Chapter 41: Antarctic Secret! The Frozen Ruins of Atlantis— Varna's Final Words
New York, Brooklyn Villa.
On the third morning after the battle in Hells Kitchen, Li Heng was awakened by a flurry of urgent phone rings.
He reached out and fumbled blindly on the nightstand, picked up his phone, and glanced at the screen — the caller ID showed a number he hadn't saved but looked familiar.
S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury.
"...It's barely been quiet for two days, what does this baldy want now." Li Heng muttered as he answered the phone, "Hello? If it's some dimensional rift or Hell invasion popping up somewhere again, I suggest you call Kamar-Tajfirst — I'm on leave today."
Fury on the other end of the phone was silent for two seconds, then spoke, his voice even deeper and more solemn than usual: "I also wish I could call Ancient One — but for this matter, Ancient One said I should look for you first."
Li Heng's sleepiness vanished by more than half instantly. He sat up, his dark golden slit pupils contracting slightly in the morning light: "What is it?"
"Antarctica — Wexler Ice Shelf — our geological exploration team discovered a frozen building eight hundred meters deep underground." Fury paused, "That's not a modern building — nor is it any known ancient civilization building — the building material is an alloy we've never seen before, and the surface is inscribed with an ancient rune."
"Runes? What kind of runes?"
"I sent a picture to you — take a look."
Li Heng's phone vibrated once, and an image appeared on the screen. He enlarged the picture — his pupils contracted violently the moment he saw the runes clearly!
Those runes — he had seen them before.
On the sealed stone door deep beneath Mount Wundagore — in the memory crystal left behind by Bor in Asgard — and — in the interstitial pages of the darkholdmanuscript — Varna's handwriting!
"This is Atlantean — the sacrificial runes of ancient Atlantis." Li Heng's voice turned serious, "And — this is Varna's personal stylistic rune mark — just like his signature."
"Varna?" A hint of doubt tinged Fury's voice, "The first vampire? The high wizard of Atlantis?"
"That's him." Li Heng jumped down from the bed, standing barefoot on the floor, his dark golden slit pupils staring at the photo of the runes on the phone screen, "The runes he left on this building mean 'gate' in Atlantean, and next to it is a line of smaller words — I can't see clearly, send me a clearer photo."
"I'll have the technicians process it and send it to you in ten minutes." Fury's voice paused, "There's also one more thing — our drone captured an energy signal within the ice crevasse — the frequency of that signal — matches the frequency of a certain energy source in your Brooklyn VillaUnderground Room."
Li Heng furrowed his brows: "You mean — it matches the energy frequency of the purified version of the darkholdmanuscript?"
"Yes. And not only that — that energy signal is still continuously strengthening — as if it's being — activated by someone."
Fury's voice rarely carried a trace of solemnity: "Li Heng — you'd better come over as soon as possible. This frozen building — might be related to you."
After the phone hung up, Li Heng stood by the window, watching the rising sun dye Brooklyn's roofs golden. Those Atlantean runes — Varna's handwriting — and the meaning of "gate" surfaced in his mind.
Before Atlantis sank, Varna tore the darkhold into two halves — sealing one half in the deep sea of Atlantis — and casting the other half into the human world. Before "committing suicide" under the sunlight, he passed the inheritance bloodline to Dracula, and gave the ancestor core to the Atlantean royal family — that is, Namo's ancestors.
Varna had always been plotting — laying out a scheme spanning tens of thousands of years — to counter Chthon's return.
And now — beneath the Antarctic ice — a building left behind by Varna had appeared, carved with his personal rune mark and exuding the same energy frequency as the purified darkhold.
"Another relic of Varna." Li Heng murmured softly, "You old fellow... just how many things have you hidden on Earth?"
Wanda appeared at the bedroom doorway, wearing a loose bathrobe, her green eyes carrying the daze of just waking up — but the moment she saw Li Heng's expression, her sleepiness immediately dissipated: "What happened?"
"A building left by Varna was discovered in Antarctica — it has his rune mark on it — and emits the same energy frequency as the purified darkhold." Li Heng succinctly reiterated Fury's words, "I need to go take a look."
"I'll go with you." Wanda said without hesitation.
"Are you sure? Antarctica is very cold, and — there's no knowing what traps are there."
"That's perfect —" Wanda smiled slightly, crimson Chaos Magic leaping in a circle around her fingertips, "Just finished absorbing Chthon's source blood, and I was looking for a place to test the new power — Antarctica sounds nice."
The two looked at each other and smiled, then went to prepare separately. Before departing, Li Heng put the purified darkhold manuscript and Chthon's source blood crystal into the internal space of the Ancestor Domain, and checked the status of the white moon scroll and blood pact ring once more. Confirming that everything was foolproof, the two summoned a golden portal at the entrance of the Villa — Kamar-Taj's spatial teleportation spell — directly locking onto the coordinates of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s outpost on the Wexler Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
Antarctica, Wexler Ice Shelf.
In the biting cold wind, Li Heng and Wanda stepped out of the portal, their feet stepping onto the hard ice surface. All around was a vast expanse of white snow and ice, the sky was light gray, and the sun hung low above the horizon, emitting light completely devoid of warmth.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s outpost was built in a natural cave at the edge of the ice shelf, with the entrance disguised as an abandoned scientific research station. Fury wore a thick black cold-weather suit, standing at the entrance waiting for them. His single eye narrowed slightly in the wind and snow, his gaze sweeping over Li Heng and Wanda.
"You guys are faster than I thought."
"Kamar-Taj's teleportation spell is much faster than your quinjet." Li Heng looked around, "The ruins are below?"
"Follow me."
Fury turned and walked into the cave. The interior of the cave had been transformed by S.H.I.E.L.D. into a temporary command center, with various instruments and equipment piled on folding tables, and several technicians busy in front of computers. Deep inside the cave, a shaft entrance covered by tempered glass led underground, and several thick cables extended down from the edge of the shaft, connecting to the lighting and monitoring equipment below.
"The ruins are at the bottom of this shaft, at a vertical depth of eight hundred and twenty meters." Fury said as he walked, "Our geological drilling team discovered it three days ago. At first we thought it was a special piece of natural magnetite — but when the drill bit touched its surface, all electronic equipment on the entire drilling platform suddenly failed completely, lasting for about forty seconds."
"After the equipment recovered, we lowered a remote-controlled exploration robot — and what it captured made me decide I had to contact you."
Fury stopped in front of a monitor and brought up a video. On the screen, the outline of a huge building was faintly visible deep within the ice layer — shaped like a pyramid, but with proportions more slender than the pyramids of Egypt, featuring a spire structure at the top and its surface covered with a thick layer of ice crystals.
