CHAPTER 175: THE VOID CRISIS RESOLVED

Wind Dragon fixed his gaze on the Hunyuan Greatsword as every ounce of Void energy poured into the planetary jade token. "The process went surprisingly smoothly... it seems this disaster may finally be resolved."

As the jade token devoured the Void energy, the once-dim buttons and flowing lines began to glow faintly. Even the fourth button, once sealed by the green-robed Daoist, now churned restlessly, showing signs of breaking free from the bindings of the Spirit Light Chains.

Wind Dragon frowned, turned toward the Divine Psyche Incarnation, and shouted, "Little Lu, prepare to return your Divine Psyche Incarnation to the divine chamber. I'll channel part of the Void energy into your Heavenly Pool."

"Understood..."

The Divine Psyche Incarnation formed a hand seal and mumbled something. In response, a portal appeared on the Green Sovereign Divine Tree. Once that was done, he quickly led the three avatars back into the divine chamber.

Inside, the Divine Psyche Incarnation sat cross-legged at the center of the Taiji Diagram, with the three avatars forming a triangle around him. "Wind Dragon, we are ready. You may begin"[1]

Wind Dragon roared, "Then let's start."

He chanted an incantation, and a violent gale erupted from the Hunyuan Greatsword. At the same time, the remnants of the Divine Tree vines on the blade pierced into the sphere's core, splitting the remaining one-third of the Void energy into three streams.

The largest portion surged into the jade token, while the other two flowed along the vines. One entered the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree in the small world, while the other sank into Lu Chen's Heavenly Pool.

The moment the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree touched the Void energy, a dark rift split open in its trunk. It greedily devoured and purified the power, spreading the refined energy throughout the small world via its roots. The entire small world instantly blossomed with vitality.

The Acquired Green Sovereign Divine Tree in the Heavenly Pool sensed the energy as well. Its roots shot out to seize it, but the young and tender tree was far too weak to withstand such power.

Sensing danger, the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree extended its branches through the Eternal Twilight Imperial City, reaching into the Heavenly Pool. With its aid, the two Divine Trees jointly suppressed the Void's power.

Forced down, the energy was dragged toward the center by the Acquired Green Sovereign Divine Tree's roots. Once it was under control, the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree withdrew its branches back into the small world to avoid disturbing the process.

The Yin and Yang Ocean Pearl had once filled the Heavenly Pool beneath the Acquired Green Sovereign Divine Tree with spirit qi. Now, with its roots infused with the Void's higher law, the fire- and water-attribute spirit qi fled north and south like fat sheep before a starving wolf. Even the wind, lightning, and other elemental qi within the Innate Green Sovereign Divine Tree scattered to the edges.

The Void's power coiled around the trunk of the Acquired Green Sovereign Divine Tree. Sensing the space beneath it now vacant, it descended and claimed the most favorable spot in the Heavenly Pool. It spun rapidly beneath the tree, splitting into black and white. As it spiraled, it drew in more of the Heavenly Pool's spirit qi, condensing drops of Void liquid that spread across the Taiji Diagram.

Sensing the changes within the Heavenly Pool, the Divine Psyche Incarnation pondered briefly, then lifted the Twin Fish Medallion and cast it into the Heavenly Pool to aid the Acquired Divine Tree in suppressing the Void's power.

The black and white fish returned, gazed at the swirling energy beneath the roots, and showed clear joy, as though they too had long yearned for this power.

"Hoo..."

The twin fish exhaled a breath of water- and fire-attribute spirit qi, then dove into the black-and-white liquid, once again becoming the eyes of the Taiji Diagram.

They darted about within the liquid, devouring its power while quickening the rate at which it condensed. Within ten breaths, the pool beneath the Acquired Divine Tree brimmed with black-and-white liquid.

With a sudden twist, the twin fish plunged into the depths of the liquid, chasing down the last traces of Void energy. About ten minutes later, they burst out of the water, cutting furiously across the black-and-white divide with the might of giant whales. The pair brushed past each other, exchanged a sharp glance, and spat the final remnants of Void energy at one another.

***

In the outside world, Lu Chen coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of foul blood. "Void power truly is extraordinary. My body has been tempered countless times and stripped of impurities, yet just a single circulation of Void energy still managed to force out so much filth."

He glanced at the blood mixed with bone and flesh fragments and murmured, "Little Jun, hold on. I'm almost done."

Then he sank back into cultivation.

"Little Lu, hurry up!" Jun Laoye swung the Heavenly Dao Spear, shattering a falling stone pillar. "Little Jian's buried somewhere, and with all these columns collapsing, I can't find him at all!

