What, So Soon?

Hong Yun released his divine sense.

A powerful aura instantly enveloped the three thousand Innate Human Race members.

"Hmm? This is a physique suited for cultivating Dao techniques!"

"This is a physique suited for cultivating the body!"

"This is a physique suited for cultivating divine abilities!"

Hong Yun examined them one by one.

He was extremely fast.

However, the fact that the human race's physiques differed so greatly still surprised Hong Yun somewhat.

After all, these Innate Human Race members had all been created by Nuwa using the Gourd Vine and Nine Heavens Breathing Soil.

They should have been fairly similar in the first place.

Yet now, the differences in each person's physique and innate foundation were enormous.

In the end, Hong Yun divided the three thousand Innate Human Race members into four types of physiques.

One was the Innate Dao Body, suited for cultivating Dao techniques.

One was the Innate Divine Body, suited for cultivating divine abilities.

One was the Innate Hegemon Body, suited for cultivating body-refinement battle techniques.

One was the Innate Immortal Body, suited for cultivating the path of longevity.

For these four physiques, Hong Yun planned to teach them four different cultivation methods.

At the same time, based on the strength of their innate foundations, he divided these four physiques into ten grades.

They were first grade, second grade, third grade... all the way to tenth grade.

First grade was the highest, meaning they were the most suited for cultivating that particular method.

Tenth grade was the lowest, meaning that although they were suited for cultivating that method, their progress would not be especially fast.

After sorting out the three thousand Innate Human Race members, Hong Yun began teaching them the cultivation methods.

He started by teaching the first-grade Innate Hegemon Bodies, Innate Divine Bodies, Innate Immortal Bodies, and Innate Dao Bodies.

These people cultivated extremely quickly.

In less than a month, they had already entered the beginner stage.

After a year, they had already reached minor mastery.

Hong Yun stopped teaching them after that. The rest could only depend on their own comprehension and diligent cultivation.

Afterward, Hong Yun spent nearly ten more years teaching the second- and third-grade Innate Human Race members until they reached minor mastery of their cultivation methods.

As for the remaining Innate Human Race members, he left it to those with first-, second-, and third-grade innate foundations to teach them.

After finishing all this, Hong Yun finally left the human race.

When he departed, countless members of the human race knelt on the ground and wept bitterly.

Their Holy Father, Hong Yun, had shown them such great kindness that none of them could bear to see him leave.

Especially those with first-, second-, and third-grade innate foundations. They were even more grateful to Hong Yun.

Ever since they began cultivating the methods Hong Yun had taught them, they could contend with Golden Immortal experts in the Great Desolation even at merely the minor mastery stage.

·····

If they cultivated to perfection, they could probably even battle Great Overarching experts.

As for what came afterward, they would have to rely on their own comprehension of Dao techniques and divine abilities to walk a stronger path.

Hong Yun was not their nursemaid, and it was impossible for him to continue protecting them as they grew.

However, in the end, Hong Yun still left the Innate Five Elements Banners with the human race.

It counted as the last bit of protection he could provide them.

Within the territory of Shouyang Mountain, the human race would have the protection of the Innate Five Elements Banners.

Even if a Quasi-Saint Peak expert arrived, breaking through the Innate Five Elements Banners would not be easy.

But if they left the territory of Shouyang Mountain, they could only fend for themselves.

After leaving, Hong Yun returned to Fire Cloud Cave.

At that moment, Taishang Laojun also returned to Kunlun Jade Void Palace.

"Big Brother, you're finally back! This time, you went out and surely..."

"Huh? Big Brother, your cultivation realm?"

When Taishang Laojun returned to Jade Void Palace, Yuanshi was the first to come before him.

He had originally thought that Taishang Laojun would definitely gain tremendously from this trip. Even if he did not attain sainthood, he should at least have found a way to prove the Dao.

But unexpectedly, the moment Yuanshi examined him with his divine sense, he discovered that Taishang Laojun was only at the late Quasi-Saint stage.

What... was going on?

