Space Blades came at him like a dense rainstorm, each carrying a razor edge sharp enough to cleave the Chaos. At the same time, the remnant soul-shadow of Yanhuang Demon God came lunging straight at him, wrapped in flames that could set the wilderness ablaze. Caught between attacks from both sides, Xuan Fu's escape routes were completely sealed off. The surrounding Chaos Stream was stirred by the flames and Power of Space, forming a swirling Energy Vortex that trapped him firmly in the center.
More deadly still, that cold gaze originating from the depths of Chaos descended once again, like a sword hanging high above him, leaving him afraid to lose focus for even an instant. Under the threefold pressure, the Talisman patterns trembled violently, and the Tri-Color Barrier around his body dimmed several shades at once.
Xuan Fu did not panic. His Spiritual Sense raced into action at this critical moment. He knew perfectly well that fighting head-on meant certain death. His only chance at survival was to use his opponent's strength against him.
"Old friend Yanhuang, that old ghost Kongming wants to reap the benefits after we fight. Why don't we join forces to kill him first, then settle our own score?" Xuan Fu's Spiritual Sense transmission reached both Yanhuang's remnant soul and Kongming Demon God's minds at the same time.
Yanhuang's remnant soul was already furious because his Origin had been seized. Upon hearing this, his crimson phantom suddenly halted. Though his intelligence had been damaged, he still understood the principle that when one side fell, the other would suffer. Kongming's strength far surpassed that of his current remnant soul. If Xuan Fu defeated him first, he would surely fall victim to Kongming. Almost instantly, Yanhuang's remnant soul changed direction. The flames suddenly turned and swept toward Kongming Demon God.
"Fool!" Kongming Demon God roared angrily, a trace of panic flashing through his sinister gaze. He had not expected Yanhuang to actually be provoked, much less that Xuan Fu would dare use a deception tactic in such a desperate situation. The trajectories of the Space Blades changed hastily. Some were used to block the flames, while the rest continued toward Xuan Fu. Clearly, he had no intention of letting this perfect opportunity slip away.
This was exactly the opening Xuan Fu wanted!
He fiercely activated the Power of Space Folding, his figure retreating like a ghost. At the same time, he unleashed the Fire Origin and Space Origin with all his strength, condensing a cyan-red Space Fire Wall before him. The Space Blades slammed into the wall with a sizzling sound. Most of their power was neutralized by the wall's intense heat and spatial distortion. The remaining force struck the Tri-Color Barrier, merely making it tremble slightly without breaking through.
At the same time, Yanhuang's remnant soul's flames collided with Kongming's Space Blades. With a deafening boom, the flames were sliced into countless fragments by the Space Blades, but they also used the force of the explosion to drive Kongming back several dozen feet. Yanhuang's remnant soul let out an unwilling roar, its phantom growing even dimmer. Clearly, that strike had exhausted most of its remaining Origin.
A glint flashed through Xuan Fu's eyes as his Spiritual Sense fluctuated. He knew the moment had arrived. He did not take the opportunity to attack either side. Instead, he activated all his Origin Power, spreading the patterns of the Hidden Void Burning Array across his body. Transforming into a cyan-gold streak of light, he shot toward the weak point of the Energy Vortex.
"Trying to run?" Kongming Demon God sensed his intention and roared as he activated the Power of Space, attempting to imprison him once more.
But Xuan Fu had been prepared. He injected the newly refined Life Origin into the Space Rune, making his escape trajectory as smooth as flowing water. He forcibly squeezed through the gap in the spatial restraint. At the same time, he struck out with a Fire Attribute Talisman, sending it precisely between Yanhuang's remnant soul and Kongming and detonating the remnants of the Fire Origin.
Another violent explosion erupted, blocking Kongming's pursuit. It also caused Yanhuang's already crumbling remnant soul to let out a shrill wail. Its phantom completely collapsed, transforming into countless crimson Origin Fragments that scattered through the Chaos.
Xuan Fu did not look back. He fully activated his escape power and sped toward the depths of Chaos. He could feel Kongming Demon God's Spiritual Sense locked tightly onto him. The spatial fluctuations behind him drew closer and closer, clearly showing that his opponent had not abandoned the pursuit.
What frightened him even more was that the cold, mysterious gaze continued to envelop him like a parasite clinging to the bone. No matter how much he accelerated, he could not shake it off.
"I have to get rid of them as soon as possible!"
