Chapter 342

This infusion was completely different from before. The quality of the chaotic immortal essence was too high, so high that even the formation hub pattern emitted a joyful tremor.

The originally dim rune lines, like drought meeting sweet rain, instantly lit up, bursting forth with chaotic radiance even more brilliant than its former peak!

The light spread wildly along the formation hub and the connection context of the entire "Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Chaos Suppression Source Great Formation"!

First affected were the three stone pillars that had just been repaired, and due to the ritual interruption had become unstable again.

Chaotic light poured in, and the "Mending Heaven Formation Patterns" on the pillar bodies, as if infused with a soul, blazed with light, merging more tightly with the pillars, cracks completely vanishing, the emitted sealing golden light becoming solid and resilient.

Immediately after, the remaining thirty-three stone pillars also trembled in unison, the golden rune light hovering atop them surged, the projected golden light threads becoming thicker and denser, intertwining into the sealing light net.

Becoming thick and bright at a visible speed, the suppressing power it emitted suddenly increased by several times or more!

At the altar's summit, that "Primal Chaos Source" seemed enraged by this sudden, powerful and pure order-suppressing force, writhing and colliding even more frenziedly, releasing an even thicker foul aura.

But this time, what it struck was no longer a trembling, on-the-verge-of-collapse net, but an "iron wall" of incredible resilience, infused with chaotic purification power!

The foul aura striking the light net was like cold water splashed on a red-hot iron plate, emitting a loud "hiss," rapidly evaporated and purified, actually unable to erode and penetrate as quickly as before!

The entire main hall, due to the sealing great formation being powerfully reactivated, had its chaotic and oppressive aura swept away, replaced by a stable, heavy, almost ancient-suppressing magnificent atmosphere! Even the lingering "disorder pollution waves" in the air were largely scoured and purified by this sudden burst of order power.

And Wang Ping sat cross-legged at the formation hub's center, his hundred-zhang chaotic domain naturally unfolding, faintly resonating with the hall's sealing formation.

His complexion remained somewhat pale, a manifestation of the sudden massive output of power, but his breath was steady as a mountain, his eyes sharp as stars.

Wang Ping pressed his hands voidly onto the formation hub, like a divine needle stabilizing the sea, continuously transforming his own chaotic immortal essence and domain power into the order energy most suited to the great formation, maintaining this sealing state far surpassing before.

He successfully stabilized the formation eye! Relying on his newly born power, he forcefully drove the "Chaos Sealing Technique" to an unprecedented height!

But, this was only internal.

The external crisis remained unresolved.

Outside the Chaos Palace gates, Iron Yue Old Chieftain's self-detonation light had already reached the critical point of explosion. The Netherbone Elder's netherworld death light was only a hair's breadth from his chest!

And Wang Ping's divine sense, leveraging the surge in perception from his breakthrough and the extension of his hundred-zhang domain, though the domain did not directly penetrate the gates, its resonance with the formation made him extraordinarily sensitive to the energy fluctuations at the gates, allowing him to "see" the critical scene outside with perfect clarity.

He must not self-detonate! If Iron Yue dies, the last organized resistance before the gates will completely collapse, and the gates themselves may not be preserved!

Nor must Netherbone succeed!

A cold light flashed in Wang Ping's eyes; his left hand pressed on the formation hub remained motionless, continuing to maintain the powerful seal output. His freed right hand, fingers together like a sword, facing the direction of the main hall's entrance gate, from afar, lightly traced a stroke.

No earth-shaking momentum.

Only a barely perceptible, chaotic five-colored light, flashing from his fingertip and vanishing, as if merging into the void.

The next moment——

Outside the Chaos Palace's immensely thick, crack-ridden, dim-light gate.

The Netherbone Elder, focusing all his mind and power on self-detonation and killing Iron Yue, suddenly felt a premonition! An icy, bone-piercing sensation, as if able to sever fate and annihilate souls, a death crisis feeling, seized him without warning!

He startled and looked up, only to see before him, at the center of the originally dim-light Chaos Palace gate, a fine, chaotic five-colored fissure silently appear.

