More than ten years passed before they finally arrived at the Emperor Realm.
Under the crushing pressure of the Chaos Sea, this universe had dwindled to merely one ten-thousandth the size of an ordinary one, and it was still shrinking incessantly.
When Xu Ying reached the Emperor Realm, he discovered that even the shala tree had withered, hovering on the verge of death.
Once this divine tree died completely, any link between the Emperor Realm and the other shore would likely be severed forever, leaving no passage back and forth.
The destruction wrought upon the Emperor Realm was even more dreadful than that of the Jade Realm. The universe's Dao of Calamitous Destiny and Dao of Slaughter were currently at their zenith, cloaking the entire realm in a desolate, killing aura that stripped away every shred of vitality!
All remaining remnants within the universe were converging at breakneck speed, drawing together as stars closed the distance between one another, colliding and collapsing.
Numerous celestial bodies had dimmed into lifelessness, evolving into Hongyuans. Yet, unlike ordinary Hongyuans, these appeared ravenously starved, devouring everything around them.
A normal Hongyuan was the wellspring of a universe and the myriad Daos, nurturing all things with vigorous life.
Innate numinous treasures drew sustenance from the Chaos Sea to nourish and expand a Hongyuan.
A Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, however, directly swallowed all creation. Within it lay neither nascent Daos nor an embryonic universe, only utter chaos.
They were like insatiable taotie beasts that only took in and never gave out, constantly gorging themselves!
Xu Ying was greatly astonished. "What is the deal with this kind of Hongyuan?"
A bizarre power was gestating inside the Hongyuans—a mysterious, unfathomable force that gave off the sensation of the Grand Dao falling into dormancy and all creation being snuffed out. It was a Dao power that severed all life, halted all change, and returned the universe to chaos!
"The Dao power of Nirvanic Extinction!"
Xu Ying could not help but be moved. He had searched for many years, yet this was the first time he had ever discovered the Dao power of the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction! He had only ever seen the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction in Zhangsun Shenghai, and although Zhangsun Shenghai practiced it, his attainments in the discipline were not particularly deep.
Beyond him, no one understood the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction!
He had never expected to sense the power of the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction in a universe on the brink of demise!
"I should comprehend Immortality through calamitous destiny here, and cultivate the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction!"
Xu Ying felt quite excited and immediately prepared to steer the multi-decked vessel into the Emperor Realm. However, the ship did not budge in the slightest. Looking back, he saw the Chaos Lotus suppressing the vessel, barring him from entering the Emperor Realm.
"Ah Ying, this universe has already sunk into nirvanic extinction and could collapse at any moment. Once you go in, life and death will be out of your hands!" the big bell warned. "Even Lord Lotus feels that it would struggle to protect itself inside. If you wish to comprehend Nirvanic Extinction, just do it under the tree."
Xu Ying took on a solemn expression and said, "Such an opportunity is hard to come by; I cannot let it slip away. Lord Bell, Lord Lotus, perhaps somewhere in the Chaos Sea a universe sinks into nirvanic extinction at every moment, but this is the only one I can currently reach. I must seize this chance!"
The big bell hesitated. "Even so, you must first have a means of self-preservation."
Xu Ying smiled. "I have mastered the Dao of the Void and can stand within the void. Even if the nirvanic extinction catastrophe of this universe erupts, I can use the void to escape before the universe is obliterated."
Hearing this, the big bell and the Chaos Lotus felt slightly reassured.
Back when Xu Ying and Dao Ancestor Yuxu established the Void Realm, Xu Ying had tested sending his primordial spirit into the Void Realm after returning to the other shore and traversed it without hindrance. He had thus hypothesized that the void existed within every universe; though universes were separated by the Chaos Sea and cut off from one another, they might still be linked through the void.
Therefore, even if the Emperor Realm sank into nirvanic extinction and perished, Xu Ying could still escape through the void.
Xu Ying stepped into the void of the Emperor Realm, only to find it brimming with an assortment of chaotic energies. Whenever he drew near a Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, even the void itself was pulled down into it!
Xu Ying pressed deeper into the void, reaching the twentieth layer before he finally avoided being dragged into the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans.
