124: Chapter 124 Rewarding Merit and Affirming the Power of the Daoist Master

Central Plains, Emperor Yan's Immortal Capital, Emperor Yan Palace.

Inside the magnificent and solemn main hall, Immortal Qi swirled, and the Dao rhythm permeated the air. The current leader of the Human Race Alliance, Emperor Yan, sat upright on the imperial throne coiled by nine dragons. His aura was as deep as the sea, causing one to feel awe just by looking at him. Below, the core high-level members of the Alliance, including Fairy Yaoxi, Elder Tianji, Venerable Dan, Jian Wuya, Venerable Earth Vein, Elder Xingshu, Ancestor Qingmu, and other great experts who participated in the "Purification" plan, as well as representatives of major top forces, were lined up on both sides.

Lin Wan, dressed in black Daoist robes, stood prominently in the center of the main hall, his expression calm and neither humble nor arrogant. Although he had just broken through to the Void Refining Late Stage and his aura had not yet fully converged, the unique Dao rhythm that naturally flowed between his gestures, fusing the vastness of Chaos with the cycle of Reincarnation and destruction, made everyone present dare not look down on him in the slightest. Especially when they recalled the shocking scene of Lin Wan killing the "King of Calamity" with a single finger in the Earth's core, their hearts were even more awestruck.

Emperor Yan's gaze was like substance, slowly sweeping over Lin Wan, containing scrutiny, inquiry, and a trace of imperceptible amazement. After a long while, he spoke slowly, his voice deep and majestic, echoing throughout the main hall:

"The 'the end' mark in the Earth's core has plagued Tiannan for countless years and is a thorn in the side of our Realm. Now that Lin Wan has received the order in a crisis, entered the Earth's core, presided over the 'Purification' Formation, turned the tide, beheaded the 'King of Calamity', eliminated the mark, and resolved the eternal crisis of our Tiannan Realm. Such merit is unprecedented and will go down in history; it is a contribution that has stabilized the Tiannan Realm!"

Inside the main hall, one could hear a pin drop. Emperor Yan's conclusion carried immense weight. The four words "contribution that has stabilized" almost elevated Lin Wan's merit to the level of pioneering territory and laying the foundation.

"Lin Wan, come forward to receive your enfeoffment," Emperor Yan continued.

"This subject is here," Lin Wan bowed slightly.

"I promote Lin Wan to be the 'Samsara Dao Child', enjoying the highest standard of offerings from the Alliance. His status is equal to that of the Alliance Vice Leader; he does not need to bow when seeing me and enjoys the courtesy of a Guest Elder of the Imperial Clan. I bestow one 'Emperor Yan Gold Token', which allows him to enter the third floor and below of the Emperor Yan Treasury at any time and choose three treasures. I bestow ten parts of 'Chaos Spirit Crystal', three 'Nirvana Immortal Fruits', one hundred drops of 'Star Origin Liquid', and one catty of 'Enlightenment Tea'. Additionally, I confer the title of 'Demon Suppressing Heavenly Monarch', in charge of the 'Demon Suppressing Hall', commanding the Alliance's 'Heavenly Punishment Guard', specializing in clearing the remnants of the 'Void Church' and monitoring and disposing of matters related to 'the end'."

Emperor Yan's voice was calm, but every reward he mentioned made the hearts of everyone in the hall jump. Especially the last point, "in charge of the 'Demon Suppressing Hall', commanding the Alliance's 'Heavenly Punishment Guard'", which almost granted Lin Wan immense real power! The "Demon Suppressing Hall" was originally one of the core institutions of the Alliance for monitoring and disposing of internal rebels and major crimes, and the "Heavenly Punishment Guard" was the most elite, mysterious Law enforcement force directly under the command of Emperor Yan. Now that these two were handed over to Lin Wan to command, the trust and reliance placed in him were evident. This was not just a reward, but a huge transfer of power and entrustment of responsibility.

