Chapter 795
Ren Xue
In the vast, desolate desert, the figures of Soul Masters lay scattered about. Some were already lifeless, their bodies dissipating into specks of light; others were severely injured and unconscious, their breaths faint; still others were barely able to support themselves, lacking even the strength to lift a hand. The decisive battle just now, from the Void Origin summoning reinforcements, to the tidal wave of countless Void creatures attacking, to the shattering of the double seals and the descent of Qian Renxue's will, lasted only half an hour, yet it had caused this Soul Master alliance, which had gathered elites from all over the continent, to suffer more than half its losses.
The titled Douluo who burned all his life force and soul power, turning into golden light and merging into the energy torrent, has vanished without a trace, leaving only a soul bone with a faint glow, lying quietly on the sand. It is the crystallization of his life's cultivation and the final witness to his protection of the world. The young soul master who had just broken through to Soul Douluo and perished together with the Void Cheetah did not even leave a last word, leaving only a broken soul tool to tell of his final perseverance. There are also countless young soul masters and veteran Douluo, who were either devoured by the Void Poison, corroded by the power of the Void, or died from exhaustion, leaving no intact bodies behind. They were completely transformed into light in the world and merged into the land they protected with their lives.
The surviving Soul Masters either collapsed to the ground, silently weeping, or helped each other check on their comrades' injuries. There were no cheers, no jubilation, only endless silence and grief. This victory came far too heavily; it was a moment of peace bought at the cost of countless lives. They had won against the Void Source and protected the human world, but they had forever lost their comrades-in-arms and their dearest companions.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, suppressing the tears in his eyes. He carefully put the Angel's Heart into his bosom, protecting it with the Dragon Emperor's essence. Then, he circulated the remaining dragon power and divine power, his voice slightly hoarse but still steady and powerful, echoing throughout the entire battlefield: "All surviving Soul Masters, heed my command! Immediately take stock of the casualties. The seriously wounded should gather in one place, the lightly wounded should take care of each other, and all should circulate their soul power to resist the remaining void power. No one is allowed to leave the formation area without authorization."
His voice carried the majesty of the Dragon Emperor, yet also a tender empathy. The Soul Masters, who had been immersed in grief, snapped out of their daze, suppressed their pain, and began to move. Several Title Douluos who were still mobile stepped forward to maintain order. They divided the tasks clearly: some were responsible for searching the battlefield and finding any surviving Soul Masters, treating them with all their might even if they had only a trace of life left; others were responsible for clearing away the remaining Void Mist, using their own Soul Power in conjunction with the residual power of the Angel's Heart to thoroughly purify the Void Evil Force scattered on the sand; still others were responsible for collecting the belongings of the fallen Soul Masters, organizing their Soul Bones, Soul Tools, and Martial Soul Tokens, preparing to return them to their families or sects in the future, so that the heroes could rest in peace.
Leaning on his battle axe, Zhao Feng walked step by step to the golden array. He looked up at the intricately patterned, golden sealing array. At its core, he could faintly sense a weak yet violent aura—the completely imprisoned Void Origin. The Void Origin, now devoid of its previous arrogance, was reduced to a feeble, lifeless fluctuation. It was triple-bound by Qian Renxue's Angel Seal, Lin Mo's Dragon Emperor Seal, and the soul power seals of the other soul masters, firmly locked within the array's core, unable to stir up even the slightest disturbance, let alone summon reinforcements from the Void Space.
"How long can this formation hold?" Zhao Feng asked in a deep voice, his tone full of worry. He knew all too well the strangeness and tenacity of the power of nothingness. Even though it was sealed now, no one could guarantee that it wouldn't break free again. After all, its previous counterattacks had already shown everyone how terrifying it was.
Lin Mo walked to the array and gently touched its surface with his fingertips. A gentle yet resilient power flowed through his fingertips. He closed his eyes and communicated with the array and the Angel Heart in his arms with his mind. After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a hint of solemnity and certainty: "With Lady Qian Renxue's Angelic Origin guarding it, coupled with my Dragon Emperor Origin continuously suppressing it, and the three seals mutually restraining each other, the Void Origin will absolutely not be able to break through the seal in the short term. At the shortest, a thousand years; at the longest, ten thousand years. As long as the seal is not destroyed by external forces, the power of the Void will never be able to leak out, and the human world will remain peaceful and safe."
Lin Mo paused, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield once more, his voice deepening: "But the hidden dangers still exist. The Void Space is far more than what we are facing. What the Void Origin just summoned were merely low-level creatures from the edge of the Void Space. If a stronger Void Ruler were to notice the commotion here in the future, or if someone with ulterior motives were to attempt to break the seal and release the Void Origin, the consequences would still be unimaginable. This battle is not the end, but merely the beginning of our path of protection."
Zhao Feng nodded, understanding Lin Mo's meaning. Peace is never eternal, especially on this perilous Douluo Continent, where unknown threats always lurk in the shadows. They had won this battle, but they could not afford to relax in the slightest. They must quickly regroup, strengthen their defenses, and pass on their belief in protection, ensuring that future generations of Soul Masters would forever remember this sacrifice and their responsibility to protect the world.
For the next three days, the center of the Void Desert became a temporary medical and rest camp. Lin Mo almost exhausted his Dragon Emperor essence, circulating his divine and dragon powers day and night to heal the severely injured Soul Masters. His figure moved throughout the camp, from Title Douluo to young Soul Venerables and Soul Kings; as long as they had a breath left, he never gave up. The Angel Heart in his arms seemed to possess a spirit; whenever Lin Mo's power was exhausted, it would emit a faint golden halo, replenishing his strength and amplifying the healing effect. Many severely injured Soul Masters on the verge of death gradually escaped danger under the nourishment of this power.
Zhao Feng was responsible for the camp's defense and order. He led a group of lightly wounded but still capable Soul Masters to set up layers of defenses around the formation, both to guard against any remaining Void remnants in the desert and to prevent any unknown forces from approaching the sealed area. At the same time, he sent people back to Douluo Continent overnight to deliver the good news to the major sects and empires that the Void Origin had been sealed, and to request that the major powers send reinforcements and medical Soul Masters to support the wounded allied forces.
Over the course of three days, more and more Soul Masters awoke from their wounds, while a few critically injured ones ultimately succumbed and closed their eyes forever. Each time they bid farewell to their fallen comrades, a low whimper echoed through the camp. Lin Mo and Zhao Feng always stood at the forefront, bowing deeply to the departed spirits. They knew that these Soul Masters had exchanged their lives for peace, and their names deserved to be remembered by the entire continent.
On the morning of the fourth day, as the sky began to lighten, the sound of soul tools cutting through the air finally echoed from the edge of the distant desert. A large number of reinforcements and medical soul masters arrived, led by the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, the remaining holy-rank soul masters of the Spirit Hall, and the royal soul master legions of the two great empires. (End of this chapter)