Yuanshi was instantly dumbfounded, his mind unable to process the situation.

Could proving the Dao and attaining sainthood require one to cripple their own cultivation realm first?

"Big Brother, did you find a way to prove the Dao and attain sainthood? Do you have to first cripple your Quasi-Saint Peak cultivation?"

Tongtian also came before Taishang Laojun at that moment and naturally noticed his cultivation realm.

However, he felt that this should be another method of proving the Dao and attaining sainthood.

After all... the path of attaining sainthood through the fusion of the Three Corpses was no longer viable.

"Ahem... This time, I did indeed find a way to prove the Dao and attain sainthood, but the price was also considerable."

"I need to enter seclusion and cultivate for a while, so I will not say more to you two."

"When I emerge from seclusion, I will teach you both how to become saints!"

Taishang Laojun coughed twice and hurriedly spoke.

After saying that, his figure flashed, and he returned to his own cave abode.

Immediately afterward, he cast out a string of restrictions, sealing the cave abode completely. No one was allowed to disturb him.

At least for the next thousand years, Taishang Laojun had no intention of leaving seclusion.

He would come out only after his cultivation realm had recovered to the Quasi-Saint Peak.

Within Fire Cloud Cave.

Hong Yun finally had time to examine the rewards he had obtained this time.

Whoosh!

With a wave of his hand, he took out the Chaos Origin rewarded by the system.

A mass of gray, hazy chaotic matter resembled an ever-changing flame and radiated a hair-raising aura.

"Is this... the Chaos Origin?"

Hong Yun was somewhat curious as he examined it.

Although the aura of the Chaos Origin was terrifying, when Hong Yun examined it, he sensed a hint of intimacy from it.

Hong Yun did not know why.

But from the reward description given by the system, he learned that the Chaos Origin could be refined.

Once refined, his innate foundation would improve once again.

If his previous foundation had been that of the first cloud born from the heavens, then after fusing with Pangu's Essence Blood, he had possessed the greatest innate foundation in the Great Desolation.

Yet the greatest innate foundation in the Great Desolation was nothing remarkable when placed in Chaos.

Apart from ordinary chaotic lifeforms, there were three thousand Chaos Demon Gods in Chaos.

Every Chaos Demon God possessed an innate foundation at the level of the Chaos Origin.

Of course, Pangu's innate foundation was the highest, at the level of the Son of the Great Dao.

Now, once Hong Yun refined the Chaos Origin, his innate foundation would also reach the level of the Chaos Origin.

It might even be somewhat higher than that of ordinary members of the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods.

That was because he had previously refined a drop of Pangu's Essence Blood.

A drop of Pangu's Essence Blood, the first cloud born from the heavens, and the Chaos Origin—once the three fused together, his innate foundation would rise to a terrifying level.

"The reason the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods were able to cultivate the Great Dao laws of Chaos back then was precisely because they possessed the innate foundations of Chaos Demon Gods!"

"Every Chaos Demon God controls the origin of one Great Dao law! Once I refine this Chaos Origin, my speed of comprehending the Great Dao laws will become even more terrifying!"

Hong Yun thought inwardly.

This reward was truly enormous.

Without the innate foundation of a Chaos Demon God, even if Hong Yun cultivated the Laws of Devouring, Light and Darkness, Chaos, Reincarnation, and the Five Elements to perfection, it would be impossible for him to advance them to the level of the Great Dao.

The Great Dao was the highest existence, transcending the Heavenly Dao, laws, and divine abilities.

It was not something just anyone could cultivate.

Even Dao Ancestor Hongjun, despite possessing fragments of the Jade Disc of Creation, had still been unable to cultivate the Great Dao and attain sainthood through proving the Dao.

He could only settle for the next best option and prepare to merge with the Heavenly Dao!

This showed just how difficult the Great Dao was to cultivate.

But that applied to others. Now, Hong Yun possessed the Chaos Origin.

"Refine it!"

Hong Yun was no longer in a hurry to use Heavenly Dao Merit to comprehend the Laws of Devouring, Light and Darkness, Chaos, Reincarnation, and the Five Elements.

