Light Cocoon's Anomaly, Array Spirit's First Manifestation

Xuanwei felt like his immortal life was a roller coaster, and not the kind with a safety harness! Just after surviving the terrifying "egg-sitting" ordeal in the East Sea, before he could even catch his breath, the "ancestor in the light cocoon" in his backyard (under the medicine garden) was causing trouble again!

The message from his senior brother Duobao, stern yet questioning, exploded in his consciousness like a thunderclap. The disturbance underground in the medicine garden was intensifying? Triggering the Island Protection Array to react on its own?! This was a huge commotion!

"Third senior sisters!" Xuanwei hurriedly called out to the San Xiao sisters, who were about to return to their respective caves. His face was etched with the anxiety of "big trouble." "Senior Brother sent a message, my medicine garden... there's a situation, it seems... it's getting out of control!"

Bixiao's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "More excitement? Let's go! This senior sister will help you hold the fort!"

Qiongxiao asked with concern, "Is it serious? Do you need us to go with you?"

Yunxiao was the most composed. She sensed the unusual Chaos fluctuation and array hum emanating from the core area of Golden Ao Island, her cool brows furrowing slightly. "Such an anomaly is no small matter. We will accompany you, for mutual support."

Xuanwei was so touched he almost cried. At crucial moments, his senior sisters were always reliable! He quickly thanked them, and the four of them once again ascended on their escape lights, like four shooting stars, heading straight for the medicine garden in the back mountains.

From afar, they could see the spiritual energy above the medicine garden in disarray. The earth vein energy, which he had meticulously organized, seemed to be startled and was darting around erratically. More conspicuously, a faint layer of green light, imbued with Heaven-Severing Sword Intent, had enveloped the entire medicine garden area—it was the autonomous defense mechanism of the Biyou Palace's Island Protection Array being activated! Daoist Duobao's ancient and stern figure was suspended outside the protective shield, his brows tightly furrowed as he stared down.

"Senior Brother!" Xuanwei quickly descended and bowed.

Daoist Duobao glanced at him, then swept his gaze over the San Xiao sisters behind him, and said in a deep voice, "You've returned. The Chaos aura underground suddenly became extremely active half an hour ago, causing the earth veins to go berserk and showing signs of breaking through the surface, triggering the array's alert. Xuanwei, what exactly are you nurturing here? Why did you not report it earlier?"

Here it comes, the ultimate interrogation.

Xuanwei felt a wave of despair. He knew he couldn't bluff his way out of this. His previous excuse of "organizing the earth veins" might fool ordinary disciples, but it was useless against a Grand Unity Golden Immortal and array master like Duobao. Moreover, with such obvious anomalies now, further concealment would only lead to greater suspicion and trouble.

He steeled himself and decided to... tell half the truth and half a lie!

"Reporting to Senior Brother, this disciple... this disciple did not intend to conceal it!" Xuanwei put on a perfectly timed expression of "fear" and "shame." "It's just... this disciple doesn't know what that thing underground is either!"

He began his performance (interspersed with a lot of real information): "When this disciple was organizing the earth veins before, I accidentally touched an ancient sealing node deep within and discovered this object. It was wrapped in an extremely pure Chaos Qi, shaped like a light cocoon, with an ancient and powerful aura. This disciple attempted to interact with it and found that it seemed to... respond to the cultivation technique this disciple practices (vaguely referring to the Chaos Heaven-Opening Art and the Chaos Bead), and could absorb the Chaos Spiritual Energy converted by this disciple. In exchange, it occasionally provided a trace of 'Chaos Source Gel' to aid this disciple's cultivation."

He emphasized "accidental discovery," "ancient seal," and "mutual benefit," completely omitting the fact that the Chaos Bead might be related to this thing and that he had been actively feeding it.

"This disciple coveted the benefits of the 'Chaos Source Gel' for cultivation, and seeing that it remained dormant, I... I privately kept it, feeding it daily with my own magic power to convert spiritual energy, thinking I might be able to cultivate my own fortuitous encounter... I never expected it to suddenly become active today and cause such trouble! It is this disciple's greedy recklessness; I beg Senior Brother for punishment!"

