And that voice… was coming from Tang San’s consciousness.
The abrupt voice caused Tang San's mind to tremble, and he instinctively shouted, "Stop!"
Cheng Zicheng immediately folded her wings and flapped them in reverse, causing the ice boat to halt abruptly.
At the same time, the singing ceased, and the suction from the ground also vanished.
"What happened?" Du Bai asked.
Tang San didn't answer. At this moment, his expression was somewhat solemn.
What was that voice?!
His spiritual power was not merely of the ninth order; his spirit core had his original divine consciousness as the very foundation. Yet even so, he had been taken by complete surprise by this sudden voice, and the thought of what that might imply was frightening.
What was that voice, and where did it come from?
Soon, his gaze focused on his storage bracelet. Yes, the voice seemed to be coming from within it.
He used his spiritual power to peer into the storage bracelet, and the items stored within quickly appeared in Tang San's mind.
He immediately located the source.
A silvery radiance illuminated the entire space inside the storage bracelet. The silver egg with strange patterns was glowing, and the voice seemed to be coming precisely from within the egg.
When Tang San had obtained this egg from the Crystal Demon Emperor, he had pondered what it could be. He had also carefully studied and investigated it but found nothing. His spiritual power couldn't penetrate it, and he was also worried that the Crystal Demon Emperor might have left something inside, so he didn't dare to probe it with his divine consciousness.
And now, the egg was actually talking to him!
A sense of fear unconsciously lingered in his heart. If this egg was attached to a sliver of the Crystal Demon Emperor's divine consciousness, it would be a massive problem for him!
Namely, it would mean everything he did was under the constant watch of the Crystal Demon Emperor. The latter could dispose of him whenever, and at his level, there was no way he could contend with a Demon Emperor!
At that moment, the voice sounded again.
Tang San tentatively sent his thoughts toward the crystal egg. "Your Majesty?"
"This is merely residual consciousness; you don't need to overthink it. I left it there mainly for the egg's incubation, because it can sense the right conditions for the egg to hatch. You must follow its guidance. The moment the egg hatches, the remains of my consciousness will naturally disappear."
It seemed to see through Tang San's worries; he hadn’t put his question into words, yet the Crystal Demon Emperor’s consciousness had predicted it and taken the initiative to answer.
Tang San furrowed his brow. Would it really disappear after the egg hatched? And for that matter, what was it that was going to hatch? And once it hatched, would it prove to be a boon or would it bring a disaster to him?
Of course, he didn't think abandoning this crystal egg would solve anything. If he did, the Crystal Demon Emperor would likely appear before him the moment he left the Hell Garden and take his life.
Facing this peerless powerhouse, he didn't even have the possibility of resistance. What to do was quite apparent. If he couldn't refuse, he could only comply and take it one step at a time.
No matter how strong, a newly hatched life form couldn't be stronger than him with his divine consciousness, right?
Moreover, judging from the two tokens the Crystal Demon Emperor had given him back then, it didn't seem like he intended to take Tang San’s life. In fact, since he had entrusted Tang San with the egg, it seemed that he was intent on keeping Tang San safe, at least until the egg hatched.
Tang San stood up and turned to his companions. "I have a feeling. Do you trust me?"
"Of course!" Du Bai was the first to respond. His trust in Tang San was unconditional. Without Tang San, he would probably still be stuck at the third order.
Wu Bingji said, "Naturally, we trust you. Without you, we wouldn't have come this far. If we went to the Great Beast Fighting Arena without you, we would have died there long ago. Just tell us what you're thinking and we’ll go from there."
Gu Li and Cheng Zicheng also nodded. They had never seen Tang San look so serious.
Tang San said solemnly, "I can sense that there are some extraordinary things in this place. So, I want to take this opportunity to explore. Actually, there's something I haven't told you. I reached the summit of Crystal Sacred Mountain and I met the Crystal Demon Emperor."
"Ah?" Gu Li looked at him in shock. Having climbed Crystal Sacred Mountain himself, he knew how difficult it was.
Tang San nodded to him and said, "I climbed to the top and met the Crystal Demon Emperor. I gained his recognition and received two tokens from him. One is his Crystal Mirror, and the other is..."
His storage bracelet flashed as he spoke, and he held the silver-glowing crystal egg in his hands.
The silver crystal egg emitted a faint glow. Tang San held it in his hands, and it seemed that the Hell Garden's environment made the egg's glow more pronounced than outside.
"The Crystal Demon Emperor asked me to protect this egg and help it hatch. Just now, I felt its will. It seems there is an opportunity for it to hatch here in the Hell Garden." He didn't mention the residual thought of the Crystal Demon Emperor, fearing it would scare his companions.
"So, you're planning to hatch it?" Wu Bingji asked softly.
Tang San nodded and said, "This is the Crystal Demon Emperor's order."
He deliberately emphasized this part. Everyone exchanged glances, naturally understanding what the issue was.
"Then let's go," Wu Bingji said without hesitation. "We can't split up; we have to stay together. Whatever you say, we do."
Tang San was silent momentarily before saying in a serious tone, "Eldest brother, thank you for your trust. Don't worry, I will do everything possible to ensure everyone's safety and that we all leave here unharmed."
Wu Bingji smiled slightly and said, "Why wouldn't we trust you? All along, you've always been thinking of us. We are a team, and mutual trust is the foundation of everything. Since we need to go, let's not waste time."
"Alright! Let's change direction. Let's go!"
The ice boat set off again under Tang San's guidance, this time heading directly toward the direction where Tang San had previously sensed the convergence of misfortune ripples.
Tang San didn't put the crystal egg away but held it in his hand. If it was supposed to guide him, then let it guide him.
The battle with the Crystal Demon Emperor had exposed almost all of his trump cards, except for the Celestial Fox Transformation and his divine consciousness. This was Tang San's most significant issue at the time. However, the Crystal Demon Emperor's attitude seemed genuinely approving of him. This crystal egg might be a test, a risk, or an opportunity. He didn’t know, so he could only act based on what he knew.
Since the Crystal Demon Emperor's remnant directed him to that place, it meant the Crystal Demon Emperor would ensure their safety. If their safety couldn't be guaranteed, how could he leave the Hell Garden with this egg, whether it hatched or not?