Helping each other with countless me.

Chapter 611 The Final Showdown (The End)
Li Zhongren stood on the balcony of the top floor of the palace, the night wind blowing through his black hair, which already showed signs of youth.

He did not look westward, but the cold and vast perception of the "Empire's Eye" had clearly reflected the sudden burst of golden energy fluctuations on the distant continent, full of plunder and hypocrisy, deep in his consciousness.

The birth of that golden tree, accompanied by the wailing of millions of lives instantly annihilated, was like a filthy brand etched onto the rules of this world.

He wasn't surprised at all; he only felt a sense of confirmation that "it's finally here."

He had long observed the malevolent energy source accumulating on the west coast through the "Eye of the Empire," but he never expected it to undergo such a brutal transformation.

Queen Isabella quietly approached him, her magnificent skirt trailing on the ground.

She didn't ask any questions, but simply followed the "direction" of Li Zhongren's gaze. Although she couldn't see anything, the invisible pressure in the air and Li Zhongren's solemn profile said it all.

"Troublesome?"

She asked softly, her voice filled with concern for the empire and for those around her.

Li Zhongren nodded slightly, then shook his head.

"It's troublesome, but not insurmountable. It's a 'Tree of False Gods' that was nurtured by life and souls. Its power is essentially about plunder and domination, which is completely different from our 'Eye of the Empire,' which originated from the remnants of Outer Gods and was forged by the will of the Legion."

It's always been like this. This thing called Supreme Will only knows how to do this: plunder, exploit, absorb. The so-called resurrection only means that ninety percent of the soul goes to the Golden Tree, leaving you with only ten percent. It's a disgusting monster with endless greed.

It's just wearing a seemingly sacred golden coat.

He paused, a cold smile curving his lips.

"That's good, it saves us the trouble of distinguishing friend from foe. Such an obvious and malicious target."

He turned to face the palace below. Even though it was late at night, the capital was still brightly lit and orderly, a stark contrast to the desolate land shrouded in golden shadows in the distance.

"Pass the order."

Li Zhongren's voice was not loud, but through the "Empire's Eye" network, it was instantly transmitted to the minds of all the high-ranking officials and all legion commanders of the empire, as clear as a divine decree.

"An anomaly has occurred on the west coast; the Golden Evil Tree has appeared. The Empire shall immediately enter a state of preparation for the 'Gods' War'."

There was no panic, no commotion.

The entire Red Empire, like a sophisticated and efficient war machine, began to accelerate its operations in an orderly manner.

In the core restricted area of ​​the capital, the obsidian-like surface of the "Eye of the Empire" suddenly accelerated the flow of silver psychic runes, emitting a deeper and colder radiance.

It is like the heart of the empire, transmitting a more powerful and concentrated force through an invisible network to every "imperial hand".

All the soldiers wearing gloves felt that the energy emanating from the gloves became heavier and more docile, like a volcano poised to erupt.

The Extraordinary Bureau, led by Doyle Hawkins, entered an unprecedented state of frenzied research.

All previously taboo projects deemed "high-risk" or "unstable" have been restarted, with only one goal in mind.

In the shortest possible time, develop weapons and equipment capable of countering or even suppressing that golden energy.

The laboratory was brightly lit day and night, where the remains of various twisted creatures combined with psychic writing to create more artifacts specifically designed for war.

The main corps began to assemble at their designated strategic positions, and the frequency and intensity of military drills increased significantly.

The soldiers sang battle songs, and dark red energy fields shone brightly on the training ground, their chilling aura soaring into the sky.

In the civilian sector, "civilian operators" who have undergone rigorous screening have also been mobilized. They may not directly participate in frontline battles, but they are responsible for maintaining the operation of the city's protective barrier, ensuring the production and transportation of logistical supplies, and using words such as "solidification" and "purification" to reinforce important facilities, thus ensuring the absolute stability of the empire's rear.

