A grey, three-legged cauldron stood quietly before the feather-robed Daoist.
The small cauldron was archaic and seamlessly rounded, devoid of the intricate patterns typical of ordinary cauldron magic treasures.
Even the butterfly pattern once branded upon it had dimmed to near imperceptibility after Divine Lord Youli extracted the Tribulation Gu.
Yet at this moment, a faint glimmer of dark light flickered subtly over the Hunyuan Cauldron.
Seeing this, Luo Chen smiled faintly.
"Do you sense that your demise is near, is that why you are so restless?"
His fingertips brushed the spot where the dark light flowed, catching a faint sensation of dampness.
The Ming Water Spring Eye was agitated, uneasy, terrified!
Born tens of thousands of years ago, not even the successive ancestors of the Mingyuan Sect had been able to do anything with it.
Even after it collapsed, the feeble will that regenerated from its remnants was still capable of assimilating the Wang Ghost Sovereign to contend with Luo Chen.
Yet now, under Luo Chen's gaze, its benighted will sensed mortal peril.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Vibrations rang out—the desperate struggle of the Ming Water Spring Eye.
All in vain!
This time, Luo Chen did not even unleash his Tier 5 divine fire. He simply closed his eyes and silently chanted the Buddhist forbidden incantation.
After several days of rest and adjustment, his condition had fully stabilized.
Having cultivated this Buddhist forbidden incantation to the Master tier, he could recite it effortlessly from memory.
Upon reaching the final phrase, Luo Chen pressed one palm upright in front of him and uttered a low shout:
"*Svāhā!*"
Instantly, his vast divine soul and Nascent Soul merged into one, giving birth to the boundless power of a primordial spirit!
Luo Chen did not rush to unleash his divine sense to obliterate the spring eye's will. Instead, he seized this opportunity to properly perceive the state of his primordial spirit.
Powerful, majestic, as if capable of grasping everything in its palm.
Lucid and penetrating, thoughts flashing at lightning speed, seemingly piercing the myriad wonders of heaven and earth in a single breath.
With his divine sense imbued with the true intent of laws, he could truly mobilize the omnipresent primordial source energy of heaven and earth with a single thought!
At this moment, Luo Chen finally grasped the gulf between a Soul Formation mighty figure and a Nascent Soul Zhenren.
A primordial spirit was no longer a Golden Core or Nascent Soul that merely stored magic power and spiritual qi; it had evolved into an actualized, transcendent existence.
The ability of divine sense to command the primordial energy of heaven and earth became a lethal method far outstripping anything within the Nascent Soul realm with only the slightest exertion.
If the cultivator had also comprehended the true intent of a law, the synergy would elevate that killing power to an even more terrifying height.
Such was great capability, such were supreme supernatural powers!
However, Luo Chen's situation differed greatly from that of ordinary great cultivators.
Someone like Xuandu could be considered a generational paragon, condensing a primordial spirit in the late Nascent Soul stage, commanding heaven-and-earth primordial energy, and even ascending directly into the Soul Formation stage.
Yet the amount of primordial energy Xuandu could manipulate back then was not particularly vast.
The reason was simple: he had not comprehended the true intent of a law.
Luo Chen was entirely different. Not only had he comprehended it, he possessed two!
The Wither-Bloom of Wood, and the Origin of Fire!
Superimposed, the primordial energy of heaven and earth Luo Chen could leverage was not a mere two or three times greater—it was at least fourfold or more!
*I wonder how I compare to a genuine Soul Formation mighty figure?*
Luo Chen lacked a clear benchmark.
Even though he had tested and measured himself against the Hanging Temple's Arhat Great Formation, and even though he had witnessed Soul Formation figures strike with his own eyes, the differences among the early, mid, and late stages of the Soul Formation realm were simply too vast.
The weak, such as Immortal Qinghe, could be trapped by a gathering of Mingyuan Sect Nascent Soul Zhenren.
