Resistance base
As soon as Jiang Yu gave the order, everyone sprang into action!
Like a tiger unleashed from its cage, the rock slammed its shield into the ground with a deafening roar, the powerful shockwave instantly drawing the attention of most of the Purifiers. The medic followed closely behind, his precise healing beams striking the wounded members of the "Dawn of Light" team, stabilizing their injuries.
'Shadow' (Zero) moved like a ghost along the edge of the battlefield, his hands firing in rapid succession. Invisible data streams interfered with the Purifiers' energy weapons and communication equipment, throwing them into disarray.
Jiang Yu (Ren), on the other hand, had a clear objective and rushed straight towards the broken statue! His speed was extremely fast. He drew his cleaver, and the blade flashed like a bolt of lightning as it slashed at the several cleaners who were besieging the statue.
"Stop him!" The leader of the Purifiers was both shocked and furious. He had clearly recognized Jiang Yu (or rather, sensed that unique aura of order), but it was too late!
Where the blade flashes, those who purge are either killed or wounded!
Jiang Yu instantly broke through the defenses and arrived in front of the statue. The statue depicted a goddess with a blurred face, holding scales. What she held in her hands was not a real object, but a constantly changing golden sphere of light composed of pure faith power.
At the core of that sphere of light, a tiny golden crystal, of the same origin as the key fragment in Jiang Yu's hand, was quietly suspended! Although it was very small, it was indeed part of the key fragment.
"There really is a fragment!" Jiang Yu was overjoyed and reached out to take it.
"Blasphemer, do not even think of touching the divine object!" A crazed Purifier rushed forward recklessly, its body beginning to swell and emitting unstable energy fluctuations before self-destruction.
Jiang Yu frowned, then swung her blade backhand, the blade's energy precisely slicing into the energy core, nipping it in the bud. But this brief delay allowed the other Purgers to react, surging forward even more frantically.
"Cover him!" shouted the captain of 'Dawn of Light,' a young woman wielding a lightsaber, as she led the remaining members in a desperate attempt to hold off the surging enemy.
Jiang Yu no longer hesitated, his fingertips touching the ball of faith light. Sensing the aura of the key fragment, the light ball not only did not repel it, but instead actively merged into his fingertip, sending the tiny fragment into his hand.
Acquired the third fragment (part of it).
Instantly, a surge of information about the laws of "faith cohesion and purification" flooded into Jiang Yu's mind. At the same time, the two fragments in his hands resonated strongly with this new one, shining brightly and attracting each other as if they were about to merge.
However, just as the fragments were about to merge, a sudden change occurred.
The broken statue of the goddess suddenly emitted a faint light from its eyes. A vast, sorrowful yet majestic residual will surged towards Jiang Yu like a tide.
"Latercomer...you have inherited the flame of 'order'..." A gentle yet weary female voice echoed in his mind, "Be careful...the 'balance' has been broken...'judgment is imminent...find...the 'loom of fate'...it records...all the answers..."
The transmission of will abruptly ceased, the statue shattered completely, turning to dust. The remaining will also dissipated into the air.
"The Loom of Destiny?" Jiang Yu noted this new keyword in her mind.
At this moment, with the acquisition of the fragments and the destruction of the statue, the battlefield situation instantly reversed. The orderly light that erupted when the key fragments fused produced a strong suppressive and burning effect on the members of the "Order of the End," causing them unbearable pain.
"Retreat!" Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the leader of the Purge gritted his teeth and gave the order. The remaining members of the cult hurriedly activated the teleportation device and fled.
The battle was over. The "Dawn of Light" team suffered heavy casualties, with only the captain and two other members surviving. They looked at Jiang Yu, their eyes filled with gratitude, awe, and doubt.
"Thank you for saving us." The female captain stepped forward, her voice weak but sincere. "I am Xi from 'Dawn of Light.' You are..."
'Shadow' (Zero) immediately stepped forward and took over the conversation: "We are the 'Wandering Mercenary Group', passing through this place. It seems we have a common enemy."
Xi glanced at the key fragment in Jiang Yu's hand, whose light had not yet completely faded, then looked at their group, seemingly understanding something. She took a deep breath and said, "This is not the place to talk. The cult may be bringing more people soon. If you trust us, I know a relatively safe place where you can rest for a while."
