Chapter 74: The Hidden Dragon Emerges from the Abyss

The secret realm, a nameless valley, was silent as the grave.

Contrary to the clamor of the rumors outside—that "Jin Jin Shisan" had shaken the world by clashing with a Spirit Transformation demonic shadow and rising to fame—the center of the storm was currently immersed in a profound tranquility.

Deep within the valley, a near-perfect concealment array completely isolated the interior from the exterior. The array's light curtain flowed with an aura that blended seamlessly with the surrounding rocks and vegetation; even a peak Soul Formation cultivator would find it nearly impossible to detect unless they scanned it inch by inch with their spiritual sense.

Inside the array, Lin Lin Xuan sat cross-legged upon the Dao-Deriving Meditation Cushion (Imitation) he had obtained from the system's Chaos Roulette. The cushion appeared ancient and plain, yet it emitted a constant, cooling, and calming energy that nourished his consciousness, leaving his mind clearer and more agile than ever before.

He was shrouded in clouds and mist of chaotic energy. These currents were no longer simple gray; within them, one could see countless tiny starlight flickers appearing and vanishing, deep, peaceful dark lights flowing, and even faint, wondrous visions of the evolution of earth, water, fire, and wind, and the birth and death of all things. This was the natural manifestation of the Dao aura following the initial formation of the Chaos Dao Seed.

Within his dantian, the Chaos Dao Seed had completely stabilized. It was only the size of a grain of rice, yet it felt as heavy as a star, as if it were the origin point of all matter and energy, and the final destination where all laws returned to nothingness. The Dao Seed rotated slowly; with every turn, it did not require Lin Lin Xuan's deliberate guidance to autonomously inhale the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth, or even directly extract the sparse law fragments from the void, refining them into the most primordial chaotic spiritual power to nourish himself.

"Mid-Stage Soul Formation, completely stabilized." Lin Lin Xuan looked inward, his heart as calm as an ancient well. Three days of quiet cultivation had not only solidified the breakthroughs he had just made, but with the aid of the Dao-Deriving Meditation Cushion (Imitation), he had combed through the various insights from his breakthrough, making them clear and thorough.

His spiritual sense, due to the condensation of the Dao Seed and the refinement of the Soul Armor Art, was now comparable to that of a Late-Stage Soul Formation cultivator, covering a range of five hundred miles and observing the finest details.

The "Shrinking the Earth into an Inch" divine ability, under the natural affinity of the Chaos Dao Seed for spatial laws, had reached the realm of "the body following the intent." A distance of a hundred feet was nearly a teleportation, and the consumption of spiritual power was greatly reduced.

The "Eye of Truth-Breaking" had chaotic light flickering within his pupils; ordinary illusion arrays and disguises were as transparent as glass to him, and he could even faintly glimpse the essential trajectories of energy flow.

The "Nine Turns Thunder-Gang Body," nourished by chaotic spiritual power, had quietly stepped into the late stage of the second turn. His physical strength had increased once more, his blood and Qi surging like a dragon.

And that self-created "Nirvana Finger," having integrated a sliver of the destructive intent refined during his confrontation with the demon, had become increasingly concentrated. Its destructive nature was even more pronounced, becoming his strongest single-target offensive method.

The greatest gain, however, was his mastery of the "Star-Netherlight." Previously, to trigger it, he had to use the power of the Star Core and the Soul-Suppressing Order as guides, which consumed a massive amount of energy. Now, relying on the governance of the Chaos Dao Seed, he could initially mobilize his own spiritual power to simulate the partial law auras of the two treasures. Although its power was not as great as when both treasures were used, it was flexible and the consumption was controllable, making it a powerful divine ability for regular combat.

"The might of Spirit Transformation... truly beyond the reach of Soul Formation." His thoughts inevitably returned to that heart-stopping scene three days ago—that demonic palm covering the sky, that soul-freezing pressure—it remained as clear as yesterday. If not for the awakening of the secret realm's will, and if not for his condensing the Dao Seed in the heat of the moment and perceiving the final glimmer of hope in the broken seal... the outcome would have been unthinkable.

This did not discourage him; instead, it ignited an even stronger fighting spirit and sense of urgency. The Abyss Demon Consciousness was like a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. He needed power, and even more, he needed information.

With a thought, the Huangfu Tianji Guidance token appeared in his hand. The token felt cool to the touch, and the spatial coordinates contained within seemed even more active than when he was in the secret realm, transmitting a faint, vague sense of guidance. The direction pointed vaguely toward the Imperial Capital, but it also seemed... even more ethereal and unpredictable.

