Chapter 343

Void…… Eternal Seal.

Youying's lips twitched slightly, making no sound, yet these four words seemed to be directly branded onto the spatial law that was undergoing illusory transformation.

The Void Clan, an ancient lineage born in the cracks of space, wandering between the real and the illusory. Their innate divine abilities are related to space, and 'Void Eternal Seal' is one of the ultimate secret techniques inherited in their bloodline—most forbidden, with the harshest price.

This technique is neither an attack nor a defense, but a sacrifice.

Using the practitioner's complete Void Clan bloodline as 'fuel' and the entirety of their divine soul origin as the 'fuse', it forcibly activates the deepest spatial law.

It temporarily 'severs' and 'illusorifies' the real space of a designated area from the current world, forming an independent existence, a near-'imaginary space' isolation zone.

Within this 'Eternal Seal'-ed void domain, internal and external laws are temporarily isolated. External attacks struggle to effectively penetrate or affect the interior.

The interior also cannot easily break through to the exterior. It is like blowing an independent, sturdy 'soap bubble' on the surface of real-world water.

The price is——the practitioner's bloodline will be completely burned away, and their divine soul will fall into the deepest, near-eternal 'slumber' due to overconsumption and backlash from the void law.

This slumber is no different from death, and even more cruel. For the divine soul does not dissipate, but loses all vitality and perception, like an insect sealed in amber, consciousness forever frozen at the moment before casting the forbidden art, 'asleep' in endless void and loneliness.

The possibility of awakening…… is minuscule, nearly zero.

Youying chose this path.

He saw the outer defenses collapsing, saw the gate about to be breached, and sensed that Wang Ping was at a critical moment, unable to divert attention, and even less able to resist enemies from afar again.

As an assassin, he was accustomed to calculating gains and losses in the shadows, choosing the most effective way to achieve his goal.

At this moment, buying time, creating an absolutely stable environment for the interior to complete the seal, is the core objective.

And 'Void Eternal Seal' is the only method, in the current situation, by which he alone can achieve this goal.

As for the price…… from the moment he decided to cast it, he had already struck it from the 'cost' column and regarded it as an 'inevitable result'.

Just as he had done countless times on assassination missions, disregarding his own life and death, this time 'death' was replaced with 'eternal slumber'.

He slowly raised his hands, his ten fingers like plucking invisible strings, tracing in front of him one after another imperceptible trajectory that stirred the deepest undulations of space.

Within his body, the pale azure Void Clan blood boiled and evaporated completely, turning into wisps of grayish mist that merged with the surrounding space.

His divine soul, like a candle in the wind, swiftly dimmed and shrank, ultimately becoming a single point of core, icy thought‑fire, poured into the forming structure of the void law.

With his movements, the space at the hall's entrance underwent a sudden deepening of 'illusoryfication'!

The gate itself seemed to turn into a hazy illusion, and the vibrations and sounds from the outside were completely isolated and vanished.

A strong and stable 'isolation' force formed, temporarily severing the core area of the Chaos Palace from the external Immortal Palace.

Youying's figure, at the instant the final trajectory was completed, became completely transparent, like a reflection in water that a breeze could scatter. His pair of icy eyes, finally, seemed to very slightly… blink toward the hall's interior, toward the altar.

No farewell, no words.

Then that translucent figure crumbled like a sand sculpture, turning into countless tiny specks of dim silver light—space dust—that drifted evenly and merged into the 'Void Eternal Seal' region he had created with his life as payment, becoming the most fundamental 'cornerstone' and 'fuel' sustaining that isolation zone.

At the entrance, only an absolute, icy silence remained, along with that hazy, isolating illusory space.

Void Clan Youying, here, fell into Void Eternal Seal, eternal slumber.

Inside the main hall.

Just at the moment Youying's figure crumbled and completely merged into the void——

Wang Ping's sea of consciousness analysis of the 'Chaos Purifying World Lotus' was abruptly cut off! An intense, indescribable feeling—mingling cold, loneliness, resolve, and sacrifice—like an ice needle fiercely pierced his mind!

