Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

An origin source was a trace of one’s True Origin. It carried their bloodline and the energy birthed at their creation. All existences have it. Furthermore, this origin source could easily be discovered by those with proper perception and used with various methods of cultivation.

After excavating your origin source, you awaken your most primal energy, then many paths would open for you. You can have it merged into your body or use it to construct an origin core in unique ways to bring about other effects. Then, you could strengthen this primal energy using resources or materials through refinement.

It wasn’t sentient like laws. It shouldn’t be able to hide on its own, it shouldn’t be able to leave the body, but what if it was pulled away by accident or by something else? Could it be moved?

Normally, this would cause the crippling of one’s bloodline. However, what if it was still connected to you? The independent space inside the Meteor Ring was as much to Yan Zaizen as the empty space within his stomach. That rare, very rare, circumstance could lead to this event happening.

His origin source was placed within the depth of that black hole in the Meteor Ring! For the last sixty-plus years, it hid. Yan Zaizen was assured of this.

Pinaka stood beside him. She also had her speculations. Earlier, when Yan Zaizen made his ascension to the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm, the four black holes - glabella, eyes, and Meteor Ring - looked oddly independent. The black hole in the Meteor Ring was the most suspicious.

In the Meteor Ring, Yan Zaizen’s Aurora was projected along with the black hole. Initially, she believed it was a manifestation of Yan Zaizen’s black hole in his glabella or eyes, but that theory went out the window the moment she discovered they functioned on different rules.

The glabella perpetually swirls, the eyes only swirl during soul essence absorption, but the soul ring stops during soul essence absorption! Why? After some thought, the conclusion was simple.

It was scared of Yan Zaizen’s eyes devouring force!

After all, it was devouring essence and the origin source is a primal essence! What’s truly surprising is that it could hide and actively do so. If that’s the case, was there something unique about his bloodline? That black hole was most certainly fake. In that case, how did it look and feel like the black hole in his glabella?

"To think my Origin Source was so close yet so well-hidden. Haha, I was even thinking that I didn’t have any qi cultivation talent even with my physique." Yan Zaizen laughingly remarked.

"..." Pinaka stayed silent, observing the black hole intently.

"Well, I’ll explore it when I return to the Anima Syndicate," deciding this, he returned back to the Asura Phantom Realm. Seeing Ma Xiuren patiently watch him with those soft eyes made him feel a little awkward. He must’ve dazed off for a minute.

He looked towards the slit in space.

"I guess...this is where we separate. We gained a lot, survived a lot, and saw a lot. I think this was a good trip." Yan Zaizen smilingly said. In truth, despite it being brief, he felt that Ma Xiuren was someone important to him now, although only slightly.

"..." She looked at Yan Zaizen for a long moment before nodding. Touching her spatial ring, she withdrew a medallion. It was white-gold with the character ’Xiuhei’ on one side and ’Heaven’ on the other. She used her small, dainty hand to grab Yan Zaizen’s and placed it firmly into his palm.

She looked deep into his eyes, trying to convey her intentions. However, Yan Zaizen still looked a little puzzled. She pouted slightly at his expression.

Pst!

She leaned forwards and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"...wha?" He was taken aback by the sudden kiss. Looking at her, he could see a faint blush, but she still looked into his eyes. Pointing at the medallion then herself, she took off towards the spatial slit.

Yan Zaizen felt a little awkward being kissed by a little girl.

Wait!

She’s at least three thousand years old!!!

Then...could it be?

He looked at the medallion and realized she wanted him to find this force called Xinhei. By doing so, he could meet her again. After a few minutes, he softly smiled.

Wasn’t he so charming that girls just wanted to kiss him?

Hehe.

Yeah, he was.

However, his silly expression turned a little crestfallen. "I still haven’t decided my objective." When he thought about how he hasn’t lost his virginity yet, found a woman, or if he’ll go the harem route, monogamous route, or free interactions route, he couldn’t help but lower his head in contemplation.

His cultivation base in the soul and body has already reached an extraordinary level where those old monsters who’ve lived tens of thousands of years would quiver in fear, but he has never even kissed a woman.

Sigh.

Looking at the medallion in his hand, he released another sigh. It would feel too odd to be with a woman who looks seven or eight years old. Storing the medallion and putting these matters behind him, he finally got up. Just as he was about to fly towards the spatial rift, he heard a voice call him from afar.

"Mister Zai!" This voice belonged to an elegant and graceful figure. Her beauty was exceptional to behold. It was Yao Wuhen.

Seeing her, Yan Zaizen halted. It seems that his spiritual sense was still placed on her body. Beside her, several figures appeared that was quite familiar. Wu Kun and his group, Presba Imperials minus all their Origin Core Cultivators, Fu Jing, and Xin Xiaoyu.

One could tell that each member suffered damage of varying kinds. It seems the short amount of time they had wasn’t enough to heal for quite a few of them.

