The "World-Opening Evil Qi" was like a maggot in the bone, frantically assaulting Zhou Ming's fragile Primordial Spirit prototype.
Each impact brought a tearing sensation deep into his Soul.
It was as if, in the next second, his consciousness would completely sink into the boundless Evil Qi.
Zhou Ming's Primordial Spirit prototype flickered erratically, like a candle in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.
Excruciating pain constantly challenged his limits of endurance.
"Can't... can't give up!" Zhou Ming desperately clung to his last shred of clarity.
Once he lost himself, his Primordial Spirit would completely dissipate, and the advantages of his Transmigration, his modern memories, his foreknowledge of the Witch Clan's future... all would vanish into thin air!
At the critical moment, the System core, which had merged deep into his true spirit, emitted a warm and profound fluctuation.
This fluctuation was like an unbreakable dam, struggling to resist the onslaught of the Evil Qi torrent.
At the same time, the comprehension of the Law of Force, belonging to Pangu Father God, etched deep within his true spirit, also lit up with a faint glow.
Although it was only a trace of Law imprint, it carried supreme majesty, creating a natural suppression against the raging Evil Qi.
"Now's the time!" Zhou Ming keenly seized this sliver of hope. He endured the intense pain of his Primordial Spirit tearing and mobilized all his mental energy.
He used the System core as a shield to protect his Primordial Spirit from destruction, and the comprehension of the Law of Force as a guide to attempt to direct and refine the pervasive World-Opening Evil Qi.
This was an extremely difficult and painful process.
The Evil Qi was incredibly violent, its essence being destruction and chaos.
Each refinement was like cutting the Soul with a dull knife.
Failure, try again.
Failure, try again.
His consciousness repeatedly teetered on the brink of clarity and collapse, but he had only one thought in his mind: to survive, to maintain himself!
He didn't know how much time had passed, it felt like an instant, yet also like billions of years.
Buzz!
A faint tremor emanated from deep within his Primordial Spirit.
A wisp of World-Opening Evil Qi was finally refined and absorbed by him with great difficulty.
Although insignificant, this wisp of Evil Qi, once refined, transformed into pure energy, nourishing his Primordial Spirit prototype.
The previously raging Evil Qi torrent also developed a tiny gap because of this.
The pressure on his Primordial Spirit suddenly lightened!
Zhou Ming gained a moment of respite, and his consciousness became much clearer.
"Success... the first step!"
With this successful beginning, Zhou Ming's confidence greatly increased, and he continued to endure the pain, immersing himself in the great task of refinement.
His Primordial Spirit was like a thirsty sponge, greedily absorbing this energy, gradually growing stronger.
Time flowed by in the tedious and painful refinement; perhaps it was several years, perhaps several Yuanhui, Zhou Ming had completely forgotten about time.
Finally, the last wisp of Evil Qi was completely refined and integrated into his Primordial Spirit.
Zhou Ming's Primordial Spirit prototype had now expanded several folds, radiating an unprecedented stability and agility.
As the Evil Qi within his body was refined, his perception also improved, beginning to spread outwards.
Through the thick blood cocoon and the barriers of Pangu Hall, he could vaguely sense a trace of the outside world's aura.
It was an aura of... chaos, slaughter, filled with boundless bloodlust and resentment!
Vaguely, there seemed to be earth-shattering Dragon roars, Phoenix cries, and Qilin bellows, transmitted across endless time and space, as if exploding right beside his ears!
These sounds were full of violence and madness.
"Dragon... Phoenix... Qilin?" Zhou Ming's heart sank sharply.
Combining with the fragments of memories about the Great Desolation in his mind, a terrifying phrase instantly surfaced in his thoughts—
The Dragon Han Calamity!
The Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin clans fought for supremacy over the heavens and earth, battling until the sky was dark and the earth was bloody, countless living beings perished!
No wonder the Evil Qi outside was so dense, the killing aura almost solidified into substance.
Zhou Ming's heart completely sank to rock bottom.
