The crystal particles dispersed on the ground seemed to slow down somewhat.
Jiang Jianming looked up and glanced at the distant starry sky. He still couldn’t see the imperial starship. He wondered if the crystal-like creatures outside had also dissipated and perished…
He endured the intense pain throughout his body and walked forward with uneven steps.
The huge white light cave loomed in his vision, alternating between clarity and blurriness, and at one moment merged with the mass grave of crystal disorder patients deep in his memory.
The darkest memories rushed in. Jiang Jianming collapsed to the ground, powerless, then gritted his teeth and stood up again.
He had a splitting headache, pressed his temple, and gasped, realizing that crystal particles were still imperceptibly affecting his consciousness.
This meant…
The mother nucleus consciousness had not completely vanished?
Looking on the bright side, the crystal particle annihilation cannon had caused significant damage to the Crystal Nest, as evidenced by the fact that no attack had yet fallen on him – a fragile, disabled human who could be crushed with a single squeeze.
But looking at it pessimistically, Ryann’s part of the crystal particle deconstruction had also been severely damaged and rendered powerless. The racial consciousness in the Crystal Nest’s mother nucleus still existed, and things could change at any moment – it was not yet time to relax.
His ring finger was slightly warm. Jiang Jianming rubbed the ring with his pale lips and rasped: “Seen you, know you’re here. Being here is good… save your strength.”
Since witnessing Ryann’s transformations, Jiang Jianming had discovered that his tolerance for his lover’s appearance had increased dramatically.
Species issues were no longer a concern. As long as it was still that person…
No, even if only a head remained, it would be fine. Even without any human organs, he wouldn’t mind.
If only a tiny bit of crystallization remained, he would nurture it in the ring, wear it on his finger daily, and touch it idly.
Thinking this, a soft expression flickered at the corners of Jiang Jianming’s eyes, as if he could squeeze out new strength from his dried-up body.
This was the final stretch of the final battle…
With a trembling hand, he supported himself on the cave’s inner wall. Jiang Jianming saw his pale reflection on the crystal surface covered with cracks.
After losing Ryann’s protection, his physical strength had weakened considerably. He paused to catch his breath, then looked deeper into the cave.
Finally, Jiang Jianming saw the true form of the Crystal Nest’s mother nucleus with his own eyes.
It was like a crystal sphere resembling a heart, covered with cracks and lusterless.
Crystallization like a spider web suspended the mother nucleus in the center. Strange light patterns flickered continuously, now slightly trembling as the disabled human approached.
Jiang Jianming stood straight and weakly looked up with a smile. “Indeed, not dead yet.”
…For the Crystal Nest’s mother nucleus, this smile was presumably no less intimidating than the Grim Reaper’s.
Jiang Jianming, entirely unaware, took a step inside and called out, “Archbishop Gauis, are you here?”
Responding to him was the crystal particles’ mental contamination. An invisible and sharp force struck him like a massive wave, drilling into his five senses like venomous insects.
“Ugh…!”
Jiang Jianming’s pupils slightly contracted. He bit down, suppressing a painful groan, and endured the pressure to take another step forward.
It was too noisy. It seemed countless gazes watched him from above and below, with countless tiny voices speaking around him.
“Hehe, useless disabled human.”
“Despicable creature…”
“A parasite hiding in shadows, a vampire only alive by clinging to a lover.”
“You should have died long ago. Die, die…”
Jiang Jianming irritably shook his head. He considered his will not particularly fragile, but he had experienced too many distressing events. Being stimulated like this repeatedly made those unbearable memories crawl up and tear at his heart.
But… that was all.
This mental interference could not stop his forward steps.
“Aslan.”
Gauis’ voice came from an ethereal place. “Dawn… Aslan…”
Suddenly, a petite figure stood before the Crystal Nest’s mother nucleus.
She was a barefoot white-haired girl, placing one hand over her heart, with waveless azure eyes.
Jiang Jianming’s nerves jumped. Bishop of Death Margaret?
No, he bit his tongue tip to calm down. The Bishop of Death was already dead. This was… a hallucination?
“Stop,” Margaret spoke, her eyes unblinking, as crystal bones extended from her back. “Aslan.”
“Your body and spirit have reached their limit. Even if the Crystal Nest has lost its attack capability, the crystal particle concentration here is enough to kill your body.”
As if to prove this statement, the disabled human suddenly swayed.
