Origin of Life

The deafening roar of the collapsing Purple Mansion had not yet subsided, and the Zhou Tian Star Dou were thrown off course. A three-inch gap appeared at the tip of the handle of the Seventh Star of the Big Dipper, and fragments of stars fell like silver rain, crashing onto the halo of the Ziwei Palace and scattering tiny specks of light. These specks of light transformed into tiny Ice Crystals upon landing, refracting the remaining starlight. The Ziwei Palace, which was like a mirror suspended in the sky, reflecting the illusory images of all the spirits of the heavens, now had a halo as dim as a flickering candle, with charred lines appearing on its edges, as if it had been scorched by an invisible flame. The illusory images in the mirror also began to distort and dissipate. Even the Heavenly River, billions of light-years away, rippled. Stars in the river collided, bursting into bluish-white sparks. These sparks transformed into tiny meteors upon landing, trailing long tails as they fell into unknown Star Realms. The entire Star River seemed like a brocade crumpled by an invisible giant hand, never to be smoothed out again. Even the Star Sand at the bottom of the river began to flow backward.

Ren Xiaoyao and Old Ancestor Tianyan plummeted towards the Meteorite Sea like two broken streaks of light, trailing long, bloody tails. The bloody tails traced a winding path through the void, a deep, purplish-red, like solidified magma. Any stardust they touched turned to dust, raising clouds of star mist interspersed with tiny, shimmering specks of light. The Nebula along their path were dyed a crimson-gold color, as if someone had splashed molten lava onto the heavens. Where the lava flowed, even the hardest meteorite iron began to melt, dripping into golden droplets. These droplets condensed in the air into fleeting Star Flower, their petals carrying a faint, burnt aroma.

Ren Xiaoyao's "Tianyan Emperor Armor" on his chest had shattered into eight pieces. Fragments of Mysterious Iron mixed with golden Dao blood condensed into fleeting Star Flower in the void. Each fragment still retained the Totems remnants of the Twenty-Eight Mansions: the scales of the Jiao Mu Jiao trembled slightly at the edge of the fragment, the patterns on the scales clearly visible, as if trying to break free of its restraints, but finally turned into Stardust with a barely audible crisp sound, the Stardust scattering with a low hum like a dragon's roar; the flames of the Wei Huo Hu flickered, the flames orange-red, the last wisp of fire extinguished by the Gale Wind, leaving only charred patterns, in which the imprint of tiger claws could still be seen; the fangs of the Kui Mu Lang were broken in half, the cut jagged, with a drop of blood still clinging to it. As the blood drop fell into the abyss, it turned into a thin red light, and where the red light passed, the stardust was stained with a faint blood color.

On the exposed Dao Embryo, the Old Ancestor Tianyan's Reverse Deduction Divine Light spread like ink into clear water, causing flesh and blood to reverse their course wherever it passed—his waist-length black hair visibly turned milky white, the ends still carrying lingering starlight, which flowed through his hair and instantly transformed into soft down like baby hair, clinging to his scalp and trembling gently, the down as fine and soft as wisps of cloud; his firm muscles shrank back to a childlike form, his bronze skin turning porcelain white, like the finest mutton fat jade, even the sword marks left from his cultivation were fading, the skin and flesh at the edges of the sword marks slowly healing. Only faint white marks remained; the calluses on his palms, hardened by a thousand years of cultivation, were fading, revealing tender pink skin. The blue veins beneath the skin were faintly visible, while the crescent-shaped white tips of his fingertips were becoming increasingly clear, resembling the fingernails of a newborn infant. The Purple Mansion True Qi that had been circulating in his dantian for a thousand years was reversing into Innate Primordial Qi carrying Primordial Chaos energy. The energy ball was pale white, still containing the first mouthful of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi that he had swallowed at birth. That Spiritual Qi carried the fragrance of grass and trees from the primordial era, and now it was pulsating slightly in his dantian, like a sleeping seed, each pulsation carrying a faint vitality.

The situation of the Old Ancestor Tianyan was even worse. The Reverse Order Gale Force around him could no longer maintain its spherical shape, turning into scattered black threads that floated behind him, like a funeral banner torn apart by a gale. Each strand of black thread emitted a faint wail, a wail that was like weeping and lamenting. When it touched the stardust, it eroded it into Void, and even the Void space rippled slightly.

