Huang Liang was by no means a coward.
Although he and Hong Kui had a close relationship, especially after entering Alaska, they became inseparable brothers. However, they could distinguish between the greater good and personal matters. This bond was not strong enough for him to abandon his freedom and gamble with the fate of all humanity.
He glanced at Hong Kui one last time.
Hong Kui seemed to have guessed what he wanted to do. At first, his eyes were filled with confusion and incomprehension, but then he suddenly realized. He seemed to understand Huang Liang's thoughts and difficulties, and responded with an encouraging smile.
Huang Liang froze. Even if Hong Kui had shown a hint of anger or hatred in his eyes, he would have understood and still drawn his sword without hesitation. But Hong Kui showed no resentment whatsoever; instead, he was encouraging him. This made it hard for Huang Liang to bring himself to do it. The smile on Hong Kui's face was like a dull knife, piercing Huang Liang's heart and cutting back and forth.
In that moment of hesitation, he missed his best opportunity. Itjenetjer sensed the killing intent emanating from him and understood what he was about to do; his Mental Power surged forth like a torrent.
Huang Liang felt as if hundreds of ropes were binding him, tightening more and more, as if he had been thrown into an abyss, the immense water pressure threatening to crush his bones and heart.
He had to use all his Mental Power to resist, and he was no longer able to draw his knife. The invisible scalpel gradually disappeared from his palm.
He knew that Itjenetjer hadn't used its full strength; otherwise, his consciousness would probably have been annihilated by now. Itjenetjer's own Mental Power, combined with the power introduced by the Soul of Ice, was truly terrifying.
He heard Itjenetjer's cold laugh, "I will not allow you to ruin my plans. You foolish humans!"
Not far away, Horemheb sighed, a sigh that echoed with the vicissitudes of thousands of years.
"We lost after all..." he said.
Itjenetjer said, "I told you long ago that you couldn't win. Gaia is watching from heaven, and your god— Unabu —is long dead!"
Horemheb asked, "There's something I don't quite understand. Each relic is imbued with spiritual qualities. Without the bloodline of the Son of Tuoxiao, how did you activate the Sacred Land of Fire? And you only possess half a Soul of Fire."
"Old man, you're outdated!" Itjenetjer laughed heartily, seemingly forgetting that he himself was an old man. "You should learn about the new terms of this era. What we call 'bloodline' is a really crude word. Now, they call it 'genes.' And genes can be modified. The so-called match between spiritual traits and bloodline is most likely the match between consciousness characteristics and physical genes. In the previous civilization, your ancestors, in the time of Itza, should have already fully mastered the ability to modify human genes."
Horemheb nodded. "That's probably why Gaia is determined to exterminate humanity!"
Itjenetjer said, "The advanced nature of human civilization and its spread throughout the universe will only accelerate the heat death of the universe. Gaia is merely making amends for a mistake it once made."
"Heh, even the omnipotent Gaia can make mistakes?" Horemheb sneered.
"Say what you will, it doesn't matter." Itjenetjer stretched out its withered claws and stroked the crystalline Soul of Ice. "As long as the Holy Land of Ice is activated, Earth's Mental Power Field will be rebuilt, Gaia will descend, and you will all disappear from the history of the Milky Way. In the long course of cosmic evolution, your history is so short as to be negligible. It's as if... you... never existed at all!"
Horemheb sighed, glanced at Huang Liang and Hong Kui, and asked, "Since genes can be modified, why did you insist on choosing this little wolf?"
Itjenetjer shook his head and said, " The Holy Land of Ice is at the extreme point, the hub for constructing the Mental Power Field. It must be accurate and cannot deviate. Moreover, Chayak's bloodline has withered away, leaving only this one wolf cub that meets the requirements. Without enough samples, it will be very difficult to perform gene replication and modification."
"Then how did you find Tuoxiao's genes?" Horemheb asked.
Itjenetjer laughed heartily, "That's thanks to the Pharaoh's lovers back then. Did you think you were the only one left after Tutankhaten died? The Amenhotep Family were naturally lustful, fathering many illegitimate children, even the young Tutankhaten was no exception. Their descendants are scattered among various races all over the world. Ronald Cohen spent more than ten years searching for clues in gene banks around the globe, gathering the closest individuals for modification, and placing them on a naval warship."
Do you even know what a warship is, my great general? Hahaha, poor Horemheb... You have no idea about this world! You don't know what kind of people you're risking your life to protect, or what they're doing!
"Do you really know that much?" Horemheb retorted.
Itjenetjer said, "Why should I bother understanding an object I am about to destroy?"
Horemheb said, "I firmly believe that humanity, having endured so much suffering, will not be easily destroyed. Even if we ultimately disappear into the vast universe, that is our own destiny, not yours, not your Gaia! The universe has its own laws, greater than your Gaia!"
After he finished speaking, he suddenly sprang up, and the half of the Soul of Fire on the ground also flew up and was grabbed by his withered hand.
The Soul of Fire burst forth with a ball of flame, which quickly traveled up Horemheb's arm and soon ignited his entire body.
He turned into a fireball and exploded with a bang.
A wave of heat swept across the land.
"Court death!"
Itjenetjer Ay was forced back several steps by the heatwave, but the natural icy landscape helped to neutralize most of the flames, Horemheb's self-destruction did not cause any substantial damage to Itjenetjer.
"I'll freeze your body into ice!" Itjenetjer roared, "So you'll float forever in the dark starry sky, soulless, thoughtless, nothing at all! And your consciousness will return to Gaia. In Gaia's great consciousness, you'll live forever, watching your own corpse drift in the crevices between the spiral arms of the Milky Way!"
With a wave of his hand, he conjured a curtain of ice, which surged toward Horemheb.
The flames died down, and Horemheb collapsed to the ground, a bitter smile on his face. The Soul of Fire returned to the ice, reflecting a faint red light.
Itjenetjer noticed the seemingly desperate yet somewhat relieved expression on Horemheb's face, especially that inappropriate smile, and felt something was off. Suddenly realizing what was happening, he turned to look at Huang Liang.
Horemheb's suicidal attack just now wasn't intended to harm Itjenetjer at all; it was to buy Huang Liang an opportunity.
Just as Itjenetjer took those two steps back, Huang Liang suddenly felt the pressure ease.
Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand and gently stroked Hong Kui's forehead, looking into his eyes. In that instant when their eyes met, an invisible scalpel was imprinted into Hong Kui's mind.
Huang Liang felt as if a mountain had been lodged in his heart, squeezing his chest.
Tears blurred his vision, streamed down his cheeks, and then froze in the air.
In a daze, he saw a snow-capped mountain ahead, with a white wolf standing on the cliff. The wolf gave him one last look, then turned and left, disappearing into the vast snowstorm...