The steps in the secret passage wound downward like a road leading to hell. They were paved with black stone, their surfaces covered in dense Desolate Runes that emitted a faint gray glow, illuminating the path ahead. With every step downward, the aura of the Desolate Core around them grew stronger. The oppressive sensation rising from the depths of their souls made every member of the source-seeking team intensely uncomfortable.
Shen Hao fully unleashed the Melting Desolation Dao Rhyme around him, forming an invisible barrier that enveloped the entire team and resisted the erosion of the Desolate Core's aura. He could sense that this aura was closely connected to the Unification Crystal Core and contained a powerful obsession with unification, attempting to assimilate every living being that entered this place.
"Lord Shen, the Desolate Core aura in this passage is far too dense. My Dao heart has already begun to waver," a Wood Spirit Race cultivator said. His face was pale, and the Melting Desolation Dao Rhyme around him flickered unsteadily. Clearly, he had been affected by that obsession.
"Circulate the Desolation Fusion Purification Technique. Use the Dao Rhyme of Origin Fusion to wrap your Dao heart. Do not let the obsession erode you." Shen Hao's voice was steady and powerful, carrying a calming strength. "Remember, though the obsession with unification is powerful, it is fundamentally an extreme manifestation of rules. As long as we uphold the tolerance and symbiosis of the Great Dao of Origin Fusion, we can resist its influence."
The Wood Spirit Race cultivator immediately followed his instructions. The Melting Desolation Dao Rhyme around him stabilized once more, and color gradually returned to his face.
After continuing downward for roughly two hours, the stairs finally came to an end. Ahead lay a massive underground cavern, far larger