Chapter 336: Commencing Chaos

"Good!" Wang Ping said no more, took a deep look at the Reverse Yuan Hall and Blood Sacrifice Altar, which were frantically drawing energy, their aura growing more terrifying, then turned sharply and rushed full speed toward the entrance of the Chaos Palace.

"Stop them!" Yun Xian shouted hoarsely, but at this moment most of his and Ming Gu's mind and strength had to be used to maintain and guide the rioting pollution source power, leaving him unable to spare a hand.

How could those low-ranking cultivators below possibly stop Wang Ping and his three companions, who were single-mindedly breaking through?

Amid the deafening terrifying roars and earth-shaking tremors, four figures, like moths rushing into flames, decisively charged toward the unknown and perilous Chaos Palace personally sealed by the Chaos Immortal King.

Behind them loomed an impending apocalypse; ahead lay an unknown path that might lead to a sliver of life—or to a deeper hell.

As they approached, the seal of the Chaos Palace seemed to sense something, trembling slightly and splitting open a narrow, extremely unstable gap just wide enough for a few to pass through.

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Ping led the charge into the gap. Cang Xuan, Yu Liuli, and You Ying followed closely behind.

After the four entered, the gap swiftly closed and reinforced, as if it had never been opened.

Only behind them remained the ever-closer, all-destroying roar and the growing madness of despair.

Within the Chaos Palace, what awaited them? A spark of hope, or utter downfall?

At the moment the Chaos Palace's seal fissure completely closed behind them, it seemed to separate two worlds.

The apocalyptic-like terrifying roar and energy turmoil of the outside world were weakened to nothing but a muffled echo, as if heard through heavy water.

However, this did not mean safety.

Before them lay a straight, deep, endless giant passageway.

The walls on either side of the passageway were no ordinary brick or stone, but a special material neither metal nor jade, presenting a hazy gray hue like primordial chaos, its surface smooth as a mirror yet seemingly filled with endless minute particles slowly flowing, born and dying within.

At intervals, the walls were inlaid with a pair of ancient-style wall lamps emitting a soft chaos gleam, their shades resembling unopened lotus blossoms, the light not bright.

Yet it was enough to dispel darkness, illuminating the passageway floor and ceiling carved with bewilderingly complex chaos runes.

These runes were not static; like living things they slowly flowed and changed, exuding a vast, ancient, all-encompassing yet infinitely mysterious resonance.

The entire passageway was immersed in this pure "chaos" Dao resonance.

Unlike the frenzied, filthy, destruction-craving "pollution" aura of the outside world's Reverse Yuan Hall, the aura here, while equally profound and inscrutable, was more "ordered" and more "primordial".

"Is this… the inner passageway of the Chaos Palace?" Cang Xuan felt the pure, lofty chaos Dao resonance all around, his eyes widening in awe.

"Merely a passageway, yet it bears such grandeur; the Chaos Immortal King's Dao prowess back then was truly unfathomable."

Yu Liuli also gave a slight nod: "Although the aura here seems to share the same source as that pollution source, it is far more pure and tranquil; it appears the Chaos Immortal King, before his complete downfall, indeed made many arrangements, attempting to separate his 'good' side from his 'evil' side."

You Ying's figure appeared even more elusive amidst the chaos gleam as he silently sensed the surroundings:

"Spiritual energy flow is stable, but ahead there are strong restriction fluctuations, and… the auras of living beings, not just one."

Nine, perched on Wang Ping's shoulder, had become much quieter now; he opened his big eyes, curious yet with a hint of timidity, observing the surroundings.

"This place… feels both familiar and strange. Grandfather's scent… seems to be everywhere, yet also not quite the same."

Wang Ping understood. This place was the Chaos Immortal King's core residence and final self-seal, so naturally his aura and Dao resonance lingered everywhere.

And as Nine was the manifestation of the Immortal Pill he refined, his sensitivity to this was perfectly natural. He gently patted Nine and whispered, "Stay close to me."

The four proceeded cautiously along the passageway. The passageway was silent, only their footsteps echoing in the expanse.

The chaos runes on the walls seemed alive, their light faintly brightening and dimming as they approached or withdrew.

After advancing about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the passageway ahead suddenly opened into a huge circular hub hall. The hall's diameter exceeded a hundred zhang, its lofty ceiling likewise carved with the heavenly stars and chaos cloud chart.

