Chapter 125: Cultivating in the Star Lake, Tides Rising in the Vast Sea

Deep within the Star Fall Lake, at the heart of the secret realm.

Time seemed to have lost its measure here; only the eternal, unchanging remnants of starlight and the lingering echoes of chaos flowed slowly in the silence. The remains of the star core, like the heart of a sleeping giant beast, emitted a faint yet constant pulse, resonating with the unique laws of the secret realm at the bottom of the lake.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged beside the star core, though he did not know how much time had passed.

His entire body was enveloped in a layer of strange, blue-gray light cocoon. The cocoon was as thin as a cicada's wing, yet it seemed to isolate the space inside from the outside; upon it, currents of primordial, chaotic energy flowed, shadows of green lotus petals and Dao patterns flickered, and illusions of stars dying and being reborn shimmered intermittently.

Inside the cocoon, Lin Xuan’s body was undergoing a slow and thorough reshaping.

The terrifying, spiderweb-like cracks that had covered his skin had long since vanished, and his flesh now possessed a strange texture—warm and moist like jade, yet faintly revealing the cold, metallic luster of metal. His internal organs, his limbs and bones, every inch of flesh, and every meridian had been completely shattered, only to be reconstructed and fused in a brand-new way under the combined influence of the chaotic tribulation power and the vitality of the green lotus.

The "Chaos Tribulation Crystal" located at his heart, which had replaced his original dantian, had now stabilized. It was no longer covered in cracks, but had become a strange, flawless, and perfectly round crystal about the size of a fingernail. Inside the crystal, the blue and gray colors were not static; they rotated and blended slowly like yin-yang fish. With every rotation, they derived a subtle yet pure chaotic tribulation power, which flowed into the newly constructed "Chaos Tribulation Meridians." At the core of the crystal, a tiny, almost imperceptible blue light spot floated quietly; it was the final origin imprint of the Chaos Green Lotus petal, like vitality within a tribulation, or living water within death.

His soul had also undergone a transformation. His original sea of consciousness had vanished, replaced by a "Chaos Tribulation Sea" that existed between reality and illusion, constantly cycling through birth and destruction. Within the tribulation sea, there were no longer raging waves, only eternal silence and the occasional ripples of faint light representing the intent of different "tribulations." That nine-zhang-tall Chaos Star manifestation now sat quietly in the center of the tribulation sea; the manifestation itself had become half-virtual and half-real, merging with the tribulation sea, and every flickering star seemed to correspond to the trajectory of a tribulation fate.

This was a brand-new path, entirely different from the current cultivation system—the Chaos Tribulation Dao. It used chaos as its foundation, took tribulation fate as its power, and grasped the cycle of birth and destruction. Its power was unfathomable, its future uncertain, and it was exceptionally dangerous.

On this day, the layer of blue-gray light cocoon finally trembled slightly, and countless fine cracks appeared on its surface.

"Crack..."

Amidst the soft sound, the light cocoon shattered like an eggshell, turning into specks of flowing light that merged into the surrounding star power.

Lin Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged within, slowly opened his eyes.

As his eyes opened, the previous gray haze was gone; instead, they appeared exceptionally clear and profound. Deep within his pupils, it was as if the vast scenes of the universe’s birth and destruction and the cycles of eras were reflected—calm and waveless, yet containing a heart-palpitating sense of vicissitudes and majesty. With a slight movement of his mind, his aura was completely retracted, and in an instant, he became like a mortal, save for those eyes, which remained extraordinary.

He had succeeded.

Not only had he stabilized his Dao foundation and healed his injuries, but he had also gained initial control over the chaotic tribulation power. His cultivation base had risen with the tide, and he had officially stepped into... the late Nascent Soul stage! Moreover, it was no ordinary late Nascent Soul stage; the purity and vigor of his magic power and the unfathomable stability of his Dao foundation far exceeded those of the same rank, and his true combat power was immeasurable.

