Forgotten Photo Studio

Chapter 174 We will definitely meet again!

Xu Yan's cries and questions echoed in the core of the matrix. His voice, filled with blood and tears, made Chen Zhiwei, who was supporting him, turn her face away in heartache, unable to bear to watch any longer.

However, faced with his son's overwhelming grief and indignation, Xu Haoyu remained silent regarding the illusory figure.

He didn't turn around, but the figure bearing the title of "strongest" seemed to stiffen almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Just as Xu Yan shouted, "You sealed such a terrifying 'Abyss'... inside your own son's body," the platinum light that flowed steadily around him flickered violently for a very short time, like a candle flame being blown by a breeze. The remaining platinum glow of the entire matrix also dimmed, as if he was enduring unspeakable turbulent waves beneath his calm exterior.

He remained calmly watching Jiang Yu's changing expression, as if the heart-wrenching accusations behind him had nothing to do with him.

But this silence, and that fleeting ripple of energy, made Xu Yan feel a chilling despair more intensely than any explanation.

"Ah……"

A disdainful sneer came from the other side. Jiang Yu's pulsating dark red spiritual energy slowly stabilized. He watched the scene with interest. "What a touching reunion between father and son. Xu Haoyu, it seems that you, this 'hero,' are not so glorious in your own son's eyes."

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure finally moved.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at Xu Yan, whose tear stains were still wet and whose body was trembling slightly with excitement, out of the corner of his eye.

That gaze remained deep and calm, yet it seemed to pierce through ten years of time in an instant, seeing the "Abyss" that was heavily sealed within Xu Yan's body, and all the fear and struggle he had endured alone.

Chen Zhiwei, who was standing to the side, had already covered her mouth, and tears silently streamed down her face.

She watched as Xu Yan transformed from that mountain-like, reliable body into a helpless child searching for his father in an instant, and heard that "Dad" that contained ten years of longing and pain. Her heart felt as if it were being violently clenched.

She knew better than anyone how far and how difficult the road had been for Xu Yan to bear the name "Xu Haoyu's son".

Now that the legendary figure has actually appeared, even if it's just a phantom, it's enough to make her feel immense relief and sorrow for Xu Yan.

Jiang Yu lowered his face slightly, his face covered by the Ghost Judge mask. His right hand, which had been as steady as a rock, unconsciously and forcefully pinched the knuckle of his index finger until the knuckle turned white.

“Xiao Yan,” his voice was much gentler, and it resonated directly in Xu Yan’s heart, carrying the power to soothe all wounds, “Close your eyes and rest for a while.”

Then, he paused, and with a hint of pride, added softly:
"To get this far and awaken my last 'guardian spirit seal,' you are even more outstanding than your father imagined."

He glanced at Chen Zhiwei beside Xu Yan, his gaze lingering on her for a moment.

His gaze was as deep as the starry sky, as if it pierced through layers of appearances and saw some deeper bond.

It was as if she had seen through the extraordinary and unbreakable bond of fate between her and Xu Yan, a bond that transcended the logic of the current world.

A barely perceptible understanding flashed in his eyes, which then transformed into a silent entrustment.

Then, he pointed to Xu Yan's brow:
"I should return some of your memories to you."

"Remember to see clearly the people around you, and also see clearly the road beneath your feet."

His voice echoed in Xu Yan's heart, carrying a timeless and wise saying.

"The truth cannot be hidden, and the falsehood... must eventually be faced."

As these last words were spoken, Chen Zhiwei's delicate body trembled violently.

She didn't understand the specific meaning behind those words, nor did she understand why she had such a strong reaction.

But the moment those words were uttered, an inexplicable palpitation gripped her, as if an invisible key had gently touched a corner of her soul that had been firmly locked away.

She suddenly looked up at Xu Haoyu's illusory figure, her eyes filled with a panic and bewilderment that even she herself could not understand.

A deep-seated fear concerning existence itself was triggered, causing her to instinctively grip Xu Yan's arm tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the excessive force, as if a drowning person had grabbed the only piece of driftwood.

She didn't know what she was afraid of, but she instinctively felt that Xu Haoyu's words seemed to point to a boundary of truth that she absolutely could not think about or touch.

