Science Fiction Novel

Inside the quiet room of the cave dwelling, Luo Feng sat down cross-legged. He first took a pill, then ate a fruit, and finally picked up a nearby wine pot, drinking deeply. His soul seemed to glow faintly, and he felt in an unprecedentedly good state. This was his first attempt at creating a Chaos Origin level ‘Dao,’ so it was crucial to be in peak condition. It was rare for Luo Feng to have such precious items; just one pill and one spirit fruit were worth 80,000 reward points, not even including the wine.

It was time to begin.

Luo Feng already had the concept of the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death in his mind; now, he needed to meticulously construct each element of his vision. Luo Feng’s Eye of Life and Death opened on his brow. As his thoughts surged, intricate secret patterns began to materialize in the void before him. These profound patterns represented the natural fusion of life and destruction, and Luo Feng meticulously constructed the diagram, a process that felt like building for days, then hundreds, thousands, and even tens of thousands of days.

Based on his current pace, Luo Feng estimated it would take approximately ten epochs to successfully complete the construction. The Chaos Origin level ‘Dao’ was incredibly complex, on par with Ancestor-level secret pattern diagrams, involving an astronomical number of interwoven patterns. Constantly outlining them, without pause, would indeed take about ten epochs to complete.

His initial thoughts were sound, but actual construction brought forth numerous problems. Luo Feng occasionally paused to deliberate and solve issues. It was akin to constructing an incredibly intricate machine spanning hundreds of millions of kilometers: initial flaws often went unnoticed until much of the construction was complete, at which point some problems became irreparable. Creating a ‘Dao’ was no different. Many hidden issues emerged, requiring constant patching and barely cohesive integration. By the time the massive secret pattern diagram was finally complete, eighteen epochs had elapsed.

“Finally, it’s done!”

Luo Feng gazed excitedly at the immensely vast, suspended secret pattern diagram before him. Despite his exhaustion, he had finally constructed a complete diagram. This profound and expansive pattern was undeniably on par with an Ancestor-level secret pattern.

“The first version of the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death has finally been constructed after eighteen epochs!” Luo Feng observed the secret pattern diagram, yet he could immediately discern numerous flaws. “Regardless, I’ve at least established the fundamental framework!” He noted that this framework was indeed on the same level as an Ancestor secret pattern. He had also learned many invaluable lessons from the process. Luo Feng was still quite satisfied. He was confident that his second attempt at creation would be significantly stronger.

“I’ll try creating a clone based on this secret pattern diagram to see what it’s like,” Luo Feng thought. Simply observing the diagram might not reveal all its flaws, but by using it to manifest a clone, he could pinpoint numerous issues with the resulting manifestation.

The energy within the cave dwelling’s quiet room was virtually limitless for practitioners confined within the ‘cage’. With a mere thought, Luo Feng caused a vast amount of energy to rapidly condense into a new body. This body’s energy reserves soared to an astonishing 15 billion times his original capacity, far surpassing his true form. However, its immense size rendered most of it uncontrollable, causing it to transform into a sea of blood, which was then managed by an array formation. Only a portion could maintain a humanoid shape, covered in layers of greenish scales, exuding an almost indestructible aura. Luo Feng found himself both amused and exasperated by this clone.

The first version of the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death proved too flawed; he couldn’t perfectly control the body, and most of its energy reserves merely transformed into a sea of blood. Yet, the humanoid form it assumed was remarkably formidable. The greenish scales even bore some characteristics of the Star Tower’s blood scales. Luo Feng realized that even if this clone’s Half-Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death was powerful, it still remained within the confines of the ‘cage’ and had not transcended it. While many added profundities might grant it additional abilities, they could also introduce more flaws. Numerous Half-Chaos Origin Dao comprehenders who attempted to add further profundities often found it counterproductive, diminishing their power instead of enhancing it.

Even though this was only the first version Luo Feng created, the clone was still significantly more powerful than his original body. While the overall control of this body was slightly diminished, the perfectly controlled portion alone exceeded 5 billion times his energy reserve. Consequently, the overall energy reserve and the humanoid form’s combat power saw a substantial increase. Despite being far stronger than the Half-Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death, it suffered from too many flaws, with issues even manifesting in its mental and consciousness systems. Based on the clone’s state, Luo Feng identified even more issues with the first version of the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death secret pattern diagram.

