Chapter 134 - 133: Essence of this Tribulation (2)

"Chaos energy!"

The revelation tore through the landscape of Lin Yuan’s Sea of Consciousness like a bolt of lightning.

His eyes, burning with a sudden, manic brilliance, locked onto the beating black heart. After comprehending the Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra, Lin Yuan had been granted an understanding of the various energies of the universe.

From Demonic Qi to Origin Qi, from Immortal Qi to this Chaos Qi, Lin Yuan understood the countless forms of energy. He could clearly distinguish the subtle differences between them, whether it was their nature, their aura, or the laws they carried.

The reason he hadn’t immediately picked up on the presence of this Chaos Qi was incredibly simple, yet insidiously complex. The raw energy was completely saturated, filled with so much obsession essence that the energy masqueraded as a mere psychic attack. It was only after he ceased his resistance, exposing his soul to the blast to meticulously analyze it, that his mind pierced the veil of obsession to see the raw energy underneath.

As the black heart contracted, preparing for another devastating beat, a brilliant idea ran through Lin Yuan’s mind.

If this was true Chaos energy, then he already possessed the perfect countermeasure.

The Barrier Token.

Whoever created that token had filled it with an enormous amount of Chaos Energy. But Chaos Energy could not simply be created from nothing. That meant the token was not merely a container of energy. It was most likely a special artifact designed to capture, refine, and store Chaos Energy.

Lin Yuan understood this because he had carefully analyzed the token after acquiring it from the Xu Clan’s treasury. And after he examined it, he was certain that its true purpose was far more extraordinary than most had initially imagined.

Then, in the physical world, sitting within the twilight of the River of Years Pagoda, Lin Yuan’s physical body was in a state of absolute ruin. Blood poured freely from his eyes, nose, and mouth. But with a sheer exertion of willpower, he forced his trembling right hand to move.

He tapped his spatial ring, and Immediately, the Barrier Token materialized in his palm. Without a moment of hesitation, Lin Yuan sent the token directly into his Sea of Consciousness.

The jade token crossed into his inner world and appeared before his spiritual avatar, quietly hovering in the vast expanse of his spiritual sea. Its surface shimmered with a faint, mysterious light as it floated directly in front of him.

Lin Yuan reached out and grasped the token.

But as his fingers closed around the jade, a sudden wave of hesitation crashed over him.

What if this fails? a rare voice of doubt whispered in his mind.

What if the concentration of Chaos energy radiating from the Black Heart was simply too much? What if the black mist overloaded the jade slip and destroyed the token completely? If the token shattered, he would lose his current passage into the Barrier Realm. Worse, the resulting explosion of uncontained Chaos Qi would instantly vaporize his soul.

Thump!

The black heart pulsed again, the shockwave of obsession slamming into Lin Yuan, forcing his spiritual avatar to its knees.

Lin Yuan shook his head violently, banishing the hesitation.

This is my only option now, he thought, his purple eyes narrowing with absolute resolve. I either do this and risk the token, or I sit here and silently watch my soul collapse!

In truth, it was a miracle that Lin Yuan was still alive, let alone capable of formulating a plan. The only reason his soul had not collapsed after the very first heartbeat was because of the Origin Soul Revival Pill he had consumed in the past. The divine elixir had given him an outrageously powerful soul foundation, one so robust that any other Peak Nascent Soul cultivator would likely have had their soul completely erased within minutes.

But even that terrifying foundation was beginning to crack under the immense pressure of the Chaos Energy.

Lin Yuan then looked up at the beating black heart.

Surely, the heart itself is not generating infinite Chaos energy, Lin Yuan reasoned. It is simply acting as a conduit! It is using obsession intent as a bridge to channel the Chaos energy from the universe to punish me. If this token can last, I can absorb all the Chaos energy this heart will ever pull through the bridge!

Lin Yuan sat cross-legged in the center of the raging dark storm, gripping the Barrier Token with both hands and pointing its surface directly toward the beating black heart.

"Devour it!" Lin Yuan shouted.

The Barrier Token hummed violently. A massive gravitational vortex suddenly erupted from its surface, twisting the surrounding space as an invisible force spread outward.

Thump!

The black heart released another wave of chaotic obsession.

But this time, the wave did not slam into Lin Yuan’s soul.

The moment the black mist expanded, the gravitational vortex of the Barrier Token caught it. The token acted like a bottomless sponge, violently tearing the chaotic energy away from the shockwave and sucking it directly inside.

The token trembled violently in Lin Yuan’s hands. The gray jade immediately darkened by a faint shade as it absorbed and contained the Chaos Energy.

It’s working!

Lin Yuan realized, a fierce and triumphant grin spreading across his face.

But this victory was only the beginning of a long and grueling battle.

The black heart seemed to sense what had happened and immediately accelerated its rhythm. The heartbeats came faster, pounding like a war drum as torrential waves of black, chaotic obsession flooded the spiritual sea.

Lin Yuan remained completely still. He poured his entire focus into maintaining the Barrier Token and keeping it perfectly aligned with the black heart.

Within the temporal isolation of the River of Years Pagoda, time passed with terrifying speed.

Ten years passed.

Lin Yuan’s physical body remained motionless like a statue, his body covered in dried blood. Within his mind, however, he fought a ceaseless battle, adjusting the position of the Barrier Token every moment and ensuring that it continued absorbing the chaotic energy.

Thirty years passed.

The gray jade of the Barrier Token had turned completely pitch-black. It trembled violently as it struggled to contain the enormous amount of chaotic obsession being forced into it. Even Lin Yuan’s soul ached from the constant strain, an exhaustion so deep that it threatened to wear down his sanity.

Fifty years passed.

The rhythm of the black heart finally began to slow.

The flow of Chaos Energy from the tribulation was weakening. The seemingly endless torrent was finally approaching its limit, and the source of the energy was beginning to dry up.

Seventy years passed within the twilight of the pagoda.

Inside Lin Yuan’s Sea of Consciousness, the black heart gave one final, weak shudder.

Thump...

A thin trail of black mist drifted from the heart and was instantly swallowed by the pitch-black Barrier Token.

And then...

Silence.

The black heart remained suspended in the center of Lin Yuan’s Sea of Consciousness. It was still black, but the Chaos Energy that had fueled its destructive power had been completely drained. It no longer pulsed with murderous intent or released waves of obsessive aura.

It simply hung there, dormant, heavy, and silent.

Lin Yuan slowly lowered his hands.

The Barrier Token hovered quietly beside him, now transformed into an artifact containing an incredibly dense amount of Chaos Energy and obsessive power.

The storm was over.

Lin Yuan opened his deep purple eyes. The mist within his spiritual sea had finally settled, and his consciousness was calm once more. After enduring the terrifying tribulation, he had finally survived.

He slowly rose to his feet.

A profound aura began to ripple from his body, carrying the faint majesty of a cultivator who had stepped beyond the limits of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Lin Yuan looked inward, feeling the transformation taking place within his soul.

He had succeeded.

He had survived the tribulation and was about to step into the Spirit Severing Realm.

"It’s time to consolidate my ascension into the Spirit Severing Realm."