The entire Red Empire is like a fully drawn bow, its arrow aimed directly at the golden tree in the west that radiates an ominous light.

On the west coast, King Cromp, standing atop the roots of the Golden Tree, could also sense the profound, abyss-like order and cold power of the East, which he instinctively loathed. This power did not waver in the slightest because of the birth of the Golden Tree; instead, it became even more solid, like a rock.

The maniacal smile on his face faded slightly, replaced by a provoked rage.

"Assemble the 'Chosen Ones' legion! Activate all 'Holy Protection' fortresses!"

He conveyed his will to every fervent believer through the golden canopy of the tree.

"Let the heretics of the East tremble under the golden light! We will launch the 'Holy Expedition' to purify the land polluted by false gods!"

The towering golden canopy swayed gently, scattering countless golden specks of light. These specks of light fell into the earth shrouded in its shadow below, merging into the bodies of the selected and "blessed" believers, further enhancing their power and making their eyes even more fervent.

Armies radiating golden light began to assemble on the west coast, like flowing molten gold.

Two vast empires, each having entered the extraordinary era through different paths, representing order and plunder, will and blessing, stand in silent confrontation.

Invisible sparks filled the air; a collision destined to determine the future of the world had begun.

The Golden Ruler stands atop the roots of the Golden Tree, his will inextricably linked to this colossal creature that had devoured millions of lives.

He could feel the tree roots digging deep into the mantle, greedily absorbing the planet's energy, and he could sense that every golden leaf was absorbing the wandering spiritual energy that permeated the world.

This tree is an extension of his power, an embodiment of his ambition, and the foundation upon which he launched the "Holy Expedition".

"Not fast enough."

The Golden Commander whispered, his pupils, now bathed in golden light, reflecting the eastern realm he perceived as an unyielding reef—the Reid Empire.

"We must nip that false god in the bud before it fully matures!"

With a thought, the enormous golden tree responded.

On the towering canopy of trees, countless golden leaves moved without wind, producing a melodious yet unsettling sound like metal rubbing together.

More intense and dazzling golden light peeled off the leaves and gathered, like a swarm of fireflies guided by a spell, scattering across the vast land beneath the canopy, already imbued with the power of the golden tree.

These golden specks were not evenly distributed, but rather precisely fell into the bodies of those "chosen ones" who had already been selected and were most fanatical about the golden rule.

"Ugh—!"

A squad leader of the Chosen Ones, who was training, couldn't help but let out a painful roar after dozens of golden rays entered his body, which was then replaced by an extreme sense of comfort.

His muscles bulged, and it seemed as if golden liquid was flowing beneath his skin. His eyes shot out a tangible golden light, and the energy fluctuations emanating from his body instantly increased several times over.

He felt that his strength, speed, reaction, and even his understanding of the "golden rule" had reached a completely new level.

Similar scenes have played out in many places within the territory shrouded by the golden tree.

This core "Chosen One" legion is being forcibly catalyzed and its strength increased by the Golden Tree at the cost of overdrawing its potential and future.

They are individuals, yet through an unseen connection, they form the branches and roots that extend outward from the golden tree.

Meanwhile, in several important ports and border fortresses of the former West Coast Empire, enormous, strange buildings constructed of some kind of dark gold metal are rising from the ground.

These structures are not traditional military fortresses; their forms are more akin to distorted religious altars or energy towers, their surfaces covered with blasphemous runes that are of the same origin as alchemical arrays.

They are “Holy Protection” fortresses, regional nodes of the Golden Tree’s power. They can form a powerful regional defensive field and also gather the faith and life force of believers, transforming it into a more offensive force.

The entire West Coast, under the shadow of the Gold Tree, had become a massive machine serving the war, permeated with an eerie atmosphere that blended religious fanaticism with cold-blooded plunder.

In the East, however, the Reid Empire's response presented a completely different picture.

In the core restricted area of ​​the capital, the "Eye of the Empire" floats silently.