For a time, the expressions of those in the hall were different. Fairy Yaoxi, Elder Tianji, Venerable Dan, and others who were on good terms with Lin Wan showed gratified smiles. Some representatives of top forces had flickering eyes, weighing things in their hearts. A few who originally harbored resentment toward Lin Wan's rapid rise, or coveted the position of "Samsara Dao Child", were now awestruck and dared not harbor any dissent. In the battle at the Earth's core, the strength and potential Lin Wan displayed, especially that mysterious "Primordial Chaos Qi", had already exceeded their cognitive scope, and with Emperor Yan's such clear support and delegation of power, who would dare to touch his edge again?

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty for the great grace," Lin Wan said with a calm expression, neither happy nor sad, arching his hands to thank him. He did not have many ripples in his heart regarding these rewards and powers. With his cultivation level, external objects and power were important, but the most fundamental thing was his own Dao and strength. However, controlling the "Demon Suppressing Hall" and the "Heavenly Punishment Guard" was indeed a great benefit for his future investigation of the "Void Church" and dealing with the threat of "the end".

"Hmm," Emperor Yan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, his voice turning cold. "Although the hidden danger in the Earth's core has been removed, the 'Void Church's' wolfish ambition has not died, and the other three 'the end Rifts' still remain, so the threat still exists. Since Lin Wan is the 'Demon Suppressing Heavenly Monarch' and in charge of the 'Demon Suppressing Hall', dealing with the remnants of the 'Void Church' and responding to the trouble of 'the end' will be his primary responsibility in the future. All departments and divisions must fully cooperate and must not make any mistakes. Anyone who colludes with the 'Void' or aids the enemy and betrays the Realm, regardless of their status or position, will be treated as a crime of betraying the Realm and handed over to the 'Demon Suppressing Hall' for disposal!"

"We obey the imperial decree!" everyone in the hall responded in unison, their expressions solemn. Emperor Yan's words were equivalent to granting Lin Wan the power to "execute first and report later", and his determination and trust in Lin Wan were self-evident.

"Venerable Earth Vein," Emperor Yan looked at Venerable Earth Vein.

"This subject is here."

"The 'Purification' Formation in the Earth's core will be turned into a nourishing and stabilizing Formation. You must sit in command personally to ensure the stability of the Earth's core and ensure there are no more losses. At the same time, accelerate the survey of the Earth veins around the other three 'the end Rifts', and be sure to find their energy nodes and weak points to prepare for subsequent sealing and Purification."

"This subject obeys the decree!" Venerable Earth Vein bowed and took the order.

"Fairy Yaoxi, Elder Tianji."

"This subject is here," Fairy Yaoxi and Elder Tianji stepped forward.

"You two, assist Lin Wan in integrating the Alliance's intelligence network and fully investigate all latent forces, strongholds, and contact methods of the 'Void Church' in the Tiannan Realm and even the surrounding Realms. You must root them out and cut off all dark agents. At the same time, closely monitor the movements of the other three rifts. The 'Void Church' has suffered a setback this time and will never give up; they must have backup plans."

"We receive the order!"

One order after another was issued from Emperor Yan's mouth, and the huge machine of the entire Alliance began to operate at high speed around the core goal of "Purifying the end" and "Clearing the Void".

After the rewarding of merit and the allocation of tasks, Emperor Yan made brief arrangements for some important matters of the Alliance recently and then announced the dismissal of the court.

"Lin Wan, stay behind," Emperor Yan's voice rang out alone in Lin Wan's ear.

Lin Wan paused, nodded to Fairy Yaoxi, Elder Tianji, and others who were preparing to leave, and stayed in the hall.

After everyone dispersed, only Emperor Yan and Lin Wan remained in the magnificent hall. The emperor's pressure on Emperor Yan slowly converged, and his gaze toward Lin Wan had a bit more peace and scrutiny.

"Primordial Chaos Qi... I didn't expect you to be able to control this kind of power," Emperor Yan's voice carried a hint of emotion. "This is the ancestral Qi of the creation of the world, the source of all Laws, and it has long since disappeared from the heavens. Being able to obtain it is both a Heaven-Defying Opportunity and a great Karma; fortune and misfortune depend on each other, so you must be extremely cautious."