With this explanation, he portrayed himself as a young disciple who was a bit greedy, lucky (or unlucky) enough to stumble upon a fortuitous encounter, and somewhat out of his depth, perfectly concealing the core secret while taking all the blame and maintaining an extremely humble posture.

Daoist Duobao listened, his expression unreadable. He merely looked at Xuanwei with deep eyes. "Chaos Source Gel? Do you know what that is? It is the essence of the Chaos Origin, something even Grand Unity Golden Immortals rarely see! You can cultivate with it?"

"This disciple dares not deceive!" Xuanwei quickly "confirmed," forcing out a faint trace of Chaos Source Gel aura from his immortal qi. (This was actually accumulated by the Chaos Bead before.) "This substance can indeed nourish the origin; this disciple has benefited greatly. It is precisely because of this that this disciple... was reluctant to report it..."

The incredibly pure Chaos aura, imbued with the power of creation, could not be faked. Daoist Duobao's eyes flashed with surprise upon sensing it. Even the San Xiao sisters beside him were moved. Chaos Source Gel, this was something from legend!

"In that case, it can be considered your fortuitous encounter." Daoist Duobao's tone softened slightly, but he remained serious. "However, fortune can hide misfortune. This object's aura is ancient and immense, by no means ordinary. Its sudden activity must have a reason. Have you encountered anything special recently, or gone to any unusual places?"

Special object? Unusual place?

Xuanwei's heart stirred. He immediately thought of the three Black Tortoise eggs he had just acquired! Could it be their aura that stimulated this light cocoon, which was extremely sensitive to the Chaos Origin? Like the alpha of a territory sensing a new, equally potential competitor, and thus "declaring sovereignty" or... "reacting to stress"?

He dared not conceal this and quickly recounted his encounter with the Mysterious Female Ink Turtle in the East Sea and being entrusted with the care of three Black Tortoise offspring eggs (of course, omitting the core rewards like the Black Emperor Water Sovereign Fist and the Black Tortoise Dao Pattern Armor). He then took out the three miniature, emerald-colored eggs, emitting a Chaos Wood Element Vitality aura, from his Mustard Seed Space.

"Black Tortoise offspring?!" This time, even Daoist Duobao was somewhat moved. The Primordial Remnant Species, the Mysterious Ink Turtle, how precious were its bloodline descendants! And they were entrusted to Xuanwei? His junior brother's karma was truly... unbelievable!

The appearance of the three Black Tortoise eggs seemed to confirm Xuanwei's guess. The pure Chaos Wood Element Vitality aura they emitted, and the fluctuation of the light cocoon underground, formed a strange resonance and... confrontation?

Just as everyone's attention was drawn to the Black Tortoise eggs—

Boom!

The ground of the medicine garden suddenly shook! A pillar of condensed Chaos light, mixed with countless profound law runes, violently broke through the "Low-Tier Chaos Barrier" Xuanwei had set up, even causing the green protective shield formed by the Island Protection Array to ripple violently!

Within the pillar of light, the meter-tall light cocoon slowly floated up. The Chaos Dao patterns on its surface circulated at an unprecedented speed, its radiance intensifying! A clearer, more active, and even somewhat... ignorant and curious life fluctuation emanated from it!

"It... it's coming out?!" Bixiao exclaimed.

"No!" Yunxiao's eyes sharpened. "It's not hatching, but... the spirituality within is awakening! And it has formed an Induction with the Myriad Immortals Array of Golden Ao Island..."

As if to confirm her words, the pillar of Chaos light that shot into the sky did not damage the array. Instead, like streams flowing into the sea, it began a peculiar circulation with the vast array energy that enveloped Golden Ao Island! The Dao patterns on the surface of the light cocoon actually began to subtly mimic parts of the Intercepting Sect's array operation trajectories!

[Warning! High concentration of Chaos laws and Intercepting Sect's Myriad Immortals Array laws are attempting to merge!]

[Analysis: Target "Unknown Light Cocoon" spirituality is nascent, instinctively absorbing external Dao Rhyme to perfect itself, currently locking onto the energy source as--Interception Sect's Island Protection Array!]

[Risk: Unknown! May cause array imbalance! May catalyze the light cocoon's premature maturity! May... give birth to an unknown life form?!]