Around the hall, several branching passages led in different directions; some were suffused with rich medicinal fragrance, others rang with the clashing of metal, possibly an armory or treasure vault.

Others emitted strong spatial fluctuations, likely teleportation arrays to other areas.

Yet in the hall's center stood four towering statues, each three zhang tall, sculpted entirely from chaos-hued crystal stone, depicting spear-wielding armored warriors.

These warrior statues bore a formidable aspect, ancient armor, blurred faces, only their eye sockets flickering with two clusters of icy flame, like solidified chaos.

The instant Wang Ping and his companions stepped into the hall, the flames in the eye sockets of the four statues blazed up fiercely!

"Hum!"

The four statues simultaneously came to life! Not like the previous illusory demon spirits formed from foul energy, but genuine guardians endowed with a protective duty—the "Chaos Stone Puppets"!

They moved in perfect unison, their spears condensed from chaos crystal slamming down with a dull thunderclap; a mighty pressure of late Nascent Soul level converged together, like an invisible wall blocking the four's path!

"Intruders, halt!" the lead Chaos Stone Puppet emitted a stiff, icy voice—not a spiritual sense fluctuation, but a direct vibration of air forming words: "Forbidden area of the Chaos Palace, none may enter without imperial decree!"

"We have come to aid the Chaos Immortal King!" Wang Ping stepped forward, speaking loudly, while releasing his pure chaos spiritual power and signaling Nine to emit a pure immortal-pill aura.

"The Immortal Palace's seal has loosened; outside, petty villains seek to break it and unleash calamity! We must go to the core to find a way to stabilize the seal or cleanse the pollution!"

The four Chaos Stone Puppets' movements seemed to pause for a moment, the flames in their eye sockets violently flickering, as if performing some identification and judgment.

They could sense Wang Ping's pure chaos aura, sharing the same source as the palace's origin, and also sense the familiar immortal-pill spirit on Nine, belonging to his master's crafted artifact—clearly different from their preset "intruders".

However, their core directive appeared extremely strict: "No master 'Chaos Edict' detected…… core area, passage forbidden…… violators…… expelled!"

After a brief hesitation, the lead stone puppet still issued the icy expulsion order; the four stone puppets stepped forward together, raising their spears toward the four, as immense chaos power began to coalesce, making the hall's air instantly viscous and heavy.

It seemed words and aura alone could not get them through. These stone puppets were evidently one of the Chaos Immortal King's last lines of defense, adhering strictly to the letter.

"No choice, we break through!" Cang Xuan's eyes hardened, his star sword intent flaring: "Though they possess late Nascent Soul strength and hold the terrain, they are ultimately lifeless objects with low sentience—we have a chance!"

"I will take the lead assault, draw their fire! Immortal Maiden Liuli's sound-wave interference, seek their energy core or control node! You Ying, seize the chance to destroy their joints or runes!"

"Wang Ping, fellow Daoist, your chaos power might work unusually on them—try to suppress or disrupt their energy operation!" Cang Xuan quickly assigned tactics.

"Good!" Wang Ping nodded, his Chaos Domain instantly unfurled; this time he did not employ the "Myriad Phenomena Return to the Abyss" ultimate intent, but adjusted the domain's nature toward "inclusivity", "assimilation", "guidance", attempting to resonate with or even interfere with the chaos power emitted by the stone puppets.

Battle erupted instantly!

The four Chaos Stone Puppets launched a fierce attack! Their steps were heavy yet swift; as their spears swung, they brought forth blades of condensed chaos aura, peerlessly sharp, imbued with a heavy force that shakes souls, and even provoked the hall's chaos runes to faintly glow, forming a suppressive field.

Cang Xuan let out a long cry, his body becoming sword light, actively charging two stone puppets! His Star-guiding Disk hovered above his head, scattering starlight, weakening the surrounding suppression.

The Sword of Law "Splitting Light, Fleeting Shadow" was unleashed to the fullest; countless sword qi like scattered stars clashed fiercely with the puppets' chaos blades, producing a dense ringing of metal.

His swordsmanship was exquisite, his body agile; though his strength fell slightly short of the puppets' combined might, relying on superb sword technique and law comprehension, he managed to entangle the two stone puppets.

Yu Liuli's Immortal Sound Bell trembled, its waves no longer clear and lingering, but transformed into streams of intangible yet substantive shock pulses, specifically striking the flames in the puppets' eye sockets and the rune seams at their bodily joints to impact and interfere.

