In Hongmeng Gem's account, a special kind of Heaven-and-Earth unfolded before Lin Moyu's eyes.
He did not only speak, he also sketched out the scene of that Heaven-and-Earth, vivid and lifelike, all things he had personally witnessed.
It was a Heaven-and-Earth formed from the five Heaven-and-Earth rules of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.
Other rules were not absent, but none were as powerful as these five.
The Five Elements rules had undergone countless years of evolution, constantly generating each other and growing stronger, bit by bit devouring and grinding away all other rules, until only they remained.
In that Heaven-and-Earth, even time, space, fate, and cause and effect were suppressed by the Five Elements rules to their absolute limit.
Whether they existed or not was almost the same.
In the end, the Five Elements rules reached their limit and could no longer grow stronger.
Moreover, the Five Elements rules achieved a strange balance.
Finally, the Five Elements rules began to evolve into a rule lifeform, and that rule lifeform possessed the characteristic of the mutual generation of the Five Elements, and was incomparably powerful.
At the same time, it also had the attribute of the mutual overcoming of the Five Elements.
Powerful, yet extremely violent.
All living beings in that Heaven-and-Earth were without exception slain by it.
In the end, it was the only one left in that world.
By then its power had already reached the limit and was no weaker than any Supreme.
By slaughtering countless living beings, it obtained wisdom.
Then it began to peer toward other Heavens-and-Earth.
As a rule lifeform, it made the same choice as other Supremes:
It began to seek out Heavens-and-Earth and invade them.
Because it was a rule lifeform, compared to other Supremes it had a tremendous advantage.
It could merge into the rules of other Heavens-and-Earth, lie low, modify, assimilate.
By this means, it occupied more than a dozen Heaven-and-Earth remnants and killed many expedition teams.
In the end it was discovered by the Supremes.
A number of Supremes joined forces and only then managed to injure it and force it back into its own Heaven-and-Earth, but could do no more than that.
Within its own Heaven-and-Earth, even other Supremes did not dare to go in.
Until the very end, it lived safely in its own world.
Hongmeng Gem said,
"That Heaven-and-Earth was only a five-wheel Heaven-and-Earth, yet the combat power of that Five Elements rule lifeform was comparable to some Supremes of six-wheel Heavens-and-Earth."
Lin Moyu understood what Hongmeng Gem meant.
If this current Heaven-and-Earth was an eight-wheel Heaven-and-Earth, and the entire Heaven-and-Earth was a rule lifeform, then it would be very powerful and very dangerous.
Hongmeng Gem said,
"If it is an eight-wheel Heaven-and-Earth, I believe Master can handle it completely.
"I just fear that it is a nine-wheel Heaven-and-Earth.
"A nine-wheel Heaven-and-Earth is far more powerful than an eight-wheel Heaven-and-Earth.
"Master must be careful. If it will not work, then choose another one."
Lin Moyu laughed.
"How many times is this now that you have tried to talk me into giving up?"
Hongmeng Gem said,
"Safety first.
"Even if Master gives up, that is still retreating in order to advance, and does not count as failure."
This fellow was getting better and better at talking.
Even knowing it was flattery, it still sounded pleasant.
Lin Moyu said,
"I will be careful.
"We have already wasted a lot of time. It is about time to go in and take a look."
The power of death coiled around his body and turned into armor.
In his hand he held the Heaven-Scourge Scepter.
The Element Gem flickered with a faint light.
The Element Gem could control all elements, and Heaven-and-Earth rules could also be considered a special kind of element, and thus were also subject to its influence.
With these two layers of defense, Lin Moyu felt his safety should not be a problem.
He stepped out of the space passage and officially entered the Dark Heaven-and-Earth.
At once, a chorus of shrieks rang in his ears, as if something were being burned to death and letting out instinctive screams before dying.
Lin Moyu could clearly feel his power of death continuously corroding the rules within the Dark Heaven-and-Earth.
