The ninth floor.
The darkness was like the primordial chaos before it was divided, where even the concepts of "up" and "down" and "front" seemed superfluous.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable slowly raised his hand. The Blood Dragon's Heart floated above his palm.
Under the guidance of his divine sense, the heart suddenly enlarged, transforming into a blood-red blazing sun, with its veins surging like ten thousand bolts of thunder within.
With each pulsation, a spiderweb-like crimson pattern cracked open in the darkness of the ninth level, as if the very foundation of the entire Nine Nether Prison Abyss was being affected by the pulsation.
Thud
The first heartbeat.
The first level of the Nine Nether Prison Abyss, the Crimson Fire Purgatory, suddenly surged, flames soaring into the sky and transforming into a blood-red dragon shadow that rolled on the walls of the abyss.
Thud
The second heartbeat.
The second layer of the Icy Cold Prison Realm shattered into countless crystal cracks, and the frozen time broke apart like glass, turning into countless ice crystal raindrops that fell into the abyss.
Thud
Third tone.
The third layer of the Soul-Shattering Storm reversed direction, and the wind blades flowed upwards, forming a gray vortex that shot straight towards the ninth layer.
Nine layers of purgatory, each resonating with the next. The entire Nine Nether Prison Abyss resembles a gigantic array plate that has been forcibly ignited.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable formed a hand seal with his right hand. The technique was extremely simple, yet each movement seemed to rewrite the concept of "sealing".
He traced a line through the air with his fingertips, and an invisible line was drawn out.
That wasn't light. That was "boundary." He used the dragon's heart as a guide to tear the boundary apart from the bottom of the ninth level.
Space seemed to be pried open from the inside by an unseen hand, cracks spreading rapidly, darkness rolling to both sides, revealing a deeper, more gloomy core.
He then threw the Blood Dragon Core into the crevice.
As the dragon core fell, it burst forth with a blinding red light, which spread like a supernova explosion, but was compressed back to its center by an invisible force.
The seal begins to truly break. Boom—a silent explosion.
The ground at the bottom of the ninth level suddenly collapsed. Not collapsed, but fell "down" into a Does Not Exist dimension.
At the core of the collapse, a large cauldron slowly rose, standing thirty-three feet tall.
It stands upside down, mouth of the cauldron facing downwards, legs pointing skywards.
The natural order of things was completely overturned the moment it appeared.
Space is distorted. Visual perception is confused.
Jin Hanyan peered from afar, and after only three breaths of observation, she felt her eyes split into countless layers of vision, as if the concept of "shape" was collapsing.
The body of the cauldron presents an asymmetrical, twisted posture, neither quite round nor quite square.
Anyone who attempts to lock onto its outline with their divine sense will find that their divine sense is being folded in reverse.
The cauldron is made of Myriad Thoughts Mystic Crystal. At times, it solidifies like eternal iron, even causing spatial cracks to bounce off it.
At times, it appeared as ethereal as smoke; the remnant light of the blood dragon pierced through the cauldron's walls, yet touched nothing.
Existence and Does Not Exist flash alternately on it. Both sides of the cauldron. The patterns on the sunny side Existence Pattern.
Countless subtle images flowed across the surface of the cauldron: an open eye, a beating heart.
A tear hanging in the air. A burning leaf. Every scene seems frozen in the instant of "existence".
As these images shifted, countless low sighs faintly echoed from the darkness of the ninth level.
That was the last confirmation of the devoured. "I existed." The Yin-side patterns of Annihilation Pattern.
Absolute darkness. Runes occasionally flash by.
With each flash of a rune, a portion of the surrounding space lost its memory. Jin Hanyan's mind jolted.
She had just remembered Qin Yu's name, but almost forgot it the next moment.
She immediately activated the Primordial Unity Qi Transforms All Things to transform into all things, using her origin to protect her sea of consciousness.
From the mouth of the cauldron, hanging upside down, grayish-white mist surged. Deep within the mist, countless hands could be vaguely seen frantically grasping at the void.
Those hands are not physical entities, but rather an "Obsession with Existence," a struggle for survival.
Eternally sealed. Three legs standing tall, each leg bound with chains woven in reverse chronological order.
Chains descend from the future, pierce the present, and embed themselves in the past. The timeline around them is like a fixed string on a musical instrument.
Any divine consciousness that attempts to deduce its origin will see countless future branches along the chains, but will never find the starting point.
Ding ear. Left ear - "in". Right ear - "extinguished". Between the two words, a very thin stream of light flows.
The balance between existence and Annihilation. Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable stands before the cauldron.
He reached out, and the blood dragon's heart was pressed into the mouth of the inverted cauldron.
The grayish-white mist churned violently. The struggling hands suddenly went berserk.
The ninth level of the Nine Nether Prison Abyss began to crack and fissure. The entire structure of the abyss was trembling.
In the distance, Jin Hanyan, who was in a concealed state, had cold sweat trickling down her forehead. That oppressive aura was not just aura.
It was suppression at the level of rules. She felt as if she had been rejected by the entire world.
