Chapter 1364

Returning from the Boundary Void Ancient Formation, more than ten years have passed.

Yan Buji did not stray far from that perilous and opportunity-filled Northern Ice Canglan Secret Realm region. At the edge of the secret realm, he found a hidden cave dwelling half-concealed by natural spatial folds, using it as a base, he laid layer upon layer of restrictions and began his long secluded cultivation.

Several decades of time, for mortals already a long span, but for a Great Vehicle Stage cultivator whose lifespan is measured in tens of thousands of years, it is merely a snap of the fingers. Yet for Yan Buji, these ten years were a crucial period in which he fully digested and settled what he had gained from the secret realm, and pushed his own Chaos Dao to an unprecedented height.

Deep within the cave dwelling, Yan Buji, using Chaos Force combined with a fragment of the 'Still-Space Pearl', slightly twisted and adjusted the flow of time; though far less extreme than the chaos inside the ancient formation, it nevertheless extended his actual cultivation time by severalfold. He sat cross-legged upon a jade platform entwined with Chaos energy, eyes tightly shut, his aura inwardly restrained to the utmost, like an unchanging primeval Chaos stone.

The vast majority of his mind and spirit sank deep into his dantian, into the slowly rotating Chaos core.

At this moment, his Chaos core differed from ten years ago as heaven and earth. It was no longer merely a murky gray vortex, but faintly presented a miniature, constantly evolving 'cosmic tableau' of birth and death. Within the tableau, there was the symbol of 'beginning' — Chaos parting, clear and turbid separating; there was the scene of 'flourishing' — brilliant stars, myriad things thriving; and there was the meaning of 'end' — stars undergoing Silence Extinction, all things returning to void. These three images were not separate, but in an exquisitely wondrous manner cycled endlessly, forming a dynamic, complete 'Chaos cycle'.

This was precisely because he had absorbed the 'Return to the Void' truth contained in the stone tablet fragment within the Boundary Void Ancient Formation, combined it with his own Chaos origin, and gained the supreme insight from observing the green-robed man's 'All Laws Return to the Void' sword!

He no longer regarded 'Return to the Void' as an external threat or a target to oppose, but truly integrated it into the cyclic system of his own Chaos Dao. Chaos embraces all things, and thus should also embrace 'termination'. With beginning and end, termination is also a chance for a new beginning — only then is perfection achieved.

Over the ten years, he continually used his mind to deduce and simulate, repeatedly grinding and merging that trace of 'Return to the Void' truth with his own Chaos Force. Initially, the two clashed fiercely, nearly causing his magical power to run amok and damaging his Dao Foundation. But as his understanding of their essences deepened, especially by using the wondrous realm of 'Origin·Existence and Extinction Follow the Heart' as a bridge, he finally found the balance point.

At this moment, a slight stir of his will caused the 'end' scene within the cosmic tableau in his Chaos core to expand slightly; a pure, icy 'Return to the Void' aura flowed out and merged into his Chaos power. Originally neutral and harmonious, brimming with infinite vitality, his Chaos power instantly took on a trace of the Silence Extinction of all things' ending, its power surging, yet its nature became more uncanny and unpredictable, as if anything it touched would of its own accord proceed toward termination and decay.

The next moment, his will turned again; the 'beginning' scene blazed with light, the Silence Extinction aura swiftly faded, transforming into vigorous vitality and creative force, and his power's nature became moist and nourishing, as if it could animate lifeless stone and give birth to life.

When the 'flourishing' scene dominated, his power became vast and magnificent, encompassing all things, possessing the subtlety of birth, death, and change; it was his most frequently used and most stable state.

After ten years of bitter cultivation, he finally managed to initially switch and blend the three Chaos truths of 'beginning', 'flourishing', and 'end' at will! This not only made his Chaos power's nature changeful and its power unfathomable, but also let his understanding of the Dao truly reach the edge of 'cycle' and 'perfection'. Though his cultivation had not broken through the limit of the Great Vehicle Stage peak, his mastery of law had reached an astonishing degree, far surpassing ordinary Great Vehicle Stage peak cultivators, and even faintly touched a trace of the 'limit' barrier that this world's heaven and earth can contain.

Besides the advancement of his Dao cultivation, he also reaped great gains in other aspects.

The fragment of the damaged compass disk obtained from the core of the ancient formation, after ten years of slow nurturing and analysis with Chaos Force, though not fully repaired, had been preliminarily refined by him and resonated with the fragment of the Still-Space Pearl. Combined, they granted him a new level of spatial perception and control. With a thought, the spatial structure within a radius of a thousand li lay before him like lines on a palm, easily allowing limited folding, stretching, and even temporary solidification. If fully exerted, he could even create a small-scale 'spatial labyrinth' or 'fault', trapping and slaying enemies unseen. This undoubtedly gave him extraordinary mobility and battlefield control when facing peers or even stronger foes.

In terms of his own combat power, he further developed and perfected the 'Chaos Opens Heaven' style and the 'Origin·Existence and Extinction Follow the Heart'.

