Chen Xi pondered deeply for a moment before he decided right away, and he gave the sword made from Chaotic Source Crystal to the tiny cauldron to be consumed.

But the tiny cauldron changed its mind and said, “It wouldn’t be too late to give it to me after you finish tempering yourself here. If I’m not wrong, there’ll be a great deal of Chaotic Source Crystals distributed all over in the following levels.”

Chen Xi was stunned, and he chuckled without end.

He was roughly able to guess the intentions of the tiny cauldron, and it obviously felt that this sword wasn’t sufficient, so it would only ask for some after he finished gathering the Chaotic Source Crystals in the sword cave.

Of course, Chen Xi didn’t mind. He only required a portion of the Chaotic Source Crystals to refine the Talisman Armament once more, and the rest would be useless even if they were left within his possession. So it was better to pass it to the tiny cauldron and allow the tiny cauldron to recover its strength as soon as possible.

He could imagine that if the tiny cauldron recovered its strength, then the tiny cauldron could entirely be capable to be a formidable reinforcement of his when the day of the bet between him and Bing Shitian arrived.

...

It was just as the tiny cauldron had expected, the 95th to 99th levels were filled with extremely formidable opponents for Chen Xi.

It was a Buddhist cultivator in the 96th level of the sword cave. The cultivator wore a grey vestment and held a string of 108 beads, and every single one of these beads were formed from Chaotic Source Crystals.

This was also the first time Chen Xi had gone against a Buddhist cultivator. But this opponent was a bloodsoul, so it couldn’t be considered to be a true Buddhist cultivator. The only similarity the bloodsoul had to a real Buddhist cultivator was probably the Divine Abilities they used were alike.

For example, Golden Glare, Buddha’s Lotus Body, Buddhist Kingdom Palm, and so on and so forth. All of them were renowned supreme Divine Abilities of the Buddhist Sect.

Chen Xi spend an entire month of effort before finally annihilating this bloodsoul.

Moreover, he suffered a considerable heavy injury as well. The reason was because this bloodsoul’s strength was too formidable. Its cultivation far exceeded an 8th level Earthly Immortal Realm expert while its body was extremely powerful. Obviously, it took the path of attaining immortality through the body, so the difficulty to annihilate it was obvious.

It was only later on that Chen Xi found out from the tiny cauldron that all the bloodsouls trapped beneath the 90th level of the sword cave were condensed into form from the resentment and souls of perished Heavenly Immortal Realm experts.

Moreover, these bloodsouls had been trapped within the sword cave for countless years, so their strengths were gradually recovering as well. Thus, they were much stronger than 8th level Earthly Immortal Realm experts.

All in all, this battle with the Buddhist cultivator bloodsoul caused Chen Xi to have no choice but to spend a month to recover his strength and injuries completely.

On the other hand, the gains he obtained were enormous as well. Besides the string of beads formed from Chaotic Source Crystal, he absorbed a great deal of experience from the bloodsoul, and this was what Chen Xi needed the most right now.

A bloodsoul formed from a formidable demon cultivator resided in the 97th level. It possessed extraordinary Dao Arts and the might to move mountains and boil seas. Chen Xi fought it for two months and suffered heavy injuries before finally annihilating it, and he obtained an enormous axe refined from Chaotic Source Crystals.

In the 98th level of the sword cave was an Asura from the Netherworld that possessed a strange appearance and terrifying strength. It had mastered numerous profundities from the Netherworld, and it was much more formidable than all the bloodsouls he’d encountered earlier.

But this Asura was the most miserable because Chen Xi merely executed the Paramita Dao Insight and completely crushed it without being able to resist in the slightest.

The Paramita Dao Insight was one of the three supreme profundities of the Netherworld, and it was grasped by the Third Netherworld Emperor. Moreover, it had been lost in the annals of time since a long time ago. So even though his Asura was formidable, it was innately countered by Chen Xi, so it would be strange if it didn’t get crushed.

On the other hand, Chen Xi obtained a trident from this Asura, and it was similarly constructed from Chaotic Source Crystal.

...

The 99th level of the sword cave.

Lava roiled while an ocean of flames surged, and the blazing waves of fire caused even space to be warped. A lotus platform that was crimson red like flames floated silently above the ocean of flames, and the figure of a person was faintly visible to be sitting cross-legged atop its bloomed petals.

That was Dao Lotus.

But he’d lost all vitality and only his body remained now, and it sat cross-legged silently there.

When Chen Xi arrived here and saw this familiar scene, he couldn’t help but faintly think. Evil Lotus left all those years ago, I wonder where he went to seek revenge, and if he has succeeded...or not?

When he thought about Dao Lotus, Chen Xi recalled everything that he found out from Dao Lotus all those years ago, and he couldn’t help but sigh lightly in his heart. The Chaotic Divine Lotus was schemed against by the great figures of the universe all those years ago, causing it to perish at the final step before ascending the limits of the Grand Dao. This karma is truly too vast...

It was even to the extent that Chen Xi suspected that seeking revenge from the Chaotic Divine Lotus’s enemies from all those years ago with Evil Lotus’s strength alone was no different from throwing a rock against an egg, and the possibility of success was too tiny.

Chen Xi stared silently at the crimson red lotus platform above the ocean of flames for a long time before he withdrew his gaze, and he searched for a secluded place before checking everything he’d obtained all along the way.

In next to no time, numerous Chaotic Source Crystals and weapons refined from Chaotic Source Crystals were arranged before Chen Xi.

There was a total of 12 Chaotic Source Crystals. The largest was the size of a fist, and the smallest was only as thick as a thumb.

