The Chaos Bead Appears: Blessing or Trap?

The lecture at Yuxu Palace finally ended amid auspicious phenomena.

Xuanwei felt as though he had just been released from a pressure cooker, his entire "body" feeling several pounds lighter. He did not dare linger. Mixed among Interception Sect disciples wearing all manner of expressions, he followed Daoist Duobao and practically fled that place shrouded in Jade Purity Immortal Light that made him uncomfortable all over.

After returning to Golden Ao Island, the feeling of having his feet on solid ground—even though he was still floating—made him let out a long breath.

"Damn it, I'd better stay away from these 'high-level academic conferences' in the future if I can. They're terrifying!" Still shaken, he patted his chest—or rather, mentally patted it. "Uncle-Master Yuanshi nearly made me into a negative example and 'purified' me on the spot!"

Still, though this lecture had been dangerous, the gains had not been small. Not only had he gained a deeper understanding of the Supreme Pure Immortal Method, but more importantly, the passive operation of the body-tempering chapter of the Chaos Heaven-Opening Art had indeed condensed his immortal energy origin by a trace. That clear, transparent feeling after impurities had been removed was undeniably real.

[Overall evaluation of this Yuxu Palace lecture: B+]

[Reward issued: Jade Purity Dao Rhyme Fragment x1 (can be used to temporarily simulate the aura of Jade Purity Immortal Light and deceive certain restrictions); body-tempering chapter efficiency of the Chaos Heaven-Opening Art permanently increased by 5%.]

"Not bad. At least the trip wasn't for nothing." Xuanwei felt a little more balanced. He shifted his attention back to his "base"—the medicine garden behind the mountain.

After several days of growth, the Spirit-Nourishing Grass and Qi Gathering Flowers were flourishing, spreading in lush green patches and giving off faint spiritual energy fluctuations. Though they were merely the most basic spiritual herbs, Xuanwei still felt the satisfaction of an old farmer as he looked upon this enterprise he had personally reclaimed and cultivated.

"I need to find some higher-grade seeds," he pondered. "If I keep growing these common goods, when will I ever get rich and win the 'hearts' of the core disciples?"

He decided to visit the Outer Sect Steward Hall and use the authority Daoist Duobao had given him to exchange for higher-grade medicinal herb seeds.

Just as he was preparing to leave, a somewhat slick voice rang out behind him.

"Junior Brother Xuanwei! Wait, wait!"

Xuanwei turned around and saw a sharp-faced Daoist with darting eyes descend on a crooked auspicious cloud. This Daoist's cultivation was not high, only at the late Earth Immortal stage, but his clothes were brightly colored, making him look like a walking palette.

"And you are?" Xuanwei watched him warily. This guy did not look like a good person.

"Hehe, I am an outer sect disciple, Daoist Bàishìtōng." The Daoist leaned closer and lowered his voice. "I heard Junior Brother has been tending the medicine garden behind the mountain and is quite skilled at it. Even Senior Brother Duobao approves of you? Truly young and promising, with an unlimited future!"

Xuanwei remained impassive. "You flatter me, Senior Brother. What guidance do you have for me?"

"I would not dare call it guidance." Bàishìtōng rubbed his hands and chuckled. "I just happen to have a tremendous stroke of fortune that I wish to give Junior Brother!"

"A stroke of fortune?" Xuanwei raised a brow, alarms blaring in his mind. Pies falling from the sky were usually traps.

"That's right!" Bàishìtōng mysteriously pulled a dull gray jade fragment from his robes. It looked utterly unremarkable, and its edges were even chipped. "Does Junior Brother know what this is?"

Xuanwei scanned it with his spiritual sense but detected no unusual energy fluctuations. It was just an ordinary... piece of junk jade?

"This is a fragment of an incredible treasure from ancient times!" Bàishìtōng began boasting with flying spittle. "It is said to be connected to one of the legendary Chaos treasures! It contains the supreme Great Dao. If one can comprehend it, becoming a Saint on the spot would not be a dream! I see that Junior Brother possesses innate spirituality and is fated with this treasure, so I am reluctantly parting with it..."

Xuanwei: ... Yeah right! You old bastard, you're rotten to the core! This scam is even more pathetic than those fake-antique sellers from my previous life!

Just as he was about to wave this fraud away, the system in his consciousness suddenly issued an urgent prompt unlike anything it had given before.

[Warning! An unknown energy field of extremely high priority detected nearby!]

[Energy source: target jade fragment.]

[Energy level: impossible to assess! Its essence exceeds current database comprehension! Suspected to contain... Chaos core laws?!]