Although the puppets' defense was extremely strong, under the continuous shockwave bombardment their movements showed extremely slight lag and stiffness.

You Ying, like a true phantom, flitted through the battlefield's edges and shadows. He did not clash head-on with the stone puppets, but seized each tiny opening created by Yu Liuli, or the moment the puppets shifted their attacks, to launch lightning-fast assassinations!

His short sword specializes in attacking the stone puppets' joints and connection points, the nodes where runes are carved, and other weak points; although it cannot destroy them in one blow, each attack leaves a fine crack on the stone puppet or temporarily dims a rune, accumulating little by little.

Wang Ping then activated the Chaos Domain, like a vast, gentle vortex enveloping the entire battlefield. He tried to use his own chaos spiritual power to contact and permeate the chaos energy flowing inside the stone puppet.

Initially met with strong repulsion, but as he continually adjusted the frequency, simulating a fluctuation sharing the stone puppet's energy source yet purer and more "ordered," the repulsion began to weaken. He could even faintly sense some "currents" of the stone puppet's energy flow!

"Their energy core is at the center of the chest, protected by layers of runes! Attacking there is not very effective!"

"But their connection points to the chaos runes on the ground and surrounding walls are at the ankles of both feet and the third segment of the spine on the back! Destroying the connection can greatly weaken their ability to draw power from the environment!"

Wang Ping, through the perception of the Chaos Domain, quickly discovered the key and immediately sent a mental message to everyone.

"Understood!" Cangxuan's sword style shifted, focusing even more on attacking the stone puppet's lower stance and back openings.

Yuliuli's sound waves also focused on those connection points. Youying, like a fish in water, specialized in launching surprise attacks at those fixed points.

The tactical adjustment took effect instantly! One stone puppet, after being struck repeatedly at the ankle joint by Cangxuan and then having its spinal node pierced from behind by Yinying, suddenly stiffened more than half, and the light on its surface rapidly dimmed.

Another was also continually disrupted by Wang Ping's Chaos Domain interfering with its internal energy flow, causing it to become sluggish.

Just as the four gradually gained the upper hand and were about to shatter these four stone puppets, an unexpected change occurred again!

At one side of the hall, from the side passage filled with strong medicinal fragrance, two figures suddenly rushed out!

One was pitch-black as ink, exuding a grim deathly aura—none other than the Netherworld clan elder who had previously presided over the blood sacrifice, Ming Gu!

His breath was somewhat disordered, his black robe torn; evidently he had also been caught up in the final energy explosion of the Hall of Reverse Origin, yet he still exuded the terrifying aura of a half-step Divine Transformation, his eyes filled with venom as they fixed on Wang Ping.

The other was a cultivator of the remnants wearing tarnished dark-gold immortal armor, his aura far weaker than Yun Shang's, his expression panicked; judging by his attire, he was likely a confidant or ally of Yun Shang, and he too had fled here.

They had evidently also entered the Chaos Palace precincts by some means—perhaps knowing other secret passages, or perhaps taking advantage of the seal's fissure fluctuations—and they too seemed intent on heading for the core area!

"It's you!", Ming Gu exclaimed upon seeing Wang Ping and the others, especially those locked in fierce combat with the stone puppets, his eyes flashing with killing intent.

"You've ruined my plans and still dare to reach for the core of the Chaos Palace? You're asking for death!"

Without a word, he thrust his palm forward, releasing a tightly condensed Netherworld death-light that carried a chill capable of freezing souls, shooting straight at Wang Ping, who was focused on disrupting the stone puppet; at the same time, the remnant cultivator at his side gritted his teeth and activated a damaged immortal sword treasure, attacking Yuliuli.

"Despicable!", Cangxuan shouted angrily, wanting to rush to aid, but was tightly entangled by two stone puppets.

Faced with the sudden attack, Wang Ping remained calm. He had prepared in advance; with a thought, the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Cauldron hovering above his head to nurture his qi shot out, instantly expanding to block before him!

"Boom!"

The Netherworld death-light slammed into the Eight Trigrams Purple Gold Cauldron, emitting a deep, muffled boom! The cauldron's body burst with purple-gold radiance, and the faint trace of Purple Extreme Elixir Fire at its base surged upward sharply!

The cauldron shuddered violently, but it ultimately blocked this half-step Divine Transformation strike! Wang Ping was shoved back several steps by the recoil, his qi and blood surging, yet he remained uninjured.

