Universe Origin

Inside the Command Center, countless scratches of varying depths were etched on the cold metal walls, each one seemingly telling the story of a bloody battle.

This place is less Command Center and more a crude steel tomb.

On the central Holographic Star Map, the solitary point of light representing the Thirteenth Garrison Node was surrounded by countless flashing red warning markers, densely packed and alarming.

Wei Changkong and the ten veteran soldiers stood silently on either side, like weathered statues. The atmosphere in the entire space was heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe.

Chen Fan's gaze swept across the Star Map and finally landed on Wei Changkong.

Wei Changkong took a deep breath and gave another standard military salute.

"Guardian, the Skeleton Marauder you saw earlier were merely scavengers that randomly appeared due to the spatial storms; they were hyenas."

"Our true enemy is the Void Shadow Race, an intelligent race that inhabits the Annihilation Star Domain."

He raised his hand and drew a vast, dark area on the Holographic Star Map. That area had no points of light, like necrotic tissue in the universe, exuding an ominous aura.

"The Shadow Clan are born assassins. They are born with the ability to control the Spatial Law. They are cunning, cruel, and extremely vengeful." Wei Changkong's voice was very low, as if he were recounting a forbidden legend.

"In the Annihilation Star Domain, three Shadow Race Lords at the Eighth-Level Immortal Realm Late Stage are active year-round. They are the nightmare of this battlefield, and we call them..."

He reached out and lit three crimson, blood-red dots of light at the edge of the dark area.

"Nightfall Rippers".

"Everyone's hands are stained with the blood of our Human Race's strongest warriors."

Chen Fan listened quietly, his expression unchanged, as if the terrifying being that Wei Changkong spoke of, capable of easily tearing Stars apart, was just an ordinary name.

"Um."

Chen Fan nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

A single "hmm" made Wei Changkong feel like a new recruit reporting to a seasoned marshal.

He suppressed the strange feeling in his heart and took a deep breath.

"My lord, the reason why the fighting on the First Defense Line is so fierce, with a casualty rate far exceeding that of all other lines, is because here..."

"It is the starting point of the Path to Godhood!"

"The Path to Godhood?"

A hint of interest finally appeared in Chen Fan's eyes.

"Yes."

"Because the laws of this Star Domain are extremely active and chaotic, new Universe Origins are frequently born here. These are the purest essences of the laws at the beginning of the world, and... the only opportunity for us Eighth-Order Immortal Realm experts to comprehend our own Great Dao, condense our divine abilities, and thus step into the Ninth-Tier Divine Ability Realm!"

"Every appearance of the Universe Origin attracts the Void Shadow Race to engage in a bloody war with us, a war to the death. This is both an immense crisis and the only hope for our Human Race's powerful to seek a breakthrough."

Wei Changkong's voice became hoarse and sorrowful. He stretched out a trembling finger and pointed to a meteorite coordinate marked as pure black on the Star Map.

"The previous Guardian, Lord Zhao Xin Hong, was ambushed by the Nightfall Rippers three months ago while vying for a piece of fire-elemental Universe Origin..."

He fought to the death.

The last four words seemed to drain all the air from the Command Center.

The ten veteran soldiers all lowered their heads, clenched their fists, and their murderous aura surged uncontrollably.

In the deathly silence, everyone's gaze instinctively focused on Chen Fan.

The fate of the former Guardian, the threat of the three Shadow Race Lords, the bloodshed in the struggle for the Universe Origin... all these burdens, enough to crush any Eighth-Order powerhouse, now fall on the shoulders of this fourteen-year-old boy.

However, Chen Fan simply stared calmly at the black coordinates that represented the fall of his predecessor, remaining silent for a moment.

Then he spoke slowly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

"The place of fall is also the place of opportunity."

"I see."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and calmly swept his gaze over Wei Changkong and the ten veterans with complicated expressions.

His gaze was gentle, yet it carried an undeniable firmness.

"Thank you for informing me, senior."

"Pass on my order: everyone rest and get back to peak condition."

He paused, a very faint smile curving his lips—the look of someone eyeing prey.

"Next time... when the wolves come again..."

"Let's go hunting."

The four words "calm" were like a thunderclap that shook the heavens and the earth when they reached Wei Changkong and the ten veterans.

Hunting?

These two words are too distant and too luxurious for them.

In this Annihilation Star Domain shrouded in death and shadow, throughout the long and bloody history of the Thirteenth Garrison Node, their role has always been that of prey.

It is a Great Wall built with flesh and blood, a passive wait for the next invasion from darkness.

They haven't tasted the joy of taking the initiative for far too long.

At this moment, Wei Changkong felt his heart, hardened by endless wars, begin to pound uncontrollably.

A surge of scalding battle blood, dormant for countless years, awakened from the depths of his limbs and bones, surging and roaring, rushing straight to the top of his head.

The breathing of the ten veterans behind him became heavy in an instant. The almost extinguished flame in their weathered eyes was completely ignited by Chen Fan's casual words, turning into a prairie fire.

No mobilization or grand pronouncements are needed.

The mere mention of hunting awakened the most primal pride and desire within these hardened warriors.

Following orders, the entire Thirteenth Garrison Node entered an unprecedented state of rest and recuperation.

Wei Changkong and the others devoted all their energy to recovery and self-improvement. They seized every minute and second, polishing their Battle Armor until it shone, sharpening their Battle Saber until they were razor-sharp, and adjusting their physical condition toward its peak.

To their surprise, the newly appointed young Guardian did not sit on the throne in the Command Center as they had imagined.

He stepped out of that cold, steel tomb and came among them.

Chen Fan looked at the eleven veterans before him, all of whom were seasoned warriors, yet each was entangled in incurable internal injuries caused by the laws of nature. He calmly raised his right hand.

"Buzz!"

An Origin Power, pure to the extreme, spilled from his palm.

It wasn't violent energy, but rather a verdant radiance like a sweet spring in early spring. The radiance enveloped the eleven people, silently seeping into their bodies.

Wei Changkong and the others were shocked.

They felt an indescribable warm current flow through their entire bodies in an instant.

The deathly Dao Rhythm that had plagued them for centuries, like a malignant tumor constantly eroding their vitality, was rapidly purified under the wash of this emerald light, as if it were ice and snow encountering the blazing sun.