take effect —— the comprehensive combat power of the two plummeted off a cliff.
But their hands remained tightly clasped together —— fingers intertwined —— neither of them letting go.
[Ding!! Chthon Descent Progress —— Reset to Zero!! Dimensional Rift —— Closed!!]
[Soul Covenant Cooldown Period —— Begins! Remaining Time: 71 hours and 58 minutes!]
[During this period, comprehensive combat power drops by 60%! It is recommended that the host evacuate the battlefield as soon as possible and recuperate!]
Li Heng knelt on the ground, panting heavily, a trace of dark golden blood seeping from the corner of his mouth —— but he smiled. He turned his head to look at Wandabeside him —— she was also looking at him —— the two looked at each other for a second, and then burst out laughing at the same time.
‑cWhat are you laughing at?‑d Wanda asked, her voice weak but carrying a smile.
‑cI'm thinking —— this is probably the most loss-making battle I've ever fought.‑d Li Heng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, ‑cAfter fighting, my combat power plummeted by sixty percent —— if another enemy comes, I'll only be able to throw a bag of potato chips at them.‑d
Wanda couldn't help rolling her eyes: ‑cWhen is it and you're still thinking about your potato chips.‑d
‑cPotato chips are innocent.‑d
In the distance, Pietro finally snapped out of his shock —— his silver figure flashed and appeared beside the two, without a word supporting Li Heng with one hand and Wanda with the other: ‑cStop joking around —— let's leave here first. Fury's people will arrive in ten minutes —— in your current state, it's best not to let anyone see you.‑d
Li Heng nodded —— he turned back for a final glance at the center of Central Park —— that area once occupied by the rift and purple-black flames now only left a huge, scorched-black pit, with faint purple smoke still rising from the bottom of the pit.
Chthon was repelled —— but Li Heng knew this was not the end.
That was only an arm of his true body —— and a part of his power forcibly extended through the dimensional rift. His true body was still trapped in the dimensional prison at the edge of the Universe.
But the cracks in the prison —— were still expanding.
Next time, he might not just reach out an arm —— but descend in his entirety.
And by then —— would they still have a trump card like the Primordial Blade?
‑cLet's go.‑d Li Heng withdrew his gaze and stood up with Pietro's support, a dark golden portal slowly lighting up on the turf, ‑cHome.‑d
The three disappeared into the light of the portal.
Central Park returned to silence —— the silver-white moon, having returned to normal, silently illuminated this devastated battlefield.
And at the distant edge of the Universe ——
Inside that dimensional prison imprisoning Chthon —— countless cracks covered the entire inner wall of the prison like a spider web —— several huge fragments had peeled off from the wall, revealing the endless void deep inside the prison.
Deep in the void, a pair of purple-black eyes were slowly opening ——
‑cSoul Covenant... The step that Varna did not take... The Complete Progenitor has taken it out...‑d
‑cInteresting...‑d
‑cBut you think —— this can kill me?‑d
‑cI've waited for three billion years —— waiting a few more years won't hurt ——‑d
‑cNext time —— I will no longer reach out a hand ——‑d
‑cInstead —— I will descend in person.‑d
His whisper echoed in the void, like billions of overlapping sighs.
And further away —— farther than the dimensional prison, at the end of the Universe ——
A pair of white, pupil-less eyes also slowly opened at this moment.
The Silent One ——
Finally moved a little.
Chapter 58: The Messenger of The Silent One! The Woman with White Pupils — — The True Location of the Gate of Origin
Soul Covenant cooling period, the second day.
Brooklyn Villa, 3:00 PM.
Li Heng was lying on the sofa, holding a can of iced cola in his hand. The TV was on, but no one was watching it. Wanda leaned on his shoulder scrolling through her phone. On the screen was a message sent by Pietro — — the restoration work of Central Park had already begun, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had sent three full engineering teams, but that charred black crater was still emitting faint purple smoke and could not be cleaned up no matter what.
The feeling of combat power plummeting by sixty percent was very subtle — — it was just like someone used to running a hundred meters suddenly being asked to walk. The surging power in his body was still there, but it seemed as if someone had turned down the volume, becoming sluggish and blurry.
"Pietro says Fury called again." Wanda put down her phone, "That's the third time."
"Let him call." Li Heng took a sip of cola, "In my current state, what can I do? Perform spinning in place for him?"
Wanda gently pushed him, but with a smile on the corners of her mouth.
After the Soul Covenant, the connection between them was deeper than before — — without deliberate perception, they could receive each other's most superficial emotional fluctuations. The emotion transmitted by Wandaat this moment was relaxed and reassuring, like curling up in a blanket drinking hot cocoa on a winter afternoon.
Li Heng was just preparing to close his eyes for a short nap — —
The doorbell rang.
It wasn't knocking, it was the doorbell.
Installing a doorbell in this Villa was something from last month — — because every time Pietro came, he would flash directly into the house, scaring Wanda almost into blasting him with Chaos Magic, so Li Heng had to install a doorbell and stipulate that everyone must ring the bell to enter.
But at this moment, Pietro was helping clean up the ruins in Manhattan, Blood Baron and Blade had their own strongholds, and Fury always called directly — —
Who would ring the doorbell at this time?
Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils narrowed slightly — — he sensed that a lifeform was standing outside the door, but the aura emitted by that lifeform was very peculiar, neither like a human, nor like a vampire, nor like any supernatural race he had already contacted. That aura was extremely ancient and extremely calm, like a bottomless pool of water without any ripples.
"I'll get it." Wanda stood up.
