Chapter 7 - 3

Immediately after seeing Ao Shen's presence, Jungwu Hua knew she was in danger. She was already severely injured, and given the strong aura from her opponent, she knew she had to use drastic measures to survive this encounter.

[Innate Talent: Atavism]

Jingwu Hua used her talent to revert to the state when their Golden Crow Clan was an Innate Creature. As such, her Dao changed into Innate Laws. She then transformed into her demon form–a humongous Golden Crow with three legs.

She had a claw artifact in all three legs, emanating the aura of the Grand Dao Source. Because they were from the same source, Jingwu Hua could better use her father's Emperor's Artifact.

Finally, numerous runes appeared around her demonic body, forming a flame mark between her eyebrows. In her current state, Jingwu Hua's Incomplete Awakening was more condensed.

Ao Shen frowned after seeing her transformation. He detected her power had reached beyond 7-Leaf, but it was fading. With each passing second, Jingwu Hua's aura was rapidly weakened.

"Innate Law," uttered Ao Shen before sneering. "Can you traitors be worthy of using such a thing?"

"Traitors? How are we traitors?" she replied before opening her mouth and spewing out flames of an unquantifiable temperature. Ao Shen casually teleported far away to evade.

"The Golden Crow Clan abandoned their status as Innate Lifeforms to become Acquired Creatures. You, people, don't even cultivate Bloodline and use the Origin System. If you're not a traitor, what are you?"

"Our ancestors saw the flaws of Innate Lifeforms. You rely too much on your bloodline and innate advantage. As such, you were destined to become obsolete," replied Jingwu Hua, her voice full of pride.

"History has proven we made the right choice: Acquired Lives became the protagonist of Heaven and Earth."

Bang!

Her colossal claw tried to destroy Ao Shen. The sheer force behind her attack destroyed millions of galaxies, stars, and planets. And it was followed by a heat that incinerated everything.

A shield appeared before Ao Shen, bouncing the attack. His body flew a fight light years away while Jingwu Hua took a few steps back. Then, she pounced on him again.

"As for cultivating the Origin System? Didn't you do the same? Plus, I know you have been implementing more human ideologies in the demon race in the past few hundred thousand years. So, don't be a hypocrite."

"You can say whatever you want, but it won't change the truth," countered Ao Shen. "You people watched as the demon race suffered Eras after era while remaining neutral and enjoying a peaceful life."

Ao Shen blew to create a blizzard of ice that froze the surrounding galaxies. However, Jingwu Hua's flame overwhelmed him, and he had to teleport away to avoid her attack.

"Our Golden Crow Clan did what we had to survive. You and I know for a fact that 99% of other tribes would make the same choice if they were in our shoes.

"You are lucky we did not take advantage of your dire situation."

"So, we should thank you because you did not profit from our misery?" asked Ao Shen with a sneer. He waved his hand to create a massive ocean of water. Then, he controlled the water to entangle Jingwu Hua, trying to subdue her.

She released an extreme Yang Flame and incinerated the ocean. The process was swift, not even creating any vapors or mists in the process.

"You should thank us for all the people we provided. Without our clan, the situation of your demon clan would have been a hundred times worse."

"You could have done more," he replied as he waved his hand to create chains with sealing powers. Jingwu Hua burned the chains, but she secretly frowned.

'Something is wrong,' she thought. 'Ao Shen's Dao is Darkness. However, during our fight, he used countless divine abilities that were not Darkness related.'

The two had met before. The Demon Race blackmailed their Golden Crow to gather resources for Ao Shen before sending him to the Martial Hegemony World. They even suggested creating an alliance through marriage.

Jingwu Hua had no desire to marry Ao Shen. However, she wanted to gather information from the latter, so she did not immediately reject the proposal and asked to meet first.

'How could I be so stupid,' she suddenly thought of something. 'My state is deteriorating with each passing second. I should be running away instead of fighting or debating with him.'

She figured out he was buying time and waiting for her secret techniques to end. So, Jingwu Hua immediately took action. She used her Yang Dao to access the power of speed and ran in another direction.

'Damn it,' cursed Ao Shen as he appeared before her. A cloud of darkness appeared to swallow the Golden Crow.

However, Jingwu Hua seemed to be waiting for this move. She used her Yang Dao to control the power of Light (Yang)–which is the opposite of Darkness (Yin).

'Shit,' cursed Ao Shen before activating a bloodline ability from a Turtle Demon Race.

Bang!

A massive explosion echoed throughout the Northern Quadrant. Ao Shen waved his hand to remove the dark clouds around him. His clothes were tattered, and he had burn marks on his hair and face.

However, in just a few seconds, he returned to normal. He looked around and found Jingwu Hua had disappeared.

"Do you think you can escape?" he muttered with a sneer. He used the Heavenly Dog Trible's [Smell Tracking Ability] and the Purple Bat's [Sound Detection]. At first, he did not detect anything, but Ao Shen was not discouraged.

His Chaos Bloodline contained too many abilities, many of which can be used for tracking. So, after searching for a few more bloodline abilities, he finally found his target.

Then, he activated the Chameleon's Bloodline Ability and turned invisible.

Southern Quadrant:

Jingwu Hua appeared and looked at the surroundings. Her aura was utterly restrained, and she had already reverted to her human state. However, her current state was miserable. She looked like a woman in her 90s that was about to die.

'I should be safe for now,' she thought before setting up formation on a nearby half-destroy star. She popped many pills in her mouth, trying to heal her injury as soon as possible.

Ten minutes did not pass before she felt the surroundings tremble. Her face became ugly as she felt the area was completely sealed.

"Ao Shen, do you want to go this far?" she roared.

"I do," said a cold and indifferent voice.

"Fine. I'll fight with you to the end."

Jingwu Hua turned into her demon form and rushed toward Ao Shen, who was sneering. All her secret techniques were already used, so she was nothing but a lamp running out of oil.

However, the smirk on his face did not last long before becoming ugly. "You!' he roared, but it was too late.

Boom!

Jingwu Hua was ruthless and exploded most of her body and soul, creating a maelstrom of flame that could sunder the Heavens. A small piece of her soul escaped.

At the center of the explosion, Ao Shen stood in terrible shape. He only had his upper body, and burn marks were all over his body. Anger flashed in his eyes before he calmed down.

"It doesn't matter. My purpose is accomplished," he muttered before summoning a beating heart. Before the body exploded, he made sure to take the Heart where the Bloodline Source could be extracted.

"However, the situation is changing at every moment. I cannot take too long to heal."

Without wasting time, he returned to his demon race legion. Ao Shen swallowed the best healing pills he possessed, but he knew it was not enough. So, he asked his Demon Legion to inject their Life Force into his body to accelerate the process.

Additionally, he had a few bloodline abilities that were perfect for healing from terrible injuries.

Meanwhile, Jingwu Hua's Primordial Spirit Remnant appeared somewhere in the Western Quadrant. She found a place to hide again, this time being even more cautious.

"Has my Emperor Path come to an end a second time?" she muttered as she reflected on herself. In her current situation, it was impossible to grow another fleshly body–especially since most of her Primordial Spirit was destroyed.

Additionally, she realized how poorly she performed in this battle. As a veteran, she made too many mistakes–mistakes she did not even make in her first battle.

And it's all because she cannot stop her worries regarding her father's absence.

After figuring these things out, Jingwu Hua opened her mouth, but a feeling of unwillingness prevented the words from coming from her mouth. So, after reflecting over and over for five minutes, she sighed before saying these magic words of relief.

"I give up."

A white light enveloped her, and she received the message she was no longer a participant.

Jingwu Hua sighed, unable to describe her immense sadness. She waved her hand to manifest a piece of bones. Although she destroyed her body, she still saved her father's Emperor Bones.

'I cannot return to the Golden Crow Clan in my current situation.'

Many people wanted the bones, and in her current weak state, she was not confident to control them.

'I need to find a place to recuperate. Then, I need to find a way to ascend.'

She calculated how she could ascend to the upper dimension. freēwēbnovel.com

'As long as I convince one of my father's Immortal Venerable or Dao Ancestors to ascend with me, it's still possible.'

Jingwu Hua pondered. Many of these people considered their role as guardians of particular clans or factions a curse. They dreamt of ascending to the upper dimension, full of resources and opportunities.

As long as she promised them freedom, many should be happy to help. However, it was not easy for people–besides Great Emperors–to bring mortals to the upper dimension.

Chapter

Ao Shen hurriedly healed his injuries, ensuring he reached his peak state as soon as possible. And the price for his action was the death and severe injuries of many of the troops in his Demonic Legion.

Previously, the legion was already injured after they offered their Bloodline Source to Ao Shen. But now, after giving him their life force, many people died. If it were not for the fact the demon race had a naturally powerful physical body and higher life force than races like humans, more people would have died.

Despite this severe sacrifice, 99% of these demons were willing. Before participating in this battle, they prepared for their death. Ao Shen and the other tribe chiefs trained them with the idea that the human might besiege them as soon as the battle began.

The upper echelon of the demon race knew many people or races did not want to see an Eternal Emperor appear in the demon race. Because of this fear, Ao Shen has always been low-key and rarely revealed his strength.

He did not even reveal he was an Innate Dragon. So far, during the battle, he also rarely used his demon form to prevent accidents.

As such, every soldier in the demon legions came to this battle prepared not to leave alive. They would sacrifice their bodies, souls, and lives to ensure Ao Shen's success.

