"It is not frightening to fall; what is frightening is not knowing what one should do at this moment." — Ye Chen Quotations …… "Demon..." Everyone in the audience felt a chill run down their spines as they watched Leng Xue, mangled by Ye Chen's torment. This was beyond cruelty; it was the embodiment of a devil.

However, in this world where compassion was scarce, few pitied Leng Xue. If he had swiftly defeated Ye Zhu instead of leaving her battered and discarding her from the martial stage, he wouldn't be suffering this torment.

In this virtual world, these masters from the Battle Technique Rankings faced hundreds, even thousands, of challengers daily. Leng Xue had every right and reason to refuse Ye Zhu, but he didn't.

Instead, he reveled in the mockery, slowly torturing her to death. Although...

If Ye Zhu challenged others, she should have been prepared to be slaughtered. Given that, if Ye Chen now challenged and brutally killed Leng Xue, no one could blame anyone else.

Pfft. Ye Chen crushed Leng Xue's throat, then systematically pulverized every bone inside him.

The agonizing pain left Leng Xue too weak to even scream; he passed out several times from the agony, only to be jolted awake by Ye Chen. The entire venue fell silent, broken only by Leng Xue's faint cries of pain.

Many powerful figures present recalled their own acts of abusing challengers and were struck with sudden dread. Having witnessed Ye Chen’s ruthlessness, they wouldn't dare intentionally torment their challengers again, even if their lives depended on it.

Bang. Ye Chen smashed Leng Xue's head with a single punch.

His body instantly dissolved into a burst of white light, vanishing. In the final moment before dissolution, a flicker of release crossed his eyes.

Ye Chen stood up, casting a cold, indifferent gaze over the assembled crowd, and walked directly off the battle platform. The people below immediately parted, creating a clear path for him.

Under the watch of the entire assembly, Ye Chen reached his sister, Ye Zhu. He lifted her battered and bruised form and walked away into the distance.

Countless people watched his receding silhouette, yet not a single soul dared to step forward and obstruct him. In the center of Yanhuang City, there was a Spirit Spring Pool.

No matter how severe the injury, bathing in it for a short while guaranteed complete recovery. Ye Chen lowered Ye Zhu into the Spirit Pool.

Moments later, the bruises and broken arm vanished. She stepped out of the pool, the water instantly evaporating from her skin.

Although physically healed, a hint of exhaustion lingered in her eyes, but the moment she saw Ye Chen, that weariness evaporated. "Brother..." Ye Zhu cried out, joyfully throwing herself into Ye Chen's arms.

Ye Chen patted her shoulder, gently separating them, a slight apology in his eyes. "It's been so long; I’m sorry I made you worry." Ye Zhu shook her head, giggling, a touch of her former innocent brightness returning.

"It's fine, you’re back now." The fatigue was masked by her smile. Ye Chen felt a surge of tenderness.

"Let's log out for now. I'll come find you." Ye Zhu obediently nodded, like a compliant child, the defiant spirit she displayed on the battle stage entirely gone.

They both logged out. Ye Chen arrived downstairs from where she lived, pressed the bell, and the steel gate automatically slid open.

With a swift movement, he zipped up to the sixth floor, finding his sister Ye Zhu standing elegantly at the doorway, a playful smile gracing her face. A softness entered Ye Chen’s eyes as he patted her shoulder and walked in.

The room's furnishings were exactly as he remembered. He casually sank onto the sofa, beckoning her over with a smile.

"Come here, let me see if you’ve lost weight. We haven't connected in ages; have you been eating and sleeping well lately?" Ye Zhu stuck her tongue out slightly, chiding him playfully.

"I’m grown up now, stop treating me like a little kid." Ye Chen smiled, a touch of melancholy creeping in. "Yes, time flies, so many years have passed.

Remember when we stole peaches from that small shop as kids? We were so happy." Ye Zhu pouted.

"Tell me about it. You were so dense, running away while still holding the peaches!

You should have tucked them into your clothes. So clumsy." Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle, but then a thought struck him, and his expression dimmed considerably.

After a long pause, he sighed softly, gazing out the window at the distant scenery, a trace of bewilderment in his eyes. Years from now, would you still remember the innocence of childhood?

At what point does a person lose themselves? Loss?

A flicker of light ignited in Ye Chen's dark eyes. Perhaps this wasn't 'losing oneself'; perhaps he was already lost but stubbornly refusing to admit it?

He shook his head, unwilling to dwell on the question. In his previous life, he survived for a decade not because of superior strength, but because he learned how to protect himself.

When the whole world turns cold, you must don an even colder exterior to survive in that frigid environment, while tightly guarding the fervent heart within. Ye Zhu stood nearby, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curving into a smile as she recalled the joys of their shared childhood: catching ants, playing hide-and-seek, snowball fights, breaking the neighbor’s window glass, and sneaking away...

She remembered how dull and somewhat stiff Ye Chen used to be. Every day after school, he only knew reading and studying, consistently topping his class.

She always had to beg him to go out and play. After their parents died in the car crash, Ye Chen, barely a high school student, shouldered the entire burden of their household.