He raised his hand slightly, palm upward, and a wisp of gray-blue air appeared out of thin air, burning quietly. This air seemed gentle, but Lin Xuan could clearly perceive the terrifying "tribulation" power contained within it—a power capable of causing magic treasures to decay, spiritual power to dissipate, and vitality to reach its end. With another movement of his mind, the air changed abruptly, transforming into a wisp of blue light filled with exuberant vitality, emitting a pure aura of creation.

"Destruction and vitality, extinction and rebirth, all lie within a single thought..." Lin Xuan whispered to himself, feeling the unprecedented power within his body and the heavy responsibility that came with it. This path was destined to be lonely, destined to be accompanied by destruction, yet it also contained the possibility of transcendence.

"Feng Xi." He communicated with his spirit pet space.

From within the space, a clear cry, yet one carrying a hint of new vitality, rang out. With a flash of light, a Green Phoenix, slightly smaller than before but even more spirited and elegant, flew out, landing affectionately on Lin Xuan's shoulder and rubbing its head against his cheek.

At this moment, Feng Xi's feathers were a lush, dripping green, flowing with a glaze-like luster, and its tail feathers faintly carried a seven-colored rainbow light. There was not a single scar left on its body, and its aura was restrained and pure. It had clearly also turned misfortune into a blessing; under the nourishment of the green lotus vitality and the lingering echoes of Lin Xuan's tribulation power, its bloodline had further awakened, and its cultivation had broken through to the early Nascent Soul stage! Moreover, Lin Xuan could feel that Feng Xi's body seemed to have been tainted with a trace of faint chaotic aura, making its connection with him even closer and more mysterious.

"You have recovered as well, very good." A hint of warmth appeared in Lin Xuan's eyes as he gently stroked Feng Xi's feathers. If not for Feng Xi fighting to the death to win that split second of opportunity for him, he likely would have perished before the green lotus petal arrived. He kept this friendship in his heart.

Feng Xi chirped happily a few times, then seemed to remember something; it tilted its head, looked toward a certain direction in the secret realm, and transmitted a vague intent.

"Hmm? Is there someone else here?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. Before he went into seclusion, he had clearly sealed the entrance to the secret realm completely, masking it with chaotic tribulation power, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to discover. Could it be...

His figure moved slightly, and with one step, he crossed a distance of several hundred zhang, arriving before a relatively stable stone cave at the edge of the secret realm. Inside the stone cave, a figure was curled up in a corner, wrapped in a layer of faint star power, appearing to have fallen into a deep slumber. Its aura was steady, but its cultivation had been sealed by some kind of power.

It was Zhao Yuan!

Lin Xuan remembered; during the Battle of the Imperial Capital, Huangfu Hao seemed to have knocked Zhao Yuan unconscious and taken him away. Later, when he left the imperial capital, he had been in a rush and hadn't paid attention. Presumably, it was Huangfu Hao or the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master who had sent him here? What was the purpose? To keep watch? Or... to leave behind a karmic tie for him?

He scanned Zhao Yuan with his spiritual sense. This youth's spiritual root aptitude was indeed excellent; he possessed the rare dual attributes of "Dark Spiritual Root" and "Metal Spiritual Root," both of which were extremely pure. However, at this moment, a thick, inseparable gloom, pain, and confusion were gathered between his brows, along with a trace of forcibly suppressed ferocity. Clearly, the great changes in his family (the destruction of the Zhao family) and his own experiences (being infected by demonic energy, then saved, and then sealed and sent here) had been a massive blow to him, and his Dao heart was on the verge of collapse.

Lin Xuan was silent for a moment. The Zhao family had been destroyed, and Zhao Song had colluded with the Demon Abyss; they deserved their fate. But Zhao Yuan himself had possessed a decent character back at Star Fall Lake, and his later infection by demonic energy had not been his intention. This youth had extraordinary talent; it would be a pity if he were to sink or go down the wrong path. Moreover, there was indeed an unfinished karmic tie between him, himself, and Huangfu Hao.

