143: The guide and the "inferior fireworks"

That special "Ascension Reception Announcement" from the Cloud Court was like dropping a depth charge into a calm lake, triggering an unprecedented shockwave across all lower Realms where "law worms" had appeared!

"Eliminate law worms, collect the source of pollution, and receive special approval for Ascension?!"

Countless old monsters, stuck at the Peak of their Realm with no path forward, opened their eyes in their dust-covered Immortal Caves, their murky eyes flashing with terrifying brilliance!

Forces that had been driven to exhaustion and seen their Sects wither away by the likes of the "Soul-Devouring Demonic Lord" Han Xiaofan viewed this as their last lifeline and a chance for revenge!

For a time, the winds and clouds churned.

Countless reclusive powerhouses emerged, and all sorts of hidden Magic Treasures and secret techniques were brought out, targeting the "law worms" that were causing the pollution of the Law!

A "worm-hunting" storm that swept across many lower Realms began in full swing.

As the "fuse," "judge," and "transportation" for this storm, Long Qianyuan was currently lying bored on a flying boat condensed from Chaos Qi Flow, drifting leisurely through the gaps of endless planes.

The flying boat's design was extremely simple, one could even say crude, without even a windshield, yet wherever it passed, the chaotic spatial-temporal turbulence subsided, and the violent dimensional storms became as docile as sheep.

Long Qianyuan crossed his legs, holding a tablet he had swiped from some technological plane, playing "Fruit Ninja" with gusto, the "swish" of the blade cutting through the air ringing out incessantly.

"Sigh, Revered Master is really something, making me do this kind of errand work."

Long Qianyuan complained while precisely slicing off a bomb (and then losing points), "Talking about 'experiencing life' and 'observing the ecosystem of the lower Realms,' it's clearly just because he thinks I'm too idle at the Cloud Court and it's bothering him while he's trying to raise his fish."

A light screen hovered before him, displaying real-time updates on the "worm-hunting" progress and "pollution source" sample information submitted from various lower Realms.

Most information showed "In Progress" or "Failed, Worm Hunter Fallen," with only a sparse few showing "Completed, Pollution Source Captured, Requesting Reception."

Long Qianyuan casually clicked on a "Completed" application.

An aged and excited figure appeared on the light screen; it was an old Loose Cultivator from some cultivation plane.

In his hands, he held a light orb that was constantly twisting and emitting chaotic Law fluctuations, and he said respectfully, "Lord Reception Envoy, this old man has slain the 'Law-Devouring Fiend.' This is its core pollution source. Please inspect it, my Lord!"

Long Qianyuan glanced at the orb and curled his lips, "The energy is impure, and the degree of Law distortion is barely passing, but the core logic residue is too weak; it's an inferior product.

As for the Ascension qualification... hmm, I'll give you a third-class menial spot in the outer perimeter of the Cloud Court. Take it or leave it."

The old monster was stunned at first, then ecstatic!

A third-class menial? That was still a menial of the Cloud Court!

His own plane didn't even have the qualifications to sweep the floors for the Cloud Court!

He kowtowed repeatedly, "I am willing! This old man is willing! Thank you for your grace, Lord Envoy!"

Long Qianyuan snapped his fingers, and a stream of Chaos Qi Flow descended from the flying boat, wrapping up the old monster and the "inferior pollution source" in his hand, vanishing in an instant.

As for which mountain in the outer perimeter of the Cloud Court he would be sent to sweep, he didn't care; Nie Li would arrange it.

After processing several similar applications, Long Qianyuan's gaze fell on one marked in red, with an abnormally active energy reaction.

Application source: Tianyun Continent.

Target: "Soul-Devouring Demonic Lord" Han Xiaofan.

"Oh? This seems a bit interesting."

Long Qianyuan perked up and clicked on the details.

The light screen immediately displayed an image of Han Xiaofan, as well as the energy map within his body that was chaotic and impure, yet carried a trace of strange, high-dimensional logical fluctuations.

"Tsk tsk, to have devoured so many messy Laws and not have blown yourself up, you can be considered a 'talent'."

Long Qianyuan stroked his chin, "And the 'scent' of this core... why does it feel a bit familiar? It's a bit like... the dust Revered Master accidentally dropped?"

He immediately became interested.

Compared to those inferior products, this one clearly had more special "ingredients."

"Alright, let's go to this 'Tianyun Express' and pick up the package first."

Long Qianyuan set the coordinates, and the Chaos Qi Flow flying boat beneath his feet gave a gentle jolt, instantly tearing through the dimensional barrier and speeding off in the direction of the Tianyun Continent.

Tianyun Continent, the Myriad Law Forbidden Ruins.

This was a famous forbidden zone on the continent, said to have once been a battlefield for True Immortals, where the Laws were chaotic and spatial-temporal fragments could be seen everywhere.

After Han Xiaofan had successively destroyed the lairs of several top Sects and devoured their Sect-guarding Laws, he finally aroused public anger and was hunted by several Soul Transformation Stage old monsters, forcing him to flee into this place.

At this moment, he was hiding in a twisted spatial-temporal rift, his aura fluctuating, his face appearing ferocious one moment and pained the next.

The conflicts between the various forcibly devoured Laws within his body were becoming increasingly intense, and the prompts from the System in his mind were becoming more and more chaotic, even beginning to issue contradictory instructions.

【Warning! Logic core overloaded! Recommend immediately seeking a pure Soul to... zzz... devour? ... Error... Recommend immediately seeking high-energy matter to... analyze? ...】

【Detected high-dimensional lock... Threat... Huge Opportunity? ... Recalculating...】

【Temporary mission issued: Hold position and wait for reinforcements? ... Flee this place? ... Devour the locked target? ...】

"Shut up!"

