Cracks rapidly spread across the Fertile Elemental Soil, and with a bang, it shattered completely.
At the instant it broke apart, the spreading golden light enveloped Chen Rui. Remembering Moore's words, Chen Rui neither dodged nor resisted, allowing the golden light to sink into his body.
Though the Fertile Elemental Soil had shattered, it had not vanished entirely. The fragments instantly absorbed a great quantity of earth, forming a door in midair. To outsiders, that door appeared transparent, with nothing but a frame visible. Only Chen Rui could sense the endless, peculiar aura contained beyond it. His soul seemed to be summoned by the space behind the door—or, more precisely, the golden light within him was being summoned: the life force and soul power Moore had left behind at the end. However, the power's effect was limited. He had to enter quickly, or it would cease to work.
"Chen Rui!" Athena's voice sounded behind him.
When Chen Rui turned around, he saw Athena's gaze. A thousand unspoken words had gathered into one simple concern.
"Come back safely with Lola." Athena gently stroked her belly, then looked at everyone around her. "We'll be waiting for you."
"Mm." Chen Rui nodded. Golden light flickered around him as he flew toward the "door" in the void. His body gradually became translucent, and he soon vanished from sight.
After Chen Rui entered, the door began to collapse rapidly.
Amid a flash of light, Ben Hong's figure appeared on the opposite side. She had already passed through the door at high speed, but unfortunately, she had merely "passed through"—she could not "enter."
Just as she had anticipated, the elemental plane rejected all power other than elemental power, while the energy of the Fertile Elemental Soil was only enough to send Chen Rui alone.
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