Trap

The Chaos Sea in the Cosmic Frontier Wasteland erupted with an incomparably massive roar, raising towering waves that submerged the place where Li Ming and the old ghost had been.

The many Dark Supremes watched coldly from the sidelines.

They had originally wanted to see how that old ghost would devour Li Ming, the Chaotic Body. Unexpectedly, the Chaos Sea suddenly rioted and swallowed that place whole. Even they could no longer peer into the chaos.

"Did Li Ming use his own Chaos Origin to trigger the Chaos Sea?" a Dark Supreme asked uncertainly.

"It's impossible. Even if Li Ming is powerful, he could not possibly cause the Chaos Sea to riot. It was merely a coincidence."

"That old ghost has lived for who knows how many tens of thousands of years and has possessed no one knew how many people. It looks like he has finally capsized and fallen into Li Ming's hands."

Just now, they had seen brilliant Immortal Ascension Light flash forth, rapidly melting away the terrifying Devil Mist.

Clearly, Li Ming's methods had also exceeded that old ghost's expectations.

"Could it be that the old ghost truly devoured Li Ming and took the opportunity to slip into the Chaos Sea?"

They could sense the old ghost's aura and were deeply wary of him.

At least Li Ming was still out in the open, where everyone could observe him. Yet this old ghost was secretive and mysterious, not even daring to reveal his identity, which made everyone all the more apprehensive.

Some Supremes believed Li Ming had killed the old ghost in return, while others believed the old ghost had taken the opportunity to possess Li Ming. Some Dark Supremes, however, remained silent.

Li Ming had already fully demonstrated his strength in the previous battle.

However, the old ghost possessed an Immortal Weapon like the Bronze Immortal Hall, leaving the matter full of uncertainty.

For the Dark Supremes, the death of another Dark Supreme was rare gossip during their long slumbers, whenever they happened to awaken.

They had long grown accustomed to life and death in this world. Other than Mortal-World Ascension, everything was fleeting smoke to them and could no longer stir their interest.

A Dark Supreme carefully scanned that patch of chaos, yet ultimately failed to see what had happened within it.

Nor could he find any trace of Li Ming or that Dark Supreme.

"Ah..."

Within the boundless Chaos Sea, amid the incomparably radiant Immortal Ascension Light, the old ghost's utterly miserable howls rang out.

That terrifying Devil Mist was dissolved completely by the Flying Immortal Power in the blink of an eye.

Li Ming stood in the Chaos Sea, watching the old ghost struggle and howl.

Within that dazzling radiance of Flying Immortal Power, mysterious energy could be seen flowing.

It was precisely the mysterious power flowing out from the Bronze Mirror.

Li Ming had originally believed his own strength would be enough to deal with this old ghost. He had not expected the old ghost's Devil Mist to alarm the Bronze Mirror.

The aura flowing from the Bronze Mirror seemed innately capable of restraining this yin-underworld power.

Although only faint wisps had flowed out, they instantly dissolved the Devil Mist completely.

"Demon Venerable, if you are willing to spare my life, I am willing to sever all my origin and divine power and offer them to you. I will reincarnate and cultivate anew from the beginning."

The old ghost let out one unwilling howl after another.

He had already been firmly suppressed by Li Ming's Flying Immortal Power and was at the end of his road.

A faint smile appeared on Li Ming's face. "At this point, do you have any other choice?"

"What you speak of already belongs to me. Do I need you to offer it to me?"

"If I kill you, I can obtain all of it anyway, and I won't have to worry about you cultivating back up and seeking revenge later."

Li Ming knew that the old ghost certainly still had some tricks up his sleeve. Thus, rather than searching the old ghost's primordial spirit, he continuously wore it away with Flying Immortal Power.

Chaos surged forth from his body, forming a Chaotic Divine Furnace that wrapped around the old ghost.

Using the surrounding Chaos Sea as fuel, it ignited raging chaotic flames and frantically burned the old ghost.

