"I'll go first!"
Bixiao stepped forward and activated the Shangqing Immortal Method.
A pure stream of Interception Sect Jade Purity Immortal Light surged from her body, taking the shape of an Azure Luan Shadow. Carrying a friendly intent, it cautiously reached toward the Chaos Bead.
Yet—
The Chaos Bead remained utterly still. Even the gray halo around it showed no sign of stirring.
Clearly, it wasn't interested in the Jade Purity Immortal Light.
"Ah..." Bixiao sighed and retreated, somewhat dejected. "Looks like it just wasn't meant for me."
Next came Qiong Xiao.
A fierce sword intent surged out alongside her immortal light, trying to stir a response from the Chaos Bead.
The result was the same.
The Chaos Bead was like a real stubborn stone, aloofly ignoring everything.
At last, it was Yun Xiāo's turn.
She took a deep breath, revealing her peak Grand Unity Golden Immortal cultivation as Primordial Dao Rhyme spread around her.
She tried to commune with the bead, persisting for the length of an incense stick.
The Chaos Bead trembled slightly, but that was all.
A hint of disappointment flashed across Yun Xiāo's eyes. She shook her head and drew in her aura.
"It seems none of us three sisters are fated to have it."
She turned and looked at Ye Xuan.
"Daoist Ye, please."
Ye Xuan gave a slight nod and walked forward at an unhurried pace.
He stopped three zhang from the Chaos Bead and slowly closed his eyes.
"Voom!"
The next moment, he suddenly opened them.
No more concealment. No more restraint.
Within his Dual Pupils, two hazy gray Chaos worlds abruptly appeared.
An origin aura from before Heaven and Earth had opened, before primordial chaos had been divided, poured from his body without reserve.
This was the purest Chaos Qi.
It shared the same origin as the Chaos Bead!
"Boom!"
The instant Ye Xuan released his aura—
The Chaos Bead, which had been so aloof and had ignored the Three Fairies, suddenly let out an extraordinarily joyful hum.
It felt as if a wanderer who had been away from home for years had finally caught the scent of home.
The gray stone shell covering its surface fell away in an instant, and billions of dazzling rays of Chaos Divine Light burst forth.
"Whoosh!"
Without the slightest hesitation—
Ye Xuan didn't even need to draw it in.
The Chaos Bead turned straight into a gray streak of light and rushed toward him, unable to wait another moment. It disappeared into the space between his brows.
Ye Xuan felt his Consciousness Sea tremble.
The gray bead settled firmly atop his Immortal Platform, releasing ten thousand streams of Chaos Qi to protect his Primordial Spirit.
A feeling of blood-deep connection, of moving it as easily as his own arm, rose naturally within him.
It had recognized its master!
At the sight, silence fell over the group.
Bixiao's eyes widened and her mouth hung open. In the end, all she could do was give him a helpless thumbs-up.
"I'm convinced."
"Daoist Ye, you really are Heaven's chosen one."
"That Chaos Bead practically dove into your arms. There was no stopping it."
Though her voice brimmed with envy, there was no hint of jealousy or resentment.
Interception Sect disciples prized acting according to their nature—and being able to accept a loss.
Yun Xiāo also smiled in relief and cupped her hands to congratulate Ye Xuan.
"Congratulations, Daoist, on obtaining this supreme treasure."
"This bead complements your constitution and divine abilities. It seems this truly was a fated bond arranged by Heaven."
Qiong Xiao also offered a quiet, "Congratulations."
Feeling the weighty treasure in his Consciousness Sea, Ye Xuan was thrilled as well.
But he didn't let the excitement go to his head. Instead, he reined in his aura and bowed solemnly to the three fairies.
It was a profound bow.
"Thank you, three fairies, for making this possible."
"Today, I have obtained this supreme treasure thanks to your noble generosity. I, Ye Xuan, will remember it."
"I owe the three of you a share of Great Karma."
"If you ever need anything from me, I, Ye Xuan, will brave fire and water without hesitation!"
A note of approval flashed in Yun Xiāo's eyes.
He had faced a supreme treasure without losing his composure, and after obtaining it, he knew to repay the kindness.
