81: Three Spirits Resonance 2

A dazzling light suddenly erupted from Xiao Yan's core, and the energy fluctuations simultaneously pushed Xiao Bing and Ling Xiao back several steps. The Soul-Shaping Jade Formation emitted a cracking sound, unable to bear the strain, and the Fire Spirit Crystal directly turned into dust!

"Brother!" Xiao Bing looked in horror at the azure fire core at the center of the energy storm; the light was so intense it was almost impossible to look at directly.

Ling Xiao, however, smiled: "Don't worry... this is the beginning of Rebirth..."

Indeed, within the dazzling light, a blurry human silhouette was forming. First, the phantom of bones, then a network of Meridians, and finally, flesh and blood gradually filled in. This process seemed miraculous, but in reality, it was excruciatingly painful—though Xiao Yan had no physical body, the Soul-level screams echoed in everyone's mind.

Xiao Bing wanted to step forward to help but was blocked by the energy storm. Just as he was in extreme anxiety, a hand rested on his shoulder.

"Let them complete the resonance." The Ancient Clan Grand Elder, who had arrived at some unknown time, said in a deep voice, "This is the miracle of the Three Souls in One; outside interference will only be counterproductive."

"But Flame Brother..."

"Pain is the price of Rebirth." The Grand Elder's profound gaze fixed on the center of the storm, "Thirty years ago, when Yao Chen reshaped his Meridians, wasn't it the same?"

Xiao Bing was stunned. He recalled stories Yao Chen had told him about Xiao Yan's youth when he was a child—how that stubborn young man endured the pain of the Burning Decisive's Meridian forging, and how he struggled and transformed on the brink of life and death. Now, history was repeating itself, only the roles were reversed, with Xiao Yan enduring the pain to save them.

Xiao Yan in the center of the storm had already completed the reshaping of his upper body, and faint azure fire streams pulsed beneath his new skin. Suddenly, a wisp of silver energy shot from Ling Xiao's direction, intertwining with the azure fire; almost simultaneously, the Extreme Ice Power within Xiao Bing surged out uncontrollably, forming a blue energy stream that joined in!

The azure, blue, and silver energies formed a perfect cycle in Xiao Yan's chest, and the energy storm in the main hall instantly subsided. Everyone held their breath, watching this unprecedented scene—three completely different powers coexisting harmoniously, even nourishing each other!

"Three Souls in One..." The Grand Elder's voice trembled, "Ancient records state it only appeared at the dawn of the Plane's birth... This is a sign of the Source World's revival!"

The energy cycle continued for about fifteen minutes before gradually separating. Xiao Bing and Ling Xiao both felt a wave of weakness, but their faces were filled with joy—Xiao Yan's new body had fully formed, and he was slowly opening his eyes.

In those eyes, his left eye was the familiar deep black, while his right eye had turned azure-silver, with flames seemingly dancing in the pupil!

"Brother!" Xiao Bing was the first to rush forward, "How do you feel?"

Xiao Yan slowly sat up, looking down at his palms. This body looked no different from his original, but when he circulated his Dou Qi, a hint of ancient and majestic aura—the trace of the Flame Lord's Fire—was added to the azure fire!

"It's like I've been asleep for a long time..." Xiao Yan's voice echoed directly in both their minds. He paused, then joyfully discovered that although he couldn't speak for the time being, his Mental Energy was strong enough for telepathic communication!

Ling Xiao curiously touched Xiao Yan's arm: "Brother, there's a very warm power in your body."

Xiao Yan held his younger brother's hand, then his expression suddenly changed: "Ling Xiao, in your body..."

Ling Xiao looked at him blankly: "What's wrong?"

Xiao Yan did not answer immediately, but instead used his newly acquired Mental Energy to carefully examine Ling Xiao's physical condition. In his mental vision, the Dou Qi flowing through Ling Xiao's Meridians was no longer ordinary Dou Qi, but a pure silver energy that resonated subtly with the Source World itself.