"Phew," exhaled Ao Shen as he returned to his peak fighting shape. Without wasting time, he took out Jingwu Hua's heart and refined it. He absorbed her Three-Legged Golden Crow Bloodline, which was unique.

The Golden Crow Clan only has one leg. But only Jingwu Hua's Lineage is special since their bloodline has mutated, acquiring two extra legs. The first Emperor of the Clan–who proved the Dao during the Ancient Emperor Era–was also of this lineage. There is a high chance Jingwu Hua and her father are descendants of the Golden Claw's Ancestor.

"Truly a unique bloodline," muttered Ao Shen after absorbing it. The Three-Legs Golden Crow have some Innate Aura in their bloodline from when they were Innate Creatures.

Simultaneously, their bloodline has been nourished twice by the Grand Dao Source, making it unique even amongst Royal Demon Bloodline.

Ao Shen felt the power coursing through his veins.

'The middle of 7-Leaf. However, I can feel I'm approaching a barrier; no, it should be a limit.'

He frowned after feeling this sensation. He could sense if he waited for a while, his strength would reach that barrier. And if he absorbed another potent bloodline, he would get there even sooner.

'According to my calculations, Jingwu Hua's bloodline should have granted me 8-Leaf Strength–at the very least. And now, I can feel myself approaching a limit. Is it impossible for my Chaos Bloodline to achieve Dao Ancestor Strength?'

Ao Shen was not willing to accept such a fact. His Emperor Path relied on this bloodline. The fate of the demon race depended on this plan.

He could not and would not accept failure.

'I just need more bloodline to break the limit.'

A ruthless light flashed in his eyes. If he could not pass that barrier, he would take the risk and begin absorbing Human Bloodlines.

Ao Shen took a deep breath to calm down. He checked on his Dao Tree and frowned. He discovered his Chaos Innate Law was still brewing. Even the Golden Crow's bloodline was not enough to gestate it.

"Let's move to the next target."

He teleported to a corner of the Southern Quadrant. On a small and barren planet, he saw a beautiful woman with a phoenix mark on her forehead sitting cross-legged and meditating, surrounded by formation.

Ao Shen frowned as he saw no signs of a legion or battle, making him wonder if this place was a trap.

"Enjoying yourself?"

His voice traveled innumerable distances and headed directly to Huo Fenghuang's ears. She opened her eyes and looked at the visitor. A brilliant light flashed deep in her eyes that no one could detect.

Huo Fenghuang stood up from her meditative pose. Her actions were slow, smooth, and elegant; she displayed a level of nobility engrained deep in her bones. She took one step and appeared in the atmosphere outside the planet, facing Ao Shen.

She looked at him up and down.

"Chaos Bloodline?' She shook her head. "I don't know whether you're brave, stupid, or ignorant."

"What does that mean?" said Ao Shen with an ugly complexion. He felt the latter knew some great secrets vital to him.

"Emperors like to leave means in their bloodline to ensure their successful arrival," explained Huo Fenghuang with a sneer. "And even those that don't do that will leave means in their bloodline to prevent other people from stealing. So, how could it be easy to absorb so many bloodlines and incorporate them?"

Some people in the Ancient Clan wanted to create a Chaos Bloodline. However, the fate of these people has always been the same–miserable death. That's why she only chose to incorporate five bloodlines and chose wisely.

"Our Demon Emperors would never do such a thing. The current Royal Bloodlines are harmonious and wholeheartedly work for the revival of the clan."

"Haha, even you don't believe what you said," added Huo Fenghuang with a sarcastic smile. "The demon race believes in the strong preying on the weak, so they are more ruthless when it comes to things like Bloodline Resurrection.

"Plus, after the Golden Ape Emperor event, most Demon Emperors knew the other races could not tolerate their existence. These Emperors are not stupid, so do you think they would not leave backhands for their revival?"

"What are you trying to say?" asked Ao Shen with blood eyes, his chest rising up and down, followed by a terrifying aura.

"Before the battle, you did not have the Chaos Bloodline, meaning you only started recently. However, how difficult is it to incorporate so many bloodlines–even with the Dao of Swallowing?"

The sneer on Huo Fenghuang's face was prominent.

"I'm guessing your current state is the result of numerous Emperor Bloodline Imprints helping you incorporate these bloodlines. Then, when the time is ripe, these Emperors who want to revive will fight to occupy your body through the imprints.

"Then, the final winner will have a perfect body with Chaos Bloodline. After reviving, they can cast a better Dao Body."

Emperor or Dao Bodies are the results of many things. For example, the Qi/Energy a cultivator uses will fuse to their Dao Body. Wang Wei had an Infinite Divine Sea, allowing him to amass a large amount of energy. This energy will become part of his Dao Body.

Other aspects of the Dao Body involved their soul, body tempering, Innate Talent or Unique Divine Ability, Dao Heart, and Willpower. All these aspects will fuse to the Dao Body.

And based on how powerful these things were in the Mortal Stage would determine how much of a boost a Great Emperor would have after [Awakening] their Dao Body.

Of course, there are exceptions. People with unique souls, like Di Tian's Innate Emperor Soul and Wang Wei's Innate Paragon Soul, can be used differently to achieve Grand Dao Source boosts.

Other things of that category involved body refiners with high Willpower or high achievement in the True Power Dao Realm.

Dao Bodies have levels. Cultivators like Huang Yuan or Tie Gang, who are only powerful Quasi-Emperors, will have a weak Dao Body. After using the awakening technique, they won't even have a 1% boost to their Grand Dao Source.

However, Heaven Chosen like Tong Ruobing, Ao Shen, and Jingwu Hua, who broke the Mortal-Immortal Barrier, will have a 1-2% boost to their Grand Dao Source, allowing them to fight Emperors of higher Grand Dao Source comprehension.

Cultivators like Chu Luo, who achieved Nine Extremity Foundation, will have a boost between 3 to 5%.

Of course, there is still hope for people like Tie Gang with a regular Dao Body to achieve a potent Dao Body, but it's not easy.

Subsequently, the Dao Body of the Demon Race and cultivators from Ancient Times rely heavily on their bloodline. And this fact is more prominent in the demon race.

With a Chaos Bloodline, any Demon Emperor could create a Dao Boy capable of achieving a 2% Grand Dao Source boost after awakening. Maybe even 3%.

Ao Shen looked at Huo Fenghuang with an intense desire to kill. However, she was calm, even smiling and smirking.

'Calm down, calm down, calm down,' he repeated in his mind, taking a deep breath. 'There is a high chance she is lying to affect my state of mind. And even if she's not lying….'

He snorted coldly, "I won't listen to your nonsense. Even if you're telling the truth, all these troubles will be solved after I prove the Dao. The Heaven Will Battle is an absolutely safe place. No matter how powerful these Emperors are, they cannot interfere."

"True," nodded Huo Fenghuang. "However, they can make your Chaos Bloodline, well, chaotic, making you have to worry about it and becoming distracted.

"As long as you're not the final winner, they will win."

Ao Shen was calm and did not respond to her words. He analyzed his current situation and knew what step to take forward–win. As long as he wins, everything will be fine.

And if he loses, things will also not be desperate. He will return to the Demon Race and immediately begin the Heaven Path Tribulation.

The tribulation is similar to the Heaven Will Battle and should not allow these Emperors to interfere. And after becoming a 6-Star Primarchs on par with Eternal Emperors, he won't have any issue dealing with these Emperor Imprints.

'He already calmed down?' pondered Huo Fenghuang. 'His state of mind and Willpower are extraordinary. However, even so, he cannot return to his peak state in such a short time.'

Her plan has partially succeeded, giving her the advantage in the Mind State Area. Furthermore, she was confident her Five Sacred Beast Bloodline was on par with the Chaos Bloodline, let alone Ao Shen's half-ass one.

Huo Fenghuang waved her hand to summon an all-white sword with a design of a white tiger roaring at the Heavens on the edge. A terrifying killing intent emanated from the sword and her body.

She moved and instantly appeared before Ao Shen, swinging down her sword with the intention of cleaving him into two parts. Dragon scales appeared on Ao Shen's arms, allowing him to block the attack. However, the force behind this swing pushed him a few kilometers away.

Huo Fenghuang was not surprised by Ao Shen's identity as an Innate Dragon. Before the battle, he did an excellent job hiding it, using a brilliant secret technique and probably some type of Hiding Innate Treasure.

However, after acquiring his Chaos Bloodline, it was more challenging for him to control the bloodline aura released from his body. So, Huo Fenghuang immediately identified him upon laying eyes on him.

Swish!

Huo Fenghuang used a blood-colored slash attack. However, a vortex appeared before Ao Shen, swallowing the attack.

Blugh!

Ao Shen vomited a mouthful of blood, followed by Huo Fenghuang's previous attack.

'Yin-Yang Reversal?' he thought with an ugly complexion. After swallowing that slash, she used the Dao of Yin-Yang to reverse the power of his swallowing and force him to expel what he ingested, thus injuring him in the process.

Huo Fenghuang did not give Ao Shen any breathing time. She used the Killing Innate Law from her White Tiger Bloodline to control the blood he vomited and turned them into two blood spears.

Ao Shen's face changed as he saw the blood spears rushing toward him. He felt they locked his position and would follow him anywhere he went. Regardless, his intuition told him he should not directly defend against this attack.

So, a pair of Cicada Wings appeared behind his back, and he rushed away, evading the attack. He thought his evasive actions would buy him more time. Unfortunately, he was wrong.

