82: Chapter 82 The Chaotic Dao Seed, the Initial Formation of the Primordial Spirit

The Origin Legacy of the Five Elements Dao Venerable was like a vast galaxy, carrying the supreme mysteries of the Five Elements' life and death, the Reincarnation of the Returning to Ruins, and the evolution of the Universe since the creation of the world, surging torrentially into Lin Wan's Dao Seed, Nascent Soul, and Divine Soul.

This was not a simple infusion of information, but a deeper, direct Fusion and resonance between "Dao" and "Dao."

Lin Wan's consciousness was immersed in that strange Origin world composed of endless Dao runes, Law threads, and Chaos Qi flows.

He saw how the Five Elements differentiated from Chaos, how they generated and restrained each other, evolving into the myriad phenomena of the Major Thousand Worlds; he saw how stars were born, operated, and extinguished, becoming part of the Returning to Ruins, and how, at the end of the Returning to Ruins, new stars and life were gestated once again; he saw how the Void Realm contained all things and how it became the passage and carrier for the return of all things to ruins.

He also saw how the ancient Five Elements Sect, under the leadership of the Five Elements Dao Venerable, was once glorious and prosperous, ruling over the heavens and fighting the tragic and bitter battle against the erosion of "the end."

He saw the Dao Venerable's world-shocking feat of using supreme Divine Abilities to strip away, refine, and Seal the Origin fragments of "the end," attempting to find a way to thoroughly resist or even eliminate "the end," and he also saw the helplessness and sorrow that led to the decline of the Five Elements Sect and the self-sealing of the Five Elements Barrier due to the excessive erosion of "the end," internal traitors, and some deeper reasons.

Countless insights regarding the Great Dao of Five Elements Returning to Ruins, the analysis of the Origin of "the end," and the touching upon ultimate concepts such as "Chaos," "Void," "Existence," and "End" flooded into Lin Wan's mind like an enlightening nectar.

His own understanding of the Dao of Five Elements Returning to Ruins, nourished and verified by this vast Legacy, was rapidly improving, perfecting, and sublimating at an unprecedented speed!

Those previously vague and obscure points, where he knew the result but not the reason, were suddenly clear; those insights he previously thought had reached their limit were once again raised and broadened, revealing a wider and more essential world.

The Five Elements Guixu Dao Seed at his glabella, which had already reached Perfection, underwent another transformation under the stimulation of this most fundamental Legacy!

On the Dao Seed, that originally natural phantom of the Chaos formation suddenly solidified!

It was no longer just a phantom but transformed into a real, existing Chaos primary-colored crystal, only the size of a chicken egg, yet seemingly containing an infinite Universe, constantly living, dying, and rotating!

Inside the crystal, Five Elements brilliance flowed, the intent of the Returning to Ruins and extinction permeated, star phantoms floated, and Void Realm ripples undulated, constituting a miniature, perfect, and endless Chaos Small World that would eventually return to ruins!

This was the "Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Seed" that truly belonged to Lin Wan, fusing the Five Elements, Returning to Ruins, stars, Void Realm, and even a trace of the "End" Law fragment!

The moment the Dao Seed solidified, an indescribable palpitation and longing, seemingly originating from the source of life, erupted from the depths of Lin Wan's Dantian, from within that Chaos Nascent Soul that had already reached the limit of Nascent Soul Great Perfection!

The Chaos Nascent Soul sat cross-legged in the center of the Dantian Qi Sea, the five-colored nebula around its body rotating rapidly, and its tiny body erupted with unprecedented dazzling light, echoing and resonating strongly with the newborn Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Seed at his glabella.

The Nascent Soul is the condensation of a Cultivator's essence, energy, and spirit, the fundamental manifestation of the existence of "Self." And Soul Transformation is to completely fuse this "Nascent Soul" with one's own Divine Soul and condense one's own understanding of the "Dao" into a unique "Dao Fruit," thereby causing the Nascent Soul to transform and become a higher-level "Primordial Spirit"!

Once the Primordial Spirit is formed, one can initially break free from the constraints of the Physical Body, travel through the Void Realm, invoke the power of the deeper Laws of Heaven and Earth, greatly increase Lifespan, possess immeasurable Divine Abilities, and truly step into a higher hall of pursuing the Dao.

