Chapter 284
It seems that events that occurred in another dimension have not been reflected in this dimension.
Xiao Minghuang paused for a moment, then shook her head. "Let me explain slowly to you."
Next, she briefly recounted what had happened in the alternate dimension.
When they heard Xiao Minghuang say that he had single-handedly ventured into the Sea of Boundaries to retrieve Xiao Luo Qianrui and personally killed the Southern Wilderness Demon King, Xu Xiuer and Xie Ziyin both widened their beautiful eyes, their pretty faces filled with disbelief.
"Your Highness... you actually...!"
Xu Xiuer was stunned, and for a moment she completely forgot what she was going to say.
Xie Ziyin covered her mouth, speechless with shock.
"The war in the Sea of Boundaries was a rash decision on my part..."
Xiao Minghuang smiled bitterly upon hearing this. Only she knew how dangerous that battle was; she had only managed to survive through sheer courage.
If the rusty sword hadn't responded to her call at the crucial moment, she probably would have returned empty-handed.
After catching up, Xiao Minghuang sat cross-legged alone and began to digest the gains from this trip to another dimension.
She first took out the rusty sword that had been with her for a long time.
As Xiao Minghuang's thoughts shifted, a simple, unadorned longsword appeared in her hand.
This is the once rusty longsword. Although it has been honed and polished, it still doesn't show any extraordinary features and looks like an ordinary, mundane sword.
"Rusty sword, oh rusty sword, what is your origin?"
Normally, the rusty sword seems to have no response to her call. Only when faced with an insurmountable enemy will the sword briefly revive and annihilate all enemies!
Xiao Minghuang put away the rusty sword and then took out the treasure box given to him by the Lord of the Central and Eastern Poles.
Compared to the rusty sword of unknown origin, this treasure box was more worthy of her attention.
This was a gift from the Lord of the Central and Eastern Poles; it must be an extremely valuable treasure, and it will surely be of great benefit to her!
"Whoosh!"
Xiao Minghuang opened the treasure box without hesitation.
In an instant, Rosy Clouds burst forth, as if containing some special power, making people feel refreshed and relaxed, as if bathed in a spring breeze.
As the light faded, Xiao Minghuang looked closely and saw a flawless, round bead lying quietly inside.
"This round bead is..."
At first glance, she thought it was some kind of magical artifact, but she couldn't sense the mysterious meaning that magical artifacts are unique to.
Upon closer inspection, one could see countless, densely packed runes on the bead, which appeared to be some kind of extremely ancient script.
Through these ancient inscriptions, Xiao Minghuang seemed to see an endless gray mist inside the bead, as if it were the chaotic era before the universe was created, before chaos was divided, and before the Great Dao was revealed.
"This is... the Chaos Bead!"
Xiao Minghuang couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
The Chaos Bead is an extremely rare Heavenly Divine Object from the heavens. It is formed when a world is about to be created, by using great magical power to condense it into a tiny pearl, containing a world that is about to evolve!
Moreover, not all worlds can be condensed into Chaos Bead; only a few large worlds with immense potential can transform into Chaos Bead.
Therefore, this bead not only represents the great power of the person who created it, but also the great fortune of that person!
Such a treasure is considered a top-tier divine object throughout the entire universe!
365. The great principles of the world are all within your grasp.
With the Chaos Bead, Xiao Minghuang was able to observe a vast world from the beginning of chaos to the evolution of the Great Dao, and then to the creation of countless beings in the universe. This was an unimaginable opportunity that almost opened up a straight path to immortality for her!
This opportunity is almost unimaginable!
This kindness is truly immense!
Xiao Minghuang was puzzled. She did not agree with the Dao of the Lord of the Central and Eastern Poles, yet he was willing to bestow such a great opportunity upon her. What was going on?
You see, if he had taken this opportunity himself, he would have had the chance to ascend to immortality, but he gave it to her instead.
Could it be that even the Lord of the Central and Eastern Poles can give something back?
But how could that be possible?
Xiao Minghuang stopped thinking about these unrealistic things. The most important thing right now was to find a way to make the Chaos Bead work to its fullest potential.
In her hands, the best option is naturally to return it through a system gift. No matter how much compensation is given, it is at least a divine object of the same level as the Chaos Bead!
