Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 439 The Last Barrier!
But he remained seated cross-legged.

His mind was completely immersed in the resonance with the dark gold armor.

He gradually exuded an aura completely different from before.

It was a kind of composure that had been tempered by blood and fire, a sharpness that had touched upon a higher level of Daoist principles.

Although it is still immature, it has already begun to take shape!

Finally, at a certain moment, Yu Kong suddenly opened his eyes!
There was no excitement or ecstasy in his eyes.

There is only an indescribable sense of heaviness and awe!
He stood up and looked once more at the dark gold armor that stood silently.

This time, what he saw was no longer just a cold object, but a towering hero, a lonely guardian who bore the sorrow of an entire era, faced endless darkness alone, and fought to his last breath!
"guard."

Yu Kong murmured softly.

These two words seemed to possess immense power, making it difficult for him to breathe.

He vaguely understood what the armor represented.

It is more than just a powerful magic weapon.

It's also a responsibility!
A legacy!
The continuation of a protective will that would not hesitate to sacrifice oneself to the point of being shattered to pieces!

"I see."

"Senior, you have not perished."

"Instead, they transformed themselves into the final bulwark."

"They are protecting something important."

"Or perhaps they are waiting."

"Waiting for someone who can inherit your will."

Yu Kong was deeply moved and bowed deeply to the armor!
This bow is a sign of respect for the strong!

It is a tribute to heroes!
It is also a promise to that heavy will to protect!

"senior."

"This junior flies through the air."

"Today I am unable to bear the weight of your glory."

"But if I have enough strength someday."

"I will definitely come back!"

"I will definitely try to understand the unfinished work you have been doing!"

"We will definitely pass on this will to protect!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unwavering determination!

It was like a vow.

The echoes reverberated in the heart of this desolate battlefield.

Having said that, Yu Kong no longer hesitated. He knew that this place was not a place to stay for long. Although the fluctuations of that terrifying will were mostly covered up by the chaotic laws of this core area.

But it's hard to guarantee that it won't attract some terrifying beings, and he has already gotten what he wanted.

It wasn't just about recovering from injuries and making a slight improvement in cultivation; more importantly, it was about a transformation of one's state of mind.

And a preliminary understanding of the word "protection"!

This will be his most valuable asset on his future path!
He took one last look at the dark gold armor that resembled an ancient monument, then turned and took a step forward. His figure, like a ghost, silently merged into the distorted space around him, cautiously stealthily making its way towards the outer edge of the Heavenly Meteor Battlefield.

Shortly after Yu Kong left, the space in this area suddenly rippled violently.

Powerful yet subtle divine thoughts, like invisible tentacles, cautiously reached out.

They were clearly drawn by that fleeting, terrifying intent.

But when they swept over the dark gold armor, it was as if they encountered some kind of taboo.

They all shrank back as if they had been electrocuted!
"The remains of the 'Guardian'."

"Do not touch."

"retreat."

Several vague thoughts communicated in the void, carrying a deep sense of apprehension.

Soon, these powerful divine thoughts receded like a tide, and the area returned to deathly silence.

Only the dark gold armor remained standing silently.

It seems to be silently recounting a forgotten tragic epic, and it also seems to be quietly waiting for the return of that promise.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Southern Starry Universe, lies a desolate star field.

This place once boasted a thriving cultivation civilization.

But in a territorial war tens of thousands of years ago.

It was completely reduced to ruins.

Broken stars, floating fragments of continents, and ubiquitous spatial rifts constitute the main color scheme of this star field.

This place is sparsely populated and is known as the "Abandoned Starfield".

However, in this forgotten corner, inside a huge, lifeless star.

Deep within the Earth's core, in a massive underground cavern, lies a completely different scene.

In the center of the cave, there was a huge pool of blood!
Within the blood pool, viscous blood churned like lava, emitting a nauseating stench, and countless twisted runes flickered at the edge of the pool.

It formed a bizarre and evil formation!

The power of the formation seemed to be constantly draining the last bit of essence from this withered star.

