So she still died in the end...

She didn’t know why a wisp of consciousness was still lingering. Was Heaven letting her take one last look at this world?

There still seemed to be a trace of warm, familiar power remaining at her heart.

Was it because of the Blood Soul Pearl?

Shen Li had once given her a Blood Soul Pearl. At the final moment, it desperately protected her heart meridian, but unfortunately its power was exhausted in the end and it shattered completely.

She had given everything she could give.

Maybe it was because there was a trace of Blood Clan power in Shen Li’s blood that her last wisp of soul was protected, allowing her, in this form, to take one last look at this world.

Shen Tang’s consciousness slowly drifted higher, overlooking the devastated battlefield below, and a sour ache surged in her heart again.

Was all of this... already over?

Was she leaving just like this?

From far away, she saw her Beast Husbands.

Shen Li and Lu Xiao were covered in wounds, their usual composure and nobility long gone.

Xue Yinzhou was besieged by several powerful Snake Beasts, his body covered in scars, his silver-white hair soaked with blood. She had known him for so long, yet had never seen him so badly injured.

And when Shen Tang saw that completely disfigured panther silhouette, even though she no longer had a body, she still wanted to cry.

The familiar Black Panther from her memories was now a blur of flesh and blood, half his body missing; at first glance she almost didn’t recognize him.

Xiao Jin used the very last breath in his body and finally charged up to the Star Gate! Just one more step and he could fulfill the promise he had made to Tangtang!

But at that moment, another terrifying aura descended!

A far larger panther form appeared in midair, blocking his path.

Shouts rose from the Alien Star Army, "It’s General Ying Ting of the Leopard Clan! His strength is no weaker than the Snake Clan Great Elder! With them joining, victory is ours!"

The Star Gate opened.

The real powerhouses were arriving one after another.

This continent was no match at all; this time they were bound to win!

The Black Panther was massive, dark-gold Thunder coiling around his whole body, his aura intimidating the four directions like rolling thunder. By comparison, Xiao Jin’s aura was as weak as dust.

General Ying Ting looked at the broken, incomplete young Black Panther before him, surprise flashing in his eyes, then he let out a scornful snort.

"So it’s you, brat. A mere Replication body dares to resist? You really don’t know what death is!"

Xiao Jin’s head was covered in blood, half his face torn open. His mind was buzzing; he could no longer even hear what the other was saying.

His only remaining eye was flooded with filthy blood as he stared fixedly at the other side. All he knew was that this person was blocking his way and had to die!

He let out an enraged and crazed low roar and pounced at General Ying Ting, engaging in a brutal fight.

General Ying Ting’s strength was unfathomably great. Even at his peak, Xiao Jin would not have been his match, let alone now, when he was down to his final breath.

Xiao Jin was soon on his last legs, unable to fight back at all.

"This general just loves gnawing on hard bones!"

General Ying Ting toyed with the dying Black Panther like a cat playing with a mouse, sneering as he spoke, "Hand over the Earth Core nicely, and I can at least let you die quickly!"

Xiao Jin clenched his jaw tight. The Earth Core was hidden in his mouth.

Another claw tore viciously at his abdomen. Flesh and bone ripped apart in an instant, his organs nearly spilling out. His facial muscles twitched violently, but he didn’t make a sound.

After several passes back and forth, General Ying Ting lost his patience.

"Refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit! This general will let you taste true despair!"

He stopped holding back and with a single strike sent Xiao Jin flying, smashing him heavily into a nearby mountain peak.

The Black Panther, covered in blood, lay in the ruins without moving, as if all life had left him.

General Ying Ting was about to land the final blow, to crush him completely, when a Wind Blade slashed over.

He turned his head toward the reckless Golden Eagle and sneered, "Fine, you’re next!"

The Black Panther stepped on Thunder and charged at Lu Xiao.

Lu Xiao immediately tangled with him, while letting out a sharp cry toward the "corpse" of the fallen Black Panther.

Can you still stand up?

"Wuu..."

No one believed that misshapen panther was still alive, yet he actually staggered to his feet, and with his last breath, charged toward the Star Gate again without looking back.

He still wasn’t dead!?

What kind of monster was this experimental subject!?

Even General Ying Ting was shocked, momentarily failing to react. When he came back to his senses, he quickly forced back the Golden Eagle and lunged at Xiao Jin.

At the instant he pounced on Xiao Jin, the two of them crashed into the Star Gate together.

Blinding white light erupted. Heaven and earth roared. Everyone was forced to shut their eyes, unable to see what was happening.

Only Shen Tang could see clearly. She wanted to rush over and stop them. "No—!"

Xiao Jin chose to self-detonate, perishing together with General Ying Ting!

In the last instant before the white light swallowed the two of them, the mangled Black Panther rolled his only remaining eye, and as if sensing something, looked in Shen Tang’s direction.

In that moment, it was as if he really saw her, baring the bloodied mouth that had bitten through his own jaw.

Shen Tang’s soul felt torn apart. A wisp of her spirit pounced over, but grasped nothing.

The white light bright enough to illuminate heaven and earth flashed, devouring the origin power of the two mighty beings. The Earth Core suspended in the air shone brightly, countless multicolored threads of energy appearing, pouring into the cracks of the Star Gate and rapidly weaving—

The Star Gate passage was forcibly closed!

The Star Gate shut!

The Star Gate once again surged with a massive energy vortex, but this time the suction reversed direction, swallowing inward.

The Alien Beastman panicked and tried to flee, but they couldn’t resist this power and were all sucked back into the Star Gate!

Several Snake Clan Beastmen and Xue Yinzhou disappeared along with them.

And this violent fluctuation of energy was something Shen Tang’s faint wisp of soul could no longer withstand. Her vision went black and she lost consciousness completely.

In the very last instant before she fully blacked out, she heard the System’s voice,

[Character Xiao Jin is dead.]

[Congratulations, host. Xiao Jin’s affinity has reached Deep Love 100. You have obtained the character-exclusive "strategy" title—]

[Heart Forged in True Devotion]

[Purest love, eternal and undying]

[Congratulations to the host for clearing the main story quest with full marks and earning the achievement title: Savior Eternally Sung Through the Ages!]

[Now issuing the clearance rewards to the host: Blood and Flesh Reshaping, inexhaustible wealth, and one chance to make a wish!]