"Wait — —" Li Heng reached out and grabbed her wrist, "I'll go."
He put down the cola can, walked to the door, and took a look through the peephole — —
Then, his dark golden slit pupils suddenly constricted.
Someone was standing outside the door.
A woman.
She wore a pure white robe, with a texture like flowing moonlight, the hem falling to her ankles and gently fluttering in the breeze. Her white hair poured down from the top of her head like a waterfall, falling all the way to her waist, every strand of hair shimmering with a faint luster in the sunlight like silver threads.
But what made Li Heng most vigilant was her eyes.
Pure white — — without pupils.
Like two white gems polished to the extreme, inlaid on her exquisite and indifferent face. No joy, anger, sorrow, or joy, no emotions at all — — only a silence that transcended time, like gazing at Eternity.
The symbol of The Silent One.
Li Heng took a deep breath and opened the door.
The white-robed woman stood on the porch without taking a step out. Her white eyes slowly fell on Li Heng — — that gaze had no substantial weight, yet it made Li Heng feel as if he had been scanned from inside out by an X-ray machine.
"Complete Progenitor — — Li Heng." She spoke, her voice as cold as wind chimes, without a trace of redundant emotional fluctuation, "The Silent One wants to see you."
Six words.
Simple, direct, without any foreshadowing and modification.
Just like The Silent One itself — — no need for explanation, no need for discussion, only stating facts.
Li Heng leaned against the door frame, striking his most practiced posture — — a flippant look: "The Silent One? That observer at the end of the Universe? Why does he want to see me? I'm not some rare animal."
The white-robed woman did not answer his question — — she just turned her head slightly, a trace of extremely subtle light flashing in her white eyes: "The Silent One has observed you for a long time — — from the day you became the vampire progenitor, from the day you activated the moonlight blade, from the moment you initiated the Soul Covenant."
"He believes — — it is time."
"Time for what?" Li Heng's smile remained unchanged, but a sharp light flashed in his dark golden slit pupils.
The white-robed woman looked at him, falling silent for two seconds — — and then uttered a sentence that instantly froze Li Heng's smile:
"The true location of the Gate of Origin — — is not in Antarctica, not on the seabed, not in any place you know."
"The Gate of Origin — — is in the domain of The Silent One."
"What Varna did not tell you is — — he did not open the Gate of Origin back then. He only found the location of the gate, and then carved his name in front of the door — — as a signpost for later generations."
"And that successor — — is you."
The living room was quiet for a full five seconds.
Li Heng stood at the door, looking at the woman with white pupils in front of him, countless thoughts flashing through his mind like lightning — — the words in Varna's letter, the memories in the mirror of existence, the true origin of the moonlight blade, Chthon's threat before leaving — — all the fragments pieced together into a complete picture at this moment.
Varna was the progenitor, but he did not walk to the final step — — he did not open the Gate of Origin.
The reason Chthon wanted to descend was not just to devour Earth — — what he truly wanted was the thing behind the Gate of Origin.
And The Silent One — — that ancient existence who had observed everything at the end of the Universe — — had always been waiting for someone who could walk to the front of the Gate of Origin.
"So — —" Li Heng slowly opened his mouth, his voice so calm that no emotion could be heard, "Is The Silent Oneinviting me? Or commanding me?"
The white-robed woman's reply was equally concise: "The Silent One never invites, nor does he ever command."
"He only states facts."
"The fact is — — Chthon's next descent will no longer be extending a hand, but his true body descending personally. By that time, your Soul Covenant will not be able to stop him either."
"The only way to stop him permanently — — is to open the Gate of Origin and obtain the power behind the door."
"That power is enough to reseal Chthon's true body — — or even — — completely destroy him."
Li Heng fell silent.
He turned his head to look at the living room — — Wandastood beside the sofa, her green eyes carrying a trace of tension, but more of determination. She didn't speak, but the emotion transmitted by the Soul Contract was very clear — —
"Whatever decision you make, I will follow you."
Li Heng withdrew his gaze and looked at the white-robed woman: "Lead the way."
The white-robed woman nodded slightly — — she turned around, her white robe fluttering in the wind like a banner. She walked out of the porch, her bare feet stepping on the streets of Brooklyn — — with every step falling, the ground beneath her feet would send out a circle of faint white ripples, like walking on the surface of water.
Li Heng held Wanda's hand, and the two of them followed side by side.
The white-robed woman walked in front without looking back, but her voice drifted from the front like the wind: "My name is Ethel — — the seventh messenger of The Silent One. After me, there are six other messengers. But among those who can see the true body of The Silent One — — for thousands of years, there is only you."
"For thousands of years?" Li Heng raised an eyebrow, "Didn't Varna meet him back then?"
"Varna walked to the door back then — — but he did not push the door open." There was still no emotion in Ethel's voice, "He chose another path — — at the cost of his own life and soul, sealing the channel of Chthon's first descent."
"He thought that was the best choice — — but The Silent One believes that it only delayed the inevitable ending."
"Chthon was sealed — — but his power continued to seep and grow over tens of thousands of years, until today — — he is about to break free from the cage."
"Varna's method treats the symptoms but not the root cause — — only by opening the Gate of Origin can the problem be fundamentally solved."
Li Heng fell silent, digesting this information.
They walked through the streets of Brooklyn, through the ruins of Manhattan, and past the charred black crater still emitting purple smoke at the edge of Central Park — — along the way, no one noticed them. It wasn't invisibility, but the aura emanating from Ethel made everyone's gaze naturally slide past them, like oil on the surface of water — — unable to focus.
