The whole nation: You're put to survive on a desolate planet, you'll be running an alien b

The silence in the endless void lasted only a brief moment.

The cosmic rift cleaved by the sword of faith did not immediately heal. Brilliant starlight poured down from the crack, like flowing waterfalls of light, illuminating the space that had just witnessed a divine battle. Li Haotian hovered within this waterfall of light, his blood-soaked body resembling a broken rag doll, the gleaming gold dagger now dull and lifeless, lying quietly in his palm.

He won.

With a mortal body, he severed the darkness inherited from the depths of his bloodline.

But he felt no joy. In his eyes, which reflected the starlight, there was only endless weariness and longing for someone. Lin Mo… was she alright?

The instant the thought flashed through his mind, the entire void trembled violently. It wasn't a physical impact from the outside world, but a deeper, more fundamental "rules" of the world undergoing a violent reversal. The brilliant starry sky began to blur and distort, like a painting about to be crushed. Stars swirled, light and shadow intertwined, and Li Haotian felt himself being forcibly torn from this battlefield of will by an invisible force.

His consciousness was quickly pulled back, and his senses were instantly filled with images of the real world.

He remained standing in the center of the inverted pyramid's control room, his feet on the cold metal floor, the air thick with a strange stench of ozone and acrid burning. And right before him, the colossal "gatekeeper" giant, constructed of countless black cables and metal, was undergoing a terrifying transformation.

The dark matter that made up his body receded like a tide, revealing a human figure hidden deep within. It was an old man dressed in a simple gray robe, with a withered face and white hair and beard. If it weren't for the ominous aura surrounding him, anyone would have thought he was just an ordinary old man on his deathbed.

However, there was a shockingly large hole in his chest.

It wasn't a wound caused by any physical weapon; the edges of the hole were as smooth as a mirror, as if a piece had been carved out of thin air. Most strangely, within that empty chest cavity, there was no blood or internal organs, only a golden flame burning quietly and persistently. Each flame emanated an aura of purification that Li Haotian recognized.

It was this golden flame, rising from within, that was consuming the gatekeeper's last breath.

"puff--"

The gatekeeper could no longer hold on. He coughed up a mouthful of black, misty blood, staggered back half a step, and finally collapsed heavily to his knees. He looked down, staring in disbelief at the hollow in his chest, at the golden flame that was burning away his very being. He seemed to want to reach out and touch it, but he had lost even the strength to lift his arm.

He struggled to lift his head, his cloudy gaze fixed on Li Haotian not far away, his eyes filled with horror, resentment, and a hint of absurd...relief.

"So...so this is what it truly is..." His voice was hoarse, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing against each other, each word exhausting his last bit of strength, "The true meaning of the 'key'..."

He always believed that the "key" was the special frequency possessed by Li Haotian's drop of heaven-defying blood, a coordinate capable of locating the "singularity." He thought that as long as he obtained this coordinate, he could control everything and become the god of the new world.

Only now, as he was being burned by the purifying fire that was inherited from the deepest part of his bloodline but ignited by Li Haotian's will, did he suddenly realize the truth.

A key is never about frequency or coordinates.

The key is Li Haotian himself. It is his indomitable will, the brilliance of his humanity shining in dire straits, and his determination to choose ordinary guardianship rather than embrace divine supremacy. This will is the only key that can truly unlock the cage of the "singularity" and determine its ultimate fate.

His plan, his ambition, his supposedly flawless scheme, was wrong from the start. He tried to control something he couldn't understand at all, only to be utterly destroyed by its true owner in a way he never imagined.

"Heh...heh..." The gatekeeper let out a dry, desperate laugh. The golden flame suddenly surged, completely engulfing his last vestiges of consciousness. His body, along with the expression on his face—a mixture of madness and despair—dissipated inch by inch, turning to ashes, and was ultimately consumed by the golden flame.

With his complete demise, his control over the entire inverted pyramid antenna system also vanished.

At the very moment the gatekeeper turned to ashes, the enormous golden heart suspended in the center of the room suddenly burst forth with an extremely dazzling white light!

"Lin Mo!" Alarm bells rang in Li Haotian's mind. Ignoring his physical exhaustion, he subconsciously wanted to step forward.

However, a gentle yet firm thought resonated deep within his mind.

"Haotian, I'm all better now."

This thought belonged to Lin Mo, yet it seemed to carry an even greater existence. It was a tranquil yet boundless consciousness originating from all living things.

"The gatekeeper's will has vanished, and the shackles he built with lies and pain have completely broken. It..." Lin Mo's thoughts paused, as if sensing something, "Now, it's very obedient."

As soon as she finished speaking, a piercing alarm sounded without warning throughout the entire inverted pyramid!

Buzz—buzz—buzz—!

The piercing buzzing sound was like the death knell of Grim Reaper. Countless indicator lights on the walls instantly changed from normal green to blinding red, flashing wildly. The entire metal building trembled slightly, and the floor beneath our feet vibrated rhythmically, like a giant beast about to awaken from its slumber.

The energy beams that were originally projected steadily toward the sky from the outside of the inverted pyramid began to shake and flicker violently, their light flashing and dimming, exhibiting an extremely unstable state.

"Self-destruct program... has been initiated." Lin Mo's thoughts echoed again, calm yet undeniably resolute. "His loss of control grants me supreme authority. Haotian, get out of here quickly, as far away as possible!"

Li Haotian looked at everything before him, at the golden heart beating faster and brighter, then looked down at his own battered body. Leave? How could he possibly leave?

He knew that Lin Mo had completely bound her consciousness to this heart and the entire self-destruct program. With the destruction of the inverted pyramid, she... would also disappear.

"I'm not leaving." Li Haotian slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse but unusually firm. He walked step by step toward the beating heart, each step incredibly steady.

The alarm blared more and more urgently, and the red light illuminated his blood-stained yet resolute face.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on the golden heart that radiated intense heat.

"Together," he whispered, as if making the most solemn promise, "we will end all of this together."