In the center of the canyon, the battlefield between the two Martial Grandmasters stirred up a storm, with energy raging and every wisp of residual energy capable of easily tearing through the defenses of the Martial Master Realm.
Xiao Han's figure moved along the edge of the battlefield, each step like dancing on a knife's edge, fraught with danger.
Several times, destructive energy turbulence almost swept past his body. He pushed the "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" footwork to its limit in the face of life and death, and the Chaos Green Lotus Martial Soul spontaneously emitted azure light to protect his body, which was how he barely avoided it. Otherwise, he would have been crushed into dust by that terrifying power.
On the other side, Zhang Dali and his two companions ran for their lives. They had only gone a few hundred meters when a dark shadow flashed in front of them. Several Black Water Mysterious Snake Tribe demons who had patrolled the area blocked their way.
These demons, each at the Martial Master Realm, glared fiercely at the three of them, letting out piercing screechs as they pounced.
"Damn it, let's fight these beasts!" Wang Hu's eyes were bloodshot, and he unleashed his B-grade speed Martial Soul at full power, trying to buy Zhang Dali and Li Min a moment.
However, a snake demon at the Martial Master Realm Fourth Level moved swiftly, faster than Wang Hu, and its foul-smelling claws aimed straight for Wang Hu's vital back!
"Wang Hu, watch out behind you!" Li Min's voice was choked with tears.
In the blink of an eye, a thin yet terrifyingly refined cyan sword aura shot out from nowhere, ignoring the barrier of space, and silently pierced through the snake demon's forehead with a soft "plop"!
The snake demon's lunging motion froze instantly, its life force rapidly fading, and it fell straight to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Zhang Dali and Li Min's legs were still trembling, and Wang Hu was also covered in cold sweat, having narrowly escaped death.
They looked in the direction from which the sword energy came with suspicion and uncertainty. There was only the devastating scene of the two Martial Grandmaster battle, and they could not find any trace of the person who had come to their aid.
Hidden in the shadows, Xiao Han himself was on the edge of the energy storm, yet he still managed to use his [Illusion-Breaking Spirit Eyes] to precisely control the battlefield, forcibly diverting a wisp of his mind at the crucial moment to unleash this [Green Lotus Sword Qi] at its maximum range.
Having landed a successful blow, his face paled slightly; this sword strike had taken a heavy toll on him.
However, these three "mobile meat shields" can't just kick the bucket so soon.
After a close call, Xiao Han finally reached the edge of the area indicated by the map fragment.
The fluctuation that subtly resonated with the Eternal Night King Martial Soul pointed directly to the entrance of an ancient cave, which was completely obscured by boulders and thick vines.
At the entrance of the cave, a very faint energy barrier was faintly visible, almost imperceptible.
Xiao Han dared not be careless. He activated the [Illusion-Breaking Spirit Eyes] to its fullest extent, and the energy flow trajectory of the cave entrance restriction, as well as every weak point, clearly appeared in his vision.
He held his breath, extended his fingers, gathered his inner spiritual power, and carefully channeled a little shadow power into them, precisely placing them on several key points of the restriction.
A barely audible cracking sound rang out.
The instant the restriction was lifted, a sudden change occurred!
"Boom--!"
A dark aura and the primordial energy of space, far surpassing any previous senses—more powerful, purer, and more ancient and desolate—burst forth from the cave without warning, stirring up a storm of sand and stones!
Immediately afterwards, an overwhelming and terrifying suction force emanated from the depths of the bottomless cave, threatening to devour everything!
"Um?!"
The Dragon Nation elders and the Blackwater Mystic Snake Demon Grandmaster, who were engaged in a fierce battle in the canyon, paused for a moment almost simultaneously, as they both sensed this sudden and overwhelming primal fluctuation!
The two simultaneously stopped their attacks, both looking towards the cave with surprise and uncertainty. This aura filled them with a sense of unease and... greed!
