The moment Su Chen finished speaking, the entire First Ruin became strangely quiet.
The three ancient beings remained suspended above the shattered palace.
The crimson eye represented fear.
The blue eye represented desire.
And the darkness represented something far more terrifying—the power to erase existence itself.
Su Chen stood between them with the Heaven Slaughter Sword in his hand.
Lin Yanyan remained beside him.
Mu Xue, the Sea Sovereign, and the Pavilion Master watched carefully.
The First Master looked at Su Chen with a strange expression.
"You intend to make them fight each other."
Su Chen nodded.
"Yes."
The First Master shook his head.
"That's easier said than done."
Su Chen smiled.
"Then I'll make it happen."
The blue eye suddenly moved.
A wave of blue light swept across the First Ruin.
Everyone felt their minds shake.
The world changed.
Su Chen found himself standing in a familiar place.
His old mansion.
Everything looked exactly as he remembered it.
His parents were there.
The courtyard was peaceful.
There was no blood.
No enemies.
No cultivation.
No war.
His father sat beneath a tree, laughing.
His mother was preparing tea.
For a moment, Su Chen simply stood there.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
"Chen'er."
He slowly turned.
His father smiled at him.
"Come home."
Su Chen's heart tightened.
The blue eye's power whispered inside his mind.
"You wanted this."
"A peaceful life."
"Your family alive."
"No enemies."
"No responsibilities."
"Why continue fighting?"
Su Chen looked around.
The illusion was perfect.
Too perfect.
His father walked toward him.
"You've suffered enough."
His mother smiled.
"You don't need to become powerful."
"You don't need to carry the world."
"Stay."
Su Chen remained silent.
For several seconds, he almost believed it.
Then he noticed something.
His mother had never called him by that tone.
His father never smiled like that when he was hiding something.
The illusion was built from his memories.
But it didn't understand them.
Su Chen slowly smiled.
"Nice try."
The illusion froze.
His father's face changed.
"Why?"
"Because you only understand what I desire."
Su Chen raised his sword.
"You don't understand why I desire it."
The entire illusion cracked.
"I don't want a peaceful life because I want to escape."
"I want one because I want something worth protecting."
BOOM!
The illusion shattered.
Su Chen returned to the First Ruin.
Around him, the others were also trapped in their own visions.
Mu Xue was standing before a magnificent throne.
The Sea Sovereign was surrounded by an endless ocean filled with treasures.
The Pavilion Master stood before a peaceful palace where everyone she had lost was waiting for her.
Lin Yanyan stood alone.
Her illusion was different.
She saw Su Chen.
He stood before her.
But he was smiling at another woman.
"Yanyan."
She stared at him.
The illusionary Su Chen reached for someone else.
"She's stronger."
"She's more useful."
"You've become a burden."
Lin Yanyan's eyes trembled.
The blue energy whispered.
"Let him go."
"You deserve someone who needs you."
"Choose another path."
Lin Yanyan lowered her head.
Her hands slowly clenched.
Then she smiled.
"You still don't understand him either."
The illusion froze.
Lin Yanyan looked directly at the false Su Chen.
"If the real Su Chen ever said those words…"
Her phoenix flames ignited.
"…I'd know he wasn't himself."
The illusion shattered instantly.
Lin Yanyan returned to reality.
She looked around.
The blue eye seemed to notice her.
"You resisted."
Lin Yanyan raised her spear.
"I don't need your fantasy."
Her flames erupted.
"I already have something real."
She glanced toward Su Chen.
He looked back.
Their eyes met.
Neither needed to say anything.
The blue eye suddenly released another wave.
But this time—
The crimson eye attacked it.
BOOM!
The blue energy collided with crimson darkness.
The entire sky exploded.
Su Chen smiled.
"It worked."
The First Master looked at him.
"You manipulated their authorities."
"Fear wants desire to disappear."
Su Chen raised his sword.
"And desire wants fear to disappear."
The two ancient beings began attacking each other.
The crimson eye released waves of terrifying pressure.
The blue eye answered with endless illusions.
Every attack made the other stronger.
But neither realized what was happening.
Their powers were consuming one another.
The darkness watched silently.
Su Chen turned toward it.
"You're next."