After doing all this, Xu Haoyu's phantom turned around completely, facing Jiang Yu directly.

When he faced the disciple again, his aura suddenly changed.

If the previous light was like a gentle spring breeze nurturing his son, then this was like an icy abyss facing his enemy. That platinum-gold radiance was no longer merely power; it carried an undeniable declaration: Try hurting him.

The Guardian Spirit Seal! This is not a simple fragment of memory or remnant of power, but the ultimate protective method that Xu Haoyu was able to seal by peeling away a part of his soul's origin, burning his immortal will, and combining it with a supreme secret technique that touches on the taboo of reincarnation.

It is like a soul lamp that burns only for Xu Yan, shining brightly, but it may also... burn out when it is exhausted.

This was the last and strongest trump card he left for his son! A "father" who possessed some of his fighting spirit and power!
Xu Haoyu's phantom image confronted the enraged Jiang Yu across the distance.

The matrix core, which was raging with energy just a moment ago, like the end of the world, has now fallen into a strange state of absolute stillness.

There was no sound, no wind, and even the flow of energy seemed frozen.

Only two invisible wills clashed fiercely in the void, the pressure they exerted causing reality to distort slightly.

This deathly silence was more suffocating than any roar.

"One brand is enough to stop you."

Xu Haoyu's voice was calm and even, yet it caused the temperature in the entire space to drop sharply.

That wasn't murderous intent, but a deeper negation stemming from the level of rules.

Jiang Yu forced himself to stand up. Dark red spiritual energy flickered on his body. He hissed and sneered, "A mere remnant soul dares to determine my life and death?"

"Life and death are not determined by me." Xu Haoyu's illusory figure slightly raised his hand, with fine platinum lightning flowing at his fingertips, emitting a deep hum. "They are determined by the choice you made ten years ago."

His gaze seemed to pierce through the mists of time, landing on that distant, pivotal moment.

“My goal in striving for Platinum was to completely control the ‘Abyss’ and turn calamity into an advantage. At that time, the formation was already complete and the spiritual pivot was initially established…” His voice remained steady, but every word seemed to weigh a ton, striking Jiang Yu’s heart. “And you, my most trusted disciple, injected ‘Spirit-Eroding Breath’ into the core of the formation.

Jiang Yu's pupils suddenly contracted, as if his most unbearable past had been exposed.

Xu Haoyu's voice suddenly rose, like a long-awaited thunderclap finally exploding:

"The formation instantly lost its balance! The rampaging 'Abyss' backfired, and most of my essence was devoured and assimilated by it!"

His illusory hand pointed to Xu Yan, who was listening intently to the side, his voice filled with an indelible pain:
"In order to preserve this last thread of bloodline, I had no choice but to take a risky gamble! I forcibly sealed the rampaging 'Abyss' and my remaining power into that ancient camera, and then used the bloodline as a guide to transfer it into Yan'er's body! Only then could I barely maintain a fragile balance!"

His gaze, sharp as cold lightning, pierced Jiang Yu, each word scathing:
"I treated you like a son or nephew, imparted secrets to you, and placed my trust in you! Yet you stabbed me in the back for your own selfish reasons! Jiang Yu, tell me, what was it all for?!"

"Why?!" Jiang Yu seemed to be completely ignited by these words. He let out a crazy and tragic laugh, filled with twisted pleasure and ten years of pent-up resentment. "Hahaha! Xu Haoyu, you're still pretending to be confused!"

He suddenly pointed at Xu Yan, his voice as shrill as an owl's:
"For what? For Ah Qiang! For Ah Qiang who died because of your foolish ambition!"

His eyes, hidden beneath the mask, were bloodshot as he stared intently at Xu Haoyu.
"You clearly had a chance to save her! If you had just given up that damned 'Abyss,' given up on breaking through to Platinum, with your strongest Gold-level strength, you could have taken her away! But what did you do? You chose your power! Your future!"

His voice was filled with a tearful accusation:

"It was her! She chose to end her own life so as not to be a burden to you, so as not to become a problem in your decision-making! It was you! It was your indifference and ambition, Xu Haoyu, that killed her!"