Under Li Zhongren's will, the pupil inside the obsidian giant eye, composed of countless silver psychic characters, began to rotate at an increasingly rapid speed.

Instead of forcibly catalyzing individuals like the Golden Tree, it acted like the most sophisticated central processing unit, beginning a deep optimization and integration of the entire "Imperial Hand" network that connected to it.

A new combat mode known as the "cooperative matrix" was deployed to every legion.

The soldiers discovered that when they operated their formations in a specific array, the "Imperial Hand" between them would resonate in a strange way, greatly increasing the efficiency of energy flow, making their mental links more stable, and even enabling the sharing and deflection of psychic power within a small area.

This is not about forcibly improving individual strength, but about more efficiently combining the strength of a thousand, ten thousand or even more people into one force, so that the effect of one plus one is greater than two.

The Empire's legions are evolving from sharp swords into impenetrable shields and sophisticated war winches.

Doyle Hawkins' laboratory achieved a crucial breakthrough.

Based on in-depth research into the vocal cord structure of the "Wailing Banshee" and the crystal core of the "Phase Hound," combined with the analysis of the characteristics of countering the energy fluctuations of gold, a targeted mental interference device named "Song of Dawn" was developed.

The former can silence the blessing of the Golden Tree, while the latter can spatially transfer an extraordinary army.

These two abilities were added to the Eye of the Empire, becoming so-called skills that, under the commander's control, could silence enemy troops or evade enemy attacks.

Everything is ready, and everyone knows that a great battle is about to break out!
However, no one was afraid, and no one retreated, because everyone knew that the first battle was the decisive one; the winner would have everything, and the loser would disappear from this world completely.
The war began with a golden torrent that swept across the ocean and tore through the clouds.

The Golden Commander stood atop the Golden Tree, unleashing his accumulated immense energy into a destructive beam of light several kilometers in diameter, which crashed down upon the homeland of the Red Empire.

This is a declaration, and also a test, containing a domineering will to annihilate everything.

Almost the instant the beam of light entered the Empire's airspace, the "Eye of the Empire" in the core restricted area of ​​the capital suddenly lit up. Countless silver psychic characters flowed like boiling water, and a seemingly thin, yet interconnected, dark red barrier, imbued with the will of billions of "Imperial Hands," simultaneously unfolded over the eastern coast of the Empire.

Gold and dark red, two completely different energies, collided with a deafening roar, like two comets!
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only the agonizing hiss of annihilating energy, a sound powerful enough to send shivers down one's spine.

Space twists and shatters at the point of impact, revealing a colorful yet dangerous void behind it.

Golden shards of light and dark red fragments of energy rained down like a storm, evaporating and boiling the sea below.

The first round of indirect confrontation ended in a draw. But this was just the beginning.

The "Chosen Ones" legion under the Golden Commander, forcibly catalyzed and flowing like a golden tide, is approaching the Empire's coastline aboard warships and aircraft that distort gravity fields.

The frenzied battle cries and prayers converged into a form of mental pollution, attempting to undermine the will of the Imperial Army.

"Activate 'Dawn Song'."

Li Zhongren's instructions were cold and clear.

Hundreds of special devices deployed along the coastal defense line were activated simultaneously, and invisible psychic ripples, like mercury spilling onto the ground, precisely swept across the oncoming golden torrent.

In an instant, the golden radiance on the bodies of the chosen ones flickered violently and erratically, and the feeling of "blessing" that was closely connected with the golden tree was forcibly interfered with and weakened, like a communication with a poor signal.

Many lower-ranking chosen ones even clutched their heads in anguish, their source of power being "silenced"!
"The Hand of the Empire, the Matrix unfolds! For the Empire!"

Marshal Andrew's roar resounded throughout the army via the mental network.

Along the coastline, hundreds of thousands of soldiers wearing dark red gloves raised their hands simultaneously.

Under the coordination of the "synergistic matrix," the tiny energies of individuals converge into a boundless, dark red ocean of energy.

