Chapter 169: Sincere Proof Amidst the Sweeping Sword Qi

Shen Yan’s finger finally touched the phone screen. In that instant, the entire altar seemed to have been pressed into activation. Five streams of Spiritual Power converged within his body, automatically aligning like Code. The Terminal Interface began to reorganize, with green light flashing intermittently as a progress bar jumped forward.

【Warning: External interference detected. Emotional anchor points unstable.】

As soon the System’s Notification Tone finished sounding, the pile of rubble in the corner exploded violently. Ye Shi’er stood up, half of his face mangled and bloody, his mask completely shattered, revealing features almost identical to Shen Yan’s, save for an old scar at the corner of his eye. He raised his mangled arm, a Blood Scythe materializing in his palm, and laughed hoarsely, “Brother, did you think binding a few people could rewrite the ending? Emotions are the most fragile Variable.”

Before his words faded, he suddenly swung the scythe, a Dark Shadow shooting straight toward Shen Yan’s chest—not attacking his body, but aiming for the Spiritual Power connection point between the five of them.

Ye Zhao moved.

She stepped forward, her sword still sheathed, yet Sword Qi cascaded like a waterfall. Her silver-white hair stirred without wind as she turned to look at Shen Yan, her voice cold as ice, “If your sincerity is to be tested, I’ll ask.” Pausing briefly, her gaze sharp as a blade, she continued, “If only one person can survive today, who would you choose?”

The air froze.

Pei Yue leaned against a stone pillar without speaking, her fingers trembling slightly. Luo Li opened her eyes, her Nine Tails slowly rising. Yu Xiaotang bit into her Candied Hawthorn, her eyes fixed intently on Shen Yan.

Shen Yan closed his eyes.

He did not answer. Instead, he rapidly tapped a string of Commands on the phone with his thumb. The Terminal popped up a new Code box:

“If the number of bonds is less than five, reject all operations.”

Pressing the Enter Key, the Screen buzzed and vibrated.

He opened his eyes, looking directly at Ye Zhao, “I won’t choose. Because you were never an option—you are my entire operating environment.”

Ye Zhao’s pupils contracted slightly, yet the corner of her mouth lifted gently. She turned around, flicked her sword tip, and slashed directly at the empty space before Ye Shi’er. There was nothing there, yet a translucent image of a woman suddenly appeared—dressed in ancient robes, her face blurred, exactly the “beloved he wished to revive” that Ye Shi’er had spoken of.

“Your Obsession is the greatest Bug,” Ye Zhao said coldly.

The Sword Qi pierced through the illusion. The image let out a piercing wail, instantly Collapsing into countless Data fragments.

Ye Shi’er grunted, staggering slightly. But he did not retreat; instead, he laughed maniacally, “Good! What an emotional Program! But without the Key, the door won’t open!” He suddenly leaped up, charging toward the Star-Shattering Token Floating in mid-air, reaching out to shove it into the core slot of the Abyss Gate.

“Stop him!” Yu Xiaotang shouted, hurling three Explosive Flame Scripts, but Ye Shi’er swept them away with his Blood Scythe, sending them flying back.

Luo Li reacted the fastest. Her purple pupils suddenly brightened, her Nine Tails danced together, and Demonic Fire surged forth like waves, precisely entangling the Star-Shattering Token flying toward the door crack. Within the flames, the Command Token trembled violently, its surface covered in dense cracks.

“Shen Yan!” Luo Li turned and yelled, “It’s resisting!”

“Leave it to me.” Shen Yan took a deep breath, pressed the phone to his chest, and summoned the Spiritual Power streams the four women had infused into him. He began writing a purification Script, lines of Code flashing through his mind—

“Using Ye Zhao’s Sword Qi as the guiding line, Pei Yue’s healing power as the Repair Module, Luo Li’s Demonic Fire as the cleansing engine, Yu Xiaotang’s Script power as the Trigger… Fusion, Initiate!”

The Terminal Interface erupted with a rainbow-colored Data Stream, surging up his arm into the sky, transforming into a massive talisman net that enveloped the Star-Shattering Token wrapped in Demonic Fire.

