Ten-Thousand-Year Trial, Shadow of the End

The Initial Runes descended like a locust plague, densely slamming into the Three-Colored Light Screen. Every collision erupted with the ultimate roar of creation and destruction. The screen trembled violently, the light of Xuan Fu's Initial Rune Seal flickering erratically, while fine cracks spread across the three-colored crystal that formed the rune's body. He could clearly sense the Initial Power contained within the runes trying to tear apart the structure of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao, assimilating the New Great Dao back into the rule system of the Initial Realm.

"Hold the core of the screen!" Xuan Fu's voice echoed throughout the Chaos and Primordial Wilderness. The Initial Rune Seal erupted with dazzling three-colored light, repairing the gaps in the screen one by one. "All living beings, use the Chaos-Desolation Qi as a guide and form the 'Myriad Spirits United Formation.' The power of the Great Dao does not belong to one person alone. Everyone must defend it together!"

As soon as his voice fell, the living beings across the Primordial Wilderness responded one after another. The Three Clan Experts transformed into three enormous pillars of Origin Power—azure Dragon Clan power, crimson Phoenix Clan power, and ocher Kirin Clan power—and poured them into the screen. Donghua's Wood Spirit Power transformed into an endless sea of forests that wrapped around the screen and reinforced it. Daoist Yang Mei deployed layers upon layers of Space Barriers to buffer the rune impacts. Countless low-level living beings also urged the scant Chaos-Desolation Qi within their bodies. Like trickling streams merging into rivers and seas, it caused the screen's three-colored radiance to grow increasingly intense.

The Initial Runes' attacks grew fiercer and fiercer. Some broke through the Space Barriers and exploded against the screen. The Power of Creation tried to twist the laws of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao, while the Power of Destruction frantically eroded the screen's foundation. The cracks in Xuan Fu's rune body continued to widen, and golden Talisman Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. The radiance of the Initial Rune Seal gradually dimmed as well. Although his World Lord's Power was on the same level as the Initial God's, his opponent controlled the Origin Power of the Initial Realm, giving the runes an inexhaustible supply. Xuan Fu, meanwhile, had to divert his attention to maintaining the stability of the entire New Great Dao, consuming far more power than his opponent.

"At this rate, we won't last a thousand years!" Daoist Yang Mei roared. His Space Power was nearly exhausted, and the shockwaves from the rune explosions tore his robes to shreds. "The Initial Runes are specifically destroying the fusion nodes between the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. We must strike back and destroy the source where the runes are gathering!"

A trace of resolve flashed through Xuan Fu's eyes. He knew Daoist Yang Mei was right. Sooner or later, passive defense would wear them down. He suddenly burned part of his World Lord Origin. The Initial Rune Seal transformed into a three-colored streak of light, pierced through the screen, and flew toward the cluster of Initial God projections. "Fellow Daoist Donghua, take control of the screen for now!"

"Be careful, Fellow Daoist!" Donghua immediately urged all his Wood Spirit Power, coordinating with the Three Clans' Origin Power and the Myriad Spirits United Formation to barely stabilize the screen's operation.

Xuan Fu's figure darted through the rain of runes. The Initial Rune Seal scattered countless three-colored talismans, each containing the complete rhythm of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao. When they collided with the Initial Runes, both sides annihilated each other, forming enormous Energy Vortices. His target was not to kill the Initial God. Their strength was equal, and the Initial God was merely a projection. Instead, he intended to destroy the "Initial Rune Altar" before them—the core where the runes gathered.

"Fool who doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth!" The leading Initial God snorted coldly. The Powers of Creation and Destruction intertwined into a gigantic blade of light and slashed toward Xuan Fu. Wherever it passed, the Chaos-Desolation Qi was forcibly decomposed, and the Space Barriers shattered inch by inch.

Xuan Fu did not dodge. He pushed the Initial Rune Seal to its limit, condensing its three-colored radiance into a "Chaos-Desolation Talisman" that collided with the blade of light. With a thunderous boom, the blade and talisman shattered at the same time. The enormous shockwave sent Xuan Fu staggering backward, widening the cracks in his rune body once more and spraying golden Talisman Blood into the air. Yet under the cover of the shockwave, he instantly reached the front of the Initial Rune Altar.

