The mantra continued. The primordial halo, a swirling vortex of purple and gold, bound, locked, and altered their destinies forever. In the center of the ruined hall, Li Chen—whose core of light was now stable yet still fading—felt this surge of energy: strange, warm, and pulling at him. Not toward destruction, but toward life. His violet eyes, now nearly extinguished, flickered, filled with confusion. "Yueling… what have you done?"
The Great One, whose roar of Li Chen’s impending destruction had turned into a satisfied, sneering smile, suddenly fell silent. Its countless emerald eyes blinked, and the grin on its crystal face vanished, replaced by an expression of horrific shock. "No! This… this is impossible! That… that is the Bond of Eternal Life!" the Great One roared, its voice shifti
