Longevity Chronicles-Chapter 1113 - 697: Secrets of the Abnormal Soul, Perils of the Source Swamp (2)

Corpse!

On this seemingly endless void of secret paths, one can actually see the corpses of all kinds of powerful creatures, even those at the "God Demon" level, scattered everywhere.

It seems that this place is not eroded by the "Power of Time"; all the corpses maintain their appearance at the last moment.

Many among them, as if to leave messages for those who come later, have used various means to leave secrets behind.

Thus when Tao Qian came to observe, the numerous doubts in his mind were once again resolved.

How they died, why they came, and their backgrounds, all were exposed in front of Tao Qian.

With just one look, Tao Qian's heart soul was filled to the brim:

"Here lie countless powerful cultivators and gods and demons from ancient times to the present, who came both in search of Dao origin and to save the Great Abyss."

"Initially, the Great Abyss was not polluted; cultivation required no such heavy price. Many innate gods and demons were nurtured in the depths of the Source Sea, within the [Innate Source Pool], such as the Three Venerable Gods of Innate Dao Qi, Chaos Demon Ancestor, Formless Void Demon, Emperor Wa... and so on."

"In a certain year thereafter, the Source Pool underwent changes, ejecting all innate gods and demons and closing itself off. Over time, it gave rise to infinite filth, condensing into the ferocious Source Swamp, from which point no gods or demons could return to the Source Pool."

"More fatally, since the Source Pool closed, cultivators are no longer pure. No matter what path one practices, a heavy price must be paid, body and soul both polluted. Even the Three Venerable Gods of Innate Dao Qi, after three epochs, each produced an Evil God Avatar...."

"For endless ages, all cultivators have attempted to find a safe path through the Source Swamp to re-enter the Source Pool."

"One to understand why the Great Abyss became polluted and why the Source Pool was closed, and whether there is a way to save it."

"Two, it is rumored that whoever can re-enter the Source Pool can transcend, attain Dao, surpass the [Realm of Chaos], and become the Master of the Great Abyss, Master of Ten Thousand Qi."

...

Unmistakably, Tao Qian's heart soul fell into complete stupefaction.

Inconceivable rumblings resounded deeply.

For a moment, he seemed unable to digest these secrets he witnessed.

Each one, when revealed, could stir enormous waves in the depths of the Great Abyss.

"So, the Great Abyss Origin Sea wasn't polluted and chaotic from the start?"

"So, cultivation didn't necessarily have to incur such a heavy price?"

"So, even Lingbao Tianzun himself became polluted, having no choice but to cleave away an Evil God Avatar called [Spirit Treasure Evil Extermination Immortal Venerate]."

"Earlier, the tree-like divine diagram appearing deep within my heart soul, endless and with countless secret paths, was forged through epochs by numerous cultivators storming through by force?"

"And my familiarity stems from my Abnormal Soul having traversed here too?"

Tao Qian not only accepted the secrets, he was subconsciously pondering them.

At the same time, his heart soul inadvertently drifted along the memories buried deep in his soul, drifting deeper into the path.

This entire drift forward met no danger; he initially thought that all explorers on this path had turned into corpses.

Yet when he unknowingly drifted deeper, ahead? No, it should be said that the entire "Source Swamp Path" suddenly became agitated.

Afterward, Tao Qian's heart soul saw a sight he would never forget: 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Evil God?

Seeker?

Savior?

At this moment, Tao Qian didn't know how to describe the masses of powerful beings suddenly appearing and turning to look at him, both ahead and on the other paths.

Reason?

Throughout this drift, Tao Qian realized that anyone entering the "Source Swamp" to explore these secret paths, or even digging paths, no matter their original nature—Immortal, Demon, Buddha, or God—it mattered not. Once entering the Source Swamp, they all gradually fell and mutated.

After all, this is the true gathering place of filth. Worlds such as the [Suffering Realm] and [Polluted World] falling into the Source Swamp are but bubbles here.

After staying in such a territory for long, simply not dying is already a tremendous feat, with no chance of maintaining a clean and complete body.

Tao Qian, after all, is a junior compared to those cultivators spanning hundreds of thousands, millions of years, and longevity-fearing gods and demons. His knowledge is indeed lacking.

Thus, among the myriad terrifying creatures reflected into his soul, he recognized almost none.

