Night of the Blood-Soaked Double Moons

The alarm of the Sacred Source Tower echoed through the heavens. *Ning Xiaochuan stood in the command room on the top floor, gazing at the constantly moving red dots on the sand table—they represented the location of the Lava Behemoth, which was now less than a hundred miles from the Sacred Source Tower.

"At this speed, it'll reach the city outskirts before sunset," High Priest Star Radiance said with a grave expression. "The city walls won't stop it."

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the northern part of the sand table, where the black vortex of Shadow Valley was marked. Its size had more than doubled since yesterday. "Two threats approaching simultaneously, this isn't a coincidence."

"Of course not," the Gray-haired Elder said solemnly. "The World Devourers have been planning for a long time, waiting for the Night of the Blood-Soaked Double Moons to strike together."

Su Linger rushed in, pushing the door open. "Something's happened in the Silent Forest too! The guards reported discovering black crystals, and the ancient trees in the center of the forest are starting to wither!"

"The third portal..." Ning Xiaochuan clenched his fist. "An attack from three sides."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon flew in from outside the window and landed on the edge of the sand table. It pointed anxiously towards the base of the tower with its small claws. Ning Xiaochuan immediately understood. "How is the seal at the base of the tower?"

"Temporarily stable," Star Radiance replied. "But the six elders have been taking turns, and their consumption is immense."

Ning Xiaochuan scanned the people around him. "Pass my order: the entire city enters wartime status. The elderly and children are to be evacuated to the southern shelter, and all combatants above Source Warrior level are to be assigned to the defense forces."

He pointed to the sand table. "Three lines of defense—the first is to set up an ambush on the Lava Behemoth's path to buy time; the second is to rely on the city walls to stop the behemoth and any World Devourers that might appear; the third is at the base of the tower, to hold the seal at all costs."

"What about Shadow Valley and the Silent Forest?" Su Linger asked.

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the darkening sky outside the window. "Su Linger and I will go to the Silent Forest to destroy the portal before it's fully opened. As for Shadow Valley..."

He paused. "We'll deal with it when we get back."

Star Radiance seemed to want to say something but stopped, eventually just bowing deeply. "As you command, Your Highness."

The Silent Forest is located in the southeastern part of the Sacred Source Land, an ancient primeval forest. By the time Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger arrived, the edge of the forest was already shrouded in a strange black mist, the trees twisted and deformed, like struggling human figures.

"It's worse than I imagined," Su Linger frowned. "The black mist is spreading too quickly."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon flew up from Ning Xiaochuan's shoulder and circled the forest to scout. After a moment, it returned, chirping urgently and gesturing with its small claws.

"There's already a black area a hundred zhang in diameter in the central area," Ning Xiaochuan translated. "The crystal is there."

The two cautiously stepped into the forest. Unlike Shadow Valley and the Lava Rift, the black mist here seemed to have no corrosive properties, but it carried a kind of mental pollution. With every step, it felt as if countless whispers echoed in their ears.

"Don't listen to those voices," Ning Xiaochuan said, holding Su Linger's hand. "It's the World Devourers' mental attack."

Su Linger nodded, and her Mysterious Ice Power flowed through her body, forming a mental barrier. As they went deeper, the abnormality of the trees became more severe. Some had completely turned into black crystal structures, emitting an ominous aura.

"Careful!" Ning Xiaochuan suddenly pulled Su Linger aside. A black arrow grazed her hair and embedded itself deeply into a tree trunk behind them.

More than a dozen figures emerged from the bushes, clad in leafy camouflage and wielding various weapons. The familiar red light flickered in their eyes—the forest guards had also betrayed them!

"Another trap," Su Linger said, drawing her ice crystal longsword. "They knew we were coming."

Ning Xiaochuan sneered. "Then we'll break through head-on!"

The battle erupted instantly. The forest guards used the terrain to their advantage, attacking from all directions. Ning Xiaochuan held nothing back, unleashing his Sacred Source Power to its fullest. Wherever the golden light passed, the black mist receded, and the traitorous guards fell one after another.

"Let's finish this quickly!" he transmitted through their soul link. "The crystal might be absorbing combat energy to expand!"

Su Linger understood. The Mysterious Ice Phoenix Source Soul spread its wings and let out a long cry, and ice crystal sword energy poured down like a torrential rain. The Sacred Spirit Dragon flew high into the sky, spitting dragon's breath to clear the battlefield.

After breaking through the guards' defense line, the three rushed towards the center of the forest. The scene there was horrifying—a towering ancient tree had been completely crystallized, with a black crystal embedded in the center of its trunk, twice the size of the one in the Lava Rift! The ground around the crystal had turned into a viscous black swamp, bubbling incessantly.

"It's even bigger than the one in Shadow Valley!" Su Linger gasped. "It's already half-activated."

