The icy dagger pressed against Ning Xiaochuan's lower back, its chill piercing through his clothes and into his skin. He did not dare move rashly, while the Sacred Spirit Dragon twisted uneasily beneath his collar.
"Keep your little pet in line," the person behind him rasped, his voice like sandpaper. "Otherwise, your little girlfriend will suffer."
Ning Xiaochuan soothed the Sacred Spirit Dragon with his mind while secretly circulating Sacred Source Power. "Who are you?"
"Black Tide Priest. You may call me Dark Current." The dagger pressed slightly harder. "Now, turn around slowly."
Ning Xiaochuan slowly turned around and saw a tall, gaunt man wrapped from head to toe in a black robe. What stood out most was his mask—black as ink, with only two holes for the eyes, within which eerie blue light flickered.
"Son of Sacred Source... we have been looking for you for a long time." Dark Current's voice carried a morbid excitement. "The Eye of the Deep Sea thirsts for your bloodline."
At the other end of the alley, Su Linger had already dealt with three black-robed men, but she had been injured as well. A wound deep enough to expose bone ran along her left arm, blood dripping down from it. The remaining two black-robed men were clearly experts, every strike aimed to kill.
"Let her go. I'll come with you," Ning Xiaochuan said through gritted teeth.
Dark Current gave a strange laugh. "You think you have the right to bargain?" He suddenly raised his hand and shot a black light straight at Su Linger's back!
"No!" Ning Xiaochuan roared. Sacred Source Power erupted as he threw a punch at Dark Current's face.
Dark Current clearly had not expected Ning Xiaochuan to break free of the suppression. He dodged in haste, but the force of the punch grazed his mask and split it with a crack. The black light was deflected as well, only grazing Su Linger's shoulder.
"You're courting death!" Dark Current bellowed. His black robe billowed without wind as dozens of black water snakes shot from his sleeves!
Instead of retreating, Ning Xiaochuan charged forward. Ice Crystal Dragon Armor instantly covered his entire body. The water snakes struck the armor with sizzling corrosive sounds, but they could not pierce through it for the moment. Seizing the opportunity, he rushed toward Su Linger. "Ling'er!"
Hearing his call, Su Linger rolled sideways to evade the enemy's attack while throwing the longsword in her hand. The sword shot forth like a meteor, piercing through one black-robed man's throat!
The two stood back-to-back. Only then did Ning Xiaochuan clearly see Su Linger's injuries—besides the wound on her left arm, blood was seeping from her waist as well, and her face had gone pale from blood loss.
"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, sending Sacred Source Power through their touching wrists.
"I won't die." Su Linger panted. "These bastards are far more troublesome than the ones in the Northern Territory."
Dark Current and the remaining black-robed men closed in around them in a fan-shaped formation. Worse still, more black-robed figures appeared at both ends of the alley—at least twenty of them!
"We can't get away," Ning Xiaochuan said grimly. "Prepare for Source Soul Fusion."
Su Linger nodded, and the Mysterious Ice Phoenix Source Soul emerged behind her. The Sacred Spirit Dragon also flew out from Ning Xiaochuan's collar, its body rapidly expanding.
"Stop them!" Dark Current shouted sharply. "Don't let them fuse their Source Souls!"
The black-robed men attacked at once, all kinds of dark source techniques pouring down like torrential rain! Ning Xiaochuan raised the Sacred Source Shield with all his strength, but he was badly outnumbered, and cracks quickly spread across the shield.
At that critical moment, a water arrow suddenly shot in from the side and struck Dark Current's shoulder with perfect accuracy! Immediately afterward, dozens of water arrows rained down, targeting the black-robed men!
"The merfolk are here!" someone cried out.
Ning Xiaochuan turned and saw more than a dozen Merfolk Warriors surging out from the drainage ditch at the end of the alley. At their head was Lan, whom they had met in Coral Harbor. They wielded strange crystal tridents, and every swing summoned water arrows to attack.
"Go!" Lan rushed to Ning Xiaochuan's side. "We'll cover you!"
