The defensive line of the Golden Metal Stone Forest was already flickering like a candle flame in the wind.
Pitch-black demon aura surged madly through the cracks in the golden metal rock pillars, staining the pale golden rock strata ink-black. The Black Stone Entrapment Formation of the Black Armored Stone People was crisscrossed with spiderweb-like cracks. The outermost stone shields had been torn to pieces by Qiongqi's claws.
Pale golden stone dust mixed with the Stone People's essence blood fell onto the scorched earth, only to be vaporized into fine mist by the magma's searing heat the moment it touched the air.
The Spiritual Plant clansmen huddled inside the spiritual vein, guarding the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire. Their emerald vines had been gnawed down to charred stumps by demon aura. Only three clansmen remained, their bodies covered in blood, yet they still stood in front of the sacred fire with their own flesh.
The Spiritual Plant essence at their fingertips glowed as faintly as a candle flame in the wind, and even the sacred fire's pale crimson aura flickered unsteadily, on the verge of being snuffed out at any moment.
"Roar ——!"
Qiongqi flapped its wings violently. Its hundred-eighty-zhang wingspan stirred up a skyful of black gales. Wind blades laced with golden metal shards slammed into Cang Lie like a torrential downpour.
The Nanming Golden Metal Flames around Cang Lie's body had long since dimmed. Clutching his golden metal long sword with his only remaining left arm, he barely blocked several wind blades. But the subsequent shards grazed his shoulder, blasting deep grooves into his silver-white armor.
Blood dripped through the armor's gaps, splattering onto the ground and stirring up tiny blood flowers. He stumbled back half a step, the origin flame in his dantian flickering erratically. The old wound inflicted by the Demonized Golden-Winged Roc throbbed faintly, and demon aura began to spread along the injury once more.
On the other side, Tao Tie's devouring power grew increasingly ferocious. Its sheep-bodied, human-faced form swelled to two hundred zhang tall. The compound eyes under its armpits glowed with eerie green light. When it opened its massive maw, even the Spiritual Plant essence in the air was forcefully drawn into its throat.
The golden metal spiritual vein deep within the Golden Metal Stone Forest began to tremble faintly. The pale golden glow of the vein snaked along the ground, flowing toward Tao Tie —— it was forcefully siphoning the spiritual vein's origin power!
Zhu Yan condensed her Nanming Lihuo into a fire lotus, hurtling it toward Tao Tie's mouth. But the beast swallowed it whole in one gulp. A sizzling sound echoed, and the fire lotus extinguished instantly inside its body. Instead of being harmed, Tao Tie let out a contented rumble, and the black-red aura around its feral core flared brighter than ever.
"Fellow Daoist Ao Xuan! He's gonna drain the spiritual vein dry!" Zhu Yan's voice was filled with urgency. Her crimson feather robe had been stained black in several places by demon aura, and only a few faint embers of Nanming Lihuo remained at the tips of her hair.
"My Lihuo can't counter his devouring power. If this goes on, not only will the spiritual vein be destroyed, but our origin powers will be sucked away too!"
Ao Xuan stood in the center of the spiritual vein, the Innate Dragon Pearl hovering before him. Cyan-gold Merit Golden Light spread along the spiritual vein, attempting to block Tao Tie's devouring force. But the moment his water fortune power touched Tao Tie's suction range, it was twisted violently off course.
Even the Dragon Pearl's spiritual light began to flicker unsteadily, and grave solemnity filled Ao Xuan's dragon pupils. He had not fully recovered from the origin power he'd expended in his earlier battle with the demon general. Now, forced to defend the spiritual vein and fend off Qiongqi's sneak attacks simultaneously, his spiritual power was nearly depleted.
The Azure Dragon Reverse Scale Sword stuck out of the rock beside him, the water-pattern runes on its blade dim and lifeless, its automatic guardian aura almost gone.
Yuan Hao slung his Innate Stone Staff over his shoulder, standing his ground firmly in front of the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire. He condensed three stone walls under his feet with earth-element spiritual energy, only for them to be sliced to pieces by Qiongqi's wind blades effortlessly.
The moment his stone staff collided with the wind blades, his arm went numb, and his earth-element spiritual energy surged backward like a receding tide. If Zhu Yan hadn't sent a wisp of Lihuo to shield his back in time, he would have been cut down by the wind blades long ago.
"These two beasts are way too overpowered!" Yuan Hao grimaced in pain, the charred marks on his stone staff deepening further. "Cang Lie, hold on! I'm gonna go cover you against that Qiongqi!"
