Three years after the light of the Lighthouse of the End stabilized at the Bottom of the Void, the Co-Prosperity Zone ushered in a rare period of peace. The spiraling light of the new Anchor Chains slowly flowed across the star map, and the interwoven gold and black energy nourished the surrounding Star Domain, even calming the spatial fluctuations of the Critical Star Domain. Xiao Yan often sat under the Tree of Chaos, watching Xiao He and cultivators of various races practice the new balancing technique, occasionally offering a few pointers. Time seemed to have slowed down for him.
The signs of the calm being broken were initially so subtle as to be almost ignored.
When the Star Patrollers was inspecting the Cross-Dimensional Teleportation Array, they discovered a set of abnormal data: the refractive index of the space around the teleportation array was 0.3 units higher than the normal value. Even more strangely, the monitoring instrument recorded a "frequency" that had never been heard before—it did not belong to any known civilization, nor did it resemble the Power of Forgetting of the Bottom of the Void. It was a sharp fluctuation like the friction of glass, hidden in the gaps of space.
"It's not a spatial storm." When Xiao Yan received the data, the Power of Chaos at his fingertips suddenly stung slightly. "This frequency is 'resonating,' like... gnawing at the boundary wall."
He immediately led Qing He and the Star Patrollers leader to the teleportation array. The energy crystal at the array's core was covered with fine cracks, from which a very faint gray mist seeped out. When the mist came into contact with the air, it distorted the surrounding light—a floating maintenance tool gradually became transparent in the mist and eventually disappeared completely, leaving not even a trace of energy behind.
"Gone... as if it never existed." The Star Patrollers leader's blue light flickered violently. "More thorough than oblivion at the Bottom of the Void! Oblivion at least leaves a trace of 'being forgotten,' but this... directly erases the 'qualification to exist'!"
Qing He's longsword slashed through the mist, but only struck nothingness. The sharp frequency within the mist suddenly intensified, piercing the sea of consciousness with pain. A violent tremor came from the direction of the Tree of Chaos, as if sensing a threat from the same source.
"Back to the Co-Prosperity Zone!" Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically. "This isn't targeting the teleportation array; it's aimed at the Tree of Chaos!"
When they returned, the leaves of the Tree of Chaos were withering at a visible rate. Not from the dimming caused by the Power of Forgetting, but from the edges turning into gray powder, drifting in the wind. Even the Tree Spirit's thoughts became fragmented. "It's... the World Devourers... the 'lawful resentment' of the Hyperdimensional Interstice... they're... devouring the boundary walls..."
Before the words were finished, the protective shield of the Co-Prosperity Zone suddenly emitted a piercing cracking sound. On the northeastern boundary wall, a crack that stretched for a hundred miles appeared. There was no darkness of the Bottom of the Void within the crack, only rolling gray mist. Within the mist, countless tiny, insect-like shadows could be vaguely seen wriggling. With each wriggle, the crack widened a little.
"Those are the World Devourers?" Xiao He gripped the Chaos Branch tightly, its leaves trembling with fear. "They... don't have a fixed form?"
"They are not 'living beings,' but aggregates of resentment." Xiao Yan's voice was icy, Power of Chaos formed a gray-gold barrier around him. "In the Hyperdimensional Interstice, countless remnants of destroyed dimensional laws have condensed into them amidst 'resentment' and 'hatred.' They feed by devouring intact boundary walls; the more stable the boundary wall and the more complete the laws, the more excited they become."
From within the gray mist, a "hand" composed of countless tiny shadows reached out and grasped the edge of the protective shield. The moment they made contact, the shield melted rapidly, as if corroded by strong acid, revealing the terrified creatures behind it. With a gentle squeeze, the "hand" turned several cultivators who couldn't dodge in time into gray powder, without even a scream.
"Attack ineffective!" Meng Ke's crimson energy slammed into the gray mist, only to be completely absorbed without even causing a ripple. "They can devour all energy!"
Xiao Yan leaped into the air, his longsword sweeping horizontally, the Power of Chaos transforming into a blade of light that cleaved the crack. The blade of light cut into the gray mist, and the tiny shadows emitted sharp screechs as they were torn to pieces. But strangely, after the fragments landed, they reformed, even becoming more numerous than before.
"They're absorbing the Power of Chaos!" Xiao Yan's heart sank. This was something he had never encountered before— the Power of Chaos was always a "neutralizing agent" for the laws, but now it had become the opponent's "nourishment."
The fog within the cracks grew thicker, and more World Devourers surged out, flooding the gaps in the protective shield like a tide. Wherever they passed, buildings, living beings, and even light turned to dust. The Light of Faith in the Co-Prosperity Zone flickered violently in the fog, but it was like a candle in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
"Retreat to the vicinity of the Tree of Chaos!" Xiao Yan shouted, his longsword drawing a circular shield in front of him to temporarily block the World Devourers ' attacks. "Only the Tree Spirit's essence can temporarily suppress them!"
Creatures of all races quickly gathered towards the Tree of Chaos. Qing He and Meng Ke led the cultivators to form a defensive line, using the Light of Faith and the Power of Destruction to construct the final barrier. Xiao He distributed fragments of the Tree of Chaos's fruit to everyone. The light from the fragments could temporarily deter the World Devourers, but could not cause any substantial damage.
Standing at the forefront, Xiao Yan sensed the aura emanating from the World Devourers, a power rooted in "destructive resentment," and suddenly understood their weakness. "They devour laws, but they cannot digest 'beliefs'!"
He raised his longsword high, merging his own Power of Chaos with the light of the Co-Prosperity Zone's Light of Faith, unleashing a gray-gold pillar of light that pierced the heavens and earth. "All living beings, hold fast to your convictions! Think of why we fight, think of the existence of the Co-Prosperity Zone! This power, they cannot swallow!"
Where the beam of light passed, the gray mist churned violently, and the shadows of the World Devourers shrieked in agony, like burning paper. But from the depths of the rift came an even more terrifying tremor, as if an even larger being was peering greedily through the crack at this starry sky filled with "complete laws".
Xiao Yan gripped his longsword tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. He knew that these were just the vanguard; the true main force of the World Devourers were still on the other side of the Hyperdimensional Interstice, waiting for the moment when the boundary wall would completely shatter.
This time, however, they faced a collective of resentment from the ruins of the multiverse, capable of devouring even the Power of Chaos.
The battle has only just begun.