The black robe was split by Ren Xiaoyao's Evolution God Thunder with hundreds of holes. There were still traces of burnt black marks on the edges of the holes. On the exposed skin, blue-purple lightning marks were traveling along the meridians. The thunder marks were winding like snakes, and every inch was disintegrating his reverse origin. Wherever the thunder marks passed, the reverse evolution runes on his arms were disintegrating: the last stroke of the word "annihilation" turned into flying Ashes and flying ash disappeared in the air; the vertical hook of the word "Jue" was broken into two parts, and there was a faint black smoke coming from the break, revealing the new, pale pink flesh underneath - that was his true appearance that had been concealed for thousands of years by the power of reverse evolution. The birthmark left when he was a child could still be seen on the skin, like a small peach blossom, with clearly identifiable lines on the petals.

The "Extinction" seal between his brows, which had suppressed the Reverse Divine Ability, had shattered in half. Black powder remained at the broken corner, and the remaining seal script flickered like a candle flame in the wind. Each flicker was accompanied by a suppressed groan of pain, filled with deep resentment. As he plummeted towards the Star Abyss, the Reverse Order Gale Force surrounding him weakened by thirty percent, and the wind became intermittent. Even passing meteorites no longer gave way. A fist-sized starstone slammed straight into his shoulder, its surface bearing tiny pits and splashing up a cloud of dark blood mist. When the blood droplet landed, it transformed into tiny, reverse-growing vines: shrinking from a withered state back into tender shoots, the leaves of the shoots slowly unfurling, turning into seeds. The seed's outer shell gradually hardened, then condensed into a black, Death Qi pill. The pill rolled into the stardust and disappeared without a trace, leaving only a faint black aura.

With his last shred of clarity, Ren Xiaoyao struggled to fall into a Secret Realm enveloped by Nebula. The Nebula was pale pink, like mist formed from countless peach petals, with a faint golden light at the tips. The golden light flowed within the mist, and when it touched his skin, it brought warmth, dispelling some of the chill of the Reverse Deduction Divine Light. His frozen fingers twitched slightly, and the blood in his fingertips began to flow slowly.

This place is called "Life and Death Spring," originally Spirit Vein Hub left behind by Nuwa's Sky-Mending in the primordial era. The Innate Life Qi life force gushing from the spring's eye is like a green mist rising, so thick that it cannot be dispersed. Hidden within are countless tiny points of light, which upon closer inspection are actually unformed Living Souls. They gently collide in the mist, emitting infantile babbling sounds, their voices tender and pure. At the bottom of the pool lies Netherworld Death Fire, its eerie blue flames licking the surface of the water. The shape of the flames is unpredictable, with faint golden light emanating from their edges. The life force and the dead fire intertwine into Tai Chi Vortex. The vortex slowly rotates, and the yin-yang balance of the energy field perfectly suppresses the Power of Reverse Deduction within him. As the vortex rotates, the faint echoes of the words "Life and Death" can be heard, like the whispers of Ancient Gods, carrying endless vicissitudes.

He curled up on the Mysterious Yellow Stone by the spring. The Mysterious Yellow Stone's surface was smooth and had a cool touch. A metallic taste rose in his throat, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood—the drop of blood fell into the spring and transformed into two fish, head to tail, their scales swirling with blue and yellow: the blue was the product of their Innate Life Qi, creating a fine green mist as they swam, which slowly spread in the water; the yellow carried the warmth of Netherworld Death Fire, and the edges of their scales shimmered with a faint light, forming ripples on the water's surface. The two fish circled the water three times, each circle scattering tiny particles of light. These particles transformed into tiny duckweed floating on the water, their round leaves swaying gently with the ripples. Finally, the two fish vanished into ripples, but a faint fish shadow remained on the surface, lingering for a long time—a sign that life had not yet been extinguished.

"Cough... So, when you reverse your cultivation to the extreme, you can even rebuild your Dao Foundation..." Ren Xiaoyao chuckled bitterly, his laughter filled with deep exhaustion. When his fingertips touched the cracks in his Dao Embryo, he felt a bone-chilling cold. The cold was not like ice and snow, but rather like countless tiny ice needles drilling into his bones. The ice needles were sharp and dense, making even his soul tremble. His natal star in his sea of consciousness was covered with a layer of White Frost in this cold, and its starlight became dim and lifeless.

Wisps of black energy were seeping out from there, each carrying the meaning of "returning to Void." The black energy condensed in the air into a tiny "nothingness" character, the character twisted and eerie, before instantly dissipating and flowing along the meridians. Wherever it passed, even the crevices of the bones seemed to be covered with a layer of ice, the ice layer crystal clear. He could clearly feel his ribs becoming thinner, each inch of bone emitting a soft creaking sound as if it could not bear the weight. The sound was subtle yet clear, as if it was shrinking back to the shape of a child. Even the heart beating in his chest slowed down by half a beat, the sound muffled and weak.

