Under One Person: I Opened the Age of Mythology

Chapter 598

Sun Wukong saw it!

Beyond the rift lay not pure nothingness, but a churning, viscous, inky chaotic evil energy, emanating a nauseatingly cold and decadent aura. Strands of purplish-black, lifelike evil energy tentacles greedily spread inwards along the rift, connecting tightly with the dragon saliva vein beneath the Cangwu Mountain in the mortal realm below—a vein that had been frantically drained by the fanatical will of the "Sincere Alliance" disciples, its surface gleaming with a sickly purplish-black luster!
A choice lies before you!

Forcefully activating the power of the Star Curtain, directly stripping away and crushing that evil energy?

Easy as a piece of cake!

However, the Dragon Saliva Spirit Vein, which has been deeply parasitized by evil energy and has almost become a part of it, will inevitably collapse instantly!
The chain reaction of the collapse of the spiritual veins is enough to turn the entire Cangwu Mountain and the newly formed fertile land of the mortal world within thousands of miles into a dead zone, causing the death of hundreds of millions of lives!

This is precisely the viciousness of evil energy—it binds itself firmly to the "sincere" faith of mortals and the new life force of the earth's veins, becoming the most cruel hostage!
What if we don't intervene?

Is this evil energy allowed to spread along the fanatical thoughts of believers and through the resonant network of the earth's veins?
It will pollute more spiritual veins at an alarming rate, erode Nezha's lotus heart, completely detonate Jin's demonic thoughts, and may even reverse the pollution of the Chaos Spiritual Embryo, causing the entire Star Curtain to decay and collapse from the inside!
The Three Realms will once again slide into the abyss!
"You wicked creature! What a vicious scheme!"

Within Sun Wukong's golden eyes, chaotic nebulae spun wildly, reflecting the fervor of the mortal realm below and the cold evil beyond the rift.

Time seemed to stand still, and the difficult choice hung like a sharp blade over the heads of the three realms.

At this critical moment, Sun Wukong's gaze fell on his temple—a chaotic crystal the size of a grain of rice, neither gold nor jade, containing a miniature nebula!

That is the mark of the broken old stone heart, bearing the initial sacrifice and will to protect, and it is also the most core and fundamental connection point between him and the star curtain and this new three realms!

An unprecedented plan flashed through his mind!

"Star Curtain... Light Draw!"

Sun Wukong issued a deep command, not to mobilize his magic to attack, but to use himself as a bridge and the star crystal in his temple as the core to draw upon the power of the vast chaotic star curtain that covered the three realms!
Om-!
The chaotic star curtain covering the entire Heavenly Court and even the Three Realms suddenly lit up with an unprecedented light!
No longer a chaotic conflict, but forcibly guided and converged, transforming into an incomparably thick, gentle yet imbued with supreme pressure pillar of chaotic light, descending from the heavens, precisely enveloping the torn rift and the core of the "Sincere Dao Alliance" sect on Cangwu Mountain below the rift—the plaza where tens of thousands gathered for the fervent "Sincere Sword Prayer Ceremony"!
This light is not about destruction, but rather... it illuminates!
Within the beam of light, time seemed to stretch out.

Xuan Chengzi, the leader of the "Sincere Alliance," was shouting wildly. He was waving a command flag and directing thousands of disciples to transform their most "sincere" thoughts into blood-red runes and frantically pour them into the huge sword-forging furnace in the center of the square, which was drawing on the purple-black evil energy of the dragon's saliva spiritual vein.

His eyes were filled with an extreme thirst for power and a kind of obsessive light twisted by faith.

Sun Wukong's figure did not descend directly to the mortal realm.

His thoughts, aided by the light of the starry sky and the resonance of the star crystals in his temples, resounded like a great bell, ignoring spatial barriers, and directly echoed in the deepest part of Xuan Chengzi's and all the fanatical believers' minds!

The voice was majestic and calm, yet it carried a soul-piercing, interrogative power; it was none other than the resounding maxim spoken by the Buddha when he enlightened him in the Eight Trigrams Furnace:

"Are you all truly sincere, as if looking into your own hearts?"

These eight words, like eight thunderclaps that split the heavens and the earth, struck the hearts of every believer, which were consumed by fanaticism and greed!

"Look...look at your own heart?"

Xuan Chengzi's arm, which was waving the command flag, suddenly froze in mid-air. The starlight, like the clearest mirror, instantly reflected the most authentic scene deep within his sea of ​​consciousness, hidden beneath layers of the cloak of "Sincerity":
Where is it for the prosperity of the Dao Alliance and the protection of all living beings?
What he saw was the illusion of his own ambition: to wield the "Sword of Unifying All Hearts," command all heroes, and hold the power of life and death!
What I saw was the cruelty of my disciples, who were emaciated and weak from excessive mental exertion, yet were still driven by me!
What he saw was the dark purple evil energy deep within the Dragon Saliva Spirit Vein, which he had attracted in the name of "Sincerity," grinning as it devoured the life force of the earth veins and the essence and souls of countless believers!

