Chapter 203: A Lone Advance

The atmosphere of the party grew unbearably heavy.

You and the Empress led the Paragons of each clan to the Chaos Void where the Divine Lord had fallen.

"Everyone, there is an invisible barrier here."

"If we break it together, we can enter inside."

The Empress guided the Paragons of each clan to launch an attack, broke through the invisible barrier, and entered the Chaos Void.

A grim scene flashed before our eyes.

The corpses of the NineDivineLords floated in Void Space, and despair spread everywhere.

"Who? Who killed the Divine Lord?!"

The Paragons of each clan could not believe this outcome.

"There is only one answer; you must already be clear about it."

The Empress said, "Except for the Ancient God, no one has the power to slay the NineDivineLords."

"Indeed! It is just as I thought!"

The Dragon Paragon wept bitterly, wailing, "Great Ancient God! Why do you treat your subjects so?"

"You created us; why then do you destroy us?"

"Do you truly see us, your subjects, as nothing but a cold tool for proving your Dao?"

Obviously, each clan had already guessed that the Qi and Blood Force of the peoples was siphoned by a mysterious power, and that everything was done by the Ancient God who created them.

Only their hearts refused to admit it.

The Ancient God who personally created them now seeks to destroy them; for sentient beings already born with seven emotions and six desires, this result is hard to accept.

"Think positively; perhaps your Ancient God had no choice."

You sighed, "Those willing to keep moving forward, follow us; those unwilling may stay behind."

Having come this far, naturally no one wishes to stay.

Your party continued onward.

After walking a while longer, dissenting voices arose within the party.

"I can't go on! I won't go!"

"It's too terrifying!"

"There's a great horror ahead! We'll all die, we'll die there!"

A Phoenix Clan Paragon suddenly halted, as if maddened, refusing to move forward any longer.

"I won't go either."

A Moon Clan Paragon also chose to give up.

Their terror ignited the atmosphere, causing one Paragon after another to pause, unwilling to advance.

Their faces were filled with terror, their bodies trembling incessantly.

Your heart was likewise full of panic, your body instinctively resisting, as if something strange lingered ahead, coiling within you.

Even Lian Yi, a man who feared neither heaven nor death, chose silence.

You asked, "Empress, have you sensed anything?"

"Hmm."

The Empress nodded, "I don't know if it's the aura emitted by the Ancient God, but there must be a terrifying thing ahead, affecting this space."

"If we go a bit further, we should be able to see it."

"But the farther we go, the stronger the influence; they may not endure it and could become completely lost."

The truth of the matter was finally about to surface.

Yet at this moment, the Paragons' terror outweighed their curiosity; the strange aura's impact on them was too great.

You looked at the Paragons, "Each clan must select at least one to carry your Clan-Suppressing Treasure and follow us forward."

"Do not forget, staying here also leads only to death."

"Behind you stand countless clan members."

"If you step back, countless bloodline descendants will fall because of your cowardice!"

You inspired their hearts.

Those capable of becoming Paragons naturally possess strong hearts, and indeed a Paragon emerged from each clan.

You continued onward.

After covering another distance, a Qilin Tribe Paragon suddenly surged forward in a frenzy.

In an instant, the Dragon Paragon and the Phoenix Clan Paragon also charged out.

As they rushed forward, their Qi and Blood Force continuously dissipated, and after a short while they turned into withered corpses.

Even the bodies could not hold for long, turning to dust and vanishing into the Chaos.

The Clan-Suppressing Treasure they bore emitted a trembling hum, retreating deeper.

"Stop it!"

The Empress suddenly acted, NineFoxTails swelled and seized the treasure first.

But the situation remained dire.

The other Paragons, seeing the unfavorable turn and just as they tried to flee, had their life force drained, turning to dust.

Even though the Empress is a Divine Lord, unbound by any Ancient God, she still found it hard to resist such a situation.

She strained to suppress the eight treasures of the Ancient God Clan, unable to do anything else, and could not continue forward.

"The Ancient Gods have already faced the worst scenario!"

The Empress said gravely, "The only hope now is to find the Human Ancestor; He must also be there, and only He can turn everything around."

If the Ancient Gods possessed autonomous consciousness, it would be utterly impossible for them, when their subjects sacrifice their lives to save them, to choose to siphon the subjects' life force.

The Ancient Gods act thus either because they are being controlled, or because it is done unconsciously.

If it is the former, then it truly is a desperate situation.

Even if the Human Ancestor remains lucid, it is still hard to reverse everything.

"Hold on, I'll go find the Human Ancestor."

In this circumstance, only you can continue forward.

Yi, Cang, and Yu, though belonging to the Human Race, cannot resist that bizarre influence.

Only you, with the protection of CloudHeart, can barely stay lucid.

"Be extremely careful."

The Empress advises you, "If you encounter an impossible situation, then retreat; as long as you and I are alive, there is hope!"

"Alright! I will definitely return! Wait for me!"

You nod heavily and swiftly slip forward.

"Yun! Sangyu!"

"Please guide me onto the correct path."

Walking through the boundless Darkness of the Chaos Void, you gradually cease to sense the Empress's presence; it feels as if only you remain in the world.

Yet your heart becomes even more tranquil.

You are accustomed to moving forward in Darkness; you constantly explore the unknown, and the Human Race's path is forged through such Darkness.

SupremeHeaven burned out, and a blaze dispersed.

At this moment, only your tiny flame remains.

"It's merely becoming a spark again; what if it happens once more?"

"Even if it happens ten thousand more times, I will still succeed!"

"The Huo Guang that guides the Human Race will never be extinguished!"

Your heart grows ever more resolute, not knowing how long you've roamed in Darkness, not knowing how many times you've lost your way.

Stumbling along, your vision becomes increasingly blurred.

Amid the blur, a spark ignites in the Darkness.

The faint spark is insignificant to the Boundless Chaos, yet it can guide you all the way to the end.