Chapter 43: Reincarnation

"Sacrifice yourself to save the world? Bah, what era is this, still playing that old‑fashioned script?" Lin Yuehua's voice trembled as she looked at Zhang Jun and Lin Xue, her heart aching fiercely.

Zhang Jun twitched the corner of his mouth, smiling an ugly grin: "What sin have I committed, that the damn heavens look so unfavorably on me?"

Lin Xue clutched his hand tightly, as if lending him strength: "Don't be scared, anyway it's not just you bearing the load."

The base suddenly erupted in chaos, the alarm shrieking so sharply it seemed to pierce people's hearts.

The central screen flashed on with a swish, a blinding red that turned everyone's faces a ghastly pallor.

Above the city, the terrifying purple vortex reappeared, like a death‑summoning talisman.

Zhang Tiangang's face was so black it seemed to ooze ink, his voice deep as if rising from the earth: "They're here."

Zhang Jun took a deep breath, the previously flippant aura vanishing instantly: "Fine, this dirty, exhausting business of saving the world still requires the two of us to step in personally."

Lin Xue laughed too, but her smile carried a fierce edge: "Do it, who's afraid? At worst, in eighteen years we'll be heroes again!"

Zhang Jun subconsciously brushed the jade pendant in his hand, then glanced at the jade pendant hanging on Lin Xue's neck. An indescribable feeling rose in his chest, familiar enough to make his heart race.

It felt as if… they had known each other long, long ago.

"I tell you, the first time I saw you I thought you were no ordinary girl; it's like an 'old acquaintance' reunion for us, right?" Zhang Jun tried to ease the stifling atmosphere with a joke.

Lin Xue ignored his banter, turned to ask Zhang Tiangang: "So, does this mean… we are the reincarnation of ancient deities?"

Zhang Tiangang shook his head: "It's not reincarnation; bloodlines are far more wondrous. The Yin‑Yang bloodline and Ice Soul bloodline you carry are the last line of defense left by those ancient 'immortals'…"

"So back then you and Lin Zhen had to match our families, just for today's showdown?" Lin Yuehua stared at Zhang Tiangang, as if trying to see through him.

Zhang Tiangang did not deny it, his tone eerily calm: "The moment we discovered the ancient cave, we knew this day would come sooner or later. Those Heavenly Outsiders have never been benevolent; every few thousand years, like an alarm clock, they arrive on schedule to 'harvest'."

The alarm grew more frantic, as if it would shatter people's eardrums.

On the central control screen, countless red dots flickered wildly, indicating the base's security doors were under heavy assault and could be breached at any moment.

"They've found this place!" Zhang Tiangang's voice strained like a string about to snap, his fingers flying over the console as he pulled up the surveillance feed.

On the screen, Zhao Wushuang led a horde of humanoid monsters radiating purple light, charging ferociously toward the main control room.

Elsewhere, Long Tianba appeared, his whole body puffed up as if inflated, a ring larger than before, with violet‑black energy swirling around him, suffocating the air.

"This… how is this possible?! Weren't they already…" Lin Xue's voice cracked.

"The Heavenly Outsiders can copy a person's consciousness; as long as they find a suitable 'vessel', they can… 'borrow a corpse to resurrect'." Lin Yuehua yanked her daughter away, her voice icy, "No more talk, get ready to fight!"

"Wait, Dad, I have one last question."

"Do you remember how you took me down last time?"

"This time, I'll make you… pay double!" Zhao Wushuang snarled, charging forward first, his already pallid skin now a sickly blue‑purple.

"Boom—" the base's main gate exploded open, shards of stone scattering like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

Lin Yuehua said no more, shielding Lin Xue as they retreated backward.

A wave of cold instantly spread, as if freezing the entire room into a massive ice lump.

"Xue'er, with me!"

The two stood back‑to‑back, their Ice Soul power weaving into an airtight net that surged toward Zhao Wushuang.