But just as he was about to leap into the air, Tao Tie suddenly turned its head, spewing a jet of black-red suction force in his direction. Yuan Hao felt his spiritual energy churn uncontrollably inside his body, and the stone staff nearly slipped from his grasp. If he hadn't clung to it for dear life, he would have been sucked straight into Tao Tie's maw.
"Good grief! How's this glutton got even stronger?!" Yuan Hao's voice trembled. He condensed earth-element spiritual energy into thick armor around his body, yet he still leaned forward slightly under the pull of the suction force.
At that moment, the ground deep within the Golden Metal Stone Forest shook violently.
It was not a tremor caused by the beasts' attacks, but a resonance of water fortune power from the depths of the earth —— at first, it was just a faint gurgling sound, like bubbles popping in the deep sea. In the blink of an eye, it swelled into a deafening roar.
Black seawater gushed out from the cracks in the golden metal rock pillars. This was no ordinary seawater, but profound water glowing with eerie blue light, its surface covered in dense Suppression Runes. The moment it touched the demon aura, a sizzling sound of purification echoed, and even the charred marks on the rock ground began to glow with faint vitality under the profound water's nourishment.
"This is... profound water?" Ao Xuan's head shot up, and a flash of joy crossed his dragon pupils. This water fortune power was pure and vast, carrying the authority to suppress evil. It shared the same origin as his Azure Dragon water fortune, yet was fundamentally different —— it leaned more toward "suppression" and "defense".
This was none other than the Black Tortoise origin power that he, Cang Lie, and Zhu Yan had spent centuries searching for!
Qiongqi and Tao Tie also sensed the anomaly. Qiongqi froze mid-flap, its blood-red beast pupils locking onto the direction of the gushing profound water, and a low, wary growl rumbled in its throat. Tao Tie's devouring power weakened abruptly, and the compound eyes under its armpits glowed with eerie green light —— it had clearly felt the threat of this profound water power too.
More and more profound water gushed forth, soon pooling into a black water marsh in the stone forest. At the center of the marsh, a colossal illusion slowly materialized —— a giant beast with a tortoise's body and a serpent's coils.
The tortoise shell was a hundred zhang in diameter, covered in profound water Suppression Runes. Each rune glowed with eerie blue light, writhing across the shell's surface as if alive. The serpent coiled around the tortoise shell, its scales pitch-black like ink yet shimmering with faint golden light. Its serpent pupils were pure eerie blue, shining with the clarity of one who could see through the essence of all things.
This was the true form illusion of the Innate Black Tortoise!
"The Black Tortoise! It's Fellow Daoist Black Tortoise!" Zhu Yan's voice was filled with excitement, and her Nanming Lihuo flared brighter instantly. "He's finally here!"
The illusion gradually solidified, and the Black Tortoise's human form emerged slowly. He wore a black water-pattern robe, the hem embroidered with the image of a tortoise and serpent coiled together. With every step he took, an eerie blue profound water lotus platform bloomed beneath his feet. The faint scent of the Nether Sea wafted from the blooming lotuses.
His inky-black hair was tied up with a profound water jade hairpin, wreathed in wisps of profound water that never stained his robes with mortal dust —— instead, the surrounding demon aura retreated automatically at its approach.
An eerie blue mark was embedded between his brows, within which tortoise shell runes swirled faintly —— the symbol of the Black Tortoise origin power. As the mark flickered, the profound water in the stone forest converged toward him automatically, and even the searing heat from the magma pools grew gentle and calm.
The Black Tortoise's gaze swept across the battlefield. It first fell on the remains of Elder Qingmang beside the spiritual vein, then on the bloodied figures of Cang Lie and Yuan Hao, and finally rested on Ao Xuan and Zhu Yan. A flicker of complexity and guilt crossed his eyes.
"I am Xuan Zhen, the Innate Black Tortoise." His voice was like the tolling of a deep sea bell, steady yet full of authority. "I have been secluding myself in the Nether Sea, purifying the demon aura in the Nether Sea's water fortune, and thus could not make an appearance until now —— it was not until I sensed the resonance of the Four Symbols' origin powers that I realized the crisis here."
"You've come just in time!" Ao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, and the Innate Dragon Pearl's spiritual light flared brightly instantly. "If you'd been a moment later, both the golden metal spiritual vein and the sacred fire would have been destroyed by these two great beasts!"