When the exploration robot's lights swept across the surface of the building, the runes covered beneath the ice were clearly visible — Li Heng recognized them at a glance — those were Varna's Atlantean sacrificial runes. And above the main entrance of the building, three larger runes were arranged side by side, and their combined meaning was — "Fourth Mark".
"Fourth Mark?" Wanda looked at those three runes, her brows furrowed slightly, "Where are the first three?"
"Good question — that's also what I want to know." Furylooked at her, "You told me before that you found a seal on Mount Wundagore and another in the Asgard core — don't those two count as the first and second marks?"
Li Heng and Wanda exchanged a glance.
"Mount Wundagore is Wyndham's laboratory, where a drop of Chthon's source blood is sealed — but source blood and Varna's 'mark' should be different things." Wanda spoke slowly, as if sorting out her thoughts, "That drop of source blood in the Asgard core should also be considered a mark — so, is Asgard the second mark?"
"Then is Mount Wundagore the first mark — and the one in Antarctica the third mark — or the fourth mark?" Li Hengfollowed her train of thought downward, "If we missed one more..."
"Then the scheme laid out by Varna is not as simple as just countering Chthon." Wanda's voice lowered, a hint of heaviness in her eyes, "The more 'marks' he left behind — the more it shows that what he knew back then was far more than we thought."
Fury looked at the two, was silent for a few seconds, and then said: "There is one thing — that we didn't discuss on public channels — when our exploration robot was filming the interior of the building, it captured an extremely faint electromagnetic wave signal. After decoding, the signal is a repeatedly playing piece of audio."
He pressed a button.
From the monitor's speaker came a voice — that voice was hoarse, aged, carrying a sense of weathering across tens of thousands of years — but every single word was exceptionally clear —
"Complete Progenitor — when you hear this recording — it means you have already found the fourth mark I left behind."
"Then — you should have already contacted the source blood of Mount Wundagore, the source blood of Asgard, and — at least two or more pages of the darkholdmanuscript."
"You have gone very far — much farther than I imagined."
"But — time is running out."
"The fourth mark — is not a seal, nor is it power — it is — a map."
"A map pointing to the coordinates of Chthon's — true main body — in this Universe."
"Find him — before he finds you —"
"Otherwise —"
"When the Third Blood Moon rises —"
"He will descend upon the Nine Realms — in his complete form."
The recording stopped abruptly right there.
In the ice cave at the bottom of the shaft, a death-like silence permeated. Varna's voice still echoed slightly against the cave walls, like a ghost spanning tens of thousands of years, having just awakened from a deep sleep, casting a warning that was late by far too long.
"The Third Blood Moon rises..." Wanda repeated these words softly, a hint of solemnity flashing in her eyes, "The first time the Blood Moon rose was when he activated Wyndham's laboratory on Mount Wundagore. The second time the Blood Moon rose was when we absorbed the source blood in the Asgard core — he mentioned both of those Blood Moons."
"When the Third Blood Moon rises — that will be the moment Chthon truly descends."
"In other words — this fourth mark in Antarctica — is the last card Varna left for us."
Li Heng stood at the edge of the shaft, his dark golden-silver slit pupils gazing fixedly at the silent Atlantean building deep within the ice below. The ancestor corepulsed steadily at the location of his heart — producing a faint resonance with the building below. He could feel it — sealed within that building was something homologous to his power — not just the energy of the darkhold — but a purer residual power belonging to Varna himself.
"Let's go down and take a look." He said, his tone calm yet carrying unquestionable firmness, "No matter what's inside — we have to see it with our own eyes to know."
Wanda stood beside him without speaking — just nodded slightly, and then gripped his hand.
Fury glanced at them, and in the end simply waved his hand, signaling the technicians to prepare to open the airtight hatch of the shaft.
"Good luck — no matter what is down there — I hope you can both return intact."
Li Heng and Wanda stood side by side in front of the slowly opening shaft door, the freezing wind surging up from below, carrying ancient dust and the serene atmosphere frozen for tens of thousands of years.
"Are you scared?" Li Heng turned his head to ask Wanda.
"Scared." Wanda answered candidly, but immediately revealed a faint smile, "But even if I'm scared, we still have to go — because we are together."
Li Heng did not reply — he simply squeezed her hand tighter.
Then, the two stepped into the shaft together — plunging into the darkness frozen for tens of thousands of years — falling toward the final secret left by Varna.
Chapter 42: The Fourth Mark! Varna's Phantom — — A Threat Surpassing Chthon
Antarctica, Wexler Ice Shelf, 820 meters underground.
The moment Li Heng and Wanda fell into the shaft, spacetime seemed to be misaligned — — that was not just a vertical fall, but a leap on the spatial level.
The surrounding ice layer gradually became transparent during the process of rising rapidly, and then completely disappeared, replaced by an endless void — — not darkness — — but a color between dark blue and purple-black, as if it only existed in the depths of the Universe.
When his feet touched the ground, Li Heng found himself standing on a huge circular platform.
The ground of the platform was composed of a translucent dark gold material, engraved with densely packed Atlantisrunes — — these runes slowly flowed beneath his feet, like living energy veins.
Looking up — — above, there was no shaft entrance from when they came, only a spinning Nebula.
There were no ice walls around, only an infinitely extending void.
It was as if the entire building was not frozen underground, but fixed in an independent dimensional interlayer.
"Teleported." Wanda stood beside him, looking around, her green eyes filled with surprise, "From the moment we stepped into the shaft, that building pulled us into its own space — — not a transfer of physical location, but a leap on the dimensional level."
Li Heng's dark gold slit pupils contracted slightly, and the ancestor core pulsed steadily in his chest — — producing a strange resonance with the energy of this space.
He could feel that the energy frequency of this space was completely different from the Chthon blood source he absorbed at Mount Wundagore — — it was not Black Magic, not Chaos Magic, but an older, purer Atlantisprimitive energy.
And in the center of the space — — a suspended dark gold rune platform was spinning quietly.
The shape of the rune platform was like a diamond crystal magnified dozens of times, with countless tiny runes flowing on its surface — — those runes were constantly changing and reorganizing at a speed difficult for the naked eye to capture, as if calculating an equation beyond human understanding.
Li Heng approached the rune platform — — the second before he reached out to touch it, a dark gold light suddenly lit up in the center of the rune platform.
That light condensed into a translucent humanoid silhouette in the void — — the figure of an old man, wearing an Atlantis-style black robe, with an old face but piercing eyes.
Varna.
The first vampire progenitor — — the Grand Wizard of Atlantis — — the controller of the darkhold — — the source of the vampire bloodline.
His phantom stood on the rune platform, his gaze piercing through tens of thousands of years of time, landing on Li Heng, revealing an old and relieved smile.
