176: Destruction precedes construction; Daoist principles refine the elixir.

Heaven and Earth were enveloped in a deathly silence.

The dark void that had torn through the sky was slowly closing, and fragments of shattered space Law drifted in all directions like invisible snowflakes.

Outside Prefecture City, the hundred-zhang giant pit that had been forcefully smashed into the ground was like a scar, branded upon the earth, with rolling smoke and dust obscuring everything.

"Yuan Mo!"

"My son!"

Heart-wrenching cries broke through the deathly silence.

Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao, with bloodshot eyes, recklessly transformed into two streaks of light, rushing madly towards the giant pit.

Their hearts had already shattered into a million pieces from the world-destroying blow just now.

A Soul Transformation strike!

That was a strike from a Spirit Transformation True Monarch!

How could Yuan Mo... possibly block it?

When they rushed to the edge of the giant pit and saw the devastation below, both of their bodies stiffened abruptly, as if struck by lightning.

In the center of the giant pit, a figure lay quietly, covered in blood, with a horrifying, gaping blood hole through his chest.

His aura was as faint as a candle in the wind, as if it would extinguish completely in the next moment.

"No... no..." Shen Qiming's lips trembled, his whole body seemingly drained of all strength. His legs weakened, and he nearly collapsed to his knees.

It's over!

Everything is over!

The hope that had just risen for the Shen Family, the Qilin Son that the Shen Family had finally longed for, just... gone?

“Yuan Mo!” Shen Zongdao, the Old Ancestor who had just achieved Core Formation and was full of vigor, was now shedding tears. He roared and was about to rush into the deep pit regardless of the consequences.

Just then.

The figure lying in a pool of blood, on the verge of death, gently moved a finger.

"Don't... come over..."

A voice so faint it was almost inaudible, was transmitted with difficulty into Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao's minds through Divine Thought.

The two of them trembled violently, looking incredulously into the deep pit.

They saw Shen Yuanmo, the son they thought was surely dead, the Grand Elder who had held up a sky for the Family, slowly, with great difficulty, open his eyes.

His eyes were still bright, but filled with endless exhaustion.

"Help me... back to the secret chamber..."

...In the deepest secret cultivation chamber of the Shen Family Main Residence.

Shen Yuanmo was carefully placed on the central meditation cushion. The terrifying wound on his chest was still slowly seeping blood, showing no signs of healing.

"Yuan Mo, how are you? You must not be in trouble!" Shen Qiming clutched his son's hand, his voice trembling, his eyes filled with endless fear and worry.

"Father, Old Ancestor, listen to me." Shen Yuanmo's face was as pale as paper, but his tone of voice remained calm, "I'm fine, I won't die."

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the excruciating pain in his body, as if thousands of steel needles were pricking him.

"From now on, seal the secret chamber. No one is to approach, no one is to disturb!"

"Also, convey my order: the Family is to enter the highest state of alert! Prefecture City, only allow entry, no exit! The Chen and Zhang Families, fully cooperate and block all news! Just say... just say that I was severely injured in a mutual defeat with the invading enemy and am currently in seclusion to heal!"

"But, Yuan Mo, your injury..." Shen Zongdao looked at the grotesque wound on his chest, his heart aching.

Upon the wound, there lingered traces of extremely subtle, yet overbearing pure white Law aura.

It was this power that was continuously destroying Shen Yuanmo's vitality and preventing his wound from healing.

"Don't worry." A hint of madness flashed in Shen Yuanmo's eyes.

"This injury is no problem for me. Father, Old Ancestor, you two go out first, I need to circulate my Cultivation Technique to heal!"

After speaking, he could no longer hold on. His vision went black, and his Divine Sense sank into boundless darkness.

Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao exchanged glances, seeing the same determination in each other's eyes.

They didn't ask any more questions, nodding solemnly.

"Good! Yuan Mo, heal with peace of mind! We'll handle everything outside!"

Rumble!

The heavy stone door slowly descended, completely isolating the secret chamber from the outside world.

Inside the secret chamber, an absolute darkness and deathly silence descended.

Shen Yuanmo's consciousness floated in a state of Chaos.

Pain!

Unimaginable agony!

The aftershocks of the Soul Transformation Law that had invaded his body were frantically tearing and destroying his Meridians, internal organs, bones, and even the depths of his Divine Soul!

His formidable Physical Body, at the seventh stage of the Vajra Glazed Body, which he was so proud of, was as fragile as paper before this higher-level power, completely unable to resist the destructive force of the Nascent Soul Divine Charm.

Although his Great Five Elements Glazed Art Cultivation Technique was operating spontaneously within him, the vast Five Elements vitality continuously repaired his shattered body.

However, the speed of this repair was far from keeping up with the destructive speed of the Nascent Soul Divine Charm!

If this continued, within three days, he would completely exhaust his vitality and perish, his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering!

What to do?