"Forget it." Lin Xuan sighed softly, and with a flick of his finger, a wisp of gentle chaotic air fused with the green lotus vitality entered the center of Zhao Yuan's brows. "Wake up."

Zhao Yuan's body trembled, his eyelids twitched violently, and he slowly opened them. At first, his eyes were blank and hollow, but then memories flooded in like a tide—the demonic disaster in the imperial capital, the family rebellion, his father's ferocious face, himself being knocked unconscious... His face turned deathly pale in an instant, and his eyes welled up with complex emotions—a mix of immense pain, shame, hatred, and confusion. He saw Lin Xuan standing before the stone cave, the "Senior Lin" who had once earned his admiration at Star Fall Lake and later became the key figure leading to the destruction of the Zhao family.

"It's you..." Zhao Yuan's voice was hoarse and dry. He wanted to move, but discovered his body was restrained by a gentle yet firm power. "Why not kill me? The Zhao family... deserved their fate, and I am also... a remnant."

Lin Xuan looked at him, his gaze calm: "The Zhao family is the Zhao family, and you are you. Huangfu Hao spared your life and sent you here for a reason. I observe that your spiritual roots are unique and your character has not completely sunk; there is still a possibility of reshaping. Whether you sink into hatred and the past, give up on yourself, and even fall into the demonic path; or cut off the past, clarify your heart, and walk a path that belongs to you—it all lies within a single thought of yours."

Zhao Yuan shuddered, staring blankly at Lin Xuan as tears slid down silently. The sins of his family, his own powerlessness, the confusion about the future... various emotions almost drowned him.

Lin Xuan said no more, turned, and looked outside the secret realm, his gaze seemingly piercing through the lake water and the strata, looking toward the boundless distance.

"The matter here is finished; it is time to leave." He sensed that the chaotic mark he had left at the entrance of the secret realm seemed to have been touched, and there were faint remnants of a transmission fluctuation. Presumably, it was a message left by Huangfu Hao or the Heavenly Secret Pavilion Master.

With a flick of his sleeve, he took Zhao Yuan, who was still in a state of great psychological shock, along with Feng Xi on his shoulder, and turned into a barely perceptible blue-gray stream of light, quietly leaving the Star Fall Lake secret realm.

Just as Lin Xuan came out of seclusion and left Star Fall Lake.

Far away, tens of thousands of miles away, above a boundless, azure expanse of water where storms never ceased.

This place was known as the "Endless Vast Sea," a true oceanic world dozens of times more vast and a hundred times more dangerous than the Tianyuan Continent. Giant waves towered, sea beasts ran rampant, and islands were scattered like stars, hiding countless ancient ruins and heavenly treasures, while also nurturing numerous powerful and mysterious overseas sects, rogue cultivators, and alien races.

At this moment, deep within the Vast Sea, on a giant immortal island shrouded in seven-colored clouds where spiritual energy was so dense it turned into spiritual rain.

Inside a magnificent palace built entirely of ten-thousand-year warm jade, several figures with auras like abysses and seas sat around a jade table shimmering with starlight.

Sitting in the main seat was a middle-aged Daoist wearing star robes, his face like jade, and in the opening and closing of his eyes, it seemed as if galaxies were being born and destroyed. His aura was ethereal, as if he had merged with the entire immortal island and even the surrounding sea, unfathomable. He was the current Palace Master of one of the three great overseas super-powers—the "Star Palace," True Person Xinghe.

On the left was a burly, bronze-skinned bald man wearing simple animal skins, his muscles coiled like horned dragons. Just by sitting there, he emitted a terrifying blood-energy like a primordial giant beast; he was the Sect Master of the "Giant Spirit Sect," known for body refining and beast taming, Man Shan.

On the right was a woman in palace attire, beautiful yet cold in expression. A faint chill swirled around her, as if even the air were frozen; she was the Pavilion Master of the "Mystic Ice Pavilion," Fairy Bingpo.

These three were all big figures whose mere foot-stomps could make the Endless Vast Sea tremble, their cultivation having already surpassed Soul Transformation and reached the peak of this realm—the Void Refinement realm!