"Complete Progenitor... You have finally come."
Li Heng stood in front of the phantom, with no fear in his dark-golden-silver-white slit pupils, only a memory resonance crossing the bloodline — — he had seen Varna's memory fragments in the ancestor core before, but those were fragmented and incomplete.
Standing before him at this moment was Varna's complete will phantom — — the last information carrier he left in this world.
"Varna — — what on Earth is the Fourth Mark you left behind?" Li Heng asked straight to the point, "You said in the recording that it is a map — — pointing to Chthon's true body coordinates — — but your expression tells me that things are not that simple."
Varna's phantom looked at him, was silent for a few seconds, and then — — he smiled.
That was a complex smile, mixed with relief, bitterness, and a hint of fatigue spanning ten thousand years.
"You are much sharper than I imagined — — Complete Progenitor." His voice echoed in the void, carrying ancient English with an Atlantis accent, "The Fourth Mark is indeed a map — — but the coordinates it points to are not entirely Chthon's true body."
"The location pointed to by that map is — — the boundary of the Universe."
"There — — Chthon's true body was imprisoned by a more ancient existence — —."
Li Heng's pupils S-Rank abruptly.
Wanda beside him also gasped — — a flash of astonishment crossed her green eyes.
"Chthon — — was imprisoned?" Wanda repeated these words in disbelief, "He is an Old Gods from three billion years ago — — the source of Black Magic — — who could imprison him?"
"That is an existence older than Chthon — — older than the Celestials — — even older than the Universe itself." Varna's phantom's voice became extremely deep, "He is one of the primordial wills that already existed before the birth of the Universe — — known as 'The Silent One'."
"'The Silent One'?" Li Heng frowned tightly, "I have never heard this name in the system records."
"Because those who know the existence of this name — — are extremely rare." Varna's phantom said, "The vast majority of intelligent life in the Universe, and even the Celestials, do not know the existence of 'The Silent One'."
"He is the embodiment of the laws of the Universe — — not a God, not a demon, not a dimension lord — — he is the primordial mechanism that maintains the balance of the Universe."
"Chthon's expansion threatened the balance of the Universe — — his Black Magic spread too fast in the Nine Realms — — so 'The Silent One' intervened — — imprisoning Chthon's true body in a dimensional cage at the boundary of the Universe."
"But imprisonment is not eternal — — Chthon has always been trying to break out of that cage."
"The darkhold, source blood, and marks he left on Earth — — are all anchor points he set up in order to break out of the cage."
"As long as these anchor points still exist — — he has a chance to break free from the cage."
Li Heng and Wanda exchanged a solemn look.
Everything Varna's phantom said clearly far exceeded their previous cognition — — Chthon was not the biggest threat Earth faced — — he was just a mess left behind by some more terrifying existence.
"What about the darkhold?" Li Heng pursued, "What is its true function, really?"
Varna's phantom's gaze fell inside Li Heng's Ancestor Domain — — it was as if he could directly see the purified darkhold manuscript.
"The true function of the darkhold — — is not a seal, nor is it the inheritance of power — —" Varna's phantom's voice became even heavier, "It is a key."
"A key that can open the cage of 'The Silent One'."
"When Chthon created the darkhold, he sealed a part of his own origin will into the book — — that is his only channel of contact with the outside world."
"When the darkhold is complete — — whether it is the manuscript or copies — — it can become a bridge for Chthon to communicate with the outside world."
"And Complete Progenitor, you purified the darkhold — — erased Chthon's will — — but you retained his power — —"
Varna's phantom stared straight into Li Heng's eyes, and said word by word the sentence that caused the temperature of the entire space to plummet to absolute zero — —
"You now — — are that key."
Space seemed to freeze at this moment.
Wanda's fingers unconsciously tightened around Li Heng's arm — — her complexion was somewhat pale, but her gaze remained firm.
"What do you mean?" Li Heng's voice remained calm, but there was no longer the previous relaxation in his dark gold slit pupils, "Are you saying — — I merged with the darkhold?"
"Not a fusion — — it is a replacement." Varna's phantom's voice carried a profound sorrow, "When Chthon created the darkhold, he bound his own will to the book — — when his will was purified, the book itself needed a new anchor point to maintain its energy structure."
"And you — — Complete Progenitor — — you established a deep energy connection with the book during the purification process."
"You and the darkhold manuscript now — — are in a symbiotic relationship."
"If the book exists — — you exist. If the book is destroyed — — you perish."
"And most importantly — — 'The Silent One' will perceive this — — a Complete Progenitor possessing the power of the darkhold — — the threat to the balance of the Universe — — is no less than Chthon's."
"'The Silent One'... will come to find you."
The temperature in the space continued to drop — — the breath Li Heng exhaled condensed into white mist in the air.
He was silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly smiled — — not a bitter smile, not self-mocking, but a smile carrying a long-lost detachment and relief.
"So, after solving one Chthon, another 'The Silent One' comes — — is my attractiveness to this Universe a bit too big?"
Wanda looked at him, unable to help smiling as well — — she gripped his hand tightly, the warmth coming from her fingertips making her feel at ease.
"No matter how many Universe-level existences target you — — I will follow you."
Varna's phantom looked at this scene, was silent for a moment, and then let out a low sigh, as if putting down a heavy burden.
"Complete Progenitor — — you remind me of my younger self." There was a hint of warmth in his voice, "Back then, there was also a person — — willing to accompany me to face everything — — but I lost her on the path of pursuing power."
"Do not repeat my mistakes."
He reached out — — that seemingly illusory hand patted Li Heng's shoulder twice gently.
Although the phantom had no physical body — — Li Hengfelt a warm energy seep in from his shoulder — — that was a blessing transcending time and space, the final gift left by the first vampire progenitor to the last Complete Progenitor.
"The Fourth Mark — — is not just a map — — it also seals my most powerful magic artifact during my lifetime — — the 'moonlight blade'."
"Back then, I used it to cut off one of Chthon's arms — — and also used it to survive the era when Atum devoured the Old Gods."
"It — — now belongs to you."
The rune platform slowly rotated — — a dark gold rune rose from the platform surface, turning into a silver-white short blade in mid-air.
The blade was about an arm's length, with silver-white moonlight flowing all over its body — — that light was not dazzling, as gentle as water, yet contained a sharpness sufficient to cut through souls.
moonlight blade — — Varna's renowned magic artifact, one of the strongest magic creations of the Atlantis period.
Li Heng reached out and grasped the hilt — — the moonlight blade emitted a crisp hum, as if responding to his bloodline — — "Hum — —!"
[Ding!! Obtained Legendary magic Artifact — — moonlight blade!!]
