[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lord-of-all-heavens-from-a-wasteland-farm-to-a-d":3,"chapter-lord-of-all-heavens-from-a-wasteland-farm-to-a-d-lord-of-all-heavens-from-a-wasteland-farm-to-a-d-chapter-238":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lord of All Heavens: From a Wasteland Farm to a Divine Court of Myriad Worlds",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2344431,4582,"Chapter 238: Shadows of the Puppet and the Thorned Choice","lord-of-all-heavens-from-a-wasteland-farm-to-a-d-chapter-238",238,"\u003Cp>The icy pool water rose past her knees, yet it paled beside the bone-chilling horror of what stood before her—Ellie… no, something that had taken over Ellie’s body—standing at the boundary of shadow and waterlight, its pale face twisted into a strange, greedy smile, hollow eyes locked onto Lingna’s grasp of the “tear” fragment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those eyes, once sharp as an eagle’s and occasionally betraying clumsy care for her, now held only hollow manipulation and cold purpose. The doctor’s claws had finally reached her, in the cruelest way possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...light... give me...” “Ellie” repeated hoarsely, stepping forward, her movements stiff yet undeniably threatening. The energy dagger in her hand hummed low, its glow reflecting off the dual-hued water, eerie and ominous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna’s heart clenched as if gripped by a cold hand, so painfully she could barely breathe. It was Sister Ellie—but no longer. Anger, grief, and a flicker of uncontrollable fear twisted wildly within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave her body!” Lingna’s voice cracked with rage and tremor; she clutched the tiny fragment tightly against her chest, her other hand instinctively reaching for her waist—only to find empty uniform and a still-paralyzed right leg. She had no weapon, no strength restored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehe...” “Ellie” let out a chilling giggle, stepping forward again, half her body submerged in the pool. Her hollow eyes shifted slightly, as if assessing Lingna’s condition. “...order... retrieve the ‘key’... retrieve ‘Primordial Light’... resistance... meaningless...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Key? Me? Primordial Light? The tear fragment? Did the doctor know this existed? Had he named it? Lingna’s blood ran cold. Had the doctor’s goal never been merely to capture her—but to find and seize this purifying power?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could not let the doctor succeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna gritted her teeth, mind racing. Direct confrontation was hopeless—even with Ellie’s condition, her combat instincts and physical prowess far outstripped Lingna’s current state. She needed strategy—or to awaken Ellie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She slowly retreated, trying to create distance, while continuing to channel the twin pool’s energy into the fragment. The fragment’s glow steadied slightly, bolstered by her resolve and the pool’s power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Ellie! It’s me! Lingna!” she cried, voice thick with tears. “Wake up! Don’t let him control you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ellie\"'s movements paused for the briefest instant—a flicker of struggle in those hollow eyes, like a stone dropped into a deep pool, sending ripples—then drowned again by deeper cold. Her lips twisted further, a trickle of saliva sliding down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...noise... eliminate...” she murmured, suddenly accelerating like an arrow loosed, wading through the water toward Lingna! The energy dagger stabbed straight for Lingna’s left hand holding the fragment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So fast!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna’s pupils contracted; she instinctively stumbled backward, barely avoiding the blade—but icy water flooded her mouth and nose!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie” didn’t pause. She spun, slashing sideways—ferocious, relentless, aiming to kill. No mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna rolled and dodged desperately through the pool, barely evading lethal strikes thanks to the water’s resistance and the faint stiffness in her opponent’s movements—but slashes tore across her arm and thigh, blood instantly staining the surrounding water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This won’t last! She’ll be killed soon!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Ellie! Do you remember Hope Outpost? Do you remember the potatoes we planted together?!” Lingna shouted, dodging as she pleaded, trying to reach buried memories. “Do you remember teaching me to use a dagger? You said you’d watch me grow up!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie”’s assault faltered again—barely, but her grip on the blade trembled. In those hollow eyes, the struggle returned, even a flash of agonizing confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...shut... up...” she hissed through clenched teeth, her attack slowing involuntarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked! Though faint, Ellie’s consciousness was still fighting!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna saw hope. She stopped merely dodging—began to guide. She noticed “Ellie” showed subtle aversion to the twin pool’s energy, especially the cool, purifying force of the cyan water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She deliberately lured the fight toward the cyan side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, when “Ellie” stepped into the cyan water, her movements grew stiffer, her precision faltered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Lingna focused her spirit on the thorn mark on her left arm—a mark born of Ellie’s teaching and protection, steeped in their deep bond. She strained to activate its power, channeling the faint silver glow, mixed with desperate worry and urgent calls, like invisible tendrils reaching toward “Ellie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Ellie! Come back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps the pool’s purification, perhaps the thorn mark’s resonance, perhaps Lingna’s blood-curdling cries finally pierced through layers of control—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie” let out a piercing, agonized scream—her attack halted completely! She clutched her head, body convulsing violently, her face flickering between hollow coldness and unbearable torment!