The three cracks continued spreading across the sky.
The entire First Ruin trembled beneath the pressure.
Su Chen stood at the center of the ruined palace, Heaven Slaughter Sword in hand, while Lin Yanyan stood beside him with crimson flames dancing around her.
For the first time since entering the First Ruin, nobody spoke.
Even the First Master was watching the three cracks with caution.
Mu Xue slowly raised her spear.
"Those things are really coming?"
The First Master nodded.
"They have already awakened."
The Sea Sovereign looked toward the third crack.
"Then why aren't they coming out?"
The First Master's expression became grim.
"Because they're deciding which one of you to kill first."
A cold silence followed.
Su Chen looked toward the three cracks.
The first crack suddenly expanded.
A massive crimson eye opened.
The pressure that followed was overwhelming.
Ancient buildings collapsed instantly.
The Sea Sovereign's expression changed.
"That's not an ordinary Immortal."
The First Master shook his head.
"Those beings have never been Immortals."
Su Chen's eyes narrowed.
"Then what are they?"
The First Master looked at him.
"Things that existed before cultivation."
Before cultivation.
The words struck everyone.
The crimson eye slowly moved.
Its gaze passed over Mu Xue.
Then the Sea Sovereign.
Then the Pavilion Master.
Finally, it stopped on Su Chen.
A voice echoed across the ruins.
"Fourth Authority."
Su Chen tightened his grip.
"You know about it."
"I know more about it than you do."
The crimson eye narrowed.
"You should never have awakened."
Su Chen smiled faintly.
"People keep telling me that."
The eye released a wave of crimson energy.
"Then die."
BOOM!
The sky exploded.
A gigantic beam of crimson energy descended toward Su Chen.
Lin Yanyan immediately moved.
"Su Chen!"
Her phoenix flames transformed into enormous wings.
She blocked the attack.
BOOM!
Her body was thrown backward.
Su Chen caught her before she hit the ground.
"Yanyan!"
She coughed lightly.
"I'm fine."
Su Chen looked at the blood at the corner of her mouth.
His expression changed.
The golden light surrounding him became colder.
"You shouldn't have done that."
Lin Yanyan wiped the blood from her lips.
"Neither should you."
Su Chen stared at her.
She smiled.
"That's what partners do."
Something inside Su Chen softened.
Then his gaze returned to the crimson eye.
The warmth disappeared.
"Stay behind me."
Lin Yanyan shook her head.
"No."
"Yanyan."
"I'll stay beside you."
She raised her hand.
Her phoenix flames became brighter.
"I told you before."
"If you fight…"
She looked at him.
"I fight too."
Su Chen smiled.
"Fine."
Mu Xue stepped forward.
"Enough talking."
Her spear flashed.
"I'll open the way."
She launched herself toward the crimson eye.
The Sea Sovereign laughed.
"She's always the impatient one."
He followed.
The Pavilion Master raised both hands.
"Moonfall."
Hundreds of silver blades appeared above the battlefield.
They descended simultaneously.
The crimson eye released a wave of energy.
The attacks collided.
BOOM!
The First Ruin shook violently.
Su Chen moved through the chaos.
His body disappeared.
He appeared directly before the crimson eye.
The Heaven Slaughter Sword slashed downward.
The eye moved.
The sword missed by an inch.
A crimson tentacle suddenly appeared beside Su Chen.
He blocked with his arm.
BOOM!
He was blasted backward.
He landed on the ruins.
The First Master immediately appeared beside him.
"You cannot fight it directly."
Su Chen stood.
"Then how?"
"You have to attack its authority."
Su Chen frowned.
"What authority?"
"Fear."
The First Master looked toward the crimson eye.
"That creature doesn't control energy."
"It controls fear."
Su Chen's expression changed.
"Fear?"
The First Master nodded.
"The moment someone fears it, it becomes stronger."
Su Chen suddenly understood why the creature had remained silent.
It wasn't trying to overpower them.
It was trying to make them afraid.
The crimson eye opened wider.
A wave of invisible energy spread across the battlefield.
Mu Xue froze.
The Sea Sovereign's face became pale.
The Pavilion Master clenched her teeth.
Lin Yanyan's flames began flickering.