[Item Information — — moonlight blade (moonlight blade): A magic short blade forged by Varna, the first Grand Wizard of Atlantis, with the essence of moonlight! Possesses the 'Realm-Breaking' attribute — — can cut through any form of energy barrier, magic barrier, and dimensional barrier! Causes an additional 80% damage to Old Gods and their creations!]
[Special Attribute — — 'Moonlight Resonance': When the holder simultaneously possesses the Moonlight Body, the power of the moonlight blade doubles! When the holder uses it under the moonlight — — can trigger 'Moonlight Sky-Rending Slash' — — a single slash cuts off all defenses below S-Rank!]
[System Evaluation — — Complete Progenitor + moonlight blade = Old Gods Slayer! Chthon had an arm chopped off by this blade back then — — holding it now, you can totally chop him again!]
Li Heng twirled the moonlight blade in his hand, feeling that warm yet sharp energy flowing at his fingertips.
He lowered his head to look at the silver-white moonlight flowing on the blade, the corners of his mouth slowly curling into an arc.
"With this blade — — the next time I see Mephisto, it won't be beating him back — — it'll be chopping him up."
He put away the moonlight blade and looked at Varna's phantom: "Do you have anything else to tell me?"
Varna's phantom gazed at him, was silent for a moment, and then spoke — — his voice carrying an unprecedented solemnity — —
"Beware — — those who watch you in the dark — —"
"They — — are not necessarily enemies — —"
"But — — they are not necessarily friends either."
His figure began to gradually become transparent — — the energy was dissipating, and the phantom spanning tens of thousands of years was finally about to completely vanish.
"Complete Progenitor — — you shoulder a greater responsibility than Chthon's return — — the balance of the Universe — — cannot be broken in your hands — —"
The words fell — — the phantom completely dissipated — — the dark gold light turned into countless points of light, floating away in the void.
[Ding!! Varna's Phantom — — Dissipated!! Fourth Mark — — Fully Inherited!!]
[Bloodline Awakening Degree — — 3.8% → 4.2%!! moonlight blade Compatibility — — Perfect!! New Ability Unlocked — — 'Realm-Breaking Strike' (Active)!]
[Main Quest Update — — New Threat Has Appeared: 'The Silent One' — — One of the Universe's Primordial Wills — — Is Perceiving the New Host of the darkhold!!]
Li Heng and Wanda stood side by side in front of the rune platform, watching the light of Varna's dissipating phantom slowly merge into the void.
The surrounding space began to tremble slightly — — this building had completed its mission and was disintegrating.
"Time to go." Li Heng held Wanda's hand — — his other hand held the moonlight blade — — the intertwining light of dark gold and silver-white flowed on the blade, illuminating the void beneath their feet.
Wanda nodded — — scarlet Chaos Magic flowed around her body, intertwining with Li Heng's tri-color light.
The two looked at each other and leaped forward simultaneously — — the dark gold and scarlet light carved a bright optical track in the void — — passing through the collapsing dimensional interlayer — — passing through the dissipating dark gold building wreckage — — passing through the cold seawater and ice layer of Antarctica — — and finally — —
"Splash — —!"
They broke through the ice surface and returned to the Antarctic sunlight.
On the Wexler Ice Shelf, Fury and several S.H.I.E.L.D.technicians stood at the edge of the huge ice hole.
Seeing the two fly out from the ice hole, a trace of obvious relief flashed in Fury's single eye.
"You guys stayed down there for a full four hours — — I thought you wouldn't be able to come out." Fury's voice carried a hint of rare emotional fluctuation.
Li Heng landed in front of him, put away the moonlight blade, and patted the ice and snow off his body: "Four hours? It felt like four days to me."
He turned around and looked at the Atlantis building slowly collapsing deep in the ice — — dark gold light was seeping out from the cracks of the building, and then extinguishing bit by bit.
The Fourth Mark — — Varna's final layout — — had completely fulfilled its mission.
Wanda stood beside him, looking at the dissipating lights, and asked in a low voice, "Do you believe what Varna said — — about 'The Silent One'?"
Li Heng was silent for a few seconds, then slowly spoke, his voice low and firm: "He had no reason to lie to me about such a thing — — and my system has also confirmed the new threat."
"Then what do we do now?" Wanda asked.
"Return to New York first." Li Heng moved his shoulders, "Mephisto's hell rift hasn't been completely dealt with yet — — and, if 'The Silent One' really wants to come find me — —"
"I have to wait for him at home."
He looked up at the Antarctic sky — — light gray clouds moved slowly in the wind, and the sun hung low above the horizon, emitting light without any warmth.
And at the distant boundary of the Universe — —
In absolute darkness — —
A pair of eyes older than the Universe itself — —
Slowly opened.
"The darkhold... has a new Master..."
A silent voice echoed in the void — —
"The balance of the Universe — — cannot be broken — —"
"Complete Progenitor — — we need to — — talk — —"
Chapter 43: Universe Letter! Relics of Second Progenitor— — Envoy of The Silent One
New York, Brooklyn Villa.
Exactly two days had passed since returning from Antarctica, and Li Heng had barely closed his eyes.
He sat on the living room sofa, the purified version of the darkhold manuscript spread out on the coffee table in front of him, the white moon scroll placed beside it, and the moonlight blade resting horizontally across his knees — — the three magical artifacts formed a stable triangular energy field before him, with dark gold, silver-white, and crimson lights slowly flowing between them.
Wanda walked out of the kitchen holding two cups of hot cocoa, and seeing Li Heng's fully armed posture, she couldn't help but sigh: "You've been staring at them for two days — — what on Earth are you waiting for?"
"Waiting for The Silent One to contact me." Li Heng took the hot cocoa and took a sip, his gaze still not leaving the three magical artifacts, "Varna said he would come to find me — — at his level, he shouldn't make me wait too long."
"What if he was just talking tough and actually won't come at all?"
"That's even better — — then I can slack off in peace." Li Heng leaned back against the sofa, resting his legs on the coffee table, striking an extremely standard slack-off posture, "But based on my experience since time-traveling — — every time I think I can slack off in peace, something is bound to happen..."
The moment his words fell — —
"Hum — —!!!"
The cover of the purified version of the darkholdmanuscript suddenly lit up with a dazzling dark golden light! The pages automatically flipped open, projecting a holographic star map in the void — — that was a star map Li Heng had never seen before, with coordinates pointing to a distant corner of the Universe — — and in the center of the star map, a dark golden speck of light was slowly pulsating, like some kind of signal source actively transmitting a signal.
"Well — — it's here." Li Heng straightened his body, his dark-golden and silver-white vertical pupils staring at that star map, "I knew it — — my mouth is truly blessed."