"Huangfu Tianji Pavilion..." Lin Lin Xuan's fingertips brushed over the smooth surface of the token, his eyes deep. "You invested in me, this 'variable,' in advance and told me the secret of the Abyss. What exactly are you plotting? Is the 'one strike' you require truly only aimed at that demon? Or... is it someone else?"

He never believed in groundless goodwill, especially from a mysterious organization like the Huangfu Tianji Pavilion. Trading with them was like walking a tightrope over a bottomless abyss; every step had to be calculated. But there was no denying that the Huangfu Tianji Pavilion was the only source of information he could currently access regarding ancient secrets, the Primordial Dao Ancestor, and even the subsequent path of his own Chaos Dao.

"And Ye Chen, Li Li Daoyi, Yun Yao... these 'Children of Destiny'..." Flashes of those dazzling figures crossed Lin Lin Xuan's mind. After this battle, they would inevitably feel immense pressure, and with their talent and background, their strength would surely advance by leaps and bounds. The future Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty, and indeed this entire world, was destined to be anything but peaceful. His intrusion as a "variable" would only make these waters murkier and would inevitably bring more challenges and... opportunities.

"This place is not suitable for a long stay." Lin Lin Xuan quickly made a judgment. The secret realm had become the eye of the storm, and all forces would inevitably intensify their search for the demon and for him, "Jin Jin Shisan." Staying here would sooner or later lead to being found. He needed a wider world and more resources, especially clues regarding the subsequent cultivation methods of the "Nine Turns Chaos Scripture," the cultivation method for the Chaos Dao Seed, and means to deal with the Abyss Demon Consciousness. These were more likely to be found in the core regions of the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty or in certain ancient ruins.

The secret realm was not scheduled to close for several months, but he could not wait, nor was he willing to collide head-on with all forces at the exit.

Recalling the markings on the map from the Five Elements Scatterer, he selected a region called the "Void Rift Valley." The space there was extremely unstable, with periodic weak points in space, making it a potential path for a forced breakthrough of the realm boundary.

With his mind made up, he did not delay. With a wave of his hand, he withdrew the concealment array. His figure flickered, and he merged into the shadows of the valley like a wisp of green smoke. Operating the "Turtle Breath Art" and the "Shadow Concealment Technique" to the limit, and coordinating with the system's luck-shielding function, he completely merged into the environment. His aura became ethereal, his presence reduced to the absolute minimum, and he quietly sneaked toward the direction of the Void Rift Valley.

Several days later, a desolate, dead, and silent region with the earth covered in hideous cracks appeared before him. This was the Void Rift Valley. The air was filled with chaotic spatial fluctuations, and one could see tiny black spatial rifts appearing and disappearing like venomous snakes, devouring all matter and spiritual energy that came near. Even an ordinary Soul Formation cultivator would have to be extremely careful here, fearing being swept into the spatial turbulence.

Lin Lin Xuan stood at the edge of the rift valley, his expression grave. He activated the "Eye of Truth-Breaking" to the limit, and chaotic light flowed within his pupils. The world in his vision became different; countless colorful light bands representing different attributes of energy were twisting, colliding, and annihilating in the void—this was the manifestation of spatial laws being unstable to the extreme.

He waited patiently, his spiritual sense acting like the most precise radar, scanning the changes in every inch of space. After waiting for a full half-day, when the setting sun dyed the rift valley in a desolate, crimson twilight, he finally captured a faint but relatively regular energy ripple!

At the core of that ripple, the spatial structure was the most fragile, and it faintly resonated with a coordinate in the outside world!

"Now!"

Lin Lin Xuan's eyes shot out rays of essence. He did not hesitate in the slightest. The Chaos Dao Seed in his dantian accelerated its rotation, and the vast and majestic chaotic spiritual power surged toward his right palm like a bursting flood. At the same time, he mobilized his insights into the Star-Netherlight, wrapping a sliver of law power containing the characteristics of "sealing" and "stability" around his palm.

He pointed his fingers like a blade and slashed fiercely at the core of that spatial ripple with all his might!

"Open for me!"

*Rip—!!! *

A sound like cloth being forcibly torn, a teeth-grinding shriek, rang out!

A spatial rift, only wide enough for one person to pass through, with edges constantly twisting and shaking and the interior filled with chaotic light and shadow, was forcibly torn open! On the other side of the rift, it was no longer the gray, gloomy sky and chaotic spiritual energy of the secret realm, but the familiar, azure sky and relatively mild and stable spiritual energy of the outside world!