Before Xu Haoyu could respond, Jiang Yu's words were like poisoned arrows, pouring out ten years' worth of pent-up hatred:

"As for Platinum? Hmph! Xu Haoyu, you don't naively believe that what happened back then was solely my idea, do you?"

A cruel and mocking smile curved his lips beneath the mask; his voice was lower, yet even more chilling.
"With your extraordinary talent, if you were to truly take that step and rise above all living beings... how would the 'White Lord,' who sits atop the clouds and holds absolute power, conduct himself?"

He paused deliberately, appreciating the effect of his words; each word felt like a heavy hammer blow.
"Do you expect him to willingly relinquish his supreme position to you, his successor with boundless potential?"

“Some positions, the people who sit in them, what they fear most... is never the ants under their feet, but the sun that may catch up behind them.” His voice carried a coldness that seemed to see through conspiracy. “And I just happened to see through this ‘fear’ and handed over the most suitable ‘knife’.”

These scathing words not only revealed the betrayal but also exposed an even more chilling shadow behind the scenes, like a thunderclap in the silent core of the matrix.

Jiang Yu suddenly waved his hand and roared with all his might, both as a command and as if to bolster his own courage:

"What are you waiting for! Get started!"

Before Jiang Yu could finish speaking, the three messengers behind him, though their faces showed fear, still faithfully carried out their orders, transforming into three dark red streaks of light, fearlessly blocking Jiang Yu's path and attempting to impede Xu Haoyu's advance.

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure didn't even look at the three envoys. He simply raised his eyes slightly, his gaze piercing through space like cold lightning, and landed on Jiang Yu.

"In vain."

He calmly uttered two words, as if stating a given fact. Then, with his fingers drawn like a sword, he made a simple, sweeping motion towards Jiang Yu.

There was no grand scale, no complex changes.

However, a pure and extremely refined beam of white-gold lightning ignored space and obstacles, and as if by teleportation, it directly bypassed the three messengers and appeared in front of Jiang Yu's main body.

Where the lightning passed, it left a brief, scorching trail of ionization in the air, emitting the scent of ozone.

The true might of thunder, emanating from the strongest figure in the former Divine Firmament Bureau, descended once more after ten years, carrying the resolute determination to settle everything.

Faced with this thunderous sharpness that seemed capable of judging souls, Jiang Yu's pupils constricted sharply, and he shouted sternly:

"Netherworld Blood Barrier!"

Before the three Soul Reapers blocking his way could react, their surging dark red spiritual energy uncontrollably left their bodies, along with their life essence, and was forcibly extracted and compressed, transforming into a dark red barrier in front of Jiang Yu, churning with filth and resentment, with countless painful faces floating within it.

The three envoys' terrified expressions flashed across the barrier for a fleeting moment before they completely merged into it, becoming part of the defense.

In order to withstand this attack, Jiang Yu did not hesitate to sacrifice all three of his Gold-level subordinates!
however--

"Zi la——!"

When the thunderous force touched the Netherworld Blood Barrier, there was no earth-shattering explosion, only a crisp sound, like a red-hot iron being plunged into ice water.

The desperate defense that embodied the power and life force of three Gold-level experts was as fragile as frost exposed to the scorching sun in the face of that extremely pure lightning.

Where the lightning struck, the filthy blood evaporated, the resentment was purified, and the dark red barrier was smoothly split in two from the middle. Then, like a sandcastle blown away by a gale, it quickly collapsed and dissipated.

The ultimate defense, forged by sacrificing three Gold Saints, was utterly vulnerable!
The thunderous force remained undiminished, still precisely slashing towards Jiang Yu's main body!

Jiang Yu's expression changed drastically, and his hands moved rapidly in front of his chest, leaving behind a dark red afterimage.

The dark red spiritual energy surging around him was like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, frantically converging and compressing in front of him at an unprecedented speed.

"Netherworld Ghost Mask, protect my true form!"

With his hoarse roar, an ancient and heavy dark red shield suddenly solidified.

On the shield, a grotesque ghost head relief came to life, its eyes burning with eerie green flames, and its gaping maw emitting a silent roar that stirred up howling winds around it, as if opening a passage to the deepest hell.

