37: Valley of Refining Gods

Feng Tianxiu let out a hearty laugh, his wide sleeves sweeping like flowing clouds! The space instantly rippled and folded like water. Lin Yuan only felt light and shadow shifting before his eyes, and the next moment, he was standing before a colossal bronze gate reaching to the heavens!

This gate was over a hundred zhang tall, its entire body covered with ancient secret patterns that seemed to flow with life. Each pattern exuded a heart-palpitating Law's pressure. Just being close, the sixty thousand spiritual energy crystals within his body spontaneously accelerated their operation, emitting a low resonance.

"This is our Tianqing Domain branch's 'Myriad Treasures Divine Cave,'" Feng Tianxiu said, condensing a brilliant, substantial golden Law at his fingertip and tracing a Dao-infused trajectory on the gate. "It's divided into Nine Heavens. Today, as an exception, I permit you to enter the seventh level!"

Buzz—

The heavy bronze gate silently slid open. Beyond the gate was not a corridor, but a vast Void Realm starry river! Countless bright and dim light clusters, like stars, floated in the Void Realm. Each 'star' sealed an astonishingly powerful treasure, so numerous that they stretched endlessly!

Feng Tianxiu led Lin Yuan, as if stepping through a sea of stars, and in an instant, they appeared in the seventh space. Here, the 'stars' were much sparser, but each was as large as a house, its light contained yet harboring terrifying energy fluctuations.

"The Dao of battle robes prioritizes compatibility," Feng Tianxiu said, his gaze sweeping across the Void Realm. "You bear Chaos, the Origin of Myriad Laws. Ordinary Spiritual Artifacts will not only fail to help you but will become shackles and restraints!"

With a casual wave of his hand, the three most brilliant 'stars' responded, hovering before Lin Yuan:

Star-Gathering Gauze Robe: Starlight flows within the light cluster, as if billions of stars are born and extinguished, forming a cosmic defense.

Nine Heavens Thunder Armor: Purple Lightning dances wildly, thunder dragons roar, containing the destructive power of a thunder Origin world.

Mysterious Dharma Robe: The most restrained gray halo, seemingly plain and unadorned, yet subtly emitting an profound aura that resonated with the Chaos Law within Lin Yuan!

Lin Yuan's gaze was instantly drawn to that gray halo. It seemed to possess life, calling out to the Chaos power within him.

"This item has been dormant here for three thousand years, a pearl covered in dust..." Before Feng Tianxiu could finish speaking, an anomaly suddenly occurred!

The moment Lin Yuan's fingertip lightly touched the gray light cluster—

Boom!

That seemingly simple Dharma Robe instantly disintegrated! It transformed into a gray torrent, like Chaos at its inception, ignoring spatial barriers and surging madly into Lin Yuan's Meridians through his fingertip, like a wandering Dragon returning to its nest!

"Ugh!" Lin Yuan's entire body trembled! An indescribable profound sensation swept through him! It was as if a layer of the veil over all the Laws in the world had been lifted, within reach! The moment this gray airflow met the Chaos Law in his Sea of Consciousness, an incredible transformation and fusion occurred!

Buzz—!

Gray light flashed! A brand new cloak instantly condensed on Lin Yuan's body! It wasn't physical fabric, but rather seemed to be woven from countless flowing, unfathomable Chaos Law patterns! The cloak moved without wind, its patterns flickering on and off, as if demonstrating the ultimate truth of the Universe's birth and destruction!

Law Heavenly Garment (Level 1 • Evolvable)

Combat Power Bonus: 200,000 stars (Base 100,000 stars + Ten Law Resonances 100,000 stars)

Attributes:

Origin of Myriad Laws: For every new Law the wearer successfully comprehends, Combat Power Bonus +10,000 stars!

Initial Dao Fruit: If the wearer deduces any comprehended Law to 100% Perfection, Combat Power Bonus +100,000 stars! Simultaneously, the Law Heavenly Garment automatically evolves to Level 2!

Formless and Intangible: Can be concealed within the body at will, perfectly stacking with other defensive battle armor!

"This... this is actually an 'Origin Secret Treasure'?" Feng Tianxiu's eyes burst with unprecedented brilliance, his tone filled with incredible astonishment. "Its value far exceeds that of a Spiritual Artifact of the same rank by a hundredfold! It can merge into your Origin and coexist with Chaos... Brother, you've stumbled upon a true peerless treasure! With this, you can certainly find another top-tier battle armor, ensuring both defense and Law comprehension! Quickly, see if there are any more in this seventh level..."

