Chapter 228: The Gaze from the Chaos Abyss

In Li Shun's impression, Zhao Cheng was very fond of painting grand promises for people, frequently dangling vague rewards that existed only in some distant future.

He had done the same with Fang Xun before, and now he was doing it with Li Shun.

However, there was one thing Zhao Cheng had said that Li Shun deeply agreed with.

After the reshuffling brought about by this journey through the primordial illusionary realm, his position as a core figure within the lineage of the Spring and Autumn Brush, and indeed among the entire younger generation of Confucian disciples, had become completely unshakable.

That was, of course, provided that he did not do anything foolish himself or commit some outrageous offense.

That was what Li Shun thought inwardly, but outwardly, he put on an expression of being overwhelmed by favor, his face filled with gratitude.

After exchanging a few more words of encouragement with Li Shun, Zhao Cheng hurriedly took his leave.

The entire manor remained under lockdown. It was not until noon the following day that the matter concerning the descent of the Outer God's emissaries was finally dealt with completely.

The five prodigies from the Hundred Schools who had suffered corruption and mutation at the hands of the Outer Gods were jointly suppressed and taken away by several powerful experts of the Creation realm. From that point onward, their fate remained unknown.

As for the disciples who had been fortunate enough to survive, they were all like startled birds, still shaken by what they had experienced.

Regarding their respective encounters deep within the illusionary realm, every one of them kept their mouths firmly shut. They were extremely cautious and unwilling to speak of the matter, terrified that even the slightest mention of what had happened might create a causal connection and once again attract the terrifying, indescribable gazes from beyond the heavens.

Amid this atmosphere of utter silence, Li Shun also encountered the legendary successor of the Jun Clan.

His name was Sun Lang.

His build, bearing, and even the contours of his brows and eyes bore a striking resemblance to Shentu Xin.

However, compared with Shentu Xin's unrestrained arrogance and blatant madness, Sun Lang was extraordinarily reserved and cautious.

He was taciturn and deliberately maintained an extremely distant relationship with disciples of the other schools. His deep, dark eyes constantly revealed a hint of vigilance.

After all, on the surface, the mysterious Jun Clan was still wanted by the official authorities of Great Qian.

At this moment, the phantom of Shentu Xin was still making its long journey toward the Martial Dao World through the boundless Heavenly Dao Severance Sea.

Traveling through that strange deathly qi capable of erasing all things was naturally far slower than ordinary flight through the present world.

Moreover, the spatial distance between these two fragmented worlds was far greater than Li Shun had initially imagined.

Relying on the faint connection in the depths of his consciousness, Li Shun knew that there was still an extremely long distance to go before reaching his destination.

What concerned Li Shun even more was that the aura of Heavenly Dao Severance Sea was showing an extremely obvious decline.

Judging from the current situation, the phantom of Shentu Xin seemed to have already reached the outskirts of this Heavenly Dao Severance Sea.

Li Shun would certainly never naively assume that once they crossed this sea, they would be greeted by a smooth road where they could travel freely.

In that unknown territory, even more lethal dangers were certain to be lurking.

At least Shentu Xin's phantom had gradually adapted to the aura of Heavenly Dao Severance Sea. With the Fangcun space serving as an anchor and transit point, providing a place to rest, the journey through it had been relatively safe.

But as for what lay beyond the Heavenly Dao Severance Sea, Li Shun knew absolutely nothing.

The greatest danger was always the unknown.

"According to what Zhao Cheng said, when the Primordial Continent shattered and collapsed back then, it was essentially stripped of its entire outer shell, leaving it completely exposed beneath the encirclement of the boundless Chaos and the countless Outer Gods beyond the heavens."

"By all ordinary reasoning, these fragmented worlds should have been completely incapable of withstanding such an extreme form of Chaos erosion. They ought to have been crushed into nothingness the moment that great calamity descended."

"Yet, at the critical moment, some indescribable and mysterious power somehow protected the vast majority of those fragments, allowing them to scatter across the heavens while barely surviving and continuing to exist until this day."

"Because they all originated from the ancient Primordial Continent, these fragmented worlds have evolved independently into separate realms over countless ages. Yet deep within their respective origins, they remain bound together by countless threads of karma."

"This explains why, after outsiders cross into another world, so long as they do not allow greed to arise and attempt to steal that world's origin, they will not immediately be regarded by its Heavenly Dao as Otherworldly Celestial Demons and struck down by heavenly tribulation. Instead, they can live there peacefully, just like the world's native inhabitants."

"But within Chaos, the fragmented worlds of the Primordial Continent are not the only worlds that exist. There are other bizarre and fantastical worlds as well."

"We are completely incompatible with those worlds. If we recklessly force our way into them, we will almost immediately become the target of the entire world's hostility!"

Li Shun silently pondered.

"The Heavenly Dao Severance Sea that Shentu Xin is currently crossing is clearly not the legendary Chaos capable of erasing even gods."

"True Chaos... beyond the heavens..."

Unable to reach a conclusion through his own deductions, Li Shun's consciousness and thoughts directly descended into the Fangcun space and entered the puppet upon which the Ancient Net resided.

He had named this puppet [Dao Seeker].

Li Shun then presented the questions in his heart to the Ancient Net.

The Ancient Net had no intention of concealing anything from him. In its cold and rational voice, it slowly revealed the ancient truth:

"Naturally, it is not true Chaos."

"The danger and terror of Chaos far exceed the limits that mortal lifeforms can describe with words. Even the lofty Outer Gods must restrain their divine power and conceal their true forms while traveling through it. The slightest carelessness can result in the fall of a god."

"Although I did not personally witness the ultimate catastrophe in which the Primordial Continent shattered and collapsed, based solely on your description, I can already deduce the true circumstances of this world."

"Within that Sea of Chaos, there are indeed countless Great Thousand Worlds drifting and floating."

"But they are by no means exposed to the outside world in such a naked manner. Instead, they are wrapped and concealed within the World Embryonic Membrane that accompanies each world."

"If an existence could truly stand within Chaos and look down upon it, all that would enter its sight would be an endless expanse of emptiness and desolation. It would absolutely be unable to see the myriad worlds of the heavens shining like stars."

"Following this line of reasoning, the current situation of Great Qian and the other fragments of the Primordial Continent becomes quite clear."

"Although the Primordial Continent has already shattered and collapsed, the Primordial Embryonic Membrane that once protected all living beings did not completely disintegrate along with it."

"It remains like a tattered yet incredibly thick outer garment, protecting the countless fragments within."

"However, this embryonic membrane must have become riddled with holes over the long passage of time. The assimilation of Chaos and the erosion of the Outer Gods have long since seeped silently inward through those cracks."

…

Li Shun held his breath and concentrated as he listened to the Ancient Net reveal this truth concerning Chaos.

Yet at that very moment, a sudden change occurred within the Fangcun space!

The entire background of the Fangcun space abruptly dimmed at a visible speed, without the slightest warning.

The sensation was as though this absolute domain had suddenly been submerged into a deep pool of ink.

Even the strange door condensed from the profound aura that hung high above the Fangcun sky seemed to sense the arrival of some great terror.

The totemic patterns carved across the door began to twist and transform violently, as though they were being madly torn apart by some indescribable, invisible force!