Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 444 Who are you?

Section 452 Who are you?

However, recently, some strange things have happened on this star.

The previously stable space began to distort, and some ancient restrictions began to inexplicably fail.

Even more frightening is that some cultivators who came to search for treasure disappeared without a trace after entering certain areas.

No one knows what happened, only that there is a faint gray aura in the air of those missing areas, which is unsettling.

At this moment, deep within this star, in an underground palace shrouded by countless powerful restrictions.

Dozens of powerful figures were sitting cross-legged. Their auras were powerful yet subtle, and each of them was at least at the late Nascent Soul stage, with some even having reached the Divine Transformation stage!

They were high-ranking officials from various top forces in the Southern Starry Universe. For the sake of the Heart of the Stars, they temporarily put aside their grudges and joined forces to break the restriction.

However, their expressions were unusually solemn, even showing a hint of fear.

Just now, the warning array they had set up together suddenly emitted its strongest alarm!
"What's going on? What could possibly break through our warning array?" an old man asked in a deep voice, his voice trembling slightly.

“I don’t know, that aura is unfamiliar, but it’s incredibly powerful and carries a nauseatingly evil feeling!” another cultivator replied, cold sweat already beading on his forehead.

Just then, the palace gate, that massive stone gate that had withstood countless years of erosion and was difficult even for a Nascent Soul cultivator to shake, emitted a heavy creaking sound.

The stone door slowly opened, revealing the scene outside.

There were no enemies, only one person.

That's a teenager.

He looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old, with a handsome face, even a hint of the supernatural. He was shirtless, revealing bronze skin covered with hideous scars.

There was a faint gray mark between his eyebrows!

It was that boy who was completely assimilated deep within the core of the withered star!
He stood quietly at the door, his eyes empty and cold, devoid of any emotion.

"Who are you?!" an elder in the Nascent Soul stage shouted sternly, while simultaneously activating the energy within his body, ready to attack at any moment.

The boy didn't speak, but slowly raised his head, his gray eyes sweeping over all the monks in the palace.

As his gaze swept over them, all the cultivators felt a bone-chilling cold rise from the depths of their souls!
As if being scrutinized by some higher-dimensional being, all their secrets and weaknesses were exposed at this moment!
"Target found"

The boy spoke in a cold, mechanical voice, devoid of any emotion.

"Target? What target?" Alarm bells rang in the old man's mind.

The boy stopped talking and the gray mark between his eyebrows shone brightly!
In an instant!
An indescribable, terrifying will swept through the entire palace like a storm!
This will is stronger, purer, and more corrosive than ever before!
It is not just a mental attack, but a distortion of the very essence of the soul!
"Ugh!"

The monks in the palace let out a series of shrill screams!
Their bodies trembled violently, and faint gray lines began to appear between their brows!

Their consciousness seemed to be bound by countless cold tentacles, trying to pull them into an endless abyss!

"What kind of power is this?! My primordial spirit... my primordial spirit is about to collapse!"

"No! My Dao heart! My Dao heart has been corrupted!"

"Help! Help!"

At this moment, even the most powerful cultivators are like the most vulnerable mortals, utterly powerless against the unknown and terrifying force!

The boy simply stood there quietly, without moving an inch.

The gray mark between his brows continued to flash, and the terrifying will emanating from it surged into the palace like a tide, corroding the souls of all living beings.

He is the "seed".

It is a "container".

They are the "executors" who clear obstacles for the great being.

His task was to find and “calibrate” other potential “seeds” or to remove the “filth” that could not be assimilated and might hinder the arrival of greatness.

The powerful aura emanating from the cultivators within this palace, and their yearning for primal power, made them prime targets.

They may be potential "containers" or "filth" that needs to be removed.

Regardless of the reason, their fate was sealed at that moment.

Their struggles, seen through that empty, gray gaze, seemed so insignificant and laughable.

"A great will descends."

The boy spoke again in a cold voice, as if proclaiming the judgment of death.

The screams in the palace gradually faded, replaced by an eerie whisper.

