238: The spirits awaken, a ray of hope.

“Alas…”

That sigh… it seemed to transcend the vicissitudes of eternity, carrying endless weariness and a hint of almost imperceptible relief, softly echoing at the edge of this world that was about to completely collapse. The sound was not loud, yet it strangely overshadowed the roar of the enemy from beyond the border, the sound of the void collapsing, and even the despair in everyone’s hearts!

Immediately after—

The faint, seven-colored light that lit up from the deepest part of the world barrier suddenly magnified! Like a spark thrown into dry tinder, it instantly ignited the entire sky!

The light was not dazzling, but a gentle, seven-colored flow. It rapidly spread, and wherever it passed, the spatial turbulence that had been raging wildly miraculously calmed down! The edges of the world barrier cracks, torn apart by the enemy from beyond the border, began to grow countless fine, seven-colored light threads, like the most nimble weaver repairing damaged brocade! The expansion rate of the cracks clearly slowed!

“What kind of power is this?” Dragon Emperor’s huge draconic eyes were filled with unbelievable shock! He could feel that the seven-colored light contained not some individual power, but a more vast, more fundamental aura! It was as if this world itself was awakening!

“The will of the world?” Xuan Kongzi muttered to himself, his old eyes bursting with ecstatic light! “Legend has it that when a world faces a cataclysm, its primordial will will condense and manifest, making a final attempt at self-preservation! Is this… is this the world spirit of this world?!”

“world spirit?” Flame Emperor and the others’ spirits were all uplifted upon hearing this! A glimmer of hope reignited in their desperate hearts!

And at this moment, the most shocked was undoubtedly that terrifying existence from beyond the border!

“Hmm? A mere world spirit of a lower realm dares to obstruct me?!” The massive dark shadow in the dark-red ocean emitted a wave of angry and surprised telepathic fluctuations! It could feel that the power contained within the seven-colored light, though not as strong as its own, carried a natural repulsion and purifying force! It was as if it was specifically born to counter an invader from beyond the border like itself!

“Buzz—!!!”

The seven-colored light slowly condensed in the void, finally forming a blurred human-shaped outline. The outline’s face was indistinct, only vaguely revealing a pair of profound eyes containing the sun, moon, stars, mountains, and rivers. Within those eyes, there was no joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness, only an indifference and compassion that overlooked all beings and guarded heaven and earth.

“Outsider,” a calm yet supremely majestic telepathic message emanated from the seven-colored human form, directly resounding in the depths of the enemy from beyond the border’s soul. “This world does not welcome you. Retreat.”

“Hmph! A mere broken world spirit that has just awakened dares to command this venerable one?” The enemy from beyond the border let out a disdainful snort! “Once I devour you, this world will completely become a part of my Sea of Returning to the Ruins!”

“Boom—!!!”

The dark-red ocean boiled again! Countless black tentacles, condensed from the law of destruction, lashed wildly at the seven-colored world spirit like billions of venomous dragons!

“Guard.” The world spirit’s telepathy remained calm. It slowly raised its arm and gently waved! The seven-colored light around its body suddenly transformed into a huge light screen, blocking the front!

“Bang bang bang bang bang—!!!!!”

The black tentacles fiercely slammed against the seven-colored light screen! Emitting deafening roars! The light screen trembled violently, but it stubbornly did not shatter! Instead, it purified and dissolved the destructive aura contained in those tentacles little by little!

“The world spirit is helping us resist!” Flame Heart cried out in surprise!

“No… it… is consuming the primordial essence of this world…” Xiao Chen, however, shook his head with a solemn expression. He could clearly feel that the seven-colored world spirit’s aura was slowly weakening with each resistance! It was using the last vitality of this world to buy time!

“We cannot just stand by and watch!” A resolute glint flashed in Xiao Chen’s eyes! He forcibly interrupted the star tower that was about to explode, repressing the burning Emperor’s Heart Primordial Essence back into his body! Although his injuries worsened, he had to preserve his last bit of strength!

“world spirit senior!” Xiao Chen took a deep breath and transmitted a telepathic message to the seven-colored figure with his soul power! “Please tell us how we can assist you? How can we truly repel this fiend?!”

The figure of the seven-colored world spirit paused slightly. It slowly turned its head, and its profound eyes seemed to pierce through space, landing on Xiao Chen and the Origin Qi seed within him. A faint stream of information then entered Xiao Chen’s mind.

“Origin Qi is the source of all worlds… it can mend the world barrier… and it can also injure its foundation…”

“However… it requires the soul of an Emperor as a guide… and the aspirations of all beings as power… only then is there a sliver of hope…”

“The price… may be the complete annihilation of form and spirit… never to be reborn for all eternity…”

Xiao Chen’s body trembled violently! He instantly understood the world spirit’s meaning!

To truly repel, or even severely wound, this enemy from beyond the border, he needed to use his own Chaos Origin Qi as the core, merge it with the aspirational power of all beings in this world, and his own Emperor Soul, to mend the world barrier and launch a final strike against the enemy from beyond the border!

And the price for doing so was very likely his complete soul dispersion, without even a chance for reincarnation!

“Brother Chen… no!” Flame Heart seemed to sense something and let out a heart-wrenching cry!

Xiao Chen slowly turned his head to look at the faces behind him, filled with anticipation and fear, and at the tear-streaked Flame Heart in his arms. A gentle yet resolute smile appeared on his lips.

“Xin’er… I’m sorry…”

“Everyone… the future of this world… I entrust to you.”

“I… am going.”

As his voice fell, Xiao Chen’s figure suddenly transformed into a brilliant streak of Chaos Flowing Light, rushing resolutely towards the seven-colored world spirit that was fiercely battling the enemy from beyond the border! The Chaos Emperor Mark on his brow burst forth with unprecedented light, as if it intended to burn away his last bit of life and soul!

“No—!!!”

Flame Heart and the others let out heartbreaking cries, but could only watch helplessly as that figure merged into the seven-colored light of the world spirit!

The next moment—

A vast power that made the entire world tremble erupted with a roar!