This injury was left by the Old Ancestor Tianyan's innate Divine Ability, the "Return to Origin Finger," and ordinary healing Method Formula were simply ineffective. Even his "Zhou Tian Evolution Art," which he had painstakingly cultivated for ten thousand years, was like rowing against the Water Element when he tried to circulate it. As soon as his True Qi reached the Guanyuan Acupoint, it was stirred up by the black energy and disintegrated on its own, turning into countless tiny strands of energy. These strands spun in the air and flowed back to his dantian in reverse, carrying with them a faint trace of black energy. Even his sea of consciousness was churning with turbulent waves, the roar of which was like thunder. The Zhou Tian Star Chart in his sea of consciousness was disintegrating, with stars extinguishing one by one, turning into dark meteors that fell and crashed against the edge of his sea of consciousness, splashing up turbid waves mixed with fragments of broken Stardust.

Several days later, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly felt an itch in his palm while in a daze. The itch was very light, like the antennae of a butterfly gently touching him. The butterfly's wings carried a faint floral fragrance, but also a warmth that traveled along his fingertips into his meridians, dispelling some of the coldness in his meridians. This brought feeling back to his numb fingertips, and the skin on his fingertips began to turn slightly red.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a wisp of Innate Life Qi rising from the spring, shaped like a green silk ribbon. On the ribbon hung tiny, dew-like specks of light, crystal clear, reflecting the shadows of growing plants—some breaking through the soil, some blossoming, some bearing fruit—as it wound its way up his fingertips. By the third loop, it had solidified into a small green ring on his wrist, with patterns of newly sprouting buds, clear and vivid, flowing with a pale golden light, rising and falling gently with his breath, carrying a faint sense of vitality with each rise and fall.

When that aura touched the black energy on the Dao Embryo, it emitted a soft "sizzling" sound, like boiling oil meeting cold water. The black energy was scorched and curled up, turning into tiny black beads, with wisps of blue smoke rising from them, carrying a burnt smell. Meanwhile, the Innate Life Qi seemed to be nourished, its green color becoming even brighter, as dazzling as jade, with a faint golden light emanating from its edges, like a tender leaf illuminated by sunlight, its veins clearly visible.

Where the black energy dissipated, pale golden buds appeared on the wound—these buds grew strangely, unlike the neat and orderly way ordinary cultivators healed. Instead, they resembled wild grass growing haphazardly in a cliff crevice, crooked yet resilient. Even when repeatedly eroded by the black energy and half-rotted, new buds would always sprout from the side. The buds were covered with glistening droplets of liquid, like morning dew on grass blades, which left faint golden marks on the skin when they rolled off, marks that lingered for a long time.

A thought struck him, and he simply dispersed his True Qi, allowing the Innate Life Qi to flow through his meridians and into his acupoints. The instant his True Qi dissipated, the reversed black energy suddenly retaliated, like a pack of hungry wolves pouncing on a lamb. The wolves' eyes gleamed with a ghostly green light, but they were tightly entangled by the surging Innate Life Qi. The two energies fought in his meridians, producing a faint fluorescent glow. Within the glow, countless tiny creatures could be seen struggling between life and death: wounded wild beasts, distressed birds, and dying fish. In the end, they all stubbornly survived, each carrying a faint trace of life force.

In an instant, countless fragmented images flooded into my consciousness: the ancient cypress trees of Kunlun Ruins, struck by Heavenly Thunder, were charred into charred wood, their heartwood turning charcoal-colored, still bearing the scorch marks of lightning, the cracks still retaining the residual warmth of the thunder and fire. As the following spring arrived, new branches sprouted from the charred heartwood, tender and fragile, their buds bearing lightning patterns, like medals etched upon New Life. As the branches unfurled, the soft crackling of wood could be heard, a clear and hopeful sound; the old turtle of the East Sea, its limbs severed by sharks, lay in the shallows for three months, its shell cracking from the sun, the fissures teeming with tiny sea worms. These worms crawled around inside, and pink buds emerged from the broken surfaces, soft and delicate, gradually growing into webbed feet with clear markings, making them faster and more agile in the water. As the insects swiftly swam past the coral reefs, their new feet would gently touch the colorful remains of the insects, which shimmered faintly in the water. In the Southern Border, a poisonous insect curled up in a ball amidst the raging flames, its carapace charred and brittle, crumbling at the slightest touch. From the cracks flowed a green, highly toxic liquid. Before dying, it hid its eggs in the narrow, concealed crevices of its carapace. After the fire died down, the hatched larvae were adorned with fire patterns, leaping like flames. Their toxicity was thirty times greater than that of their mother, but they also possessed fire resistance. As they crawled among the embers, the fire patterns emitted a faint red glow, strikingly bright in the darkness... These scenes contained no supernatural Divine Ability to move mountains or fill seas, no grandeur to swallow Star River, only the most humble obsession with "survival," yet more awe-inspiring than any Great Dao Laws.