Wanda put down the cup, walked to his side, her green eyes also reflecting the light of that star map: "These coordinates — — are they the ruins of the Second Progenitor that Varna mentioned?"
"It looks like it." Li Heng reached out and touched the pulsating speck of light — — the moment he touched it, a stream of information directly flooded into his consciousness — —
That was a spatial image: a dark golden building stood on the surface of a barren planet, lashed by a fierce sandstorm. The overall structure of the building was almost identical to the Fourth Mark in Antarctica — — pyramid-shaped, with a slender spire, and the surface carved with Atlantis runes. But the only difference was — — the runes carved on the lintel were not the "Fourth Mark", but a symbol he had never seen before — — two intersecting arcs, with a hexagram embedded in the middle.
The system's translation popped up before his eyes immediately:
[ 'Second Progenitor' — — Atlantis literal translation: Shadow of Inheritance — — Varna's successor — — The first human vampire to be converted — — The initial leader who took over the vampire race after Varna 'committed suicide' — — An existence known to later generations as the 'Ancestor Shadow'.]
Li Heng's pupils suddenly shrank.
"The Second Progenitor — — not Dracula?" He muttered to himself — — because he had always thought that the one who took over the vampire race after Varna should be Dracula — — but now the darkhold told him that before Dracula, there was still a "Second Progenitor".
"Dracula was only designated as the successor by Varna in 1459 — — before that, the vampire race had always been ruled by the 'Ancestor Shadow'." Wanda also saw the system's translation information, her brow slightly furrowed, "But the question is, why did Varna never mention this 'Second Progenitor' to us? In the lingering shadow he left in Antarctica, he only mentioned the moonlight blade and The Silent One — — completely failing to mention this person."
"There are two possibilities." Li Heng's voice turned grave, "First — — he forgot — — but the possibility of this is almost zero. Second — — he intentionally didn't mention it — — and the existence of this 'Second Progenitor' is a more sensitive topic than The Silent One."
He stood up, put the three magical artifacts into the internal space of the Ancestor Domain, and then looked at Wanda: "This signal wouldn't be sent over for no reason — — someone in those ruins activated some kind of device and proactively contacted us."
"Who do you think it could be?"
"I don't know — — but definitely not the 'Second Progenitor' himself — — if he were still alive, he should have come to find me long ago, instead of waiting until now to contact us using a relic signal."
"Then — — to go or not to go?"
Li Heng looked at her, was silent for a few seconds, and then revealed an incomparably brilliant smile: "Go — — of course go — — someone is inviting us for a Universe tour, it'd be a waste not to go."
Wanda looked at his expression of "free travel is a loss if you don't go", and couldn't help laughing out: "Your attitude makes it look like we're going on a vacation."
"A barren planet at the edge of the Universe, sandstorms, ancient ruins — — isn't this much more exciting than going to the Maldives?"
"..."
Wanda was speechless — — because she found that what Li Heng said actually made a bit of sense.
Just as the two were preparing to summon a portal — — Li Heng's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID — — it was Fury again.
He answered the phone, and before he could speak, Fury's voice came through the earpiece, carrying a sense of tension Li Heng had never heard from him before: "Li Heng— — outside your Villa — — a pillar of golden light has landed — — very similar to the Bifrost Bridge — — but the energy frequency is different — — it doesn't look like Asgard's teleportation — — can you come out and take a look?"
Li Heng and Wanda exchanged glances — — and both rushed towards the Villa door at the same time.
The moment they pushed open the door — — a pillar of golden light had already landed on the lawn in front of the Villa. After the light dissipated, a person stood on the lawn — — no, that was a humanoid creature wearing a golden robe — — his skin was light gold, his eyes were pure white without pupils, and a halo composed of golden runes floated above his head — — his aura did not belong to Earth, did not belong to Asgard, nor did it belong to any dimension known to Li Heng.
But on his body — — radiated the exact same energy frequency as the darkhold manuscript.
Seeing Li Heng come out, that person slightly bowed and made an ancient and elegant gesture: "Complete Progenitor — — hello — — I have come by order of The Silent One."
"The Silent One sent you?" Li Heng's dark-golden vertical pupils slightly constricted, "I thought he would come to talk to me in person."
"The Silent One never directly communicates with individuals — — he transmits his will through envoys." The golden figure's voice was calm and gentle, carrying a composure that transcended a sense of time, "I am the seventh envoy of The Silent One — — code-named 'Equilibrium'."
His gaze fell on Li Heng — — within those pupil-less white eyes, it seemed to reflect the circulation trajectory of all the powers inside Li Heng's body.
"The Silent One asked me to bring you a message — —"
"The moonlight blade you obtained in Varna's Fourth Mark — — that is the weapon Varna used back then when he severed one of Chthon's arms — — but you may not know — —" The envoy of Equilibrium's voice remained calm, yet carried a solemnity that one could not ignore — —
"Before Chthon was imprisoned — — he also used it — — to sever the arm of an existence."
"The name of that existence — —"
"Has been forgotten by the Universe."
"But the power he left behind — — still flows in the dark side of the Universe."
The envoy of Equilibrium paused slightly, and then spoke the last sentence, words that made both Li Heng and Wanda feel a chill down their spines simultaneously — —
"And that power — — is flowing towards — — the new host of the darkhold."
"Which is — — you."
"Complete Progenitor — — The Silent One hopes you understand — —"
"The moonlight blade in your hand — —"
"Is not just a weapon — —"
"It is also a key — —"
"A key that can open — — a certain prison forgotten by the Universe — —."
Having finished these words, the envoy of Equilibrium slightly bowed, and then — — his body turned into countless golden specks of light, dissipating in the night wind.
The lawn returned to tranquility — — leaving only a circle of turf scorched by the golden beam of light, proving that everything just now was not an illusion.
Li Heng stood at the doorway, looking down at the moonlight blade in his hand — — the silver-white blade surface flowing with a gentle luster under the moonlight — — but now, that luster appeared exceptionally heavy in his eyes.
Wanda walked to his side and asked softly: "Do you believe what he said?"
Li Heng was silent for a moment, and then slowly opened his mouth: "Believe half — — keep half in doubt."
"The part he said about the moonlight blade — — is consistent with what Varna's lingering shadow told me — — this knife did indeed sever Chthon's arm — — and it is indeed a magical artifact that can 'break boundaries'."
"But the part he said about the 'existence forgotten by the Universe' — — Varna never mentioned it — — this could be true, or it could be another trap set by The Silent One."
He put away the moonlight blade, turned to look at Wanda, the corners of his mouth curving into a carefree smile: "But it doesn't matter — — whether it's a trap or the truth — — we must go to the edge of the Universe and turn those ruins of the Second Progenitor upside down."
