The pitch-black wasteland floated in midair, circular in shape, with a diameter exceeding hundreds of millions of li, and its thickness was equally astonishing. Calling it a wasteland was not as accurate as calling it an abandoned continent. The reason his first reaction was to think it was a wasteland was because it was filled with a decaying aura. Under the shroud of that aura, nothing could survive here, and nothing could reproduce. Even if a Supreme entered, after a long time they would be affected by the decaying aura. At best, their cultivation would plunge; at worst, they would lose their Supreme position.
Why does this decaying aura feel somewhat familiar to me?
Soul particles flew into the wasteland. A Supreme could not endure the decay here, but his own soul particles would not be affected by it. A soul that combined real and empty had already completed soul-and-body unification with the flesh body. Whether soul or flesh body, both were already the extreme among true supreme powerhouses. A tiny portion of soul particles split off also had the same trait. No matter how strong this decaying aura was, it could do nothing to the soul particles.
The soul particles flew within the wasteland. The ground was black, devoid of vitality, filled only with death aura. But Lin Moyu knew very well that it was often precisely this kind of land of death that could give birth to extreme vitality. Moreover, the death aura here felt somewhat special. It was too extreme, unlike something naturally formed. This land should once have been full of vitality, with vitality reaching an extreme, and then, for some reason, it jumped to the opposite extreme, becoming a land of death.
With the abilities of a true supreme powerhouse, dealing with such a land of death was not difficult at all. Why leave it here alone? Could it have some special meaning?
There was even a grand array guarding the outside of the wasteland. Clearly, no one was allowed to enter. Something special should have happened here in the past.
Let me see what exactly happened here back then.
With three parts curiosity, the soul particles used the rules to look up the imprint left in time. As time flowed, the more Lin Moyu looked, the stranger it felt. The imprint left in time here had actually been deliberately erased. He could not see it clearly, but the more that was the case, the more it proved the other party wanted to hide something.
The grand array outside the wasteland had been personally laid down by a true supreme powerhouse of the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth. Their auras were connected. Lin Moyu would not be mistaken. He did not want anyone approaching this place. What exactly was the reason?
What is this?
As he pondered, Lin Moyu suddenly saw something buried in the soil. The soul particles did not stir the soil. This was obviously the territory of a true supreme powerhouse of the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth. Perhaps he had someone watching this place. If he disturbed the soil, he would definitely be discovered.
The soul particles directly drilled in to inspect what was in the soil.
A streak of green entered his sight. Within the green light were strips of peculiar patterns. This was a Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf.
The patterned lines of the green light were actually identical to a Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf. The soul particles moved through the green light, tracing the shape from the edges, and finally confirmed that this was a fragmentary Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf. Only, the vitality within this Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf had already been replaced by decay. It was already empty in appearance, rotten within.
But the appearance of a fragmentary Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf let Lin Moyu know what this place was.
There had once been a Hongmeng Spirit Tree here. Only, for some reason, the Hongmeng Spirit Tree was destroyed. Extreme vitality jumped to the opposite extreme, becoming extreme death. Though the Hongmeng Spirit Tree was destroyed, some broken branches and fallen leaves still remained.
When the Chaotic Ancient Wilds underwent the Great Calamity, the Hongmeng Spirit Tree root that appeared, and that Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf, might both have come from here.
If there had once been a Hongmeng Spirit Tree here, then how was the Hongmeng Spirit Tree destroyed? Was it also because of the Great Annihilation?
The Great Annihilation impacted the heaven-and-earth, the heaven-and-earth was damaged, and so the Hongmeng Spirit Tree was destroyed.
No, this cause and effect seems reversed.
Lin Moyu suddenly realized he had gotten the causal relationship backward. It was true that the cause of the Hongmeng Spirit Tree's destruction was the Great Annihilation, but it was not that the heaven-and-earth was damaged and thus the Hongmeng Spirit Tree shattered. Rather, it was because the Hongmeng Spirit Tree shattered first that the heaven-and-earth was severely damaged.
