Ren Xiaoyao traveled northwestward, stepping on the Chaos Current beneath his feet. The currents surged like waves, and with each leap he covered a distance of a thousand feet. The Chaos Power Gale Wind created by his fluttering robes left a pale golden afterimage behind him. When the afterimage landed, it left a trail of footprints half a foot deep on the gravel beach, a testament to the concentrated chaotic power within him. The closer he got to the edge of the Tianyan Continent, the thinner the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth became, so thin that even spiritual sense could hardly detect its traces. It was as if this world had been drained of its life force, leaving only an eternal, unchanging deathly silence spreading.
In the end, even the pure Chaos Qi that was once within reach became a luxury. Only the howling Gale Wind, like knives and swords, swirled up rubble and slashed through the void with ear-piercing sharp sounds. These sounds sometimes resembled a woman's weeping, sometimes the roar of a ferocious beast, whipping the void into a series of howls. The sound was filled with a ferocious, all-consuming power. Every Gale Wind that swept across left a deep scratch on the rock face, as if it wanted to tear any living being that dared to trespass into dust, even shredding their souls into ashes, never to be reborn.
The land beneath our feet is no longer the fertile, rich land of the inland, but has become an endless expanse of dark gray gravel. The mudflats stretch to the edge of the continent, with no end in sight. In the gaps between the gravel, dust that has not dissipated for millions of years has accumulated, as black as ink, like Primordial Chaos abyss connecting with the sky.
Each pebble is sharp as a knife blade, and picking one up at random reveals intricate lines etched by years of erosion from the Gale Wind. These lines crisscross, some deep enough to embed a fingertip, allowing one to clearly feel the coldness within the rock; others are like spiderwebs, refracting tiny specks of light in the sunlight, like skeletons relentlessly gnawed by time, exuding a desolate, lifeless chill. Even the sunlight falling on them appears dim and lifeless, as if all warmth has been absorbed by this land.
Looking into the distance, a blurry wall of light stands at the edge of the continent. The wall is as pale as a cicada's wing, appearing and disappearing against the backdrop of Void. A faint blue light flows across the wall, interspersed with countless tiny runes, like stars floating within it, yet it exudes an aura of indestructibility, as if it were the last barrier between heaven and earth, separating the boundary between life and death.
Beyond the barrier of light lay a pure, utterly Void. That Void was chillingly black, so black it could devour all thoughts, even light itself. Anything thrown into it received no response; it exuded a suffocating, deathly silence, as if time itself had lost its meaning. Within the barrier of light, however, lingered a final, faint wisp of Spiritual Qi Spiritual Qi, as weak as the last breath of a dying person, swaying gently in the Gale Wind. Each tremor seemed like a final struggle, threatening to vanish completely at any moment, extinguishing the last vestiges of life in this world.
"Is this the source of Spiritual Qi?" Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly, a hint of doubt rising in his heart. The scene before him was too desolate. Even the humblest moss could not survive on the gravel beach. It was completely different from the source of Spiritual Qi he had imagined, a place teeming with immortal herbs. If it weren't for the faint trembling of Chaos Power within his body, he would have almost thought he had come to the wrong place.
The moment he extended his fingertip and gently brushed it across the light barrier, a warm yet powerful aura suddenly surged from behind it. The aura struck his fingertip, carrying a familiar tremor, as if it had some hidden connection with the Chaos Power within him, like long-lost brothers finally reuniting, resonating in their blood.
The aura was unlike any Spiritual Qi he had ever seen before. It was so pure that it contained no impurities. It lacked the fiery intensity of Fire Spirit and the suppleness of water spirits, but instead carried a gentle warmth that encompassed all things. It was as if the first wisp of life born at the Beginning of Heaven and Earth was flowing into his body through his fingertips, passing through his limbs and bones. Wherever it passed, his meridians seemed to be soaked in warm water, radiating a faint warmth.
Wherever he went, the restless energy he had felt while refining the Gluttonous Demon Pill instantly calmed down. The violent energy that had been rampaging through his meridians was soothed by this energy, becoming gentle and peaceful like a raging river flowing into the sea. Even the sound of blood flowing could be clearly heard, and one could hear the new life force in every heartbeat.
