Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

He was prepared, and the moment the shadow lunged at him, his "Contract Protection" activated instantly! A pale golden shield, composed of countless fine contract runes, enveloped his entire body.

"laugh--!"

The dark shadow crashed into the light barrier, producing a sickeningly corrosive sound. The light barrier trembled violently, its surface runes flickering, but ultimately it withstood the fatal blow. At the same time, the true meaning of the "protection" and "purification" contract contained within the light barrier reversed and eroded the dark shadow, causing it to let out a silent shriek and shrink back.

Fu Shaoping's eyes turned cold. How could he allow it to escape? He made a fist with his left hand, and a pale golden contract chain, which combined the prototype of the "Evil-Sealing Seal" with the power of "Cause and Effect Connection," appeared out of thin air. It coiled around the vengeful spirit that was trying to retreat into the shadows like a serpent!

Sensing danger, the cursed spirit suddenly dispersed, transforming into several thinner wisps of black smoke that fled in different directions.

"Suppress!" Fu Shaoping uttered softly, and the source core in his sea of ​​consciousness flashed. An even more magnificent and majestic power of contractual authority descended, like an invisible cage, instantly imprisoning the space in that area and forcing the wisps of black smoke to reform!

The golden chains seized the opportunity to wrap around it, binding it tightly. The "sealing evil" power on the chains erupted, and the cursed spirit struggled and twisted violently, emitting a silent wail. Its form rapidly became thin and transparent, and finally, like dew evaporated by the sun, it completely dissipated, leaving only a wisp of extremely pure "curse contract origin" filled with negative information.

Fu Shaoping waved his hand and carefully sealed away this wisp of origin. Although this thing is evil, if used properly, it may be used to refine powerful curse-type contract artifacts, or to comprehend the mysteries of curse contracts.

Having resolved this minor incident, Fu Shaoping became even more vigilant. He knew that there was probably more than one similar entity in these ruins.

He climbed to the top of the stone steps.

Before them lay a vast, yet shockingly dilapidated plaza. The plaza's surface, paved with slabs of "Star Steel," was now riddled with spiderweb-like cracks and enormous craters. At the far end of the plaza stood the main hall complex of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect.

The central main hall, towering a hundred feet high, was magnificent. Even though most of it had collapsed, the remaining eaves, brackets, carved beams, and painted rafters still hinted at its former glory. But now, the roof of the hall was pierced by a huge hole, as if torn apart by sharp claws. Sunlight (or rather, the light source of this place) shone through the hole, casting eerie spots of light inside the hall.

In front of the main hall, at the very center of the plaza, stands a relatively well-preserved, square stone stele over thirty zhang tall. The stele is cast entirely from a strange, dark golden metal, its surface smooth as a mirror, yet now covered with intricate, seemingly naturally formed, mysterious patterns. These patterns are not carved, but rather a manifestation of some kind of contractual law!
At the top of the stone tablet was a fist-sized crystal, shimmering with iridescent light and radiating an aura that was of the same origin as the Source Core but far more vast—the second "Contract Source Core"?! No, it was more complete and more powerful than the Source Core; this was probably... a small core fragment of the "Contract Dao Source"!
"A fragment of the Dao Source!" Fu Shaoping's heart pounded! This was the true core inheritance and source of power of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect! It was far more precious than the fragment of the source core in the Ancient Qi Valley!

What made his pupils shrink even more was that, beneath the fragment of the Dao Source, on the base of the stone tablet, sat a... lifelike "corpse"!
It was an old man dressed in a simple, dark gold Taoist robe, wearing a tall crown, with a gaunt face and closed eyes. His skin was like jade, his hair and beard were all white, and his complexion was ruddy, as if he had simply fallen into a deep sleep. There was even an extremely faint yet incomparably pure Taoist aura flowing around his body. But Fu Shaoping could clearly sense that there was no vitality in this body, only an extremely heavy obsession, as if it bore the sins and sorrows of the entire world, and... an extremely subtle "external invasion" aura that made even his source core tremble!
The old man placed his hands in a strange hand seal on two grooves in the base of the stone tablet. In the grooves were a blood-red jade slip covered in cracks and a piece of black bone with dark gold patterns flowing across its surface.

Both the blood jade slip and the black bone fragment exuded a chillingly evil and ominous aura, completely at odds with the pure Daoist charm emanating from the old man. Yet, they were strangely intertwined with the stone tablet, the fragments of the Dao source, and even the entire network of contracts on the core continent, forming an extremely complex, dangerous, and fragile balance.

"Is this... the last sect leader of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect? Or an elder guarding the core?" Fu Shaoping was shocked. He slowly approached, each step feeling like he was walking on a knife's edge.

