Chapter 85: The Cry of the Star Core, the Sacrifice of Thorns, and the Countdown to Annihilation

At the core of the stardust vortex, the milky-white light of order was thick as a liquid river of radiance. Lin Mo wielded the star-sea formed from thorn roots, squeezing the propulsion pack to its absolute limit, becoming a comet of interwoven four-colored light as he slammed headlong into the several pulsing main roots, like veins of the abyss! The tip of the "Earth Vein Arbiter" burned with the blue of the Order Anchor, the ochre of Thorn Will, the dark violet of Corruption Mark, and the newly absorbed white of stardust— Ningjuchengyidianhuimieyushouhubingcundehundunfengmang ！

The corruption claw’s will emitted a silent shriek! A rain of purple-black needles and several concentrated beams of decayed death-light instantly drowned Lin Mo’s figure!

BOOM—!!!

An indescribable terror of colliding energy exploded at the vortex’s core! Blinding light swallowed everything whole! The milky stardust was torn, annihilated, and corrupted by violent forces! A shockwave erupted in a ring, violently repelling the swirling stardust currents around it, carving out a brief, absolute vacuum!

Lin Mo felt as if he had crashed into a wall made of ten million poisoned steel needles! The thorn-root domain was instantly shredded into a sieve by death-beams and needles! The propulsion pack let out a cry of overload and disintegrated in the blast! The thorn-steel armor shattered like paper, revealing the skin beneath, charred black by energy burns! Agony surged through him like a tsunami—every fiber of flesh and bone screamed in torment!

Yet his sword did not stop! That chaotic force, forcibly guided and fused by him, erupted with unimaginable resilience at the brink of death! The point of chaotic brilliance on the blade’s tip, like a red-hot drill, drove deep into the thickest of the corruption claw’s main roots!

SSSHHH—!!!

Like a searing iron plunged into rotting flesh! A piercing melting sound mixed with the wild spurting of purple-black pus! The root’s tough outer hide was ripped open, exposing its core—highly condensed essence of decay!

“Now!” Lin Mo roared inwardly, pouring every last ounce of strength, along with his soul’s unwavering devotion to his homeland, into the blade’s tip! The blue of the Order Anchor resonated with the remaining order-power of the stardust vortex, forming the sharpest purifying blade, slashing violently into the exposed decay essence!

ROAR—!!!

From the depths of the void, the corruption claw let out a soul-rending scream of agony! The struck main root convulsed violently, withered, and its purple-black glow rapidly dimmed! The rate of contamination across the entire stardust vortex slowed to a halt!

But the corruption claw’s counterattack came instantly! The other untouched main roots writhed wildly, surging even fiercer decay energy through their tendrils to repair the damage! New tentacles emerged from the shadows of the wreckage, driven by suicidal madness, lashing violently at Lin Mo’s shattered body!

“Boss!” Wrench’s desperate cry came through—he manipulated the probe box, firing the last of its energy as weak interference beams toward the tentacles, but it was like a fly trying to stop a tree!

At this critical moment—

ZZZZ—!!!

A deep, vast, infinitely sorrowful and protective energy surge erupted from deep within the wreckage of Ark Seven! The wave was so powerful it instantly drowned out the corruption claw’s roar and the thunder of energy! The thick layer of stardust crystals coating the wreckage cracked and fell away, revealing the metal structure beneath—cracked but still glowing faintly with a pale blue light. A massive, fractured, ethereal blue geometric phantom, formed of pure energy, flashed briefly above the wreckage!

The Sanctuary’s core! The lingering will of Ark Seven!

This surge was not an attack—it became a concentrated beam of ethereal blue light, carrying final resolve, like a guide across time and space, instantly sinking into Lin Mo’s body! The beam brought no energy, only a clear stream of information, like a dying man’s last testament:

【...Core...Melting...Irreversible...】

【...Stardust...Pure...Coordinates...】

【...Key...Protect...】

【...Detonate...Core...Purify...】

【...Thorns...I entrust you...】

Within the message, a precise coordinate was seared into Lin Mo’s consciousness—the deepest point of the stardust vortex, where a pure, undamaged, highly condensed stardust crystal lay. Simultaneously, a crystal-clear command on how to channel the wreckage’s final energy into a self-destructive detonation was imprinted upon him!

The lingering will of Ark Seven, at its final moment, chose to sacrifice itself—to show Lin Mo a path to survival and create the chance to purify the corruption claw!

No time to hesitate!

Using the brief clarity and strength granted by the ethereal blue beam, Lin Mo hurled the “Earth Vein Arbiter” from his hand! The battle-blade became a streak of dark gold light, striking precisely at the coordinate marked in the message—the fist-sized stardust crystal, floating amid chaotic energy, radiating pure milky-white brilliance!

At the same time, enduring soul-rending agony, he channeled the self-destruct command from Ark’s will, fused with his last reserves of spiritual force, and slammed it deep into the wreckage through their faint, shared resonance!

“In the name of the Thorn—Purify!”

ZZZZ—!!!

The wreckage of Ark Seven shuddered violently! Its core erupted in an unprecedented burst of ethereal blue light! The corruption roots clinging to its surface writhed, withered, and snapped like insects dropped into boiling oil! Inside the wreckage, an uncontrolled, destructive energy storm was forcibly ignited!

The corruption claw’s will roared in shock and fury, trying to sever its connection to the main roots and withdraw its power!

But it was too late!

BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!!!

An energy storm a thousand million times more terrifying than any before erupted from the wreckage of Ark Seven! The ethereal blue light instantly consumed every corruption root entwined around it, swallowed vast swathes of contaminated stardust, and even engulfed the tentacles chasing Lin Mo! The wave of annihilation, like the storm of the universe’s birth, swept through the entire stardust vortex!

Lin Mo was flung violently by the explosion mere feet away! His consciousness plunged into darkness—he felt his body torn and spun like a ragdoll in the chaotic energy currents. His last perception: the “Earth Vein Arbiter” piercing the pure stardust crystal, and Wrench’s heart-rending scream, drowned beneath the roar of the blast...

Far away, in the observation station.

The massive circular screen before the Doctor was instantly blotted out by blinding white light! The light point representing Ark Seven’s wreckage vanished entirely! The energy readings of the corruption claw’s roots plummeted off a cliff! Lin Mo’s life signs curve spiked wildly, then plunged into the critical red zone!

【WARNING: Ark Seven wreckage (core section) signal lost... Confirmed destruction!】

【Corruption Claw (Annihilation Unit) secondary root network damage rate: 87.3%... Energy extraction interrupted!】

【Target individual (Lin Mo) life signs: Critical... Energy signature: Chaotic... Continuously declining...】

【Detected high-purity pure stardust energy signature... Exiting battlefield...】

【Annihilation Seed activation status: Energy charge complete (100%)... Target carrier near death... Activation condition critical...】

The Doctor’s finger, hovering above the ethereal blue button, finally settled firmly upon the 【Force Detonate “Annihilation Seed”】 command! A cold, emotionless electronic voice echoed:

【Final Annihilation Protocol... Activated...】