He looked at Huang Yi and said, "Huang Yi, don't burn it all. First, use your Phoenix True Fire to force it into one spot, preferably the bottom of the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron."
After she finished speaking, she released her control over the Phoenix Fire from the Goddess Palace.
Huang Yi nodded and began to manipulate it as Yi Ran had instructed.
Phoenix True Fire was her innate true fire, so she controlled it with great dexterity.
In less than the time it takes for a cup of tea to steep, the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron had returned to its original appearance.
Nine five-clawed golden dragons coiled above it, inlaid with five-colored spiritual pearls of crimson, gold, blue, yellow, and green. An aura of ancient times washed over them.
Huang Yi said proudly, "Sister Yi Ran, it's done. The wicked energies have been suppressed by my Phoenix True Fire to the bottom of the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron."
Yi Ran nodded and said to Zi Lin Ling, "Master, now drip a drop of your essence blood onto the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron!"
Zi Lin Ling understood Yi Ran's intention and, without a word, forced a drop of essence blood from her heart and dripped it onto the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron.
The Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron blazed with light, and a vast wave of energy erupted from it, nearly sending the unprepared Zi Lin Ling flying.
Fortunately, Zi Lin Ling reacted quickly, instantly conjuring several layers of Five Elements Spiritual Power shields around herself, thus avoiding the embarrassment of being flung away.
Even so, she staggered back more than ten steps before she managed to stand firm.
After the wave of energy subsided, Zi Lin Ling discovered a faint, almost imperceptible connection between herself and the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron.
At the same time, she also saw a large, dark mass at the bottom of the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron.
"Master, it's been a long time!"
A boy of about eleven or twelve years old slowly floated out of the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron, standing before Zi Lin Ling.
This boy was none other than the artifact spirit of the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron—Jiu Ji.
"You... are Jiu Ji?"
Zi Lin Ling's dormant memories were awakened, and scenes reappeared in her mind.
In the images, a colossal cauldron spun in the air, and as it spun, the surrounding world began to collapse.
Below the cauldron, fierce Phoenix True Fire burned incessantly, refining that piece of the world into a ring.
This ring slowly cracked, splitting into two, and landed on a palm.
The scene abruptly ended, and Zi Lin Ling's eyes regained their clarity.
"Yes, Master. We haven't seen each other for a hundred thousand years, and Jiu Ji has missed you so much!"
The artifact spirit Jiu Ji's eyes were filled with grievance, his watery peach blossom eyes fixed on Zi Lin Ling.
Unspeakable emotions and boundless joy finally coalesced into the words, "Jiu Ji has missed you so much!"
Zi Lin Ling's nose tingled as he stared at her.
She vaguely remembered that a hundred thousand years ago, Jiu Ji had only looked like a ten-year-old child. Now, he had grown into a young man.
The passage of time, though almost negligible for an artifact spirit, still left its mark.
"Jiu Ji..."
Zi Lin Ling's lips moved for a long time, but in the end, she only managed to utter his name.
"Jiu Ji, it's so good to see you again!"
Yi Ran wore a gentle smile.
They were all Master's divine artifacts, possessing eons of tacit understanding.
Therefore, even without many words, the camaraderie forged through life and death together could not be eroded by time.
"Sister Yi Ran, you've become even more beautiful!"
The young man looked at Yi Ran, a smile curving his lips.
Although his eyes were already watery, they had not yet overflowed.
"Jiu Ji, welcome back!"
Huang Yi's face was creased with a carefree smile.
Though they were all artifact spirits, who said artifact spirits were devoid of emotion?
Welcome back?
Jiu Ji's smile grew even brighter, "Huang Yi, you're still as carefree as ever!"
Returning to stand between his Master and his companions, Jiu Ji's ten thousand years of loneliness dissolved into a wisp of smoke, scattered by the wind.
The leaves of the Bodhi tree swayed gently, as if offering a warm welcome to Jiu Ji's return.
Yi Ran smiled faintly, "Jiu Ji, let's refine the wicked energies within you first!"
Jiu Ji nodded and looked at Huang Yi.
With eons of tacit cooperation, Huang Yi naturally understood his meaning.
After a separation of a hundred thousand years, they could once again work together.
Huang Yi exclaimed excitedly, "Jiu Ji, return to your本体, here comes my Phoenix True Fire!"
Jiu Ji nodded and his spiritual form returned to his本体.
Yi Ran's smile faded, and she said solemnly, "Huang Yi, use your Phoenix True Fire to envelop this mass of wicked energies and slowly refine it into a bead!"
Huang Yi nodded, and the Phoenix True Fire approached again. While the mass of wicked energies trembled, it was enveloped layer by layer.
Yi Ran nodded and said, "Jiu Ji, pay attention to protecting the essence of the wicked energies."
The Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron trembled slightly, a clear response to Yi Ran.
As the Phoenix True Fire burned the mass of wicked energies, black fumes continuously emanated.
However, before these black fumes could react, they were incinerated by the surrounding Phoenix True Fire.
The mass of wicked energies slowly shrank, eventually condensing into a bead-sized form.
The bead bore alternating patterns of black and red, appearing remarkably eerie.
The Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead was formed!
At that very moment, a tremendous thunderclap echoed from the Goddess Palace.
What was happening?
Zi Lin Ling looked at Yi Ran in confusion.
Yi Ran smiled, "When a divine artifact emerges, the lightning tribulation arrives! Jiu Ji, I'll trouble you!"
The Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron began to shake violently, "Sister Yi Ran, quickly open the Goddess Palace!"
Yi Ran dared not delay and opened a crack in the Goddess Palace.
Since it was a lightning tribulation, it naturally had to be faced outside.
Zi Lin Ling's divine sense stirred, and she appeared in the courtyard of Zixin Pavilion.
The Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron, meanwhile, hovered high above the courtyard.
Above it, dark clouds pressed down, and the lightning constantly flickering within them was dimly visible.
The lid of the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron opened, and the black and red Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead flew into the air.
The moment the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead appeared, the tribulation clouds in the sky began to churn.
After releasing the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead, the Nine Extremes Qiankun Cauldron swiftly returned to the courtyard of Zixin Pavilion.
Everyone in Dark Night City looked up at the sky. Naturally, this included the imperial Zi family members hidden within the Zi Mansion.
Artifact Tribulation!
It was an artifact tribulation for the birth of a divine artifact!
Countless people began to stir with excitement, their greedy gazes fixed on the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead beneath the tribulation clouds.
As soon as the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead passed the lightning tribulation, they would each rely on their own means to seize it!
The artifact tribulation for the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead was the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation!
Under the fervent gazes of the crowd, the terrifying tribulation lightning struck towards the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead.
The Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead dodged frantically, attempting to escape the tribulation's reach, but how could the tribulation lightning comply with its wishes?
Under the dense tribulation lightning, the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead was finally struck and plummeted towards Zixin Pavilion.
However, the tribulation lightning still refused to let it go, and another dense volley of tribulation lightning descended.
Having already taken form, the Heaven and Earth Demonic Bead naturally possessed an instinct to avoid misfortune.