Chapter 389: The Sixth System

"Until recently being awakened," Li Yan suddenly understood something, "When Yage was exploring the Gray Zone, his team must have accidentally touched a part of the Void Devourer, not only awakening it but also being controlled by it."

The energy humanoid nodded: "The Void Devourer is very cunning; it uses the life forms it controls as puppets to open channels to more dimensions for it. Yage was only the first controlled carrier; as time passes, more life will be eroded."

"Then how can we stop it?" Ling Bo asked the question in everyone's hearts.

The projection changed again, displaying a brand-new energy system—one that did not belong to the Five Elements system of Diqiu, but rather a more primitive, purer form of energy, like the radiance of life itself.

"Life Essence," the energy humanoid explained, "The Sixth system outside the Five Elements is the only power to resist the Void. In ancient times, when the Void Devourer first awakened, it was the power of Life Essence that sealed it away again."

"Why have we never heard of this energy before?" Shi Qi asked, puzzled.

"Because it is not a power that can be obtained through cultivation," the energy humanoid replied, "Life Essence is an energy form that naturally arises after life itself evolves to its extreme; it is the common essence of life in all dimensions. When a dimension is threatened, life instinctively generates this power as a defense mechanism."

Lin Xuan was thoughtful: "This is why, after the Earth Consciousness awakened, it catalyzed those new biological communities, especially the hybrid life forms represented by Lv Ying. It is preparing for the coming crisis."

The energy humanoid's voice gradually weakened: "My energy is about to be exhausted. Remember, the true enemy is not Yage, nor is it Purple Star, but the Void Devourer. You must seek the power of Life Essence; that Full Element Girl will be the key."

With the last sentence, the energy humanoid completely dissipated, and the massive holographic projection collapsed along with it. The Ancient Sky-Origin Device gradually dimmed and fell back into a dormant state, but it had already completed its mission of awakening the new generation of guardians.

Lin Xuan quickly made a decision, "Re-evaluate the current threat and formulate a strategy to deal with the Void Devourer."

The five people quickly returned to the surface along the passage they came from and took Xu Feng's high-speed aircraft back to the Five Elements Academy headquarters. Along the way, they were all immersed in the shocking information they had just received.

After returning to headquarters, Lin Xuan immediately went to the medical center to visit Xiao Yuan, but was surprised to find that the girl was already awake and quietly looking at the scenery outside the window by the bed.

"Xiao Yuan! You're awake," Lin Xuan walked quickly to the bedside, "How do you feel?"

Xiao Yuan turned her head: "Teacher Lin, I... heard the voice of Diqiu."

Lin Xuan immediately became alert: "You mean, the Earth Consciousness?"

Xiao Yuan nodded: "While in a coma, I established some kind of connection with it. It showed me many images and told me many things, including... the threat of the Void Devourer."

The other four guardians arrived after hearing the news. Xiao Yuan looked at the five of them and continued: "The Earth Consciousness told me that the power of Life Essence is gestating in the Southern Jungle, where new creatures are evolving rapidly, becoming carriers of Life Essence."

"Southern Jungle?" Shi Qi asked suspiciously, "Which area does that refer to?"

"It should be the tropical rainforest where we discovered the first batch of Lv Ying," Ling Bo speculated, "The new ecosystem there has been developing rapidly."

Xiao Yuan nodded: "The Earth Consciousness said that a brand-new life network is forming there, which is the key to resisting the Void Devourer."

"We must go and investigate in person," Li Yan said firmly, "If Life Essence really exists there, we need to learn how to guide this energy to fight against the Void Devourer."

Lin Xuan looked at Xiao Yuan: "Does your physical condition allow for travel? Considering your special connection with the Earth Consciousness, your presence may be crucial to our investigation."

"I'm fine," Xiao Yuan smiled and stood up, her body still surrounded by a faint five-colored light, "In fact, I have never felt so... complete."

Xu Feng quickly arranged an improved version of the energy aircraft; it was larger and more stable than the standard model, capable of carrying six people for long-distance flight. In less than an hour, all preparations were completed, and the aircraft took off in the morning light of the Kunlun Mountains, speeding toward the south.

During the flight, Lin Xuan closed his eyes, attempting to connect to the plant network of Diqiu through Wood Element Energy. Since the awakening of the Earth Consciousness, this connection had become easier and easier; almost instantly, his consciousness extended into the plant communities across the entire Eurasian Continent.

To his surprise, the entire plant network was exceptionally active, with a massive amount of information flowing through it, as if it were an ongoing global conversation. Even more shocking was that many plants that had previously shown no signs of consciousness were now participating in this "conversation," and even the simplest moss and algae had joined this vast information network.

"All the plants on Diqiu are awakening," Lin Xuan opened his eyes, his voice filled with wonder, "They are undergoing an unprecedented wave of evolution."

His words drew the attention of his companions, especially Xiao Yuan, who said thoughtfully: "When I was connected to the Earth Consciousness, it told me this is just the beginning."

"So this is how Diqiu is responding," Xu Feng speculated, "Not by relying on human technology or the power of Practitioners, but by accelerating the evolution of Diqiu's life itself to counter the Void threat."

Ling Bo looked at the clouds rushing past outside the window: "This explains why new biological communities are appearing in large numbers globally, especially those high-level hybrids that mix the characteristics of multiple life forms."

"Lv Ying might just be the first step," Shi Qi said, "More complex and powerful life forms may be forming."

The aircraft crossed more than half of China at an astonishing speed, passed over the Himalayas, flew over the Indian subcontinent, and finally entered the airspace of the tropical region. As they approached their destination, a brilliant green beam of light suddenly shot up into the sky from the jungle in the distance, leaving a spectacular trail in the blue sky.

"What is that?" Li Yan pointed out the window in surprise.

Lin Xuan felt an unprecedented fluctuation of Life Energy: "That is the place we are looking for."

Xu Feng immediately adjusted the flight direction and flew toward the source of the light beam. As the distance shortened, they began to see a shocking sight—the entire tropical rainforest was covered by a pale green energy shield, with countless points of light flowing on the surface of the shield, forming complex patterns, as if some kind of massive life form were breathing.

"This rainforest... has come alive," Shi Qi exclaimed, "It is no longer a collection of individual plants, but has become a single, unified life form."