"Do you have any idea how much effort I've put in because of you? Because of your stupid ocular art, I've been basically training nonstop in an attempt to save Little Jian. It's only been a short while, yet I've already reached near-advanced mastery over the Spear Combat Technique! In the past, this would've taken me at least half a year to achieve!"

However, seeing Lu Chen sink once again into cultivation, Jun Laoye could only reveal a helpless look. "Sigh... here we go again..."

Lu Chen had deactivated the Eye of the Ancestral Dragon, but the upheaval in the Heavenly Pool had already affected the world. Tremors rippled through the ground, shaking the collapsed stone pillars and sending them flying once more. The shockwaves caused the pillars to rain down straight at Jun Laoye.

With no way to vent his frustration, he let out a long sigh and continued brandishing his spear.

***

Within his mind, the Divine Psyche Incarnation called out to Wind Dragon, "The portion of Void power you passed to me has already been digested. How are things on your side?"

"It's done. Everything went smoothly. The Void power in your mind has been completely devoured, and your sea of consciousness has doubled in size. It's now nearly five thousand zhang across. Even Sunken Core Realm cultivators might not possess such a vast mind."

Wind Dragon let out a wicked laugh. "Best of all, the little rascal's strength has fully recovered, and the fourth button has been unlocked."

"What function does the fourth button hold?" The Divine Psyche Incarnation dispersed his protective vine barrier and stepped in front of Wind Dragon. "Hand me the Hunyuan Greatsword. I'll test it."

Lu Chen took the Hunyuan Greatsword and ran his hand gently across its surface. Pressing down on the fourth button with his left hand, he saw it flicker between black and white. Pressing it again, it locked onto black.

"Black?" Lu Chen pressed once more, and it turned white. "Black and white? Two functions? What do they do?"

Eggy squeaked from within the planetary jade token, "Creak... little fishy... huff huff..."

"Could it be... maybe it requires void spirit qi to activate?"

"Try it."

"All right, I'll try."

The Divine Psyche Incarnation formed a hand seal and quickly channeled the void spirit qi within his body.

Responding to the summons, the twin fish guided the black and white spirit qi through his meridians, circling twice before shooting out from his fingertip into the planetary jade token. The token absorbed the Void energy, and the white button suddenly flared with light, dyeing the entire Hunyuan Greatsword a pure white.

"That's it? Just a color change?"

The Divine Psyche Incarnation swung the Hunyuan Greatsword several times, yet nothing happened. "This is the fourth button, baptized by the highest law itself, yet it doesn't even come with any sort of spatial ability?"

Lu Chen poked the jade token lightly and sent a voice transmission to Eggy. "Eggy, do you know what this button does? If you tell me, I'll take you out to play right away."

"Play..." At the mention of the word, Eggy perked up instantly, repeating it over and over with excitement.

"Heh... and I actually believed that little rascal," Wind Dragon lifted his head with a mocking laugh. "I thought it really knew something, but all it responded to was 'take you out to play.'"

After absorbing the void's power earlier, Eggy's intelligence had grown considerably. It now understood that Wind Dragon was ridiculing it. Growing angrier, it raised its voice. "Go... out... play... Go out, play..."

Wind Dragon fumed, smacking the jade token hard with his right hand. "You little rascal, how dare you get angry with me? I fed you three-quarters of the energy, and all you've learned to say is this nonsense?"

Eggy sounded clearly displeased, its speech now more fluent. "Hurts... I want to go out and play..."

Then, for the first time, it spoke a full sentence. "We want to go out and play. Eggy wants to go out and play."

Wind Dragon cried out in alarm, "Hm? Not good... the Hunyuan Greatsword's under its control!"

Before he could dodge, the blade pierced straight through his abdomen.

He reformed from within the sword, his voice tinged with disbelief. "What just happened? How did that little rascal seize control of the Hunyuan Greatsword? If I weren't its weapon spirit, that strike would've erased me completely."

The Divine Psyche Incarnation spread his hands helplessly. "I don't know either. I wasn't controlling the sword at all."

Eggy's tone now resembled that of a stubborn child seven or eight years old. "Eggy wants to go out and play. Master, Eggy wants to go out!"

As Eggy repeated those words once more, the Hunyuan Greatsword tore itself from Lu Chen's grasp.

Wind Dragon roared, "The chaos sphere above you! Little Lu, stop it!"

He turned back into his dragon form and coiled tightly around the blade. "If it pierces the chaos sphere now, we'll be in serious trouble."

Just as Lu Chen reached for the sword, the Hunyuan Greatsword had already driven straight into the core of the chaos orb. "Too late."

1. This Taiji Diagram is the one that's below the Green Sovereign Divine Tree. ☜