As the roar of the Lord of the End was shredded into pieces by the silver cocoon of light, drops of golden blood seeped from Long Wu's dragon scales.
He knelt on one knee amidst the stardust, gazing up at the monster enveloped in the power of spacetime, his Adam's apple bobbing as he said, "Boss, that dark-skinned old guy said he'd take this thing away... can we really believe him?"
"Whether you believe it or not is not important." The star on Lin Yi's fingertip resonated with the spacetime emblem on his wrist, and a pale purple light flowed down his veins toward his eyes. "What's important is that we have to take control of the situation within twelve hours."
Suddenly, the star map on the dome exploded with a ripple of deep blue light. Chu Yao's projection rose from Lin Yi's wristwatch, her hair gleaming with the silver light unique to data streams: "The residual energy fluctuations of the shadow have been analyzed." She traced the void with her fingertips, bringing up three semi-transparent data panels. "His quantum characteristics are of the same origin as the initial code of 'Infinity,' meeting the criteria for a 'spacetime arbiter' of a higher civilization—such beings are bound by the 'Convention on the Survival of Civilization' and will not interfere with the progress of a lower civilization without reason."
The white-bearded man wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the Tang sword at his waist hummed as it opened its sheath three inches: "Young friend, do you mean... this great master isn't here to rob, but to collect stolen goods?"
“To be more precise, the Lord of the End belongs to the category of ‘illegal creations’ that have been sealed away by advanced civilizations.” Aizen stood in the shadows at some point, a ball of ghostly fire held between his fingertips. “Just like humans confiscate dangerous goods, they want to take this thing back to the Origin Realm for destruction. But the problem is—” He looked up at Lin Yi, “If we refuse, with the Shadow’s strength, they can forcibly take it away in twelve hours.”
Long Wu suddenly stood up, his dragon scales surging into ferocious dragon patterns on his back: "What's the point of talking nonsense! Let's just fight him—"
"Sit down." Lin Yi patted Long Wu's shoulder with a backhand, using a third of his spacetime power to shove the spoiled brat back to the ground. "So what if we win? The seal on the Lord of the End won't last more than twelve hours. By then, it will be free, and we won't even have a chance to collect the corpses from Earth." He turned to look at the floating projection of Chu Yao. "You said the arbitrators are bound by the convention, so can't they be bound to help us?"
Chu Yao's pupils flashed with data streams: "According to Article 7.3 of the Convention, arbitrators may intervene to a limited extent in cases of 'third-party forces that threaten the survival of civilization.'" Her voice suddenly took on a sharp, mechanical quality, "Night Owl's interdimensional legion, Xuan Mingzi's 'Ragnarok' plan... all fit the definition of 'third-party threat.'"
"So our bargaining chip is—" Lin Yi rubbed his thumb against the blood-red spacetime emblem on his palm, "using the Lord of the End's power to deal with Night Owl and Xuanmingzi in exchange for the Arbitrator's suppression of Night Owl and Xuanmingzi."
Before the words were finished, the void suddenly rippled like water.
A dark figure stepped out, the star map on his black robe clearer than before: "A fine scheme." His voice was like the sound of metal scraping together. "You want me to deal with those two clowns, in exchange for allowing me to take the Lord of the End."
“Not only that.” Lin Yi took a half step forward, the air between them distorting into a spiral due to the power of spacetime. “I want you to seal off all the connecting nodes between the other dimension and reality within the next seventy-two hours.” His eyes gleamed with a light that seemed to reverse the Milky Way. “Including Xuan Mingzi’s hidden trump card in the ‘Forgotten City’.”
The shadowy figure fell silent.
The dome star map suddenly began to rotate counterclockwise, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the surface of the Lord of the End's cocoon—clearly, this great god was weighing his options.
"Are you afraid we'll use the power of the Lord of the End?" Lin Yi suddenly laughed. "But you're more afraid it will fall into the hands of Night Owl. After all, according to the convention, if an 'illegal creation goes out of control' in the Civilization Trial Grounds, the arbitrators will also be held responsible."
The shadowy figure's gaze finally wavered.
He stretched out his hand, and a rhombus-shaped light seal appeared in his palm, engraved with ancient runes that Lin Yi had never seen before: "Deal. But I will only be responsible for suppression, not for participating in your 'exploration'."
"That's enough." Lin Yi reached out and touched the light imprint, and the power of spacetime instantly resonated with the runes. "Chu Yao, locate the coordinates of Night Owl."
"Locked." The AI assistant's projection suddenly split into three, projecting Night Owl's interdimensional warship, the location of Xuanmingzi's remnant soul, and the independent spacetime where Dark Blade was trapped. "Night Owl is reorganizing his legion, Xuanmingzi's remnant soul is trying to merge with your star particles, and Dark Blade... he is devouring his own spacetime!"
"Long Wu, take Elder Bai to the interdimensional warship." Lin Yi tore off the spacetime necklace from his neck and threw it to Long Wu. "This thing can temporarily block the Arbitrator's rules. Use dragon flames to burn through his main engine."
"Alright!" Long Wu caught the necklace, and dragon scales instantly covered his entire body. The white-bearded Tang sword was already unsheathed, and the two of them transformed into golden and red streaks of light that broke through the dome.
"Aizen, I'm entrusting the Dark Blade's spacetime to you." Lin Yi tossed over a seed of ghostly fire. "Use your sealing technique to seal him and spacetime together—remember to leave him alive, I still have questions to ask."
