242: The Heart of Chaos, the Beginning of the Great Dao

The hunched old man, Old Monster Cang Xuan, who was leaning on a withered wooden staff, slowly turned around.

His muddy eyes, devoid of any divine light, no longer paid attention to anyone else in the field, but calmly cast their gaze towards the very core of this shattered space.

Everyone's eyes involuntarily followed him, looking in that direction.

That was precisely the source of the magnificent Law fluctuations from earlier.

The previously empty gray Void Realm was undergoing inconceivable changes.

Space was twisting, and Laws were weaving.

A chaotic light mass, initially only the size of a fist, was slowly condensing at a visible speed.

Its form was constantly shifting; sometimes it was a swirling nebula, sometimes a contracting singularity. Each pulsation caused all the remaining Law fragments within the entire Guixu Divine Palace to resonate, emitting waves of great Dao sounds.

A supreme Dao charm, indescribable in words, emanated from the light mass.

That Dao charm was pure and of the Origin, like the first ray of light when Grandmist first opened, the first syllable of all creation.

Every Soul Transformation great master present, the moment they perceived it, felt their own Dao Foundation, cultivated for thousands of years, tremble violently, emitting the most instinctive yearning from the depths of their Soul.

This was not a simple energy attraction, but the call of the Dao's Origin!

“This... is...”

The Imperial Uncle of Great Qian, Ji Changkong, could no longer maintain his majestic and indifferent demeanor.

He suddenly rose from the throne of the Nine Dragon Chariot, his body trembling slightly from extreme excitement. His ancient and dignified eyes stared fixedly at the chaotic light mass, and his breathing became extremely rapid.

The greed in his eyes could no longer be concealed, so intense that the Nine Dragon Golden Chariot beneath him let out a groan of unbearable strain, as if it would melt away in the next moment from the surging desire in his eyes!

“heart of chaos origin!”

Ji Changkong's voice was hoarse and dry, each word seemingly squeezed out from the depths of his throat with all his strength, filled with endless fanaticism and ambition.

“The legend is true! The ancient records are actually true!”

“This is a trace of the most primitive Origin fragment left behind at the beginning of a world's creation! Obtaining it allows one to directly glimpse the secrets of Void Return! Perhaps even... even hope for that legendary True Immortal Dao!”

As soon as these words came out, they were like a thunderclap exploding in everyone's hearts, stirring up monstrous waves.

The Demon Path Colossus Ancestor Xuan Ming, Dragon Emperor Ao Guang, True Monarch Fu Hai, Master of the Evil Nether Hall.

Even Sword Venerable Ye Gucheng, who stood with his sword, his heart as still as water, at the instant he heard the five words “heart of chaos origin,” his sharp eyes suddenly opened, shooting out an unprecedentedly brilliant divine light!

Secrets of Void Return!

True Immortal Dao!

These eight words held a fatal allure for any old monster who had toiled for thousands of years in the Soul Transformation Realm; they were the ultimate goal they pursued throughout their lives!

For this, they entered death seclusion, ventured into 絕地, and even launched wars that annihilated sects, stirring up boundless bloody storms. What did they seek?

Now, the key to a higher level was appearing so nakedly before their eyes!

“Jie jie jie... heart of chaos origin! Good! Excellent!”

Ancestor Xuan Ming let out a harsh, strange laugh. His gaunt face was extremely twisted with ecstasy, and the demonic flames rising around him surged out of control, transforming into a ferocious ten-thousand-zhang demonic god phantom, almost burning a hole through the sky.

“If this old man can devour it, let alone Void Return, even ascending to the heavens in one step might not be impossible!”

Dragon Emperor Ao Guang's eyes were even more bloodshot, and the pain of losing his son was temporarily suppressed by this monstrous greed.

He clutched his Fangtian Halberd tightly, his knuckles turning white, and his heavy breathing was like a bellows.

If he obtained this item, he would not only easily step into Void Return, but could also use its Origin power to refine the Dragon-Human Clan's Bloodline, restoring the glory of the ancient True Dragons!

By then, he would lead his people out of this Endless Sea and contend with the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty for dominance over this world!