"Your Dou Qi... has transformed into the Plane's Origin Power." Xiao Yan transmitted the information in shock, "This is probably unprecedented in the history of the Source World."

Xiao Bing also checked, his brow furrowed: "What does this mean?"

The Grand Elder stepped forward, his voice filled with reverence: "This means that Young Master Ling Xiao is becoming the Incarnation of the Source World. Ancient texts say that when a Plane is on the verge of destruction, it instinctively condenses all its power to nurture a 'World Son' as the hope for the world's continuation."

"Then am I... still me?" Ling Xiao asked with some unease.

Xiao Yan held his hand firmly: "You will always be our Junior Brother, Yao Chen's Disciple; that will not change."

Xiao Bing also put his arm around Ling Xiao's shoulder: "That's right. No matter what power you gain, you are our family."

Tears welled in Ling Xiao's eyes, and just as he was about to say something, his body swayed, and he fainted directly into Xiao Bing's arms.

"Ling Xiao!" Xiao Bing exclaimed.

The Grand Elder quickly checked and then breathed a sigh of relief: "He's fine, just overly exhausted. The Fusion of the Spirit of the Plane takes time; let him rest well."

After settling Ling Xiao, Xiao Bing finally had a chance to carefully examine Xiao Yan's condition. All functions of the new body were normal, except that his vocal cords had not fully recovered, so he temporarily couldn't speak. But surprisingly, the Dou Qi circulation path within Xiao Yan's body automatically adjusted to the most suitable form for his current state, even more efficient than before.

"It seems the reshaping process optimized your Meridian System." Xiao Bing marveled as he checked, "It's almost like..."

"...Like someone deliberately designed it." Xiao Yan took over, his eyes complex, "I suspect this isn't entirely the effect of the Soul Plating Pill."

"You mean... Aunt Ice Soul and the Flame Lord's remnant?"

Xiao Yan nodded, taking out the jade box containing Ice Soul's last crystal from his storage ring. When he opened the box, the crystal suddenly floated up, projecting an image—

Ice Soul's phantom appeared in the air, with a gentle smile: "Children, if you see this image, it means my plan has succeeded. The Soul Plating Pill was just a cover; what truly worked was the Mystic Dark Cold Energy accumulated in my body for thirty years and the power of the fire seed left by the Flame Lord..."

Ice Soul in the image explained that back then, Yao Chen discovered that Mystic Dark Cold Energy could not only treat fire poison but also serve as a rare medium to balance opposing energies. Ice Soul endured thirty years of the cold energy gnawing at her heart precisely so that at a critical moment, she could simultaneously accommodate the Flame Lord's Fire and the Extreme Ice Power, creating a perfect body for Xiao Yan.

...

At the end of the image, Ice Soul's phantom gently waved her hand: "Don't grieve for us. Yao Chen and my Soul will reunite in the Void, continuing to watch over you. Remember, the crisis of the Source World has only just begun..."

After the image dissipated, the crystal turned to powder, leaving only a small ice crystal rune suspended in the air. Xiao Bing instinctively reached out to touch it, and the rune immediately merged into his palm!

A massive stream of information surged into Xiao Bing's mind—it was Ice Soul's lifelong research on Extreme Ice Power, as well as a supreme ice-element Cultivation Technique called the "Xuanming Ice Soul Art." Even more shocking, at the end of the information stream was a star map, marking twelve flickering light points!

"These are... the locations of the seeds of the plane?" Xiao Bing assimilated the information, his voice trembling, "How did Aunt Ice Soul have..."

Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then suddenly took out a seemingly ordinary fiery red stone from Yao Chen's ring. When he infused a wisp of Dou Qi into the stone, another star map was projected, which perfectly matched the one left by Ice Soul!

"It seems Master and Aunt Ice Soul knew all of this long ago." Xiao Yan's Mental Energy fluctuations were filled with emotion, "They paved the way for us."

Xiao Bing clenched his fist: "Then we cannot let down their expectations."