“…” Jiang Jianming’s gaze dispersed as he pressed his chest. His heart beat faster and faster, that weakened organ continuously striking his ribs, bringing a suffocating pain.
Cold sweat instantly drenched his clothing. Jiang Jianming’s lips were pale as paper. He narrowed his eyes and estimated the distance. Still… approximately ten steps away…
Normally, even when severely ill, ten steps would be nothing. He would have crawled if necessary.
But now, crystal particles were ruthlessly tormenting his spirit. His limbs were stiff, his brain like a rusted, immovable gear. Though his mind wanted to move forward, his torso was heavy as lead, and moving even slightly was harder than moving a mountain.
Thousands of crystal bones erupted from the Bishop of Death’s back. Margaret spoke word by word. “If you do not stop, you and your lover will die.”
As her words fell, the crystal bones tore through the void, piercing toward the defenseless disabled human.
In a flash, death’s shadow pressed with tremendous force on his internal organs. The survival instinct became sharp as a needle, screaming for this weak human to turn and flee—
“All things will ultimately die.”
Jiang Jianming closed his eyes, tilted his neck back, and whispered with a breath almost gone. “Death gives life meaning. We do not fear it.”
One step forward, and the terrifying crystal bones, the white-haired girl, and the chilling death shadow all vanished.
“Then why not accept the destruction that will inevitably come.”
Before his eyes wavered, Su replaced Margaret. The black-robed man transformed into a phantom and whispered in his ear. “All things die. The universe’s end is infinite silence. Only by embracing destruction, returning to death, can one embrace infinite peace and truth… isn’t that so?”
Nine, eight… Jiang Jianming counted his steps, his voice raspy. “Quite right. Since destruction and silence are ultimate bliss, perhaps let the crystal particles proceed first.”
Seemingly unprepared for such a response, cracks of turbulence appeared on the Bishop of Destruction’s face, collapsing like scattered sand.
Seven.
Suddenly, Jiang Jianming held his trembling breath. He saw the crystal particles around the mother nucleus begin to mutate. They made a soft crackling sound, gradually growing sharp crystalline structures toward the center!
This was not an illusion. The crystal particles were gathering strength, trying to protect the mother nucleus!
A flash of ruthlessness crossed Jiang Jianming’s eyes. The knuckles of his fingers supporting himself on the cave’s crystal wall protruded. He had to walk over and reach the mother nucleus before the crystal particles could engulf it…
He was just a disabled human without crystal bones. Once the barrier formed, he would never be able to touch the mother nucleus!
His vision blurred suddenly, and a large expanse of golden roses bloomed, with moonlight like water.
Bishop of Chaos Laurent, wearing the imperial prime minister’s attire, twirled a golden rose and stood elegantly in the white jade palace’s courtyard.
“Commander Aslan,” Laurent’s expression was sorrowful, “Give up. Your will cannot overcome the universe’s rules.”
Gerhard Laurent… After encountering two bishops, Jiang Jianming was unsurprised by Chaos’s appearance, though his expression darkened slightly.
During the founding war, Laurent was the first to lead a group of old nobles in surrender. As a commander with real power, he had naturally met Laurent several times.
Back then, he had vaguely thought this person was talented and courageous. If cultivated, he might have been a capable official. Unfortunately, after the founding, his body was completely ruined, and he had to abandon that idea.
Who would have thought that their next meeting would find them on completely opposite paths.
He had personally beheaded Laurent with his base body.
“Human history is nothing but repeating mistakes, over and over. We cannot reach paradise, we cannot find happiness.”
The Bishop of Chaos spread his fingers. A golden rose slowly fell, slowly withering, “Look, the empire you’ve devoted your heart and soul to will eventually, like a decaying flower, welcome a day of rotting and stench.”
Putrid blood spread from where the rose fell, seemingly about to flood the white jade palace.
Scenes of darkness from the old empire flashed at this moment. The flag that had been fluttering in the bloodshed now transformed into the new empire’s style.
Jiang Jianming remained unmoved, his military boots stepping through the blood in the illusion, continuing forward.
Six.
Six more steps and he would be within reach. The crystals around the mother nucleus grew sharp, its edges already submerged, about to form a protective crystal cluster.
“Our race is the same, Commander. Humans cannot save themselves. They only accumulate more bloodshed, more sins, more suffering over long periods of time… until one day, they pathetically and pitifully step onto the path of death.”
“What meaning is there in that?” Laurent spread his hands, his gaze burning, “Commander, don’t you like… to leave cleanly?”
