129: Chapter 129 The Transformation of the Dao Fruit, the Enlightenment of Nirvana

Cold, deathly stillness, void.

A pure will of "extinction," seemingly originating from the end of the Universe, stabbed into Lin Wan's Sea of Consciousness like the sharpest ice pick, crazily impacting his "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit."

This will was cold and ruthless, carrying an extreme desire to return all existence to absolute "nothingness," intending to completely freeze, annihilate, and turn Lin Wan's consciousness, Divine Soul, and Dao Fruit into void.

Inside the Sea of Consciousness, the Dao Fruit, which had been rotating slowly, emitting chaotic gray light, and evolving the phantoms of all heavens and myriad phenomena, suddenly stalled; its surface light dimmed instantly, and its rotation became laborious.

Upon the Dao Fruit, the Dao Rhyme that had been blending with the "Primordial Chaos Qi," "Purification Fragment," and the fragments of the "samsara mirror" seemed to encounter a natural enemy, fluctuating violently and emitting a groan of being unable to bear the burden.

Wisps of pitch-black patterns representing "the end," "decay," and "extinction" were spreading and eroding the surface of the Dao Fruit at an alarming speed, attempting to pollute, assimilate, and drag it into eternal extinction.

Agonizing pain! An indescribable, agonizing pain came from the deepest depths of his Divine Soul, as if his Soul were being torn, frozen, and ground away inch by inch.

Lin Wan's face was as pale as paper, pale golden blood continuously seeped from his seven orifices, his body trembled slightly, and he found it difficult even to stand.

This was the most dangerous and direct Dao injury and Divine Soul erosion he had encountered since stepping onto the path of cultivation!

This "extinction" will had too high a level, and its essence was too bizarre and overbearing, pointing directly at the Origin of the Dao, and even vaguely touching upon the secret of the broken "samsara mirror," forming a near-crushing restraint and erosion against Lin Wan's "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit"!

"Master!" "Dao Child!"

The fragments of the "samsara mirror" and the pages of the "chapter of time and space" simultaneously emitted urgent mental fluctuations within Lin Wan's Sea of Consciousness.

The "samsara mirror" fragments erupted with even more brilliant light, attempting to use the power of "reflection" and "Purification" contained within themselves to disperse and purify the invading "extinction" will.

The pages of the "chapter of time and space" also vibrated violently, the ancient characters upon them flowing and emitting mysterious Dao Rhyme of time and space, attempting to banish and isolate that "extinction" will.

However, the effect was minimal.

Although the invading "extinction" will was only a wisp, its essence was too pure and too high-level; it was one of the source powers of "the end," opposing the "samsara mirror" with the same Origin, while also possessing a certain special annihilation characteristic against "time and space."

Both supreme treasures were incomplete at this moment, their power greatly reduced, and they could only barely delay the erosion speed of the "extinction" will, but could not completely drive it away.

"Could it be... that I am to fall here?" A thought uncontrollably rose from the bottom of Lin Wan's heart.

The horror of this "heart of decay" far exceeded his estimates.

Merely a counterattack from a wisp of "extinction" will had plunged him into a desperate situation.

If its main body were to fully awaken, what kind of terrifying existence would that be?

I fear that it would truly require the legendary "True Immortal," or even higher-level power, to suppress it.

No! I cannot give up!

I still have the "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit"! I still have the "Primordial Chaos Qi"! I still have the "Purification Fragment"! I still have the fragments of the "samsara mirror" and the pages of the "chapter of time and space"!

There are still too many unfinished matters and too many people I care about!

If I fall here, what will happen to my wife and children? What will happen to the Sect? What will happen to the Tiannan Realm? And the truth about the "samsara mirror," the secrets of the ancient times...

"I cannot... fall!"

In Lin Wan's eyes, an unprecedented, tangible desire to survive and a firm will erupted!

He endured the agonizing pain of his Divine Soul being eroded and his Dao Fruit being polluted, crazily operating the "Chaos Samsara Dao Scripture," pushing his understanding of "Chaos," "Reincarnation," and "Purification" to the limit!