"After that — — all the truth — — will surface."
In the night wind, Li Heng and Wanda stood side by side at the doorway of the Villa, with Brooklyn's starry sky overhead — — and at the edge of the Universe hundreds of millions of light-years away — — that dark golden building carved with the runes of the Second Progenitorwas waiting for their arrival in the sandstorm.
A journey spanning across a sea of stars was about to begin.
Chapter 44: Second Progenitor! The Living Legend — — Varna's Dark Legacy
At the edge of the Universe, a desolate planet.
Dust storms had raged on the surface of this lifeless planetfor millions of years, carving the earth into countless rugged rock spires. The sky was a turbid dark red, and two dying stars cast heatless light outside the thin atmosphere. The air was filled with the smell of sulfur and metal oxides — — this was a planet unsuitable for any life to survive.
But right in the center of this planet, a dark golden building stood majestically.
Its shape was almost identical to the Fourth Mark in Antarctica — — pyramid-shaped, with slender spires, and the surface was carved with Atlantis runes. But its volume was more than ten times larger than the one in Antarctica, and the towering spire almost pierced the thin atmosphere of the planet, reflecting an ancient and heavy luster under the light of the stars.
Li Heng and Wanda stood on a rock platform about one hundred meters away from the building, and the silver-white light of the moonlight blade formed a protective shield around them against the dust storm.
" The show this ' Second Progenitor ' puts on is much bigger than Varna's. " Li Heng looked up at the huge building, the wind and sand hitting the protective shield making a rustling sound, " Varna hid the Fourth Mark in the underground ice, but this guy — — built it directly on the surface of the planet, as if saying ' I am right here, come find me if you have the guts '. "
Scarlet light flowed in Wanda's green eyes, and her Chaos Magic was perceiving the energy field of this building: " The energy structure of this building is different from the Fourth Mark — — it doesn't look like a seal, but more like a... living energy field. There is a life reaction inside — — very weak — — but it does exist. "
" Life reaction? " Li Heng's dark golden slit pupils shrank slightly, " You mean — — there is someone inside? "
" It's not certain whether it's a ' person ' yet — — but there must be some kind of life form inside, in a state of extremely low metabolism — — similar to hibernation or sealing. " Wanda looked at him, with a hint of solemnity in her eyes, " Varna never mentioned that this Second Progenitor is still alive. If he is still alive, why didn't Varnatell us? "
" Two possibilities. " Li Heng held the moonlight blade in his hand and strode towards the huge stone gate of the building, " First, Varna didn't know he was still alive. Second — — Varna knew, but he didn't want us to come find him. "
He walked to the stone gate and reached out to touch the rune on the lintel composed of two intersecting arcs and a hexagram.
The moment his fingertips touched the rune — — " Hum — —! "
A dark golden light lit up from the rune, spreading along the touch of his fingertips to the surface of the entire building — — those Atlantis runes carved on the walls were like awakened snakes, beginning to crawl along the walls, reorganize, and emit ancient whispers.
The system popped up a message:
[ Ding! Detected that the ' Second Progenitor ' seal has been activated! ]
[ Second Progenitor — — Identity Confirmed: The first successor of the Atlantis First vampire · Varna — — He was transformed shortly after Varna transformed himself into a vampire, becoming the second vampire in vampirehistory. Before the sinking of Atlantis, he followed Varna to participate in the war against Chthon. After Varna ' committed suicide ', he took over the rule of the vampires, but suddenly disappeared after an unknown battle — — vampire historical records call him ' Shadow of Progenitor ', meaning ' the successor living in the shadow of the Progenitor '. ]
[ Real Name: Erased from vampire history — — only Varna knows his name. ]
" Second Progenitor... Shadow of Progenitor... " Li Hengwhispered the name repeatedly, a complex emotion flashing through his dark golden slit pupils, " A vampirewho has lived for tens of thousands of years, much older than Dracula — — why did he disappear? Why did he hide his existence? "
The stone gate slowly opened before him — — behind the gate was a pitch-black passage, so deep it seemed to lead to the core of the planet. The walls on both sides of the passage were embedded with a kind of ore emitting a dim blue fluorescence, providing a weak light source for the passage.
" Let's go — — the answer is inside. " Li Heng held Wanda's hand and stepped into the passage side by side.
The passage was much deeper than they expected. The two walked for nearly twenty minutes, the surrounding temperature was gradually dropping, and the air was filled with an increasingly rich energy fluctuation — — that kind of energy felt both like the breath of the Progenitor Bloodline and carrying a trace of ancient chill that did not belong to any known power in the current world.
At the end of the passage — — was a huge stone gate.
There were no runes or carvings on the door, only a line of Atlantis language — — the system's translation popped up:
[ " When the Complete Progenitor pushes open this door, it will be the day when the shadow of inheritance sees the light of day again. " ]
Li Heng looked at these words and frowned: " He was waiting here specifically for me. "
He didn't hesitate, reaching out to push open the stone gate.
The space behind the door was much smaller than he imagined — — it was a circular stone room with a diameter of about twenty meters, the ground was polished from a whole piece of obsidian, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the light of the dim blue crystal lamps hanging on the ceiling.
Right in the center of the stone room — — sat a person.
He sat on a seat also carved from obsidian, his body leaning slightly forward, his hands crossed on his knees, his head lowered, as if taking a nap. He wore an Atlantis-style black robe, with dark golden rune patterns embroidered on the hem — — exactly the same as the one Varna wore back then.
His skin was as pale as snow, and his face was young — — looking only in his early thirties — — but the aura emitted from his body was older than any living creature. That aura seemed to span tens of thousands of years of time, solidifying into substance in this stone room.
The moment Li Heng stepped into the stone room — — that person — — slowly raised his head.
He had a pair of dark golden slit pupils exactly like Li Heng's.
In those eyes — — there was no hostility, no enthusiasm — — only a profundity and calmness after experiencing long years.
He looked at Li Heng, was silent for a few seconds, and the first sentence he spoke had no anger, no questioning, but a sentence that stunned Li Heng and Wanda at the same time — — " You have finally come — — Father. "
The entire stone room seemed to freeze at this moment.
Li Heng's brain ran countless rounds in this second — — Father? The Second Progenitor called him father? No — — The Second Progenitor is Varna's successor, how could he be his descendant? Unless — —
An extremely crazy thought flashed through his mind.
He retrieved the inheritance lineage of the Progenitor Bloodline from the system panel — —
Varna (First Progenitor) → Second Progenitor (Shadow of Progenitor) →... → Dracula →... → Li Heng (Complete Progenitor)
The lineage showed that Li Heng's bloodline inheritance came from Dracula, while Dracula came from the Second Progenitor, and the Second Progenitor came from Varna. But at the node of the lineage, the name of the Second Progenitor did not show the code name " Shadow of Progenitor " — — but a hidden real name.
