Although Xiao Yao had successfully absorbed most of the power of the Ancient Demon God Remnant Soul, the remnant soul clung like bone-deep poison, refusing to dissipate entirely. While Xiao Yao was exhausted and her consciousness clouded from absorbing too much power, a wisp of the demon god's residual consciousness silently slipped into her mind like a ghost.
"Xiao Yao... Xiao Yao..." An eerie and highly seductive voice echoed deep within her mind, seeming to come from an endless abyss with traces of biting chill. "Do you think you are protecting the Linghuan Continent? You are wrong; you are merely a pitiful pawn manipulated by fate. As long as you fully release the power of the Divine Artifact and merge with me, you will possess infinite power and become the true master of this world. When that time comes, you can protect whoever you want and punish whoever you want; no one will ever be able to stop you." The voice of the remnant soul was full of temptation, like an invisible hand gently stirring the deepest desires in Xiao Yao's heart.
Under the influence of this seductive voice, Xiao Yao's consciousness gradually grew hazy. Scenes flashed before her eyes: she stood at the pinnacle of the Linghuan Continent, with everyone bowing in submission, and those who had once harmed her trembled at her feet. The Shadow Sect was thoroughly eradicated, the people of the Yan Territory lived in peace and happiness, and she lived a blissful life with Yechen, Wei Zhan (who in her illusion had not died), and Hengger... These scenes were so wonderful that they caused a ripple of hesitation in her heart.
Yet, at this critical moment, Xiao Yao snapped back to her senses. She remembered how Wei Zhan had sacrificed himself to protect everyone, she remembered the people suffering under the ravages of the Shadow Sect, and she remembered her original resolve to protect the Linghuan Continent. "No, I will not be seduced by you!" Xiao Yao roared inwardly, her gaze turning firm once more. "Do you think you can make me lose my way with these illusory temptations? I protect the Linghuan Continent not for power, but for every single life upon this land."
Seeing that Xiao Yao remained unmoved, the remnant soul let out a sharp, grating, sinister laugh that echoed continuously in Xiao Yao's mind, making her head ache with pain. "You think you can resist? The power of this Divine Artifact has intricate ties to me from the very start. Since you have absorbed my power, you will sooner or later be controlled by me." Along with the laughter, countless distorted black figures suddenly appeared in Xiao Yao's mind, lunging at her with bared fangs and claws. Every single figure carried intense malice, attempting to devour her consciousness. Some of these figures looked like evil ghosts with hollow eyes that emitted an eerie red light, while others resembled charred corpses covered in black smoke and giving off a sickening stench.
Xiao Yao gave a cold snort. "Spare yourself the wasted effort. You evil remnant soul, today marks your end."
While Xiao Yao confronted the remnant soul in her consciousness, Yechen and Wen Ruyue watched anxiously from the side. Yechen gripped Xiao Yao's hand tightly, his brow furrowed and his eyes filled with worry. "Princess Consort, wake up. Don't be deceived by it." He continuously called out to her in a soft voice, hoping to pull her back from the edge of danger.
Wen Ruyue was also wiping away tears nearby. "Sister Yin Hui, you must hold on. It's all my fault. If I hadn't made mistakes before, I wouldn't have dragged everyone into so much danger." Her face was full of self-reproach as she paced back and forth in place, completely at a loss.
During her internal battle with the demon god's remnant soul, Xiao Yao suddenly discovered a strange phenomenon. Whenever she concentrated and recalled scenes of fighting shoulder to shoulder with her companions—especially those moments filled with love and warmth—the voice of the remnant soul grew fainter, and its influence on her weakened. She remembered supporting one another with Yechen on the battlefield, and she remembered Wei Zhan stepping forward at the very last moment to protect everyone... These memories acted like bright flames, dispelling the darkness brought by the remnant soul.
"Could it be..." A thought stirred in Xiao Yao's mind. "Are these wonderful memories the way to break its seduction?" She decided to give it a try, continuously replaying these scenes in her mind: from her first arrival on the Linghuan Continent and meeting Yechen, to exploring mysterious ruins with Wei Zhan, and on to the difficult times spent fighting the Shadow Sect together with everyone. Every single scene was charged with emotional power, making her inner self incomparably steadfast.
As Xiao Yao kept recalling these memories, the voice of the remnant soul grew weaker and weaker, and its figure in her consciousness gradually grew blurry. "No... This is impossible... How can you resist my temptation..." The remnant soul let out a despairing roar. At the same time, those black figures that had been rampaging through Xiao Yao's mind began to dissipate as well. Before vanishing, however, they struggled frantically, letting out shrill cries as if making a final, dying struggle.
In reality, the color was gradually returning to Xiao Yao's face, and her tightly furrowed brow slowly smoothed out. Yechen and Wen Ruyue watched in pleasant surprise as Xiao Yao's condition improved. "Princess Consort, how are you feeling?" Yechen asked eagerly, his hands gripping Xiao Yao's shoulders tightly as concern filled his eyes.
Xiao Yao slowly opened her eyes, a resolute gleam flashing within them. "I'm fine. Moreover, I've discovered a way to break the seduction of the demon god's remnant soul." She shared her discovery from her consciousness with Yechen and Wen Ruyue.
Wen Ruyue looked somewhat perplexed. "Is it really the power of memories? That's too miraculous."
