With the last wisp of ink-black demonic fire's annihilation, the suffocating yin-cold and evil aura within the stone cavern completely vanished. Instead came the mild yet vast pure-yang fire spiritual power from deep within the earth veins, along with that ancient Vermillion Bird totem's restored sacred majesty.
Xiao Qi, supported by Third Senior Sister, sat cross-legged on the ground. He quickly swallowed several pills for restoring spiritual power and healing injuries, closing his eyes to regulate his breath. Just now forcibly erupting the Purification Source, and enduring the demonic fire's erosion plus the demonic entity's will counterattack, had indeed caused considerable consumption and damage to him. Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie stood guard nearby, not daring to disturb, their faces full of gratitude and reverence.
Elder Wumeng tremblingly walked to the Vermillion Bird totem. His withered palm gently stroked the ancient carvings on the totem's surface that were slowly fading their black marks and reemerging crimson luster. Tears streamed down his aged face. He muttered incantations, seemingly offering comfort and prayers in ancient local dialect.
Just as Xiao Qi operated his cultivation technique, guiding medicinal power to circulate through his body and repair damaged meridians and skin, another transformation occurred!
That Vermillion Bird totem, silent for who knows how many ages, suddenly vibrated without warning! Not physical shaking, but a resonance and tremor from the soul level.
Hum—
A clear, melodious, seeminglytraversing through time and space phoenix cry rang out, directly sounding in every being's spirit depths within the stone cavern. This cry no longer carried pain and imprisonment, but was full of joy, liberation, and a trace of... incomprehensibly ancient and majestic.
Then, before the horrified gazes of Lie Shan, Yan Lie, Elder Wumeng, and Third Senior Sister who had just opened her eyes, a hazy figure composed of pure light and fire slowly rose from the Vermillion Bird totem's brow point.
That figure resembled a divine bird—rooster's head, swallow's jaw, serpent's neck, turtle's back, fish's tail. Around it curled faint yet incomparably pure, sacred crimson-gold flames. Though hazy and unclear, only the outline barely distinguishable, the supreme noble aura it emanated—overarching all beings, commanding the source of all fire—caused everyone except Xiao Qi to feel an irresistible urge to worship!
"Holy... Holy Lord manifests!" Elder Wumeng was so excited his whole body shook. He was the first to prostrate, bowing with the most devout posture. Chief Lie Shan and Yan Lie immediately followed, kneeling deeply, not daring to lift their heads. Third Senior Sister Liu Yun didn't kneel but bowed respectfully, expression solemn.
Only Xiao Qi felt a mild, kind intention, like warm sunlight, surrounding him. He stood, looking at that crimson-gold divine bird phantom floating above the totem. His heart understood—this wasn't the complete Vermillion Bird Holy Lord. This was merely an extremely faint remnant soul imprint the Holy Lord had left to guard this place, or that remained at the moment of falling!
That Vermillion Bird remnant soul's phantom slowly turned toward Xiao Qi. Those eyes condensed from light, as if penetrating time and space, fell upon him. More precisely, they fell upon the jade pendant at his chest—glossy yet internally resonating, sharing the same origin!
A mild, aged yet relieved and grateful intention, like a gentle stream, flowed into Xiao Qi's sea of consciousness: "Later guardian... thank you... dispelling that filthy corruption... liberating this strand of my soon-to-be-extinguishedobsession..."
Xiao Qi's heart was filled with solemnity as he responded via divine thought: "Junior Tang Xiao Qi, greets the Vermillion Bird Holy Lord. Purifying evil, protecting this realm's peace, is merely my duty."
"Good..." The Vermillion Bird remnant soul's intention carried approval. "You bear the 'Primordial Breath' (referring to the Purification Source), and have gathered the imprints of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise... It seems the wheel of fate has begun to turn again..."
Its gaze seemed capable of seeing through Xiao Qi's past and future, carrying a trace of understanding and gravity.
"That extraterritorial evil's tendrils... have already penetrated deep... The Molten Fire Heart's seal... has been shaken by its demonic thoughts... The 'Sacred Crystal' (soul crystal) transformed from my origin... is desperately maintaining... butprobably cannot last..." The Vermillion Bird remnant soul's intention showed anxiety and worry.
Xiao Qi's heart tightened. As expected! The demonic entity's target was the sealedtrue body, and the Vermillion Bird Soul Crystal was precisely one of the keys!
"This strand of my remnant consciousness... will completely return to heaven and earth... I can no longer personally guard the Sacred Crystal..." The Vermillion Bird remnant soul's intention grew somewhat ethereal. "Later guardian... the heavy responsibility of stopping the evil... protecting this realm... I entrust to you..."