His Heavenly Demonic Saber did not remain idle either. It sliced the old ghost into strips, one cut after another. Every slash stripped away part of the old ghost's origin and tore away part of his primordial spirit.

By the end of the refinement, nearly all of the origin within had been separated out.

The old ghost's primordial spirit fluctuations had weakened to the extreme and were on the verge of vanishing completely.

Only then did Li Ming attempt a soul search.

Just as Li Ming had expected, the old ghost truly had a backup plan.

This innate yin-underworld creature had possessed the bodies of who knew how many geniuses. His primordial spirit was unimaginably powerful.

It could be said that he was an old ghost who chiefly cultivated the path of the primordial spirit.

Earlier, he had deliberately shown weakness and abandoned the many origins he had seized, all while waiting for this very opportunity.

He wanted to devour Li Ming's primordial spirit and turn the tables in a single stroke.

In truth, this was also a desperate measure.

The Bronze Immortal Hall, which should have responded as readily as an extension of his arm, now seemed to have lost all connection with him.

Thus, he had no choice but to do this.

Li Ming's primordial spirit was enveloped in chaotic divine light, resembling a blazing sun.

It was actually even stronger than the old ghost's primordial spirit.

"Why? Why is your primordial spirit stronger than mine?"

Sensing the old ghost's despairing divine thought fluctuations, Li Ming said coldly, "I will send you on your way now. You are destined to die with your eyes unclosed."

The old ghost immediately ignited the light of Dao transformation within his primordial spirit.

Since he could no longer survive, he intended to perish together with Li Ming.

He wanted to kill Li Ming completely through Dao transformation.

Unfortunately, a mysterious power flowed out from the Bronze Mirror and forcibly wore away the power of Dao transformation.

"Before me, whether you live or die is for me to decide!"

The old ghost, suppressed by the Bronze Mirror's power, was completely ground away by Li Ming in the blink of an eye.

This old ghost was indeed extremely powerful and truly possessed Heavenly Emperor-level combat strength.

Unfortunately, he had encountered Li Ming.

Without the Bronze Mirror, Li Ming would certainly have faced a hard battle if he wanted to defeat this old ghost.

Yet in the end, Li Ming effortlessly destroyed the old ghost's primordial spirit.

Only after some time did Li Ming open his eyes.

This old monster was truly remarkable. In an extremely distant era, he had already attained the Dao and become a Supreme.

Relying on his mysterious racial traits, he had possessed the fleshly bodies of who knew how many geniuses. Like a sinister spirit, he hid within the bodies of others to survive, and no one had ever discovered him.

Li Ming completely erased the old ghost's divine thoughts, ignited the flames of chaos, and began refining the origin the old ghost had left behind.

The Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art he had created was extremely interested in this origin.

In the end, after refining those origins, he condensed them into a bead wreathed in chaotic qi.

Countless phenomena manifested around it, and innumerable Great Dao runes shimmered.

This showed just how abundant the origin seized by the old ghost was. It came from more than six thousand people, every one of them a genius with a special constitution.

He had refined every last remnant left behind by the old ghost.

Only the pure, refined origin remained within.

To Li Ming, this was also an excellent tonic.

He then swallowed it into his body, and the black hole in his Sea of Bitterness instantly devoured the bead.

That mass of chaos immediately fused with the chaos within his body.

It resembled a vast ocean of chaos.

Rumble!

An incomparably massive roar came from Li Ming's Sea of Bitterness.

Countless phenomena also appeared around his body, as though a Heavenly Emperor had stirred the heavens. Countless phantoms of Immortal Spirits emerged.

One crystalline, resplendent divine chain of Great Dao order after another manifested around his body. Countless feathers of light danced through the air, with ten thousand rays of divine light and a thousand streams of auspicious radiance.

They cascaded down like a galaxy, and also resembled countless stars gathered into a brilliant sea of stars.

It was incomparably sacred, and the aura of an ethereal sword immortal spread in all directions.

Rumble!