The Initial Rune Altar was formed from countless interwoven Initial Runes. It radiated pressure derived from the same source as the Initial Realm and continuously gave birth to new runes. Without the slightest hesitation, Xuan Fu slammed the Initial Rune Seal into the altar. Its three-colored radiance surged, while the Law Power of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao frantically eroded the altar's structure.

"Stop!" The Initial Gods attacked at the same time. Countless blades of light, runes, and energy spheres poured toward Xuan Fu. He raised the Initial Rune Seal before him and unfurled a three-colored light screen to block the dense attacks, while simultaneously increasing the force eroding the altar. The Initial Runes on the altar's surface rapidly faded, replaced by the three-colored radiance of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao. The speed at which it gave birth to runes slowed drastically.

Just as the altar was about to collapse, an imposing voice came from the depths of the Initial Realm. "How dare you!"

A pressure far surpassing that of all the Initial Gods descended. A gigantic Black Shadow reached through a crack in the Initial Realm. It had no fixed form, and an ultimate rhythm of "ending everything" revolved around it. It was precisely the Shadow of the End that Xuan Fu had sensed before. The Black Shadow merely waved a hand, and a terrifying Power of Annihilation swept toward Xuan Fu. Wherever it passed, the laws of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao wailed, and the three-colored radiance of the Initial Rune Seal instantly dimmed.

Xuan Fu was shocked. He tried to flee, only to discover that the space around him had been locked down by the Power of Annihilation, leaving him unable to move at all. He could only urge the Initial Rune Seal's power to its limit as the three-colored radiance collided with the Power of Annihilation. There was no earth-shaking explosion, only a silent annihilation. The laws of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao were rapidly erased by the Power of Annihilation. The cracks in Xuan Fu's rune body spread completely, and it nearly fell apart.

"Lord Shadow of the End!" The Initial Gods bowed one after another, their voices filled with awe.

The Shadow of the End ignored them. Its icy gaze locked onto Xuan Fu, and its voice was like ten-thousand-year-old ice. "The rules of the Initial Realm must not be profaned. Any Great Dao that attempts to escape control will face the end."

Just as Xuan Fu was about to be completely annihilated by the Power of Annihilation, a dazzling pillar of light suddenly erupted from the direction of the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. It was the power of the Myriad Spirits United Formation reaching its limit. Donghua, Daoist Yang Mei, the Three Clan Experts, and countless living beings had completely bound their Origins to the Chaos Great Desolation Dao. With the resolve to embrace Martyrdom of Myriad Spirits, they sent their final strength to Xuan Fu.

"Fellow Daoist Xuan Fu, we stand with you!" Donghua's voice was filled with resolve, his Wood Spirit Power burning into gold. "The Chaos Great Desolation Dao is our shared home. It must not be destroyed!"

The power of all spirits surged into Xuan Fu like a tide. The cracks in his rune body rapidly healed, and the three-colored radiance of the Initial Rune Seal surged once more. Xuan Fu sensed the beliefs of countless living beings—the desire for freedom, the protection of their homeland, and defiance against fate. These beliefs transformed into the purest power and merged into the Chaos Great Desolation Dao, making the laws of the New Great Dao even sturdier. It actually withstood the erosion of the Power of Annihilation.

"Let all spirits be the foundation, and the Great Dao be the blade!" Xuan Fu's voice carried unprecedented majesty. The Initial Rune Seal completely merged with the Chaos Great Desolation Dao. His figure swelled to a height of ten thousand zhang, and three-colored radiance blanketed the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. "Shadow of the End, you can end the Great Dao, but you cannot end the beliefs of living beings!"

Xuan Fu raised a hand and swung it. The three-colored radiance condensed into a gigantic rune blade carrying the beliefs of all spirits and the Law Power of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao, slashing toward the Shadow of the End. Wherever the blade passed, the Power of Annihilation was forcibly torn apart. Under the blade's pressure, the Initial Rune Altar collapsed with a boom, and countless Initial Runes lost their source and shattered one after another.