A strong spatial repulsive force surged from all directions, and the rift was extremely unstable, on the verge of collapse!

Lin Lin Xuan took a deep breath, took one last look at this secret realm that had brought him both transformation and crisis, his eyes resolute. His figure turned into a stream of light, and he threw himself into the dangerous spatial rift without hesitation!

The moment his figure entered, the rift convulsed and contracted violently like a wounded beast, and then it suddenly collapsed into a tiny black dot and disappeared completely. All that remained were the still-chaotic spatial fluctuations in the rift valley, as if nothing had ever happened.

Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty, western border, deep within the Vast Mountain Range.

Above a lonely peak rarely visited by humans, the space twisted strangely, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, rippling out invisible waves.

The next moment, a green-robed figure stumbled out from the center of the twisted space, looking rather disheveled. He staggered a few steps in the air before barely stabilizing his figure and landing on a giant rock on the peak.

It was Lin Lin Xuan.

His face was slightly pale, his chest heaved, and the blood and Qi in his body surged uncontrollably. Forcibly tearing through the spatial barrier, even after finding a weak point, the spatial tearing force during the crossing was far beyond imagination. If not for his strong physical body and the protection of chaotic spiritual power, he would have been injured.

He quickly scanned his surroundings. The mountains were majestic, the forest was vast, and the air was filled with primitive and abundant wood-attribute spiritual energy and a faint demonic aura. In the distant sky, the light of cultivators occasionally streaked across, indicating that this was not a forbidden land.

"Finally out..." Lin Lin Xuan let out a long sigh of relief, feeling the stable and familiar laws of heaven and earth of the outside world, a sense of having lived through a lifetime washed over him. He quickly determined his position; he should be in the Vast Mountain Range on the western border of the Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty. The deviation from his expected return to the Imperial Capital region was not small, but it was within an acceptable range.

He restrained his aura, and his spiritual sense spread out like a tide, cautiously probing for any movement within a radius of several hundred miles. After confirming there was no immediate danger, he truly relaxed and began to carefully feel his own changes.

In the outside world, the operation of the Chaos Dao Seed seemed even smoother, and his connection with this piece of heaven and earth was closer. He could faintly feel that in the direction of the Imperial Capital, several vast auras rose like wolf smoke, intertwining and colliding; while further to the south, it was chaotic, hazy, and filled with a wild and unknown aura; to the west, there were sharp sword intents and heavy Buddhist light; to the north, there was a coexistence of icy cold and Imperial Dragon Qi...

"The Heavenly Origin Imperial Dynasty is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with a magnificent atmosphere." Lin Lin Xuan felt a sense of awe in his heart. This world was far broader and more complex than he had previously known.

He knew that although he was already at the Mid-Stage Soul Formation and had formed the Dao Seed, placed in this vast Imperial Dynasty or even this entire world, he could not be considered top-tier. The ancestors of the top forces in the Imperial Capital, the generals guarding the borders, and the sect leaders of hidden sects probably all possessed Spirit Transformation or even higher cultivation levels. Not to mention the Abyss Demon Consciousness lurking in the depths of the secret realm, watching him like a tiger.

The road ahead was still long, and he was surrounded by powerful enemies.

But Lin Lin Xuan's eyes were without the slightest fear; instead, they ignited with a burning fighting spirit. The Chaos Dao was originally meant to open a path through thousands of calamities and grasp eternity amidst endless variables!

His gaze was firm as he looked toward the east—that was the direction of the Imperial Capital, and also the place where the winds and clouds gathered.

"The Imperial Capital, no rush for now." He quickly calmed down. "The name 'Jin Jin Shisan' must have spread. Returning now would be no different from throwing myself into a trap. I need to understand the situation in the outside world first, especially the attitudes of all parties toward the dramatic changes in the secret realm and toward 'me'."

He recalled the markings on the map; the nearest gathering point for cultivators was a border fortress—Black Rock City. It was a place where fish and dragons were mixed, and information flowed extremely fast, making it the best place to understand the situation.

"Let's start from this Black Rock City and see what kind of excitement this world of 'Wind Rising in Heavenly Origin' has to offer!"

He took a step, and his figure disappeared from the peak, merging into the vast forest, quietly heading toward the border city outside the mountains.

The hidden dragon has emerged from the abyss, and the winds and clouds will soon meet.