A tremendous roar like the opening of heaven and earth came from Li Ming's Sea of Bitterness.

After devouring the origin left behind by that old ghost, it seemed as though an unsurpassable divine power had appeared within his body.

His strength rose by another small stage in a short time.

In the blink of an eye, feathers of light danced and divine mist filled the sky, as though he were ascending as a feathered immortal.

Only after a long time did the commotion within Li Ming's body subside. He had finally refined the old ghost's origin completely.

Li Ming opened his eyes. Feeling that powerful aura, he was very satisfied.

His gaze turned toward the Bronze Immortal Hall.

A magnificent palace stood silently before him.

Its surface was mottled with bronze rust, making it appear ancient and weathered.

Though its exterior looked decayed, its interior emitted a supreme immortal Dao charm, mysterious beyond measure.

It floated in the chaos before him, blooming with faint green immortal light.

Dense Immortal Dao Runes intertwined around it, making the place where it stood seem to transform into a mysterious minor world.

This was the Bronze Immortal Hall, one of the few remaining Immortal Weapons in the world of Shrouding the Heavens.

Although Li Ming had never seen the Bronze Immortal Hall before, he recognized this famous Immortal Weapon the moment he saw it.

He had originally thought that the Bronze Immortal Hall might not yet have fallen from the Immortal Domain into this world.

Perhaps it had been quietly resting somewhere within a Chaos Sea in the universe.

He had never expected it to fall into the old ghost's hands, only to now fall into his own.

The tall and majestic Bronze Immortal Hall emitted faint, mysterious radiance as it floated in the chaos before him.

Chaos surged and roiled, while Immortal Dao Runes blossomed, illuminating the surrounding chaos.

Though mottled with bronze rust and ancient with age, it did not carry an air of decay. Instead, it emanated the aura of immortal Dao longevity.

"I never expected the Bronze Immortal Hall to appear before my eyes like this," Li Ming said with emotion.

Ever since entering this world, he had heard legends concerning the Desolate Pagoda and the Kunlun Immortal Bell.

The Kunlun Immortal Bell was on Kunlun Mountain, controlled by the Kunlun Immortal Race. Or rather, the Kunlun Immortal Bell resided permanently on Kunlun Mountain, leading people to mistakenly believe it was controlled by the Kunlun race.

The Desolate Pagoda, meanwhile, was ownerless. It had occasionally appeared in the past, but its traces soon became impossible to find, and no one had ever obtained it.

These were among the few Immortal Weapons in the world of Shrouding the Heavens. Whoever obtained one, whether an individual or a race, could suppress the fortune of an entire region.

Even Emperor Zun's Immortal Ascension Cauldron had only been nurtured through countless formations and the mysteries of Kunlun Mountain.

This showed just how difficult it was for an Immortal Weapon to be born.

And now, the Bronze Immortal Hall floated quietly before him. Even though Li Ming had long known of this Immortal Weapon, his heart still surged with emotion.

He had not expected the Bronze Immortal Hall to have fallen into that old ghost's hands.

When had that old ghost discovered the Bronze Immortal Hall, and how had he obtained it?

Li Ming found no answer in the old ghost's primordial spirit.

But no matter what, the Bronze Immortal Hall now belonged to Li Ming.

Li Ming thought of Ye Fan's era. The interior of the Bronze Immortal Hall seemed to have nurtured chaotic immortal soil, countless roots of Mother Qi of All Things, and other top-tier materials...

He wondered what treasures the Bronze Immortal Hall contained now.

Generally speaking, this thing would hide along the Road to Immortality, or an abandoned Road to Immortality, where it could naturally nurture many treasures.

Li Ming carefully sensed the Bronze Immortal Hall and found its state extremely strange.

Logically, it should have been ownerless, yet he faintly sensed the aura of a weapon spirit.

It seemed to be there and not there, impossible to lock onto or deduce.

Could it be that the Bronze Immortal Hall still retained an artifact spirit from the Age of Mythology?