"Brother Feng!" Lin Yuan felt the profound connection of the Law Heavenly Garment merging with him, and quickly waved his hand, his tone sincere. "This item is already a heaven-sent Opportunity, a perfect fit! To covet other things would be unseemly. As for battle armor, there will be other encounters in the future."

Feng Tianxiu looked at Lin Yuan's clear and open eyes, his admiration growing. He laughed heartily and clapped him on the shoulder: "Good! Not arrogant or impatient, with a clear Dao Heart! Truly worthy of being my brother, Feng Tianxiu!"

Leaving the divine cave-like treasure vault, Feng Tianxiu said, "The Refining Spirit Valley opens once every sixty years, and the Opportunity is in three days. The 'Soul Origin Spirit Liquid' in the valley forms lakes. By passing different trials, you can obtain different levels of soul liquid to temper your Divine Soul."

"Brother, I will now tear open the Void Realm and send you..." Feng Tianxiu made a move as if to act.

"Hold on, Brother!" Lin Yuan quickly stopped him, a glint of eagerness flashing in his eyes, and he shook the ancient storage ring on his finger. "It's a good chance to try out the 'Void-Breaking Star Shuttle' you gave me, and also to get familiar with the vastness of this Xuanxiao Great World."

In the wilderness outside the city, Lin Yuan's thoughts stirred slightly.

Whoosh!

A palm-sized, perfectly streamlined shuttle-shaped Magic Treasure, intricately carved with profound spatial Dao patterns, appeared in his palm. Spiritual energy poured in—

Buzz!

Space rippled! The shuttle body rapidly expanded against the wind, instantly transforming into a magnificent ten-zhang-long starship, gleaming with ethereal blue starlight and streamlined like a blade! On its surface, countless profound spatial runes flickered like breathing, exuding a sharp aura capable of tearing through the Void Realm!

【Void-Breaking Star Shuttle • Flowing Light】

Speed: Ninety million li in a single thought!

Defense: Can withstand Peak Myriad Laws Realm attacks!

Special: Contains a map of the myriad stars, can automatically avoid dangerous areas and lock onto coordinates!

The star shuttle soared into the sky without a deafening roar, only a faint blue stream of light tearing through the sky, instantly vanishing into the horizon, leaving behind only faint, lingering spatial ripples. Lin Yuan sat cross-legged within the shuttle, his mind sinking into his body, simultaneously controlling the star shuttle and carefully experiencing the Law Heavenly Garment that had just merged with him, and its resonance with the Chaos Origin... Three days later, outside the Refining Spirit Valley.

The clamor of voices was like a vast ocean! Hundreds of thousands of Cultivators gathered here, the lowest being at the Peak Gathering Origin Realm, with Spirit Refining Realm Cultivators everywhere. Their auras intertwined, forming a massive force field that stirred the winds and clouds. When that magnificent star shuttle, glowing with ethereal blue starlight and bearing the unique emblem of the Spirit Martial Hall, tore through space and steadily hovered above the valley entrance—

"Hiss! It's the Spirit Martial Hall's 'Void-Breaking Star Shuttle'!"

"Anyone who can pilot such a star shuttle must be a core high-ranking member of the Hall!"

"Look! He's coming out... so young!"

Under the myriad gazes of awe, jealousy, and scrutiny, Lin Yuan calmly stepped out of the star shuttle and, with a thought, put it away. He wore a plain robe, his aura restrained, but the invisible sense of profound stability he exuded, along with the purple-gold Saint Son token hanging at his waist, already declared his identity!

"Spirit Martial Hall Saint has arrived!" The gray-robed Elder in charge of inspection, whose face had been as still as an ancient well, instantly filled with reverence, his voice carrying a subtle tremor. "Your esteemed presence, Saint, please follow this old man to the exclusive passage! No need to wait!"

Whoosh—!

At these words, the hundreds of thousands of Cultivators in line instantly erupted into an uproar! Gazes of envy, jealousy, and astonishment surged like a tangible force! Lin Yuan, guided respectfully by the Elder, ignored the long line and walked directly to the most central position at the valley entrance.

There, eight young figures, whose auras soared to the heavens and who stood out from the crowd, were already standing solemnly! Each of them had a contained divine brilliance, and their cultivation had all reached the Spirit Refining Realm! The emblems on their chests indicated their identities—they were all Saints and Saintesses from various top Holy Lands!

Among them, a young man in a luxurious purple robe, with a sharp and arrogant look between his brows, glared at Lin Yuan like a knife, a sneer undisguised on his lips:

"Heh! A mere first-level Gathering Origin Realm? Has the Spirit Martial Hall... run out of people? Even this kind of trash can parade around with the title of 'Saint'?"

