He fell off a cliff but unexpectedly gained a cultivation inheritance.

A colossal ascending vortex, thousands of chaotic units in diameter, stretched across the void, like a chaotic beast that devoured everything. The dark core of the vortex sucked in endless air currents, carrying a terrifying power capable of crushing even the strongest beings of the primordial era.

Everyone knows that the chaotic vortex is one of the most terrifying natural disasters in the universe. The closer the vortex is to its center, the more terrifying the rotation speed of the chaotic air currents and the more violent the tearing force, enough to easily shred the physical bodies of ordinary Primordial Realm experts. In the past, the Xuanqing World Group was still weak, with only the Xuanqing Ancestor and Zhang Mengshuang, two early Primordial Realm experts, guarding it. Faced with the giant chaotic vortex that devoured Tianci Mountain, they were powerless to resist and could only retreat and detour to avoid it, which shows how terrifying and unsolvable such vortexes are.

For countless ages, cultivators have only known that the Chaos Vortex is a calamity and have avoided it at all costs. No one has ever known that the supreme passage to transcend chaos and ascend to the divine realm is actually hidden within the Chaos Vortex.

At this moment, a vast expanse of azure light pierced through the vortex, and the innate Bodhi tree, which was the true form of the Bodhi Ancestor, resolutely stepped into this violent and destructive void.

Upon entering the outer edge of the vortex, the air currents, though turbulent and violent, remained within the tolerance range of the Bodhi Patriarch. He was a primordial chaotic being who had survived for hundreds of billions of epochs, possessing vast inner strength. His physical body, tempered through countless epochs, had long surpassed the ordinary perfect level of the primordial era. The tearing force from the outer edge falling upon his massive body, hundreds of light-years away, merely caused the branches and leaves to tremble slightly.

Without the slightest hesitation, his resolve was firm, and he charged forward at breakneck speed toward the dark and deep core of the vortex.

Go deeper, and even deeper.

After traversing most of the journey, countless ancient green leaves on the lush Bodhi tree of the Bodhi Patriarch could not withstand the extreme tearing and broke off from the branches. They were instantly crushed into tiny specks of primordial light by the violent chaotic airflow and completely annihilated in the vortex.

At this moment, the tearing force of the vortex had reached a terrifying level capable of severely injuring a powerful expert at the peak of the Primordial Realm.

The hundreds of millions of powerful beings from the primordial era who were watching from the outside could only cover a few hundred world units with their divine senses. Not long after Patriarch Bodhi went deep into the vortex, all of their divine senses were cut off, and they completely lost his trace. They could only stare blankly at the rapidly spinning vortex and wait silently.

Only Zhang Bufan possessed a spiritual domain that could cover an entire universe; the chaotic rules retreated completely and had nowhere to hide before him. He clearly perceived every detail within the vortex and witnessed firsthand the Bodhi Patriarch's arduous journey.

Even though his physical body was damaged in his pursuit of the Great Dao, the Bodhi Patriarch's resolve to pursue the Dao remained unshaken.

As it drew ever closer to the core, the terrifying tearing force surged once more. The once solid and indestructible, massive branches, tempered over billions of epochs, began to break off one after another, mercilessly torn apart by the vortex and swept into the dark depths.

When Bodhi Patriarch finally arrived at the entrance to the darkest passage at the heart of the vortex after overcoming numerous hardships, the entire innate Bodhi tree had lost all its branches and leaves, leaving only the core trunk.

The vast origin accumulated over hundreds of billions of epochs has been largely depleted, its vitality severely damaged, and its state has deteriorated to the extreme.

Yet his resolve remained steadfast, without the slightest hesitation. His remaining trunk trembled slightly as he resolutely plunged into the dark passage at the very center of the vortex.

A faint light flashed in the passage, and darkness engulfed everything.

The next instant, Zhang Bufan frowned slightly, his cosmic-level divine sense unable to detect even the slightest trace of Bodhi Patriarch's aura.

No one knows what lies at the end of the passage, no one knows whether the road ahead leads to life or death.

Did Patriarch Bodhi successfully transcend and ascend to the legendary realm of gods, or was he completely obliterated by the passage, his body and soul vanishing?

An age-old mystery was thus laid.

Zhang Bufan stood quietly in the void, understanding dawning on his mind.

People generally believe that ascension is a heaven-defying opportunity and supreme transcendence. Only after witnessing the whole process today do they realize that the path to ascension is fraught with bloodshed and a life-or-death struggle.

