Qian Renxue's eyes flickered as she rapidly formulated a strategy. Suddenly, she turned to Zhao Feng and asked, "Zhao Feng, can your power of conviction channel the strength of Su Chen and the others over to us?"
Zhao Feng was taken aback, but a flash of realization quickly struck him. "You mean, have Su Chen and the others condense their power of conviction and transmit it to us through the Monument of Heroic Spirits?"
"Exactly," Qian Renxue nodded. "The Monument of Heroic Spirits contains the power of conviction from countless heroic spirits over the past century. If we can channel that power here, we will have more than enough strength to completely purify this trace of the Source of the Void's origin power."
"But the Monument of Heroic Spirits is at the plaza, at least a hundred miles away from here!" Zhao Feng frowned. "And we are deep underground right now; there's no way a signal can reach the surface."
"I'll handle it." Lin Mo suddenly spoke up. His Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul erupted with full force, and the blue-and-gold light transformed into a massive pillar that shot straight upward. The pillar pierced through layers of rock and soil, bursting through the ground and soaring into the clouds.
"This is my Martial Soul's innate skill—Angel's Call! It allows me to transmit my will anywhere through the light pillar!" Lin Mo's face turned incredibly pale, and his phantom flickered violently. Clearly, using this skill had consumed a massive amount of his soul origin. "I've already conveyed our situation to Su Chen; he'll understand!"
Above ground.
At the plaza before the Monument of Heroic Spirits, the crowds had not yet dispersed. The ten Limit Douluos were still celebrating their victory of closing the passage atop the monument. Suddenly, a blue-and-gold pillar of light burst forth from the depths of the earth, piercing the heavens. Contained within the pillar were Lin Mo's will and voice.
Su Chen's expression shifted instantly. He comprehended the message Lin Mo had conveyed—there was an anomaly deep underground, the Source of the Void's origin power had awakened, and Qian Renxue, Zhao Feng, and Lin Mo were in the midst of battle, in desperate need of the power of conviction to support them.
"Everyone, hear my command!" Su Chen bellowed, his voice echoing across the entire plaza. "The heroic spirits have not departed! They are fighting the Void deep underground right now! We must condense our power of conviction and transmit it to them through the Monument of Heroic Spirits!"
The crowds on the plaza were stunned for a moment before erupting into a deafening roar. Whether Soul Masters or ordinary civilians, the elderly or children, everyone closed their eyes and condensed the power of conviction within their hearts. Golden light surged from their bodies, just as it had during the battle a century ago, converging into golden torrents that poured into the Monument of Heroic Spirits.
The Monument of Heroic Spirits instantly erupted with dazzling golden radiance. Within the light, the phantoms of countless heroic spirits materialized. Smiling gently, they infused their own power of conviction into the golden torrent. Guided by Lin Mo's blue-and-gold pillar of light, the golden torrent plunged straight down into the abyss, surging into the bodies of Qian Renxue, Zhao Feng, and Lin Mo.
The trio's power skyrocketed instantly. Qian Renxue's body solidified once more, and Zhao Feng and Lin Mo's phantoms stabilized. Blinding light radiated from their bodies—the perfect fusion of the power of conviction and divine might.
"Now!" Qian Renxue shouted. She raised the Angel Holy Sword high above her head, golden light condensing along the blade to form a colossal pillar of golden radiance. Zhao Feng's Divine Conviction Battleaxe cleaved out a massive golden axe-glow, and Lin Mo's Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul erupted with dazzling blue-and-gold light.
The three attacks slammed into that wisp of the Source of the Void's origin power simultaneously.
Sensing the lethal threat, the black radiance frantically contracted, expanded, and contracted again, attempting to gather its strength to resist. Countless black tentacles shot out from the light, weaving together into a gargantuan black shield. Bizarre black runes flowed across the shield's surface, exuding a terrifying, devouring power.
But the combined might of the three attacks was simply too overwhelming. The black shield endured for less than three breaths before shattering completely with a resounding "Boom!" The three attacks, their momentum undiminished, plunged straight into the core of the black radiance.
Boom—!
A deafening roar, potent enough to shatter space itself, erupted in the depths of the earth. A terrifying energy storm swept through everything; rocks, magma, and soil—all matter was reduced to nothingness within the tempest. Qian Renxue, Zhao Feng, and Lin Mo were sent flying by the storm, their bodies tumbling through the maelstrom like three leaves caught in a hurricane.
Clenching her teeth, Qian Renxue slammed the Angel Holy Sword into the rock wall beside her to steady herself. She extended her free hand, her golden divine power morphing into two chains that snagged Zhao Feng and Lin Mo, preventing them from being swept away by the energy storm.
"Hold steady! Don't let go!" Qian Renxue commanded fiercely. Her voice was nearly drowned out by the energy storm, but Zhao Feng and Lin Mo still heard her.
Zhao Feng gripped the golden chains tightly, bracing the Divine Conviction Battleaxe horizontally in front of him to withstand the storm's impact. His phantom form flickered violently in the tempest, as if it could dissipate at any moment, yet his gaze remained utterly resolute, devoid of the slightest fear.
Lin Mo's condition was no better. The phantom of his Holy Angel Abyssal Dragon Emperor Martial Soul had grown incredibly dim, and of his nine soul ring phantoms, only three remained with a faint flicker. Still, he gritted his teeth and persevered, pouring his remaining strength into his Martial Soul to maintain the blue-and-gold purifying light, fending off the residual Void power within the energy storm.
The energy storm raged for a full fifteen minutes before finally subsiding. The underground depths had been transformed beyond recognition; the original rock strata had been utterly obliterated, leaving behind a colossal cavern over a thousand meters in diameter. The rocks lining the cavern walls had been melted by the extreme heat and resolidified into a smooth, black, glass-like substance, reflecting the faint glows radiating from the three figures.
Right in the center of the cavern, that trace of the Source of the Void's origin power had completely vanished. In its place floated a fist-sized black orb. Suspended in mid-air, it rotated slowly, bizarre black veins flowing across its surface, emitting a faint yet heart-palpitating aura.
Qian Renxue released the chains and cautiously approached the black orb, the Angel Holy Sword held horizontally before her, ready for any sudden eventualities. Zhao Feng and Lin Mo also drew near slowly, their eyes locked fiercely onto the orb, not daring to let their guard down for even a second.
"Is this..." Lin Mo frowned. "A physical entity condensed from the Source of the Void's origin power?"
"No." Qian Renxue shook her head, a flash of solemnity in her eyes. "It's a 'Seed of the Void'—formed by the Source of the Void's origin power condensing to protect itself after being severely wounded by our power of conviction. It is currently in a dormant state, and its aura is extremely faint, but as long as it's given enough time and energy, it can grow anew, eventually developing into a brand-new Source of the Void."
Zhao Feng's face instantly turned extremely grim. "Then let's destroy it right now!"
He raised the Divine Conviction Battleaxe, golden axe-glow gathering along the blade as he prepared to deliver a full-powered strike. But Qian Renxue reached out and blocked him, shaking her head.
"We can't. The Seed of the Void is condensed from the Source of the Void's origin power; its structure is incomparably stable. Brute force attacks alone cannot destroy it. If we forcefully attack it, we might end up awakening it instead. If it erupts, the three of us in our current state stand no chance of holding it back."
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