The Battle of the Seal

The Eye of the Deep Sea's blood-red pupil formed in the sky above the forbidden land, its chilling aura instantly engulfing the entire space.

"Little one, go activate the altar!" Ning Xiaochuan pushed Sacred Spirit Dragon towards the altar, facing the blood-red eye himself.

Sacred Spirit Dragon understood. It shrunk its body and shot like an arrow through a gap in the red light, heading straight for the altar. The blood-red eye tried to stop him, but Ning Xiaochuan had already leaped up. Sacred Source Power condensed in his palm into a golden spear, stabbing directly at the center of the pupil!

"Ah!" The blood-red eye cried out in pain, forced to concentrate its attention on Ning Xiaochuan's attack.

In the distance, Su Linger was locked in a bitter struggle. The frozen corpses, fueled by dark energy, kept reviving, their numbers growing. Her Extreme Ice Domain had already expanded to its limit, her face pale from excessive Source Qi consumption.

"Hold on..." she gritted her teeth, buying Ning Xiaochuan time.

Beside the altar, Sacred Spirit Dragon landed before the crystal. Its small claws pressed against the surface, attempting to activate the seal. But the crystal remained unresponsive—it needed the power of the Sacred Source Bloodline!

"Gu chu!" The little one anxiously looked back at Ning Xiaochuan, who was fiercely clashing with the blood-red eye and couldn't disengage.

Sacred Spirit Dragon suddenly thought of something. It spat out a small ball of golden liquid from its mouth—it was a drop of Sacred Source essence blood that Ning Xiaochuan had secretly saved during his baptism at the Sacred Source Spring!

The drop landed on the crystal, and it immediately blazed with golden light! The runes on the altar lit up one by one, and a pillar of light shot up into the sky, aimed directly at the Primal Gate!

"No!" The blood-red eye let out a deafening shriek. "Stop it!"

All the corpses erupted simultaneously, throwing themselves at the altar without regard for their own destruction. Su Linger resisted with all her might, but dozens still broke through her defenses.

"Little one, be careful!" Ning Xiaochuan shouted.

Seeing the corpses surge forward, Sacred Spirit Dragon immediately unleashed its dragon breath to block them. But it had to keep one claw on the crystal and couldn't fight at full strength. It was soon entangled by dark energy, crying out in pain, "Gu chu."

Ning Xiaochuan was burning with anxiety but was pinned down by the blood-red eye. Just as Sacred Spirit Dragon was about to be overwhelmed, an ice-blue figure suddenly burst forth—Su Linger, disregarding her own safety, forcefully broke through the encirclement to provide support!

"I'll cover you!" Her sword pointed, ice cones rained down, temporarily repelling the corpses.

Sacred Spirit Dragon was able to fully activate the crystal. The pillar of light grew stronger, and the rift in the Primal Gate began to slowly close. The blood-red eye struggled frantically, its size swelling several times, releasing terrifying energy fluctuations.

"You can't stop it!" it roared. "The World Devourers' army has already sensed the coordinates and is about to descend!"

Ning Xiaochuan suddenly thought of a risky plan: "Su Linger, Primal Pact!"

Su Linger immediately understood. The three of them activated their soul link simultaneously. Sacred Source Power, Extreme Ice Power, and dragon breath energy intertwined in the sky above the altar, forming a perfect triangular light array that resonated with the crystal's light pillar!

"In the name of Sacred Source!" Ning Xiaochuan raised his hands. "Seal, reinforce!"

The light array merged with the light pillar, transforming into a brilliant golden-blue beam that struck the Primal Gate directly! The rift shrank at a visible rate. The blood-red eye let out a roar of unwillingness, its volume continuously shrinking.

"No! The World Devourers will eventually descend! This is only a matter of time!" The blood-red eye cursed venomously before dissipating. "The Sacred Source Bloodline is destined to be severed!"

As the last sliver of the rift closed, the blood-red eye vanished completely. All the corpses fell like broken puppets, the dark energy dissipating without a trace. The forbidden land returned to silence, with only the crystal on the altar still emitting a soft glow.