After the blood spears missed their target, they suddenly disappeared. And before Ao Shen could react, the spears appeared in his body, piercing his heart and internal organs.

'The blood returned to its owner,' he thought while groaning. 'Luckily, her Duyi Realm is weaker compared to mine.'

Huo Fenghuang's Duyi was subpar for one reason–pride. As a Heaven Chosen from the Ancient Clans, she has knowledge about the Duyi Realm. However, the Ancient Clan usually achieves Duyi Realm by combining the Ancient Cultivation System with Qiyuan's Origin System.

However, most clan members despise or have a deep hatred for Qiyuan. So, the majority refused to use this method–including Huo Fenghuang. After experiencing the Deception Trial, she knew she needed to master the power of the Duyi Realm.

So, she found a way without relying on herself, but after so many years, she only reached the 5th stage–even through training. After all, she does not have someone like Wang Wei to ask for guidance from Li Jun.

Meanwhile, Ao Shen's Duyi Realm reached the 9th stage by combining the Martial Hegemony Martial Art System, the Origin System, and the demon race's Bloodline System. Sadly, he has no knowledge or experience on how to correctly use his Duyi Realm.

"What?" grunted Ao Shen as she discovered an anomaly. Huo Fenghuang's Duyi realm was mixed with something else.

'Phoenix's Immortal Will.'

"Noticed?" asked Huo Fenghuang with a sneer. She knew her weakness was her Duyi Realm. So, she solved the problem by mixing it with the Will of the Phoenix from her Innate Bloodline. Furthermore, she also added the immortal characteristics of the Phoenix into the mixture.

Ao Shen was irritated. He knew if he had a better understanding and control of his Duyi Realm, his current issue would be a simple problem to solve. Unfortunately, the demon race has lost most of its inheritance. And his experience in the Martial Hegemony World was not enough to make up for the gap with the other races that have long and complete inheritances.

'I will need some time to remove her influence on me. However, I know she won't give me the opportunity.'

Ao Shen's assessment was correct. Huo Fenghuang immediately went on the offensive. Two enormous creatures appeared around him–a dragon and a phoenix.

The dragon's body was made entirely out of water element, releasing the pressure of the top Innate Demon between Heaven and Earth. Meanwhile, the Phoenix was a flame elemental with a noble aura as the most beautiful and majestic creature between Heaven and Earth. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

[Dragon-Phoenix Yin-Yang Blast]

The two Innate creatures rushed toward Ao Shen, fusing in the process. Then, they exploded, turning the starry sky into a realm of ice and fire. One side was frozen like the north during winter, and the other was as hot as hell itself.

And in the middle stood Ao Shen's heavily injured body.

'Damn it, we are both at the peak of 7-Leaf. Why is she so powerful?' He felt his brain was functioning properly in the course of this battle. Suddenly, he heard a sound that sent shivers down his spine.

He felt an instinctive spear recorded deep in his bloodline. Ao Shen gazed at the source and saw a dark gold creature with a wingspan of 90,000 kilometers.

"Primordial Roc–an Innate Demon who preyed on dragons back in the Primordial Era," he muttered. Dragons were the most powerful Innate Demon in that era. However, once they became too powerful, Heavenly Dao needed to balance their existence and thus came the existence of the Primordial Roc.

They were known as the fastest creature between Heaven and Earth. They would snatch dragons with their claws as if they were catching worms.

Ao Shen felt the fear deep in his bloodline, but he swiftly reigned in his uncontrolled emotion. His ancestors schemed against the Primordial Roc's race and almost drove them to extinction.

So, he had no need to fear them. What he cared about was how Huo Fenghuang could create such a technique that targeted the weakness of his bloodline. He did not sense any of Roc's bloodline from her, so he was momentarily confused.

Then, his eyes lit up.

'According to my memories, in the Primordial Era, Dragons ruled the sea, Qilin ruled the earth, Tigers ruled the mountain, and Phoenixes ruled the sky. They were known as the Rulers of All Birds.

'Did she use that concept to create the Primordial Roc?'

His mind worked extremely fast, analyzing the situation in the little time he had. A subtle aura emanated from Ao Shen's body, displaying the fear he had tried to control.

The Primordial Roc seemed very spiritual and took this opportunity to rush toward him with unmatched speed. Before Ao Shen could blink his eyes, the creature was already above him, ready to tear him apart.

Unfortunately, only a smirk greeted the noble creature. Ao Shen was faking his fear to lure the creature closer to him. He did so knowing how fast the Roc would be, and he would most likely be unable to avoid it directly.

Numerous tree roots came out of Ao Shen's body and captured the Primordial Roc. Then, he acted swiftly by activating one of his bloodlines that focused on Curses.

He used the Primordial Roc as a medium to cast a powerful and nasty curse.

Blugh!

Ao Shen vomited another significant mouthful of blood; he suffered the backlash from his curse's failure.

'Rookie mistake,' thought Ao Shen with gritted teeth. He forgot the Five Sacred Beasts were one of the noblest creatures. As such, Heavens blessed them so they would not be evaded by evil, and curses were considered one of the evils of Heaven and Earth.

Swish!

Huo Fenghuang suddenly appeared before him, her white sword containing a terrifying red aura. Without hesitation, she stabbed him in the heart. She calmly looked at the body before her before slowly removing her sword.

Then, she looked in the distance where a paler Ao Shen stood.

'The Shell Escape Technique from the White Cicada Bloodline,' thought Huo Fenghuang, who was similar to this technique as this demon tribe was famous for their escape technique. When in danger, they can shed their skin and escape.

Ao Shen watched her as fear flashed in his eyes. He knew how scary that last attack was because she wanted to use her Killing Innate Law to "kill" his Chaos Bloodline.

'Something is wrong,' thought Ao Shen. Unfortunately, Huo Fenghuang did not want to give him time to figure it out. She rushed toward him, not hiding her desire to kill him as soon as possible.

Ao Shen decided to use a stalling tactic. He used another Divine Ability to create countless clones of himself. Then, he used his Extreme Innate Treasure he used to hide his identity to turn invisible.

Huo Fenghuang acted swiftly and burned all the clones in her path. However, they were not afraid of death and exploded themselves before death. Many rushed at her with the intention of dying.

Then, before Huo Fenghuang could find a countermeasure, she heard a cracking sound, making her sigh deeply.

"Did you find it?" she asked with a smile.

"A probability field created by your Luck Dao that increased your chances of winning," said Ao Shen with a sneer, his voice echoing in the surrounding. "And the best way to guarantee victory is to affect my mind, forcing me to make horrible decisions and mistakes during battle."

"Correct. And with your previous state of mind, this technique was more successful and easier than it should have been."

Ao Shen wanted to rip her heart out and force her to eat it. As soon as his mind was clear, he realized it was a mistake to fight an opponent like Huo Fenghuang using his Chaos Bloodline's various abilities. After all, he had just acquired these abilities.

As such, he needed to use his Darkness Law which he has full mastery of; this is the only way to utilize all his power.

Huo Fenghuang was not playing around. She used her Heavenly Eye Technique to see through falseness. Unfortunately, Ao Shen used an Extreme-level Innate Treasure and could use a lot of its power with his Immortal Venerable strength, so she could not detect him.

So, Huo Fenghuang used the background of her Ancient Clan. Although Qiyuan almost left them broke, after so many years, they recuperated to some degree.

She waved her hand to summon an Extreme-level Innate Treasure in the shape of an eye–its name was Phoenix Eye.

'Find you,' thought Huo Fenghuang before instantly appearing before Ao Shen, using a brilliant application of Yin-Yang Dao. The distance between her and Ao Shen was considered "far" or "long," but using Yin-Yang Reversal, she made it "near" or "short," thus achieving instant teleportation.

She swung her White Tiger Killing Sword to devastating power. However, Ao Shen was now in a much better state, capable of fully utilizing his strength and battle experience.

[Domain of Darkness]

The starry sky was already dark–especially with all the stars in the surrounding destroyed. However, Huo Fenghuang sensed it became even darker.

She could not see or hear anything. Her Divine Sense was not working, and all her senses were off. Huo Fenghuang swiftly mobilized her Heavenly Eye Technique, an Innate Technique unique to the Huo Clan.

Upon cultivating to the pinnacle, this technique would grant the user visual prowess no less than someone with the Yin-Yang Eyes that have cultivated it to the extreme.

Huo Fenghuang combined the Heavenly Eye with her Phoenix Eye Artifact. Unfortunately, Ao Shen did the same thing with his Hidden Innate Treasure.

'Nothing?' thought Huo Fenghuang, as she felt her mind perturbed for a moment. The darkness had an eerie power that crept into the mind. Luckily, she had high Willpower and could use the Phoenix Flame to keep her sanity and Sea of Consciousness unaffected.

Then, she suddenly swung her sword to the left side of her. The sound of two people clashing echoed in this darkness.

"Impossible," said Ao Shen, his voice echoing in the darkness. "How did you find me?"

"Luck," replied Huo Fenghuang before attacking a random spot.

Clinic!

She once again discovered Ao Shen, showing it was not simply luck. Huo Fenghuang was using her Luck Dao from her Qilin Bloodline to find her opponent. As such, all her attacks were random but hit the jackpot each time; it was like winning the lottery each time.

Swish!

Huo Fenghuang attacked another spot, but to her surprise, she missed. Furthermore, she suddenly vomited a small mouthful of blood.

