Refinement Successful, Late Void Realm

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

He walked and walked, never stopping, trudging along with a bored, listless expression.

At first, he counted as he went, but later he simply gave up. After counting into the tens of thousands, Mu Chen found counting far too troublesome.

Walking through darkness made time feel especially endless. Boundless darkness left one unable to see even a trace of hope.

If one fell completely into despair at such a time, one would be unable to gain the Devouring Ancestral Symbol's recognition.

Here, one had to endure the loneliness and despair brought by darkness. This was a test of one's temperament; most importantly, one had to ensure that one did not go mad first.

Mu Chen did not know whether he was walking in the right direction, but whether his eyes were open or closed, there was only pitch-black darkness. Everywhere was the same. At the very least, the road beneath his feet had no ravines or deep pits, so he would not trip and fall.

As time passed in the darkness, perhaps ten years had gone by, or perhaps a hundred. In the end, Mu Chen had become numb. He only knew that he had to persist and keep walking.

Devouring, there was nothing...

Mu Chen contemplated devouring, and at that moment, he stopped.

Within the endless darkness, a ray of light suddenly appeared and spread to Mu Chen's feet. It was light he had not seen in a long time, as though it could lead him out of this darkness. Yet he knew that if he left by following that path of light, he would sink completely into the darkness.

"Have I passed now? I thought I'd gotten lost."

Mu Chen's face was full of exhaustion, yet a faint smile appeared on it. This was truly insane. He had nearly forgotten who he was. His eyes, which should have been bright, now revealed a kind of weathered weariness.

He had successfully walked out of the Darkness Realm, the world created by the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

At that moment, the darkness shattered like glass. Gentle rays of light descended, giving rise to a beautiful starry sky. An ancient rune appeared before Mu Chen, and upon it stood a vague, indistinct figure.

The moment he saw the Symbol Spirit, Mu Chen knew that he had passed the trial, and joy surged within him.

Fortunately, he had remained steadfast on his path. Otherwise, all his previous efforts would have been wasted.

"Devouring Ancestral Symbol, from now on, we'll fight side by side and make your name known throughout the Heaven Origin World." Mu Chen slowly reached out toward the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

The ancient rune wriggled at that moment. The palm formed by the Symbol Spirit touched Mu Chen's palm, and in the end, the Symbol Spirit transformed into a figure identical to Mu Chen. Only its eyes were pitch-black.

A delighted expression appeared on Mu Chen's face. He had now passed the Ancestral Symbol's trial and could refine the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

The Devouring Ancestral Symbol flew into the crown of Mu Chen's head, instantly erupting with an overbearing Devouring Power. The Symbol Spirit in Mu Chen's form followed close behind, turning into a streak of light and entering Mu Chen's body.

In an instant, Mu Chen's soul became even more solid. Vast and powerful Soul Power surged forth, while the Devouring Ancestral Symbol emitted Devouring Power, swallowing the Soul Power into its black hole before returning even purer Soul Power.

Mu Chen could feel his soul, at the Initial Void Realm, gradually improving. It soon reached the middle stage, far more efficiently than the Spirit Grinding Mill.

Mu Chen did not need to worry about his soul foundation becoming unstable from this advancement. The Devouring Ancestral Symbol was no mere decoration. In the future, even when facing soul-type attacks, the Devouring Ancestral Symbol would prove useful.

"Still not done? It's been three months already. Should Marten Lord dig a hole and lay the brat to rest?"

Little Marten looked at Mu Chen, who had accumulated a layer of dust, and muttered to himself. He did not know how long refining an Ancestral Symbol took, but this was taking far too long.

For someone at Mu Chen's level to risk refining an Ancestral Symbol, the chance of failure was truly not small.

"Cough, cough. Little Marten, I think I should bury you instead." Mu Chen's hoarse laughter rang out. He had not spoken for too long, and his throat was somewhat dry.

The sudden voice gave Little Marten a fright. He thought Mu Chen had risen from the dead.

He quickly came to his senses and stared at Mu Chen, who had opened his eyes, in astonishment. The black hole above was also rapidly disappearing. Could it be that Mu Chen had truly succeeded?

The glow of Soul Power filling Mu Chen's eyes flashed. He felt extremely good now; his soul realm had just reached the Late Void Realm.

Aside from refining the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, raising his soul by two minor realms was Mu Chen's greatest gain.

Ordinary people at the First Meridian could not reach the Late Void Realm, unless they possessed the innate talent of an exceptionally powerful soul.

"Brat Mu Chen, you successfully refined the Ancestral Symbol?" Little Marten grew excited as well.

If Mu Chen had truly succeeded, then he was undoubtedly the youngest Ancestral Symbol wielder. Of the Ancestral Symbol wielders Little Marten knew, all of them had needed to reach the Life and Death Profound Realm before they could barely succeed.

"Of course. Look."

Mu Chen formed a black hole in his palm and held it before Little Marten. Its mysterious Devouring Power plundered the surrounding Heavenly Source Qi, refining it and transforming it into purer Source Qi. That was why the Devouring Ancestral Symbol was called a divine tool for assisting cultivation.

"Ah! Stay away from me!"

Little Marten immediately hid inside the Ancestral Stone. His demon spirit had nearly been swallowed by the black hole. If that happened, he would truly be reduced to ashes, his soul scattering between heaven and earth.

I treat you like a friend, and you want to swallow me?!

Mu Chen smiled and clenched his hand, making the black hole vanish. Look how badly he had frightened Little Marten. What a sin, what a sin.

"Not bad. You actually let the brat succeed. You should be the youngest and weakest Ancestral Symbol wielder in history," Little Marten said sarcastically.

Mu Chen's mouth twitched. This petty black rat—I can't tell whether you're praising me or mocking me.

"Eh, your soul has grown quite a bit stronger. It seems refining the Devouring Ancestral Symbol has brought you considerable benefits," Little Marten said in surprise.

"I'm still only at the First Meridian. If there weren't any benefits, the Ancestral Symbol would be too stingy." Much of the Source Qi in Mu Chen's body had been depleted, but he was not worried. With a thought, the abundant Source Qi transformed by the Devouring Ancestral Symbol entered his body, and the feeling of weakness vanished instantly.

During this time, his soul had entered the black hole while his body remained in a state similar to suspended death. It was already fortunate that his Source Qi had not drained away completely. This was thanks to the First Meridian imbued with devouring aura taking effect.

"How much time has passed, Little Marten? I lost track of time in the darkness," Mu Chen asked.

"More than three months. It'll soon be the next year," Little Marten said.

Had Mu Chen emerged any later, Little Marten would have finished digging the pit and laid him to rest.

"Not too late, then." Mu Chen frowned and stretched. His body, which had not moved for a long time, crackled like popping beans.

"Heh, brat, I advise you to hurry back. Your little girlfriend should be angry by now," Little Marten said gleefully.

Mu Chen's eyes widened. Oh no.

He had told Su Youwei that he would be leaving for a while, yet more than three months had passed. Su Youwei would definitely be angry.