Tian Dao's expression changed drastically in an instant, his smile vanishing completely.
Countless bolts of lightning and flames appeared around him, surging towards me in unison.
Endless power slammed into my body, but I didn't retreat an inch.
My long sword sliced through the air, then plunged into Tian Dao's body.
"No, no, no!" Tian Dao roared. "Don't! I don't want to die!"
The monsters surrounding us fell to the ground, turning into white bones.
Tian Dao also stopped.
At this moment, I lost all my strength.
The power of the Shepherd God had been completely depleted. I sat on the ground and looked back.
All that remained were piles of flesh and bone, and countless streams of gruesome blood. Nothing else was left.
The people who came with me had all chosen to self-destruct at the final moment to alleviate the pressure on everyone to the greatest extent possible.
Using their own bodies as their final weapons…
Now that Tian Dao was dead, and I looked around, it seemed only I was left.
At this moment, an immense sense of loneliness and pain welled up within me.
I truly possessed great power, and Tian Dao was dead, but I was left with nothing.
I took out the Soul Suppressing Stele from my embrace and slowly placed it on the ground. "Masters, did you see? Tian Dao is dead… we won!"
I sat on the ground, not entering the Soul Suppressing Stele.
At this moment, all that echoed in my mind were the events of this period.
From helping them cultivate, helping them activate their attribute powers, building cities together, planting crops together, hunting together.
We drank happily, ate meat happily, laughed happily.
But now, I had nothing left.
The outside world likely had no idea what had happened here, or what they had endured.
I had accomplished such a monumental feat alone here, and no one knew. Otherwise, someone would have been immensely grateful to me for this.
I suddenly felt a loneliness like never before.
This loneliness was as if I were the only person left in this world.
And my world had become empty…
I forced myself to stand up. The ground was already a bloody mess. The corpses of monsters and the flesh and blood of my friends had mingled together, indistinguishable.
In their final moments, they were still trying to help me.
But at this moment, I wanted to cry, yet no tears came. When one's grief reaches its extreme, tears no longer flow.
I slowly exhaled, the oppressive feeling making me incredibly uncomfortable.
My eyes suddenly fell upon a small iron kettle not far away.
I remembered that iron kettle must have belonged to Lin Chun. It had been taken from the ship. Lin Chun had loved it after obtaining it and had filled it with a good amount of wine.
The wine was potent, not brewed by us, and Lin Chun drank it cautiously, sipping only a small mouthful at a time.
I dug out the wine flask, opened the cap, and a pungent smell wafted out.
I took a sip, but my heart felt empty.
"It's all over, isn't it…" I looked up at the sky. There was nothing here anymore.
The entire world was terrifyingly silent.
If I hadn't entered that mysterious place back then, hadn't encountered the Tree of Life, hadn't mastered the power of the Shepherd God, would all of this have been avoided?
I wouldn't have understood what our predecessors had gone through, nor would I have comprehended the terror of Tian Dao.
Naturally, my friends wouldn't have ended up like this.
Even if things had been pushed to the most difficult point, at least Luo Yaqin would still have been by my side.
I had promised her so many things: to take her for a walk on the beach when I had time, to make her coconut chicken, to make her beautiful clothes…
But now, all those promises were empty.
I forced myself to stand up and walked out.
I didn't want to stay in this place for another second.
"Heh, heh, heh…" A strange laugh suddenly echoed. I spun around abruptly and saw a scene that was hard to believe.
Tian Dao, whose body had been pierced by the great sword, was slowly standing up.
At this moment, there was a massive gash across his body, but he seemed to be alive.
The body, which had been clearly divided into black and white, had now changed. Black and white were intermingled, appearing incredibly bizarre.
"I didn't expect… I didn't expect you to go this far…" Tian Dao struggled to stand. "But… but you didn't repair this sword…"
Tian Dao suddenly burst into laughter. "Hahaha, it seems my fate is not to die!"
As he spoke, he placed his hands on the ground.
The scattered flesh and blood suddenly began to separate, and the monsters around him also dissolved.
This flesh and blood surged directly into Tian Dao's body, and at the same time, a colossal aura erupted from him.
My expression completely changed.
"So, this is the correct way to use power?" Tian Dao looked at me as if I were an ant.
"With just this power, you still want to kill me?" Tian Dao looked at me. "Hahaha, I should thank you. My power is even greater now than before!"
Hearing this, a sense of despair suddenly rose from the depths of my heart.
I had already used my full strength. Everything I could use, everything I could utilize, had been used. All my remaining strength was barely supporting my body; even walking was difficult.
Let alone fighting.
I probably couldn't even lift my sword now.
"What's wrong? Weren't you very arrogant just now? I'll give you more time, you can continue!" Tian Dao said with a sinister grin. "However, I suspect you can't do it anymore…"
As I heard these words, a sense of relief suddenly washed over me.
All the effort, all the anticipation, and this was the final outcome.
But no matter what, I had given it my all. It was just a pity that the final result was not good.
I slowly exhaled and simply sat down. "This round, you win…"
"Hahaha!" Tian Dao laughed heartily. "It's all over. I've returned. To repay you for everything you've done to me, I will surely bring ruin to this world!"
I sat in place, calmly watching Tian Dao. If that were truly the case, there was nothing I could do.
I could no longer stop this man.
"But before that, I will take your life!" Tian Dao declared.
As he spoke, a terrifying bright light appeared in his palm. This surge of energy was even more powerful than before.
"So, die!" Tian Dao commanded, and the terrifying energy surged towards me.