The system's warning made Xuanwei's scalp tingle! This ancestor in the light cocoon was silent for a long time, but when it made a sound, it was astonishing! It was directly trying to "consume" the Island Protection Array?! If it drained the array's energy, or caused some bug, wouldn't his Master Tongtian reforge him and the light cocoon together?!

Daoist Duobao's expression was also unprecedentedly grave. He rapidly formed hand seals, trying to stabilize the array, and said in a deep voice, "This object's spirituality is nascent, instinctively absorbing the array's Dao Rhyme to shape itself! It must be isolated from the array, otherwise the consequences are unpredictable!"

He looked at Xuanwei, his eyes sharp. "Xuanwei! Since you have a connection with it, can you communicate with it and guide it to stop absorbing the array's energy?"

Communicate? How do I communicate with an egg? Xuanwei grumbled inwardly, but knew this was the only option. He gritted his teeth and fully activated the Chaos Heaven-Opening Art, releasing his immortal qi, Wutu Source, Wood Element Vitality (Remnant Seed of Jianmu), and most importantly—the Chaos Bead's origin aura, without reservation. This transformed into a gentle and pure Chaos Spiritual Energy, like a bridge, carefully reaching out to the radiant light cocoon.

"Hey! Buddy! Wake up! Stop absorbing! That's public property, you'll have to pay if you take too much! I have private savings here (Chaos Qi)! Plenty!" Xuanwei shouted frantically in his mind (telepathic transmission).

Perhaps it sensed the same origin and purer Chaos Qi, or perhaps Xuanwei's "long-term meal ticket" call worked, the light cocoon's rotation slowed down, its absorption of the Island Protection Array's energy visibly weakened. Instead, it began to greedily absorb the Chaos Spiritual Energy Xuanwei was transmitting.

At the same time, an extremely weak, blurry, infant-like thought, as if just learning to speak, intermittently entered Xuanwei's consciousness:

"Hungry... Dao... delicious... more..."

Xuanwei: "..." It could actually communicate?! And it's a glutton?!

He quickly increased the "feeding" intensity, while also trying to transmit his thoughts: "Don't absorb the array! Absorb mine! I'll raise you!"

The blurry thought seemed to understand his meaning, conveying emotions of "happy" and "want more," completely ceasing its absorption of the Island Protection Array's energy and wholeheartedly absorbing Xuanwei's Chaos Spiritual Energy. The pillar of Chaos light that shot into the sky slowly converged, and the fluctuations of the Island Protection Array gradually subsided.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Daoist Duobao looked at the light cocoon, which was gradually becoming warm and radiant under Xuanwei's "feeding," while the life fluctuations within grew clearer and more active. His expression was complex. He could feel that an extremely close connection had been established between this object and Xuanwei, its origin being so peculiar, and its potential so immense, far beyond imagination.

"This thing... its blessings and curses are unpredictable. Guard it well, and don't let any more mistakes happen." Daoist Duobao finally just warned in a deep voice, not probing further. Some opportunities cannot be forced. Since it fell upon Xuanwei, perhaps it was destiny (or perhaps, Master Tongtian tacitly allowed it?).

The crisis was temporarily averted. Xuanwei looked at the light cocoon before him, which seemed to have eaten its fill and was now content, exuding a lazy aura. He then felt his rapidly depleted Immortal Qi and Chaos Bead reserves, and he wanted to cry but had no tears.

One light cocoon at home, three Black Tortoise Eggs, each a bottomless pit of resources! This life is unlivable! He had to hurry and earn "milk money"!

However, before he could even plan his next "income-generating" scheme, the light cocoon, after absorbing a large amount of Chaos Spiritual Energy, suddenly lit up a major Dao pattern on its surface. A miniature, illusory array, containing a complex fusion of Chaos and Heaven-Severing Sword Intent, flashed above it and vanished!

At the same time, that vague consciousness transmitted again, with a hint of pride:

"Look... I learned... does it look like..."

Xuanwei, Duobao, San Xiao: "!!!"

This light cocoon... actually managed to simulate and preliminarily grasp a part of the essence of the Intercepting Sect's Myriad Immortals Array in such a short time?! Although it was only superficial, its learning ability and growth speed were too terrifying?!

What kind of monster would hatch from this?!