With the merfolk reinforcements, the situation turned around in an instant. Seeing that things had gone badly, Dark Current suddenly pulled out a black conch shell and blew it. The piercing sound waves froze everyone's movements for an instant. Taking advantage of it, he and several trusted subordinates turned into black mist and vanished.
"Damn it, he got away!" Lan stomped his foot in frustration. "Black Tide Priests are the most cunning."
Ning Xiaochuan had no time to pursue them and hurriedly checked Su Linger's injuries. She had lost too much blood and could barely remain standing.
"Her wounds must be treated immediately!" Lan said gravely after examining her. "Black Tide weapons are poisoned. Ordinary methods won't cure her."
He beckoned to two female merfolk warriors. "Take them to the safe house and use Purifying Water to treat her."
Ning Xiaochuan picked up the half-conscious Su Linger and followed the merfolk through several hidden paths until they reached an underground cave. A natural hot spring lay inside, its water pale blue and carrying a faint fragrance.
"A branch of the Sacred Spring. It can purify most toxins," Lan explained. "Put her in."
The moment the spring water touched her wounds, Su Linger frowned in pain, but her expression soon relaxed. Ning Xiaochuan watched the Black Qi at her wounds being forced out bit by bit, and the worry in his heart finally eased.
"Thank you for arriving when you did," he said sincerely to Lan.
Lan shook his head. "Lord Priest foresaw your danger and sent us to protect you in secret." He hesitated briefly. "But Black Tide has already set its sights on you. The trip to the Starfall Archipelago must be moved up."
"Su Linger needs rest..."
"There's no time." Lan interrupted him. "Dark Current escaped. Black Tide will soon mobilize all its forces. Tonight, at midnight, when the tide is at its lowest, we leave in secret."
Ning Xiaochuan looked at Su Linger's pale face in the spring, torn inside. But thinking of the importance of the Primal Fragments, he ultimately nodded in agreement.
Night fell, and Su Linger finally woke up. The Purifying Water had healed her wounds, but it had drained much of her strength. Ning Xiaochuan briefly explained the situation, and she agreed to leave at once without hesitation.
"I'm fine." She moved her arm. "The poison has been cleared. I'm just a little weak."
Lan brought special Fish Maw Ointment made by the merfolk. After it was applied, her wounds healed at an astonishing speed. He also prepared dried seaweed fit for human consumption and some kind of glowing fruit to help restore their strength.
"How are we getting to the Starfall Archipelago?" Ning Xiaochuan asked as he ate.
Lan smiled mysteriously. "Through an underwater passage."
At midnight, the group quietly arrived at a hidden sea cave by the shore. Lan took out several translucent sacs. "Breathing Sacs. They'll let you move freely underwater for three hours."
Following the instructions, Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger attached the sacs to their necks. They immediately felt a cool breath flow into their lungs, and they really could breathe underwater! The Sacred Spirit Dragon shrank down and slipped into a specially made water pouch against Ning Xiaochuan's chest.
"Stay close to me. Don't get lost." Lan was the first to jump into the sea. "The Underwater Canyon is a maze. If you get separated, it'll be dangerous."
The seawater was icy cold, yet strangely, breathing was not difficult at all. Ning Xiaochuan followed closely behind Lan, with Su Linger slightly behind and to his side. The Merfolk Warriors spread out around them, alert for any danger that might appear.
The underwater world was breathtakingly beautiful. All sorts of strange fish swam among colorful coral reefs. Glowing sea anemones swayed with the current, and enormous sea turtles occasionally drifted past at an unhurried pace.
But as they descended deeper, the light ray gradually dimmed. Lan took out a glowing pearl to illuminate their way, and only then did Ning Xiaochuan realize they were diving along an Underwater Canyon. Caves covered the rock walls on both sides, and eerie green light flickered from some of the entrances.
"Don't go near those caves," Lan warned through some kind of underwater voice transmission. "Deep Sea Monsters live inside. Even merfolk do not dare provoke them."
Just as he spoke, a huge dark figure suddenly appeared ahead! It was a Strange Fish as large as a sailboat, with six eyes and three rows of sharp teeth, swimming straight toward them!
