The heavy, ancient metal gate was slowly pushed open. As it moved, the deafening rumble seemed to come from the abyss of ancient spacetime. Once the gate opened, the scene inside the sacrificial hall fell into Hao Ren's view.
There were no hideous "monsters" inside, nor a dozen Saints charging at them in madness. Yet the things in the hall were more dangerous than all of those combined—
A huge rune array was still operating in the sacrificial hall. Countless glittering, mysterious symbols drifted slowly across the floor and through the air, filled with such immense energy that they seemed ready to erupt at any moment. At the focal point of the rune array's energy, a pitch-black longsword floated in midair. Its material was as dark and profound as the universe itself, while brilliant points of light, like stars, were "inlaid" across its blade.
The black longsword floated weightlessly, supported by the rune array, like a rift leading into the depths of the universe. Several meters above it, a massive mass of dark energy was taking shape and expanding. It was black as ink, shaped like a dark pool whose surface rippled endlessly. Already more than ten meters wide, it continued to grow. The liquid-like mass twisted, surged, and changed shape without pause. Its movements resembled a beating heart, as though something terrifying were about to break free from its womb. It pulsed with force—thump, thump...
"...Terminal, call the warship. We may need some technical support."
"Nolan is already connected. I'm transferring her into this space through transdimensional displacement, but this may destabilize the Corpus Space..."
"What's in front of us is already the most unstable thing in the world—bring her in immediately!"
"Transdimensional displacement in progress. The warship will arrive in five minutes." Blue light rippled across the surface