NOVEL NEXT Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The Eighth Lock, Open!
In the face of absolute power, all schemes become pale and powerless.
Even if the eight battle zones under Li Shutong's command could defeat those allied forces one by one, Void's true objective had already been achieved. As long as it surpassed the ninth rank, nothing else would matter.
It would personally annihilate all humans, all living beings on Blue Star, and destroy the entire planet.
Void had already transformed into endless darkness, and now that darkness was indiscriminately devouring everything it could.
At this moment, Li Shutong suddenly looked at Han Zhen behind him. "Old Nine, it's your turn."
Li Shutong's words stunned everyone.
None of them believed that, in this situation, Han Zhen could turn the tide.
If even Li Shutong couldn't accomplish it, how could Han Zhen possibly do it?
"The location of the Eighth Lock, tell me."
"Teacher, you?" Han Zhen suddenly raised his head, looking at his teacher as if seeing him for the first time.
He had always thought that Li Shutong had taken him as a student because of his talent or other reasons. But Han Zhen had never considered one possibility: that Li Shutong knew of his identity as a "transmigrator".
This was something Han Zhen had never thought of.
When Li Shutong asked about the location of the Eighth Lock, this feeling grew even stronger.
"That's right, I know everything." Li Shutong, as if reading Han Zhen's thoughts, didn't deny it and nodded affirmatively. "For thousands of years, Daxia has explored tens of thousands of ruins. Among them, there were myths and historical records that didn't belong to Blue Star's civilization."
"I've seen them, Fuxi's Qin, Shennong's Cauldron, Xuanyuan's Sword… the Ten Divine Weapons of Ancient Times. If I remember correctly, that's what they're called, right?"
Li Shutong's words made Han Zhen completely understand one thing.
That is, the current situation was something his teacher, Li Shutong, had foreseen from the very beginning.
He had never been passively drawn into the game; he had entered it willingly.
On the surface, it appeared that the Zerg and their allies had plotted against Li Shutong.
In reality, Li Shutong had calculated everything and had them all in his grasp.
For some reason, Han Zhen recalled something Li Shutong had once told him: "The roots of Daxia have rotted completely. Cutting them away won't cure it, so it needs a fire to be reborn."
For the longest time, Han Zhen had thought that Li Shutong wanted him to become that fire.
He never imagined that one day, Li Shutong would use himself as the bait to become the fire that burned away all the rot in this world.
"Teacher."
Han Zhen opened his mouth, but it wasn't that he didn't want to tell Li Shutong the location of the Eighth Lock. It was because, in his memory, opening the Eighth Lock would completely consume his life.
If Li Shutong had planned all of this from the start, then he must have also planned for his own death.
This was something Han Zhen couldn't accept.
"Old Nine, you said you wanted to be a hero, to protect those you wish to protect."
"Being a hero comes with a price. Sometimes, that price is your own life."
"Face it calmly, accept reality. This is my destiny."
Li Shutong spoke in a calm tone.
Han Zhen raised his head to look at the sky. At this moment, the sky had been swallowed by endless darkness, which continued to devour everything in sight at a visible speed.
It wouldn't be long before Void consumed everything.
Han Zhen knew his teacher was right.
If one decides to use their life as the fire to burn away the darkness, then let that fire burn brighter.
Burn so brightly that those people feel the pain.
Burn so fiercely that they can never forget, that it cuts into their very bones.
Thinking of this, Han Zhen no longer hesitated. He raised his hand and pointed to the location of Li Shutong's heart. "It's there. The location of the Eighth Lock is there."
Hearing Han Zhen's words, a comforting smile appeared on Li Shutong's face.
The way he looked at Han Zhen was gentle, like an elder looking at their junior. "Your other senior brothers have studied with me for a long time, but with you, I feel guilty. That's why I've stayed in Deep Blue City these past months. I've enjoyed these days with you all."
"From the moment I discovered your awakened talent as a Spirit Contract Master, we were already in the game."
"This game is the best solution I could think of. For those who sacrificed themselves, as the one playing the game, I am deeply sorry."
"You once told me you wanted to be the one holding the chess pieces. From now on, it's all up to you."
"I've arranged for your senior brothers and the surviving people of Daxia to wait for you in the north."
"Let's begin!"
After finishing his final words, Li Shutong smiled and nodded at Han Zhen.
Then, the endless white mist behind him, as if finding an outlet, surged madly into the location of Li Shutong's heart from all directions.
Centuries of accumulation, centuries of life and death.
At this moment, it all aided Li Shutong in finally unlocking the last lock of the Eight Fists.
The Eighth Lock, open!
In the next moment, all the white mist disappeared.
Li Shutong's aura skyrocketed abruptly, rising to the same level as Void.
However, his body began to show countless cracks.
Li Shutong, as a mortal, had reached the level of a god, but he couldn't bear such power, and his flesh showed signs of collapse.
But he no longer cared. Without hesitation, he unleashed his fist with reckless abandon.
That punch struck the endless darkness in the sky, blasting a massive hole in it.
Void's disbelieving voice came from within: "How is this possible? How is this possible?"
"How can you transcend the ninth rank? You, a mere ant of a human, how can you match a god?"
Li Shutong responded with a second punch.
This punch shattered the darkness in the sky and exposed Void's fused essence to everyone.
The third punch struck Void's essence, knocking it down and forcing it into Han Zhen's body.
The fourth punch obliterated Void's consciousness, completely destroying it before it could escape.
The fifth punch destroyed the monstrous beasts and nightmares, erasing them from existence.
The sixth punch targeted the Crimson Queen and Yi Fan, but only crushed two Zerg substitutes. Sensing danger, Yi Fan had already used deception to replace his true body and retreated with the Crimson Queen.
The seventh punch crossed the vast sea, shattering the deep-sea vortex used for Zerg teleportation, severing their reinforcements.
The eighth punch wiped out all the Zerg in Deep Blue City, restoring peace and clarity to the world.
After delivering these eight punches, Li Shutong had reached the end of his life.
He had burned away all his vitality to wield the power beyond mortals.
After the eight punches, Li Shutong completely lost his breath.
Han Zhen raised his head.
He saw Li Shutong standing there silently, hands behind his back, gazing northward.
In the next moment, Li Shutong disappeared entirely into the heavens and earth.
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