The light barrier suddenly began to fluctuate violently, like a boulder being thrown into a calm lake. Pale blue ripples spread out in layers, one circle overlapping another, creating a magnificent sight. The ripples crashed onto the pebble beach, stirring up tiny specks of light, like scattered stars. After landing, the specks of light carved subtle Dao Marks on the pebbles, giving even the lifeless rocks a touch of vitality.
Amidst the ripples, a majestic figure slowly emerged. As the figure gradually became clearer, each inch of it condensed with the humming of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. The humming contained the rhythm of the Great Dao, causing the surrounding Gale Wind to pause for a moment.
The figure towered over a thousand feet tall, more majestic than the mountains on the edge of the continent. Its entire body was formed from the purest Spiritual Qi, as if carved from the most exquisite jade in the world, with a faint glow flowing within its jade-like color. Its features were indistinct, as if shrouded in a thin mist, making them difficult to see clearly. Only its eyes shone as brightly as the sun and moon, with the illusory images of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas swirling in its pupils—sometimes surging and roaring like the Yellow River bursting its banks, with giant waves crashing against the sky; sometimes flowing quietly like a secluded spring in a deep valley, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds. It Guardians the Spiritual Energy Origin, guarding the foundation of this world for billions of years.
"Those who trespass into this Forbidden Land shall die!" The Guardians's voice did not come from his throat, but rather burst forth from the Spiritual Qi surrounding him. Each word transformed into a tangible wave of Spiritual Qi, towering tens of thousands of feet high, with cyan flames surging at its crest. It crashed towards Ren Xiaoyao with a world-destroying force, and wherever it passed, the void was compressed and dented, forming visible folds, as if this entire world was about to be crushed by this giant wave.
As the giant wave flew through the air, it instantly transformed into Sword Rain of thousands of swords. The Sword Rain were sharp and gleaming with a cold light. Each one was like a miniature lightning bolt, containing a sharp force capable of tearing apart the soul. Pale blue Dao Patterns were also wrapped around the swords. These Dao Patterns flowed endlessly, as if living things were moving on the swords. They were the most primal "sharpness" Principle in the world, enough to cut through all things in the world, even torn apart time, leaving scars on the years.
Instead of retreating, Ren Xiaoyao advanced, a fierce glint in his eyes. He stomped his foot hard on the gravel beach, and with a "boom," the gravel beneath his feet instantly turned to dust. He shot forward like an arrow, his robes fluttering in the Gale Wind, making a "whoosh" sound, as if setting the stage for this fierce battle.
The Chaos Power within his body, along with the three drops of Chaos True Liquid, began to circulate simultaneously, surging like a river. Within his dantian, the Chaos Cauldron trembled gently, its patterns lighting up, causing the energy within his body to surge like a tsunami. A resonant "humming" sound came from his meridians, as if countless war drums were beating at the same time.
Above their heads, the Chaos Cauldron slowly floated up. The dark golden patterns on the cauldron suddenly lit up, exuding an ancient and majestic aura, forming a solid barrier. Chaos Current flowed on the barrier, mixed with runes from the World Creation, blocking all the Sword Rain outside without revealing even a crack. It was as if this barrier had existed since the birth of heaven and earth.
The crisp clanging sounds, like popping beans, echoed through the sky. The sound made the pebbles on the gravel beach tremble, and tiny stone chips fell from the rocks like a rain of stones. The echoes reverberated from the distant rock walls, layer upon layer, like thousands of horses galloping through the valley.
The Sword Rain crashed heavily against the cauldron, shattering inch by inch. The swords transformed into pure spiritual Spiritual Qi that dissipated into the air, only to be silently absorbed by the Chaos Cauldron. The energy flowed along the cauldron's patterns, gathering at the bottom to form a small Spiritual Energy Vortex, becoming part of its power. This made the cauldron's light even more dazzling, and even the cloud patterns on it seemed to come alive, slowly moving across the cauldron's surface.
" Primordial Chaos Treasure?" The Guardians's voice held a hint of surprise, clearly not expecting Ren Xiaoyao to possess such a divine artifact. The Spiritual Qi gathered in his facial features fluctuated slightly, revealing a hint of disbelief. For the first time, ripples appeared in his sun-and-moon-like eyes, as if a pebble had been thrown into a calm lake.