"Abyssal Predator!" Lan cried out. "Scatter!"
The Strange Fish opened its bloody maw, and a powerful suction force swept toward them. Several Merfolk Warriors who had fallen behind were swallowed in an instant! Ning Xiaochuan desperately grabbed a protruding rock, while Su Linger was swept by the current toward the monster!
"Su Linger!" Ignoring the danger, Ning Xiaochuan released the rock and swam toward her.
At that critical instant, the Sacred Spirit Dragon suddenly burst out of the water pouch! Its body expanded wildly underwater, transforming in the blink of an eye into a majestic white dragon surrounded by a faint golden glow!
The Strange Fish seemed intimidated by the Sacred Spirit Dragon's aura. It actually stopped attacking, its six eyes watching the sudden opponent warily.
"Goo Chu!" The Sacred Spirit Dragon released a strange ultrasonic cry. The Strange Fish shuddered as if struck by lightning, then turned and fled!
"Unbelievable..." Lan swam over, looking at the Sacred Spirit Dragon with reverence. "It can actually intimidate an Abyssal Predator..."
With the danger gone, the Sacred Spirit Dragon returned to its small form and smugly swam back to Ning Xiaochuan's side. The group continued onward, but they were much more vigilant now.
After passing through a dense underwater forest, Lan suddenly stopped. "We're here. The underwater portion of the Starfall Archipelago."
The sight before them was shocking—dozens of enormous stone pillars rose from the seafloor, each carved with intricate celestial patterns. The five central pillars formed a circle, and a glowing blue crystal floated in the middle.
"The Primal Star Core..." Ning Xiaochuan felt Sacred Source Power within his body resonate.
But Lan looked troubled. "The entrance is sealed. Only Sacred Source Bloodline can open it."
Ning Xiaochuan swam closer to the central pillars and discovered a palm-shaped indentation on each one. He cautiously placed his hand on one, and the pillar immediately lit up with blue light!
"It reacted!" Lan said excitedly. "All five pillars need to be activated at the same time!"
Ning Xiaochuan counted them. There were exactly five people—himself, Su Linger, Lan, and two Merfolk Warriors. But when he tried to have the others help, the pillars showed no response.
"Only Sacred Source Bloodline can do it..." Su Linger murmured thoughtfully. "But you're the only member of the Sacred Origin Tribe here."
Ning Xiaochuan suddenly thought of something and took out the Dragon Soul Jade. "Maybe..."
He pressed the jade pendant against the second pillar, and it lit up as expected! Then came the Sacred Spirit Dragon. Little One pressed its claws against the third pillar, succeeding as well.
"Two more..." Ning Xiaochuan frowned in thought.
Su Linger suddenly swam to one of the pillars. "Let me try."
"You don't have Sacred Source Bloodline..."
"But traces of Sacred Source Power remain within me." Su Linger insisted. "From that time at the Ice Soul Sect, remember?"
She placed her hand in the indentation. The pillar flickered faintly, but its light was weak. Ning Xiaochuan had a sudden idea. He clasped her hand and guided Sacred Source Power into her. The pillar immediately shone brightly!
"It worked!" Lan cheered. "Only the last one remains!"
Ning Xiaochuan looked toward the final pillar, unable to think of a solution for the moment. The Sacred Spirit Dragon suddenly gave a "Goo Chu," flew before the pillar, and breathed out a mouthful of Dragon Breath. The pillar actually lit up as well!
All five pillars activated at once, and the blue crystal in the center erupted with dazzling light! A vortex formed on the seafloor and swept everyone into it!
As the world spun around him, Ning Xiaochuan felt as though his body were being torn apart. Then the pressure suddenly vanished—they had surfaced above the water!
Before them was an enormous cave. Countless glowing crystals were embedded in its dome, glittering like a starry sky. At the center of the cave stood a raised platform, above which floated a basketball-sized blue crystal—the Primal Star Core!
"The core of the Starfall Archipelago..." Lan climbed ashore and gazed reverently at the platform. "Legend says this was where the Sacred Origin Tribe observed the stars."