Finally, Ethel stopped in the middle of an open space.
This used to be an office building — — but during the Third Blood Moon, it was affected by Chthon's energy, and the entire building turned into a pile of gravel and steel bars. At this moment, the ruins had been cleaned up, leaving only an empty concrete ground.
Ethel stood in the center of the open space and extended her right hand — — her pure white palm slowly spread out in the air — —
A white crack spread out from her palm, like a tear in the sky — — the crack continued to expand and extend, eventually forming a ten-meter-high white portal above the open space.
On the other side of the door was a pure white void — — there were no reference objects in the void, only endless white extending to the end of sight — — as if the entire world had been bleached.
"The domain of The Silent One — —" Ethel withdrew her palm, turned to look at Li Heng and Wanda, her white eyes still devoid of any emotion, "Walking through this door, you will be able to see him."
"But there is one thing I must inform you in advance — —"
"After entering the domain of The Silent One, your time flow rate will be different from the outside world. One minute passing outside will be one day passing inside the domain."
"So — — do not stay inside for too long."
Li Heng glanced at Wanda — — she returned a steadfast gaze.
The two of them stepped forward simultaneously, walking toward the white portal — —
The moment they stepped into the white light, the system's prompt tone rang in Li Heng's mind — —
[Ding!! Super-high dimensional space channel detected — — about to enter the domain of The Silent One!!]
[The Silent One — — Universe-level ancient existence! Power level unassessable!!]
[Warning: All abilities of the host within this domain will be suppressed by the rules of The Silent One! The Soul Covenant cooling period may be forcibly paused or accelerated! Please make all preparations!!]
White light swallowed everything.
When Li Heng opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on an endless white plain — — no ground underfoot, no sky overhead, no reference objects around — — only white — — pure to the point of suffocating white.
And at the end of the white — —
A figure stood quietly with their back facing them.
That figure wore a gray robe — — forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding pure white world — — his hair was gray, his skin was gray — — everything was like a painting stripped of all colors.
Only his eyes — —
When he slowly turned around — — Li Heng saw those eyes — —
Not white.
Black — — profound, like a black hole, pure black capable of swallowing all light.
Completely opposite to the white eyes of the Equilibrium Messenger — — the eyes of The Silent One were the deepest darkness in the Universe.
"Complete Progenitor — —" The Silent One spoke, his voice sounding simultaneously from all directions, without direction, without distance — — ringing directly in consciousness — —
"You have finally come."
"I have waited for this moment — — for three billion years."
Li Heng squeezed Wanda's hand, his dark golden slit pupils staring straight into those black eyes — —
"Then don't make me run this trip for nothing — — where is the Gate of Origin?"
The Silent One looked at him, a trace of extremely subtle light appearing in his black eyes for the first time — —
"The Gate of Origin — — is right behind you."
Li Heng suddenly turned his head back — —
At the end of the white plain, a huge, hundred-meter-high door floated in the void — — on both sides of the door were pitch-black stone pillars, the surfaces of the stone pillars covered with Atlantis runes — — and right in the center of the door frame, a name was deeply engraved on the stone surface — —
Varna.
The progenitor's name — — just as Ethel said — — he left a signpost in front of the door.
But what made Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils suddenly constrict was not that door — —
But on the ground in front of the door — —
A skeleton.
A skeleton wearing an Atlantis black robe — — in the skeleton's hand, it still held the remains of a short Blade — — silver-white fragments scattered on the ground, resembling broken moonlight in the white void.
Varna's remains.
He did not fail to push the door open — —
He pushed it — —
And then died in front of the door.
The Silent One's voice sounded in Li Heng's consciousness once more, carrying a heaviness that spanned three billion years — —
"Varna did push the door — — but his power was not enough. The Gate of Origin requires more than just Ancestor Power — — it also requires two things."
"First — — Soul Covenant. Varna had no soul mate, so he could not complete this step."
"Second — —"
The Silent One paused, his black eyes staring straight at Li Heng — —
"The complete form of God-Slaying Power."
"Atum's fragments — — you have only awakened a part of them."
"The remaining part — — is on the other side of the Gate of Origin."
"If you want to get it — — you must push open this door — — and face what is behind the door — —"
The Silent One's voice showed an extremely rare pause at this moment — — as if even he was unwilling to say that name — —
"— — Atum in person."
In the white void, the wind stopped.
Li Heng stood in front of that hundred-meter-high Gate of Origin, looking at Varna's skeleton and the remains of the broken moonlight blade — — falling silent for a very long time.
Then, he let go of Wanda's hand.
"Wait for me here."
Wanda grabbed his sleeve: "No — — I'm coming with you — —"
"The Soul Covenant is still in its cooling period — — in your current state, you cannot enter." Li Heng turned to look at her, her reflection mirrored in his dark golden slit pupils, "And — — what if there really is Atum in person behind the door — — that's not something we can shoulder together."
"I need you here — — to guard the retreat."
Wanda looked at him — — countless emotions churning in her green eyes — — fear, worry, reluctance — — but in the end, they all turned into a firm nod.
"You must come back."
"Nonsense — —" Li Heng showed that smile she was most familiar with, somewhat roguish, "I haven't eaten dinner yet."
He turned around, facing the Gate of Origin — —
Dark golden Ancestor Power surged within him — — the silver-white moonlight blade lit up in his hand — — the dark flames of God-Slaying Power burned on the Blade — —
The three powers merged into one — —
He raised the moonlight blade above his head — —
Aimed at the Gate of Origin — —
And pushed down.
