Tang Xiaoqi hovered at the edge of the Annihilation Cold Tide, the Green Lotus halo like a lone lamp in the wind, stubbornly radiating soft, pure light within the boundless gray death.
Where that glow reached, the attempting-to-erode gray cold tide retreated slightly as if meeting its nemesis—but merely retreated, not purified or dispersed, instead churning and surging around, watching vigilantly, as if possessing some bizarre conscious awareness.
He focused his senses upon this gray domain shrouding the sacred mountain. Unlike the violent, erosive, distorting characteristics of demonic energy, this Annihilation Cold Tide leaned more toward an absolute "stillness" and "nothingness." It didn't attack proactively; it simply existed, with its absolute deathly stillness and coldness, assimilating and annihilating all vitality and energy within its range.
Air congealed here, spiritual energy withered, sound vanished, even light entering it seemed devoured of color and vitality, becoming dim and languid. It was more like an embodiment of rules, a domain of "ending" and "void," rather than mere energy pollution.
Xiao Qi tried extending a finger, its tip condensing a wisp of pure Lotus Heart Fire—that pure white flame dancing, emanating the aura of dispelling evil and purifying all things. He carefully probed this wisp of flame into the gray cold tide.
*Hiss—*
A slight sound, like cold water dripping into hot oil. The instant the Lotus Heart Fire contacted the gray cold tide, the flame obviously dimmed; a small area of gray mist was briefly evaporated and dispersed, revealing the ash-covered black permafrost below. But in merely an instant, more gray cold tide surged from all directions, filling the gap again, and that wisp of Lotus Heart Fire actually weakened visibly, as if its inherent "vitality" and "activity" were being rapidly stripped and annihilated by that deathly force!
Xiao Qi immediately withdrew his finger, gazing at the flame that had become weak and even carried a trace of gray decay. His brow knit tightly.
As expected! Purification power targeted "pollution" and "chaos"; its essence was to rectify disorder and bestow vitality. But this Annihilation Cold Tide, its essence was not "chaos" but "ending," "void." It didn't resist you; it simply used its absolute "deathly stillness" to annihilate and assimilate all "life" and "motion" existence. Purification light falling into it was like pouring clean water into an endless desert—not only unable to purify the desert, but being devoured and assimilated by it, eventually vanishing without a trace.
This was like using medicine effective against plagues to attack a block of cold stone—medicine has no effect on inanimate objects.
He tried again, summoning a wisp of chaotic airflow. That gray gas carried the power of decomposition and reshaping—perhaps it could impact this bizarre energy structure. The chaotic airflow entered the gray cold tide. This time no sound emerged; only that area's gray mist rippled slightly, like a calm water's surface disturbed by a small stone, creating ripples. But after the ripples, everything returned to normal. The chaotic airflow itself disappeared like a mud ox entering the sea, unable to shake its foundation.
This Annihilation Cold Tide's "stability" and "assimilability" far exceeded his estimates. It seemed immune to most attacks based on energy attribute countering; its foundation of existence was rooted more deeply in… the collective consciousness's despair emotions.
"Venerable One…" The most ancient Snow Plains Giant Wolf elder below, seeing Xiao Qi's two attempts seemed ineffective, the hope-flame just kindled in their eyes dimmed again. They emitted a mournful low howl: "Even you… cannot…?"
Xiao Qi gave no answer. His gaze pierced the thick gray cold tide, attempting to see toward the sacred mountain's core. In his perception, that which should have been as bright as the North Star, radiating pure ice-spirit fluctuations, had become extremely faint—like a candle flame in the wind—and was encased by a thick layer of gray ice formed from the purest despair!
The ice spirit itself seemed to have fallen into some sort of slumber or been frozen. And the entire Annihilation Cold Tide's power source came precisely from that frozen sacred core, and from farther away, from across the vast northern plains, like trickles converging into a mighty river, continuously flowing despair fluctuations!
These came from northern tribal people who lost kin and homes in the demon calamity, from hunters struggling to survive in harsh environments yet seeing no hope, from small clans bullied and oppressed by stronger tribes… it was the convergence of countless individual tiny despairs, ultimately transforming and triggering the sacred core's abnormality, forming this terrifying Annihilation Cold Tide!
Understanding this, Xiao Qi's heart actually brightened slightly. This Annihilation Cold Tide was not without roots or source; its power ultimately came from "human hearts," or "sentient beings' thoughts." Forcefully opposing and purifying would achieve little results for the effort, or could even intensify its backlash. Because opposition itself could be seen as a kind of "motion" and "life," thereby being assimilated by death.
Perhaps… a different approach was needed.
He recalled his experience in Wang Gui Town, using Green Lotus energy to calm that old woman grieving over her missing son, using hope to dispel her despair. He also remembered within his dao heart, that ever-extinguished "protection" thought.
This Annihilation Cold Tide originated from despair. Then perhaps, what could dispel it wasn't greater power, but something contrary to it. It was hope, warmth, the unyielding vitality of life itself, the faith that light exists even in darkness!
His Green Lotus source contained purification and creation power. If he focused "purification" on "creation" and "guidance" rather than "annihilation," using power to ignite hope rather than oppose despair, might there be different effects?
This was a bold conjecture, and an unprecedented attempt.
Xiao Qi took a deep breath, no longer attempting to attack or disperse the gray cold tide. He slowly gathered the defensive Green Lotus halo around him, even proactively weakening his energy fluctuations, making himself more "ordinary," closer to a… pure life-source state.
Then, under the astonished and uncomprehending gazes of those Snow Plains Giant Wolf elders, he stepped forward and walked into that dead, gray Annihilation Cold Tide.
No radiant light, no magnificent momentum. He simply walked, like the most ordinary, kind-hearted traveler, into that domain symbolizing ultimate despair.
Success or failure, all hinged on this moment.