"Fortunately, the void return opportunity I received as a reward from my last advancement to the King Realm has been retained."
Xiao Minghuang's lips curled up slightly, and a hint of a smile appeared in her eyes.
After advancing to the King Realm, she was given the opportunity to return the void. She originally planned to wait until she encountered an Emperor Treasure or a treasure of the same level before redeeming it. However, the Chaos Bead was clearly far superior to an ordinary Emperor Treasure. Using this opportunity on it was not a waste at all!
You could even say it's great value!
Immediately, she had a thought and performed a virtual gift return.
[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully received a virtual opportunity. Please choose one of the following compensation options:]
[1. Abundant with Immortal Qi, Earth Immortal Perfection.]
[2. Reflections on the Way of Chaos and the Way of Destiny over Several Years]
Upon receiving the options prompted by the system in his mind, Xiao Minghuang was immediately stunned.
"Abundant with Immortal Qi? Earth Immortal Perfection? What does this mean?"
She racked her brains, recalling the ancient books she had read, and vaguely remembered a few words that she didn't quite understand.
"It seems... that through the accumulation of countless years by an immortal supreme being, a qualitative change can be caused by quantitative change, allowing them to draw upon a wisp of celestial Immortal Qi from the heavens and infuse it into their body. This realm should be called an Earth Immortal!"
"When a terrestrial immortal's entire body is filled with immortal Immortal Qi, he can be considered a fully realized Earth Immortal Perfection."
However, this information was found in a tattered ancient book and may not be factual. After all, no one in this world has ever actually seen an immortal.
"To be on the safe side, I'll choose the second one..."
Xiao Minghuang thought to herself that with her talent, it was only a matter of time before she could break through to the Immortal Path. If she made a rash choice of the first option and something unexpected happened, that would not be the result she wanted to see.
For example, if she had just become an immortal, and some mysterious extraterrestrial visitors suddenly appeared and tried to take her to the Heavenly Realm, that would be something she absolutely could not accept.
In comparison, the second option is more realistic.
"My current realm is the tenth level of the King Realm. I only need to condense two more layers of the Life and Death Platform to enter the Saint Realm, which is just right to be based on the Way of Destiny and the Way of Chaos."
Xiao Minghuang knew that the Way of Destiny was the sum of all intangible ways in the world, and the Way of Chaos was the sum of all tangible ways in the world. Together, they constituted the underlying logic of the Great Dao's operation, which is a sentence known to countless cultivators.
Tao gives birth to one, and gives birth to two.
The "two" in this context refers to these two main roads.
Therefore, if she were to use the Life and Death Platform, which is constructed by combining these two Great Daos, she would surely far surpass ordinary cultivators.
Although she had long since left those so-called young prodigies of the Eastern Pole far behind.
"My opponents should be the true foundations of those holy lands, the Saint Kings, Quasi-Emperors, and even Supreme Beings who have endured countless years!"
Xiao Minghuang knew in her heart that even if the ancient saints and supreme beings of these holy lands were not as talented as her, they had accumulated over such a long period of time and were certainly not comparable to the young cultivators who had fought her before.
Take the Silver Gourd Demon King, for example. If she hadn't received the Rusty Sword's help at the crucial moment, she probably wouldn't have been able to kill her opponent at all; at most, they would have just ended up with a draw.
With that thought in mind, Xiao Minghuang took a deep breath and made her choice.
"I choose the second one!"
The next instant, a series of booming sounds suddenly came from Xiao Minghuang's head. At the same time, the surrounding environment suddenly changed, as if she had crossed a huge threshold and appeared in another unfamiliar space.
Looking around, this space appears as a hazy gray, resembling a chaotic era before the universe was divided, heaven and earth were created, and the great Dao was revealed.
In this chaotic era, there is no space, no time, no heaven and earth, no myriad things, no billions of living beings; everything that can be seen or thought does not exist.
Xiao Minghuang could not sense anything other than herself.
And so, it seemed as if she had lived through countless eons.
... but it also seems like only a fleeting moment has passed.
At one point, Xiao Minghuang felt a little tired, so he raised his arm and gently waved it forward!
Buzz!!!
A strange wave emanated from it, like ripples spreading outwards from a stone thrown into a calm lake.