In an instant, in the eyes of all the Soul Transformation great masters present, only that slowly pulsating “heart” remained.

Their mutual vigilance and killing intent were completely overshadowed by their boundless greed for the divine object.

The oppressive atmosphere in the air almost solidified, causing even the spatial turbulence below to stagnate.

However, among this group of great masters who had fallen into a frenzy, only two maintained an unusual calm.

One was Half-step Void Return Old Monster Cang Xuan.

He merely watched quietly, the depths of his muddy eyes holding a profound weariness and indifference that had seen through the changes of ages, unmoved even by the birth and death of worlds.

It was as if this divine object, capable of driving Soul Transformation cultivators mad, was nothing more than a moderately valuable collectible in his eyes.

The other person was Shen Yuanmo.

On his face, there was likewise no greed, no fanaticism, only a profound shock to the extreme, a wild joy of glimpsing the secrets of divine creation!

Deep within his ancestral aperture between his brows, the Delusion-Breaking Dharma Eye, which no one could glimpse, was already operating at its absolute limit, surpassing all previous boundaries!

Insight into Origin!

In the eyes of others, it was a “heart” containing supreme good fortune.

In Shen Yuanmo's vision, however, he saw far more than anyone else!

It was not a simple energy body at all!

It was woven from countless Law threads, billions of times finer than hair, in a manner unimaginably precise, exhausting all Dao and reason!

These threads represented “space,” “time,” “Five Elements,” “life and death,” “Karma,” “Reincarnation”... They intertwined, coiled, and fused with each other. Every collision gave rise to new, more complex Law structures, like a god programming the Universe!

This was the blueprint for the fundamental structure of this world!

It was this world's... most primitive, most fundamental source code!

“So... that's how it is...”

“So... time and space are intertwined like this...”

“So... life and death are merely two ends of the same Law thread...”

Shen Yuanmo's mind was greatly shaken, and his Sea of Consciousness Universe boiled at this moment!

His Golden Finger talent, Insight into Origin, seemed to have encountered an unprecedented feast at this moment, like a glutton who had been hungry for ten thousand years, greedily and frantically analyzing that supreme Law structure!

He instantly understood.

For him, its value had already surpassed mere cultivation growth!

Devouring it, refining it, would indeed allow him to ascend to the heavens in one step and rapidly increase his cultivation.

But that was the most basic usage, like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, a true waste of a heavenly treasure!

Its true value lay in analysis! In comprehension!

Just as Shen Yuanmo was immersed in analyzing the heart of chaos origin and comprehending the Great Dao, and other great masters were consumed by greed.

That “heart of chaos origin,” which had already condensed into form, seemed to sense the countless covetous gazes.

It trembled violently!

Buzz—

A clear spatial ripple spread out like ripples on water.

This divine object was actually trying to tear through space and escape into the infinitely deep Void Realm, fleeing completely!

“Trying to leave?”

Old Monster Cang Xuan, who had been standing still, was the first to act!

His withered wooden staff, pointed at the heart of Chaos that was about to escape, simply and gently, poked forward.

There was no world-shattering might, no roar of Laws colliding.

As he pointed his finger.

The entire space, along with the violent energy turbulence within it, the chaotic Law fragments, and even the formless, intangible, endlessly flowing River of Time... at this moment, was forcibly solidified by an irresistible mighty power!

The heart of Chaos, which was about to escape into the Void Realm, was also firmly fixed in place, unable to move!

Words become Law!

This nearly miraculous and terrifying Divine Ability caused Ji Changkong and the others' pupils to contract sharply, and their last shred of hope was completely shattered!

Half-step Void Return, terrifying to such an extent!

This move also acted like a spark, completely igniting the greed and madness that had already accumulated to their peak in the field!

Everyone knew that if they didn't act now, they wouldn't even get a drop of the soup!

“Move!”

Ji Changkong let out a thunderous roar, his voice filled with unwillingness and determination!

He could not retreat! As the Imperial Uncle of Great Qian, he represented the Immortal Dynasty's prestige!

If he watched such a divine object fall into the hands of others, he would be unable to account for it to the Immortal Emperor upon his return!

At this moment, all scruples and considerations were completely cast aside into the clouds!