"Thank you for your guidance, Your Majesty, this Junior understands," Lin Wan said respectfully. He could feel that Emperor Yan had no malice toward him, but rather the appreciation and cultivation of an elder for an outstanding Junior.

"Your cultivation has reached the Void Refining Late Stage, and your combat power is extraordinary, enough to stand on your own. But behind the 'Void Church', it involves a lot, and it is by no means just the existence of the 'King of Calamity'. Its 'Holy Lord' is mysterious and unpredictable, and his strength is unfathomable, perhaps already surpassing the Void Refining realm. Although you control the Primordial Chaos Qi and have infinite potential, your cultivation is still shallow after all, and facing such an existence is still dangerous," Emperor Yan said slowly. "I kept you here to remind you that while investigating the 'Void' is indeed important, your own safety and the improvement of your cultivation are the fundamentals. I have already ordered that the 'Samsara Immortal Alliance' can be independently established, not subject to the Alliance's routine constraints, and you can develop it yourself. The 'Demon Suppressing Hall' and the 'Heavenly Punishment Guard' are also sharp swords in your hands, which can help you clear obstacles, but you must not rely too much on external objects."

"I observe your Dao, Chaos is inclusive, Reincarnation is about birth and death, Purification is about upholding righteousness, and your future is limitless. The Tiannan Realm, and perhaps even these heavens, may not be a place for you to stay for a long time. But before that, Tiannan is your root, and I hope you can completely resolve the trouble of 'the end' for Tiannan before you leave."

Emperor Yan's words were sincere, with both reminders and expectations. Obviously, his regard for Lin Wan far exceeded the ordinary, and he even faintly regarded him as a successor.

Lin Wan's heart moved slightly, and he bowed: "Your Majesty's great love, this Junior will remember it. Tiannan is my hometown, and I will not forget the grace of raising me. As for the trouble of 'the end', this Junior will naturally try my best. As for the future... this Junior's Dao path is indeed in the heavens. If there is an Opportunity, I will naturally seek a method for long-term peace for Tiannan."

He did not speak too fully, but he also expressed his attitude. He was grateful for the cultivation and trust of Emperor Yan and the Alliance and would try his best to solve the trouble in Tiannan, but his future stage was destined to be the vast heavens and myriad worlds.

"That is very good," Emperor Yan nodded with satisfaction, a glimmer of gratification flashing in his eyes. "You should go to the 'Emperor Yan Treasury' to select treasures. You can choose from the third floor and below. Afterward, return to the 'Samsara Residence' to consolidate your cultivation and familiarize yourself with your power. If you have any important matters, you can use the 'Emperor Yan Gold Token' to enter the palace and see me at any time."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, this Junior takes his leave," Lin Wan saluted again and exited the Emperor Yan Palace.

Holding the "Emperor Yan Gold Token" given by Emperor Yan, which represented the highest authority, Lin Wan, led by an old eunuch, came to one of the most mysterious and heavily guarded Forbidden Grounds in the Emperor Yan Immortal Capital — the Emperor Yan Treasury.

The treasury was located deep underground in the Immortal Capital, shrouded in heavy Restrictions and Formations. Without the "Emperor Yan Gold Token" or Emperor Yan's hand-written decree, even a Peak Void Refining powerhouse would die without a burial place if they trespassed.

Passing through several heavy gates cast from unknown divine metals, and after several strict identity, Bloodline, and Divine Soul tests, Lin Wan finally entered the interior of the treasury.

The view in front of him suddenly opened up. It was not a mountain of gold and silver jewelry as imagined, but an independent space divided into different areas. In some spaces, countless shining Magic Treasures and divine weapons floated, emitting amazing fluctuations; in some spaces, there were rows of jade shelves, on which various Jade Slips and animal skin ancient books were placed, recording Cultivation Techniques, divine abilities, and secret arts; in other spaces, various rare treasures of heaven and earth, Immortal Plants and divine medicines that were hard to see in the outside world were planted; and in the deeper parts, there were areas storing rare divine materials, heaven and earth spiritual objects, and even Innate objects.