"So... I mistakenly took evolution for the deduction of the World Laws, but forgot the most fundamental vitality..." Ren Xiaoyao looked at the fish shadows swimming in the spring and suddenly realized. The fish shadows were actually formed from his blood droplets, and at this moment they were spitting out tiny bubbles on the surface of the water. The bubbles were transparent and round, and when they burst, they made a slight crisp sound, as if responding to his words, or as if cheering for this sudden enlightenment.

He once thought evolution was the great path of Nebula gathering and dispersing, Stars' Life and Death, the fixed number of the Twenty-Eight Mansions rotating. Only now did he understand that the grass sprout pushing through the stubborn rocks in the cliff crevice, using all its strength to see the sunlight, the sunlight warm and bright, even if the roots are twisted and deformed, the twisted roots are even more resilient; the fish hiding their eggs in the mud in the dried-up swamp, leaving behind the hope of continuation in the last moment of their lives, the hope faint but firm, even if they turn into mummies, the mummified bodies still protect the eggs; the ants huddling together for warmth in the cold night, using their weak body heat to resist the biting cold wind, the cold wind fierce and piercing, even if their outer companions have long been frozen, the frozen companions become the inner barrier - these are the most authentic forms of evolution, not following the heavens, not defying the heavens, but simply for the sake of "existence" to live on, to find a way to survive in desperate situations.

He tried to calm his mind and feel the life force within his body. That life force had the tenacity of sprouting grass and trees, and the vitality of surging rivers. It flowed slowly through his meridians at a steady and even speed. Wherever it flowed, even the ice shards left by the reversed black energy were slowly melting. The melted ice water flowed along his meridians, taking away some of the chill.

The Innate Life Qi traveled through the meridians, stopping when it encountered the rebellious black energy. Instead of confronting it head-on, it followed the trajectory of the black energy, detouring around it and creating new energy channels from the side. Tiny hairs, like plant roots, grew on the walls of these energy channels. These roots were dense and tough, firmly gripping the inner walls of the meridians. Faint Gold Dust clung to the hairs, traces of the condensed life force, Gold Dust faintly in the light.

Like a mountain stream encountering a boulder, instead of crashing into it and wasting its energy, it overflows through the narrow and rugged crevices, carving out a new channel on the other side. The channel is wide and gentle, with Green Moss growing on both banks. The Green Moss is lush and moist, attracting fish. The colorful fish stir up the water, bringing more silt and nutrients. The silt is fertile and the nutrients are plentiful, so it continues to flow towards the sea, its journey now more vibrant and lively than before, brimming with the vitality of life.

After twenty-one days, the cracks on Ren Xiaoyao 'Dao Embryo gradually healed. Fine, spiderweb-like golden threads grew from the edges of the cracks, delicate and shimmering, stitching the wound together little by little like silkworms spinning silk. With each inch stitched, he felt a warmth in his dantian, which flowed through his blood vessels throughout his body, reaching every limb and bone, giving his pale cheeks a faint blush, as delicate as a peach blossom.

On the newly grown skin, pale blue "Life Patterns" appeared, spreading like a spider web and enveloping the remaining rebellious black energy. Tiny leaf bud patterns also emerged at the intersection of the patterns. The buds were tender and plump, covered with fine hairs, and trembled gently with his breath. With each tremor, a faint green mist emanated, fresh and carrying the scent of grass and trees, dissolving the last traces of black energy, which slowly dissipated within the green mist.

Whenever the dark energy attempts to retaliate, the Life Patterns sprout new branches, like vines tightly binding dead wood. These vines are resilient and powerful, guiding the power of the dark energy to the limbs and bones, transforming it into nourishment for the meridians—just as decaying leaves are gnawed by insects in the soil. The insects are busy and industrious, eventually turning into spring mud. The spring mud is fertile and loose, nourishing new seedlings as they break through the soil. The roots of these new seedlings grow along the veins of the decaying leaves, the veins clear and interwoven, absorbing every bit of nutrition to grow stronger. The strong new seedlings are full of vitality.