If it weren't for the Stainless Realm · Supreme origin supporting the Chaos Dao Domain, she would have long been crushed into nothingness by that oppressive force.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, but her heartbeat remained as steady as ice.
She knew that this cauldron was not merely a magical artifact; it was more like a vessel that devoured "existence" itself.
At this moment, the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor was standing beside the Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable.
His face was pale, yet his eyes burned with fervor. The ninth level of the abyss was completely engulfed in a Non-Existence tremor.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable raised his hand. The Blood Dragon's heart and core simultaneously floated below the inverted cauldron.
The dragon's heart was still beating, but now that beating was no longer a sign of life; it was a sacrifice.
His fingertips touched the ground. A very thin wisp of wind blew out from his palm.
That wasn't wind. That was the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme —the primal flow of "Boundary Collapse."
The dragon's heart cracked first. Not torn apart, but "Definition Stripping."
It lost the concept of a "heart". Flesh and blood peeled away into reddish light particles.
The light particles transformed into fiery red chains, which were sucked into the inverted cauldron. The dragon core followed closely behind.
The lingering image of the dragon soul within the core let out a final, deafening roar.
The dragon's roar crashed against the ninth level of the dome. The entire Nine Nether Prison Abyss nine levels of purgatory, churned violently at the same time.
The first layer is a fiery inferno. The second layer is a melting ice field. The third layer is a soul wind that turns to ashes.
All the power of the layers was being drawn towards the ninth layer, like peeling away layers of an onion. Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable formed a hand seal.
The technique is extremely simple, yet each change feels like leveraging an entire river of time.
"Open." With that single word, the dragon's heart and core exploded completely. A red beam of light shot straight up from the mouth of the inverted cauldron.
The gray-white mist inside the cauldron suddenly churned. Countless struggling hands of "the Obsession with Existence" reached out to grab at the pillar of light in the dragon's heart.
In an instant, the cauldron trembled violently, and the grayish-white mist surged, then suddenly contracted.
Like a black hole devouring a star. Boom—the entire ninth level collapsed. The abyss seemed to plunge into an even deeper dimension.
The Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron – the Furnace of Existence – was truly ignited. The Existence Pattern on the yang side of the cauldron flowed wildly. That one eye suddenly opened.
The heart beat again. The tear fell. The burning leaf turned to ash.
Every scene is no longer just frozen in time, but evolving. The fleeting moments of countless existences flow across the cauldron's surface.
The Yin-side Annihilation Pattern erupted simultaneously. Dark runes flashed in patches. With each flash, a portion of the ninth level of space disappeared.
The stone walls vanished. The ground blurred. Time seemed to be erased layer by layer.
Within the cauldron's mouth, the grayish-white mist transformed into a true vortex. Countless hands no longer reached out to grasp at the void.
Instead, it extends outwards, as if trying to grasp the entire world. The three counter-chronological chains, standing in a tripod formation, begin to glow.
The Shadow of the Future, the trace of the present, and the remnants of the past—three timelines were forcibly compressed into the center of the cauldron.
A strange phenomenon appeared above the Nine Nether Prison Abyss. Half of the sky collapsed into an abyss, and countless streams of light appeared on the other half of the sky.
Existence and Annihilation unfolded simultaneously. The oppressive force was like billions of mountains crashing down, almost forcing Jin Hanyan to her knees.
She forcefully bit her tongue, drawing blood. The pain kept her conscious, Stainless Realm · Supreme essence erupted.
The Chaos Dao Domain protected her; otherwise, she would have been directly obliterated by the power of the cauldron. Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable withdrew his attack.
The cauldron floats, fully activated. It is no longer a dormant object.
It breathes. Between breaths, the ninth layer of space is inhaled and exhaled.
Thought Severance Devouring Emperor knelt on one knee, his forehead touching the ground.
The voice trembled, yet it was fervent:
"Congratulations, Master. You have successfully refined this cauldron. Please tell me, Master, what kind of cauldron is this, and why does it possess such immense divine power?"
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable slowly turned around. The aura of the Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme swept across the entire abyss like an invisible storm.
His gaze was indifferent. "This cauldron is named— The Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron: The Furnace of Existence."
Also known as the "Cauldron of Dao Reversal," the "Annihilation Embers Cauldron," and the "Cauldron of All Beings' Obsessions."
He paused, a cruel smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
"And it exists specifically for you." Thought Severance Devouring Emperor suddenly looked up.
Pupils constricted sharply. His mind reeled violently. "For... for me?"
Hidden in the shadows Jin Hanyan was also startled. Her heart skipped a beat.
"Existing for the sake of Thought Severance Devouring Emperor?" Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable's voice slowly echoed, "You are named Thought Severance."
"Thoughts cease, intentions extinguished, Thought Has No Root." "But you still have thoughts." "Obsessions."
He raised his hand. The gray-white vortex at the mouth of the cauldron slowly aimed at the Devouring Thought Severance Devouring Emperor.
"This cauldron can forge existence." "It can also burn away obsessions." "When your thoughts are completely refined."
"Then you will truly become the vessel I need."
The Thought Severance Devouring Emperor turned pale instantly. He finally understood.
This cauldron is not a gift, but a furnace, prepared for him.