The treasury was divided into nine floors. The higher it went, the more precious the treasures stored, and the higher the requirements for authority. Emperor Yan promised Lin Wan that he could enter the third floor and below, which was already a very high authority. You know, many veteran Void Refining powerhouses who had served the Alliance for many years might not be qualified to enter the second floor.

Lin Wan did not rush to choose, but first, accompanied by the old eunuch, slowly browsed from the first floor. The collection of the Emperor Yan Treasury was indeed extraordinary. In the first floor, there were many treasures that could make Early Stage and Middle Stage Void Refining Cultivators envious. But Lin Wan's vision was already high, and with "Primordial Chaos Qi" on his body, ordinary treasures could no longer enter his Dharma Eye.

Soon, he came to the second floor. The treasures here, whether in quality or rarity, were a notch higher than the first floor. Lin Wan saw an "Undying Flat Peach" that could extend life for ten thousand years, a broken ancient sword containing Innate Geng Metal Qi, and a bottle of "Nine Heavens Jade Dew" that could help Void Refining Cultivators break through Bottlenecks... Every item, if placed in the outside world, would be enough to cause a bloody storm.

But Lin Wan still only stayed for a while and walked to the third floor.

The space on the third floor was significantly smaller than the two floors below, but the Restrictions were more severe, and the Dao rhythm in the air was also richer. There were not many treasures here, but each one emitted heart-palpitating fluctuations, which were obviously no small matter.

Lin Wan's gaze slowly swept over. He saw an incomplete hourglass that emitted rich time fluctuations; he saw a scorched withered branch from which faint Phoenix chirps could be heard; he saw a Chaos Origin Stone the size of a fist, inside which a galaxy seemed to flow; and he saw a page of scripture that was neither gold nor jade, flowing with dark golden luster, and engraved with unrecognizable ancient characters...

When Lin Wan's gaze fell on that page of dark golden scripture, the silent "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit" in his body, as well as the "samsara mirror" fragments between his eyebrows, vibrated slightly at the same time!

A strong desire and palpitation originating from the depths of his Bloodline and the Origin of the Dao surged into Lin Wan's heart.

"This is..." Lin Wan walked to the scripture page and sensed it carefully. He didn't know what material the scripture page was made of; it felt warm to the touch, yet as heavy as a mountain. He didn't recognize any of the ancient characters on it, but when he probed his Divine Sense into it, those characters seemed to come alive, turning into streams of consciousness containing supreme Dao rhythm, pouring into his Sea of Consciousness.

Although he still couldn't understand the specific meaning, Lin Wan could vaguely perceive that these streams of consciousness seemed to have some deep connection with supreme Laws such as "Reincarnation", "Time and Space", and "Fate"! Moreover, the Dao rhythm emitted by the scripture page itself actually had a kind of same-Origin aura with the "samsara mirror" fragments!

"This object is a remnant page of the 'Time-Space Dao Chapter,' its Origins untraceable, said to have flowed out from some ancient forbidden area. The characters upon it are not of any current age; the Alliance's generations of great experts have attempted to comprehend it many times, all returning without success, knowing only that it may be related to the Time-Space Dao. Because its material is special and its Dao rhyme is obscure, it is stored here." The old eunuch on the side spoke up at the right moment to introduce it, his voice shrill yet respectful.

"'Time-Space Dao Chapter' remnant page..." Lin Wan understood in his heart; this must be an object related to the "Samsara Hall" or the "samsara mirror"! It might even involve deeper secrets. This object, he was determined to obtain!

"I want this object." Lin Wan did not hesitate, pointing at the "Time-Space Dao Chapter" remnant page.

"Yes." The old eunuch did not ask more, simply taking out a jade talisman and swiping it across the Restriction in front of the scripture page. With a flash of light from the Restriction, the page floated into Lin Wan's hand.

It felt heavy in his hand, its Dao rhyme restrained. Lin Wan carefully stored it deep within his storage treasure, placing it together with the "samsara mirror" fragments, the "heavens star map" fragments, and the "samsara token." He could feel a faint, subtle resonance arising between these few items.

Having selected the first treasure, Lin Wan continued browsing. Soon, his gaze was attracted by another item.

