Its original intention to continue urging the Myriad Souls Burying Cause was shattered at this moment. The first thought, before it could even coalesce, was erased from its initial origin by the ancient gray-white aura; the second thought, just as it surfaced, lost its beginning under the pull of the Beginningless Abyss.
The third thought attempted to forcefully manifest along the origin of the ancient prison, but was cut off by that invisible ancient charm. The twelve crimson waning moons, which were originally able to be continuously activated, began to lose their source support one after another.
Crack! The first crimson waning moon suddenly shattered. Immediately afterwards, large cracks appeared on the second and third waning moons as well.
The Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion suddenly raised its head and let out a roar that shook the heavens and earth. "Roar----!!!"
It desperately urged its gray-gold vertical pupils on its chest, attempting to forcefully break through the erosion of the Beginningless Ancient Rhyme with the origin of the ancient prison. However, the more frantically it urged, the more ancient prison wills collapsed one after another deep within its Fate Soul.
The countless fragmented true names that were originally condensed within the gray-gold bone cone began to lose their bearings. The crimson-black burial net broke in large sections, and the twelve torrents of skeletal souls collapsed one after another. Hundreds of millions of ancient skeletons fell from the sky, turning into fine dust in the gray-white ancient charm before even touching the earth.
Rumble! The gray-gold bone cone suddenly exploded. The twelve dark red crescent moons collapsed simultaneously.
A massive wound suddenly appeared on the center of the Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion's chest, revealing a gray-gold vertical pupil. Thick, crimson-black primordial energy surged wildly along the wound, causing the once colossal, ten-thousand-foot-tall body to tremble violently high in the sky.
Large gray-white cracks appeared on the six crimson bone wings one after another, and four of the twelve spines on the back broke off on the spot. The remaining spines also continued to peel off under the erosion of the Beginningless Ancient Rhyme. The originally incomparably hard black-gold bone armor shattered along the chest and abdomen, revealing the ancient prison origin that was constantly churning inside.
"Pfft--!!!" A large mouthful of thick, dark red primordial blood suddenly spurted out of its mouth. Before the blood even fell, it transformed into thousands of crimson-black skeletal patterns in the air, which were then rapidly eroded by the gray-white ancient aura and dissipated one after another.
The massive body of the Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion was suddenly thrown backward, its six crimson bone wings vibrating wildly in an attempt to stop its retreat. However, the Beginningless Ancient Rhyme had already penetrated deep into its very origin along with its Fate Soul's will, causing a brief delay each time it activated the Ancient Prison Divine Power.
The bone patterns that could originally condense instantly now required several attempts to barely take shape. The remaining bone armor of the Twelvefold Ancient Prison Undying Body also completely collapsed under this erosion, with large pieces of black and gold bone fragments falling continuously from the sky.
Boom!!! The towering body of the Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion crashed into a distant, shattered mountain range. The terrifying impact crushed tens of thousands of bluish-gray rock peaks one after another, and the earth rapidly collapsed along the point of impact, forming a huge rift valley that stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles.
Vast amounts of crimson and black primordial energy surged wildly along the rift valley, eroding and destroying the surrounding rocks. The six crimson bone wings also broke off parts of their wing bones in the violent impact. The ancient blood prison deep within the gray-gold vertical pupils of the chest trembled violently, and hundreds of millions of skeletons collapsed one after another.
However, the ancient creature did not fall. It slowly raised its massive body, its six fingers covered with broken bone armor piercing deep into the rock strata. Its dark golden eyes were fixed on the distant Gongpiluo Huang. Its chest heaved violently, and thick, crimson-black primordial blood dripped continuously down its pale bone surface. Its originally ferocious mouth was now tightly clenched, and for the first time, true solemnity appeared in its eyes.
It could clearly feel that its ancient prison will was being eroded. The gray-white ancient charm did not continue to destroy its physical body, nor did it directly tear apart its Fate Soul, but it always lingered at the point where every thought was about to sprout. As long as it tried to activate a more powerful ancient prison divine power, those thoughts would be cut off at the moment of their initial formation. Even the ancient prison ferocity that it was born with began to show a brief and strange silence.
The Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion slowly raised his right hand, gazing at the gray-gold bone pupil in his palm that could originally be opened instantly. Now, it barely opened after several attempts to activate it, and the solemnity deep within the dark gold pupil grew even stronger.
"Well done... with Myriad Thoughts Not Yet Stirred!" It clenched its white, bony teeth, a low, hoarse voice emanating from deep within its throat.
In the distance, Gongpiluo Huang still hovered quietly in front of the beast tide, its gray-white tail swaying gently. The Beginningless Abyss in the depths of its left eye slowly sank into silence, while the Endless Ancient Rhyme in its right eye remained profound. Among the twelve star spots, the rat-shaped star spot emitted an extremely faint light.
It did not immediately give chase, but simply gazed at the severely damaged Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion, a faint smile slowly appearing on its lips.
"Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion, your ancient prison origins are indeed profound, but unfortunately, even with billions of skeletons, you still need a single thought to control them!" Gongpiluo Huang's voice slowly spread across heaven and earth, "If I, Gong Piluohuang, do not allow you to have a thought, how can you activate this body full of ferocity?"
Upon hearing this, the Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion suddenly surged with rage in its dark golden eyes. Its six tattered bone wings spread outwards, and its gray-gold vertical pupils on its chest once again spewed out a large amount of crimson-black essence. However, just as it was trying to activate its divine power, the gray-white ancient charm deep within its Fate Soul vibrated gently once more, causing the ancient prison will that was about to condense to break briefly again.
