Black radiance spread like ink splashed across paper, instantly enveloping Xuan Fu's talismanic body. It was not a physical attack, yet it carried a soul-deep power of imprisonment, as if countless invisible chains were wrapping around him. His talisman power suddenly stalled, making even the Rigid-Soft World-Breaking Talisman difficult to activate.
Xuan Fu's heart shook violently. The pressure of this consciousness was even more terrifying than the phantom inside the Chaos Crystal, faintly approaching the aura from the era when Pangu split the heavens and earth. He could sense that the other party was not targeting him. It was more as if it had been disturbed from slumber and was instinctively displaying its might.
The Malevolent Spirit Crystal floated at the center of the Energy Vortex. The black patterns on its surface began to flow, like a ferocious beast awakening and opening its eyes. The surrounding malevolent energy surged madly toward the crystal, and the black-and-white vortex suddenly spun several times faster. Even the origin of the Spirit Vein was forcibly dragged over, transforming into ribbons of spiritual energy that wrapped around it.
Xuan Fu did not panic. He knew that any struggle at this moment might anger the other party. He immediately reined in all his talisman power and disguised his aura as part of the Spirit Vein's origin. At the same time, he activated the Purification Talisman. Blue-green radiance flowed over his body, purifying the surrounding malevolent energy while transmitting a signal of "harmlessness" to the other party.
His talismanic body sank slightly, like an ordinary spiritual material swept along by the vortex, without the slightest intention of resisting. His Spiritual Sense, however, remained highly focused as he carefully sensed the fluctuations of consciousness within the Malevolent Spirit Crystal. This consciousness was ancient and chaotic. It showed no clear hostility, only the irritation of being disturbed from sleep and an instinctive desire to protect. Clearly, the Malevolent Spirit Crystal was its core vessel, and no one was allowed to touch it.
The battle above was drawing closer, and the thunder of collapsing rocks rang without end. Kongming's wild laughter mingled with the roars of the Three Clan Experts. "Ao Guang, your three clans are already spent. This Spirit Vein and the Malevolent Spirit Crystal will both belong to the Venerable One!" Kongming's voice was full of triumph. The fusion of his Power of Space and the malevolent energy grew increasingly bizarre, and the resulting Energy Storm had already torn apart the surface of the valley.
Xuan Fu grew anxious. The chaos above could reach the depths of the Spirit Vein at any moment. Once the Energy Storm poured in, forget about taking the Malevolent Spirit Crystal—even he might be swept into it and perish together with the crystal's consciousness.
Just then, the consciousness within the Malevolent Spirit Crystal suddenly changed, shifting from irritation to vigilance. Xuan Fu keenly sensed that it was not targeting him. Instead, it had detected Kongming's aura above. Kongming's Power of Space carried an air of destruction and plunder, making it far more threatening than Xuan Fu's "prying."
"Roar—"
A low roar came from within the Malevolent Spirit Crystal. It was not a physical sound, yet it made the entire depths of the Spirit Vein tremble. Black radiance surged, and the vortex of malevolent energy instantly expanded several times, rushing toward the Energy Storm above. Clearly, the consciousness of the Malevolent Spirit Crystal had chosen to deal with the external threat first, temporarily ignoring the "minor nuisance" that was Xuan Fu.
Xuan Fu seized this rare opportunity. He did not try to take the Malevolent Spirit Crystal. Instead, he activated his spatial talisman power, transformed himself into an almost imperceptible talismanic light, pressed close to the rock wall of the Spirit Vein, and slowly moved upward. He knew that the Malevolent Spirit Crystal, Kongming, and the three clans were bound to clash violently. Escaping amid the chaos would be his greatest victory.
He had just reached the middle level of the Spirit Vein when he felt two terrifying powers collide. The Malevolent Spirit Crystal's vortex of malevolent energy clashed head-on with Kongming's Energy Storm. With a thunderous boom, a black Energy Shockwave spread in all directions. The rock walls collapsed instantly, and countless stones mixed with malevolent energy fell like a torrential rain.
Xuan Fu activated the Rigid-Soft Talisman Array. A blue-gold barrier firmly shielded him. Riding the path of the shockwave like a small boat amid raging waves, he quickly broke through upward. He could see Kongming's figure flickering in and out of the malevolent energy, his face filled with shock and greed. "I never expected such a supreme treasure to exist in the depths of this Spirit Vein! If the Venerable One can refine it, his strength will surely rise another level!"
Ao Guang, Feng Yao, and Qilin Cang were deathly pale. They had already been eroded by the malevolent energy, and after suffering the Malevolent Spirit Crystal's impact, they could no longer hold on. "Kongming, if you refine this treasure, no force in the Primordial Wilderness will be able to restrain you. How could we allow that?" Ao Guang roared. He did not hesitate to burn his origin, transforming water vapor into a gigantic Water Dragon that rammed toward the Malevolent Spirit Crystal.
