Chapter 826: Enlightenment in the Pool, Subduing the Origin

"Close your eyes and feel with your heart," Lin Xuan guided. "The blooming of life and the withering of death are both the laws of Nature. Spring birth and summer growth, autumn harvest and winter storage—this is the cycle of the Heavenly Dao."

Long Xiaoyu closed her eyes as instructed and began to perceive. Gradually, she discovered that the power of life and death in the pool water was no longer so terrifying; instead, it possessed a wondrous harmony.

Seeing that she had entered the state, Lin Xuan turned his attention to the bottom of the pool. His divine sense probed downward, and he quickly discovered an anomaly.

At the deepest part of the pool floor, there was a massive vortex. In the center of the vortex, a bead the size of a fist was slowly rotating. The bead was half-black and half-white; it was the Core of the Origin of Life and Death.

"It really is here," Lin Xuan felt a surge of joy in his heart.

But just as he wanted to approach, a terrifying pressure suddenly descended. A phantom image emerged from the bottom of the pool; it was a gigantic True Dragon, the ancestor of the Demon Race.

"Human junior, you should not have come here," the True Dragon phantom spoke in a majestic voice.

Lin Xuan was neither haughty nor humble: "Junior Lin Xuan pays respects to Senior. I have no ill intent in coming here; I only wish to borrow the Origin of Life and Death for a time."

"The Origin of Life and Death is a supreme treasure of heaven and earth; how could I give it to you so easily?" the True Dragon phantom snorted coldly.

"Does Senior know that the Great Calamity is approaching?" Lin Xuan said in a deep voice. "If we cannot gather all nine Origins, the heavens and the myriad worlds will be destroyed. When that time comes, the Demon Race will not be spared either."

The True Dragon phantom fell silent.

Lin Xuan continued: "Junior bears the power of Lun Hui and is the Lord of Lun Hui for this epoch. Only by gathering the nine Origins can we resist the Great Calamity. This is not only for the human race, but also for the Demon Race and for all living beings."

"Lord of Lun Hui..." the True Dragon phantom's tone softened somewhat. "What proof do you have?"

Without hesitation, Lin Xuan released his Dao Fruit of Lun Hui. When that black-and-white Dao Fruit appeared, the entire Life and Death Pool began to tremble. The power of life and death automatically converged toward the Dao Fruit, as if in worship.

"It truly is the Dao Fruit of Lun Hui!" the True Dragon phantom was shocked. "No wonder that brat Long Xiao let you in."

It pondered for a moment: "Very well. Since you are the Lord of Lun Hui, this seat will give you a chance. But you must pass this seat's test."

"Please instruct me, Senior."

The True Dragon phantom waved its dragon claw, and the scene at the bottom of the pool changed abruptly. Lin Xuan found himself in a strange space, filled with dense power of life and death.

"This is the Realm of Life and Death, a special space between life and death," the True Dragon phantom said. "You must experience nine lifetimes of Lun Hui here, and in each lifetime, you must experience the transition between life and death. If you can persist, the Origin of Life and Death will be yours."

As soon as the words fell, Lin Xuan felt his consciousness blur.

When he regained consciousness, he found he had become an infant. He retained his memories but could not control this tiny body.

In the first life, he was born in an ordinary village and lived a mundane life. He married, had children, worked at sunrise, and rested at sunset. Until the age of seventy, he passed away peacefully in his sleep.

In the moment of death, he felt the preciousness of life.

In the second life, he became a general, fighting on the battlefield. At thirty, he died from an enemy's hidden arrow. Before dying, he looked at the sky and suddenly understood what it meant to live toward death.

In the third life, he was a healer, saving the dying and healing the wounded. Watching countless lives continue in his hands, and also watching countless lives wither helplessly, he began to understand that life and death were merely a process.

Just like that, lifetime after lifetime.

The experiences of each life were different, but all revolved around life and death. In these cycles of Lun Hui, Lin Xuan's understanding of life and death grew increasingly profound.

