Below the ancient well, the dark gold Buddha head's eyes slightly opened. What leaked from the crack wasn't Buddhist light, but a strange gaze mixed with resentment, cunning, and ancient Zen meaning! The two relics serving as array eyes still emitted Buddhist light, trying to suppress, but the Buddha head itself had been eroded by demonic energy for ages. Within it seemed to have already conceived a twisted, Buddha-demon-unified strange consciousness!
It sensed Xiao Qi's presence, and the pure aura that made it loathe yet desire (the Purification Source).
Almost the instant the Buddha head opened its eyes, deep within the ancient well, that demonic energy source suppressed for endless years by the relics seemed to receive some stimulation, issuing a soundless, yet soul-reaching roar!
"Rumble—!"
The entire Golden Sand ancient city suddenly violently shook! As if a slumbering primeval beast was awakening, issuing an angry roar. The golden sand particles forming the city shakily trembled. More cracks appeared on walls. Some already-collapsed buildings could no longer hold up, crashing down, kicking up golden dust filling the sky!
Inside the ancient well, it was even more like being brought to a boil! Dense-as-ink demonic energy, mixed with eroded dark gold Buddhist power, like a volcanic eruption, surged skyward from the well bottom! This power was violent and chaotic, filled with destructive and erosive malice toward all life—far purer, far more terrifying than what was felt in the main hall!
The demonic energy's counterattack had begun! And it came so ferociously!
Xiao Qi standing by the well's edge bore the brunt! That surging demonic energy torrent instantly swallowed him! Icy, deathly still, manic, tempting... all sorts of negative wills like millions of steel needles frantically stabbed at his sea of consciousness, trying to disintegrate his will, erode his Dao heart, assimilate him as part of the demonic energy!
"Om—"
Within Xiao Qi, the Dao Seed circulated clear radiance. His guardian sword heart bloomed with unshakably firm light, blocking most of the mental assault. The pale golden "Indestructible Diamond Body" precious light on his body surface also fully operated, resisting the demonic energy's physical erosion. The Purification Source even more automatically protected him, forming a thin white halo around his body, constantly purifying approaching demonic energy with "sizzling" sounds.
However, this demonic energy was too vast, too pure! As if connected to some boundless demonic realm! Xiao Qi felt like a small boat in an angry sea, could be completely engulfed and torn apart by this demonic energy torrent at any moment! The golden sand ground beneath his feet was melting, corroding. His body was constantly pushed backward by the impact. The precious light and purification halo on his body surface were violently flickering, dim and bright unsteadily!
"Brother Qi!" In the distance, Zhao Tiezhu, having just lost track of that Buddhist power golden heart and hearing the commotion rushing back, saw Xiao Qi swallowed by that terrifying demonic energy torrent. His eyes were about to split as he roared, about to charge over.
"Don't come over! Guard your mind, stay away from the ancient well!" Xiao Qi's voice transmitted through the demonic energy torrent. Though carrying a trace of difficulty, it remained steady. He knew that if Zhao Tiezhu were swept into this core demonic energy counterattack, he would probably instantly lose his mind and be demonized!
Zhao Tiezhu heard this and forcibly stopped his steps, his fists tightly clenched, fingernails deeply digging into his palms. His eyes were full of anxiety and helplessness. The pale golden qi and blood on his body surface was also triggered by the spreading demonic energy, becoming restless. He could only fully operate the "Indestructible Diamond Body" technique, desperately guarding his spirit platform's single point of clarity.
The rabbit spirit was even more scared into curling into a ball, tightly pressed against Xiao Qi, relying on Xiao Qi's purification halo protection to avoid being instantly eroded by demonic energy.
He had to stop the demonic energy from continuing to erupt! Otherwise not only were they in mortal danger, the entire Golden Sand City would probably completely collapse and be swallowed by demonic energy, possibly even affecting the outside Death Desert!
Xiao Qi's gaze was fixed on the ancient well below. The problem's root was that demon-energy-eroded Buddha head, and the demonic energy source suppressed beneath it! As long as the Buddha head was still being continuously eroded by demonic energy, the relics' power couldn't be fully used for suppression, and this counterattack wouldn't stop!
Several thoughts instantly flashed through his mind. Forcibly destroy the Buddha head? No—apart from whether he could do it, the Buddha head and relics were one. Destroying the Buddha head would likely cause the relics' power to go out of control, the seal completely collapsing. Use Southern Ming Li Fire to forcibly purify? The demonic energy here had been entangled with Buddhist power for ages, its nature strange. Though Southern Ming Li Fire could restrain it, such vast demonic energy—before purification was complete, he himself would probably be exhausted to death first!
The only method seemed to be... using himself as a medium to trigger even more powerful relic power, assisting them to purify the Buddha head and reinforce the seal!
This was an extremely risky idea! He would need to plunge deep into the demonic energy eruption's core, approach that strange Buddha head, and make his own Purification Source resonate with the relics' Buddhist power, guiding their power! Any misstep in the process and he would be torn apart by both Buddha and demon extreme powers, or thoroughly eroded by demonic energy!
But at this moment, there was no retreat!
A decisiveness flashed in Xiao Qi's eyes! He no longer passively defended, but actively circulated his entire body's spiritual power. He pushed the "Indestructible Diamond Body's" protection to the limit while fully channeling the jade pendant on his chest, pushing the Purification Source's output to maximum!
"Wandering Dragon Nine Turns!"
He shouted low. His form didn't retreat but advanced, like a fish swimming upstream against that demonic energy torrent terrifying enough to annihilate Golden Core cultivators, forcefully charging toward the ancient well's mouth!
"Sss sss sss—!"
Demonic energy and purification light intensely collided, constantly wearing away. The precious light on Xiao Qi's body surface rapidly dimmed. His clothes began breaking apart under the demonic energy's erosion. Fine black lines even appeared on his skin—signs of demonic energy trying to invade. But his eyes remained firm, his steps steady. Step by step, difficultly, he approached the well mouth.
The closer to the well mouth, the stronger the demonic energy's impact force, and the clearer that strange gaze leaking from the Buddha head's eyes became—full of mockery and greed, as if anticipating his self-delivery into the trap.
Finally, Xiao Qi rushed to the well mouth's edge! Below was the surging demonic energy source and that dark gold Buddha head with open eyes!
He didn't hesitate in the slightest, leaping up, jumping into that ancient well depths filled with endless darkness and madness!
Life or death, whether he could reverse the dangerous situation, all depended on this one move!