Chapter 1009 The Qi of Creation

After getting into top condition, the two continued their journey, crossing the scorching red desert and arriving at a city ruin.

This place must have once been a fairyland, but now most of it is buried in sand, giving off a sense of desolation.

Ji An sensed the spiritual energy characteristics of this area and said in a deep voice:

"The fire elemental energy is extremely volatile, chaotic, and disorderly; this phenomenon is very abnormal."

Yuheng Sanren nodded, "What you say is true, fellow Daoist. In fact, there is a problem inside this planet."

The lava inside was freed from its restraints, and the fire elemental energy dissipated to every corner of the planet, making it no longer suitable for lower-level creatures to survive.

Moreover, as the spiritual energy continues to dissipate, the grade of the spiritual vein continues to decline.

This place must have once been the most prosperous place, but it has been unable to escape the fate of being abandoned due to continuous loss of resources.

With the mass deaths of mortals and the loss of new blood for various cultivator factions, they too were eventually forced to relocate.

He had specifically consulted the previous star map and discovered that this place was prosperous 100,000 years ago, but now only ruins remain to tell of its former glory.

As the lava inside the planet cools, the planet will eventually die completely and disintegrate into dust in space.

The two continued flying, passing through the city ruins and arriving at a pyramid-shaped building.

It is built of black rocks, with the exposed sand section reaching a height of about thirty feet.

The surface shows signs of corrosion, and the gaps between the stones are so small that they can be easily missed if you don't look closely.

Yuheng Sanren, hovering in mid-air, introduced:

"This building must have appeared after the monks left. Such a peculiar building should be recorded, but I have searched through all the available materials and found no description of it."

What we see now is only one-third of the building; there is a much larger volume hidden beneath the sand.

The interior of this building is engraved with runes, forming a sealing array that isolates the inside from the outside. There is a vortex inside that resembles a teleportation array.

Entering through the vortex will lead you to the realm of the cave.

"Since you cultivate the Yin-Yang Cave True Technique, then the cultivation method you practiced before the Nascent Soul stage must have been the Five Elements Reincarnation Scripture, right?"

Although his last sentence was a question, it carried a sense of certainty.

Ji An nodded, "Yes."

"We first used the golden light from the ground to pass through the sealing array, and then followed the veins within it to escape towards the center."

Remember to transform your body into a certain elemental power; you cannot continue using the Vertical Golden Light.

If you use the Vertical Golden Light, you will be teleported out, and I cannot explain why.

"Fellow Daoist, please follow behind me in a moment, and do not emit any large fluctuations of your aura. Quickly convert whatever elemental power you sense."

By practicing the Five Elements Reincarnation Sutra, the body can quickly transform into any of the five elements, thus avoiding being expelled by the operating mechanism of this building.

"Very well, I am ready and can depart at any time."

The two of them wielded golden light that seemed to pass through a layer of water. Ji An then activated his magic technique, transforming his body into a stream of water that merged into the energy channel of the magic array.

He could sense the location of Yuheng Sanren and followed him through the area, changing the power of the five elements several times. It took him about 15 minutes to arrive at an open area with a radius of 10 zhang.

This building must possess a hidden power, with an internal space far greater than what is outwardly apparent; otherwise, it would not have taken them so long.

This is a hemispherical space, with moon-white gemstones embedded overhead, like stars under the night sky.

Directly below the space was a patch of sand emitting a faint golden light. Ji An could sense that this was a normal earth element aura, carrying a sense of peace, tranquility, and the capacity to sustain all things.

The sand flowed like water, and a vortex appeared in the center, radiating an attraction outwards, causing the two men's Taoist robes to flutter.

Yuheng Sanren pointed to the whirlpool and instructed:

"Do not resist the attraction; follow that force and you will enter the realm of the cave."

He paused, then let out a long sigh:

"The world is already showing signs of decay; you'll see once you go in, fellow Daoist."

Judging from the current situation in the Cave Heaven Realm, the Star Lord who possessed this world died in very bad circumstances.

He cultivated under the Star Lord's tutelage and realized that the Cave Heaven True Lord was not eternally existing as others thought. Every 120,000 years, he would experience his own tribulation, known as the Five Decays of Heaven and Man.

Those who survive this ordeal can continue their cultivation; those who fail will inevitably face death and the destruction of their soul.

The first few tribulations were not difficult to overcome, but the tribulations became stronger and stronger as time went on, and the chances of surviving them became lower and lower.

