What Is a Calamity Cycle?

In the blink of an eye, five Eons passed silently like a white colt flashing by a crack in the wall.

"Dao Venerable, we will be taking our leave now. If the opportunity arises in the future, we will certainly come visit again." Ancestral Dragon, Yuanfeng, Shi Qilin, and Mo Yuan looked at Xuanxiao together, their words filled with respect.

Xuanxiao remained calm and merely nodded casually.

"No, I don't want to leave! Dao Venerable, please let me stay!" Mo Yuan blinked his big eyes pitifully and looked at Xuanxiao with a pleading expression.

By now, none of the reluctance he had shown upon arriving remained. To him, Thunder Marsh had become the perfect place he had always dreamed of.

Not only did it possess an enormous abundance of cultivation resources, but as Xuanxiao's sanctuary, it was also the safest harbor in the entire Primordial Wilderness.

For Mo Yuan, who had always regarded lying low as his way of survival, leaving Thunder Marsh was truly unbearable.

Seeing Mo Yuan make such a spectacle of himself, Shi Qilin felt utterly helpless. Without another word, he grabbed him and prepared to leave.

"NO!!!" Mo Yuan's miserable cry echoed through the void, a sorrowful wail filled with reluctance.

Yuanfeng and Ancestral Dragon exchanged a glance and each gave a cold snort before turning away without hesitation.

They had been away from their clans for far too long, and countless clan affairs urgently required their attention. It was indeed time to return.

Xuanxiao watched their retreating figures and gently shook his head. "I hope there truly will be another chance for us to meet."

During the years they had spent discussing the Dao with Xuanxiao, Ancestral Dragon and the others had become less extreme in their cultivation paths than before. Yet their paths had already largely taken shape, and changing them would be easier said than done. It required not only extraordinary determination, but also the great wisdom to see through all things.

Xuanxiao thought to himself that the eruption of the Dragon-Phoenix Tribulation was likely not far away.

Recently, he had clearly sensed faint disturbances stirring within the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes. He foresaw that a storm was approaching, which was why he had subtly urged the three of them to depart early.

After everyone had left, Xuanxiao turned his gaze toward Gou Chen beside him.

Gou Chen had long since emerged successfully from seclusion, and his cultivation had broken through to the Grand Luo Golden Immortal realm.

A calm yet powerful aura radiated from him, while his eyes revealed resolve and confidence.

"Gou Chen, come. Your master will take you around the Primordial Wilderness." Xuanxiao smiled at Gou Chen.

At Xuanxiao's words, delight instantly appeared on Gou Chen's face.

Not long after his birth, he had been threatened by the Kirin Clan and trapped within Thunder Marsh. He had never had the chance to leave Thunder Marsh and explore the Primordial Wilderness.

Now that Xuanxiao had invited him, the joy in his heart was beyond words.

However, even amid his excitement, Gou Chen restrained his impulse and pondered for a moment.

"Master, perhaps I should stay behind and guard Thunder Marsh for you. What if those arrogant fools come again, trying to seize our Thunder Marsh? That would be troublesome." Gou Chen spoke with a serious expression.

"It is no matter. Thunder Marsh is now protected by layers upon layers of powerful formations. Let alone ordinary Grand Luo Golden Immortals, even a Primordial Origin Golden Immortal would gain no advantage upon entering Thunder Marsh. Besides, whenever we wish to return, we can do so through Primordial Hall. There is no harm in you accompanying me on this journey." Xuanxiao waved his hand carelessly, looking completely at ease.

"In that case, I shall follow Master's arrangements." Having heard Xuanxiao's explanation, Gou Chen finally set aside his worries and readily agreed.

"This time, your master will take you to meet the mastermind stirring up conflict among the Three Clans in the Primordial Wilderness." A cold gleam flashed through Xuanxiao's eyes. When he had previously traveled west, he had visited Mount Sumeru, but Luohu had not been there at the time.

The Calamity Cycle had still been far off then, and there had been plenty of time. Thus, Xuanxiao had not paid much attention to failing to encounter Luohu at Mount Sumeru.

But the situation was different now. The Calamity Cycle was drawing ever closer, and Xuanxiao had no intention of easily letting off this man who had thrown the Primordial Wilderness into chaos.

After all, Luohu was a Self-Destruct Maniac. Xuanxiao did not want him to destroy the western spiritual veins as he had in Xuanxiao's memories.

Therefore, one of Xuanxiao's goals for this journey was to teach that fellow a proper lesson and make him restrain himself instead of continuing to act recklessly.

"Then let us go." With that, Xuanxiao departed Thunder Marsh together with Gou Chen.

Although Xuanxiao had a clear objective on this journey, he still traveled like an idle cloud and a wild crane, leisurely and unhurried.

Unlike before, this time, whenever Xuanxiao encountered any Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, no matter how valuable they were, he collected them all.

After all, with the Calamity Cycle approaching, if he did not properly preserve these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, they would likely all be destroyed in the fighting between the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes.

That would be nothing but waste. Moreover, by doing this, he was preserving the Primordial Wilderness's foundations and maintaining the diversity of its species.

However, Gou Chen found Xuanxiao's actions somewhat puzzling.

Among the many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures Xuanxiao collected, quite a few were of little use even to Gou Chen himself, much less to Xuanxiao, whose strength far surpassed his.

