Staying in the sect, controlling beasts and cultivating immortals

That cold, vast will, like an invisible chain, instantly tightened around Yu Changsheng, the eye of the storm! His pupils, swirling with chaotic purple light, suddenly contracted. Amidst the intense pain, a fear originating from the instinct for life, as vast as a collapsing galaxy, seized his soul! It was not the fear of death, but the ultimate tremor of the thought that his very existence would be completely erased!

"Ugh... Roar...!" He let out a low, unintelligible growl, and the chaotic energy storm around him suddenly paused, then surged outwards even more violently, like an enraged dragon! The dark purple air currents collided fiercely with the fragments of purple-gold lightning, exploding into destructive ripples that blasted deep pits into the surrounding swamp and turned withered trees into dust! This vacuum zone twisted violently and was on the verge of collapse.

"Immortality!" Wang Cheng struggled to his feet, anxiously looking towards the center of the storm. He tried to rush over but was violently pushed away by the terrifying energy turbulence, and could only watch helplessly.

"Don't go over there!" Lin Hao grabbed him, his voice hoarse, but his eyes held a hint of surprise and uncertainty. "Look...look into Senior Yu's eyes!"

Amidst the storm, in Yu Changsheng's bloodshot eyes, a faint yet incredibly resilient light flickered stubbornly within the churning, chaotic purple depths, like a lone lamp in a raging sea. It was the remnant of his own will, forged like tempered iron under the darkness of the Eternal Night Evil Beast, the destructive lightning of Monslan, and the terrifying pressure of that distant consciousness, now radiating an unprecedented brilliance!
The dark mark on his back, fused with the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword, transformed into a deep vortex, now spinning wildly. It greedily devoured the aura of destructive laws emanating from the sword, violently merging and clashing with his own eternal night's deathly power and the faint life force flowing from the runes on Chen Xueqing's heart. Every inch of his flesh was tearing and reforming, every wisp of his soul was shattering and coalescing.

"Purify...the...pollution..." That chilling thought returned, carrying an undeniable sense of judgment. The invisible pressure suddenly intensified. In the sky, the thick, grayish-white miasma was torn apart and pushed aside by an invisible force, revealing a leaden, oppressive sky. It was as if an invisible giant eye was piercing through endless space, coldly overlooking the ants in this swamp of despair.

Yu Changsheng roared, enduring the terrifying pressure from both internal and external attacks. He felt as if his body was a fragile shell, about to burst at any moment from the raging internal energy conflict, and then be crushed by the oppressive force of the terrifying external will. He forced his head, which was about to explode, to turn, his gaze piercing through the chaotic energy storm and landing on Chen Xueqing, who was still asleep in Wang Cheng's arms not far away.

The emerald life rune on her chest, stimulated by the surrounding death aura and immense pressure, was radiating a softer yet more resolute light, like a small anchor, firmly holding onto a glimmer of life in this chaotic and desperate land.

Xueqing…Caixing…Old Huang…

Figures flashed through his chaotic mind. The last trace of relief on Huang Xiren's withered face; the last glimmer of light when the shattered antlers of the Rainbow Deer merged into Chen Xueqing's heart... An indescribable sorrow and anger, like a dormant volcano, erupted from the depths of his crumbling heart!
On what grounds?! On what grounds must they be eliminated?! On what grounds must they be put on trial?!

Throughout his journey, he tamed beasts to feed him, climbing the ranks with arduous effort; he fought bloody battles in Yongzhou and Fuzhou; to protect his loved ones, he lured the enemy alone; in the abyss of despair, he faced death a hundred times without regret! He never bowed to this so-called "pollution"! He, Yu Changsheng, walks the path of protection! He walks his own path!

"Get out—!!!" A roar originating from the deepest part of his soul exploded from Yu Changsheng's throat, which was twisted by the impact of energy!

hum! ! !
With this roar filled with indomitable will, the wildly spinning dark vortex on his back suddenly stopped! Immediately afterwards, a brand new aura, a blend of the profound stillness of the eternal night, the violent destruction of the amethyst, and the tenacious vitality nurtured by the life runes, suddenly erupted!
It is no longer a chaotic conflict, but a primal force that achieves a delicate balance on the verge of destruction, like the beginning of chaos!

This aura carried a kind of wild, resilient growth, a domineering force that carved out a path to survival in dire straits, and it crashed violently into the invisible chains of will!
boom!
The collision on a spiritual level was silent, yet more violent than any explosion in the material world! The invisible pressure enveloping the swamp was like a mirror struck by a boulder, trembling and fluctuating violently, and a crack instantly appeared!
A faint hint of surprise seemed to emanate from the distant altar. Then came an even colder will, like billions of ice crystals solidified: "The Seed from beyond the boundary...threatens...kill!"