Xuan Fu gritted his teeth, his Talisman tightening as his Spiritual Sense raced wildly. He searched the surroundings for anything he could use. Though the Remnant Might of Sky-Opening Axe Light had weakened, quite a few Space Rifts left behind by Sky-Opening still remained in the Chaos. These rifts were extremely dangerous, but they were also excellent barriers for escaping pursuit.
He quickly locked onto a Space Rift several dozen feet wide. It was pitch-black inside and radiated an aura that seemed capable of devouring everything. Without the slightest hesitation, Xuan Fu abruptly changed direction and charged toward it.
"Madman!" Kongming Demon God's furious, startled voice came from behind. He had not expected Xuan Fu to actually dare enter such a certain-death region. The space inside the Space Rift was chaotic, and even he would not dare enter it lightly.
Kongming Demon God's pursuit slowed involuntarily, clearly hesitating over whether to follow. During that brief hesitation, Xuan Fu had already rushed into the Space Rift.
Inside the rift, Space Fragments flew in every direction, while countless tiny Space Blades cut through everything like a storm of knives. Xuan Fu activated the Space Rune, turning himself into a pure ray of talismanic light. He traveled along the trajectory of the rift's currents, avoiding the deadly Space Fragments. At the same time, he circulated the Life Origin to its limit, repairing the Talisman body damaged by the Power of Space.
The spatial fluctuations here were incredibly violent. They not only blocked Spiritual Sense detection from outside, but also blurred that cold, mysterious gaze. Xuan Fu felt slightly relieved, knowing he was temporarily safe.
He did not stop inside the rift. He hurried forward along its direction of extension. The other end of the Space Rift was bound to connect to another region of the Chaos. Perhaps it would allow him to completely escape Kongming and the mysterious existence pursuing him.
After he had traveled through the rift for an unknown length of time, a sliver of light finally appeared ahead. Xuan Fu was delighted and accelerated as he rushed out.
The scene before him was entirely different.
The Chaos Stream here was much gentler, and the separation of the Pure and Turbid Energies was far more distinct. The Pure Energy floated upward, while the Turbid Energy sank downward. The rudimentary shape of heaven and earth was already clearly visible. In the distance, he could even see the outlines of unbroken mountain ranges—the embryonic form of the Primordial Continent.
"Primordial Wilderness... is finally about to take shape." A trace of emotion colored the fluctuations of Xuan Fu's Spiritual Sense.
He knew the Chaos Era was about to end and a new era was about to begin. But this newborn world would not be a paradise. The shadow of the Three Clans Hegemony had already begun to gather, and the seed of the Tribulation had already been planted.
Just then, a powerful energy fluctuation came from ahead and caught Xuan Fu's attention. He activated the Stealth Talisman and quietly approached. On a plain ahead, he saw a massive Chaos Crystal floating in midair. Dozens of fragments containing pure Origin lay scattered around it. They were clearly the remains left behind after a powerful demon god had fallen.
What delighted him even more was that the surface of the crystal was covered in Dao Trajectories left behind by the Sky-Opening Axe Light. These trajectories were clearer and more complete than the ones he had recorded before, containing the ultimate mysteries of "rigidity" and "breaking" from Pangu's Sky-Opening.
Xuan Fu was ecstatic. This was an opportunity of immense magnitude! If he could fully comprehend these trajectories, his Talisman Dao would certainly undergo a qualitative leap.
He did not approach rashly. Instead, he first set up several layers of Stealth Talisman Arrays around the area. Only after confirming that no other demon gods were spying on him did he slowly walk toward the Chaos Crystal.
His fingertip lightly touched the crystal's surface. A vast Sky-Opening power surged into his body through his fingertip. Xuan Fu immediately gathered his mind and devoted himself to comprehending the Dao mysteries within the trajectories. Pangu's Sky-Opening power was fierce and unmatched, advancing without hesitation. It was the power to shatter all restraints and open the way for new life.
This mystery of "rigidity" formed a stark contrast with the "softness" of the Power of Space and the "moistening" of the Life Origin he had comprehended before. Xuan Fu's Spiritual Sense raced as he tried to merge "rigidity" with "softness."
The Talisman patterns flowed without pause. The Sky-Opening power and the Power of Space collided and merged with each other. At first, the two forces were as incompatible as fire and water. The fierce Sky-Opening power nearly burst his Talisman body apart. But Xuan Fu gritted his teeth and persevered, using the Life Origin as a buffer while constantly adjusting the ratio between the two forces.
Time passed bit by bit. Xuan Fu sank into enlightenment, completely unaware of everything outside. His Talisman body flashed continuously. At times, a fierce aura erupted from its cyan-gold radiance; at others, gentle fluctuations flowed through it. The two entirely different forces gradually began to blend, forming a wondrous rhythm of Rigid and Soft Harmony.