A hasty glance, and yet only one is recognizable.

It is precisely this one senior, this god and demon who has gained enlightenment for countless years, whose current appearance makes Tao Qian fully realize the terror of the "Source Swamp".

Now he appears as a mass of filthy, rotten flesh, with a form resembling both a big fish and a flying bird, merging into what seems like the legendary Ancient Strange Beast Kun.

Yet, draped over that filthy, rotten body is a tattered Daoist robe.

Even at such a stage, when Tao Qian observed him, he still felt an incredibly unique "Dao Qi", carefree, detached from the world, and unstoppable.

Perhaps it is due to this miraculous sensation that another Record emerged in the next moment:

[After seeing the Ancient Tribulation Immortal "Zhuang Zhou Daoist", he was bestowed with the complete volume of the "Carefree Travel Scripture"... This is a Tribulation Immortal who attained enlightenment in ancient times, and is also the mentor of Xu Yu Zi, trapped in the Source Swamp in pursuit of the Dao.]

[Though the filth of the Source Swamp has tainted this Immortal's dharma body, it cannot harm his heart and soul, he is still not lost.]

...

When this Record erupted, the shock in Tao Qian's heart was beyond words.

He could see them; naturally, they could also see Tao Qian.

Almost at the same moment, the Source Swamp erupted.

Those whom he couldn't recognize but appeared ferocious, mad, and filthy Evil Gods seemed to take an immensely deep interest in him, accompanied by a deluge of incomprehensible yet infinitely polluting God and Demon filthy sounds, they surged over him. The Evil Gods stopped advancing, ceased fighting each other, and collectively lunged at him.

The storm formed by their collective movements was lethal to Tao Qian's soul.

In an instant, he was frozen stiff.

In a daze, he foresaw his own "end".

His exceptionally unique Abnormal Soul would be devoured by these Evil Gods. Once ingested, even just a sliver would allow these Evil Gods to gradually return to their true forms.

But this was only a temporary solution, and before long they would descend back into the Source Swamp, roaming freely.

"Could the [Exemption Cost] power possessed by my Abnormal Soul originate from this..."

At the last moment when he was about to meet his end, Tao Qian did not struggle hysterically as might be expected, but instead had a sudden insight into a secret.

Then, without any reason, another Record emerged from his Abnormal Soul:

"Being in a nightmare, I should not perish."

As if some kind of Saying and Following, a mighty power willing something into existence.

The moment this Record appeared, among the countless powerful Evil entities, infighting suddenly broke out.

Led by the Ancient Tribulation Immortal "Daoist Ancestor Zhuang Zhou" whom Tao Qian had previously observed closely, a large number of Seekers, Saviors who, despite their dharma bodies being tainted and spiritual wisdom slightly mad, still retained their obsessions and benevolence, unexpectedly erupted, turning to block the various Secret Paths, and turned against the mad Evil Gods, tearing into them.

For a moment, the already "gurgling" Source Swamp seemed as though it were about to boil.

Even Tao Qian did not know, due to the eruption of the Source Swamp, the entire Great Abyss Origin Sea also underwent a monumental change.

The filth that was already vigorously breeding, at this moment, erupted outright.

The Great Abyss, already filled with warfare, seemed to receive a deadly catalyst, the intensity increasing tenfold, a hundredfold, insanely creeping toward destruction.

Countless Gods and Demons, Daoist Masters seemed to sense something, casting their gazes toward the Source Swamp.

Yet, no God or Demon could do anything.

The filth of the Source Swamp, touching even a trace meant being swallowed within.

Even Lord Lao Zi of the Great Monad, Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, Emperor Wa, and other Innate Gods and Demons could only dispatch one "Evil God Avatar" after another, sending them to clear a path in the Source Swamp....

No matter how bad the situation is now, all they can do is sigh.

...

And Tao Qian, due to the filthy storm brought on by the Evil God riot, found a lifeline.

His Abnormal Soul began to drift back, drawn to the body, returning to the Ascending Immortal Star Acupoint with astonishing speed and manner.

However, at this moment, Tao Qian could not afford to sense the gains of this journey, he simply opened his perception, trying to use this last opportunity to peer through countless fighting Evil Gods, to see what lies in the deepest parts of those endless Secret Paths, what on earth is that realm? Or rather, what is it?