The Prodigies War

In a universe steeped in primal chaos, perched upon a lone, frost-laden branch, Black Crow hesitated for a long while before finally asking, “Master...was it you who ordered Ape Ancestor to act at this moment?”

From deep beneath the earth, the voice of Alpha Origin Master echoed faintly, “Little crow, how many variables do you think Ape Ancestor’s move will set in motion?”

Black Crow pondered before replying, “Given the current state of the Realm of All Mysteries, any movement could trigger far-reaching consequences. If Ape Ancestor makes his move, it will surely draw the attention of Chen Xi, the golden cicada, Bodhi, Chen Linkong, and the others. I simply do not know...whether they will be able to restrain themselves from acting. If they cannot, Ape Ancestor will be in grave danger.”

“Wrong.”

Alpha Origin Master’s voice was calm. “Only by making this move can the entire game be overturned. As for Ape Ancestor...he will be fine. This was all part of my plan from the beginning. If our opponents remain still, Lin Xun will inevitably be surrounded and besieged by Ape Ancestor and his forces the moment he arrives in the Realm of All Mysteries. If they choose to act, that would be even better.”

As if struck by sudden realization, Black Crow’s eyes lit up. “Master, could it be that you already possess the power to break free?”

“That depends,” Alpha Origin Master replied, his tone laced with quiet mystery, “on whether this variable, Lin Xun, will be worth me breaking free when he arrives. If he is not...then all these years of painstaking effort will have been for nothing.”

Black Crow’s heart trembled. “Does this mean, Master, that you had already made arrangements long ago?”

Instead of answering directly, Alpha Origin Master asked, “Tell me, in your view, within this Realm of All Mysteries, who holds the advantage? Us, or our opponents?”

“At present...the two sides appear evenly matched.” Black Crow said in a low voice.

Within the Realm of All Mysteries, the only one who could truly threaten Alpha Origin Master was Chen Xi. As for Bodhi, the golden cicada, and Chen Linkong, they were only slightly inferior. After all, all four stood at the level of the Immeasurable Sovereign.

On their side, however, only she and Ape Ancestor had reached that realm. In this regard, they were at a slight disadvantage. However, in Black Crow’s eyes, Master alone was enough to stand against them all. Even though he remained confined, his mere existence was a deterrent that none dared ignore.

Otherwise, why had Chen Xi, Bodhi and the others refrained from acting all these years? Because they feared him.

As for the tier of Immeasurable Dao Lords, they held the advantage. They had nine Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords, along with the founders of the Shaman Sect and the Zen Sect. Their opponents, by contrast, had only the founders of the Origin Sect and the Spirit Sect.

Of course, in Black Crow’s view, a contest in the Realm of All Mysteries was far beyond the level of what figures like Immeasurable Dao Lords were qualified to take part in.

“Evenly matched?” Alpha Origin Master let out a faint laugh, his tone carrying an indescribable meaning. It was half self-mocking and half as if he found it faintly absurd.

Black Crow caught the deeper implication in that laughter and couldn’t help but ask, “Master, could it be you are already certain of victory?”

Alpha Origin Master replied leisurely, “Certain of victory? That is hard to say. You believe the two sides are evenly matched, but Chen Xi, Bodhi, and the others think otherwise. They think that so long as Lin Xun, this variable, arrives, it will be enough to overturn the entire game and leave me utterly defeated.”

“Master, what is your view?” Black Crow asked.

“Know thyself and know thy enemy, and you will never be defeated,” Alpha Origin Master replied calmly. “At present, I already have a complete grasp of my opponents’ strengths and secrets. Among them, the only one who can truly threaten me...is Chen Xi alone.”

His tone was casual, as though stating an undeniable fact.

After a brief pause, he continued, “The only uncertainty lies with Lin Xun, this variable. But now that Ape Ancestor has already made his move, once Lin Xun truly arrives, the real show will begin.”

Black Crow felt the urge to ask what kind of show it would be. In the end, she restrained herself. She knew all too well that before the curtain rose, Alpha Origin Master would never reveal the secrets behind it.

“Chen Xi...Chen Xi...” Alpha Origin Master’s voice suddenly sank into a low murmur. “If you wish to stop this...I’m afraid you will not be given the chance.”

Black Crow’s heart trembled. A chilling realization surfaced in her mind. Even an existence as supreme as Chen Xi might find it difficult to shatter Master’s plan.

“Little crow, just wait,” Alpha Origin Master continued. “When Lin Xun, this variable, arrives, and this game comes to its end...I will take you and Ape Ancestor with me to the Forbidden Land of Myriad Wonders.” His voice gradually faded into the vastness of heaven and earth, until all sound and presence vanished completely.

Within Black Crow, turmoil surged like a storm-tossed sea.

......

Half a month later.

Within the Xuanhuang Zone, a clear stream murmured as it wound through a lush, emerald forest.

“The Dao Slaying Path severs the dao of the past, present, and future. It is unimaginably perilous,” Lone Man said, taking a sip of wine. “From ancient times until now, only a handful have ever managed to pass through it.”

He gave a slight shake of his head. “As for me, I’ve never ventured onto that path, so I have no idea what dangers one would truly face upon entering it.”

Elder Seer spoke up, “I’ve heard that once someone crosses the Dao Slaying Path, their cultivation transforms into true primal chaos.”

Lin Xun was momentarily taken aback, then nodded. “I see.”

At the dawn of chaos, Xuan and Huang first came into being. Xuanhuang could bear the weight of civilization and the great dao, giving rise to all things and all living beings beneath the heavens.

Cultivation, in essence, was a process of tracing back to the origin.