[Extremely dangerous! Extremely... fortuitous?! Recommendation: Host... acquire immediately!!!]

The last four words were practically roared by the system!

Xuanwei swallowed the refusal already on his lips, his heart—his consciousness core—pounding madly.

The system had never lost its composure like this before! Even when facing Saints, it had only given a "high-risk" assessment. Yet for this broken stone fragment, it was using phrases like "impossible to assess," "beyond comprehension," and "Chaos core laws"?! And it wanted him to "acquire it immediately"?

Could it be... that this scammer truly possessed something extraordinary?

He forcibly suppressed the storm raging in his heart and put on a skeptical expression. "Oh? A fragment related to a Chaos treasure? Senior Brother must be joking. How could such a divine object end up out in the open?"

Seeing that he had not refused immediately, Bàishìtōng's eyes flashed with cunning as he increased the pressure. "Junior Brother does not understand. Divine treasures conceal themselves, and only those with great fortune and great destiny can recognize them! I obtained it by chance as well, but my fortune is too shallow. I have gained nothing despite studying it for years. Fearing that a precious pearl would gather dust, I sought a worthy master for it. If Junior Brother does not believe me, I am willing to swear upon my Dao Heart that this item is absolutely of extraordinary origin!"

He was even swearing on his Dao Heart? Xuanwei sneered inwardly. This swindler was really going all out to set someone up. Still, with the system backing it, this "junk jade" was likely far from simple.

"Since Senior Brother is so sincere..." Xuanwei pretended to ponder. "What would Senior Brother like in exchange for this?"

Bàishìtōng's eyes flashed with wild delight, and he hurriedly said, "Not much, not much! I heard Junior Brother is skilled at nourishing spiritual plants. You need only help me cultivate three... no, five five-hundred-year Dragon Saliva Grass plants!"

Dragon Saliva Grass? Five hundred years old, at that? Though it was not considered top-tier, it was still an important material for refining many kinds of pills. Five five-hundred-year plants were worth quite a lot! This swindler had a big appetite!

Under normal circumstances, Xuanwei would have turned and walked away. But now...

A pained expression appeared on his face. After struggling for a moment, he gritted his teeth. "Fine! Let's call it making a friend! But I don't currently have mature Dragon Saliva Grass, only seeds. If Senior Brother trusts me, give me the fragment. I'll make a written pledge, and within three months, I will present five five-hundred-year Dragon Saliva Grass plants!"

Bàishìtōng's eyes shifted. He seemed to think that Xuanwei could not run from the temple even if he could run from the monk, so he readily—pretended to readily—agreed. "Deal! Junior Brother looks like a trustworthy man!"

The two made a simple written pledge, with their divine senses as proof, and completed this transaction where one dared to sell and the other dared to buy.

Holding the dull gray jade fragment, Xuanwei resisted the urge to study it immediately and sent off the delighted Bàishìtōng.

Back at the medicine garden, he set up several simple warning restrictions and eagerly sent his immortal energy into the jade fragment.

At first, there was still only dead silence. Nothing happened.

"System, what's going on? Did you misjudge it?" Xuanwei became somewhat suspicious.

[The energy field is in a state of absolute dormancy and requires specific conditions for activation. Recommendation: attempt to inject Chaos-attributed spiritual power or... the Host's origin blood essence, if available.]

Chaos-attributed spiritual power? He had that! The body-tempering chapter of the Chaos Heaven-Opening Art could draw out a trace of it!

He immediately circulated the art and carefully guided that nearly imperceptible yet exceptionally high-grade strand of Chaos Qi toward the jade fragment.

The instant the Chaos Qi touched the fragment—

Boom!!!

A deafening blast as though heaven and earth were being created exploded within Xuanwei's consciousness! The dull gray jade fragment suddenly erupted with indescribably brilliant radiance! Within that light, countless Chaos runes flickered into existence and vanished, while earth, water, fire, and wind surged like a miniature Chaos universe evolving before his eyes!

An immense, ancient, supreme Dao Rhyme that transcended all things instantly swallowed Xuanwei's immortal energy body!

[Warning! Encountered a high-intensity Chaos energy impact!]

[Detected an innate indestructible spiritual light reaction! Matches... matches the characteristics of a Chaos treasure fragment—Chaos Bead!!!]

[Chaos Bead: ranked among the finest Chaos treasures (incomplete). Contains an undeveloped Chaos world, shields Heavenly Secrets, evolves all things, and is the manifestation of the escaped "One"!]