Aizen smiled as he caught the seed, and a blue lotus bloomed from the ghostly flames in his palm: "Just what I wanted." He turned and walked into the shadows, his figure blending into the darkness.
"As for Xuanmingzi..." Lin Yi looked up at the stars in the sky, and the spacetime emblem in his eyes began to rotate. "Chu Yao, connect to my origin."
"Synchronizing." Chu Yao's projection transformed into a data stream that flowed into Lin Yi's brow, and his pupils instantly turned pure purple. "Shadow, it's your turn."
The shadowy figure raised its hand, and a silver chain emerged from the void, precisely binding the translucent remnant soul of Xuanmingzi.
The remnant soul was clearly caught off guard by being suddenly subdued, and the smile on its face froze into a crack: "Young friend... what are you doing?"
"You bet that I would need your power." Lin Yi crushed the star in his palm, and purple light rain fell through his fingers. "But now, what I need is for you to stop betting." He flicked his finger, and the star fragment wrapped in the power of time and space pierced into Xuan Mingzi's remnant soul. "This is a time-space prison. When I return from the City of Oblivion... I will settle the score with you."
Xuanmingzi's remnant soul let out a sharp shriek as it was dragged into the void by the chains of the black shadow.
At the same time, Chu Yao's projection suddenly flickered: "Detected an explosion of the main engine of the interdimensional warship. Long Wu said that Bai Lao's Tang sword cut through the core energy. Dark Blade's spacetime is sealed by the Netherfire. Aizen said that guy is now more obedient than a rice dumpling."
Lin Yi let out a long breath and turned to look at the Lord of the End, who was enveloped in a silver cocoon of light.
At this moment, the cracks on the surface of the cocoon of light have stopped spreading, and the power of the shadow is reinforcing the seal.
"I will come to collect it in twelve hours." The shadowy figure's voice regained its previous coldness. "Now, are you heading to the Forgotten Capital?"
Lin Yi nodded.
He could feel a gravitational pull from an unknown direction pulling at his spacetime power—a place rumored to hold mythical secrets.
"Remember," the shadowy figure began to blur, "I only keep my promises, I don't guarantee your safety."
"That's enough." Lin Yi turned to look at the remaining members of the team—Chu Yao's projection floated quietly on his shoulder, Lan Ran's ghostly flames flickered in the shadows, and Long Wu and Bai Lao's auras were returning from another dimension.
He reached out and pressed his hand against the Time Emblem on his chest, where a burning pulse was emanating from it. "Let's go."
The entrance to the Forgotten City lies within a collapsed spatial rift.
As the group passed through the last spatial barrier, they were greeted by an ancient city shrouded in gray mist.
The runes carved all over the city wall were emitting a ghostly blue glow, and every brick was trembling slightly, as if it were breathing.
"A high-level spacetime restriction has been detected." Chu Yao's voice suddenly tightened. "Energy intensity... exceeds the lower limit of mythical level by 37%."
Lin Yi narrowed his eyes.
He could sense that the entire ancient city was rejecting their presence.
The two stone beasts at the city gate suddenly opened their eyes, golden light surging from their pupils and condensing into a line of ancient characters in mid-air:
"Those who trespass will be forgotten, their paths will be lost, and they will be forever trapped in the chaotic currents of time and space."
Long Wu rubbed his hands together, the dragon scales on his palms seeming ready to spring into action: "Boss, this damn rock dares to block our way? I'll swat it—"
"Don't move." Lin Yi raised his hand and pressed down on his shoulder.
He could sense that the power contained within those golden characters was more ancient and more...merciful than the seal of the Lord of the End.
“This isn’t a threat,” he said softly, his gaze sweeping over the runes on the city wall. “It’s a warning.”
The fog suddenly surged.
The stone beast at the city gate closed its eyes, and the golden characters slowly dissipated.
But instead, a nearly tangible temporal turbulence surged from within the city gates—countless fragments of time, some reflecting ancient battlefields, some flashing future starships, and some… were Lin Yi's own face, smiling and reaching out to him in some unknown spacetime.
"Is this... a test from the Forgotten Capital?" Aizen's ghostly flames danced at his fingertips. "Or... protection?"
Lin Yi did not answer.
He took a step forward.
The turbulent currents of time and space suddenly parted, as if making way for him.
The runes on the city wall began to rotate counterclockwise, emitting a clear, melodious chime.
The crowd stood at the city gate, gazing at the swirling mists of time and space within.
Chu Yao's projection twisted into fragments in the mist, then reformed: "Detected... Mythical-level inheritance fluctuations."
Long Wu swallowed hard: "Boss, can we get through this door?"
Lin Yi gazed at the shimmering fragments of spacetime inside the door, a smile playing on his lips.
His spacetime emblem was glowing hot, a sign of the primal power rejoicing.
“We can get in,” he said. “And we must get in.”
Before he could finish speaking, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from inside the city gate.
That was the sound of spacetime turbulence colliding with restrictions, the echo of countless years, and the sigh of an ancient being awakened.
The group stood at the gates of the Forgotten City, feeling the powerful restrictive force surging from within, a force capable of tearing space apart.
This power was like an invisible hand, pressing on everyone's chest and whispering in their ears:
"It's easy to get in... but hard to get out."
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