In the fifth world, the remaining seven people were all ensnared by the great tongue, their immortal power continuously draining. Believing they were doomed to die, they suddenly felt a release. The tongue that bound them loosened, and they all fell uncontrollably to the ground.
Looking up at the sky, they saw the flame imprint on the Dao Worm's head gradually fade.
"Ning!"
"So you're not dead!"
Xiao Fei was overjoyed. The moment he thought Ning was dead, it felt like a sharp stab to his soul.
"Hahaha... it's good that you're not dead!"
"Brother Xiao, listen to me. I've merged with him, but he's stronger. I can only control him for a moment. I can hold on for five breaths at most. Brother, quickly bring out the Yellow Gourd and put me inside while you still can."
As Ning spoke, his voice began to tremble, clearly struggling to maintain control.
Xiao Fei took out the Yellow Gourd. His hands trembled as he looked at the living Ning opposite him. He couldn't bring himself to act.
"Brother, hurry! I can't hold on much longer!"
At this moment, on the Dao Worm's massive head in the air, faint flame imprints were beginning to appear.
Xiao Fei's gaze swept over Huang Feifei, Fei Yu, Bing Huo Xian Jun, and the others nearby.
Gritting his teeth, the Yellow Gourd in his hand floated into the air, aimed at Ning. A powerful suction force immediately generated.
"Ah! Ahhhhhh..."
Ning let out a final roar with his remaining strength, actively charging towards the Yellow Gourd.
"Whoosh!"
The Dao Worm's colossal body was instantly sucked into the Yellow Gourd.
Xiao Fei quickly sealed the Yellow Gourd, then sat down on the ground, hugging it.
"Young Master, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. You all continue your closed-door cultivation!"
Xiao Fei shook his head, holding the Yellow Gourd, and left the fifth world.
For a period of time afterward, he held the Yellow Gourd, lost in thought. He sensed the changes within the Yellow Gourd, watching as the Dao Worm's body was slowly refined and decomposed, turning into blood.
"Huh!"
He suddenly noticed a crystal inside the Yellow Gourd. Unlike the spherical crystals that appeared after the Dao Worm was refined, he had seen this type of crystal before. It was the memory crystal that the Heavenly Dao Ning had entrusted to him.
With a flick of his hand, Xiao Fei took the crystal out of the gourd. His immortal sense probed it, and indeed, it contained Ning's memories.
"I am Ning. I am very happy to have been reborn with Brother's help. My identity has changed, from the Heavenly Dao of a world to the sworn enemy of every world, the Dao Worm... Brother Xiao has left. I miss him so much... Another year of missing Brother Xiao. I ate two Dao Worms this year... Although I am in the body of a Dao Worm, I really hate Dao Worms... ... Strange, my memories seem to have been tampered with... Who exactly altered my memories... It seems to be Brother Xiao... Never mind, let it be changed. Isn't it better this way? Besides, Brother Xiao never intended to harm me... I'll keep this to myself and pretend I don't know. Otherwise, Brother Xiao would feel awkward if he knew. Another year of missing Brother Xiao. Time passes so slowly! When will Brother Xiao come to see me..."
Ning seemed to have a habit of keeping a diary. This memory crystal contained a series of records of his daily affairs. When Xiao Fei saw that Ning had discovered his memories had been altered, and even suspected him, his face flushed to the roots of his neck.
Now that he had this memory crystal, Xiao Fei felt he could help Ning be reborn once more. He could find a Dao Worm and infuse all of Ning's memories into it, taking over the Dao Worm's body. It would be similar to soul possession.
Xiao Fei carefully put away the memory crystal, his mood greatly improved!
After waiting for a few more days, the Dao Worm's body inside the Yellow Gourd had completely turned into blood. Xiao Fei opened the gourd lid and poured all the blood onto the roots of the Jianmu tree. Nourished by this blood, the Jianmu grew rapidly once more. Even the areas previously damaged by the Dao Worm in the fifth world were quickly recovering.
In addition to the blood, there was a crystal ball inside the gourd, which was also absorbed by the Jianmu of the fifth world. After absorbing this crystal ball, the area within the fifth world expanded by nearly double.
Just as Xiao Fei thought he had emptied everything from the Yellow Gourd and was about to close the lid, a golden light flew out of the gourd. Before Xiao Fei could react, this golden light had already flown away. He dared not be negligent. Golden Immortal level experts had extremely strong vitality; even a slight trace left behind could allow them to revive.
However, the golden light was too fast. Even with the power he mobilized from his spatial dimension to block it, he couldn't stop it. The golden light finally descended towards the Enlightenment Spring and then vanished into the crystal tree beside it. The golden light entered the crystal tree and immediately disappeared without a trace.
"This..."
"What is going on..."
Xiao Fei landed beside the small crystal tree to inspect it but couldn't discern anything. He didn't know if it was good or bad. He feared that the fourth-tier Dao Worm was not completely dead and had somehow revived in his space.
Xiao Fei even considered burning down the crystal tree. But after preparing several times, he couldn't bring himself to do it; he couldn't bear to part with it! So, he could only guard the crystal tree for the time being. If the crystal tree showed any signs of activity, he would burn it down.
He sat beneath the tree, and this wait lasted for 500 years! 500 years! Enough time for seas to turn into mulberry fields, and for stubborn rocks to grow moss... But for an immortal, 500 years was but a fleeting moment, especially in his space, which had a 190-fold time acceleration.
After 500 years, the tree showed no other anomalies, but a small golden flower bloomed on its branch. The flower was exceptionally fragrant, and when it bloomed, the entire space was filled with a unique aroma. This aroma was unlike any scent he had encountered before; it seemed to contain an extremely profound inner meaning.
The small golden flower bloomed for another 500 years. Only now did the golden petals begin to fall to the ground, one by one. Xiao Fei couldn't bear to let such beautiful petals wither and turn to dust. He collected all the petals in a small box, sealed it, and put it away.
After the small flower had completely withered, a tiny golden fruit remained on the branch. This golden fruit was only the size of a peanut, but it possessed a natural Dao aura, captivating anyone who gazed upon it. Although he hadn't figured out what this golden fruit was, he knew with his toes that it couldn't be a bad thing. At least, he no longer had to worry about the fourth-tier Dao Worm reviving.