Traveling Down the Mountain Again

Ming Xin stepped out of his seclusion cave, his aura tightly restrained despite his best efforts.

Yet the profound Dao resonance, forged by the Five Elements Origin baptism, the condensation of Imperial Emperor talismans, and the natural radiance of the Chaos Five Elements Pagoda upon its completion, still spread like invisible ripples, instantly startling the two future saints atop Mount Sumeru.

Daoist Jieyin and Daoist Zhunti appeared before Ming Xin almost simultaneously. Their eyes blazed like torches as they scrutinized their disciple, their usual expressions of sorrow and compassion replaced by immense surprise and disbelief.

"My disciple... you..." Daoist Zhunti's voice trembled with a barely perceptible excitement, his fly whisk forgotten mid-swing.

"The Five Elements Great Dao Origin talismans... have they already been perfectly condensed? And that pagoda..."

He clearly sensed within Ming Xin the five Origin talismans, each like an Imperial Seal of the Five Elements, wielding dominion over one aspect, as well as the shadow of a chaotic pagoda deep within his brow, radiating a pressure that made even this Quasi-Saint's heart faintly tremble!

Daoist Jieyin raised a withered hand slightly, as if to perceive something, but ultimately let it fall into a sigh of boundless relief: "Chaos Five Elements... reversing into the primordial... Good! Good! Good!

My disciple's Dao Foundation is already so formidable, rare even in the ancient Primordial World! The Heavenly Dao favors us; the West is destined to rise!"

Ming Xin bowed respectfully to his two masters, his tone calm yet carrying undeniable confidence: "I have troubled my masters with worry.

Your disciple was fortunate to initially merge the legacy of the Old Ancestor of Five Elements with the Five-Needle Pine spiritual root, condense the Five Elements Imperial Emperor Origin talismans, and preliminarily refine and perfect the treasure bestowed by the Dao Ancestor, gaining some insights."

He did not detail the specific might of the Chaos Five Elements Pagoda, but with Jieyin and Zhunti's keen eyesight, they could naturally sense the terrifying aura radiating from that spiritual treasure, far surpassing ordinary top-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures—a pressure nearly approaching the origin of an Innate Supreme Treasure!

"Excellent! Most excellent!" Daoist Zhunti clapped his hands and laughed heartily, utterly delighted. "With such a foundation, with such a supreme treasure by your side, my disciple can contend even against Styx River or the Demon Emperor! The West has no worries!"

Daoist Jieyin also nodded, his eyes full of expectation. "However, the Great Dao is infinite, and the path to the Primordial Unity is perilous. Though your foundation is deep, do not slacken or grow complacent."

Ming Xin said solemnly, "Your disciple understands.

Though the Five Elements Dao has been initially established, the Killing Dao and the Nirvana Dao still require refinement, especially the Killing Dao, which is my very foundation.

It must be elevated to its utmost through actual combat. Moreover, the evolution and mutual generation and restraint of the Five Elements need to be verified amidst all living things."

He paused, then continued, "Thus, your disciple intends to descend once more into the Primordial World, not to immerse himself in the mortal realm, but to seek out those with heavy karma, or places where Sha Qi gathers on the Witch-Demon battlefields.

To nurture war through war, to comprehend the Dao through killing, while simultaneously verifying the mysteries of the Five Elements' generation and restraint, perfecting my Great Nirvana Killing Buddha Scripture."

Jieyin and Zhunti exchanged a glance; though worry flickered in their eyes, it was outweighed by support and trust.

They knew well that the path Ming Xin walked could not be achieved through secluded cultivation alone. Killing and Nirvana had to be tempered in blood and fire.

"Since that is so, my disciple, go." Daoist Zhunti said seriously, "The Primordial World is treacherous, and amidst the Calamity, killing intent lurks everywhere. Be cautious.

If danger arises, send word immediately, and your master and second master will arrive in an instant!"

Daoist Jieyin added, "Keep a kind heart; killing is for protection. Severing karma is not severing lives. This is the core of your Dao; do not forget it."

"Your disciple respectfully heeds my masters' teachings!"

Ming Xin bowed deeply.

Then, without further hesitation, his form flickered and transformed into a streak of five-colored light, with chaos swirling within, instantly descending Mount Sumeru and vanishing into the desolate western sky.

Leaving the West, Ming Xin did not head straight for the main battlefield at Buzhou Mountain. Instead, guided by his own Killing Origin's resonance and the Karma Life-Death Eyes' insight into karma, he deliberately sought out regions beneath the Calamity where karma was overwhelming but had yet to be fully engulfed by the great war.

His first stop was an endless swamp in the southern Primordial World. Poisonous miasma filled the air, breeding countless sinister venomous insects and beasts.

Lurking there was an Ancient Poison Toad, which cultivated its evil arts by devouring the essence of living beings, its karma nearly solidified, its strength already at mid-stage Great Luo.

Due to its perilous nature, this swamp had temporarily escaped the brunt of the Witch-Demon War.

Ming Xin descended above the swamp, making no effort to conceal his imposing aura, a blend of killing intent and the majesty of the Five Elements Emperor.

"Croak—!" A heaven-shaking toad cry rang out. Mud and sludge churned deep within the swamp as a colossal toad, mountain-sized, covered in pus-filled boils, reeking of decay and death, soared into the air.

Its blood-red, greedy eyes fixed on Ming Xin: "Such pure blood and flesh essence! Such a powerful Primordial Spirit! Devour you, and this ancestor will surely advance another step!"

In response, Ming Xin's gaze was ice-cold as he formed a sword gesture with his fingers and slashed!

He did not use the Chaos Five Elements Pagoda, nor even the White Bone Life-Death Sword.