After an unknown amount of time, Xuan Fu suddenly opened his eyes as his Spiritual Sense erupted. The patterns on the surface of his Talisman had become more intricate and rounded. The fierce and gentle forces intertwined perfectly, radiating an indescribable pressure.
He had succeeded! Not only had he comprehended the Dao mystery of "rigidity" in Pangu's Sky-Opening, he had also fused it with the "soft" Dao patterns of his own, creating an entirely new Talisman Dao power—the Rigid-Soft Talisman Power. This power could be as indestructible as the Sky-Opening Axe, yet as flexible and changeable as flowing water. Its might far surpassed that of any single-attribute Talisman before.
Xuan Fu took a deep breath, his Talisman expanding, and raised his hand to strike out with a Rigid-Soft Talisman Power. Cyan-gold light flashed. The Chaos Stream ahead was cleaved apart in an instant, yet it healed the moment it split, displaying the wondrous effect of Rigid and Soft Harmony.
Just as he was immersed in the joy of his breakthrough, his Spiritual Sense suddenly caught a familiar aura.
It was the aura of Kongming Demon God!
Xuan Fu's heart tightened. He had not expected Kongming to be so persistent, actually following the trajectory of the Space Rift all the way here. What alarmed him even more was that Kongming's aura was far more violent than before. It seemed that during the pursuit, he had absorbed quite a bit more Origin and increased his strength.
He immediately concealed his aura and hid behind the Chaos Crystal, while activating the Rigid-Soft Talisman Power to condense an entirely new protective barrier over his body.
Kongming Demon God's figure soon appeared in his field of vision. His sinister gaze swept across the plain before finally landing on the Chaos Crystal and the Origin Fragments scattered around it. Clearly, he too had been drawn here by the Origin Aura.
Kongming's gaze lingered on the crystal for a moment, greed flashing in his eyes. He then began collecting the surrounding Origin Fragments. He seemed not to have discovered Xuan Fu's presence, perhaps because the Dao Trajectories on the Chaos Crystal interfered with his Spiritual Sense detection.
Xuan Fu held his breath and kept his Spiritual Sense tightly locked onto Kongming, rapidly calculating his options. Kongming's strength already surpassed his, and now it had increased further. He had no chance of winning in a head-on clash. But if he could make use of the Sky-Opening Trajectories on the Chaos Crystal, perhaps he could fight him.
Just then, Kongming suddenly stopped collecting the fragments. His sinister gaze snapped toward the back of the Chaos Crystal, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "You little vermin hiding your head and showing your tail. Did you really think I wouldn't find you just because you hid here?"
As his voice fell, countless Space Blades shot toward the place where Xuan Fu was hiding.
Xuan Fu's heart tightened. He knew he had been discovered. He did not choose to flee. Instead, he fiercely activated the Rigid-Soft Talisman Power while drawing upon the Sky-Opening Trajectories on the Chaos Crystal, laying down a Talisman Array embodying Rigid and Soft Harmony before him.
"Since I can't avoid it, then let's fight!"
The Space Blades slammed into the Talisman Array with a deafening boom. The fierce Sky-Opening power and the gentle Power of Space interacted with each other, blocking the Space Blades one after another. Yet the Talisman Array trembled violently, and a crack appeared across it.
Seeing this, a trace of surprise flashed through Kongming Demon God's eyes before he grew even more furious. "I never thought a vermin like you would encounter such an opportunity! Hand over your understanding of the Dao Trajectories on the crystal, and I can grant you a quick death!"
As his voice fell, Kongming activated all his Origin and transformed into a pitch-black streak of light that lunged at Xuan Fu. His claws were covered in Space Veins and carried enough force to tear everything apart. Clearly, he intended to finish Xuan Fu with a single move.
Xuan Fu took a deep breath and pushed the Rigid-Soft Talisman Power to its limit. Radiant light flowed across the surface of his Talisman, while the Sky-Opening Trajectories on the Chaos Crystal lit up as well, resonating with his Talisman Array.
Just as the two were about to collide, Xuan Fu suddenly sensed a faint yet exceptionally familiar fluctuation from inside the Chaos Crystal.
It was the aura of the mysterious existence he had sensed earlier in the crevice of the Chaos Fragment!
That aura had not come from outside. It had been hidden inside the Chaos Crystal all along!
Xuan Fu's heart jolted. At that moment, Kongming's claws were already right before him.
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