18: The tears of a stone statue and the scent of a hound

A majestic surge of vitality, centered around the nine revolutions soul restoration grass, exploded within Jiang Chen's body.

The one hundred and eight types of violent medicinal energies, which he had forcefully suppressed and categorized, at this moment, seemed to have found their monarch.

There was no resistance.

No conflict.

All the medicinal energies were forcefully twisted into a torrent by this pure life essence, rushing towards his Dantian.

Within the Dantian, unlike ordinary Cultivators, a spinning Golden Core did not condense.

Under the guidance of the Array Dao Heavenly Heart, Jiang Chen's Meridians transformed into the foundation of a Formation.

His Dantian, under the scour of the torrent that had fused all the medicinal energies, began to collapse, and then, expand!

It transformed into a void, a deep darkness.

A Chaos of stars.

Immediately after, within the starry sea, the first point of light ignited.

That light point was not large, but it was extremely solid, like the brightest star in the night sky, emitting a scorching aura of extreme yang and rigidity—it was precisely the essence of the thirty-six types of extreme yang Spiritual Plant medicinal energies from before.

The first aperture was formed.

Then, came the second point of light.

That was a dim, dark glow that seemed capable of devouring all light, representing the ultimate of the seventy-two types of extreme yin Spirit Medicine.

The second aperture was formed.

The third, fourth, fifth... nine points of light, in the Dantian starry sea, lit up in sequence, like nine nascent stars, slowly rotating according to a mysterious trajectory.

This was the final form of the "Nine Aperture Golden Core."

Nine Great Apertures!

Each aperture could independently store and transform Spiritual Qi of a single attribute.

This meant that Jiang Chen could simultaneously drive nine different forces without interference.

Just as the ninth aperture, the green star representing the majestic vitality of the nine revolutions soul restoration grass, completely stabilized.

Another anomaly occurred!

Deep within Jiang Chen's Soul, the four talent imprints representing the Eye of Insight, Sword Dao Enlightenment, Array Dao Heavenly Heart, and Hundred Herb Spirit Body, were forcefully extracted by this nascent Nine Aperture Starry Sea!

Four completely different Law forces were drawn into the center of the starry sea, frantically torn, crushed, and fused by the gravity of those nine stars!

[Warning! Talent conflict detected!]

[Attempting Fusion... Fusion failed!]

[Formless Life Essence intervenes...]

[With Array Dao Heavenly Heart as the framework, Hundred Herb Spirit Body as the flesh and blood, Sword Dao Enlightenment as the sharp edge, and Eye of Insight as the core...]

[Talent reconstruction in progress...]

[Congratulations, Host, the four great talents have fused, giving birth to a brand new composite ability — Myriad Laws Dao Body (Prototype)!]

The System's cold prompt sounded.

Jiang Chen's body trembled violently.

His body, itself, became a "Formation" capable of self-analysis, simulation, and continuous optimization.

He no longer needed to deliberately "see" fate lines, nor did he need to distinguish the flow of energy.

That information became his instinct, like breathing.

He "sensed" it.

One kilometer away, an ant carrying food deviated from the ant colony's predetermined "fate" because of a small pebble in its path.

He "sensed" it.

The grand Formation of this Mist Forest, the ceaselessly flowing Spiritual Qi, in his eyes, was no longer complex patterns, but clear and distinct, like an inhale and exhale.

He even "sensed" that every inch of his flesh and blood yearned to analyze more "Laws" and devour more "fate."

And at this very moment.

The Dantian was complete, and the Dao Body was initially established.

An aura that could not be concealed by the Mist Forest's natural illusion Formation surged from Jiang Chen's body, piercing the sky.

That aura was half the vibrant vitality that creates all things, and half the desolate death intent that ends everything.

Two contradictory forces intertwined, like an invisible sharp sword, instantly piercing through the firmament!

Sanhe City.

Inside and outside the city, all Cultivators who were meditating, performing Alchemy, or practicing Spells, regardless of their cultivation level, at this moment, felt their hearts clutched by an invisible large hand.

A tremor originating from the depths of their Soul made them uncontrollably stop everything they were doing.

"What's going on?!"

"Such a terrifying aura... coming from the direction of the Mist Forest!"

"Which Senior is undergoing a Breakthrough? But this feeling... it doesn't seem like Spiritual Qi, it's more like... Heavenly Might?"

This fluctuation was an incomprehensible anomaly for ordinary Cultivators.

But for the Heavenly Dao, it was a blatant declaration of war.

A thousand miles away.

Hundred Herb Valley.

Deep within the Sect, a hundred-zhang-tall Ancestral Master mountain-guarding stone statue, carved from a single piece of "Azure Wood Divine Stone," shed a line of green tears from its compassionate eyes without any warning.

The tears fell, transforming into a withered yellow leaf.

The Elder guarding the statue turned pale with fright, scrambling towards the Valley Master's secluded cultivation hall.

"Valley Master! This is bad! The Ancestral Master statue... showed an ominous sign!"

At the same time.

In the Mist Forest.

Jiang Chen slowly opened his eyes.

His Myriad Laws Dao Body sensed it the moment that aura leaked.

At least five powerful auras were rapidly approaching the Mist Forest from different directions.

One of them was the swiftest and most furious.

That aura carried a strong scent of plants and a towering killing intent; its "fate line" appeared to be a furious, emerald green, originating from the same source as Su Qingxue.

The Valley Master of Hundred Herb Valley.

There was no hint of panic on Jiang Chen's face.

Run away?

A hunter never runs away.

He mobilized the power of his newly formed "Hundred Herb Spirit Body," and a command, through his Myriad Laws Dao Body, spread throughout the entire Mist Forest.

"Using Su Qingxue's vital Qi as a guide, transform into hundreds of phantom images, scatter!"

Buzz—

The entire Mist Forest, all the Spirit Flowers and exotic Spiritual Plants, at this moment, simultaneously changed their scent.

They no longer emitted their unique fragrance but began to simulate a false scent mixed with the nine revolutions soul restoration grass and Su Qingxue's lingering vital Qi.

Hundreds of identical, incredibly realistic scent sources, like dandelion seeds, were blown by the wind to every corner of the forest.

After doing all this, Jiang Chen smiled.

He used the perception of his "Array Dao Heavenly Heart" to precisely arrange these "baits" next to the naturally formed miniature killing Formations or deadly traps he had previously explored.

The entire Mist Forest, from his sanctuary, transformed into a spiderweb filled with sweet bait, prepared for the pursuers.

And he was the spider, patiently waiting in the center of the web.

He stood up and slowly walked towards the disfigured, cowering corpse in the mud.

Su Qingxue.

She wasn't dead yet, but she might as well be.

Jiang Chen crouched down.

He didn't destroy the body; instead, he extended a finger, activated a trace of pure vitality, and injected it into her body, sustaining her last breath.

He wanted this "living tombstone" to witness everything that was about to unfold.

He wanted her to see how her Master, her Sect's Elders, those so-called "Righteous Path Masters," would, one by one, step into the death script he had designed, right before her eyes.

Jiang Chen looked at her empty eyes, filled only with fear, and spoke softly.

"Don't be in a hurry to die."

"The real show has just begun."