241: Half-step into the void, finally arriving.

Inside the Guixu Divine Palace, there was a deathly silence.

Six Soul Transformation Magnates, standing at the pinnacle of the Cultivation World, clearly demarcated their territories, occupying six sides.

Their respective Qi mechanisms clashed and strangled each other wildly in the Void Realm, causing the already chaotic spatial Law to become even more violent.

Dark spatial fissures constantly appeared and disappeared, releasing destructive Qi that made the soul tremble.

The Imperial Uncle of Great Qian Ji Changkong sat high upon his Nine Dragon Chariot, his expression aloof and arrogant, deep confidence that everything was under control hidden in his eyes.

The Demon Path Colossus Ancestor Xuan Ming was wreathed in surging demonic flames, his pair of eerie green vertical pupils flickering with greed and calculation.

Dragon Emperor Ao Guang fiercely suppressed the pain of losing his son and his sky-burning murderous intent, his golden Dragon eyes locked onto Shen Yuanmo, the tyrannical aura almost solidifying into substance.

True Monarch Fu Hai, Solitary City Ye, and the Master of the Evil Nether Hall were also on guard, their expressions as solemn as iron.

A strange balance silently formed between the six individuals.

Everyone wanted to seize the supreme Opportunity at the core of the Divine Palace, but no one wanted to be the first to stick their neck out and become a stepping stone for others.

Yet, in this terrifying standoff, Shen Yuanmo, the existence with the lowest cultivation Realm in everyone's eyes, was the calmest person present.

He floated quietly in front of the ancient medicine garden's entrance, remaining detached, like a spectator.

His gaze swept calmly over every Soul Transformation Magnate, showing neither fear nor the slightest ripple of emotion.

But deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Perfect Deduction had already been running at its maximum capacity!

Ancestor Xuan Ming's Demonic Technique pathways... True Monarch Fu Hai's Water Dao Law... Ji Changkong's Human Emperor Dragon Qi... Solitary City Ye's pure Sword Intent... everyone's aura, Cultivation Technique, Law fluctuations, and even the slightest muscle twitch on their faces.

All were captured by Shen Yuanmo, transforming into an endless flood of Dao Rhyme, undergoing billions of simulations and deductions within the Universe of his Sea of Consciousness.

In just this brief standoff, he had already exchanged blows with these six people tens of thousands of times in his consciousness!

Their advantages, their weaknesses, and the hidden trump cards they might possess were all analyzed by Shen Yuanmo, seen as clearly as fire, leaving no secrets.

"Great Perfection of Soul Transformation, nothing more than this."

Shen Yuanmo's Dao Heart was still.

These people indeed possessed profound magic power, and their application of Law far surpassed that of the likes of Ao Zhan.

But once they made a move, Shen Yuanmo had absolute confidence that, without suffering serious injury, he could permanently leave any one of these six, or even two of them, here!

Just at this moment of extreme suppression, on the verge of explosion.

Suddenly!

An indescribable, vast Dao Rhyme, seemingly originating from the time before heaven and earth were separated and Chaos first began, swept in silently from all directions!

This Dao Rhyme had no sense of oppression, nor any earth-shattering might.

It was gentle, peaceful, yet ubiquitous and pervasive.

The moment it descended, whether it was Ji Changkong's majestic imperial might, Ancestor Xuan Ming's monstrous demonic flames, or Solitary City Ye's peerless Sword Intent... the Domain aura that all the Soul Transformation Magnates prided themselves on instantly disintegrated before this Dao Rhyme, failing to stir up the slightest ripple!

"What?!"

The six great powerhouses were all struck with horror!

They discovered in terror that the intimate, Bloodline-like connection they shared with the Laws of Heaven and Earth had been forcibly severed by an invisible hand!

The circulation of magic power within their bodies became sluggish, as if they had sunk into a swamp!

At this moment, they felt themselves plummeting from the clouds, stripped of their Divine Ability to summon wind and rain, reduced to a small boat in a raging storm, unable to control themselves!

What kind of terrifying method was this!

What kind of magnificent power was this!