'Luck Backlash?' She detected that Ao Shen used a technique to affect her luck and even brought about backlash. 'Luck is not absolute. Once someone overuses it, they would become unlucky. This part of luck could be considered it's [darkness]. Is that how he did it? I should not underestimate him.'

Bang!

A fist full of the corrosion of darkness hit Huo Fenghuang on her back. However, she only took ten steps forward before stopping; her body was intact.

'What? How is her body defense so powerful?'

Huo Fenghuang acted swiftly:

[Domain of Purification Flame]

She used her Yin-Yang Dao in tandem with her Flame Dao to create a domain full of Yang and Light Power.

The 7th Tier of the Ancient Cultivation System, also called the Primordial God System, is Law Comprehension. As the name implies, Cultivators will use their True Spirit to comprehend the law. The next stage is Law Domain, similar to Saints.

However, their Domain did not originate from the cultivators but from fusing a unique pocket dimension that existed in ancient times. This pocket dimension is a lesser version of the Dao Source Seed used by Dao Ancestors, and it's called Law Abode.

Upon fusion, the ancient cultivators can control the laws around them, similar to Saint's Domain. Finally, in the 9th stage, they will use that Domain to reconstruct their body to imitate Primordial Gods, thus entering the Law Body Realm.

The Ancient Clans have ways to grow Law Abodes–albeit incredibly challenging– and there are different levels. As this generation Heaven Chosen, Huo Fenghuang had access to the highest level.

With her domain that contained the opposite of Ao Shen's Dao, she overwhelmed hisHuo Fenghuang, removing the darkness around him. Then, she caught a unique breath from Ao Shen's body.

Through that breath, she used Yin-Yang Calculation and blessed her Heavenly Eyes, acquiring the power to detect him at any time and anywhere.

A dragon figure manifested behind her and fired a breath of water. The water traveled so fast that it could easily penetrate millions of galaxies.

However, Ao Shen did not want to be outdone. He opened his mouth and fired a breath of darkness, canceling her attack.

[Shadow Mimicry]

A strange aura flashed around Ao Shen's body, but it was too fast for anyone to detect. Then, he instantly appeared before Huo Fenghuang and punched her.

Her body flew backward, breaking the space as if she had entered a black hole.

'Her fleshly body,' thought Ao Shen with a frown; his technique felt a great deal of resistance, so he could not completely analyze the situation.

Meanwhile, Huo Fenghuang ignored her injury as her eyes squinted.

'He used my Yin-Yang Teleportation Technique.' She detected that Ao Shen's attack was the exact one she used after he broke her Probability Field. So, her mind rushed rapidly to analyze what happened.

'Shadows are a part of Darkness. Did he use some form of shadow technique to imitate my power?'

Huo Fenghuang acted decisively and used her sword to temporarily kill her shadow. As expected, she felt Ao Shen's connection to her was interrupted.

Boom!

Another attack hit her. Fortunately, she deployed a Yin-Yang Shield to protect her.

'That punch destroyed my internal organs. And his Duyi Realm is preventing me from healing.' Huo Fenghuang could tell with her 5th stage Duyi Realm, it would take too long to expel Ao Shen's power. So, she used a cruel and efficient way.

She spit a drop of blood. Then, the Phoenix's Flame of Nirvana enveloped that blood, growing a new and perfect body. Finally, she opened her mouth to absorb as much energy as possible from her previous body, leaving an empty and injured shell.

'Time to end this battle,' thought Huo Fenghuang, gazing directly at Ao Shen, who instinctively knew things were about to get serious.

'I have three modes of battle, and two are useless,' pondered Ao Shen. He has three fighting methods: using Darkness for assassination, using it to influence people's minds, and using his Darkness body with tyrannical body and martial art.

Assassination is useless since Huo Fenghuang can discover him. Influencing the mind is also meaningless since Huo Fenghuang has a potent state of mind and a great understanding of the soul.

Ao Shen no longer hesitated and turned into a humongous all-black dragon, along with some purple marks. However, these things were new and the results of his Chaos Bloodline.

This was the first time he displayed his demonic form before the public, and he could guess the storm going outside.

He also understood the consequences if he was defeated, the pressure and danger the demon race would face after the world knew he was an Innate Dragon.

Huo Fenghuang calmly looked at him. She was tiny compared to the mighty dragon; her current size was even smaller than Ao Shen's eye. However, she showed no fear, and her aura was no less than his.

Crack!

The space underneath Huo Fenghuang's foot cracked as she flew toward Ao Shen.

Boom!

Before the proud dragon could react, she punched him in her mouth. The force behind the attack broke a couple of teeth, along with one of his horns.

[Roaaar]

Ao Shen roared in pain and anger, his dragon voice echoing throughout the entire battlefield, bringing attention to their battle.

'Damn it, I need to hurry,' thought Huo Fenghuang before appearing above him and kicking him on his skull. Ao Shen flew away, his body destroying multiple galaxies as he crashed through them.

'Her strength has reached 8-Leaf,' he thought, trying to control his mind and remain calm. 'How did she break the limit? Could it be due to her fleshly body?'

If Huo Fenghuang could read his mind, she would tell him he guessed correctly. The Five Sacred Beasts were the pinnacles of Innate Demons, which also meant their physical body was among the best. So, Huo Fenghuang used their bloodline to temper her body, allowing her to bypass the limit.

Boom!

Huo Fenghuang attacked him; this time, she even used flame. However, the attack did not do as much damage as she expected. And the reason was due to Ao Shen's black scales turning golden.

"This aura…The Golden Roc's Emperor Artifact?" Then, she sneered as she could feel Ao Shen's vitality rapidly declining due to the use of an Emperor Artifact.

She rushed to attack, but he evaded because his speed drastically increased due to the Artifact.

[Endless Abyss]

A black abyss suddenly appeared underneath Huo Fenghuang, generating a terrifying gravity that wanted to swallow her. With one glance, she detected this abyss was an endless world of darkness where she would fall for eternity.

Two fates would fall upon her if she were swallowed: crushed by gravity or kill herself after becoming insane by the act of constantly falling without stopping.

She stomped her feet to annihilate the abyss before rushing toward Ao Shen. However, Huo Fenghuang discovered the latter kept evading while trying to find a way to escape.

She punched him again, using the power of Yin-Yang. Then, everything in the surroundings became extremely slow.

"You're finished," she said. Huo Fenghuang turned into a white light and flew straight into Ao Shen's body; she used her body to poke into his body. And she did not stop at once. She repeatedly flew with tremendous force, creating millions of human size holes in his body.

In a few seconds, Ao Shen looked like Swiss cheese.

"Stop," yelled Ao Shen as he felt his life passing through him. Overusing the Emperor Artifact was already detrimental, and now, he was severely injured. Additionally, his weakened state made it impossible for him to break her technique.

Unfortunately, Huo Fenghuang did listen to him, her eyes full of killing intent.

"I have important information," quickly yelled Ao Shen. "I can exchange them for my life."

Huo Fenghuang finally stopped, looking at him solemnly. However, the killing intent from her eyes did not diminish one bit.

What kind of news is as valuable as your life?" asked Huo Fenghuang, a light flashed deep in her eyes.

"I can guarantee this news is crucial–especially to someone like you," replied Ao Shen, who reverted to his human form. However, his face was pale, and holes could be seen in different parts of his body.

He could feel his life passing by with every second, but he did not dare heal. He knew Huo Fenghuang would strike him if he used such a cheap tactic.

"Am I supposed to believe your words?"

"Of course not," replied the proud dragon, who sighed. He knew his Emperor Path had come to an end. However, the worst-case scenario will not occur as long as he can leave alive.

As for the trouble that would occur after his exit, his mind was thinking of ways to deal with it.

"We will sign a contract guaranteed by Heavenly Dao. If the information I provide is valuable enough, you must let me live."

"And if it's not?"

"You can kill me," replied Ao Shen calmly.

She squinted, thinking about the chances of killing him and searching his soul.

"Don't even think about it," said Ao Shen with a sneer. "Even if you are more powerful than me, I can erase my memories before I die."

She saw the determination in his eyes and knew he was telling the truth. So, after weighing the pros and cons of taking the risks, she said:

"Very well."

Then, Huo Fenghuang sent him a contract from her space ring. However, the dragon shook her head and used his own contract. Huo Fenghuang did not trust him, so they decided to create a contract together on the spot.

Then, they filled it with the terms and conditions.

For example, Ao Shen must give up this battle after Huo Fenghuang allows him to live.

"Speak," demanded the proud Phoenix once they finalized their contract.

"You should know about the Heaven Path Tribulation?"

Huo Fenghuang squinted her eyes, "Yes."

"But your Ancient Clan should not have the method of summoning the tribulation?" continued Ao Shen with a tiny smirk. He analyzed the Ancient clans and concluded they did not have the method. Otherwise, they would not have been so weak compared to more modern factions.

Huo Fenghuang secretly gritted her teeth. After Emperor Qiyuan killed most of their clan's Immortal Tier Cultivators and sealed them, he also erased all their knowledge and information about the Heaven Path Tribulation.

Otherwise, the Ancient Clan could have given birth to many Primarchs. In fact, this method was the primary reason they ruled the world after the Null Era.

With that technique, their clan could give birth to powerful Primarchs, thus guaranteeing their power in the Myriad Emperor World. Although the Heaven Path Tribulation was a hundred–even a thousand times–more challenging for humans, their clan still had many geniuses who succeeded.

Furthermore, even if it was a 1-Star Primarch who is on par with Immortal Venerable is a valuable asset to any Emperor Lineage.