When the ninth life ended, Lin Xuan's consciousness returned to his original body. He opened his eyes and found he was still at the bottom of the pool, but his entire temperament had changed completely.

"Not bad," the True Dragon phantom praised. "You are the fastest person I have ever seen to pass the test. It seems this is Heaven's will; this Origin of Life and Death is yours."

It waved its dragon claw, and the bead of the Origin of Life and Death flew slowly toward Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan reached out and caught it. As soon as the Origin bead was in his hand, it turned into two rays of light, one black and one white, and merged into his Dao Fruit of Lun Hui. Instantly, he felt his mastery over Lun Hui deepen by another layer.

"Many thanks for your grace, Senior," Lin Xuan thanked him sincerely.

"No need to thank this seat; this is what you deserve," the True Dragon phantom said. "Remember your mission, Lord of Lun Hui. The future of the Demon Race is also entrusted to you."

Having said this, the phantom slowly dissipated.

Lin Xuan put away the Origin and swam out from the bottom of the pool. When he surfaced, he found that Long Xiaoyu was breaking through. A brilliant golden light shone around the young girl, and a small golden dragon circled above her head.

"She is breaking through!" Long Xiaojiu Tian said excitedly.

Indeed, the next moment, Long Xiaoyu's aura surged, breaking through directly from the early stage of Sovereign to the mid-stage of Sovereign, and it was still climbing. Finally, her realm stabilized at the late stage of Sovereign.

"Many thanks to the Great Emperor of Lun Hui for your guidance!" Long Xiaoyu opened her eyes, her face full of joy.

"This is your own good fortune," Lin Xuan smiled.

Long Xiaojiu Tian and the White Spirit Demon Emperor exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes. In just half a day, he had allowed Xiaoyu to break through several minor realms; this ability was truly astonishing.

"The Great Emperor of Lun Hui is truly worthy of his reputation," the White Spirit Demon Emperor praised. "You have already subdued the Origin of Life and Death, haven't you?"

Lin Xuan nodded: "Many thanks to you both for your grace."

"You obtained this through your own strength," Long Xiaojiu Tian said sternly. "Great Emperor of Lun Hui, I have a proposal."

"Please speak."

"The Great Calamity is approaching; fighting alone will ultimately leave us weak. Why don't our Demon Race and the Lun Hui Empire form an alliance to face the Great Calamity together?"

Lin Xuan's heart stirred. The strength of the Demon Race was indeed powerful; if they could form an alliance, it would be of great help for the upcoming battle for the Origins.

"I would be honored," Lin Xuan agreed immediately.

Both sides established the alliance on the spot. From this day forward, the Lun Hui Empire and the Demon Race Holy Land were officially allied, to not infringe upon each other and to advance and retreat together.

When leaving the Demon Race Holy Land, Lin Xuan was in a good mood. Not only had he obtained the Origin of Life and Death, but he had also gained a powerful ally. He already had two of the nine Origins; it was a good start.

But he also knew that the subsequent competition for the Origins would only become more intense. The Divine Court, the Demon Abyss, and the Buddha Sect—none of these powers were easy to deal with.

As soon as Lin Xuan returned to the Lun Hui Empire, he received shocking news.

"Your Majesty, something major has happened in the Demon Abyss!" Sima Xue hurried up to meet him and handed over a message Jade Slip.

Lin Xuan took the Jade Slip and probed it with his divine sense. A moment later, his expression became grave.

According to the intelligence, a terrifying power of destruction had suddenly erupted in the depths of the Demon Abyss, destroying space for a million miles around. Even the Lord of the Demon Abyss, Mo Wuji, had personally intervened but could not suppress it, instead suffering heavy injuries.

"The Origin of Destruction has rioted," Lin Xuan said in a deep voice. "It seems that it is not just the Origin of Life and Death; other Origins have also begun to awaken."

"Does Your Majesty intend to go to the Demon Abyss?" Murong Xue asked with concern. "The Demon Race has always been at odds with other races, and this Mo Wuji is a ruthless person. If..."