The Hongmeng Spirit Tree was an important core that supported the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth. Its role was even more important than the Heaven-and-Earth core. It could be regarded as another core of the heaven-and-earth. The Heaven-and-Earth core governed rules, power, and Daos, while the Hongmeng Spirit Tree supported the heaven-and-earth. It would continuously absorb power from the Life-Forbidden Zone and feed it back to the heaven-and-earth. As long as the Hongmeng Spirit Tree existed, the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth could continuously receive nourishment. Even minor damage could be restored. At worst, the Hongmeng Spirit Tree could also coil around the heaven-and-earth and keep it in its current state, preventing it from gradually collapsing.
It was also because the Hongmeng Spirit Tree existed that the heaven-and-earth could continuously grow stronger over time. The living beings and true supreme powerhouses within the heaven-and-earth, even if they did nothing, would still grow stronger along with it. For the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, the Hongmeng Spirit Tree was a powerful passive strengthening ability.
But now the Hongmeng Spirit Tree had been destroyed. The heaven-and-earth lost its most important source of nourishment, and after being damaged it fell into continuous collapse, hard to reverse.
After figuring out the wasteland, Lin Moyu also realized the importance of the Hongmeng Spirit Tree. Without a Hongmeng Spirit Tree, it was impossible to be promoted to a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
Fortunately, his Yushen Heaven-and-Earth already had a Hongmeng Spirit Tree and met the evolution conditions. But at present, he still had not found the correct evolution method. Lin Moyu always felt that something was still missing.
The soul particles left the wasteland and continued flying and observing within this heaven-and-earth. He observed for decades, almost viewing the entire heaven-and-earth, understanding every detail, yet he still could not find the answer he wanted.
How to evolve Yushen Heaven-and-Earth into a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, even now he had no clue.
In the end, the soul particles returned to where the Heaven-and-Earth core was, looking at the nineteen-level pagoda and palace, sensing the aura of the true supreme powerhouse within the palace. The tampering he had done to the array formation clearly had an effect. The other party's progress of fully awakening had been clearly slowed. The key was that the other party knew nothing about it.
The soul particles chose an inconspicuous corner and hid, continuing to observe this heaven-and-earth in secret.
The main body in Yushen Heaven-and-Earth completed a game of the Chess of All Living Beings and muttered to himself, "It seems that evolving to a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth is not that easy. I can only take it one step at a time."
He continued entering the Chess of All Living Beings, comprehending the rules within.
In the blink of an eye, more than two hundred years passed. Yushen Heaven-and-Earth and the Chaotic Ancient Wilds were both safe and sound. That Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth did not show anything unusual either. Only, Lin Moyu could occasionally feel someone prying into Yushen Heaven-and-Earth. The prying came from the Life-Forbidden Zone. He knew that purple-robed man had not gone far. He was outside Yushen Heaven-and-Earth, watching him.
Lin Moyu did not care. If you want to watch, then watch. Watching me will not make a piece of flesh fall off. Besides, the Hongmeng Spirit Tree covered the heaven-and-earth. He could not see anything. At most he could only see whether my Yushen Heaven-and-Earth was still here.
Lin Moyu knew he was waiting, waiting for the main body to awaken.
Finally, two hundred years later, the Heaven-and-Earth core of Yushen Heaven-and-Earth officially finished evolving. The Primordial-Heaven Art also took shape at the same time. In an instant, Lin Moyu refined the Heaven-and-Earth core. At the same time, he comprehended the Primordial-Heaven Art and merged it into his Nine Heavens Fate Arts.
The entire process was extremely smooth. At this moment, Lin Moyu completely controlled Yushen Heaven-and-Earth.
A faint glimmer lit up within his soul. His main body, currently in the Chess of All Living Beings, suddenly raised his head and looked into the distance. His gaze pierced through the Chess of All Living Beings, passed through the Life-Forbidden Zone, and once again saw that thing.
Within his soul, that seductive voice sounded again, drawing him to go over and obtain that thing. The same voice had appeared before.
