Chapter 3551: Breaking Through
Entering the spatial hole was like falling into an icy deep pool.
Darkness, silence, emptiness...
The Boundless World was very similar to the Void World, lacking matter, energy, and rules.
The difference was that it did not possess void power.
The so-called void power could turn all things into nothingness, causing them to vanish without a trace.
Zhang Ruochen felt a terrifying squeezing force coming from all directions, compressing his physical body to become smaller and smaller.
This was the manifestation of the absence of space!
His body, beneath his skin, was the only space here.
Therefore, the power of the Boundless World was trying to crush him, causing him to collapse into a speck of dust. Or, into micro-space particles even smaller than dust.
Zhang Ruochen propped up the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram to resist the pressure of the spaceless force.
It was like the creation of the world!
With Zhang Ruochen at the center, a radius of eighteen zhang was the small world he had forcibly carved out.
"Could it be that the universe we now live in was created by some power within the Boundless?"
A flash of inspiration struck Zhang Ruochen's mind, recalling the scene he had witnessed when he traversed through the ages and arrived at the dawn of the universe's birth.
There, it was just a single point within the Boundless, yet it continuously spewed forth particles and rules, evolving into time and space, yin and yang, the five elements, and even all things, souls, and spirit.
Zhang Ruochen then entered a state of clarity. The rules of the earth element within the five elements separated from the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram and gathered beneath his feet.
Subsequently, other rules surged out, intertwining with the earth element rules.
Looking from afar, the rules of various paths, like strands of light, merged with the earth element rules. These included the rules of origin, light, darkness, space...
Gradually, within the rules, energy was produced.
The energy was indistinguishable between clear and turbid, resembling a yellowish-brown cloud mass.
Rules were rules; energy was matter.
Deriving matter from rules was an extremely difficult step in the history of the universe's creation, requiring countless billions of years to complete.
Zhang Ruochen had spent many years studying and comprehending in the Past Divine Palace and the Heavenly Watchtower, accumulating profound knowledge. He knew the direction of the path he was taking, but had always been unable to take this step.
Enlightenment required both the accumulation of daily learning and a flash of inspiration in an instant.
At the moment of entering the Boundless, Zhang Ruochen finally found that flash of inspiration.
Hence, this breakthrough occurred.
Although the four symbols had not yet evolved into the five elements, Zhang Ruochen had already crossed the most important step. The energy beneath his feet was the future earth. It was also the earth element within the five elements.
Humans are born within time, space, and the five elements, becoming accustomed to all this. Only by breaking free can one discover the differences.
Like a fish in water, only by leaving the water can it learn to walk and evolve into an amphibian.
Entering the Boundless World gave Zhang Ruochen this opportunity.
It felt like tens of thousands of years had passed, or perhaps only an instant. Zhang Ruochen awakened from his clear state, looking down at the yellowish-brown chaotic cloud mass beneath his feet.
He then looked up at the Four Symbols Diagram.
The Lesser Yang "Divine Mountain" was covered with a layer of metallic luster.
The Lesser Yin "Divine Sea" was filled with mist, no longer just an ocean of origin particles.
The Greater Yin "Jade Tree Ink Moon" had an additional layer of woody texture on its trunk, as if it were about to transform into a true divine tree.
The Greater Yang "Illusory Extinction Star Sea" had stars wrapped in flames.
The five elements had begun to appear!
Although it was not yet true five elements, it was already a step into a new realm.
"So to derive the five elements, one must break the division of the four symbols. The various paths within the four symbols are not completely independent; there needs to be transformation between them, complementing each other." Zhang Ruochen muttered to himself.
The Lesser Yang was condensed with truth path and sword path as the main body, along with hundreds of other paths.
The Lesser Yin was condensed with origin path and fist path as the main body.
...
However, when Zhang Ruochen derived the earth element of the five elements, he did not just mobilize the earth element rules, but also mobilized many rules from the four symbols.
This was something that could only be done after one's cultivation was profound enough and one's understanding of the four symbols was thorough enough.
If it were before, even if Zhang Ruochen knew the method of deriving the five elements from the four symbols, once he implemented it, he would surely fail, and the four symbols might even collapse.
"You have finally come!"
From the endless darkness, such a voice emerged.
No, it was not a real voice.
It was a thought!
Zhang Ruochen immediately released the power of the Heart of Truth to investigate, but investigating the Boundless World was a hundred or a thousand times more difficult than investigating the Void World.
His perception was suppressed by an invisible force within an extremely small range.
Zhang Ruochen transmitted his voice with his spiritual power: "How did you know I would come? Were you waiting for me?"
"You are at least a thousand years late! I saw the future in the Ancient Desolate Ruins City and saw you in time and space. Why is the Arhat White Pearl not on you?" The vast and profound voice sounded again.
Zhang Ruochen had mentally prepared himself, but his emotions were still stirred. He said, "Are you Yinshuetian?"
The first time Zhang Ruochen entered the Ancient Desolate Ruins City, he encountered the footprints left by Yinshuetian and Yan Huanyu. There, he indeed saw them from the past. Moreover, Yinshuetian had even reached across time and space to attack him, attempting to take the Arhat White Pearl.
Thinking of this, worried that Yinshuetian might strike again, Zhang Ruochen immediately took out the drop of blood from Nutian Shenzun.
The one he was encountering now was likely Yinshuetian's true body, and there was no gap of hundreds of thousands of years in time and space. If she attacked again, even if Zhang Ruochen's realm had broken through, he would most likely meet his end.
Fearing it was not enough, Zhang Ruochen also took out the Sthavira Silver Tree and the Bright Mirror Platform, saying, "I am a close friend of Yanshu Chan Master, have a life-and-death bond with Nutian Shenzun, and have an extraordinary relationship with the Sixth Patriarch... I am not an enemy!"
