136: Origin of the World

Azure Profound Sect, Zizhu Peak!

Gu Changge leaned against a long chair made of thousand-year-old Purple Bamboo, his plain white robe casually draped to the ground, his gaze thoughtfully fixed on Ling Xi, who was cultivating not far away.

The young girl, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, sat upright on a bluestone platform, Spiritual Qi flowing around her like a gentle stream.

As the Heaven Devouring Dao Art operated, a faint golden Emperor Rhyme occasionally escaped from the depths of her Sea of Consciousness, condensing into a subtle pattern in the morning light. That was the unique imprint of Empress Ling Xi of the Tianlan Great World; even after Reincarnation and Rebirth, the sharpness of an Emperor hidden deep within her bones could not be concealed.

Gu Changge unhurriedly took a bite of a spiritual fruit, its sweet juice dissolving in his mouth, his eyes gradually deepening.

He recalled the scene he had glimpsed earlier with his Eye of Illusory Breaking: after Ling Xi reached the Peak of the Great Emperor Realm in her previous life, in pursuit of a higher Realm, she used her supreme Emperor body to forcefully strike the World Barrier, tearing open a rift in the violent spatial storm.

But just as she was about to step into the legendary Immortal Realm, a dazzling golden Law blade suddenly shot out from the rift.

That was by no means ordinary World repulsion; instead, it carried a cold, deliberate killing intent, instantly piercing her Emperor body, almost completely shattering even her immortal Divine Soul.

"Great Emperor Peak, capable of resisting a World storm, how could she not block an Immortal Realm Law?"

At the same time, he thought of his Master, Daoist Zizhu!

The World Barrier was so solid that a Peak Great Emperor could only create a spatial rift by relying on a powerful Emperor body and supreme power, yet his Master, with just a Chaos Realm Crystal, had Transmigrated across Great Worlds.

But if the Chaos Realm Crystal truly possessed such power, why would it be lost in a Secret Realm of the Xuanhuang Great World? And why was it found by his Master of all people?

A cloud of doubt arose in Gu Changge's heart, his fingertips unconsciously caressing the smooth skin of the spiritual fruit.

According to the Cultivation logic of the Xuanhuang Great World, Cultivators in the Great Emperor Realm had already touched the essence of World Rules. Even if Immortal Realm Laws were stronger, there should have been room to maneuver, not an instant fatal blow.

No, this question must be answered. In case he encounters similar situations in the Immortal Realm in the future, it's better to clarify it beforehand.

He subconsciously called out to the System in his mind, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry: "System, analyze the reason why Ling Xi was killed by an Immortal Realm Law in her previous life. Why was the Immortal Realm Law unusually violent?"

"Ding! This System is a Sign-in System, providing only services related to Sign-in rewards. It does not undertake 'Ten Thousand Whys' type consultations. The truth of the World requires the host to explore independently. Please do not rely on the System."

The mechanical prompt sounded in his mind, carrying its usual business-like tone.

Gu Changge raised an eyebrow: "It breaks down at critical moments. Besides providing Cultivation and Emperor artifacts, it's like a lazy accountant who only knows how to slack off."

Despite his complaints, he wasn't angry in the slightest.

With his Cultivation at the Great Emperor Peak, he didn't need the System to answer his doubts. Since the System wouldn't speak, he would investigate personally.

Gu Changge slowly closed his eyes, the previously restrained Emperor's might quietly spreading around him.

There were no earth-shattering phenomena, only a faint wisp of green light overflowing from his glabella, like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, rippling out in invisible circles, spreading outwards along the Spiritual Qicontext of Zizhu Peak at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

This wisp of Divine Sense easily broke through the limitations of space, instantly sweeping across the various states of the Eastern Domain and heading towards other Great Domains.

In just a few breaths, Gu Changge's Divine Sense had become like an invisible yet incredibly dense giant net, enveloping all the mountains, rivers, and myriad beings of the entire Xuanhuang Great World.

Initially, he detected no anomaly. Although the Spiritual Qi concentration in the air was not as rich and vast as recorded in ancient times, it maintained a basic stable circulation. Cultivators of various major forces were still diligently absorbing and Cultivating, and everything seemed orderly.

But when he focused his perception on the deeper "World Origin" level, his brows slowly furrowed.

The Origin of the Xuanhuang Great World, in his perception, should have been a vast, boundless ocean of energy, vibrant with Dao Rhyme, pulsating powerfully like a heart—the very Foundation of life that supported all Cultivators in Breaking through Realms and maintained the World's operation.

Yet at this moment, that "Origin Ocean" presented an unsettling state—it was "evaporating" at an extremely slow rate!

It wasn't a sudden loss, but rather like being continuously drained of vitality by countless invisible, fine needles.

Each trace of Origin power stripped away carried a faint, indescribable sense of fatigue. The originally brilliant and vibrant Dao Rhyme light also dimmed, and its activity significantly decreased.

This was like a towering ancient tree that appeared lush and green on the outside, but whose internal root System was quietly being gnawed by borers, its vitality slowly ebbing away.

Just at this moment, his Divine Sense swept past an extremely secluded Sect Forbidden Ground in the Central Domain.

There, an old Cultivator with white hair and deep wrinkles had been stuck at the Peak of the Great Saint Realm for thousands of years. At this moment, he was burning his dwindling Lifespan, exerting all his strength to assault the coveted Quasi-Emperor Realm Barrier.

Vast spiritual power surged through his withered Meridians, drawing in the surrounding World Origin power, attempting to nourish and refine his already cracked Foundation.

However, the Origin power flowing into his body carried a distinct "stagnation," like a rusted gear, making it difficult to perfectly fuse with his own.

Ultimately, his efforts failed. The powerful backlash caused him to spit out a mouthful of dark golden Saint blood, his aura instantly weakening, his eyes filled with despair and unwillingness.

This scene, like the final piece of a puzzle, instantly brought Gu Changge to understanding!

The reason why no one in the Xuanhuang Great World had achieved the Great Emperor Realm for tens of thousands of years was not due to insufficient talent or Comprehension Ability among the Cultivators of this World, but because the Origin of this World had long since developed a problem!

The continuous loss of Origin led to a significant decrease in the World's "carrying capacity."

The Origin power required to communicate with and absorb for the Great Emperor Realm far exceeded any other Realm. Now, with insufficient Origin activity and a continuously decreasing total amount, it was like an increasingly barren land that could no longer nurture towering trees.

Even if there were exceptionally talented individuals who touched the Great Emperor threshold, they would fail due to a lack of sufficiently powerful and vibrant Origin power to support them, and might even suffer the collapse of their Dao Foundation and the demise of their Dao due to forcedImpact!

Gu Changge suddenly opened his eyes, no longer displaying lazy indifference, but rather a sharp light that seemed to pierce through eons.

This World, which had nurtured countless beings and borne ancient legends, where was its life Origin flowing to?

And who possessed such heaven-defying means to continuously extract the Foundation of a Great World without a sound?

He gazed at an invisible point in the Void Realm, his eyes unfathomably deep, as if he wanted to penetrate layers of spatial barriers and endless planes, directly reaching the hidden source of truth.

After an incense stick's time, Gu Changge withdrew his Divine Sense, his expression somewhat grim.

"It seems," he murmured to himself, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable resolve.

"I'll have to find some time to personally 'visit' these ill-mannered and unclean-handed neighbors."