The strong, such as Divine Lord Youli and Monarch Qixia—one could snuff out a war with a single move, while the other could sink continents and boil oceans, unchallenged across the mortal realm.
How could one compare them?
The only benchmark Luo Chen knew of was his potential hypothetical enemy: Ancestor Liancheng, the sole surviving Soul Formation cultivator of the Tianyuan Dao Sect and one of the former Five Ancestors of Tianyuan, whose cultivation stood at early Soul Formation.
How long Liancheng had been at that stage was unknown to Luo Chen.
Yet backed by the profound heritage of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, Ancestor Liancheng would certainly not lack lethal arts; he would never be frail like Immortal Qinghe.
If Luo Chen were to face Ancestor Liancheng right now, it would be certain death with zero hope of survival!
*I am thinking too far ahead.*
Luo Chen reined in his thoughts and continued evaluating his present condition.
Formidable as it was, the flaw was glaring.
It did not last long enough!
As things stood, his primordial spirit state could only be sustained for the span of a cup of tea—not even a full quarter of an hour.
This was an innate deficiency caused by the lack of his life soul, having forcibly condensed a primordial spirit through the Moonlight Heart-Clearing Incantation.
Such a brief duration was far from sufficient, whether for combat or for breaking through bottlenecks.
*Even if I cannot swiftly cultivate the Heart-Clearing Incantation to Great Perfection, I must frequently condense the primordial spirit to accustom myself to this state, extending its duration as much as possible.*
*Right, if I complete the third nirvana from the Heavenly Phoenix Nirvana Scripture—the Divine Soul Nirvana—will I be able to take it a step further?*
With these lingering thoughts, Luo Chen opened his eyes.
Closing his eyes, opening his eyes—that entire complex train of thought had taken no more than the blink of an eye in reality.
Such was the marvel of divine sense!
Lightning-fast cognition, crystalline comprehension—anyone who could condense a primordial spirit and manifest divine sense was far from a fool.
Luo Chen's gaze settled on the Hunyuan Cauldron. With a faint smile, his divine sense drifted unhurriedly into the cauldron.
In an instant, he pinpointed the pitch-black spring eye.
Sensing that it had no way to escape under the suppression of the Hunyuan Cauldron, the consciousness finally mounted a desperate, resolute resistance against Luo Chen's divine sense.
The two clashed instantly.
What followed was an intensely perilous battle of mutual annihilation!
A boundless sea surged with terrifying waves, a dreadful abyss devoured all existence, and turbid black waters defiled everything in sight...
Yet before these boundless phenomena, the colossal primordial spirit bearing Luo Chen's exact likeness merely pointed one finger to the earth and one to the heavens, remaining as unshakeable as a mountain!
With righteous, majestic momentum, it calmed the towering waves, suppressed the abyss, and cleansed the filth!
***
"*Phew...*"
Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Luo Chen gradually steadied his emotions.
By now, he had stepped out of the primordial spirit state.
The will within the Ming Water Spring Eye inside the Hunyuan Cauldron had been thoroughly obliterated. What remained was nothing more than the purest springhead.
Next, all he needed to do was imprint it with his own mark.
This was not difficult. After resting briefly, Luo Chen set about the task.
Channeling magic power into the Hunyuan Cauldron, he began refining the spring eye with true fire while his vast spiritual consciousness poured inward to leave his personal brand.
Compared to annihilating the spring eye's will, refining the spring eye was not particularly difficult, but it was time-consuming.
Because the spring eye harbored immense power, he could not use it to master the Netherworld Abyss without taking complete control of it.
Yet as his brand deepened and his spiritual consciousness made closer contact with the spring eye, Luo Chen began to sense something unusual.
"This is..."
Luo Chen abruptly withdrew his spiritual consciousness and halted the true fire.
He stared at the Ming Water Spring Eye with startled uncertainty, recalling his previous perception.
