It took Lin Yue a while to process everything before he could accept that he had met Pangu. He looked at the silent figure before him, feeling both thrilled and uneasy. He was thrilled to meet the legendary Creation God, but uneasy because he had no idea whether this powerful figure would be hostile toward an "outsider" like him.
"P-Pangu, Senior," Lin Yue said, swallowing hard, his voice trembling slightly. "This junior has only just arrived and knows nothing about the rules of Chaos. I was almost hurt by the airflow just now. Do you know how to move around safely in Chaos?"
Pangu didn't turn around. He simply held out a finger and lightly pointed at the gray mist not far away. Lin Yue followed his gesture and saw that although the mist there was still violent, it was thinner than elsewhere. The airflow also seemed to follow a pattern, flowing around certain invisible points.
"Follow the airflow's path?" Lin Yue asked tentatively.
Pangu gave a soft "Mm" in reply.
Summoning his courage, Lin Yue headed toward the thinner gray mist. Following Pangu's advice, he moved through the gaps in the airflow. It went much more smoothly than before. There seemed to be fewer "blades" hidden in the mist, and they no longer cut his skin so easily.
After taking a dozen or so steps, Lin Yue stopped. He wanted to see if he could touch the Chaos airflow directly. After all, he would have to survive in Chaos for a long time; he couldn't keep avoiding the airflow forever. He took a deep breath and held out his right hand, slowly bringing his fingertips closer to the mist.
The moment his fingertip touched the airflow, a sharp pain shot through it, like a red-hot needle stabbing him hard. Lin Yue quickly pulled his hand back. A faint red mark had appeared on his fingertip, and it was still warm. The skin around the mark was visibly turning black, clearly corroded by some substance in the Chaos airflow.
"What terrifying corrosive power!" Lin Yue gasped. He quickly blew on his fingertip, hoping to ease the pain. Looking at the seemingly ordinary gray mist, he felt a deep sense of awe. Chaos Energy was even more dangerous than he had imagined.
Unwilling to give up, he picked up a small stone from the ground and hurled it toward the mist. As soon as it entered the gray mist, an invisible force enveloped it and ground it into powder in an instant, without making so much as a sound. Lin Yue's expression grew even more serious. The Chaos airflow was not only corrosive, but also possessed tremendous shredding force. If he were caught in it, not even his bones would remain.
"Looks like I need to find a way to protect myself from the airflow's corrosive effects." Lin Yue furrowed his brows and began considering his options. He remembered the wisp of golden energy Pangu had given him earlier. Perhaps he could use Chaos Energy to resist the Chaos airflow?
He tried to draw out the wisp of golden energy within him and gather it in the palm of his right hand. As soon as it took shape, a faint golden light radiated from his palm, the same source as the golden glow surrounding Pangu. Lin Yue reached out again. When his fingertip touched the mist, he felt no pain this time. The "blades" seemed to be blocked by the golden light, unable to reach his skin.
"It works!" Delighted, Lin Yue tried to wrap his entire hand in the golden energy, then slowly extended it into the mist. This time, he could clearly feel the Chaos airflow moving. He could even touch the "blades" hidden within it. They struck the golden energy with a faint sizzling sound, but couldn't penetrate his defenses.
He tried stirring the mist with his hand and found that although the Chaos airflow was violent, it followed certain patterns. Like water, it flowed in the direction of least resistance. An idea struck Lin Yue: if he could guide the airflow, perhaps he could move freely through Chaos.
He began using the golden energy to guide the airflow, trying to push it aside. At first, the airflow refused to cooperate, constantly trying to break through his control. Lin Yue struggled with all his might before barely managing to change the direction of a small patch of it ahead. He slowly made his way forward through the channel he had opened. His progress was slow, but it was much safer than before.
After walking for about half an hour, Lin Yue began to run out of strength. The golden energy was draining much faster than he had expected. The wisp inside him was nearly spent, and the light in his palm had grown dim. He quickly stopped and leaned against a rock to rest, while thinking about how to replenish his energy.