His figure suddenly expanded, growing from a thousand feet to ten thousand feet. The Spiritual Qi around him converged wildly, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, condensing into a gigantic hand that blotted out the sky. The gigantic hand covered half of the sky, casting a shadow on the gravel beach, plunging the earth into darkness, as if the end of the world had arrived. The palm of the gigantic hand was imprinted with the pattern of mountains and rivers, containing the weight of a world.
The giant hand spread its five fingers, and a river of Spiritual Qi, like Star River, flowed between them. The water was crystal clear, and fish and shrimp formed from Spiritual Qi energy swam in it. These fish and shrimp were so lifelike that you could even see the patterns on their scales. They shone brightly and exuded the Breath of Life, as if a complete world was hidden within this giant hand.
The giant hand, forming the "Suppress" incantation, struck down at Ren Xiaoyao with unparalleled power. Before the palm even landed, the force of the blow made it hard for Ren Xiaoyao to breathe, as if his chest was blocked by a boulder, making even breathing difficult.
Before the palm even landed, the pebbles on the ground were crushed into dust by the invisible pressure, raising clouds of dust. The dust, stirred by the palm wind, transformed into swirling tornadoes, carrying the pebbles high into the sky, only to be crushed again by the palm wind. Even the void itself seemed to sink slightly under the pressure, as if trying to grasp this entire world in the palm of its hand, reducing everything to Annihilation, erasing even the traces of time, and making this world completely forget its former existence.
The Golden Chains in Ren Xiaoyao's sea of consciousness suddenly flew out, as fast as lightning. The chain carried an ancient aura of World Creation, leaving a faint golden light as it tore through the void. After the golden light landed, it actually engraved an eternal mark on the gravel beach, as if it could resist the erosion of time.
One end of the chain was tightly wrapped around the Chaos Cauldron, leaving three deep marks on its body. Chaos Current flowed through the marks, echoing the patterns on the cauldron's surface. The other end, with the momentum of World Creation, pierced straight into the giant hand. The tip of the chain flickered with the Dragon Phoenix Phantom of dragons and phoenixes, whose scales and feathers were clearly visible, as if they were about to break free from the chain and soar between heaven and earth at any moment.
The cloud-patterned dragons and phoenixes on the chains roared simultaneously, emitting deafening howls. The dragon's Dragon Phoenix Phantom pierced through the giant hand, the giant hand cracked like Glazed Ice —it was the Primordial Force originating from the World Creation, specifically designed to overcome all things formed later in life. It possessed indestructible power, and even a body formed from Spiritual Qi could not withstand it, and could only gradually collapse under this power.
"Roar!" The Guardians let out an angry roar, which shook the light barrier, causing the runes on the barrier to become disordered. Its figure suddenly split into billions of Spiritual Qi clones, which densely filled the sky like locusts, blotting out the sun and plunging the earth into darkness.
Each clone wielded a long spear formed from Spiritual Qi. The spear was entirely azure, its tip gleaming with a chilling light, a light that carried an aura of death, as if capable of freezing one's soul. Pale blue flames burned on the spears, flames that appeared weak, yet were capable of burning away a cultivator's Spiritual Qi foundation. Even cultivators at the Chaos Realm dared not touch them lightly, for to do so would mean certain death, leaving no chance for reincarnation.
The countless clones swiftly formed a massive battle formation, their spear tips all pointing at Ren Xiaoyao. Within the formation, the mountains and rivers of the Tianyan Continent appeared, the majesty of Kunlun Mountain, the vastness of the East Sea, and the continuous Qinling Mountains appearing vividly, as if the entire Tianyan Continent had been brought into the battle formation. Using the Spiritual Qi of the entire continent as a guide, they laid down the infinitely powerful " Myriad Spirits Devouring Heaven Array." From within the formation came the roars of countless living beings, roars filled with pain, anger, and resentment, as if they wanted to devour Ren Xiaoyao's soul completely, condemning him to eternal damnation.
Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes. He knew that this battle concerned the ownership of the Spiritual Energy Origin, and he could not back down. This was not only for himself, but also to World-Opening Technique and protect the vitality of this world.