He saw that the core of his so-called "sincerity" was such a filthy, greedy, and demonic thought that was completely twisted by the desire for power!
"No...this isn't me...this isn't Jingcheng!"

Xuan Chengzi let out a heart-wrenching scream, filled with fear and self-doubt.

This utter collapse and intense aversion to the very foundation of one's own faith, originating from the deepest recesses of the soul, instantly created a terrifying backlash of will!

"puff--!"

He spat out a mouthful of his heart's essence, which was mixed with wisps of wriggling purplish-black evil energy!
His entire sea of ​​consciousness trembled violently. The connection between his soul and the mental energy that represented "sincere" extraction of the earth's veins, which had been almost integrated with his soul, developed a fatal crack and rejection due to this extreme self-denial and disgust!

At the same time, all the fanatical disciples who participated in the prayer for the sword saw, under the illumination of the starlight, the dark side of their hearts, such as greed, jealousy, and blind obedience, which were hidden under their "sincerity".

The collective emotional impact created a massive, overwhelming wave!

"Uhhhhhh-!"

"So dirty! My heart is so dirty!"

"A demon! We've attracted a demon!"

Screams, cries of repentance, and sounds of vomiting erupted instantly in the square!

The evil energy, nurtured by their fanatical will and almost identical to their will, suddenly lost the perfect disguise and protective shell of "sincere faith." Exposed to the pure chaotic light of the starry sky, it was violently rejected by the very source of the host's soul!
hiss--!
Like a red-hot iron being plunged into ice water!
The purplish-black evil energy, parasitic on the core of the dragon's saliva vein and connected to the souls of believers through their thoughts, instantly emitted a silent, painful, and resentful shriek!
It was forcibly "burned" out of its deep parasitic state!

Strands of purplish-black evil energy escaped from the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and even the pores of the entire body of Xuan Chengzi and other core believers. They were separated from the violently trembling dragon saliva spiritual veins and rose up, twisting and tumbling painfully in the starlight pillar, trying to return to the host's body or escape!
This is the moment!

Above the Heavenly Court, the Xuanlu Child, who had been keeping a close eye on the situation below and whose small hand was tightly gripping the pigeon-egg-sized, earth-yellow "Breath Soil Nourishing Yuan Pill," suddenly had a resolute glint in his eyes that was beyond his years!
"Great Sage! Now! Cleanse Pill, go!"

Without further hesitation, he forcefully threw out the yellowish-brown pill in his hand!
This time, the moment the pill left his hand, it was not only covered with an earthy yellow luster, but also enveloped by a pure and eternally indestructible phantom of the Douluo Purple Flame!
That was the absolute purifying power bestowed by Laozi's essence!
The Purification Pill transformed into a stream of purple and yellow light, like a divine arrow traversing the Milky Way. It instantly pierced through the starlight pillar activated by Sun Wukong and shot with unparalleled precision into the core of the purple-black evil energy that had been forcibly stripped away and was shrieking and rolling in pain above the Cangwu Mountain Square in the mortal realm!

"laugh--!!!"

Like pouring cold water into boiling oil! A violent reaction erupts instantly!
The Purification Pill suddenly exploded, transforming into a huge, purplish-gold Bagua furnace phantom composed of pure alchemical laws and the origin of the Tushita Purple Fire!
The furnace mouth burst forth with unparalleled suction, drawing in the dissipated purplish-black evil energy, which had been exposed by the starlight, like a whale sucking in water!
"Roar--!!!"

The evil energy roared in resentment, conjuring countless twisted demonic faces that frantically assaulted the furnace walls, but it was utterly unable to shake the power of the purple fire that had fused Laozi's martyrdom will with the origin of alchemy!

"Refining!"

Xuanlu Tongzi's face was solemn as he formed a hand seal and pointed towards the void.

The enormous phantom of the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace, carrying the absorbed extraterrestrial evil energy, transformed into a stream of light, instantly traveling tens of thousands of miles, heading straight into the depths of the Kunlun Mountains!
The soul of Kunlun Mountain trembled, and the eternally burning essence of the Douluo Purple Flame suddenly shone brightly, as if welcoming the returning warriors.

The spirit actively rushed forward and perfectly merged with the returning phantom of the Purple Gold Eight Trigrams Furnace!

Om-!
A purple-gold Bagua furnace, solidified countless times and radiating supreme Taoist charm and unparalleled purifying power, suddenly appeared at the core of the newly formed mineral vein in the Kunlun Mountains!

The purple flames inside the furnace were no longer an illusion, but the direct burning of Laozi's essence and origin!
The evil energy from beyond the realm that was sucked in emitted desperate screams and struggled wildly in the furnace. The purplish-black evil light kept hitting the furnace wall and bursting into clouds of foul smoke.

However, the Purple Flame of Douluo is the bane of all evil, and it also possesses the eternal purifying power blessed by Laozi at the cost of his own existence!
The moment the foul smoke appeared, it was refined away by the purple fire and vanished without a trace.

With unparalleled skill, the evil energy was gradually decomposed, purified, and burned into the most primordial nothingness, and the chaotic will it contained was completely obliterated amidst the wailing!
The Kunlun Mountains trembled slightly, as if letting out a long sigh, or as if they had unloaded a heavy burden.