Lin Moyu suddenly understood some things, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
So that is how it is.
If Yushen Heaven-and-Earth wants to evolve into a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, it may be related to that thing in the Life-Forbidden Zone.
These rules are indeed ruthless, step by step, link by link. One must first become Dao within the heaven-and-earth and completely control the heaven-and-earth before the road to take next can be seen.
Entering the Life-Forbidden Zone and obtaining that thing is the road that all who become the strongest within the heaven-and-earth must take. As long as there is still a desire to rise further, one will step onto this road. But this road is too hard, so much so that in this Great Annihilation, countless true supreme powerhouses fell within the Life-Forbidden Zone, and not a single one succeeded.
Not quite. It is not that no one succeeded. The era of this Great Annihilation has not ended yet. There is still me.
Lin Moyu's understanding of the rules deepened another layer. The rules are ruthless. Only after completing one step will the next step to take be revealed.
That thing in the Life-Forbidden Zone is the next step that only those who have completed the road within the heaven-and-earth will see. This step is not forced. You can take it or not. The temptation from the Life-Forbidden Zone always exists, but it is not strong. It is not irresistible.
Any true supreme powerhouse who reaches the peak of their own heaven-and-earth will receive the same treatment. In Lin Moyu's view, this step was a multiple-choice test. It could eliminate those without self-awareness, eliminate those without strength, and eliminate those who could not resist temptation.
This was an enlightenment, but it did not quite feel like an enlightenment.
Lin Moyu knew what he should do next, but now was not the time.
That ancient existence from some Great Annihilation era, the true supreme powerhouse who possessed a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, was about to fully awaken. He and that person were bound to fight. Going to the Life-Forbidden Zone was not easy. He did not know how long he would be gone. He feared that by the time he returned, Yushen Heaven-and-Earth would have changed masters.
Before dealing with this person, he could not go.
That person likely thought the same. He appeared as a clone outside Yushen Heaven-and-Earth to keep watch over Yushen Heaven-and-Earth, also telling him that he could not go. If he went, Yushen Heaven-and-Earth would inevitably change masters. If Yushen Heaven-and-Earth was gone, then even if he obtained that thing in the Life-Forbidden Zone, what use would it be?
This unspoken message, everyone understood.
Then let us see who laughs last.
You have your eyes on my Yushen Heaven-and-Earth. How could I not have my eyes on your Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth?
Lin Moyu continued the Chess of All Living Beings. The clone he left at the Heaven-and-Earth core was not idle either. Rune after rune flew out and merged into the rules of Yushen Heaven-and-Earth, weaving a giant net for Yushen Heaven-and-Earth, firmly protecting it.
Once this giant net activated, it would absorb annihilating power from the Life-Forbidden Zone, consuming no Heaven-and-Earth power at all. Even facing a true supreme powerhouse of a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, it could resist for a period of time.
The greatest use of the array formation was to block the aftershock of a great battle, ensuring Yushen Heaven-and-Earth would not be damaged.
Now the Chaotic Ancient Wilds had already been guided over by the small tree, tightly attached to the small tree's roots, and it was likewise protected by the array formations.
Array formations above heaven-and-earth truly had many benefits. If I can go one step further, I will directly go into the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth to arrange arrays. I would not let that guy come out at all.
Lin Moyu felt he was getting fanciful and could not help but laugh at himself. If it were truly that simple, that would be great. Comprehending the formation Dao was not simple. Going into someone else's home to arrange array formations was equally incomparably difficult. He could only think about it.
Lin Moyu comprehended rules with full effort within the Chess of All Living Beings. Victory after victory, Lin Moyu gained more and more.
The rules within the Chess of All Living Beings were not for Lin Moyu to comprehend the Dao, but a kind of refining of the Chess of All Living Beings. From the start, Lin Moyu knew the Chess of All Living Beings was an extremely powerful magic treasure. Only, its refining method was extremely special. Basic refining only allowed it to evolve the chessboard. True refining was to comprehend the rules within the chessboard. When all the rules were comprehended, the final refining would be completed, and only then could one truly drive this magic treasure.
