Chapter 423: The Power of Unity, the Battle of Destiny

Inside the meditation room, Lin Xuan sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed. The pain in his left arm had become numb, and the black-purple veins of Void Erosion had spread to his chest like intricate, complex root systems. He knew well that he did not have much time left; even without the risks of "Five Elements Unity," this injury alone was enough to be fatal within a few days.

Lin Xuan began to adjust his breathing, entering a state of deep meditation. His consciousness gradually detached from the shackles of his physical body, entering a realm of pure energy. In this realm, he could clearly "see" the flow of Five Elements energy within his body—Wood Element as the primary, with the other four elements acting as support. To perform "Five Elements Unity," he needed to perfectly balance these five types of energy to achieve a harmonious unification.

At the same time, Lin Xuan also reviewed his life during meditation. From his childhood ambition to join the Urban Guardian Network to becoming a standout among the Five Elements Practitioners; from his first direct confrontation with Void Energy to the heavy responsibility of saving the world he now shouldered. Countless memories flashed by like a revolving lantern, interspersed with the bits and pieces of life experienced together with companions like Xiao Yuan and Xu Feng.

After the meditation ended, Lin Xuan felt an unprecedented sense of calm. He took out paper and pen and wrote his last will and testament. In the letter, he arranged his affairs and expressed his final sentiments to Xiao Yuan and the team. Finally, he specifically urged them that no matter the outcome, they must continue to protect this world and never give up the fight against the Void.

After sealing the letter, Lin Xuan returned to the command center. Xu Feng and Xiao Yuan had already completed the preliminary design for a new plan—utilizing the five cores to release energy simultaneously to construct a temporary Void Seal.

"The theoretical model has been established," Xu Feng showed Lin Xuan the calculation results, "the success rate is about 37%, but even if successful, the seal can only be maintained for three hours at most. However, this at least gives us more time to find other solutions."

Lin Xuan nodded: "This is the best option for now. Begin implementation immediately."

The five Five Elements Practitioners returned to their respective positions, and the Array was activated once again. This time, the way the energy flowed was different—the five elements were no longer a simple cycle, but formed a highly complex Nengliang Jujhen, designed with the intent to guide the power of the five cores toward a specific target: the Void Vortex above the Xingchen Keji Zongbu.

"Begin guiding the energy," Lin Xuan ordered, the Wood Element power released first, "transition gently to avoid energy fluctuations."

The other four practitioners joined in sequence, and the five-colored light intertwined in the air into a spectacular pillar of energy that shot straight into the clouds. The energy pillar pierced through the purple sky and struck the Void Vortex above the Xingchen Keji Zongbu with precision. The two forces collided violently in the high altitude, producing intense spatial fluctuations.

"The seal is forming!" Xu Feng shouted excitedly, the data screen showing that the growth rate of the Void Energy had begun to slow, "Keep it up!"

However, the good times did not last. At the critical moment when the seal was about to be completed, a blinding purple light erupted from the Xingchen Keji Zongbu. The shockwave instantly pierced through the five-colored energy pillar, and the energy backlash caused the entire Array to vibrate violently, causing all five practitioners to be struck and stagger backward.

"Yage has detected our plan!" Xu Feng exclaimed, "He is resisting the seal with all his might!"

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, barely steadying his stance, and continued to output Wood Element energy. But he could feel that the counterattack force of the Void Energy far exceeded expectations, and the Nengliang Jujhen maintained by the five of them had already begun to collapse.

"Can't hold on..." Xiao Yuan, at the Fire Element Position, said with difficulty, her face pale, clearly nearing exhaustion.

The situation for the other three practitioners was not optimistic either, as their energy output had significantly weakened. Only Lin Xuan was still supporting it with all his might, but even he felt unprecedented pressure.

A painful and clear realization formed in Lin Xuan's heart—conventional methods were already ineffective; it was time to use the final resort.

"Xiao Yuan, Xu Feng," Lin Xuan's voice was unusually calm, "the plan has changed. I am going to activate 'Five Elements Unity'."

Xiao Yuan wanted to object, but the words died in her throat. She saw the determination in Lin Xuan's eyes and knew she could not change his resolve. She could only nod, tears sliding down silently.

"The others, withdraw from the Array," Lin Xuan ordered, "I need to control the five cores alone."

Although the other practitioners were confused, they all followed the command and withdrew from the energy field. Xiao Yuan took one last look at Lin Xuan and said softly: "You must come back."

Lin Xuan gave her a smile and said no more.

The command center was quickly cleared, leaving only Lin Xuan standing in the center of the five-core Array. He closed his eyes and began to mobilize all the Wood Element energy in his body, while simultaneously attempting to guide the other four elements. This was an unprecedented challenge—even the most powerful Five Elements Practitioners were usually only proficient in one element, and at most familiar with two.

But Lin Xuan had no choice. His consciousness was completely immersed in the ocean of energy, feeling the five distinct elemental powers. The Wood Element was as gentle as a spring breeze yet full of vitality; the Fire Element was scorching and full of vigor; the Earth Element was solid and steady; the Metal Element was sharp and dazzling; the Water Element was flexible and inclusive.

The five elements began to resonate within Lin Xuan's body, gradually forming a delicate balance. The first step of "Five Elements Unity" was complete; next was the most dangerous part—guiding the energy of the five cores to resonate with the Five Elements Power within his body.

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, placed his hands on the Wood Element and Fire Element cores respectively, and began to guide the energy. In an instant, two distinct forces surged into his body, and the intense pain almost caused him to lose consciousness. But Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and persisted, gradually adapting to the agony, before moving to the Earth Element core.

The power of the three elements converged within his body, already exceeding the normal tolerance of a human body. Fine cracks began to appear on Lin Xuan's skin, with light shining through the gaps. But he did not stop, continuing to move toward the Metal Element and Water Element cores.

When all five elemental energies gathered within Lin Xuan's body, a sense of unprecedented power filled his entire being. He felt as if he could touch the essence of the world and understand the laws of all things. This was the legendary state of "Five Elements Unity"—brief and powerful, a turning point sufficient to change the situation.

Midnight on the Summer Solstice Day finally arrived, and an ancient and mysterious power shrouded the entire planet. At this special time node, the barriers between dimensions became unprecedentedly fragile, providing an excellent opportunity for the Void's invasion.

Above the Xingchen Keji Zongbu, the Void Energy vortex had expanded to an astonishing scale. The purple-black energy cloud covered the sky of the entire city like a giant black hole, devouring all light around it. Even more terrifying, at the center of the vortex, a blurred yet exceptionally clear outline was slowly taking shape—that was Yage, a super-dimensional existence possessing countless tentacles and eyeballs.