This is his protective treasure, nurtured by his own essence for decades and never shown to anyone – the Netherworld Ghost Mask Shield.

"Get out of my way!"

"clang--!!!"

The lightning streak collided violently with the ghost mask shield.

This time, the explosion was not a crisp clash, but a dull rumble like an ancient bell being struck.

A visible surge of dark red and platinum energy exploded in a ring, tearing up the ground layer by layer and pulverizing the remaining ruins like paper in the terrifying shockwave.

The Netherworld Ghost Mask Shield trembled violently, and the ghost head on the shield emitted an extremely mournful wail, while the eerie green flames flickered erratically.

The dark red light flickered wildly, and at the critical moment, it actually managed to barely withstand the attack of the light mark.

Jiang Yu had just breathed a sigh of relief, and the corners of his mouth under the mask hadn't even had time to curl up.

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure remained in the same sword-like stance, not even the hem of his clothes fluttering. His deep eyes were completely calm, as if he had expected everything to happen.

His illusory finger moved forward slightly, just a little further.

“Crack…Crack…”

A series of subtle yet terrifying cracking sounds came from the Netherworld Ghost Mask Shield.

Like ice cracking, a clear crack spread rapidly from the point of contact between the light trail and the shield, instantly covering the entire shield surface like a spider web.

Even this most treasured protective artifact couldn't hold out!

"Impossible!" Jiang Yu exclaimed in shock, his eyes finally revealing a look of horror as if he had seen a ghost.

How could Xu Haoyu, who is merely a remnant of a mark, be so powerful?!
"break."

Xu Haoyu parted his lips slightly and uttered only a single word.

"boom!!!"

The Netherworld Ghost Mask Shield shattered instantly!
It turned into countless dark red energy fragments, like a rain of blood, scattering everywhere.

Although the lightning trail was dimmed considerably as a result, it still carried an indomitable determination, like a sword of divine punishment, slashing fiercely at Jiang Yu's arms, which were crossed in front of him to block.

"puff--!"

Jiang Yu was struck as if by a heavy blow, and was sent flying backward, the blood spurting from his mouth drawing a dazzling arc in the air.

The sleeves of his robe were torn to shreds, revealing two deep, charred wounds on his pale skin. Tiny white-gold electric sparks danced at the edges of the wounds, constantly eroding his flesh and spiritual energy.

The arrogant Jiang Yu finally coughed up blood and was injured.

He crashed heavily onto the ground hundreds of meters away, tumbling more than a dozen times before barely managing to steady himself. He knelt on one knee, panting heavily, his gaze towards Xu Haoyu's phantom filled with horror, resentment, and a hint of fear that even he himself couldn't believe...

Just one blow!
A seemingly effortless strike!
First, it shattered the defenses of the three gold-sacrificing warriors with overwhelming force, then it destroyed his protective treasure, which he had nurtured for many years, and finally left indelible scars on his body.

Is this... the power of the strongest Gold Saint in the past?!

Even a pre-arranged brand is so powerful that it inspires despair!

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure slowly retracted his fingers, his platinum radiance remaining stable, as if the earth-shattering blow just now was nothing more than a casual action for him.

He gazed indifferently at the disheveled Jiang Yu, his calm voice ringing out again, but with a final, judgment-like quality:
"Now, do you understand?"

The gap between you and me has never changed.

Jiang Yu knelt on one knee, dark red blood dripping down his charred arm, corroding small pits on the ground with a sizzling sound.

He suddenly looked up, his face contorted in agony beneath the mask, but his crimson eyes no longer held only horror and resentment, but also a madness that seemed to reveal its true nature and a long-awaited ferocity.

"Gap? Hahaha..."

He let out a hoarse laugh, like sandpaper rubbing together. The dark red spiritual energy around him, which had been dissipated due to his severe injuries, not only did not weaken, but instead boiled up in a more violent and bizarre manner, faintly emitting a nauseating, chilling corpse aura.

"Xu Haoyu! You think this is over?!" he roared, his voice carrying a smug cruelty. "Have you forgotten who I am? I, Jiang Yu, am best at... never direct confrontation!"

