Chapter 1358

Hurricane Canyon truly lives up to its name.

The moment one steps into the canyon entrance, the most extreme raging gale sweeps in like countless invisible blades from all sides. This wind is not ordinary airflow; it is laced with fragmented Law Fragments, spatial dust, and a sharp metallic qi, and its howl can easily tear the protective aura of a Huashen cultivator, and even a Xuanxu strong one must constantly wield law power to fend it off, daring not to relax.

The canyon walls on both sides are steep as if knife‑carved, dark‑green in hue, polished by years of the raging gale into a mirror‑smooth surface that reflects the drifting bluish‑gray clouds above. The canyon is extremely deep; above it swirls a vortex of Chaos air currents, with faint, flickering spatial fissures that render high‑altitude flight impossible. To pass, one must traverse the canyon floor, braving the endless raging gale.

Yan Buji's body surface glows with gray radiance, and the Chaos Force forms a thin yet resilient shield that silently disassembles and absorbs the incoming gale, converting it into a slight supplement to his own law power. Though the gale is fierce, its embedded Chaos energy and fragmented Law Fragments act for the Chaos Core like a mildly stimulating "tonic". He moves with composure, yet his speed is no slower, like a reef in a torrent, advancing against the wind.

The canyon is not straight; its jagged rocks and complex terrain include countless natural wind caves and channels carved by years of the gale, emitting wailing sounds that disturb the soul. Occasionally one can spot strange plants or minerals that survive within the gale, flashing with a faint light, but they often hide greater dangers—such as wind‑type spirit beings lurking in the eye of the wind, or razor‑sharp natural gold essence fragments hurled by the gale.

After traveling about a hundred li, Yan Buji suddenly sensed something and halted. It was not an attack; rather, a relatively wide bend ahead in the canyon emitted a completely different 'Silence'.

It was an absolute, heart‑pounding Silence. Even the ever‑present raging gale strangely calmed and faded as it approached that area, as if erased by an invisible force. At the center of that 'Silence Realm' sat an old man in coarse hemp robes upon a smooth black monolith.

The old man's beard and hair were all white, his face gaunt, his frame slender, as if a gust could topple him. His eyes were half‑closed, as if feigning sleep; no strong spiritual energy radiated from him, and even his life force was so faint it was almost nonexistent, forming a stark contrast to the surrounding raging environment.

Yet Yan Buji's pupils narrowed slightly. The Lianxi pendant in his chest quivered faintly, warning of the terror ahead. To create such an absolute 'Silence Realm' in the core of this Hurricane Canyon, forcing the raging gale to bow… that is beyond what one can achieve in the Fusion Stage.

Great Vehicle Stage!

Moreover, it is not a first entry into the Great Vehicle Stage. The feeling of subtly merging with the surrounding heavens and earth yet remaining transcendent, as if one itself were a source of Law, can only be possessed by cultivators who have dwelled in the Great Vehicle Stage for many years and brushed the threshold of a higher realm.

The old man seemed to sense Yan Buji's arrival and slowly opened his eyes.

What kind of eyes were those? At first glance they seemed cloudy, like an old man on the brink of death, but on closer inspection the depths of the eyes swirled with endless starry voids, flashing scenes of all things' birth and death, so profound that one's soul seemed to drown in them. The gaze was calm and still, falling on Yan Buji, yet it made him feel an intangible pressure, as if the entire canyon's 'momentum' had condensed into that single look.

'Young friend, your Lianxi method is exquisite, such unique law power.' The old man's voice was hoarse and dry, yet it cut clearly through the distant gale's howl, resonating directly in Yan Buji's Sea of Awareness, 'Chaos first opened, all laws return to the origin… I never imagined that in my lifetime I could see the 'Chaos Dao Embryo' walking among mortals.'

One sentence laid bare the root!