"Mister Zai," Yao Wuhen landed nearby, closing the distance to allow Yan Zaizen to smell her intoxicating feminine scent. He was shocked. Why was she trying so hard to obtain his attention? Even her dressing displayed a faint showing of a cleavage and her fine curves. To be honest, he had very little interest in this woman.

Fu Jing couldn’t help but look over at Yao Wuhen with her approachable demeanor. Faint traces of lust flitted about in his gaze. However, he contained it quite good whenever Xin Xiaoyu looked at him.

Wu Kun ignored Yao Wuhen, looking at Yan Zaizen with a calculating gaze. The Presba Imperials had helpless expressions on their faces. Earlier, Yan Zaizen robbed them of the very clothes off their backs and the backers they obtained only shrugged at it all. If anything, Wu Kun seemed ready to throw them away if it meant being more acceptable to Yan Zaizen.

In hindsight, it seems he was truly framed. Why else did he need to deny it? What good would that do? If he did it, what could they do? Wallow and cry in their weakness? They weren’t stupid enough to antagonize him. That’s how forces vanish from the face of the earth.

"Do you want me to remove my spiritual sense?" Yan Zaizen directly offered. It may be good to keep his spiritual sense on her, but through it, he could soundlessly spy on her. Anyone would feel uncomfortable with a camera on their body.

She softly nodded. The protection wasn’t worth the lack of privacy. Yan Zaizen’s eyes flashed a silver and sky-blue color, the spiritual sense was removed from her body.

"Hm?" He noticed a slight shift in his Aurora. Taking a look, he realized that it wasn’t silver-blue anymore. At least not completely. It was now silver and sky-blue. This may seem like a minor change, but this transformation made his spiritual sense feel strange. As if there was a fundamental difference now, he just didn’t know how.

"Yan Zaizen, correct?" Wu Kun stepped up, the aura he exuded was phenomenal, as if he was a high-noble in a grand country. One could see from his brows, lips, and gaze that arrogance and confidence was bone-deep. However, when he stood in front of Yan Zaizen, he had the posture of neutral respect brought about from equals.

Yan Zaizen inwardly praised him.

"Yes."

"I would like to trade with you, if you’re willing," Wu Kun said.

"A trade? Of what?" He was curious.

"An Essence Apex Pill." Wu Kun calmly replied. However, when he said this, everyone went silent. This pill was an extraordinary pill because it has only one effect and it was 100% Guaranteed!

Ascension from late to peak stage in the True Essence Realm.

This was definitely the hardest step to take for many. As for the Crimson Star Realm? If you can construct a Heavenly Shrine, who cares about that? They could immediately ascend to a point they could control an entire realm!

Not to mention the lifespan increase by one hundred thousand years!

Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows. Checking his inventory, he truly had an Essence Apex Pill and not just one. It was likely placed on the fifth floor by the phantasms to elicit further bloodshed to expedite the revival of the Asura Phantom Master.

Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren sweeped everything. Surprisingly, Ma Xiuren’s first choice was aiming at materials, so he obtained all the pills as the trade off. What he didn’t know was that materials were a lot more beneficial for body cultivation and building heavenly shrines. To Ma Xiuren, she was surprised Yan Zaizen went after pills instead.

Their priorities being so different caused them to essentially split the entirety of the fifth floor.

"How much?" Yan Zaizen inquired. He had three of these pills, at the moment, he, Tao, or Bai Lufeng didn’t need them. So why keep it? By the time they reach such a level, it’ll be in thousands of years. Who knew where he’ll be then?

"3.5 million." His words were spoken casually but everyone flinched at the price. However, Yan Zaizen had different thoughts.

3.5 million? Wasn’t this a little too low?

Seeing Yan Zaizen’s discontent, Wu Kun immediately spoke, "4 million!" He kept his words casual but if one saw the depths of his eyes, they could see a little quivering.

However, Yan Zaizen was once more discontent. Was this guy taking him as a fool? He sold the True Essence Sublimation Pill for 31.2 billion! This guy thinks too highly of his reputation and too little of his own intelligence at this offer!

Observing Yan Zaizen’s expression as if he was insulted, Wu Kun’s expression darkened. The others also had solemn expressions. This Yan Zaizen was truly merciless. Inwardly, Wu Kun believed it was because of the Presba Imperial Family that he was being so rigid. He cursed them under his breath.

"Fine!" Wu Kun shouted, "5 million crystals! Final offer." The depths of his eyes revealed his fragile mental state.

Wait.

Wait...

Wait!

5 million crystals? Was...he talking about essence crystals? Was he talking about low-grade ones? Was...that the common currency for experts of his level?

Indeed. True Essence Experts typically traded in crystals because liquid essence was ineffective for cultivation or recovery. As for the auction, if it wasn’t for Yan Zaizen mad sells, how could there have been True Essence Experts there?

In that case...5 million low-grade essence crystals was equivalent to...

Five.

Trillion.

Liquid.

Drops.

"DEAL!"