A chilling resolve, like the very skeleton of the steel sky itself, was forged within Linde's core.
The image of Valak being completely erased, Esmeralda's suffocating "denial of existence," and the unfinished yet clearly intentional oracle of the God of Magic—all these point to the same conclusion:
Conventional methods are ineffective; extraordinary measures must be taken.
"Let 'silence' sink into the 'abyss'..."
Linde stood in front of the control panel, his gaze fixed on the real-time projection of the Howling Abyss Rift.
That twisted, dark entrance that devoured all light was no longer a mere threat or object of study in his eyes, but rather... a potential ultimate solution.
He had seen with his own eyes the scene deep within the Shadow Abyss—that boundless, silent yet bustling "ocean" formed from the final sedimentation of all things.
That is an absolute void that can annihilate even divinity and corrode even time.
No matter how bizarre Esmeralda's power is, or how strong its rule of "denying existence" is, can it deny the entire Shadow Abyss itself?
Is it possible to stop Yingyuan's instinctive, greedy nature that devours all "existence"?
That's impossible.
Linde had almost absolute confidence in this.
The level of the Shadow Abyss is far beyond what a single individual (even a special being like Esmeralda) can contend with.
That is the dark side of the world, the ultimate dumping ground, and the burial ground for all "existence".
What he needed to do was no longer to painstakingly research how to directly "destroy" Esmeralda, but to find a way to "relocate" her—to throw this unstable and dangerous "bomb" into the Shadow Abyss, a "furnace" capable of digesting everything!
A change of perspective brought sudden clarity.
In the time that followed, Linde devoted almost all his energy to the in-depth analysis and mastery of the Howling Abyss Rift.
Previous research has focused on observing, understanding, and defending against the erosion of the Shadow Abyss.
Now, the goal has changed: he wants to actively control this rift, at least for a limited time, to expand it, stabilize it, and guide its direction of absorption!
This is an extremely dangerous and unprecedented topic.
The Shadow Rift itself is like a violent natural disaster; trying to restrain and guide it is tantamount to trying to put a hurricane on its reins.
The resources of the Steel Sky are being poured into the Howling Abyss stronghold on an unprecedented scale.
More observation equipment was deployed around the fissure, and some specially made detectors with the strongest protection were even carefully sent into the fissure for a short stay to collect the most direct data on the internal environment.
Narash and his Shadowbinds were also mobilized to the limit. The ancient documents and forbidden knowledge they provided were corroborated with the data obtained by Lind through technological means in an attempt to find out the energy fluctuation patterns, stability thresholds, and possible human interference nodes in the rift.
Linde was immersed in an endless ocean of data.
[Deconstructing the Halo] Full power, frantic calculations and deductions. He needs to find a method, a "lever," to pry open the rift at a critical moment, briefly and controllably putting it into a "hyperactive" state, and directing its terrifying devouring power towards a specific target—Aimera.
After countless simulations and calculations, a high-risk, high-return scheme gradually took shape:
Project "Throat of the Abyss"
Its core principle is to exploit the inherent instability of the Howling Abyss Rift and, when its energy tide reaches a certain peak, inject a precisely calculated and massive reverse energy shock into it.
This reverse impact will not cancel out the energy of the fissure; instead, it will be like dropping a heavy bomb into a volcano about to erupt, violently disrupting its inherent balance and causing it to expand rapidly in a very short time, engulfing a wide area and artificially guiding its direction of engulfment.
To accomplish this, a large number of specially designed energy focusing and guiding devices need to be pre-arranged around the rift (based on the analysis of the Zedu civilization's space technology). These devices will be activated the instant the rift expands out of control, like adding "lips" and "guide channels" to an open giant mouth, trying their best to restrain and guide the gushing Shadow Abyss Devouring Power in the predetermined direction.
Moreover, the timing must be precise to the microsecond level, and the intensity of the energy impact must be calculated to the millimeter's degree; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable—either the rift cannot be effectively activated, or the rift will be completely out of control, or even trigger a chain reaction that could cause the entire Howling Abyss and even a wider area to be swallowed by the Shadow Abyss.
At the same time, Lind also needs to ensure that he can accurately lure or force Esmeralda to the center of the "Abyss Throat's" preset attack range.
This is also a difficult problem.
Esmeralda's operation may seem aimless, but getting her to appear at the designated location requires precise calculation and manipulation.
Linde once again used the magic network and the scattered reconnaissance units to continue tracking Esmeralda's unique "vacuum of existence" traces.
He analyzed her behavior patterns and predicted her possible paths.
He even considered whether he could use some "bait" containing special energy or ancient marks to attract Esmeralda, who was particularly "sensitive" to such "abnormal existences".
Time flew by amidst the intense research and preparation.
Finally, everything was ready.
Around the Howling Abyss, countless enormous metal towers inscribed with dark runes were erected, serving as both energy focusers and spatial anchors (to prevent the complete collapse of space due to operational failure).
Linde made the final modifications to the "Starry Sky Apostle," adjusting its core energy reactor to a critical state where it could instantly output that decisive "reverse impact."
All calculations have been repeatedly verified, and although the risk is extremely high, the success rate is within Linde's acceptable range.