Immediately after, a thread of light, refined to the extreme, chaotic in hue, no thicker than a hair, shot out silently from the fissure!

This light's speed was not fast, even somewhat casual.

But the moment it appeared, the Netherbone Elder's netherworld death light, capable of heavily wounding or even killing Iron Yue, like snow under sunlight, silently……melted away.

Not shattered, not blocked, but as if it had never existed, being "embraced," "decomposed," "returned to nothingness" by that chaotic light!

Immediately after, the chaotic light's trajectory unchanged, it lightly swept past Iron Yue Old Chieftain's front.

The self-detonation energy on Iron Yue's body, fierce to the extreme and about to lose control, being swept by this light, as if gently smoothed by an invisible great hand, the violent energy turbulence instantly became docile and peaceful, then……rapidly dissipated and dissolved, returning to heaven and earth. Iron Yue himself only felt a gentle yet boundless power surge into his body, not only suppressing his self-detonation but also instantly repairing his most severe injuries, safeguarding his collapsing heart meridian and nascent soul. He stood dazed, his violent aura rapidly declining, becoming stable yet weak, but his life……was preserved!

Finally, that chaotic light, as if "casually," drifted toward the horrified, trying to retreat Netherbone Elder……

"No! What is this?!" The Netherbone Elder's soul nearly fled; he had never felt such a strange and terrifying power! That light clearly looked insignificant, not fast, yet gave him a sense of inevitability, unavoidable, unavoidable, destined to be "assimilated" by it—a great terror!

He frantically mobilized netherworld death qi, laying layer upon layer of ghost qi shield walls before him, sacrificed several protective treasures, even unwilling to spare his essence blood again, displaying escape techniques.

However, it was all in vain.

The chaotic light lightly drifted past.

The ghost qi shield walls, like thin mist meeting morning sun, dissipated.

The protective treasures, their spiritual light instantly dimmed, like ordinary iron, then structure collapsed, turning into flying ash.

The Netherbone Elder's protective spiritual light could not even block for an instant.

The light contacted his body.

No intense pain, no explosion.

The Netherbone Elder only felt an indescribable power, embracing all yet ending all, penetrate his body. His internal surging netherworld death qi.

His cultivated ghost dao laws, his powerful half-step god-transforming nascent soul……before this power, like a sandcastle meeting a tsunami, rapidly collapsed, melted, being "returned" to the most basic, most disordered energy particles, then……dissipated into the formless.

He opened his mouth, wanting to utter a final curse or scream, but found he could not even make a sound. His body, from the point touched by the light, rapidly became transparent and illusory, like a pencil drawing erased by an eraser, in a few breaths, completely vanished from this heaven and earth, leaving not a trace, as if never existed.

The venerable half-step god-transforming Netherbone Elder, who had once brought great pressure to Wang Ping and plotted the blood sacrifice conspiracy, thus, was erased by Wang Ping's distant finger, lightly and casually……wiped out.

Before the Chaos Palace gates, a deathly silence.

Whether those blinded by greed, preparing to rush in with Netherbone to seize the "treasure," otherworldly heavenly pride and Netherbone cultivators, or the death-escaping, at-a-loss remnants like Iron Yue and other surviving warriors, all stared dumbfounded, as if under an immobilization spell.

What did they see?

That unassuming chaotic five-colored light, shooting from the gate's fissure, first easily dissolved Netherbone's killing move, smoothed Iron Yue's self-detonation, then……just "drifted" past Netherbone, and Netherbone……was gone?

What level of power is this?! God Transformation? Or even……higher?

Boundless fear, like ice water instantly extinguishing everyone's heart's greed fire. Those otherworldly heavenly pride's faces turned pale, bodies trembling, the few who had shouted the loudest earlier now had wet and cold trousers. Netherbone cultivators were even more soul-scattered, their leader so strangely and terrifyingly erased, they had no fighting spirit left.

"Escape……run quickly!"

Unknown who let out a mournful scream, breaking the silence.