Feng Yao and Qilin Cang followed suit. Flame and earth-attribute power intertwined into a Three-Colored Light Screen, colliding with the powers of Kongming and the Malevolent Spirit Crystal. The four forces became tangled together. The Spirit Vein completely collapsed, countless cracks spreading as the entire valley shook violently, as if it were about to sink beneath the Primordial Wilderness.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Xuan Fu finally escaped the Spirit Vein and reached the outskirts of the valley. He did not linger. He immediately activated the Rigid-Soft World-Breaking Talisman, preparing to flee toward the Kunlun Mountain Range he had chosen earlier. The area was rich in spiritual energy and protected by an Innate Barrier, making it an ideal place for secluded cultivation in these chaotic times.
Just as the talisman light was about to break through the air, a gentle voice suddenly rang out in his mind. "Fellow Daoist, wait."
The voice carried no pressure at all, yet it held a rhythm that Embraced All Things, like a spring breeze brushing past him. Xuan Fu's restless talisman power instantly calmed. His heart jolted. Anyone who could approach silently amid such chaos and speak directly into his Spiritual Sense was undoubtedly an unfathomably powerful existence.
Xuan Fu did not flee recklessly or reveal hostility. Instead, he stopped, concealed his aura, and looked around. "May I ask which senior is here? I am Xuan Fu and had no intention of offending you."
As his voice fell, a figure dressed in blue robes and holding a horsetail whisk slowly emerged from the void. The man's features were gentle, and his eyes were as deep as a bottomless pool. Faint ripples of space surrounded him, out of place amid the surrounding Chaotic Energy yet perfectly merged with it, as if he himself were part of space.
"This poor Daoist is Yang Mei." The blue-robed cultivator smiled faintly and waved his horsetail whisk. The surrounding Energy Storm automatically parted, forming a stable area. "I observed that Fellow Daoist's Talisman Arts are exquisite, especially your Space Talisman Arts, which are uniquely ingenious. Thus, I revealed myself to meet you."
Daoist Yang Mei!
Xuan Fu's heart shook violently. He had never expected to encounter this legendary great power of the chaos here. According to legend, Daoist Yang Mei had transformed from the spirit of space. His strength was comparable to Pangu's, and he had transcended the Tribulation, making him one of the few reclusive experts in the Primordial Wilderness.
"This junior Xuan Fu pays his respects to Senior Yang Mei!" Xuan Fu hurriedly bowed, his attitude utterly respectful. He knew that this was a heaven-defying opportunity, far more precious than the Malevolent Spirit Crystal.
Daoist Yang Mei smiled and nodded, his appreciative gaze falling on Xuan Fu. "As a Talisman Spirit, Fellow Daoist has survived in the chaos until now and even comprehended the talisman path of Rigid and Soft Harmony. That is truly rare. Your fusion of the Purification Talisman and the Space Talisman is especially ingenious."
Xuan Fu was startled. He had not expected his trump card to be seen through at a glance. He did not dare conceal it and answered frankly, "This junior is dull by nature and merely happened to obtain a few opportunities in the chaos. I would not dare display my insignificant skills before Senior."
"Opportunities are also a part of strength." Daoist Yang Mei flicked his horsetail whisk, and a completely translucent spatial Dao talisman appeared in his hand. "Although your Space Talisman Arts have a foundation, they remain somewhat immature. This is the Universe Folding Talisman. It contains my lifelong comprehension of the Great Dao of Space. I gift it to you and hope it will help perfect your talisman path."
Xuan Fu accepted the spatial Dao talisman and immediately felt a vast comprehension of space surge into his mind. This talisman was far more profound than any Space Talisman he had possessed before. It could not only achieve long-distance Space Folding and escape, but also open an independent storage space, establish spatial restrictions, and even use the Power of Space to rebound attacks in a crisis.
"Thank you for your generous gift, Senior! I have nothing with which to repay you!" Xuan Fu was overwhelmed with gratitude and bowed again. With the Universe Folding Talisman and the comprehension within it, his Space Talisman Arts would surely undergo a qualitative leap.
Daoist Yang Mei waved his hand. "The Great Dao is heartless, yet it also has feeling. You and I are both Innate Beings related to space. Supporting one another is only proper." His tone shifted as he looked toward the valley where the battle raged, a trace of solemnity in his eyes. "The Primordial Wilderness has just emerged, and the curtain on the Three Clans Hegemony has already risen. Demon Ancestor Luohu is also stirring things up from the shadows. Future Tribulations will come one after another, so take care of yourself, Fellow Daoist."
Xuan Fu's heart tightened, and he hurriedly asked, "Senior, what about the Malevolent Spirit Crystal...?"