This feeling was not an attack, but a resonance, born from fighting side‑by‑side with Youying through life and death, an instinctive awareness of a companion's life‑fire suddenly extinguished and sacrificed in the most brutal way!

Youying——!!!

Wang Ping flung his eyes wide, his sockets about to burst, and let out a heart‑rending roar!

He instantly understood what had happened! The entrance's sudden solidification, the space‑wave that isolated everything, that icy, annihilating will of sacrifice…… was Youying!

He had used some forbidden technique, paid an irrecoverable price, and bought them this final time—gained through his eternal slumber!

Almost simultaneously——

'Puff!' Not far away, the unconscious Cangxuan's body shuddered violently, he spat out a mouthful of blood, and actually struggled half‑awake from his coma!

He cultivated the 'Sword of Law', his sword heart clear, most sensitive to the intentions of slaughter, sacrifice, and resolve.

Youying's ultimate, icy will of sacrifice, like the sharpest blade, pierced his comatose state.

'No…… impossible…' Cangxuan's voice hoarse, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins and endless grief, he struggled to sit up, but collapsed again from his severe injuries, only able to prop himself with his sword, staring fixedly at the entrance.

On the other side, the faint point of immortal soul light at Yuliuli's brow also began to throb violently. She cultivated immortal sound and divine soul, being extraordinarily sensitive to mental‑wave fluctuations.

The last faint ripple of annihilation before Youying's divine soul merged into the void let her, even in coma, feel that deep sorrow and guardianship. A clear tear slid silently from the corner of her tightly shut eyes.

Yunhao and the other surviving warriors, though not yet awakened, all shuddered involuntarily, as if some deep‑blooded lament of those holding the defense line had been triggered.

Even at the edge of the formation hub, Jiu er's faint glow also seemed to sense this heavy sorrow, flickering ever so slightly, like a mournful glimmer.

Grief and indignation! Like volcanic magma, it instantly erupted and surged in the chests of Wang Ping, Cangxuan, and the barely conscious Yuliuli.

They had journeyed together all the way, from the outskirts of the Azure Void Heavenly Domain, to the convergence of Immortal Keys, opening the Immortal Palace, jointly resisting strong foes, venturing into perilous places.

Youying spoke the least, his presence sometimes even faint, yet he was always the one who solved troubles from the shadows and delivered a crucial strike in critical moments—a reliable companion. He was like the team's silent cornerstone, an icy blade.

And now, this cornerstone, in order to buy them time and guard the seal, resolutely…… burned himself out! Slumbering in the eternal void, crueler than death!

Ah——!!!

Wang Ping raised his head and let out a long howl, his voice filled with endless grief, pain, and self‑blame! If he were a bit stronger, if he could break through faster, if he could stabilize the seal earlier…… Youying might not have had to……

But this grief did not crush him; instead, like ice tempered by fire, it forged his mind‑spirit to be harder, colder, and more resolute!

The time bought by Youying's eternal slumber cannot be wasted a single second! His sacrifice must not be in vain!

'Chaos Purifying World Lotus…' Wang Ping forcibly suppressed his surging emotions, his eyes blood‑red yet sharp as ten‑thousand‑year‑old black ice. The fragmented inheritance information in his sea of consciousness, under the impetus of this extreme grief and guardianship will, seemed to be infused with a soul, and comprehension speed suddenly surged!

He understood! The so‑called 'Chaos Purifying World Lotus' is not an actual lotus flower, but a law‑manifestation formed by taking pure chaotic power and order will as its core, simulating the image of 'chaos first opening, lotus bearing the world', and condensing it.

This lotus embodies the three true meanings of 'purification', 'suppression', and 'evolution'; it can temporarily 'envelop', 'soothe', or even 'transform' a portion of the violent 'chaotic origin', buying more time for a complete seal or seeking the ultimate solution.