The Dragon Han Calamity! This was a terrifying Calamity that crippled even the Innate Three Clans, caused countless great experts to fall, and reshaped the heavenly and earthly pattern!
An era where Saints had not yet emerged, where Great Luo were everywhere, and Taiyi were not even as good as dogs.
At this moment, the Great Desolation was a huge, bloody, and cruel meat grinder!
The cruel Dragon Han Calamity reminded him of the Witch-Demon Calamity, a Calamity no less devastating than the Dragon Han Calamity, where the Great Desolation shattered, the heavenly pillars collapsed, and the Witch Clan was almost annihilated.
A huge sense of crisis instantly overwhelmed Zhou Ming.
The tragic fate of the Witch Clan's future seemed to materialize into a tangible shadow, shrouding his heart.
Zhou Ming forced himself to suppress the shock and fear in his heart and began to quickly sort out his situation.
The advantages were obvious:
He possessed knowledge beyond this era, aware of the general trend of the Great Desolation. He had the System core, refined by Pangu Father God, guarding his Primordial Spirit, making him Affinity Avenue and giving him infinite potential.
He inherited a trace of Pangu Father God's comprehension of the Law of Force, giving him a deep Foundation. Being in Pangu Hall, a Holy Land of the Witch Clan, was a natural sanctuary, temporarily safe.
But the disadvantages were equally fatal:
He was currently weak, not even having completed his transformation, still in the initial stage of refining Evil Qi.
Looking at the Great Desolation, he was alone, without any allies.
What worried him even more was that if his refinement of the World-Opening Evil Qi was so difficult and dangerous, what about the other Twelve Ancestral Witches in the future?
They did not have the System core guarding their true spirits, nor did they have the clear consciousness from later generations.
Would they truly have the chance to give birth to a Primordial Spirit?
Zhou Ming dared not imagine.
If the Twelve Ancestral Witches could not even give birth to a Primordial Spirit, and could not engage in deeper levels of thought and planning, then the fate of the Witch Clan would likely be very difficult to change!
How could he alone contend against the entire trend of the Great Desolation?
"No! I must find a way!"
He not only had to survive himself but also had to protect these twelve "younger siblings" who shared his Bloodline!
To change the fate of the Witch Clan, the problem must be solved at its Origin!
And this World-Opening Evil Qi was the greatest constraint on the Witch Clan!
The System core could guard his true spirit... so could it also, in some way, assist others?
Since the comprehension of the Law of Force could inherently suppress Evil Qi...
Then could a more universal method be deduced to help the other Ancestral Witches suppress, or even refine, Evil Qi and condense their Primordial Spirit?
Although doing so would distract him and slow down his own cultivation progress, Zhou Ming did not hesitate for a moment.
After all, he was not confident of achieving Enlightenment to become a Saint before Hongjun; being a step earlier or later might not be the key, but the overall future of the Witch Clan was.
A preliminary plan gradually took shape in his mind.
First, quickly increase his strength and complete his transformation as soon as possible!
Second, study the System core and the Law of Force to deduce a method that could help the other Ancestral Witches refine Evil Qi and condense their Primordial Spirit! Even if it only increased the possibility by a tiny bit, he must try!
Finally, and most importantly: lie low! Before possessing enough self-preservation power, never easily step out of Pangu Hall, quietly make a fortune, accumulate strength, and await the opportune moment!
He tried to carefully extend his recently recovered clear consciousness.
He probed towards the other twelve huge blood cocoons in the Blood Pool of Pangu Hall.
His consciousness was like a pebble thrown into the sea, instantly submerged by the equally violent and chaotic Evil Qi within the blood cocoons.
But he still captured twelve faint but potent life Origins.
They were all in slumber, instinctively absorbing Pangu's essence blood and the Blood Pool's energy, nurturing themselves.
But they were also, unconsciously, enduring the erosion of the World-Opening Evil Qi.
"Wait for me..." Zhou Ming silently withdrew his consciousness.
"No matter how difficult it is, I will try to fight for a different future for our Witch Clan."