Under Li Heng's gaze, the system seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then popped up the hidden name — —
[ Second Progenitor · True Name — — Li Marksius Valde ]
Li Heng's pupils shrank abruptly — — Li — — this surname, the same as his.
" You... " Li Heng's voice was a bit dry, " You and I — — are related by blood? "
That person — — Li Marksius Valde — — nodded slightly, a trace of almost imperceptible sadness flashing through his dark golden slit pupils.
" I am Varna's successor — — but — — before becoming a vampire, I was Varna's biological son. "
" My mother was a princess of Atlantis — — in order to pursue powerful strength, Varna transformed himself into a vampire — — and then, in order to let me inherit his power as well, he transformed me too. "
" But an accident occurred during the transformation process — — I did not inherit his complete will — — my soul split into two halves during the transformation process — — one half became the Shadow of Progenitor of the vampires — — the other half — — through tens of thousands of reincarnations, was reincarnated into you. "
Li Heng felt his brain buzzing.
Before he transmigrated to the Marvel Universe... he was just an ordinary modern person... the identity arranged for him by the system was a descendant of vampires... but now this Second Progenitor who had lived for tens of thousands of years told him — — his soul shared the same origin with Varna's son?
" You mean — — I am the reincarnation of half of your split soul? " Li Heng's voice carried disbelief, " This is absurd — — I am just an ordinary transmigrator — — how could I have any connection with the vampire ancestors of the Atlantis period? "
" You are not an ordinary transmigrator. " Valde's voice was calm and firm, " There is no such thing as ' transmigration '. You just — — at the time you should awaken — — awakened the sealed memories and power of your past life. "
" That veil of ' transmigration ' — — was a protective layer set for you by Varna when you were born — — in order to protect you — — from being discovered by the existence that has been searching for you. "
" That existence — — is ' The Silent One '. "
The temperature in the stone room dropped by several degrees abruptly.
Wanda gripped Li Heng's hand tightly — — she could feel the shock and confusion in his heart — — she transmitted a warm energy through the Soul Contract, trying to soothe his emotions.
Li Heng took a deep breath — — forcing himself to calm down — — and then looked at Valde: " Why does The Silent One want to find my other half soul? "
" Because — — Varna sealed the ultimate weapon against Chthon — — in that half of your soul. "
Valde's voice echoed in the stone room, every word like a heavy stone thrown into a calm water surface:
" That weapon — — is called the ' God-Slaying Spear '. "
" It is not a spear in the physical sense — — but a source power — — a trace of ' God-Slaying Power ' stripped from Atum by Varna during the era when Atum devoured the Old Gods. "
" Atum used this power to devour almost all the Old Gods— — Chthon, Set, Mephisto — — they all fled into other dimensions because they feared this power. "
" And Varna — — in the battle with Atum, he cut off one of Atum's fingers with the moonlight blade — — from that finger, he extracted this trace of God-Slaying Power — — and sealed it in his own bloodline, passing it down from generation to generation. "
" Finally — — that trace of power entered your body. "
Valde's dark golden slit pupils stared directly at Li Heng:
" Do you understand now — — Complete Progenitor — — the reason why you can so smoothly devour the ancestor core and absorb Chthon's source blood — — is not because your will is so strong — — but because — — "
" You have God-Slaying Power in your body. "
" It is the — — natural enemy of all Old Gods' powers. "
Dead silence fell into the stone room.
Chapter 45: God-Slaying Power Awakening! Varna's Legacy — The True Form of the Complete Progenitor
At the edge of the Universe, on a desolate planet, lies the stone chamber of the Second Progenitor's ruins.
Li Heng stood in the center of the stone chamber, Wald's words striking his soul deep within like a heavy hammer.
"God-Slaying Power... inside me?" Li Heng looked down at his own hands, where dark golden Ancestor Power flowed across his palms. "You mean, the reason I could make it all the way to today—not because my will is strong enough, but because this power has been helping me all along?"
"Helping you, and also testing you." A trace of complex emotion flashed through Wald's dark golden slit pupils. "God-Slaying Power is a fragment of Atum's source power, and it hungers to devour Old Gods. Chthon, Mephisto, Set—they are all its prey. Your battle with Chthon's source blood and your confrontation with Mephisto's avatar have both unconsciously activated it."
"But it is not so easily harnessed—when Atum used this power, he himself fell into madness. If you cannot control it, it will control you."
Wanda clenched Li Heng's hand, transmitting steadfast support through their Soul Contract. She looked toward Wald, her voice calm and powerful: "Then how do we help him control it? Since you have been waiting here for us for so long, you surely wouldn't just tell us this matter and leave it at that, right?"
Wald nodded slightly, a trace of a smile appearing on his pale face: "You are right—I have waited here for tens of thousands of years just to hand the final key over to him."
He slowly stood up from the obsidian seat, the hem of his robe dragging across the ground with a rustling sound. He walked over to one of the stone chamber's walls and extended his right hand—his fingers gently grazing the wall, causing those ancient Atlantis runes to sense it, begin rearranging themselves, and gradually reveal a hidden stone door.
The stone door slid open silently, revealing a secret chamber. Floating in the center of the secret chamber was a dark golden crystal the size of a fist—its shape was irregular, and its surface was covered in dense cracks, resembling a heart that had once shattered and been forcibly glued back together.
"This is the core vessel of the God-Slaying Power—a fragment of the Heart of Atum." The reflection of that crystal's light danced within Wald's dark golden slit pupils. "Back then, when Varna stripped this wispy power from Atum, he discovered that a human body simply could not bear it—so he sealed it within his own body, using his own Progenitor Bloodline as a container."
"But as time passed, this power began to erode Varna's soul—he realized that if he continued to hold onto it, he would sooner or later become a second Atum. Thus, he made a decision—"
Li Heng chimed in: "He split it into two halves—one half sealed inside you, and the other half sealed inside my past life's soul?"
"No." Wald shook his head, a trace of bitterness in his voice. "He didn't split it—he slashed it into two sections with the moonlight blade. One section remained in his bloodline, passed down through generations, and eventually entered your body; the other section—was injected by him into my body."
"That is why I am the 'Second Progenitor'—I am not his son, but his container. He turned me into a vampire, and then sealed this half-portion of the God-Slaying Powerinside my body, letting me exist as a living weapon."
"For tens of thousands of years, I have been waiting for the 'Complete Progenitor' he spoke of to appear—the person capable of bearing both halves of the power simultaneously. He prophesied that when the Complete Progenitor and the Chaos vessel arrived at this ruin together, it would be the moment when the two halves of the God-Slaying Power reunite."