Crack—

A crisp sound rang out as the Star-Shattering Token collapsed from within, dissolving into countless points of light that vanished into the air.

【Item ‘Star-Shattering Token’ is a carrier for the bootloader program. Actual permissions are located within the ‘Five-Person Collaborative Debug Mode.’ Mission Progress: 47%】

A System Notice popped up, and the entire scene fell silent.

Ye Shi’er knelt on the ground, his Blood Scythe broken in two, his arm severed halfway, yet there was no anger on his face—only bewilderment. He looked up at Shen Yan, then at the four girls, murmuring, “So… this is what Father could never replicate.”

As he finished speaking, his body began to dissolve into black mist, slowly dispersing at the edge of the Altar.

Shen Yan slumped to the ground, his phone rolling to a stop before his knees, the Screen still glowing. He raised a hand to pick it up but found his fingertips still trembling.

Ye Zhao walked over, crouched beside him, gently picked up the phone, blew off the dust, and handed it back to him. “Don’t write such terrible Code next time,” she said, “or I’ll cut you down.”

Shen Yan grinned, took the phone, and casually wiped the sweat stains off the Screen.

Pei Yue leaned against a stone pillar, her face still pale but her eyes clear. She smiled at Shen Yan and whispered, “This time, I’ll accompany you to the end.”

Luo Li sat cross-legged on the ground, regulating her breathing, one tail quietly draping over Shen Yan’s shoulder, warmth radiating from it. Without opening her eyes, she hummed, “Don’t make me go through Rebirth again. It hurts too much.”

Yu Xiaotang bounced up behind him, pulled out a yellow Talisman Paper, and slapped it onto his collar. Shen Yan turned to see three crooked characters written on the talisman—”Love you all.”

“Why stick this on?” he asked.

“So you don’t forget!” Yu Xiaotang stuck out her tongue. “And this is a high-level Tracking Talisman! If you dare sneak off next time, I’ll find you and blow you up right away!”

Shen Yan shook his head with a smile, about to speak when he suddenly felt his phone vibrate.

The Terminal displayed a new message:

【High-risk Energy Fluctuation Detected. Source: Residual Node of the old Shadowbone Valley Server. Initiate Tracking Protocol?】

He looked up at the four of them, then down at the Screen.

Yu Xiaotang had already leaned in, pointing at the “Yes” button and exclaiming, “Click it! We’re waiting for your official announcement!”

Shen Yan’s finger hovered over the confirmation key, not yet pressing down.

Ye Zhao stood behind him, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder. Pei Yue had her eyes closed, but her fingers were on her Medicine Pouch, ready to provide support at any moment. Luo Li’s tail was still wrapped around his wrist, her body warmth seeping through the fabric.

He pressed confirm.

The Screen blazed with blue light as a red trajectory extended across the map, its endpoint marked by an abandoned ancient tomb.

Yu Xiaotang cheered, pulling out a stack of Talisman Paper from her Cosmic Bag to start sketching a route map. Ye Zhao drew her sword, carving out a forward path on the ground. Pei Yue silently opened her Medicine Pouch, checking her supply of medicinal herbs. Luo Li opened her eyes, her cat ears twitching slightly, and said softly, “This time, we go together.”

Shen Yan stood up, tucked his phone into his pocket, and flexed his wrist.

He knew the real battle was just beginning.

But he was no longer a Programmer writing Code with no one to execute it.

He was the master control terminal of a five-person collaborative system.

And he was the shared destination they had all chosen.

He took the first step, his stride steady—unlike someone who had nearly been devoured by the System.

Behind him, Yu Xiaotang caught up and grabbed his arm: “Brother! Wait for me! I have an enhanced protection talisman to stick on you!”

Shen Yan turned back helplessly, seeing her holding up a Talisman Paper drawn to look like a puppy.

He was about to dodge when the talisman slapped onto his chest.

The next second, the entire talisman suddenly glowed red, activating automatically.

(End of Chapter)