The Universe Within the Bead and the "Pawn-Scheming" Patriarch

"Who?! Who's speaking?!"

Xuanwei jolted in fright. His damaged immortal qi true form coiled into a ball within the Chaos Bead's space, warily "surveying" his surroundings. Wasn't this place supposed to completely block heavenly secrets? How could there be a "neighbor"?

The plea for help was as faint as a candle in the wind, intermittent, as if it could extinguish at any moment: "...Save... Chaos... suppress... for... eons..."

The voice was ancient, weary, carrying a sense of vicissitude as if weathered by countless epochs, yet the inherent nobility and majesty within it made Xuanwei's heart tremble. This was definitely no ordinary being!

"System! Scan! Is there anything else in this space?!" Xuanwei urgently called out in his mind.

[Scanning... No signs of independent life forms detected.]

[Abnormal information flow detected, attached to fragments of the Chaos Bead's core laws. Suspected... residual divine thought imprint left by a powerful being before their demise. Briefly revived due to the Chaos Bead's master recognition activation.]

Residual divine念? Xuanwei breathed a sigh of relief. It was better than a living person. But then his heart tensed again. What level of being could leave an imprint on the Chaos Bead? At least a Quasi-Saint, right? Maybe even a Chaos Demon God!

"Senior? Who are you? Why are you here? How can this junior assist you?" Xuanwei attempted to communicate mentally. Even if the other party was just a "recording," it wouldn't hurt to be polite. What if there was interaction?

The ancient spirit fell silent for a moment, as if gathering strength. When it returned, it was clearer, though still weak: "...My name... is Yang Mei... I suffered a calamity... my remnant spirit relies on this bead's fragment... barely surviving... Little friend... help me..."

Yang Mei?! The legendary figure who attained enlightenment from a hollow willow, reincarnated from the Space Demon God, and could even contend with Dao Ancestor Hongjun, Daoist Yang Mei?!

Xuanwei felt his immortal qi about to scatter from sheer shock! This was a powerhouse from the very beginning of creation! How did he end up so miserable, with only a wisp of remnant spirit hiding in a Chaos Bead fragment? When he said "suffered a calamity," whose calamity was it? Hongjun? Heavenly Dao? Or some other terrifying existence?

This karma... was too immense! He, a mere Earth Immortal (and a heavily injured one at that), couldn't get involved!

As if sensing Xuanwei's hesitation and fear, Yang Mei's thoughts returned, with a hint of helplessness and... temptation?

"...Little friend... you carry an anomaly... obtaining this bead... is fate... I... can impart to you... the Great Dao of Space... Chaos Secrets... help you... control this bead..."

The Great Dao of Space! Chaos Secrets! Help him control the Chaos Bead!

Xuanwei's heart (his core念) pounded uncontrollably. The temptation was too great! It was like finding a pillow when you're sleepy! He was already worried that although the Chaos Bead had recognized him as its master, its functions were too numerous and too advanced for him to handle, making it merely a high-level sanctuary. If he could get guidance from Daoist Yang Mei...

Fortune favors the bold! Let's do it!

"Senior Yang Mei!" Xuanwei immediately adopted a tone (he thought) of righteous indignation, showing respect for elders, "This junior, Xuanwei, though weak and lacking virtue, since I have this fated connection with you, I will do my utmost to help you recover! Please, give me your commands!"

"Good..." Yang Mei's thoughts conveyed a hint of relief, "...I need... Chaos Qi... to nurture... Also... find... other bead fragments... or... items containing the essence of space and life..."

Good heavens! Xuanwei exclaimed. He's asking for Chaos Qi right off the bat, and to find other Chaos Bead fragments? Let's put aside the latter for now, but the former, he himself is short on! He relies on this meager Chaos Qi for his own recovery and to temper his origin/lineage! Is this Ancestor Yang Mei perhaps a "scammer"? Specifically targeting newcomers like him who just got a "luxury car" (Chaos Bead)?

But he dared not say it, only managing a pained expression, "Senior, as you can see, my origin is severely injured. I can barely protect myself. This Chaos Qi..."

"No matter..." Yang Mei's thoughts interrupted him, "...You can... draw external spiritual energy... into this bead... after Chaos transformation... Although inefficient... it can still... accumulate over time... I... can also... guide your cultivation..."

This was a viable path! Draw ordinary spiritual energy from the outside, and use the Chaos Bead's transformation function to turn it into Chaos Qi! Although the process would definitely have huge losses and the conversion rate would be pitifully low, it was better than nothing! Moreover, he would receive cultivation guidance from a powerful being who was possibly at the Chaos Demon God level! This deal... didn't seem like a loss?

"This junior understands!" Xuanwei immediately agreed, "This junior will go and find a way to draw in spiritual energy, and I will definitely help Senior recover soon!"

He dared not linger, fearing that this "scamming" ancestor might make more excessive demands. With a thought, he withdrew from the Chaos Bead's space.

Returning to the Medicine Garden, he felt the "thin" spiritual energy of the Primordial World (compared to inside the Chaos Bead). Xuanwei felt like he had returned from the ICU to a regular hospital room. Although still weak, he was at least safe.

He checked his own status. Energy level 5%. His immortal qi本体 was dim and lusterless, covered in tiny cracks, like fragile glass about to shatter. In this state, let alone drawing in spiritual energy, it would be good if he could maintain its form.