He simultaneously infused three drops of Chaos True Liquid into his limbs and bones. In an instant, his body seemed to transform into a Primordial Chaos furnace. The Chaos Power within his body frantically merged and collided with the thin Spiritual Qi outside, emitting astonishing energy. Faint golden patterns appeared on the surface of his skin, with the power of Primordial Chaos and Dao Punishment flowing within them, as if the Heaven and Earth Laws and earth were manifesting on his body.
The hand seals he formed were no longer the Lotus in First Bloom of the past, but transformed into the phantom of a Giant Axe axe reaching to the heavens—the axe blade swirled with purple and gold. The purple represented the destructive power of the Dao Punishment Lightning, crackling with electricity, seemingly capable of destroying all evil; the gold represented the origin of Chaos Qi, carrying an aura of vastness, seemingly capable of encompassing all existence. It was a fusion of the power of Primordial Chaos and the Dao Punishment. The axe body was engraved with Ancient Runes from the Beginning of Heaven and Earth. These runes flowed on their own, emanating the aura of World Creation, the True Intention of " World-Opening Technique " he had comprehended from the Chaos Mother Tree, containing the ultimate power of creation and destruction, capable of Open Chaos and Nurturing All Things.
"Break the formation!" he shouted, his voice filled with unwavering determination. The sound waves transformed into tangible air currents, which carried Chaos Runes. The air currents caused the Spiritual Qi clone in front of him to sway slightly, and the long spear in the clone's hand almost slipped from its grasp.
The Giant Axe phantom slashed down with the force to tear apart heaven and earth. Wherever the Axe Wind swept, a black rift was cleaved in space, from which flowed an aura of Void. The Spiritual Qi clones disintegrated like a tide, turning into specks of azure light that vanished, each dissipating light carrying a resentful roar. The mountain ranges within the formation instantly shattered, emitting a crisp "crack," as if the entire Tianyan Continent was trembling, and all living beings on the continent could feel this primal tremor.
The Guardians's true form was forced back by the aftershocks of the Giant Axe. With each step, the rubble beneath his feet collapsed, creating a huge crater. Faint Spiritual Qi surged from the crater, only to be crushed by the aftershocks. The Spiritual Qi that had been gathering around his body became chaotic, and his once clear outline became blurred. For the first time, astonishment appeared in his blurred features. "You can actually use the power of Primordial Chaos to World-Opening Technique?" This power far exceeded his understanding of cultivators. It was as if an Ancient Gods World Creation was standing before him.
Ren Xiaoyao did not answer, but seized the fleeting opportunity to pursue. In a flash, he appeared a hundred feet in front of the Guardians. In the blink of an eye, he seemed to have crossed the distance of space. Chaos Power gathered on his fist and he punched out with a sound of breaking wind. Before the fist arrived, the broken stones on the ground were blown away, forming a vacuum zone.
The Chaos True Liquid within his body erupted completely, pushing the power of the Chaos Cauldron to its limit. The light emanating from the cauldron was even more dazzling than the sun, almost blinding people. The light contained a power that devoured everything, even absorbing light rays to form a small Black Hole.
The Chaos Cauldron, with its mouth facing downwards, emitted a Shaking the Soul buzz, like the roar of an ancient behemoth. The buzz carried a suction force that devoured everything, and it began to forcibly absorb the Spiritual Qi dissipating from the battle formation, forming a visible Spiritual Energy Vortex. The space around the vortex was distorted, as if even heaven and earth were about to be sucked into the vortex.
The Spiritual Qi that the Guardians regarded as the foundation was instantly purified in the Chaos Cauldron, removing all impurities and transforming into the most primal energy to nourish Ren Xiaoyao, causing his aura to rise steadily and become increasingly powerful. The Chaos Current around him became solid and tangible, and runes could be seen flowing in the energy, as if a miniature Chaos World was operating around his body.
Seeing this, a resolute glint flashed in the Guardians's eyes. He knew he had already lost, and continuing would be futile; his billions of years of protection might end today.
He knew that if he didn't unleash his ultimate move, he would likely be defeated here. The obsession with protecting the Spiritual Energy Origin for billions of years surged in his consciousness like a boiling river, eventually transforming into a tragic and resolute determination—to protect his last shred of dignity, even if it meant destruction, he would drag his enemies down with him.