The shrieks were being sent out by the rules.
If they were ordinary rules, they naturally would not scream.
They were not living beings, but a special form of existence.
Even if they evolved into rule lifeforms, they would not necessarily scream.
Only when a rule lifeform had evolved to a certain level, gained some wisdom, and knew what pain was, would it cry out.
From the reaction of the rules, Lin Moyu roughly judged that the rules here had indeed evolved into rule lifeforms.
As for whether the entire Heaven-and-Earth had evolved into a rule lifeform, for now it was hard to say.
The Dark Heaven-and-Earth's rules were boiling.
They were filled with hostility toward Lin Moyu the outsider.
A vast number of rules swept toward him, and Lin Moyu faintly felt pressure.
At this moment Hongmeng Gem was looking all around, searching for the location of the Heaven-and-Earth core.
The Dark Heaven-and-Earth was hindering him, and his search was not going smoothly.
Hongmeng Gem was obviously displeased.
"Dare to block me, will you.
"Outside I could do nothing to you, but in here, just watch how I deal with you.
"Little Yuan Yuan, time to work."
He shouted loudly and jabbed a finger toward the Element Gem.
The Element Gem flashed with light and forcibly seized control of the Heaven-and-Earth rules.
The Element Gem did not often get a chance to act.
This time it could finally show its stuff.
The light of the Element Gem turned into an invisible giant hand and forcibly grabbed the nearby Heaven-and-Earth rules.
The Dark Heaven-and-Earth rules, which originally devoured all light, began to change under the Element Gem's influence.
Their nature altered.
They began to shine, turning into countless points of light.
With a low shout, these points of light rushed into the darkness and brought light to the Dark Heaven-and-Earth.
Perhaps this was the first light this Dark Heaven-and-Earth had seen in countless years.
The myriad points of light illuminated part of the Heaven-and-Earth, but the darkness was still devouring them rapidly.
The light did not last long.
As the darkness devoured the light, some strange changes occurred within the Heaven-and-Earth.
Lin Moyu saw countless black threads woven into strands engaging in battle with those points of light.
The two sides seemed almost like two kinds of lifeforms locked in a life-and-death struggle.
Hongmeng Gem widened his eyes, searching for the Heaven-and-Earth core within the light, his mouth moving ceaselessly.
"Little Yuan Yuan has an ability that can reverse Heaven-and-Earth rules, forcibly reversing the rules of the Dark Heaven-and-Earth and turning them into the opposite attribute.
"It is just a pity that no one is controlling Little Yuan Yuan now, so the range of rules it can reverse is limited.
"If Master can become a Supreme, Little Yuan Yuan will become even stronger.
"A mere Dark Heaven-and-Earth would be nothing to speak of."
Lin Moyu did not speak.
He was carefully observing the Heaven-and-Earth rules whose nature had been reversed by the Element Gem, and their fierce clashes with the native rules of the Dark Heaven-and-Earth.
Shrieks echoed through the soul.
He could see countless lights and shadows interlacing, yet he could not see what lay within them in detail.
He knew the battle was extremely intense, but everything was far too tiny for him to make out clearly.
A thought flashed through his mind, a spark of inspiration.
"I cannot see it.
"What if I use soul micro-particles to look?"
Soul micro-particles were small enough that their view of the world was very different from ordinary vision.
They would see the entire Heaven-and-Earth from a far more microscopic angle.
A vast number of soul micro-particles flew out.
Lin Moyu used their vision to watch the battle.
Sure enough, through the soul micro-particles he saw a completely different scene, one that made his scalp prickle.
In his sight were countless tiny bugs, thinner than hairs by many millions of times.
One type was entirely black and even devoured light, while the other type had had its nature altered by the Element Gem and glowed with light.
Their battle was extremely fierce, a fight to the death, neither side willing to stop.
At the same time, farther away, innumerable black threads filled the Heaven-and-Earth.