Sadly, their clan lost such a precious method. Furthermore, Qiyuan ensured they could not discover it through bloodline memories. Huo Fenghuang even believed he erased this technique from history.

"You're telling the truth?" asked Huo Fenghuang with glowing eyes and rapid breath. After coming to this battlefield, she felt a great fortunate encounter awaited her. So, she waited on a deserted planet, not even summoning her troops so she could move rapidly once the chance presented itself.

And when Ao Shen showed up, her Luck Dao told her the chance was from him. At first, she thought the opportunity was Ao Shen's body. After all, an Innate Dragon with Chaos Bloodline is also priceless.

But she did not expect her encounter would be the technique to summon the Heaven Path Tribulation.

"You don't have to trust me, but you should trust the contract."

"Excellent; this deal was worth it."

Ao Shen no longer hesitated and gave her the method. Huo Fenghuang took a moment to overview it, and a beautiful smile crept on the corner of her mouth.

With this method, she has another way in case she fails this battle. Although Huo Fenghuang was confident, she knew there were a few people capable of giving her a challenge.

More importantly, this method will become the foundation for the rise of the Ancient Clan–especially her Huo Clan.

Eastern Quadrant:

Wang Wei opened his eyes.

"Heaven Path Tribulation? This might be a problem."

He noticed their battle when Ao Shen transformed. Furthermore, Huo Fenghuang owed him karma from the Clean-Up, so he used it to spy on them despite their means of blocking the surrounding during their conversation.

'The Heaven Path Tribulation will increase the strength of the Ancient Clan. Should I eliminate Huo Fenghuang and prevent them from acquiring it?'

Numerous thoughts flashed in his mind. As long as he kills her and Ao Shen, they have no ways to acquire it.

'No, Innate Lifeforms will appear after I revert the environment. So, it's only a matter of time before they get the method. It's better to use another approach.'

Furthermore, these two geniuses are still valuable alive.

Swish!

Ao Shen and Huo Fenghuang moved as they sensed someone appearing next to them.

"Wang Wei," said Huo Fenghuang, an intense fighting intent in her eyes. During the Deception Trial, the latter's strength made her feel despair. However, her power was even stronger than what he displayed back then.

So, even if he improved, he would only be on par with her.

Wang Wei ignored her and focused on Ao Shen.

"Give me a copy of the technique, and the Dao Opening Sect will share some of the pressure for you after you exit."

Ao Shen frowned but did not immediately answer.

"You should understand the storm your demon race is about to face," continued Wang Wei. "As an Innate Demon, many people will want to get their hands on your body–including Immortal Venerables and Dao Ancestors.

"Give me the technique, and the sect will share most of the pressure for you until you finish the tribulation."

Ao Shen knew very well the situation the demon race would face because of him. Many cultivators will want to use his dragon body to expand their life span. Meanwhile, Immortal Cultivators will wish to use Ao Shen's body to increase their strength.

Unfortunately, the demon race does not have the strength to fight off the desire of so many people. Their only chance is to protect themselves until Ao Shen passes the tribulation.

Or, they have to find allies that will help them. Unfortunately, although they are allies with the Dao Opening Sect, he does not expect to count on them.

'If the Dao Opening Sect can share the pressure for us, the demon race only has to worry about those loose cultivators, crazy devil cultivators, and those lineages willing to take risks.

'Of course, I also have to watch out for the Dao Opening Sect. After all, a Primarch is more valuable than a Mortal Innate Dragon.'

"Fine, I agree."

Ao Shen swiftly made a decision. Although he knew his technique was valuable, it was nothing compared to his life and the survival of the demon race. Furthermore, he feared Wang Wei would kill and search for his soul.

Although he was confident in erasing his memories in front of Huo Fenghuang, he could not say the same for Wang Wei.

"But I disagree," roared Huo Fenghuang. She instantly rushed to Wang Wei and punched him. Unfortunately, her attack passed through as if he was a ghost.

'What technique is this?' she thought.

Meanwhile, Wang Wei kept discarding her. Ao Shen condensed a talisman with the technique before sending it over; he did not even mention any binding contracts. Huo Fenghuang rushed to catch it. But the talisman disappeared, and she could not understand what occurred.

She stopped as she realized something was wrong.

Without saying anything else, Wang Wei condensed a token to give him.

"Contact the sect with this, and they will follow my will."

Wang Wei disappeared and removed the blockage he had placed in the surrounding space.

"What's going on? Do you know something?" Her intuition told him Ao Shen knew something. Plus, she found it odd how quickly he accepted the offer. Furthermore, she detected the subtle emotion of fear he emanated after seeing Wang Wei.

"Hehe, I will tell you a piece of information for free," said Ao Shen in a relaxed manner. "Do you know about the Nine Extremity Foundation?"

"No," replied Huo Fenghuang with a frown.

Ao Shen smiled before explaining the information Xiao Songxi told him, including the fact Wang Wei and Di Tian had achieved it. Then, he watched with pleasure as Huo Fenghuang's expression became ugly to look at.

"Impossible."

"Hehehe. I had the same reaction," he continued with a sneer. "Unfortunately, your willingness to believe the truth will not change anything."

He laughed boisterously before disappearing; he needed to heal inside before exiting. He knew as long as he passed the tribulation, he would deal with his Chaos Bloodline issue and the catastrophe of the demon race.

Meanwhile, Huo Fenghuang floated in the void with a blank expression.

Eastern Quadrant:

Wang Wei overviewed the Heaven Path Tribulation method, pondering the intricacies of this technique. The method is a unique way to use the Innate Bloodline to resonate with Heavenly Dao. Then, it will send the cultivator to a unique location to pass a tribulation.

As for what the tribulation is? The technique did not mention it. However, after passing, a cultivator will become a 1 to 6-Star Primarch, corresponding to Immortal Venerable to Eternal Emperor.

'My theory might have been correct,' pondered Wang Wei. He believed that regular, Innate Law, Primordial Law, and Grand Dao Source are connected or should have been.

His theory is if the Heaven Will did not exist in the Chaos Universe, cultivators would have to follow a linear path. First, they would have to comprehend and wield regular laws, which are different from worlds in the lower dimension.

Then, after reaching a particular cultivation stage, they would access Innate Laws, the core laws that have existed since the birth of Heaven and Earth. Innate Laws should be the same for all worlds in the lower dimension. However, they are different from each Chaos World.

Innate law should take people as far as the peak of the Grand Emperor World. So, to become an Empyrean, a cultivator will have to cultivate Primordial Law that governs the Chaos of the entire universe.

As the name implies, Primordial Laws have existed since the beginning of time, since before the births of Normal and Source Chaos Worlds. By wielding it, cultivators will no longer be limited by their Chaos Worlds and can roam Primordial Chaos, contacting and iterating with primordial species like Fiendgods.

Finally, to become Paragons, cultivators will have to understand the Grand Dao Source–the origin or source of all laws in the Chaos Universe.

By then, they would become beings standing at the peak of Primordial Chaos, beings capable of treating the River of Time as nothing but an ordinary river, traversing up and down its stream.

'However, with the Heaven Will, cultivators can go from regular laws–even no law–to Grand Dao Source. Furthermore, since even Great Emperors can wield the source of the Dao, the other laws have to be boosted to balance things out.'

Wang Wei pondered deeply, further fleshing out his theory. He believed maybe this was how Grand Dao first planned out the Chaos Universe. However, something occurred that made it change things and created the concept of the Heaven Will.

'Assuming my theory is correct, why did Grand Dao choose the path of Heaven Will instead?' continued Wang Wei.

'The development of the Chaos Universe,' he answered. 'The previous method made it too difficult to become Paragon. After all, they must comprehend regular laws, Innate Laws, Primordials, and Grand Dao Source. The time needed for a person, even with talent, to become a Paragon is simply too much.'

The time needed for the most gifted individual to become Paragon is in the hundred thousand Yuan Epochs. But in the old system, Paragons would be people who comprehended 1% Grand Dao Source.

So, the hundred thousand Yuan Epoch would be on top of all the time required to cultivate regular, Innate, and Primordial Law.

'Then, there is the difference between regular Paragons and peak Paragons.'

In the current system, Paragons have control over 90% Grand Dao Source and peak Paragons have 100% Grand Dao Source.

However, in the old system, Paragons would only have 1% Grand Dao Source. The difference between peak Paragons is too great. Although they would have all the other laws to help them, it made little to no difference.

'However, I have to admit, the old system would be more powerful than the current one.' After comprehending so many different laws, their understanding of the law and the Dao is not something people of the current system can match.

'The old system took too long to cultivate, reducing the number of peak powerhouses like Paragons. So, Grand Dao introduced the Heaven Will to decrease the difficulty of becoming peak powerhouses, thus allowing for the further development of the entire Chaos Universe.'

Wang Wei's eyes lit up as he sensed he was coming closer to the truth.

'Grand Dao sacrificed the battle strength of the old system for this new one that took shorter. No, maybe, it did not sacrifice it but used another way to make up for it.

'It created Fiendgods, boosting their Primordial Law and Innate Demon God's Innate Laws. Then, secretly manipulate the confrontation between the three Paths.

'Through constant battles, Fiendgods, Paragons, and Heavenly Primarchs can increase their battle strength while also retraining each other.'

Wang Wei placed himself in the choice of Grand Dao; he believed the desire or program of the latter is to find ways to make the Chaos Universe develop and become more powerful; that's the only thing it cares about since this might be the only way for it to increase its strength.

