Lin Xiaohe was practically dizzy from the Supreme Lord’s words.
The me of now, the me of before—it was all so mind-boggling.
“I am Lin Xiaohe.”
Not Wood, not Number 741, not that version of Lin Xiaohe suffering from the Soulless Syndrome.
Those might have been her past lives, but the one standing here right now, the one who possessed humanity’s only sacred ground, the one who was the shared master of Little Black and the Stardust Mutant Plants—that person was her! Lin Xiaohe from Blue Star, Huaxia!
Seeing that Lin Xiaohe refused to budge an inch, the Supreme Lord simply sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to rest.
Their current situation was simple: neither could kill the other.
Lin Xiaohe couldn’t let him go, and he wasn’t about to give up on her body either.
In short, it was a waiting game—whoever outlasted the other would win.
The Supreme Lord mused to himself: he had cultivated immortality for so many years; patience was something he had in abundance.
Lin Xiaohe couldn’t be bothered with him. After all, the meat was already in her mouth—one day, she’d swallow him whole.
She patted Little Black’s carapace, signaling it to rest, and turned her attention to observing the crystal skulls suspended in the sky above.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that these crystal skulls were overly trusting and unusually warm toward her.
“Do I… know you?”
The moment the words left her mouth, the crystal skulls froze for a beat—and then, as if overcome with frenzy, they surged toward her with all their might.
Lin Xiaohe’s gaze darkened. It seemed there truly was a deep connection—she just didn’t know which civilization’s incarnation of herself it involved.
“Little Black, let’s go take a look.”
She mounted Little Black and flew toward the crystal skulls.
The skulls, suppressing their excitement, parted to the sides, clearing a path for her.
A thin, wispy white mist hung in the air around them. It had no distinct odor, and when she reached out to touch it, it felt faintly cool against her skin.
As they flew higher, the mist grew thicker and thicker, like a bowl of dense porridge.
Lin Xiaohe sniffed the air and caught a faint metallic scent, mixed with a subtle, almost imperceptible earthy smell.
Little Black’s speed slowed. Its wings beat more slowly, and its two antennae trembled slightly.
“Xiaohe… I can’t fly anymore.”
It felt as though it wasn’t soaring through the sky, but wading through a muddy swamp. Its body was unbearably heavy, and every movement drained every ounce of its strength.
From within her body, the Supreme Lord gave a cold snort. “It’s useless. There’s nothing up there.”
He had been trapped here for so long that he’d already explored every place he could reach—and found nothing.
As for why these crystal skulls were so enthusiastic toward Lin Xiaohe—well, that was because most of them had been brought over from the cultivation world by her!
Back then, that version of Lin Xiaohe with Soulless Syndrome had used a scroll to absorb the souls of the dead from various immortal cultivation civilizations. Using some mysterious power as her brush, she had painted them onto the scroll.
No one knew when or how that scroll had entered the Fallen Land of the Supreme Gods, or how it had transformed into what it was today.
The Supreme Lord curled his lip in disdain. No matter how much this scroll changed, its foundation was still just an A-rank divine artifact—its potential was limited. Even if Lin Xiaohe managed to subdue it again, it would be a waste of time and energy.
Lin Xiaohe sighed quietly, patted Little Black, and prepared to descend.
But then, as if sensing her intention, the crystal skulls darted beneath Little Black and began pushing it upward with all their strength.
This…
The crystal skulls’ defensive power was far inferior to Little Black’s. The higher they flew, the more the almost-solid white mist pressed down on them with crushing force.
Crack.
A crystal skull beneath Little Black developed a fissure—it was about to split in two.
It stopped in place, and the skulls behind it took over.
At first, a single crystal skull could push Little Black and Lin Xiaohe up by about a meter.
Then, a skull could only manage half a meter… then thirty centimeters… then ten…
But the crystal skulls were unwavering. One after another, they pushed forward, refusing to give up until their goal was reached.
Lin Xiaohe turned her head to look down. The shattered crystal skulls remained where they were, frozen in place. From above, they looked like a crystalline staircase ascending to the heavens!
The thick white mist streamed through the cracked skulls’ mouths and hollow eye sockets. Within just two or three seconds, each skull crumbled into a pile of fine powder and dissolved into the mist.
The remaining intact skulls seemed desperate, taking over faster and faster.
Lin Xiaohe did a quick count—out of over ten thousand crystal skulls, fewer than a hundred were left!
Little Black huffed and puffed, flapping its wings furiously. A layer of white frost had even formed on its crimson carapace.
Fly! Fly faster!
The Supreme Lord remained seated in the cage within Lin Xiaohe’s body, his expression calm, cold, and contemptuous.
Even he couldn’t escape this place. Lin Xiaohe was merely a mortal—even if she was the Chosen One, there was no way she could leave!
“Lin Xiaohe, just give me your body. Your soul power doesn’t match this vessel. Only I can unlock its full potential—only then might we have a chance of getting out of here.”
“Your consciousness will fade, yes, but your body will live on. Isn’t that better than total annihilation—than your soul scattering to the winds?”
Lin Xiaohe clenched her fists, her eyes fixed on the very last skull. Her gaze was red-rimmed, and through gritted teeth, she spat a single word at the Supreme Lord:
“Scram!”
The final crystal skull was exquisite—perfectly crafted, with flowing patterns and fine lines that looked like the careful handiwork of the Creator himself. Every inch of it was beautiful.
It pushed hard against Little Black, driving it upward—higher and higher!
Around it, the white mist slowly condensed into a humanoid figure.
The Supreme Lord, still refusing to give up, saw him and raised an eyebrow. “It’s you?”
His brows softened just slightly, and a trace of barely perceptible emotion crept into his voice: “My good disciple… you didn’t have to go this far for your master.”
Lin Xiaohe asked, “Who is he?”
The Supreme Lord puffed up with pride. “My direct disciple—Xu Guang.”
Of his five direct disciples, Xu Guang was one of only two locals. He had always been quiet and reserved, like a plodding ox. His talent was mediocre at best—the weakest among his martial brothers—and he had never earned the Supreme Lord’s favor.
And yet, he turned out to be a man of such sincere devotion.
The Supreme Lord boasted to Lin Xiaohe, “See that? How much respect I command! Some people die, and that’s it. But others—they live on in the hearts of billions! Lin Xiaohe, if only one of us can survive, I am the one who deserves to live. I hold far more value—far more alignment with the people’s will!”
Lin Xiaohe split her attention—half-listening to the Supreme Lord’s rambling, half-fixing her gaze on the white figure.
The figure’s mouth was moving, as if trying to say something.
Lin Xiaohe stared for a long while before finally making it out: “You want to thank me for saving your life? You see me as humanity’s hope, and you want me to keep going?”
The white figure forced out a stiff smile, and its pale, misty eyes actually shimmered with sincerity.
Lin Xiaohe was deeply moved and swore solemnly, “Don’t worry—I’ll give it everything I’ve got!”
Having received her promise, the white figure melded into a giant fist—and with one mighty punch, sent Little Black flying!
Lin Xiaohe shot upward like a rocket, breaking through the final barrier. Carried by momentum, she tumbled and rolled several times before coming to a stop.
“Cough, cough, cough.” She spat out the dust in her mouth and looked around. She found herself in a cave—walls, floor, and ceiling all made of packed earth.
Sigh.
She picked up a small stone from the ground. “Supreme Lord, if one of us has to die, it should be you. After all, the people’s hearts are with me—even your own direct disciple chose to help me!”
Hmph! The Supreme Lord fell into sullen silence.
Lin Xiaohe hummed softly: “In the little garden, dig and dig and dig…“