Meanwhile, on Yuliuli's side, the Immortal Sound Bell automatically protected its master, forming a seven-colored sound-wave shield that blocked the remnant cultivator's immortal sword attack; Yuliuli then countered with a condensed sound blade, forcing the opponent into frantic disarray.

Seeing this, Ming Gu grew even more enraged, about to strike again to completely eliminate Wang Ping, this grave threat—

"Traitor! Give me your life!"

A furious, sorrowful roar rang out from another side passage! Several streams of light shot forward, their leader none other than the remnant chieftain, Yun Hao!

Behind him followed three remnant warriors, including Qing Yu, who had previously entered the Immortal Palace.

Yun Hao's eyes were blood-red, fixed firmly on the remnant cultivator accompanying Ming Gu, as well as the direction where Yun Shang and others were presiding over the blood sacrifice in the Hall of Reverse Origin.

"Chieftain Yun Hao!", Wang Ping exclaimed, his heart lifting at the sight.

Yun Hao gave Wang Ping a slight nod as a greeting, but his gaze instantly locked onto the traitor:

"Yun Li! As a Guardian Elder, you dare collude with foreign demons, betray the ancestral teachings, plot to break the seal and unleash calamity! Today I, on behalf of our ancestors, will purge the sect!"

The traitor named Yun Li turned deathly pale, clearly fearful of Yun Hao, yet he forced himself to stay calm: "Yun Hao! You know nothing! The Immortal King has fallen, the seal will surely shatter! Only by borrowing the power of the Return to the Void can our clan escape this eternal prison and be reborn! Elder Yun Shang is right!"

"Ming Gu, you're insensate!", Yun Hao snarled, the strange weapon in his hand flaring with piercing azure light as he shot like lightning toward Yun Li; those behind him, Qing Yu and the others, formed an array to attack Ming Gu, clearly aiming to buy Yun Hao time to purge the sect while also restraining this strongest foe.

Faced with the combined assault of Qing Yu and his two companions, Ming Gu felt no fear, yet was temporarily entangled. He glanced at Wang Ping's party swiftly dispatching the stone puppets and at the imposing Yun Hao, realizing that today's affair could not succeed; if they continued to entangle, he would surely fall here.

"Hmph! A bunch of fools! When the seal is completely shattered and the Return to the Void's power sweeps across, let's see how long you can remain arrogant!", Ming Gu spat venomously, sweeping his gaze over everyone, especially fixing a deep stare on Wang Ping as if to etch him into his soul.

Immediately, he ardently activated a secret technique; the deathly Netherworld aura around him exploded, transforming into countless phantoms that scattered in all directions, temporarily driving back Qing Yu and his two companions.

At the same instant, his form turned into a wisp of black smoke, fleeing with great speed back along the medicinal-fragrance side passage, vanishing in the blink of an eye! Seeing the situation turn sour, he outright abandoned his companions and escaped.

As for Yun Li, under Yun Hao's angry strike, his strength already inferior and his resolve shaken, after just a few exchanges he was cleaved by Yun Hao's blade, his protective immortal light shattered, he fell heavily wounded, and was subdued by the arriving remnant warriors.

At the same time, Wang Ping and his three companions finally joined forces, shattering the last two Chaos Stone Puppets whose energy links had been greatly weakened; the puppets collapsed into four inert statues, the flames in their eye sockets utterly extinguished.

Within the hall, peace was temporarily restored, leaving only lingering energy fluctuations and a faint scent of blood.

Yun Hao subdued Yun Li, then hurried to Wang Ping and the others, his face bearing a complex expression—both grateful and heavy: "Many thanks, fellow cultivators, for your warnings and assistance outside the Immortal Palace earlier. I never imagined our own people would have decayed to this extent! Yun Shang and the others… are truly bringing about their own ruin!"

Wang Ping shook his head: "Chieftain Yun Hao, no need for courtesy; the seal is of great importance. How now stands the Hall of Reverse Origin?"

Yun Hao's face darkened as he spoke solemnly: "When I arrived, the blood sacrifice had reached its final stage; that 'Return to the Void Blood Core' resonated deeply with the pollution source within the seal, a terrifying aura had fully awakened and was now frantically assaulting the seal."

The area of the Hall of Reverse Origin has been completely inundated by corrupt energy; space is extremely unstable, and I cannot approach.

Yun Shang and that remnant thought of the Immortal King… likely have either fused with the rampaging pollution source or been devoured by it. Now we can only hope that the final measure left by the Immortal King deep within the Chaos Palace can turn the tide.