He wanted to use his own will as a guide and his own Dao Fruit as a foundation to forcibly resist this "extinction" erosion, and even... refine and comprehend it!

"Chaos... embraces all things, evolves all things, and can also contain the end of all things! Reincarnation... covers life and death, cycling back and forth, and extinction is also a link within it! Purification... cleanses all evils, returns to the Origin, and extinction also has its Dao!"

"With my Chaos, I contain extinction! With my Reincarnation, I bear extinction! With my Purification, I analyze extinction!"

"Give it to me... fuse!"

Lin Wan let out a silent roar in his heart; far from resisting or repelling the invading "extinction" will, he instead actively opened a part of the core of his "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit," using his own will as a guide, like a whirlpool, actively sucking that cold, deathly, and annihilation-intending "extinction" will into the core of the Dao Fruit!

"Hum—!"

The "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit" trembled violently, as if it were about to crack apart!

The chaotic gray light, the white light of Purification, the faint light of the "samsara mirror," and those pitch-black "extinction" patterns engaged in the most intense and dangerous collision, Fusion, devouring, and assimilation at the core of the Dao Fruit!

"Pfft!" Lin Wan spat out another mouthful of blood, which even contained wisps of eroded, dimmed Dao foundation fragments.

His aura instantly withered to the extreme, like a candle in the wind, which could be extinguished at any moment.

But the light in his eyes grew brighter and purer!

He was gambling! Gambling that the essence of the "Primordial Chaos Qi" was sufficient to contain and digest this "extinction" will!

Gambling that the Dao of "Reincarnation" was sufficient to bear and understand the true meaning of "extinction"!

Gambling that the power of "Purification" was sufficient to analyze and strip away the pure, aberrant, and harmful parts of "extinction," and absorb the essence of its Dao Rhyme!

This was a high-stakes gamble; the wager was his Dao foundation, his life, and his everything!

But Lin Wan had no choice; passive defense only led to being slowly eroded and polluted, ultimately resulting in extinction.

Only by taking the initiative to attack, placing oneself in a desperate situation to survive, could there be a glimmer of hope, and perhaps... breaking then establishing, to comprehend the true meaning of "extinction" from within and complete his own Dao!

The agonizing pain was like a tide, impacting Lin Wan's consciousness wave after wave, almost drowning him.

He could clearly feel that his "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit" was cracking, disintegrating, decaying, and being dragged bit by bit into eternal void by that cold "extinction" will.

But he held onto the last shred of clarity in his mind, and with a tenacious will, crazily operated his Cultivation Technique, drove the "Primordial Chaos Qi," guided the power of "Purification," and grasped the true meaning of "Reincarnation," engaging in the most dangerous and essential confrontation and Fusion with that "extinction" will.

Time seemed to be infinitely stretched at this moment. Every breath was as long as ten thousand years.

Gradually, a wonderful change occurred.

The "extinction" Dao Rhyme, which was originally cold, deathly, and filled with the will of destruction and void, began to undergo a subtle change before the essence of the "Primordial Chaos Qi" that embraces and evolves all things, before the characteristic of the "Purification Fragment" that returns to the Origin and cleanses all evils, and before the supreme Dao Rhyme regarding "Reincarnation" and "time and space" emitted by the "samsara mirror" fragments and the pages of the "chapter of time and space."

It was no longer just the pure, cold "end" that wanted to annihilate everything; the strange Law rhythm contained deep within it, which seemed able to return "order" to "disorder," turn "being" into "nothingness," and lead "life" to "extinction," was gradually stripped away and analyzed.

This rhythm was not mere destruction, but an inevitable, objective manifestation of the Law in the process of the Universe's operation and the birth and death of all things.

It is the end of old things and the prerequisite for the birth of new things.

It is the ultimate manifestation of the "extinction" link within "Reincarnation," and also a way for "Chaos" to return to its initial state.