Xiao Han had no time to react! The terrifying suction force seemed to have targeted him, directly affecting his Eternal Night King Martial Soul, leaving him with no will to resist. He and the surrounding rubble and dust were grabbed by an invisible giant hand and instantly sucked into that bottomless dark cave!
[Ding! Host has been exposed to a high concentration of "Primordial Shadow Source Crystal". The evolution path of the Eternal Night King Martial Soul has branched out, and God-Level Choice has been triggered!]
In the final moments before being sucked into the cave, Xiao Han caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of the two Martial Grandmasters who had been locked in a life-or-death struggle, their faces simultaneously displaying a complex expression of shock and greed. They seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding in an instant, abandoning their battle and transforming into two streaks of light, rushing towards the cave at the same time!
"Xiao... Boss Xiao Han!" Zhang Dali, Wang Hu, and Li Min, who had just escaped death, saw a terrifying burst of light erupt from the direction where Xiao Han had disappeared. Immediately afterward, the two Martial Grandmasters rushed in that direction as well. The three looked at each other, extremely anxious but powerless. Was Boss Xiao Han dead or alive?
Xiao Han felt a sudden darkness engulf him, his body falling uncontrollably into the endless depths of darkness. All he could hear was the cold, familiar notification from the system, and fragmented information about the "Primordial Shadow Source Crystal" flashing through his mind—one of the Source Crystals that constituted the Space Laws, containing unimaginable power.
Immediately afterwards, two extremely tempting, yet also extremely dangerous, choices for Martial Soul evolution clearly appeared in his consciousness.
Ahead lies a tremendous opportunity that could elevate him to the top, or a death trap even more terrifying than that of the two Martial Grandmasters.
Xiao Han's heart, despite its rapid descent, became unusually calm.
The real excitement is just beginning!
The feeling of weightlessness was ever-present, and Xiao Han struggled to maintain his posture as he plummeted. The wind howled in his ears, and he was surrounded by complete darkness.
The Eternal Night King Martial Soul within him was now trembling violently, as if injected with adrenaline, conveying an almost greedy desire and an uncontrollable excitement.
Clearly, the allure of the so-called "Primordial Shadow Source Crystal" far exceeded its expectations.
The cave was deep and seemed to have no end. As he went deeper, Xiao Han felt the energy around him becoming increasingly viscous.
That was no ordinary spiritual energy, but rather Primordial Shadow and spatial energy so pure it was almost liquefied, wisps of it, cool yet boundless.
On the stone wall, within the vision of [Illusion-Breaking Spirit Eyes], countless ancient and obscure runes flickered, seemingly silently telling ancient secrets buried by time.
Just then, a cold system notification sounded in his mind.
[Ding! God-Level Choice has been triggered!]
A phantom interface popped up in Xiao Han's consciousness, with a background of a slowly rotating rhomboid crystal phantom that seemed to be formed from endless darkness and shattered stars—that was the "Primordial Shadow Source Crystal"!
[Option 1: Absorb with Caution. The host may choose to absorb the overflowing edge energy of the "Primordial Shadow Source Crystal" to slowly strengthen the Eternal Night King Martial Soul, with a 70% chance of breaking through to the Sixth Level of the Martial Master Realm and slightly improving spatial control.]
[Reward: A bag of "System Brand" fast-acting healing sunflower seeds (it's said that cracking them can speed up wound healing, but they're a bit tough on your teeth).]
[Option Two: A Daring Gamble! The host will completely immerse the Eternal Night King Martial Soul in the core of the "Primordial Shadow Source Crystal," undergoing a near-death fusion evolution! If successful, the Eternal Night Monarch will undergo a radical transformation, unlocking a new form and powers, and with a very high probability of comprehending forbidden divine abilities related to the "Primordial Shadow"! If it fails, the Martial Soul will disintegrate, the host will die on the spot, and the system will play funeral music and consider whether to recycle it.]