Within the disaster battlefield, a wisp of consciousness descended into the black dragon phantom at the moment it collided with Qi Ping.
The black dragon finally opened its closed eyes. A pair of eyes that seemed to have slept through ages of primordial history, yet possessed a total insight into all things, gazed turbidly at this shattered world.
It glanced at its own body, which had been torn by the Heaven-Cleaving Demonic Blade. With a simple thought, the previously sluggish fusion process was completed instantly! Immediately after, the rifts on its body healed. In a flash, a solid, black-crystal giant dragon wearing a chaotic black crown was formed!
An immense pressure swept across the world!
However, the moment the black-crystal dragon attempted to move, cracks split across its body.
"This sacrificial vessel is far too weak. It can't even sustain a single wisp of my divided consciousness..."
"I must move with care."
The sensation of being squeezed into the flesh of ants was truly unbearable. But for the sake of that immortal weapon in the Star-Sea World, everything was worth it. Those old fogies of the Sky-Dragon World thought they were keeping it in the dark, but little did they know it had planned to take the prize for itself.
If it were an ordinary immortal weapon, it wouldn't be worth the price of awakening, as the Demon Realm did not lack such things. But the weapon in the Star-Sea was different; it was one of the few "keys" in the myriad domains—a key to the Immortal Realm that held the secret of longevity.
Its lifespan was nearing its end; it had to obtain this key! Only a few powerful worlds knew the true nature of this weapon, and it had to seize the opportunity.
What frustrated it was that the weapon had not yet truly manifested, yet it had been forced to descend prematurely. This might cause the weapon to hide itself more deeply. Every immortal weapon was a unique existence in heaven and earth, possessing unimaginable wisdom.
But it had no choice. It was better for it to seek it unsuccessfully than for others to snatch it. As long as the Star-Sea was not destroyed, the weapon could not escape.
As for Qi Ping, it didn't even consider him a threat. Even if its current vessel was weak, a man who struggled so much against its underlings could never withstand its temporal turbulence.
However, just as it assumed Qi Ping would be eroded away, a golden strike suddenly lunged toward it!
The strike carried the power of "Heaven-Cleaving" and a domineering force that crushed all in its path. In an instant, it left a savage wound on the dragon's abdomen.
"What?"
The black-crystal dragon looked at the scene in shock. Because of the limitations of its vessel, it had sensed the attack but was unable to fully dodge. What shocked it even more was that someone could strike out from within its temporal turbulence.
It had clearly obliterated all consciousness within that zone and confirmed that the cultivation foundation had collapsed. So what was this thing standing before it?
The dragon looked at the figure in disbelief. It was a suit of golden armor.
But there was no person or consciousness within it. Instead, there was a mysterious imprint surrounded by Yin-Yang and Five-Element energy. Had the dragon seen Qi Ping's main body, it would have recognized this as the Druid Imprint on his forehead.
The dragon's perception was correct: the avatar's consciousness and body had indeed perished. But within the Druid Imprint, there was no longer a person—only a series of pure, fundamental beliefs:
Plant trees, expel demon insects, protect the forest, guard the home, maintain the balance of heaven and earth, and sustainably awaken the world's potential...
These beliefs were the insights and practices Qi Ping had followed since the day he awakened as a Druid. Through years of action, they had become deeply etched into the Star-Sea World. It was these beliefs that had withstood the erosion of time.
Even though the avatar's conscious mind was gone, the Druid's Belief remained, standing unshakable amidst the infinite ages. The imprint continued to carry out its mission: slaying demons and guarding the home!
The armor it controlled was the power of the Sovereign Dao Druid!
This was a power uniquely different from the Earth Immortal Druid. While the Earth Immortal was powerful within its own territory, the Sovereign Dao Druid was born of faith! As long as the people who believed in it did not die, how could it be erased by time?
As for the demonic blade, the imprint and the armor could sense the defiant demonic nature within it. That nature was also a believer—a source of its power.
Thus, it gripped the blade, broke through the turbulence, and unleashed a Sovereign Dao Slash upon the dragon!
This Druid Imprint feared no years. it knew no life, no death, no victory, and no defeat. it only followed its core directive:
'Guard the home. This demon must be slain!'
The golden armor showed no concern for the dragon's shock and attacked once again!
"What on earth is this thing?"
Looking at the golden armor, the dragon's eyes, which once seemed to understand all things, showed a flash of confusion. The demonic nature within the blade that resisted time was impressive but within its understanding; it had seen similar things in its long life.
But what was this golden armor and the imprint controlling it?
Seeing the savage wound on its abdomen—which it had just struggled to heal—the dragon was finally enraged. It withdrew its temporal turbulence and lunged forward with the primal, supreme physical strength of the demonic race!
Its horrific power erupted. The terror of the demons was fully displayed. A pitch-black dragon claw descended!
The Sovereign Dao Druid armor was instantly shattered! The Heaven-Cleaving Demonic Blade was also hammered into countless fragments! Even a purely physical strike from the dragon was unimaginably powerful.
"What does it matter if my temporal force is ineffective?"
The dragon was quite satisfied with the blow. However, as it prepared to obliterate the fragments, they reconsolidated instantly. A larger golden armor, wielding a blade composed of those very fragments, struck the dragon squarely across the waist!