The instant the dark golden light collided with the gray airflow, Ren Xiaoyao felt an immense force, capable of swallowing the heavens and earth, surge through the cauldron. The force was so fierce that it felt as if thousands of towering mountains were crushing down on his shoulders. The cracking sounds from his bones were as dense as popping beans, and every inch of his bones was groaning in agony, as if trying to tear his soul from his body. Even his consciousness was momentarily dazed under this immense force.
His blood and qi surged within him like Raging Waves Strike the Shore, causing a dull ache in his internal organs, as if countless steel needles were piercing them. A metallic sweetness rose in his throat, spreading across his tongue with a rusty astringency. He clenched his teeth, his jawline taut like a bowstring, the muscles in his cheeks twitching, even the veins on his neck bulging like writhing dragons, before forcibly swallowing the scalding blood back down his throat, preventing it from spurting out and defiling this world that held the secrets of Primordial Chaos.
The nine heads of the Chaos Gluttonous Demon simultaneously grinned grotesquely, and the black saliva dripping from their lips and teeth hit the ground, instantly corroding deep, bottomless pits. Wisps of black smoke rose from the pits, emitting a pungent, fishy stench that even tainted the surrounding Chaos Current.
That smile concealed undisguised greed and cruelty. Nine pairs of large, copper bell-like eyes were fixed on Ren Xiaoyao, their pupils flashing with a bloodthirsty red light, as if they already regarded him as their own, willing to chew up and swallow even the bone fragments, not wanting to leave him with a sliver of life.
Countless fine, Fang Phantoms suddenly emerged from the gray aura—these phantoms were as sharp as the edge of the High Antiquity weapon " Sky-Splitting Blade," gleaming with a chilling light capable of severing even the soul. Each time they gnawed at the Primordial Chaos patterns on the cauldron's body, they emitted a crisp "crunching" sound, a piercing sound like bones shattering, as if they wanted to chew this Primordial Chaos treasure into dust and swallow it whole, not wanting to let even a single fragment go to waste, wanting to completely annihilate it into the world, never to see the light of day again.
"Break!" Ren Xiaoyao roared, his voice booming through the valley, carrying with it the Chaos Power surging within him. It was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, causing the air to tremble violently and creating visible ripples that spread outwards. Wherever it passed, even the void itself rippled slightly.
The echo crashed against the towering cliff and bounced back, layer upon layer like thunder rolling across the ground. The shockwave made the suspended pebbles in the valley tremble and fly like a sudden rain, as if they would be shattered into dust by this powerful sound at any moment, leaving not even a trace of dust. The sound wave seemed to tear the very space apart.
The ancient aura in his sea of consciousness suddenly boiled, as if it had been thrown into a red-hot furnace, instantly igniting a raging Flame Sect. The flames were interspersed with starlight, illuminating the entire sea of consciousness as if it were daytime, and even the Primordial Chaos deep within the sea of consciousness was somewhat dispelled by this fire.
The intertwined runes solidified instantly in the Flame Sect, transforming into a Golden Chains that stretched across the heavens and the earth. The chain was covered with vigorous cloud patterns, within which dragons and phoenixes seemed to be circling. Each section shimmered with a cold, star-like light, ancient and mysterious, as if forged from the essence of the Nine Heavens Star River, carrying a World Creation aura of creation.
One end coiled around the Chaos Cauldron like a serpent, its scale-like joints tightly gripping the cauldron's patterns, fitting perfectly as if they were a natural whole; the other end, ignoring spatial barriers, plunged into the trunk of the Chaos Mother Tree with a "plop," stirring up a shower of colorful light, like dazzling fireworks blooming in mid-air, or a meteor shower streaking across the night sky—breathtakingly beautiful, yet carrying an irresistible, domineering power that made heaven and earth submit.
As if awakened by this power, the Primordial Chaos patterns on the trunk suddenly lit up, the light as dazzling as the midday sun, so bright that people could hardly open their eyes and could only squint to see, leaving faint spots of Light Spots on their retinas.
The light carried an ancient, desolate quality, like a giant dragon that had been sleeping for millions of years suddenly opening its eyes, its gaze surging with an awe-inspiring majesty, as if it controlled the birth and death of this world and the cycle of all things, and even time itself slowed down before it.