It was a stone the size of a palm, entirely the color of Chaos, its surface pitted and scarred, as if it had endured the erosion of endless years. The stone looked unremarkable, even somewhat ugly, but the "Primordial Chaos Qi" within Lin Wan's body, upon approaching this stone, spontaneously became unprecedentedly active and eager!

"This object is the 'Chaos Origin Stone.' Legend says it is an Innate object formed from the condensation of Chaos Qi at the time of the world's creation, containing a trace of the most primitive Chaos Origin. However, the Chaos Origin within has long gone dormant and is extremely difficult to extract or refine. Over countless years, countless people have attempted to refine this object, all returning without success; there have even been several Void Refining Peak experts who, due to forced refinement, suffered its backlash and had their Dao foundations damaged. Because of its danger, it is stored here." The old eunuch's voice sounded again, carrying a hint of warning.

"Chaos Origin Stone... containing primitive Chaos Origin?" A sharp light flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. He was just worrying that his "Primordial Chaos Qi" was too scarce and difficult to strengthen; this object was simply a heaven-sent Opportunity! Others might find it difficult to refine, but he possessed the "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit" and had already given birth to a trace of "Primordial Chaos Qi," so perhaps he had a way to guide and absorb the Chaos Origin within!

"I want this object as well." Lin Wan pointed again at the Chaos Origin Stone.

"Yes." A trace of surprise flashed in the old eunuch's eyes, but he still did not ask more, following protocol to remove the Restriction and handing the Chaos Origin Stone to Lin Wan.

With two treasures in hand, Lin Wan had one last selection Opportunity remaining. He searched carefully through the third floor once more and finally chose a bottle of "Nine-Turn Soul Returning Pill." This pill was a miraculous medicine for healing; as long as one had a breath left, no matter how severe the Dao injury or soul injury, it could preserve one's life and buy time for subsequent healing. Although Lin Wan's own recovery ability was astonishing, such life-saving divine medicine was good to have just in case. Moreover, while this pill might not be of much use to him, to his family and the friends and relatives of the "Samsara Immortal Alliance," it was a priceless treasure.

Having selected the three treasures, Lin Wan did not linger, thanked the old eunuch, and left the Yandao Treasure Vault.

Returning to the "Samsara Residence," Lin Wan did not immediately go into seclusion. He first reunited with his family, enjoying a few days of rare, warm time, comforting the three women—Su Wanqing, Qin Zhilan, and Yun Qing Yao—as well as the worried children. He then summoned the core high-level members of the "Samsara Immortal Alliance," such as Lin Xuan, Su Lie, Yun Tianhe, Elder Dan, Elder Qi, and Elder Fu, to understand the Alliance's recent developments, and informed everyone of the Alliance's rewards and new authorities, causing everyone to be greatly excited.

Subsequently, Lin Wan paid a visit to the "Demon Suppression Hall," met with the several original Deputy Hall Masters and stewards, and became initially familiar with the affairs of the hall and the structure of the "Heavenly Punishment Guard." He still left the specific affairs to be handled by the several experienced Deputy Hall Masters, grasping only the general direction himself, especially regarding the investigation of the "Void Church," which he personally oversaw. He also drew elite forces from the "Heavenly Punishment Guard" to form a secret action team directly under his command, code-named "World Purifying," specifically responsible for this matter.

After doing all this, Lin Wan officially announced his seclusion, beginning to digest the gains from this trip to the Earth's core and preparing to refine the two newly obtained treasures—the "Time-Space Dao Chapter" remnant page and the "Chaos Origin Stone."

Inside the quiet room, the time Formation was activated.

Lin Wan first took out the dark golden "Time-Space Dao Chapter" remnant page. As this object entered his hand, the "samsara mirror" fragments and the "heavens star map" fragments within his body vibrated even more noticeably, and even the ancient "samsara token" grew slightly warm.

"As expected, they are one..." Lin Wan muttered to himself, placing the "Time-Space Dao Chapter" remnant page together with the "samsara mirror" fragments, the "samsara token," and the "heavens star map" fragments.