He looked toward Pangu and saw that Senior Pangu still stood motionless within the golden light, seemingly surrounded by an endless supply of energy. Lin Yue hesitated, then went over and said, "Senior, the Chaos Energy inside me is almost used up. Do you know how I can replenish it?"
Pangu opened his eyes and looked at him. Then he held out his hand, gathering a pale-green stone in his palm before passing it to Lin Yue. The stone was about the size of a fist, smooth on the surface and brimming with energy. Its energy was completely different from the golden wisp he'd received earlier, but just as pure.
"Is this... Chaos Qi Condensation?" Lin Yue took the stone and immediately felt a gentle energy flow from his palm into his body. A warm sensation spread through his dantian, and the energy he had used up began to recover rapidly.
Pangu nodded and said simply, "Absorb it."
Lin Yue quickly sat cross-legged and began absorbing the energy in the Chaos Qi Condensation, following Pangu's instructions. The energy was gentle, unlike the violent Chaos airflow. It flowed slowly through his meridians into his dantian, where it formed a faint vortex.
"So this is the foundation of cultivation in Chaos!" Lin Yue suddenly understood. He could feel the vortex in his dantian growing clearer as he absorbed the energy. His awareness of the surrounding Chaos airflow also sharpened. He could even faintly "see" the paths taken by the energy within it.
Once he had absorbed the energy in the Chaos Qi Condensation, Lin Yue got to his feet, feeling full of strength. He bowed deeply to Pangu. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior. I understand now."
Pangu said nothing more. He merely waved a hand, signaling that Lin Yue could continue exploring. Lin Yue nodded and walked back into the gray mist. This time, he could not only use the golden energy to guide the airflow, but also absorb the faint Chaos Energy around him with the vortex in his dantian. It was slow, but enough to sustain his basic needs.
Following the airflow's path, he slowly explored the area. He found that Chaos held more than black rocks: there were also ores that glimmered in different colors. Some gave off the fiery aura of flames, while others carried the blue energy of the Water Attribute. He carefully gathered a few relatively safe ores, intending to study their uses later.
After walking for about an hour, Lin Yue suddenly heard the roar of ferocious beasts in the distance. He quickly hid behind a huge rock and peered through a gap. Three beasts resembling lizards were chasing a small, snow-white creature. Each was two zhang long, covered in black scales, and spitting black venom from its mouth. They were the same shadowy creatures he had seen in the gray mist earlier.
"Earth-Splitting Lizards!" Lin Yue's heart raced. He knew he was no match for them with his current strength. Holding his breath, he watched as the Earth-Splitting Lizards cornered the small creature, unable to do anything to help.
Just then, a streak of green light flashed through the gray mist and landed among the Earth-Splitting Lizards. When it faded, an old man appeared, dressed in a green robe and holding a willow branch. He looked kind, and a faint green aura surrounded him, standing out sharply against the gray of Chaos.
The old man held the willow branch and gave it a gentle wave. Three beams of green light struck the Earth-Splitting Lizards. They let out cries of pain as their scales began to fall away and black blood flowed from their wounds. They were clearly badly injured. Daring not linger, they turned and tried to flee.
The old man didn't pursue them. He watched as the Earth-Splitting Lizards vanished into the gray mist, then turned and walked over to the snow-white creature. He gently brushed its wounds with the willow branch. The black venom on its body disappeared in an instant, and its wounds healed rapidly. Soon, it was full of energy again. It circled the old man a few times, then burrowed into his arms.
Lin Yue was stunned by what he had just seen. The old man had to be a powerful figure in Chaos, perhaps one of the legendary Three Thousand Demon Gods. After hesitating for a moment, he decided to go say hello. The more powerful figures he knew, the better his chances of surviving in Chaos.
He straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and stepped out from behind the rock. He cupped his hands toward the old man. "This junior is Lin Yue. Greetings, Senior."
The old man turned around and looked at Lin Yue, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. "You're not a Chaos Creature?"
