Chapter 737: The Token
Qing Yanjing stood frozen, her gaze fixed on the explosion that obliterated the Devouring Demon. She was visibly stunned.
Initially, she had believed Xiao Ze's abilities as a battle array master to be comparable to her own as a spiritual array master, with both operating at the Upper Earth Sovereign level. However, Xiao Ze's demonstration had shattered that assumption. His battle array techniques not only allowed him to defeat a foe as powerful as the Devouring Demon a being comparable to an Upper Earth Sovereign but he executed them with remarkable speed and decisiveness.
In contrast, her spiritual arrays required significant time to construct, presenting a stark disadvantage in such battles.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Qing Yanjing spoke.
"Even after sealing itself for so many years, this Devouring Demon still retained enough power to pose a significant threat. It's no wonder that the extraterrestrial demons are the greatest enemy of our Great Thousand World."
Xiao Ze extended his spiritual perception over the turbulent battle aura storm, ensuring that the Devouring Demon's soul had been thoroughly annihilated before finally relaxing.
"Their demonic souls are exceptionally durable, far surpassing the resilience of souls from the Great Thousand World," Xiao Ze remarked.
"Completely destroying a demon's soul requires a tremendous expenditure of energy. This is why, during ancient times, many of our strongest opted to seal these creatures instead, leaving the passage of time to erode their souls gradually."
Qing Yanjing nodded solemnly.
"If not for your intervention, Xiao Ze, I would've had no choice but to flee in panic or even crush my retreat token to escape. I owe you a great debt."
Xiao Ze smiled modestly.
"We're teammates, aren't we? Helping each other is only natural. Besides, the information you shared about the Chaotic Continent has already been invaluable to me. Without you, I would've been utterly lost here."
He cast a wary glance at the now calm storm.
"That said, the dangers here are undeniable. According to what you've told me, the deeper regions of the Chaotic Continent where the Heavenly Sovereigns once clashed are even more perilous. The fragmented spaces there are likely to be far more unstable."
Qing Yanjing's expression grew heavier.
"Indeed. We were unlucky this time, encountering a demon as formidable as this one. Given the scale of that ancient war, even among the extraterrestrial demons, only a rare few could have survived its aftermath. And yet, here we are."
As their conversation continued, the storm of battle aura gradually dissipated, revealing a distorted spatial tear amidst the landscape.
"That must be where the Devouring Demon sealed itself," Qing Yanjing suggested. "Shall we investigate?"
Xiao Ze nodded in agreement. "Let's take a look."
Qing Yanjing moved first, summoning countless spiritual seals from her sleeves to construct a spatial array. The array shimmered faintly with spatial energy, stabilizing the tear and forming a visible crack.
Xiao Ze raised a hand, releasing a burst of suction force that pulled the contents of the space outward. Rolling waves of demonic energy surged forth, but Xiao Ze swiftly cleansed them with the purifying power of his battle aura.
As the demonic energy dissipated, a collection of crystalline objects emerged each about the size of a baby's fist and glowing with shifting, chaotic colors.
"These are... chaotic crystals!" Qing Yanjing exclaimed, her tone laced with surprise and excitement.
"No wonder I couldn't find any in this fragment. That Devouring Demon must have collected them all."
Xiao Ze's eyes lit up. Chaotic crystals were invaluable in the Chaotic Continent.
The chaotic storms that engulfed the fragmented spaces were nearly impossible to traverse without these crystals. The unique fusion of chaotic energy and spiritual power within the crystals allowed them to be used as a shield against the storms.
Attempting to cross without them was a death sentence. The storms would disorient any traveler, causing them to lose all sense of direction while draining their spiritual energy. Those trapped in such conditions would inevitably succumb, their energy exhausted and their bodies destroyed by the raging storms.
"Perfect," Xiao Ze said, gathering the crystals. "These will make traversing the storms far safer."
However, as more objects emerged from the spatial tear, most were corrupted by demonic energy and crumbled into useless dust under Xiao Ze's purifying battle aura.
"What a shame," Qing Yanjing lamented. "So many treasures ruined by that demon's corruption."
Suddenly, Xiao Ze's gaze sharpened. Among the debris, a single intact token remained, its surface gleaming faintly after being cleansed of demonic taint.
Xiao Ze extended his hand, and the token flew into his palm.
Made of bronze, the token bore the marks of extensive use. Its surface was etched with the image of a grand temple.
"This... is the command token of the Radiance Hall Commanders of the Chaotic God Palace!" Xiao Ze exclaimed, astonished.
The Chaotic God Palace, founded by the Chaos God Emperor, was one of the most powerful factions of the ancient Great Thousand World. Among its seven divisions, each led by a Heavenly Sovereign, the Radiance Hall was particularly renowned for its strength.
"This token belonged to a commander," Qing Yanjing said, a note of sorrow in her voice. "Such a figure would have been a battle array master of unparalleled skill. It seems even they fell to the Devouring Demons."
Xiao Ze studied the token closely. Despite its age, it had not been fully corrupted by demonic energy.
"I'll try restoring it," he said, channeling golden flames into the token.
The flames purged the remaining corruption, and after a few moments, the token glowed with radiant energy.
A faint, ghostly figure emerged from the token a warrior clad in battle armor.
"Who dares disturb my rest?" the apparition roared, instinctively assuming a combat stance.
Sensing the familiar energy of the Great Thousand World from Xiao Ze and Qing Yanjing, the figure relaxed slightly.
"I am a commander under the Radiance Hall of the Chaotic God Palace. After countless battles, my forces were decimated, and I fell to a treacherous attack by the Devouring Demons," the apparition said, its voice tinged with lingering regret.
Turning to the two, it asked, "This token did you recover it by slaying that demon?"
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