Ning Xiaochuan observed carefully. "The crystal has merged with the ancient tree. Forcibly destroying it might cause a massive explosion."

"Then what do we do?"

"Reverse purification," Ning Xiaochuan said, taking out a Primal Fragment. "This should neutralize its energy."

As he was about to step forward, the black swamp suddenly boiled! Countless black tentacles erupted from the swamp, wrapping around the three of them! At the same time, the crystal shot out a beam of black light, aiming directly for Ning Xiaochuan's chest!

"Primal Covenant!" Su Linger shouted, and the three instantly activated their soul link.

The fused energy body easily dodged the attack and simultaneously released a Purification Beam. The tentacles dissolved in the light, but the crystal seemed to have some kind of protective mechanism, with black runes appearing on its surface, resisting the purification.

"No, the power isn't enough!" Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth. "We need a more powerful purification source."

Su Linger suddenly thought of something. "Sacred Spirit Dragon! Try your primal dragon's breath!"

The little guy understood, separated from the fused state, and flew directly above the crystal. It took a deep breath, and what it exhaled was no longer ordinary dragon's breath, but a pure golden light—the bloodline power of the Primal Dragon!

The golden light came into contact with the crystal, emitting a harsh sizzling sound. Cracks began to appear on the crystal's surface, and the black swamp churned violently.

"It's working!" Ning Xiaochuan rejoiced. "Keep going!"

The Sacred Spirit Dragon continued to spew dragon's breath, but it soon showed signs of fatigue. This kind of primal energy consumption was immense, and the little guy's scales were beginning to lose their luster.

"Our turn!" Ning Xiaochuan and Su Linger attacked simultaneously, their Sacred Source Power and Mysterious Ice Sword Qi merging as they struck the same crack.

"Crack!"

The crystal finally couldn't bear the strain and split in two! The black swamp instantly dried up, and the black mist in the forest began to dissipate. Although the crystallized trees couldn't be restored, they at least stopped worsening.

"We succeeded!" Su Linger happily hugged the Sacred Spirit Dragon. The little guy let out a weak chirp and slumped tiredly on her shoulder.

Ning Xiaochuan, however, frowned. "It was too easy... The World Devourers wouldn't set up such a simple defense."

As if to confirm his worries, the ground suddenly vibrated violently! The fragments of the cracked crystal automatically flew towards the ancient tree, embedding themselves in different positions on the trunk, forming a strange rune array!

"Not good!" Ning Xiaochuan instantly understood. "This isn't a portal, it's an energy node! It's powering the main portal in Shadow Valley!"

As soon as the words fell, the ancient tree erupted with dazzling black light, and a pillar of energy shot into the sky, heading straight for the north! At the same time, another identical energy pillar rose from the direction of the lava rift. The two lights met in the sky and then jointly shot towards Shadow Valley!

"Luring the tiger away from its lair!" Su Linger's face turned pale. "They deliberately lured us away so the main portal could complete its final activation!"

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the sky. The sun had already set, and two moons were faintly visible. "There's no time. The double moons are about to be blood-soaked! We must return to the tower immediately!"

The Sacred Source Tower was shrouded in a tense atmosphere. When Ning Xiaochuan and the other two rushed back, the roar of battle could already be heard outside the city—the Lava Behemoth had arrived early and was attacking the first defensive line.

"How's the situation?" Ning Xiaochuan rushed into the operations room, only to find Star Radiance missing. Only a few elders were guarding the sand table with grim expressions.

"The High Priest went to the base of the tower to reinforce the seal," the Gray-haired Elder reported. "The Lava Behemoth has broken through the first defensive line, and the second won't hold for much longer."

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the sand table. The marker for Shadow Valley had turned a dazzling blood-red, with "Portal 90% Activated" next to it.

"All elders, go to the base of the tower immediately to support Star Radiance," he ordered decisively. "Su Linger and I will go to the city wall. We must hold on until the double moons fully rise, no matter what!"

The elders received the order and left. Ning Xiaochuan turned to Su Linger, "This is more dangerous than any time before..."

"I know," Su Linger interrupted him, her silver hair burning like fire in the sunset. "We'll face it together."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon also let out a "chirp." Though exhausted, its fighting spirit remained undiminished.

When the three of them reached the city wall, the scene before them was like hell—the Lava Behemoth had already broken through to the city's base, leaving a sea of fire in its wake. The defenders resisted desperately, but ordinary attacks had no effect on it.

"Primal Covenant!" Ning Xiaochuan shouted, and the three merged once more.

This fusion was deeper than any before, their energy bodies almost materialized. They stood five zhang tall, with four wings on their backs, wielding a spear of light. The Lava Behemoth sensed the threat and turned all three of its heads toward the city wall.

"Roar!"

