Chapter 65: First entry into the Source Pool? My test begins!

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these seven days, the atmosphere on the white jade square was so heavy it could almost drip water. Various forces were clearly divided, guarding against each other, and small-scale friction and conflicts occurred from time to time, but they were all controlled within a certain range, and no one dared to truly start a war in front of the Heavenly Mandate Hall. Everyone's mind was tied to the Ten Thousand Laws Source Pool that was about to open!

Lin Xuan had not wasted these seven days either. While consolidating his early Soul Formation cultivation and familiarizing himself with the use of Star-Nether Light, he used his "Eye of Truth-Breaking" and powerful spiritual sense to collect as much information about his competitors as possible. Ye Chen's thunder Dao techniques seemed more rounded, the Third Prince had two elders with obscure auras guarding him, and the white-clothed youth carrying an ancient sword had once forced back a mid-stage Soul Formation rogue cultivator with one sword, showing his strength.

On the seventh day, when the first ray of morning light pierced the grey, hazy sky of the Mystical Realm and sprinkled on the Heavenly Mandate Hall shrouded in clouds and mist at the end of the white jade square—

Hum!

The entire white jade square shook slightly! In the central area of the square, on the extremely hard white jade floor that could withstand Soul Formation attacks, countless complex and profound runes suddenly lit up! These runes seemed to come alive, quickly wandering and combining, eventually outlining a massive teleportation array map covering a radius of a thousand zhang!

The array map's light became brighter and brighter, shooting straight into the sky, rendering the clouds above into seven colors!

"The Ten Thousand Laws Source Pool has opened!"

"The teleportation array has appeared, enter quickly!"

Someone shouted, and the cultivators who had been waiting for a long time were like a floodgate opening, turning into streams of light, rushing toward the massive teleportation array map!

Lin Xuan did not rush to be at the front; he mixed into the crowd and stepped into the array map range neither too early nor too late.

Swish!

A powerful spatial force wrapped around his entire body, and the scene before his eyes instantly blurred and twisted. This feeling was similar to entering the Mystical Realm, but more intense, and it seemed to contain a strange power that washed the soul and clarified the Dao heart.

After a few breaths, the feeling of stepping on solid ground came, and the surrounding scene had changed greatly.

He appeared in a strange space.

Under his feet was not solid ground, but an endless, calm water surface like a mirror. This water was not ordinary water; it was clear, yet bottomless, with dots of spiritual light floating and flickering in the water like stars. Looking up, there was no sky, only a chaotic light curtain, emitting soft and origin light, illuminating the entire space.

The air was permeated with extremely dense innate spiritual energy, and a mysterious "Dao rhyme." Between breaths, he felt his cultivation growing faintly, and some stagnation in his past cultivation actually had a sense of sudden enlightenment.

This was the Ten Thousand Laws Source Pool!

At this moment, on this endless water surface, hundreds of cultivators had already appeared scattered. Everyone was shocked by the scene and Dao rhyme here, and for a time, no one dared to act rashly.

Lin Xuan could clearly feel that the Huangfu Tianji Guide token in his bosom was vibrating slightly, pointing to the depths of this water area. At the same time, the Chaos Soul Formation in his dantian also transmitted a pleasant throb, as if it had returned to the mother's womb, autonomously beginning to slowly swallow the pure innate spiritual energy and Dao rhyme here.

"Truly a land of creation!" Lin Xuan praised in his heart.

"Look over there!" Someone exclaimed.

Deep within the water domain, beneath the curtain of Chaos light, a particularly brilliant seven-colored glow was slowly condensing and rising! Within the glow, one could vaguely see a dewdrop forming, resembling liquid jade with thousands of Dao patterns flowing inside, emitting an intoxicating, majestic vitality and the aura of the Great Dao!

Soul-Condensing Creation Dew!

Everyone's gaze was instantly attracted, and their breathing became heavy!

However, just as someone could not hold back and wanted to use escape techniques to rush toward the rosy light—

Hum!

An invisible pressure suddenly descended, enveloping the entire Ten Thousand Laws Source Pool! This pressure was not aimed at the flesh, but struck directly at the soul and Dao heart! It was as if an invisible pair of eyes was examining the inner heart of every intruder!

Plop! Plop!

Almost instantly, dozens of cultivators rushing at the front, like dumplings being dropped, fell into the water surface below without warning, splashing water before disappearing without a sound, their figures quickly sinking and vanishing!

Their faces still retained greed and eagerness, but their eyes were already empty!

"It's the repulsion of the Source Pool!"

"Those entangled in karma and with crooked hearts will be directly wiped out!"

"Just as the rumors say!"

The surviving cultivators were horrified and stopped their steps, not daring to move forward rashly. Those with heavier murderous aura or flickering eyes turned pale, cold sweat dripping, and subconsciously took a few steps back.

Lin Xuan felt the examining pressure sweep over him, and the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order in his bosom lit up slightly, emitting a clear and peaceful fluctuation, while the Chaos Soul Formation was calm and composed, as if it should have existed in this land of origin. The pressure stayed on him for a moment before passing like a breeze, bringing no discomfort.

"It seems this first pass filters for heart and karma." Lin Xuan understood. For him, who practiced the "Nine Turns Chaos Scripture," had a solid foundation, and held the Soul-Suppressing Order, this was not a difficult pass.

After the initial screening, there were less than a hundred cultivators left who could still stand on the water surface. These were all people whose heart was relatively qualified and whose karma was not deep.

But the test had clearly just begun.