When he was about ten feet away from the stone tablet, the old man's heavy obsession was suddenly touched!
Those eyes, which had been closed for countless millennia, suddenly opened!

Within their eye sockets, there were no eyeballs, only two constantly rotating vortexes, one gold and one black! The gold vortex reflected countless scenes of the birth and death of contract runes and the rise and fall of civilizations, filled with wisdom, majesty, and compassion; the black vortex, on the other hand, was a pure void and madness that seemed capable of devouring everything, filled with erosion, distortion, and destruction!

Two completely opposite and conflicting wills were simultaneously projected from those eyes, locking onto Fu Shaoping!

An aged, weary, yet still supremely majestic voice resounded directly within Fu Shaoping's soul, using the most ancient and purest incantation of the contract:

"The newcomer... carries the core of our lineage... but... will Heaven not forsake the Xuan Yuan lineage?"

The voice carried a hint of unbelievable hope, but more than that, it was filled with endless exhaustion and... a sense of relief as if waiting for final liberation.

At the same time, another cold, twisted thought, filled with greed and malice, also forcibly squeezed into Fu Shaoping's consciousness:
"Fresh flesh and blood... a complete soul... and... the aura of the contract's origin... devour... merge... I will... be reborn..."

This black intent clearly originated from the "external invasion" power. It seemed to have reached some strange symbiotic or antagonistic balance with the old man's remaining obsession. At this moment, it was alarmed by Fu Shaoping, the "variable" carrying the source core.

Fu Shaoping was struck as if by lightning; his body trembled violently, and his face instantly turned deathly pale. The impact of two completely different, terrifying wills, both far beyond his current level, caused his sea of ​​consciousness to churn, almost making him lose his footing. The source core in his arms erupted with unprecedented light, desperately resisting the erosion of the black will, while simultaneously resonating fiercely with the golden will.

He gritted his teeth, forcibly calmed his mind, and activated the "Guarding the Mind and Strengthening the Soul" technique from the "General Outline of Origin." At the same time, he connected all his thoughts with the Origin Core, using the power of the Origin Core to resist the impact of the dual mental attacks.

He struggled to lift his head, looking at the corpse with its "eyes" open, and responded in a dry voice with the true words of the contract: "Junior Mo Chen, I happened to obtain the source core of your esteemed sect's ancient Qi Valley inheritance and followed the guidance to arrive here. Senior... are you a sage of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect?"

The golden vortex rippled slightly, and an aged voice, filled with endless sorrow, said: "I am the last leader of the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect... Xuan Shu Zi... You could also call me... a sinner who lingers on in his dying days..."

The black vortex roared even more urgently: "Hand over... the Source Core... offer... your soul... and you will receive... supreme power..."

Xuan Shuzi (Golden Will) seemed to suppress the black agitation and continued, "Latercomer... since you have gained the approval of the Source Core... you are destined to be with our sect... you must have already glimpsed the situation here..."

"Our sect...back then, attempted to forcibly preserve the flame of our lineage through the 'Deceitful Blood Pact'...violating taboos...attracting the 'Devouring Tribulation Lightning' and...the 'Extraterrestrial Demonic Inner Force'..." Xuan Shuzi's voice was filled with regret and pain. "The sect collapsed...all lives were lost...I used my remaining body...to fuse with the remnants of the Dao Source...to suppress the demonic inner force under this 'Demon Sealing Stele'...using my body as a lock...my soul as a key...to maintain the final balance of the contract...to prevent the demonic inner force from completely devouring the Dao Source...to leave our sect...a last glimmer...perhaps nonexistent...hope..." Fu Shaoping was shocked. So that's how it is! Those black bone fragments and blood jade slips were probably the core carriers of the "Extraterrestrial Demonic Inner Force" and the backlash from the "Deceitful Blood Pact"! Xuan Shuzi actually used his own remaining body and fragments of the sect's core Dao Source as a price to seal them together here!
"Senior's righteousness..." Fu Shaoping said solemnly.

"Great righteousness?" Xuan Shuzi smiled bitterly. "It's nothing more than...atonement...Now...my remnant soul is about to dissipate...the seal is about to loosen...the power of the inner demon...with the passage of time...is slowly eroding the source of the Dao...the balance...is about to be broken..."

His golden "gaze" burned intently at Fu Shaoping: "Latercomer...you possess the Source Core...you have already entered the path of the Contract...perhaps it is...the will of Heaven..."

"I have two paths... I offer you a choice..."