With a sky-shattering roar, the behemoth abandoned its other targets and charged directly at the energy body. The two clashed fiercely in front of the city gate, the shockwaves overturning all buildings within a hundred zhang!

"Aim for the black crystal!" Ning Xiaochuan commanded through their link, the spear of light stabbing directly at the behemoth's chest.

The behemoth cried out in pain, and lava-like blood gushed out, but it wasn't fatal. It counterattacked frantically, its six sharp claws attacking the energy body simultaneously. Su Linger skillfully dodged with the left pair of wings while the Sacred Spirit Dragon sprayed dragon's breath to interfere.

The battle entered a stalemate, and the energy body's duration was about to expire. At the critical moment, the sky suddenly darkened—the two moons rose simultaneously and began to turn red!

"Blood-soaked Double Moons!" Su Linger exclaimed.

As the moons changed color, the Lava Behemoth's power surged, and its body expanded further. Even more terrifyingly, a huge rift suddenly tore open in the sky above Shadow Valley, and countless dark figures poured out!

"The portal is fully open!" Ning Xiaochuan's heart sank. "The World Devourer army has arrived!"

The energy body collapsed due to overuse, and the three were forced to separate, all collapsing to the ground weakly. The Lava Behemoth seized the opportunity and swiped at the city wall, causing the entire section to crumble!

"Retreat! Fall back to the third defensive line!" Ning Xiaochuan ordered, forcing himself up.

The battered remnants of the army retreated towards the Sacred Source Tower, but they were far slower than the behemoth and the World Devourers flying in the air. Just as they were about to be wiped out, a beam of golden light shot from the top of the tower, hitting the behemoth's central head with precision!

"It's Star Radiance!" Su Linger pointed to the tower's summit.

Indeed, Star Radiance and the twelve elders stood on the platform at the top of the tower, jointly performing some ancient spell. Golden light continuously shot from the tower, temporarily blocking the World Devourers' assault.

"Quick, into the tower!" Ning Xiaochuan pulled Su Linger, with the Sacred Spirit Dragon flying ahead to clear the path.

The three stumbled into the tower. Just as they closed the door, deafening impacts echoed from outside—the Lava Behemoth began attacking the tower's body!

"To the bottom of the tower!" Ning Xiaochuan led the two towards the lowest level.

In the center of the seal chamber at the tower's base, a Primal Fragment floated above a complex magic array, emitting a dazzling five-colored light. Beneath the array, a massive dark figure bound by chains could be vaguely seen—the World Devourer Commander!

"Your Highness!" Star Radiance ran down the stairs. "The top of the tower can't hold for much longer!"

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the seal. "Is the Commander showing signs of waking up?"

"Not yet, but..." Before Star Radiance could finish, the entire tower suddenly shook violently!

"The behemoth is attacking the tower's foundation!" an elder exclaimed. "If this continues, the tower will collapse!"

Ning Xiaochuan made a decision instantly. "Star Radiance, take everyone to the top of the tower and prepare the final plan."

"The final plan?" Star Radiance's face changed drastically. "But that will..."

"There's no time!" Ning Xiaochuan said sternly. "Do as I say!"

Star Radiance gave him a deep look and hurried upstairs with the elders. Ning Xiaochuan turned to Su Linger and the Sacred Spirit Dragon. "You two go up too."

"No!" Su Linger shook her head firmly. "Whatever you're going to do, we'll do it together!"

The Sacred Spirit Dragon also protested with a "chirp," its little claws tightly gripping his sleeve.

Ning Xiaochuan looked at the two and suddenly smiled. "Alright, then together."

He took out the Primal Fragment and placed it in the center of the array. "The World Devourers activated the main portal through three nodes; we can use a similar method."

"You mean..."

"Fuse the power of the five fragments through the Primal Covenant and unleash the ultimate purification," Ning Xiaochuan explained. "But it requires a vessel."

Su Linger immediately understood. "The tower is the vessel!"

"Yes, the Sacred Source Tower was originally the largest purification device," Ning Xiaochuan nodded. "But the price is..."

"The tower will collapse," Su Linger finished his sentence. "And all the sealed World Devourers, including the Commander, will be released."

"So we must hold them off before the purification is complete," Ning Xiaochuan looked at the Sacred Spirit Dragon. "Little guy, this time we really need you to go all out."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon puffed out its chest, its wings spread wide, its eyes devoid of fear.

"Let's begin," Ning Xiaochuan took a deep breath. The three of them stood at three crucial points of the magic array and simultaneously activated the Primal Covenant.

This time, the fusion reached an unprecedented depth. The five Primal Fragments vibrated violently, releasing five streams of light that surged into the bodies of the three. Their energy forms were no longer human-like but pure vortexes of light, containing terrifying purification power.

"Initiate purification program!"

The vortex of light spiraled upwards along the tower, and wherever it passed, the tower began to glow. When it reached the summit, the entire Sacred Source Tower became like a giant arrow of light, pointing directly at the heavens!

