From Swamp Dog to Crocodile Ancestor

"Of course we still have hope!" Mu'e said firmly. "As long as Li Yi successfully establishes his foundation, everything will get better. We can't interfere in the current situation."

"I hope so."

The toad sighed. This natural disaster was too terrible, and it had driven it to despair several times.

Suddenly, the faint chirping of insects began.

The white python looked closely and saw nine spirit insects that Li Yi had previously cultivated buzzing around it, their simple and weak consciousness filled with fear.

They instinctively realized that the surrounding phosphorescent fire was a death zone, and once they stepped into it, there would be no return.

The insect nest had turned to ashes along with the large willow tree, but surprisingly, nine spirit insects survived.

The white python summoned them to its side, looked at the yellow and black stripes on their silver carapaces, and protected them.

The nine spirit insects linked together, forming a small ring that encircled the white python's tail, nestled motionless among the python's scales.

They drifted aimlessly along with the bubbles in the endless phosphorescence, their ears filled with the terrifying sound of burning phosphorescence, like a howl in a nightmare, and nothing else.

"The pure and impure energies have evolved into the foundation for immortality, complete!"

Within his own inner world, Li Yi panted heavily, staring wide-eyed at everything in front of him.

The four colors of turbid air and the pure white air collided and twisted, as if they were the beginning of the world, and burst forth with boundless light.

But this was only fleeting; the next moment, the still-forming immortal foundation collapsed and exploded.

Li Yi frowned as he felt the power draining from his body.

Its chances are running out. This is the seventh attempt, and if it fails again, the balance here will completely collapse.

It controls the fire phase of the swamp, so there might still be a glimmer of hope, but the white python and other creatures will probably all perish in the sea of ​​fire.

This is unacceptable to it.

Immediately afterwards, Li Yi adjusted his state, accumulated strength, and concentrated on comprehending all the changes in this world of purity and turbidity.

Its accumulation is still too shallow. Even if it takes another ten years, the outcome will probably be completely different.

This thought only lasted for a moment before Li Yi shattered it.

At this point, there's no time for it to think about anything else.

Let's give it another shot!

After an unknown amount of time, Li Yi opened his eyes, his gaze filled with unwavering determination. Once again, he manipulated the mingling of pure and turbid energies to evolve his immortal foundation.

This time, the pure and impure energies mingled, producing an unprecedented phenomenon.

Within this small world, centered on the point where the pure and turbid energies merged, darkness instantly spread out, enveloping everything.

At first, Li Yi was shocked and stood there stunned, but then he was overjoyed.

That's it!

In the beginning, heaven and earth were separated into pure and impure. The pure qi rose and the impure qi descended, giving rise to all things in heaven and earth.

It seems I've succeeded this time. At this moment, this small world is reenacting the scene of the beginning of time, and the Immortal Foundation appears when the pure and turbid are separated.

Its previous attempts were all wrong; only now does the situation conform to the so-called "Tao follows nature"!

"Immortal Foundation Established!"

After wandering in the darkness for an unknown period of time, Li Yi, using his own soul as a foundation, let out a roar that resounded throughout the darkness and tore it apart.

A small crack appeared, its interior radiating five-colored light, dazzlingly bright.

"They're here!"

Li Yi's eyes widened as his entire soul rushed into it, attempting to evolve his immortal foundation and thus step into the Foundation Establishment stage.

Just as its soul rushed into the colorful light, countless changes flashed before its eyes. The pure and turbid energies could evolve into all things, naturally possessing their own mystical aspects.

Li Yi instantly got into the zone, focusing intently on moving forward step by step, gradually building his own foundation.

We have now reached the most critical moment.

In that darkness, the small crack was gradually extending, like a lightning bolt a thousand times slower, winding its way to both sides.

The darkness was gradually torn apart, and five-colored light shone out. The five colors, which were originally distinct, began to merge together, becoming incredibly mystical.

Even though Li Yi was concentrating intently, he gradually felt tired and confused.

The evolution of the Pure and Turbid Immortal Foundation is far too complex. Even with a human soul, it is still constantly perplexed and is gradually entering the unknown.

"This... phew, almost failed!"

Li Yi's spirits lifted, he promptly corrected a mistake, and continued to push forward without daring to slacken in the slightest.

At this moment, its soul has merged with the five-colored rift and is in a divine state, but if there is even the slightest oversight, everything will collapse.

As time passed, Li Yi gradually extended the crack to both sides, and just as it was about to completely tear through the darkness, suddenly, the entire crack twisted and broke apart.

Darkness has once again engulfed everything.

"No!!!"

Li Yi stared at the scene with bloodshot eyes, and belatedly felt endless regret.

"I made a mistake. The final moment of creating heaven and earth, the final moment of the evolution of the pure and impure immortal foundation, shouldn't have been like this. There was a trap!!!"

If it could happen again, it would surely be able to perfectly forge the foundation for immortality.

Darkness and chaos enveloped everything once more, and Li Yi suddenly felt that his own little world was in complete chaos. The balance of pure and turbid energy was lost again, and it was even more violent and terrifying than before.

This is the price of failure.

Rumble~

"Not good! Make your move!"

Seeing the phosphorescent shield suddenly collapse, the toad jumped up. Mu E reacted quickly, green wind surging from his body. The two early Foundation Establishment stage cultivators worked together to condense a new shield to resist the phosphorescent fire.

The entire shield was instantly ignited, and mana was rapidly depleted.

What made Mu'e even more desperate was that Li Yi's aura above her head suddenly dropped significantly, a situation she could see very clearly.

Li Yi...failed to establish his foundation?

Li Yi also opened his pale white eyes, watching everything being rapidly engulfed by phosphorescent fire, but he was unable to react.

The pure and impure energies within its body have become chaotic to an unprecedented degree, seemingly exhibiting a tendency to... self-destruct.

"Is...it all over like this?"

The regret quickly faded, but Li Yi felt a pang of sadness as he thought to himself.

It has done everything in its power, at all costs, to rise from the ashes, but it still cannot defy the so-called destiny.

If it weren't for this cataclysmic disaster, it might never have been able to comprehend the fire element, complete the final step, and reach the Foundation Establishment stage.

But this disaster came too suddenly, cutting off all their escape routes.

Fate is unpredictable.

Li Yi's senses extended along the endless phosphorescent flames. He originally thought everything was over, but he still saw something different in the dark and white world.

A cloud of black mist was moving rapidly across the ground, and it was even able to resist phosphorescent fire.

That was the aura of the strange tree. It had reached the foundation stage, but it was like a candle flickering in the wind, its aura faint.

Li Yi suddenly unleashed his last bit of strength, dragging all his companions down in that direction.