Now Lin Moyu was getting closer and closer to fully comprehending the rules, and he was not far away.
Time passed another hundred years in the blink of an eye. The soul particles Lin Moyu left inside the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth were startled awake by a low long sigh. The long sigh resounded through heaven-and-earth, and the entire Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth trembled.
In an instant, countless living beings within the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, from snakes and insects to ancient divine beasts, all knelt down. They contributed their most devout faith to the lord of the heaven-and-earth. Vast faith power gathered into a sea and surged over.
The soul particles saw it and sent it back to the main body.
Such a degree of faith power has never been seen before. In my Ten-Direction Domains, although there are many living beings, compared to the living beings of an entire heaven-and-earth, it is still far inferior. The first batch of living beings of Yushen Heaven-and-Earth has not even been birthed yet. Even if they are birthed, they cannot compare at all.
As expected of a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth. Just this foundation alone is astonishing enough.
The soul particles had once flown across the entire Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth and knew how many living beings were inside, impossible to count. Now these living beings all offered their faith power to the lord of the heaven-and-earth, becoming nourishment for this true supreme powerhouse, enabling his final full awakening.
With faith power supporting him, after he awakens he can return to peak and needs no recovery.
Still a little short. I need to fight for a bit more time.
Lin Moyu's mind stirred, and the runes he had arranged inside the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth activated at once.
Boom!
Heaven-and-earth shook. Faith power was immediately affected and forcibly interrupted.
Then, a furious roar rang out across the sky.
"Seeking death!"
Under the roar, the soul particles were struck and scattered on the spot.
Lin Moyu's clone in the deepest part of the Ancient Wilds simultaneously activated the array formation. The deepest part of the Ancient Wilds immediately surged with immense power. The array formation started, tearing space. The hole connecting to the Ancient Wilds was forcibly shattered, and a scream came from inside.
That Diting Beast ancestor was heavily hit.
The hole shattered, but it was not completely erased. A powerful force protected him. It could not be erased. It could only be delayed.
Good. There were preparations long ago.
Lin Moyu's mind stirred. All array formations within the Chaotic Ancient Wilds fully activated. The central region of a hundred million li in the deepest part of the Ancient Wilds was forcibly cut out. Doing so would injure the Chaotic Ancient Wilds, but Lin Moyu could not care now.
Suddenly, from that shattered hole, countless vast auras surged out. The unique aura of the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth turned into thin threads, forcibly reconnecting to the Chaotic Ancient Wilds.
Lin Moyu frowned. "Sister. Move."
One Sword Severing the Heavens.
Sword light swept in, as if it would split heaven-and-earth into two. A great deal of Hongmeng aura surging out was severed. But the next second, even more Hongmeng aura surged in.
Lin Moyu swung his hand, and the Calamity Scepter shattered the void and arrived. He held the Calamity Scepter and smashed down hard. A large swath of aura was smashed apart, but immediately afterward the void shattered, and countless rifts appeared in the deepest part of the Ancient Wilds. Massive Hongmeng aura poured in. They turned into thin threads, trying to seize and patch the Chaotic Ancient Wilds.
Lin Mohan swung her sword to annihilate them, but each time she severed a batch, another batch came.
Lin Moyu said, "Stop. I will handle it. That guy has not fully awakened yet. We still have time. Leave it to me."
As he spoke, countless runes flew out. Lin Moyu began to arrange a special grand array.
There are countless array formations. The formation Dao is vast and profound like an immense sea of mist. There is no thing an array formation cannot do, only an array formation that cannot be arranged. With Lin Moyu's current formation Dao cultivation, it had long surpassed heaven-and-earth. The array formations he arranged would give even ordinary true supreme powerhouses a headache.
Although the other party is a Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, that true supreme powerhouse has not personally acted yet. What came was only the Hongmeng aura within the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth. With array formations, it could still be handled.
