79: Wanbaolou

Inside the Quiet Heart Courtyard, the lamplight was dim.

Li Ao sat cross-legged, the dark remnant piece of "nether iron" resting in his palm.

Sensing it up close, the faint deathly silence became clearer. It was not merely coldness or destruction, but a more fundamental, eternal "stillness," seemingly the residue left after the end of all things.

He cautiously attempted to guide a wisp of Annihilation Rule power into the remnant piece.

"Buzz..."

The remnant piece trembled slightly, and the rust on its surface seemed to come alive, resembling wriggling black filaments.

A surge of deathly silence, far purer and more ancient than before—like a fierce spirit awakened from an eternal slumber—fiercely counterattacked along that wisp of Rule power, attempting to erode Li Ao's Soul!

A silver-gray light flashed in Li Ao's pupils. Not only did he not retreat, but he actively guided this external deathly silence to collide and merge with his own restless wisp of Annihilation Rule!

"Hiss, hiss..."

Like cold water dripping into hot oil, a violent reaction erupted in his Sea of Consciousness!

Two 'Annihilation' intents, identical in Origin but different in nature, clashed, devoured, and analyzed each other frantically!

The deathly silence contained within this nether iron was more ancient and purer, carrying a sense of decay and finality akin to the underworld.

In contrast, the Annihilation Li Ao himself comprehended leaned more towards the active and overbearing nature of severance, destruction, and returning to nothingness.

At this moment, inside the quiet room, a silent contest concerning the Rule of "Death" was unfolding.

Li Ao's face was sometimes pale, sometimes covered in strange black Qi. His surrounding Aura fluctuated wildly, and occasionally, tiny spatial fissures flashed around him—power that had leaked from the colliding Rules.

The risk was enormous!

A single mistake could lead to his own Rules being contaminated by this external, ancient deathly silence, or even the sinking of his Soul.

But the reward was equally astonishing!

If he could successfully analyze and absorb this variant Annihilation intent, his comprehension of the Annihilation Rule would surely reach a higher level!

Time flowed by slowly.

Fine cold sweat beaded on Li Ao's forehead, and his body trembled slightly, yet the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He seemed to see a vaster, deeper world of Annihilation—it was not just destruction, but the endpoint of Reincarnation, the inevitable destination of all things, a cold and absolute... Order!

After an unknown amount of time, the nether iron remnant in his palm emitted a faint "crack," and its dark luster completely faded, as if the ancient deathly silence contained within had been entirely extracted and refined.

Li Ao slowly opened his eyes. The silver-gray color deep within his pupils was no longer just the shape of flames, but had transformed into two slowly rotating, tiny vortices that seemed capable of swallowing all light, making them deeper, more restrained, and more terrifying.

He spread open his palm, and his mind stirred slightly.

A subtle wisp of gray-black Qi lingered at his fingertips. This Qi was no longer restless and violent as before; instead, it carried a chilling calmness.

It swept past the corner of the table. The hard ironwood corner did not shatter, but silently dissolved into the finest dust, as if its very trace of existence had been wiped clean from the world.

"Annihilation... is not just violent destruction, but absolute finality..."

Li Ao murmured to himself, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

This risky comprehension allowed his understanding of the Annihilation Rule to reach a new level. Although his strength recovery was limited, the control and essence of the Rule had achieved a qualitative leap!

This held immeasurable benefits for his future recovery and even surpassing his Peak.

He discarded the remnant piece, which had now become common iron, and his gaze became resolute.

He could not wait any longer.

He must acquire resources and restore his strength as quickly as possible!

The next day, Li Ao proposed his departure to Liu Qing.

"Brother Li is leaving?" Liu Qing was somewhat surprised. "Your injuries..."

"They are no longer serious. Thank you, Brother Liu, for your hospitality these past few days."

Li Ao cupped his fists and said, "I still have important matters to attend to and cannot stay long. I will repay this kindness later."

Seeing that Li Ao was determined to leave, Liu Qing did not try to stop him. He pondered for a moment and said, "Since Brother Li insists on leaving, I will not stand in your way."

"However, if Brother Li needs to quickly acquire resources or search for something specific, perhaps you can visit the 'Myriad Treasures Tower' in the city."

"That is a branch established by the 'Heavenly Mystery Pavilion' of Central State in the Northern Region of Central State. They have excellent intelligence, numerous treasures, and accept various commissions."

"Perhaps you can find something useful there, Brother Li."

"Myriad Treasures Tower? Heavenly Mystery Pavilion?" Li Ao noted the name.

"Furthermore," Liu Qing lowered his voice, "according to information received by my Liu family, a strange light suggesting the emergence of a unique treasure recently flashed in the 'Wind and Thunder Mountain Range,' ten thousand miles outside Tianbei City, attracting many people."

"It is said that it might be related to a powerful lightning-attribute treasure or Ancient Ruins."

"If Brother Li is interested, you may want to go investigate."

"However, the area is currently chaotic and quite dangerous, so Brother Li must be careful."

Wind and Thunder Mountain Range? Unique treasure?

Li Ao's heart stirred slightly.

Danger often accompanies Opportunity, and what he currently lacked most was the Opportunity to rapidly increase his strength.

"Thank you for informing me, Brother Liu."

After bidding farewell to Liu Qing, Li Ao did not immediately head to the Wind and Thunder Mountain Range. Instead, following Liu Qing's guidance, he first arrived before the most magnificent building in the center of Tianbei City—the Myriad Treasures Tower.

The building was nine stories tall, elaborately decorated, and possessed a majestic Aura.