At this moment, Lin Wan's Dao Seed was already at Perfection, and his understanding of the Great Dao of Five Elements Returning to Ruins had reached an unprecedented height under the catalysis of the Five Elements Dao Venerable's Legacy, sufficient to condense his own unique "Dao Fruit."

And the palpitation of the Dantian Nascent Soul also indicated that the timing for the Breakthrough was ripe!

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, the Great Dao is within me. With my thought, I cast my Dao Fruit. With my Nascent Soul, I become my Primordial Spirit!"

Lin Wan silently recited the Great Dao true words in his heart, his consciousness completely merging with the Dao Seed and Nascent Soul.

"Hum—!"

The Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Seed at his glabella suddenly left his glabella, transformed into a streak of Chaos flowing light, entered the Dantian, and merged with the radiant Chaos Nascent Soul!

"Boom—!!!"

A loud sound, like the creation of the world, exploded in Lin Wan's body and in this independent space of the "Return-to-Void Secret Treasury"!

No, this loud sound was not a real sound, but a violent transformation and sublimation originating from the source of life and the level of the Great Dao!

The moment the Chaos Nascent Soul and the Chaos Dao Seed merged, an indescribable power of Chaos Primordial, seemingly capable of "melting" and "recasting" all things, erupted from the center of Lin Wan's Dantian and swept through his entire body!

Under the scouring of this Chaos power, every cell in his Physical Body trembled violently, ruptured, and reorganized, becoming tougher and more powerful, faintly emitting a jade-like luster of Chaos unity that did not seem mundane, as if carved from Chaos jade.

Its strength far exceeded that of ordinary Body Refining Soul Transformation!

His Meridians were forcibly widened and reinforced, becoming tougher and broader, sufficient to carry the more vast and violent Chaos Infant Essence.

His bones and internal organs also underwent an essential transformation under the scouring of this power, containing vigorous vitality and terrifying extinction power, as if they had become a Small World of their own.

But this was not the point.

The real transformation happened in the Dantian, at the place where the Nascent Soul and Dao Seed merged.

When the Chaos Dao Seed completely merged into the Chaos Nascent Soul, and when all of Lin Wan's insights into the Great Dao of Five Elements Returning to Ruins turned into countless mysterious Law runes and poured into the core of the Nascent Soul like a hundred rivers returning to the sea—

That Chaos Nascent Soul, already a foot tall, with clear facial features and looking exactly like Lin Wan, suddenly erupted with immeasurable light that pierced through the Chaos Void Realm!

The form of the Nascent Soul began to slowly melt and reorganize, no longer a simple infant shape, but transformed into a hazy ball of light that constantly changed shape, presented the primary color of Chaos, and contained the scenes of endless nebula life and death, Five Elements rotation, and Returning to Ruins extinction!

This ball of light was the prototype of the "Primordial Spirit," and also the initial condensation and manifestation of Lin Wan's own "Dao"—a prototype of the Dao Fruit!

As the ball of light slowly rotated and solidified, a more vast, profound, and essential terrifying aura, seemingly capable of resonating with the Great Dao in the dark, slowly awakened and rose from Lin Wan's body.

This aura no longer belonged to the Nascent Soul, but... Soul Transformation!

It was a higher level of life above the Nascent Soul, initially touching the Origin of Laws, which could be called "God"!

However, Lin Wan's "Soul Transformation" was completely different from ordinary Soul Transformation.

In ordinary Soul Transformation, the Nascent Soul and Divine Soul merge, condensing a Dao Fruit, and the Primordial Spirit is first formed; within the Dao Fruit, it often contains some Law attribute corresponding to the Cultivation Technique they mainly practice, such as a Sword Cultivator's "Dao Fruit of the Sword," a Pill Cultivator's "Dao Fruit of the Pill," a Fire Cultivator's "Dao Fruit of Fire," and so on.

But inside the prototype of Lin Wan's Dao Fruit, that Chaos ball of light, it contained a composite Great Dao of "Five Elements," "Returning to Ruins," "Stars," "Void Realm," and even a trace of "End"!

It was a more Advanced and essential Dao that was close to the "Chaos" Origin! Its potential and power far exceeded that of a single-attribute Dao Fruit.