If a star deity feels unable to overcome a calamity, they will devise a backup plan to reincarnate through self-destruction or other means, but they cannot choose such means during the period of the five signs of decay of the celestial beings.

This is a fundamental law of the universe, which does not allow for the existence of individuals with infinite lifespans. If one cannot take that final step, one will inevitably be annihilated by the law.

Reincarnation has never been the first choice for the Star Lords. They all understand that so-called reincarnation will only turn into a memory that awakens in a new individual's body, but it is not the original self after all.

Yuheng Sanren was instantly swallowed up as soon as he stepped into the vortex. Ji An, unaware of anything amiss, began to activate his magic and release various defensive spells, causing a burst of colorful spiritual light.

He then summoned the Wuji Apricot Yellow Banner, and his natal spiritual treasure transformed into a warm yellow light that surrounded him.

He activated the other five flags, causing the colors of the precious light to change, eventually transforming into the distinct yin and yang energies of black and white.

With his defenses at their peak, Ji An calmly stepped into the vortex, his body suddenly falling.

Because he was on guard, he was not panicked. After the brief feeling of weightlessness passed, he found himself in a stone forest.

Yuheng Sanren stood nearby, gazing blankly at the sky.

The sky was blood red, and the earth resembled a mottled painting covered in dust.

Ji An sensed a decaying aura, very faint but definitely present, along with a faint aura of sadness, making the air seem heavy.

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw a fiery meteor fall from the sky and land in a very distant place.

Yuheng Sanren spoke softly, "I have been away for three years, and I never imagined that this world would have reached this state. It seems that it cannot sustain itself for much longer."

When I first witnessed the aura of creation, I thought the world was about to be reborn, but alas, I was too late.

This illustrates that the world only began to decay after the initial signs of creation emerged, but it was unable to generate enough of these to reverse its predetermined fate.

Ji An remained silent; he now understood the source of that sorrowful aura.

The world begins to decay, and heaven and earth grieve together.

Yuheng Sanren waved his hand, "Let's go, let's get the Qi of Creation as soon as possible and then leave."

The grotto-heavens are created by cultivators, so they are inscribed with a certain will of the cultivators. When they begin to decay, all sorts of strange and wonderful things will inevitably be born from them.

The two propelled themselves forward with golden light, leaving dazzling trails in the sky.

During the flight, I saw a flock of large birds that resembled pterosaurs, but their wing membranes were covered with dense, fingernail-sized bumps, like the skin of a toad.

The raised tip became infected and ulcerated, causing Ji An's scalp to tingle reflexively.

Although he was already a cultivator at the Three Flowers Realm, he had a certain degree of trypophobia.

These large birds, most of which were only at the Golden Core level, actually tried to attack them, but they were too slow to catch up.

Yuheng Sanren transmitted his voice, "It wasn't like this last time I came. Back then, the smell of decay was faint, easily missed if you weren't paying close attention."

The two of them flew for more than three months before finally arriving at a basin surrounded by mountains.

As Ji An flew along, the first thing he saw was a black forest with twisted and tangled branches, abnormally curled leaves, and tree trunks covered with tumors from which viscous green or yellowish-brown sap flowed.

Various kinds of monsters have mutated to varying degrees, as if they have contracted rabies and have fallen into a frenzied state, with fighting taking place everywhere.

But this basin is like a paradise, with lush trees, birdsong, and fragrant flowers; it may be the only pure land in this decaying world.

The rosy light shone over the basin, sometimes transforming into green trees and sometimes into small birds.

Yuheng Sanren pointed to the sky, "That glowing light is generated by the Qi of Creation. It is very difficult to capture the Qi of Creation. We need to build a sealing formation to drive it into it."

I worry that if we don't quickly capture the essence of creation, they might choose to integrate into this land, and then all our efforts will be in vain.

This area is the hunting ground of two Great Rocs at the peak of the Three Flowers Realm. They will inevitably prevent us from collecting the Qi of Creation; only by killing them can we proceed to the next step.”

The energy of creation is essentially formless and without appearance, yet it can evolve into all things.

The two of them are not at a high enough level, so they need to use a sealing formation to collect them; otherwise, they would be impossible to capture.

The aura emanating from the Qi of Creation can promote the transformation of the Roc, so it will not allow the two of them to collect it, which further increases the difficulty of collecting it.

Although the bloodline level of the Roc is not as high as that of divine beasts such as the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, it is stronger than that of the Five-Colored Deer.

The two rocs must be a pair of partners, working together seamlessly. Yuheng Sanren was unable to defeat them alone and was even injured in his nascent soul by the rocs' sonic attacks, which is why he invited helpers to come.