He slammed his hands together on the phantom image of his own chest, not to attack himself, but as if to break some invisible seal.

A phantom image of a pitch-black pottery jar, its surface entwined with countless painful human faces, emerged from his chest.

He abruptly hurled the phantom image of the pottery jar into the air, his hands forming a mudra, his chanting deep and majestic, as if reciting an ancient judgment:

"The Netherworld opens, all souls return to their resting place! With your grievances, I forge my sharp edge! What was once dust has now become a blade... My ghostly servants, heed my summons and appear!"

Om-!
The light in the entire matrix space suddenly dimmed, the temperature dropped sharply, and a strong stench of decay and resentment filled the air.

The mouth of the jar in the soul-nourishing shrine emitted a burst of black light, as if opening the gates to hell.

"Ow—!"

"Roar--!"

A shrill, venomous roar, filled with endless pain, surged from the jar like a tsunami. Ten solid, incredibly cold black figures, radiating an astonishing aura, burst forth from it like vengeful ghosts breaking free of their shackles.

They are no longer the blurry phantoms of low-level ghosts, but terrifying forms that have almost solidified into reality.

Some were bloated, with blue faces and fangs, their claws gleaming with a metallic cold light;

Some of them were twisted, waving tentacles made of resentment like multi-headed serpents;
Some drift aimlessly, surrounded by black ice crystals capable of freezing the soul...

The energy fluctuations emanating from each of them had reached a terrifying level of C-grade.

Moreover, the resentment entwined around them carried an aura familiar to Xu Haoyu—the soul characteristics of some of his former opponents, and even some of those who indirectly died because of him.

Jiang Yu actually collected the souls of these people and used secret methods to torture and cultivate them, forcibly turning them from weak F-level ghosts into the ferocious C-level ghosts they are today.

Ten C-rank ghosts!
The moment they appeared, a dense ghostly aura formed a ghostly domain covering the entire core of the matrix.

A chilling wind howled, ghosts wailed and wolves howled, and light was swallowed up. Even the platinum light that Xu Haoyu had previously purified was suppressed and its range shrank drastically, as if it would be extinguished at any moment.

"Go! Tear them apart! Devour their flesh and souls!" Jiang Yu laughed wildly, pointing at Xu Haoyu and Xu Yan and Chen Zhiwei behind him.

Upon receiving the command, the ten C-rank ghosts instantly locked onto their target with their scarlet or ghastly green eyes. Filled with boundless resentment and a thirst for the flesh and blood of the living, they transformed into ten destructive black torrents, swooping down from all directions.

Ghostly claws tore, resentment surged, icy breath emanated, poisonous mist permeated... Before the attack even arrived, the combined terrifying spiritual pressure made the heavily injured Xu Yan feel suffocated, and Chen Zhiwei's face turned deathly pale, almost unable to mobilize the spiritual energy within her body.

Faced with ten C-level ghosts that could plunge a city into despair, Xu Haoyu's phantom remained calm.

He didn't even look at the ghosts rushing towards him; he simply raised his lowered eyes slightly.

"He has a small skill, but he still dares to do the same thing."

He didn't even start; he simply lifted his right foot slightly and then stepped down.

"Boom!"

A dull, rumbling sound, though not actually present, resounded deep within all souls, spreading outwards from him.

The next moment, centered on the point where his toes landed, countless fine, spiderweb-like runes composed purely of dazzling white-gold lightning instantly spread out, covering a radius of 100 meters around him.

These lightning runes leaped and flickered, intertwining to form a vast, complex lightning domain filled with an aura of extreme yang and destructive power.

Shenxiao Thunder Pool!

“Sizzle——!!!”

The three ghosts that rushed into the Thunder Pool first didn't even manage to let out a complete scream.

The moment their ghostly forms came into contact with the platinum lightning, they were like snow meeting the blazing sun, instantly vaporizing without leaving a trace of smoke. Only the purest yin energy was completely purified and annihilated by the lightning.

The remaining seven ghosts were terrified and instinctively tried to retreat, but the lightning pool seemed to have a life of its own. The lightning at its edge suddenly rose up and transformed into a circular lightning barrier, completely sealing off all their escape routes.

