Chapter 1717: Reboot

Beneath the blood-red firmament.

A figure draped in black armor stepped across the rugged earth step by step.

Pitch-black ribbons fluttered in the wind. Countless specks of dust spiraled toward the sky. His body was stained with blood, his steps heavy, like a lone general returning from a slaughter on the battlefield.

Not far ahead of him, the ruins of a massive domain stood silently...

That was the Spirit Void Domain.

"Finally..."

"I'm here..."

Jian Changsheng slowly wiped the fresh blood from the corner of his mouth. Gravity flashed in the gaze he used to look at that domain.

Ever since obliterating the Calamity of Taboo with the help of the Ancient Vault of the Military Path, Jian Changsheng had pushed his speed to the limit regardless of the cost, forcefully rushing here from the extreme north...

Thus, he madly overdrew his body and killing intent, flying all the way like a roaming dragon. By the time he arrived here, his mental energy had already been exhausted. Additionally, with the descent of the Red Star, the Path of the Soldier God within his body was somewhat erratic, so he could only rely on his legs to advance arduously.

He also didn't know how things were going on Chen Ling's side.

The life-and-death struggle between the Dusk Society and the Calamity of Taboo was certainly hanging by a thread, but Chen Ling fighting the Lord of Spirit Void single-handedly was equally dangerous to the extreme.

If Chen Ling failed to defeat the Lord of Spirit Void...

No,

He was Chen Ling.

Jian Changsheng took a deep breath. He glanced at the increasingly close Red Star above his head and staggered forward to continue advancing toward the Spirit Void Domain.

Right at this moment, he seemed to have discovered something. Those eyes brimming with killing intent swept across the other side of the domain... Vaguely, several bizarre human figures flashed past.

Jian Changsheng's eyes slightly narrowed.

He tilted his head, seemingly pondering something, and then silently quickened his pace, walking through the ruins.

The instant he stepped into the Spirit Void Domain, Jian Changsheng's tense heart immediately relaxed... He didn't perceive the Lord of Spirit Void's domain protection, which meant this last Nine Monarchs was most likely already dead.

At the same time, a melodious ballad entered his ears from afar.

"'The earth and rose red are your warm bed,'"

"'The frost and snow and the setting sun are your heavy makeup';"

"'I will weave hope into dancing kapok flowers,'"

"'Until the rocks remember the fragrance of the flowers'..."

Hearing this voice, Jian Changsheng's footsteps paused slightly. His gaze looked toward the collapsed Clock Tower ruins in the distance.

Vaguely, a thespian figure could be seen standing within it. The red and black theatrical robe fluttered gently in the wind. He just calmly stood like this under the world-destroying blood-colored firmament, leisurely singing the ballad.

This wasn't the first time Jian Changsheng heard Chen Ling sing the Requiem Ballad. Every time he heard this song, Jian Changsheng's inner heart could always quickly calm down... And Chen Ling's singing style was different from the other K-series members, seemingly possessing a unique poignant charm.

Jian Changsheng didn't speak. He just quietly strode forward, walking toward the Clock Tower.

"'Oh, crying child,'"

"'Please gently close your eyes';"

"'When the dusk falls in the darkest era,'"

"'I shall promise you the morning glow and the blue sky.'"

As Chen Ling finished singing the last line.

That young general draped in armor had already stood behind the fluttering theatrical robe.

In the lonely ruins of the apocalypse, a pair of cinnabar earrings silently brushed gently. Chen Ling looked back behind him. The whining cold wind sounded like an ancient flute in the rugged ruins, buzzing.

The black-armored general took a deep breath, raising the Witch Dao Foundation fragment glowing with purple radiance with both hands...

His calm and composed voice sounded accordingly:

"Six of Spades Jian Changsheng, on behalf of all members of the Dusk Society... presents the Witch Dao Foundation to the Red King, My Lord."

"We..."

"Have not failed our mission."

The bloodstained black ribbons fluttered in the wind.

Jian Changsheng's words were light and airy, seemingly directly skipping over that life-and-death bloodbath at the Forbidden Sea. He didn't mention how they defeated the Calamity of Taboo, nor did he mention what kind of price was paid...

He only needed to let Chen Ling know that all members of the Dusk Society would not disappoint Chen Ling.

Chen Ling gazed at Jian Changsheng for a long time before asking hoarsely:

"Little Flower, Grey King, Nine of Hearts, Zhao Yi?"

"..."

Jian Changsheng didn't look up, still maintaining the posture of presenting the Witch Dao Foundation, and slowly responded: "The battlefield situation was chaotic, they... couldn't take the poison as agreed upon."

The theatrical robe figure trembled slightly.

It was unknown how much time passed.

Only then did he softly give an "En".

Jian Changsheng slightly raised his head, seeing indescribable loneliness and bitterness surfacing in Chen Ling's pupils. His gaze flowed, seemingly merging as one with the bleak cold wind full of bloody smell.

In fact, before the war started, Chen Ling had already anticipated that there might be casualties where they wouldn't have time to swallow the poison. But he never expected that the price of this battle would be so disastrous...

"Alright, you're the one who became the Red King, why are you still acting so overly sentimental."

After completing the mission on behalf of the Dusk Society members, Jian Changsheng recovered his usual speaking tone. He lightly punched Chen Ling's shoulder. "Hurry up and reverse the era, reboot the world... Our hopes are all pinned on you."

"Chen Ling, don't embarrass us 6-series members!"

Chen Ling took the Witch Dao fragment, taking a deep breath... and then slowly exhaled.

Above the blood-colored firmament, the light of that meteor became increasingly brilliant. The incandescent white gradually obscured the blood color. Rolling flames attached themselves around the meteor, seemingly enough to incinerate everything.

"I will." Chen Ling simultaneously handed a pill of poison into Jian Changsheng's hand.

Who knew Jian Changsheng directly shook his head:

"It's useless, your poison can't kill me."

"...True, you're already an Eighth-Rank [Asura], even harder to kill than a cockroach."

Chen Ling's poison could poison ordinary people, but for Jian Changsheng, who possessed the [Blood Raiment] and extremely strong vitality, it was not fatal... Chen Ling was somewhat troubled for a moment.

With his current condition, even if Jian Changsheng actively sought death, he might not be able to kill the other party in a short time.

"Wanting to kill me isn't that simple, I'll still do it myself." Jian Changsheng couldn't help but laugh.

Chen Ling nodded helplessly: "Then do it yourself."

"You start the reboot first, I'll guard you by your side for a while." Jian Changsheng's gaze leisurely swept around. "Here, it seems a few mice slipped in again."

Chen Ling's brows furrowed, and his gaze also glanced in that direction. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded.

Chen Ling turned around and stood firm in the ruins.

As he raised his fingertips, nine centipedes carrying coffins drilled out from the earth. They surrounded Chen Ling, like towering black pillars. The hideous centipede legs on both sides swayed gently, slowly opening every coffin...

Lord of Ruoshui Wen Ruoshui, Lord of the Aurora Yang Xiao, Lord of Tianshu Lu Xun, Lord of the South Sea Chu Changqing, Lord of Hanging Jade Ji Xuan, Lord of Hidden Clouds Qi Muyun, Lord of the Red Dust Su Zhiwei, Lord of Wuji Lou Yu, and... Lord of Spirit Void Wu Tongyuan.