On that day, the warning was issued.
Esmerald's trail has been spotted at an ancient battlefield site about 300 miles from Howling Abyss, and her movement path has been predicted to be shifting towards Howling Abyss!
"Now!" Linde's eyes flashed with a sharp light.
He instantly connected with the "Starry Sky Apostle," and his body transformed into a dark blue meteor, rushing out of the steel sky and heading straight for the Howling Abyss!
At the edge of the abyss, the wind howled, and the distorted light was dizzying.
The fissure, like a scar on the earth, silently exuded a chilling aura.
Linde hovered directly above the rift, his mental energy perfectly synchronized with all the guiding devices below, the "Starry Sky Apostles," and the probes scattered throughout the land.
His senses extended to their limits as he monitored the subtle fluctuations of energy within the rift, waiting for the optimal "peak moment," while keeping a close eye on the distance—that world was "losing color and sound" in a bizarre way. Esmeralda had arrived!
It's here!
On the distant horizon, an absolute "silence" spreads like an invisible tide, leaving everything in its wake.
The blurry white figure walked slowly through the deathly silence.
Now!
The energy fluctuation in the fracture reached the pre-calculated peak value!
"'Throat of the Abyss,' activate!"
Linde issued the final order without hesitation!
The crystalline core on the chest of the "Starry Sky Apostle" erupted with unprecedented light. A beam of energy, condensed to its extreme and almost pure black, was not shot toward Esmeralda, but instead poured into the violently writhing Shadow Abyss Rift below!
boom!!!!!!!!!
A deafening roar, as if the world had just begun to open (yet it was partially negated by the spreading silence in the next second) resounded! The entire Howling Abyss trembled violently! The rift, like an enraged primordial beast, suddenly expanded! It instantly grew more than ten times its original size!
The dark, twisted energy surged forth, no longer slowly eroding, but transforming into a nearly tangible, all-consuming dark torrent!
All the pre-arranged guiding devices were operating at full power, and the eerie blue runes shone brightly, struggling to restrain and guide this destructive torrent, like channeling a flood that had burst its banks, slightly adjusting its direction and precisely aiming it at the Silent Saintess who was slowly walking towards them—Aismera!
Wherever that dark torrent passed, even light and space itself were pulled and swallowed up!
Esmeralda seemed to sense this unprecedented "presence," and for the first time, her blurry figure made a noticeable "movement"—she stopped, slightly raised her "head," and "looked" at the roaring torrent of shadows that seemed capable of devouring everything.
Her "silent" force field remained powerful; when the forefront of the dark torrent touched the edge of the force field, it was still "denied" and returned to nothingness.
However, Shadow Abyss's devouring power was too vast and too fundamental!
It originates from the opposite of the world, and the foundation of its "existence" is different from that of the material world.
Esmeralda's "denial" was like trying to block a tsunami with her hands. She might be able to wipe away the first wave, but the endless waves that followed instantly overwhelmed her!
The "silent" force field was forcibly squeezed, eroded, and assimilated!
The dark torrent, like a giant python with substance, suddenly swallowed and coiled around Esmeralda's white figure, then roughly dragged her into the depths of the wildly expanding rift!
Esmerald's figure struggled and twisted in the pure torrent of darkness. Her power of "denying existence" clashed violently with the power of Shadow Abyss's "devouring existence" in an unprecedented way, erupting into a silent but rule-level explosion that was enough to make legendary souls tremble!
But all these struggles seem so futile in the face of the overwhelming torrent of the shadows.
Just like a piece of ice thrown into lava, it may vaporize some of the lava instantly, but it will eventually melt and be swallowed up.
Linde hovered high in the sky, calmly observing everything.
He watched as Esmeralda's figure was dragged inch by inch into that enormous, hellish rift.
Finally, deep within that rift, he seemed to see—that familiar, boundless Sea of Shadows.
The dark torrent swept Esmeralda away, eventually engulfing her completely in the rift.
The next second, the rift, having lost its continuous energy impact, began to contract and rebound violently, as if it had exhausted its strength, and quickly shrank back, even becoming more unstable than before, but thankfully it did not completely collapse.
The Howling Abyss gradually returned to "calm," leaving only the still-existing fissures and the surrounding devastation, as if the land had been ravaged by a giant beast.
The suffocating sense of "silence" has vanished without a trace.
The Silent Saintess Esmeralda has been successfully banished to the depths of the Shadow Abyss!
Linde slowly descended, standing at the edge of the crevice, gazing into the dark depths.
It was a success.
He did not try to "destroy" her, but let Shadow Abyss himself "deal with" her.
He could sense that Esmeralda had not been instantly annihilated; she was still struggling deep within the Shadow Abyss, and her peculiar power might even trigger new and unknown changes within the Shadow Abyss.
But that's no longer relevant to him.
At least in the prime material world, this enormous threat has been temporarily eliminated.
He also "delivered" the oracle's request to the god of magic—although the method was probably completely unexpected by that god.
"...The rest is up to Yingyuan."
Lind muttered to himself, then turned and left.
Next, he needs to closely monitor any subsequent changes in Shadow Abyss and prepare for... the possible reaction of the God of Magic.
The plan is working, but the storm is far from over.
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