"Now!"

The light arrow exploded, splitting into countless tiny streams that rained down upon the entire city. Each stream precisely struck a World Devourer or a corrupted creature, including the Lava Behemoth!

The behemoth roared in agony, its three heads exploding simultaneously as its body began to collapse. World Devourers in the air also fell like raindrops, turning to ash in the light. Even the teleportation gate to Shadow Valley began to fluctuate violently, its cracks gradually shrinking!

"We did it!" Su Linger's voice cheered through their link.

But just then, the seal at the base of the tower shattered due to energy overload! The chains snapped, and a colossal dark shadow slowly stood up—the World Devourer Commander had awakened!

"This is bad!" Ning Xiaochuan's heart tightened. "The purification isn't complete!"

The Commander fully revealed its true form—a ten-zhang tall, six-armed giant covered in black crystalline armor, with three eyes arranged in a triangle on its forehead. It roared at the sky, its sonic waves shattering the tower's base walls!

"We have to hold it off!" Ning Xiaochuan controlled the energy form to confront the Commander.

The two clashed fiercely, each impact triggering mini-earthquakes. The tower began to tilt, and debris rained down constantly.

"Purification progress at 85%..." Star Radiance's voice echoed in Ning Xiaochuan's mind through some communication spell. "Three more minutes needed!"

Three minutes... facing the World Devourer Commander, it felt as long as eternity. The energy form was already showing cracks, threatening to collapse at any moment.

"Ning Xiaochuan!" Su Linger suddenly shouted. "Look at the sky!"

Ning Xiaochuan looked up and saw that the two moons had completely turned blood-red, drawing so close they were almost touching. A beam of crimson light shot down from where the double moons met, striking the teleportation gate to Shadow Valley!

The gate instantly stabilized and even began to expand again. Even more terrifyingly, a colossal dark shadow was slowly squeezing its way out of the gate—a being even larger than the Commander, with a single arm as thick as the tower itself!

"King of World Devourers..." Ning Xiaochuan's heart turned cold. "It's coming personally!"

The energy form, weakened by splitting its focus, took a heavy blow from the Commander and nearly collapsed. Ning Xiaochuan gritted his teeth and held on, but despair washed over him like a tide—even if they could hold off the Commander, they couldn't stop the King of World Devourers from descending.

"There's one more way," Su Linger suddenly said, her voice unusually calm. "Use us as vessels."

"What?"

"Channel the purification energy into us and charge directly at the teleportation gate," Su Linger explained. "The Primal Covenant can temporarily withstand that power."

"It's too dangerous!" Ning Xiaochuan objected. "That would..."

"Annihilate our souls," Su Linger said calmly. "But it can save two worlds."

The Sacred Spirit Dragon let out a "gugiu" sound, indicating its agreement. Ning Xiaochuan looked at the two of them and suddenly understood what true courage was.

"Alright," he finally agreed. "Together."

The three of them dispelled the energy form and returned to their human shapes. Ning Xiaochuan clasped Su Linger's and the Sacred Spirit Dragon's hands. "Star Radiance, change the energy flow, channel it into us!"

"Your Highness!" Star Radiance's voice was filled with terror.

"That's an order!"

After a moment of silence, the light stream at the tower's summit suddenly shifted, pouring down like a waterfall and surging into the three of them. Indescribable pain swept through every nerve, as if their bodies were about to vaporize instantly. But the miraculous connection of the Primal Covenant allowed them to miraculously withstand the power.

"Go!"

The three shot into the sky like meteors streaking across the night, heading straight for Shadow Valley! Wherever they passed, all World Devourers turned to dust. Even the Commander recoiled a few steps in fear, not daring to stop them.

The King of World Devourers had already squeezed out half of its body, its six blood-red eyes coldly watching the approaching ball of light.

"For the Sacred Source Land!" Ning Xiaochuan shouted.

"For the Open Source Continent!" Su Linger responded.

"Gugiu!" The Sacred Spirit Dragon roared.

The ball of light collided head-on with the King of World Devourers, and the resulting explosion illuminated the entire Sacred Source Land! In this pure light, the teleportation gate melted like ice and snow, and the half-body of the King of World Devourers was forcibly pushed back through the gate!

"No!" it roared, shaking the heavens. "I will return!"

As the last trace of light faded, the teleportation gate closed completely. The blood-red hue of the double moons also began to recede, returning to silver-white.

The Sacred Source Tower completed its final mission and slowly collapsed with a roar. Star Radiance and the elders had evacuated in advance and only suffered minor injuries.

When the dust settled, Star Radiance frantically searched the ruins: "Your Highness! Miss Su! Sacred Spirit Dragon!"

There was no response, only endless ruins and silence.

Just as despair set in, a faint golden light pierced through the rubble