The four items had just been gathered when a strange change suddenly occurred!

The "samsara mirror" fragments were the first to light up with a soft, clear light, shining upon the "Time-Space Dao Chapter" remnant page. The ancient characters on the remnant page seemed to be activated, floating up from the page one by one, turning into streams of light that circled around the "samsara mirror" fragments. The mysterious character on the "samsara token" also lit up, emitting an abstruse fluctuation. The "heavens star map" fragments then projected specks of starlight, which complemented the streams of ancient characters.

Between the four, a kind of wondrous resonance and connection seemed to have been produced. Streams of consciousness containing supreme Dao rhymes of time-space, Reincarnation, fate, heavens, and so on, like trickling streams, slowly flowed through this resonance into Lin Wan's Sea of Consciousness, merging into his "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit."

Although he still could not completely understand the specific meaning of those ancient characters, through the transmission of these streams of consciousness, Lin Wan's comprehension of "Reincarnation" and "time-space" began to improve at an incredible speed! He seemed to see the surging of the river of time, the birth and death/Reincarnation of countless worlds, the intertwining and changing of the threads of fate... A more grand, more primitive true meaning of "Reincarnation" and "time-space" gradually became clear in his heart.

"So that's how it is... Reincarnation is not only the cycle of life, but also the birth and death of worlds, the alternation of epochs, the closed loop of time-space... And this 'Time-Space Dao Chapter' seems to record some kind of forbidden technique that connects different time-spaces or even interferes with the river of fate? Although incomplete, it has immeasurable value for me to perfect my 'Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit'!"

Lin Wan was shocked in his heart, absorbing and digesting these Dao rhymes as if starving. He felt that his "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit" seemed to have become more solidified and consummate, and his control over "Reincarnation" and "time-space" had also become more handy. He even faintly felt that he seemed to have touched a threshold above Void Refining—that was the deeper application regarding "rules" and regarding the "Dao."

He did not know how much time had passed, but the resonance between the four slowly subsided. The light on the "Time-Space Dao Chapter" remnant page dimmed, but Lin Wan could feel that its connection with the "samsara mirror" fragments had become even tighter. He carefully put the four items away, knowing that this "Time-Space Dao Chapter" remnant page would have a crucial role in his future exploration of the "Samsara Hall" and even in his pursuit of a higher Dao.

Next, Lin Wan took out the "Chaos Origin Stone."

As the grayish stone entered his hand, the "Primordial Chaos Qi" within his body immediately became incomparably active, as if a long drought had met sweet rain, emitting a strong desire. Lin Wan could feel that inside this "Chaos Origin Stone," there was indeed contained an extremely pure, primitive, but at the same time incomparably violent and difficult-to-control Chaos Origin. No wonder ordinary Cultivators could not refine it; forced refinement would only result in being backlashed by it.

But Lin Wan was different. With a thought, that trace of "Primordial Chaos Qi" slowly flowed out from the "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit," like a spirit snake, probing into the interior of the "Chaos Origin Stone."

"Hum!"

The "Chaos Origin Stone" vibrated slightly, as if its core had been touched. A massive, primitive, and violent current of Chaos Qi, like floodwaters released from a dam, surged out, intending to swallow and assimilate Lin Wan's "Primordial Chaos Qi." This primitive Chaos Qi was incomparably overbearing, repelling all non-Chaos objects.

However, Lin Wan's "Primordial Chaos Qi," although small in quantity, was nurtured by his own "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit," cultivated alongside his own life, and contained his own will and Dao. Moreover, after the baptism of "Reincarnation" and "Purification," his "Primordial Chaos Qi" seemed to have a bit more "order" and "inclusiveness" than this primitive Chaos Qi.

"With my Chaos, I shall command your Chaos! Refine!"

Lin Wan shouted in a low voice, operating the "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit" with all his might, merging his own will and the power of "Purification" into that trace of "Primordial Chaos Qi." The gray light of the Primordial Qi shone brilliantly; facing the surging primitive Chaos Qi, it did not retreat, but instead actively met it, like a monarch descending, emitting a supreme will of command and assimilation.