[Attempting to establish an initial connection... Connection successful! Beginning master-recognition procedure...]

The Chaos Bead?! The legendary Chaos treasure ranked alongside the Heaven-Opening Divine Axe, Chaos Green Lotus, and Creation Jade Disc?! Though it was only a fragment, it was still a Chaos treasure!

Xuanwei felt as if immense happiness had knocked him senseless! This was not merely a stroke of fortune. This was like winning the universe's grand prize!

Yet before he could rejoice for long, the system's warning sounded again, this time with unprecedented urgency.

[Warning! The master-recognition procedure has triggered the Chaos Bead fragment's instinctive resistance! The chaotic laws contained in the fragment are beginning to erode the Host's origin!]

[Warning! Energy imbalance! The Host's immortal energy structure is about to collapse!]

[Emergency plan activated: consume all stored energy to forcibly stabilize the connection! Guide Chaos Qi to temper the Host in reverse! Success rate: 15%!!!]

"What?!" Xuanwei was horrified!

The Chaos Bead fragment's light became violent. Countless chaotic currents of Chaos Qi, like rampaging beasts out of control, crazily battered and tore at his immortal energy origin! His immortal energy, which had only just been tempered into something slightly more solid, became riddled with holes in an instant before that power, as fragile as paper!

The agonizing pain surpassed anything he had suffered before! It was the pain of his very origin breaking apart!

"What a fucking scam!!!" Xuanwei let out a soundless wail in his consciousness. I knew it! What falls from the sky isn't pie—it's a meteorite!!!

He felt his consciousness being assimilated and devoured by that chaotic Chaos! It was as if he were about to fall into an endless, disorderly abyss!

Just as he was about to lose consciousness completely and his immortal energy origin was about to be torn apart entirely—

[Energy depleted! Activating final emergency protocol: using the Host's "variable" soul essence as an anchor point, forcibly binding!]

[Binding successful! Chaos Bead (fragment) master-recognition procedure forcibly completed!]

[Host status: near death! About to enter dormancy for self-protective recovery...]

Xuanwei's final sensation was that his shattered immortal energy origin was drawn by a gentle yet irresistible force into a cold, dark place that seemed to contain nothing, yet also seemed to contain everything...

No one knew how long passed. It felt like only an instant, yet also like hundreds of millions of years.

Xuanwei's consciousness slowly revived like a guttering candle in the wind.

He "opened his eyes" and found himself within an incomparably strange space.

There was no up, down, left, or right here; no concept of time or space. There was only endless gray Chaos Qi flowing slowly. Occasionally, the origins of earth, water, fire, and wind manifested, only to swiftly extinguish. Here, he could not sense any laws of the outside world, as though he had transcended the heavens and earth of the Primordial World.

[Welcome to... the internal space of the Chaos Bead (fragment).]

[Current spatial range: three li in diameter (extremely incomplete state).]

[Functions: 1. Absolute Heavenly Secret Shielding (even Saints will find it difficult to investigate). 2. Time-flow adjustment (up to 1:10, requires massive energy consumption). 3. Chaos Qi nourishment (requires the Host to withstand it). 4. ??? (locked)]

[Host status: origin severely damaged, recovering. Energy level: 5% (extremely weak).]

Looking at the information on the system panel, Xuanwei's emotions were as complicated as a hodgepodge stew.

The Chaos Bead! It really was the Chaos Bead! Though only a fragment, its functions were absurdly powerful! Heavenly Secret Shielding and time-flow adjustment in particular were practically cheat codes tailored for a "variable" like him!

But the cost... was far too steep! He had nearly died on the spot! And his energy level had fallen to 5%. Decades of hard work, all gone in an instant!

"What kind of master recognition was that? It was clearly a contract of sale, and one that nearly got me sold to death!" he mocked bitterly.

Still, surviving was enough. And with this Chaos Bead space, he would be much safer when cultivating and causing trouble in the future!

He tried absorbing a strand of Chaos Qi from the space. That pure yet domineering energy brought a wave of comfort to his severely damaged origin, and his recovery speed visibly increased.

"Looks like I turned disaster into fortune?" He cautiously observed this newborn Chaos mini-world that belonged to him. "It may only be a bare shell right now, but its potential is limitless!"

He began considering how to use this space to accelerate his recovery and cultivation. Should he hide inside and lie low until the end of time, or...

However, a sudden, weak call of consciousness, seemingly from beyond distant time and space, was like a stone tossed into an ancient well, stirring an almost imperceptible ripple through the silent Chaos space.

"Save... save me..."

Xuanwei jolted in alarm. "Who?!"