It was merely the simplest application of the Five Elements Dao—combining the White Emperor Golden Emperor Qi with the Killing Law! "Golden Emperor Karma Slaying Sword!"

A white sword aura, formed purely of Geng Metal killing intent, its edges burning with dark red karma fire, tore through the miasma and struck the toad in an instant! Its speed was extreme, its sharpness absolute!

The toad, terrified, spat out its natal poison pill to block, while all its boils burst, shooting out billions of streams of filthy, poisonous blood! Sizzle!

The white sword aura, like a hot knife through butter, sliced through the poison pill without resistance, parted the flood of poisonous blood, and, under the toad's incredulous gaze, swept across its brow!

Where the sword aura passed, there was no blood, only the manifestation of the "Killing" rule!

The toad's massive body instantly stiffened. All its life force, Primordial Spirit, even the "traces" of its existence, were utterly "slain" and annihilated by the extreme Metal-element killing force and the Killing Law within that single sword strike!

Its enormous corpse crumbled like weathered rock, dissolving into the most primal Five Elements essence, returning to the land it had polluted, while only the dense, unyielding karma was burned away by the killing fire within the sword aura.

One sword, slaying a Great Luo!

Ming Xin's expression was blank. Feeling the perfect fusion of Five Elements Metal Qi and the Killing Law in that strike, he gave a slight nod.

He raised his hand and beckoned, and a bead containing pure Gui Water poison—left behind after the venomous toad's fall—fell into his palm. Then, with a flash of escape light, he departed, leaving the swamp behind as it swiftly began to clear and return to clarity.

The next stop was a desolate mountain in the north, piled high with countless bones.

Lurking within this mountain was a group of White Bone Demon Kings who had escaped from the Shura Blood Sea, delighting in devouring the flesh, blood, and souls of living beings.

The leading Demon King was also at the peak of Primordial Unity Golden Immortal cultivation, commanding tens of thousands of demonic minions, turning the surrounding ten thousand miles into a land of death.

Ming Xin descended directly onto the main peak of the mountain. "Formation! Myriad Demons Soul Devouring Great Array!"

The White Bone Demon King, shocked and enraged, led countless demonic minions into the air, deploying a sinister, green, and eerie demonic formation. Countless resentful spirits and fierce ghosts transformed into a massive, ferocious maw, lunging to devour Ming Xin.

Ming Xin simply stood still, a flash of Five-Colored Divine Light behind him. "Five Emperors Cycle, purify this demon land."

The Azure Emperor Wood Emperor Qi swept through, and the resentful energy of the myriad demon formation dissipated as if purified.

The Red Emperor Fire Emperor Qi passed by, and countless White Bone demon minions screamed as they were burned to ashes.

The Yellow Emperor Earth Emperor Qi pressed down, and the entire skeletal mountain violently trembled, beginning to collapse and bury itself.

The White Emperor Gold Emperor Qi swept across, and the remaining demon generals and kings were dismembered by invisible, sharp energy.

The Black Emperor Water Emperor Qi spread out, devouring and dissolving all residual demonic energy and filth.

The Five Elements cycled, endlessly generating and sustaining each other, yet also containing the true intent of nirvana and slaughter!

In just a few breaths, tens of thousands of White Bone demon minions, along with the skeletal mountain itself, were completely erased from heaven and earth, leaving behind only a stretch of land purified by the power of the Five Elements—slightly desolate, but free of any evil aura.

Ming Xin closed his eyes, feeling the profound mystery of wielding the Five Elements' power on a large scale, especially the supreme might of their mutual generation and restraint in group combat. His insights deepened.

And so he traveled, killing as he went. He sought out only those with heavy karma, or the evil demons born from the condensation of Sha Qi on the fringes of the Witch-Demon War.

Sometimes, he would strike with a single sword, testing the killing power of the Metal element. Sometimes, he would summon heavenly fire, burning mountains and boiling seas, honing the destruction of the Fire element.

Sometimes, he would transform into escape light, shuttling through the earth, comprehending the Earth element's capacity for bearing and burial.

Sometimes, he would call forth the Heavenly River Weak Water, washing away everything, experiencing the Water element's ultimate softness and ultimate hardness.

Sometimes, he would sprout a boundless forest sea, trapping and killing evil beings, verifying the Wood element's life force and deathly stillness.

The Five Elements Great Dao in his hands was no longer a mere path of cultivation, but the most terrifying weapon of slaughter! Paired with the core killing intent of the Great Nirvana Killing Buddha Scripture, its power was limitless!

His path of slaughter, through countless real battles, grew ever purer, ever more condensed, steadily advancing toward the threshold of fifty percent completion.

His Karma Life-Death Eyes were used with ever greater mastery; often, with a single glance, he could perceive an opponent's karma death line, and even briefly disrupt their Five Elements connection with the world's spiritual energy.

One day, he arrived at a massive canyon at the border between the east and west. The Sha Qi here surged to the heavens, clearly the site of a recent, brutal small-scale skirmish between the Witch Clan and the Demon Race.

The battlefield had not yet been cleared; severed limbs and broken bodies were everywhere. The Witch Clan's Sha Qi and the Demon Race's demonic energy mixed and tangled, giving birth to countless resentful spirits and bizarre Sha demons.

Ming Xin was about to purify the place as usual when his brow suddenly furrowed slightly. His Karma Life-Death Eyes peered deep into the canyon.

He sensed an extremely faint, yet exceptionally pure and powerful... Earth-element spiritual object, seemingly shaken from the deep earth by the energy fluctuations of this great battle.

And almost simultaneously, another powerful aura, filled with greed and brutality, rapidly approached the canyon from another direction, clearly also having discovered that spiritual object!

"How interesting." A flicker of five-colored light passed through Ming Xin's eyes. He concealed his aura, and silently vanished into the void.