"Extinction"... it turns out it is not just destruction and the end; its essence is the disintegration of "order," the dissipation of "form," the return of "existence" to the "Origin," the return of "being" to "nothingness," and the extreme and purity of the "extinction" side of "Reincarnation."

It is a manifestation of "Chaos" returning to disorder, and also the most initial state of all things after "Purification."

It is not in absolute opposition to "Chaos," "Reincarnation," and "Purification," but rather a manifestation of different links and different facets in the cycle of the Universe's Dao.

It is just that this Dao of "extinction," after the "samsara mirror" shattered, was polluted by the will of "the end," and combined with the remains of the "decay" god and demon, it became aberrant, retaining only pure destruction, the end, and the desire for void, losing its balance with "life," "cycling," and "evolution," which is why it evolved into the terrifying form of this "heart of decay."

"I understand... 'extinction' is not an Evil Path, but one of the Great Daos.

All things that have life will have death, and those that have a beginning will have an end.

'Chaos' evolves all heavens, and it also needs 'extinction' to return to Chaos.

'Reincarnation' covers life and death, and extinction is the end of Reincarnation, as well as the beginning.

'Purification' cleanses filth, and extinction is the ultimate purity..."

"True 'extinction' is 'nothingness,' but also another form of 'being.'

It is the end, and also the soil where new life is nurtured.

What I lack is precisely a profound understanding of this 'extinction' side.

My 'Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit' contains the beginning and evolution of 'Chaos,' the birth and death and cycling of 'Reincarnation,' the return and purity of 'Purification,' but it uniquely lacks the comprehension of 'the end' and 'extinction.'

And this is precisely the key to why my Dao Fruit has been unable to truly reach Perfection and step into the Late Stage of Void Refining!"

"Today, I shall use this 'extinction' will of the 'heart of decay' as a whetstone to complete the final piece of my Dao Fruit puzzle!

With Chaos to bear, with Reincarnation to balance, with Purification to refine, I shall integrate the true meaning of 'extinction' into my Dao, and forge a truly complete... Chaos, Reincarnation, Extinction, Purification... foundation of the Great Dao!"

In the moment of enlightenment, it was as if a lamp had been lit in the darkness. Lin Wan's "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit," which was on the verge of collapse, suddenly ceased its disintegration and decay.

At the core of the Dao Fruit, the gray light of Chaos, the white light of Purification, the light of the samsara mirror, and the pitch-black patterns of "the end," which had originally been fiercely opposing and eroding each other, began to slowly merge, rotate, and condense in a strange rhythm.

Chaos encompasses the end, and the end returns to Chaos.

Reincarnation bears the end, and the end initiates a new Reincarnation.

Purification strips away the distortion and pollution within the end, leaving behind the pure Dao charm of the end.

Gradually, at the core of the Dao Fruit, those pitch-black patterns of "the end" were no longer cold, dead, or filled with the desire for destruction. Instead, they became profound and abstruse, like the darkness in the deepest depths of the Universe, nurturing all possibilities while also encompassing all endings.

It merged perfectly with the gray light of Chaos, the white light of Purification, and the light of the samsara mirror, forming a new, more complete, more harmonious, and more profound form of the Dao Fruit that seemed to encompass all the mysteries of the birth, death, and cycle of the Universe—Chaos, Reincarnation, the end, and Purification, the four images united as one; the Great Dao was now beginning to form!

"Hum—!"

An indescribable and abstruse Dao charm, as if touching upon some Origin of the Universe, erupted from Lin Wan's body, sweeping across the entire edge of the Abyss of Buried Gods!

The "Chaos Samsara Dao Fruit" (perhaps it should be called the "Chaos End-Reincarnation Dao Fruit" at this moment) in his Sea of Consciousness shone brilliantly. Although its volume had not increased significantly, its essence had undergone a rebirth!

It became more solid, more profound, and more abstruse, as if it contained a miniature, complete, and perpetually cycling Universe of Chaos!

A torrent of magical power, more majestic, purer, and more vast than before, surged out from the Dao Fruit, instantly flowing through Lin Wan's limbs and bones, nourishing his damaged Meridians, internal organs, and Divine Soul.