He decided to start over from scratch.

Luo Feng embarked on his second attempt to create the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death. Armed with the experience from his first endeavor, he approached this attempt with far greater caution, meticulously constructing the initial secret patterns, knowing that all subsequent patterns would build upon these foundations. This time, he completed the second version of the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death in a slightly shorter period, fifteen epochs, and it was considerably more powerful than the last.

Luo Feng observed the massive secret pattern diagram before him. Within its intricate design, the fusion of life and death was evident, with each secret pattern radiating a circulating luster. He could even vaguely perceive the presence of a supreme, transcendent power. A deep rumble vibrated through the air. A subtle force gently beckoned to Luo Feng’s mind, drawing him in.

“I can feel the highest level of power, but it’s still just out of reach,” Luo Feng murmured. “My secret pattern diagram is very close to that ultimate power.” Luo Feng was pleasantly surprised. The secret pattern diagram was still immense, and even with his keen observational skills, he could not find any obvious flaws. The massive secret pattern diagram appeared as a cohesive whole. It resembled an Ancestor-level secret pattern, akin to a primordial origin.

Luo Feng’s current secret pattern diagram, despite appearing flawless on the surface and resembling a primordial origin, had not undergone a qualitative transformation into a true Chaos Origin level Dao, he realized. “Although I vaguely sense the allure of an extremely high-level power,” he mused, “this second version of the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death clearly hasn’t reached the Chaos Origin level yet.” Luo Feng understood this distinction perfectly. The cultivators’ intelligence had long been made public: according to the experience of the previous seven lords, comprehending a Chaos Origin level Dao immediately elevated one’s life level to that of a Lord. Since he still hadn’t transcended the ‘cage,’ it confirmed that the second version, despite being very close, was still a failure.

If he couldn’t identify flaws simply by examining the diagram, he would proceed by constructing a clone. Luo Feng once more attempted to construct a clone, absorbing the energy from the quiet room of the cave dwelling. The humanoid clone rapidly materialized, and as it did, crimson scales began to appear on its body. These scales bore an 80-90% resemblance to the Star Tower’s blood scales, and with each stage of its formation, the clone’s aura grew increasingly terrifying.

Naturally, this clone began to form an invisible domain of rules—a terrifying expanse capable of suppressing Luo Feng’s original body. It possessed an astonishing 19.1 billion times his original energy reserve, yet unlike the previous version, it perfectly controlled every ounce of its power. Its mental and consciousness systems were in complete command of every part of the clone, and the strength of its will had dramatically increased. With this clone, his mental fortitude and will should have already reached the World-level Chaos Origin tier.

Luo Feng was astonished. This second version was truly exceptional! Its energy reserves were immense, and its mental fortitude was formidable. “My current mental processing speed is hundreds of millions of times faster than my original body, even after consuming numerous treasures!” Luo Feng observed the crimson scales covering its body; they were virtually indestructible. These scales naturally extended and coalesced to form a blade. Luo Feng held the blade. “My body can transform into a weapon!” Luo Feng lightly swung the blade, effortlessly tearing through space.

“I still haven’t transcended the ‘cage,’ but this clone should be able to rival a high-level Chaos Origin life form!” Luo Feng concluded. The second version of the Chaos Origin Dao of Life and Death was incredibly close to success; though still confined, this physical form, in both size and power, could genuinely match a true high-level Chaos Origin life form.

“My original plan was for billions of origins to form within the body,” Luo Feng realized. Yet, to his surprise, not a single origin had materialized. “I understand now!” he exclaimed. “In my pursuit of flawlessness, I inadvertently weakened the power of life and destruction!” This time, Luo Feng decided to keep the second version of the clone. Its mental processing speed, comprehension, and other aspects could be significantly enhanced simply by consuming certain treasures.

The third version would clearly be far more profound, incorporating a greater fusion of life and destruction profundities. “More perfect,” Luo Feng thought. As the secret pattern diagram was successfully constructed, he felt a profound resonance with a supreme level of power, as if it were now within his grasp. The secret pattern diagram was vast and mysterious, in no way inferior to an Ancestor-level secret pattern. “It’s closer to the supreme power,” Luo Feng mused. “But something is still missing. What could it be?”