Boom! The enemies gathered before the gates, instantly scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing desperately along their route, only hating their parents for not giving them two more legs, fearing that terrifying chaotic light would reappear and also "wipe" them out.

Iron Yue Old Chieftain and the surviving remnant warriors, having survived the catastrophe, looked at each other, then turned toward the gates, now restored to stability, the fissures in the chaotic light slowly healing, their eyes filled with boundless awe, excitement, and……hope.

"Is it inside……is it Daoist Wang Ping and them……who succeeded?" Iron Yue's voice trembled, old tears streaming.

……

Inside the main hall.

Wang Ping slowly withdrew his right hand, his face growing even paler, fine beads of sweat even seeping from his forehead. Striking from afar, casually obliterating a half-step God Transformation cultivator seemed effortless, but in reality it consumed him greatly—his recently broken-through, still unstable realm and that precious strand of Chaotic Immortal Essence bore the brunt. Had Ming Gu not already been gravely wounded, utterly defenseless, and the Chaotic Five-Colored Divine Light not supremely restrained his yin death qi, such an easy victory would have been nearly impossible.

But the effect was significant. The greatest external threat, Ming Gu, had been eliminated. Enemy morale collapsed, making effective reorganization impossible in the short term. Tie Yue and the others were temporarily safe; the sect crisis was resolved.

He drew a deep breath, suppressing the surging qi and blood, and his gaze returned to the altar.

The remnants of the Chaotic Source Fire were finally extinguished under the relentless erosion of that black ray. But having lost its target, and with the sealing array suddenly strengthened, the black ray's power greatly diminished, slowly retracting back into the "Primordial Chaos" within.

The dark mass on the altar seemed to wilt somewhat, having lost that concentrated ray's power and now under stronger sealing suppression; its writhing amplitude had decreased considerably. Yet the heart-pounding chaos and destruction essence within remained unchanged.

The crisis was only temporarily eased, far from eradicated.

Wang Ping's gaze swept across the surroundings.

Cang Xuan, Yu Liuli, Yun Hao, and others remained unconscious on the ground, their breaths weak, but under the vitality and order power emanating from his recent breakthrough, plus the medicinal pills fed by You Ying earlier, their condition seemed somewhat stabilized, at least no longer in immediate danger of death.

The faint glow where Jiu Er was remained weak, but appeared no longer to continue dimming.

You Ying's aura still hid in the shadows of the hall's entrance, like a silent reef.

Wang Ping felt somewhat relieved. The urgent task was to stabilize his newly broken-through realm, fully digest the power from this transformation, maintain this strengthened seal state, and find a way to heal his companions.

He closed his eyes again, hands steady on the array nexus, maintaining the operation of the "Chaotic Seal Technique" while fully circulating the《Chaotic Immortal Classic》, guiding the newborn Chaotic Immortal Essence within his body to circulate through the meridians, consolidating his late Nascent Soul cultivation, familiarizing himself with the surging power and new divine abilities.

The naturally circulating hundred-zhang Chaotic Domain resonated with the hall's sealing array, forming a relatively stable energy cycle, reducing his consumption.

Time, in the brief calm after pressure, flowed slowly.

Wang Ping knew this calm was merely the eye of the storm. Though external foes had retreated, the "Primordial Chaos" remained, his companions were gravely wounded and unhealed, Jiu Er hovered near death, and perhaps scattered traitors and greedy ones still lurked outside the Immortal Palace. He must recover quickly and find his next course of action.

The faint hope of "transformation" or "return to the void" mentioned in the residual will of the Immortal King……that strand already fused with his divine script, the "Spirit of the Chaotic Source Fire"……perhaps the key lay therein.

As Wang Ping focused on consolidation, in his sea of consciousness, the "Seal" divine character fused with the fire spirit's essence pulsed weakly again—this time not a mere thought, but a clearer, more concrete……legacy message.