Under such a mindset, he discovered many things and further developed his theory.

'Something wrong may have gone with the side of Heavenly Primarchs. From the knowledge I learned from Hong'er, the universe is a battle of supremacy between Paragons and Fiendgods. freewebnøvel.com

'Meanwhile, Heavenly Primarchs have become irrelevant.'

Wang Wei thought for a moment before secretly shaking his head. The Innate Demons and Primordial Gods rely too much on their bloodline and are incapable of evolving.

Honestly, Wang Wei feels the Fiendgods are also heading in the same direction. From his analysis, they are also becoming irrelevant as Paragons now rule Primordial Chaos.

Especially with the appearance of Half-Step Transcendents. If their race did not take the opportunity during the Ultimate Taboo, then their fate will be the same as the Heavenly Primarchs.'

Wang Wei took a breath to concentrate. He decided to fuse this theory with his others, creating a history timeline for the entire Chaos Universe.

'Let's divide the Chaos Universe into Eras–just like the Myriad Emperor World.

'The universe was born or created–most likely from Hongmeng. This era should be the Primordial Chaos Era, with little to no living things. Wu Hong told me about the 3800 special Source Chaos Worlds, and they should be the first worlds created in that era.

'After that, there are too many possibilities.'

Wang Wei thought about how old the universe was and how long since the Primordial Chaos Era, and he could not fathom such a thing. After all, even the Myriad Emperor World–one of the many Heaven Will Worlds in the lower dimension of the Eternal Ascension World–is probably a few million Yuan Epoch.

So, he focused on something else for his timeline.

'After that era, many races should have been born, and the cultivation era should have begun. I believe the first system discovered by Acquired Lives was the True Power Dao Realm, or body refining itself.

'So, let's call the next era the Body Refining Era. Trillions upon trillions of lives from across infinite worlds tempered their bodies, opening their Inner Gate.'

Wang Wei's eyes became brilliant as he wanted to live in that era full of body refiners competing with their fists and bodies. He could imagine the resources available back then; it made him drool.

'Something must have happened to end that era. Hong'er and I believed there should have been three gates in the True Power Dao Realm. So, I think something happened in that era that removed the first gate.

'Then, Body Refining became more difficult, leading to the rise of Qi Refiners.'

Many thoughts flashed in his mind. Wang Wei believed Grand Dao might have removed the first Gate to impede the development of Body Refiners.

'And the reason is simple: body refining took too many resources. If it became the mainstream of the universe, the protagonist of all three systems (Essence, Qi, Spirit), the resources of the entire universe would become a problem after a while.

'Of course, there is also the possibility that something else was the result of this change.'

There were too many possibilities, so Wang Wei was not too sure.

'The Qi Refining Era should be the period in the universe where the old system was prevalent. Ancient Qi Refiners had to understand regular, Innate, Primordial, and Grand Dao Sources.

'This Era was probably a fierce competition between Body Refiners and Qi Refiners. And I guess even after missing one gate, body refiners were dominant because of how long it took Qi Refiners to become Paragons.

'So, Grand Dao introduced the Heaven Will System, granting Qi Refiners supremacy over the universe.'

Wang Wei felt he was very close to the truth of the universe, thus sublimating his state of mind to an even higher level.

'Now, I wonder whether Soul Cultivators also had their Eras. According to Hong'er, many Source Chaos Worlds have a Soul Path similar to Immortal Venerable and Dao Ancestors, but others also do not have it, like the Eternal Ascension World.

'So, did they also have their glory during history? Did something happen to them, like Body Refiners?'

Body Refiners can become Inextinguishable Paragons, while Qi Refining leads to Boundless Paragons. So, logically speaking, the Soul Path (Spirit) should also have a way to become Paragon.

However, from his knowledge, the Soul Path is a lesser Dao on par with Dao Ancestors and Immortal Venerables. For people of the Soul Path to be on par with regular Paragons, they must become Insurgents.

After pondering for a moment, Wang Wei shook his head–he had too little information.

'Primordial Chaos Era, Body Refining Era, Ancient Qi Refining Era, and Current Qi Refining Era,' he thought. He knew the actual truth was even more complicated; his theory only caught a glimpse of the history of this Chaos Universe.

Regardless, the glimpse was something even Paragons might not be capable of finding or deducing.

Wang Wei finished his theory, then overviewed it to see if he missed something. Then, he felt he did miss something crucial.

'I missed something? What is it?'

He frowned as he pondered deeply, simulating millions of thoughts in his mind every attosecond.

'Qi Refiners…Immortal Venerable…Dao Comprehension.' His eyes lit up as if a lamp lighted in his mind.

'The Qi Refining Path did not begin by comprehending the law. As their name implied, they began by absorbing the Qi or Spiritual Energy between Heaven and Earth. So, their systems contained the use of Qi.

'And at Tier 10, when they began to study Innate Law, their Qi might have turned into Immortal Qi like Immortal Venerables.'

Wang Wei added new information and variables to his theory before building upon it.

So, the Paragons from the Ancient Qi Refiners also had Immortal Qi on top of regular, Innate, Primordial, and Grand Dao Source. And they should have a quantity even more enormous than the best Immortal Kings because of how long they took to cultivate.'

Wang Wei could imagine the vast amount of energy the Ancient Qi Refiners had due to cultivating for billions of Yuan Epochs. Such a vast amount of Qi is enough for some Immortal Kings to become Insurgents.

'And if they had special Qi from the Source Qi Space, these people should be too broken,' thought Wang Wei, as he found a flaw in his theory:

'With all these advantages, were the Ancient Qi Refiners really weaker than modern Qi Refiners?'

After finding the flaw, he tried to find a reasonable explanation to make his theory make sense. And after a few minutes, he came up with something: Dao Ancestors.

'If we assume that Ancient Qu Refiners did not directly control the Grand Dao Source in the Paragon Realm. Instead, they borrowed its power like Dao Ancestors.

'This meant at their peak, they were a combination of Immortal Kings and Dao Rulers who comprehended numerous laws.'

Wang Wei focused his mind.

'Based on this assumption, Grand Dao split the Ancient Qi Refiners Path into two: Dao Ancestors and Immortal Venerables. Then, he combined them along with the Soul Path to create the current Qi Refiners Path or the Emperor Path.

'Grand Dao also gave the Emperor Path direct control of the Grand Dao Source instead of only borrowing its power. However, why would it do that?

'Wasn't Grand Dao afraid cultivators would defeat it after having direct control of the Grand Dao Source?'

Grand Dao's tactic gave the Emperor Path absolute strength. However, there are also great risks with this move. So he did not understand the logic behind this move.

'This move accelerated the development of the Chaos Universe as more Paragons of the Emperor Path appeared. And with my ancestor's actions, Half-Step Transcendent will soon become more common.

'However, was Grand Dao's move self-less?'

Wang Wei refused to accept this reasoning. Grand Dao is a living creature, even if it's a cold, emotionless, and calculating program, it is still a living creature.

'As a living creature, its basic instinct is to protect itself. And granting all sentient beings direct control to the Grand Dao Source–one of the main sources of its power–without reservation goes against that instinct.'

Wang Wei groaned as he felt a slight pain in his soul. He understood his mind was working too fast, creating a heavy burden. Furthermore, he was trying to analyze a creature that was nearly omnipotent and omniscient, trying to analyze its mode of thinking and decision pattern–such a thing was a burden on the mind and soul.

However, the pain was nothing to him; this level was not even on the level of inconvenience.

'There are a few theories to explain this anomaly,' he continued. 'One, my theory is completely wrong, and the result I deduce is nonsense.

'Two, Grand Dao was created by a Transcendent Being, and the latter programmed it to do such a thing.

"Three, Grand Dao was helpless and had no choice but to make this decision. Something occurred that made it grant such power to the Emperor Path.

'And finally,' Wang Wei thought about the game analogy he created to understand the entire Chaos Universe.

'Grand Dao only gave players certain authority to control the Grand Dao Source. If these players tried to defeat or kill it with the Grand Dao Source, it has the power to remove their authority; in other words, Grand Dao can remove a Paragon's control over the Grand Dao Source.'

Wang Wei focused. Although this truth is scary, it makes perfect sense if you think about it logically. The Grand Dao Source originated from Grand Dao, so it's normal to be able to remove control or even access to it.

'So, if one day I want to confront Grand Dao, I need to find a way to block his authority or reach the same level of authority as it.'

Wang Wei then placed this information in the folder labeled [Transcendence] in his mind and labeled it as the highest importance.

Then, he finished his theory regarding the history of the Chaos Universe:

'Primordial Chaos Era, Body Refining Era, Qi Refining Era, and Emperor Era,' thought Wang Wei. 'Instead of history, this is more of an evolution of cultivation paths.'

He understood the history of the Chaos Universe would be even longer and more complicated. Some eras might have been influenced by one person or an entire race.

There is also the possibility that the evolution of cultivation happened in one Era of the universe.

'I still have a long way to go. So, there is no need to worry about these things for now.' After he becomes a Paragon and even Half-Step Detachment, he has plenty of time to learn about the universe's history and better analyze Grand Dao.

Now, he only needed to focus on proving the Dao and escape the shackles of time and death.

So, he swallowed a pill and healed the soreness in his soul.

