068 : A Race Against Eternity.

The moment Lin Tian stepped through the portal, he felt it.

A shift. A disconnection so deep it sent a shockwave through his very being.

For the first time in centuries, the System was gone.

No messages. No updates. No guidance.

Just… silence.

Lin Tian clenched his fist, feeling his own raw, unrestricted power. His cultivation remained—his Cosmic Devourer Realm still pulsed through him, more overwhelming than ever. But the Tower's framework no longer supported him.

He was completely alone.

And then—Su Yun screamed.

A sound of pure agony, echoing inside his soul.

Lin Tian's golden eyes widened. "Su Yun!"

Her voice—weak, barely holding together—whispered. "L-Lin Tian… something's wrong… I… I'm fading…"

Lin Tian's jaw clenched. "Damn it!"

He didn't need the System to tell him.

He could feel it.

Su Yun's soul was breaking.

If he didn't act fast—she would vanish.

Forever.

Lin Tian snapped his head up, scanning his surroundings.

The Realm of Forgotten Gods was unlike anything he had ever seen.

A vast, endless land of floating ruins, shattered palaces, and celestial corpses of long-dead deities. The sky was a swirling storm of black and gold, filled with ancient, broken stars.

Everything here was dead.

Or at least—it should have been.

But something was still watching him.

A presence—deep, old, and full of hunger.

Lin Tian exhaled. "No time for distractions."

He focused his senses, searching for the Divine Vessel of Creation.

And then—he felt it.

Far in the distance, beyond the ruins, a beacon of pure light pulsed faintly.

The relic was real.

And it was close.

But before he could move—something rose from the darkness.

From the shadows of the ruins, figures began to emerge.

They were not monsters.

They were gods.

Or rather—what was left of them.

Twisted beings, their bodies fractured and incomplete. Some had missing limbs, others had faces that were hollow voids, their divine energy corrupted by the passage of eternity.

And all of them—locked onto Lin Tian.

Then, they spoke.

"Devourer…"

Lin Tian raised an eyebrow. "You know me?"

The gods stepped closer, their voices layered, filled with resentment.

"You have taken the Tower… now you seek the last relic?"

Lin Tian's golden eyes flickered. "If you know who I am, then you know nothing you do will stop me."

The air cracked as their divine energy surged.

The ruins trembled.

And then—they attacked.

The first god moved faster than light.

One moment it stood still—the next, its blade was already swinging toward Lin Tian's neck.

But Lin Tian?

He didn't dodge.

He raised a single hand, catching the blade between his fingers.

The god froze.

Lin Tian smirked. "Too slow."

Then—he shattered the blade with a flick of his wrist.

Before the god could react, Lin Tian drove his fist forward, smashing straight through its divine core.

The god let out a strangled gasp—

Then erased from existence.

The others hesitated.

For the first time, in countless ages—they felt fear.

Lin Tian exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

"Who's next?"

One by one, the Forgotten Gods fell.

Lin Tian tore through them, devouring their corrupted divine essence, growing stronger with each kill.

But he wasn't doing this for power.

He didn't care about gods.

He only cared about one thing.

And as the last god collapsed into dust, Lin Tian turned toward the relic's location.

Su Yun's voice—**barely a whisper now—**called out to him.

"Lin Tian… I can't… hold on…"

Lin Tian's heart tightened.

There was no more time.

He vanished in a blur of speed, racing toward the relic.

Because if he was even a second too late—

Su Yun would die forever.

And that…

Was the one thing he would never allow.

The world around Lin Tian blurred into streaks of gold and black as he moved.

He was beyond speed. Beyond space.

Every step tore through reality, shattering the air behind him as he pushed himself to limits no being should ever reach.

And yet—it still wasn't fast enough.

Su Yun's voice—**so weak now, barely even there—**whispered in his mind.

"Lin… Tian… it's… getting dark…"

Lin Tian's heart pounded.

He could feel it.

Her soul, the last piece of her that remained, was flickering like a dying star.

If he didn't reach the relic now, she would be gone.

Forever.

And that… was unacceptable.

Then—he saw it.

The Divine Vessel of Creation.

A monolithic structure, floating above a shattered divine temple. A sphere of pure white light, pulsing with an energy that felt like the birth of a universe.

This was it.

The key to bringing Su Yun back.

Lin Tian lunged toward it—

And then—the final guardian appeared.

A blinding light erupted before him, forcing Lin Tian to stop.

For the first time, something had blocked his path.

And standing before him—was a god unlike any before.

Not broken. Not corrupted.

But perfect.

A being of pure creation energy, draped in robes of flowing stars, its face obscured by shifting light.

And in its hands—a divine spear.

The being spoke, its voice calm but absolute.

"You do not belong here."

Lin Tian exhaled, golden eyes narrowing. "Not this again."

The guardian raised its spear.

"The Divine Vessel cannot be touched by one who devours. Leave, or be unmade."

Lin Tian smirked. "Unmade? You can try."

Without hesitation—he attacked.

The moment their fists met, the sky exploded.

The entire Realm of Forgotten Gods trembled, cracks spreading across the endless void.

Lin Tian's punch met the divine spear, the sheer force of their clash sending shockwaves powerful enough to erase stars.

But the guardian was unfazed.

With a flick of its wrist, it countered, sending Lin Tian hurtling back with a wave of pure creation energy.

Lin Tian crashed through floating ruins, but before he even stopped moving—he was already counterattacking.

A wave of black energy surged from his body, the Heart of Devouring roaring to life.

The guardian dodged.

Then—it spoke again.

"You are a destroyer. This relic is not meant for you."

Lin Tian's smirk faded.

And then—he laughed.

Cold. Sharp. Dangerous.

"Not meant for me?"

His golden eyes burned.

"Then I'll make it mine."

And with that—he unleashed his full power.

The guardian moved faster than thought.

A blur of divine light, its spear piercing through reality itself, targeting Lin Tian's very existence.

But Lin Tian?

He was done holding back.

The moment the spear reached him, Lin Tian did not dodge.

He caught it.

Barehanded.

The guardian's glowing eyes flickered. "Impossible—"

Lin Tian ripped the spear from its grasp, shattering the divine weapon in his hands like brittle glass.

The guardian staggered.

Lin Tian stepped forward.

"I don't care if I was meant to have this relic or not."

His fist drove into the guardian's chest.

A single, world-shattering strike.

"You can't stop me."

The guardian collapsed.

And Lin Tian—finally—reached the Divine Vessel.

The moment Lin Tian touched the Divine Vessel, a pulse of pure creation energy surged through his body.

It was overwhelming, infinite. The very essence of life itself.

And yet—he only had one thing in mind.

"Su Yun," Lin Tian whispered.

Her voice—barely there now.

"Lin… Tian…?"

Lin Tian clenched his fists. "Hold on. Just a little longer."

The Vessel of Creation pulsed.

And then—Lin Tian used it.

A blinding light engulfed the entire realm.

The power of creation itself flowed through him—and into Su Yun.

Her soul, once breaking apart, now began to reform.

Slowly. Carefully. Becoming whole again.

And then—her body started to take shape.

For the first time in centuries—Su Yun was alive.

Lin Tian exhaled, golden eyes softening.

"Welcome back."

Su Yun opened her eyes.

And for the first time—she smiled.

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