What was happening now had also occurred in Lin Moyu's deductions, so he naturally had countermeasures.
A grand array rapidly took shape. Lin Moyu took out a Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf and used it as the array core.
The array activated.
The array formation activated and interwove into a net, covering the Chaotic Ancient Wilds. At the center of the array formation, a large tree projection appeared. The appearance of the tree was clearly the Hongmeng Spirit Tree.
Using the Hongmeng Spirit Tree leaf as the array core to draw in the Hongmeng Spirit Tree projection, this array would possess part of the Hongmeng Spirit Tree's abilities.
The entire Chaotic Ancient Wilds trembled. The Chaotic Ancient Wilds was not strong enough and could not quite withstand this grand array, nor could it withstand the pressure of the Hongmeng Spirit Tree.
Lin Moyu snorted coldly. The array formations arranged during the Great Calamity activated again. That array formation spread across the Chaotic Ancient Wilds like a giant net, sharing the pressure and bearing the oppressive might for the Chaotic Ancient Wilds.
The Hongmeng Spirit Tree projection extended, branches dancing, quickly absorbing the aura flowing over from the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
At this time, Lin Moyu had already arranged another array formation. This array formation used the power absorbed by the small tree as its base, turning it into a waterfall that poured back toward the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
The countless rifts in the void were rapidly sealed. The connection between the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth and the Chaotic Ancient Wilds was weakening rapidly.
"Sever!"
Lin Moyu shouted low. The array formation he had first arranged activated again, trying to sever the connection with the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
The Chaotic Ancient Wilds needed to self-destroy a corner to sever the connection, but the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth clearly did not want to let the Chaotic Ancient Wilds go. The last remaining aura still tightly clutched the Chaotic Ancient Wilds.
From the hole in the depths of the Ancient Wilds, a gigantic head extended out. It was that Diting Beast ancestor, trying to rush out through the hole.
His strength was not much weaker than a true supreme powerhouse. If he entered, the Chaotic Ancient Wilds would be unable to break free in a short time, and many variables would arise.
One Sword Severing the Heavens.
Lin Mohan acted decisively. Sword light tore open the void and fell onto the huge head. A scream rang out. A massive wound was cut into the head, almost decapitating it on the spot. But in the next instant, Hongmeng aura fell into the wound, and the wound healed at high speed. By the time the sword light vanished, the wound had already recovered as before.
The living beings of the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth are indeed extraordinary.
Lin Moyu raised the Calamity Scepter. A gigantic staff shadow smashed the void and crashed heavily onto the other party's head.
Ah!
The impact sound mixed with a scream. The head was smashed on the spot. Other than facing that purple-robed man, the Calamity Scepter was unstoppable.
As flesh flew, Lin Moyu shouted low, "Sister. Self-sever heaven-and-earth."
Lin Mohan did not hesitate at all. Sword light erupted.
"I am the lord of the heaven-and-earth. Today I self-sever a corner of the heaven-and-earth. Sever!"
Sword light swept out. As the lord of the heaven-and-earth, Lin Mohan's control over the Chaotic Ancient Wilds surpassed Lin Moyu by much. For her, self-severing heaven-and-earth was easier than for Lin Moyu.
For the lord of the heaven-and-earth to self-sever heaven-and-earth, it could only be done out of absolute trust in Lin Moyu.
Lin Mohan forcibly severed the central region of a hundred million li in the deepest part of the Ancient Wilds. Heaven-and-earth roared. The Chaotic Ancient Wilds suffered grievous damage. Large quantities of rules collapsed and perished. Heaven-and-earth seemed to fall into a great disaster.
Nine Heavens Fate Arts.
Lin Moyu forcibly stabilized the Heaven-and-Earth rules. At the same time, dozens of runes flew out. The runes merged yin and yang into one, turning into a grand array. Within the array were countless space evolutions.
The grand array where the Hongmeng Spirit Tree projection resided was also pulled over by Lin Moyu and merged into it.