"We... succeeded?" Su Linger collapsed onto the ground, utterly exhausted.

Ning Xiaochuan supported her. "For now. But the Eye of the Deep Sea was right; this is only buying us time."

Sacred Spirit Dragon, weary, flew back to Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder and nuzzled his cheek affectionately. Ning Xiaochuan gently stroked the little one. "It's all thanks to you, little one."

The three of them helped each other out of the forbidden land. The armor fragments outside the stone gate had already turned to dust, and the Sacred Source Knights finally found peace.

Back at the Sacred Source Tower, High Priest Star Radiance had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the three return safely, he was so moved that tears streamed down his face. "Sacred Source above! The seal has truly been reinforced!"

Outside the tower, the residents of the Sacred Source Land gathered spontaneously, cheers erupting one after another. The dark spots in the sky had vanished, replaced by a clear blue sky.

"Your Highness, you have saved the Sacred Source Land. Star Radiance said respectfully, "Now, you are the undisputed Sacred Source King!"

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head. "No, my mission is not yet complete. The Open Source Continent is still under threat, and I must return."

Star Radiance seemed to have anticipated this. "Then at least rest for a night and recover your strength. I will prepare a portal tomorrow."

That evening, the Sacred Source Tower hosted a grand celebration banquet. Ning Xiaochuan and the other two were treated as honored guests, enjoying a long-lost peace.

After the banquet, Ning Xiaochuan went alone to the Star Gazing Platform atop the tower. The starry sky of the Sacred Source Land was even more brilliant than that of the Open Source Continent, with countless stars forming strange patterns, as if telling ancient secrets.

"Can't sleep?" Su Linger's voice came from behind. She had changed into the white robes provided by the Sacred Source Land, her silver hair shimmering under the starlight.

"Thinking about the next plan." Ning Xiaochuan gazed at the starry sky. "Although the Eye of the Deep Sea has been temporarily repelled, its minions are still on the Open Source Continent."

Su Linger walked to his side. "At least we have the strength to fight it now."

They fell silent for a moment, then Ning Xiaochuan suddenly asked, "Have you ever thought about what you'll do when everything is over?"

Su Linger paused slightly. "I... haven't thought that far ahead." She looked up at the starry sky. "Maybe go back to Tianyuan Sect to see? Master True Man Xuanyu must be very worried about us."

"I want to take you and the little one to see various places in the Sacred Source Land," Ning Xiaochuan said softly. "Mother's diary mentioned many beautiful places."

Su Linger's lips curved slightly. "That sounds nice."

Sacred Spirit Dragon, having flown up at some point, landed between them, nuzzling first one, then the other affectionately, making them both chuckle.

Under the starlight, their shadows merged into one, as if foreshadowing their inseparable fate.

The next morning, Star Radiance opened the portal back to the Open Source Continent beside the Sacred Source Spring.

"Your Highness, please remember, the Sacred Source Land will always be your home." Star Radiance handed over an exquisite spatial ring. "This contains water from the Sacred Source Spring and other supplies."

Ning Xiaochuan thanked him, put on the ring, and stepped into the portal with Su Linger and Sacred Spirit Dragon. A familiar golden light flashed, and the three reappeared above the Death Desert.

"It's changed so much..." Su Linger exclaimed, looking down in surprise.

Where the desolate desert edge used to be, an oasis had appeared. Clear spring water gushed from the ground, nourishing the parched land. Further in the distance, the Fire Tribe army was clearing the battlefield; the remnants of the Black Tide were nowhere to be seen.

"The influence of Sacred Source Power," Ning Xiaochuan explained, "After the seal was reinforced, the Eye of the Deep Sea's corruption was purified."

The three landed beside an oasis, immediately drawing the attention of the sentries. Soon, King Yan Jin himself arrived with his guards.

"Son of Sacred Source!" Yan Jin exclaimed in surprise, striding forward. "You succeeded!"