Approaching one of the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans, he attuned himself to the aura of the Grand Dao that annihilated all things, corroborating it against calamitous destiny and slaughter, gradually grasping a sliver of the profundities of the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction.
After about a month, the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan he was contemplating had grown to the point where even the twenty-eighth layer of the void began collapsing into it. Xu Ying had no choice but to leave and seek out another Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan.
He continued contemplating in this intermittent fashion, gradually losing track of time and forgetting his exact location.
Without realizing it, he drifted deep into the Emperor Realm. The big bell and the Chaos Lotus remained beneath the shala tree, cultivating on their own. Following Xu Ying all these years had allowed the Chaos Lotus to grow significantly, radiating several times the power it once possessed.
The Hongyuan it cradled had also expanded more than tenfold, appearing even more dazzling.
Suddenly, ripples stirred across the Chaos Sea as an emerald rock multi-decked vessel emerged from the waters and came to a halt beneath the shala tree.
The big bell froze in surprise. "Zhangsun Shenghai? What is he doing here?"
The young man on the emerald rock vessel was none other than Zhangsun Shenghai. A sorrowful look hung on his face, stripping away his past cheerfulness. Upon seeing the big bell and the Chaos Lotus, he too was taken aback.
"Shenghai, did you come to the Emperor Realm to comprehend the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction as well?" the big bell asked.
Zhangsun Shenghai nodded, then shook his head. "I was originally a person of the Emperor Realm."
The big bell went dumbfounded and quickly asked, "You mean you hail from the Emperor Realm? Shouldn't the Emperor Realm have fallen into calamitous destiny long ago? As a native, how did the Emperor Realm's calamitous destiny not catch up to you?"
Zhangsun Shenghai showed no expression as he said, "That is because the Emperor Realm's calamitous destiny was never supposed to arrive so soon. The reason the Emperor Realm sank into calamitous destiny was that someone transferred the other shore's calamitous destiny onto it, causing every living being in the Emperor Realm to perish."
At these words, the hatred laced within his voice caused even the big bell to shiver involuntarily, letting out a crisp dong.
Because the calamitous destiny of the Emperor Realm had been triggered by an external transfer, the true calamitous destiny was never meant to erupt at that time. As a result, the calamitous destiny did not pursue the remnants of the Emperor Realm's clan, which was how Zhangsun Shenghai had managed to survive.
Yet such a grudge over the extermination of his people was not something that a mere title like the "New Sacred Clan" of the other shore could resolve.
"After I met Teacher Tongtian, he told me that he had visited the Emperor Realm in the past to comprehend the Dao of Slaughter," Zhangsun Shenghai said. "Later, I was able to come here to pay homage to my ancestors of the Emperor Realm."
The big bell said with sorrowful understanding, "So that's how it is. Ah Ying has also come here to comprehend the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction."
Seeing the bell and the vessel, Zhangsun Shenghai had already guessed that Xu Ying was here. He said, "The Emperor Realm is in the midst of nirvanic extinction. Coming here, is he not afraid the realm will collapse at any moment and cost him his life?"
The big bell replied, "I'm worried about that too. Since you knew it was so dangerous, why did you come?"
Zhangsun Shenghai said, "The Emperor Realm is about to enter nirvanic extinction. How could I not come to see it off?"
The big bell's heart leaped, sensing trouble, and it hurried to ask, "Is the Emperor Realm truly about to perish?"
Zhangsun Shenghai said, "When slaughter and calamitous destiny turn from prosperity to decline, that is the moment of nirvanic extinction."
He sat silently beneath the shala tree, sensing the drifting, erratic Daos of Nirvanic Extinction, Slaughter, and Calamitous Destiny between heaven and earth.
Right now was when slaughter and calamitous destiny were at their most intense; comprehending these two Grand Daos now yielded twice the result with half the effort!
However, the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction was hidden inside the aberrant Hongyuans, making it extraordinarily difficult to sense.
Having already crossed the threshold into the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, Zhangsun Shenghai could sense it without needing to draw close to the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans.
"Slaughter and calamitous destiny could peak and decline at any moment! When that happens, the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction will surge to its thickest, making it the optimal time to comprehend!"
Deep within the Emperor Realm, colossal Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans were pulling the surrounding void into themselves. Xu Ying nearly tumbled into these massive Hongyuans several times, leaving his heart pounding with dread.
