Chapter 705: Food

A pavilion stood on the surface of the Chaotic Turbid River.

Meng Chuan, cloaked in black with white hair, sat cross-legged in the pavilion, meditating. He wasn't actively seeking forbidden creatures; his focus was on cultivation, preparing for his tribulation. However, his primordial domain was vast enough within the Chaotic Turbid River that if a forbidden creature happened to enter it, he could hunt it, treating it as a form of relaxation.

The life cores and corpses of Six-Tribulation forbidden creatures were quite valuable, serving as a means to accumulate resources. Patriarch Cang Yuan, too, had amassed his vast treasures through years of persistent accumulation.

His current wealth largely came from the White Bird Pavilion Master's gifts; he had accumulated little himself and was still quite poor.

"Hm?"

Meng Chuan suddenly opened his eyes.

The Primal Chaos Rule specialized in domains, and Meng Chuan's primordial domain was relatively large. Even though it was heavily suppressed within the Chaotic Turbid River, he could still constantly sense his surroundings for over ten billion miles.

"This is the first forbidden creature I've encountered since mastering the Primal Chaos Rule," Meng Chuan remarked, gazing into the distance. His sight pierced the waters of the Chaotic Turbid River, revealing a colossal beast slowly moving forward in its depths. It was an exotic creature with eight long, serpentine heads, four hooves, and three sharp, slender tails that swayed and intertwined freely, resembling scissors.

"Its aura is quite strong; it's considered formidable among Six-Tribulation forbidden creatures," Meng Chuan thought. He rose and, with a single step, appeared close to the forbidden creature.

The eight-headed exotic beast lurked in the depths of the river, its eight long heads meticulously scanning its surroundings for prey. "Only by evolving to the Seven-Tribulation level can one be truly safe in the Chaotic Turbid River," it mused.

Within the Chaotic Turbid River, Six-Tribulation forbidden creatures fought and devoured each other. Cultivators also occasionally hunted them, making the survival environment exceedingly harsh.

Only by becoming a Seven-Tribulation being could one stand at the apex of the Chaotic Turbid River.

"Devouring chaotic creatures is too slow for evolution," it thought. "If I could devour a Six-Tribulation cultivator, the help would be far greater." It immensely yearned to grow stronger. Outside the universe, from the moment of their birth, such creatures had been fighting and devouring: the weak were consumed, and the strong grew stronger. Having become a Six-Tribulation forbidden creature, it had already endured countless battles. Although the Chaotic Turbid River was more perilous, it felt no fear.

"This is—"

The eight-headed exotic beast suddenly saw a pair of dark eyes.

The dark eyes, like an endless abyss, stared at it, and its consciousness swiftly sank without resistance.

Consciousness, annihilated!

The body lost its vitality and remained motionless, enveloped by the water currents.

"My true body was instantly annihilated?" Sixty-five million miles away from the corpse, a life core lay hidden in the river. The consciousness within it was quite alarmed. "Who attacked? Was it a Seven-Tribulation chaotic creature, or a cultivator?"

"I must not condense a true body; if I do, the life core's fluctuations will certainly be detected." The chaotic creature cautiously lay dormant. Meanwhile, its life core, hidden in the currents, was also fleeing far away with the flow.

Meng Chuan was now beside the corpse of the eight-headed exotic beast, observing it.

"Too scared to condense a true body now?" Meng Chuan mused, understanding that he hadn't disguised his power this time, but had struck directly with full force, frightening the opponent.

After mastering the Primal Chaos Rule, his "Dark Eyes" technique had been cultivated to the seventy-second level. Unleashed with Seven-Tribulation level primordial spirit power, its might was significantly greater than before.

"Can you escape?"

Meng Chuan stood by the corpse, his Primal Chaos Domain extending three hundred million miles around him.

Centered on Meng Chuan, invisible forces swept through every part of the three hundred million mile radius. Although his maximum range could extend over ten billion miles, it was unnecessary when dealing with a Six-Tribulation forbidden creature.

Nearly seventy million miles away from Meng Chuan, there was a sudden bang—

A scroll appeared.

The life core was clearly a painting.