But before his words faded, Qiongqi let out a furious roar. It flapped its wings, stirring up black gales, and charged straight toward Xuan Zhen. "Another fool rushing to his death!" Qiongqi's claws glowed with black-red feral light. "I'll tear your tortoise shell to pieces first, then devour that spiritual vein!"
A flash of coldness crossed Xuan Zhen's eyes, yet he did not dodge. He raised a hand and pressed gently in Qiongqi's direction. The profound water in the stone forest surged instantly, forming a water wall dozens of zhang tall, its surface covered in Suppression Runes.
The moment Qiongqi's black gales touched the water wall, the wind blades froze solid instantly, and the black gales were purified into harmless air currents by the profound water.
Qiongqi's claws slammed into the water wall with a crisp clang. The profound water wall did not even tremble. Instead, countless eerie blue ice spikes shot out from it, stabbing toward Qiongqi's wings with pinpoint accuracy.
"Ao ——!"
Qiongqi let out a shrill scream of agony. Its wings were pierced by the ice spikes, and black-red blood dripped into the profound water, instantly purified into transparent droplets. It flapped its wings frantically, trying to retreat, only to find that the Suppression Runes on the ice spikes were spreading along its wounds toward its feral core.
The black demon aura was suppressed by the runes, and even the flapping of its wings grew sluggish and slow.
"Your profound water... it can purify my feral aura?" Qiongqi's voice was filled with disbelief, and its blood-red beast pupils glistened with fear.
Xuan Zhen did not answer. He turned his gaze to Tao Tie instead. At that moment, Tao Tie was attempting to siphon the golden metal spiritual vein once more, only to find that the vein had been enveloped by profound water. The moment his devouring power touched the profound water, it was repelled by the Suppression Runes.
Not only did he fail to absorb any spiritual energy, but the profound water also invaded his body along the suction force, sending a sharp pain through his feral core. "Dammit!" Tao Tie roared furiously, spewing a jet of black-red demon aura at Xuan Zhen, trying to boil the profound water away.
The profound water around Xuan Zhen condensed into a tortoise-shell-shaped shield instantly, its surface glowing with eerie blue Suppression Runes. The demon aura jet slammed into the shield, but it was like fire meeting solid ice —— it froze into a black ice pillar instantly, then was purified into nothingness by the profound water.
"Your devouring power is strong, but it cannot overcome the suppression of profound water." Xuan Zhen's voice was filled with authority. "The demon aura of the Nether Sea is a hundred times denser than your feral aura. If I can purify the Nether Sea's water fortune, your mere beastly feral aura is nothing more than a trivial nuisance."
With that said, Xuan Zhen waved his hand in Tao Tie's direction. The profound water in the stone forest condensed into a serpent-shaped water whip dozens of zhang long instantly, its serpent head glowing with eerie blue light —— his innate divine ability, the Profound Water Serpent Whip.
The water whip, covered in Suppression Runes, coiled toward Tao Tie like a living serpent, moving so fast it left an eerie blue afterimage.
Tao Tie opened its massive maw hastily, trying to block it with its devouring power, only to find that the Suppression Runes on the water whip could cut off his suction force completely. The water whip coiled around his limbs instantly, and eerie blue spiritual light spread along it, freezing Tao Tie's limbs into ice pillars.
Tao Tie let out an enraged roar, trying to break free with brute force. But the Suppression Runes on the ice pillars continued to strengthen. No matter how hard it struggled, the ice pillars did not move an inch. Instead, more profound water seeped into its body along the ice, purifying the demon aura in its feral core.
"This is impossible!" Tao Tie's voice was filled with despair, and the compound eyes under its armpits glowed with panicked light. "My feral core is the core of all ferocity! How can it be purified by your profound water?"
"There is no secret to it —— only 'suppression'." Xuan Zhen's voice was calm. "Your feral aura is born from slaughter and devouring, inherently evil. My profound water is born to counter evil, and with the addition of Suppression Runes, your feral core is nothing more than a stubborn stone waiting to be purified."
Ao Xuan exchanged a glance with Zhu Yan and Cang Lie, and joy shone in all their eyes. The Black Tortoise's profound water power was truly worthy of its reputation —— it could not only purify demon aura but also suppress the beasts' feral power. With him joining the fray, they could finally turn the tide of the battle.
