Xiang Shaoyun's soul clone was no weaker than Dugu Qiubai. It controlled the power of time, a power entirely different from the power of primal chaos. The two were locked in a stalemate.
Unfortunately, the divine primal chaos lotus was in the Nine Revolutions Realm. Although Xiang Shaoyun's combat strength could slightly reach the level of the Nine Revolutions Realm, he was still far from an actual Nine Revolutions Realm expert. He was sent flying away while the primal chaos power was branded upon his soul, attempting to destroy him. He panicked when he realized what the lotus was trying to do.
If it wasn't for his comprehension of the primal chaos power, which granted him the ability to counter the power of destruction with the power of life, his soul would have been instantly destroyed.
At this time, Dugu Qiubai arrived and prevented the lotus from giving chase. However, Dugu Qiubai's primal chaos power was unable to deal much damage to the lotus. The most he could do was slow the lotus down.
Xiang Shaoyun joined hands with Dugu Qiubai, and the two unleashed their strongest techniques as they madly attacked the lotus. If the two weren't such incredible geniuses, they would have been instantly defeated.
Xiang Shaoyun hurriedly rushed toward the lotus's actual body. So long as he could damage the actual lotus, it would be greatly weakened. However, when he was about to reach the lotus, he sensed a powerful primal chaos barrier protecting the lotus, stopping him from further approaching it.
The lotus naturally noticed the threat coming for its body. It roared furiously, "Brat, I will turn you into a clone of mine!"
It then retreated, attempting to return and guard its body.
"Don't let it return to its body! Primal Chaos Seal!" Dugu Qiubai roared and formed numerous hand seals, forming a five-colored ring that surrounded the lotus clone, attempting to lock the clone inside.
"How naive. Your energy will only serve to increase my strength. You really think it will work against me?" said the lotus with contempt. It opened its mouth and easily devoured half of the energy powering Dugu Qiubai's ring.
It was then that Xiang Shaoyun's eyes turned resolute as he pushed the power of his Divine Yin Yang Sword to its limits. He blended the dao of yin and yang and his battle intent before unleashing an enchanting slash—River of Time!
The slash sent ripples through the passage of time, and a long blade of time appeared. It broke through numerous obstacles before landing on the divine primal chaos lotus. That was Xiang Shaoyun's full-powered slash, which pulled upon the power of time. It was overwhelmingly powerful.
The divine primal chaos lotus clone was slashed apart, but it wouldn't die so easily since its main body was the source of its power. It had merely focused a majority of its power into its clone, a clone that could be reformed at any time.
Xiang Shaoyun took the chance to draw his Primal Inception Saber with his main body and swung at the lotus stem. The attack similarly did not utilize the power of primal chaos. Rather, it utilized the power of lightning, allowing it to skip the interference of the profundity of primal chaos and reach the stem.
Boom!
A massive explosion erupted, sending the primal chaos water splashing everywhere. Just as Xiang Shaoyun thought that he had succeeded, he saw that a trembling lotus petal had blocked his attack. The petal was even counterattacking him.
"Do you really think you can defeat me so easily? You're too naive! Both of you shall become my clones!" roared the lotus madly as its five petals bloomed, instantly forming a primal chaos domain that spread toward Xiang Shaoyun and Dugu Qiubai.
Everything happened too fast and too suddenly, to the point neither of them could react. Xiang Shaoyun and Dugu Qiubai instantly sensed the incoming crisis. They hurriedly tried to leave as they could not afford to allow the lotus to trap them in its domain.
However, the divine primal chaos lotus was too strong. Its five petals spread across the entire lake, growing at an astonishing speed. It was as though it could even wrap its petals around the entire primal chaos world if it wanted.
"Damn it, we can't escape!" Xiang Shaoyun exclaimed in alarm.
He could sense the world around him bound him in place, making it extremely difficult for him to escape. Dugu Quibai had the same sensation, and eventually, the two were wrapped by the lotus's petals.
"Haha, your physiques are perfect for me. I will finally become the true master of this world," said the lotus with a hearty laugh.
The five petals closed in as the boundless primal chaos power suppressed Xiang Shaoyun and Dugu Qiubai. The strength of the primal chaos power had reached an unimaginable level that was definitely beyond the level of an ordinary Nine Revolutions Realm expert. No matter how they struggled, they couldn't break free. If this continued, the two would be dead.
Their bodies were being squeezed by the petals, and even their souls were being subjected to intense suppression. Their souls were on the verge of complete destruction; the primal chaos power all around them was unstoppable.
"Xiang Shaoyun, my bad for bringing you into this," said Dugu Qiubai guiltily while feeling completely helpless.
Xiang Shaoyun said, "Don't be discouraged, Brother Dugu. I thought you were going to be the master of this world? If you can absorb this lotus, everything here will be yours."
Under Xiang Shaoyun's reminder, Dugu Qiubai's battle intent was reignited. He roared, "You're right. However, the profundity of primal chaos is the thickest here, so thick I can't even compare. I won't be able to absorb the primal chaos power here."
"You still have me. Just remember our agreement," said Xiang Shaoyun. He circulated the Desolation mantra, and the profundities of primal chaos started flashing through his mind. At the same time, his astral cosmos sea started absorbing the primal chaos energy around him.
The primal chaos energy around him was so high-tiered that even those at the Nine Revolutions Realm wouldn't be able to absorb it. One had to be at the same level as the lotus and comprehend the pure profundity of primal chaos before one could even start absorbing the primal chaos energy here. However, Xiang Shaoyun had the Primal Inception Physique. With the primal inception power being a higher-tier power than the primal chaos power, he could absorb all energies in existence.
As the thick primal chaos energy entered his astral cosmos sea, his energy supply surged. Brands of the profundity of primal chaos appeared on the surface of the astral cosmos sea one after another. Slowly, the profundities of life and death created a perfect balance within the astral cosmos sea, creating a perfect world of life. One could say that Xiang Shaoyun's astral cosmos sea had finally completed its evolution and become a true life-supporting world.