This ocean of energy was not chaotic, but rather like a living entity, transforming into massive barriers, sharp spears, and sturdy chains, actively confronting the still enormous golden legion, which had suffered setbacks.

The collision happened in an instant.

The dark red military formation, like a millstone, steadily and resolutely crushed and cut through the chaotic golden waves.

The Chosen Ones may have become stronger individually due to the catalyst, but after the "Song of Dawn" disrupted their stable link with the Golden Tree, they fell into chaos and fought each other.

The Imperial Army, on the other hand, always operated as a unified whole, integrating offense and defense, and advancing and retreating with a clear strategy.

Each change in military formation brought with it the dissipation of vast amounts of golden energy and the fall of the chosen ones.

The Golden Commander roared angrily from the treetop, attempting to draw upon the deeper power of the Golden Tree to directly intervene in the battlefield.

However, Li Zhongren responded even faster.

"Phase shift".

The silver runes representing space within the pupil of the "Eye of the Empire" shone brightly.

Several Imperial formations caught in the golden energy's concentrated fire zone on the front lines vanished instantly, along with the ground beneath their feet, appearing at the enemy's flank at the last second to launch a deadly surprise attack.

The golden tree's devastating attack landed in empty space, leaving only a charred crater.

War has gradually escalated from the material level to the energy level, the rule level, and even the soul level.

The Golden Commander could sense that his seemingly inexhaustible power was being gradually consumed and neutralized before the dark red, solid barrier of will in the east.

The opponent's resistance did not stem from the strength of any single individual, but from the willing connection and dedication of billions of wills, a tenacity that was despair-inducing.

"This can't go on!"

A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the Golden Commander. He decided to push the war to its final stage: the battlefield of souls.

He intends to use the essence of the Golden Tree to devour souls, directly polluting and disintegrating the will of billions that sustains the empire!
"In the name of gold, all beings return to the source!"

He raised his hands high, and the golden canopy burst forth with unprecedented light.

Countless tiny golden root-like phantoms pierced through the barriers of material space, following the trajectory of the energy collision between the two sides, like countless greedy venomous snakes, fiercely plunging into the Imperial Army's camp, plunging into the depths of every soldier's soul!

He wants to forcibly extract and assimilate these souls, turning them into nourishment for the golden tree!
However, just as the golden roots touched the collective will of the Imperial Army, a sudden change occurred!
The Imperial Army's network of will, the "synergistic matrix" formed by the "Eye of the Empire" and the will of hundreds of millions of volunteers, was not eroded or disintegrated. Instead, it burst forth with a warm and resilient power, full of the brilliance of "humanity".

This power, like the purest flame, actively confronted the golden roots that represented plunder and enslavement.

"Ahhhh——!"

The piercing screams did not come from the Imperial soldiers, but from the golden roots themselves, or more precisely, from the millions of wronged souls of the West Coast who were bound and devoured by the Golden Tree and are still suffering endless pain!

Under the radiant light of the Empire Matrix, which is filled with positive human qualities such as "voluntariness," "protection," and "order," the shackles that the Golden Tree used to bind these souls, and the hypocritical "blessing" shell, began to melt away like ice and snow!

One, two, ten, a hundred.
Countless twisted, tormented, and desperate souls imprisoned within the Golden Tree have awakened under the call and purification of the Empire's will!

They recalled the pain of being betrayed and sacrificed, and the dignity and emotions of being "human"!
"revenge!"

"free!"

"Destroy it!"

The resentment and longing for freedom that had been building up for countless days turned into a raging inferno.

These purified souls, instead of being assimilated by the Golden Tree, turned their attention to the Golden Tree, using all their remaining power to frantically attack its internal energy structure!

Internal and external cooperation!

"No! This is impossible! You ants! How dare you defy the sacred gold!"

The Golden Ruler was horrified to discover that his link with the Golden Tree was becoming extremely unstable, and his power was draining away like a flood breaking through a dam.