Finally, four words escaped his lips:
"The Water Origin!"
This came as no surprise. Long before subduing the Ming Water Spring Eye, Luo Chen had known that this natural wonder contained a true intent of law, most likely the Water Origin—the most fundamental aspect of the water laws.
Only after making true contact did he realize how glaring and naked that Water Origin truly was.
It was as if he could comprehend it and claim it for himself whenever he wished.
This was far too effortless!
Suddenly, a thought crossed Luo Chen's mind.
*Could it be that the successive ancestors of the Mingyuan Sect were not unable to subdue the Ming Water Spring Eye, but deliberately left it tethered within the Tianming Palace to grant their descendants an opportunity to comprehend the true intent of laws ahead of time?*
This was a foundation for myriad generations—an undying legacy.
So long as the Netherworld Abyss endured, the Ming Water Spring Eye would exist, and that true intent of law would flow without end.
*Back then, that Nascent Soul cultivator named Chongming also comprehended the Water Origin. Although he had the Heavenly Mechanism Pill bestowed by Chu Yan, his speed of comprehension was far too fast, barely slower than mine. Yet I spent fifty accelerated years in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven and observed the Wither-Bloom Divine Fire ascending to Tier 5 before grasping the Wither-Bloom True Intent. What gave him the right?*
*Furthermore, during the martial law on Mount Yanfu, when no other Nascent Soul Zhenren could ascend the mountain, why was Chongming alone permitted to come and go freely?*
*Looking at it now, it was all thanks to this Ming Water Spring Eye!*
Having unraveled this mystery, Luo Chen looked at the pool of spring water within the Hunyuan Cauldron, his gaze growing burning hot.
If he could comprehend another true intent of law—even if it was merely the most fundamental origin, and even if it did not align well with his innate elemental affinity—the boost to his strength would be incalculable!
His primordial spirit lasted for too short a time.
To unleash enough power to threaten a Soul Formation mighty figure in such a narrow window, he had to mobilize as much heaven-and-earth primordial energy as possible.
From the look of things, each additional true intent of law multiplied the amount of primordial energy he could draw upon.
If he could comprehend the Water Origin as well, leveraging his vast magic power and primordial spirit, he might be able to mobilize eightfold, or even tenfold, the ambient primordial energy.
Could an ordinary Soul Formation mighty figure achieve such a feat?
Luo Chen did not know.
What he did know was that this might be one of his very few shortcuts to standing toe-to-toe against a Soul Formation figure.
Should he try it?
Luo Chen pursed his dry lips, his face alight with eager anticipation.
Suddenly!
*Am I being too hasty?*
The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately recited the Heart-Clearing Incantation to calm himself.
The Moonlight Heart-Clearing Incantation did more than condense the primordial spirit; its inherent ability to purify the heart and focus the spirit was exceptionally potent. One might even argue that this tranquilizing effect was the true purpose behind the creation of this Buddhist forbidden incantation.
Once his mind cleared, Luo Chen deliberated carefully.
He had not originally planned for this. Refining the spring eye was merely intended to safeguard the Luotian Sect's foundation from outside threats. Moreover, mastering the spring eye would make traversing the Netherworld Abyss far more convenient for the sect's cultivators in the future.
Now that an opportunity presented itself, the underlying dangers could not be ignored.
The Water Origin did not match his personal affinity!
Furthermore, he had cultivated no relevant techniques, so comprehending it would hardly be easy.
Most importantly, his previously comprehended Fire Origin and this Water Origin naturally countered one another. If an error occurred and water clashed with fire, would it trigger an even greater catastrophe?
Weighed down by these reservations, Luo Chen's restless urge seemed on the verge of being suppressed.
Yet only *seemed* so!
His broad hand, tempered by physical cultivation, stroked the smooth belly of the Hunyuan Cauldron as he weighed the probability of success.
First and foremost was his natal magic treasure!
