Chapter 514

After standing for a long time over the Ban Ting Sea, Ding Huan finally sent Qi Qi Xinyue's jade coffin into the deepest depths of the Cosmic Cauldron.

That drop of heartblood was also placed by Ding Huan beside Qi Qi Xinyue.

Previously, there had been the Divine Clan for him to vent upon; now that he had destroyed them, he realized how utterly alone he was.

The Pangu Great World was not his homeland, nor was it a place he should remain in.

No matter what the future held, he would leave this place.

Gazing at the gray mist, Ding Huan took a deep breath.

Today, as he entered this gray sea, if he could not emerge from it, let him forever remain here.

Just as he had once been in the boundless starry void.

Even if he could not escape, he would not be alone.

Ding Huan no longer hesitated at all, directing the Cosmic Cauldron to plunge into the gray mist.

Upon entering the mist, the aura of death instantly swept over him.

Ding Huan likewise calculated the safe path in an instant, then guided the Cosmic Cauldron into that route.

In truth, now that Ding Huan had assimilated the Cosmic Cauldron, even without calculating a safe path, as long as he remained within it, the gray sea's death Dao rhythm could not erase him.

But hiding inside the Cosmic Cauldron made travel impossible.

According to the crystal ball from the Pangu Great World, Ding Huan's direction was clear.

The gray sea was simply too vast, and the death Dao rhythm here too terrifying; Ding Huan could not wander freely.

Fortunately, he had the directional crystal ball.

After half a year, Ding Huan finally saw a massive vortex, its exterior wrapped in prohibitions that his divine sense could not penetrate at all.

The gray sea's waters crashed against the vortex's perimeter but automatically parted.

Ding Huan hesitated only a moment, then directed the Cosmic Cauldron toward the massive vortex.

To Ding Huan's astonishment, when the Cosmic Cauldron reached the vortex's edge, the gray sea's erasing death Dao rhythm vanished.

But only for an instant—the violent surge of the gray sea's waters immediately swept back.

Even as a Great Luo Immortal of late-stage, Ding Huan was still flung beyond the vortex's edge and plunged once more into the gray sea.

This time, Ding Huan did not steer the Cosmic Cauldron closer to the vortex; instead, he began to deduce the prohibitions surrounding the gray sea vortex.

At this moment, Ding Huan was grateful he had reached the level of a Level-Nine Immortal Array Emperor; otherwise, he would have had no qualification to enter this natural vortex prohibition.

This natural vortex prohibition before him was clearly a Level-Nine Immortal Prohibition, perhaps even higher.

He was fortunate to have assimilated the Cosmic Cauldron—otherwise, where would he have found the time to deduce the Immortal Prohibition before him?

Staying here would demand all his focus just to resist the gray sea's erasing death Dao rhythm; there would be no time for anything else.

Now, with the Cosmic Cauldron shielding him from this erasing death Dao rhythm, he had time to deduce the vortex's Immortal Prohibition.

As a Level-Nine Immortal Array Emperor, Ding Huan spent five full days constructing over a thousand void array runes.

When the runes activated, a gap appeared in the gray sea vortex; Ding Huan immediately guided the Cosmic Cauldron into it.

The gap vanished instantly, restoring its original form.

Outside, the scene returned to how it had been, as if no one had ever come.

Ding Huan was stunned by what lay before him.

It looked as if a water valve had broken, spewing water from underground.

The only difference was that this was not a broken valve, and what surged forth was not water but terrifying magma.

This magma spewed at least hundreds of zhang high, spanning at least a thousand zhang in diameter.

Part of this magma was drawn into the gray sea; another part fell downward, accumulating over time to form a magma mountain.

Fortunately, though the edges of the magma mountain churned with flames, they were still firm enough for Ding Huan to stand upon.

Along the edge of this magma mountain lay scattered fire crystals.

Ding Huan casually grabbed one of the fire crystals.

The fire crystal clearly contained intense fire Dao rhythm, with a trace of primordial energy.

Is this a Fire Primordial Crystal?

Ding Huan sighed—each piece outside would be worth a fortune, yet here, collecting them would yield at least a hundred.

Ding Huan swept his hand, gathering all hundred fire primordial crystals.

Unfortunately, the purity of these fire primordial crystals was low, and their primordial energy insufficient.

Calling them fire primordial crystals was a stretch—they were merely fire crystals imbued with a trace of fire primordial energy.

Even so, they were unobtainable with Immortal Crystals.

Fire primordial crystals and the ten-million-year Fire Marrow Pool were entirely different things; the latter could be used for cultivation and forging.

Its greatest benefit was elevating flame, but fire primordial crystals were far more valuable than the ten-million-year Fire Marrow Pool, for they contained primordial energy—the very substance of Dao comprehension.

Standing at the edge of this thousand-zhang magma, Ding Huan cautiously extended his divine sense inward; within moments, his divine sense was burned to ash.

Ding Huan's expression grew grim.

His divine sense had been refined through countless trials—if even his divine sense could not endure within this magma for long, his physical body would surely turn to ash in moments.

In an instant, Ding Huan cast aside this concern.

If he intended to burn his body and soul, then he need not fear becoming ash.

If he feared becoming ash, he might as well burn himself with Grand Void Flame.

Grand Void Flame was his own flame; no matter how fiercely it burned, it could never kill him.

If there's a way out, what's the point of burning the boats and smashing the cauldrons?

Moreover, before he came, he had already decided not to use Grand Void Flame.

Grand Void Flame had always resided within his consciousness Dao universe; if it couldn't kill him, how could he be certain it would kill that entity?

