286: Chaos Mother Sea

"Chaos is born from nothingness... something from nothing..." An epiphany struck Lin Yuan's heart. He no longer tried to control anything, but completely let go of his body and mind, allowing the projection of the miniature Universe to slowly manifest behind him—continents, oceans, starry skies, and newly born primitive life... A young but vibrant phantom of a Universe, like a candle in the dark, illuminated the absolute nothingness.

Buzz!

The moment the miniature Universe projection appeared, the entire Chaos Mother Sea "moved"! Indescribable "seawater" surged from all directions, gently enveloping the projection. Lin Yuan felt his consciousness being elevated infinitely, as if merging with the entire Mother Sea. He "saw"—

Countless points of light, similar to his miniature Universe, dotted the boundless Mother Sea like stars. Some points of light were as brilliant as novae, with vibrant internal universes; some were as dim as candle flames, their Universes on the verge of extinction; further away, huge, embryo-like spheres of light were being nurtured... Every point of light represented a nascent or existing embryonic Universe!

The Chaos Mother Sea, the womb of countless Universes, nurturing the myriad Realms!

And the location where he and Xuanyuan Wuji were at this moment was exactly between two huge "embryos." One embryo emitted a familiar nine-colored glow, and within it, the curled figure of the primordial dao embryo was faintly visible—it was the core Origin of the 903 Divine Domain!

The other embryo appeared an ominous dark purple, with filthy and destructive turbid currents churning inside, and countless dark purple eyes opening and closing within it—the Heavenly Dao Origin of the Dark Abyss Plane!

"So that's how it is..." Lin Yuan understood instantly. The ominous embryo formed by a portion of the Dark Abyss Plane's Origin power and the primordial dao embryo were actually like twin siblings in the Mother Sea; one represented creation, and the other symbolized the end!

"Find... my tombstone..." A weak but clear thought, like a drop of water falling into Lin Yuan's heart lake. This thought did not come from the primordial dao embryo, but from somewhere in the Mother Sea! Following the thought, a faint guiding light lit up in the Mother Sea, pointing in a certain direction.

Lin Yuan immediately looked in the direction of the guidance. He saw a huge, broken gray stone tablet floating between the 903 Divine Domain embryo and the Dark Abyss embryo.

The stone tablet was irregularly shaped, as if it were a fragment broken off from a grander building. The body of the tablet was covered with unrecognizable ancient carvings, emitting an unspeakable sense of sorrow and desolation.

"epoch tombstone?" Xuanyuan Wuji also saw the stone tablet. The time-light compass in his hand suddenly vibrated violently, the needle spinning crazily, pointing to an inconspicuous corner at the bottom of the tablet.

The two approached at the same time. When he saw the carvings in that corner, Xuanyuan Wuji was struck as if by lightning!

It wasn't text, but an imperial seal surrounded by nine dragon patterns! Its style was ancient beyond measure, more primitive than the earliest imperial seals of the ancient Imperial Dynasty Xuanyuan Wuji knew, yet it resonated strongly with the modified Innate Qi Bloodline within him!

"This... this is my clan's... Origin Seal?!" Xuanyuan Wuji's voice trembled. "How could it be here?!"

Lin Yuan's gaze was drawn to a huge crack in the center of the tombstone. The edges of the crack were smooth as a mirror, with a trace of a familiar aura that made his heart skip a beat—the power of Chaos Guixu! But this power was even more ancient and pure, far exceeding his current Realm.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred!

"Roar—!!!"

The Lord of Guixu's roar, filled with rage and greed, was like world-ending thunder, booming directly into the Chaos Mother Sea! The dark purple Dark Abyss embryo writhed violently, and a hideous giant claw covered in crystals once again tore through the embryonic barrier, forcibly reaching into the Mother Sea!

Then came a second claw... Finally, that terrifying head with nine eyes squeezed in! The Lord of Guixu, possessed by the Dark Abyss will, had also broken into the Chaos Mother Sea!

This corner of the Mother Sea's space distorted violently due to its arrival. The pure "nothingness" was tainted by the filthy Dark Abyss power, letting out a silent wail. Nine eyes instantly locked onto Lin Yuan, Xuanyuan Wuji, and the epoch tombstone in front of them!

"Ants... hand over the authority... offer up the tombstone!" The Lord of Guixu's voice carried multiple echoes of destruction, shaking their Divine Souls to the point of splitting. Even more terrifying, the white crack on its forehead—the true eye of guixu—was slowly opening!

A will of annihilation, a hundred times more terrifying than when it was outside the Origin Realm, descended! Lin Yuan felt his very existence being forcibly erased! The Chaos Domain flickered crazily, instantly compressed to the surface of his body! The miniature Universe projection shook violently, and the stars inside exploded one after another!

Xuanyuan Wuji fared even worse; his body, composed of Innate Qi, began to become transparent, and the time-light compass in his hand let out a groan of being overwhelmed.

"We can't let it get the tombstone!" Lin Yuan roared. He instinctively felt that this tombstone might hide the key to resisting the Dark Abyss will! He fully activated the miniature Universe, mobilized the Grandmist authority he had just obtained, and pointed a finger at the epoch tombstone!

"Chaos Creation—Condense!"

Buzz!

The huge crack on the tombstone suddenly lit up! A pure and vast power of Chaos Creation, originating from a certain epoch, gushed out, turning into a hazy gray pillar of light to meet the annihilation will of the eye of guixu!

Sizzle—!

Creation and Annihilation, two ultimate powers collided in the Mother Sea! There was no explosion, only frantic tearing and annihilation! The gray pillar of creation was constantly being dissolved, but the power originating from deep within the tombstone seemed infinite, actually managing to temporarily block the erasure of the eye of guixu!

"Xuanyuan Wuji! Use the compass!" Lin Yuan bled from his seven facial orifices; maintaining this pillar of creation had almost drained his strength. "The bottom of the tombstone... your clan's seal... it might be the key!"

Xuanyuan Wuji understood instantly! A flash of determination crossed his eyes, and he slammed the complete time-light compass in his hand hard against the imperial Origin Seal at the bottom of the tombstone!

"With my blood, I summon the True Name of Time—Open!"

Flash!

The moment the time-light compass touched the Origin Seal, an unprecedentedly brilliant silver light erupted! The entire epoch tombstone shook violently! Those unrecognizable ancient carvings seemed to come to life, flowing with golden light! A grand, ancient will, as if carrying the rise and fall of countless epochs, awakened from within the tombstone!

"Will of the Dark Abyss... you... are destined to fail..."

A voice even more ancient and majestic than the Lord of Guixu, like a sleeping giant awakening, resounded in Lin Yuan's Sea of Consciousness.

For the first time, fear appeared in the Lord of Guixu's nine eyes! It seemed to recognize this voice! The opening speed of the eye of guixu on its forehead suddenly stalled!

Taking advantage of this gap, at the bottom of the tombstone where the Origin Seal and the time-light compass met, a gateway large enough for only one person, composed of countless time runes, slowly opened! Behind the gateway was endless starlight and even purer primordial chaos qi!