The Dao of Nirvanic Extinction within these giant Hongyuans was at its most concentrated, but in truth, they resembled monstrous beasts swallowing the cosmic starry sky, dragging the Emperor Realm into their depths, and absorbing smaller Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans to grow ever larger.
Xu Ying had to maneuver with extreme caution to avoid falling into them.
Even so, when two giant Hongyuans collided, the apocalyptic power unleashed shook even the twenty-eighth layer of the void where he hid far away, buffeting him painfully.
He sought out younger Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans, comprehending them bit by bit. Once a Hongyuan grew large enough to swallow the twenty-eighth layer of the void, he would depart and search for another young one.
Several decades passed in this manner without his noticing. Xu Ying's Dao of Calamitous Destiny still had not made a breakthrough, but his Dao of Nirvanic Extinction had already reached a respectable level of mastery.
This Grand Dao was harder to learn than any other. Even after studying it for so long, Xu Ying had only just managed to form a Nirvanic Extinction cave abyss.
Suddenly, a thought struck him: *My Records of Hongyuan's Inverted Verification of the Great Dao unifies nine Daos to cultivate a corporeal Hongyuan. If my Hongyuan's Inverted Verification solely manifests the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, could I transform myself into a compact Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan?*
With this thought, he immediately incorporated the Nirvanic Extinction cave abyss into his Martial Dao Cave Abyss.
By now, his Martial Dao Cave Abyss had already evolved into the form of a Hongyuan. As Xu Ying converted every ounce of Dao power within the cave abyss into the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction, the sensation of being a Dao Master of Nirvanic Extinction spontaneously welled up inside him!
*Destroy everything! Settle all karma!*
This terrifying thought abruptly surfaced in his mind, and he gave a sharp start. *I must never let myself be controlled by the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction. I must hold true to my original heart.*
His physical body suddenly dispersed, replaced by a Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan. With a slight stir of Xu Ying's will, the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan he had transformed into hurtled whistling through the void of the Emperor Realm!
Xu Ying laughed heartily, and the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan let out a chuckling, chugging rumble.
"Now that I am a Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, the simplest way to cultivate the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction and elevate my Nirvanic Extinction Dao power is to swallow other Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans!"
Two sharp gleams of light shot out from the Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan as it charged toward smaller Hongyuans with a chugging, hungry laugh.
Upon swallowing the first Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, Xu Ying was filled with pleasant surprise. He instantly felt his Nirvanic Extinction Dao power increase by twenty to thirty percent, and his comprehension of the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction deepened substantially alongside it.
He immediately pounced toward other Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans. The Dao of Nirvanic Extinction and Dao power contained within them turned into his own, causing his Hongyuan body to grow steadily larger.
The more Xu Ying ate, the greater his appetite grew. Small Hongyuans could no longer satisfy him, so he turned his attention to larger ones. Devouring them along the way, he felt his nirvanic cultivation climb ever higher.
After an unknown amount of time, he gradually grew into a giant Hongyuan and began swallowing other giant Hongyuans!
The young Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans he could find in his surroundings grew increasingly scarce, while giant Hongyuans became more and more numerous, putting him on alert.
*Have I gone too deep, or are no new Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuans being born? If it's the latter...*
His expression shifted slightly. If it was the latter, it meant that the eruption of nirvanic extinction was imminent! Giant Hongyuans were still devouring one another, swelling their sizes, and Xu Ying counted as an overlord among them, growing larger with every bite.
Suddenly, he caught sight of an ultra-giant Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan thousands of times larger than himself heading in his direction. His hair stood on end, and he fled whistling into the distance.
The ultra-giant Hongyuan behind him immediately gave chase. Xu Ying darted and dodged, his movement erratic, yet the ultra-giant Hongyuan pursued him relentlessly.
All of a sudden, the ultra-giant Hongyuan seemed to grow suspicious. It abruptly shrank inward, transforming into a Daoist with billowing sleeves, who laughed heartily and said, "Fellow Daoist, we are companions on the same path!"
He spoke in an extraordinarily profound Dao language, conveying its meaning straight to the listener's mind the moment it fell upon the ears.
