Volume 96 — Guardians of the Beyond
The Obsidian Root Palace shimmered like a galaxy in motion, petals of the First Bloom spinning in a cosmic whirlwind. Lin Feng hovered at its center, fully harmonized with artifact, hidden force, entity guidance, primordial force, the fourth secret, and integrated chaos. The infinite flowed around him, paradoxes balanced, reactions stabilized—but now, the first of the external entities appeared, massive, abstract, and incomprehensible, radiating energy that seemed to bend reality itself.
Caiyi's eyes widened. "Lin Feng… it's enormous… it's like reality itself is responding to it. How do we even confront something that isn't part of the infinite?"
Lin Feng's gaze burned with resolve. "Exactly. Force alone will not work. These are the Guardians of the Beyond—entities drawn to imbalance and potential. Peach Spirit… synchronize every pulse, every current, every subtle thread. We must engage them with perception, understanding, and absolute harmony."
Host, the Peach Spirit whispered, these Guardians are manifestations of higher-order principles. They test and enforce the rules beyond existence. Misjudging them could unravel even the reshaped infinite.
The first Guardian surged forward, warping space and bending time around its form. Lin Feng extended his hands, petals spinning faster than ever. Streams of hidden force, artifact energy, palace currents, entity guidance, primordial force, and chaos converged into a singular, perfect flow. He subtly wove perception, influence, and control, anticipating the Guardian's movements while harmonizing its presence with the infinite.
Caiyi moved alongside him, perfectly synchronized. "It's… incredible. Every motion, every ripple… you're not fighting—it's like you're reasoning with existence itself!"
Lin Feng's eyes glimmered. He pushed the fourth secret to its utmost limits, blending all forces into a transcendent resonance. Petals spun like a cosmic hurricane, energy radiating outward, stabilizing paradoxes while interacting with the Guardian, allowing it to exist without fracturing reality.
"This… is the ultimate trial," Lin Feng murmured. "Not mastery, influence, or creation… but facing entities that exist beyond existence itself, and guiding them into harmony without force."
The palace pulsed with cosmic resonance. Caiyi whispered, awe-struck, "Lin Feng… even the Guardians obey your understanding."
Lin Feng's gaze burned with determination. "Then we move forward… for the Guardians of the Beyond are only the beginning of challenges outside the infinite."