Could it be that he was truly going to die here?

No!

I cannot die!

The Shen Family still needs me! Father, Old Ancestor, and those hundreds of clansmen are all waiting for me!

A defiant will suddenly erupted from the deepest part of Shen Yuanmo's Divine Soul!

Driven by this will to survive, his Golden Finger activated with a roar!

Insight into Origin!

In an instant, all the structures and energy flow trajectories of the overbearing Nascent Soul Divine Charm, which was raging within his body,

And its most core Law mysteries, were clearly and completely reflected in his mind!

"So that's how it is... so that's how it is..."

Shen Yuanmo's consciousness, upon seeing the essence of this power, not only did not feel despair but instead erupted with a burst of ecstasy!

How could this be poison!

This was clearly a supreme Treasure Trove!

This power contained a trace of a true Spirit Transformation True Monarch's understanding and application of the Laws of Heaven and Earth!

That was a higher-dimensional power, transcending the Golden Core and Nascent Soul levels!

Although it was just a trace of aftershocks, the Dao Charm it contained was simply a supreme guiding light for him, a Golden Core Cultivator!

A thought, utterly crazy, formed in his mind with a roar!

Since I can't block it, since I can't outlast it... then I might as well not block it! Not outlast it!

I will use this Nascent Soul Divine Charm to temper my Golden Core!

With the power of Soul Transformation as the hammer, and my Golden Core as the iron!

Succeed or die trying!

"Come on!"

Shen Yuanmo's Divine Soul let out a heaven-shaking roar!

He abandoned all resistance, and actually took the initiative to guide that overbearing Nascent Soul Divine Charm, fiercely rushing towards the five-colored Golden Core, which was spinning in his Dantian Qi Sea!

Boom!

When that wisp of Nascent Soul Divine Charm touched the five-colored Golden Core.

An indescribable agony, as if his Soul was being completely torn apart and crushed, erupted with a roar!

Crack!

On his five-colored Golden Core, which he had painstakingly condensed with the Dao Charm of Five Elements and destruction, and which was incredibly solid and perfectly flawless.

A tiny... crack actually appeared!

"Pfft!"

Shen Yuanmo's body trembled violently, and he spat out another mouthful of fresh blood!

But in his eyes, an even more frantic flame burned!

"Not enough! Again!"

He endured the inhuman pain, frantically circulating the Great Five Elements Glazed Art, mobilizing all the vitality within his body, surging towards the Golden Core on the verge of shattering, repairing the cracks on it.

Cracking! Repairing!

Cracking again! Repairing again!

Again and again!

His five-colored Golden Core was like immortal iron placed on an anvil, being repeatedly and frantically hammered and tempered by an invisible divine hammer containing the mighty power of Soul Transformation!

Every strike made him wish he were dead, his Divine Soul trembling.

But with each repair, he could clearly feel that his Golden Core became a bit more condensed, a bit purer than before!

Those Impurities that originally belonged to the Golden Core level were being mercilessly crushed and removed, bit by bit, by this higher-level power!

...Meanwhile, within Prefecture City, panic had long set in.

Although the three Nascent Soul Cultivators of the Song Family had attacked, and the final world-destroying Soul Transformation strike had been blocked by Shen Yuanmo.

However, that terrifying might had already scared all the Cultivators in the city out of their wits.

When the Patriarchs of the Chen and Zhang Families learned that Shen Yuanmo's fate was unknown and he had entered a deathly seclusion, they were even more scared to death, almost packing up their belongings and fleeing on the spot.

But when they saw Shen Qiming and Shen Zongdao's eyes, which, though sorrowful, were still incredibly firm, their thoughts of escape were forcibly suppressed.

They knew that running now would truly be a dead end!

They were already thoroughly bound to the Shen Family on the same boat!

"Convey my order! From now on, seal the entire city! No one is allowed to move freely! All Chen Family disciples, go to the city walls and assist the Shen Family guard team in defending the city to the death!"

"The Zhang Family too! Tell those little brats in the clan that if anyone dares to cause trouble at this time, they won't have to wait for the Shen Family to act, I'll personally flay them alive!"

The two Patriarchs gritted their teeth and still chose to gamble!

They placed all their hopes on the young man in green, who had created countless miracles but whose fate was currently unknown!

Inside the secret chamber.

Shen Yuanmo had completely lost track of time.

All his mind was immersed in this painful yet joyful, frantic tempering.

He could feel that the Bottleneck leading from the Late Golden Core Stage to Golden Core Great Perfection was being crushed and smoothed out, bit by bit, under the frantic pounding of this Nascent Soul Divine Charm!

His originally perfectly flawless five-colored Golden Core was continuously shrinking in volume.

However, the Dao Charm patterns flowing on it became increasingly complex and profound.

The energy contained within it also became increasingly pure and terrifying!

It was undergoing a frantic transformation towards a perfect, unprecedented limit!