Chapter 511: Chaos Believers, the Innocent

Just as the two were passing through an open area, a team of cultivators in black robes suddenly appeared ahead. These people were gathered around a large energy vortex, seemingly performing some kind of operation.

"Get down!" Lin Xuan grabbed Muerxiu, and the two quickly hid in a thicket of bushes.

"People from the Guixu Sect," Muerxiu whispered, recognizing the attire of those black-robed cultivators.

Lin Xuan observed carefully and discovered that these Guixu Sect cultivators were using specialized tools to collect a crystal-like substance from the vortex. These crystals displayed the colors of chaos, at times transparent like crystal, at others dull like iron ore, shifting incessantly.

"What is that?" Lin Xuan asked in a low voice.

Muerxiu's face showed shock: "Chaos Crystal! This is a special substance precipitated from the fissures of the Reincarnation System, containing extremely primal energy. Helian Chen needs this substance to accelerate the progress of his plan!"

A flash of determination crossed Lin Xuan's eyes: "We must find a way to learn more." Having said this, he slightly altered his aura, adding a hint of Void power fluctuations, then stood up and strode toward the group of cultivators.

Seeing this, Muerxiu hurriedly followed, likewise adjusting his aura to appear more like a Guixu Sect cultivator.

"Hard work, fellow Daoists." Lin Xuan walked closer, cupped his hands in a salute, his tone carrying a hint of superiority, "Lord Helian Chen sent us to collect Chaos Crystals on the east side; I didn't expect you to have arrived already."

The leader of that team of cultivators—a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression—looked Lin Xuan and Muerxiu up and down: "Never seen you before, which branch are you from?"

Lin Xuan responded calmly: "We belong to the Northern Region Branch and have been assisting Lord Helian Chen with the study of ancient texts. This time, we were ordered to go out and collect materials."

The middle-aged cultivator looked at the two suspiciously, but seeing that Lin Xuan's aura indeed carried Void fluctuations, and coupled with his confident demeanor and speech, he finally nodded: "So you are fellow Daoists who study ancient texts. You've come just in time; we have just collected a batch of high-quality Chaos Crystals and are preparing to send them to Hunyuan Valley."

Lin Xuan feigned curiosity: "I heard that the Cultivation World has been in turmoil lately; I wonder how Lord Helian Chen's grand plan is progressing?"

A fanatical look appeared on the middle-aged cultivator's face: "Lord has already publicly declared that he has discovered the truth of the universe! He says that the opposition between the three major forces of the Cultivation World is a mistake, and the true path is to return to the initial state of chaos. There, everything will be reborn, and we will also obtain unprecedented power!"

Another young cultivator added excitedly: "Lord Helian Chen's philosophy has already attracted countless cultivators to follow! Even within some large sects, divisions have begun to appear; some support the Lord's philosophy, while others stubbornly cling to so-called traditional order."

"It is a pity that those stubborn ones do not know they are blocking the progress of the entire universe," the middle-aged cultivator sneered, "Look at the changes in the sky and the earth; are these not the very signs that the universe is about to return to chaos?"

Lin Xuan felt a chill in his heart, but his expression remained calm: "Well said. You continue collecting; we will go to the east side to take a look."

The two bid farewell with cupped hands, pretending to walk toward the east. Once they were out of the sight of that group of cultivators, they immediately changed direction and continued their journey toward Hunyuan Valley.

"The situation is even worse than we imagined," Muerxiu said with a grave expression, "Helian Chen has already publicly propagated his philosophy and gained quite a few followers. The Cultivation World is beginning to split, which is exactly what he wants."

Lin Xuan nodded: "A divided Cultivation World cannot form a combined force to resist his plan. He is very smart; he first uses ideology to divide the forces of all sides, then takes the opportunity to implement his final plan."

As the two hurried along, Lin Xuan took out the Fate Compass, attempting to make contact with Xiao Yuan. The Fate Compass was a special Dharma Artifact given to him by Xiao Yuan, capable of transmitting simple information within a certain distance.

The compass vibrated gently, and a series of light dots appeared on it, forming a simple map that marked Xiao Yuan's current location and a suggested meeting point.

"Xiao Yuan has already penetrated the outskirts of Hunyuan Valley and is waiting for us to rendezvous." After reading the information, Lin Xuan put the compass away, "We need to adjust our route and approach Hunyuan Valley from the northwest; the defenses there are relatively weak."

Muerxiu nodded in agreement, and the two immediately changed direction, entering an ancient forest. This forest was different from the outside world; it still maintained its vitality, and the tall trees blocked most of the sky, also isolating those ominous energy fluctuations.

"Taijizi once cultivated in this forest," Muerxiu explained, "The Taiji Power remaining here can temporarily resist the external Hun Dun Qingshi."

Lin Xuan was about to respond when his expression suddenly changed, and he stopped abruptly: "Someone is here!"

No sooner had he spoken than rustling sounds came from the bushes ahead, and immediately after, more than ten figures surrounded them from all directions. These people wore all sorts of clothes; some looked like ordinary cultivators, while others looked like farmers or hunters from the mortal world. The only commonality was that their eyes all displayed a chaotic color, the boundaries between the whites of their eyes and their pupils had blurred, and the entire eyeball resembled a small Chaos Vortex.

"Chaos Believers!" Muerxiu exclaimed, "Humans eroded by Chaos Power have lost their sanity and only know how to attack any cultivator passing by!"

Those Chaos Believers let out incoherent roars, brandishing the weapons in their hands—be it blades, swords, or farm tools, or even bare-handed—and lunged at the two.

Lin Xuan dared not be negligent and immediately channeled the Taiji Three Origin Power, a mass of three-colored light condensing in his palm. He did not rush to attack, but instead first observed the attack paths and rhythm of these believers.

"Don't kill them; they are all innocent people controlled by Chaos Power!" Muerxiu shouted, while simultaneously waving his hand to release a Void Barrier, temporarily isolating several believers.

Lin Xuan nodded, and the three-colored light in his hand suddenly expanded, turning into streaks of light that precisely struck the acupoints of the few believers rushing at the front. These rays of light did not harm their bodies but temporarily sealed their meridians, leaving them unable to move.

Muerxiu, meanwhile, demonstrated precise control over Void power—he formed seals with his left hand and incantations with his right, Void power condensing at his fingertips and turning into several black-purple thin threads, which shrouded the other few believers like a spider web. After being entangled by the black threads, these believers' movements immediately slowed down, as if they had fallen into some kind of time-deceleration zone.

The two cooperated tacitly and soon subdued most of the believers. However, the remaining few believers seemed to sense danger and suddenly gathered together, the Chaos Power within their bodies beginning to resonate, forming a small energy field.

"Not good!" Muerxiu's face changed, "They are going to detonate the Chaos Power within their bodies!"

Lin Xuan made a prompt decision, releasing all the Taiji Three Origin Power in his hand to form a massive Taiji Pattern, shrouding all the remaining believers within it. The Taiji Pattern rotated, the Three Origins Power circulating with each other, constantly neutralizing the chaotic energy within the believers' bodies.