Countless streaks of Spiritual Qi flew out from the myriad World Phantoms. Some were like crimson clouds sweeping across the nine heavens, so red that they seemed to burn the sky to ashes, even dyeing the clouds blood-red, exuding an intense heat that could incinerate all things; some were like shimmering blue waves rippling for thousands of miles, so clear that they could reflect the reflections of All Things in Heaven and Earth and earth, even the patterns of dust could be seen clearly, carrying a clarity that could cleanse the dust; some were like starlight scattering across the long night, so bright that they could illuminate every corner of the dark abyss, leaving no evil spirits to hide, concealing a clear understanding that could see through illusion.
They flowed continuously into the cauldron along the chains, infusing it with a power as vast as the ocean. The cauldron trembled slightly from this power, emitting a deep hum, as if responding to an ancient call, or as if telling the mystery of the Beginning of Chaos.
The dark gold patterns on the cauldron suddenly expanded by three feet, spreading outwards like a tide. Wherever it passed, the gray air currents retreated as if they had encountered their nemesis, not daring to contend with it, and not even having the courage to get close.
The surface shimmered with a seven-colored light, the same as that of the mother tree. The light moved like a living creature, sometimes transforming into a dragon that darted about, its scales shimmering with starlight; sometimes into Colorful Phoenix that fluttered, its wings scattering golden light. Wherever it passed, the gray air currents melted like boiling oil meeting water, emitting a "sizzling" sound, and white smoke rose, carrying the smell of burning. It instantly dissipated, revealing the valley's rock walls that had been hidden. The rock walls were covered with ancient carvings, which snaked like snakes, resembling both writing and drawing. A faint Chaos Qi flowed between the strokes, as if recording the vicissitudes of billions of years, hiding countless unknown secrets of heaven and earth, and even time could not erase their marks.
"Impossible!" The most central head of the gluttonous demon roared in horror, its voice sharp as the friction of metal, so piercing that it shook one's mind. It was filled with unbelievable fear, as if it had heard a fantastical tale that defied all reason. Its nine mouths opened wide at the same time, revealing layers upon layers of sharp teeth, with black venom flowing between them.
It could clearly sense that the Devouring Power it relied on for survival was crumbling, like a sturdy dam being cleaved open by a thunderbolt from the heavens, unable to stop the surging torrent. The crack was still widening and could collapse completely at any moment.
The Chaos Qi it had swallowed was drawn back by the flowing light on the cauldron's body, surging outwards like a flood bursting its banks. Its nine throats bulged simultaneously, as if filled with boiling fireballs, scalding its massive body and causing it to convulse violently. Its black scales burst open with sharp spikes, each one standing upright like a steel needle, gleaming with a bloodthirsty cold light, yet this did nothing to alleviate the Bone Erosion pain. It could only watch helplessly as its power slipped away bit by bit, like sand slipping through its fingers, impossible to grasp even a fraction of.
Ren Xiaoyao seized this fleeting opportunity and formed a hand seal that he had never used before.
The hand seals were complex and profound. The traces drawn by the fingertips seemed to outline the contours of the Beginning of Heaven and Earth, containing infinite Supreme Principles of Heaven and Earth. Every turn and every stretch and bend contained the secrets of the Great Dao, causing the surrounding Chaos Current to rotate gently, forming a small Chaos Vortex.
The initial form of the hand seal resembled a lotus bud, delicate yet full of vitality. The petals tightly wrapped around it, as if guarding something sacred, exuding a solemnity that could not be profaned. Even the air became heavy because of this solemnity.
As the golden light flowing from her fingertips gradually unfolded, the petals bloomed layer by layer, revealing the crystal-clear lotus Lotus Heart inside. As the Lotus Heart turned, it sprinkled down specks of golden light, which fell to the ground and etched subtle Dao Marks on the ground.