The cultivators' eyes began to become vacant, and the gray lines between their brows deepened, eventually forming a faint gray mark.

They were assimilated.

It became a new "seed".

It became an extension of the will of a great being.

Those few who could not be assimilated quickly withered and turned to ash, their souls being completely swallowed up by the gray aura.

Throughout the entire process, there were no earth-shattering energy collisions or world-destroying magical clashes.

There is only one kind of silent, yet chilling, erosion and assimilation.

This is what makes the "seeds" so terrifying. They do not depend on traditional cultivation systems; they are manifestations of higher-level laws and vessels of dark will.

The young man stepped into the palace. The cultivators who had just been assimilated slowly stood up like puppets, the mark between their brows shimmering with gray light.

They were once the strongest beings in the Southern Star Universe, but now they have become servants of darkness.

"Task Completed"

The boy's cold voice rang out again.

His gaze swept upwards, as if piercing through thick layers of rock and endless void, revealing a vast and distorted gray shadow in the distant darkness.

That is where great beings slumber.

It is also the source of power for all “seeds”.

……

On the distant edge of the Milky Way, in a forgotten corner.

Xu Qinghan sat cross-legged in a valley rich in spiritual energy. Her aura was calm and powerful, and she had already firmly stepped into the Nascent Soul stage! Even in the Nascent Soul stage, her cultivation was also rapidly improving.

The meticulous guidance of a reclusive master, coupled with her own talent and her determination to transform grief into motivation, allowed her cultivation speed to reach an unprecedented level. However, the sorrow between her brows did not diminish.

"Master, I've been feeling uneasy lately, as if something terrible is happening," Xu Qinghan said, opening her eyes to an elderly woman with white hair sitting beside her.

The old woman had a kind face, but her eyes were deep and ancient, as if she had seen through countless ages. She was the reclusive master who had saved Xu Qinghan.

“This is a normal reaction, Qinghan.” The old woman sighed softly. “The universe is undergoing some changes. Some ancient and terrifying changes.”

"Changes?" Xu Qinghan asked, puzzled. "What kind of changes?"

“Darkness is awakening.” The old woman’s gaze turned grave. “Some beings sealed away for countless eons are attempting to return to this universe.”

"Darkness?" Xu Qinghan was startled, and the chilling evil aura of the destruction of the Backing Mountain Sect flashed through her mind.

"Yes. They are called 'Darkness,' or 'Lords of Nothingness.' Different eras have different names, but their purpose has always been the same."

The old woman said, "They want to devour everything. They want to turn this universe into their nourishment."

Xu Qinghan was pale; she had never heard of anything so terrible.

"Could the destruction of the Backing Mountain Sect also be related to this?" she asked in a trembling voice.

The old woman was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "Your senior brother Xu Ran seems to have had something planted in him—a 'seed'."

"A seed?!" Xu Qinghan exclaimed in surprise, "Senior Brother has been planted with a seed? What is that?!"

"It is a medium, a container, for dark forces."

A trace of pity flashed in the old woman's eyes. "Once the seed fully matures, the host will be completely devoured, becoming a puppet of the dark will, or even... a vessel for the descent of the true form of darkness."

Xu Qinghan felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her body trembled violently.

Senior Brother Xu Ran... he actually encountered something so terrible?!
"Is there any hope for my senior brother?" Her eyes were filled with tears.

The old woman fell silent again, and after a long while, she slowly spoke, "It's very difficult. The power of the seed originates from a higher level of dark laws. Once fully activated, it's almost irreversible."

"Almost irreversible, which means there's still a sliver of hope?!" Xu Qinghan grasped the key words in the old woman's words.

"Hope... is so slim it's almost invisible," the old woman said, looking at Xu Qinghan with a complex expression. "Unless... unless a miracle occurs, or... unless someone can find something that can counteract this power."

"What is the opposing force?" Xu Qinghan asked eagerly.

The old woman shook her head. "I don't know either. Those beings who fought against the darkness perished in a distant, ancient era. The traces they left behind are extremely few."