From the crack of the door, a dazzling light overflowed — —
The color of that light was not dark gold, not silver-white, not crimson — —
But a kind never seen before — —
Deep purple.
Like the color of Chaos itself.
Chapter 59 The Secret Behind the Door! Atem's True Form—The Full Awakening of God-Slaying Power
Behind the Gate of Origin.
The moment Li Heng stepped into that dark purple void, all sound vanished.
There was no wind, no light, no sense of the passage of time—even the system panel became blurred in this void, flickering on and off like an old television screen with a bad signal.
[Ding... De... Ultra-high dimensional space... Host ab... Suppress... Soul Covenant...]
[Warning... This domain... Non-standard dimension... System coverage... Only 37%...]
Even the system was becoming unreliable.
Li Heng steadied his stance, his dark golden slit pupils searching the dark purple void — and then, he saw it.
At a position about one hundred meters directly in front of him — a fist-sized purple-black crystal hovered in the exact center of the void, pulsing slowly like the heart of this realm.
With every single pulse, it sent out a circle of dark purple ripples in the void, like a pebble falling into a deep pool.
The shape of that crystal — was identical to Chthon's source blood crystal.
But the aura it emitted was countless times stronger than Chthon's.
If Chthon's source blood crystal was a burning fireball — then the one before his eyes was a collapsing supernova.
Its surface had no flames, no light — only a nearly absolute darkness — that darkness was not the absence of light, but the end of light — a gravitational abyss from which even light could not escape.
"Complete Progenitor —"
A voice came from the crystal — that voice was not heard from the outside — but resounded directly in the depths of the soul — like the deep roar of billions of stars sounding simultaneously.
"You have finally come."
"I have waited for this moment — longer than The Silent One."
Li Heng gripped the moonlight blade tightly, his dark golden slit pupils staring fixedly at that pulsing crystal — his ancestor core beat frantically in his chest, and the God-Slaying Power surged through his veins like boiling magma — but in front of that crystal, this power was like a firefly facing the bright moon — so tiny it could almost be ignored.
"You are Atum."
Not a question — a statement.
"I am."
The voice in the crystal responded calmly, "I am Atum — the God-Slayer — the terminator of the Old Gods — the executor of the balance of the Universe."
"And also — the source of your God-Slaying Power."
Li Heng took a deep breath — from the moment he entered the Gate of Origin, he had been prepared to face everything — but when he truly stood before Atum, he realized he had underestimated the weight of this existence.
This was not Chthon's crazy, aggressive power — Atum's power was more introverted, deeper, and more unshakeable — condensed like the laws of the Universeitself — requiring no self-proof, mere existence was enough to make all things bow.
"Varna also walked here back then."
Atum's voice continued to echo in the depths of the soul, "But he could not push open the door — because he had no Soul Covenant. He stood alone before me — locking gazes with me for three whole days and nights — and in the end, he chose to retreat."
"With all his lifelong power and lifespan, he sealed the passage of Chthon's first descent outside — thinking this could delay the arrival of the disaster."
"But he were wrong — delaying is not solving — it is merely leaving the problem to posterity."
"Left to you."
Li Heng fell silent for three seconds — then spoke: "The Silent One said — your power was too great, which is why you voluntarily sealed yourself here?"
"Voluntarily?"
For the first time, a trace of fluctuation appeared in Atum's voice — like the slight cracking sound coming from under ancient ice — "No — not voluntarily."
"Forced."
"Who —"
"Chthon."
Atum's voice sank, "Three billion years ago — when I was a complete God-Slayer — Chthon united with two other Old Gods — the progenitor forms of Set and Mephisto — launching a surprise attack on me. They could not kill me — because the God-Slayer is a part of the laws of the Universe — as long as the laws do not perish, I do not perish."
"But they found another way — sealing me on the other side of the Gate of Origin — weaving an eternal shackles with the power of the three Old Gods — locking me forever within this crystal."
"As long as I remain in the seal — the God-Slaying Powercannot fully descend upon any progenitor — and without the complete God-Slaying Power — no one can truly kill the Old Gods."
"This is their insurance — even if Chthon is sealed in the dimensional cage — as long as I am still here — no one can pose a fatal threat to him."
Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils suddenly contracted — he finally understood — everything had been a closed loop from the very beginning — Chthon seals Atum -> Atumcannot grant complete God-Slaying Power -> without complete God-Slaying Power, Chthon cannot be killed -> Chthon remains safe.
A perfect dead loop.
"Therefore — to break this cycle —" Li Heng slowly spoke, "someone needs to come in — and release you from the seal."
"Correct."
Atum's voice carried a hint of approval, "But you must understand the price of releasing me —"
"Once I break out of the seal — the shackles placed upon me by the three Old Gods will collapse — that energy is enough to trigger an Impact sweeping across half of the multiverse — as the releaser, you will bear all the backlash released when the shackles collapse."
"In your current state during the Soul Covenant cooldown period — you will die."
Li Heng's expression did not change at all: "Is there any other way?"
"There is."
Atum said, "You can take only a part of my power — just like Varna did back then — and go back with this part of power to fight Chthon. But that is only treating the symptoms — just like Varna — you can at most seal him, unable to eliminate him."
"Tens of thousands of years later — he will break free again — and everything will repeat."
"Therefore you only have two choices —"
"Take a part of the power, return alive, temporarily solve the problem —"
"Or release me, bear the backlash, completely solve the problem — but you will die."
The dark purple void fell silent for a full ten seconds.
Li Heng looked down at the moonlight blade in his hand — the dark golden bloodline pattern on the silvery-white Blade was pulsing faintly — like a quietly beating heart.