"It formed from the fusion of Chaotic Malevolence and the origin of the Spirit Vein, containing the dual powers of destruction and vitality." Daoist Yang Mei spoke calmly. "Its consciousness has not fully awakened. Now that it has been disturbed by Kongming and the three clans, it will inevitably become a scourge of the Primordial Wilderness in the future. However, you need not worry. For the time being, it cannot stir up too great a storm."
He paused before continuing, "Your strength is still shallow, so you should not become involved in these conflicts. The Kunlun Mountain Range is the source of the Primordial Wilderness's Dragon Vein. Its spiritual energy is pure, and it is protected by an Innate Barrier, making it suitable for your secluded cultivation. Wait until your Talisman Arts have reached perfection before emerging."
Xuan Fu nodded. Daoist Yang Mei's advice coincided perfectly with his own plans. He knew that with his current strength, joining any top-level conflict would be no different from courting death. Only secluded cultivation and improving his strength was the proper path.
"This junior will remember Senior's teachings."
Daoist Yang Mei smiled faintly, and his figure gradually became transparent. "Go. If you encounter trouble in the future, you can activate the Universe Folding Talisman. Perhaps I will be able to sense it." As his voice faded, his figure completely vanished into the void, as if he had never appeared.
Xuan Fu tightened his grip on the Universe Folding Talisman, his heart filled with strength. With Daoist Yang Mei's guidance and gift, the path ahead had become clearer. He no longer paid attention to the battle in the valley. Turning around, he activated the Universe Folding Talisman. Blue-gold talisman light enveloped his body, and he instantly merged into space and vanished.
The Universe Folding Talisman was far faster than the Rigid-Soft World-Breaking Talisman. In only a few breaths, it crossed tens of thousands of miles and reached the outskirts of the Kunlun Mountain Range. The spiritual energy here was indeed astonishingly dense. The mountains were magnificent, the vegetation lush, and Innate Beings could be seen everywhere. Yet their auras were peaceful, without the dangers found elsewhere in the Primordial Wilderness.
Xuan Fu did not venture inward recklessly. Instead, he first established multiple layers of Stealth Talisman Array around the mountain range. Only after confirming that it was safe did he begin digesting Daoist Yang Mei's gift. He merged the Universe Folding Talisman into his own runes, and comprehension of the Great Dao of Space surged into his Spiritual Sense like a flood bursting through a dam.
His understanding of space was no longer limited to escape and Space Folding. It had risen to the level of "control." He could clearly feel that the surrounding space was as flexible as his own arm. He could freely open storage spaces, establish invisible spatial restrictions, and even turn space into a weapon to launch unexpected attacks.
The patterns on his talisman body circulated wildly, imprinting and digesting these comprehensions one by one. Xuan Fu's talismanic body expanded again, reaching the size of a palm. Space ripples flowed across its blue-gold surface, and the pressure it radiated was already comparable to that of a mid-tier Fiendgod. He tried condensing a new Space Talisman, using the comprehension of the Universe Folding Talisman as its core and incorporating Rigid-Soft Talisman Power. A more exquisite Universe Imprisonment Talisman condensed, capable of instantly imprisoning the space within a radius of a thousand miles. Its might was boundless.
Just as he was immersed in the joy of breaking through, his Spiritual Sense suddenly caught a familiar aura.
It was the aura of the Malevolent Spirit Crystal!
Xuan Fu's heart jolted. He had never expected the Malevolent Spirit Crystal to have escaped the valley and begun moving toward the Kunlun Mountain Range. Even more alarming was that its aura was denser and more violent than before. Clearly, during its battle with Kongming and the three clans, its consciousness had awakened further, and its strength had also increased.
Following the aura with his Spiritual Sense, he saw a massive cloud of black malevolent energy rapidly approaching in the distant sky. At its center was that black Malevolent Spirit Crystal. Around it, Kongming's figure darted like a ghost, launching attack after attack in an attempt to seize the crystal. Ao Guang, Feng Yao, and Qilin Cang followed from afar, clearly unwilling to give up.
All four forces were actually heading toward the Kunlun Mountain Range!
Xuan Fu inwardly cursed. The Kunlun Mountain Range had been a peaceful place. If these experts entered it, they would surely stir up another bloody storm. The secluded cultivation ground he had just found would likely lose its peace once again.
He immediately concealed his aura, hiding himself completely within the talisman arrays. At the same time, he extended his Spiritual Sense and closely monitored the movements in the distance. He knew that a new crisis was rapidly approaching the Kunlun Mountain Range.
At that moment, the Malevolent Spirit Crystal seemed to have sensed the dense spiritual energy of the Kunlun Mountain Range. Its speed suddenly increased, and the cloud of malevolent energy swept over, dyeing a vast stretch of sky black.
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