Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 436 The Hidden Dragon Enters the Abyss!

Only by becoming strong enough can I perhaps stand truly by his side someday in the future!
Instead of being able to watch helplessly from afar, as we are doing today!

This belief, like a seed, took root and sprouted in her heart, carrying a resolute determination to go even if there are thousands of people against her!

On the distant shores of the starry sky, at the edge of the battlefield of celestial fall.

Yu Kong was still immersed in the shock he had just experienced, unable to extricate himself from it.

"The aura of the senior has disappeared?"

He suddenly raised his head, sensing the void of the universe.

The "Ruins of Return" aura that had previously stabilized this shattered star field like a pillar of strength had completely vanished, as if it had never existed.

It is neither a collapse nor a transfer, but a complete inward involution.
Like a dragon emerging from the abyss!

"Has he left temporarily? Or..." Yu Kong wondered to himself, feeling a little disappointed, but even more so, awe!
How could he possibly fathom the whereabouts of his senior?

The level of his senior was something he could only look up to!

"Senior must have more important matters to attend to!"

Yu Kong comforted himself, while his eyes gleamed with an even more intense light!
"Follow in the footsteps of our predecessors! This belief must never waver!"

He knew that following such beings was by no means easy.

His current level of cultivation is probably not even worth mentioning in the eyes of his seniors.

"We must improve our strength as soon as possible!"

"Although the Heavenly Meteor Battlefield is dangerous, it also contains countless opportunities!"

A hint of madness flashed in Yu Kong's eyes!
He's determined to make a future here!
Only by becoming stronger can one be qualified to seek the traces of one's predecessors and stand behind them!
Without further hesitation, he adjusted his direction and headed deeper into the Heavenly Meteor Battlefield, into an area that was more chaotic and dangerous, but also potentially held greater opportunities.

They flew away resolutely!
In another, more distant, more ancient, and even beyond the dimensions of the Southern Starry Universe, there lies an unknown land.

It was a dark realm that defied description.

There were no stars, no light, only endless, viscous, living darkness!
In the deepest part of this darkness, there seem to be countless indescribable, enormous shadows.

These shadows exude an aura of decay, chaos, madness, and distortion.

It's as if it's a personification of all the negative concepts in the universe!
Just as Xu Ran completely extinguished the remaining will of that "source of filth".

Some corner of this dark realm.

A massive shadow, composed of countless twisted, wailing limbs and faces, trembled violently!
One of the "faces" that made up of it, radiating a gray light, suddenly went hollow!
It's as if it was erased out of thin air!
"Ok?"

An ancient, hoarse whisper, seemingly from the depths of the underworld, slowly echoed through this dark realm.

This voice, devoid of any emotion, contained a chilling malice that made all the heavens and myriad realms tremble!

"Has the wisp of 'derivative' I left 'outside' been completely annihilated?"

"interesting."

"For countless eons, I have not encountered any being capable of completely 'annihilating' my power."

"Is that power 'Return to the Void'?"

"Heh, the gatekeeper of reincarnation?"

"It seems that some of the 'seeds' over there have begun to sprout."

The enormous shadow writhed slowly, and countless pained faces emitted silent howls.

"find him."

“Contaminate him.”

"or……"

“Devoure him…”

"New 'nutrients' have emerged."

A cold and malevolent will spread like ripples throughout this dark realm.

An even greater storm, spanning countless eras and involving the fundamental order of the universe, is quietly brewing.

Xu Ran seemed to sense this, but didn't seem to care about it completely.

He had already stepped into that dark passage.

No matter how many thorns or powerful enemies lie ahead.

He killed him with a single sword stroke!
Beneath the Ruins, all beings are equal!
His path, his way, was destined to tread upon endless withered bones and lead to final annihilation!

The Mountain Reliance Sect, which was once his starting point, is now just a temporary stop on his long journey.

All he left behind were those words, "Wait for me."

And in Xu Qinghan's eyes, there was an inextinguishable light of hope.

The wind is still blowing.

The story has only just begun!
The cave Xu Ran stepped into was not an ordinary cave.

It was a deep, downward-extending ley line. Upon entering, all the noise of the outside world was completely shut out, leaving only a deathly silence and an intense, ancient, and saturated aura.