This Human Emperor was indeed worth befriending.
"You're too kind, Daoist." Yun Xiāo gave a gracious smile and raised a hand to help him up. "Now that the treasures have found their respective owners, we should see what other spiritual materials this island has to offer. We shouldn't leave empty-handed."
"Haha, Big Sister is right! Daoist Ye got the meat, so we should at least get some soup!"
Bixiao quickly recovered her spirits and, back to her usual lively self, pulled Qiong Xiao toward the nearby medicinal garden.
"This Cinnabar Fruit is mine! That piece of Mysterious Ore is mine too! Nobody else can have them!"
Watching them, Ye Xuan and Yun Xiāo exchanged a smile.
The trip to Penglai had come to a perfect conclusion.
With the Chaos Bead guarding him, Ye Xuan's path through the Primordial Wilderness had finally given him the means to contend with the top Great Powers.
At the heart of Penglai Immortal Island, beneath the Yellow Middle Plum tree that blotted out the sky and sun—
Dense purple Dao Rhyme flowed slowly over the ground like liquid.
After putting away the Chaos Bead, Ye Xuan didn't let his immense joy cloud his judgment.
He understood the principle that possessing a treasure could invite disaster.
Though he had obtained a supreme treasure, he wouldn't be safe in the Primordial Wilderness, where Great Powers were everywhere, unless his own strength was formidable enough.
"Three fairies."
Ye Xuan looked at the Three Fairies beside him and said in a low voice, "I've gained a great deal this time, but there are too many uncertainties in the outside world. I'd like to use this blessed land to cultivate in seclusion for a few days, digest what I've gained, and then leave."
Penglai Island was protected by a Primordial Formation, and the Sacred Medicine Yellow Middle Plum grew here. It was the ideal place to make a breakthrough.
Yun Xiao Fairy nodded slightly in agreement. "You're absolutely right, Daoist. A solid foundation is essential on the path of cultivation. When you've obtained a fortuitous opportunity, you should turn it into strength. Cultivate in peace. My two sisters and I will protect you outside the formation."
Bixiao patted her chest and promised, "Don't worry, Daoist Ye. With us here, not even a fly—let alone a mosquito—will get in!"
Ye Xuan cupped his hands in thanks, then sat cross-legged beneath the tree.
He regulated his breathing and brought himself to peak condition.
Then he flipped his hand, and the jade box sealing the Yellow Middle Plum appeared in his palm.
The box opened. Inside lay the fruit, wreathed in Chaos Qi and marked with Dao Patterns across its skin.
Its fragrance alone set the blood and energy within Ye Xuan's body stirring, while the Five Great Secret Realms rumbled with longing.
"Worthy of being the foremost of the Ten Innate Spiritual Roots."
Ye Xuan didn't hesitate. He opened his mouth and inhaled.
The Yellow Middle Plum turned into a streak of light and fell into his belly.
"Boom!"
In an instant, an indescribably vast energy exploded within Ye Xuan.
It wasn't ordinary spiritual energy, but fragments of the Great Dao Laws from the dawn of creation, along with the purest Chaos Origin.
The energy was so powerful that, if Ye Xuan hadn't possessed a Great Emperor-level physical body, an ordinary Golden Immortal would have been burst apart on the spot.
"Human Body Secret Realms, open!"
Ye Xuan held fast to his mind and frantically circulated the Human Body Secret Realm Method.
He didn't try to condense the Five Qi in the Chest or comprehend the Heaven and Earth Rules as cultivators of the Primordial Wilderness did.
Instead, he directed all the immense medicinal power toward the Five Great Secret Realms within his body, to excavate and elevate them once more.
First was the Wheel Sea.
Under the wash of the Chaos medicinal power, the golden Sea of Suffering began to change dramatically.
The gold faded, replaced by a deep, boundless gray.
It was no longer a Sea of Suffering, but a Chaos universe in the midst of evolution!
What spurted from the Life Spring was no longer divine power, but Chaos Mother Qi.
The Divine Bridge stretched across the void, with the Other Shore appearing and disappearing in the distance, as if connected to the end of the Great Dao.
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