I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

"Back in the secret realm, you said that the Nine Transformations of Chaos was a gift to me, without any conditions attached."

"That's right." The gray-robed elder shrugged. "The Nine Transformations of Chaos was a gift to you, and I didn't ask you to return it. What I want now is the Core of Chaos, which has nothing to do with the Nine Transformations of Chaos. Give me the Core of Chaos, and I can exchange it for something else."

"What?"

"What do you want?" The gray-robed elder's eyes lit up. "Cultivation techniques? Above the Nine Transformations of Chaos, there are the Tenth, Eleventh, and even a Hundred Transformations. Magic weapons? That broken bone knife is decent, but it can still be improved. Or cultivation realm? Do you want to break through to the Immortal Realm? This old man can—"

"I want an answer," Qin Yuan interrupted him.

The old man in the gray robe narrowed his eyes: "What answer?"

"Who exactly are you?"

The square fell silent for a moment.

The old man in the gray robe took another swig of wine, then slowly stuffed the gourd back into place and hung it back on his waist. He looked up at Qin Yuan, his cloudy old eyes gradually clearing, revealing an emotion that Qin Yuan couldn't decipher.

"Guess." He grinned.

Qin Yuan didn't guess. He held the bone blade horizontally in front of him, and the patterns on the blade began to flicker. Chaotic power surged from his body, forming a visible aura around him.

"The Chaos Core you obtained in the sealed palace is the core remaining after the remnant soul of the Demon God was scattered," the gray-robed elder suddenly said solemnly. "It has no consciousness; it is pure primordial chaos. To you, it is merely a crystal containing immense power. But to me, it is different."

"What's different?"

"It is a part of me," said the old man in the gray robe.

Even Su Yao was stunned when she heard those words.

"Many, many years ago, so long ago that you can't even count it in ten thousand years." The gray-robed elder raised his head, gazing at the sky, as if recalling something, "Seven goddesses were born from chaos, governing the seven fundamental laws of all realms. But two other beings were also born from chaos. One is me. The other is that thing that was later called the Ancient Demon God."

"You're brothers?" Yan Lingji's eyes widened.

"We are not brothers." The gray-robed elder shook his head, using a strange way of putting it. "We are two sides of chaos. I am the 'order' side of chaos, and it is the 'chaos' side. Together we constitute the complete will of chaos. But later it went out of control and wanted to devour all worlds. After the Seven Goddesses sealed it away, I was also severely injured and hid in the ancient secret realm, sleeping for one era after another."

"So you created the Nine Transformations of Chaos," Qin Yuan said.

"That's right. The Nine Transformations of Chaos is originally a cultivation method for the chaotic order aspect. The Demon God cultivates the power of the chaotic aspect, so its power is to devour, pollute, and destroy. But the power of the Nine Transformations of Chaos is creation, protection, and order." The gray-robed elder looked at Qin Yuan, "You learned the Nine Transformations of Chaos, which is equivalent to inheriting the power of my lineage. That's why you were able to shatter the Demon God's remnant soul. Even a peak Immortal Realm cultivator couldn't do that."

"What do you want the Chaos Core for?" Qin Yuan asked.

"Fusion." The gray-robed elder did not hide anything. "Order and chaos have been separated for too long, and chaos itself is no longer complete. With chaos incomplete, the foundation of all worlds will slowly crumble. The seventeen worlds you saw being corrupted by demons are just the beginning. If I do not fuse the core of the chaotic side back, it won't be long before the entire myriad worlds collapse, including the Eternal Heaven, the Palace of Return to Nothingness, and everything you protect."

He stretched out his hand, palm facing up.

"Give it to me. After I merge with it, chaos will be restored to its complete state, and all realms will be at peace. In exchange, I can grant you any request."

Qin Yuan fell silent.

He lowered his head, gazing at the patterns on his bone blade. Those patterns numbered over twenty million, each representing an enemy he had slain. From an outer disciple of the Xuan Yuan Sect to the Dao Ancestor of Myriad Realms, he had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, never believing in fate or the will of Heaven. But this time, the choice before him made him feel troubled for the first time.

Did he believe what the Old Man of Chaos said? Not entirely. The separation of order and chaos, the collapse of the foundation of all realms—these might all be true. But what about the "fusion" the Old Man of Chaos spoke of—what would happen after the fusion? Would true chaos be restored to its complete state, or would an existence more terrifying than a demon god be born? He didn't know.

"I need time," Qin Yuan said.

"how long?"

"Three days."

The old man in the gray robe looked at him for a while, then sat down cross-legged again, took the gourd from his waist, and took another sip of wine.

"Alright. Three days it is. I've waited countless millennia anyway, three more days won't make a difference." He clicked his tongue, reverting to his lazy, drunken demeanor. "However, little Qin Yuan, I must remind you of something. The longer that crystal remains on you, the deeper your dependence on it will become. The power of the Chaos Core is very tempting; it can allow you to break through to the Immortal Realm in the shortest time, and even touch the threshold of the Eternal Realm. But it is, after all, a remnant of the chaotic side. Using it too much will change your mind."

He closed his eyes and yawned.

"You decide for yourself."

The Heavenly Sword Holy Land arranged a separate peak for Qin Yuan and his group, named "Guanlan Peak." At the summit was a small courtyard with several old pine trees, and outside the courtyard was a vast expanse of green bamboo. From the summit, one could see the entire Heavenly Sword Holy Land, and further on, the boundless rivers and mountains of the Eternal Heaven Domain.

Qin Yuan stood in the courtyard, turning the black crystal in his hand. Sunlight shone on the crystal's surface, but it didn't refract a single luster; it was like the opposite of light itself, pure darkness, but without any hint of evil. Quiet, gentle, and unfathomable.

Su Yao came out of the house, carrying a pot of freshly brewed tea, and sat down at the stone table in the courtyard.

"Are you still thinking about what that old man said?" she asked.

"I'm thinking about his identity." Qin Yuan placed the crystal on the stone table and sat down opposite Su Yao. "The two sides of chaos, order and disorder. If what he said is true, then what is he? An old man of chaos, an ancient sage, or something else entirely?"

"You suspect he has another identity."

"It's not doubt," Qin Yuan picked up his teacup and took a sip. "It's certain. He must be holding back something."

Su Yao lowered her head to brew tea, remaining silent. She understood Qin Yuan; if Qin Yuan said "I'm sure," then he must have noticed some details that she hadn't.

"That purple gourd at his waist," Qin Yuan put down his teacup. "When I first saw him in the Desolate Ancient Secret Realm, he was just a remnant soul, without a physical body or any magical artifacts. But now that his body has recovered, he has that gourd hanging from his waist. Why would someone who existed since the beginning of chaos deliberately wear a gourd?"

"Maybe it's just an alcoholism."

"The way he drinks is too deliberate," Qin Yuan said. "Every time a crucial issue comes up, he picks up the gourd and takes a swig. When a cunning old fox who has lived for ten thousand years tells the truth, he uses feigned movements to cover it up. He's buying himself time to think."