He earned the money for their fares by working part-time after school. She would never forget the sight of him walking to work with several books tucked under his arm, often reading while working, which frequently led to him being fired and caused his stellar grades to slip significantly.

And she felt utterly helpless. Always watching others struggle for her sake, unable to offer any assistance—that suffocating feeling was worse than death.

So... After the apocalypse began, she constantly sought ways to help Ye Chen.

She fought tirelessly in the virtual world, pushing herself until she was mentally and physically exhausted before collapsing into sleep. "Brother..." Ye Zhu looked at Ye Chen, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Where were you before? Why couldn't I reach you when I used the communicator?" Ye Chen drew his gaze back from the window, offering an apologetic explanation.

"I stumbled into a place where the signal was entirely blocked; I couldn't receive anything." Ye Zhu understood immediately, then shook her head, indicating it was fine, giggling lightly and joking, "I thought the communicator had broken." Ye Chen managed a weak smile, then, with a sudden thought, he drew a pattern in the air, opening the Rune Space and retrieving a crystal orb. The orb glowed with a soft, pure white light, exquisitely beautiful.

"What is that?" Ye Zhu asked, looking at the stunning crystal orb with surprise. Ye Chen smiled faintly.

"This is the inheritance from the Emissary of the God of Light, revered by the Atlantean civilization. Once accepted, and if everything taught inside is mastered, one can become an Emissary under the God of Light—the most loyal devotee." He then offered the Light God Emissary Inheritance Orb to her.

"For me?" Ye Zhu was stunned. "Can I accept it?" "Anyone can," Ye Chen shrugged.

"But accepting it doesn't guarantee you can learn everything inside; that depends on your talent. Moreover, once the inheritance is accepted, the crystal shatters; there are no second chances." Ye Zhu paused, gazing at the beautiful orb.

After a long moment, she shook her head. "That looks incredibly powerful.

You should use it. If I fail to learn it, wouldn't that waste the chance for inheritance?" Ye Chen smiled gently.

"I have something better; I don't need this one." "I don't want it," Ye Zhu pouted, instantly seeing through his lie, raising her chin in a stubborn display of defiance. Ye Chen rolled his eyes good-naturedly, knowing her obstinate nature, and sighed in resignation.

"Fine. I’ll try to inherit it first, and then maybe I can find a way to teach you." Saying this, he linked his consciousness to the crystal orb.

The moment they connected, his consciousness was violently repelled. "En?" Ye Chen’s eyes widened in surprise.

He tried again, but the result was the same; his consciousness was immediately pushed back by an invisible force surrounding the orb. "What's wrong?" Ye Zhu asked, puzzled.

Ye Chen shook his head. "I can't accept the inheritance; this crystal orb is rejecting me." Ye Zhu blinked.

"Didn't you say anyone could accept the inheritance?" Ye Chen offered a wry smile. "Theoretically, yes.

Perhaps there’s another reason." He had a vague suspicion that it was related either to the mysterious underground world or to the Divine Blood. The Divine Blood had altered his genes.

"If it’s the Divine Blood, that’s actually a blessing. It’s fortunate I didn't accept the inheritance orb immediately upon obtaining it.

Otherwise, if the two elements repelled each other, accepting the inheritance might have prevented me from obtaining the Divine Blood." With that thought, Ye Chen handed the crystal orb back to his sister. "It’s yours now.

If you get stronger, I can be more at ease." Ye Zhu felt a stirring in her heart; if she became strong, she could fight alongside Ye Chen. "Alright," Ye Zhu hesitated for a moment, finally accepting it and clutching the crystal orb tightly, silently vowing to master everything within it and not waste this opportunity.

…… They talked all night, reminiscing about many fun times from the past, forgetting all worries, settling deep into the beauty of cherished memories. The next morning, Ye Chen left his sister's residence, bought some food, and then dialed Xu Tianguo’s communicator, asking, "Are the preparations complete?" "Just finished!

Wait for me at Ma Xing’s shop for a moment; I’ll be right there," Xu Tianguo replied, excitement barely contained in his voice. Through Mr.

Lin’s description, he now knew the rank of that Python Skin Armor. How could he not be excited?

That single large sheet of scales was enough to refine dozens of complete Level 600 leather armor sets, capable of elevating a person's combat power by an entire tier. Ye Chen's expression remained unchanged.

He ended the call and went to Ma Xing's shop, located not far from the city gate. It was a small tavern, but instead of waiting awkwardly outside, he went in, rented a private room, and sent the room number to Xu Tianguo via message.

Not long after, Xu Tianguo’s figure appeared at the doorway of the room. He wore a hat and had altered his appearance significantly through makeup.

A large, conspicuous bundle was strapped to his back. However, no one paid him extra attention; in the base city, people constantly moved back and forth carrying large bags, often filled with monster blood or supplies scavenged from the wild ruins.

"You're here?" Ye Chen stated calmly. Xu Tianguo stepped inside, casting a strange look at Ye Chen.

"How did you know it was me?" …… What follows is the great battle. Today is Sunday; updates will be posted after 12 o'clock.

Brothers, please help me by throwing recommendation votes and offering some support. Thousands of delicate threads converge into a fountain—erupt!