Chapter 103: Origin Ancient Artifact, The Eternal Balance

The space before his eyes first shattered completely, then stitched itself back together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Ye Lin’s figure flashed through the void and appeared in the slum he was familiar with.

Before him were dilapidated, low-slung houses, their walls covered in withered vines and moss.

The air was filled with an indescribable scent; everything here was even more dilapidated and desolate than in his memories.

Although he had temporarily shaken off everyone, Ye Lin knew he did not have much time.

Whether it was Tan Qingjiang, Wang Lichuan, or Zhuge Qianxing, once they suddenly discovered someone was missing, they would certainly start searching.

He followed the guidance of the Apocalypse Ancient Key in his gut and moved forward.

After wandering around the slum for about five minutes, Ye Lin stopped in front of a low, single-story house.

This was the destination the Apocalypse Ancient Key had pointed to; Ye Lin stood rooted to the spot, a chill rising from his tailbone straight to the top of his head!

Because this low, single-story house was his home in the Qingcheng slum!

He had lived here for over a dozen years; he absolutely could not be mistaken.

Ye Lin’s Adam’s apple couldn't help but bob up and down, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of horror. Was it a coincidence? Why would the Apocalypse Ancient Key lead him to his home in the ruins version of Qingcheng?

Taking a deep breath to calm his emotions, Ye Lin walked forward and pushed open the door.

The interior of the room was dim and cold, as if time had stopped here; the air was filled with an indescribable sense of age and decay.

As soon as the door opened, Ye Lin’s gaze froze in the corner of the room; there, a massive ball of flesh had actually appeared!

This ball of flesh was over a person’s height, its surface uneven as if stitched together from countless small pieces of meat, colored a sickly purplish-red and emitting a nauseating, fishy stench.

Countless tiny tentacles extended from the surface of the flesh ball, sticking it to the walls of the house.

Thump!

Thump!

Thump!

After Ye Lin opened the door, this flesh ball began to beat like a heart—thump, thump, thump.

This eerie scene made Ye Lin’s scalp tingle. What kind of monster was this?

They had searched the ruins version of Qingcheng for so long without finding a single living thing; could it be because of this monster?

Just as Ye Lin was filled with doubt and uncertainty, that monster-like flesh ball actually spoke!

"Ye Lin..."

"You have finally come, Ye Lin..."

This voice seemed to ring out directly from the bottom of Ye Lin’s heart, and an indescribable, grotesque horror filled his mind. This monster knew his name! And it even knew he would appear?

"Who are you?" Ye Lin quickly suppressed his emotions and asked in return.

"I am the guardian of the Origin Ancient Artifact... I have waited for you for many, many years..."

Ye Lin’s pupils shrank violently. The guardian of the Origin Ancient Artifact?

Behind the Gate of Apocalypse, was there truly an eighth Origin Ancient Artifact?

Suddenly, that large mass of flesh began to writhe violently, as if something were about to break out of its shell.

Immediately after, a dazzling light erupted from the flesh ball, illuminating the entire room.

When the light gradually dissipated, an ancient object appeared before Ye Lin’s eyes.

The object looked like a pair of scales, its luster ancient and profound, with complex patterns carved into its surface.

The appearance of these scales caused the air in the entire room to freeze. On the two ends of the scales, one side held a suspended, brilliant golden gemstone, while the other held a mass of pitch-black mist; the two seemed to represent light and darkness, eternally confronting each other.

Ye Lin’s heart began to pound wildly; he could clearly feel that this pair of scales before him contained a power capable of driving all class-changers mad.

"Since you have come, the Eternal Balance should return to its rightful owner."

After spitting out these scales, the aura of the flesh ball was significantly weaker.

"This Origin Ancient Artifact belongs to me?" Ye Lin was shocked. "Am I that awesome?"

"......"

The flesh ball was silent for a moment before its voice continued.

"It... once belonged to you. Otherwise, how do you think your Undying Body came to be?"

Ye Lin’s heart skipped a beat, and his pupils shrank. This mass of flesh actually knew he had an Undying Body? This was his greatest secret!

"Only an Origin Ancient Artifact could create such an ability that completely defies common sense."

The flesh mass writhed, and the scales flew toward Ye Lin, hovering quietly in front of him.

As the Eternal Balance drew near, a sense of familiarity carved deep into his soul swept through Ye Lin’s entire body.

It was as if, a long, long time ago, these scales had always been by his side, having become a part of his body, fused with his flesh and blood!

He carefully reached out his hand, wanting to touch this legendary Origin Ancient Artifact. Just as his fingertips were about to touch the scales, brilliant starlight suddenly lit up behind Ye Lin!

The brilliant starlight erupted instantly, like a galaxy pouring downward. Ye Lin only felt a powerful suction force, and his arm actually began to disappear under that starlight, turning into nothingness.

Fear and astonishment intertwined in Ye Lin’s heart; he retreated repeatedly, only then escaping the range of that starlight. However, his right arm had already been severed at the root and had completely disappeared.

If he had retreated any slower, he feared his entire person would have been annihilated under that starlight.

A figure stepped slowly out of the starlight; it was a refined middle-aged man wearing a trench coat, but his face was currently filled with coldness, and the starlight in his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses was brilliant. It was none other than Zhuge Qianxing.

This was the first time Ye Lin had seen Zhuge Qianxing make a move, and its terrifying degree was simply chilling.

With a thought, his missing right arm regenerated. Ye Lin gripped his Crimson Flame Staff and looked at Zhuge Qianxing with a complex expression.

Although he had long guessed that there would be a day when the two would meet as enemies, now that it had truly arrived, it still made Ye Lin feel somewhat distressed.

After repelling Ye Lin with one strike, Zhuge Qianxing ignored him and instead raised his hand to grab the scales.

"Those who seize the Origin Ancient Artifact shall die!"

The flesh ball writhed violently, and a gust of gloomy wind blew past, carrying a bone-chilling cold. Black figures were seen slowly emerging from the ruins.

These figures were tall and twisted, emitting a thick, murderous aura that made one shudder. Their eyes flashed with crimson light, like beast after beast ready to choose someone to devour.

After these black shadows appeared, they ignored Ye Lin, who was closer to them, and charged toward Zhuge Qianxing.

"Starlight Extinction."

Zhuge Qianxing raised his hand gently, his movements elegant and composed. Brilliant starlight lit up bit by bit, gathering into a terrifying torrent that swept toward those black shadows.

Wherever the starlight passed, the black shadows dissipated one after another, as if completely turned into nothingness, leaving not even a trace behind.

Any one of these black shadows, if plucked out, could likely rival a class-changer above level 50, yet under this starlight, they were as fragile as paper.

The flesh mass trembled even more violently and screamed in alarm.

"Ye Lin, take the Eternal Balance and run! I cannot stop him! As an Origin Ancient Artifact, the Eternal Balance possesses the power of equivalent exchange. This man wants to use the Eternal Balance to swap your Undying Body onto himself!"