Su Chen felt something enter his mind.
He saw himself standing alone.
Everyone he loved was dead.
Lin Yanyan.
Mu Xue.
The Sea Sovereign.
The Pavilion Master.
The First Master.
All gone.
The entire universe had collapsed.
And he was the only one left.
A voice whispered inside his mind.
"You failed them."
Su Chen stood motionless.
"You couldn't protect anyone."
His breathing became heavier.
"You will lose them."
Su Chen's hands trembled.
The illusion became stronger.
Lin Yanyan appeared before him.
Blood covered her clothes.
She looked at him.
"You promised."
Su Chen froze.
"You promised you wouldn't let me die."
Her body fell.
"Yet you failed."
Su Chen lowered his head.
The voice whispered again.
"Fear."
"Accept it."
"Become mine."
Su Chen closed his eyes.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
Then—
He laughed.
The crimson eye became still.
Su Chen opened his eyes.
"You made one mistake."
The illusion began cracking.
The voice became louder.
"What?"
Su Chen smiled.
"I'm afraid."
The illusion froze.
"I'm afraid of losing them."
Golden light began spreading across his body.
"I'm afraid of failing."
The Fourth Authority pulsed.
"I'm afraid of becoming someone who can't protect the people beside me."
The cracks spread through the illusion.
"But fear doesn't control me."
Su Chen raised his sword.
"I control what I do with it."
CRACK!
The entire illusion shattered.
The crimson eye released a furious roar.
Su Chen's Fourth Authority erupted.
The crimson energy around the creature began collapsing.
The First Master smiled.
"He understood."
Lin Yanyan looked at Su Chen.
"He's not just using the Fourth Authority anymore."
Su Chen stepped forward.
"I don't need to eliminate fear."
His golden aura expanded.
"I only need to refuse to kneel before it."
He swung his sword.
A golden slash crossed the sky.
The crimson eye was struck.
For the first time—
Blood appeared.
A drop of crimson liquid fell from the sky.
The entire First Ruin became silent.
The Sea Sovereign stared.
"We actually hurt it."
Mu Xue smiled.
"Then we can kill it."
The crimson eye became furious.
"You dare!"
Its pressure exploded.
But before it could attack—
The second crack opened.
A gigantic blue eye appeared.
Everyone froze.
Then the third crack opened.
There was no eye.
No face.
No body.
Only complete darkness.
The First Master looked at the three beings.
His expression became increasingly serious.
"The crimson one controls fear."
"The blue one controls desire."
He looked toward the darkness.
"And that one…"
He paused.
"…controls nothing."
Su Chen frowned.
"Nothing?"
The First Master shook his head.
"That's what makes it dangerous."
The darkness suddenly moved.
No explosion.
No sound.
No attack.
Yet the entire First Ruin went silent.
The Sea Sovereign's expression changed.
"I can't hear anything."
Mu Xue looked around.
"Where did the energy go?"
The Pavilion Master raised her hand.
Her moonlight disappeared.
Su Chen looked at the Heaven Slaughter Sword.
Even its golden glow was fading.
The First Master whispered:
"It devours existence."
Su Chen's expression hardened.
The darkness slowly spread toward them.
Lin Yanyan grabbed his hand.
"Su Chen."
"I know."
He looked at the approaching darkness.
The crimson eye attacked from above.
The blue eye began releasing waves of strange energy.
And the darkness continued moving toward them.
Three enemies.
Three different authorities.
Su Chen slowly raised the Heaven Slaughter Sword.
"We can't fight all three at once."
The First Master nodded.
"Then choose."
Su Chen looked at the three awakened beings.
His eyes became calm.
"We don't fight them."
Everyone looked at him.
"We make them fight each other."
The Sea Sovereign stared.
"Can you do that?"
Su Chen smiled.
"Let's find out."
He turned toward the crimson eye.
Then toward the blue one.
Finally, toward the darkness.
Three ancient beings.
Three different powers.
And three different weaknesses.
Su Chen raised his sword.
"First…"
His golden eyes locked onto the blue eye.
"…we make desire turn against fear."
The blue eye suddenly opened wider.
For the first time, one of the ancient beings seemed surprised.
Su Chen smiled.
"Let the game begin ."