"However," the old woman changed the subject, "I do know of a place that might be related to those ancient adversaries, but it's extremely dangerous, and even I dare not venture there lightly."

"Where is it?! Please tell me, Master!" Xu Qinghan said without hesitation.

She knew that no matter how dangerous it was, she had to go! For Senior Brother Xu Ran, for the truth about the Kao Shan Sect, and for Yu Kong, who might still be alive!
Looking at the resolute light in Xu Qinghan's eyes, the old woman finally sighed, "So be it. Perhaps this is your fate. That place is called the 'Eternal Forbidden Zone,' located in the far west of the universe. It is filled with ancient curses and the remnants of fallen powerful beings; every step could be fatal."

"Ancient Forbidden Zone, the Far West," Xu Qinghan silently memorized the name and location.

"Master, and Yu Kong, is he still alive?" She hesitated for a moment, but still asked the question that was most worrying her.

The old woman closed her eyes, as if sensing something. After a moment, she opened her eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in them.

"This young man... his aura has changed," the old woman murmured to herself. "He possesses the aura of an ancient guardian."

"Guardians?!" Xu Qinghan was shocked again. How could Yu Kong be related to guardians?
"Yes. Although very faint, it was indeed that aura. He seemed to have inherited some ancient will."

The old woman said, "He should still be alive and getting stronger."

"That's wonderful!" Xu Qinghan couldn't help but cry tears of joy.

Yu Kong is alive! And he's getting stronger! This is the best news she's ever heard!

"However, the path of the guardian is exceptionally difficult, even more dangerous than fighting the seeds," the old woman warned.

"No matter what, as long as he's still alive, that's enough." Xu Qinghan wiped away her tears, a surge of hope and strength welling up in her heart.

She knew what she had to do next.

She will continue to cultivate diligently, she will go to the Forbidden Zone of Eternity to find the power to fight against the darkness, she will find Senior Brother Xu Ran, and she will also find Yu Kong!
“Master, I understand. I will cultivate diligently and then go to the Forbidden Zone of Eternity!” Xu Qinghan stood up and bowed deeply to the old woman.

"Go. Remember, cultivation is not something that can be achieved overnight. One's state of mind is even more important. There is also the coming of darkness. It is not just the seed that is there, but there are other signs. You must always be vigilant," the old woman instructed.

"Yes, Master!"

Xu Qinghan bid farewell to the old woman, her eyes filled with unwavering determination, and left this secluded place.

Her goal is that distant, far western land—the ancient forbidden zone!
……

The Fifth Space.

It's no longer just pure gray here.

This is a space woven from countless twisted, chaotic, and ever-changing lines of law. These lines of law, like living things, wander, collide, tear, and then merge again in the air.

They emitted a dazzling light and a piercing buzzing sound.

Xu Ran's body, or rather "container," floated in the center of this space, and the gray mark between his eyebrows shone even brighter than before.

[Fifth Space Trial: Law Integration and Adaptation.]

You must survive the chaotic storm of laws and try to understand, absorb, and integrate them.

With each new principle you successfully integrate, your container becomes more powerful.

The trial has no time limit; it continues until the container reaches the strength required for the next stage.

【The trial begins.】

A cold, mechanical voice echoed in "consciousness".

In an instant, the surrounding lines of law seemed to be attracted and surged wildly toward Xu Ran's body!

Chi Chi Chi!
The lines of law, like the sharpest blades, were cutting through Xu Ran's body.

Even the powerful physical body tempered by the Primordial Undying Body appears somewhat fragile in the face of these primordial and chaotic laws.

His skin cracked again, and gray blood seeped out, only to be instantly evaporated by the lines of law. His bones creaked under the strain, as if they might shatter at any moment.

Intense pain swept over him.

However, Xu Ran's eyes remained a deathly gray.

His body showed no instinctive resistance; only the gray mark between his brows flickered wildly, emitting a powerful suction force, attempting to draw these chaotic lines of law into his body!

This is an extremely dangerous process.

(End of this chapter)