Ning Xiaochuan also climbed ashore and helped the weakened Su Linger. The Sacred Spirit Dragon flew through the air, happily circling the Star Core.
"Careful. There may be traps," Su Linger warned as she cautiously scanned the surroundings.
Sure enough, when they approached the platform, an intricate Star Map suddenly appeared on the ground. Seven light spots shot toward the platform from different directions, weaving together into a net of light.
"Celestial Lock..." Ning Xiaochuan studied it carefully. "We need to step on the nodes of the Star Map in a specific order to get through."
He recalled the information the Primal Dragon had given him and cautiously stepped on the first star. The net of light rippled slightly, but did not attack. Then came the second star, the third...
When the seventh star lit up beneath his foot, the net of light vanished, leaving the path to the platform unobstructed. Ning Xiaochuan hurried forward and reached out to touch the Primal Star Core.
The instant he touched it, a sudden change occurred!
A blue beam shot from the Star Core straight into Ning Xiaochuan's forehead! His vision went black, and his consciousness was pulled into a strange space—
Within the vast Star Sea, a blurry figure stood with her back to him. When she turned around, Ning Xiaochuan was stunned to discover that it was an image of his mother, Bai Li!
"Xiaochuan..." the image called gently. "If you see this recording, it means you have already found three Primal Fragments."
"Mother..." Ning Xiaochuan's voice choked.
"Time is short. Listen to me." Bai Li's image turned solemn. "The Primal Gate is about to open, and the vanguard of the World Devourers has already infiltrated every world. You must gather all five fragments and travel to the Spine of All Realms."
The image shifted, revealing five locations: the Frozen Abyss of the Open Source Continent, the Heart of Ice Soul in the Northern Territory, the Starfall Archipelago of the Thousand Islands Alliance, and two other indistinct locations.
"The final two are in the Molten Mountain Range and Sky City," Bai Li continued. "But be careful. The Dark Source Soul Hall is only a facade. The true enemy is..."
The image suddenly distorted, cutting off Bai Li's words. An unfamiliar voice intruded. "At last, I have connected with you, Son of Sacred Source."
A massive eye emerged in the starry sky. Its pupil was black as ink, surrounded by blood-red patterns.
"The Eye of the Deep Sea?!" Ning Xiaochuan was shocked.
"Clever." The eye's voice sounded like the wailing of countless ghosts. "You think you are searching for fragments? No. You are merely gathering the keys to unlock my seal!"
The eye suddenly drew closer. "Your mother made a mistake. She thought the seal could imprison me forever. But now, with the power of your bloodline..."
Ning Xiaochuan tried to retreat, only to find that he could not move. Just as the eye was about to touch him, a golden light shot from the Dragon Soul Jade and drove the intruder back!
"Remember, Xiaochuan..." Bai Li's image stabilized again, but it had become extremely faint. "Love is stronger than hatred... Only a Pure Sacred Source Heart can..."
The image completely faded away, and Ning Xiaochuan's consciousness was pulled back to reality. He staggered backward and discovered that the Primal Star Core had shrunk to the size of his palm, quietly floating before him.
"Ning Xiaochuan!" Su Linger supported him as he swayed on his feet. "What happened?"
"The Eye of the Deep Sea... it has been using us all along..." Ning Xiaochuan's voice trembled. "Mother said only a Pure Sacred Source Heart can..."
Before he could finish, the entire cave suddenly shook violently! Crystals fell from the dome one after another, smashing into the water surface and sending up enormous waves.
"Black Tide's people found this place!" Lan cried out. "We have to leave immediately!"
Ning Xiaochuan put away the Primal Star Core, and the group hurriedly jumped into the water. Just as they dove back into the passageway, the top of the cave collapsed with a deafening roar!
After swimming some distance, Ning Xiaochuan looked back, his heart heavy. The Eye of the Deep Sea's true purpose, his mother's unfinished warning, and the two fragments they had yet to find... the road ahead was filled with unknown dangers.
But at least they had taken another step toward their goal.
Before you continue