This spring was actually the origin of the Gate of Eternal Life, and now its surroundings were completely shrouded in dark aura, leaving only this small, untainted area.
But even this small area wouldn't last much longer.
The dark aura continued to seep in, and she no longer had the strength to stop it.
"What you're saying has nothing to do with me. I've been reborn, and this new me has no connection to the past."
"Darkness is the most beautiful color in the world. The heavens and earth may wither, but only darkness remains eternal."
"It is the existence of the Lord of the Black Calamity that has granted me true eternal life. A being as great as him is my true master."
Hearing these words, the voice continued to laugh arrogantly, completely indifferent.
The entire space trembled violently, as if it might collapse at any moment.
The void rippled with countless waves, and the faint, graceful figure sitting within the spring also trembled slightly. Her tightly closed eyes seemed to struggle to open.
But a strange force appeared in this space, pressing down on her and rendering all her efforts futile.
Even the slightest crack in her eyes was instantly forced shut, unable to move an inch.
This figure was none other than the true ancestor of the Imperial Immortal Palace, Ling Yuling.
Now, she was little more than a living corpse.
Although her physical body existed, it had long withered, devoid of any vitality.
Her true soul had separated from her body and was trapped in this space, entangled with the spirit of the Gate of Eternal Life, sealing it here.
Over the long years, the vitality of her physical body had completely dissipated, and even her origin power was nearly depleted.
Even if she were to return to her physical body, it would be futile. She wouldn't even possess one-millionth of her peak strength.
In this state, she had no chance of resisting the Eternal Spirit.
Moreover, the Eternal Spirit was cunning and deceitful. Over the years, it hadn't weakened at all and had likely laid many schemes and backup plans.
Ling Yuling hadn't forgotten the Eternal Spirit's cruelty and venom.
It was because she had fallen victim to the Eternal Spirit's schemes that she had ended up in this state.
At the time, Ling Yuling hadn't expected that during the battle when the entire Vast Expanse had besieged the Lord of the Black Calamity, the Gate of Eternal Life would be corrupted by his blood.
It wasn't until later, when she went to seize the Gate of Eternal Life to save her sister Ling Yuxian, that she noticed something was wrong.
But by then, it was already too late.
When she realized something was amiss with the Gate of Eternal Life, her physical body had already been ensnared by the Eternal Spirit's schemes and was on the verge of collapse. Even her true soul was nearly devoured.
With no other choice, she had exhausted all her means to seal the Eternal Spirit within the Gate of Eternal Life.
At the same time, she used her own power to resist it, preventing it from devouring her and becoming an independent life form.
Otherwise, if the Eternal Spirit had refined and controlled the Gate of Eternal Life, it would have transformed into an even more terrifying existence, bringing chaos to all worlds.
The consequences would have been unimaginable.
Ling Yuling had paid a heavy price for this. Even now, she was still entangled with the Eternal Spirit, preventing it from achieving its goals.
The Eternal Spirit was originally the spirit of the Gate of Eternal Life, a Supreme Treasure of Civilization from the primordial era, born to seal the source of the Black Calamity.
Even when selecting a suitable host, it would first examine their character and temperament.
It could be said that among the Supreme Treasures of Civilization, it was the one most aligned with justice and light.
But now, the Eternal Spirit had fallen into darkness, losing its original...
Ling Yuling had no way to help it return from the darkness.
Although there had been rumors that beings who fell into darkness had their original souls trapped in an invisible dark prison, waiting for someone to rescue and bring them back.
As long as they were guided back, they would naturally return to their original state.
But now, she herself was in a precarious situation...
How could she possibly help it?
Ling Yuling had now placed all her hopes on her younger sister, Ling Yuxian.
Although the Eternal Spirit had been entangled with her for countless years, it did not know that she had a younger sister.
The two sisters shared a certain connection. Through this connection, Ling Yuling could use external forces to break free from this place and potentially eradicate the Eternal Spirit forever.
However, she had to be wary of the Eternal Spirit's schemes and methods.
Although there was hope ahead, it was also filled with unknowns and dangers. Whether she would live or die was still uncertain.
"The fluctuations coming from the outside world must be related to Yuxian. She's really coming to save me."
As Ling Yuling fell silent, the space around her returned to deathly stillness.
Outside, the Land of Eternal Life continued to tremble under the impact of one terrifying energy wave after another, as if heaven and earth were collapsing.
The sky was constantly cracking and disintegrating, with massive fissures spreading like a spiderweb, threatening to completely collapse.
Inside the Demon-Suppressing Tower, all the figures watched this scene with excitement and anticipation.
They could already see the nearly transparent Heavenly Decline and, beyond the boundless surging energy, a door that was on the verge of collapsing.
Several terrifying figures, surrounded by the light of the Great Dao, stood on the other side, preparing to strike and break through.
The gap in the door was growing wider, almost fully open.
Soon, they would be able to see the light of day again and escape this torturous hell.
Sheng Yang Ancient Domain, Western Yan Province.
The entire star region had darkened. The blazing sun, despite being protected by array formations, was instantly vaporized and disappeared from existence under the combined power of several Ancestral Dao realm experts.
The universe was plunged into absolute darkness, where not even a hand could be seen in front of one's face.
Only the figures surrounded by the light of the Great Dao stood tall and clear, as if standing at the end of time. With every move they made, the worlds trembled, and all living beings bowed in fear.
They struck again, their might sweeping across heaven and earth. The universe outside seemed to shake, countless stars and suns rotated, and chaos erupted. In the moment of the division of clarity and turbidity, countless worlds were born and destroyed.
"The door is about to open!"
On the ancient warship, the other Dao Realm elders of the Imperial Immortal Palace watched this scene with awe and excitement, unable to fully express their emotions.
Jing Xiao and Jing Xiang were also wide-eyed, too shocked to speak.
The door was continuously cracking and collapsing, revealing the scene within.
What kind of place was that?
Was it truly the ancestral land of the Jing Clan?
Ling Yuxian also stared without blinking, almost forgetting to breathe.
Her emotions were equally difficult to suppress. She was about to see her sister again, and the two would finally be reunited.
"Sister, I'm coming to save you. Hold on."