He thought of Wanda — remembering her standing on the white plain outside the Gate of Origin waiting for him — remembering her saying "You must come back" — remembering the gentle and firm look in her green eyes reflecting his own figure.
And then he thought of more —
Remembering Pietro's always grinning expression — remembering the backs of Blood Baron and Blade fighting side by side — remembering the instructions given to them by the Ancient One of Kamar-Taj when handing over the Time Stone — remembering the ordinary people panicking and fleeing under the blood moon on the streets of New York —
If Chthon descended again — not a single one of these people would survive.
"Atum —" Li Heng raised his head, his dark golden slit pupils staring directly at that purple-black crystal, his voice extremely calm, "You said releasing me will cause me to die — but I ask you a question —"
"Can the Soul Covenant — help me withstand this backlash?"
The crystal fell silent for a second.
Then — for the first time, a fluctuation of emotion that could be called "surprise" appeared in Atum's voice: "Soul Covenant — you have already completed the Soul Covenant?"
"Correct."
Another three seconds of silence — and then Atum let out a low laugh like an ancient bell toll — that laugh echoed in the dark purple void, spreading outward in circles —
"Soul Covenant — the souls of two people share everything — including damage — including backlash — including death."
"If you have a Soul Covenant — then the backlash of the shackles collapsing will be jointly borne by two souls — with your current soul strength — the two of you carrying it together —"
"Theoretically — can survive."
"But — it will hurt. Extremely painful. The kind of pain that makes you wish you were already dead."
The corners of Li Heng's mouth lifted slightly — revealing that iconic, somewhat roguish smile —
"Pain is pain — anyway, it's not the first time."
He raised the moonlight blade — the silvery-white Bladetraced an arc in the dark purple void — the dark golden God-Slaying Power burned on the Blade like a flame — he aimed the tip of the Blade at the surface of the purple-black crystal —
"Atum — I have come."
The Blade pierced into the crystal.
The purple-black surface shattered like glass — countless cracks spread outward from the point where the Bladepierced — dazzling white light overflowed from every crack —
[Ding!! Shackle collapse reaction detected!! The seal of the Old Gods is disintegrating —!!]
[Atum seal release progress — 10% — 30% — 55% —!!]
[Warning: The host is about to bear the full backlash of the collapse of the Old Gods' shackles!! The Soul Covenanthas automatically activated the sharing mechanism!! The backlash will be jointly borne by two souls — estimated intensity borne by each person —!!]
[— Exceeding safety threshold by 3400%!!]
Amidst the white light — Li Heng felt his soul as if gripped by an invisible giant hand — excruciating pain surged like a tide from the depths of his soul — every nerve was screaming — every cell was burning —
And on the other side of the Gate of Origin — on the white plain — Wanda dropped to her knees at that exact moment — her green eyes filled with dazzling white light — her body trembled violently like being electrocuted — but she clenched her teeth — uttering not a sound — merely pressing her hands hard against the ground —
She could feel Li Heng's soul — that soul fused as one with her at this moment — what kind of pain it was enduring —
"Hold on —" Wanda's voice squeezed out from between her teeth, "Li Heng — you better hold on —"
In the dark purple void —
The cracks on the crystal became more and more numerous — denser and denser — the white light grew more and more dazzling — Atum's voice exploded in the light like thunder —
"Complete Progenitor — you have done it — what Varnafailed to do — you have done it —!!"
"The shackles — are collapsing —!"
"I — am free —!!"
At this moment — the crystal shattered with a bang —
Countless fragments shot out in all directions like a supernova explosion — and in the center where the fragments dissipated — a figure slowly emerged —
That was not any form Li Heng had imagined — not a giant, not a monster, not a shadow — but a youth of about his age — wearing a simple grey robe, his short black hair fluttering slightly in the void — his face calm and gentle — only his eyes —
Those eyes were pure gold — burning like two miniature stars — deep within those golden pupils, countless galaxy systems were living, dying, and reincarnating —
Atum's true form — indistinguishable from a human.
"Thank you — Complete Progenitor." Atum stood in the void, looking at him — there was no arrogance of the Old Gods in his golden eyes, only a sense of relief spanning three billion years, "Three billion years — I can finally take a free look at this Universe once again."
"Now — let me give you the reward you deserve."
He extended his right hand — his index finger touching Li Heng's forehead —
A golden light poured in from his fingertip — that light flowed through Li Heng's entire body like a warm current — the God-Slaying Power completed its ultimate transformation at this moment —
[Ding!! God-Slaying Power — Completely Awakened!!!!]
[The host has obtained Atum's complete god-slaying authority!! Current God-Slaying Power level — SSS-Rank!!]
[New ability unlocked — 'God-Slaying Judgment': Deals true damage to any Old God-level existence! Ignores all defenses, ignores all shields, ignores all immortal traits!!]
[New ability unlocked — 'Law Adjudication': Seals or obliterates the target with the power of the laws of the Universe! The sealing strength is equivalent to Atum's full-strength strike!!]
[Host comprehensive combat power evaluation — SSS-Rank!! Has reached the current Universe's bearing limit!!]
Li Heng stood in the void, feeling the unprecedented, majestic power within his body — the God-Slaying Powerwas no longer just a mass of dark golden flame — it had turned into a golden river as wide as the Milky Way — surging endlessly in every corner of his body.
He looked down at his own hands — golden patterns flowed across the surface of the dark golden skin — like the tracks of stars — he gripped the moonlight bladetightly — the dark golden bloodline pattern on the Bladecompletely turned golden at this moment —
"Enough." He looked up at Atum, "Now — can I kill Chthon?"