Southern Quadrant:

Ao Shen appeared amongst his men. Without pause, he told Heavenly Dao he forfeited the battle, granting him the opportunity to leave at any moment. He sighed in relief as he feared someone would engage him in battle and take the opportunity to kill him,

He then looked at his soldiers, "Our demon race is now suffering a catastrophe of extinction. Your sacrifice is needed to survive this ordeal."

"We will die for the Venerable Chief."

"We will die for the Venerable Chief."

"We will die for the Venerable Chief."

The voice of these soldiers echoed together, forming a beautiful harmony of music full of determination, bravery, and determination.

"I will remember your dedication," said Ao Shen, his voice calm–at least, on the surface. "I promise, as long as I have breath in this mortal world, I will protect your family and tribes."

The 100 million soldiers no longer said any words. Without hesitation, they sacrificed their flesh, blood, soul, and cultivation, turning it into pure life force to help Ao Shen heal.

In just a few minutes, he retired to his peak state, and he still had plenty of life force stored inside his body for later use. Then, another idea popped into Ao Shen's mind.

He took a moment to return to his peak state before asking to leave the battlefield. A white light enveloped him, and once he opened his eyes, he was already outside.

He looked around, surprise flashing deep in his eyes. He thought he would return to the entrance of the battlefield. However, he appeared on the Northern Continent, near the habitat of the demon clan.

'Is this providence?' he thought, gazing at the sky. He was prepared to fight his way out of the Central Continent.

Ao Shen breathed in relief; he did not care about the aura that locked on him since he sensed his own kind.

"Venerable Chief," said an older man who suddenly appeared before him. Ao Shen recognized him as one of the few Insurgents of the Demon Clan.

"You should understand the current situation?"

"Yes."

"Prepare to activate our Emperor Formations and Artifacts," ordered Ao Shen. "All Immortal Powerhouses will be mobilized, controlling the formations and artifacts.

"Use this token to contact the Dao Opening Sect," he continued. "They might share most of the pressure for us. If not, prepare to buy me as much time as possible." freewebnσvel.cѳm

"Chief, do you want to pass the tribulation?" The Insurgent was not stupid and understood this method was the only way for their demon race to survive this tribulation.

"Yes."

"How sure are you?"

"This doesn't matter," replied Ao Shen; he knew there was no point in thinking about failure.

"If I fail, save my bloodline to cultivate another Venerable Chief," he continued. "If the Dao Opening Sect helps us, give them the rest of my body for the continuous protection of the demon race."

"With their strength, they can keep the body without anyone saying anything," commented the Insurgent. "What if they don't?"

"Then let the other factions fight for my body," said Ao Shen, his eyes full of ruthlessness. "Their fighting should injure and destroy many of them. However, you have to make sure the battle doesn't take place in the Northern Continent."

"...As you wish," replied the Insurgent with a sigh.

"Finally, find me a few hundred million people willing to sacrifice themselves to give me more life force. Or, find two Immortal Venerable willing to severely injure themselves as they give me most of their life energy."

The Insurgent frowned, "Our demon race cannot lose so Immortal Tier powerhouses in such a situation."

"Fine. Then, find the Mortal Tribe Members. You must tell them the truth and not force anyone. We don't want any people to have resentment in this sensitive period and do some drastic things."

"It will be done."

AO Shen nodded before flying deep into the demon race's territory.

Dao Opening Sect, Supreme Elder's meeting:

"What do you guys think?" asked Origin One.

"Since the sect master asked us to help, then we'll follow his order," replied Sword One without hesitation.

"Are you guys not tempted? I can make a bunch of Immortal Pills with his body," said Miscellaneous One. With these pills, the sect's strength can increase by a large margin.

"You need to look at the bigger picture," said Origin One, who agreed with Sword One's decision. "The demon race is our ally, and their survival is a necessity for the coming of this new age."

"Plus, after the environment returns to innate, there will be plenty of Innate Demons and Primordial Gods for you to refine," added Turtle One.

"What I'm worried about is the response of the other factions?" asked The Steward. "Will they fight us even after showing a desire to protect the demon race?"

"That's for sure," replied Sword One. "Most factions have been unhappy with our alliance with the demon race. They have been restrained for a long time. But now, it is a perfect opportunity."

"They also have been worried about our increased military, economic, and political strength in this generation," sneered Battle One. "Now, they have the perfect excuse to band together and deal us a blow."

"Are they not afraid of our sect master proving the Dao and dealing with them?"

"That's one of the reasons they will attack," said Origin One. "The new ruler of the Myriad Emperor World will appear soon." frёeωebɳovel.com

As soon as a Great Emperor appeared, they became the automatic ruler of the Myriad Emperor World during their stay in the lower dimension. No matter how weak an Emperor is, other factions will treat them with certain respect because of how hard it is to kill them.

After all, no factions want an Emperor using their [Immortality] and guerrilla tactics on their factions–that would be a nightmare.

"The time before the battle ends is the only time of freedom many of these factions will have for a while. So, some daring ones will want to take risks."

"But the risks are not worth it–especially in this generation."

"The key to this issue is this world has awe for Eternal Emperors, but they don't have any fears," said Sword One. "They all think they can deal with any Eternal Emperor the same way they dealt with the Heaven Devour Emperor."

A sneer appeared on her face underneath the mask. "However, they fail to understand that not every Eternal is the same."

"The main issue I worry about is whether these hiding Immortal Sovereigns will show up," said Origin One. "Heavenly Dao is currently occupied with the battle, so it's a great time for them to get rid of their seals and cause trouble."

"There is no need to worry too much," replied Sword One. "According to the sect master's instructions, we only need to buy time for the demon race. And if the situation turns into the worst-case scenario, I will control the Human Preservation Array to protect the sect."

"Alright then, let's take action."

Sword One nodded before her gaze penetrated countless distances to see the Northern Continent. She waved her hand to manifest an enormous sword that hung on top of the continent.

"Sword One, are you sure you want to get into this troubled water?" said an old voice. "Is it worth it for the mere demon race?"

"I don't want to waste my breath with you. All of you rats who are hiding and want to interfere–come together. I know this is the excuse you wanted, so let's not waste time," replied Sword One.

Then, she teleported to the Northern Continent, followed by many of the Supreme Elders.

Another terrifying battle was about to take place in the Myriad Emperor World, on the cusp of the Heaven Will Battle.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Wang Wei opened his eyes without any knowledge of what was going on outside.

"I have been so focused on my theory that I did not study this technique in-depth," he muttered before taking out Ao Shen's Heaven Path Tribulation Summoning Technique.

For a moment, he wondered why his ancestor did not leave this method to the sect. If the Dao Opening Sect had a faction focusing on Innate Bloodline, they could create countless Primarchs throughout the years.

However, after thinking about it for a moment, he realized the reason. It is not good for the Dao Opening Sect to be overwhelmingly more powerful than the other factions because of Heavenly Dao's balance system–especially in the Ancient Emperor Era.

In that period, the world's civilization was starting anew. If there were a faction that could forcibly rule the world, their fate would be miserable. Heavenly Dao would definitely scheme the destruction or weakening of such a faction.

So, in some ways, Qiyuan's action against the Ancient Clan saved them. Otherwise, Heavenly Dao would not tolerate their existence.

'Another reason he did not leave this method was probably because of luck,' analyzed Wang Wei. If there were an Innate Bloodline Faction in the sect, they would have to cultivate the Ancient System to better use their bloodline.

The Ancient System had a realm where cultivators acquired or awakened their bloodline. However, not everyone in that realm with Innate Bloodline can develop Innate Law. No, only the ones with the purest bloodline and the best cultivation talent can acquire it.

Regardless, that realm is the best way to acquire and develop Innate Bloodline.

If such a faction existed in the sect, it would only be a matter of time before it became dominant over the others with so many Primarchs. Then, if that faction decided to spread the Ancient Cultivation System, it would contradict with Qiyuan's Origin System, thus affecting the luck he amassed from the entire Myriad Emperor World.

The Origin System is the foundation for the survival of the Dao Opening Sect, so nothing can happen to it. Additionally, Wang Wei guessed that luck helped his ancestors immensely in cultivating to the Empyrean Realm.

'From this decision, I can see the ancestor's disdain or disregard for Bloodline; he did not want the Wang Clan, or the other factions, to rely on Bloodline.'

Wang Wei felt similarly, so he has to be careful when he creates his Human Fiendgod Bloodline.

'Furthermore, I may need to change the rules of Heaven and Earth and make sure people can only become Primarchs at a specific time, probably, when the Heaven Will was closed to appear.'

Wang Wei knew even if the sect acquired this technique, the Ancient Clan and Demon Race would have an advantage. So, he cannot allow Primarchs to appear at anytime during a generation.

He could foresee how many geniuses and Elders with Innate Laws were sealed in the Ancient Clans. With this technique, even if only 10% can survive the tribulation and become Primarchs, it will still drastically increase the strength of the Ancient Clan.

'Maybe I should really kill Huo Fenghuang or take the technique from her," analyzed Wang Wei. 'No, there is no need. In my era, Immortal Tier cultivators will be common. And the more that appears, the more prosperous the Myriad Emperor World will be and the greater the benefit I will receive.'

Wang Wei calmed down and finished his review of the technique. Then, another thought flashed in his mind.

'Should I study Innate and Primordial Fate Law?'

He pondered for a while before making a decision.

'It might be helpful, but only after I become a peak Paragon. I can learn from them and prepare for my Transcendent Path.'

He did not know whether these things would help. However, he was willing to try. Anyway, by then, he would reach the peak of his power and has little to no room for improvement. Then, he can study these two laws to see if they can help.