Condensing this lotus requires a vast amount of high‑quality chaotic power, a steadfast will to uphold order, and moreover…… a catalyst capable of resonating with or opposing the 'chaotic origin'!

Wang Ping's gaze suddenly swept onto the cluster of 'chaotic origin' on the altar, then toward the 'Suppressing Character Divine Rune' in his sea of consciousness—a glyph fused with the spirit of chaotic source fire—and finally rested on the faintly glowing Jiu er at the edge of the formation hub.

Jiu Er, transformed from the Nine-Revolutions Soul-Returning Immortal Pill refined by the Chaos Immortal King using the Supreme Pill Dao, its essence is the ultimate "order" and "vitality", and it is connected to the origin of the Immortal Palace and the power of "creation" in pill refining…… Perhaps it could serve as part of that "primer"? But Jiu Er's current state is too poor, almost on the verge of disintegration……

No! There's still a "primer"!

Wang Ping felt a flash of pain in his eyes, but it was instantly replaced by resolve. He looked toward the illusory space at the entrance, sensing the lingering, icy and pure will of "Void" and "Separation" left by Nether Shadow.

"Nether Shadow…… your sacrifice, your will…… will also become part of this 'Purifying World Lotus'!" Wang Ping thought silently, "Taking Void as petal, separating chaos."

Taking Source Fire as stamen, purifying disorder; taking Chaos as stem, evolving order; taking our protective hearts as root…… condense!

"Cang Xuan! Yu Liuli Immortal Maiden!" Wang Ping shouted hoarsely, his voice carrying undeniable resolve, "Lend me your strength! Pour all your power and will into me! Complete this final seal!"

Cang Xuan, upon hearing this, even though his bones were about to shatter and his spiritual power dried up, gritted his teeth, turning the last trace of his sword-heart will into a pure, unbending sword intent ray, shooting toward Wang Ping.

Yu Liuli struggled, using her last strength to shake the Immortal Sound Bell, emitting a faint yet supremely pure ripple of immortal sound, filled with comfort and firm belief, merging into Wang Ping's surrounding domain.

Wang Ping himself poured all his grief, all his responsibility, all his protective conviction into himself! He ignited that precious strand of chaos immortal essence completely, contracting and condensing the hundred-zhang chaos domain, and pushed the power of the "Zhen" glyph in his sea of consciousness to the extreme!

He raised his hands, no longer pressing toward the formation hub, but instead holding them aloft before his chest, beginning to trace and condense according to the exceedingly mysterious method in the inheritance information.

Hummm——

The entire core hall blazed with light! The thirty-six chaos stone pillars roared in unison, and the seal light net poured down unprecedented brilliant gold light, firmly locking the altar.

Wang Ping's hundred-zhang chaos domain contracted to a ten-zhang radius, its color deep as the singularity at the birth of the universe, within which earth, water, fire, and wind madly evolved.

A wisp of grayish mist, carrying Nether Shadow's icy and separating will, the "Void Power", was drawn from the illusory space at the entrance, drifting over to condense in Wang Ping's palms into a hazy, quasi-real lotus petal phantom.

A speck of chaos-colored, warm and pure "Source Fire Spirit" light, split off the innermost strand from the "Zhen" glyph, fell at the center of the petal, becoming a tiny lotus stamen.

The mighty, pure chaos immortal essence and five-element law power from Wang Ping himself surged in, forming the rudimentary shape of the lotus stem and base.

Cang Xuan's sword intent, Yu Liuli's immortal sound, the faint protective conviction still emanating from the unconscious militia warriors like Yun Hao, and even the last vitality and cinnabar spirit rhythm transmitted from the point of light in Jiu Er……

All remaining power and will, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, were forcibly integrated and refined by Wang Ping with utmost resolve, merging into the lotus taking shape!

The "Primordial Chaos" on the altar seemed to sense a great threat, beginning to frenziedly surge, the turbid darkness rolling like boiling water, constantly striking the reinforced seal light net, attempting to interfere with the lotus's condensation.