The severe Dao injuries sustained from resisting the will of "the end," under the nourishment of this magical power containing composite Dao charms of rebirth, Reincarnation, the end, and Purification, began to heal and repair at an astonishing speed, becoming even tougher and stronger than before!

Lin Wan's aura began to skyrocket at a speed visible to the naked eye! The Bottleneck of the Middle Stage Peak of Soul Transformation was easily broken through, as if it were made of paper!

His cultivation, as naturally as water flowing into a channel, stepped into the Late Stage of Soul Transformation! Moreover, it did not stop; it continued to rise rapidly, surging all the way to the Peak of the Late Stage of Soul Transformation, seemingly only a step away from the Void Refining Realm!

This was not just an improvement in cultivation, but a leap in the essence of life and a sublimation of his understanding of the Dao! He had successfully comprehended a trace of the true essence of "the end" and perfectly integrated it into his own Dao Fruit, completing the foundation of his Dao, which caused his understanding of "Chaos," "Reincarnation," and "Purification" to rise with the tide, reaching a brand-new height closer to the essence!

The "Primordial Chaos Qi" became more condensed and pure, with a trace of profound charm that encompassed the end. The power of "Purification" and its restraining effect on powers of "the end" type seemed to have also received a fundamental improvement.

The fragments of the "samsara mirror" and the remaining pages of the "chapter of time and space" also seemed to be nourished, their light becoming more gentle, and their connection with Lin Wan's Dao Fruit becoming closer and more natural.

More importantly, his understanding of "the end" and his cognition of the essence of the "heart of decay" had reached an unprecedented depth. He could even faintly feel a strange, subtle connection between himself and the main body of the "heart of decay" at the bottom of the abyss, as if they were "of the same kind" yet also "natural enemies."

"Hoo…" Lin Wan slowly opened his eyes, Chaos swirling within them, as if scenes of the birth and death of the Universe and the cycle of Reincarnation flashed by.

Although his aura was still at the Peak of the Late Stage of Soul Transformation, the feeling he gave off was as vast as an abyss and as unfathomable as Chaos. The previous listlessness and weakness were swept away, replaced by an introverted and unfathomable strength after his rebirth.

"the end… so that's how it is." Lin Wan murmured to himself, his gaze toward the pitch-black heart at the bottom of the abyss already different. It was no longer just wariness and hostility, but carried a sense of scrutiny, inquiry, and even… a trace of pity.

This "heart of decay" might have originally been a manifestation of the Dao of "the end," but it had been polluted and distorted, reduced to a monster with only the desire for destruction—how pathetic, and yet how hateful.

"Thanks for the hospitality; I accept this 'big gift'." A cold arc curled at the corner of Lin Wan's mouth. He had successfully withstood the erosion of the will of "the end," refined and comprehended it, completed his own Dao Fruit, and greatly advanced his cultivation.

This "heart of decay" had tried to steal a chicken only to lose the rice; not only had it failed to erode Lin Wan, but it had instead become fuel for the further advancement of his Dao.

At the bottom of the abyss, the "heart of decay" seemed to have sensed Lin Wan's changes. Its pulsation suddenly became violent and rapid, emitting even angrier and crazier fluctuations of intent. A terrifying Dao charm of "the end" surged out again like a tide, impacting the "Zhou Tian Star Sealing Demon Formation" above, causing the formation map to shake violently, with the cracks showing a trend of expanding again.

But this time, Lin Wan was no longer the same person. With a thought, the true meaning of "the end" that he had just comprehended and integrated into his Dao Fruit flowed slightly, lightly touching the Dao charm of "the end" surging from the bottom of the abyss.

Immediately, that originally violent Dao charm of "the end," filled with the desire for destruction, seemed to have encountered a king and paused slightly. The violent, distorted, and polluted parts within it seemed to have encountered their nemesis, and actually showed a trace of disorder and retreat.

Although a larger, purer Dao charm of "the end" soon replenished it, that momentary hesitation was already enough.