Could it be unwilling to fall into Li Ming's hands?

Li Ming carefully examined the Immortal Dao Runes above it, along with the countless imprints upon its surface.

These were genuine Immortal Dao Runes and Immortal Dao Laws.

Even though Li Ming had never seen genuine Immortal Dao Runes or Immortal Dao Laws before, he could determine that at first glance.

Since the old ghost had once obtained the Bronze Immortal Hall, he must have explored it and made arrangements within it.

Therefore, Li Ming still needed to be cautious when entering.

He stepped forward and soon heard strange sounds of waves coming from within the Bronze Immortal Hall.

There were countless ancient killing formations inside. As long as they were not immortal-level formations, they were useless against Li Ming and could not halt his steps.

Soon, he saw the Lunar Divine River and the Solar Divine River beyond the formations.

The place that had originally nurtured Mother Qi of All Things had instead given birth to two divine rivers, one lunar and one solar, which raced and roared through the world within.

The great hall within the Bronze Immortal Hall was incomparably empty, like a boundless world and an endless void, emitting faint chaotic mist.

There were countless dense divine chains of Great Dao Laws intertwined there like a net of heaven and earth, forming a terrifying killing formation.

The terrifying aspect of this Heavenly Venerable formation was that it connected with certain Immortal Dao Runes, making it far more dreadful than ordinary formations.

Li Ming carefully broke the formations and continued onward.

He sensed the terror of Lunar Water and Solar True Fire. If not for his ability to refine chaos, even an ordinary Dark Supreme who came here would likely end up in a sorry state.

As Flying Immortal Power blossomed, Li Ming quickly broke the formations here after a burst of rumbling.

Not long afterward, the river formed from Lunar Water and Solar True Fire vanished, leaving only immortal Dao aura flowing through the area.

He continued onward, as though crossing one minor world after another, and soon arrived within a gigantic palace.

Yin and yang revolved ahead of him. Lunar Water and Solar True Fire surged violently, seemingly capable of refining all things.

Li Ming was not stopped by these things. He smiled faintly as chaos flowed out from his body.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

The Lunar Water and Solar True Fire were effortlessly swallowed by the chaos.

A gateway appeared ahead, resembling a Taiji yin-yang fish: one yin fish and one yang fish joined together in flawless harmony, forming a Taiji diagram.

It was roughly similar to the one from Ye Fan's era.

Upon sensing the aura of those Taiji yin-yang fish, Li Ming immediately suspected that the Bronze Immortal Hall had once fallen into Daode Tianzun's hands.

Daode Tianzun was an extremely ancient Heavenly Venerable. Li Ming had never met him, but he had once obtained his Dao Scripture. He very much hoped to meet Daode Tianzun and discuss the mysteries of the Dao with him.

He circulated the Dao Scripture, seeing whether it could serve as a key to open the gate, whether it could trigger any response. Soon, he shook his head. The Great Dao's divine essence did not match.

This Yin-Yang Taiji Dao had existed since an incomparably ancient era; it was not exclusive to Daode Tianzun.

It was said that a Dark Supreme had unearthed the Yin-Yang Dao Diagram from an unknown ancient age.

Looking at the gate ahead, Li Ming once again sent out Chaos qi, within which mysterious Chaos Laws were nurtured.

The moment those divine lights of chaos merged into the Taiji Yin-Yang Diagram, they acted like a key, instantly bringing the yin-yang fish to life.

The lifelike yin-yang fish ultimately melted into chaos as well. With a thunderous boom, chaos qi spread out, and the gate ahead opened on its own.

With the gate gone, an incomparably deep passage appeared ahead, leading to nowhere known.

Li Ming hesitated briefly before flying inside.

He passed through a corridor filled with mottled light and shadows. It felt as though space and time were in disarray, as though one could lose oneself within them.

But Li Ming's cultivation had already reached such a level that even an ordinary Sea of Mortal Dust could not shake him in the slightest. Did this thing think it could disturb his Dao heart?