Atum looked at him, a trace of a smile flashing in his golden eyes —
"Yes. But not now — your body has not yet adapted to the load of the complete God-Slaying Power — you need at least a twenty-four-hour adaptation period."
"And Chthon will not give you twenty-four hours — he is about to descend personally very soon."
"Therefore — you need to do one thing — before he descends — find the weakness of his dimensional cage — and then use Law Adjudication — to reinforce his seal from the outside — locking him inside forever."
"This is what Varna wanted to do back then but failed to do — solving the problem from the root."
Li Heng looked at Atum: "Where is the weakness of the cage?"
Atum raised a hand and pointed — a star map appeared in the void — a location was marked on the star map —
"Right on — the back of the moon."
"Chthon's dimensional cage is at the fringe of the Universe— but its anchor point — the fixed point connecting it to the reality Universe — is right on the back of your moon."
"As long as that anchor point is destroyed — the cage will completely disconnect from the Universe — Chthon will never be able to enter this Universe."
"And with your current power — plus Law Adjudication — you can destroy that anchor point within ten minutes."
Li Heng looked at the marked position on the star map — the back of the moon — close at hand —
Then, a dark golden portal opened behind him — outside the door was Wanda kneeling on the white plain — her face as pale as paper, but her green eyes were filled with stubbornness —
"Li Heng —"
"I'm fine." Li Heng walked up to her, bending down to help her up — the two stared at each other in front of the portal — dark golden slit pupils intertwined with green eyes —
"Let's go — home." Li Heng said, "And then — I'll go to the moon to dismantle something."
Wanda looked at him, falling silent for two seconds — and then nodded vigorously.
The two walked side by side into the portal —
Behind them, Atum stood in the dark purple void, looking at the closing portal — the galaxy systems in his golden eyes slowly rotating —
"Go — Complete Progenitor —"
"Go do what Varna failed to do —"
"Go do what no one has done for three billion years —"
"End the era of the Old Gods."
The portal closed.
The dark purple void returned to silence — but this time, it was no longer a desperate dead silence —
But rather a peace before the dawn.
Chapter 60: The Dark Side of the Moon! Chthon's Ultimate Trap — Law Adjudication · God-Slaying Trial!
Brooklyn Villa.
The fourth hour after returning from the realm of The Silent One.
Li Heng sat at the kitchen bar, a bowl of instant noodles placed in front of him — Master Kong Braised Beef Noodles, with an added egg and two ham sausages.
He ate very slowly.
It was not because the noodles were hot — but because he was adapting to the surging torrent of Complete God-Slaying Power within his body, flowing like a galaxy.
With every heartbeat, golden energy surged from the ancestor core, flowing through every blood vessel, every nerve, and every cell in his entire body — that feeling was like his entire body being reforged all over again — from skeleton to flesh and blood, from soul to will — completely reshaped.
[ Host adaptation progress — 37%... 42%... ]
[ Current available output ratio of Complete God-Slaying Power — 28% — expected to reach 100% in 24 hours ]
[ Current comprehensive combat power evaluation: SSS-Rank (Restricted State) — expected to break through SSS+ after complete adaptation!! ]
The constantly refreshing data on the system panel appeared in the corner of his vision — Li Heng couldn't be bothered to look closely — he only cared about one thing right now —
Whether this bowl of noodles tasted good.
"Is it good?" Wanda leaned against the kitchen doorframe, her arms crossed over her chest, a hint of a smile in her green eyes.
"Acceptable." Li Heng took a slurp of the soup, "Not as good as the braised beef brisket with tomatoes you make."
"Then why aren't you finishing it quickly—" Wanda walked over, her fingers gently tapping the table, "Pietro sent another message. He said Fury already knows the whole process of the Third Blood Moon — S.H.I.E.L.D., S.W.O.R.D., and the United Nations Security Council — everyone is arguing —"
"Let them argue." Li Heng put down his chopsticks, picked up a tissue and wiped his mouth, "Arguing is humans' most proficient skill — much more prevalent than superpowers."
Wanda couldn't help laughing — then her smile slowly faded, her green eyes becoming serious: "When do you plan to go to the moon?"
Li Heng was silent for two seconds — then stood up.
"Now."
"The adaptation progress is only 42%—" Wanda frowned.
"It's enough." Li Heng turned to look at her, the golden patterns in his dark gold slit pupils slowly flowing like a galaxy, "Atum said — Chthon could descend at any time. Every hour delayed increases the probability of his descent by a fraction. I can't just sit at home and wait 24 hours — what if he makes a move during this time —"
"The entire Earth will be gone."
Wanda looked at him — the emotions transmitted from the Soul Covenant were firm and unshakable — she knew she couldn't persuade him.
"Then I'll go with you—"
"No." Li Heng's tone was decisive, "The Soul Covenant is still in its cooldown period — you can only display at most forty percent of your combat power right now. The moon is Chthon's anchor point — the energy concentration in that place is incomparable to Earth's — if you go, you will only become my weakness."
Wanda bit her lip — she didn't like this statement — but she knew what Li Heng said was the truth.
"Then you promise—" she began.
"Promise what? To come back alive?" Li Heng showed a somewhat roguish smile, "Words like that are bound to lead to death when spoken in movies — I'm not saying them."
"I have only one request—" Wanda walked up to him, reached out to grab his collar, and pulled him down — their foreheads pressed against each other — the distance between the dark gold slit pupils and the green eyes was less than five centimeters —
"After the fight — come home to eat."
