Bai Zihe's heart tightened.
Yes.
He remembered.
When they first met, a dark glint flashed in the old man's eyes, a sign of being corrupted by a dark, eerie presence.
However...
What Bai Zihe found slightly confusing was that the old man didn't seem as inherently evil as before.
And...
When they fought, he had even dropped his guard at the last moment. Why hadn't the old man seized the opportunity for a decisive blow?
Or perhaps, he had already exerted his full strength?
"How did you feel when you fought him?" Ji Xianyu asked Bai Zihe, her eyes filled with concern.
"Very strong."
Bai Zihe replied honestly, "He is the strongest person I've encountered, besides the Penglai Immortal, in terms of understanding the laws of heaven and earth."
"Furthermore, his move 'Destroying Heaven and Earth' gave one the illusion of all things returning to the void, to a primordial state."
Ji Xianyu nodded with great admiration. "Junior Brother, it's quite good that you were able to perceive this level."
"Before his tribulation, this person was already a major expert in the cultivation world, and was once considered the most likely to succeed in his tribulation in the past five hundred years."
"It's a pity, however, that he still failed."
Ji Xianyu shook her head and said, "But he didn't become disheartened by his failure. Instead, he underwent a heavenly tribulation and reincarnation, embarking on the path of a rogue immortal."
"Now..."
"He has lived for several hundred thousand years and successfully passed through four rogue immortal tribulations. His cultivation is far deeper than mine."
"His greatest enlightenment lies in the understanding of 'destruction,' which is unparalleled."
Bai Zihe secretly gasped.
He had never expected that his Eighth Senior Sister would hold such a high opinion of that old man.
"However..."
Ji Xianyu looked at Bai Zihe and smiled. "His 'destruction' move is still far, far from true destruction."
"In fact, it's not as profound as the experts within our Xuanyuan Palace."
Hearing this.
Bai Zihe raised an eyebrow slightly. "Eighth Senior Sister, are you saying that Xuanyuan Palace has experts who are even more outstanding than him in the path of destruction?"
"Yes."
"For example, the Left Protector, Qi Donglin, is such an expert."
Bai Zihe chuckled in amusement.
If he had known that there were beings with such profound insights into destruction right beside him, why would he have bothered seeking out that old rogue?
He had truly gone the long way around.
"But..."
Ji Xianyu shook her head and continued, "Although the path of destruction seems to complement the 'creation' of chaos, in reality, they are vastly different."
"If you wish to comprehend chaos, this direction is mistaken."
Bai Zihe was taken aback.
This was precisely his line of thought, yet his Eighth Senior Sister deemed it wrong...
"Chaos..."
Ji Xianyu's eyes held a look of longing. "It is the origin of all things, filled with light, filled with power, and filled with infinite possibilities."
"Beyond words to describe."
"Beyond actions to enact."
"Beyond paintings to record."
"To comprehend it is akin to climbing to the heavens."
Bai Zihe fell silent.
Yes.
What his Eighth Senior Sister said was absolutely true. He had spent a considerable amount of time in the Haotian Pagoda, at least several hundred thousand years, yet he hadn't even grasped the basics, unable to find a way in.
"However..."
Having said that, Ji Xianyu suddenly shifted, looking at Bai Zihe with a smile. "There might be no better method elsewhere, but in Xuanyuan Palace, there is still hope."
"What hope?"
Bai Zihe looked at Ji Xianyu, blurting out the question.
"One of the hopes lies within the Three Sage Emperor Cave, in that wisp of primordial chaos that has existed since ancient times!"
Ji Xianyu's tone carried a hint of pride. "It will guide you forward."
Bai Zihe's heart stirred.
Indeed.
The primordial chaos had been guiding Xuanyuan Palace for many years, and it had been guiding his Eighth Senior Sister, leading cultivators to battle the darkness.
Although it was not a person, it possessed a degree of consciousness.
If he could have its assistance, his chances would be greatly increased.
"The second hope lies in the Path to Heaven!"
Ji Xianyu smiled. "Junior Brother, within your Haotian Pagoda, there is also primordial chaos."
Bai Zihe knew this.
The primordial chaos he had been studying earlier originated from the Haotian Pagoda.
But he didn't know how to succeed, or where to begin.
"As far as I know..."
Ji Xianyu continued, "The previous owner of the Haotian Pagoda sought to comprehend the 'Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak' and 'Five Energies Returning to the Source' from the end of the Path to Heaven, thereby progressing towards the ultimate 'Chaos evolving Taiji'."
Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak!
Five Energies Returning to the Source!
Chaos Evolution!
Hearing these terms, Bai Zihe's heart couldn't help but stir.
This was indeed a heavenly path.
However.
Success would likely not be easy.
"Actually..."
Ji Xianyu suddenly looked at Bai Zihe, her expression becoming exceptionally solemn. "Junior Brother, you are different from them."
"Comprehending chaos is inherently a very, very difficult matter."
"But you possess unique advantages compared to many others."
"Because you have the 'Chaos Treasure Box'."
Bai Zihe was slightly stunned.
Yes.
How could he have forgotten about this?
The Chaos Treasure Box, with the word "Chaos" in its name, was clearly no ordinary item.
Up until now.
The Chaos Treasure Box had been his utmost priority, but he had abandoned the idea of opening it before comprehending chaos when it was previously mentioned.
Thinking back now.
Facts are not absolute; perhaps there was an inspiration there.
"In my personal opinion."
"The Chaos Treasure Box is the most suitable path for you, Junior Brother."
"But this thing is mysterious and unpredictable. Even within Xuanyuan Palace, records are incredibly scarce. I have no particular advice to offer you."
"Perhaps..."
"You could take the Chaos Treasure Box to the Three Sage Emperor Cave and try before the primordial chaos. You might find a different approach."
Bai Zihe's mind suddenly became clear, and he nodded. "Eighth Senior Sister, I understand."
Primordial Chaos...
Chaos Treasure Box...
Comprehending Chaos...
These three must have some connection.
But how to specifically link them, Bai Zihe was still as clueless as a headless fly.
After bidding farewell to his Eighth Senior Sister.
Bai Zihe went straight to the Three Sage Emperor Cave.
This was not Bai Zihe's first time here.
"Hummm..."
As soon as he reached the entrance, the statue of the Three Sage Emperors moved.
Then, it returned to its original state, as if it had all been an illusion.
This was Ji Xianyu's full activation of Xuanyuan Palace's internal defenses.
Currently, cultivators could be infected by darkness at any moment. If such infected cultivators were allowed into the Three Sage Emperor Cave, it would be a colossal joke.
"Swish..."
The next moment, Bai Zihe, holding the Chaos Treasure Box in his hands, appeared in the cave where the primordial chaos resided.
"Bai, Bai Zihe..."
"Comprehending chaos, everything lies within..."
As soon as Bai Zihe arrived, an inexplicable aura emanated from the chaos!