Qin Cheng was the only person Xu Mo cared about on Earth.
He was an orphan, having grown up in an orphanage since childhood. Later, he met Qin Cheng at school, and the two became good brothers, forming a very close bond.
Originally, Xu Mo thought that after more than a hundred years in the Great Desolation, Qin Cheng would have long since turned to dust on Earth.
But he never expected that the time flow between the Great Desolation and Earth would be tenfold!
This meant that if Qin Cheng hadn't met with any accidents, he would only be in his thirties now, still in his prime!
In an instant, a surge of impulse filled Xu Mo's heart, wanting to leave the Great Desolation for Earth, his homeland of Huaxia, to see how Qin Cheng was doing now.
But he quickly calmed down, knowing it wasn't the right time yet, and he had to wait a couple more days.
After the selection of consorts was complete, he still had to go to Great Jin to have a talk with that empress before he could extricate himself and head to Earth.
"There's also the mist barrier on the Endless Sea, which blocks the creatures of the Great Desolation."
Thinking of this strange barrier, Xu Mo frowned, his heart feeling heavy.
He was increasingly unable to understand the Great Desolation, always feeling that too many secrets were hidden within it.
The tenfold time flow, the mist barrier, and the peculiar drifting bottle.
A thought flickered in Xu Mo's mind, and he took the drifting bottle out of the Chaos Cauldron, holding it in his hand to examine.
From the outside, it was just an ordinary drifting bottle, with no hint of magic. But as soon as he used his spiritual power, the bottle would emit a faint glow, devouring all the spiritual power.
Xu Mo tried to strike the drifting bottle with his full power, but it only swayed a few times, and the emitted glow quickly devoured his attack completely.
"It can actually block my attack!"
Xu Mo was somewhat shocked. This was the first time he had encountered a roadblock since breaking through to the Quasi-Saint realm.
He was now a half-step Saint, yet he still couldn't inflict substantial damage on this drifting bottle. What exactly was this thing?
Xu Mo's expression turned serious, and he became even more cautious of the drifting bottle. He desperately wanted to open it and see what was written on the note inside.
To open it, one had to reach the Saint realm!
Xu Mo felt a surge of defiance. He directly manifested the Chaos Cauldron and threw the drifting bottle into the furnace.
The Chaos Cauldron vibrated, as if sensing the extraordinary nature of the drifting bottle. The Chaos Fire ignited within the furnace, intending to refine it!
As the drifting bottle was enveloped by the Chaos Fire, it immediately emitted an angry, intense thought!
This human cultivator actually wanted to refine it? How audacious!
It became enraged and decided to teach this human a lesson.
Instantly, the entire body of the drifting bottle emitted an incredibly dense black glow, containing a terrifying aura, intending to extinguish all the Chaos Fire.
Sensing the drifting bottle's resistance, the Chaos Cauldron directly increased its firepower. The Chaos Fire doubled, melting the black glow and transforming it into wisps of pure spiritual energy that fed back to Xu Mo.
The drifting bottle seemed surprised that its resistance was so powerless against this bronze furnace. The glow on its surface flickered erratically, clearly agitated, as if it had encountered something terrifying.
The black glow did not reappear. The drifting bottle retracted its divine light and became quiet.
The Chaos Fire began to burn the drifting bottle, refining it at an extremely slow pace.
Seeing this, Xu Mo's expression brightened: "It can actually be refined! Although the speed is very slow, it looks like it will only take a few months. And the energy contained within this drifting bottle is terrifying. Once it's completely refined, it should at least allow me to advance a realm!"
Xu Mo was deeply shocked, further confirming that the drifting bottle was a sacred artifact.
Only such a wondrous item could directly increase his cultivation by a realm.
Without hesitation, Xu Mo directly increased the workload of the Chaos Cauldron, urging it to accelerate the refining of the drifting bottle.
"Enough! Kid, do you still want to contend for the crossing?"
An angry voice rang out, causing Xu Mo to pause slightly.
"Who's speaking? Is it... you?" Xu Mo looked intently at the drifting bottle inside the Chaos Cauldron, his gaze peculiar.
This thing actually had consciousness and could speak?
"It's me! Hurry up and stop this furnace, or you'll never contend for the crossing in this life, and you'll just stay in the Great Desolation and die an old death!"
The drifting bottle flickered with a faint glow, its tone extremely urgent.
The Chaos Fire was constantly melting it, causing it immense damage.
Xu Mo did not do as it said. Instead, he looked at it in surprise and asked, "Are you a sacred artifact? Why can you speak? And how did you drift from Earth to the Great Desolation? What is written on the paper inside you?"
He had too many questions, and they all came pouring out at once.
The drifting bottle flickered, seemingly unwilling to answer.
Seeing this, Xu Mo increased the firepower again, making the Chaos Fire melt the drifting bottle faster.
"You son of a bitch!" The drifting bottle directly cursed, "You lunatic, do you really not want to contend for the crossing? If you refine me to death, you'll never leave the Great Desolation in your life!"
Xu Mo commanded the Chaos Cauldron to stop temporarily, took out the drifting bottle, and examined it closely again, finding no clues.
"What does 'contend for the crossing' mean? Why would I be unable to leave the Great Desolation if I refine you?" Xu Mo asked curiously.
He felt that the drifting bottle might know many secrets, which he could infer from the fact that it came from Earth.
The drifting bottle flashed and said, "I cannot speak of the 'contend for the crossing.' When you become a Saint, you will naturally know. As for the latter question, you should already have the answer in your heart."
Seeing the drifting bottle acting like a riddle-master, Xu Mo frowned, feeling somewhat displeased. He wanted to throw it back into the furnace and give it a good lesson.
The drifting bottle seemed to sense Xu Mo's thoughts and quickly said, "The 'contend for the crossing' is a secret of the immortal path. Those below the Saint realm who hear it will only suffer harm, not benefit. I am thinking of you. The beast-skin scroll within me is the key to the 'contend for the crossing.' Without it, you cannot cross the ancient barrier and will be confined to the Great Desolation!"
Hearing the drifting bottle's words, a storm of thoughts churned within Xu Mo, leaving him deeply unsettled!
He knew that the 'contend for the crossing' was not simple, but he never expected it to involve the secrets of the immortal path. Those below the Saint realm would suffer harm by hearing of it?
And the mist barrier, also known as the ancient barrier. For people in the Great Desolation to leave, they actually needed the paper inside the drifting bottle, the beast-skin scroll!
"What exactly is on Earth? Why did the Great Desolation appear on Earth? And why do you come from there?" Xu Mo stared at the drifting bottle.
"Earth is the land of 'contend for the crossing' from ancient times to the present. Whenever the 'contend for the crossing' arrives, realms from all worlds appear on Earth. As for me, I am a manifestation of the rules of the 'contend for the crossing.'"
The drifting bottle replied, its words carrying a hint of arrogance, as if it looked down on Xu Mo.
Xu Mo frowned deeply, his heart already filled with immense shock.
Earth was not as simple as he had imagined, but the 'land of contend for the crossing' spoken of by this drifting bottle!?