"Still not enough..."

Lin Wan's consciousness floated in that Chaos ball of light, feeling the condensation and sublimation of his own "Dao."

He could feel that although his "Dao" had condensed into shape, its "Foundation" seemed to lack the last bit, making this Chaos Dao Fruit unable to be completely stabilized and unable to truly "come into the world."

It was the "End"! In "Returning to Ruins," the "End" side was not complete enough, not original enough!

His gaze suddenly turned to the black crystal floating on the right side of the Legacy ball of light, which emitted a terrifying "End" aura—a suspected fragment of the Origin of "the end" or a crystal of the "End" Law.

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins, there is life and death, there is a beginning and an end. Now, my 'Dao' has 'Life,' 'Death,' and 'Beginning,' but it lacks this last point... the true meaning of 'End'!"

"This object contains the most fundamental power of 'End,' and it is the last piece of the puzzle to complete my Great Dao and stabilize my Dao Fruit!"

"But the 'End' will contained within it is too terrifying, and there is a risk of being eroded and assimilated by 'the end'... The Five Elements Dao Venerable sealed it here, presumably for this reason."

"However, my Dao is essentially Five Elements Returning to Ruins, and it inherently includes 'End.' With my Perfect Dao Seed and the Five Elements Dao Venerable's Legacy as the Foundation, it is not impossible to refine and absorb it to complete my Dao!"

With a flash of thought, a look of determination flashed in Lin Wan's eyes.

The path of cultivation is essentially struggling against Heaven for life and defying the heavens. To achieve the supreme Great Dao, how can one be timid and fear risks? Although this "End" crystal is dangerous, it is also the greatest Opportunity for him to achieve a perfect Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit!

"Merge!"

Lin Wan gave a low shout, and with a thought, the ball of light transformed from the Chaos Dao Fruit prototype suddenly separated a wisp of Chaos Qi, like a tentacle, and entangled toward the black crystal.

The black crystal seemed to sense the threat and suddenly erupted with a blinding, pitch-black light that seemed capable of devouring all light!

A cold, dead, crazy, and terrifying "End" will, full of endless malice toward all existence, rushed wildly toward Lin Wan's Chaos Dao Fruit like an awakened world-destroying Vicious Beast!

It tried to erode, corrupt, and assimilate his Dao!

"Hmph! A mere ownerless dead object dares to be presumptuous!"

Lin Wan let out a cold snort, and the Chaos Dao Fruit shone brightly. The power of Five Elements rotation, the intent of Returning to Ruins extinction, the eternal light of stars, and the containing power of the Void Realm were instantly driven to the limit, turning into a more vast and fundamental Chaos torrent, fiercely colliding with that pitch-black "End" will!

"Boom—!!!"

A silent but more terrifying collision of the Great Dao erupted in this Chaos Void Realm of the "Return-to-Void Secret Treasury"!

The black "End" will frantically eroded and disintegrated the Chaos torrent, trying to return it to nothingness.

And the Chaos torrent contained, assimilated, and decomposed that "End" will, trying to refine it and integrate it into itself.

This was a collision between "Dao" and "Dao," a duel between "Existence" and "End"!

Lin Wan's Dao Fruit prototype vibrated violently in this intense confrontation, its light flickering uncertainly, as if it might collapse at any moment.

His Divine Soul also endured unimaginable pressure and pain, as if being constantly bitten and eroded by countless cold and malicious thoughts.

But he gritted his teeth and persisted, driving the parts of the Five Elements Dao Venerable's Legacy regarding refining, sealing, and understanding the Origin of "the end" to the limit.

At the same time, his own understanding of the "End" side in "Returning to Ruins" was also rapidly improving and deepening in the confrontation with this most fundamental "End" power.

"So... 'End' is not pure destruction... but when 'Existence' reaches its limit and walks toward decay, it is an inevitable, reasonable, and even... a Great Dao Reincarnation that contains the possibility of 'New Life'..."

"Five Elements rotate, there is life and restraint, prosperity leads to decay, and decay leads to rebirth... Returning to Ruins extinction is the end, but also the beginning..."

"My 'Dao' should control the life and death of the Five Elements and master the beginning and end of Returning to Ruins... This 'End' is also a part of my 'Dao,' it should be used by me, not controlled by it!"