Concerning the legend of the "Chaotic Purification Lotus," concerning fragmented information about an ancient ritual possibly capable of purifying—or at least temporarily sealing—the "Primordial Chaos," like a torn scroll, it slowly unfurled……

In Wang Ping's sea of consciousness, the fragmented scroll about the "Chaotic Purification Lotus" was slowly unfolding, conveying ancient and obscure information. Meanwhile, his Chaotic Immortal Essence circulated without cease, consolidating his late Nascent Soul realm; the hundred-zhang Chaotic Domain resonated with the great sealing array, maintaining strong suppression of the "Primordial Chaos."

Within the main hall lingered a brief calm before the storm. The severely wounded and unconscious Cang Xuan, Yu Liuli, Yun Hao, and others breathed weakly but steadily.

At the edge of the array nexus, Jiu Er's faint glow also seemed to stabilize, no longer dimming. You Ying's aura remained hidden in the entrance shadows, like the most loyal sentinel.

However, this calm did not last long.

Wang Ping's perception, deeply linked to the array and unusually sharp due to his breakthrough, first detected the anomaly—not from the altar's "Primordial Chaos," but from outside the Chaotic Palace, from the entire Immortal Palace's outer perimeter!

The enemies who had fled in panic after Ming Gu's obliteration seemed not to have fully given up.

After the brief panic and chaos, those utterly consumed by greed, or whose interests were too deeply entwined with the Yin Clan and rebel remnants, under the instigation and coercion of likely remaining Yin Clan chieftains or rebel leaders, actually regrouped!

Moreover, this time their assault was even more frenzied, even more reckless!

"Over at the Abyssal Ravine… the Soul Wind Wall is weakening! Someone is forcibly polluting and eroding it with filthy blood and vengeful spirits!"

Through the array's threads, Wang Ping's spirit faintly sensed cries from a distant ravine—that was the Soul Wind Wall forged by Feng Qi and other female warriors with their lives, now being attacked by the enemy in the most vicious way, its light rapidly fading, that pure protective will being eroded by filth.

"At the Broken Dragon Stone… traitors are undermining the seal's foundations from within!" another ominous feeling came. As a natural chokepoint, the Broken Dragon Stone's strength lay not only in the rock itself, but also in the protective seals carved by generations of survivors. If a traitor familiar with the internals struck from a relatively weak internal node, destruction speed would far exceed external assault.

The most immediate threat, however, came from the front gate of the Chaotic Palace!

Though Ming Gu was dead and the dragons leaderless, the remaining enemy numbers were still considerable, and not lacking in ruthless Nascent Soul mid-to-late stage cultivators. After the initial panic subsided, greed for the "Immortal Palace Core Treasure" and "Chaotic Immortal King Legacy," and possibly existing death-orders from higher Yin Clan echelons or fallen survivors, drove them to surge again toward the gate.

Tie Yue, the old chieftain, and the mere dozen or so surviving survivor warriors, though their lives were spared by Wang Ping's earlier finger and their injuries somewhat eased, were already spent arrows. Facing a tide-like renewed surge of frenzied enemies, their defenses were like sandcastles on the beach, collapsing rapidly under each impact.

Boom! Rumble!

Violent explosion sounds, the sharp shriek of energy collisions, dying roars and wails—even through the heavy Chaotic Palace gates and layered internal seals—faintly transmitted into the main hall, bringing dull, continuous tremors. Dust from the ceiling fell densely, and the ground's minute tremors never ceased.

Wang Ping's brows knotted tight. He had just broken through, his realm unstable, his Chaotic Immortal Essence barely a thread; maintaining even the enhanced version of the "Chaotic Seal Technique" was already a considerable burden. His earlier long-range strike, the "Chaotic Five-Colored Divine Light" that killed Ming Gu, though it seemed casual, had actually consumed greatly, making it difficult in the short term to unleash another such precise and powerful long-range attack.