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...get... out... from my... mind... get out!” she gasped—her own voice, raw with pain and fury!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opportunity!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna’s eyes lit up—she moved to advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, “Ellie” snapped her head up—her eyes again hollow, but now burning with a fiercer, wilder crimson command-light within!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...command confirmed... highest priority... eliminate all resistance... capture target...” Her voice became utterly cold, smooth—no trace of Ellie remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The doctor had lost patience—or sensed loss of control—and activated a deeper, forced directive!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie”’s speed and power surged a full tier! Unaffected by the pool! The energy dagger, trailing afterimages, struck with crueler, deadlier angles!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna’s heart plunged to the abyss—the fleeting hope crushed mercilessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwip!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her desperate dodge, the blade slashed deep across her left arm—bone visible! Blood gushed! The “tear” fragment nearly flew from her grip!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Agony slammed into her—her vision darkened—and she collapsed into the pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie” pressed forward without mercy, dagger raised high—aimed straight at her heart. Those hollow eyes held only cold execution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this the end...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna stared helplessly at the falling blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this critical moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A searing energy beam, precise as a surgeon’s scalpel, shot from the unlit shadows of the cave ceiling—not at Lingna, not at “Ellie,” but directly at the dagger about to strike!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy dagger was knocked askew, its energy destabilizing with a crackling burst!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie” froze—her head snapped up toward the source!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna stared in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From an unremarkable rock protrusion above, a figure slowly rose. He wore a filthy, pale uniform utterly out of place, gripping a custom pulse pistol still smoking, his face... masked by a cracked helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scavenger commander with green eyes from outside the Echo Hall?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d followed them here?! And... he’d just attacked “Ellie,” controlled by the doctor? What side was he on?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Unit 734, cease attack immediately. Target ‘key’ holds maximum research value. Damage prohibited.” The commander’s voice, filtered through the helmet, remained cold and mechanical—but carried a hint of... urgency?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie” (or rather, the doctor’s control) recognized him—emitting a distorted, electronic screech of rage: “...traitor... eliminate...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She abandoned Lingna instantly, whirling toward the cave entrance, legs coiling to leap and strike the commander!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now!” the commander barked sharply at Lingna, “Use the light! Shine it on her!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though utterly confused, Lingna’s survival instinct overrode everything. Ignoring the agony, she forced her trembling left hand—still clutching the dual-hued “tear” fragment—to aim directly at “Ellie,” pouring every ounce of her restored, minuscule energy into it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fragment blazed to life! Though still weak, its pure, purifying dual-hued glow erupted like a spotlight, engulfing “Ellie” completely!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaah—!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ellie” screamed—a sound no human could make—her body convulsing violently, her skin erupting with countless fine, glowing crimson lines like burnt circuits. Especially around her eyes and temples, the red lines thickest—as if something inside her skull was being forcibly burned!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She clutched her head, howling, the dagger slipping from her grasp into the pool, curling up and writhing in agony.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked! The purifying light disrupted the doctor’s control device!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna, stunned and elated, kept the light focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander above didn’t idle—his pulse pistol fired rapid, precise bursts at the water around “Ellie,” splashing up jets, preventing escape, forcing her to remain within the light’s range.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold on! Don’t stop the energy output!” the commander urged, voice tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna gritted her teeth, blood streaming from her left arm, spirit and strength draining rapidly—the fragment’s glow flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as she was about to collapse—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crimson lines on “Ellie” reached their peak—then flashed once—and vanished entirely!