At this moment, Lin Ye and Ace's consciousness link reached its peak. Their thoughts were completely synchronized, sharing all perceptions and power. Even more astonishingly, a familiar voice suddenly rang clearly in their minds:
"I can see you now! Keep going!"
It was Luffy's voice—not a vague echo anymore, but a call filled with vitality and hope, as though he were right within reach.
"Luffy!" Ace cried excitedly, sensing his younger brother's presence more clearly than ever before.
That momentary distraction gave one of the Five Elders an opportunity. He violently broke free from Lin Ye's energy restraints, though his body was clearly less agile than before, with parts of it already becoming physical. Ace caught the change and immediately unleashed a full-powered attack:
"Flame Emperor • Red Lotus!"
A massive flaming lotus bloomed from Ace's palm and struck the Five Elder directly. This time, the attack truly inflicted damage. Flames devoured part of his materialized body, drawing a pained howl from him.
"We have to complete the ritual immediately!" Lin Ye shouted, pulling Ace swiftly back to the center of the altar. Standing on either side of the purple pillar of light, they stretched out their hands according to the positions indicated by the Star Map and touched the nodes of the energy network.
"Now!"
At their touch, all seven keys let out a deafening resonance. Seven beams of different colors shot from the keys and converged into the central pillar. The pillar's color began to change, shifting from pure purple into a rainbow spectrum containing seven colors.
The ritual officially began. Energy flowed across the altar, forming a perfect cycle. Yet just as Lin Ye immersed himself in the operation of the ritual, he suddenly discovered a crucial detail—the description in the ancient records was incomplete.
Through direct