These faint ripples seemed to contain boundless power, the vast vitality of creation, the powerful sharpness of opening up chaos, and the mysterious wonder of the evolutionary path, spreading out endlessly in all directions.
The chaotic scene in her eyes suddenly distorted, followed by a vast and powerful force that pierced through countless years and descended upon her!
Xiao Minghuang trembled all over, as if he were in a vast ocean, his limbs and bones shaking!
This feeling was as if she were personally creating a chaotic world, shaping all the great principles!
Her consciousness gradually calmed down, and she entered a peculiar state.
As chaos was created and the universe appeared, countless dust particles in the void condensed and transformed into stars of varying sizes, which distributed and moved according to indescribable rules.
Xiao Minghuang gradually regained consciousness. Looking around, she saw a star slowly rotating, emitting a pale blue light; on the earth, vegetation was lush, trees towered, mountains were majestic, and ancient pines and cypresses covered the landscape; rivers rushed and roared, waterfalls cascaded down, and a fish leaped out of the water...
"... the universe... was formed..."
The next moment, Xiao Minghuang opened her eyes, which shone like two brilliant starry skies. Her pupils were filled with endless mysteries and were incredibly deep, as if they contained an ancient world that illuminated the four directions of heaven and earth.
At this moment, she exuded an indescribable majesty, and with every gesture, she seemed to control the universe, with the rules of life and death of all things flowing within her heart.
Xiao Minghuang gently raised her jade hand, turned her palm over to observe the patterns, as if she could see the laws governing the operation of all things in the world, as if she could see the profound and intertwined paths of the Dao.
"Destiny is the warp, chaos the weft; all the great principles of the world are in my hands..."
366. Consecration
Xiao Minghuang stood up, starlight scattering down, her spiritual power sublimating, and the Saint Dao Law suddenly manifesting.
Within the grotto, a sacred palace rises Life and Death Platform, layered and forged into seven distinct levels.
Instantly.
Become a saint!
Nearby, the profound fluctuations caused by Xiao Minghuang's enlightenment also affected Xu Xiuer and Xie Ziyin, who instantly entered a state of enlightenment, their bodies radiating a lustrous glow.
Seeing this, Xiao Minghuang smiled slightly and did not rush forward, but remained where she was.
"Let them cultivate here!"
After entering the ancient tomb, they experienced many twists and turns. Xu Xiuer not only did not gain any opportunities, but was also filled with fear because of her. Now that she has unexpectedly gained an opportunity, it is actually a good thing.
Before leaving, Xiao Minghuang saw the hourglass lying flat on the ground, its luster gone. She picked it up and put it into her storage bag.
"Once Xiu'er emerges from seclusion, I will give it to her!"
Immediately, Xiao Minghuang set up an array to protect them and left behind a talisman containing a message, telling them that they would contact her after they emerged from seclusion.
Stepping into the Void Tunnel, and gazing at the slowly recovering void rifts and turbulent void currents, Xiao Minghuang's lips curled slightly. With her current strength, repairing these cracks was a piece of cake.
As she walked, the shattered void was repaired inch by inch wherever she stepped, as if by divine intervention.
As she walked out of the passageway, the space was completely restored.
Returning to the Immortal Palace where he had fought against the geniuses of the various holy lands, Xiao Minghuang found no trace of its former self.
"It's a pity that some of the quasi-emperor-level magical treasures have fallen into the void turbulence and can never be found again."
She sighed softly. Although those geniuses had offered her most of their treasures, some had held back and kept some things to themselves.
Now, in addition to the Ruyi Wish-Fulfilling Demon Subduing Pestle she obtained from Kong, she has a total of eleven Quasi-Emperor level magic treasures, and as for Saint level magic treasures, she has dozens.
There are countless other elixirs, divine materials, and magical treasures for those at the King Realm and below.
"These quasi-emperor-level magical treasures could indeed be used to form an array."
Xiao Minghuang pondered, "After leaving the ancient tomb, I'll ask Ruoshui if she has any thoughts on this."
However, she felt that no matter what kind of magical artifacts were used to create the formation, none of them were as effective as the Chaos Bead and the rusty sword whose origin was still unknown.
In her vision, the best scenario would be to connect the Chaos Bead with a grand array composed of a set of magical artifacts.