"Firstly... take the Dao Source Fragment... leave quickly... with your abilities... you might be able to preserve this fragment... and continue the Dao of our sect's contract with a sliver of light... but the seal will collapse... the inner demon will break free... and it will surely bring calamity to all living beings... moreover, it has already corrupted part of the Dao Source... your future path... may be affected by it..."

"Secondly..." Xuan Shuzi's voice suddenly became solemn and dignified, even carrying a hint of determination, "Help me... complete the final 'purification contract'! Using your source core as a catalyst... and my remnant soul as fuel... ignite the power of the Dao source fragments... purify the inner demons! Completely erase their existence! But this action... will require you to endure the double impact of the inner demon backlash and the purification power... a near-death experience... and the Dao source fragments will also... be completely exhausted... and cease to exist..."

"Regardless of victory or defeat... my remnant soul... will... be utterly annihilated..."

The two choices weighed heavily on Fu Shaoping's mind, like two mountains.

Option one is relatively safe and yields some Dao Source fragments (which have already been eroded), but it releases a terrifying inner demon with endless consequences, and one may be corrupted by the remnants of the inner demon in the future.

Option two carries extremely high risk, almost certain death, and will also deplete the Dao Source fragments, but it can completely resolve the inner demon problem and bring a relatively complete end to the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect.

The black inner demon seemed to understand Xuan Shuzi's words, unleashing an even more frenzied, venomous roar and temptation: "Foolish! Choose one! You will gain power! You will gain immortality! Merge with me... You will transcend the mortal realm... and become... the new... Lord of Contracts!!"

Fu Shaoping closed his eyes, his mind racing through his experiences: the struggles in the small market of Tianque City, the adventures in the Ghost Swamp, the competition at the Ascension Conference, the near-death experience in the Black Wind Gobi Desert, the unpredictable events in the Yunmeng Great Swamp, the inheritance of the Ancient Qi Valley, and the constant pursuit and escape...

The principles of contracts granted him power, but also brought him responsibility and consequences. Although the Xuan Yuan Qi Sect had been destroyed, its lineage, its tragic grandeur, and its final act of protection moved him deeply.

More importantly, the existence of that inner demon instilled in him an instinctive sense of disgust and vigilance. If such a thing were unleashed, it would unleash countless bloodshed and chaos. As someone who bore the inheritance of its teachings, how could he possibly stand idly by?

Moreover... Xuan Shuzi's last words, "Leave a last glimmer of hope for our sect, one that may never exist," and the eternal loneliness and sorrow of sacrificing himself to suppress the demon and waiting for the arrival of a elusive successor, deeply moved him.

He opened his eyes, his gaze now as firm as iron.

He didn't answer, but instead made his choice through his actions.

He stepped forward, no longer resisting the guidance of the golden will, but instead actively opening his mind and body to fully activate the source core in his arms! Brilliant golden light enveloped his entire body, resonating strongly with the Dao source fragments on the stone tablet!

At the same time, he began to form a mudra with his hands, which was one of the most profound contract mudras recorded in the "General Outline of the Source of Contracts"—the "Nirvana Purification Mudra," symbolizing "sacrifice," "purification," and "rebirth"!
Although with his current cultivation level, he is not able to truly unleash this seal, there may be a sliver of hope here, with the support of Xuan Shuzi's remnant soul and the fragments of the Dao Source!
"Hahahaha! Good! What a fine successor!!" Xuan Shuzi let out a hearty laugh filled with relief, understanding, and determination! The golden vortex in his eyes suddenly burst forth with unprecedented light!
"Use my remnant soul as a catalyst!"

"Use fragments of the Dao Source as fuel!"

"Use this primary nucleus as a pledge!"

"Summon... the Ancient River of Contracts... Descend... the power of purification and judgment!"

"Purify the world!"

Boom! ! !

The entire core landmass—no, it seemed as if the entire Heavenly Meteor Forbidden Domain—trembled! The Dao Source fragment atop the stone tablet erupted with light billions of times more dazzling than the sun! This light was not destructive, but a pure white light filled with the meaning of order, judgment, and purification!

The white light surged like a tide, instantly engulfing the stone tablet, Xuan Shuzi's corpse, the blood jade slip and the black bone fragment, and even Fu Shaoping, who was forming hand seals!

"No—!!!" The black demon screamed in agony, struggling madly, but under the pure white light of the Pure World, its power melted away like ice and snow! The blood jade slip and the black bone fragment shattered inch by inch, turning into ashes!

Fu Shaoping felt as if he had fallen into an ocean of light, with endless purifying power surging into his body, consciousness, and soul! This power was too vast and too pure, far beyond what his current level could withstand! His meridians were expanding, his consciousness was boiling, and his soul seemed about to be assimilated and evaporated by this pure light! (End of Chapter)