Ning Xiaochuan briefly explained the situation in the Sacred Source Land, omitting some details, of course. Yan Jin listened with deep respect. "The Open Source Continent owes you its life."

"What about the remnants of the Black Tide?" Su Linger asked.

"Most have been annihilated, a few fled north," Yan Jin said with a worried expression. "But there are rumors that the Dark Current—or rather, the Dark Star—has regained consciousness and is gathering its scattered forces."

Ning Xiaochuan was not surprised. "The Eye of the Deep Sea won't give up easily. We must be prepared."

Yan Jin nodded. "The Fire Tribe is ready and awaits your command. Also, I've sent people to contact the Tianyuan Sect and other factions to form an allied army."

This news invigorated Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger. The Tianyuan Sect's involvement meant True Man Xuanyu, Lei Lie, and Mu Qing were all safe!

"We'll return to the Tianyuan Sect first," Ning Xiaochuan decided. "We'll start uniting the major powers from there."

Yan Jin personally escorted them to the teleportation array. Before they parted, he handed Ning Xiaochuan a fiery red token. "The Fire Tribe's highest token. With this, you can mobilize all of the Fire Tribe's strength."

The teleportation array flashed, and in the blink of an eye, the three were back in a familiar scene—the Tianyuan Sect's mountain gate!

"Who goes there?" a vigilant disciple guarding the mountain shouted, then recognized them. "Senior Sister Su?! Senior Brother Ning?!"

The news spread through the sect like wildfire. By the time the three reached the main peak, True Man Xuanyu, along with Lei Lie, Mu Qing, and others, were already waiting.

"Master!" Su Linger's eyes welled up as she stepped forward to bow.

True Man Xuanyu helped her up, his gaze filled with affection. "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back."

Lei Lie clapped Ning Xiaochuan heavily on the shoulder. "Good kid! I knew you'd be alright!"

Mu Qing, meanwhile, curiously observed the Sacred Spirit Dragon. "Has the little guy grown again?"

Everyone entered the council hall, and Ning Xiaochuan recounted their experiences in detail. When they heard about the secrets of the Sacred Source Land and the Primal Gate, everyone was utterly shocked.

"So, the enemy we're facing isn't just the Dark Source Soul Hall, but the so-called 'World Devourers'?" True Man Xuanyu frowned deeply.

Ning Xiaochuan nodded. "The Eye of the Deep Sea is merely their vanguard. If the seal completely shatters, the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Lei Lie slammed the table and stood up. "Gather the allied army immediately and exterminate the Black Tide remnants!"

True Man Xuanyu pondered. "This matter requires careful planning. The Black Tide's influence is deeply entrenched; a rash attack could lead us into an ambush."

"Master is right," Ning Xiaochuan agreed. "We need to gather intelligence first and find the Dark Star's hiding place."

Mu Qing volunteered. "Jingshui Peak excels at reconnaissance. Leave it to us."

The meeting lasted until late into the night, and a detailed plan was finally formulated: Mu Qing would be responsible for intelligence gathering, Lei Lie would train combat troops, True Man Xuanyu would contact other sects, while Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger would head to Qingyun City to seek the support of the Ning family.

"Although the Ning family is not a major sect, their influence in the secular world is immense," True Man Xuanyu explained. "We need the support of secular forces to fight the Black Tide."

Ning Xiaochuan's emotions were complex. He hadn't seen his father, Ning Zhantian, in a long time since leaving Qingyun City. Now, returning as the Son of Sacred Source, he wondered what the reunion would be like.

After the meeting, Su Linger quietly pulled Ning Xiaochuan aside. "Are you alright?"

"Just a bit of apprehension about returning home," Ning Xiaochuan forced a smile. "I wonder how Father is doing."

Su Linger gently held his hand. "I'll face it with you."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon also nudged closer, its small head rubbing against his hand, offering silent support.

Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath and looked in the direction of Qingyun City. A new journey was about to begin, and this time, he was not alone.