The Chaos Current and the Dao Punishment Lightning strangely merged within, transforming into a rhombus-shaped rune of alternating purple and gold. The edges of the rune flowed with the intense heat of lightning, carrying the power to destroy all evil, as if it could cleave through all illusions in the world; yet at its center settled the profound depths of Primordial Chaos, concealing the infinite mysteries that Nurturing All Things, like the Chaos Singularity at the birth of the universe. It was within this rune that the ancient aura obtained from the Great Skeleton Demon floated, like a sleeping seed, waiting for the moment to break through the soil and shock the world.
"Using Primordial Chaos as the catalyst and the Dao Punishment as the furnace, refine!" Ren Xiaoyao enunciated each word with a thunderous force, his voice resounding and powerful, carrying an unquestionable determination, as if proclaiming the final judgment of the Heaven and Earth Laws, causing the world to fall into solemnity, and even the wind to cease its flow.
The rune streaked across the sky like a meteor, trailing a long purple-gold tail, and flew into the leftmost part of the gluttonous demon's head with a "whoosh." It was so fast that the gluttonous demon had no time to react and could only watch helplessly as it disappeared into its head. Its eyes were filled with despair, and its pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints due to fear.
The head was instantly enveloped in Golden Flame, which swirled like a veil, yet exuded a mysterious and powerful aura capable of burning away even the soul. The air itself was distorted by the heat, forming ripples of heat that made the void itself tingle.
The flames didn't have a scorching heat, but they carried an excruciating pain that stripped away its very essence, as if countless invisible knives were tearing its soul away bit by bit. The pain penetrated to the bone marrow, far surpassing any torture in the world, leaving it without even the strength to roar, only able to let out a silent wail in its heart.
The gluttonous demon's roar abruptly ceased, as if someone had choked it. The ferocious light on its nine heads dimmed at a visible speed, and the ghostly flames burning in its eye sockets shrunk into a limp ball like candle flames swept away by a gale, ready to be extinguished at any moment, with no chance of reigniting. Only endless fear spread, engulfing its consciousness like a tidal wave.
Its enormous body began to shrink, as if its skeleton had been removed by Invisible Power. Its once sky-covering body shrank at a visible speed, shrinking to half its original size in the blink of an eye. Its oppressive aura also weakened, like the setting sun losing its radiance.
The gray aura was forced back into its body by the flames, revealing a black body covered in scales. The scales shattered inch by inch in the flames, making a "crackling" sound, like countless panes of glass breaking, revealing the Primordial Chaos flesh flowing beneath. Within the flesh, tiny specks of light could be seen struggling, like imprisoned stars, flickering with a faint light, yearning to regain their freedom and return to the starry sky, but could only slowly annihilate in the flames, leaving not even a trace.
The mother tree's seven-colored light grew even more intense, rising like a burning flame, illuminating the entire valley as if it were daytime, leaving no shadows untouched, and even dispelling the deepest darkness.
Countless leaf-shaped light patterns drifted out from the tree trunk. These light patterns were as thin as cicada wings, as if they would shatter into light dust at the slightest touch. They were imprinted with Dao Marks like leaf veins, each Dao Marks containing ancient Heaven and Earth Laws, radiating a faint pressure. They gently landed on the gluttonous demon, as if putting layers of shackles on it, making it unable to move and only able to endure the scorching flames in place, without even the slightest strength to resist.
With each ray of light that fell, the gluttonous demon's struggles weakened. The Chaos Power within its body was forcibly stripped away, as if drawn away by an invisible hand, flying back to the mother tree along the light ray, becoming nourishment for the mother tree's recovery. This caused the mother tree's branches and leaves to stretch out a bit, and its trunk to straighten up slightly, as if it had become millions of years younger.
Only the pure Baleful Origin remained, churning in the flames like a wild beast trapped in Glazed Ice cage. Its roars grew weaker and weaker, eventually becoming feeble and powerless, unable to stir up any more trouble. It could only await its complete refinement, unable to even maintain a trace of ferocity.
After an incense stick's time, the Golden Flame gradually subsided, like the receding tide, slowly calming down, and finally turning into specks of light that dissipated into the air, leaving only a faint afterglow. The afterglow still contained a trace of malevolent energy, but it was no longer a cause for fear.