"I'll make braised beef brisket with tomatoes for you."
Li Heng looked into her eyes — those green eyes reflected his own figure — then, he smiled softly.
"Deal."
* * *
The back of the moon.
A forbidden zone that humanity has never truly set foot in.
No sunlight — no air — no sound — only endless darkness and dead silence. Grayish-white craters littered the surface of the moon like scars — on this eternal dark side — time seemed to have frozen for hundreds of millions of years — without any change — nor would there ever be any change.
Until —
A dark golden portal tore open in the void.
Li Heng stepped out of the portal — beneath his feet was grayish-white lunar dust — overhead was an endless galaxy — all around was absolute silence — not even the sound of breathing existed — the moment he stepped onto the moon, he had already switched to his vampire form — needing no oxygen — needing no food — needing only the energy provided by the ancestor core to sustain all life activities.
[ Ding!! Arrived at the back of the moon — coordinates locked — direction of Chthon's dimensional cage anchor point — 1.7 kilometers directly ahead!! ]
Li Heng looked up — in the center of a huge crater 1.7 kilometers away — he saw it —
A huge purple-black rune array embedded on the lunar surface like a scar.
That array was over five hundred meters in diameter — composed of countless intersecting purple-black rune lines — every line slowly pulsing, like the blood vessels of a living creature — the pulsing frequency was identical to Chthon's primordial blood crystal — this was his power — his anchor in this Universe — the fixed point connecting the dimensional cage and the reality Universe.
As long as this anchor point was destroyed — the cage would be completely cut off from the Universe — Chthonwould never be able to enter this Universe again.
Li Heng clenched the moonlight blade — the golden God-Slaying Power burned on the blade — he strode forward — walking toward the rune array —
One step — two steps — three steps —
The moment he stepped into the edge of the array —
All the purple-black runes lit up simultaneously.
Dazzling purple light surged from the array like a tsunami — illuminating the entire crater as bright as day — Li Heng's dark gold slit pupils S-Rank abruptly — he instinctively raised the moonlight blade horizontally in front of him —
Then — he heard that voice.
"Complete Progenitor—"
That voice — the hoarse sound he had heard in the fissure of Central Park — like hundreds of millions of pieces of glass shattering simultaneously —
Chthon.
"You thought I didn't know the location of the anchor point?"
Amidst the purple light — a figure slowly emerged — that was not Chthon's true body — but his projection — a phantom condensed from pure purple-black energy — but even if it was just a projection — the aura it emitted was enough to make Li Heng's ancestor core beat wildly —
Chthon's projection stood in the center of the array — his purple-black eyes resembling two miniature black holes — he looked at Li Heng — and revealed a cruel smile —
"I deliberately placed the anchor point here."
"Because — this is the final passage for my descent."
"You coming to destroy it — plays right into my hands —"
"Because your God-Slaying Power — is precisely the final key I need to open this passage!"
Li Heng's dark gold slit pupils S-Rank violently —
A trap!
This was a trap from beginning to end!
He thought that destroying the anchor point could cut off the connection between Chthon and this Universe — but the facts were completely opposite — the anchor point was not a bridge — but a seal — the final line of defense set up by Atum back then to prevent Chthon from descending —
And Chthon — leaked the location of this defense line to The Silent One — and The Silent One told him —
Everything was within Chthon's plan!
"You—" Li Heng gritted his teeth.
"I have waited for three billion years — waiting for a Complete Progenitor possessing God-Slaying Power to come to this anchor point —" Chthon's projection slowly raised both hands — purple-black energy surged from the array like a tide — sweeping toward Li Heng —
"Because only Complete God-Slaying Power — can destroy Atum's seal —"
"And I — only need to seize that power at the exact moment you release the God-Slaying Power — and use it to tear open the final barrier of the dimensional cage —"
"Then — I will have descended!"
The purple-black energy wound around Li Heng like tens of thousands of tentacles — every single tentacle contained terrifying power sufficient to destroy a planet —
[ Warning! Detected Old Gods-level energy erosion — the host's God-Slaying Power is being extracted by external forces!! ]
[ Extraction speed — 3.7% per second — continuing like this will result in the complete loss of God-Slaying Powerwithin 27 seconds!! ]
"Damn it—!"
Li Heng roared—the golden God-Slaying Power surged wildly within his body—he swung the moonlight blade—the golden blade light swept across like a full moon—severing dozens of purple-black tentacles—but even more tentacles immediately filled the void—
He was being drained dry!
Chthon's projection laughed loudly in the purple light—that laughter echoed like thunder on the dark side of the moon—there was no air to transmit sound—but the laughter exploded directly in the depths of the soul—more deafening than any physical sound—
"Struggle—Complete Progenitor—the more you struggle—the more God-Slaying Power you release—the faster my descent will be—"
"You have no way out anymore!"
A fierce glint flashed through Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils—
No way out?
He never needed a way out to begin with!
"Chthon—" Li Heng's voice exploded in the depths of the soul—like the roar of an ancestor—overwhelming Chthon's laughter—
"You are right—I am indeed releasing God-Slaying Power—"
"But you forgot one thing—"
"God-Slaying Power—doesn't only have one use for attack!!"
[Law Adjudication—activate!!]
Golden light gushed out from Li Heng's body—that was not the aggressive God-Slaying Power—but another power Atum gave him—Law Adjudication—the power to seal or destroy the target using the power of the cosmic laws!
He was not attacking the anchor with God-Slaying Power—
But using Law Adjudication—to reinforce the anchor!