A trace of surprise flashed through the Shadow of the End's eyes before it revealed a cold smile. "What an interesting belief, but it still cannot change the outcome of the end." It raised a hand and condensed a black "End Rune Seal," which collided with Xuan Fu's rune blade.

At the instant the two ultimate powers collided, the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness trembled violently. The Passage of Being and Non-Being nearly collapsed, while the crack in the Initial Realm widened several times over. The three-colored and black radiance annihilated each other, and an Energy Shockwave spread in all directions. Countless Initial God projections were torn apart instantly. The Innate Beings in the Chaos fled into the Primordial Wilderness, while the mountains and rivers of the Primordial Wilderness were reshaped by the shockwave.

The enormous impact sent Xuan Fu flying backward. Cracks appeared in his rune body once more, and the flow of power from all spirits was briefly interrupted. He could feel that the Shadow of the End was far stronger than he had imagined. The power of the End Rune Seal could nearly annihilate all laws of the Great Dao. Without the support of the Belief of All Spirits, he would have been completely ended long ago.

The Shadow of the End was also forced back several li by the rune blade's power. Its black figure grew somewhat indistinct, clearly having expended a considerable amount of strength. "I didn't expect you to block my attack with nothing but the beliefs of all spirits." A trace of surprise colored its voice. "But beliefs will eventually fade, and the fate of the end cannot be changed. This Ten-Thousand-Year Trial ends here."

The Shadow of the End waved a hand, and the Power of Annihilation surged as it spread toward the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. This time, it did not target Xuan Fu. Instead, it directly attacked the foundation of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao—the Passage of Being and Non-Being. As long as the passage was destroyed, the fusion of the Great Daos of the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness would fail completely, and the Chaos Great Desolation Dao would naturally collapse on its own.

"Not good! Protect the Passage of Being and Non-Being!" Xuan Fu was horrified and immediately urged his remaining strength, flying toward the passage.

Donghua, Daoist Yang Mei, and the others also reacted. Countless streams of power converged on the Passage of Being and Non-Being, forming a solid Defensive Barrier. The Power of Annihilation collided with the barrier, which instantly filled with countless cracks. The Power of Balance within the passage was rapidly annihilated, and the walls of the passage began to collapse inch by inch.

Xuan Fu reached the front of the passage and pressed the Initial Rune Seal against its wall. Three-colored radiance poured into the passage as he tried to repair the collapsing sections. But the Power of Annihilation eroded it too quickly. The walls collapsed faster and faster, and the fusion of the Great Daos of the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness began to fall into disorder. The Chaos-Desolation Qi of the two lands clashed with each other, and the beliefs of the living beings began to waver.

At the instant the Passage of Being and Non-Being was about to collapse completely, a beam of light erupted from the Core Areas of the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness at the same time. Deep within the Chaos, the figure of Pangu's Remnant Soul emerged once more. The phantom of the Sky-Opening Axe carried the Remnant Aura of Pangu's Creation and flew toward the passage. The Source of Myriad Talismans in the Talisman Tower of the Kunlun Mountain Range in the Primordial Wilderness also erupted with dazzling Origin Power of the Talisman Dao, resonating with the power of Pangu's Remnant Soul.

"Xuan Fu, use the Remnant Aura of Pangu's Creation as the bones and the Origin Power of the Talisman Dao as the veins to rebuild the Passage of Being and Non-Being!" Pangu's Remnant Soul's voice echoed through the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. "The Chaos Great Desolation Dao is not yours alone. It is also the Great Dao of Pangu's creation of the world and the proliferation of all spirits. Its foundation is far sturdier than you imagine!"

Xuan Fu was overjoyed and immediately did as instructed. He fused the Remnant Aura of Pangu's Creation and the Origin Power of the Talisman Dao into the Initial Rune Seal. The three-colored radiance intertwined with the golden light of the Sky-Opening Axe and the talismanic radiance of the Talisman Tower. The collapse of the Passage of Being and Non-Being instantly stopped. The cracks in its walls rapidly repaired themselves and became even sturdier, while the flow of Chaos-Desolation Qi through the passage grew smoother.