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure finally moved.

He took a step forward, and platinum lightning spread out beneath his feet like ripples. The originally gentle light instantly turned violent, each bolt of lightning solidified into a tangible substance, emitting a deep and majestic hum, as if billions of lightning serpents were wandering in the void.

The two ghostly figures on the left are frantically merging together, their shadows and resentment intertwining to form a distorted barrier.

Xu Haoyu didn't even look at them directly, but simply raised his right hand casually, his five fingers slightly spread.

"The Five Thunder Orthodox Method - Cardinal Thunder."

The moment the words left his mouth, the fusion process of the two ghostly beings suddenly stopped. At their core, a point of platinum lightning silently lit up, and then countless fine lightning patterns spread wildly from within.

"puff--"

Like a ripe fruit bursting open, the two ghosts, about to complete their fusion, didn't even have time to scream before they were reduced to scattered electric fragments in the lightning.

Even more terrifying is that the original location of them was completely devoid of any yin energy; the space was so purified that even the most basic particles of resentment no longer existed.

Almost at the same moment, another ghostly creature had already slipped into the shadow dimension, its claws only three inches away from Xu Yan's back.

The sharp claws had already touched Xu Yan's robes, and the chilling aura instantly caused a thin layer of frost to form on Xu Yan's back.

Xu Haoyu didn't even turn his head.

A flash of platinum lightning appeared in his eyes, instantly illuminating the entire shadow dimension!

"Divine Firmament - Thunder Eye."

Two extremely refined bolts of lightning burst forth from his eyes, causing shadows to recede and space to distort wherever they passed.

The demon's claws froze before touching Xu Yan's skin—two fist-sized holes appeared in its chest, with lightning still spreading around the edges, emitting a sizzling burning sound.

Even more terrifying, the lightning continued its momentum after piercing the ghost, carving two deep, charred furrows in the ground that stretched to the alloy wall a hundred meters away, leaving two holes still emitting white smoke.

The psionic circuits inside the wall were completely melted, emitting blinding sparks.

The ghost opened its mouth, but no sound came out.

Under the continuous burning of the lightning, it began to vaporize from the tip of its claws and vanished in the blink of an eye, even the smallest particles of resentment were completely purified.

At this moment, the entire battlefield fell into dead silence.

Xu Haoyu didn't even move his position before delivering three precise game-winning shots.

Every strike was perfectly timed, both eliminating the enemy and perfectly protecting Xu Yan behind him, demonstrating unparalleled control over the power of thunder.

The four surviving ghosts let out desperate howls as they pounced from four different directions, burning their last bit of yin energy in a suicidal attack.

A cold wind howled, ghostly shadows loomed, and the entire space was shrouded in a thick aura of resentment.

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure remained standing still, only slightly raising his right hand.

As his fingertips swept across the void, countless fine golden arcs of electricity leaped and intertwined in the air, instantly condensing into hundreds of ancient and profound lightning runes.

There was no preparatory effort; it was just a casual wave of the hand.

"go."

In an instant, hundreds of thunder talismans transformed into a devastating downpour.

Each lightning talisman precisely locks onto its target, and no matter how the ghost tries to dodge or maneuver, it is relentlessly pursued by the lightning talisman.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Amidst the continuous explosions, the bodies of the four ghosts twisted violently in the lightning.

Their protective Yin energy crumbled the moment it came into contact with the thunder talisman, and their ghostly bodies were torn apart inch by inch by the violent power of thunder.

In the blinding flash of lightning, only silhouettes of their painful struggle could be seen before they vanished completely, leaving not a trace.

In the blink of an eye, all ten fearsome Class C ghosts were wiped out.

Jiang Yu's sinister smile froze completely, replaced by incomprehensible horror.

The ghost he had painstakingly cultivated for ten years was so utterly vulnerable in front of Xu Haoyu.

Xu Haoyu's gaze finally fell on Jiang Yu, his eyes calm to the point of being suffocating.

"To desecrate the souls of the dead with evil magic is a crime deserving of death."

He extended his index finger and gently touched Jiang Yu, who was embedded in the wall.

Several condensed, almost tangible chains of lightning appeared out of thin air and instantly wrapped around Jiang Yu's limbs and neck.