From the most rudimentary dao rhythms and dao intent, to the laws of longevity, the laws of the Saint Path, the laws of the Emperor Path, and the laws of immortality...all the way to comprehending the laws of eternity, each step in understanding and mastering the great dao was a process of moving from the surface toward the core, tracing everything back to its fundamental essence and origin.

After stepping into the Immeasurable Stage, the primal chaos laws one grasped were, ultimately, another step closer to the very essence of the great dao. For example, the Xuanhuang origin power one comprehended and wielded within the Xuanhuang Zone was, in essence, a means of driving the transformation of the dao one had mastered.

Beyond the Xuanhuang Dao lay true primal chaos. At that stage, one’s entire dao would undergo a transformation into primal chaos, which was akin to touching upon the most primordial essence of the dao.

“Young friend,” Lone Man said, “those old fellows in the Realm of All Mysteries are all waiting for your arrival. What...do you intend to do?”

Lin Xun pondered for a moment, then smiled faintly. “I will seek my own dao.”

Lone Man and Elder Seer exchanged a glance, both inwardly moved. This was neither blind fearlessness nor careless indifference. It was an unwavering conviction.

“Then when do you plan to leave the Xuanhuang Zone?” Lone Man asked. He had no doubt that Lin Xun would be able to leave this world.

After a brief moment of thought, Lin Xun replied, “I’ll wait a little longer.”

Over the past half month, he had already refined his entire cultivation into the Xuanhuang Dao, reaching a state of complete perfection. He could leave at any time.

The only reason he had yet to depart was simply that he was waiting for Xia Zhi.

“Young friend, I still believe it would be best for Miss Xia Zhi to remain here,” Elder Seer said, unable to hold back. “Setting aside the dangers of the Dao Slaying Path, just entering the Realm of All Mysteries will invite unforeseen dangers and calamities. In such circumstances, it would be far too dangerous for her to accompany you.”

Lin Xun shook his head with a faint smile. “Perhaps I might have made that choice in the past, but not anymore. Besides, even if I tried to leave her behind, she would never agree.”

Xia Zhi, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke, her tone calm and resolute. “Long ago, Lin Xun promised me that we would advance and retreat together, live and die together.”

Seeing this, Elder Seer fell silent and did not press the matter further.

Time flowed on, day after day. Xia Zhi remained in secluded cultivation, refining the Xuanhuang qi. Lin Xun sat in deep stillness, his aura silent and still. Within his mind-sea, myriad inconceivable great daos unfolded without end.

Fortune, Fate, the Five Principle Laws of the Return Dominion...all had long since merged into the profound essence of Nirvana. As they fused, the essence of Nirvana continued to evolve, giving rise to infinite and unfathomable mysteries.

As early as his time in the Spirit Empowerment World within the Eternity Door, Lin Xun had already understood that the reason he was regarded as a ‘variable’ lay precisely in this power of Nirvana. Nirvana was a mysterious force capable of reshaping life and driving its transformation!

To wield such power was like commanding the rebirth of a phoenix through fire or the breaking of a silkworm from its cocoon into a butterfly. What it brought about was nothing less than the transformation of life!

The Dao of Life was regarded as a path that transcended even the Eternal Path. It was the ultimate pursuit of supreme existences such as Chen Xi and Alpha Origin. Furthermore, because the power of Nirvana was bound to the transformation of life, it was naturally extraordinary and profound beyond measure.

With his current cultivation, Lin Xun had already realized that the essence of the Nirvana Path lay in the word ‘transformation.’ It could reshape great daos and bring life to a new state! Such a variable naturally carried the potential to shatter all that had come before and overturn the world’s understanding!

Over the past few days, Lin Xun had been relentlessly deducing and comprehending the mysteries of Nirvana. He had even begun attempting to weave the secrets of the Spirit Empowerment Origin into it.

The Spirit Empowerment Origin could give rise to countless innate powers within the world, and these powers were intrinsically bound to life itself. In essence, they already touched upon the profound mysteries of the Dao of Life.

Long ago, Alpha Origin Master had entered the Spirit Empowerment World within the Eternity Door, where he comprehended and mastered this very power. Thus, Lin Xun deduced that Alpha Origin Master had already touched upon the threshold of the Dao of Life and that his cultivation was long destined to surpass the limits of the so-called pinnacle Immeasurable Stage.

By the same logic, Lin Xun himself, having grasped the mysteries of the Spirit Empowerment Origin, had likewise already stepped onto that same threshold. Moreover, the Nirvana he wielded could drive the transformation and even the rebirth of life. In essence, it was no different from mastering a great dao power tied to the Dao of Life!

In the past, his cultivation had held him back, preventing him from uncovering the true essence of Nirvana. Now, having stepped into the pinnacle of the Immeasurable Stage and touched upon the deeper mysteries of the Dao of Life, his understanding of Nirvana had achieved a profound breakthrough!

For instance, in recent days, when he sought to integrate the profundity of Spirit Empowerment into Nirvana, the Nirvana under his command effortlessly and completely absorbed it. In the course of that fusion, the power of Nirvana itself underwent a profound transformation. This in turn brought about subtle changes in Lin Xun’s cultivation.

Those changes were difficult to put into words. It felt as though invisible shackles upon his soul had shattered, freeing him from the constraints of realms and the great dao. So long as the essence of Nirvana continued to grow stronger, his cultivation and even his life itself would continue to transform.

Of course, this was only Lin Xun’s own perception. He still did not yet know what these subtle chances truly signified. After all, throughout the ages, the Immeasurable Stage had always been regarded as the ultimate limit of cultivation. Any subtle transformations that arose within it had never been defined and never named. There were not even records or legends of them.

In other words, all of it remained unknown. However, Lin Xun was certain of one thing: these subtle transformations were inextricably linked to the Dao of Life!

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