Yan Buji's heart trembled violently, yet his exterior remained calm, even showing a perfectly timed hint of 'surprise' and 'caution'; he clasped his hands and said, 'Senior, your insight shines like a torch. I, the junior, have only fortuitously obtained a chance and cultivated a few off‑path techniques, unworthy of the name "Chaos Dao Embryo." I did not know you were meditating here; I apologize for my presumptuous intrusion.'

The aura of his simulated Qiong Hua Realm wandering cultivator seemed unable to hide under the old man's gaze, but the Chaos Core spun rapidly, perfectly masking the slight disturbance caused by the exposed root.

A faint, elusive smile flickered in the old man's cloudy eyes, as if he cared little about Yan Buji's concealment, and he said slowly, 'I, the Silent Void Master, have contemplated the "Silence Extinction of Wind" here for a full cycle of sixty years. Young friend, do not be nervous; I bear no ill will toward you. It is merely that the Chaos Force, as ancient lore says, is the source of all laws and also the end of law‑breaking. Since fate has brought us together today, would you be willing to discuss the Dao with me for a moment?'

Discuss the Dao? Yan Buji's thoughts flashed. A profoundly unfathomable Great Vehicle Stage cultivator blocks the way merely to discuss the Dao? That could not be so simple. Yet the other's tone was calm, even exposing his greatest secret without showing hostility or greed, which made him even more inscrutable.

'Senior, your Dao is profound, my cultivation is shallow; how could I dare discuss the Dao with you? What guidance do you have?' Yan Buji spoke neither deferential nor arrogant, while secretly elevating his law power to its peak, the Chaos Core poised to erupt, ready to meet any eventuality.

The Silent Void Master seemed indifferent to Yan Buji's wariness, his gaze turning to the howling gale deep within the canyon as if admiring the scenery, and he said leisurely, 'It is not about guidance. I am merely curious; bearing such an opportunity, why does the young friend venture into this perilous secret realm? Is it for the "Ancient Array of the Realm‑Space" deep within the Shattered Star Wasteland?'

Yan Buji's heart grew colder; the other had guessed his destination? Is it mere speculation, or does he have another means of knowing?

'The junior indeed wishes to visit the Shattered Star Wasteland to broaden his knowledge. As for the Realm‑Space Ancient Array, its notorious reputation is well known; the junior still possesses self‑awareness,' Yan Buji replied cautiously.

'Self‑awareness… ha ha.' The Silent Void Master chuckled lightly, withdrew his gaze, and looked at Yan Buji again; his deep eyes seemed to pierce the heart, 'Young friend, you need not hide. The Chaos Force may indeed be one of the keys to exploring that ancient array. I, in my younger days, also delved into the wasteland, lingering for a long time around the outer rim of the ancient array, yet could not enter its gate, and was instead wounded by the spatial turbulence spilling from within, damaging a hundred‑year Dao foundation.'

He paused, his tone gaining a hint of reminiscence and gravity: 'That ancient array is not of this realm; within it, time and space are chaotic, the laws are twisted, and an ancient, indestructible "Return to the Void" intent pervades, repelling all orderly existence. Ordinary cultivators who approach are torn apart by the chaotic spacetime, or have their spiritual intellect eroded by that Return to the Void, becoming void. Even at the Great Vehicle Stage, one can only endure for a brief moment.'

'The intent of Return to the Void?' Yan Buji caught that keyword.

'Correct, all things end, all laws return to their source—that is Return to the Void. That ancient array is like a tomb, yet also like a scar, spanning the core of the Shattered Star Wasteland,' the Silent Void Master said slowly, 'The young friend bears Chaos, perhaps granting a unique resistance or even understanding of this "Return to the Void" intent. That is one of the reasons I blocked your path.'

'What does the senior mean?'

'I wish to make a bargain with the young friend,' the Silent Void Master said directly, 'I can reveal to you a relatively safe route that avoids the most perilous dead zones of the wasteland and leads straight to the edge of the ancient array, and give you a fragment of a "Stabilizing Void Pearl." Though the pearl is a fragment, it is an ancient relic that can, within the chaotic spacetime surrounding the ancient array, stabilize a small area for you, buying a moment of respite.'