The silence within the observatory's domed chamber was so absolute that Xiao Lan's gasping breath sounded like a tempest. The pale blue light from the crystal walls reflected upon the surface of the intact Heaven's Core Shard, creating rings of light that rotated slowly in the air. That Shard was the size of a fist, deep purple in color with luminous patterns within that moved like a living galaxy—stellar vortices, miniature nebula explosions, and mysterious pulsations of energy. Lin Feng stood before it, feeling a pull so powerful that his bones seemed to yearn to leap from his body. The Shard in his chest pulsed with a rhythm identical to that of the Shard upon this altar, like two hearts beating in perfect harmony. Or like a call that could not be ignored. "You do not have to do this now," Yue Ling's voice broke the silence, filled with caution. Her keen eyes observed every detail of the chamber, every potential trap that might still be active. "We c

The first rumbling came not from outside, but from within.Lin Feng felt it in his bones, in his marrow, in every fiber of his newly opened meridians—a deep vibration that caused the Heaven's Core Shard in his chest to pulse in panic. The altar floor upon which he stood suddenly shifted, fine cracks spreading across the Void-Iron surface like a giant spiderweb."The formation is collapsing!" Yue Ling shouted, her trained eyes immediately reading the signs of danger. "The Chrono-Spatial Lock without the Shard core—it cannot bear the weight of the ice above us!"Xiao Lan staggered, nearly falling as the cracks reached her feet. Lin Feng caught her arm, pulling her upright. The girl's face was pale, the memory core at her chest still glowing faintly—as if sharing in the death of a place that had long been the purpose of her grandfather's life."We must get out. Now!" Lin Feng shouted above the ever-loudening roar.They ran.The Hall

The air at the peak of Neverthaw had become a battlefield of wills.Lin Feng stood frozen in place, his feet planted on the snow-covered stone, his left hand raised toward the army of Darkness Guardians that stretched across the frozen plateau like a sea of obsidian and crimson light. His right hand gripped his chest, where the complete Heaven's Core Shard pulsed beneath his robes, its rhythm syncing with the commands Kong Xuan was broadcasting to his puppet army.Fight me, Lin Feng thought, his jaw clenched so tight his teeth ached. Don't fight them. Fight ME.Every time Kong Xuan raised his hand to order an attack, Lin Feng countered with a pulse from his Shard—a wave of resonant energy that disrupted the command, leaving the Guardians confused, their crimson eyes flickering between red and blue as they struggled to process conflicting orders. Some took a step forward, then back, then stood still, their mechanical minds caught in an infinite loop."It won't last forever!" Yue Ling s

The ice cracked. Not a simple fracture—this was a deep, primal rending, reaching down through layers that had been frozen for thousands of years. The sound was less a noise and more a physical force, a pressure wave that slammed into their chests and made their teeth ache. The entire mountain range shuddered, swaying like a drunkard trying to stand. From the gaping crevices that spider-webbed across the plateau, blinding blue light erupted—not the cold blue of ice, but the electric, violent blue of ancient formations finally breaking. For millennia, these formations had held Neverthaw in a state of delicate balance, keeping the Chrono-Spatial Lock stable, keeping the Observatorium hidden, keeping the mountain from realising it was supposed to collapse. Now, with the Lock shattered and the Heart Shard removed, the mountain was finally, catastrophically, waking up. And it was angry. Lin Feng felt the vibration through the soles of his feet, up through his legs, rattling his very