As this intention flowed, the Vermillion Bird remnant soul's phantom began growing even hazier, as if it would dissipate at any moment. But it did something crucial.
It raised its heademittedsoundsoundless'sclear cry. The entire phantom suddenly contracted, transforming into an extremely condensed crimson-gold flowing light that fiercely shot toward the Vermillion Bird totem's chest position!
"Hum!"
At the totem's chest, an area originally seamlessly integrated with the rock, unremarkable, suddenly erupted with dazzling crimson light! Within the light, a crystal roughly the size of a fist, shaped like a bird, entirely crimson-red and translucent, with what seemed like liquid fire flowing within, radiating endless vitality and destructive aura, slowly separated from the rock and floated in mid-air!
Vermillion Bird Soul Crystal!
The moment this soul crystal appeared, the jade pendant at Xiao Qi's chest emitted unprecedented violent humming and scorching heat. The Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise soul crystal phantoms independently manifested, rotating around the pendant, emitting joyful, longing resonance. The floating Vermillion Bird Soul Crystal also seemed summoned, gently trembling, radiating an intimate intention.
"Take it... fuse with it... gather the Four Symbols... only then can you possess... a glimmer of hope to contend with... that evil..." The Vermillion Bird remnant soul's intention was weak as a dying candle.
That crimson-gold Vermillion Bird Soul Crystal transformed into flowing light, actively flying toward Xiao Qi. Without any obstruction, it sank into the jade pendant at his chest.
"BOOM!"
Like heaven and earth initially opening, universe reconstructing! Xiao Qi felt a vast, unimaginable yet incomparably mild, pure, supreme-yang force, like a bursting flood, flood his limbs and bones, scouring his meridians, dantian, even every cell! His cultivation, pushed by this force, skyrocketed at unprecedented speed. His originally depleted aura instantly recovered and surged, directly breaking through the bottleneck, stably reaching mid Golden Core peak, only one step from late stage!
Behind him, four divine beast phantoms appeared invoid—Azure Dragon coiling, White Tiger roaring, Black Tortoise guarding the sea, Vermillion Bird soaring the heavens—all manifested simultaneously, interilluminating, forming a perfect, stable cycle, radiating a primordial, majestic, boundless aura! The Four Symbols jade pendant's light internallysuppress, becoming simple and unadorned, yet the power contained within had undergone a qualitative leap!
However, the Vermillion Bird remnant soul's gift had not ended.
Just as its phantom was about to completely dissipate in its final moment, one tiny yet incomparably pure, as if containing the mysteries of fire's origin, crimson-gold spark separated from the phantom, silently sinking into Xiao Qi's brow sea of consciousness.
In an instant, a profound method regarding controlling and condensing "Southern Bright Separating Fire," like a brand, was deeply imprinted in Xiao Qi's soul depths! This Southern Bright Separating Fire was neither ordinary fire nor common true fire, but one of the Vermillion Bird Holy Lord's fundamental divine fires—supreme yang and pure, capable of burning everything in the world, yet also capable of refining evil and nurturing life! Though Xiao Qi's current cultivation was shallow, he could barely condense a thread of flame, its potential and might had far exceeded any fire supernatural power he had previously mastered.
"Protect... hope..."
The Vermillion Bird remnant soul's final weak intention came, carrying endless entrustment and expectation. Then, that crimson-gold phantom completely dissipated between heaven and earth, as if it had never existed.
The stone cavern returned to peace.
That Vermillion Bird totem seemed to have lost its final trace of spirituality, becoming like an ordinary stone carving. Yet the crimson luster flowing on its surface was more warm and bright than before.
Xiao Qi stood in place, eyes closed, feeling the surging power within his body and the supreme method newly gained in his mind. His emotions were turbulent. The Four Symbols Soul Crystals were finally gathered! The Southern Bright Separating Fire was an unexpected bonus!
Chief Lie Shan, Yan Lie, and Elder Wumeng only then dared lift their heads. Though they hadn't heard the soul communication, they had witnessed the Holy Lord's remnant soul manifest, bestow the Sacred Crystal (soul crystal), fuse into Xiao Qi's body, and the astonishing phenomenon of the Four Symbols surrounding!
Their gazes toward Xiao Qi were no longer viewing a powerful outsider, but carried a fervor close to worshipping a "divine messenger" or "Holy Lord's incarnation!"
Frightened respect!
"Fire Crow Village, from top to bottom, obeys the Holy Lord's decree! Hereafter, as the benefactor (Holy Messenger) commands, we shall not refuse even if it means death!" Chief Lie Shan's voice was sonorous, carrying incomparable piety and resolve. On behalf of all Fire Crow Village, he made a solemn promise.
The final obstacle to the Molten Fire Heart was cleared. The true decisive battle was about to begin.