“One.” “Two.” “Three.” …
He walked and walked, ceaselessly walking, his face filled with boredom and weariness.
At first he had been counting, but later he simply gave up.
After counting to several tens of thousands, Mu Chen found it too troublesome.
Walking in darkness made time feel exceptionally long.
The boundless darkness offered no hope.
If one fell into complete despair at this point, they would fail to gain the recognition of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.
Here, one had to endure the loneliness and despair brought by darkness.
This was a test of temperament.
The most important thing was to ensure you didn’t go mad first.
Mu Chen didn’t know if the direction he was walking was correct.
But with his eyes open or closed, everything was pitch black.
Everywhere was the same.
At least the path beneath his feet had no ditches or large pits, so he wouldn’t trip.
In the darkness, time might have passed for ten years or a hundred years.
Mu Chen eventually became numb.
All he knew was to keep going, keep walking.
Devouring, both empty and full…
Mu Chen was comprehending devouring, and at that moment, he stopped.
In the endless darkness, a light suddenly appeared, extending to Mu Chen’s feet.
It was a light he hadn’t seen in a long time.
It seemed capable of leading him out of this darkness.
He knew that if he stepped onto that path of light and left, he would be completely lost in the darkness.
“Is it over now?
I thought I had gotten lost.” Mu Chen’s face was filled with exhaustion, but a smile appeared on it.
How insane.
He had almost forgotten his own name.
His eyes, which should have been bright, now revealed a trace of weariness.
The Realm of Darkness, a world created by the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, he had successfully walked out of it.
At this moment, the darkness shattered like glass.
Rays of soft light fell, giving birth to a beautiful starry sky.
An ancient rune appeared before Mu Chen, with a faint, blurry figure on it.
Seeing the Symbol Spirit, Mu Chen knew he had passed the trial.
Surprise and joy surged in his heart.
Thankfully, he had stayed firm on his path.
Otherwise, all his efforts would have been wasted.
“Devouring Ancestral Symbol, from now on, we’ll fight side by side and make your name known in the Heavenly Genesis World.” Mu Chen slowly reached out his hand toward the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.
The ancient rune also writhed at this moment.
The Symbol Spirit’s illusory hand touched Mu Chen’s palm.
Finally, the Symbol Spirit transformed into an appearance identical to Mu Chen’s, though his eyes were pitch black.
At this moment, joy appeared on Mu Chen’s face.
He had passed the Ancestral Symbol’s trial and could now refine the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.
The Devouring Ancestral Symbol flew into Mu Chen’s crown.
Instantly, a domineering devouring force erupted.
The Symbol Spirit, in Mu Chen’s likeness, followed closely behind, transforming into a beam of light that entered Mu Chen’s body.
In an instant, Mu Chen’s Divine Soul became more solid.
A surge of powerful Divine Soul energy flowed.
The Devouring Ancestral Symbol also emitted devouring force, swallowing the Divine Soul energy into the black hole, then returning even purer Divine Soul energy.
Mu Chen could feel his early Illusory Stage Divine Soul gradually rising.
Soon it reached the middle stage.
This was even more efficient than the spirit millstone.
With the rise in his Divine Soul realm, Mu Chen didn’t worry about an unstable foundation.
The Devouring Ancestral Symbol wasn’t just for show.
In the future, even against soul-based attacks, it would prove useful.
“It’s still not over?
It’s been three months already.
Should Marten dig a hole now and let the kid rest in peace?” The little marten looked at Mu Chen’s body, now covered in a layer of dust, and muttered to himself.
He didn’t know how long refining an Ancestral Symbol would take, but this seemed too long.
For someone at Mu Chen’s level to attempt refining an Ancestral Symbol, the chance of failure was indeed quite high.
“Heh, Little Marten, I think I should bury you instead.” Mu Chen’s hoarse laugh rang out.
Having not spoken for so long, his throat was dry.
The sudden voice startled the little marten, who thought Mu Chen had come back to life.
Quickly recovering, the little marten looked at Mu Chen with surprise.
The black hole above was also rapidly disappearing.
Could it be that Mu Chen had actually succeeded?
A flash of Divine Soul light filled Mu Chen’s eyes.
He felt great now.
His Divine Soul had just reached the late Illusory Stage.
Besides refining the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, the two small realm advancements in his Divine Soul were Mu Chen’s greatest gains.
Most people at the first meridian couldn’t reach the late Illusory Stage unless they had the kind of talent that came with a naturally powerful Divine Soul.
“Mu Chen brat, you successfully refined the Ancestral Symbol?” The little marten also grew excited.
If Mu Chen had truly succeeded, he would be the youngest Ancestral Symbol controller by far.
All the Ancestral Symbol controllers he knew of had at least reached the Life and Death Profound Stage before barely succeeding.
“Of course.
Look.” Mu Chen formed a black hole in his palm and held it in front of the little marten.
The mysterious devouring force plundered the surrounding Genesis Qi, refining it into purer Qi.
This was why the Devouring Ancestral Symbol was considered a cultivation aid.
“Ahhh!
Stay away from me!” The little marten retreated directly into the Ancestral Stone.
His spirit had nearly been swallowed by the black hole.
That would have truly scattered his soul to nothingness.
He treated Mu Chen as a friend, and Mu Chen tried to devour him?
Mu Chen smiled and closed his palm.
The black hole vanished.
“Not bad.
You actually succeeded.
You should be the youngest and weakest Ancestral Symbol controller in history.” The little marten said sarcastically.
Mu Chen’s mouth twitched.
This petty black mouse.
He couldn’t tell if the little marten was praising him or mocking him.
“Oh, your Divine Soul has grown quite a bit.
Looks like refining the Devouring Ancestral Symbol came with some nice benefits.” The little marten said in surprise.
“I’m still at the first meridian.
Without some benefits, the Ancestral Symbol would be too stingy.” Mu Chen had lost quite a bit of Genesis Qi, but he wasn’t worried.
With a thought, the pure Genesis Qi refined by the Devouring Ancestral Symbol entered his body.
The feeling of weakness vanished instantly.
During this time, his Divine Soul had been inside the black hole.
His body had been in a death-like state.
It was already good that his Genesis Qi hadn’t completely run out.
This was thanks to his first meridian, which carried the devouring aura.
“How much time has passed, Little Marten?
In the darkness, I lost track of time.” Mu Chen asked.
“Over three months.
It’s almost the new year.” The little marten said.
If Mu Chen had come out any later, the little marten would have already dug a hole and buried him.
“Not bad.
It’s not too late.” Mu Chen frowned slightly and stretched his body.
After being still for so long, his joints made cracking sounds like popping beans.
“Heh, kid, I suggest you hurry back.
That little girlfriend of yours is probably angry by now.” The little marten said gleefully.
Mu Chen’s eyes widened.
He had told Su Youwei he would be away for a while, but more than three months had passed.
She would definitely be angry.
(End of Chapter) —