The Grand Void Flame was naturally needed; its purpose was more to assist him in dealing with the fellow hidden within his body.

Having made up his mind, Ding Huan began laying out various grand arrays.

Immortal-Trapping Arrays and Soul-Locking Immortal Arrays had to be laid out inside this vortex as well.

He absolutely could not let the existence within that skin scroll escape.

After finishing all of this, Ding Huan began laying out defensive immortal arrays.

Although Ding Huan's defensive immortal arrays were all ninth-grade immortal arrays, within this magma they could only last for ten breaths. Once ten breaths passed, they would completely collapse.

Nothing could be done in ten breaths, which showed that relying purely on defensive immortal arrays was clearly useless.

Ding Huan slowly approached the edge of the magma.

The instant he touched the edge of the magma, a terrifying scorching aura swept over. Ding Huan immediately began circulating the Nirvana Art.

Ding Huan discovered that his Nirvana Art could withstand the terrifying magma at the outer edge; as long as he did not fully enter the magma, he could barely maintain his balance.

Ding Huan summoned the Law Flame, suspending it above his head, and chose to temper his body first.

Beneath this magma that could kill one at any moment, Ding Huan's Nirvana Art began to be perfected.

As Ding Huan continuously perfected his Nirvana Art, his physical body was also continuously strengthening.

Ding Huan even forgot that he had come to burn his own flesh and soul. He slowly stepped deeper into the magma, and his physical body grew ever more formidable under the Nirvana Art.

"Crack!" When the magma's terrifying aura once again tore open Ding Huan's chest, he finally jolted awake.

Immortal Body, sixth layer.

Looking at himself with not a stitch on, with large swathes of magma rolling up layers of scorched smell, Ding Huan gave a self-mocking smile.

Feng Huan had been burned by him like this; now he himself was being burned the same way.

The only difference was that Feng Huan had been restrained by him while his soul was scorched, whereas he himself had come here of his own accord to scorch his soul.

Ding Huan slowly closed his eyes and stopped tempering his body.

"Sizzle, sizzle!" Waves of teeth-grinding sizzling sounds rose from Ding Huan's body.

Piece after piece of Ding Huan's flesh was swept away by the horrifying magma.

Like a wild beast being flayed, Ding Huan let out an uncontrollable low growl.

This kind of pain was beyond words.

No matter how formidable Ding Huan's flesh was, the magma quickly reduced his entire body to ash.

The magma began burning his bones, began burning his five viscera and lungs…

Finally, streams of magma wrapped around his soul.

An even more terrifying tearing pain came. Even though only his soul remained, his soul was also trembling madly.

No matter how formidable Ding Huan's will was, it was on the verge of collapse—indeed, it had already collapsed.

All he could do was hold on to a single thread of clarity.

His bones were being scorched layer by layer by the magma, seemingly about to turn to flying ash at any moment.

Ding Huan had come here embracing the thought that he might die, so he let the terrifying flame burn every inch of his body.

Including the Great Dao universe within his Purple Mansion.

His soul gradually withered, on the verge of extinguishing at any moment.

The Great Dao universe also seemed to fall silent; the star river began to dry up, the starry sky began to shrink, the star bridges began to fracture…

Ding Huan's consciousness was slowly dissipating.

That single thread of clarity could leave him at any moment.

Ding Huan struggled to keep himself from sinking into oblivion. He knew that once he sank and lost that thread of clarity, his soul would be completely obliterated.

He had indeed come with a mindset prepared for death, but if there was even the slightest chance, he was still unwilling to die.

"Ding Xiaotu, have you gone mad?"

He did not know how long had passed. Ding Huan felt a furious roar from the deepest part of his soul; his soul trembled, and only then did he realize he had nearly just died.

In just a moment, Ding Huan came to his senses.

The Grand Void Flame had finally come into play. The Grand Void Flame, following along with the magma, once again scorched his soul—clearly intending to turn his soul to flying ash.

"Madman, madman…"

Amid the roars, a bright spot suddenly appeared deep within his soul and immediately transformed into a skin scroll.

Ding Huan madly swept up the Grand Void Flame, wrapping the skin scroll within it.

He then desperately circulated the Nirvana Art and the Grand Universe Art at the same time.

If he did not cultivate and temper his body any longer, he would surely be reduced to flying ash.

The Grand Void Flame sensed Ding Huan's formidable will, swept up the skin scroll, and plunged deeper into the magma.

Once the Nirvana Art circulated, although Ding Huan's flesh could not recover, his bones began to transform. The ash-gray on them gradually receded, and the Dao resonance slowly began to flow.

The star river of the Great Dao universe within his consciousness sea finally showed signs of movement; the starry sky gained some vitality, and the star bridges were slowly recovering…

Ding Huan himself finally gained a trace of perception. He clearly sensed the skin scroll wrapped by the Grand Void Flame struggling deep within the magma.

However, Ding Huan could hear nothing.

He understood what was going on—it was because the existence within the skin scroll had been blasted out of his soul by him, so it could no longer keep clamoring in his ear.

With the resolve of one prepared to die, Ding Huan told the Grand Void that it absolutely must not let the existence within the skin scroll get away, even if it meant perishing together.

If he could still act now, he would surely inflict the cruelest methods upon that skin scroll.

The might of the Nirvana Art and the Grand Universe Art circulating together finally slowly revealed itself. The Dao resonance around Ding Huan grew ever clearer; dense immortal spiritual energy was swept over by Ding Huan, and the flesh and blood of his body was slowly recovering.

(Fellow Daoist, good night. Please support with monthly votes!)