This aura was neither spiritual energy nor demonic energy, nor any form of energy that Xu Ran was aware of.

It is more like a sedimentation of time, a trace left behind after hundreds of millions of years have passed.

The stone walls on both sides of the passage were not formed naturally, but were forcibly carved out by some great force.

It was covered with mottled engravings, which looked like some kind of ancient runes, or perhaps unconscious claw marks.

Upon closer inspection, the engravings appear to be slowly wriggling and changing, as if they possess a life of their own!

Xu Ran walked down step by step with a blank expression.

His footsteps sounded exceptionally clear in the absolute silence, carrying a strange rhythm, as if gradually merging with some kind of pulse deep within the earth.

The deeper you go, the stronger the ancient and weathered atmosphere becomes.

At the same time, an indescribable sense of oppression, as if it were a tangible force, surged in from all directions.

This oppression is not directed at the physical body, but rather at the soul!

It was as if countless cold, indifferent eyes were watching him from the deepest part of the earth!
Ordinary cultivators, even those at the Nascent Soul or Void Returning stages, would likely have their souls crushed by this invisible pressure and become foolish the moment they stepped into this place!

But Xu Ran seemed oblivious.

His expression remained unchanged, cold and aloof.

The power of "Return to Nothingness" flowed slowly within his body. Wherever it passed, all external oppression, prying eyes, and influences were assimilated and eliminated, ultimately returning to nothingness!
The Void is the end, the annihilation, and also the all-encompassing darkness!

Faced with this power, the so-called sedimentation of time, the so-called will of the earth's veins, and even the probing from the unknown all seem insignificant.

Finally, he reached the end of the passage.

My eyes suddenly opened up.

This is a vast underground space.

In the center of the space, instead of the altar or treasure trove one might have imagined, there was a lake as black as ink.

No, that's not a lake!
That is an energy form condensed from the purest "deathly stillness" power!
Thick, cold, exuding an aura of despair that freezes even the soul!
The lake was calm and still, yet it seemed to contain a terrifying power that could devour everything!
In the center of this "deadly lake," a gray crystal, about the size of a fist, floats silently! This crystal has sharp edges and corners, yet its surface is exceptionally smooth, as if reflecting countless shattered stars!
The aura it emitted subtly resonated with the "Return to Nothingness" power within Xu Ran's body! Yet, it also carried a completely different charm!

It's more like they were born from the same source, but went down a different path!
"I see."

For the first time, a slight ripple appeared in Xu Ran's icy eyes.

This ley line, this desolate lake, and this gray crystal.

It was left behind by the one who planted the "Return to Nothingness" seed into his body back then!
Is it a "training ground" prepared for him? Or perhaps a "cocoon"?
That being seems to have foreseen this day!
I knew he would return!

He anticipated that he would need a place that was absolutely safe, where he could completely stabilize and control the nascent power of "Return to the Void"!

"The Ruins are not heartless."

"But His 'love' is beyond your comprehension."

A blurry sound fragment, seemingly from the distant past, flashed through Xu Ran's mind.

Was that a lingering remnant left behind by that being?
Xu Ran did not delve into it further.

He slowly lifted his foot and stepped into the pitch-black "Lake of Death"!
A strange scene happened!

The deathly power, powerful enough to freeze the soul and devour life, did not cause any harm the moment it touched Xu Ran's body. Instead, it flowed into his body as joyfully as swallows returning to their nests!
His body seemed to have become a bottomless black hole!

It greedily absorbed the pure, lifeless essence that had accumulated in this lake over countless years!

As the source of deathly stillness surged in, the power of "Return to Nothingness" within Xu Ran's body began to boil violently!

The slight weakness and hidden dangers caused by forcibly activating and eradicating the "source of filth" were quickly smoothed out and filled by this pure energy!

His aura did not become more evil or chaotic after absorbing the power of "deathly silence," but instead became more restrained, profound, and harmonious!
It's like a piece of raw jade that has undergone countless trials and tribulations, being polished to remove the last bit of flaws!
Finally, Xu Ran reached the center of the lake.

He reached out and grasped the floating gray crystal!
"Om-!"

The moment his fingertips touched the crystal, the entire underground space trembled violently!
The gray crystal suddenly shone brightly!