Only a fist-sized Pills remained on the spot— the Pills was pitch black, seemingly able to absorb all the surrounding light, plunging the area into darkness, exuding an all-consuming domineering aura; its surface, however, was entwined with iridescent light, dazzling and beautiful, like a rainbow in the night, with a touch of gentleness; nine fine golden threads wandered within it, sometimes converging like nine stars in a row, with a magnificent aura like the Beginning of Heaven and Earth, carrying the power of World Creation; sometimes dispersing like stars surrounding the moon, tranquil and peaceful like the silence of the universe, concealing the mysteries of the Star Circulation, which were the Origin Imprint of the nine heads of the Gluttonous Demon, recording its past domineering and wicked existence, now reduced to Pills under human control, devoid of its former ferocity.
The Pills floated in mid-air, emanating an aura that was both domineering and pure. Its Dao Qi was enough to intimidate all things, causing the remaining evil energy in the valley to tremble and dare not make the slightest move, even its breathing became cautious; yet its pure power was gentle and peaceful, able to nourish the cultivator's soul and cultivation. Even the surrounding Chaos Current flowed around it gently, like subjects paying homage to a king, obediently daring not to overstep the boundaries, for fear of angering it and bringing about annihilation.
Ren Xiaoyao raised his hand and put the Pills into the Jade Bottle. The burning pain from refining it still lingered on his fingertips, but mixed with that pain was a strange warmth that flowed slowly along his meridians. Wherever it passed, the meridians seemed to widen, becoming stronger and broader, nourishing his body and making him feel comfortable all over. The fatigue from the previous battle dissipated considerably, and his spirits were lifted. Even his eyes became brighter.
He turned to look at the Chaos Mother Tree. The branches of the Mother Tree were swaying slightly, as if greeting him, expressing gratitude and friendliness. The Primordial Chaos patterns on the trunk flowed more and more gently, as if it had unloaded a heavy burden that had weighed it down for millions of years, appearing relaxed and at ease. Even the surrounding Spiritual Qi became more peaceful, no longer violent, but flowing slowly like a gentle stream.
"Since you are willing to help me, why did you allow the Gluttonous Demon to guard this place?" Ren Xiaoyao bowed deeply, his tone filled with profound respect for the ancient beings. His gaze fell on the area on the tree trunk that was trembling slightly due to the insertion of the chains. The seven-colored light patterns there were slowly healing, like a wound slowly scabbing over, returning to its original state, leaving only faint marks, like scars left by time.
The colorful streams of light on the tree trunk suddenly converged and condensed into a blurry human face—the outline of the face was composed of countless points of light, making it impossible to see the specific features, but it exuded a majestic aura that had witnessed the vicissitudes of life, as if it had witnessed the birth and changes of the universe, the birth and death of all things and their cycles, and it had an aura that inspired awe, making people dare not look directly at it, and even their gaze would subconsciously look away.
The voice, aged like an ancient bell swaying in the wind, carried a hoarseness that seemed to have traversed countless ages. "It Non-Self released by me, but a fish that slipped through the net with the ' Rift,' merely surviving for a million years by borrowing my Chaos Qi." There was a trace of helplessness and weariness in its words, as if the entanglement of a million years had exhausted too much of its energy, even its voice was hoarse with a sense of powerlessness, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
As the human face's lips opened and closed, countless tiny specks of light flew out, forming a fragmented image in the air—a Primordial Chaos, churning void where countless ferocious beasts roamed, their faces grotesque, some with nine heads and six arms, others with bodies like giant pythons and heads like lions, their terrifying aura causing heaven and earth to tremble, and space itself to distort with their roars; meanwhile, the roots of the Chaos Mother Tree extended from the depths of the void, their ends bearing jagged, gnawed marks, deep enough to reveal bone, bearing an old, dark hue, telling of countless painful experiences of being ravaged by ferocious beasts, each Dao Marks concealing a history of blood and tears.
" Rift?" Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly. This word was like a pebble thrown into a still lake, creating ripples that filled him with doubt and curiosity. What kind of mysterious existence was it that could connect so many terrifying beasts, and what secrets did it hold?
