Chapter Sixty-Two: The Vein of Primal Chaos

Qingxu had always been exceedingly cautious, excelling at discerning hidden motives. Earlier, he had already noticed something amiss in the actions and speech of the Youqiong clan. Later events proved his suspicions were justified. Now, the resonance stirred by the three ferocious beasts within the Xuanmo Sword originated precisely from the earth veins, an occurrence that filled his mind with countless possibilities.

The primordial wilderness was fraught with peril; a single misstep could lead to utter destruction. The annihilation of both body and spirit was terrifying enough, but even worse was having one’s soul and primordial spirit fall into enemy hands—then, true misery began, trapped between life and death. Therefore, one could never afford to relax their vigilance. As the saying goes, harbor no intent to harm, but never be without defenses.

This time, the Youqiong clan had already crossed Qingxu’s bottom line; once outside, he would certainly take their life. Concealing the existence of the ancient demon god was a deliberate attempt to place Qingxu in mortal danger—such malicious intent was unforgivable and demanded death.

Swish!

He sheathed the Xuanmo Sword. Until the truth became clear, it was best to be cautious; if this resonance proved to be a harbinger of ill, regret would come too late.

In fact, deep down, Qingxu had already formed a few guesses. Most likely, it was the ancient demon god that had triggered the reaction from the three beasts within the Xuanmo Sword. However, the exact nature of the connection or cause between them eluded him.

“I’ll go down and take a look first. Whatever happens, the outcome of this gamble is crucial. The Youqiong clan’s life is forfeit, but the unification of the human clans takes precedence. Otherwise, if they resist desperately, the trouble will only worsen. It’s best to settle accounts after the dust has settled. To be honest, using sheer strength to suppress them would be the fastest way, but that depends on the circumstances. Few among the human clans now fear death; with the Youqiong clan’s incitement, it’s easy to foresee many willing to die. When the time comes, should I kill them or not? It’s not that I hesitate, but the karma from such killings would be immense, and I might even earn Nuwa’s enmity, reaping no benefit and inviting endless trouble—how wretched that would be!”

From ancient times, those who accomplished great deeds could endure what ordinary people could not.

“Enough. What’s the use of overthinking? My journey on the Great Dao has not yet reached its true beginning. Better to focus on diligent cultivation for now!”

Perhaps in the eyes of itinerant immortals, the rank of Earth Immortal was already a worthy achievement, but Qingxu understood well that only upon reaching the level of a Golden Immortal of Da Luo could one truly say they’d set foot on the path of the Great Dao. Below Da Luo, there was little real difference—this was the true benefit of being a disciple of a Sage. How could other wanderers understand such things?

He walked slowly through the underground chamber toward the entrance of the opposite tunnel, maintaining utmost vigilance and suppressing all stray thoughts.

Just as he entered the passage leading to the earth veins, the Xuanmo Sword within him began to stir restlessly, as if it wished to break free of his body.

Whoosh!

In a flash of light, the Xuanmo Sword suddenly broke away of its own accord, soaring into the depths of the earth vein passage and vanishing in an instant. The event happened so swiftly that Qingxu had no time to react, let alone stop it.

A deep roar echoed faintly from the depths of the earth vein—not a sentient sound, but one that carried the vast, ancient aura of the world’s beginning. Within it, there seemed to linger the sense of primordial chaos and undivided creation. What unsettled Qingxu most was that this sound seemed to have a restraining effect on him; a thread of unease rose from the deepest core of his true spirit. The moment he heard the sound, his first instinct was to flee for his life—nothing else mattered.

“What on earth is happening?” Qingxu could not understand. But as quickly as the roar had sounded, it faded away, leaving him in hesitation—should he continue forward, or turn back?

The sense of strangeness only grew stronger, and instinctively, he felt imminent danger. He had no idea what would happen if he pressed on, yet giving up was an unbearable thought. Besides, he could not afford to lose the Xuanmo Sword under any circumstances.

“To hell with it! Fortune favors the bold. Worst comes to worst, I’ll transmigrate again—maybe this time I’ll end up in the era of chaos, and get Pangu to be my little brother. Wouldn’t that be grand?” With this self-mocking encouragement, Qingxu steeled his courage and strode forward. The path was rugged and treacherous, but under his feet, it was as easy as walking on level ground.

He twisted and turned through the tunnels. Who could say how much time had passed? Suddenly, the darkness before him gave way to dazzling light. In the vast subterranean space, stretching for thousands upon thousands of miles, there lay a colossal dragon of pure qi, hundreds of miles long. Its form was shrouded in mist, its entire body composed of vapor, ethereal and shifting—seemingly fragile enough to be scattered by the wind. Yet its image was lifelike: whiskers, horns, scales, claws, eyes—all the features of a true dragon.

[Chaotic Spirit Vein, one of the Ten Ancestral Dragon Veins]

“What? Chaotic Spirit Vein? One of the Ten Ancestral Dragon Veins?” Qingxu was stunned, hastening to check the information supplied by the Investiture of the Gods system. His heart was thrown into tumult, as if in a dream.

After some time, having grasped it all, Qingxu took a deep breath, striving to calm his overwhelming excitement.

In the earliest ages, the innate spirit veins born in heaven and earth had no form. But after the war among the three races, burdened by grave karmic sin, the three races sought to atone and bless their descendants. Ninety-nine percent of the divine dragons of the Dragon Clan willingly gave up their bodies and spirits to become earth veins. The ancestral dragon king’s three souls and seven spirits transformed into ten veins. Of these, the Chaotic Spirit Vein was no ordinary thing—it was born only when the corpse of a primordial demon god, repelled by the very laws of heaven and earth, merged with a supreme spirit vein to create it.

“Incredible—simply unbelievable! To think I would encounter a Chaotic Spirit Vein in person—what a stroke of fortune! The Youqiong clan spoke of an ancient demon god, but here lies a primordial demon god? How strange! Still, whatever—such a tremendous benefit is now mine. Why quibble over the rest?”

The Chaotic Spirit Vein was unimaginably rare. The corpse of a primordial demon god was something almost nonexistent in the Great Wilderness—should any remain, it would long ago have been consumed by the world’s laws as nourishment for creation. Supreme spirit veins were also exceedingly scarce; likely only the first ancestral spirit vein, the Ten Ancestral Dragon Veins, and perhaps a handful of others derived from powerful dragons. For a Chaotic Spirit Vein to arise from the union of a primordial demon god’s corpse and a supreme spirit vein, under such exacting conditions, was a miracle.

He dashed madly toward the dragon’s head of the Chaotic Spirit Vein. As he drew near, a surge of pure, dense spiritual energy washed over him. Unable to resist, he inhaled deeply, and his mana and immortal essence roared wildly within him. Just one breath of chaotic spiritual energy brought immense benefit—equivalent to ten days or half a month of arduous cultivation.

“Incredible! The effects of the Chaotic Spirit Vein are simply too powerful. Even a ginseng fruit can hardly compare! And ginseng fruits only yield thirty every ten thousand years, whereas the Chaotic Spirit Vein produces a ceaseless flow of chaotic energy! But wait—strange. With so much chaotic energy accumulating over time, surely the valleys outside should be overflowing by now. Why does it not extend beyond a hundred miles from the vein?” Though elated to the extreme, Qingxu had not lost his reason entirely, and quickly noticed this anomaly.