They hesitated no longer and stepped forward almost in unison.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou!"
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, we..."
Both spoke urgently, adopting exceedingly humble postures. Not a trace remained of their bearing as Longevity Realm powerhouses.
Zhou Xuan raised a hand, signaling that they need not say more.
He swept his gaze around, from Old Ancestor Xuanming to the Alliance Leader, then to Old Ancestor Cangwu, and finally to Emperor Jiang Wu, whose expression was complicated. His voice was still weak from his injuries, but his words made all four titans' hearts skip a beat.
"Eradicating it is impossible."
What?!
Old Ancestor Xuanming had only just straightened his back and nearly bent over again. The wild joy that had just surfaced on his face instantly froze.
The Alliance Leader and Old Ancestor Cangwu felt as though lightning had struck them, their hearts plunging into an abyss.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, what do you mean?" the Alliance Leader asked, his voice somewhat dry as he forcibly suppressed his emotions. "Just now, Xuanming..."
"I can only purify it, not eradicate it."
Zhou Xuan explained calmly.
"Your Dao Fruits and your immortal veins are connected to this world."
"As long as the source of 'Nothingness' remains, contamination will keep arising without end. It's like dripping ink into a pool. I can replace the water with clean water today, but tomorrow it will turn dirty again."
The moment he said this, the atmosphere in the secret chamber became suffocating.
The hope that had just risen was drenched from head to toe by a bucket of cold water, chilled straight through to its core.
"Then... what are we supposed to do?" Old Ancestor Cangwu asked, utterly distraught, his voice trembling.
"Are we doomed to this calamity after all?"
Watching their expressions as they fell from heaven into