They were all these microscopic bugs invisible to the naked eye.
They were indeed rule lifeforms.
Unlike the Five Elements rules Heaven-and-Earth Hongmeng Gem had talked about, in this Heaven-and-Earth the rule lifeforms were not a single being, but countless ones.
This was a Dark Heaven-and-Earth composed of rule lifeforms.
When all the rules of a Heaven-and-Earth evolve into a single lifeform, that rule lifeform will be very strong, even surpassing Supremes of the same wheel level Heaven-and-Earth.
But when all the rules of a Heaven-and-Earth evolve into countless lifeforms, that Heaven-and-Earth will become terrifying, terrifying in a deep, shadowy way.
On the surface nothing can be seen, but within are hidden endless dangers.
Just like this Dark Heaven-and-Earth.
Faced with these endless, invisible, intangible rule lifeforms, even if a Supreme came here, they would likely be at their wits end.
As for the subordinates of a Supreme, however many came in, that many would die.
Lin Moyu thought of the previous Silver-White Heaven-and-Earth.
The Silver-White Heaven-and-Earth merely vaporized those who entered, and that vaporization was visible and proceeded from outside to inside.
Once the source was known, it could be defended against.
The current Dark Heaven-and-Earth, however, invaded silently, everywhere, corrupting the body, corrupting the soul, corrupting the Dao.
If someone were polluted and then lucky enough to return to their own Heaven-and-Earth, they would bring the rule lifeforms from here back with them.
These rule lifeforms would then reproduce in the new Heaven-and-Earth and ultimately transform that Heaven-and-Earth into another Dark Heaven-and-Earth.
Fortunately, it seemed that no one had ever had such luck to return.
All who entered remained here.
The rule lifeforms in this Dark Heaven-and-Earth had already become a virus, a virus that could kill living beings and annihilate Heavens-and-Earth.
Everything has virtual and real, yin and yang.
Souls are no exception, and Heavens-and-Earth are no exception.
The yin and yang, virtual and real, of Heaven-and-Earth rules are not opposing rules, but opposing Heavens-and-Earth.
Heaven-and-Earth are born from life force and will be extinguished in death.
That rule is the other side of Heaven-and-Earth.
"And my body…"
Lin Moyu suddenly had an insight.
From this Dark Heaven-and-Earth, he thought of his own body.
His body was extremely powerful, already at the peak of Great Supreme realm, stronger than Great Supremes, even not weaker than some Supremes.
This strength was the body's real side.
Then what was the body's virtual side?
Before, he had never been able to figure it out.
He had intended to search for the body's virtual side when he broke through again, but he had had no certainty that he could find it. He would have needed some luck.
Now, seeing the Dark Heaven-and-Earth and thinking of himself, he understood.
Strength is yang and weakness is yin.
Life is yang and decay is yin.
Each time he underwent nirvana and rebirth, in the moment of death his body was in the virtual state.
After rebirth, it turned back to real.
In this way, with virtual and real crossing ceaselessly, the body became stronger in the interplay of virtual and real.
"So that is how it is."
The body's virtual side had always been there, only ever manifesting during death.
If he wanted to find the body's virtual side, he should not be looking during breakthrough, he should be looking in death.
In an instant, Lin Moyu comprehended the body's virtual and real, yin and yang.
But a problem followed at once.
How was he to search for the body's virtual side in death?
In the moment of death, consciousness also vanished.
Without consciousness, how was he to search?
This question was hard to solve, like a dead knot.
After thinking it over, Lin Moyu felt there was only one way.
Let his body collapse, but keep his soul from dying.
Once he had gained some understanding, he could then detonate his own soul and complete a new rebirth.
But his body was too powerful.
There were not many forces that could destroy his body.
If he found such a force, how could he ensure that his soul would not be destroyed along with it?
Lin Moyu felt a headache coming on.