After pondering for a moment, Yechen said, "Perhaps it is because these memories carry our convictions and emotions, and those are precisely the things that evil forces cannot corrode. Princess Consort, your discovery is too important."
Xiao Yao nodded. "Indeed. Whenever we encounter similar evil forces in the future, we can use these wonderful memories to fight them. This, too, is a formidable power."
At this moment, the surrounding environment began to change. The mist that had previously filled the air gradually dispersed, and the deep blue runes on the ground stopped flickering, replaced by a soft white radiance. The strange rocks in the mysterious space began to move slowly, gradually piecing together a path leading into the distance.
"What is happening?" Wen Ruyue asked in astonishment.
Looking at the path that had appeared, Xiao Yao felt a premonition rise in her heart. "Perhaps this is the way for us to leave this place, and it might also conceal important clues concerning the Divine Artifact and the crisis facing the Linghuan Continent."
Yechen looked around vigilantly. "Princess Consort, we should still proceed with caution. This place is too bizarre; who knows what other dangers lie ahead."
Xiao Yao stood up and tightened her grip on the Divine Artifact. "No matter what dangers await, we must walk this path. This is our mission."
The three of them proceeded along the mysterious path. Along the way, Xiao Yao kept pondering the relationship between the demon god's remnant soul and the Divine Artifact. She discovered that after absorbing the power of the remnant soul, although the Divine Artifact had grown more powerful, it also harbored some unstable factors. She worried that if not properly handled, the Divine Artifact might be counter-consumed by evil forces, posing an even greater threat to the Linghuan Continent.
"Yechen, Wen Ruyue, we must find a way to thoroughly purify the Divine Artifact. I have a lingering feeling that the artifact's current state is very dangerous," Xiao Yao said.
Yechen nodded in agreement. "Princess Consort, rest assured, we will think of a way together. Perhaps further along the road, we will find the answers."
Wen Ruyue also chimed in, "Sister Yin Hui, although I don't have much ability, I will do my utmost to help."
As they walked, they arrived before a massive cavern. The cave was suffused with a mysterious radiance, and a powerful wave of energy faintly emanated from within. Xiao Yao could sense that a strong resonance existed between the Divine Artifact and the power inside the cavern.
"There must be something important in here," Xiao Yao said, excitement and anticipation showing in her eyes.
Yechen drew his weapon. "Princess Consort, let me go ahead and scout the path."
Xiao Yao stopped him. "No, it's too dangerous. Let's go in together and look out for each other."
The three of them cautiously stepped into the cavern. The interior of the cave was spacious and deep, with various exotic gemstones embedded in the walls, emitting a multicolored glow. Deep within the cavern stood a massive stone platform, upon which rested an ancient tome emitting a soft radiance.
Approaching the stone platform, Xiao Yao discovered that the characters on the ancient tome were completely unfamiliar to her, yet at that moment the Divine Artifact vibrated violently, as if guiding her to open the book.
"There must be a close connection between this ancient tome and the Divine Artifact," Xiao Yao said. She slowly reached out and gently opened the book.
The instant the ancient tome opened, a flash of light swept through, and countless characters and images flooded into Xiao Yao's mind. She saw the origins of the Divine Artifact: it turned out that the artifact had been created during ancient times by a great deity in order to seal away the demon god. Meanwhile, the demon god's remnant soul had constantly attempted to regain control of the artifact and break the seal. At the same time, she also saw the method to purify the Divine Artifact: one needed to find five Spirit Orbs scattered across various locations of the Linghuan Continent and infuse their power into the artifact to completely cleanse it and eliminate the influence of the demon god's remnant soul.
"Yechen, Wen Ruyue, I know what we must do. We need to find the five Spirit Orbs and purify the Divine Artifact," Xiao Yao said excitedly.
Upon hearing this, both Yechen and Wen Ruyue felt invigorated by the discovery. Yet they also understood that finding the five Spirit Orbs would be no easy task; it meant traveling far and wide across the perilous Linghuan Continent while facing potential obstruction from various factions.
"No matter how difficult it is, we will find the Spirit Orbs," Yechen said firmly.
Wen Ruyue also summoned her courage. "Yes, I believe we can definitely succeed."
Looking at them, Xiao Yao felt deeply moved. After experiencing so many hardships, they still remained steadfast and fought side by side. She knew very well that the journey ahead would be even harder, but as long as they worked together with one heart, they would surely overcome every obstacle.
Leaving the cavern, they embarked on the quest to find the Spirit Orbs. However, what they did not know was that the Shadow Sect had already detected their movements. Upon learning that Xiao Yao and the others had obtained the Divine Artifact and discovered the method to purify it, the leader of the Shadow Sect decided to dispatch their most elite forces to seize the artifact and prevent them from finding the Spirit Orbs. An even greater crisis was about to descend. Would Xiao Yao, Yechen, and Wen Ruyue manage to successfully find the five Spirit Orbs, purify the Divine Artifact, and protect the Linghuan Continent amidst the pursuit and interception of the Shadow Sect? Xiao Yao felt apprehensive in her heart, but as she looked at the Divine Artifact in her hand and recalled those who had sacrificed themselves to protect the Linghuan Continent, her gaze turned firm once more. She secretly vowed that no matter how many hardships and obstacles lay ahead, she would fulfill her mission and restore peace and tranquility to the Linghuan Continent.