Lin Yue froze. He hadn't expected the old man to see through his origins at a glance. He didn't dare hide the truth and answered honestly, "You have a keen eye, Senior. This junior is indeed not a Chaos Creature. I came from another world and ended up here by accident."
The old man nodded without pressing him for details, instead sizing him up with interest. "You managed to survive in Chaos and even cultivate Chaos Qi. You're an interesting little fellow." He paused, then added, "My name is Yang Mei. You can call me Great Immortal Yang Mei."
"Great Immortal Yang Mei!" Waves of shock surged through Lin Yue. He had seen that name in novels. Great Immortal Yang Mei was one of the Chaos Demon Gods, master of the Law of Space and immensely powerful. Even Hongjun had to give him some leeway.
He hurriedly cupped his hands again. "This junior is Lin Yue. Greetings, Great Immortal Yang Mei."
Great Immortal Yang Mei smiled and pointed to the little creature in his arms. "This is my Companion Spirit Pet, Snowball. It was thanks to you drawing a little of the Earth-Splitting Lizards' attention that it was able to escape danger today."
Lin Yue was taken aback. Only then did he realize that his presence had helped Snowball. He quickly said, "You're too kind, Great Immortal. I just happened to be there. I didn't do much to help."
Great Immortal Yang Mei shook his head, took a green leaf from his robe, and handed it to Lin Yue. "This is a Space Leaf. It contains a trace of the Law of Space. Take it; it might be useful to you."
Lin Yue accepted the Space Leaf and immediately felt a cool energy flow from his fingertips into his body. The vortex in his dantian seemed to resonate with it, spinning a little faster. He could sense a special law contained within the leaf, completely different from Chaos Qi, yet perfectly compatible with it.
"Thank you, Great Immortal!" Lin Yue hurriedly expressed his gratitude. He knew the Space Leaf had to be precious.
Great Immortal Yang Mei looked at him and said slowly, "There's an aura of the Law of Heaven Opening about you. You've been following that fellow Pangu, haven't you?"
Lin Yue was startled. He hadn't expected Great Immortal Yang Mei to know Pangu. He nodded. "You're right, Great Immortal. This junior is currently cultivating under Senior Pangu."
Great Immortal Yang Mei nodded, a complicated look passing through his eyes. "That fellow Pangu was born for greatness, but... Ah, never mind." He paused, then continued, "You have talent, but unfortunately, you lack a Chaos Origin. Your cultivation will be much slower than everyone else's. Study this Space Leaf carefully. The Law of Space complements Chaos Qi, and might help make up for your lack of an origin."
Lin Yue nodded quickly. "I'll remember that and study it carefully."
Great Immortal Yang Mei smiled, then turned to leave with Snowball in his arms. After walking a few steps, he suddenly looked back at Lin Yue. "If you ever have questions about the Law of Space, head southeast. There's a Space Secret Realm there that might help you." With that, green light surrounded him, and he vanished into the gray mist.
Clutching the Space Leaf and watching the direction in which Great Immortal Yang Mei had disappeared, Lin Yue felt deeply grateful. He hadn't expected to meet so many kind seniors in Chaos. He turned and headed back to Pangu, wanting to tell him about what had happened and study the Law of Space within the leaf.
When he returned to Pangu, Lin Yue told him about meeting Great Immortal Yang Mei, then took out the Space Leaf and asked, "Senior, do you know Great Immortal Yang Mei? He said the Law of Space could make up for my lack of an origin. Is that true?"
Pangu opened his eyes and glanced at the Space Leaf. "Yang Mei, Space Demon God. The Law of Space can be learned." With that, he closed his eyes again and said nothing more.
Although Lin Yue had received little information, he understood what Pangu meant: Great Immortal Yang Mei was right, and the Law of Space was worth learning. He gripped the Space Leaf tightly and silently resolved to comprehend the Law of Space as soon as possible, grow stronger, and survive in this dangerous Chaos World.
Before you continue