Chapter 364: The Final Node

Three hours later, Li Yan suddenly opened his eyes, a luster never seen before flashing within his pupils. He stood up; the Star-Extinguishing Flame within his body had already completed its upgrade, no longer merely a pure Flame Power, but a comprehensive energy infused with more elements.

"Please step back," Li Yan signaled to the crowd, then took a deep breath and pushed his hands forward.

An orange-red energy wave surged from his palms, rapidly spreading to a radius of one hundred meters. Wherever it passed, the chaotic Spirit Qi began to become orderly, and the areas polluted by extraterrestrial energy were gradually purified. Most surprisingly, this energy not only purified the extraterrestrial energy but also repaired the damaged Spirit Energy Network, causing the energy flow in the entire area to become harmonious once again.

"This is incredible!" the Elder exclaimed, "This is no longer just purification, but reconstruction!"

Li Yan nodded, his heart filled with hope. The upgraded Star-Extinguishing Flame was no longer limited to purifying small areas of extraterrestrial energy, but could function over a larger range, and could even repair damaged Spirit Energy Networks. This breakthrough provided entirely new possibilities for resisting the extraterrestrial civilization.

"I need to tell Lin Xuan and Ling Bo about this discovery immediately," Li Yan said. "At the same time, I suggest that the Shushan Sect send people to continue studying these new creatures. They might be important allies for us in resisting the extraterrestrial civilization."

The Elder nodded respectfully: "We will arrange it immediately. Although these creatures have unusual appearances, they seem to have no malice. If they are truly as Brother Li says, a self-protection mechanism of Diqiu, then cooperating with them will be of great benefit to us."

Li Yan took out a communication talisman, quickly recorded his findings and insights, and sent them to Lin Xuan and Ling Bo. At the same time, he did not forget to pass this news to the Shushan Sect headquarters, suggesting they dispatch more Practitioners to come and study this phenomenon.

Night fell, and Li Yan stood alone atop a giant tree, overlooking the entire jungle. Under the moonlight, those new creatures shuttled through the forest, forming a strange and beautiful picture.

"Diqiu is not without the power to fight back," Li Yan whispered to himself. "In the face of crisis, life will always find a way to continue."

He recalled the intelligence sent by Saide—the extraterrestrial civilization's colonization plan, the arrival of Mo Rui, and the activation conditions for the Heaven Origin Instrument. Now, with the upgraded Star-Extinguishing Flame, they had one more bargaining chip to resist the extraterrestrial civilization.

Inside an ancient temple on the Xibei Gaoyuan, Lin Xuan was drenched in sweat, his face haggard but his gaze firm. He, Xuan Qingzi, and other Practitioners had been working for seven days and seven nights without sleep or rest, doing their utmost to maintain the final Fangyu Jiedian of the defense network.

However, the state of the node was still deteriorating rapidly. Countless energy cracks spread outward from the Core; every time they repaired one spot, three others would appear simultaneously. The energy flow was becoming increasingly chaotic, and in some areas, there was even a reverse flow phenomenon, which had never happened before.

"It is like a river before a levee breaks; no matter how one fills it, it is ultimately difficult to block the flood," Xuan Qingzi wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice filled with exhaustion.

The Qingbai Jushe coiled in the center of the ancient temple, its golden pupils fixed on that special Rune. For three days, it had been attempting to decipher the deeper information hidden within the Rune.

"Lin Xuan, I have deciphered the final part of the Rune," the Qingbai Jushe suddenly spoke, its voice carrying a hint of excitement. "Senior Xuan Qingzi's guess is correct. The collapse of the defense network is indeed part of the Ancient Guardians' plan."

Lin Xuan and Xuan Qingzi walked over quickly: "Go on."

"When the defense network collapses completely, the energy accumulated by the eight nodes will be released simultaneously, forming a special energy field globally. This energy field is a necessary condition for activating the Heaven Origin Instrument," the Qingbai Jushe explained. "Without this energy field, the Heaven Origin Instrument cannot work properly, and thus cannot reorganize the Fourth Qi Luck Power."

Xuan Qingzi stroked his beard, thoughtful: "No wonder the Guardians designed such a seemingly contradictory system—the defense network is both a barrier to block the extraterrestrial civilization and an energy source to activate the counterattack mechanism. Truly an ingenious design."

Lin Xuan immediately took a communication talisman from his robes and contacted Li Yan and Ling Bo: "The secret of the defense network has been revealed; we need to formulate the final plan immediately."

Through the Bond Ability, the three quickly established a clear connection. Li Yan and Ling Bo reported their respective progress:

Relying on the upgraded Star-Extinguishing Flame, Li Yan had not only mastered the Water Element Component but had also found the Wood Element Component deep in the Southern Jungle. There was a ten-thousand-year-old tree there, with the Wood Element Component sealed within its heart. With the help of the new creatures, Li Yan successfully communicated with the ancient tree and obtained the component.

Ling Bo, guided by the Water Element Guardian, found the Water Element Component and obtained the Metal Element Component in an ancient city in the Western Regions. At the same time, her Bond Ability had become powerful enough to connect with most of the key Houxuanzhe simultaneously, preparing for the final assembly.

"Now only the Earth Element Component is missing," Ling Bo said through the bond. "According to the Water Element Guardian's clue, it is likely hidden in a secret valley deep in the Qingcheng Shanmai, guarded by an ancient family with a special connection to the earth."

"Time is tight; we must gather all components and Houxuanzhe as soon as possible," Lin Xuan said in a deep voice. "According to the Rune, the defense network can hold for at most five more days. We need to bring the Heaven Origin Instrument to the location of 'Tianmen' at the final moment to perform the activation ceremony."

"Five days..." Li Yan's voice carried worry, "I hope it is enough."

Just as the three were urgently discussing the next step of the plan, a Practitioner rushed into the ancient temple in terror: "Senior Lin! There is an anomaly in the sky!"

Lin Xuan immediately rushed out the door and looked up at the sky. A shocking scene appeared before his eyes: in the night sky, dozens of huge points of light were slowly descending, arranged in a peculiar formation, emitting an ominous glow.

"It is the fleet of the extraterrestrial civilization," Saide's voice suddenly came from behind. He had already arrived at the entrance of the ancient temple at some point, his expression graver than ever before.

"Saide!" Lin Xuan turned around vigilantly, but sensing no hostility from the other, he relaxed his guard. "What is that?"

"The main fleet of the extraterrestrial civilization, commanded by Mo Rui," Saide walked to Lin Xuan's side and looked up at the sky. "They have brought a weapon even more terrifying than alienated energy—the 'Star Domain Giant Cannon', capable of directly destroying large geographical areas."

"Star Domain Giant Cannon?" Lin Xuan's heart sank.

"Yes, they have lost patience and are no longer satisfied with slowly transforming Diqiu, but intend to conquer it quickly through force," Saide explained. "But they still need to preserve the basic structure of Diqiu for subsequent colonization, so they will not use destructive weapons. The main targets of the Star Domain Giant Cannon will be the major cultivation sects and the defense nodes."