The chain-like pressure suddenly solidified, carrying the will to annihilate everything, and tightened down fiercely! This time, it was no longer a warning, but a tangible annihilation!

"Pfft!" Yu Changsheng was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out another mouthful of blood, which even contained small fragments of internal organs. His suspended body suddenly sank, and the violent energy storm around him was instantly suppressed and contracted, as if the chaotic balance that had just been formed was about to be completely crushed!
At this critical moment!
"Wow—!"

"Roar--!"

"hold head high--!"

Three distinct beastly roars, accompanied by three powerful auras, suddenly erupted from Yu Changsheng's body!

Golden-winged Roc! Crimson Hellfire Dragon! Black Tortoise!

Despite the Xuan Turtle's severely shattered shell and weakened aura; despite the Golden-Winged Roc's disheveled wings; despite the Crimson Hell Dragon's dull scales and numerous wounds! But when their master faced the life-or-death moment of annihilation, these three companions, who were also bound by life and death with Yu Changsheng, unleashed their final power!

The phantom of the Golden-Winged Roc soared into the sky, its wings whipping up a tearing gale as it slammed into the invisible spiritual chains! The Crimson Hell Dragon roared, spewing out a dragon breath that could incinerate everything, burning the tentacles of that icy will! The Black Tortoise transformed into a thick, earthen-yellow light barrier, fiercely protecting Yu Changsheng's shattered soul!

boom! boom! boom!
The three beast-taming attacks, like three beams of light shooting against the current, fiercely shook the annihilating will of the supreme being! Although they were instantly shattered and suppressed by an even greater force (the golden roc phantom wailed and dissipated, the hell dragon's breath extinguished, and the Xuan Turtle's light barrier was covered with cracks), this brief delay bought Yu Changsheng a precious moment of respite!

It's now!

The clear light in Yu Changsheng's eyes suddenly shone brightest! He seized this fleeting opportunity and frantically activated the mark on his back that was being transformed by the combined effects of the three forces: the Eternal Night Evil, the Destruction Sword Intent, and the Life Rune!
"Break for me!!!"

With great difficulty, he formed an ancient hand seal—a forbidden technique recorded in the "Scripture of Ten Thousand Beasts," which could only be attempted in life-or-death situations when the power within one's body was in chaotic conflict—[Return of Ten Thousand Beasts to One: Chaos Guidance]!
The moment the seal was formed, the chaotic vortex on his back was like a powder keg that had been ignited! The profound darkness of the Eternal Night Evil Beast, the destructive lightning brought by the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword, the faint vitality fed back by Chen Xueqing's life runes, and the pure beast-taming power that the Golden Roc, the Prison Dragon, and the Xuan Turtle finally unleashed were forcibly blended, compressed, and ignited!
It's not a simple balance, but a new life born from destruction!

Rumble, rumble—! ! !
An indescribable chaotic energy, containing both the meaning of birth and destruction, erupted suddenly from Yu Changsheng, like the first shock wave after the creation of the world!
The grayish-white miasma was instantly cleared away!
The invisible chains of will broke inch by inch!
That distant, chilling will to annihilate, like an iceberg shattered by a violent impact, emitted a muffled thud that shook the soul, and was forcibly forced back!

At the eye of the storm, Yu Changsheng's body was instantly covered in spiderweb-like cracks. A purplish-black light and emerald-green life force surged wildly through the cracks, as if on the verge of complete collapse. Yet, his suspended body came to a steady stop. The chaotic purple light churning in his eyes gradually settled, still profound, but now imbued with a sense of control, a hint of… a stirring of new life. He slowly lowered his head, looking at his cracked hands, feeling the violent, chaotic, yet infinitely potential-filled new power within him. No longer pure eternal night, no longer pure destruction, nor simply life, but a… new life force originating from chaos, encompassing all beasts, breaking down and then rising again!

Deep within the battlefield of the Abyss Clan, the boiling of the blood pool at the altar slowly subsided. The cold intent faded away, leaving only a faint... "mark".

“Fate…variable…marker…”

Yu Changsheng was completely unaware of this. He only felt weaker than ever before, as if his body had been completely hollowed out and rebuilt, every cell groaning in agony. But that heavy, almost crushing sense of annihilation had vanished.

His gaze passed over the dissipating energy ripples and landed on Lin Hao and Wang Cheng, who were struggling to their feet in the mud in the distance. Finally, it settled on Chen Xueqing, who was in Wang Cheng's arms, her brows slightly furrowed from the earth-shattering energy impact, her life rune on her chest still stubbornly glowing.

