55: Slaying the Demon King in the Star Ruins, the Source Stone Merges with Chaos

Lu Qingxuan, guided by the myriad ages demon suppressing star chart, advanced at full speed towards the “bronze immortal palace core fragment Suspected Crash Zone.” This area happened to be deep within an ancient ruin known as the Ancient Demon Star Ruins.

The Ancient Demon Star Ruins, according to legend, was one of the final battlefields of a widespread Immortal-Demon War in ancient times. Countless Great Demons and Immortals perished here, stars shattered, and Laws became chaotic, forming this vast and dangerous ruin. It not only contained various powerful Restrictions and shattered Legacies but also nurtured many powerful Star Ruins Yao Beasts that mutated due to the ancient demon's blood Qi and fragmented Laws.

The closer one got to the Ancient Demon Star Ruins, the more desolate and eerie the scene in the starry sky became. Gigantic Yao Beast skeletons, stretching like mountain ranges, were visible everywhere. Some skeletons even retained a terrifying pressure. On the shattered star fragments, strange plants that survived by devouring the residual energy of the Star Ruins grew, colorful yet often harboring deadly traps.

In the Void Realm, a chaotic and violent aura permeated, mixed with ancient Demonic Qi, fragments of Immortal Dao Laws, and various negative energies, forming natural illusions and confusion.

Lu Qingxuan navigated this dangerous zone, controlling the Chaos Return to Ruin Dao Domain. Wherever the Dao Domain passed, the chaotic energies were forcibly organized and devoured, transforming into his own use. Some weaker Star Ruins Yao Beasts, sensing the terrifying Chaos and Return to Ruin aura emanating from him, fled in panic from afar.

He did not linger in the outer regions, his objective clear, heading straight for the core area marked on the star chart.

Several days later, he arrived at a shattered star continent enveloped in dense, blood-red mist. This blood-red mist contained strong corrosive and hallucinogenic properties, capable of eroding Divine Sense. The star chart indicated that passing through this “Blood Fiend Demonic Mist” would lead to the edge of the core region.

Just as Lu Qingxuan was about to pass through directly, his brows furrowed, and his figure paused at the edge of the demonic mist.

He saw the blood-red mist ahead churning violently, accompanied by earth-shattering roars and intense sounds of battle. Flashes of light and aftershocks of colliding Laws continuously emanated from within the mist.

His Divine Sense probed (though suppressed, it was still far beyond ordinary people), and the scene imprinted itself in his mind: a team of about ten Cultivators was engaged in a bitter battle. They wore uniform azure Daoist robes with cloud patterns embroidered on their sleeves, appearing to be Disciples of a certain Sect. At this moment, they had formed a profound sword formation, sword light crisscrossing, struggling to hold on.

Their opponents were hundreds of Star Ruins Demonic Creatures, resembling jackals but with bone wings on their backs and bodies covered in blood-red scales—Bloodwing Jackal Demons! The individual strength of these jackal demons mostly ranged from Nascent Soul Stage to Early Soul Transformation Stage, but their numbers were vast, and they fought fearlessly, thriving even more within the demonic mist.

The three leading jackal demons were exceptionally large, their aura clearly reaching Spirit Transformation Late Stage. They were quite intelligent, directing the jackal demon horde to continuously assault the weak points of the sword formation. The Cultivator team was already in dire straits, their protective light barrier tottering, and several bodies lay on the ground.

“Are they Disciples of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect?” Lu Qingxuan recognized the Sect attire. The Azure Cloud Sword Sect was a first-rate power renowned for its sword Dao in the nearby Star Domain, and its reputation was fairly good. He originally didn't intend to meddle, but as his gaze swept across the battlefield, he saw a young girl protected behind the others in the center of the team.

The girl, about sixteen years old, possessed exquisite beauty. Her face was pale, and blood stained the corner of her mouth, yet her bright eyes showed stubbornness and determination. In her hand, she held a long sword as clear as autumn water, its Sword Intent pure, subtly resonating with some ancient Sword Intent within the Ancient Demon Star Ruins. What caught Lu Qingxuan's attention even more was an extremely subtle yet profoundly high-quality spiritual aura emanating from her.

“Innate Sword Spirit Dao Body?” The System notification flashed in his mind, copying a rare golden entry. This was a born sword Dao embryo, possessing an extraordinary affinity and Comprehension Ability for the sword Dao.

Just as Lu Qingxuan was observing, the battle situation changed again!

“Roar!”

The three Spirit Transformation Late Stage Bloodwing Jackal Demon Kings seemed to lose patience, simultaneously letting out a roar. Their bodies surged with blood light, transforming into three streaks of blood-colored lightning, fiercely crashing into the weakest point of the sword formation!

“Not good! Protect Junior Sister!” The leader, a Mid-stage Spirit Transformation Realm young Sword Cultivator, his eyes bloodshot, forcibly burned his vital blood, causing his sword Qi to surge, attempting to block them.

“Boom!”