Southern Quadrant:

Huo Fenghuang floated in the void, unable to process the information Ao Shen gave her.

'Will my Emperor Path end here?' she was unwilling. So, her mind came up with countless reasons that Ao Shen was lying to her. However, deep down, she knew it was true.

'The revival of the Ancient Clan is relying on me. How can I lose?'

Ever since she was young, her clan told her she had a sacred mission–revert the environment to innate and lead the clan to their glory days. She worked day and night cultivating, tempering her body, and suppressing her peers.

She dedicated all her life to that single goal. But now, she knew her mission was impossible to achieve. So, despair overwhelmed her mind.

'No, this is not over yet,' thought Huo Fenghuang with a ferocious look. 'I can become a 6-Star Primarch. As long as I deal with whoever proves the Dao in this generation, there is still hope.'

She knew things would not be so simple. Although 6-Star Primarchs are at the same level as Eternal Emperors, there is still much difference between them. After all, the Emperor Path is supreme.

Regardless, the tribulation gave her hope.

'Plus, I cannot give up until the last moment.'

Huo Fenghuang sat in the void and summoned a black and white mirror.

'Before the battle, my luck warned me to take this Emperor Artifact. Now, I know the reason.'

Most people will only take offensive or defensive artifacts for this battle. However, Huo Fenghuang took the risk and brought an auxiliary artifact.

She waved her hand to create a green flame called [The Flame of Victory]. She condensed this flame by using her Yin-Yang Dao to control the concept of victory and defeat.

She infused the Victory Flame into the Yin-Yang Mirror, deducing a way for her to achieve victory in this battle.

Huo Fenghuang focused on her divination since it was her last chance. Otherwise, she has to rely on the Heaven Path Tribulation as a backup plan.

After a few minutes, she finally succeeded. However, the result made her frown. There were three results, and not one truly satisfied her.

The third result involved Ao Shen, to be precise, Xiao Songxi, whom he captured. The mirror revealed that Xiao Songxi possessed knowledge of a unique formation that could bring out the full power of an Emperor Artifact.

However, the formation required at least 7 people who broke the Mortal-Immortal Limit, serving as power sources of the formation. Furthermore, these people must sacrifice most of their soul, energy, blood, and life span to activate the formation.

The mirror revealed this method had the most negligible probability of success. However, after a while, this method became unavailable. Huo Fenghuang guessed it was because of Ao Shen and Xiao Songxi's exit from the battle.

Huo Fenghuang then checked the method with the highest probability of success. This plan involved these "traitors" that have taken base on the Northern Quadrant.

However, according to the mirror's revelation, she has a higher chance of dying before using this method. Additionally, the mirror was very vague on what method would allow him to defeat Wang Wei.

So, Huo Fenghuang finally glanced at the second and only viable method. However, the first step of this plan baffled her for a moment since it revealed she needed to acquire the soul of a particular Heaven Chosen called Mo Xingyun.

'Mo Xingyun: Isn't she the Heaven Devouring Emperor's descendant? Why would her soul allow me to defeat Wang Wei? Wait…'

Huo Fenghuang felt she had caught on to a piece of important information, so her mind worked faster than usual.

'From what I read about the Heaven Devouring Emperor, he was the kind of selfish individual who would not hesitate to leave an Imprint in his bloodline. Could he have died and taken over Mo Xingyun's body to revive himself?'

Huo Fenghuang knew some Emperors would use the Heaven Will to accelerate the rate of their revival. However, this method is considered taboo in the Ancient Clan.

Heavenly Dao does not tolerate these Emperors messing around and wasting the Heaven Will of one generation. So, any of them who try this method does not end well. Furthermore, a Great Emperor requires excellent skills to even attempt this method since most would not even be able to enter the Heaven Will Battlefield.

'Even if the Heaven Devouring Emperor took over Mo Xingyun's body, he would be restricted by her body's natural talent.' She knew this fact would not change because the latter was an Eternal Emperor.

'However, his essence will also change her soul.'

Her eyes became brighter. 'If I use the correct secret technique to refine her soul, I can draw some of his Emperor's power. By then, it will be easy for me to defeat Wang Wei.'

For a moment, she could not contain her excitement. However, Huo Fenghuang quickly calmed down; the mirror revealed this plan had a low chance of success, and she also had a high probability of dying.

'Is there really no safer way?' She tried to mobilize the power of the mirror and her Victor Flame. Sadly, the result did not change.

'Do I have to give up?' She looked at these three methods and gritted her teeth. The third method was unusable, and the first method almost guaranteed her death.

However, she still had hope for the second method.

Huo Fenghuang placed the mirror away before taking a deep breath. She used her Luck Dao to bless her with great fortune and imbued her with a unique intuition that can revert any dangerous situation.

Then, without hesitation, she headed to the Central Quadrant, where Mo Xingyun was temporarily hiding after scheming against Wang Wei's group.

"Huo Fenghuang? Why are you here?" asked Mo Xingyun after seeing the visitor. The Heaven-Devouring Emperor had no relationship or hatred with the Ancient Clan. Well, at least, in this generation, he did not.

During his rise, he heard the Ancient Clan had someone with the bloodline of the Taotie. So, he infiltrated their clan to get his hands on that bloodline and study it.

Unfortunately, that person only had the bloodline of a Taotie's descendant, and it was so diluted that it could barely be called such. Although he was sad he could not acquire the lineage of such a Chaos Lifeform, he did learn plenty regarding bloodline from the Ancient Clans.

It was a shame he was discovered and had to run away from the Ancient Clans, being chased everywhere. He planned to return there after proving the Dao, but he never got the chance.

"Do I need a reason to be here? You're my enemy," replied Huo Fenghuang.

"No, your eyes tell me you have a clear purpose in seeking me out," replied Mo Xingyun. "Are you interested in an alliance?" She did not mind acquiring another pawn. From Huo Fenghuang's aura, she could tell the latter was a top Heaven Chosen, thus should be very useful.

"Don't think about it; I'm here with only one purpose–kill you."

Mo Xingyun did not care about her killing intent. Instead, he took a moment to truly gazed at her, accessing her appropriately.

'The Five Sacred Beast Bloodlines?' thought the Heaven Devouring Emperor as greed flashed in his eyes.

When he was young, he had an ambitious dream–to cultivate all 3800 Great Dao and combine them into the ultimate Dao–Chaos Dao. Only with such a Dao could he be invincible in the world and not have to worry about someone ever killing or humiliating him.

Unfortunately, before he could pursue this dream, his teacher–Shi Fuyu–destroyed it. The old monk told him about the Supreme Outlaws and the terrible trial.

After knowing the truth, the Heaven Devour Emperor became conflicted. Some part of him was scared about this trial and did not want to take the risk. The other resented his teacher because knowledge of the trial would increase the difficulty.

So, after thinking about it for a long time, he realized fate was in his favor. He practiced the Devouring Dao because of his lack of talent. Although he had excellent comprehension, this thing would only be helpful in the latter stages.

However, the Heaven Devour Emperor's Devour Dao was the solution to his dream; he wanted to cultivate it to the pinnacle before Devouring people who cultivated the other 3000 Great Daos and 800 Side Door Daos.

Then, he would be able to control the power of Chaos without worrying about the Supreme Outlaw Trial.

'There is no way to know whether True Heavenly Dao would allow me to use this method to bypass the trial. However, there is a reassured way with no trouble–Chaos Innate Law.'

The Heaven Devouring Emperor knew Innate Demon Gods were still favored and blessed by Heaven and Earth despite their current pitiful situation. As such, they had some privileges that guaranteed their noble status.

Of course, these privileges also caused them tremendous trouble. Many races and powerful entities also want to acquire these privileges, and these people are powerful enough to ignore the Innate Demon God's race strength and status.

'I can swallow her Sacred Beast Bloodline to condense the seed of my Chaos Bloodline,' calculated the Heaven-Devouring Emperor. 'The entire Ancient Clan is a perfect material to cultivate the Chaos Bloodline after reviving myself and returning to my peak state.'

The Heaven-Devouring's eyes secretly lit up.

'The only thing I need to worry about is whether some old guy tempered with her bloodline.'

He secretly sneered.

'With my method, it will be easy to deal with their Imprints. The real issue is whether one of her ancestors became Empyreans or Paragons, leaving some means in her bloodline as protection.'

After his death, the Heaven-Devouring Emperor became calmer and more cautious, thinking deeper about his actions. He knew how scary the powerhouses of the upper dimension were. freewebnσvel.cѳm

Although most would not care about their descendants or factions in the lower dimension once they reached a certain level or lived for long enough, others do and will actively help.

So, he needs to take them into consideration before dealing with Huo Fenghuang or the Ancient Clan.

"Is there no room for negotiation?" asked Mo Xingyun as all these thoughts swiftly flashed in her mind.

"What do you think?" replied Huo Fenghuang with disgust. Her intuition told her this person was a smiling wolf. Furthermore, the latter did not even hide his desire to swallow her.

So, without the desire to continue this conversation, she summoned her troops. Huo Fenghuang did not want to fight directly; she wanted to observe first to see if she could discover how her opponent could threaten her life.

Based on aura alone, she already judged her strength was on par, if not greater, than Mo Xingyun.

The Heaven Devour Emperor looked at this legion with a frown. Most of the soldiers wore red armor and had a flame mark on their foreheads.

'Are they all blessed with the Phoenix's Immortality?'

He knew things would be complicated if that were true.