The Snow Empress paused for a moment, then said, "I only know that I grew up in the snowy region, and I don't know where I came from. Later, I discovered that I have half human blood and half Primordial Ice Phoenix blood within me."
"Not only that," Xuanjizi said, "You also possess a third bloodline. The bloodline of the Primordial Ice Phoenix conceals it, but that trace of bloodline does exist. It is... the bloodline of the first beings in the world at the beginning of chaos, known as the Origin Spirit Bloodline. Those who possess the Origin Spirit Bloodline are the only beings in the world who can communicate with the Power of Chaos Power of Chaos being corrupted by it. This is why you can touch the Chaos Pearl without being devoured by it, and why you can repair the cracks in the boundary. The essence of the boundary is a barrier formed by the Power of Chaos, and only bloodlines originating from chaos can fill its cracks."
Snow Empress was stunned. She looked down at her hands, as if seeing them for the first time.
"Then what should I do?"
Xuanjizi's flames slowly rose, condensing into a blurry human figure in the air. The figure raised its hand, pointing towards the crack at the top of the cave.
"Drip your blood into every crack. The Origin Spirit Power within your blood will automatically repair the fissures. But remember, every drop of blood will consume your life force. Repairing all the cracks will require about half your blood, and you will be weakened for a long time. If you encounter a powerful enemy while you are weakened, it will be extremely dangerous."
Snow Empress nodded without hesitation. "I'm willing."
Xuanjizi's figure trembled slightly, as if somewhat relieved. He remained silent for a moment before speaking again, "There is one more thing I must tell you. Although the Chaos Pearl has been sealed, its residual power within the earth's veins will not disappear. That power will slowly gather, forming a ' Source of Chaos ' after forty-nine days. If the Demon Venerable obtains the Source of Chaos, although the effect will not be as great as the Chaos Pearl, it will still be enough to greatly increase his strength. You must find the Source of Chaos within forty-nine days and seal or destroy it, otherwise the consequences will be endless."
Where does the Source of Chaos originate?
"In the place where the power of the ley lines is most concentrated," Xuanjizi said, "I can guide you. After you repair the boundary wall, come to this cave to find me, and I will teach you how to track the flow of the ley lines."
Snow Empress bowed to the figure. "Thank you for your guidance, senior."
The figure slowly dissipated, transforming back into flames and shrinking back into the Bronze Lamp. The Snow Empress took one last look at the ancient lamp, then turned and flew upwards. She passed through the crack and returned to the ground. Night had fallen, and countless stars twinkled in the Heavenly Screen.
She stood beside the crack, took off her outer robe, rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair wrist. She drew a dagger from her waist and lightly made a cut on her wrist. Blood gushed out, dripping into the crack. The moment each drop of blood fell into the crack, golden light burst forth from it, like tiny suns falling into the darkness. The scorched soil at the edge of the crack began to regain its original color, the surging Demonic Qi was dispersed by the golden light, and the width of the crack visibly shrank.
She walked along the crack all night. Every few steps she would stop and let a few drops of blood drip, the wound on her wrist would heal and then reopen. By dawn, the huge crack, which was several meters long, had completely closed, leaving only a shallow mark on the ground, like an old scar on the earth.
Snow Empress's face had turned much paler. Her hands were trembling slightly, and she felt a little dizzy. But she didn't stop; she turned and walked toward the next crack.
Over the next few days, she rested during the day and worked at night. She repaired the dozen or so large and small cracks around the Ziwei Sect Dao Yi. With each crack she repaired, her face grew paler and her steps became more unsteady. On the sixth night, when she finished repairing the last crack and saw the golden light slowly disappear at the edge of the crack, her legs went weak and she knelt on the ground.
Li Qingyun quickly ran over to help her. Zhao Wan'er handed her a bowl of warm water, which she took, drank a few sips, forced a smile, and said, "I'm fine, just a little tired."
After learning that she had used her own blood to repair the boundary wall, Zhang Tianxing remained silent for a long time. He looked at Snow Empress's pale face, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He had the best blood-replenishing pills prepared and sent over, and arranged for two medical cultivators to take care of her, but Snow Empress politely declined them all. She said she had other things to do and could not delay.
She returned to the underground cave. Xuanjizi's remnant soul was still waiting for her inside the Bronze Lamp. She sat cross-legged in front of the platform, listening to Xuanjizi explain how to track the earth's veins. Xuanjizi said that the flow of the earth's veins was like the blood vessels of the earth, and it required a special method to perceive them. He taught her a set of incantations, instructing her to sink her Spiritual Power into her feet and follow the fluctuations of the underground currents to find the direction where the power converged.
Snow Empress closed her eyes and circulated her Spiritual Power according to the incantation. Her senses penetrated the soil and rocks, extending hundreds of feet downwards, finally touching a faint but continuous pulse. That pulse was like the beating of a heart deep underground, each beat carrying a chaotic aura. She followed the direction of that pulse and found that it extended southwestward, farther and farther away, and finally disappeared hundreds of miles away.
" The Source of Chaos lies in that direction," Xuanjizi's voice echoed in her mind. "But you'll need to find the exact location yourself. Remember, you have forty-nine days. Six days have passed, leaving forty-three."
Snow Empress opened her eyes and stood up. "I'll set off now."
Xuanjizi's flames flickered. "Your body is too weak right now. Repairing the boundary has consumed too much of your essence. If you go like this and encounter the Demon Venerable or some other danger, you won't even be able to protect yourself."
"I know," said the Snow Empress, "But I don't have time to wait. Forty-three days sounds like a lot, but traveling takes time, searching takes time, and sealing or destroying the Source of Chaos also takes time. Even if I delay for just one more day, I might not make it in time."
Xuanjizi was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Fine. Since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. But I'll give you something."
Flames rose, and a small piece of bronze fell from the Bronze Lamp, floating in the air and flying to the Snow Empress. The Snow Empress reached out and caught it; the bronze piece was warm to the touch, with some fine patterns engraved on its surface.
"This bronze piece contains a remnant of my protective power," Xuanjizi said. "When you encounter mortal danger, it will automatically trigger and block an attack for you. Although it can only be used once, it might save your life in a critical moment."
Snow Empress carefully put the bronze fragment away from her body and solemnly bid farewell to Xuanjizi's remnant soul. She flew out of the cave, returned to the ground, determined her direction, and flew towards the southwest.