Since it could suppress the Ming Water Spring Eye, the pace of his comprehension would remain firmly within his control.
The moment any omen of danger appeared, he could abort at once.
Next came the concern regarding difficulty, and on that front, Luo Chen happened to possess the perfect remedy.
The Empowerment Pill!
Its miraculous effects needed no elaboration. Luo Chen did not even need to painstakingly search for a new true intent of law; a ready-made one sat right before his eyes.
Finally...
"To refuse heaven's gift is to invite its wrath!" Luo Chen murmured with profound sentiment.
To spurn an opportunity delivered to one's doorstep—where would be the indomitable, advancing heart of a Dao seeker then?
"I shall give it a try. If it truly does not work, I will stop immediately!"
Luo Chen ultimately persuaded himself.
Stripped of its will, the Ming Water Spring Eye before him was thoroughly harmless; how could he remain indifferent?
Naturally, proper preparations were still required.
Prudent as ever, Luo Chen rested for two days to dispel the slight fatigue from eradicating the spring eye's will.
He then bathed and burned incense, bringing his state to its peak.
Within Danchen Hall, he laid down several warning formations so that if he fell into an entranced stupor, they would swiftly rouse him.
He even arranged a few subtle measures upon the Hunyuan Cauldron.
Once everything was in place, Luo Chen retrieved the large gourd containing the Empowerment Pills.
He had not noticed earlier, but inspecting them now, he discovered that among this batch of Empowerment Pills, five possessed a medicinal potency far richer than the other ten.
"Tier 4 mid-grade!"
"Was it from the final cauldron?"
"According to the panel's calculations, that final batch had reached the Adept level, but it still shouldn't have stepped into the mid-grade tier..."
"Could it be the effect of the Hunyuan Cauldron raising the grade?"
After a moment's thought, Luo Chen took out two pills.
One he swallowed, and the other he placed beneath his tongue.
Ancient lore held that a person could only take an Empowerment Pill once in a lifetime.
Whether Luo Chen's newly completed recipe retained this restriction had yet to be tested.
To be safe, he swallowed one and kept one in reserve.
As the Empowerment Pill dissolved within his body and its medicinal potency spread, Luo Chen felt a distinct change.
His magic power circulated faster, and the miniature Nascent Soul grew remarkably lively, seemingly resonating faintly with the world outside.
One had to remember that Luo Chen's Purple Mansion barrier was far thicker than those of his peers!
To perceive heaven and earth through such a dense Purple Mansion barrier was a testament to the pill's wondrous efficacy.
Without hesitation, Luo Chen sank his divine soul into his Nascent Soul. The medicinal energy followed close behind, slowly inhaled through the nose of the miniature figure.
In an instant, a shimmering, lustrous glow enveloped the Nascent Soul.
*It transformed by combining with the spiritual opportunity. This way, I have protection during sudden enlightenment, without fear of being assimilated by heaven and earth.*
A flash of insight arose naturally.
Reassured, Luo Chen manipulated the Hunyuan Cauldron, releasing its restraint over the Ming Water Spring Eye.
Instantly, dense water vapor billowed outward.
Drawn by the moisture, the miniature Nascent Soul escaped the Purple Mansion and floated amid the thick vapor.
After swimming about with lively abandon, it settled down and immersed itself completely, feeling as comfortable and unconstrained as a babe returned to the womb.
The Water Origin grew increasingly vivid, within arm's reach.
Casting aside all reservations, Luo Chen rapidly absorbed this power, as though nursing upon vital nourishment.
What had once been the heritage of the Mingyuan Sect had now become Luo Chen's fortune.
If Ancestor Heize and the others knew of this in the underworld, would they fly into a rage?
Likely not. After all, Luo Chen was the master of the Alchemy Saint Hall—a member of the Mingyuan Sect, was he not?
With a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips, Luo Chen quieted entirely.
Chapter 1011