Long Tianba followed closely, breaking through the gate, his aim fixed on Zhang Tiangang and Zhang Jun.

"Father and son, perfect timing to send them off." He roared, violet light swelling over his fists, exuding a suffocating pressure as he lunged at the two.

Zhang Tiangang shoved Zhang Jun backward: "Watch out, he's far stronger than before!"

Zhang Jun advanced instead of retreating, black and gold glints flashing in his eyes, Yin‑Yang power rapidly gathering in his palm.

"Come at me, who's afraid?"

The father and son struck left and right simultaneously, Yin‑Yang power surging like the tide of Qiantang River.

Zhang Tiangang's moves were seasoned and steady, each strike aimed at vital points.

Zhang Jun's attacks were wilder and more unrestrained, bold and expansive, brimming with youthful vigor.

Long Tianba was initially forced back step by step by their pressure, but he quickly regained his footing and launched a furious counterattack.

The entire base instantly became a battlefield, the roar of colliding energy, explosions, and roars intertwining into a terrifying cacophony.

Zhao Wushuang's attacks grew ever harsher, like a stubborn dog‑skin plaster that wouldn't come off.

Though Lin Xue and Lin Yuehua coordinated flawlessly and their Ice Soul power was immense, they couldn't hold against the overwhelming numbers of the enemy and gradually felt outmatched.

"Mom, I can't hold on!" Lin Xue muttered, a solid blow to her back, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Lin Yuehua's heart ached terribly; disregarding her own safety, she risked her life to protect her daughter.

Zhao Wushuang seized the moment, delivering a crushing blow to Lin Yuehua's shoulder.

"Mom!" Lin Xue let out a gut‑wrenching roar, instantly forming a crystal‑clear ice blade in her hand, striking like lightning at Zhao Wushuang.

That thrust gathered all her power, the Ice Soul power reaching an unprecedented intensity.

Zhang Jun was also blasted by a heavy punch from Long Tianba, his body soaring like a kite with its string cut, hurtling toward Lin Xue.

In that split‑second flash, the Yin‑Yang sword in Zhang Jun's hand collided with Lin Xue's ice blade—

"Buzz—"

Golden light, black light, and blue light intertwined in the air, birthing order from chaos.

It was an indescribable beauty; Zhang Jun gazed at the astonishing sight before him.

The forces that once repelled each other now fused perfectly, ultimately solidifying in his hand into a radiant, flowing long sword.

The blade's surface flickered with a faint glow, as if it possessed a life of its own.

Zhang Jun gripped the hilt tightly, an unprecedented surge of power flooding his body.

His body became light, every muscle brimming with strength.

His movements grew unusually fluid; a flick of his wrist sent the blade straight, executing a sword technique he had never learned yet felt deeply familiar.

"Heavenly One Sword!"

The sword light trailed a long tail, racing straight toward Long Tianba's neck.

That speed was so fast that people couldn't react.

Long Tianba couldn't dodge in time, and a sword tip pierced his chest.

Purple energy spurted out of the wound like a fountain.

Long Tianba staggered and fell into a pool of blood.

He didn't die immediately; instead, he let out a creepy laugh.

The laugh was hoarse and mad, echoing through the spacious hall.

"Do you think that's the end?" Long Tianba coughed up a mouthful of purple blood, "The outer‑spirit consciousness entity has already found a perfect host—the world's strongest warrior Yang Tianxing!"

His voice grew weaker and weaker.

"In three days, he will reveal himself publicly and fully open the Dimensional Gate!"

The words still echoed in the air as Long Tianba's body began to decay rapidly.

Within seconds, his whole body turned into a puddle of purple liquid, emitting a pungent stench.

Zhao Wushuang let out a startled scream, and his figure instantly turned into purple light, ran through the wall.

The entire process was so fast it caught everyone off guard.

Lin Xue stood there dumbfounded.

"Who is that Yang Tianxing he mentioned...?"