As Gou Chen watched Xuanxiao casually tuck away a Heavenly Vein Flower, he finally could not help asking, "Master, I truly do not understand. This Heavenly Vein Flower is only effective on living beings below the Golden Immortal realm. Though it is not found everywhere in the Primordial Wilderness, it is hardly rare. Do you have some special use for collecting it?"

Xuanxiao's expression turned grave as he explained, "The Calamity Cycle is about to arrive. Even if I do not collect these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, they will ultimately be reduced to nothing in the flames of the Calamity Cycle."

Gou Chen looked toward a True Dragon and a phoenix fighting in the distance. His eyes were full of curiosity as he asked, "A Calamity Cycle? Is the reason the Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes are frequently erupting into conflict now because they are being affected by the Calamity Cycle?"

Xuanxiao gently shook his head and said slowly, "The Three Clans did not erupt into conflict because of the Calamity Cycle. Rather, the Daos each of them pursues are fundamentally incompatible. So long as they persist in their own paths, conflict is unavoidable. The Calamity Cycle merely accelerated the outbreak of that conflict. And in my view, it will be exceedingly difficult for the Three Clans to pass through this Calamity Cycle unscathed."

"Master, is a Calamity Cycle truly so terrifying? Even the powerful Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin tribes cannot overcome it?" Gou Chen looked at Xuanxiao with great curiosity, his eyes carrying a trace of awe.

Xuanxiao stared at the Calamity Qi that had begun spreading through the void. His expression was grave, and his voice carried a hint of helplessness. "It is difficult. Precisely because they are powerful and refuse to yield to one another, they cannot emerge from the Calamity Cycle unscathed. In the end, I fear all three sides will suffer grievous losses."

Gou Chen fired off a string of questions, his eyes filled with a thirst for knowledge. "Then every Calamity Cycle is like a terrible disaster for the Primordial Wilderness. Does that mean a Calamity Cycle is entirely a bad thing for the Primordial Wilderness? If so, is there any way to stop one from occurring?"

Xuanxiao shook his head slightly and said calmly, "Gou Chen, all things in this world have two sides, and Calamity Cycles are no exception.

"For the living beings of the Primordial Wilderness, a Calamity Cycle is undoubtedly a tremendous disaster. But for the Primordial World itself, that is not entirely the case.

"The essence of every Calamity Cycle is that the Primordial Wilderness can no longer sustain the development of so many living beings.

"Therefore, the Primordial Wilderness needs to use a Calamity Cycle to sift through its living beings. It is also a trial for them. Only those who pass the trial are qualified to continue living in the Primordial World. A Calamity Cycle is a natural law and cannot be stopped."

After saying this, Xuanxiao paused slightly and fell into thought. A moment later, he continued, "However, while a Calamity Cycle cannot be stopped, its arrival can be delayed."

"Master, then what method can delay a Calamity Cycle?" Gou Chen eagerly pressed on, excitement gleaming in his eyes.

Xuanxiao's gaze was profound as he said slowly:

"The emergence of a Calamity Cycle is closely tied to the number of living beings.

"The reason there are so many living beings in the Primordial Wilderness is because it places almost no restrictions on their development, allowing them to reproduce and grow without restraint.

"If the development of living beings could be limited, the Calamity Cycle could naturally be delayed.

"Additionally, another method would be to expand the space of the Primordial Wilderness as soon as possible.

"If the Primordial Wilderness became larger, it could naturally accommodate more living beings.

"In that way, the arrival of the Calamity Cycle would naturally be delayed.

"If the Primordial Wilderness's rate of expansion could surpass the rate at which its living beings developed, then the arrival of a Calamity Cycle could be delayed indefinitely.

"At that time, the Primordial World would almost no longer be troubled by Calamity Cycles.

"However... beyond the Calamity Cycle lies the even more terrifying Immeasurable Tribulation.

"Under an Immeasurable Tribulation, the entire Chaos will be thoroughly purged.

"As for the Immeasurable Tribulation, even your master has no way to deal with it." After speaking, Xuanxiao could not help sighing softly, his eyes revealing helplessness and worry.

Xuanxiao's words were not meant only for Gou Chen. He was also conveying his thoughts to the omnipresent Heavenly Dao throughout the Primordial Wilderness.

In truth, according to the course of events in his memories, the Heavenly Dao later did adopt some of the methods Xuanxiao had mentioned, such as restricting the breakthroughs of living beings in the Primordial Wilderness, limiting their lifespans, and using Primordial Violet Qi to create Sages to assist in governing the Primordial Wilderness.

Unfortunately, those measures ultimately did not achieve ideal results.

The Heavenly Dao was not a living being after all. It would not personally interfere in the development of living beings, and even Sages could not cast aside the seven emotions and six desires. Though every Calamity Cycle cleared out the living beings of the Primordial Wilderness, the conflicts among them also damaged the Primordial Wilderness.

This became even more so after the Primordial Wilderness gave birth to Sages.

After enduring the impact of multiple Calamity Cycles, the entire Primordial World was shattered by the Sages. Rather than growing stronger, its foundations gradually declined, and it ultimately fell into the Age of Dharma's End.

"So that is how it is." After hearing Xuanxiao's detailed explanation, Gou Chen finally gained a relatively clear yet vague understanding of the Calamity Cycle, and his understanding of the Primordial World's mystery and complexity deepened further.