Li Ming then entered the misty world ahead.

There, Solar True Fire spread everywhere, while Lunar Water gathered into rivers and flowed in every direction.

Like a yin-yang diagram, they circulated there without end.

At the center of the boundary between yin and yang floated a Great Dao Cocoon, rising and falling as it emitted Nine-Colored Divine Light. From time to time, it inhaled and exhaled chaos, as well as Immortal Dao Runes.

The Great Dao Cocoon seemed to breathe as it periodically drew in and expelled the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It even resonated with the Immortal Dao Runes within the Bronze Immortal Hall.

It radiated a mysterious aura and power.

Li Ming discovered in surprise that the Great Dao Cocoon was actually trying to seize even his divine power, even his vital essence.

The Heavenly Demonic Saber lightly slashed out, immediately severing that demonic force and erasing those inexplicable laws.

Li Ming stepped forward, walking toward the Great Dao Cocoon.

As though it sensed danger, countless radiant runes suddenly appeared around the Great Dao Cocoon. Great Dao laws blazed fiercely and shot toward Li Ming like javelins, yet they could not pierce his Immortal Ascension Light.

Lunar Water and Solar True Fire surged and roared, but that was all. In the blink of an eye, Li Ming had devoured much of them.

Li Ming quickly arrived before the Great Dao Cocoon, radiating an invincible might.

From within the Great Dao Cocoon came wave after wave of mournful, wailing cries.

"Old ghost, I never thought you wanted to become the weapon spirit of the Bronze Immortal Hall, becoming a True Immortal by becoming the weapon spirit of an Immortal Weapon!"

"What a pity. If you had not attacked me or tried to possess my body, you would not have failed at the very last step."

Li Ming discovered in astonishment that the Great Dao Cocoon truly contained the weapon spirit refined by that old ghost.

It was like Emperor Zun's Immortal Ascension Cauldron, whose weapon spirit had undergone Nirvana and become a Divine Baby.

He had not expected that this old ghost had already harbored a similar scheme even before Emperor Zun.

His plan had been excellent, and he had nearly succeeded.

He must have wanted to seize Li Ming's Chaos Origin and merge it into this Great Dao Cocoon as nourishment.

How many tens of thousands of years had this Great Dao Cocoon existed for?

Immortal Dao Runes flowed across the Great Dao Cocoon like melted nine divine metals, and like mysterious Immortal Source Liquid.

That old ghost must have realized that becoming the weapon spirit of an Immortal Weapon was taking too long, while his original body was growing ever older. Unable to wait until the weapon spirit became a True Immortal weapon spirit, he had taken the risk, hadn't he?

Unfortunately, the old ghost had failed.

Now, the Great Dao Cocoon did indeed nurture strange fluctuations of life within.

It was somewhat like a weapon spirit and somewhat like a sacred spirit. Though it carried traces of immortal Dao aura, it lacked the vigorous blood vitality of a human.

It would still require an immeasurably long time before it could become a true Immortal Weapon's weapon spirit.

Li Ming drew the Heavenly Demonic Saber. Just as he was about to cleave apart the old ghost's Great Dao Cocoon, completely erase his traces, and take possession of the Bronze Immortal Hall—

A thunderous boom rang out. The entire Bronze Immortal Hall seemed to erupt as endless spiritual essence of heaven and earth, chaos qi, Lunar Divine Water, and Solar Divine Fire crazily gathered into the Great Dao Cocoon.

The Great Dao Cocoon instantly connected with the Bronze Immortal Hall and transformed into the hall's weapon spirit.

Although it had not reached the level of a True Immortal, after lying dormant for countless tens of thousands of years, its aura had long since fused with the hall's.

The immortal Dao aura it released was incomparably terrifying as it pressed down upon Li Ming.

It actually trapped Li Ming within the Bronze Immortal Hall, like catching a turtle in a jar.

Li Ming had come to the Bronze Immortal Hall only to fall into a trap.