Those entering and exiting were either rich or noble, and powerful Auras were everywhere.

As Li Ao stepped inside, a beautiful and well-mannered maid immediately greeted him.

"Welcome to the Myriad Treasures Tower, may I ask what Your Excellency requires?"

"I need Medicinal Pills or Heaven And Earth Treasure capable of healing severe Soul Origin wounds, as well as treasures to quickly restore my Peak Dou Huang cultivation."

"Also, I am inquiring about the location of the Hall of Souls' stronghold in the Northern Region of Central State." Li Ao stated his purpose directly.

Hearing this, the maid's professional smile did not change, but her expression became slightly more serious: "The items Your Excellency requires are all extraordinary, especially treasures for healing the Soul Origin, which are extremely rare."

"Please follow me to the seventh floor VIP room for a detailed discussion."

In an elegantly decorated quiet room on the seventh floor, an old man dressed in brocade robes with a shrewd face received Li Ao.

This person's Aura was profound; he was clearly a Peak Dou Huang, the manager of this branch.

"My surname is Qian, and I am the humble manager of the Myriad Treasures Tower in Tianbei City. I heard that Your Excellency requires treasures to heal the Soul Origin?" Manager Qian scrutinized Li Ao, his gaze sharp.

"That is correct." Li Ao nodded. "Do you have any?"

Manager Qian pondered, "Treasures capable of healing the Soul Origin are all Heaven And Earth Treasure."

"In the current inventory of my Myriad Treasures Tower, we have a three-thousand-year-old 'Soul Nurturing Saliva,' which has miraculous effects on nourishing the Soul, but to say it can heal a nearly shattered Origin... I fear it falls short."

"This item is priced at three Seventh-Grade Medicinal Pills, or equivalent value."

Three Seventh-Grade Medicinal Pills! This price was enough to bankrupt many Dou Zong!

Li Ao currently had nothing of value and naturally couldn't afford it.

He frowned slightly: "Is there nothing more effective?"

"More effective..." Manager Qian stroked his beard. "It is rumored that the giants of the Pill Tower possess Ninth-Colored Pill Lightning Eighth Grade Pill that can bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh, or even the legendary Ninth-Grade Treasure Pill. But such divine objects are beyond our reach."

"As for treasures to quickly restore cultivation, this Tower does have several Seventh-Grade Medicinal Pills, but the price is equally steep."

He paused, then looked at Li Ao: "Regarding the Hall of Souls' information... I apologize, the Hall of Souls' movements are secretive, and the location of their strongholds is top secret. This Tower is neither willing nor able to disclose it."

Li Ao remained silent.

Sure enough, neither the Medicinal Pills needed to save Medusa nor the information about the Hall of Souls could be easily obtained.

Strength and capital were both indispensable.

"However," Manager Qian changed the subject, "if Your Excellency urgently needs resources, my Myriad Treasures Tower does have a solution."

"The Tower constantly acquires various Heaven And Earth Treasure and ancient artifacts, and also issues bounty missions."

"If Your Excellency can complete them, you will receive corresponding rewards."

"For example, due to the recent anomaly in the Wind and Thunder Mountain Range, the Tower has issued missions such as exploring the source of the unique treasure and collecting 'Wind and Thunder Stones,' all of which offer generous rewards."

The Wind and Thunder Mountain Range again.

Li Ao understood.

It seemed that was the fastest way to acquire resources right now.

"Give me the mission details."

... Half an hour later, Li Ao left the Myriad Treasures Tower. His storage ring now contained a detailed map and mission scroll regarding the Wind and Thunder Mountain Range.

He did not return to the Liu family, but left Tianbei City directly. After identifying the direction, he surged with Dou Qi (though it was weak) and transformed into a streak of light, speeding toward the Wind and Thunder Mountain Range ten thousand miles away.

Not long after Li Ao left Tianbei City, another figure, travel-worn and dusty, stepped into this border city.

Xiao Yan looked up at the towering city gate and the clamor and powerful Qi coming from inside, taking a deep breath.

"Teacher, is this Central State? As expected... the Heaven and Earth energy is so rich!"

"Mm, kid, Central State is not like the Jia Ma Empire. Experts gather here like clouds; you must act more cautiously." Yao Lao's voice rang out in his heart.

"I understand." Xiao Yan's gaze was firm. He tightened his grip on the xuan heavy ruler on his back. "First, I'll find a place to settle down and gather some information. Then... I'll figure out a way to get a complete map of Central State, along with news about the 'Jia Nan Academy' and the Heavenly Flame!"

He followed the crowd into the city, beginning his journey into Central State.

Meanwhile, countless miles away, deep within a Secret Realm shrouded by both multicolored light and icy cold Qi, stood a palace constructed entirely of ten-thousand-year-old profound ice.

Yun Yun looked at Medusa, whose Qi on the cold jade bed was still weak but seemed slightly more stable than before, and sighed softly.

She carefully placed a newly acquired soul-warming jade on Medusa's forehead, sensing the subtle Soul fluctuations, and a hint of complexity flashed in her eyes.

"He... has already left the Jia Ma Empire. I hope he... everything goes smoothly for him."

Outside the ice palace, snow filled the sky, seemingly isolating the entire world.

Li Ao rushed to the Wind and Thunder Mountain Range seeking Opportunity, Xiao Yan entered Central State to find his way, and Medusa slept and waited in the ice palace...

The destinies of the three individuals slowly unfolded along their respective trajectories on the vast stage of Central State.

And when and where would their paths intersect next?