"You are a descendant of Ling Yanzi. I can sense her bloodline aura." The voice sounded, devoid of joy or anger.
Zhang Ruochen held his breath, his heart tightening.
His bloodline was already very diluted; could she still sense it?
"Zhang Ruochen!"
At that moment, Yuansheng entered the Boundless World, rushing into Zhang Ruochen's eighteen-zhang radius.
She stared at Zhang Ruochen, then at the Taiji Four Symbols Diagram, feeling somewhat incredulous.
The aura Zhang Ruochen was emitting now was significantly stronger than before.
"Has this guy been hiding his cultivation all along?" Yuansheng thought to herself.
"Why did you come in?"
Zhang Ruochen was already troubled about how to deal with Yinshuetian; he hadn't expected Yuansheng to barge in as well.
He wanted to immediately flee, pretending not to know Yuansheng.
Otherwise, it would be even harder to explain!
"I want to ask you why you barged in! So many years have passed; Kong Yinshui has most likely fallen. Even if she hasn't, the seal outside is damaged, and she must have already escaped!"
Yuansheng felt the atmosphere was very wrong, becoming uneasy. "Let's go quickly. Don't let Jiusi Yitianhuang detect our auras."
Wanting to leave, how could it be that easy?
Zhang Ruochen said, "This matter has nothing to do with you."
"Chi Yao asked me to help you; I have to bring you back intact, don't I?"
Yuansheng added, "Yunzhen has definitely already sent a message about the damaged seal to the Chaos Ancestor. The Chaos Ancestor will definitely regard Jiusi Yitianhuang, or possibly the still-living Kong Yinshui, as the greatest current threat. The crisis for Grand Elder and the others has passed!"
"It's not that simple!"
Zhang Ruochen sighed inwardly, secretly calculating the likelihood of survival for himself and Yuansheng if Yinshuetian launched a thunderous strike.
Yuansheng noticed something was wrong and said, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhang Ruochen, seeing that Yuansheng had risked such great danger to enter the Boundless World, ultimately could not bring himself to abandon her and pretend not to know her. He said in a low voice, "Yinshuetian is nearby."
Yuansheng's expression completely changed. Divine energy surged within her body, and she immediately grabbed Zhang Ruochen, rushing toward the exit of the Boundless World.
Just then, Yunzhen rushed in from outside.
"Run quickly; Yinshuetian is still alive." Yuansheng said.
Yunzhen was greatly alarmed and immediately retreated.
"Boom!"
An invisible force simultaneously struck the three of them.
It was like being hit by a divine mountain. The blood and energy within their bodies churned, and their bodies uncontrollably flew backward.
Yuansheng's cultivation was powerful. She protected herself and Zhang Ruochen, quickly stabilizing their forms without injury.
But Yunzhen's Lightning God Armor shattered into pieces, a large part of his physical body exploded, his internal organs were all crushed, and many bones were exposed. His divine soul was also severely injured!
Just this one blow showed the gap in cultivation between Yunzhen and Yuansheng.
"Chaos Clan cultivators don't need to live!"
From the darkness came a pleasant yet icy voice.
A snow-white jade-like hand appeared above Yunzhen's head, with slender, beautiful fingers and exquisite lines. But it was a hundred zhang long, accompanied by specks of light rain!
A finger pressed down.
Yunzhen had no power to resist, unable even to escape, and was crushed by the finger.
Like a blood-red flower suddenly blooming.
His divine source turned to powder, and his divine soul was annihilated.
Finally, under the two natural forces of no time and no space, everything about Yunzhen disappeared!
A Great Unbound Infinite, as if he had never existed in this world.
Yuansheng stood proudly with her spear, but her arm trembled slightly as she tried to control her battle intent, preventing herself from becoming cowardly.
Even if she were to die, she would die standing, not tarnishing the dignity of the successive clan emperors of the Primordial Path Clan.
However, the power Kong Yinshui displayed was too terrifying, completely beyond Yuansheng's cognition, so she could see no hope of survival at this moment. Perhaps she could block one blow, or two?
The hundred-zhang light hand slowly spread its five fingers.
In the palm stood a hazy figure, its features unclear. But even the light and shadow were breathtakingly beautiful, with white hair like a waterfall, surpassing all the splendor in the world.
"Primordial Path Clan? As expected of the fourth ancient clan, giving birth to such a formidable junior so quickly. Taking your life to avenge the grievances of the past counts as karmic retribution; you die as you should."
The voice was cold, but the tone was gentle and calm.
A blue nether light appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Yuansheng, rendering her completely immobile.
"Nether Light Curse!"
Zhang Ruochen was about to step forward to help when he immediately sensed a second curse fall on Yuansheng, followed by a third, a fourth...
"Yuansheng's cultivation is not weaker than the Heavens, yet she can't break Kong Yinshui's curses and can only stand there waiting to die. How can I save her?"
Zhang Ruochen's thoughts raced. Then, he turned to look at the figure standing in the center of the light hand, bowed deeply, and said, "Senior, you should know that grievances have their owners, and debts have their debtors. Good is rewarded with good, and evil with evil. But the cause and effect and retribution spoken of by Buddhism are never about venting hatred on one's descendants. When will the cycle of revenge ever end?"
Kong Yinshui had taken refuge in Buddhism back then for a reason.
Being the senior sister of the Sixth Patriarch, and without them turning against each other, with a very good relationship, it showed that Kong Yinshui's conduct after entering Buddhism was recognized by the Sixth Patriarch.
It was for this reason that Zhang Ruochen saw hope of saving Yuansheng.