The Purification Institute's operations gradually smoothed, basic soothing and suppression methods showing initial results. However, Tang Xiaoqi clearly understood that without fundamentally analyzing demonic spot essence and finding its core weakness, existing methods would only be temporary measures. He handed the Purification Institute's daily affairs to Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng and Third Sister Liu Yun, while he dove into tracing research on demonic energy essence.
Deep research required more direct, more original demonic energy samples. Xiaoqi traveled to the destroyed Demon Nest's remnants, collecting several strands of extremely pure, ownerless yet aggressive original demonic energy. Using his Alliance Master's authority, he also obtained from the top-secret treasury a small wisp of dark energy thread sealed by multiple restrictions, originating from the demon head's essence.
The research location was set in an extremely concealed cave dwelling in Qingxu Temple's back mountain, equipped with the strongest isolation and protection formations. His research partner was Second Brother Luo Feng, existing as a soul state within a special jade pendant.
Luo Feng's voice sounded in Xiaoqi's spiritual sense: "Quick, release that wisp of source demonic energy and let me 'see'! This is stuff approaching world rules, way more interesting than those shoddy demonic spots!"
Xiaoqi carefully opened the seals, and a transparent light sphere formed by pure spiritual energy floated up. In its center, a strand of energy blacker than ink, darker than the abyss, writhed slowly like a living creature, emanating a chilling coldness and temptation.
"Impressive!" Luo Feng exclaimed. "Energy structure extremely stable, internally contained 'information' complexity far beyond imagination. Use your Lotus power to stimulate it gently, record its stress response!"
Xiaoqi complied. He separated a hair-thin strand of cyan-white light, slowly probing into the light sphere. The moment the Lotus power contacted the demonic source, the energy suddenly exploded into countless dust-fine dark runes, frantically attempting to erode and assimilate the Lotus power. A strong emotional impact feedback—greed, destruction, and possessiveness—attempted to drown his will like an icy tide.
Xiaoqi's heart shuddered. He severed the connection while strengthening the seal.
"Got it recorded!" Luo Feng's voice was excited. "Did you see? It's not simple energy, it's more like a 'rule manifestation' with basic consciousness! Its primary characteristic is 'erosion,' eroding and assimilating all non-dark attribute energy. Second is 'amplification,' amplifying the target's desires and negative emotions!"
Xiaoqi nodded gravely. This matched how demonic spots affected patients' dispositions, only more direct and more original.
Over the following days, they conducted exhaustive research—exposing the demonic source to various attribute spiritual energy, trying different spiritual fluctuations, simulating various formation environments.
Luo Feng, with his soul state's extraordinary perception and genius deduction ability, constructed complex energy models. Xiaoqi handled the most dangerous actual operations.
They discovered this demonic energy's erosion carried an "absolute priority" characteristic, its operating logic more like something "designed" with clear purpose for erosion and distortion.
Something's wrong. After several days of high-intensity deduction, Luo Feng's voice carried unprecedented seriousness: "Xiaoqi, this stuff's '' doesn't look like something our heaven and earth could naturally produce."
"What do you mean?" Xiaoqi pressed.
Luo Feng projected a complex energy model: "Its energy composition differs completely from five elements spiritual energy, stellar power, even nether ghost energy. Its operating logic is more like something 'designed,' with clear purpose, extremely efficient, solely for erosion and distortion. Our heaven and earth's laws, although including dark aspects, overall trend toward balance and cycling. But this stuff only has 'destruction' and 'replacement,' no concept of 'cycling.'"
Xiaoqi stared at the model. Second Brother's inference coincided with certain vague perceptions he had in the Shadow Plane and the Chaos Void.
"You mean it might come from beyond the heavens?" Xiaoqi slowly said.
"Highly likely!" Luo Feng affirmed. "Records of '' in ancient texts may not be unfounded. This stuff likely is some kind of 'invading species' from beyond our universe! Its essence might be a 'rule virus' specifically existing to destroy and plunder other worlds! The demon head might merely be a powerful infected person, or a puppet controlled by this 'virus'!"
The cave dwelling fell into silence. This inference was too shocking. If true, what they had fought was not merely a powerful demon head, but represented something from an unknown realm, a highly aggressive heterogeneous cosmic law!
This explained why demonic energy was so hard to eradicate, why demonic spots were so bizarre and stubborn—they were essentially the embodiment of another "rule," incompatible with local laws, making conventional methods inefficient.
If it was truly a "rule virus," then to truly "cure" demonic spots, perhaps they needed to understand, even partially "crack" this foreign rule's operating mechanism, finding its "interface" or "loophole" with local laws.
The research road seemed to become longer and more perilous, but the direction became unprecedentedly clear. Tracing origins research had finally touched one corner of that terrifying truth hidden behind the demonic chaos.