Merge into the blood pool!
In the center of the blood pool, a figure was sitting cross-legged!
That was a boy!
He looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, with a handsome face and even a hint of eeriness!
He was shirtless, revealing bronze skin covered with hideous scars, as if he had endured countless brutal battles.

But what's most striking is his brow!

There was a faint gray mark there!

The mark was like a living thing, wriggling slightly, emanating a cold, evil aura that sent shivers down one's spine!
At this moment, the boy closed his eyes tightly and frowned.

As if enduring immense pain, his body trembled slightly, and wisps of gray aura emanated from the mark between his brows.

Like a spider web, it slowly eroded his body and his soul.

"Ugh." The boy let out a suppressed growl.

Veins bulged on his forehead, his jaw was clenched, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He seemed to be fighting against some terrible force!

That was an instinctive resistance from the depths of the soul!

His consciousness was painfully struggling between lucidity and depravity!

He seemed to see mountains of corpses and seas of blood, the wails of countless living beings, the collapse of the universe, and a dark shadow so vast it was indescribable.

It is slowly descending, carrying endless malice!

"No!"

"I am not a tool!"

"I am not a 'seed'!"

"I am who I am!"

The boy's heart was screaming, his soul was roaring!

He is a genius!

He was once the most dazzling rising star of a powerful sect!

Possessing unparalleled talent, and bearing the hope of the sect's revival!
However, a sudden change caused him to lose everything.

The sect was destroyed.

Relatives and friends were killed tragically.

He himself was also seriously injured.

In his moment of despair, an ancient and cold voice echoed in his mind.

They promised him strength and the opportunity for revenge.

The price is to accept the "gift" and become "part" of a great being.

The boy, consumed by hatred and despair, agreed.

Thus, the gray mark was deeply imprinted on his brow, becoming the source of his power.

It also became his eternal curse!

He gained the power he had always dreamed of, even more than he had ever imagined!

He personally killed his enemies and destroyed the once high and mighty adversaries.

However, he gradually realized that he was losing himself. The gray mark was like a parasite, constantly eating away at his reason, his emotions, and his memories.

They wanted to completely turn him into a puppet who only knew how to kill and obey!
Especially recently, as the will of some being in that distant void has begun to awaken.

The mark between his brows became increasingly active, and the corrosive force emanating from the depths of his soul grew stronger and stronger! He could feel himself sliding step by step into the abyss.

He is not willing!

He didn't want to become that kind of monster!

He's going to rebel!

Even if the hope is slim!
"The secret method of burning blood!"

The boy suddenly opened his eyes!

His eyes were bloodshot!
With a kind of crazy determination!

He made hand seals and chanted ancient and obscure incantations!

boom!
In an instant.

The viscous blood in the pool of blood seemed to boil instantly as if it had been ignited!
They transformed into streaks of blood-red flames!

It surged wildly into the boy's body!
This was a forbidden secret technique that he obtained by accident!
It can burn its own essence and even soul to unleash unimaginable power in a short period of time!

But the cost is also enormous!
At best, it will cause a decline in cultivation and damage to the foundation; at worst, it will result in the complete annihilation of the soul and spirit!
At that moment, the boy unleashed his power without hesitation!

He wasn't fighting to kill enemies, but to fight against the erosion from the mark between his eyebrows!

He wanted to use this almost self-destructive method to burn away the gray aura that was trying to control him!
To protect the last vestige of clarity in oneself!
Chi Chi Chi!
Crimson flames burned wildly within the boy's body, engaging in a fierce battle with the gray aura!

The boy's body trembled violently, his skin cracked inch by inch, and blood kept seeping out, only to be instantly evaporated by the crimson flames!
His aura was rising rapidly, yet it was declining at an even faster rate!

The flame of life is like a candle flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment!
But his eyes grew brighter and brighter!
That light belonging to the "self" shines even brighter in this cruel burning!
"hehe."

"You want to control me?"

"It's not that easy."

The boy grinned, his smile both tragic and defiant!
He didn't know how long he could hold on; all he knew was that as long as he had a shred of consciousness, he would never give up the fight!

He is a genius!

He has his pride!

