The moment the silver lightsaber slashed into the entropic vortex, space cracked like a shattered mirror. Lin Yue's original time thread was nearly broken by the powerful energy surge. Scalding liquid starlight seeped from the cracks on the seventeen-colored gemstone's surface, condensing into tiny starbursts in the void. Lu Li's six afterimages continuously reassembled amidst the violent tremors. The golden code formed a flickering protective shield around him, barely resisting the entropic energy. The calico cat's gear collar blazed with a dazzling blue light, and the energy overflowing from the gears etched a complex array of runes on the ground.
"No! The power of the lightsaber is being devoured!" The calico cat's voice trembled with an unprecedented tremor, its pupils reflecting a dimming silver light. The tentacles extending from the vortex of entropy suddenly split, transforming into countless tiny black spikes that rained down upon the three of them. Lin Yue gritted her teeth and wove the silk threads into a shield. The moment the threads touched the spikes, a sharp, burning sound emanated, leaving purple burn marks on her arms.
Lu Li's golden code suddenly flickered violently, and six afterimages vanished simultaneously, only to re-condense above the calico cat. "Use my data as bait!" he shouted, his code transforming into a stream of golden light as it charged towards the Entropy Demon. His lightsaber seized the opportunity, unleashing another surge of force, tearing a gap in the vortex's surface. Lin Yue seized the opportunity and thrust the thread through the gap, sending the light of seventeen-colored gemstones cascading down the thread into the vortex's interior.
The Entropy Demon screamed angrily, and a twisted mechanical face emerged from the center of the vortex. "You think this will stop entropy?" The corners of the mechanical face's mouth cracked to the ears, revealing a dense network of sharp gears. "Look behind you—the universes you saved are sacrificing themselves!" Lin Yue's heart trembled. Looking back, he saw projections of multiple universes emerging in the void: the mechanical heart of the steampunk universe was beating in reverse, injecting energy into the Entropy Demon's vortex; the binary core of Cybertron began to reformat itself, transforming into a data stream that merged into the black vortex.
"No! They're being controlled!" The calico cat's geared collar spun frantically, attempting to cut off the energy flow, only to be entangled by a sudden surge of black vines. The mechanical eyeballs on the vines projected a strange image: in a parallel universe, a group of mysterious figures in black robes chanted at an altar, their scepters inlaid with purple crystal fragments. "It's the remnants of the Gatekeepers! They're manipulating these universes!"
Lin Yue's notebook's fragments suddenly ignited, the ashes forming the First Guardian's tactical totem in mid-air. Her seventeen-colored gems resonated with the totem, and the thread suddenly expanded, entangling a tentacle extended by the Entropy Demon. "Lu Li! Analyze the tentacle's energy structure! Calico Cat, locate those black-robed figures!" she shouted, simultaneously piercing the Origin Time Thread into her arm—this was her first attempt to infuse the thread with her own narrative energy.
Lu Li's golden code transformed into countless tiny probes, piercing the tentacle's surface. "We've found a weak spot! Its joints are connected to the neural circuits of the entropy core!" His voice brimmed with excitement. Six afterimages simultaneously condensed into blades of light, slashing at the tentacle's joints. The calico cat's geared collar vibrated at a high frequency, rippling the surrounding space and revealing the altar location of the black-robed figure. "In the quantum gap! But they have entropy shields!"
Lin Yue's thread suddenly burst into a dazzling light. She infused it with her own memories, emotions, and even her hopes for the future. The thread transformed into a giant silver dragon, piercing through the entropy demon's defenses and entangling the purple crystal at the center of the vortex. "Now!" she shouted, and Lu Li's light blades and the calico cat's sonic waves simultaneously unleashed. The entropy demon's tentacles snapped, and more cracks appeared on the surface of the purple crystal.
However, just as everyone thought they had succeeded, the black-robed figures at the altar collectively thrust their scepters into the ground. Countless black chains emerged from the void, entangled Lin Yue's thread, and dragged her toward the vortex. "So you're the pawns," the mechanical face let out a shrill laugh. "From the moment you entered Universe Seven, everything has been a play of entropy!"
Lin Yue's seventeen-colored gems suddenly resonated with the core of the furnace, and she saw the Anti-Entropy Core's true form—a crystal heart woven from the narratives of countless civilizations. A memory of the silver-armored warrior flashed through her mind: the original Guardians had sealed the Entropy Demon here not to imprison it, but to transform it using the Anti-Entropy Core. "We've... been wrong all along," she muttered, suddenly throwing the thread toward the Anti-Entropy Core.
The moment the thread touched the core, the entire furnace began to rotate in reverse. The anti-entropy core emanated a soft glow, slowly purifying the entropic energy within the black vortex. The black-robed figures' altars began to crumble, and they watched in horror as their bodies gradually became transparent. The Entropy Demon's mechanical face twisted and distorted, and he let out a final roar: "Impossible! This violates the law of increasing entropy in the universe!"
Lin Yue's body became transparent in the light, her original time thread completely merging with the anti-entropy core. "Perhaps true anti-entropy isn't about confrontation, but about inclusion," her voice echoed throughout the space. Lu Li and the calico cat watched in amazement as Lin Yue's body transformed into tiny specks of starlight. Seventeen-colored gems floated above the anti-entropy core, emitting a warm glow.
The inky black vortex of the Entropy Demon dissipated like smoke, and the light emanating from the Anti-Entropy Core was like a brilliant sun, illuminating the entire Seventh Universe. As if enchanted, the tainted sealing chains regained their dazzling luster. The energy conduit in the core of the furnace, like a galloping dragon, began to steadily output pure narrative energy. Lu Li and the calico cat stood still within the light, like two statues. Their gazes pierced the void, gazing at the saved universes, watching them rise to life like phoenixes from the ashes. However, they knew this was only the beginning—in some dark corner of the universe, the conspiracy of entropy might be lurking like a dormant venomous snake, quietly surging from the shadows.
"We'll wait for you to come back, Lin Yue." Lu Li's voice was as light as a falling feather, yet it stirred ripples in the air. His gaze fixed on the receding figure, as if he wanted to engrave every detail of her in his heart.
In his palm, the golden code danced and spun joyfully like a group of spirits, eventually converging into a tiny star. This star emitted a faint but resolute light, just like Lin Yue's bright and warm smile.
The calico cat sat quietly by the side, its gear collar glowing brightly at this moment, as if awakened by some power. It lightly leaped onto Lu Li's shoulder and watched with its emerald green eyes as the anti-entropy core slowly sank into the depths of the furnace.
The light within the furnace surged like surging waves, constantly rolling and surging. Yet, deep within this dazzling light, a faint thread of time trembled gently like a spider's thread in the wind. This thread of time seemed to echo Lu Li and the calico cat's vows, as if telling them that no matter how time passed, Lin Yue would return.
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