The moment the core fell into the pool, a miraculous scene unfolded: the pool's pearly white light and the Qilin Heart Crystal's golden radiance surged into the core together. The black markings lingering on its surface faded at a visible pace, its pale purple glow grew pure and gentle, and even the trace of evil power in the air vanished completely. A smile appeared on Liya's face as she channeled nature's power into the pool along its edge, further strengthening the purification. "It worked! The fragment's aura is weakening!"
But just as the black markings were about to disappear completely, the core suddenly shuddered violently, and an inky black apparition burst out of it-the ultimate form of the Matriarch's consciousness fragment. Three meters tall and draped in a black robe, it wore a mask formed from twisted insect limbs and evil bones, while a ball of black-purple abyssal energy gathered in its hand. "You want to purify my consciousness? Dream on! I'll destroy this holy land along with all of you!"
The apparition hurled the energy ball into the Purification Pool. The water instantly turned black-purple, and the Qilin Heart Crystal at the bottom dimmed sharply. Snow Spirit Qilin immediately spat out icy mist, trying to freeze the evil mist, but the apparition's energy blasted it away. Lei Lin's pillar of fire struck the apparition, only for the evil power to devour the flames and make the apparition grow larger instead. "Useless! I nourished this fragment with the essence of the Abyss. Your purification power can never destroy me completely!"
Loran's heart tightened as he suddenly recalled the words on the statue's base: "Essences in harmony." He leaped to the pool's edge and unleashed all three types of power, tossing the Lotus Heart Crystal and the Holy Spring Crystal into the pool at the same time. The instant the two crystals touched the water, they resonated with the Qilin Heart Crystal. Three beams of light intertwined into a Three Saints Purification Pillar, piercing straight toward the apparition's mask!
"No-!" The apparition let out a piercing scream. The purification pillar shattered its mask, and the evil bones and insect limbs beneath its black robe began melting rapidly. But just as the apparition was about to dissipate, it suddenly burst into wild laughter. "You think this is over? My true body has already sensed the energy here. An abyssal rift will open soon, and Qilin Radiance Peak will become your grave!"
The apparition dissolved into a wisp of black smoke, and the black-purple color faded from the Purification Pool along with it. The Evil Bone Core regained its complete purity, slowly rotating in the water and giving off a gentle pale purple glow. Yet Loran could not smile-he could clearly sense a terrifying energy rapidly approaching within the sea of clouds west of Qilin Radiance Peak. The clouds began to twist, and a black-purple rift was forming, emanating a suffocating abyssal pressure.
"It's the Matriarch! She really came!" Snow Spirit Qilin's ice runes flashed violently, and an image of the rift appeared within their pearly white light. On the other side, an enormous insect limb covered in black-purple carapace was slowly reaching out, its barbs gleaming coldly. It was clearly the Matriarch's true body!
Chief Tongchui immediately led the Water Whisperers toward the entrance to the stairway of light. His fallen star iron warhammer struck the ground, and the platform's runes lit up with golden light, forming a defensive barrier. "Loran! Retrieve the core now! We have to launch the warship and evacuate immediately! The holy land's defenses won't hold for long!"
But Loran shook his head, his gaze fixed firmly on the core in the Purification Pool. "The core is still absorbing the pool's energy. Leaving now would undo everything we've done! Besides, the holy land's runic formation can block the rift for a while. We still have time! Snow Spirit Qilin, can you sense the holy land's defensive hub? We need to reinforce the barrier!"
Snow Spirit Qilin closed its eyes, and its ice runes resonated with the statue. A moment later, it opened its eyes. "The statue is the defensive hub! The flame qilin, ice qilin, and water qilin energies have to be channeled into it simultaneously to activate the ultimate defense! Lei Lin will handle the flame qilin, I'll handle the ice qilin, and A Ze will handle the water qilin. Hurry! The rift is about to expand!"
Lei Lin immediately flew to the statue's left side and channeled golden-red flames into the flame qilin runes. Snow Spirit Qilin landed on the right, merging pearly white icy mist into the ice qilin runes. A Ze stood directly in front of the statue, sending water elements surging into the water qilin runes. The instant all three streams of energy entered together, the red light in the statue's eyes blazed, and a pale golden hemispherical barrier extended from the statue to cover all of Qilin Radiance Peak, sealing the rift outside. The black-purple abyssal energy crashed against the barrier, leaving only faint ripples.
"It's holding for now!" Liya breathed a sigh of relief, but her gaze soon grew grave again. "But the barrier's energy is draining rapidly. The Matriarch's true body is too powerful. We can hold out for two hours at most! How much longer does the core need to be fully purified?"
Loran looked toward the Purification Pool. The core's pale purple radiance had become incomparably pure, and the Qilin Heart Crystal at the bottom was channeling its last trace of energy into it. "Fifteen minutes at most! Once the core absorbs the final wave of energy, it'll be completely free of the Matriarch's influence. Then we can evacuate with it, and she'll never be able to track its aura again!"
The Icefield Wolf suddenly growled toward the rift, its golden eyes filled with vigilance. The enormous insect limb within the rift was repeatedly battering the barrier, and fine cracks began appearing in the golden light on its surface. Chief Tongchui tightened his grip on his warhammer, and the dwarven craftsmen picked up their forging tools, ready to fight at any moment. "We'll hold the barrier! Loran, focus on waiting for the core's purification. We can't let everyone's efforts go to waste!"
Loran nodded and returned his attention to the Purification Pool. The core's radiance grew brighter and brighter. Finally, fifteen minutes later, it slowly rose and settled into his palm. Now utterly devoid of any trace of evil power, it held a faint golden sheen within its pale purple glow, like a pure crystal. Not a trace of the Matriarch's consciousness could be sensed anymore.
"Purification is complete!" Loran raised the core high, his voice carrying across the entire platform. "Prepare to evacuate! Chief Tongchui, launch the warship! Snow Spirit Qilin, open the barrier at the stairway of light!"
But just then, the rift suddenly expanded violently. An enormous head covered in black-purple scales emerged, its compound eyes glowing an eerie green. Black-purple evil mist spewed from its mouthparts, instantly staining the statue's defensive barrier black. "Trying to leave? Leave the core behind! I'll make you and this holy land sacrifices for my invasion of the continent!"
The Abyss Matriarch's true body had finally descended upon Qilin Radiance Peak!
The statue's barrier began shattering rapidly, the runes on the platform dimmed sharply, and black-purple ripples spread across the Purification Pool. Clutching the core, Loran shouted to the others, "Get aboard the warship! Lei Lin, Snow Spirit Qilin, use your Ice and Fire Fusion Technique to hold the Matriarch back for now! The Icefield Wolf and I will bring up the rear!"
A life-or-death battle to evacuate abruptly erupted on the summit of the Qilin Holy Land. The pale golden defensive barrier clashed fiercely with the black-purple abyssal mist, dyeing the sea of clouds around Qilin Radiance Peak two eerie colors. Meanwhile, the sacred warship carrying the continent's hopes was preparing to embark on a perilous escape with the fully purified core, right under the Matriarch's nose.
Loran gazed at the enormous head drawing ever closer, feeling no fear, only resolve. He knew this was not the end, but the beginning of the final battle against the Abyss Matriarch. As long as they still had the core, as long as his companions were still there, they would never let the Matriarch's scheme succeed.