A New Chapter in the Golden Age of Myriad Arts, New Worries Hidden in Extraworldly Ripples

Half a year after the Heart of Origin was destroyed, the tide of Myriad Arts fusion swept across the entire world. Myriad Arts Academy expanded tenfold, welcoming not only human cultivators but also disciples from the Demon Race, Spirit Clan, Stone Clan, and other races. Demon Race disciples fused their demonic power with blood qi, pushing their physical strength beyond all previous limits; Spirit Clan disciples nourished their souls with spirit qi, then used Soul Suppressing Power to steady their minds, bringing the precision of their spell control to new heights; Stone Clan disciples strengthened their bodies with Earth Vein Power while learning cultivators' defensive spells, truly becoming "impervious to blades and spears, untouched by spells."

That morning, the Fusion Martial Arena of Myriad Arts Academy was bustling with excitement. A cross-racial fusion battle was underway: human disciple Li Qing attacked Demon Race disciple Xiong Lie with the Blood-Qi Fireball Technique. The blood-qi power within the flames broke through Xiong Lie's demonic-power defenses, only to be blocked by his Earth Vein Demon Armor. Seizing the chance, Xiong Lie unleashed the Thunderstorm Demon Claw. Spirit qi fused into the lightning doubled the speed of his attack, but Li Qing easily withstood it using the Spirit-Qi Blood Twin Shield. The two traded blows back and forth, their moves carrying both the fierce force of martial arts and the nimble grace of cultivation, drawing endless cheers from the disciples below.

"I never expected cross-racial Myriad Arts fusion to make such tremendous progress in just half a year." Su Muxue stood on the viewing platform, holding the latest fusion teaching report, her eyes filled with satisfaction. "Look—the Spirit Clan's 'Soul-Spirit Qi Healing Technique' can already heal the hidden blood-qi injuries of martial cultivators, and the Stone Clan's 'Earth Vein Spell Defense Array' has become standard defensive equipment at every node."

Chen Fan nodded, his gaze falling on the Origin Research Lab in the corner of the martial arena. There, several top cultivators from different races were studying an Origin Crystal brought back from an Origin Rift. The pure origin power contained within the crystal had become the finest "catalyst" for Myriad Arts fusion, helping cultivators master techniques for fusing blood qi and spirit qi more quickly.

"It's just... I can't shake this sense of unease." Chen Fan suddenly spoke, his brows drawing together slightly. "Ever since the Heart of Origin was destroyed, the world's origin has regained its balance, but I keep feeling that an unfamiliar ripple is quietly drawing near—this ripple does not belong to our world."

Lin Xiaohu's smile also vanished. The Soul Suppressing Seal in his hand grew faintly hot. "Now that you mention it, I feel it too. The Soul Suppressing Seal has been vibrating for no reason lately, as if it's warning us of something. And the origin of the dead souls in Myriad Souls Cave has shown subtle abnormalities as well. The dead souls have become far more restless than before."

No sooner had he spoken than the Origin Compass on the Starwatch Platform began to shake violently. Unlike before, its needle did not point toward any of the Nine Great Origins' nodes. Instead, it spun madly toward a direction beyond the world, its tip even glowing with a faint purple light—an unprecedented "extraworldly origin ripple"!

"Not good! It's an extraworldly ripple!" Su Muxue's face changed drastically. She swiftly pulled out the Origin Secret Record and flipped through it, quickly finding a long-overlooked passage: "Beyond the world lie countless extraworldly spaces. The origins of some spaces run contrary to our world. Should their ripples intrude, they may cause origin disorder and even shatter the world's barrier."

Chen Fan immediately mobilized the power of his Nine Veins of Chaos, wrapping it around the Origin Compass in an attempt to steady the needle's fluctuations. But the power of the extraworldly ripple far exceeded all expectations. The purple on the compass grew deeper and deeper, even beginning to erode its origin runes. "This ripple is stranger than the assimilating power of the Heavenly Dao remnant soul. It isn't devouring origin—it's 'polluting' it. Once it is polluted, all the progress we have made in Myriad Arts fusion may be rendered completely useless!"

Lin Xiaohu hurriedly took out the Soul Suppressing Seal, pouring its pale-purple Soul Suppressing Power into the Origin Compass and temporarily suppressing the purple corrosion. "We must find the source of the extraworldly ripple as quickly as possible! The dead-soul origin in Myriad Souls Cave was the first to show abnormalities. Perhaps that is where the ripple entered!"

The three dared not delay and immediately rushed toward Myriad Souls Cave. When they arrived, the sight before them made their hearts sink. The dead-soul origin, once pale purple, had now been dyed a deep violet. Countless purple extraworldly ripples coiled around the dead souls like vines, driving them into a state of extreme frenzy. Deep within Myriad Souls Cave, the light of the defensive array at the soul-suppression node had also dimmed, liable to be breached by the extraworldly ripples at any moment.

"Quick! Use the Resonant Origin Array to purify the extraworldly ripples!" Chen Fan shouted, and the three swiftly formed the array. This time, Chen Fan not only mobilized the power of his Nine Veins, but also used the Evil Suppressing Jade Pendant to connect with Myriad Souls Cave's soul-suppressing origin. Su Muxue guided the dead souls' consciousnesses to resonate with the array's power, while Lin Xiaohu unleashed his Soul Suppressing Power at full strength, attempting to soothe the frenzied dead souls.

"Resonant Origin Array—Purification!"

Brilliant, multicolored light of emotional resonance erupted once more. After fusing with the soul-suppressing origin, it formed a pale-purple pillar of purifying light that blasted toward the deep-violet extraworldly ripples. The purple ripples collided with the purifying pillar, producing a piercing hiss. The deep-violet region was gradually covered by pale purple, and the frenzied dead souls slowly regained their calm.