Chen Xiao took a deep breath and nodded.
He didn't know what he would face next, but whatever it was, he would face it.
Then, the Tin Man began to chant an incantation, placing his hands over the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram, initiating the ritual to break the seal.
As the ritual progressed, various distant minor and middle worlds began to collapse.
Ancient martial sects, the Immortal Hidden Realm, the Qingqiu Secret Realm, all met the same fate…
The collapsing small worlds transformed into streams of light, flying into the ancient temple in the deep mountains, and entering the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram.
"Ah—"
A woman's voice cried out, sharp and full of pain, heart-wrenching and chilling.
Chen Xiao’s senses were on high alert, constantly wary of the Earth Mother, whose identity as friend or foe was unknown, appearing after the seal was broken.
A white figure slowly coalesced within the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram.
The figure was tiny, no bigger than an ant, vaguely discernible as a woman with disheveled hair.
The intricate lines of the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram appeared like vast mountain ranges to her.
"Done,"
the Tin Man suddenly declared.
"Done?"
Chen Xiao blinked in surprise. "But she's still in the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram. Is that how the seal is broken?"
"The Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram is her best destination,"
the Tin Man said, his voice trailing off.
Chen Xiao wondered if he had misheard, but the Tin Man's voice suddenly seemed to turn sinister.
He hadn't misheard.
For in the next moment, the Tin Man's sinister voice echoed again.
"And it's your best destination too!"
As soon as he spoke, Chen Xiao felt a beam of light strike him, followed by an irresistible, immense pulling force that dragged him forward.
Chen Xiao was pulled by this invisible force towards the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram, his body shrinking and shrinking as he was drawn in…
Finally, he crashed heavily into an abyss, which was precisely one of the ravines within the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram.
Chen Xiao, too, had shrunk to the size of an ant.
The Tin Man's head loomed closer, like a colossal divine manifestation hanging from the heavens, obscuring half the sky.
"Tin Man, what do you mean by this?"
Chen Xiao asked coldly.
He knew he had been tricked by the Tin Man, but he wasn't overly surprised.
"It means nothing. I said that only when the three of us work together can we stand a chance against the Canglan Divine Emperor. But how can the three of us work together?"
The Tin Man asked and answered himself, "I've thought of a way. If the three of us merge into one, heaven, earth, and man become one, that is working together!"
"Therefore, I've decided to refine the two of you. I hope you don't blame me. I am doing this for Jiuzhou, for all the beings under heaven!"
The Tin Man spoke with such righteous conviction, as if he had no choice but to do this.
"Heh, you've certainly played your cards well, plotting so deeply!"
Chen Xiao shook his head and sneered, "However, refining me won't be that easy!"
"Indeed, it won't be that easy. It will take at least twenty-four hours to refine. I hope no one from the Heavenly Dao comes looking for us during this time."
The Tin Man said calmly, "So, I'm about to begin… hmm?"
Mid-sentence, the Tin Man suddenly froze.
Chen Xiao smiled faintly. "Did you just discover you can't use your powers?"
"You did something to me?"
Behind the tin mask, the Tin Man's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Just a small spirit-binding curse. I cast it on you when we first met,"
Chen Xiao stated calmly.
"I poured my heart out to you, told you everything I knew, and you actually ambushed me?"
The Tin Man's voice was filled with rage.
"Weren't you plotting against me from the start? And now you're turning the tables? I've truly never seen such a shameless person!"
Chen Xiao sneered.
"Hmph! It's just a mere spirit-binding curse. Give me the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and I'll break free. Then, it will be your turn to be refined by me!"
The Tin Man said sinisterly.
"Heh, just a mere broken artifact. Watch how I break out of here in half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn and smash your dog head!"
Chen Xiao retorted sharply.
"Oh really? Well, let's see who does it first. But I must remind you, I didn't lie to you about the Earth Mother, and the two of you are together now. Good luck!"
With that, the Tin Man sat cross-legged on the ground and began to break the spirit-binding curse.
Chen Xiao, meanwhile, started to find a way to break out of the Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram.
However, the good times didn't last long. Before Chen Xiao could find a way out, the Earth Mother found him first.
She was a woman who was entirely white.
White hair, white skin, white clothes, white pupils, even her lips were white… and a single white horn protruded from her forehead. The sight was incredibly bizarre.
The Earth Mother stared at Chen Xiao with her white pupils, like a tigress eyeing a stranger who had trespassed into its territory.
Chen Xiao made no rash moves, not even daring to greet her.
He wasn't afraid of a fight with the Earth Mother, he simply didn't want to waste his time and energy on her.
Moreover, in Chen Xiao's subconscious, he felt that she was someone he could potentially win over.
"So it's you…"
Finally, the Earth Mother spoke first.
And she seemed to recognize Chen Xiao's identity instantly.
"That's right, it's me."
Chen Xiao looked at the Earth Mother with a calm gaze, trying his best to appear friendly.
"Hmm, you've grown quite well."
The Earth Mother nodded approvingly. "Fortunately, I held back back then and didn't just devour you."
As she spoke, she licked her lips.
Chen Xiao was startled to discover that her tongue was also white.
However, her words were a bit…
"Ahem, I think we should talk further. I understand you want to eat me, but I'm a tough bone to chew, and you might not enjoy it."
In fact, Chen Xiao wanted to say, "We'll see who eats whom."
But given that this was someone the Tin Man called a "madwoman," Chen Xiao didn't dare provoke her rashly.
"Yes, you have indeed become tougher to chew, but I have a reason I must devour you, for Jiuzhou, for all the beings under heaven, for all living things."
The Earth Mother said in a calm tone.
Chen Xiao was speechless. Were these two related? They were always talking about eating or refining others, all while putting on a righteous facade.
"Let's not discuss this for now. Don't you think there's a more important issue facing us?"
Chen Xiao asked.
The Earth Mother furrowed her white brows and said, "You have a point. We should devour that despicable fellow, the Heavenly Father, first!"
"Exactly!"
Chen Xiao slapped his thigh, thinking that this "madwoman" was quite sensible and not entirely unreasonable.
"We still need to find a way to leave here!"
Upon hearing Chen Xiao's words, the Earth Mother shook her head. "It's useless. The Earth Mother Dragon Vein Diagram is an artifact refined from the teeth of the Great God Pangu. Breaking it from the inside is as difficult as reaching the heavens."
"However, if I devour you, my strength can be greatly enhanced, and perhaps I can break out. So, I think I should devour you first!"
After careful consideration, the Earth Mother stated very seriously.
"…"
Chen Xiao grew angry, gritting his teeth. "Are you done yet? Do you really think I'm afraid of you? You madwoman!"