Jiang Yu and 'Shadow' exchanged a glance and nodded. They needed intelligence, and these resistance fighters were undoubtedly an important source of information.
Following Xi and her team, Jiang Yu and her group traversed the intricate network of broken temples, eventually arriving at a hidden cave entrance concealed by the massive ribs of a divine skeleton. The cave entrance was cleverly protected by an illusionary barrier, making it extremely difficult to spot from the outside.
Entering the cave, they found themselves in a completely different world. The space was more spacious than expected, consisting of several interconnected caverns, with moss emitting a soft glow inlaid on the walls. It had clearly been converted into a makeshift base, where a dozen or so members of "Dawn of Light" were resting. Most of them were injured, and the atmosphere was heavy, but seeing Xi and the others return safely, especially with the unfamiliar, seemingly powerful figure who had repelled the cult, a glimmer of hope rekindled in their eyes.
“This is a temporary safe house for us in the Divine Realm,” Xi explained. “The environment in the Divine Realm is harsh, and it’s not easy for the main force of the Order to get in, but their elite squads are active frequently, and we have suffered heavy losses.”
Once everyone was settled, the doctor immediately began treating the wounded. Jiang Yu then seized the opportunity to fuse the newly acquired fragment with the two existing ones. The process went more smoothly than expected; the three fragments seemed to have always been one, quickly fusing into a more complete crystal with a more restrained radiance but a more vast energy. The laws of "spatial stability," "energy conversion," and "faith purification" became clearer in his mind.
After the fusion was complete, Jiang Yun could feel that the key fragments were drawing stronger to the "Peak of Fallen Gods," as if the remaining larger fragments were there. At the same time, the fragments also conveyed a faint resonance with the term "Loom of Destiny."
"Do you know about the 'Loom of Destiny'?" Jiang Yu asked Xi.
Xi and an older team member at the base, known as the "Old Scholar," exchanged a glance, both showing surprise.
"You know about the 'Loom of Destiny'?" The old scholar pushed up his glasses, his tone excited. "It's a legendary artifact! It's said to be a divine artifact that records all the major destinies since the birth of the universe, and can even predict the future to some extent! But it disappeared long before the First War of the Gods. Some people think it's destroyed, while others believe it's hidden at some unreachable end of spacetime."
“The remnant will of that goddess told me that I should search for the ‘weaving machine of destiny,’ as it can reveal the answer,” Jiang Yu said without hiding anything.
“If the ‘Weaving of Fate’ truly exists, then it might be the key to our fight against the ‘Order of the End’ and ‘Annihilation’!” A glimmer of hope flashed in Xi’s eyes. “But how do we find it?”
“Perhaps the answer lies at the ‘Peak of Fallen Gods’.” Jiang Yu looked out of the cave entrance at the core continent shrouded in storm. “I can sense that the main fragments of the key are there. And the clues to the ‘Weaving of Destiny’ are likely related to the complete form of the key.”
Just then, the team member on guard at the base entrance suddenly sounded the alarm: "Something's wrong! A powerful energy reaction is rapidly approaching! It's coming for us! There are a lot of them!"
The group rushed to the cave entrance and saw dozens of black dots rapidly approaching from the distant sky! Leading them was the sinister Purifier leader with whom they had clashed in the black market! Behind him followed three well-equipped Purifier squads, and... two figures dressed in magnificent black robes, exuding a suffocating aura.
"It's the 'Bishop of the End'!" The old scholar's voice trembled. "They actually sent out a bishop-level being! We've been discovered!"
The sinister leader had clearly located them in some way and brought overwhelming power!
The resistance fighters inside the stronghold wore expressions of despair. Faced with such a powerful enemy, they had no chance of victory.
Jiang Yu gripped the key fragments and the machete tightly in her hand, her eyes icy cold. It seemed a fierce battle was inevitable. Perhaps this was a necessary baptism before reaching the "Peak of Fallen Gods."
The main force of the "Cult of the End" has arrived in pursuit and is at the city gates!
Jiang Yu and his group, along with the remnants of "Dawn of Light," found themselves in an unprecedented predicament, their lives hanging in the balance in this battle!
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