It would be very hard to find such a just-right force.
Any force capable of destroying his body would, in most cases, destroy his soul as well.
Hongmeng Gem suddenly asked,
"Master, what are you thinking?"
Lin Moyu had been dazed for a while in his realization, not moving at all.
Lin Moyu told him what he had in mind.
For a moment, Hongmeng Gem also could not think of a solution.
"This is indeed not easy to find.
"Your body is too strong. There are already not many things that can destroy it."
"Yes," Lin Moyu said, "and there is another troublesome point.
"If I advance further and my body breaks through the Great Supreme realm, it will be even harder then.
"I had originally planned to carry out another large-scale death-seeking operation.
"Later, I kept having other matters and delayed it.
"Now it seems it is fortunate I did not go and court death then.
"If my body had gone a step further, it would be even harder."
Hongmeng Gem said,
"Indeed. Before this problem is solved, Master cannot go and court death.
"But how do we solve this problem?"
Lin Moyu thought of a method.
"I more or less know what I should do, but I will have to try it to know for sure.
"Let us settle the matter here first. After we go back, I will test it."
Hongmeng Gem made a sound of agreement.
"Good. I have already found the position of the Heaven-and-Earth core."
At this time, all the light the Element Gem had created had been devoured by the darkness, and the Dark Heaven-and-Earth had once again returned to a pitch-black state.
Taking advantage of that earlier span, Hongmeng Gem had found the location of the Heaven-and-Earth core and pointed out the direction.
Lin Moyu shot away like an arrow.
The power of death surged endlessly, corroding all the rule lifeforms that came near.
Shrieks rang ceaselessly within his soul.
They were the death cries of rule lifeforms, extremely chilling.
If a Chaos realm cultivator listened, it would not take long before their Dao heart shattered and their realm was destroyed.
Lin Moyu possessed Heaven-Origin Qi and could block out these sounds, but he did not do so.
He used these cries to grind his Dao heart.
Although his Dao heart was already firm enough, there was no harm in tempering it further.
Dao heart, soul, body, rules, and treasures.
Lin Moyu felt that none of these could be lacking.
He wanted to be the strongest in every aspect.
Only then could he surpass all others and become the first from ancient times to the present.
The shrieks of the rule lifeforms grew ever more intense.
The closer he came to the Heaven-and-Earth core, the denser the rule lifeforms became and the darker the Heaven-and-Earth.
The darkness here had reached an extreme.
Any light that was emitted could not spread at all.
Even if Lin Moyu put his hand right in front of his eyes, he could not see the slightest bit of it.
The light from his palm would only be visible if it were pressed right against his eyes.
Even the power of death was being pushed back by the darkness rules and could only flow over the surface of his body.
The mass of rule lifeforms was so great that his power of death did not have time to corrode them all, and the pressure was still increasing.
If it continued like this, the power of death would be forced back inside his body, and the rule lifeforms would invade.
Fortunately, he still had the defense formed by the Element Gem, so things should not yet be truly dangerous.
The number of rule lifeforms far exceeded Lin Moyu's expectations.
"Watch me."
Hongmeng Gem gave a low shout and the Element Gem erupted in bright light once more, seizing a great mass of dark rule lifeforms and reversing their attributes.
The struggle between darkness and light began again.
Lin Moyu's pressure finally lessened somewhat.
However, the number of rule lifeforms whose rules the Element Gem could reverse was limited and could not last long.
With a low shout, Lin Moyu fully unleashed the power of death.
The power of death turned into a dragon and joined forces with the Element Gem to forcibly open a path.
His body turned into a stream of light and followed the dragon forward.
Hongmeng Gem continued driving the Element Gem, constantly reversing the Heaven-and-Earth rules.
Lin Moyu likewise drove the power of death.
The two worked together with a single will, forcing a passage open.
At last, an eight-story pagoda entered his sight.
"Fortunately, it is not nine-wheel."