With a tremendous crash, the sword formation shattered! The violent energy sent many Azure Cloud Disciples flying. Amidst the blood and gore, the three Jackal Demon Kings grinned ferociously, pouncing directly at the Innate Sword Spirit Dao Body girl, who was staggering backward from the impact! They seemed to have sensed the pure spiritual aura within the girl's body, deeming it a great tonic!

A trace of despair flashed in the girl's eyes as she struggled to raise her long sword, preparing for a final stand.

At this critical moment!

“Still.”

A calm voice, as if from the Nine Heavens above, yet also resounding in everyone's heart.

The moment the voice fell, the space within a thousand zhang radius, centered on the girl, seemed to have pressed the pause button!

The three ferociously pouncing Bloodwing Jackal Demon Kings, maintaining their lunging posture, solidified in mid-air. Their crimson eyes still held bloodlust and greed, but these were replaced by boundless terror. They found that all their actions, even the Demonic Qi within their bodies, were completely restrained by an incomprehensible, irresistible force!

Not just them, but the hundreds of surrounding Bloodwing Jackal Demons, as well as the scattered, retreating Azure Cloud Disciples, were all frozen in place like mosquitoes in amber! Only their minds could still function.

Time stopped? Space frozen?

No! It was the “Law Restriction” and “Word is Law” characteristics of the Chaos Return to Ruin Dao Domain, activated by Lu Qingxuan with even greater power, forming an absolute control Domain!

Lu Qingxuan's figure had appeared in the center of the battlefield at some unknown point, standing with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent.

He didn't even look at the frozen jackal demons, his gaze falling on the startled girl, who was staring blankly at him.

“Return to Ruin.”

He spoke calmly again.

Without any earth-shattering display, the frozen Bloodwing Jackal Demons, whether the ordinary Nascent Soul Stage ones or the three Spirit Transformation Late Stage Demon Kings, began to silently dissipate like weathered sand sculptures, from their limbs to their torsos, then to their heads, finally turning completely into nothingness, leaving not even a speck of dust.

As if they had never existed in this world.

The Dao Domain retracted, and space resumed its flow.

The surviving Azure Cloud Disciples fell to the ground, but ignored their pain, all looking with shock, fear, and a hint of post-disaster gratitude towards that figure, who was like a god or demon.

The girl also recovered her senses, quickly sheathed her sword, and gracefully bowed to Lu Qingxuan, her voice trembling slightly: “Luo Li of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect thanks Senior for saving my life!” The Disciples behind her also struggled to get up and salute.

Lu Qingxuan nodded slightly in response. He saved them partly out of convenience, and partly due to a slight interest in this “Innate Sword Spirit Dao Body.” Such a Physique, if guided correctly, had limitless potential for future achievements.

“Why have you ventured so deep into this place?” he asked.

Luo Li dared not conceal anything and respectfully replied, “Replying to Senior, Junior and my Senior Brothers came to the Ancient Demon Star Ruins to search for an ‘Ancient Sword Mark’ recorded in our Sect's ancient texts, to comprehend Sword Intent. Unexpectedly, we mistakenly entered this Blood Fiend Demonic Mist and were besieged by this group of jackal demons...”

Lu Qingxuan's Divine Sense swept over them, finding no aura related to the bronze immortal palace core fragment, so he asked no further questions. He flicked his finger, and several streaks of Chaos light containing the vitality of the Azure Emperor Longevity Art entered Luo Li and the others' bodies. Their injuries began to heal at a visible rate.

“This place is dangerous, not somewhere for you to linger. Depart quickly.” Lu Qingxuan finished speaking and no longer paid them any attention, his gaze fixed on the depths of the dense Blood Fiend Demonic Mist. He could feel that a more powerful existence in the depths of the demonic mist had been startled by the commotion.

Without hesitation, he took a step, and his figure disappeared into the demonic mist.

Luo Li and the others stared at the direction Lu Qingxuan disappeared in, unable to recover for a long time.

“Junior Sister Luo, this Senior... is too strong!” The leading young Sword Cultivator said with lingering fear, “Word is Law, stabilizing the universe... he is probably a Body Integration Stage grand Cultivator!”

Luo Li's beautiful eyes shone with brilliance, and she nodded vigorously, deeply imprinting that figure in her mind: “Let's... go back. If fate allows, we will repay this kindness someday!”

...Lu Qingxuan traversed the Blood Fiend Demonic Mist, his speed undiminished. The demonic mist, which would give Spirit Transformation Cultivators a headache, was like nothing before the Chaos Return to Ruin Dao Domain, instead being continuously refined and absorbed, replenishing his consumption.

Suddenly, the demonic mist ahead churned violently, and a pressure far stronger, more violent, and filled with ancient, savage aura than that of the Bloodwing Jackal Demon Kings descended like an awakened primordial Vicious Beast!

“Human! How dare you slaughter my descendants and trespass into this King's territory? Die!”

The demonic mist dispersed, revealing a colossal creature!