Blood continually trickled from Wang Ping's mouth, his body trembling violently from bearing the overload of power integration and will infusion, yet his gaze remained fixed on the gradually clearing lotus phantom in his palms, his hands steady as a rock.

With grief as fire, sacrifice as fuel, protection as thought! Chaos Purifying—Lotus, form!

With Wang Ping's hoarse roar that seemed to exhaust his life force, in his palms the strange lotus fusing Void petal, Source Fire stamen, Chaos stem and base, and the will of all beings finally solidified completely!

It is not a physical entity, but a law-formed existence between the virtual and real. The lotus bears a chaos hue, its petal edges flowing with Void-like silver radiance, the stamen's Source Fire light flickering slightly, the whole lotus emanating a pure, vast, supreme Dao rhythm that suppresses the heavens and purifies all things!

Go!

Wang Ping exerted his last strength, pushing forward with both hands!

That "Chaos Purifying Lotus" slowly rose, drifting through the seal light net (which offered no resistance), flying straight to the top of the altar, descending upon that frenziedly writhing "Primordial Chaos"!

The "Primordial Chaos" burst forth with its fiercest resistance, darkness surging like angry waves, attempting to swallow and contaminate the lotus.

Yet the lotus descended, soundlessly.

It did not violently collide with the darkness, but like a water droplet merging into a sponge, or moonlight sprinkling on a lake surface, it naturally and seamlessly merged into the darkest core of the "Primordial Chaos"!

In an instant——

The frenziedly surging darkness suddenly stalled!

A gentle yet exceedingly firm chaos-order power spread from within the darkness. The lotus slowly rotated within it, the Source Fire stamen emitting purifying light, the Void petals forming an inner layer of separation, the Chaos stem and base stabilizing the structure.

That originally pure chaos, brimming with destructive desire, the "Primordial Chaos", had its innermost core temporarily "wrapped", "soothed", and "isolated" by this "Chaos Purifying Lotus"!

Although the external darkness still exists, still dangerous, still constantly striking the seal, its overall ferocity has noticeably dropped by a level! Like a violent beast temporarily injected with a potent sedative.

The pressure from the thirty-six chaos stone pillars suddenly eased, the seal light net's light became stable and continuous. The suffocating chaos and oppressive atmosphere within the core hall also largely dissipated, though still heavy, it no longer bore that imminent doom feeling.

The seal…… has been greatly stabilized! At least, in the short term, the possibility of the "Primordial Chaos" fully erupting and breaking the seal has been reduced to the lowest!

Success!

Plop!

Wang Ping could no longer support himself, his vision went black, he collapsed face-up, completely unconscious. His breath weakened to the extreme, even the realm he had just broken through showed signs of instability.

Cang Xuan and Yu Liuli, too, upon seeing the lotus merge and the seal stabilize, relaxed their minds and fell back into deep unconsciousness.

Within the hall, silence returned.

Only on the altar, that mass of darkness temporarily soothed in part by the "Chaos Purifying Lotus", slowly writhed under the seal light net, and the illusory space at the entrance that separates inside from outside, coldly present, like a silent tombstone recording the eternal sacrifice of a silent companion.

Nether Shadow, by eternal Void imprisonment, bought this breathing chance; the people, taking grief as strength, ultimately formed this Purifying World Lotus.

The tribulation has passed, the seal is temporarily secured. Yet companions slumber, heavily wounded, the road ahead remains long.

After awakening, what situation will they face? How to truly resolve the "Primordial Chaos" ordeal? How…… to awaken that eternally slumbering Nether Shadow in the Void?

The "Chaos Purifying Lotus" is like pure water dropped into an ink pool, silently merging into the dark core of the "Primordial Chaos".

The anticipated fierce confrontation did not occur; only a deeper, law-level permeation and blending took place. The Void silver radiance flowing on the lotus petals opened an extremely tiny, relatively "ordered" tranquil domain in the depths of the darkness.