The electric arcs leaping on the chains emitted a dangerous buzzing sound, and each flash caused Jiang Yu to let out a shrill scream.

This thunderous power not only imprisoned his movements, but also continued to burn his very essence, bringing him excruciating pain that penetrated to the very soul.

The light of Xu Haoyu's illusory figure seemed to dim slightly, but his aura remained as unshakable as a mountain.

He slowly raised his hand, and a chilling lightning bolt re-condensed at his fingertips, precisely locking onto Jiang Yu's brow.

"It's time for liquidation."

The shadow of death solidified into reality at that moment.

He no longer used any techniques; he simply raised the illusory right hand to his chest, and then slowly closed his five fingers into a fist.

The moment he clenched his fist, all the remaining light in the entire Platinum Matrix seemed to receive a final summons, shining with unprecedented brightness!

Countless ancient and mysterious array patterns detached from the ground and walls, rising up and converging on his fist as if paying homage to a king.

At this moment, he seemed no longer to be an illusory mark, but to have become the embodiment of the power of this world itself.

“I’ve said it before,” Xu Haoyu calmly gazed at the roaring sea of ​​blood and the crazed Jiang Yu behind it, “this is not your place to act recklessly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he threw a punch at the filthy sea of ​​blood that swept across the heavens and earth, at his nemesis who had forcibly increased his power, and at his desecrated former homeland.

No sound.

Or rather, all voices lost their meaning in the face of this punch.

A torrent of platinum, pure to the extreme and domineering to the extreme, like the first ray of light after the creation of the world, tore through the dark red and pierced through the sea of ​​blood.

The Yellow Springs Blood Sea, containing endless death energy, seemed to encounter its nemesis the moment it came into contact with the platinum torrent. It let out a mournful cry, as if billions of vengeful souls were screaming at the same time, and then evaporated and purified at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The filth was cleansed, the death was dispelled, and the bright and clear world was restored!

The platinum torrent was unstoppable, instantly engulfing the Nine Nether Rift that Jiang Yu had forcibly summoned, and completely flattening the passage!

Finally, this torrent, which seemed capable of purifying all evil in the world, continued its relentless assault on Jiang Yu's chest and abdomen.

"Uhhh-!!!"

Jiang Yu let out an unprecedentedly shrill scream!
He clearly felt a power far exceeding anything before, carrying an absolute will to purify and destroy, surging wildly into his body through the wound, wantonly destroying his meridians and eroding his golden essence!

The defenses he had painstakingly built were utterly useless in the face of this power!
He struggled to break free, only to find that his body had temporarily lost sensation. The platinum flames burned and purified within him like a malignant tumor, bringing indescribable pain.

His dark red spiritual energy became chaotic, and his aura rapidly declined, like a candle flickering in the wind.

Xu Haoyu slowly withdrew his fist, and the light around him seemed to dim slightly as well.

He calmly gazed at Jiang Yu, who had completely lost the ability to resist, as if the punch that had just purified the sea of ​​blood and severely injured the powerful enemy was merely a casual brush away a speck of dust.

Absolute power leads to absolute crushing!

At this moment, both Xu Yan, who had barely regained a sliver of consciousness, and Chen Zhiwei, who was supporting him, were utterly shocked by the devastating and miraculous scene before them.

Embedded in the wall, Jiang Yu coughed violently, each cough accompanied by dark red blood foam, which even contained fragments of internal organs.

Xu Haoyu's punch, which combined purification and destruction, almost shattered the golden essence he had cultivated for many years. The platinum flames, like a malignant tumor, were still raging in his body, bringing excruciating pain.

He struggled to lift his head; the mask had already shattered halfway in the impact, revealing a pale and distorted face beneath, filled with resentment and disbelief. He stared at the still-solid, seemingly unshakeable phantom, and hissed:

"Cough cough... How could a brand... possibly possess such power?!"

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure did not answer his question, but calmly raised his hand, and a chilling platinum light once again gathered at his fingertips. The light locked onto Jiang Yu's brow, clearly intending to completely end this traitor and enemy.

The shadow of death was clearer than ever before.