The primitive Chaos Qi, although violent, was after all a dead object with no clear will. Before Lin Wan's "Primordial Chaos Qi," which had merged with his own Dao will, it seemed to have encountered a higher-level existence, and actually began to be slowly guided, tamed, and refined. Traces of pure Chaos Origin were stripped away and absorbed by the "Primordial Chaos Qi," strengthening itself.

This process was extremely slow and also extremely dangerous. A moment of carelessness could lead to being backlashed by the violent primitive Chaos Qi, damaging his Dao foundation. But Lin Wan kept his mind focused, relying on his resilient Dao Heart tempered in the "Samsara Forbidden Ground," as well as his unique understanding of "Chaos," to carefully guide and refine it.

Time flew by during the cultivation. One day in the outside world, a hundred days had already passed in the quiet room.

The "Chaos Origin Stone" shrank and dimmed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the Chaos Origin contained within it was extracted and refined bit by bit by Lin Wan's "Primordial Chaos Qi." And the "Primordial Chaos Qi" within Lin Wan's body also gradually grew from the initial negligible trace into a wisp, and became more solidified and pure, emitting an even more ancient and vast aura.

When the last bit of the "Chaos Origin Stone" turned into powder and dissipated in the air, the "Primordial Chaos Qi" within Lin Wan's body was already the thickness of a thumb, quietly coiled at the core of the "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit," like a needle for calming the sea, and also like the seed of a chaotic Universe, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.

"Hoo..." Lin Wan rose to his feet, his aura surging again, actually breaking through to the Peak of the Late Stage of Void Refining in one go! He was only one step away from the Peak of Void Refining! Moreover, the quality of his magic power had increased again, carrying a rich aura of Chaos, and with every gesture, he seemed to be able to invoke a trace of the power of Chaos, with might far exceeding those of the same rank.

More importantly, his comprehension of "Chaos" and his control over the "Primordial Chaos Qi" had reached a brand new height. Now, if he were to face the "King of Calamity" again, he would not even need to use the power of the "World Purifying" Formation; relying solely on his own strength and the "Primordial Chaos Qi," he would have the confidence to kill it head-on!

"This seclusion has yielded huge gains. Not only has my cultivation advanced greatly and the Primordial Chaos Qi strengthened, but I have also obtained the 'Time-Space Dao Chapter' remnant page, deepening my comprehension of 'Reincarnation' and 'time-space.' It is time to come out of seclusion; the 'Demon Suppression Hall' and the 'Heavenly Punishment Guard' should also start moving, and there is also the clue hidden in the 'Time-Space Dao Chapter' pointing towards another fragment of the 'samsara mirror'..."

Lin Wan's eyes were shining with divine light, and his path for the future was even clearer.

However, just as he was preparing to come out of seclusion, an urgent message came from the "Demon Suppression Hall," sent by the captain of the "World Purifying" action team directly under his jurisdiction, a Void Refining Middle Stage Cultivator with the code name "Shadow."

"Reporting to the Heavenly Monarch, there is unusual movement at the 'End-Times Rift' in the Western Desert! The 'Void Church's' branch in the Western Desert, the 'Temple of Decay,' has been unusually active recently, seemingly preparing for a large-scale blood sacrifice ritual! According to intelligence sent out by an insider risking their life, they seem to be searching for some kind of ancient 'key,' intending to awaken a more ancient and terrifying existence deep within the rift! Its code name is—'Lord of Decay'!"

"Lord of Decay?" A cold light flashed in Lin Wan's eyes. After the battle at the Earth's core, which destroyed the "King of Calamity," it seemed that the "Void Church" had not only failed to restrain itself but had actually become even more unscrupulous. The Western Desert... it seemed there was a vague sense of another fragment of the "samsara mirror" there? Just right, old accounts and new accounts, let's settle them all together!

"Order the 'World Purifying' action team and the Western Desert branch of the 'Heavenly Punishment Guard' to monitor the movements of the 'Temple of Decay' with all their might, and find out the specific time, location, and target of the blood sacrifice ritual. This Monarch will personally head to the Western Desert in a few days!"