That morning, the Life and Death Spring suddenly surged forth. The Innate Life Qi gushing from the spring's eye violently intertwined with the Netherworld Death Fire at the bottom of the pool, emitting Dazzling Light at the moment of intersection. Green and blue light shot into the sky, condensing into a giant Tai Chi Symbol in mid-air. The Tai Chi Symbol slowly rotated, and within it, one could see the phantoms of countless beings reincarnating between life and death: the cries of a newborn baby, loud and full of vitality; the sighs of an old man on his deathbed, filled with relief; the splendor of blooming flowers, brilliant yet fleeting; the serene beauty of falling leaves, tranquil and peaceful—each scene imbued with a profound sense of vitality and peace.

The Tai Chi Vortex formed by the intertwining of innate life force and the Netherworld Death Fire Innate Life Qi faster and faster, its rotation creating afterimages. Finally, it condensed into a green lotus seed the size of a pigeon's egg. The lotus seed was round and smooth, with a touch of crimson at its Lotus Heart, like a dancing flame. The flame was warm and vibrant, the very essence of Life and Death Interdependence. Faint Life Patterns could be seen flowing on the surface of the lotus seed, with tiny, dew-like specks of light clinging to them, shimmering with a faint glow.

The lotus seed slowly fell into Ren Xiaoyao's mouth. He felt a sudden heat in his dantian, which spread rapidly along his meridians. Wherever it passed, the reversing black energy dissipated, turning into wisps of green smoke that disappeared into the air. The Life Patterns on his Dao Embryo suddenly lit up, the light dazzling yet not blinding, rising up his spine and condensing into a Third-Grade Green Lotus between his brows. The green lotus was holy and beautiful, with a few crystal dewdrops clinging to its petals. The dewdrops were transparent and pure, and upon closer inspection, they were formed from Innate Life Qi. As the dewdrops rolled, one could see tiny, growing plants reflected inside: new shoots breaking through the soil, budding flowers, and branches laden with fruit. Each plant exuded vibrant life.

"The Origin of Life is not in the World Laws, but in every breath, every heartbeat..." Ren Xiaoyao slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was no longer filled with the vastness of the swirling stars, but with a gentle warmth like spring water, reflecting the light and shadow in the spring, giving rise to a touch of Mortal Worldly Charm. In that warmth, there were children chasing each other barefoot on the ridges of the fields, their silvery voices filling the fields; there were farmers bending over to plant rice seedlings, beads of sweat sliding down their cheeks and dripping into the soil; there were lovers whispering under the moon, their words as soft as feathers; and there was the figure of an old woman adding firewood to the stove, the firelight reddening her wrinkled face. Every scene carried a warm and vibrant atmosphere, as if one could reach out and touch that reality.

He raised his hand, and the scattered fragments of the Imperial Armor, lying in the Meteorite Sea, flew back from the starry sky. As the fragments streaked across the void, they created a faint whistling sound. Upon reassembling, intricate patterns appeared on the armor plates, woven from the footprints of countless living beings: the imprints of bare feet in the mud, tiny specks of dirt still clinging to their toes; the hoofprints left by galloping horses, their edges edged with bits of grass; and the ripples left by birds skimming the water's surface, the ripples containing tiny feathers. The Nine-Headed Dragon Markings pattern on the shoulder armor had many... A tear fell, seemingly Bei Min for all living beings. Tiny, grass-leaf-like patterns still clung to the dragon's scales. Beneath its claws lay no longer shattered stars, but a thriving seedling, its roots deeply embedded in its armor plates, as if drawing strength. In the mouth of the Yin-Yang Fish on its breastplate, a plump lotus seed was held, and a few specks of mud clung to its fins, making it seem like a creature just pulled from the field, carrying the fragrance of earth. The Star Core in its eye also had a warm luster, shimmering slightly as if it had come to life.

Deep within the distant Meteorite Sea, the aura of the Old Ancestor Tianyan still lingered, though much weaker, like a candle flickering in the wind, threatening to extinguish at the slightest breeze. His aura was intermittent, occasionally punctuated by faint fluctuations of the Power of Reverse Deduction, like the last soft crackling of an extinguished ember, carrying with it endless decay.

Ren Xiaoyao gazed in that direction, the golden light that had gathered at his fingertips slowly dissipating—he did not rise to give chase. As the golden light faded, it transformed into specks of light, drifting into the distance, like a glimmer of light sent into the darkness. Wherever the light passed, even the faintest stardust seemed to radiate a faint warmth, like the first ray of sunlight as ice and snow begin to melt.