Even a Primordial Chaos Ancestor like Bodhi, who has been rooted in the Chaos for hundreds of billions of epochs and possesses unparalleled profound knowledge, had to pay a terrible price—a great loss of his very essence—just to barely reach the Ascension Passage and step onto the unknown path ahead. If it were an ordinary Primordial Perfection Realm expert, they wouldn't even have the qualification to approach the core of the vortex; they would be completely torn apart by the violent air currents halfway there.

Ascension is never an easy path, but a life-or-death gamble, a desperate struggle for survival!

A moment later, without any warning, the ascension passage disappeared, and the chaotic vortex suddenly slowed down and dissipated.

The ascension phenomenon that had just shocked billions of living beings seemed to have never happened, leaving only a calm and undisturbed chaotic void, leaving countless powerful onlookers deeply shocked.

The powerful beings of the primordial world only knew that Patriarch Bodhi had stepped into the vortex and begun his ascension, but no one knew the endless dangers and devastating losses deep within the vortex, nor did anyone know his ultimate fate or failure.

The vast crowd of onlookers, filled with awe, gradually dispersed, and the chaotic sky returned to its desolate state.

Zhang Bufan silently turned around, traversed the void, and returned to the core of the Extraordinary Universe.

Not long after his return, Ancestor Xuanqing, along with the remaining five cultivators determined to ascend, paid him a visit.

Zhang Bufan, seeing through everyone's obsessions, revealed everything he had witnessed without any concealment: the complete scene, the perilous vortex, the Bodhi Patriarch's tragic loss, the supreme secret of the ascension passage, and the unknown fate of the outcome.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere instantly became as heavy as iron.

After hearing this, everyone's expressions turned solemn and their hearts were heavy, their beautiful fantasies of ascension and transcendence completely shattered.

Ancestor Xuanqing sighed deeply, his tone full of emotion: "I never imagined that the path to ascension would be so perilous. Even with Fellow Daoist Bodhi's vast foundation spanning hundreds of billions of epochs, he still ended up severely injured, demonstrating that this path is fraught with peril. What's even more terrifying is that the ascension passage can actually shield us from the detection of divine sense at the Cosmic Realm level. This means that even if we step into the passage, whether we live or die, whether we can transcend, is entirely unknown."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent.

A moment later, the Candle Dragon Ancestor suddenly stood up, his gaze resolute. He had lived for billions of epochs, and there was no longer any chance for progress in the Chaos. Ascension was his only obsession and last hope.

"Fellow Daoists, there is no need for hesitation!" The voice of Ancestor Zhulong was firm and resounding. "Fellow Daoist Bodhi has already taken the first step. The ascension passage truly exists, and the path to transcendence is indeed evident! To advance on the Great Dao is inherently defying the heavens, with life and death determined by the Dao itself. We cultivators have spent our lives seeking the Dao; what fear is there of the risks of life and death! This time, I will ascend first and then pave the way for you all!"

After saying this, the Candle Dragon Ancestor turned and left, his steps firm and unwavering.

Seeing this, Zhang Bufan knew that the other's mind was made up and there was no way to dissuade him. He could only follow the other five people and set off again to observe the chaotic void.

Having learned from past mistakes, the Candle Dragon Ancestor did not stray too far from the extraordinary universe. In the end, he only stopped in a safe airspace ten cosmic units away from the entrance of the cosmic passage, preparing to begin his ascension.

Standing in the void, the Candle Dragon Ancestor unified his mind and resolutely severed the original connection between himself and the Candle Dragon World.

The next instant, the rules of the void trembled violently once again, and the raging air currents converged and spun rapidly.

A gigantic vortex of thousands of chaotic units, exactly the same size as when Patriarch Bodhi ascended, has formed again, and the ascension passage has reappeared!

Without pausing, the Candle Dragon Ancestor unleashed its full power, its vast primordial power enveloping its body as it desperately resisted the violent tearing force, charging towards the dark and deep core of the vortex.

They moved forward, only to suffer heavy blows along the way.

Compared to Patriarch Bodhi, Patriarch Zhulong's path to ascension was far more arduous. Under the equally violent vortex power, his foundation was slightly inferior. By the time he desperately broke through layers of air currents and successfully stepped into the ascension passage, his entire body was already covered in wounds and on the verge of death.