Although these laws had already reached the great mastery stage, Hong Yun estimated that once he cultivated them to perfection, he would be able to advance to the fifth layer of Mythical Dao Fruit Foundation Building and rival a Saint.

But...

The Chaos Origin's temptation for him was simply too great.

Sizzle, sizzle!

Hong Yun waved his hand, took out the Great Dao Cushion, and began refining the Chaos Origin.

Time passed, and a hundred years went by in the blink of an eye.

With the hundredfold acceleration provided by the Great Dao Cushion, Hong Yun had effectively refined it for ten thousand years.

But...

"This Chaos Origin really is difficult to refine. After a hundred years, I have only refined one-tenth of it!"

"But the more difficult it is to refine, the more precious it must be!"

Hong Yun thought inwardly.

He did not feel the slightest bit discouraged because the Chaos Origin was difficult to refine.

Instead, he felt that once he refined it, earth-shaking changes would occur within him.

The Chaos Origin was far more difficult to refine than Pangu's Essence Blood had been.

Hong Yun continued refining it.

Time flew like a shuttle, passing as swiftly as a white colt glimpsed through a crack.

A thousand years passed like floating clouds.

A thousand years went by in the blink of an eye.

On this day.

Within Fire Cloud Cave.

Hong Yun finally opened his eyes.

Boom!

A terrifying aura radiated from his body.

At that moment, Hong Yun seemed like a Chaos Demon God with an overwhelming, blazing presence. No, he was even more terrifying than a Chaos Demon God.

"I've finally completely refined the Chaos Origin!"

Hong Yun sighed with emotion.

A thousand years was actually equivalent to one hundred thousand years. He had completely refined the Chaos Origin, and earth-shaking changes had occurred within him as well.

At this moment, Hong Yun was no longer a lifeform of the Great Desolation but a chaotic lifeform.

In terms of the level of his life, he had already transcended.

Even if he could not prove the Dao and attain sainthood, given his current innate foundation, the heavenly calamities of the Great Desolation could no longer annihilate him.

Only if a powerful expert used external force to kill him.

For example, Pangu had killed the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods when he created the world.

Otherwise, even after countless trillions of worldly calamities, the Chaos Demon Gods would not perish.

But even though Pangu had killed the three thousand Chaos Demon Gods, their shattered true spirits could still be reborn in the Great Desolation.

That was the strength of chaotic lifeforms.

Hong Yun had now reached this level.

A full half hour passed.

Hong Yun finally reined in the chaotic aura outside his body...

At this moment, he seemed to be exactly the same as before once again.

But the fundamental transformation within him had brought Hong Yun an enormous increase.

"Let's see how fast I can comprehend laws!"

Hong Yun thought.

With the innate foundation of a Chaos Demon God—or even one higher than that—comprehending the Great Dao would no longer be a problem.

If he comprehended laws, how terrifying would his speed become?

Hong Yun was also looking forward to it.

Sizzle, sizzle!

Sitting on the Great Dao Cushion, the first law Hong Yun began comprehending was the Law of Devouring.

At present, Hong Yun's Law of Devouring was at the great mastery stage.

At the normal speed, even with the aid of Heavenly Dao Merit, it would take eighty to one hundred years to advance from great mastery to perfection.

One had to know that this was with the thousandfold comprehension-speed boost from Heavenly Dao Merit, as well as the hundredfold speed boost from the Great Dao Cushion.

It was equivalent to having a hundred-thousandfold speed boost.

In other words, even other mighty cultivators of the Great Desolation—including Hongjun, the Three Pure Ones, and Nuwa—would need eight hundred thousand to one million years to cultivate a law from the Great Accomplishment realm to the Perfected realm.

But now...

Ten years later.

Buzz!

The aura of devouring around Hong Yun suddenly surged tenfold.

At that moment, his Law of Devouring had actually reached the Perfected realm.

"My heavens, my cultivation speed has increased by a full ten thousand times!"

Hong Yun was utterly stunned.