Hearing this, everyone's hearts grew heavier. Time truly is short.

"No delay; we must proceed at once to the core of the Chaos Palace!", Wang Ping declared resolutely.

"These stone puppets guarding the way must be the proper path to the core area.", he pointed to the broadest passage straight ahead of the hall, where the Chaos Dao rhythm was thickest and there were no side branches.

Yun Hao nodded: "I will go with you! After purging the sect, guarding the seal is our remnant people's foremost duty!"

Thereupon, they lingered no longer. Wang Ping, Cangxuan, Yuliuli, Yinying, Yun Hao, and the three remnant warriors including Qing Yu—eight in total—swiftly hurried toward that core passage.

The passage was even more magnificent than the previous corridor; the chaos runes etched on its walls grew denser and more profound, the Dao rhythm they emitted almost solidified, making one feel as if trekking through the primordial chaos ocean.

The invisible pressure grew ever greater; were it not for the group's profound cultivation and Wang Ping clearing the way with his Chaos Domain to offset part of the pressure, advancing would have been difficult.

After walking a full quarter hour, the end finally came into view—a towering gate ten zhang high, immensely heavy, its entire body suffused with the purest chaos hue!

The gate stood shut, its surface smooth as a mirror, reflecting the diminutive figures of those before it. Upon it were no handles, keyholes, or other mechanisms; only at the center was etched an enormous ancient symbol that seemed to contain the ultimate principle of cosmic birth and death—an exceedingly complex, ever-shifting "Chaos" true script!

Merely gazing at this symbol made everyone's souls sway, as if about to plunge into the boundless chaos sea. Around the gate, space congealed, time seemed to stall, and an aura of inviolability and eternal stillness permeated the air.

"The gate to the Main Hall of the Chaos Palace Core…", Yun Hao gazed up at the massive door, his voice tinged with awe.

"According to ancestral teachings, this gate opens only for those who possess the purest Chaos True Intent and harbor a sincere desire to guard, who knock in a specific manner; a forcible attack would only provoke the Chaos backlash lurking within, destroying both form and spirit."

"Chaos True Intent…", everyone's eyes involuntarily turned to Wang Ping; among those present, he alone cultivated the orthodox Chaos Dao.

Wang Ping took a deep breath, stepped forward, and stopped at a distance of three zhang from the Giant Gate. He stared at the ever-changing 'Chaos' true inscription on the gate, his mind gradually immersing, resonating with his own Chaos Nascent Soul.

He knew that the so-called 'knocking on the gate' was not a physical strike. He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing up, and focused his intent.

First, it was the pure power of his own Chaos Nascent Soul, transforming into a soft, tranquil grayish light pillar that shot from his palm and poured into the 'Chaos' true inscription. The inscription glowed faintly, but the gate remained still.

Wang Ping's mind stirred again; within his dantian, the illusory form of the 'Chaos Immortal Sword'—condensed from his comprehension of the Chaos Immortal Scripture inheritance obtained from the Sutra Pavilion, which had been nurturing him all along—though not yet fully solidified, already took shape and let out a clear, ringing sword chime.

A more condensed strand of Chaos Sword Qi, imbued with supreme sharpness and the intent of opening heaven, followed closely, pouring into the inscription! The inscription's light grew brighter, and it began to slowly rotate.

Finally, Wang Ping recalled the true meaning of the 'Chaos Opening Heaven Seal' recorded in the second volume of the Chaos Immortal Scripture; though he had not mastered it, he had already grasped a hint of its divine essence.

Combining his complete understanding of the Chaos Dao, he simulated a tiny yet profound illusory Dao seal containing the intent of opening heaven and earth and evolving all things, gently pushed it out, and merged it into the rotating inscription!

"With my Chaos Dao, I inherit the Immortal King's legacy, to protect the peace of this realm, I earnestly plead: open the gate!"

As Wang Ping's sincere intent merged with the united 'Chaos True Intent'—combining the origin of his Chaos Nascent Soul, the sharpness of the Chaos Immortal Sword, and the artistic conception of the Chaos Opening Heaven Seal—he fully poured it into the 'Chaos' true inscription——

Boom——

The enormous Chaos Gate shuddered violently! The 'Chaos' true inscription on the gate burst forth with unprecedented brilliant light, the light not a single hue.

Rather, it contained the source of all colors in the world, ultimately returning to Chaos! The light flowed and quickly spread across the entire gate.