"Fellow Daoist Xuan Zhen!" Ao Xuan leaped to Xuan Zhen's side, and the spiritual light of the Innate Dragon Pearl resonated with the profound water power. "Qiongqi and Tao Tie are merely pawns under Shen Ni's command. His Beast Emperor Palace is the true threat! The Four Symbols must join forces if we are to withstand Shen Ni's feral aura invasion completely!"
Xuan Zhen nodded, his gaze sweeping across the battlefield. He looked at the wounded Black Armored Stone People and Spiritual Plant clansmen, and a flicker of guilt crossed his eyes. "I was so focused on purifying the demon aura in the Nether Sea that I failed to come to your aid in time, putting all of you through such suffering. From now on, the Four Symbols share the same origin —— when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. I will never seek my own safety at the expense of others again."
He waved his hand at the profound water. Countless threads of eerie blue profound water surged out of the water, landing on the wounded Black Armored Stone People and Spiritual Plant clansmen. The moment the profound water threads touched their wounds, they began to purify the demon aura rapidly.
The cracks in the Stone People's stone armor healed slowly under the profound water's nourishment. The Spiritual Plant clansmen's vines sprouted tender green shoots once more, and even the charred marks on Yuan Hao's stone staff faded gradually as it was enveloped by profound water.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Black Tortoise!" Yuan Hao's voice was filled with gratitude. He flexed his numb arm, and the earth-element spiritual energy on his stone staff surged with renewed vitality. "With you here, we'll never have to fear these beasts' demon aura again!"
Cang Lie stepped forward as well. The pale golden flames on his golden metal long sword resonated with the profound water power, and the demon aura in his wounds was purified completely. "Fellow Daoist Xuan Zhen, your profound water suppression is exactly what we need to make up for our lack of defense. Next, we must reinforce the golden metal spiritual vein's defenses as quickly as possible, then discuss how to counter Shen Ni's subsequent attacks."
Zhu Yan nodded in agreement. Her Nanming Lihuo intertwined with the profound water power, forming a red-and-blue light ribbon. The ribbon landed on the Spiritual Plant Sacred Fire, and the sacred fire's pale crimson aura flared several times brighter instantly. Even the golden metal spiritual light in the vein grew more intense.
"Shen Ni's Beast Emperor Palace is hidden in the boundless void, and he still has five great ferocious beasts under his command that have not yet appeared. The Four Symbols must master our combined divine abilities quickly if we are to gain the upper hand in the coming great war."
Xuan Zhen nodded, his gaze turning to Qiongqi and Tao Tie once more —— Qiongqi's wings were frozen solid by the profound water, and it was struggling restlessly on the spot. Tao Tie was trapped by the Profound Water Serpent Whip, the demon aura in its feral core being purified rapidly, and the feral light in its eyes dimmed gradually.
"These two great beasts are strong, but they are no longer a threat." Xuan Zhen's voice was filled with authority. "We can seal them temporarily beneath the golden metal spiritual vein, suppressing them together with profound water and Lihuo. We can discuss how to dispose of them later."
Ao Xuan nodded. He stepped forward together with Cang Lie, Zhu Yan, and Yuan Hao. The Innate Dragon Pearl, golden metal long sword, Nanming Lihuo, earth-element stone staff, and profound water power intertwined into five streams of spiritual light, hurtling toward Qiongqi and Tao Tie.
The spiritual light landed on the beasts, condensing into a Five Elements Seal instantly, trapping them firmly beneath the golden metal spiritual vein. Profound water and Lihuo flowed around the seal, purifying the demon aura in their bodies continuously.
Having done all this, the Four Symbols stood side by side in the center of the golden metal spiritual vein. The Azure Dragon's water fortune, White Tiger's golden metal, Vermilion Bird's fire spirit, and Black Tortoise's profound water intertwined into four streams of spiritual light, swirling above the spiritual vein like a protective canopy, enshrouding the Golden Metal Stone Forest firmly.
In the distance, above the Primordial World, a denser wave of feral aura was approaching rapidly. Clearly, Shen Ni had sensed the changes here and was about to send new ferocious beasts to attack.
Xuan Zhen gazed at the distant horizon, and the Black Tortoise mark between his brows flared brighter than ever. "Shen Ni's feral aura is drawing near. The real great war is about to begin."
Ao Xuan tightened his grip on the Azure Dragon Reverse Scale Sword, and unwavering resolve filled his dragon pupils. "With the Four Symbols united, what have we to fear from Shen Ni's feral aura! Today, we defend the golden metal spiritual vein. Tomorrow, we will raze his Beast Emperor Palace to the ground and restore peace to the Primordial World!"