"Now is the time! star-moon divine mirror, suppress!" Lin Wan seized this fleeting opportunity and fully activated the "star-moon divine mirror" in his hand!

Infused with the brand-new magical power that Lin Wan had just comprehended, which contained a trace of the true meaning of "the end," the "star-moon divine mirror" erupted with unprecedented brilliant starlight. On the surface of the mirror, the sun, moon, and stars revolved, and mountains and rivers manifested. A vast, ancient, and resilient power of the Seal was forcefully injected into the formation map above.

At the same time, the "corruption heart key" that had already returned to its position was also, under the influence of Lin Wan's Dao charm of "the end," temporarily suppressing its strong resonance with the main body of the "heart of decay." Instead, it released the strange Dao charm it contained, which was related to the "samsara mirror," and combined with the sealing power of the "star-moon divine mirror" to jointly stabilize the foundation of the formation.

"Hum—!" Supported by the two powerful forces, the "Zhou Tian Star Sealing Demon Formation," which was on the verge of collapse, shone brilliantly. Countless star runes seemed to be reignited, erupting with brilliant starlight, connecting with each other to form a larger, more stable, and more abstruse formation map.

At the center of the formation map, that crack, under the illumination of the brilliant starlight, quickly closed and repaired, finally disappearing completely!

The formation map's light flowed and rotated slowly, emitting a sealing power several times stronger than before, firmly locking and suppressing the pulsation of the "heart of decay" and the impact of the Dao charm of "the end" at the bottom of the abyss.

Although he could still feel the restlessness of that terrifying existence below, at least for a short time, it could no longer easily impact the Seal, and it was impossible for it to escape.

"Hoo… finally, it is temporarily stabilized." Lin Wan looked at the re-stabilized formation map above and let out a sigh of relief.

Although he had comprehended a trace of the true meaning of "the end," completed his Dao Fruit, and greatly advanced his cultivation, he was still far from being able to truly confront or even Purify the main body of the "heart of decay."

If it hadn't been for the power of the "corruption heart key" and the "star-moon divine mirror," coupled with the subtle influence of the true meaning of "the end" he had just comprehended on the Dao charm of the "heart of decay," as well as the fact that the "heart of decay" seemed to be in a state of incomplete recovery, it would have been no easy task to re-stabilize this Seal that was on the verge of collapse.

"The matter here is concluded; it is time to leave. The last wish of Senior Daoist Xinghe has been half-fulfilled. At the very least, the recovery of the 'heart of decay' has been temporarily stopped, the 'corruption heart key' has returned to its place, and the Seal has been reinforced.

As for how to completely resolve this 'heart of decay,' it requires long-term consideration. Perhaps I will need to wait until my cultivation advances further, or gather more fragments of the 'samsara mirror,' before I can find a way."

Lin Wan took one last look at the main body of the "heart of decay" below, which had been re-suppressed and was emitting fluctuations of unwillingness and anger. He did not hesitate anymore, turned around, and returned along the path he came.

He needed to leave the "Abyss of Buried Gods" as soon as possible, rendezvous with Elder Xingshu and the others, then leave the "Bone Wasteland," report the situation here to the Alliance, and begin to deal with the next moves of the "Temple of Decay."

Presumably, having lost the "corruption heart key," suffered the loss of three elite teams, and even having the Seal on the "heart of decay" reinforced, the "Temple of Decay" would absolutely not let it go.

However, after this battle, Lin Wan's strength had greatly increased, his understanding of "the end" was deeper, and his ability to restrain the "Temple of Decay" was also stronger. He already had a preliminary plan in his heart.

His figure flickered, and Lin Wan soon returned to the previous altar. Blood Bone was still honestly guarding there. Seeing that Lin Wan had not only returned safely but that his aura seemed to have become even more unfathomable, his awe grew even greater, and he hurriedly bowed to pay his respects.

"Let's go, leave this place." Lin Wan did not say much, wrapped up Blood Bone, and his figure transformed into a stream of Chaos light, speeding toward the top of the abyss.