Just then, she seemed to sense something from the future, and suddenly turned around, her blood-red eyes fixed on the direction where the Snow Empress was. In those eyes, there was not a trace of reason, only endless madness and destruction.
Snow Empress felt her body locked in place by a powerful force, unable to move. She saw her future self open her mouth wide, black flames gathering within, ready to erupt at her.
"No!" Snow Empress shouted, desperately trying to break free of her restraints, but to no avail.
Just as the black flames were about to erupt, a voice suddenly rang in her ear. "Run!"
Snow Empress felt her consciousness being pulled back by a force. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back in the cave, drenched in cold sweat.
"That was..." Snow Empress gasped for breath, still shaken.
"You were almost killed by your future self just now." An aged voice sounded behind her.
Snow Empress turned her head sharply and saw an old man with white hair standing behind her. The old man was wearing a tattered robe, his face was full of wrinkles, but his eyes were bright, like two stars.
"Who are you?" Snow Empress asked warily.
The old man smiled slightly, "I am the guardian of this seal, and also the one sent by your future self to wait for you."
"Your future self sent you to wait for me?" Snow Empress asked in surprise.
The old man nodded. "You, in the future, foresaw all of this before you became the Primordial Demon God. She knew you would come here to investigate, so she sent me here to wait for you and tell you some things."
"Tell me what?" Snow Empress asked eagerly.
The old man took a deep breath. "The reason you will become Primordial Demon God in the future is because in three months, you will obtain something called the ' Chaos Pearl.' The Chaos Pearl is a supreme treasure of the Chaos Era, possessing boundless Power of Chaos. To combat the threats of the future, you decide to refine the Chaos Pearl to enhance your strength. But you don't know that the Chaos Pearl contains the will of Primordial Demon God. During the process of refining the Chaos Pearl, you are corrupted by the will of the Primordial Demon God and ultimately become Primordial Demon God yourself."
" The Chaos Pearl?" Snow Empress frowned. "I've never heard of such a thing."
"You haven't heard of it now, but you will in three months," the old man said. " The Chaos Pearl will appear underground at the headquarters of the Heavenly Dao Alliance — the Ziwei Sect. In three months, the Chaos Pearl will automatically manifest, and everyone will be drawn by its power to compete for it. You will also obtain the Chaos Pearl, refine it, and eventually become Primordial Demon God."
"Then what should I do to stop all of this?" Snow Empress asked.
The old man's expression turned serious. "There are three methods. First, find the Chaos Pearl before it appears in the world, and then destroy it. Second, after the Chaos Pearl appears, do not refine it, but seal it away, never letting anyone use it again. Third, if you have already obtained the Chaos Pearl, do not try to refine it, but hand it over to someone else and let them handle it."
"Destroy it? Seal it?" Snow Empress nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."
"There's one more thing," the old man continued, "Three months from now, the Demon Venerable will also break free of his seal. Although he was sealed, the seal wasn't strong and could only last for three months. After three months, the Demon Venerable will break free of the seal and descend to the mortal realm once more. At that time, the Demon Venerable will also come to compete for the Chaos Pearl."
" The Demon Venerable will come too?" The Snow Empress's expression grew even more solemn.
"That's right." The old man nodded. "So, you not only have to figure out how to deal with the Chaos Pearl, but also the threat from the Demon Venerable. Moreover, the Demon Venerable Lord is twice as strong as when you last met him, because he has been absorbing the power of the Demon Realm to strengthen himself during this time."
Snow Empress took a deep breath. "I understand. Thank you for informing me, senior."
The old man smiled slightly. "No need to thank me. I'm just completing a task given to me by your future self. Although you became Primordial Demon God, a sliver of reason still exists deep within you. It was this sliver of reason that led you to set up this seal before becoming a demon god, and to have me wait here for you to tell you all this."
"My future self..." Snow Empress's eyes welled up with tears, "She must have been in so much pain, right?"
The old man sighed. "Yes, she was in great pain. She wanted to protect humanity, but she became a monster that destroyed it. She wanted to die, but she couldn't. She wanted redemption, but she couldn't. She could only seal herself away, using this method to atone for her sins."
"I won't let any of this happen." Snow Empress clenched her fist, her eyes flashing with unwavering determination. "I will stop the Chaos Pearl, stop the Demon Venerable, and prevent this future tragedy from occurring."
The old man nodded with satisfaction. "I believe in you. Go, child, your time is running out. In three months, everything will be settled."
Snow Empress bowed deeply to the old man, then turned and left the cave.
When they emerged from the cave, the dark clouds in the sky had dispersed, revealing a sky full of stars. Snow Empress looked up at the starry sky, a determination she had never felt before welling up in her heart.
Three months.
She only has three months.
Within three months, she must find the Chaos Pearl and either destroy or seal it.
Within three months, she must contend with the Demon Venerable's threats and prevent him from obtaining the Chaos Pearl.
Within three months, she must change the future and prevent herself from becoming Primordial Demon God.
Time was of the essence, and the task was arduous, but she would not back down.
Because what she wants to protect is not only the human world, but also her future self.
Snow Empress took a deep breath, transformed into a beam of light, and flew towards the Ziwei Sect.
She flew for about two hours, and then a huge city appeared ahead. The city walls were made of black stone and covered with complex runes. These runes emitted a faint golden light, enveloping the entire city in a golden glow.
Snow Empress landed in front of the city gate. Two guards in black armor stood on either side of the gate. Upon seeing Snow Empress, the guards immediately drew their long swords and stared at her warily.
"Who goes there?" a guard shouted.
Snow Empress took out a token from her bosom. The token was white and engraved with the character "Tian" (Heaven). This was the identity token of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, which was personally given to her by the leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance during their previous trip to the Southern Wasteland.
Upon seeing the token, the guard's expression softened. He sheathed his sword, cupped his hands, and said, "So you are an honored guest from the Heavenly Dao Alliance. May I ask what brings you to the Ziwei Sect?"
"I have urgent business to discuss with the leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance," said the Snow Empress.
The guard nodded and stepped aside to make way for him.