"The priority now is to recover from my injuries," he sighed, his gaze falling on the ten acres of well-grown Spirit-Nourishing Grass and Qi Gathering Flowers.

He walked to a Spirit-Nourishing Grass, carefully circulated the Innate Immortal Qi Origin Method, absorbing the faint spiritual energy of plants it emitted. In the past, he wouldn't have bothered with this level of spiritual energy, but now, it was like sweet dew nourishing his parched origin.

At the same time, he was also trying to mobilize the power of the Chaos Bead. Although he couldn't actively extract Chaos Qi from the bead (he himself was short on it), he found that after binding with the Chaos Bead, his efficiency in absorbing and converting surrounding spiritual energy seemed to have increased by a barely perceptible amount? Furthermore, the effect of [Deep Immortal Seclusion] also seemed to have improved, as if he could better blend into his surroundings, even carrying a trace of Chaos Qi, making him even harder to detect.

"It seems this 'contract of servitude' wasn't signed in vain; there are some benefits," he consoled himself.

Just as he was diligently acting as a "patient," absorbing plant spiritual energy and contemplating how to stealthily draw more spiritual energy into the Chaos Bead, a familiar, stern voice swept over the Medicine Garden.

Daoist Duobao had arrived.

Xuanwei's heart tightened. He quickly stopped all his subtle actions, putting on a facade of diligently healing and tending to the Medicine Garden.

Daoist Duobao's figure appeared on the ridge. He looked at Xuanwei's clearly dimmed and weakened immortal qi ben ti, his brow furrowing: "Your origin... why is it so severely depleted? Did you sustain hidden injuries at Yuxu Palace?"

Xuanwei was touched. Although his senior brother was cold in demeanor, he still cared for his fellow disciples. Of course, he didn't dare tell the truth, so he vaguely replied with half-truth and half-lie: "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother. It was not due to Yuxu Palace. It's just that I... I was too eager for success before and forcefully practiced a secret technique, accidentally injuring my origin. I'll be fine after a few days of recuperation."

Daoist Duobao looked at him deeply, his gaze seeming to penetrate the surface and reach the origin. Xuanwei felt as if his secrets were almost completely exposed in the other's eyes, and he was sweating (mentally) profusely.

Fortunately, Duobao didn't probe further, merely stating indifferently: "The path of cultivation requires balance, avoid haste and greed for quick success. Since you are injured, the matter of the Medicine Garden can be put on hold; recuperation is the proper course."

"Yes, this disciple remembers Senior Brother's teachings." Xuanwei quickly replied.

Daoist Duobao nodded, his gaze sweeping over the well-grown Spirit Field, and a trace of imperceptible approval flashed in his eyes again: "You indeed have talent in the art of spiritual plants. When you recover, you might consider visiting the Scripture Pavilion to peruse relevant texts; it could be of assistance."

Scripture Pavilion! Xuanwei's eyes lit up! That was a good place! Perhaps he could find a way to quickly draw in spiritual energy or heal his origin injuries!

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!"

After seeing Daoist Duobao off, Xuanwei let out a long sigh of relief. It seemed he had managed to fool them for now. However, he needed to recover as quickly as possible, or his deception would be exposed sooner or later.

He continued to absorb plant spiritual energy while starting to plan. First, he needed to find a way to draw more spiritual energy into the Chaos Bead without attracting attention, to complete the "basic offerings" to Ancestor Yang Mei. Second, he needed to go to the Scripture Pavilion to find a way to speed up his own recovery. Finally, he also needed to keep an eye out for anything containing the essence of space or life, or any news about other Chaos Bead fragments...

"Alas, the life of a laborer..." Xuanwei lamented, "After finally latching onto a Saint's thigh, I thought things would be easier, but then I signed an even tougher 'long-term service agreement,' and I still have to find a way to earn 'performance bonuses' (spiritual energy and treasures) to support a 'retired elder' (Yang Mei)..."

He felt like a hapless individual who, upon joining a new company, was forced to take over two hellish projects: "Revitalizing Non-Performing Assets (Chaos Bead Fragments)" and "Serving a VIP Senior (Yang Mei)."

However, just as he was complaining and diligently acting as a "spiritual energy transporter," within the Chaos Bead, the wisp of remnant soul belonging to Yang Mei, after absorbing a trace of the diluted Chaos Qi that Xuanwei painstakingly drew in and was initially transformed by the Chaos Bead, seemed to regain a sliver of vitality.

An extremely incomplete, blurry, yet profound fragment of information containing supreme spatial profoundness, accompanied by Yang Mei's still weak, but testing, thought, was quietly transmitted into Xuanwei's consciousness:

"...Little friend... this is... the 'Void Spirit Drawing Array'... basic chapter... perhaps it can... help you..."

Xuanwei received the profoundly mysterious array information. First, he was overjoyed, then his face fell.

Because this array required at least one treasure containing spatial power as the core of the formation eye to operate stably and efficiently draw in spiritual energy.

And he, he was dirt poor, with nothing but a half-crippled Chaos Bead (which he couldn't even take out to use).

"Ancestor... did you forget to give me the 'startup capital' in this 'newbie gift package'?!" Xuanwei directed a silent wail towards the Chaos Bead.