I will never allow myself to become someone else's puppet!
The crimson flames continued to burn.

The gray aura seemed to be suppressed slightly by the frenzied burning.

Although faint, it gave the boy a glimmer of hope!

However, at this very moment, in the distant darkness and nothingness, within the enormous shadow composed of countless twisted limbs and faces, a gray "face" gradually became clearer.

A faint glint of light flickered in the empty eye sockets, as if it had sensed something.

"Oh?"

"An interesting struggle."

"Trying to rebel against the 'gift'?"

The voice was ancient and hoarse, carrying a hint of cold mockery.

"pity."

"The will of an ant."

"In the face of greatness."

"It's all in vain."

As soon as the words fell, an indescribable, terrifying will descended instantly, traversing endless distances of time and space!
boom!
In the abandoned star field, deep within the core of a withered star, a young man who was frantically burning himself to resist erosion suddenly stiffened!
The bloodshot in his eyes froze instantly!
That dazzling light of "self" was as if it were being fiercely gripped by an invisible hand!

The gray mark between his eyebrows
Suddenly, an unprecedented gray light erupted!
The gray light surged like a tide.

The crimson flames were instantly extinguished!

The boy's body was submerged!

It overwhelmed his consciousness!
"No!"

The boy let out a final, desperate, and unwilling roar!

But the sound abruptly stopped!

The light in his eyes went out completely!

Instead, there was only a deathly gray silence!

Hollow.

Icy.

No emotion at all.

It's like a soulless shell!
The gray mark slowly rotated between his brows, emanating an even richer, more malevolent aura.

The pool of blood continued to churn.

The formation continued to operate.

The essence of the withered star is being continuously extracted and poured into this body that has lost its self.

His life force was no longer waning.

Instead, it began to climb at an unusual speed!
breakthrough!

Another breakthrough!
It's as if there are no bottlenecks!
Just a few moments.

His cultivation.

He then crossed several minor realms!
It has reached an incredible height!

But he was no longer that unruly and proud young man, but a "seed" that was completely controlled.

A more perfect, more powerful, and more dangerous container of darkness!

Southern celestial stars and the universe.

The ruins of Kaoshanzong.

Deep in the earth's veins.

The dead lake.

The lake water remained as black as ink, exuding a chilling aura of death.

In the middle of the lake, there stood a figure as still as a reef.

Xu Ran, his eyes remained tightly closed, as if he had never changed since time immemorial.

However, if someone with extraordinary cultivation were here, they might be able to detect an extremely subtle change.

The stillness of the lake seemed even deeper than before.

That deathly stillness was no longer simply a lack of life, but contained a terrifying "vitality" that seemed capable of devouring all life!
Deep in the lake, the faint signs of "awakening" seemed to become more pronounced.

Occasionally, one or two pitch-black bubbles will rise from the bottom of the lake and burst silently.

It emitted a faint, almost imperceptible gray aura that blended into the lake water.

And between Xu Ran's eyebrows, there was an almost invisible gray mark.

At this moment, its flashing frequency seemed to be slightly faster than before.

Although still faint, it seemed to have established a closer connection with some grander will.

Within him, there seemed to be some kind of power slowly accumulating and growing as the mark flickered.

All of this happened silently.

No one knows.

No one noticed.

Only the eternal stillness bears witness to this slow and irreversible change.

The years are long.

Time flies.

For the vast universe.

Several seasons pass in the blink of an eye.

But for creatures struggling to survive, it could be a radical change.

Yu Kong had already left the core area of ​​the Heavenly Meteor Battlefield, relying on his caution and the trace of Dao he had gained from comprehending it in the core area.

He navigated through numerous dangers unscathed and returned to the relatively safe outer area.

Instead of leaving the Heavenly Meteor Battlefield, he chose a secluded ruin to continue his cultivation.

His experience in the core area opened up a new door for him, giving him an unprecedented perspective.

The dark gold armor embodies the will of "protection".

The fragmented information revealed bits and pieces about "key," "seed," and "darkness."

They were like pebbles thrown into the lake of his heart, creating ripples.

(End of this chapter)