Han Xiaofan growled, forcibly suppressing the Chaos within his body and the noise from the System.

He could feel several powerful auras lingering on the outskirts of the Forbidden Ruins, blocking his way out.

Just then, the space in front of him rippled like water, and a crude flying boat that looked completely unremarkable, without even a fluctuation of spiritual power, swayed in, ignoring all the chaotic spatial-temporal Laws and Restrictions, and simply "squeezed" inside.

On the flying boat, a youth dressed in the standard green robe of the Cloud Court, who looked even younger than him, was looking down at a glowing tablet, muttering, "Oops, sliced a bomb again!"

Han Xiaofan's pupils constricted!

He could feel that while the youth before him appeared ordinary, his very existence caused the System within him to instantly fall into unprecedented Chaos and... fear?

【!!! Highest priority alert!!! Unable to analyze!!! Unable to evaluate!!! Recommend immediately... surrender? ... self-destruct? ... Error... Error...】

Long Qianyuan finally put down the tablet and looked up at Han Xiaofan, his gaze scanning him, lingering for a moment especially on his Dantian, before nodding, "Hmm, that's right, it's this scent.

Although mixed with many Impurities, the 'dust' at the core is correct.

You are the package for 'Tianyun Express'? Have you packed yourself up?"

Han Xiaofan was both shocked and furious, "Who are you?! What package?!"

"Me? I am the specially dispatched Reception Envoy of the Cloud Court, Long Qianyuan."

Long Qianyuan picked his ear, "I'm specifically here to collect your 'Law worm' and 'pollution source' package.

Are you coming with me yourself, or should I help you 'pack up'?"

"Cloud Court? Reception Envoy?"

Han Xiaofan was stunned, then recalled the words "high-dimensional lock" and "Ascension" from the System's chaotic prompts earlier, and his heart was instantly replaced by greed and madness!

"So that's it! You came from the Upper Realm to receive me? Hahaha! I knew it! I, Han Xiaofan, am destined to Ascend!"

The chaotic power within his body erupted suddenly, lightning, Sword Intent, poisonous miasma, Devilish Qi... all kinds of devoured Law powers twisted and intertwined, transforming into a giant, colorful hand filled with an ominous aura, grabbing toward Long Qianyuan!

"Come here! Your power will also belong to me!"

Han Xiaofan's face was hideous as he fully mobilized the System, activating both the Analysis Eye and energy absorption simultaneously; he wanted to devour this so-called "Reception Envoy"!

Long Qianyuan looked at the giant hand grabbing toward him, its Laws as chaotic as an overturned palette, and frowned, "Flashy, looks like an inferior knockoff at first glance."

He didn't even move; he just gently blew a breath toward the giant hand.

"Hoo—"

Just like an ordinary person blowing away a wisp of smoke.

The giant hand of chaotic Laws, which contained Han Xiaofan's life's work of plundering and was capable of easily crushing a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator, instantly collapsed the moment it was struck by that breath, as if the most critical block had been precisely pulled out from its internally forced-together Law structures!

All energy and all Law fragments were reduced to the most primitive, disordered particles, and then... vanished without a trace.

It didn't even stir up a ripple.

Han Xiaofan froze in place, the madness and greed on his face solidified, transforming into extreme fear and bewilderment.

The power of devouring that he relied on to run rampant and that had never failed him—was it really so vulnerable before the other party?

Long Qianyuan clapped his hands, as if he had just done a trivial thing, and crooked his finger at Han Xiaofan, "Are the inferior fireworks finished? Then come over here; don't waste my time."

He reached out and grabbed at the empty air.

Han Xiaofan felt the space around him instantly solidify, and he was like an insect trapped in amber, unable to move even a single finger.

The chaotic power within his body and the so-called System, under this absolute restraint, couldn't even stir up a single ripple.

【Ultimate Error!!! Logic collapse!!! Core... stripping...】

The System issued one last desperate garbled prompt, then fell completely silent.

Long Qianyuan's palm seemed to penetrate the void, reaching directly into Han Xiaofan's Dantian. With a gentle pinch, he plucked out that core logic fragment, which was half-fused with Han Xiaofan's Soul and had become somewhat eerie, just like picking a fruit.

The fragment struggled and twisted at his fingertips, emitting a chaotic and dangerous aura.

As for Han Xiaofan himself, the moment the core was stripped away, his eyes instantly dimmed, and the cultivation he had forcibly elevated plummeted rapidly like a deflating ball, finally reverting to a Mortal with hollow eyes and shattered Meridians, collapsing limply to the ground.

Long Qianyuan didn't even glance at Han Xiaofan, examining the fragment at his fingertips that was still trying to analyze him, and even trying to pollute the rules around his fingers, and curled his lips, "Struggling quite happily, but unfortunately the essence is still lacking; it's not even worthy of being a snack for Revered Master's koi."

He casually tossed the fragment into a temporary Seal bottle formed from Chaos Qi Flow, labeled it "Tianyun Plane, Inferior Pollution Source (Contains one High-Dimensional Dust)," and then tossed it into the storage compartment of the flying boat.

"Done and dusted!"

Long Qianyuan stretched, picked up the tablet again, "Next stop... hmm, which plane should I go to? I hope the next 'package' can have some surprises."

The Chaos Qi Flow flying boat gave a gentle jolt and submerged back into the dimensional gap, disappearing.

All that remained in the Myriad Law Forbidden Ruins was the crippled Han Xiaofan, who had lost everything and whose memories had become fragmented, along with those few Soul Transformation old monsters on the outskirts who were still cautiously investigating, confused.

The "Ascension Reception" of the Cloud Court was an Opportunity for some, but for "law worms" like Han Xiaofan, it was a ruthless dimensional strike and precise retrieval.