The Refining Artifact. In the abyss, the Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron began to slowly rotate.
The Existence Pattern and Annihilation Pattern intertwine. An even more terrifying scheme is taking shape.
Thought Severance Devouring Emperor dumb as if by lightning. He suddenly knelt down heavily on both knees.
The abyss's rocky strata collapsed with a deafening roar.
"Master... I have been loyal to you for countless eons without a single selfish thought! I truly cannot understand why... why you would choose me as your furnace!"
Fear appeared in the voice for the first time. It wasn't fear of death, but the fear of being "defined."
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable slowly looked down at him, his gaze Ultimate cold. "Of course you can't understand." "Because you've never truly been yourself."
The entire ninth level of space suddenly compressed. The Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron slowly rotated. The Existence Pattern and the Annihilation Pattern alternately illuminated the figure of the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable raised his hand. The void cracked open, and an ancient scene was forcibly extracted.
Countless eons ago, the Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable, Realm Breaking Realm · Supreme, stood outside the boundary.
In that battle, the heavens shattered and countless layers of sky collapsed.
"That bastard," an existence that could not be looked at directly, dealt him a heavy blow. The Heart of Dao Burial was almost shattered. Just a moment before it collapsed.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable forcibly split himself apart using his own origin. A wisp of his most core "Dao Heart" was stripped away.
It is not the soul, nor power, but the purest essence within the Heart of Dao Burial.
That wisp of "Void of Absolute Thoughtlessness," that wisp of the original core where all thoughts and intentions are severed.
That wisp of "Heart of Dao Burial," which forbids any attachment.
It was stripped away, thrown into the Knowing Realm territories, and forced to escape the pursuit of cause and effect.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable's voice was icy. "That wisp of Dao Heart condensed in the endless void."
"It is no longer me, yet it carries my origin." "The moment it first opened its eyes—"
The scene explodes. Countless worlds Annihilation. Billions of lives vanish into nothingness in an instant.
Before being completely devoured, the seven powerful beings at the Realm Breaking Realm roared in unison, "I—existed!!" Seven unwavering thoughts surged into the void of Void of Absolute Thoughtlessness.
Unable to be assimilated, like seven nails driven into that Dao heart.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable looked at Thought Severance Devouring Emperor: "In that instant, you were born." "You are not me." "You are—"
"The 'vessel' after the Heart of Dao Burial's split." "Your name is Thought Severance Devouring Emperor." "The true core within you is my Heart of Dao Burial's."
Thought Severance Devouring Emperor trembled violently. Fragments of his deepest memories began to crumble. He saw himself taking shape for the first time.
He saw the Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron being formed within his body.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable continued, "The Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron was not born of Heaven and Earth. It is the 'Dao's' restraint over you."
"When you devoured the obsessions of seven Dao Realm experts, 'Existence' began to backfire on you." "Billions of obsessions accumulated within your body."
"If you are not sealed, you will be torn apart by 'existence'." "And so—" In the scene, Thought Severance Devouring Emperor sat cross-legged in the void.
It uses a wisp of Void of Absolute Thoughtlessness as fire, the Obsession with Existence as fuel, and the power of the annihilation of the mortal path as its hammer.
The cauldron was cast over 30,000 years. On the day the cauldron was completed, three timelines split open in the void.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable's voice was indifferent: "You think you're forging a cauldron. In reality—" "You're preserving my 'existence'."
The Thought Severance Devouring Emperor suddenly looked up. "To preserve for you...?" Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable smiled faintly. "The Heart of Dao Burial must awaken."
"There must be 'existence' as a reference." "The Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron within you is the key to my ultimate awakening."
"You—" are merely a temporary user.
The Thought Severance Devouring Emperor's mind collapsed. "Then I..." "What am I?"
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable's voice remained completely still. "You are the Dao Heart that I split off from. You are the vessel of the Heart of Dao Burial."
"It is the embryonic core paving the way for the Mystic Void Realm." "Your very existence was prepared for this moment."
The Myriad Thoughts Form-Forging Cauldron suddenly trembled violently. The Existence Pattern lit up.
The gray-white vortex at the mouth of the cauldron turned towards the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor.
Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable slowly spoke, "Take the cauldron." "Concentrate your mind." "Return to the cauldron." "Enter the cauldron." "Break the cauldron and attain the Dao." "All of this—" "requires you."
Thought Severance Devouring Emperor's pupils completely collapsed. He finally understood. He was never the "successor."
He was the sacrifice, and the cauldron was created for him. In the shadows, cold sweat trickled down Jin Hanyan's forehead.
For the first time, she realized the horror of the situation. If the Thought Severance Devouring Emperor successfully completed those five steps...
If he breaks through the cauldron and attains enlightenment, it will not be the Realm Breaking Realm, but the even more terrifying Mystic Void Realm.
The ninth level of the Nine Nether Prison Abyss suddenly trembled. Seventy-three obsessions lit up simultaneously on the cauldron.
The boundary between existence and Annihilation flickered intensely. Source-Suppressing Stillnessless Venerable's gaze was deep and profound.
"If you are unwilling," "I can do it for you myself." The air froze completely.