The provocative words clearly spread throughout the now silent valley entrance!

Lin Yuan did not stop, nor did he even glance at the purple-robed youth, as if the other party was merely a noisy fly. He simply uttered faintly:

"Zhao Wuji of the Purple Sun Holy Land? I heard that three years ago, to contend for the position of Saint, you forcibly broke through to the Spirit Refining Realm, leaving your Mental Energy Foundation unstable, barely two thousand stars, and you're still the laughingstock among the Holy Land Saints?"

"You—you're seeking death!!!" Zhao Wuji's reverse scale was touched, and his face instantly twisted into a ferocious grimace! A violent, tangible purple Mental Energy storm erupted! The ground cracked inch by inch, and the surrounding air let out piercing sonic booms! Cultivators who were too close were struck hard, groaning as blood oozed from their mouths and noses, staggering backward!

At the center of the storm, Lin Yuan's robes flapped, yet he stood unmoving like an ancient reef! From his glabella, a phantom image of the chaos green lotus, condensed from pure Mental Energy, bloomed leisurely. As the lotus petals gently spun, the violent purple Mental Energy storm dissipated silently, like ice and snow meeting the sun!

"Two Saints! Please calm your anger!" The Guardian Elder Guardian Elder instantly flashed between the two, releasing the overwhelming pressure of his Peak Myriad Laws Realm cultivation, forcibly separating them, his face extremely solemn. "Private duels are strictly forbidden within the Refining Spirit Valley! Violators will immediately have their qualifications revoked, be expelled from the valley, and never be allowed to enter again!" The last sentence was a stern warning.

Zhao Wuji's face was ashen, killing intent boiling in his eyes as he stared fixedly at Lin Yuan, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth: "Good! Very good! Once inside the Refining Spirit Valley, I hope your Mental Energy... is as hard as your mouth!" With that, filled with fury, he stomped onto a scarlet rainbow bridge on the left.

Lin Yuan, as if merely brushing away insignificant dust, nodded slightly to Elder Guardian Elder and stepped onto the most magnificent central rainbow bridge, which exuded a Chaos aura!

Buzz—!

The rainbow bridge emitted a clear hum, carrying Lin Yuan as a streak of light, and instantly disappeared into the twisted Mental Energy barrier at the valley entrance!

The moment he passed through the barrier, it was as if he had entered another realm!

Lin Yuan stood in the air, and the scene before him made even this Prodigy, who bore the Chaos Law, feel his mind sway!

The Refining Spirit Valley contained its own Universe! Below, on the vast land, thousands of lakes of varying sizes were scattered like stars! These lakes were not ordinary water, but entirely composed of Soul Origin Spirit Liquid! The small ones were like ponds, only a few zhang in circumference; the large ones resembled inland seas, vast and misty, spanning a thousand zhang! Each lake exuded pure and majestic Mental Energy fluctuations, with misty soul fog rising from the surface, reflecting dreamlike, colorful light! The closer the lakes were to the central area, the deeper and more brilliant their light, and the more terrifying the Mental Energy pressure they emitted!

"Refining Spirit Valley... Sea of Soul Origin!" Lin Yuan's eyes flashed with brilliant light.

At this time, there were already over ten thousand Martial Artists in the valley, the vast majority exuding profound auras, clearly Spirit Refining Realm powerhouses! Only a mere dozen or so, like Lin Yuan, stood here with Gathering Origin Realm cultivation, making them particularly conspicuous.

The majestic and resonant voice of Guardian Elder Guardian Elder echoed throughout the Refining Spirit Valley Small World like heavenly thunder:

"Silence! Remember the rules of the Refining Spirit Valley!"

"The one thousand and eighty Soul Origin Spirit Lakes in the valley are arranged in nine rings!"

"The outer ring lakes, with their gentle soul liquid, are for ordinary Spirit Refining Realm Cultivators to temper their Divine Soul!"

"The middle ring lakes, with doubled soul pressure, are unbearable for all but Prodigies!"

"The inner core seven lakes—the 'Seven Star Soul Origin Pools'!" Guardian Elder's voice suddenly rose, carrying supreme Divine Might. "The soul liquid within them has integrated the Origin power of the Laws of Heaven and Earth! The soul pressure is like an abyss, like a prison, and it even contains Law impacts! Those who rashly enter, if not peerless Prodigies with a Foundation as stable as divine iron, will suffer severe Divine Soul damage at best, or at worst... Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, with their true spirit annihilated!"