It was a giant python! Its entire body was covered in dark red scales, its head like a small mountain, with a single horn on its forehead, and cold, ruthless crimson vertical pupils. Its body was faintly visible within the demonic mist, spanning thousands of li! The aura it emitted had clearly reached Spirit Transformation Late Stage, and it was extremely solid, perhaps only a step away from Body Integration!

This was the overlord entrenched in this Blood Fiend Demonic Mist region—the Unicorne Blood Python King!

It opened its massive mouth, revealing ferocious fangs, and a foul-smelling, blood-colored breath containing potent poison and corrosive Laws, like a celestial river pouring down, engulfed Lu Qingxuan! Wherever it passed, space was corroded with sizzling sounds.

“Finally, something decent has arrived.” A trace of Battle Intent flashed in Lu Qingxuan's eyes. The blood Qi and Demonic Soul of this python king might be useful for tempering his Physical Body and Divine Soul.

He no longer held back. The Chaos Divine Demon Body (Elementary) operated at full power, his muscles glowing with precious light. Without dodging, he met the blood-colored breath head-on, unleashing a punch!

With the punch, Chaos Qi surged, as if a single punch could shatter the star-filled universe!

“Boom!”

The Chaos punch aura and the blood-colored breath collided fiercely, erupting into a world-destroying energy storm that cleared a large area of the surrounding Blood Fiend Demonic Mist!

The blood-colored breath, capable of corroding Spirit Treasures, was like paper before the Chaos punch aura, easily torn apart and shattered!

The punch aura continued unabated, squarely striking the massive head of the Unicorne Blood Python King!

“Bang!”

Like a heavenly drum being beaten, a dull roar echoed throughout the Star Ruins.

The Unicorne Blood Python King let out a cry of pain and disbelief. Its hard head, capable of withstanding star collisions, was actually shattered with scales breaking and skull cracking by this punch. Its massive body flew backward uncontrollably, smashing several huge star remnants behind it!

“Impossible! You are merely a chaos immortal infant...” The Python King was utterly horrified. It couldn't comprehend how a human in the chaos immortal infant Realm could possess such terrifying power!

Lu Qingxuan gave it no chance to breathe, his figure chasing like a ghost. The Chaos Return to Ruin Dao Domain expanded again, enveloping the retreating Python King!

“Law Restriction! Return to Ruin!”

Within the Dao Domain, Laws were restrained, and the power of Return to Ruin spread.

The Unicorne Blood Python King struggled desperately, unleashing monstrous Demonic Qi, but before the Chaos Return to Ruin Dao Domain, its resistance seemed so pale and powerless. Its Demonic Qi was rapidly annihilated, and its massive body began to disintegrate and dissipate inch by inch.

“No! I am an ancient...” It let out a final desperate roar, eventually returning completely to nothingness, leaving behind only a fist-sized blood-colored crystal core containing immense blood Qi and Demonic Soul Origin, and a wisp of pure ancient Demonic Soul.

Lu Qingxuan reached out and collected the crystal core and Demonic Soul. The life essence of this Spirit Transformation Peak Demon King was enough to advance his Chaos God-Demon Body further.

He continued deeper, finally passing through the Blood Fiend Demonic Mist region, and the scene ahead suddenly opened up.

It was an even more broken and desolate core Star Domain. And amidst countless shattered stars and giant skeletons, a colossal, pitch-black, strange meteorite, as if capable of devouring all light, quietly floated there.

The meteorite's surface was covered with countless profound natural patterns, and at its center, there was a distinct concave imprint.

At this moment, the myriad ages demon suppressing star chart in Lu Qingxuan's arms, as well as the myriad dao origin stone fragment, emitted unprecedented heat and resonance!

The final destination indicated by the star chart was this black meteorite! And the myriad dao origin stone fragment seemed to have some kind of Origin connection with this meteorite, or rather, with what was inside the meteorite!

Lu Qingxuan's gaze was sharp; he could feel that inside this meteorite, there was an unimaginable chaos origin source and myriad Dao aura!

The core fragment of the bronze immortal palace was very likely inside this meteorite! Or, this meteorite itself was part of the core fragment, or... a Seal?

He did not act rashly. First, he sat cross-legged in the Void Realm and took out the myriad dao origin stone fragment.

It was time to use this item to refine his Foundation to true ultimate Perfection!

He circulated the Chaos Myriad Transformation Divine Art, guiding his Chaos Immortal power to envelop the myriad dao origin stone fragment.

“Refine!”

Chaos Qi surged, beginning to erode and fuse with this wondrous stone containing the aura of myriad Dao Origins.

As the refinement progressed, a massive amount of extremely pure and all-encompassing myriad Dao Origin Qi, like a bursting river, poured into Lu Qingxuan's limbs and bones, merged into his chaos immortal infant, nourished his Chaos God-Demon Body, and completed the various Law fragments he had comprehended... His aura, on top of its original Peak, began to steadily climb towards a more unfathomable and perfectly flawless Realm!

The gate to Soul Transformation was already in sight!