The mountain air seemed to have become even clearer and purer.

As the evil energy was forcibly extracted and refined, the dramatic changes on Cangwu Mountain in the mortal realm instantly ceased.

The sickly purplish-black color of the Dragon Saliva Vein quickly faded. Although it became dull and withered due to excessive extraction, its foundation remained intact and the evil energy was completely eliminated.

On the square, Xuan Chengzi and other core believers collapsed to the ground as if their spines had been removed, their expressions blank, blood flowing from their seven orifices, their cultivation foundation severely damaged, but their lives were not in danger.

The fanatical, distorted atmosphere of "sincere friendship" vanished, replaced by a sense of bewilderment after surviving a catastrophe and a deep-seated fear.

The other disciples collapsed, many of them fainting. Only painful groans and low sobs echoed in the square.

Above the Heavenly Court, the violent tremors of the chaotic star curtain subsided rapidly the moment the evil energy was absorbed by the Purification Pill.

The torn spatial rift was quickly healed by the powerful self-healing force of the star curtain, leaving only faint energy ripples.

The primordial spirit embryo, suspended high in the dome, had long since ceased its earth-shattering cries, replaced by a peaceful, contented snoring. Its radiance had become gentle and restrained once more, continuing to slowly rotate within the nebula.

Nezha breathed a sigh of relief. The burning pain on his left arm quickly cooled down, returning to a stable crimson color. His connection with the Earth Fire Lotus Heart below also returned to calm and smooth.

He looked at Sun Wukong, his eyes filled with questioning and lingering fear.

In the crowd, Jin slowly loosened his hand that was tightly covering his forehead, and the wildly flashing purplish-black light between his brows receded like a tide. Although the deep purple flame mark was still bright, the chaotic aura within it became gentle and approachable again.

His face was as pale as paper, his body was soaked in cold sweat, and his gaze toward the dark golden figure in the sky was filled with gratitude and a lingering sense of fear.

The silver heart-shaped divine mark on Yang Jian's forehead dimmed, and the projection disappeared. He looked at Sun Wukong and said in a deep voice, "The evil energy has been eliminated, and the spiritual veins of the mortal realm still exist. However, this calamity originated from the greed in people's hearts, which falsely claimed to be 'sincere,' leaving a far-reaching legacy of harm. The 'Sincere Alliance'... needs to be re-established with laws to serve as a warning to others."

Sun Wukong's figure slowly drifted down from the edge of the star curtain rift, returning to the front of the Qitian Palace. The starlight on his dark gold Daoist robe was slightly dimmed, and the Chaos Star Crystal at his temple seemed to have consumed a lot of power, its light weakening slightly, but its very existence was a testament to the resolution of this earth-shattering crisis.

His gaze swept across the ravaged mortal square below, over the surviving believers, and finally settled on the peaceful primordial chaos and starry sky high above.

“Sincerity…” Sun Wukong’s voice was not loud, but it clearly echoed in every corner of the Three Realms, which had just experienced a violent upheaval and were still shaken. Like a morning bell and evening drum, it struck the hearts of all living beings, especially those mortals who had been caught up in fanaticism and were now in a state of confusion.

"It is neither a sharp blade for insatiable demands, nor a shackle for ignorance and blind obedience."

He raised his hand, his fingertips gently brushing against the cool star-shaped crystal at his temple once more.

The starlight glowed slightly, as if in response.

"Sincerity should be like a spark, illuminating one's own heart and clearly distinguishing between purity and impurity. Knowing reverence, maintaining balance, and giving and taking in accordance with principles are the true intentions."

"The path back to the source is long and arduous. Heaven and earth bear witness." He paused, his gaze as deep as the ancient starry sky, seemingly piercing through time, landing on that purified mortal land awaiting revival, and on all living beings holding hope.
Is this sincerity?

As she finished speaking, the starlight at her temple flickered one last time, as if asking a question, or perhaps expressing an expectation.

The gentle radiance of the starry sky descended like a silent answer, bathing the post-calamity earth and enveloping the slumbering primordial spirit.

The afterglow of the celebration, after this thrilling interlude, finally settled into a deeper, more sobering tranquility, signifying that the journey to safeguard sustainability has only just begun.

Sun Wukong shattered the last wisp of purple light in the crack, and when he turned around, he saw that all living beings in the Three Realms were already raising their heads to the sky.

Where the Xuanlu Tongzi Dan Ding (a type of alchemy cauldron) bursts forth, ears of wheat and spiritual herbs sway and coexist in the mortal fields; beneath the Mingfa Academy's high-hanging scales of the heart, the Book of Atonement, held in the claws of a bear, bears the blood imprint of a thousand villages; as starlight flows between the fingertips of children, the Milky Way and the Weak Water surge into poetry with the turning of the pages.

The chaotic star curtain suddenly expanded, weaving the power of countless understandings and collaborations into golden patterns—true protection begins with every solemn gaze of an ant upon the heavens.

(End of this chapter)