A brief silence fell over the stone chamber.
Li Heng looked at the floating dark golden crystal. Through the system panel, he could see the energy fluctuations it emitted—that was an energy frequency he had never seen before, belonging neither to light nor darkness, but rather a primordial power situated between the two, as if it had existed since the very birth of the Universe.
[Ding! Detected 'Heart of Atum Fragment (Second Half)'!]
[Current host's God-Slaying Power completeness: 50%. Integrating the second half can reach 100%, unlocking the complete God-Slaying Power!]
[Warning: The fusion process of the God-Slaying Poweris extremely painful, and there is a risk of being backlashed by Atum's remnant will! It is recommended that the host prepare sufficient willpower shields and energy buffer mediums!]
[Wanda's Chaos Magic can serve as the optimal energy buffer medium—her source blood absorption experience gives her a natural resistance to Old Gods' energy. It is recommended that the host maintain maximum output of the Soul Contract with Wanda during fusion!]
After reading the system prompt, Li Heng turned to look at Wanda—scarlet light similarly swirled within her green eyes, and she had evidently seen the prompt through their Soul Contract as well.
"You need me again." She smiled slightly, a hint of playfulness in her tone. "This time I won't let you carry it all alone."
"I never intended to carry it alone in the first place." Li Heng grinned, then walked toward that dark golden crystal. "Come on—let us see what kind of existence the complete God-Slaying Power truly is."
He reached out, his fingertips touching the surface of that crystal.
At the moment of contact—the crystal suddenly burst into countless points of light! Those specks of light, acting like living creatures, surged into Li Heng's body along his fingers! At the same time, Wald's body trembled violently—a streak of dark golden light lit up at his chest as well—another identical energy gushed out from within his body, echoing from afar with the energy inside Li Heng's body, and began to fuse synchronously!
"Urgh aaah—!"
The instant the two forces converged inside Li Heng, he felt as if his soul was about to be torn apart! That was not merely an energy impact—it was the collision of two torrents of memories separated by tens of thousands of years! Innumerable scenes flashed through his consciousness like a revolving lantern—the battlefield where Atum devoured Old Gods, the scene of Varnaswinging his sword to sever Atum's finger, the figure of Wald sitting alone in this ruin waiting for who knows how many years...
Wanda's Chaos Magic poured endlessly into Li Heng's body through the Soul Contract, constructing a scarlet buffer barrier for him. Those berserk God-Slaying Powergradually stabilized within the barrier, beginning to fuse with Li Heng's own Ancestor Power, Moonlight Power, and Chaos Magic.
The system panel began refreshing frantically:
[God-Slaying Power fusion progress: 10%... 30%... 60%... 90%... 99%...]
[Fusion complete!! Complete God-Slaying Powerawakening successful!!]
[Bloodline awakening degree: 4.2% → 6.7%!! Combat strength rating broke through mid S-Rank, reaching high S-Rank!!]
[New form unlocked—'God-Slaying Form': All attributes increased by 500%, damage dealt to Dimension Lords, Old Gods, and Demon-type enemies increased by 200%, comes with the 'Devour of Atum' effect: each attack can absorb 1%-5% of the target's energy for personal use!]
[New skill unlocked—'God-Slaying Void-Cleaving Slash' (Ultimate Active): Consumes 30% of current HP, deals true damage to a single target, ignoring any shields and defenses! Additionally triggers the 'Old God Bane' special effect against Dimension Lord-type enemies!]
Li Heng slowly opened his eyes—his pupils were no longer a combination of dark gold and silver-white, but had instead turned into a hue intertwined with profound dark gold and pitch-black, as if deep within his pupils there was a rotating Nebula, devouring all light falling into it.
He looked down at his hands—dark golden light flowed beneath his skin, more restrained than before, yet heavier. He could clearly feel that the brand-new power within his body was waiting to be released, like a fierce beast locked away for too long, thirsting to break out of its cage.
"It was a success." He said softly, his voice carrying a trace of fatigue and satisfaction.
Standing opposite him was Wald—his body was turning transparent. Having lost the second half of the God-Slaying Power, his existence was gradually dissipating. Yet a relieved smile hung on his pale face, as if he had laid down a heavy burden he had carried for tens of thousands of years.
"Complete Progenitor... you did it." Wald's voice grew lighter and lighter, his figure becoming more and more transparent. "I can finally... rest."
"Greet Varna for me—tell him that his choice was not wrong..."
As his voice fell, his body completely turned into countless golden specks of light, drifting into the air of the stone chamber, merging into those ancient Atlantis runes, and finally returning to silence.
Li Heng stood in place, watching those dissipating points of light, fell silent for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice: "Thank you."
Wanda gently held his hand, not saying any words of comfort, but simply accompanying him to offer their final respects to this Shadow of the Progenitor who had waited for tens of thousands of years.
Right at this moment—
The stone chamber began to vibrate violently! The runes on the walls rapidly dimmed—the energy of the entire ruin was draining away fast, and it was beginning to collapse!
"Let's go!" Li Heng clasped Wanda's waist with both hands, dark golden light abruptly erupting beneath his feet, charging toward the exit of the ruins like a shooting star—
The moment they rushed out of the ruins, that dark golden structure which had stood for tens of thousands of years collapsed with a roar behind them, turning into ruins amidst the sandstorm, as if it had never existed at all.
Yet, before they even had a chance to catch their breath, Li Heng and Wanda simultaneously felt a hurried call coming from the other end of their Soul Contract—
"Sis! Li Heng! You guys come back quickly! Something huge has happened in New York—that aggregate fragment in Hells Kitchen has resurrected! It fused with the leftover residue left behind by Mephisto and turned into a monster! The entire urban area is sealed off by a purplish-black barrier—neither S.H.I.E.L.D. nor the Avengers can get in—we're trapped inside!"
Wanda's pupils abruptly constricted—she looked at Li Heng, whose murderous intent within his eyes could no longer be concealed.
"Let's go," Li Heng gripped the moonlight blade, silver-white light flowing across the Blade's body, forming a subtle resonance with the God-Slaying Power inside his body, "Back to New York—let Mephisto witness the new power of the Complete Progenitor."
Just as his words fell, a golden portal abruptly opened before him. On the other side of the door was New York's Hells Kitchen shrouded in a purplish-black barrier, as well as the figures of Blood Baron and Blade waiting anxiously at the edge of the barrier.
Li Heng and Wanda stepped into the portal side by side—
A new battle was about to erupt within the shadows of this city. And this time, the descent of the complete God-Slaying Power would bring a true nightmare to the Hell Lords.