With Four Symbols Soul Crystals gathered, origins fused, powerful strength surged endlessly within Tang Xiao Qi's body, bringing an unprecedented sense of control and great confidence. He and Third Senior Sister smiled at each other, both seeing in the other's eyes the joy of finally achieving their goal after trials and the firmness toward the future.
However, just as Xiao Qi prepared to discuss with Third Senior Sister how to use this newly gained power to take the initiative, seeking out the demonic entity's main body,another mutation occurred!
Not from outside, but from himself—more precisely, from that jade pendant that had just completed its transformation, containing Four Symbols Chaos within!
"Hum—"
A clear, melodious, as if traversing endless time and spacehumming rang from the jade pendant's depths. Not sound, but a tremor directly acting upon the soul. Then, an extremely weak yet incomparably purepale gray flowing light, carrying meanings of penetrating heaven's secrets and calculating all beings, separated from the jade pendant's corechaosyoung man with colorground. Before Xiao Qi and Third Senior Sister's astonished eyes, in thevoid before them, it slowly condensed into a blurry, nearly transparent elderly phantom.
Blue robe, long beard, deep eyes seemingly containing constellations, lips carrying a trace ofindifferent knowing smile—unless it was Tianjizi, who else?!
But this wasn't Tianjizi's main body, not even asoul division—merely one of his... final spiritual imprint! Left within the Four Symbols Soul Crystals (most likely the jade pendant prototype he originally gave Xiao Qi) however many years ago! Its triggering condition was explicitly the Four Symbols Soul Crystals' thorough gathering and initial fusion!
"Elder Tianjizi!" Xiao Qi and Third Senior Sister simultaneously exclaimed, hastily bowing in salute. Even if only a remnant spiritual imprint, neither dared show the slightestneglect. This mysterious divination cultivator's guidance grace toward them was simply too great.
Thatpale gray phantom slightly nodded, his gaze sweeping over that primitive jade pendant at Xiao Qi's chest, then looking at the profound, sea-like, Four Symbols flowing aura around Xiao Qi. In his eyes appeared a trace of "as expected" relief.
"Later protector... you... did well..." Tianjizi's phantom voice was hazy and uncertain, as if about to scatter in the wind at any moment, "Gathering Four Symbols... initially balancing origins... you have truly... stepped onto... the path of protecting... this realm..."
His words were intermittent, clearly this spiritual imprint's stored information and power were extremely limited.
Xiao Qi respectfully asked: "Elder, the Four Symbols Soul Crystals are already gathered. What should I do next? Where exactly is the demonic entity's main body sealed? And how can it be completely destroyed?"
This was the issue he currently cared about most. Having power yet finding no target, nowhere to exert force.
Hearing this, Tianjizi's phantom expression became incomparably grave. He raised his hand pointing towardvoid, fingertip spiritual light gathering, actually outlining a blurry, continuously changing star-map terrain image.
"The Four Symbols Soul Crystals... their true function... is not... merely a source of power..." Tianjizi's voice carried a solemnity revealing heaven and earth's great secrets, "They are... keys... also... cornerstones..."
In the image, four pillars of light representing Four Symbol origins descended from heaven, respectively guarding the four extreme directions of east, south, west, north. Their energy ultimately all converged toward the central continent, at some region shrouded in dense black qi.
"Ancient times... the 'Nine Heavens Demonic Suppression Great Formation'!" Tianjizi's voice suddenly raised slightly, "This formation... uses heaven and earth's four poles as foundation... absorbscelestial power... sealing... that extraterritorial demon lord's main soul... at... the Nine Nether Earth Vein Eye..."
The image zoomed in, focusing on that black qi-shrouded region. Faintly visible, in that region's deep earth depths, a massive light cocoon of unimaginable complexity, composed of countless rune chains, was beingfirmlysuppress by energy from four light pillars extending from the extreme poles. Within the cocoon, a distorted, violent, emanating boundless evilpitch black demonic shadow was frantically impacting the cocoon's inner walls, causing the cocoon's surface to be covered in fine cracks, light flickering uncertainly.
"However... as time flowed... stars shifted... plus the demonic entity constantly eroding... the formation... has long been... badly damaged... power... less than one-tenth remains..." Tianjizi's tone was full of worry, "Shadow Snake Pavilion... is merely... a puppet controlled by... the demonic entity'sescaping demonic thoughts... their headquarters... is established directly above... this demonic suppression formation's... core formation eye!"
The image changed again, showing the surface scenery of that black qi region. There stood a magnificent yet ominous palace complex, demonic qicharged towardheavenempty—exactly Shadow Snake Pavilion's headquarters! And deepest within the headquarters, a pitch-black great hall housing the demonic entity's statue, beneath it, was precisely the Nine Heavens Demonic Suppression Formation's core!
"The demonic entity... wishing to break seal and emerge... needs... to thoroughly dismantle the formation... or... pollute... substitute... the Four Symbol cornerstones..." Tianjizi looked at Xiao Qi, "You gathered Four Symbols Soul Crystals... thus possessing... qualification to... re-stabilize... even... strengthen... the Nine Heavens Demonic Suppression Formation!"
"Proceed to... Shadow Snake Pavilion headquarters... infiltrate beneath... the Ten Thousand Demon Hall... use Four Symbols Soul Crystals' power... communicate with four extreme poles... induce heaven's stars... supplement and complete the formation's foundation... perhaps... the demonic entity... can be... thoroughly re-sealed!"
"This is... the only... also... final... method!"
Tianjizi's phantom voice grew fainter and fainter, his form becoming more transparent, as if about to dissipate the next moment.
"Remember... the demonic entity is cunning... Shadow Snake Pavilion... is a dragon's pool and tiger's den... this journey... has nine deaths and no life... but... this realm's survival... rests upon you..."
Finally, Tianjizi's gaze seemed to penetratevoid, falling upon Xiao Qi, carrying boundless anticipation and a trace of indescribable complexity.
"Protect... hope..."
As the voice fell, thatpale gray phantom finally thoroughly dissipated, transforming into streams of light, merging into the surrounding heaven and earth, leaving no trace.
Within the ice cavern, silence returned. Only that floatingmysteriousblack water sphere (having lost its core origin but residual power still present) slowly rotated, and Xiao Qi and Third Senior Sister's heavy breathing.
Too much information! Too shocking!
The Four Symbols Soul Crystals' true function, the Nine Heavens Demonic Suppression Formation's existence, the demonic entity main body's sealed location, Shadow Snake Pavilion headquarters' shocking secret, and the final mission—proceed to the demonic nest's core, strengthen the ancient seal!
All this, like a grand, world-fate-concerning scroll, under Tianjizi's final spiritual guidance, finally fully unfolded before Xiao Qi!
The target was unprecedentedly clear!
The enemy was unprecedentedly powerful!
The journey was unprecedentedly perilous!
Xiao Qi slowly clenched his fist. The jade pendant at his chest transmitted a warm, firm touch. Four Symbol origin power steadily flowed within his body, bringing boundless confidence and strength.
He looked at Third Senior Sister beside him, whose expression was equally solemn yet gaze incomparably firm. The corner of his lips lifted in a solemn arc.
"Senior Sister, it seems... our final destination has been determined."
"Shadow Snake Pavilion, headquarters!"