"You—!" Chthon's laughter came to an abrupt halt—true horror appeared in his purple-black eyes for the first time—
"You're crazy—you're using Law Adjudication to reinforce Atum's seal—that seal will seal your God-Slaying Powerin along with it—you will lose—"
"If I lose it, I lose it—" The corners of Li Heng's mouth hooked into a crazy smile—the golden patterns in his dark golden slit pupils burst out with blinding light like a supernova—
"It's not like I've never been broke—"
"At worst, I'll start over from scratch!"
Law Adjudication—release!!
The golden power of law gushed out from Li Heng's hands like a torrent—not rushing towards Chthon's projection—but rushing towards the purple-black rune array beneath his feet—
The moment the power of law contacted the rune array—the seal set by Atum three billion years ago crazily absorbed this power like a long-drought meeting sweet rain—the purple-black rune lines began to turn golden—one, two, ten, a hundred—
The entire five-hundred-meter-diameter rune array was changing from purple-black to gold—changing from Chthon's anchor to Atum's seal—
[Ding!! Law Adjudication—effective!! Anchor conversion progress—15%—40%—78%—!!]
[Warning: Host's God-Slaying Power is being consumed by Law Adjudication—remaining amount—62%—41%—19%—!!]
"No—!" Chthon's projection let out a roar of extreme Fury—he crazily released purple-black energy toward Li Heng—but the golden barrier formed by Law Adjudicationblocked all attacks completely—
"You can't do this—! You will become an ordinary vampire—you will lose everything—!!"
"Everything?" Li Heng smiled—there was no regret in his smile—only an ultimate, carefree sense of relief—
"I was originally just a stay-at-home guy who ate instant noodles—"
"As for God-Slaying Power and all that—"
"It was just a free gift given by the system."
[Anchor conversion progress—95%—99%—100%—!!]
[Conversion complete!! Chthon's dimensional cage anchor has been completely transformed into Atum's seal node!! Chthon's connection with this Universe—permanently severed!!]
[Host's God-Slaying Power—remaining amount—3%—2%—1%—]
[— — return to zero.]
The golden light dissipated.
Li Heng stood in the crater on the dark side of the moon—the moonlight blade slipped from his hand—the silver-white blade stuck into the grayish-white lunar soil—he lowered his head to look at his own hands—the golden patterns flowing like a galaxy on his dark golden skin—went out one by one—like tens of millions of stars heading towards death simultaneously—
God-Slaying Power—disappeared.
Right now—he really only had the basic power of a vampire progenitor left.
Chthon's projection took one last look at him before dissipating—his purple-black eyes were filled with disbelief—
"You... actually... gave up your own power in order to seal me..."
"You—madman—"
The projection completely dissipated—the purple-black energy receded from the array like a receding tide—the entire rune array now turned pure gold—emitting a soft glow on the dark side of the moon—like a sun on the moon—
An eternal seal—can never be broken again.
Li Heng stood in the golden light—slowly raised his head—and looked at the Earth in the distance—that blue planetfloated in the starry sky like a gemstone—
He couldn't see Brooklyn—but he knew—that there—someone was preparing tomato stewed beef brisket in the kitchen—waiting for him to come home for dinner.
The corners of his mouth hooked up slightly.
A dark golden portal slowly lit up behind him—that was the basic ability of the Ancestor Power—which could be used without God-Slaying Power—
He stepped forward—and walked into the portal—
Before disappearing, he took one last look at the golden rune array on the dark side of the moon—
"Atum—Varna—what you failed to accomplish—"
"I have accomplished it."
"Although not as handsome as you guys—the result is the same—"
The portal closed.
The dark side of the moon returned to silence—only that golden rune array—in the eternal darkness—silently guarded that blue planet—
Like a silent promise.
***
Brooklyn Villa—kitchen.
Wanda was putting tomatoes into the pot—the red juice rolled in the boiling water—the air was filled with a sweet and sour aroma—
Then—she heard the sound of the portal lighting up behind her.
She didn't turn back—but the corners of her mouth curled up.
"You're back?"
"Mhm." Li Heng's voice was a bit weak—but carried a smile.
"The noodles are about to burn—" Wanda said.
"It's not noodles—it's the beef brisket." Li Heng walked behind her—his arms looped around her waist—his chin rested on her shoulders—and he closed his eyes—
"I'm back."
Wanda felt the emotions transmitted from him—fatigue, relief, and a trace of faint warmth like embers—God-Slaying Power had disappeared—she could feel it—within the connection of the Soul Covenant, that golden long river as broad as the galaxy had dried up—
But she didn't ask.
She just reached out—covering the back of his hands wrapped around her waist—their fingers intertwined—
"Mhm—"
"Welcome home."
Outside the window—in the night sky of New York—a silver-white moon hung quietly—moonlight sprinkled on the streets of Brooklyn—sprinkled on the windowsill of the Villa—sprinkled on the two embracing figures in the kitchen—
Everything—finally quieted down.
But—
In the deeper parts of the Universe—in that void which even The Silent One could not reach—
A pair of pure white eyes slowly opened—
That was not the eyes of The Silent One—
Nor was it Ethel's eyes—
The owner of those eyes—looking at that golden rune array on the dark side of the moon—revealed a meaningful smile—
"Interesting—he gave up God-Slaying Power—"
"But he doesn't know—God-Slaying Power has never been a 'power'—"
"Instead, it is an 'authority'—"
"Authority will not disappear—it will only transfer—"
"And the target to which it transfers—"
Those white eyes slowly turned towards the direction of Brooklyn—
"——Is her."