Ji An nodded; this was something they had already discussed.

"I will go and lure those two hairy beasts out to hunt them."

He had never encountered a worthy enemy before, and this enemy was powerful enough to be a good test subject.

Yuheng Sanren nodded slightly and gave some instructions:

"Fellow Daoist, please be careful. The Roc is extremely fast, comparable to our speed when we activate the Golden Light of the Earth. Do not let your guard down."

Additionally, beware of sonic attacks that target the soul.

Ji An took out two mid-grade fifth-tier mind-stabilizing talismans, one for himself and the other to be handed out.

"Fellow Daoist, take this. It can reduce the damage to your soul and last for about two hours."

The purpose of sonic attacks is to target the soul. Once a cultivator's soul is injured, many of their techniques become unusable.

He explained the function and activation method of the talisman, and Yuheng Sanren revealed a delighted smile:

"Fellow Daoist has such a good thing, our chances of winning the battle are even greater."

Yuheng Sanren's expression brightened considerably; the key to victory was that his nascent soul could withstand attacks for a longer period of time.

His initial idea was to concentrate his efforts on quickly killing one of the rocs, which would greatly reduce the damage to his soul and make him more capable of defending against such attacks.

Most methods of defending against attacks on the soul are one-time use, and even some magical treasures with the same function are actually consumables.

It was a great pity that the magical treasures he possessed were lost in the last battle.

Ji An urged the golden light that leaped across the ground to rush into the basin, letting out a provocative howl. The magnificent momentum immediately attracted the attention of the roc that had built its nest on the mountaintop.

With a sharp cry, the two giant roc birds took flight and charged angrily towards the enemy.

The roc's feathers are golden, full of metallic texture, and it flies with strong winds, like two golden lightning bolts.

Ji An used a magic hand seal to accelerate his 'escape,' maintaining distance while continuing to provoke him.

The power of a soul attack is inversely proportional to the distance; the farther away you are, the less damage you take.

These kinds of monsters are highly intelligent, but they are also more easily provoked.

He unleashed the full speed of the golden light that pierced the earth, making him even faster than the Great Roc.

After flying about twenty miles out of the basin, Ji An stopped running and turned back to fight.

If it goes too far from the basin, the roc will turn back; this distance is just right.

He first made a hand seal to release the Yin-Yang Transformation Technique, which caused thunder to rumble and rain to pour down.

The purpose of doing this is to increase the concentration of spiritual energy in the environment, making it more suitable for him to unleash a stronger attack.

The advantage of doing this is that it allows you to maintain a sufficient distance from the Roc to reduce the power of the soul attack, while minimizing the impact on his magical attacks.

Ji An brought his right index and middle fingers together, and the yin and yang energies transformed into a surging torrent that crashed towards Dapeng.

With his understanding of the principles of Yin and Yang, he can now unleash powerful spells at will.

The roc flapped its wings, and hurricanes blotted out the sky, with golden lightning brewing in the eye of the storm.

Hidden in the shadows, Yuheng Sanren was dumbfounded. The attacks from both sides were evenly matched, but his teammate's posture clearly indicated that he wanted to fight two opponents at once.

He sighed inwardly, 'Still too young. What I couldn't do, how could you?'

The thought had barely formed in his mind when, in the next instant, the black and white torrents in the sky broke through the hurricane and silently annihilated the Roc's innate magic.

The torrent continued its relentless charge, crashing directly into the roc, while the teammates vanished without a trace.

When Dapeng saw the enemy's overwhelming attack, he instinctively chose to dodge, knowing that no matter how strong the attack was, it was useless if it couldn't hit him.

The distance between the two rocs widened, and at that moment, a bolt of black and white lightning struck one of them precisely.

The poor roc's head, neck, and half of its body suddenly disappeared, as if it had never existed.

When the sound of thunder reached Yuheng Sanren, he saw another roc following in its footsteps.

'That's it? The other party really was just a late-stage Three Flowers Realm cultivator?'

Yuheng Sanren was bewildered in the wind. Although this fellow Daoist, who also cultivated the Yin-Yang Cave True Technique, was clearly weaker than him in terms of cultivation, his attack power was significantly greater.

As a powerful demon beast approaching the level of a divine beast, the feathers covering the Dapeng's body possess extremely strong defensive properties, but these defenses were completely ineffective.

Such a powerful attack was beyond the reach of even his two senior brothers.

(End of this chapter)