The Spiritual Qi surrounding him suddenly contracted, like the receding tide, shrinking from his towering body into a fist-sized ball of azure light. The azure light contained terrifying energy, causing the surrounding void to tremble slightly. Finally, it transformed into a single azure dot of light—that dot of light was his Origin Core, containing his obsession and power in Guardian Spirits for billions of years. Now, however, he was going to self-destruct, perishing together with the invaders. The surface of the dot of light flickered with unstable light, as if it would explode at any moment, turning this world into nothingness.
The instant the light exploded, the light barrier along the entire edge of the continent trembled violently, like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment; even the Void outside the light barrier rippled, the ripples carrying an aura of destruction; a terrifying Energy Storm swept in all directions, scraping away three feet of rock in its path, revealing the hard rock layer beneath, which was instantly covered with fine cracks; even the void itself was distorted and deformed, as if it were about to be torn apart by this energy, enough to annihilate ordinary Chaos Realm cultivators, leaving not even a trace, completely disappearing into the world.
Ren Xiaoyao's pupils contracted, and he dared not be careless in the slightest. He could feel that this energy was enough to severely injure him, or even Death and Dao Annihilation, leaving him no chance of reincarnation. He had to go all out to withstand this earth-shattering blow.
The ancient aura in his sea of consciousness and the Chaos True Liquid boiled simultaneously. The ancient aura originating from the Great Skeleton Demon now exuded a World Creation power, as if Ancient Gods who had been asleep for billions of years had finally awakened. It quickly condensed into a golden light screen in front of him, with starlight flowing on the screen. The light screen contained the sedimentation of time, as if it could resist all destructive power.
Above the light screen, Dragon Phoenix Cloud Pattern and phoenix cloud patterns intertwined and swirled with star runes, forming complex patterns. These patterns contained the Principle governing the operation of heaven and earth, creating a miniature Chaos World —a " Chaos Realm " that he forcibly evolved using himself as a cauldron and his divine soul as fire. Within this realm were mountains and rivers, the sun, moon, and stars. The mountains were majestic, the rivers rushed, the sun and moon alternated, and the stars twinkled, containing the ultimate truth of encompassing all things and resolving everything. Even the flow of time was different from the outside world; a year inside the realm was an instant outside.
The moment the Energy Storm crashed into the Chaos Realm, it was like a mud ox entering the sea, being dissolved and absorbed layer by layer by the Chaos Current within the realm. The storm raged within the realm, stirring up towering waves and destroying countless mountains and rivers, but it could not shake the foundation of the Chaos Realm. Instead, it was slowly assimilated by the Principle within the realm, becoming nourishment for this Small World.
Finally, the storm transformed into wisps of the purest Spiritual Qi, merging into the mountains and rivers within the realm, making this miniature world even more stable and vibrant. The rivers became clearer, revealing the sand and stones at the bottom; the mountains became more majestic, their peaks covered in snow; even the air gained a touch of vitality, as if one could smell the fragrance of flowers and grass.
As the storm subsided, the Guardians's figure reformed, but it had become as transparent as a shadow, as if a gust of wind could blow it away. The Spiritual Qi around him was so thin that it seemed as if it would dissipate at any moment, and even the light in his eyes had dimmed considerably. Only a last shred of consciousness was supporting his existence.
He stared blankly at the Chaos Realm before Ren Xiaoyao. In that Small World, Spiritual Qi and Primordial Chaos intertwined, giving rise to newly sprouted plants. Tender green buds, glistening with dewdrops, swayed gently in the Chaos Current —a miracle that even the Spiritual Energy Origin he had guarded for billions of years could not achieve. He then slowly looked at the pulsating pale blue Light Orb of light behind the light barrier. The Light Orb was now radiating an affectionate aura, like a child rushing towards its mother, clearly acknowledging Ren Xiaoyao's presence.
"Billions of years... Finally, we've found someone capable of bearing the essence." The Guardians's voice carried boundless relief, as if the heavy burden of heaven and earth had been lifted from its shoulders. Its transparent body gradually transformed into specks of blue light, slowly merging into Ren Xiaoyao's Chaos Realm like fireflies. "This world can contain Primordial Chaos and absorb Spiritual Qi energy. You possess the power to World-Opening Technique and also harbor the desire to protect it; you are worthy of this inheritance."