Pop!
A soft sound, like a bubble bursting.
The mass of frantically writhing shadow stiffened the instant the Void Thread touched it.
The next moment, like a wax figure cast into a raging fire, the shadow began melting away from its core, silently vanishing into nothing.
There was no explosion, no black smoke billowing outward—only an eerie emptiness, as though something had been erased from existence.
The Dark Red Crystal itself lost all its luster and sinister aura. It turned into a cracked gray stone, then crumbled to dust.
With the Demonic Seed's core destroyed, the Flowing Time Tentacle locked in a stalemate with the Golden Chains seemed to lose its primary target. It faltered, its power rapidly fading.
The golden light in the jade-like skeleton's eye sockets dimmed swiftly, almost going out, leaving only a faint spark.
The phantom Golden Chains slowly dissipated as well.
The skeleton still held its hand seal, reaching forward, but the will that had endured for countless ages was clearly on the verge of burning out.
"Thank you, young friend!"
A faint thought reached him, carrying relief and a trace of release.
"The Demonic Seed is destroyed. The Temporal Respite Pool will calm down. Take the Compass and Scroll. They are both your reward and your responsibility!"
"Senior!" Fang Chen felt a solemn respect rise in his heart for this nameless Ancient guardian.
"Go, quickly! I'll use the last of my strength to send you away. The price in time can no longer be avoided. May you prove worthy of the Flowing Time you have!"
The last spark of golden light in the skeleton's eyes suddenly burst forth. It was no attack; it became a gentle yet resilient Radiance Bridge of golden light that extended beneath Fang Chen and the others in an instant.