The 'Chaos Opens Heaven' style can now evolve into three variations: the initial form 'Primordial Beginning', focusing on explosion and creation, destroying all laws; the intermediate form 'Heaven and Earth Stabilized', focusing on suppression and inclusiveness, using Chaos-evolved earth, water, fire, and wind to form a nascent small world that subdues opponents; and the final form 'Return to the Void Guidance', which incorporates the Return to the Void truth as a killing move, forcibly dragging the opponent's attack and even their very existence onto the path of termination, uncanny and deadly.

The 'Origin·Existence and Extinction Follow the Heart' has become more condensed, no longer requiring lengthy charging or great consumption; it can now serve as a ready defensive and countermeasure. With a thought, one can condense at the fingertips or before the body the Chaos origin containing the truth of existence and extinction, dissolving or even rebounding the vast majority of attacks, especially those targeting laws or souls, with remarkable effect.

Furthermore, he used the myriad heavenly treasures and earthly materials gathered from the secret realm, combined with his own Chaos fire, to reforge his natal magic treasure, the 'Chaos Embryonic Sword Embryo'. At present, the embryo has preliminarily taken shape; its blade is dull gray, naturally etched with the Dao patterns of Chaos birth and death. Though not yet fully sharpened, it already possesses the embryonic ability to devour spiritual power and sever laws, such that ordinary heaven-reaching spiritual treasures cannot withstand its edge.

These ten years were not entirely peaceful.

Although Great Vehicle Stage cultivators were rare in the secret realm, they were not absent. Though Yan Buji's secluded retreat was hidden, the Chaos phenomena arising from his practice occasionally leaked a trace. Once, a mid–Great Vehicle Stage old monster who practiced poison arts nearby, the 'Myriad Poisons True Lord', was drawn by the anomaly, attempted to spy, but Yan Buji, using the 'Heaven and Earth Stabilized' form evolved into a nascent small world, subdued him from afar, damaging his body and soul; he fled in fright and dared not approach again.

On two occasions, the depths of the secret realm erupted in battles suspected to be of Great Vehicle Stage level; the aftershocks shook the void and even triggered a minor spatial storm. Yan Buji each time stabilized his cave dwelling with his formidable cultivation combined with the spatial compass fragment, and passed through unharmed.

Jing Xuzi and Yue Li Xianzi, shortly after Yan Buji left the ancient formation, communicated with him via the 'Still Wind Covenant' and Yue Li Xianzi's special means of contact, having a brief long-distance exchange. Yan Buji kept his promise, transmitting through the covenant's power to Jing Xuzi his partial insights on the ancient formation—mainly the nature of the Return to the Void truth and part of its operational principles, concealing the alarming speculation brought by the stone tablet fragments—as well as some of the compass fragment's rune trajectories. Jing Xuzi, as if having obtained a priceless treasure, returned a breath of gratitude imbued with pure wind's Silence Extinction aura, and hinted that should Yan Buji encounter an unsolvable spatial predicament, he could call upon the covenant for aid once.

Yue Li Xianzi simply informed him that she had successfully merged with the Lunar Yin source soul, her cultivation method had greatly improved, she owed him a favor, and the Guanghan Palace could later do him a convenience. Both tacitly avoided deep discussion of the ancient formation's deepest secret and the existence of the green-robed man.

That day, Yan Buji slowly awoke from deep meditation.

As his eyes opened and closed, his left eye seemed to hold Chaos parting and the birth of a galaxy, while his right eye resembled all things undergoing Silence Extinction and returning to void; the two visions flashed and vanished, restoring deep tranquility. The profound, obscure aura about him also gathered inward like mercury poured onto the ground, making him appear no different from an ordinary united-stage cultivator, even more unremarkable.

"Ten years of settling, foundations are firm. The three Chaos intentions have initially taken shape, spatial ability is modest, the sword embryo has just begun to show its edge." Yan Buji's thoughts turned as he examined himself: "In this realm, the Great Vehicle Stage peak is near the limit. Yet the Chaos Dao is boundless; this realm's 'limit' is not my limit."

He could clearly feel that the laws of this heaven and earth produced a faint sense of 'rejection' and 'suppression' toward him. It was not malice, but like a vessel already full, unable to hold more 'water'. His Chaos Dao, especially after incorporating the Return to the Void truth, had already approached and even slightly exceeded the 'upper limit' that the Exquisite Splendor Realm's heaven and earth could bear. Had he not deliberately restrained himself, even a casual gesture might trigger the realm's rejection, possibly inviting a backlash akin to heavenly punishment.

"It is time to leave." Yan Buji gazed outward from the cave dwelling; his sight seemed to pierce the restrictions and space, looking toward the vast Exquisite Splendor Realm, and further toward the vague beyond, where possibly exist more higher-level worlds.

Within the information brought by the stone tablet fragments of the Boundary Void Ancient Formation, aside from the insight into Return to the Void, there were several extremely vague, indeterminate shattered spatial coordinates that clearly did not belong to the Exquisite Splendor Realm. One of them faintly gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity and attraction, as if it resonated distantly with the Chaos core within his body.