Watching the Candle Dragon Ancestor completely disappear into the passage, Zhang Bufan truthfully told the six people, including the Xuanqing Ancestor, who were waiting behind him about his tragic experience.

All six were powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of the primordial world, their Dao hearts tempered by countless years, already as firm as a rock. Even knowing that the path to ascension was fraught with peril, they did not flinch in the slightest, their desire for the Dao burning as ever.

One person, two people, three people, four people...

The first four ancestors all had accumulated over hundreds of billions of years of experience. Even though the process was extremely dangerous, with each of them severely injured and on the verge of death, and their origins nearly exhausted, they all eventually succeeded in entering the path of ascension.

Until the fifth patriarch ascended to heaven, an unexpected event suddenly occurred.

This ancestor's foundation was slightly weaker than the others. At the last moment, when he was about to approach the core of the vortex, he was ultimately unable to hold on and could not withstand the violent tearing force of the chaos.

With a deafening roar, his physical body was completely torn apart by the vortex of airflow, disintegrating into nothingness. He couldn't even touch the edge of the ascension passage, and his life was utterly destroyed, his ascension a failure!

In the end, only Ancestor Xuanqing remained.

He remained calm upon hearing the devastating news of the fall of his fifth fellow Daoist. The Ancestor Xuanqing himself had perished long ago, having already transcended the cycle of life and death.

Ancestor Xuanqing resolutely severed his connection with the origin of the Xuanqing World, and the mysterious ascension passage reappeared.

Zhang Bufan stood silently to the side, not making a move to stop it, but his mind was on edge, constantly watching the movements inside the vortex, paying close attention to the condition of Ancestor Xuanqing, and preparing to deal with any sudden crisis at any time.

He knew in his heart that Ancestor Xuanqing had cultivated for less than two billion epochs. Compared with veteran powerhouses like Ancestor Bodhi and Ancestor Zhulong, who had cultivated for over a hundred billion epochs, even though their realms were both at the peak of the Primordial Era, there was still a considerable gap in their accumulated foundation.

As expected, when Ancestor Xuanqing went deep into the heart of the vortex, his entire body shattered and he reached his limit when he was still a whole world unit away from the core ascension channel.

Even more fatally, he was now completely engulfed by the raging chaotic vortex, and could only be constantly worn down and crushed by the endless tearing force.

At this rate, it won't be long before he repeats the mistakes of the fifth ancestor, his body shattered and he dies!

Seeing his mentor on the verge of death, Zhang Bufan could no longer stand idly by.

The next instant, Zhang Bufan's mind stirred slightly, and the supreme power of the Universe Realm instantly spread out.

Now, he wields the complete Dao Fruit of the universe. Within the scope of his spiritual domain, all chaotic rules retreat and all heavenly orders can be suppressed.

The giant vortex of thousands of chaotic units that was originally spinning wildly was instantly imprisoned by supreme power!

The raging air currents suddenly stopped, and the entire terrifying vortex, which was capable of slaughtering the perfected primordial world, remained motionless like a frozen painting in the face of the power of the cosmic realm.

Zhang Bufan seized the opportunity and gently enveloped the Xuanqing Ancestor, who was on the verge of collapse, with his divine sense, instantly moving him out of the vortex's heart and steadily sending him back to the safe chaotic void.

The chaotic vortex is merely a secondary natural disaster phenomenon that arises when the ascension passage opens, rapidly devouring and plundering the surrounding chaotic energy. It is born from the rules of chaos, and therefore can be easily suppressed and forcibly frozen by him.

However, the pitch-black ascension passage at the very center of the vortex is completely different.

It was formed from supreme rules of a higher dimension, transcending the chaotic system. Although Zhang Bufan could suppress the chaotic vortex, he was helpless against that pitch-black passage.

Once Ancestor Xuanqing was completely out of danger, Zhang Bufan relaxed and withdrew his suppressing power.

hum!

The frozen giant vortex instantly revived, resuming its extremely violent spinning state.

But just as the vortex revived and the rules returned to normal, a vast and terrifying pressure suddenly descended upon the world!

At this moment, Zhang Bufan was shaken to his core, his hair stood on end, and an extreme sense of crisis originating from the very source of his life instantly swept over him.

The Xuanqing Ancestor, who had just escaped danger, was also pale-faced and his Dao heart trembled, as he vaguely sensed an impending catastrophe.

Zhang Bufan's pupils contracted sharply, and he suddenly shouted in a stern voice:

"Oh no! This is divine retribution!"