"Everyone," True Person Xinghe spoke slowly, his voice warm yet carrying an unquestionable majesty, "The anomalies of the 'Return to Ruins Sea Eye' have become increasingly frequent lately. The monitoring arrays show that the concentration of 'Primordial Demonic Energy' leaking from within has increased by more than thirty percent compared to a hundred years ago. At this rate, within a hundred years at most, the 'Nine Heavens Demon-Suppressing Array' on the periphery of the Sea Eye will likely be unable to hold on."

Man Shan said in a muffled voice: "Hmph! Isn't it because of that great battle three thousand years ago that damaged the core of the array? We've been searching for repair materials for so many years, and we are still missing the most critical 'Star Essence Gold' and 'Chaos Breath Soil.' Palace Master Xinghe, your Star Palace claims to govern the stars of the heavens; is there still no word on that Star Essence Gold?"

Fairy Bingpo said coldly: "The Chaos Breath Soil is even more elusive. Ancient records state that it only has a tiny possibility of being nurtured in places where chaos first opened or in world fragments. Places of chaos in this realm have long since vanished, and world fragments are even more impossible to come by."

True Person Xinghe nodded slightly, his expression grave: "Our Star Palace's inventory of Star Essence Gold is indeed exhausted. However, observing the stars and deducing the heavenly secrets recently, I discovered a glimmer of opportunity pointing toward... the direction of the Tianyuan Continent."

"Tianyuan Continent? That remote and barren land?" Man Shan frowned.

"Do not underestimate it," True Person Xinghe said. "Although the Tianyuan Continent is not as vast as the Vast Sea, its foundation is not shallow. According to reliable intelligence, not long ago, a catastrophe involving the demonic sense of the Ruins Abyss broke out in the Tianyuan Dynasty, and a cultivator possessing chaotic power appeared, turning the tide. Chaos... perhaps it is related to the Chaos Breath Soil. Moreover, the heavenly secrets show that dragon energy is rising on that continent, and a new emperor has been born bearing the destiny; perhaps that is where the variable lies."

Fairy Bingpo's beautiful eyes flickered: "Does the Palace Master mean?"

"Send envoys to the Tianyuan Continent," True Person Xinghe decided. "First, to investigate the truth of the chaotic power and see if it is related to the Chaos Breath Soil; second, to befriend or observe that new emperor and evaluate his potential and value; and third... to see if we can trade for news of Star Essence Gold or other resources that can help stabilize the array. The Return to Ruins Sea Eye concerns the safety of the entire Vast Sea and even this realm; it cannot be allowed to fail."

Man Shan and Fairy Bingpo looked at each other and nodded slowly.

"Since that is the case, we shall follow the Palace Master's words," Fairy Bingpo said. "My Mystic Ice Pavilion can send an Elder at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage to accompany them."

"My Giant Spirit Sect will also send one person," Man Shan said.

"Good," True Person Xinghe clapped his hands. "My Star Palace will send a direct disciple to lead the team, supplemented by stewards proficient in arrays and exploration. We will depart in ten days, taking the 'Star Raft' to the Tianyuan Continent. This operation is primarily for investigation and building relations; unless necessary, do not provoke conflicts with local forces."

The meeting ended, and orders were issued from this overseas immortal island.

A giant flying boat, as large as a small mountain, cast entirely from strange silver metal, with countless star runes engraved on its surface and emitting vast spatial fluctuations—the "Star Raft"—began its final maintenance and loading of supplies.

A storm sparked by the threat of the Demon Abyss was about to quietly sweep from the Endless Vast Sea toward the Tianyuan Continent, which had just experienced a catastrophe and was seeing the first light of dawn.

And Lin Xuan, who had just come out of seclusion and was on his way back, did not yet know that his chaotic tribulation power, as well as his and Huangfu Hao's existence, had already entered the sights of the top overseas powers. A new stage and broader waves were waiting ahead.