Chapter 388: The Origin of Life

The five of them joined forces, arranging energy configurations according to the sequence of Runes transmitted by Xiao Yuan, and precisely inputting them into the surface of the giant stone. As the final strand of energy was injected, complex Five Elements patterns suddenly emerged on the stone's surface, and the entire rock silently parted, revealing a staircase leading downward.

"Are you ready?" Lin Xuan looked toward his companions.

The five of them carefully descended the stairs; the walls of the passage were embedded with unknown glowing crystals, providing sufficient illumination. As they went deeper, the passage became increasingly spacious, eventually leading to a breathtakingly vast space.

"My god..." the five of them exclaimed in unison.

Before them was a circular hall, approximately three hundred meters in diameter and nearly one hundred meters high. In the center of the hall stood a massive device; its shape bore a certain resemblance to the Ancient Tianyuan Instrument, but its scale and complexity far exceeded it. The floor and walls surrounding the device were covered in the same symbols that had appeared on Xiao Yuan's body, forming a complete star map and Energy Network.

"Is this... the Ancient Tianyuan Instrument?" Lin Xuan asked softly, unable to believe his eyes.

"Older than that," Xu Feng said, carefully observing the device's structure. "I suspect this is the prototype or the mother unit of the Tianyuan Instrument. Judging by its construction, this appears to be a more complete and powerful system."

The five of them dispersed to inspect different areas of the hall. Ling Bo discovered a Water Element Energy Pool, Li Yan found the Fire Element Crystal Array, Shi Qi confirmed the Earth Element Energy Conduit on the floor, and Xu Feng developed a keen interest in the Metal Element Mechanism System. Lin Xuan was drawn to the main control area in the center of the hall, where there were five energy interfaces designed specifically for the Five Elements Guardians.

"I think we need to activate these five interfaces simultaneously," Lin Xuan called out to his companions, "just like we did when we activated the Dimension Balance Array."

The five of them took their respective positions and, following the activation sequence obtained from Xiao Yuan, injected their own elemental energy into the interfaces. The Runes on the surface of the device began to glow, but the energy flow suddenly stalled halfway through, and the light of the Runes dimmed accordingly.

"It's wrong, something is missing," Xu Feng said, studying the activation sequence. "The energy path here is incomplete."

Just as they were feeling frustrated, Ling Bo suddenly thought of something: "Perhaps we need Xiao Yuan's help. She is an All-Element User and the medium chosen by the Earth Consciousness."

"But she is still in a coma," Lin Xuan reminded her.

Ling Bo closed her eyes: "I can try to establish a remote connection with her through the Water Element Psychic Bond. The fluidity of water makes it the best medium for transmitting information."

With the support of the other four, Ling Bo entered a state of deep meditation. Her consciousness flowed like water, crossing physical distance to search for Xiao Yuan's mental fluctuations. After some effort, she finally felt Xiao Yuan's psychic response.

"I've found her," Ling Bo's voice carried a hint of excitement. "Although her consciousness is asleep, she can perceive and respond."

Through this special connection, Xiao Yuan's guidance was transmitted to Ling Bo in the form of energy fluctuations, and then conveyed by her to the other guardians. Under Xiao Yuan's remote guidance, the five of them rearranged the flow of energy, and this time, the device became active as never before.

The entire hall began to vibrate, and an energy sphere rose from the center of the device, with five-colored light intertwining within it.

"This is... a complete dimensional map," Xu Feng said in surprise. "It includes not only the dimensions we know of, but also many dimensional layers we have never encountered."

The star map continued to change, and a pitch-black area appeared at the edge, slowly but unstoppably expanding toward other dimensions.

"The Void," Lin Xuan stared at that darkness. "The existence Yage mentioned. It does not belong to any dimension, but is... something outside of the dimensions."

As the star map unfolded further, the five of them saw even more shocking information—the expansion of the Void had not begun recently, but was a slow process that had lasted for millions of years. And this ancient device before them was the core of a defense system built in ancient times to counter the Void Invasion.

"The ancients already knew of the threat of the Void," Lin Xuan whispered. "They built this system, but then... what happened?"

Just as the five of them were pondering, the energy sphere suddenly flickered violently, and a humanoid figure composed of pure energy appeared before them. It had no distinct facial features, and when it spoke, the voice resonated directly within the minds of the five:

"Welcome, new generation of guardians. I am the guardian consciousness of the Ancient Sky-Origin, and I have been waiting for this moment for one hundred thousand years."

The five of them looked at each other in shock, and Lin Xuan stepped forward: "Please tell us, what is this place? And what is the Void?"

The energy humanoid slowly responded: "This is the Tianyuan Origin, the source and core of all Five Elements Energy. And the Void... is the terminator of all dimensions. Now, it has awakened once again, and you must complete the mission we failed to finish."

After the Ancient Sky-Origin Device was fully activated, the central energy Core began to vibrate violently. The five guardians involuntarily took a few steps back, watching the strange scene unfolding before them. A pillar of pure white light erupted from the center of the device, reaching the ceiling of the hall, and then spread outward like a blooming flower, forming a massive three-dimensional projection.

"A cosmic model," Xu Feng exclaimed, "and the precision far exceeds any astronomical records we currently possess."

The three-dimensional projection presented a breathtakingly grand scene—countless dimensions layered and intertwined. Inside each dimensional bubble was its own unique galactic composition; some resembled the universe where Diqiu was located, while others were completely beyond human comprehension. The dimension where Diqiu was located and the Purple Star Dimension were merely two insignificant nodes, almost imperceptible in the vast dimensional network.

The energy humanoid pointed to the area between the dimensions: "Observe the regions between the dimensions."

The projection quickly focused on the Void area between the dimensions. At first, it looked like nothingness, but as the perspective deepened, the five of them gradually saw a massive Yinying hidden in the void, like an invisible giant beast, slowly and greedily devouring the surrounding energy, causing the dimensional walls to gradually thin and distort.

"That is the Void Devourer," the energy humanoid's voice resonated in their minds. "An ancient entity born from the primordial Hun Dun of the universe, feeding on dimensional energy, sleeping in the cracks between dimensions until it was awakened."

The projection transformed into a series of ancient characters, flowing in the air. As the Wood Element Guardian, Lin Xuan was most sensitive to Life Energy and was able to capture part of the meaning of these characters.

"It records the origin of the Void Devourer here," Lin Xuan translated as he observed. "It is neither life nor energy, but an anomalous phenomenon existing between existence and non-existence. It should have been dissolved into the Hun Dun at the creation of the universe, but for some unknown reason, it was preserved, lurking in the cracks of the dimensions, sleeping for billions of years."