A desperate madness flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes as he suddenly crushed a blood-red jade pendant hidden in his sleeve!
"You forced me to do this! Xu Haoyu!" he roared, his voice distorted by pain and resentment. "You want to protect your son? You want to clean house? Dream on!"

As the jade pendant shattered, a strange and ethereal fluctuation, distinct from the dark red spiritual energy, instantly spread out.

This fluctuation did not bring a powerful energy impact, but it made the structure of the entire matrix space unstable, as if some invisible shackles had been broken.

"You think I've been lying low for ten years just to repair this matrix?" Jiang Yu grinned maliciously, his aura weakened but his eyes filled with a suicidal glee. "I've already connected its core to the 'Void Rift'! If I die, the matrix will collapse, and the resulting spatial storm will be enough to drag this entire region, along with your precious son, into eternal exile!"

As if to prove his words, the entire ruins began to shake violently. The array patterns on the ground and walls, which had been running steadily, began to flicker. In some places, even tiny spatial cracks appeared, emanating a terrifying aura that could devour everything.

Chen Zhiwei's face turned deathly pale. She could feel that the space around her was becoming fragile and dangerous.

The light condensed at the fingertips of Xu Haoyu's illusory figure did not hesitate at all.

"Stubborn."

The moment he finished speaking, the long-condensed white-gold lightning suddenly shot out!
This attack was faster than the concept of time. Jiang Yu didn't even have time to react before the lightning pierced through his forehead.

His sneer froze, and the madness in his eyes was gradually replaced by disbelief.

Dark red spiritual energy surged wildly from his body, and his body, pierced by lightning, began to disintegrate inch by inch, first turning into ashes, and then even the ashes were completely annihilated in the lightning.

This traitor, who had been lying low for ten years and committed the crime of murdering his teacher, was finally killed by his former teacher at this moment.

However, the collapse of space did not stop. Without Jiang Yu as its "anchor," the matrix's collapse actually accelerated!

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure slowly turned around amidst the violent spatial tremors.

He glanced one last time in the direction Jiang Yu had disappeared, a hint of relief in his eyes, before turning firmly to Xu Yan, who was being supported by Chen Zhiwei.

At that moment, all the majesty and coldness in his eyes melted away, leaving only a father's deepest love and reluctance to part.

"Xiao Yan."

His voice rang directly in Xu Yan's mind, as gentle as a whisper in his ear during childhood.

Xu Yan suddenly looked up, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. He wanted to rush forward, but Chen Zhiwei held him tightly.

"Dad! No—"

Xu Haoyu's illusory figure gently shook his head at him, revealing a gentle smile that was most familiar to Xu Yan.

“I’m leaving, going to a very far place.” His voice remained steady, but with an undisguised tremor. “Your mother is trapped in a deeper dream. When I find her, I will definitely bring her back.”

Xu Yan was jolted; the news shattered his last defenses like a hammer blow. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, his voice choked with emotion: "Take me with you! I can help you—"

"No." Xu Haoyu's voice was firm yet full of tenderness. "Your path is here. Live well and become stronger. I believe our family will definitely be able to get out of this fog."

His figure began to become transparent, but his voice grew clearer:

"Remember, no matter what you go through, never lose yourself. Forgetting is the real death."

After saying this, an unprecedentedly intense light suddenly erupted from his body!
"No—!" Xu Yan roared and lunged forward, but was gently pushed away by a soft force.

The platinum beam pierced through the void, striking the spatial node with pinpoint accuracy. Countless runes spread out like living things, stitching the shattered space back together.

In the last glimmer of light, Xu Yan saw his father give him one last smile, his lips moving slightly:
"See you in the next dream!"

boom------

As the light faded, the illusory image transformed into starlight, slowly merging into the heavens and earth.

Xu Yan knelt on the ground, his hands sinking deep into the scorched earth, tears mingling with blood as they dripped down. He stared intently at the spot where his father had disappeared, etching that final instruction deep into his soul:

Don't forget yourself. We will meet again.

Chen Zhiwei knelt beside him and gently held his trembling hand. As the spatial tremors gradually subsided, the two witnessed the end of an era and the beginning of a promise.

(End of this chapter)