Cold and ruthless, representing absolute Order and annihilation.
What truly made Xiao Han's blood almost freeze was the deepest part of that giant eye's pupil.
There, a figure was clearly reflected.
A figure exactly like himself, wearing the same clothes and with the same face, but with a playful and mocking smile on his lips.
In the deepest recesses of the Star Shepherd's pupils, the reflection, identical to himself, held a mocking smile, as if laughing at a specimen about to be bottled up.
That wasn't an illusion.
It is a kind of "lock" that is based on causality and cannot be escaped. In the calculations of the Star Shepherd, the gatekeeper of the universe's laws, Xiao Han has been identified as a "Origin God container". His threat and capture priority even surpass the Ferryman is currently performing the ritual.
He became the real prey.
"Quick! It's assimilating my will, through me... observing all your weaknesses!" The roar of the Titan Remnant Soul exploded in Xiao Han's mind, filled with the pain of being violated and endless exhaustion.
There was no time to hesitate.
"Make a deal!"
Xiao Han's divine sense struck like a thunderbolt, decisive and resolute.
The next instant, he no longer suppressed the subversive power within him. The [Paradox Domain] expanded with a roar, no longer as a defense, but as an invisible scalpel woven from countless contradictory logics, precisely Titan Remnant Soul and this Living Labyrinth.
"Sizzle--"
As if some invisible pact had been torn apart, the Titan's remnant soul let out a sigh of relief. The imprisonment and torment that had plagued it for billions of years vanished into nothingness under the power of paradox.
"Thanks..."
The ancient will dissipated. In return, a fragment of divine essence, burning with immortal golden flames, streaked through the air like a meteor and instantly merged into Xiao Han's brow.
Boom!
Xiao Han felt as if his soul had been thrown into a furnace, and all his fear, hesitation, and cowardice were burned away in the raging flames. His will was elevated infinitely, as if he had transformed into an ancient war god standing at the pinnacle of the universe, stepping on the corpses of countless gods and demons. The suffocating feeling brought by the enormous Star Shepherd in his sight vanished at this moment.
This is the power of the [Unyielding Battle Soul], a pure and unwavering fighting will that never gives up.
"Warning! There's a logical inconsistency in the causal lock!" For the first time, the voice of Tianshu AI carried a fluctuation that resembled "confusion."
Chance!
The fighting spirit in Xiao Han's eyes was almost tangible. Instead of retreating, he let out a roar that shook the bridge.
"All guns, turn! Target not the Star Shepherd!"
Lin Qingxia was taken aback, then saw the pure, unadulterated madness in Xiao Han's eyes.
[Paradox Fortress], like a raging beast that has broken free of all its shackles, roars and charges out of the protection of the Titan skull, actively facing the deadly army composed of absolute Order!
Facing that colossal eye capable of obliterating galaxies, Xiao Han felt the chain of cause and effect binding his soul suddenly loosen. His newly acquired [Unyielding Battle Soul] temporarily granted him immunity to this higher-dimensional mental lock.
Now!
The Star Shepherd's cold, godlike majesty faltered slightly. Its core logic couldn't comprehend why a "prey" would dare to charge at the "hunter." This one-in-a-million moment of logical bewilderment was the only chance for Xiao Han to survive in the entire universe.
"Tianshu! channel all the fortress's energy, including my life force, into the main cannon!"
Xiao Han placed his left hand on the armrest of the captain's seat, while his right arm—the [Astral Law Arm] fused with the Heart of Order —was raised high, aimed at the energy transmission core of the main cannon.
"Paradox, a blessing! Indomitable spirit, the soul!"
Buzz--!
The entire [Paradox Fortress] let out a painful groan, all the armor, pipes, and runes dimming instantly, as if all their essence had been drained. A beam of light, indescribable in words, condensed at the muzzle of the main cannon. It was both pure white and pitch black, both existent and nonexistent, containing the subversive nature of "paradox" and the absolute will of "unyielding".
This shot was not aimed at the Star Shepherd that blotted out the sky.
It tore through layers of flesh and blood, traversed endless space, and with unparalleled precision, struck the deepest part of the Gods' Graveyard —the spacetime rift nourished by the blood of the gods—the "First Wound"—with an indomitable spirit that disregarded distance!
Xiao Han is going to interrupt the Ferryman's ceremony!
"No--!"
From the depths of the maze came the Ferryman's furious roar. He hadn't expected Xiao Han to dare to do something so crazy in this desperate situation.
The ritual was forced to stop, leaving him no choice but to prematurely activate the final technique. A withered arm reached out from the void and forcefully dragged a... heart out of that "First Wound".
A pitch-black heart, still pounding violently, composed of pure darkness, deathly silence, and the laws of termination— the Shura Yin Heart!
However, almost at the same moment that "Yin Heart" was born, the most powerful artillery fire, which contained paradox and indomitable spirit, also arrived.
Two diametrically opposed forces, yet both standing at the pinnacle of the universe, collided with a deafening roar!
There was no sound, no light.
An indescribable aura of "end" swept through the entire Gods' Graveyard, like ink dripping into clear water. All the shattered laws began to collapse in a chain reaction under this aura, the divine corpses disintegrated amidst wails, and space collapsed in distortion.
This is the end point for all things.
But this law, which represents "end" and "destruction," is not poison for something, but rather... the final "catalyst" needed to break free of its shell!
Inside the bridge of the Paradox Fortress, the Chaos-Order Phoenix Egg, which had been hovering silently in mid-air, suddenly began to tremble violently.
Click--!
A crisp cracking sound resonated clearly deep within the souls of all beings.
Under the horrified gaze of the Ferryman, the astonished gaze of the Star Shepherd, and the tense gazes of Xiao Han and Lin Qingxia, the enormous purple phoenix egg shattered with a deafening roar!
Endless chaotic demonic energy and supreme divine light of Order intertwined and soared into the sky, like the first ray of light at the beginning of creation. A beautiful figure, stepping on shattered laws, slowly emerged from it.
Her black dress trailed on the ground, its hem seemingly reflecting the stars. Her long, black hair was casually draped over her shoulders; without any embellishment, she was already the most captivating sight in the world.
She slowly raised her eyes, and between the opening and closing of her phoenix eyes, her left eye was a vortex of eternal night that devoured all things; her right eye was a star of creation that gave birth to all things!
Su Linglong!
She was completely reborn.
An aura as deep as the ocean, seemingly capable of crushing eternity, emanated from her. That was no longer the Martial Grandmaster, but... a genuine Martial Venerable Realm!
However, she didn't look at Xiao Han, the Ferryman, or even the enormous Star Shepherd.
Her gaze swept calmly across the entire Gods' Graveyard, which was on the verge of collapse, her eyes like those of a king surveying his long-lost territory.
Whether it was the Ferryman wielding the Shura Yin Heart, the Star Shepherd representing the laws of the universe, or even Xiao Han, the master of the [Paradox Fortress], at this moment, they all felt an irresistible, absolute suppressive force emanating from the deepest level of life emanating from her!
Her lips parted slightly, her voice clear and cold, yet carrying an undeniable authority that resonated deep within the souls of all beings.