Chapter 68: The Ancestral Innate Treasure: The Taiji Diagram

At this critical moment between life and death, Xiang Nan had no time for hesitation. Fortunately, the Treasure Spirit was like a money tree, having earned him a massive amount of merit points. Now was not the time to be cautious. Xiang Nan glanced at his accumulated merit points—they were just enough to exchange for one innate treasure: the Taiji Diagram.

The Taiji Diagram was the ultimate treasure of the Daoist sage Laozi in the primeval era, the very foundation of the Human Sect. It could channel the forces of Yin and Yang, control the five elements, suppress the might of the four symbols and eight trigrams, even destroy heaven and earth, and, more astonishingly, confine both time and space.

In short: it could both create and annihilate worlds.

With such a primeval divine artifact in hand, Xiang Nan’s confidence surged. True, with his current cultivation, wielding even a tenth of the artifact’s power would be a challenge. But this was an innate divine weapon—just a fraction of its power would allow him to run rampant in the modern world.

Just then, the Evil Fire God hurled himself forward, his entire body blazing like a fireball, surging at Xiang Nan with the ferocity of a toad’s leap. The very air seemed to ignite; heatwaves scorched every living thing within five hundred meters.

Outside the villa, the disciples of the Eagle Alliance and the Axe Gang, locked in combat, were forced to halt, many thrown to the ground and coughing blood under the onslaught of heat. Onlookers hidden throughout the neighborhood were drenched in sweat, not daring to utter a single sound.

Not far away, Zhang Chen led a squad of heavily armed paramilitary police. The moment they entered the neighborhood, a searing wave slammed into them, making it nearly impossible to advance. When the alarm came in, Zhang Chen had already learned that their target was the infamous killing maniac, the Evil Fire God. Thus, though he was leading the team as usual, every member was his equal in both martial arts and marksmanship.

Seeing the scene before them, the paramilitary officers’ faces fell.

“The Evil Fire God lives up to his reputation. Captain Zhang, I fear your friend may already be…” One team member trailed off, but everyone understood his meaning.

Zhang Chen clenched his jaw. “Alive or dead, we need to see him! Let’s go in!” Shielded from the heat, the officers pressed forward, determination in every step.

Zhang Chen’s eyes glistened; his heart was already gripped with worry. He hadn’t known Xiang Nan for long, but in his eyes, Xiang Nan was his only true master.

At that moment, in the villa’s backyard, grass and trees were withered and scorched, ancient trees aflame.

It seemed everything would soon be consumed by the inferno.

Beside Xiang Nan, Su Yao coughed blood, sweat streaming down her face, barely hanging on. The reviving herbs had worked but were now exhausted—her hands were empty.

As the Evil Fire God, transformed into a fireball, hurtled toward them, Xiang Nan swiftly took out the Taiji Diagram. Channeling all the spiritual energy from his brow and his own internal force, he summoned the artifact with every ounce of strength left.

In moments, the Taiji Diagram hovered in the air, emitting a pale blue glow. Though imperfect, it was at least activated. The blue light shimmered, calm as the sea, seemingly harmless. Yet the Evil Fire God’s blazing heat was instantly devoured the moment it touched the glow.

In the same instant, the blue light expanded rapidly, filling the sky and earth, covering everything below. All present—the battling disciples outside the villa, the hidden onlookers, and the approaching paramilitary squad—saw a blinding blue radiance shoot skyward, so dazzling they could not keep their eyes open.

Those with weak willpower clutched their heads, shielding their eyes, curling up instinctively. The blue light cut through the heavens like a giant blade, rending the void, as if to annihilate the entire world. High above, the clouds parted, swirling with energy. Beyond the clouds, the celestial realm’s spiritual energy surged downward in torrents.

The next instant, everyone’s mind cleared, the scorching heat vanishing without a trace. A mysterious sensation swept through their bodies, ethereal, as if wandering an immortal realm. Time and space seemed to freeze; all was peace and tranquility.

After just a moment, Xiang Nan felt utterly drained, every bit of spiritual energy he had accumulated now spent. If he kept going, he feared he would perish from exhaustion.

Sensing the danger had passed, Xiang Nan quickly withdrew his power. The Taiji Diagram returned to his hand, shrinking back into a small scroll. With its withdrawal, the blue light vanished from the world.

Looking around, the Evil Fire God’s rigid corpse lay before him, those bulging eyes filled with disbelief and terror. There were no visible wounds, but his organs were utterly destroyed, blood seeping from every orifice.

“He’s… dead?” Su Yao, trembling, managed to stand, scarcely able to believe what she saw.

Xiang Nan was stunned as well. He’d read countless primeval novels and had always known the Taiji Diagram’s power. Still, he never expected that, even with his meager cultivation, the artifact would unleash such devastating force!

At the moment the artifact was activated, he felt himself grow immensely powerful, standing between heaven and earth like a god or Buddha. The Evil Fire God’s overwhelming presence and burning heat were suddenly insignificant. This was the strength bestowed by the artifact!

No wonder, in the primeval world, even the mightiest immortals craved divine weapons above all else.

Now, all was quiet. Xiang Nan turned to help the gravely injured Su Yao. “Are you all right?”

Su Yao was chewing the last stalk of reviving herb, forcing a pale smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll live.”

After a pause, she asked, “What weapon was that in your hand? It’s too powerful! I felt as if my entire body was controlled by some invisible force.”

Xiang Nan extended his right hand, showing her the Taiji Diagram. “This is a rare artifact called the Taiji Diagram.”

Su Yao’s mouth fell open, seeing the spiritual light swirling around the scroll in Xiang Nan’s hand, something she’d never heard of before. Her shock was beyond words.

After a long moment, she found her voice. “Artifact? You mean this little scroll holds magical power?”

Then, answering her own question, she muttered, “Of course, if it weren’t a powerful artifact, it couldn’t have defeated the Evil Fire God in an instant. But where did you get such a rare treasure?”

Xiang Nan glanced around, lowering his voice. “If I told you this was a family heirloom, would you believe me?”

“I would! Why wouldn’t I?” Su Yao blurted out. She knew that everything Xiang Nan brought out—from the Rebirth Pill to the Reviving Herb—was extraordinary. And every time he awakened his ancestral bloodline, it was always from some master who surpassed the limits of the era. The strength of this family’s bloodline was truly terrifying!

Now, with such a rare artifact appearing, it seemed perfectly plausible that it was the ancestral treasure of such a powerful family.

Xiang Nan chuckled. “As long as you understand. Don’t mention this to anyone—the fewer people who know about this treasure, the better.”

With that, he stored the Taiji Diagram in his spatial storage.

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed,” Su Yao assured him with a vigorous nod, understanding his intent.

Seeing Xiang Nan's pale face and labored breath, Su Yao asked, “Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, just a bit drained. I’ll be fine after a little rest.” With that, Xiang Nan sat cross-legged where he was, focusing on cultivating the Meditation Mantra.

With all the spiritual energy from his brow depleted, he felt utterly deflated—he needed to recover quickly.