The towering golden tree began to develop huge cracks in its trunk, its golden leaves fell like rain, and its massive canopy began to tilt and collapse!
The Empire's Will Matrix, like a wildfire, ignited all the "fuel" that had been piling up inside the Golden Tree.

A force built on plunder and oppression is utterly vulnerable in the face of genuine unity and the radiant light of human nature.

The golden light faded and dissipated as quickly as the tide receded.

The colossal tree, which blotted out the sky, finally shattered under the backlash of countless wronged souls within and the continuous oppression of the imperial matrix outside, letting out a mournful cry that echoed through the heavens and earth!

It transformed into countless disintegrating golden specks of light, dissipating between heaven and earth, leaving behind only a vast expanse of scorched earth, drained of its life force.

On the battlefield, all the golden energy was completely annihilated.

The chosen ones fell like puppets with their strings cut; the collapse of their source of power took their lives.

Only the Golden Commander, because of his core connection with the canopy, barely survived. However, the golden canopy he wore was now covered in cracks and had lost its luster. He also lost most of his own power and fell into the ruins in a sorry state.

Li Zhongren's figure appeared before him through short-range phase teleportation, calmly looking down at him.

The Golden Commander, or rather, the supreme will that spoke through his broken body, raised his head. The madness and greed in his eyes had faded, leaving only a cold, inhuman indifference, as if looking down on ants.

"The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit."

Li Zhongren looked at the cold projection of the "supreme will" that was faintly visible behind the broken crown, and suddenly smiled.

That smile contained no victor's arrogance, only a knowing mockery and pity.

"The endless universe, the mindless void, everything is increasing in entropy, everything is in disorder and chaos."

Li Zhongren's voice was clear and calm, as if he were stating a very simple fact.

"Then, life was born, the self was born, and the will was born. This is the most precious and greatest miracle in the endless, cold void."

He pointed behind him to the imperial territory, which, despite the great war, remained orderly and full of vitality and hope, and to the countless wronged souls who, having had their souls purified, were now rising and being released as specks of light.

"You only see so-called 'profits,' only plunder and devouring. But in the infinite universe, the 'profits' you speak of, these energies, these substances, will eventually return to heat death and become worthless. Only the will itself, the soul itself, that daring to define 'self' in nothingness and pursue 'beauty' is the only answer to resisting ultimate nothingness."

He looked at the cold projection and spoke, word by word.

"'Beauty' is the underlying logic engraved deep within every awakened soul; it is the instinct of life to resist entropy. Your vision is bound by your greed and predatory nature, and you can only see devouring and possession, never understanding this preciousness."

"I don't expect you to understand."

Li Zhongren concluded by raising his hand, and dark red energy gathered in his palm—the ultimate power that embodied the will of the empire and the brilliance of humanity.

"Be good and become nourishment for the borderlands; this is your just deserts."

The cold projection seemed to want to say something, but Li Zhongren didn't give it another chance.

The crimson light engulfed the golden commander's broken body and the shattered crown that symbolized plunder and enslavement.

The last trace of the "supreme will" of coldness melted away like remnants of snow under the warm, humane imperial will.

The war is over.

Sunlight pierced through the lingering dark clouds caused by surging energy, and once again bathed the earth in its light.

The imperial soldiers erupted in thunderous cheers—a celebration of victory, a tribute to their fallen comrades, and a proclamation of a new era. In unseen corners, the artificial Outer God's shell completely disintegrated, transforming into boundless energy that sent countless Li Zhongrens back to their own world.
The original Li Zhongren, who rose to prominence because of the border area, returned to the border area.

Everything begins here, and everything ends here.

Li Zhongren looked up at the endless starry sky.

For some reason, he thought of the woman named Rani. It was her idea to suppress an unyielding will with the starry sky; unfortunately, it ultimately failed.
But she succeeded.
I am her backup plan.
At this moment, four hands slowly reached out from behind Li Zhongren and embraced him.

Welcome back, my king.

(End of this chapter)