On the other hand, there were four weapons refined from Chaotic Source Crystals, and they were respectively a sword, an enormous axe, a string of beads, and a trident.

Swoosh!

A shadow flew out and moved about in midair as it said, “Three of those four weapons refined from Chaotic Source Crystals is enough.”

Chen Xi was stunned, not because of the tiny cauldron’s exorbitant demand but because... he suddenly noticed that the appearance of the tiny cauldron had actually changed!

The tiny cauldron was fat and round like a ball. It had lost its clearly defined appearance from before, and it revealed an innocent appearance that caused others to be unable to refrain from intending to poke its stomach.

“Senior, you...” Chen Xi stared blankly as he spoke.

The tiny cauldron’s entire body froze in midair, and it went silent for a long time before it said, “Yes, I ate too many things in the Grand Deduction Tower that day and haven’t digested them, but I’ll be able to recover very soon.”

Even though it said this, its voice revealed a trace of embarrassment and anger, and it seemed to feel slightly ashamed from Chen Xi inadvertently noticing the changes in its body.

It’s actually because it ate too much...

A wisp of a strange smile couldn’t help but appear on the corners of Chen Xi’s mouth, and he was only able to forcefully restrain his laughter after a long time. Moreover, he asked carefully while fearing that he would offend the tiny cauldron. “Senior, will you be able to digest all these Chaotic Source Crystals?”

“Of course...” The tiny cauldron replied casually, and then realized something was off. Its body revolved to face Chen Xi before it said, “Are you ridiculing me?”

Chen Xi hurriedly shook his head. “No, I’m just slightly worried about you.”

“Alright, I owe you a request.” The tiny cauldron emanated a strand of divine radiance as it spoke, and it swept away three of the weapons refined from Chaotic Source Crystals on the ground before swiftly transforming into a ray of light that hastily vanished from Chen Xi’s sight.

A smile spread silently on the corners of Chen Xi’s mouth when he saw this, and he suddenly noticed that the tiny cauldron could actually be so cute...

After that, he gathered all the Chaotic Source Crystals on the ground before standing up, and then he glanced deeply at Dao Lotus who was on the lotus platform above the ocean of flames before turning and leaving.

His trip to the sword cave came to an end at this moment.

Through this tempering of his actual combat ability that lasted for almost a year, Chen Xi had already roughly understood the level of his strength, and what he needed to do next was to enter into closed door cultivation once again to refine and improve the quality of the Talisman Armament.

...

Time flowed endlessly like water.

Unknowingly, it had already been an entire 20 plus years since Chen Xi returned from the sword cave, whereas it was less than two years away from the date of the bet between him and Bing Shitian.

During this period of time, Chen Xi had been in closed door cultivation in the world of stars, causing no one to know anything about him, nor did they know to exactly what extent his strength had attained in these years.

On this day, the sky was clear without a single cloud.

The Sect Master, Wen Huating, drifted down to West Radiance Peak, and Huo Molei hurriedly went to greet the Sect Master.

“Is Chen Xi still in closed door cultivation?” asked Wen Huating.

“Sect Master, Little Junior Brother has indeed been in closed door cultivation all along, and he hasn’t taken a single step out in all these years.” Huo Molei spoke in a respectful tone.

Wen Huating pondered for a long time before he said, “Once he leaves his closed door cultivation, tell him to head to the Heavenflow Dao Sect. Elder Lie Peng will be there to assist him.”

“I understand.” Huo Molei couldn’t help but ask. “Sect Master, will that Bing Shitian and Qing Xiuyi really be getting united as Dao Companions?”

Wen Huating frowned and sighed. “According to the news I obtained, so long as they received an invitation, then all the extraordinary figures of the various powers in the Dark Reverie have headed to the Heavenflow Dao Sect now, so this matter is probably true.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he shook his head before turning around and leaving.

“Sect Master, aren’t you heading to the Heavenflow Dao Sect?” Huo Molei’s voice sounded out from afar.

Wen Huating couldn’t help but chuckle, and he waved his hand as he said, “Bing Shitian’s prestige isn’t great to the point of being able to move me.”

“Then aren’t you worried that Little Junior Brother will be bullied after he heads to the Heavenflow Dao Sect?” Huo Molei continued.

This time, Wen Huating went silent and stood in midair for a long time before he replied. “If Chen Xi needs it, then not just me but all the elders can sacrifice everything!”

Huo Molei couldn’t help but secretly clench his fists tightly when he heard this, and he said loudly, “Don’t worry Sect Master, my West Radiance Peak can similarly sacrifice everything for the sake of Little Junior Brother!”

Wen Huating roared with laughter as his figure gradually vanished in the horizon.

“You underestimate Chen Xi too much. He wouldn’t implicate all of us because of this.” Right at this moment, Ling Bai appeared at the side and leaped up onto Huo Molei’s shoulder before he said, “I know him too well, and I can even tell that he’ll surely head over there alone and not let us follow him at all.”

𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Huo Molei was stunned and said, “Why?”

Ling Bai shrugged and sighed. “Because he places more importance on our lives than his own. So there’s only one method if we want to help him.”

“What?” Huo Molei’s spirits were refreshed as he asked.

“We have to sneak off to the Heavenflow Dao Sect now. In this way, he wouldn’t be able to stop us at all after he leaves his closed door cultivation.” Ling Bai grinned as he spoke.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.” Ling Bai replied casually, and then his face froze because he noticed that it wasn’t Huo Molei who asked this but someone else.

Moreover, that person...was shockingly Chen Xi who’d been in closed door cultivation for over 20 years!