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body went rigid as a severed puppet, then collapsed, sinking into the pool, motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy malice and mad commands that filled the cave vanished instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the slow flow of water and Lingna’s ragged breaths remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did we... succeed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna slumped exhausted in the pool, her left arm throbbing, too weak to lift. The fragment’s glow dimmed to near nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She watched the floating figure of Ellie—had the doctor’s control been broken?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above, the commander confirmed safety below, climbing down swiftly into the pool, striding to Ellie’s side, kneeling to examine her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How... how is she?” Lingna asked weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander didn’t answer immediately. He scanned Ellie’s neck and temples with a device, then exhaled slightly. “Control crystal overloaded and burned out. Vital signs stable. Consciousness in deep coma. Immediate further treatment required.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna let out a long breath, exhaustion and dread washing over her like a tide, threatening to drown her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a greater question rose at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned to the commander, now packing away his instruments, wary: “Who... are you? Why help us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commander paused. He rose slowly, turning to Lingna—and did something she never expected—he raised his hand and removed the cracked helmet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath it was a young, pale, yet undeniably handsome elven face—long ears, emerald eyes—the very eyes she’d glimpsed before! But now, they held complex emotion: exhaustion, struggle, pain, and a touch of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...As you see, a dying traitor.” His voice was no longer mechanical—it was a slightly hoarse, melodic male voice, distinctly elven. “Call me... ‘Raven.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An elf? You’re an elf from the Ark? You’re alive?” Lingna’s eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I was.” The elf named Raven’s face twisted with deep pain. “In that disaster, my people... most died. A few captured... were modified...” He tapped his head. “Turned into this—cleaning this tomb for him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why betray?” Raven gave a bitter smile. “Because I was tired. Because I saw things I shouldn’t have. Remembered memories I shouldn’t have.” His gaze swept the twin pool, then the fragment in Lingna’s hand, filled with reverence and sorrow. “And because... you found the last hope she left behind. I couldn’t let it be defiled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She? You mean—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Elna the Elder. The one who activated the ‘Deep Roots Protocol’ and sent the seed into the Sanctuary.” Raven’s voice brimmed with reverence and longing. “She was my mentor. And at the last moment, she fought to embed encrypted data—about the ‘truth’ and ‘hope’—into the core consciousness of a few of us, her most trusted guards... even the doctor’s brainwashing couldn’t fully erase it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truth? Hope? Lingna felt she’d touched a deeper mystery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What... is the doctor really trying to do? Why do he need me and this?” Lingna held up the fragment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raven’s face darkened. “The doctor’s goal is far more insane than you imagine. He doesn’t just want to control the Ark’s technology and energy. He seeks ‘fusion’ and ‘transcendence.’ He wants to analyze and master the power of ‘Hunger,’ even... recreate and control the so-called ‘Sorrow of the World Tree,’ merging it with Ark technology and the many world fragments he’s captured—to forge a new, ultimate lifeform and energy source, utterly under his command.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna’s scalp prickled! The doctor wanted to control that destructive force?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You and this ‘Primordial Light’ are crucial to his plan. You’re a rare ‘container’ and ‘key’ capable of balancing extreme energies. And this purifying light—according to his research—is not only the antithesis of ‘Hunger,’ but closer than anything else to the World Tree’s original essence. It’s the indispensable ‘stabilizer’ and ‘catalyst’ for his final fusion.” Raven’s gaze fixed on the fragment. “He must have it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Container? Stabilizer? Lingna felt a chill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must stop him!” Lingna said firmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. We must.” Raven nodded, his expression even graver. “But our strength is far too weak. The doctor already controls nearly all upper layers of the Ark. His armies and modified beings are countless. And...” He looked at the unconscious Ellie. “We saved her. The doctor will sense the breach. He’ll send stronger hunters. Even... come himself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bent low, carefully lifting the unconscious Ellie from the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must leave immediately. Find a safe place to plan. I know a place—Elna the Elder’s secret emergency outpost. It may still be undiscovered by the doctor.” He looked at Lingna. “Can you walk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingna struggled to her feet.\u003C\u002Fp>",2060,"2026-06-21T00:09:54.226Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","32bcbabb388a3a7f5accaa0f762e356a34be4d73828177b7f85fdd36ec984604","lord-of-all-heavens-from-a-wasteland-farm-to-a-d-chapter-239","lord-of-all-heavens-from-a-wasteland-farm-to-a-d-chapter-237",247,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flord-of-all-heavens-from-a-wasteland-farm-to-a-d-cover.jpg"]