The rebuilt Passage of Being and Non-Being was no longer merely an energy link. It had become the core hub of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao, containing the powers of creation, the Talisman Dao, and all spirits. It radiated even more majestic pressure and actually withstood the erosion of the Power of Annihilation.

The Shadow of the End's expression grew solemn. It had not expected the foundation of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao to be so sturdy. It did not continue attacking. Instead, it slowly retreated, its black figure gradually merging into the crack in the Initial Realm. "You have passed this trial. The Chaos Great Desolation Dao has obtained equal status in the Initial Realm. But the fate of the end will not change. The next time we meet will be your true end."

After the Shadow of the End vanished, the remaining Initial God projections also withdrew one after another. The crack in the Initial Realm gradually closed, and the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness finally escaped the fate of being harvested.

Xuan Fu let out a sigh of relief and slowly descended. The radiance of his rune body gradually subsided, and the power of the Myriad Spirits United Formation also slowly dispersed. The living beings cheered wildly, celebrating this difficult victory. The Great Daos of the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness stabilized completely, the Chaos-Desolation Qi grew purer, and the fusion between the two lands became even tighter, forming a truly unified world.

"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Xuan Fu! Congratulations to the Chaos Great Desolation Dao!" Donghua, Daoist Yang Mei, and the others gathered around him, smiles of survival after disaster appearing on their faces.

Xuan Fu nodded, but there was not the slightest trace of relaxation in his heart. He could sense that although the Shadow of the End had withdrawn, the rhythm of "ending everything" had not vanished. Instead, it was lurking in the depths of the Initial Realm, waiting for another opportunity to strike. Moreover, within the Shadow of the End's aura, he had detected a familiar fluctuation—the lingering auras of Old Ancestor Nirvana, the Netherworld Ghost Lord, and Demon Ancestor Luohu. Clearly, the appearance of these taboo existences was no coincidence. They were connected to the Shadow of the End in some way.

Just then, Xuan Fu's Initial Rune Seal suddenly began to tremble violently. His Spiritual Sense sank into the seal, where he saw a strange scene. Deep within the Initial Realm, the Shadow of the End stood alongside countless Black Shadows. These Black Shadows were all the Lords of Great Daos who had been ended. The figures of Old Ancestor Nirvana, the Netherworld Ghost Lord, and Demon Ancestor Luohu were among them. They were being transformed by the Shadow of the End into "Envoys of the End," preparing to launch a new attack on the Chaos Great Desolation Dao.

Xuan Fu's expression instantly grew solemn. He knew that the Shadow of the End's retreat was only temporary, and an even more terrifying crisis was brewing. Although the Chaos Great Desolation Dao had gained equal status, it had also become a thorn in the Shadow of the End's side. The next attack would surely be on a world-destroying level.

What shocked him even more was that, at the edge of his Spiritual Sense, he could feel a faint Initial Rune quietly reviving somewhere in the Chaos and the Primordial Wilderness. This rune did not come from the Initial God's trial. Instead, it had spontaneously emerged under the nourishment of the Belief of All Spirits. It was a Mutated Rune containing the strange rhythm of "the Initial and the End coexisting," seemingly evolving toward an unknown direction.

Xuan Fu clenched the Initial Rune Seal in his hand, his heart filled with resolve. He knew that to face the crises of the future, he had to raise the strength of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao as quickly as possible, nurture more experts, and investigate the secrets of the Shadow of the End to find its weakness.

Just as everyone was immersed in the joy of victory, Xuan Fu suddenly raised his head and looked toward the Initial Realm. A trace of wariness flashed through his eyes. He could sense the aura of the Shadow of the End rapidly approaching. Clearly, his opponent had not given them much time to prepare.

An ultimate battle concerning the survival of the Chaos Great Desolation Dao had already drawn near in silence, without anyone realizing it.