"Seventy million miles?" Meng Chuan murmured as he glanced at it. His primordial spirit secret art directly struck the life core, utterly destroying the consciousness within.

"Whoosh."

Meng Chuan waved his hand, and the scroll appeared in his grasp. Its material was indiscernible, a warm white, and it depicted the eight-headed exotic beast, each long head looking quite sinister.

"Only the consciousness was destroyed, not the life core itself. The life core painting is still intact," Meng Chuan observed, looking at the scroll. "Over time, a new consciousness will be born within this life core, and a new forbidden creature will emerge."

At that point, it would still be an eight-headed exotic beast, but with a new consciousness and new memories, essentially a different forbidden creature.

The life cores of Six-Tribulation forbidden creatures were relatively easy to destroy. However, those of Seven-Tribulation forbidden creatures were far more enigmatic and couldn't be truly annihilated. According to the method taught by the Demonic Mountain Master, one must first seal it, then destroy its consciousness. Without consciousness and while sealed, the life core could not birth new forbidden creatures.

"Seal." Meng Chuan casually sealed the scroll and put away the nearby corpse.

In the past, he disguised his strength because when a forbidden creature's 'true body' revived, its life core would fluctuate, making it easier to locate.

During normal activity, a forbidden creature's true body was generally quite far from its life core. Even in the Chaotic Turbid River, it could be tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of miles away. If the life core's position wasn't locked down, it would flee, making it even harder to find.

But now, having become a Seven-Tribulation being, Meng Chuan could easily attack and cover over ten billion miles. According to his understanding, a Six-Tribulation forbidden creature's true body in the Chaotic Turbid River was at most a few hundred million miles from its life core. Therefore, a wide-ranging attack was certain to find the life core, so there was naturally no need for disguise.

"This life core, it's actually a painting," Meng Chuan mused, looking at the scroll. "Who painted this? Why did his painting become a life core?"

Meng Chuan had always been puzzled by the origin of life cores.

A life core could be any item; an ordinary-looking object could nonetheless birth an incredibly powerful forbidden creature.

"The painting is really mediocre. My drawings when I was ten were better than this," Meng Chuan mused. With a flick of his wrist, he put away the scroll, still in a good mood.

After all, he had made another gain.

Following that, Meng Chuan returned to the pavilion and continued his dedicated cultivation.

In a secluded area of the Chaotic Turbid River, a blurry face sensed something and condensed into form.

"Another Six-Tribulation forbidden creature died?"

It had been continuously watching the Chaotic Turbid River.

Any powerful cultivator or chaotic creature could potentially be its food.

On its blurry face, huge eyes reflected scenes from past timelines, quickly locking onto the image of Meng Chuan, in black robes with white hair, holding the life core painting.

"Hm?"

Weiyu was startled.

"This primordial spirit Tribulation cultivator, the last few times I saw him, he was still a Six-Tribulation primordial spirit. Now he's a Seven-Tribulation primordial spirit?" Weiyu had devoured more than ten Seven-Tribulation chaotic creatures of its own level, and since arriving in this universe, it had even consumed two avatars of Seven-Tribulation mighty figures. Possessing numerous eerie methods, it instantly determined Meng Chuan's current life level.

"A Seven-Tribulation life-form."

"Last time I saw him, he was still Six-Tribulation; he's clearly a newly promoted breakthrough." Weiyu grew somewhat excited. "A newly promoted Seven-Tribulation primordial spirit? Excellent."

"If I devour his primordial spirit, my strength will surely increase."

Six-Tribulation beings were beneath its notice.

But Seven-Tribulation! They were incredibly delicious food. And a newly promoted Seven-Tribulation being would have weaker resistance.

Devouring a Seven-Tribulation physical body usually greatly aided one's own physical body, while devouring a Seven-Tribulation primordial spirit would greatly aid its own primordial spirit. It was now exceedingly excited.

"He is my food," the blurry face declared before quietly dissipating.

In the depths of the Turbid River, a dark colossal beast was rapidly heading towards Meng Chuan's location. Meanwhile, Meng Chuan, fully immersed in his cultivation within the pavilion, remained completely unaware.