Everyone, including the most arrogant Ji Changkong, suddenly looked up, their eyes fixed on the source of the Dao Rhyme.

They saw, within that gray, broken Void Realm.

An old man, dressed in the most simple hemp clothing, with dry yellow hair, a face like shriveled orange peel, and a hunched figure, slowly walked over.

He leaned on an unknown deadwood cane, taking one slow, stumbling step after another.

But with every step he took, the Void Realm beneath his feet would spontaneously bloom with a golden lotus, formed by the condensation of the purest Great Dao Law, supporting his steps.

It was as if he wasn't walking, but measuring this piece of heaven and earth, defining the rules of this world.

"Old... Old Monster Cang Xuan!"

The moment he saw that face, Ancestor Xuan Ming, the Demon Path Colossus who usually regarded the world as nothing, let out a heart-rending scream, his voice laced with bone-deep terror!

The color drained from his aged face, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably!

"How... how can he still be alive?! Three thousand years ago, when Guixu opened, he failed to break through to the Void Return Stage—didn't he undergo Dao Assimilation here?!"

True Monarch Fu Hai, Ao Guang, the Master of the Evil Nether Hall, and the others also turned ashen, feeling as though they had fallen into an ice cavern!

Old Monster Cang Xuan!

A legend who had lived for nearly five millennia, who was already at the Great Perfection of Soul Transformation three thousand years ago, and was hailed as the number one person in the Endless Sea!

Legend said he had failed his attempt to reach the Void Return Realm here three thousand years ago and had long since perished. Unexpectedly, he was still alive!

Above the Nine Dragon Chariot, Ji Changkong's expression became extremely grim.

He stared intensely at the cane-wielding old man, forcing three words out one by one through gritted teeth.

"Half... step... Void... Return!"

Void Return!

The legendary Realm above Soul Transformation!

Although it was only Half-step, it represented a qualitative transformation, a leap in the level of life!

A single word difference, yet a world of difference!

In front of such an existence, what difference was there between these so-called Soul Transformation Magnates and regional overlords, and toddlers just learning to walk?

At this moment, the greed, calculation, and ambition in everyone's hearts were doused by a bucket of ice water.

Old Monster Cang Xuan, leaning on his cane, completely disregarded the shock of the crowd.

His muddy eyes, devoid of any divine light, slowly swept across the entire scene.

When his gaze fell upon Ji Changkong and the others, it was like looking at roadside stones, not lingering at all.

Until his gaze landed on Shen Yuanmo.

Buzz—

Old Monster Cang Xuan's perpetually still, muddy eyes, for the first time, flickered with a strange light!

He seemed to see through all of Shen Yuanmo's disguises, seeing through his Half-step Nascent Soul cultivation, the Dao Artifact Divine Armor on his body, and his extraordinary Great Dao Foundation!

However, when his gaze tried to penetrate deeper, trying to peer into Shen Yuanmo's secrets, it seemed to hit a deeper, more chaotic layer of mist and was easily blocked!

"Oh?"

Old Monster Cang Xuan uttered a slight whisper, tinged with surprise.

On his face, which resembled shriveled orange peel, an expression of interest appeared for the first time.

"Interesting... truly interesting little fellow..."

He spoke hoarsely, his voice like dry wood rubbing together.

After speaking, he no longer paid attention to Shen Yuanmo, nor anyone else present.

Old Monster Cang Xuan slowly turned, his muddy gaze cast toward the absolute core of this shattered space.

There, at the center of the Law fluctuations.

A Chaos-colored light mass, about the size of a human head, constantly changing form as if containing the great principle of a Universe's creation and destruction, was slowly condensing.

A supreme aura that made the Divine Souls of all Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators tremble and their Dao Hearts yearn, permeated from it!

The true Opportunity had manifested!

The seven peak powerhouses had finally gathered!

However, everyone clearly understood that in front of the Half-step Void Return Old Monster Cang Xuan, their previous so-called standoff and balance was a huge joke.

The outcome of this treasure struggle had lost all suspense from the moment Old Monster Cang Xuan appeared.