It clenched its teeth, forcefully suppressing the impending burst of ferocity back into its chest. Its massive body slowly stopped trembling, and an extremely gloomy expression gradually appeared in its dark golden eyes.
Below, within the shattered grand formation of the Shangguan Lineage, Elder White Brow and Shangguan Wan'er witnessed everything. The moment the gray-gold bone cone in the sky collapsed, the continuously pouring crimson-black aftershocks finally weakened briefly, and the cracks on the surface of the Nine Mysteries Primordial Origin-Suppressing Bell temporarily stopped spreading. Several surviving elders immediately seized the opportunity to gather the Primordial Dao Supreme Treasure, slowly converging the defensive light screens that were originally scattered in all directions towards the center.
Under the leadership of several deacons, the thousands of surviving disciples regrouped. The most severely injured clansmen were placed in the deepest part of the Dark Gold Bell Curtain, while the disciples with remaining strength quietly put away their primordial divine weapons and suppressed their Fate Soul aura as much as possible.
Shangguan Wan'er looked up at the heavily injured Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion in the distance, a deep shock appearing on her cold face. She could see the cracks spreading in the gray-gold vertical pupils of the creature's chest, and she could also sense that the creature's originally extremely violent Ancient Prison Origin was temporarily stagnating.
Recalling Elder White Brow's earlier words about the Subtlety of Myriad Thoughts, her heart sank. "Senior brother... Gongpiluo Huang was actually able to directly erode its Ancient Prison Will!"
Elder White Brow nodded slowly, his aged eyes filled with solemnity. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, then looked towards the huge, broken rift valley in the northwest. His gaze slowly moved along the ancient rock path between the mountains that had not yet completely collapsed, and a thoughtful look gradually appeared in his eyes.
"Wan'er, the Northwest Rift Valley is still tens of thousands of miles away. If we want to evacuate all the clansmen, we will need the combined protection of all the elders. Although the Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion have been severely injured, Gongpiluo Huang has not yet taken his eyes off us. If we act rashly, it will only alert him!"
Shangguan Wan'er gripped the Purple Firmament Primordial Life-Protecting Ring tightly, her anxious expression barely concealed. "Do we have to keep waiting?"
Elder White Brow slowly shook his head, his gaze returning to the sky. "Wait a little longer. I have a feeling that the Ancient Prison Remnant Descendants hasn't truly given up yet!"
As he spoke, the Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion in the distance slowly straightened its body, its six tattered bone wings gently unfurling behind it. Its gray-gold vertical pupils on its chest were still riddled with cracks, and dark red primordial blood dripped continuously along its bone armor. However, it had ceased its previous near-mad roar.
Instead, it hovered quietly above the shattered mountain range, its dark golden eyes fixed on Gongpiluo Huang, the violence deep in its eyes gradually being replaced by a more somber contemplation.
It slowly raised its right hand, its six long, bony fingers gently spreading, and its gray-gold bone pupil in its palm once again attempted to condense the origin of the ancient prison. Buzz—a wisp of crimson-black bone pattern had just appeared when it was severed from its initial germination by the gray-white ancient aura. The Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion did not become angry.
It simply gazed silently at the disintegrating skeletal pattern, then slowly closed its dark golden eyes, and the ancient prison origin deep within its chest gradually receded. After a moment, it tried again to condense an ancient prison will. Sizzle—that will was still cut off by the Beginningless Ancient Rhyme at the very beginning.
The Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion slowly opened its eyes, a faint glimmer of light flashing deep within its dark golden pupils. It had finally realized a reason it had previously overlooked.
Every time Gongpiluo Huang activated the Beginningless Ancient Rhyme, he was truly touching upon the thought that preceded the birth of his supernatural power. Even though he possessed the inexhaustible source of the Ancient Prison and could reassemble his physical body and bones countless times, as long as activating his supernatural power still required the will of his Fate Soul as the starting point, he could never escape the erosion of that Beginningless Ancient Rhyme. And what Gongpiluo Huang himself corresponded to was precisely the Subtlety of Myriad Thoughts, the beginning of a thought, the initial manifestation of subjective consciousness.
The Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion slowly raised his head, gazing at the gray-white beast in the distance. A chilling smile gradually appeared on his previously taut, pale bone face. The fierce light deep within his dark gold eyes slowly condensed, and the gray-gold vertical pupil in the center of his chest also gently turned at this moment.
"I see..." it murmured in a low, hoarse, and chilling voice.
Then, it abruptly raised its head, its dark golden eyes locking onto Gongpiluo Huang. The smile on its pale, bony face widened suddenly, and a low, cold laugh escaped from deep within its throat. "Heh... I understand!"
It slowly spread its six slender fingers, and the remaining gray-gold bone pupils in its palms gently rotated. The ancient prison origin deep within its chest no longer surged wildly as before, but instead slowly subsided along the depths of its Fate Soul. The originally extremely violent ferocity also gradually subsided at this moment. The Eternal Prison Skeleton Ancient Scion suddenly realized, and a cold and crazy light flashed in its dark gold pupils.
"To completely destroy Gongpiluo Huang, ordinary supernatural powers are simply ineffective; we must target the root cause—his 'thoughts'—to eradicate him!"
As the words fell, it slowly raised its head, staring intently at the distant Gongpiluo Huang. The ancient prison deep within its gray-gold vertical pupils trembled quietly, and an ancient aura, whose true form had not yet been revealed, was slowly gathering in the deepest part of its Fate Soul.