Countless mysterious and enigmatic runes, yet containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, emerged from within the crystal, imprinting themselves on Xu Ran's limbs and even deep into his soul, as if they were living things!

"Boom!"

Within Xu Ran's body, it seemed as if countless stars were being born and dying!

A more powerful, more vast, and more "original" aura suddenly erupted from his body!
But in just a moment, this aura receded like the tide!
It's receding again!

This time, the restraint is even more thorough than before!

It was as if his entire being had become one with this underground space, with this desolate lake, and with this gray crystal!
Regardless of each other!

He is still himself.

But he doesn't seem to be entirely the same person he used to be.

"The First Transformation of the Ruins Mark!"

Xu Ran slowly closed his eyes, standing motionless like a statue in the center of the dead lake.

The gray crystal has disappeared.

Instead, a very faint, almost invisible gray mark appeared between his eyebrows, flashing by in an instant!
He began his true transformation!
The first transformation for the "Return to the Ruins" traveler!
This period of seclusion may be very long.

It was long enough for the outside world to change drastically.

The Mountain Clan.

As time went by, the shock brought by Xu Ran's return, as well as the heart-stopping crisis of the sect's destruction, gradually subsided.

But the impact is far-reaching.

The atmosphere inside the sect's main hall was solemn.

Sect Leader Li Fugui, along with the few remaining Supreme Elders and the peak masters of each peak, were all present.

Sitting in the main seat, Li Fugui's expression was complex, showing both relief at surviving the ordeal and a sense of uncertainty and worry about the future.

"Gentlemen," Li Fugui began slowly, his voice tinged with weariness, "I'm sure you all know what happened to Junior Nephew Xu Ran, or rather, Senior."

Everyone was silent.

The word "senior" carries a completely different weight when uttered by the head of the sect.

But no one refuted it.

Given Xu Ran's terrifying strength, which was enough to crush everything, and his unfathomable realm, it was perfectly appropriate to call him "senior".

"Senior shielded our sect from annihilation; this kindness is heavier than a mountain!" A white-haired elder said in a deep voice, "No matter what Senior has gone through or what form he has taken, he is still a member of my Reliance Sect!"

“Indeed!” Another peak master nodded. “However, senior’s current state seems to be completely different from the path we cultivate, and it is even somewhat unsettling.”

He spoke for most of the people present.

That cold, deathly aura, as if it were about to drag everything to its end, was truly terrifying!

It even instilled a sense of instinctive fear in them!

Li Fugui sighed: "The way of the senior is beyond our comprehension. But one thing is certain: the senior has no ill intentions towards the sect."

He remembered Xu Ran's words before he left: "Wait for me."

Simple, yet profound.

"The most important thing now is how to deal with the possible changes that may occur next." Li Fugui's gaze swept over everyone. "The Black Soul Sect has suffered such a great loss, and even a trace of the legendary 'Source of Filth's' will was erased by our predecessor. They will never let this go!"

"It seems there's an even stronger force behind the Black Soul Sect. What if they make a comeback?" an elder said worriedly.

"Therefore," a fierce glint flashed in Li Fugui's eyes, "we must recover our strength as soon as possible! We must even become stronger!"

"Sect resources will be allocated to all disciples with potential!"

"Awaken all elders who are in seclusion and show no signs of breakthrough immediately!"

"In addition," Li Fugui paused, looking at Xu Qinghan, who had been silent in the corner.

At this moment, Xu Qinghan's temperament was different from before.

That gentleness seemed to have been replaced by something more resilient and sharper.

Her eyes were clear, yet they held an undeniable firmness!

Like a sharp sword hidden in its sheath, ready to unleash its full power at any moment!
"Qinghan," Li Fugui's voice softened slightly, "What are your plans?"

Xu Qinghan raised her head and looked calmly at the sect leader: "This disciple wishes to enter the 'Sword Tomb' for seclusion!"

"what?!"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone in the audience was shocked!

Sword Tomb!

That is one of the most dangerous forbidden areas of the Backing Mountain Sect!

Legend has it that the broken swords and undying sword intent of generations of sword masters are buried there!

There are also countless sword demons and sword spirits transformed from ancestors who went mad while practicing swordsmanship!
Extremely dangerous!

(End of this chapter)