The realization was like lightning in the dark, cutting through the lake of his heart.

In that most intense confrontation, Lin Wan's Chaos Dao Fruit prototype suddenly underwent some mysterious change.

The originally distinct Dao rhymes of Five Elements, Returning to Ruins, stars, and Void Realm, along with the wisps of "End" will that were constantly being refined and integrated, began to communicate and fuse in a more harmonious and essential way.

It was as if an incomplete painting had been filled with the last and most critical stroke.

"Hum—!"

The Chaos Dao Fruit prototype suddenly stopped its violent vibration, its light restrained, and its form changed again.

It was no longer a hazy ball of light, but slowly shrank and solidified, and finally transformed into a strange crystal the size of a pigeon egg, which was deep, restrained, seemingly capable of devouring all light, yet exuding a warm Chaos luster from the inside out.

Inside the crystal, it was no longer a simple scene of nebula life and death, but constituted a more complex, mysterious, and three-dimensional Chaos Dao Diagram that seemed to contain all the mysteries of the Universe's life and death and the Great Dao's Reincarnation!

In the Dao Diagram, the Five Elements flowed, living and dying endlessly; Returning to Ruins extinction, cycling from beginning to end; stars were eternal, dotted in the Void Realm; and there were even wisps of pitch-black Dao marks symbolizing "End," like the finishing touch, running through the whole, making the entire Dao Diagram full of a certain supreme charm of "Perfection," "Self-consistency," and "Cycling endlessly, without beginning or end."

The Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit, complete!

Just at the moment when the Dao Fruit was completely condensed—

"Crack!"

It felt like something had shattered.

Lin Wan felt that his Divine Soul, consciousness, and even his life source had completely and perfectly merged with this newborn Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit, indistinguishable from each other.

The Dao Fruit was "Self." "Self" was the Dao Fruit.

And in the Dantian, the Chaos ball of light that had transformed from the Nascent Soul also completely stabilized with the formation of the Dao Fruit, transforming into a little person only an inch tall, with a body of Chaos, a face exactly like Lin Wan's, but with a supreme Dao rhyme that was not human, and a Chaos Dao Diagram imprinted on its glabella, identical to the Dao Fruit.

This was the Primordial Spirit!

The Chaos Return-to-Ruins Primordial Spirit!

The Primordial Spirit opened its eyes, Chaos brilliance flowing in its eyes, as if it could see through the Heavens and Myriad Worlds and see the essence of the Great Dao.

An indescribable, vast, profound, majestic, and terrifying aura, as if it could live as long as Heaven and Earth and coexist with the Great Dao, erupted from Lin Wan's body, like an awakened ancient god, instantly breaking through the space of the "Return-to-Void Secret Treasury," sweeping through the entire Five Elements Barrier, and even faintly penetrating the boundary membrane of the barrier, causing violent Spiritual Qi tides and Law resonance in the external Heavenly Ruins!

Soul Transformation, complete!

And it was an unprecedented, perfect Dao Fruit and Primordial Spirit with "Chaos Return-to-Ruins" as the Origin Great Dao!

Lin Wan slowly opened his eyes, the Chaos brilliance in his eyes restrained, returning to profound calmness.

He felt the unprecedented vast power in his body that seemed capable of moving mountains and draining seas and governing Laws, and felt the clearer and closer connection with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, his heart was at peace.

He knew that from this moment on, he had truly stepped into a higher hall of pursuing the Great Dao.

The road of Soul Transformation had been traversed.

The future was a wider world, a more difficult challenge, and... a possibility more worthy of anticipation.

"Next..."

With a slight movement of his mind, that newborn Chaos Return-to-Ruins Dao Fruit emerged from his glabella, slowly rotating, emitting a heart-palpitating supreme Dao rhyme.

"It is time to refine this 'chaos dao sword' and... familiarize myself with this power of Soul Transformation."

"Also, this Five Elements Barrier should also be thoroughly 'awakened' and used by me."

His gaze turned to the chaos dao sword floating on the left side of the Legacy ball of light, as well as the entire "Return-to-Void Secret Treasury," and even the entire Five Elements Barrier.

After Soul Transformation, the real journey had just begun.