He could feel the defenses at the gate rapidly collapsing. Tie Yue and the others couldn't hold out much longer. Once the gate fell and enemies flooded into the Chaotic Palace, even with his greatly increased strength, he could hardly hope to protect the many unconscious companions, maintain the seal, and resist the swarming foes. Moreover, the continuous external shocks and energy interference had already begun to negatively affect the recently stabilized internal sealing array; the "Primordial Chaos" on the altar seemed to sense the outer chaos, its writhing amplitude showing a trend of increase.

"I must quickly complete the condensation of the 'Chaotic Purification Lotus' in my sea of consciousness……perhaps that is the key to solving the problem……" Wang Ping felt anxious, accelerating his analysis of the fragmented legacy information. But this information was too ancient and profound; even with the aid of the Chaotic Source Fire Spirit, understanding it was extremely time-consuming.

Time! What we lack most is time!

……

Outside the Chaotic Palace gates.

The battle had reached its most tragic climax.

Tie Yue the old chieftain was again pierced through the shoulder blade by a bone spear of a Yin Clan mid-Nascent Soul cultivator, nailed viciously to the broken gate base, blood gushing. Beside him, fewer than five survivor warriors could still stand, each wounded, surrounded by enemies numbering tens of times their own. The enemies' eyes gleamed with greed, cruelty, and the excitement of imminent victory.

"Old bastard, get lost! Otherwise I'll scatter your soul and spirit!" a tawny-winged demon cultivator from some demonic realm sneered, his demonic blade dripping blood.

"The gate seal is seventy percent broken! Push harder! The treasures inside are ours!" a traitor shouted in the crowd.

Tie Yue coughed blood, staring at the ferocious faces before him, then glanced behind at the gate's light—steady yet still showing signs of dimness—his eyes flashing a trace of despair, but more so a resolute calm. He struggled, trying to gather his last strength, even if self-detonation, to block for just another moment.

However, his wounds were too severe, his spiritual power exhausted, making even self-detonation difficult.

Just as the enemies prepared to launch their final total assault, to utterly destroy this weak resistance and blast open the Chaotic Palace gates——

Anomaly came—not from within the gates, but from beneath their feet, from this very space itself!

Hum……

An extremely slight tremor, yet seeming to act directly on the soul level, appeared without warning. Next, centered on the Chaotic Palace gates, within a radius of several hundred zhang, light began to become……unreal.

Not darkening, not distorting, but a kind of indescribable "virtualization." As if the scene before one's eyes, the ground beneath one's feet, even the energy suffusing the air, were being gradually drawn out of "reality," brushed with a gray filter hovering between existence and non-existence. Even sound began to grow distant and distorted.

"What's happening?!"

"My spiritual power……can't circulate smoothly!"

"Space……space is rejecting me?!"

The enemies panicked, discovering their spiritual power mobilization had become sluggish, their connection to heavenly and earthly spiritual qi weakened, even standing feeling a kind of groundless instability, as if stepping on cotton. Some attempting to attack or evasion techniques found their spell effects greatly diminished, their forms stumbling.

Meanwhile, Tie Yue and the other survivor warriors, though similarly feeling discomfort, seemed to experience the effect slightly less, faintly sensing this "virtualization" power was not aimed at them, even……carrying a familiar, icy protective intent.

"This is……" Tie Yue's turbid old eyes suddenly burst with incredulous light, gazing toward the Chaotic Palace gate direction, as if trying to pierce the thick doors to see someone inside.

……

Core main hall, entrance shadow.

The figure of the Nether Shadow had fully manifested at some unknown time. He no longer concealed himself, simply standing quietly inside the entrance of the great hall, his back to the inner altar and Wang Ping and the others, his face turned toward the heavy door that sealed the inside from the outside.

His black robe moved without wind, not due to the undulation of spiritual power, but because some more essential force was being stripped from within him and burned away.

His always pallid face now bore a near-transparent hue, through which the faint blue veins beneath his skin could be clearly seen, as well as the blood within those vessels gradually losing its luster and turning dim—this was the unique bloodline power of the Void Clan fading away.

His gaze remained as calm as ten-thousand-year-old ice, even colder and more hollow than before, as if all emotion and all warmth had been completely sealed away, or perhaps… sacrificed.