The Source Fire light at the lotus stamen is like a wind‑blown candle remnant, faint yet tenaciously emitting a trace of purifying and soothing fluctuation; the chaos‑colored lotus stem and base act as bridge and foundation, difficultly sustaining this fragile balance.

This process lasted who knows how long. In this region temporarily isolated by "Eternal Void Seal", where time flow seemed to blur, only the dark mass on the altar undergoing quiet internal change, and the thirty‑six chaos stone pillars continually emitting a suppressing gold light that faintly resonated with the Purifying Lotus, marked the passage of time.

The first to regain a faint consciousness was Yu Liuli.

Her perception, closely tied to the Immortal Sound Bell and her pure divine soul, was most sensitive to the return of "order" and "calm". When the core turmoil of the "Primordial Chaos" was temporarily soothed by the Purifying Lotus.

When the pervasive soul‑freezing chaos and destruction vibe in the hall receded largely, the point of light in her sea of consciousness that was about to extinguish but not yet, like receiving nourishment, gradually brightened again.

Her long lashes trembled, Yu Liuli struggled to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry at first, then gradually cleared. She saw the towering chaos stone pillars' dome flowing with steady golden light.

She saw the icy ground beneath her no longer violently trembling, and not far off the still‑unconscious Cang Xuan, Yun Hao, and others, whose breath seemed no longer worsening.

What most caught her attention was the direction of the altar.

That mass of darkness that once caused despair, though still present, no longer writhed frenziedly or struck.

It resembled a tamed beast, crouching beneath the seal light net where golden light and chaos radiance intertwine; although the surface still shows turbid flow, it has lost its former aggression to devour everything. A deep, weary‑like "stillness" replaced the frenzy.

And deep within the darkness, one can faintly "feel" an extremely weak yet extraordinarily pure, warm chaos radiance, like a stubbornly beating new star in the heart of the darkness—that is where the "Chaos Purifying Lotus" resides.

"Success……?" Yu Liuli's voice hoarse, barely audible. She struggled to sit up, but her whole body ached, her spiritual power exhausted; she could only tilt her head slightly to look toward the formation hub.

Wang Ping lay at the edge of the formation hub, his body covered in bloodstains, his face pallid as paper, his breath so weak it seemed it might snap at any moment.

Yet the formation hub pattern beneath him now spontaneously emitted a soft chaos glow, maintaining a weak but continuous link with the hall's seal formation. Moreover, a faint chaos‑colored halo circulated at Wang Ping's brow, resonating with the "Zhen" glyph in his sea of consciousness, as if he were self‑regulating and healing.

"Wang Ping, fellow cultivator..." Yu Liuli's heart tightened, but then she let out a breath. Wang Ping was still alive, and seemed to be recovering on his own in some mysterious state.

Immediately after, the one who woke up was Cang Xuan.

He had been awakened by a stabbing pain from the sword-heart. It was a kind of awakening where the crisis was temporarily lifted, but the sword intent's instinct remained vigilant. He flung his eyes open, bloodshot still in his eyes, his sharp gaze sweeping the surroundings like a sword.

Seeing the altar silent, the seal stable, and both Wang Ping and Yu Liuli still breathing, his nerves, stretched to the limit, finally relaxed a little, whereupon a deeper, icier grief surged in his heart.

He recalled the sacrificial will that had pierced his soul before he lost consciousness.

"You Ying..." Cang Xuan murmured, his voice dry. He gazed at the hall's entrance. There, the space showed an unnatural hazy "virtualization" feeling, isolating inside from outside, silent and soundless. He sensed no trace of You Ying's familiar aura, only a cold, eternal, grave-like void of emptiness pervading there.

The heart of a sword cultivator would rather break than bend. But now, Cang Xuan felt a heaviness, almost enough to crush his sword-heart, a sorrow and helplessness. He clenched the broken sword in his hand, knuckles whitening, and ultimately just heavily, soundlessly struck the ground, kicking up a few specks of dust.