A faint yet undeniably real warmth flowed from the mark of transformation on his spine, gently soothing his shattered body and soul. This warmth was a mixture of the protection of eternal night, the sharpness of destruction, and... the familiar tenderness of life from the Rainbow Star Deer that Xue Qing felt in her heart.

Above the swamp, the miasma that had been forcibly dispersed was slowly closing back in, like a giant gray curtain. The leaden-gray sunlight was completely obscured.

Lin Hao and Wang Cheng supported each other and staggered to the ground below Yu Changsheng, looking up at their young master who stood suspended in mid-air, his body covered in cracks, yet his aura had undergone a dramatic transformation.

"Senior Yu...?" Lin Hao's voice trembled, filled with shock and bewilderment at surviving such a disaster.

Yu Changsheng slowly landed, his feet touching the cold, muddy ground. His body swayed slightly, but he managed to steady himself. He looked down at his hands, which were covered in terrifying cracks, and felt the chaotic power within him, like a volcano about to erupt, yet barely contained by a thin layer of ice.

“Go…” he began, his voice hoarse like sandpaper, yet carrying an undeniable resolve, “Leave this place…go…deeper.”

His gaze pierced through the thick, impenetrable gray fog, reaching the even darker, more desolate depths of the Swamp of Despair. There, though the deathly aura was denser and the vengeful spirits more malevolent, it was the only place where he could temporarily escape Qingzhou's gaze and the pursuit of that unknown, terrifying intent. He needed time, he needed a safe place, to digest, to control the new life force within him—forced back from the brink of death through countless sacrifices and sheer willpower—to awaken Xue Qing, to… to settle accounts with everything!
The Yuan Clan, Qingzhou, Fengyin... and that high and mighty being who sees him as "pollution"!

Lin Hao and Wang Cheng nodded emphatically, suppressing the turmoil in their hearts. Lin Hao carefully carried Yu Changsheng again, whose breath, though weak, was no longer faint but instead exuded a strange calmness. Wang Cheng, on the other hand, held Chen Xueqing even more cautiously. The light from the life rune on her chest seemed to sense the change in Yu Changsheng, flickering slightly before becoming even softer and more stable.

Without further hesitation, the three turned and plunged headlong into the deepest part of the despairing swamp that seemed capable of swallowing everything. The grayish-white miasma slowly closed behind them, like a gaping maw, completely engulfing their figures, leaving only the chaotic traces of battle and the old man sleeping eternally beside the cold stone statue.

Deep within the swamp, all was deathly silent, save for the even stronger stench of decay and the faint wails of vengeful spirits, foreshadowing an even more perilous unknown ahead.

Meanwhile, on Yu Changsheng's back, the chaotic mark that fused the power of eternal night, destruction, life, and beast taming was undergoing a deeper transformation. A faint, uniquely his own law of rebirth, born from destruction, was quietly sprouting in this land of despair.

Deep within the swamp of despair, the air was thick with the stench of decay. Lin Hao and Wang Cheng carried the severely injured and unconscious Yu Changsheng, while Chen Xueqing was supported by a makeshift stretcher made of spiritual light.

The terrifying aura that erupted from Yu Changsheng's body just now swept through like a storm, violently sending the two of them flying, but fortunately, it did not cause any new fatal damage.

At this moment, although the chaotic and powerful aura had subsided slightly, a dark, cold, and destructive pressure still lingered around Yu Changsheng's body, originating from the mutated dark mark on his back.

It greedily absorbed the thin death energy and miasma around it, while resonating with the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword that was integrated into it, emitting a deep hum.

The emerald light in Chen Xueqing's heart stabilized considerably, like a faint spark, forming a strange and fragile symbiotic balance with the dark aura on Yu Changsheng's body, sustained entirely by the last trace of pure life energy overflowing from the broken antler fragment of the Rainbow Star Deer.

"Cough..." Wang Cheng spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, his arm supporting Lin Hao trembling slightly, his face pale. "Uncle Huang... Uncle Huang, he..." Grief and anger intertwined, making it almost impossible for him to continue.

Lin Hao's eyes dimmed as he suppressed his surging emotions and said in a hoarse voice, "We can't stay here any longer! That aura was too conspicuous, and the pursuers could arrive at any moment! We must leave immediately!"

They had no time to mourn Huang Xiren's sacrifice. The cold intent of the Yuan Clan altar locked onto Yu Changsheng like a sharp blade hanging over his head; the Qingzhou Shadow Guards were like leeches clinging to his bones; even the traitorous Feng Yin lurked in the shadows, carrying deadly poison and heavily wounded.

Suppressing their grief and fear, the two determined their direction and, disregarding their depleted spiritual energy, fled for their lives as fast as they could, heading towards the deeper, more secluded parts of the swamp. (End of Chapter)