"What a peculiar creature. I've never encountered anything like it on either side of the Void… Could you be a brand new life form hatched from the Egg of Creation?"
The red phantom sized up the World-Ending Little Fire. It intended to use its power to invade the soul of the World-Ending Little Fire and probe its structure. Just then, black and white swirling energies surged from within the World-Ending Little Fire, directly repelling the red phantom's outstretched palm!
The World-Ending Little Fire broke free from the red phantom's restraint!
"These two powers! How was it hatched?"
Upon seeing the swirling energies emanating from the World-Ending Little Fire, the red phantom's pupils contracted sharply, its heart churning with immense shock.
"Die, you bastard!"
Having escaped the red phantom's grasp, the World-Ending Little Fire charged at it once more.
However, after witnessing the black and white energies, the red phantom found itself uncertain of the World-Ending Little Fire's origins. It dared not attack it, immediately dispersing and evading the World-Ending Little Fire's assault.
Seeing the red phantom scatter, the World-Ending Little Fire did not pursue. Instead, it activated the Sea God's Forbidden Domain, using the liquid from the Star Swallowing Abyss to permeate and envelop Ye Ling's barrier, then atomizing within Ye Ling's barrier.
Ye Ling, whose vision was filled with garbled code, suddenly felt his skin become slightly damp.
"What is this…"
Ye Ling felt liquid slide across his arm and couldn't help but lift it.
However, Ye Ling's vision was completely obscured by garbled code at this moment; he couldn't see anything outside, including his own arm.
All Ye Ling knew was that something was happening outside, but he had no idea what it was.
"What am I waiting for? That garbled code has already invaded my past, and the sanity I have left in my present is dwindling. If I delay any longer, I might not even have a chance to turn back."
"World-Ending Spiritual Fire… when I recover, I won't let you die like this!"
The red glow in Ye Ling's eyes grew increasingly strange, his last sliver of remaining sanity about to be devoured by the garbled code.
His only option now was to excise the genes affected within him!
However, just as Ye Ling's final thread of sanity was about to be consumed by the garbled code, a series of sharp pains suddenly shot through his arm!
The pain felt as if a worm had burrowed into his skin and was rapidly crawling beneath it!
Stimulated by the pain, Ye Ling regained some clarity, and the red glow in his eyes subsided considerably.
Although Ye Ling's vision was still obscured by garbled code, his perception of pain had become much clearer. He realized that the continuous pain in his arm seemed to follow a pattern.
"This pain… it seems to form a line of text."
"D-o… f-o-l-l-o-w…"
Ye Ling attempted to decipher the message the pain in his arm was trying to convey. However, his perception had significantly decreased, and the characters written in pain were crooked, like scribbles. Even with his imagination, Ye Ling could only decipher a few words.
"Damp arm, like a beginner's writing… Could it be the World-Ending Little Fire trying to communicate with me using the Sea God's Forbidden Domain?"
As Ye Ling gradually realized that the World-Ending Little Fire was conveying a message, his mind, which had nearly ceased to function, began to operate again.
"First, the World-Ending Spiritual Fire burned its life essence, and now the World-Ending Little Fire is contacting me… They both seem unwilling for me to excise my own genes…"
"Could it be… I'm under some sort of illusion, and excising my genes is a trap set by the enemy?"
"Such immense power… Who is attacking me? No… now is not the time to investigate the enemy. I need to find a way to escape my current state. As long as I can use 'Custom Future,' I can turn the tide!"
Ye Ling let his thoughts wander, attempting to reconstruct the external situation with his remaining strength.
At that moment, a wave of intense pain struck his arm again.
"I… cage… f-o-l-l-o-w… out!"
Ye Ling struggled to understand the information conveyed by the pain in his arm. Just then, the area of pain on his arm transformed into an arrow.
"Is the World-Ending Little Fire pointing the way for me?"
Ye Ling, reading an arrow from the pain in his arm, was initially stunned, then chose to trust the World-Ending Little Fire unconditionally.
Although he couldn't yet assess the situation outside, he held absolute trust in the World-Ending Spiritual Fire and the World-Ending Little Fire!
Without further hesitation, Ye Ling abandoned the idea of excising his genes and, amidst the garbled code, flew in the direction indicated by the arrow!
Above the Star Swallowing Abyss, Shan, clad in a black robe, emerged from the void. Just as he was about to intervene, he saw Ye Ling within the red barrier in the Star Swallowing Abyss slowly moving towards the barrier's edge.
"This is…"
Shan observed Ye Ling's actions, then glanced at the World-Ending Little Fire outside, desperately manipulating the Sea God's Forbidden Domain. He was momentarily taken aback, then chuckled and shook his head.
"It seems I was mistaken… He has his companions and doesn't need my help at all."
After abandoning the thought of intervening, Shan did not leave. Instead, he turned his gaze towards the direction of the Hidden Ruins Burial God Tomb.
"Since I've come all this way, it feels wrong to leave without doing anything… I originally had no intention of interfering with this ranking competition, but since you've crossed the line, it's only natural for me to act."
"Consider this a reward for that boy Ye Ling."
Shan muttered to himself, then transformed into a black streak of light, charging directly into the Hidden Ruins Burial God Tomb.
At that moment, the countless ancient deities slumbering within the Burial God Tomb were all awakened by that supreme pressure.
Much later, the deities slumbering within the Burial God Tomb would never forget that day, the sound of chains that had disturbed their slumber.
However, that is a story for another time.
…
At this moment, within the Star Swallowing Abyss.
The red phantom, having evaded the World-Ending Little Fire, noticed what the World-Ending Little Fire was doing to Ye Ling and let out a cold snort: "A mere trick, trying to save someone right under my nose?"
The red phantom extended a massive hand, reaching for Ye Ling within the barrier.
The World-Ending Little Fire outside, seeing this, immediately manipulated the liquid adhered to the surface of the red barrier, constructing a water film between the red phantom and Ye Ling.
The moment the red phantom's massive hand touched the water film, the water film rapidly adhered to the surface of the red phantom's arm, significantly slowing its speed.
"Can such clumsy tactics stop me?"
The red phantom sneered, immediately accelerating. Disregarding the water film's delay, it broke through the barrier and seized Ye Ling, who was struggling with all his might.
"Sin, you will never escape my grasp, not before, not now, and not ever! No matter how many times you try to make a comeback, I can crush you like an ant!"
The red phantom roared, and without mercy, crushed Ye Ling in its hand!
*Bang!*
Ye Ling exploded into a mist of blood within the Star Swallowing Abyss!
The World-Ending Little Fire, which had been desperately blocking the red phantom, froze upon witnessing this, then roared furiously at the red phantom: "Bastard! I'll kill you!!!"