"The rift left over from the creation of the World-Opening Technique connects to the Chaos Origin," the human face said slowly, its voice carrying a barely perceptible weariness, as if mentioning this matter had exhausted its strength. "You carry the aura of a ' Gatekeeper,' that ancient aura is the remnant soul of a Gatekeeper perished millions of years ago, which merged with my roots." The words carried a hint of reminiscence, as if the voice was softening and filled with warmth as if remembering the departed Gatekeeper.
Ren Xiaoyao's heart stirred. He took out the Gluttonous Demon Pill and held it in his palm, looking at it solemnly, feeling the violent and pure power contained within. "Senior helped me refine this fiend, surely you have something to ask for?" He knew there was no free lunch in the world. Such a powerful ancient being helping him must have its unknown purpose. Perhaps there was a greater secret behind it, concerning the survival of heaven and earth.
The face remained silent for a moment, as if pondering some secret, or weighing the pros and cons. The light on the tree trunk dimmed, and even the surrounding air became heavy.
The seven-colored light suddenly transformed into a ribbon of light, gently wrapping around the Pills as if confirming its existence. The ribbon of light brushed across the surface of the Pills, stirring up subtle halos of light. "I need its Baleful Origin to repair its roots. That ferocious beast has been gnawing at my roots for millions of years, damaging my foundation and making it difficult to grow. Even absorbing the Chaos Power is extremely difficult. This debt should be settled." There was a hint of barely perceptible resentment in its tone. Clearly, the torment of the past million years had caused it to harbor resentment for a long time, and now it could finally vent it. There was a hint of satisfaction in its voice.
As the light band descended, three drops of liquid, resembling condensed stars, floated before Ren Xiaoyao. The liquid was pale gold, crystal clear enough to reveal the Chaos Current flowing within, like three condensed microcosms. Each flow exuded wisps of pure energy, an energy that refreshed the mind and soul, as if cleansing the spirit. The Chaos Power within the body leaped with joy, like parched plants receiving rain.
"In exchange, I will give you three drops of Chaos True Liquid to help you stabilize your Chaos Realm. Once this liquid enters your body, it can cleanse the impurities remaining in your body, making your Chaos Power three times purer, and making your future Path of Cultivation smoother, avoiding many detours." The human face explained, his tone calm and fair, as if conducting a fair transaction, without the slightest coercion, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.
Ren Xiaoyao took the liquid. The moment his fingertips touched it, a warm, soothing power spread throughout his body along his meridians. Wherever it passed, the hidden injuries left from the previous fierce battle began to itch slightly, like parched land receiving sweet rain, being quietly repaired. He felt completely comfortable, and the Chaos Power within his body became purer and more condensed, circulating more Perfect Harmony, as if breaking through some kind of shackle.
He pushed the Pills towards the band of light, and as he watched Pills merge into the roots of the mother tree, the tree let out a soft, soothing tremor, like a sigh of relief after a heavy burden had been lifted. The twisted branches stretched out slightly, and the seven-colored light deep within the trunk shone even brighter. Even the rotation of the surrounding Spiritual Energy Vortex became much more stable, no longer as turbulent as before, but gentle and peaceful, like a tamed beast, with a touch of intimacy.
"Follow the Rift northwest, and you will find the answers you seek: about the Gatekeeper, about yourself, and about the secrets of this world." The face gradually faded, and the last voice, carrying a faint expectation, echoed in the valley for a long time, intertwining with the echoes on the rock walls to form a melody, like heavenly music, cleansing Ren Xiaoyao's mind and filling him with anticipation and determination for the future, as if a bright light was guiding him ahead.
Ren Xiaoyao absorbed the Chaos True Liquid into his spiritual aperture, feeling the pure power flowing slowly through his body, like a spring drizzle nourishing the earth. This made his aura more stable and restrained, yet contained even greater power, like a dormant volcano ready to erupt with world-destroying energy at any moment. Even his eyes became more profound.
He looked up at the sky where the mother tree's branches had disappeared. In the Void there, there seemed to be an invisible rift slowly opening and closing. The Chaos Qi that occasionally leaked out of the rift was a hundred times more concentrated than that in his body, carrying the vast and ancient aura of the primordial wilderness, inviting him to explore the unknown mysteries, as if silently beckoning him and telling him endless secrets.