"Banish!"
With a low shout, the severed patch of space was drawn away by the array formation and vanished rapidly.
Lin Mohan let out a long breath. "Finally dealt with."
Lin Moyu said, "Only chased it away. The portion severed this time was where his connection to the Chaotic Ancient Wilds lay. Now that region has been banished by me into myriad layers of space. Even if he wants to sort it out, it will take time. But in the end, he can still use that patch of space to find the Chaotic Ancient Wilds. I only did this to buy some time.
"The Chaotic Ancient Wilds has already been guided to the small tree's roots and is very close to Yushen Heaven-and-Earth. Under normal circumstances, he can no longer threaten the Chaotic Ancient Wilds. The troublesome part is that his connection with the Chaotic Ancient Wilds has not been completely severed.
"Even if Lin Mohan self-severed heaven-and-earth, that patch of heaven-and-earth originally belonged to the Chaotic Ancient Wilds. There will still be a connection between them. Through that patch, he can reconnect to the space of the Chaotic Ancient Wilds, establish a spatial passage, and directly reach the interior of the Chaotic Ancient Wilds.
"I banished it only to increase the difficulty of him finding it again, and buy myself a bit more time."
Lin Mohan asked, "Then what do we do next?"
Lin Moyu said, "Originally I already calculated that he would use the Chaotic Ancient Wilds to draw me over. I do not want the Chaotic Ancient Wilds to become the sacrificial victim of my great battle with him, so I took the Chaotic Ancient Wilds away, and even had Sister self-sever heaven-and-earth to cut off the connection. Now it seems it is not easy.
"I saw that the patch of space we severed still has a connection with the Chaotic Ancient Wilds. This connection is difficult to cut. He can still find his way over. So I must change methods, turning passivity into initiative."
Lin Mohan said, "Little brother plans to charge into his heaven-and-earth?"
Lin Moyu said, "On his turf, I have no guaranteed victory. But he also definitely does not want to place the battlefield within his own heaven-and-earth. This great battle will ultimately take place in the Life-Forbidden Zone. But before that, I still have one thing not finished."
Time. What Lin Moyu needed was still time.
The other party's awakening speed was a bit faster than he had expected. That slight difference might decide victory or defeat.
Now the Chess of All Living Beings had been refined to the very end. Lin Moyu already knew it was an extremely powerful magic treasure. If he could fully master it, his chances of winning would be greater.
Lin Mohan said, "Then what can I do?"
Lin Moyu said, "What Sister needs to do now is continue refining the Chaotic Ancient Wilds. The Chaotic Ancient Wilds has already been damaged. Sister must repair it. If there is a chance in the future, perhaps Sister can go one step further. But that step will also require the Chaotic Ancient Wilds as support."
Lin Mohan replied crisply, "Okay. I understand."
Lin Moyu said, "Next is the struggle between me and him. Let us see who laughs last."
In the Life-Forbidden Zone, outside the only remaining Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth, a spatial passage abruptly appeared. One of Lin Moyu's clones flew out from the spatial passage. A grand array rapidly took shape and turned into a lotus. The grand array firmly blocked annihilating power. With Lin Moyu's current formation Dao level, this grand array was enough to hold for a day under annihilating power.
Lin Moyu's clone stood atop the lotus, looking at the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
And since it is impolite not to return a visit, the other party used clones to deal with Yushen Heaven-and-Earth, so Lin Moyu likewise came with a clone, an eye for an eye.
Lin Moyu's arrival broke the calm of the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth. Heaven-and-Earth power churned. A purple-robed man flew out from within the heaven-and-earth.
The purple-robed man before him was exactly the same as the purple-robed man who had attacked Yushen Heaven-and-Earth. He too was a clone of the true supreme powerhouse within the Hongmeng Heaven-and-Earth.
Lin Moyu said calmly, "You and I are bound to fight eventually. In this battle, only one can live. I wonder, how should I address you? I, Lin, do not wish to slay someone who is nameless."