Not Alone

Shen Nanxun's consciousness sank into an endless, boundless darkness.

Pain. It had been far too long, so long that he could no longer distinguish whether the excruciating agony that crushed his bones and tore at his soul was real or merely a remnant of his memory.

He wanted to move a finger, but even that thought was swallowed by the darkness. Yet, in the midst of this deathly silence and void, a ray of light suddenly descended.

Deep within his consciousness, the purple-black cocoon enveloping Shen Nanxun cracked. Golden, nine-colored, and purple-black lights intertwined, lifting his consciousness as it slowly floated upward.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, Qian Renxue stood upon a golden branch, her hands gripping her skirt tightly, her pale purple eyes fixed unblinkingly on the slowly dissipating purple-black halo. The light of the ancient golden tree behind her was far dimmer than usual, but she paid it no mind, staring only into the depths of that purple-black void.

She saw a faint, extremely faint wisp of golden consciousness emerge from the purple-black halo. That wisp of consciousness was still very weak, but it was undoubtedly him.

"Sister Xue." Shen Nanxun's consciousness condensed into form. His voice was hoarse, but a heartfelt smile hung at the corners of his mouth. "That was you helping me just now, wasn't it?"

Qian Renxue's fingers, which had been clutching her skirt, suddenly relaxed, and she leaned against the tree trunk as if all her strength had been drained away. Yet, when she spoke, her voice remained as cold and arrogant as ever: "Don't flatter yourself. This Seat was merely afraid that if you died, it would hinder my grand cause of revenge. If you were to die here, who would kill their way back to the God Realm for This Seat?"

Shen Nanxun looked at her without speaking. The ancient golden tree behind her remained dim; that was the consumption of her origin divine power. She spoke with such nonchalance, but the light drained from her origin could not lie.

"What are you looking at?" Qian Renxue turned her head away haughtily. "It was difficult enough to find someone usable; I'm not willing to let you die. This is the only time, don't expect it again. From now on, no matter the trial, carry it yourself. Also, you effectively possess the Angel Domain now. I had intended to test you for a while longer before granting it, but this timing is suitable enough."

"Understood." The curve of Shen Nanxun's mouth deepened, and he said sincerely, "Thank you, Sister Xue."

Qian Renxue opened her mouth as if to say something, then swallowed it back, finally letting out a huff through her nose.

Just then, the void of the Sea of Consciousness trembled slightly. A slender figure in purple robes stepped slowly out from the purple-black halo; with every step he took, the void beneath his feet rippled in fine, dense circles.

He no longer concealed his face, and those dark purple eyes on his sharp-featured face looked down at Shen Nanxun.

The moment Qian Renxue saw him appear, she suppressed all her expressions, folded her arms once more, and resumed her cold, reserved posture as the Angel God.

The God of Destruction's gaze returned to Shen Nanxun, the indifference of a judge in those dark purple eyes having faded by more than half.

"Shen Nanxun, in the Severing Delusions trial, you severed your obsessions; in the Extinguishing Void trial, you endured endless pain. The third trial is Inheriting the Dao. Someone called for a halt on your behalf just now; I could have refused to acknowledge it."

He paused, his tone softening slightly. "But those who stood up to call for a halt were not limited to just him. So, let it be."

He raised his right hand, and a mass of pure, purple-black origin divine power ignited in his palm.

"Today, This Seat shall officially pass the Destruction Origin to you. This is your fifth soul ring, the Destruction God-Bestowed. Wield this annihilation to protect the common people and shatter all evil. Remember, destruction is not slaughter; it is the ending of falsehoods and the opening of a new beginning."

That mass of origin divine power flew from his palm, transforming into a heavy, brilliant purple-black soul ring that settled at Shen Nanxun's feet, rotating alongside the rings of the Angel and the Dragon Prince.

The God of Destruction looked down at him, remained silent for a long while, then reached out and patted him heavily on the head.

"You are stronger than This Seat. I have lived for tens of thousands of years and, aside from Xiao Lv, have always walked alone. You are only in your teens, yet so many people already stand behind you. This hurdle was not me going easy on you; it was you who broke through it yourself."

He withdrew his hand, turned around, and walked toward the purple-black halo. He stopped after a few steps, not looking back, his voice coming over his shoulder with a hint of a smile.

"Kid, This Seat looks forward to the day you beat all those old fogies into submission. Especially the Sea God."

Destruction never believed he was wrong about the events of the past. If Tang San had not intervened, the expansion of the God Realm could have been completed before the arrival of the space-time turbulence; otherwise, the God Realm would not have fallen into such an awkward, stagnant state.

A fully expanded God Realm would naturally have had stronger defenses and a greater ability to withstand the space-time turbulence.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the figure of the God of Destruction had dissipated into the depths of the purple-black halo, leaving only that dark purple soul ring rotating quietly at Shen Nanxun's feet. The golden, nine-colored, and purple-black lights intertwined, illuminating the entire Sea of Consciousness like the starry sky before dawn.

In the outside world, Shen Nanxun slowly opened his eyes. His face was so pale it lacked any color, but deep within his black eyes, a hint of purple was slowly receding.

Shen Yue was still standing in the same spot. The white-haired and white-bearded Minister of the Military Department maintained his posture with his hands behind his back. He said nothing, merely reaching out to pat Shen Nanxun lightly on the shoulder.

"It's good that you're alright."

Before Shen Nanxun could speak, a silvery-white figure crashed into his arms.

Na'er buried her face in his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. Her scalding tears soaked the dried bloodstains on his chest, smearing dark red traces onto her own face as well.

Shen Nanxun looked down at the cowlick on her head, which had wilted from her crying, and raised his hand to pat her back gently.

Not far away, Ye Li stood by the door frame. Her ice-blue eyes, usually gentle and smiling, were now bloodshot, and moisture pooled in the fine lines at the corners of her eyes.

Shen Xing stood beside Ye Li, her eyes already red. She viciously wiped away her tears with her sleeve, muttering to herself.

"I told you my brother had a tough life."

Yet, the tears flowed as soon as she wiped them, again and again. Shen Nanxun looked at them, with the still-trembling Na'er in his arms and the lingering warmth of his grandfather's pat on his shoulder, and suddenly bent the corners of his mouth.

The God of Destruction was right.

He was only in his teens, yet so many people already stood behind him. This hurdle was not a matter of going easy on him; it was he who had broken through it himself. But being able to break through was never something he did alone.

After a period of recuperation, Shen Nanxun's condition returned to its peak. Taking advantage of this time, he planned to make a trip to Tiandou City.

One reason was to see his father, and the other was to handle some matters. Currently, that naturally meant the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well located on the outskirts of Tiandou City.

Although that place belonged to the Tang Sect, there were no Tang Sect members guarding it; the perimeter was filled with poisonous creatures, and inside, only a few plant-type soul beasts kept watch.

He was not just going for those heavenly treasures, but also for the two Dragon Kings who had fallen there.