Chapter 1369: Goodbye Aurora

A figure in a large red opera robe, like a scarlet meteor, streaked across the dim sky.

The strong wind brushed against Chen Ling's cheek, blowing his dark hair wildly. His crimson eyes calmly scanned the surroundings. Amidst the thick clouds, several roaring fighter jets weaved through the distance.

This squadron of fighter jets had been following him since earlier, likely under orders to merely monitor and track Chen Ling's movements without approaching or opening fire.

Chen Ling had no intention of dealing with them. Their presence constantly built tension, maintaining and even steadily increasing audience anticipation. Besides, he deliberately wanted to expose his location; otherwise, how would the subsequent conflict erupt?

From a distance, Chen Ling turned his head and smiled at them, sending shivers down the spines of the pilots.

Having followed him for so long, they still couldn't fathom how this "monster" flew. His existence seemed to defy the laws of physics, and his speed was astonishingly fast. Most importantly... he seemed able to read their thoughts.

This deadly sense of oppression made everyone unconsciously tense, prompting them to maintain what they considered a "safe distance" from Chen Ling while piloting their aircraft.

After flying for a long time, ribbons of aurora gradually appeared on the horizon.

"Damn... is that really the aurora??"

A pilot in the fighter squadron's internal channel murmured, seeing the miraculous sight before him.

The previously dim sky was now enveloped in green and blue auroras. From afar, it looked like a shimmering, undulating sea of light, causing everyone who saw it to momentarily lose themselves. This natural wonder, originally only found at specific latitudes, had truly appeared before their eyes!

Even Chen Ling paused for a moment when he saw the aurora.

The aurora before him gradually overlapped with the Aurora Domain from Chen Ling's memories. Those distant memories, as if from a past life, resurfaced in his mind little by little.

Chen Yan, Zhao Yi, Han Meng, Frost Street, Snow Train, Xi Renjie, Aurora City, Wen Shilin, Tan Xin, Hong Xiu... Back then, he was just a small enforcer who didn't even know who he was. Yet, precisely because of his ignorance, he possessed a sense of confidence and peace amidst the harsh cold.

Memories were like aged wine; the longer they fermented, the richer and more mellow they became. Chen Ling took a small sip and felt a little intoxicated.

"I never imagined... I'd see it again."

Chen Ling gazed at the silently swaying aurora and let out a long sigh.

Beneath the breathtaking sea of aurora, a charred, desolate city stood in silence.

Chen Ling gradually slowed his descent, landing in the center of the charred city. The fighter jets began circling overhead, still seemingly monitoring him. But Chen Ling no longer had time to concern himself with them.

"I can't sense Yang Xiao's presence... Is he not here?"

Chen Ling's brow furrowed slightly. "What exactly happened here?"

After a moment of hesitation, the figure in the red opera robe slowly proceeded along the shattered streets.

The area appeared to have been hit by a second round of nuclear strikes. Buildings were completely shattered and broken, with rubble and ruined walls everywhere. Former skyscrapers stood like skeletal frames stripped of their skin, isolated in the air.

Dust carrying excessive nuclear radiation danced in the wind. There was no sign of life anywhere; the entire district was dilapidated, like a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Chen Ling's gaze fell on a broken wall, where a human-shaped black silhouette was imprinted. It looked as if a body had been instantly vaporized by high temperatures, leaving behind a residue projected onto the wall.

Such silhouettes were scattered almost everywhere across the district.

With every step Chen Ling took, he stepped on several residual black silhouettes. Some appeared to be running, some seemed to have been knocked down in a crowd, and others were curled up in agony. These remnants covered every corner of the street, staining everything visible black.

Just by looking at the scene, Chen Ling could imagine what a living hell this place must have become when the second round of nuclear strikes descended.

After surveying the area, Chen Ling confirmed that there was no living creature here, and Yang Xiao was not present either.

The presence of the aurora indicated that Yang Xiao must be fine. If so, where had he gone?

After a moment of thought, Chen Ling's gaze settled on the swirling aurora.

Having undergone self-reconstruction with a biomagnetic field and consciousness frequency, Chen Ling could now sense the unique nature of this aurora. Although auroras are a form of magnetic field variation, this particular aurora clearly contained remnants of a biomagnetic field... or "souls."

However, upon closer inspection, Chen Ling found that the souls themselves did not seem to be present. The aurora covering the ruins was more like a "shell" left behind by biomagnetic fields. The souls themselves appeared to have been taken away, leaving only fragmented lingering thoughts that manifested as a sea of aurora.

Chen Ling couldn't achieve such a transformation... at least not with only the two abilities of the Aurora Lord.

Only the true Aurora Lord, Yang Xiao, could accomplish this.

The figure in the red opera robe ascended from the ruined city, flying directly into the aurora. He slowly raised his hands, reaching into the void.

"Let me see... what exactly happened here."

Chen Ling closed his eyes.

Even if it was just a "shell," it should still retain lingering information. Since Chen Ling could communicate with souls, he could naturally read some of this data.

The next second, chaotic images flooded Chen Ling's mind!

A dark silhouette, trailing a fiery exhaust, fell from the sky like a sword of judgment.

In the already fragmented city, numerous figures were frantically fleeing. Behind them, a figure bathed in faint aurora rose several meters above the ground, staring intensely at the descending dark silhouette. It roared in fury, hands grasping at the emptiness as if trying to alter the impact point.

Behind the auroral figure, a simply dressed woman seemed to be protected. She stared blankly at the figure attempting to hold up the entire sky, her eyes filled with disbelief.

In the next image, the auroral figure seemed to shout something. Among the fleeing populace, some immediately turned and ran towards the auroral figure. In the chaotic crowd, they raised their hands, reaching out like drowning people desperate for help. Some parents even directly carried their infants, extending them towards the auroral figure. They were begging the god-like auroral figure to help them escape this catastrophe.

Then, the dark silhouette fell into the center of the city.

Blinding flames engulfed the world, and the images in Chen Ling's mind turned completely blank.