As the two were speaking, a commotion suddenly came from outside the hall. Mystic Light rushed in to report: "Emperor Yan, Young Master Xiao Bing, something has happened! Young Master Ling Xiao, he..."

Before he could finish, Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing had already rushed out. The side hall where Ling Xiao was resting was now enveloped in dazzling silver light, and a majestic life force spread outwards like a tide. Wherever it passed, the plants on the Ancient Clan Sacred Mountain revived at a visible speed, and even the rocks glowed with a strange luster!

In the center of the side hall, Ling Xiao floated in mid-air, his silver hair swaying without wind. His eyes had completely turned silver, and starlight faintly flowed beneath his skin. When Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing arrived, Ling Xiao had just opened his eyes, and wherever his gaze fell, space rippled subtly.

"Brother, I saw..." Ling Xiao's voice was ethereal, not human-like, "The pain of the Source World, and... the darkness further away."

Xiao Bing carefully stepped forward: "Ling Xiao, how do you feel?"

Ling Xiao slowly landed, the silver light gradually receding: "It's strange... I feel like I can sense every breath of the Source World." He pointed towards the northwest, "There's a very deep wound there that needs healing."

The Grand Elder's face changed drastically upon hearing this: "Young Master Ling Xiao is pointing to the very place where the Chaos Devourer first invaded back then! The spatial rift there has been unable to heal to this day!"

Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing exchanged glances, nodding simultaneously. Xiao Yan took Ling Xiao's hand: "Take us to see."

When the three arrived at the Star Observation Platform at the highest point of the Sacred Mountain, the sight before them was shocking—a pitch-black rift spanning the sky, like an ugly scar, constantly seeping out unsettling, distorted energy. The land near the rift was sickly pale gray, with no vegetation.

Ling Xiao unconsciously walked forward, silver light once again surging from his body. Xiao Bing tried to hold him back, but Xiao Yan stopped him: "Let him try."

Standing directly beneath the rift, Ling Xiao looked up at the terrifying scar, slowly raising his hands. Silver light flowed like a trickle towards the rift, with little effect at first, but as time passed, the edges of the rift actually began to slowly heal!

However, just then, an anomaly occurred! A black light suddenly shot out from the rift, directly striking Ling Xiao's chest! Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing simultaneously acted, azure fire and Extreme Ice intertwining into a shield, but it only weakened part of the black light's power. The residual force still hit Ling Xiao; he grunted, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Ling Xiao!" Xiao Bing rushed forward to support his swaying younger brother.

Ling Xiao, however, shook his head: "It's fine... That wasn't an attack..." He wiped away the blood, "It was a warning."

"A warning?" Xiao Yan looked warily at the rift.

"Something is awakening on the other side of the rift." Ling Xiao's voice trembled, "It has been peering into the Source World through this rift for a long time... It said... a thousand years from now..."

Before he could finish, Ling Xiao fainted again. Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing took him back to the main hall, and after examination, found he was fine, just overly exhausted. But Ling Xiao's warning before he fainted left them both deeply worried.

Late at night, Xiao Yan and Xiao Bing sat on the roof of the main hall, looking at the rift that Ling Xiao had healed for the most part. Xiao Yan was already able to make simple sounds, though hoarse but clearly discernible: "The thousand-year period... should be the time the Void Devourer, as the Flame Lord said, awakens."

Xiao Bing nodded: "The star map Aunt Ice Soul left shows that the twelve seeds of the plane are scattered across different worlds. We must start searching as soon as possible."

"What about Ling Xiao? He is the hope of the Source World now."

"Take him with us." Xiao Bing said firmly, "Since the Spirit of the Plane chose him, then finding the seeds of the plane will likely also require his power."

Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Do you remember our agreement when we were little?"

Xiao Bing also smiled: "Of course. 'Brothers united, their strength is gold.' Now we have three."

The two looked at each other and smiled. Under the moonlight, Xiao Yan's azure-silver right eye and Xiao Bing's ice-blue left eye shimmered, like a destiny already written.