It turned out that, in that instant just now, a piercing pain had suddenly erupted from the soul within the depths of the Sacred Venerable ancestor's sea of consciousness.
It was the kind of agony that felt as though his very soul were about to burst apart.
It was as if something were growing wildly within his soul, trying to bore its way out. At the same instant, the intensity of his divine sense began soaring madly as well. Yet that growth made his hair stand on end, until even his soul could not stop trembling.
He had a powerful premonition that if that thing were allowed to keep growing, his soul would surely rupture and he would die.
When that happened, even his true spirit might not successfully reincarnate.
Overwhelming terror swept through the Sacred Venerable's entire body. Afraid and furious alike, he trembled from head to toe in agitation. "Crystal Five, so you had already tampered with me behind my back."
"Soul ascension has always been the specialty of our Crystal Ancient Clan." Crystal Five's tone was cold. "Since you accepted our Crystal Ancient Clan's Soul Seed to break through your divine sense, you naturally must bear the risks and consequences."
As it spoke, it casually lifted a hand. The Soul Seed within the Sacred Venerable ancestor's soul immediately stopped growing, and the agonizing pain that had nearly made him burst apart abruptly vanished.
The Sacred Venerable ancestor breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his expression remained incomparably grim. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Then does that mean the elite descendants our family has focused on cultivating have also fallen victim to this?"
"Of course." Crystal Five's tone remained indifferent. "You may look at this matter from its brighter side. So long as our plan succeeds,