The calm water surface ahead began to ripple. The ripples expanded, outlining blurred channel entrances on the water surface composed of water patterns. Behind the entrances, the scenes were different: some were a sea of flames, some were a thunder forest, some were a winding maze path...

"It's an illusion channel!"

"The Source Pool will derive different tests based on each person's Dao heart and cultivation techniques!"

"Only by passing through the channel corresponding to oneself can one approach the Creation Dew!"

Everyone understood and began to look for the channel entrance that matched their own aura.

Ye Chen's thunder light flashed, and he stepped into a channel filled with thunder without hesitation.

The Third Prince Li Daoyi carried the imperial dragon aura and chose a golden avenue.

Saintess Yun Yao floated into a path condensed from ice crystals.

The white-clothed youth carrying an ancient sword walked toward a portal filled with endless sword qi.

The woman in seven-colored rosy clothes jumped into an illusion of blooming flowers with a smile.

The chubby cultivator fiddled with his abacus and stepped into a road paved with countless gold and silver treasures...

Lin Xuan stood in place, his "Eye of Truth-Breaking" sweeping over those channel entrances. He discovered that most channels corresponded to single-attribute tests, but his Chaos Soul Formation had faint responses to almost all channels, yet none were particularly strong.

"Chaos includes all laws, is there no exclusive channel?" With a thought, he tried to actively trigger the aura of the Chaos Soul Formation.

The moment his aura was released, the water surface under his feet suddenly fluctuated violently! It did not form a channel, but the entire water surface began to rotate slowly with him as the center, forming a massive vortex!

Inside the vortex, it was no longer clear pool water, but evolved into earth, water, fire, wind, mountains, rivers, sun, moon, stars, and even the myriad states of sentient beings! It was as if a miniature chaotic world was constantly evolving and perishing!

A suction force far grander, more ancient, and deeper than any previous channel came, wanting to roll Lin Xuan into it!

"This is... a Chaos test?!" Lin Xuan was shocked, but instead of resisting, he opened his body and mind, letting the vortex swallow him!

Swish!

His figure disappeared into the vortex on the water surface.

This scene was seen by several cultivators nearby who had not yet chosen a channel, causing a burst of exclamation.

"That person... was swallowed by the Source Pool?"

"What's going on? Where is his test channel?"

"What a strange underwater vortex... did he offend the spirit of the Source Pool?"

Everyone was suspicious, but no one dared to approach the slowly calming vortex. Only several cultivators holding the Huangfu Tianji Guide, such as Ye Chen (already entered), the woman in seven-colored rosy clothes (already entered), and the chubby cultivator (already entered), seemed to sense something and looked in the direction where Lin Xuan disappeared, a strange look flashing in their eyes.

Lin Xuan felt as if he had fallen into a channel composed of countless law fragments and space-time turbulence. The surroundings were strange and bizarre, the scenes changing unpredictably, sometimes in a lava hell, sometimes drifting in the nine-day gale, sometimes sinking into an endless illusion.

But the invasion of these external phenomena, upon contacting the chaotic air currents enveloping his body, melted like ice and snow, easily assimilated and absorbed, instead becoming nutrients for his Chaos Soul Formation.

His consciousness was incomparably clear, his "Eye of Truth-Breaking" seeing through illusions and pointing directly to the origin. This was not a simple environmental test, but a simulation of the process of heaven and earth opening and laws evolving! It was the ultimate interrogation of comprehension and understanding of the essence of the Dao!

After an unknown amount of time, a point of light appeared ahead.

He took a step, as if crossing a boundary, and the chaotic scene around him suddenly disappeared.

He appeared on the peak of a lonely mountain.

The peak was flat, with only an ancient blue stone altar. Suspended on the altar were three things:

On the left was a golden scroll that was neither silk nor gold, emitting a supreme, righteous aura.

On the right was a broken blade that was pitch black, entwined with ominous death aura.

And in the very center was a small jade bottle, with seven-colored rosy light misting at the mouth, and inside was that drop of Soul-Condensing Creation Dew!

Three items, close at hand!

However, around the altar, an invisible barrier was shrouded, emitting an indestructible aura. On the barrier, a line of ancient characters appeared:

"Choice of the Dao, take one and abandon two. Only with my recognition can you obtain the treasure."

At the same time, three completely different intentions, like a torrent, rushed into Lin Xuan's sea of consciousness!

One was a grand and righteous intention to protect the common people!

One was a domineering killing intent of slaughter and destruction, seeking supremacy!

The last one was a neutral and peaceful Chaos Dao rhyme, containing infinite possibilities and inclusiveness!

The three intentions collided fiercely in his sea of consciousness, trying to influence his judgment and make him choose!

Choosing the golden scroll could obtain the supreme righteous inheritance, but one had to make a great vow to protect the common people, from then on being at odds with Nether evil spirits, and it might even affect his use of the Nether Soul-Suppressing Order!

Choosing the pitch-black broken blade could obtain a heaven-shaking killing secret technique, with strength soaring, but the heart was very likely to be eroded by slaughter and fall into the demonic path!

Choosing the Soul-Condensing Creation Dew was the most direct goal, but it seemed... too plain? And how to get "recognition"?

This was not a test of strength, but a choice of Dao heart and future path!

Lin Xuan stood on the peak, the Chaos Soul Formation in his dantian solemn and dignified, his eyes opening and closing, reflecting the collision of the three intentions outside. His eyes were as calm as an ancient well.

(Chapter 65 End) ===== CHAPTER 66 =====