The darkness didn't react.
The First Master immediately stopped him.
"Don't."
Su Chen looked at him.
"Why?"
"That thing isn't affected by desire or fear."
The First Master pointed toward the darkness.
"It doesn't think like the others."
Su Chen frowned.
"Then what does it want?"
The First Master stared at it.
"Nothing."
"That's impossible."
"That's why it's dangerous."
The darkness suddenly moved.
A black wave spread across the ground.
Wherever it passed, everything disappeared.
Not destroyed.
Erased.
A mountain vanished.
Then an ancient palace.
Then an entire section of the First Ruin.
The Sea Sovereign stared.
"That's not destruction."
"No," the First Master said.
"It's erasure."
The darkness continued approaching.
Su Chen raised his sword.
The Heaven Slaughter Sword began fading.
His Fourth Authority weakened.
Lin Yanyan immediately grabbed his arm.
"Su Chen."
"I know."
He looked at the darkness.
For the first time, he wasn't sure his power could stop it.
The First Master suddenly spoke.
"There is one thing it cannot erase."
Su Chen looked at him.
"What?"
"Meaning."
Su Chen frowned.
The First Master continued.
"That creature can erase matter."
"It can erase energy."
"It can erase memories."
"It can even erase laws."
"But it cannot erase something that exists because someone chooses to give it meaning."
Su Chen looked toward Lin Yanyan.
Then Mu Xue.
The Sea Sovereign.
The Pavilion Master.
He understood.
The darkness could erase individuals.
But it couldn't erase what they represented to one another.
Su Chen raised his sword again.
The golden light returned.
Not stronger.
Different.
The Fourth Authority began changing.
The golden symbol inside his soul transformed.
A new line appeared.
AUTHORITY OF CONNECTION.
The First Master stared in disbelief.
"Another authority…"
Su Chen didn't understand it completely.
But he could feel it.
The bond between him and Lin Yanyan.
The trust between him and Mu Xue.
The loyalty of the Sea Sovereign.
The faith of the Pavilion Master.
All of it became visible.
Golden threads connected them.
The darkness moved closer.
Su Chen stepped forward.
"You can erase us."
The darkness stopped.
"You can erase our power."
The golden threads brightened.
"You can erase our memories."
Lin Yanyan's flames joined the golden light.
"But you can't erase what we choose to become together."
BOOM!
The entire First Ruin exploded with golden light.
The darkness collided with it.
For several seconds, neither side moved.
Then—
The darkness began retreating.
The First Master stared.
"It worked."
Su Chen's face became pale.
He had used too much power.
Lin Yanyan immediately supported him.
"Are you okay?"
Su Chen nodded.
"Just tired."
The Sea Sovereign laughed.
"You're always saying that after doing something insane."
Mu Xue smiled.
"At least he's still standing."
The battle between the crimson and blue eyes had also stopped.
Both were wounded.
Their energies had weakened considerably.
The crimson eye stared at Su Chen.
"You have learned too quickly."
The blue eye followed.
"You shouldn't possess that authority."
Su Chen raised his head.
"Apparently, I do."
The two ancient beings suddenly stopped fighting.
Then they looked toward the darkness.
Something unexpected happened.
They began moving toward it.
The First Master immediately understood.
"No."
Su Chen frowned.
"What are they doing?"
The First Master looked terrified.
"They're merging."
The crimson eye released its remaining energy.
The blue eye did the same.
Their powers entered the darkness.
Fear.
Desire.
Erasure.
Three different authorities began combining.
The sky turned completely black.
The First Master shouted:
"Everyone, retreat!"
But it was already too late.
A gigantic figure began forming inside the darkness.
Two eyes opened.
One crimson.
One blue.
Its body was completely black.
The creature looked down at Su Chen.
For the first time, it spoke with three voices at once.
"You have forced us to awaken."
Su Chen tightened his grip.
The creature continued.
"Now we will show you…"
Its body descended.
"…why the First Dynasty was destroyed."
The entire First Ruin shook.
And behind the creature—
A fourth presence slowly awakened.
The First Master turned pale.
"There was never supposed to be a fourth."
Su Chen looked toward the darkness.
"Then what is that?"
The First Master whispered:
"The one who created them."