Seeing this, Xu Ying came to a sudden halt as well. Circulating Hongyuan's Inverted Verification, he reverted to his normal form.
Filled with surprise and uncertainty, Xu Ying bowed in greeting. "Xu Ying, a wandering rustic, greets Elder Brother. I was cultivating the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction here, and seeing you pounce toward me, I thought my life was forfeit."
He also conversed in the Dao language. Although his Dao cultivation was not on par with the other's, the breadth of Dao methods he drew upon far surpassed his counterpart's.
The Daoist had a high, prominent forehead, bright eyes, and a few wisps of an elegant, fluttering beard. Holding a horsetail whisk, he smiled and said, "I thought you were an ordinary Hongyuan and gave chase in hot pursuit. I never expected to startle you, little fellow Daoist. Little fellow Daoist, this place is about to fall into the great catastrophe of nirvanic extinction, at which point all things will be obliterated. You will not be able to withstand it; you would do best to leave early."
Xu Ying bowed in thanks.
The Daoist continued, "My Daoist moniker is Daoji, and people call me True Monarch Daoji. Little fellow Daoist, your achievements in the Dao of Nirvanic Extinction are remarkable; your future will surely be extraordinary. If you intend to take another step forward once you attain the Dao, activate this token, and someone will come to guide you to a higher plane. Many of your fellow Daoists reside there."
He produced a medallion. Xu Ying took it and blurted out in astonishment, "A Dao Alliance token?"
True Monarch Daoji was surprised. "You know of our Dao Alliance?"
Xu Ying took out his own Dao Alliance token. Seeing it, True Monarch Daoji smiled and said, "So you are already a fellow traveler! Little friend, this universe is about to enter nirvanic extinction. Depart at once!"
Right then, Xu Ying suddenly felt the Emperor Realm's Dao of Nirvanic Extinction grow abnormally intense, its Dao power seething furiously, while the Daos of Calamitous Destiny and Slaughter plummeted at high speed!
"Farewell!"
Without a second thought, Xu Ying bolted outward, his form transforming into a streak of light within the twenty-eighth layer of the void!
Behind him, giant Hongyuans merged one after another, and the void collapsed into them until it ceased to exist. Glancing back, he saw an unimaginably colossal Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan emerge at the center of the universe, expanding outward!
Meanwhile, True Monarch Daoji had vanished without a trace, leaving it unclear whether he had been swallowed by the central giant Hongyuan or had already escaped.
Xu Ying sprinted forward with all his might. Suddenly shaking his body, he transformed into a giant Nirvanic Extinction Hongyuan, devouring the giant Hongyuans in his path that he could not avoid!
Even so, the void behind him continued sliding uncontrollably toward that central giant Hongyuan.
*If all else fails, I'll activate the Void Pendant and see if I can sense the location of the Void Realm!* Xu Ying gritted his teeth, thinking, *Worst comes to worst, I'll abandon my physical body and cave abysses to start anew!*
He unleashed the divine power of reincarnation, rolling up the twenty-eighth layer of the void and cleaving forward. Yet the reincarnation was stretched like a bundle of folded noodles, dragged backward toward the central giant Hongyuan.
Xu Ying made a prompt decision, leaping forward to sever reincarnation and cut off karma. The pull exerted by the central giant Hongyuan on his physical body, primordial spirit, and Grand Dao immediately dissolved.
"I will never die here!"
Xu Ying circulated Hongyuan's Inverted Verification, turning head over heels to invert space and time, widening the distance between himself and the central giant Hongyuan before seizing the chance to fly forward.
Along the road ahead, giant Hongyuans obstructed the path while others came whirling in. Xu Ying himself remained a giant Hongyuan, rampaging through everything and gobbling up every unlucky giant Hongyuan in his way.
"This little fellow Daoist is truly not bad." Standing at the center of the central giant Hongyuan, True Monarch Daoji watched Xu Ying flee outward, wearing a gratified smile.
"The Dao Alliance needs precisely such talent to contend with the Chaos Master." His eyes flickered as he murmured in a low voice, "Having experienced the nirvanic extinction of this universe, my Dao of Nirvanic Extinction will surely advance another step. But if I wish to go even further and stand at the end of the Grand Dao, I fear it will take the nirvanic extinction of many more universes to achieve."
Chapter 806