There was no before, no after, no above, no below. There was no light, no sound, no sense of time passing. There was only a despairing "emptiness" capable of eroding all meaning of existence. Viscous, icy, heavy, like ink that had not dissolved for billions of years, yet also like a final mire that could swallow the Soul, it tightly enveloped and squeezed Lin Xuan's consciousness.
He felt like an insignificant speck of dust, cast into a boundless ocean of darkness. Every time he tried to think, "Who am I?" or "Where am I?", the thought was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, only stirring an imperceptible ripple before being crushed to pieces by an even greater sense of nothingness. His consciousness was like a candle flame in the wind, flickering unsteadily, each weak pulse accompanied by the immense fear of being completely extinguished. Annihilation seemed to be the only, destined outcome.
'Is it... dissipating?' A fragmented thought struggled to surface, carrying endless unwillingness. 'Just like this... return to emptiness?'
Just as this consciousness was about to completely sink and merge into the eternal Chaos, a tiny glimmer, a stubborn and almost barbaric spark, like the first lightning bolt that cleaved through the ancient night, suddenly exploded in the deepest part of his Soul!
No!
This was not a sound, but the most primitive, most violent will of life, the final roar of "existence" against "emptiness"!
Accompanying this roar from the Origin, a strange sensation, like ripples spreading from a stone thrown into still water, began to expand. He "saw" – not with his eyes, but by directly "perceiving" in a way beyond comprehension. The heavy, viscous, suffocating Chaos that enveloped him was no longer a lifeless mass. Inside it, countless infinitesimally tiny "points" were ceaselessly being born and destroyed, colliding, aggregating, and dispersing. Each birth and destruction brought forth an indescribable "ripple," and these "ripples" intertwined and resonated with each other, forming the "foundation" of this Chaos.
Birth and destruction! Collision! Aggregation! Dispersion!... Billions of times, trillions of times, endless!
An indescribable enlightenment, like a volcanic eruption, impacted Lin Xuan's remaining consciousness! This Chaos was composed of countless minute, most fundamental "existence factors"! Their chaotic collisions, aggregations, and dispersions formed the superficial appearance of this eternal "emptiness"! But beneath this chaotic surface, there existed a deeper... Dao!
A thought, utterly insane yet seemingly natural, like the first divine thunderbolt that split heaven and earth, cleaved through all his confusion and fear:
Can... the chaotic Chaos... be given... an orderly... structure?
What if... I... am that... first... "will"... to give it structure?!
"Boom—!"
The entire Chaos seemed to be ignited by this thought! Countless chaotically colliding and arising existence factors, as if hearing a supreme command, were instantly and forcefully gathered and brought together by an invisible, irresistible will! Lin Xuan's consciousness, on the verge of collapse, at this moment became the center of the entire Chaotic vortex, becoming the sole "stabilizing star"!
He was no longer dust! He was the will itself that commanded Chaos!
"Open—!"
An indescribable "sound" vibrated within the Chaos; it was the shout of will, the declaration of existence!
With Lin Xuan's consciousness as the core, an invisible force, like a giant axe of creation, fiercely cleaved in all directions, towards the boundless Chaos!
Tear—!
It was as if ancient cloth had been torn! The despairingly viscous Chaos was forcibly separated for the first time! A faint, yet incredibly clear light, struggled to penetrate through the cleaved rift! It was light! The first ray of light in Chaos! It was as weak as a flickering candle in the wind, yet it stubbornly declared the victory of "being" over "nothingness"!
Wherever the light reached, the viscous Chaos, as if encountering its nemesis, violently churned and retreated! Clear Qi rose, turbid Qi sank! An extremely tiny, yet incredibly real space, under the illumination of light and the support of will, was born with difficulty!
Space! There was space!
Immediately after, within this nascent, extremely fragile space, even more minute factors were guided and shaped by the will of creation. The most basic "fire" factors were ignited, bringing warmth and agitation; "water" factors converged, bringing flow and nourishment; "wind" factors began to circulate, bringing breath and change; "earth" factors settled and condensed, bringing support and weight...
Earth! Fire! Water! Wind!
The rudimentary forms of the four most fundamental elements that constitute the world, within this small area, under the guidance of the will of creation, began to clumsily yet stubbornly evolve and combine. They collided, merged, repelled, and attracted each other. Every tiny interaction made the structure of this nascent space a little more stable, and the initial light a little brighter.
This was an incredibly painful yet wonderfully miraculous process. Lin Xuan felt himself transform into billions, every existence factor an extension of his will. Every collision, every combination consumed his newly condensed, still very weak power. The backlash of Chaos was like an invisible tide, constantly impacting this newborn space, attempting to drag it back into eternal "emptiness." Each impact caused his consciousness to violently shake, as if it could disintegrate again at any moment.
But after each tremor, the will that controlled and created everything became a little more refined! His core consciousness, in the process of resisting the Chaotic backlash, was like refined iron repeatedly hammered, all Impurities removed, leaving only the purest, most resilient essence of "existence"!
Who knows how long passed, perhaps an instant, perhaps eons. When the last trace of violent Chaotic turbulence was forcibly squeezed out beyond the boundaries of this tiny space, when the four elements initially reached an extremely fragile equilibrium point—
Buzz!
A strange, grand "humming" sound, as if from the Origin of the Universe, resonated throughout this newborn heaven and earth.
Lin Xuan's consciousness presided over the core of this nascent, desolate, and lifeless space, only a hundred li in circumference. Beneath his feet was the newly settled, rough, gray-black rocky ground, covered with huge cracks and potholes. Above his head, a thin, almost transparent "celestial curtain" enveloped it, barely isolating the still surging and turbulent Chaotic currents outside. Beyond the celestial curtain was endless, churning, roaring gray Chaos, like a monstrous beast waiting to devour, eyeing it covetously.
The world was initially formed! Tiny as a mustard seed, desolate and lifeless, yet undeniably real!
And Lin Xuan's consciousness, at the final moment of the world's formation, underwent a complete transformation and sublimation. A profound, indescribable "status," like an invisible crown, was bestowed upon the core of his will. Countless rudimentary "rules" of this world—the boundaries of space, the flow rate of time, the basic operating methods of the four elements, the sparse flow of energy... were clearly imprinted in his perception, like an innate instinct he inherently knew.
He was this heaven and earth! He was the Heavenly Dao of this nascent world!
An ancient and revered title naturally emerged in his new consciousness:
Void Dao Realm! The beginning of the Heavenly Dao Realm!
The world was first created, the Heavenly Dao first formed! Status bestowed, commanding the Universe!
An indescribable sense of control spontaneously arose. With a single thought, he could perceive the tremor of every grain of dust, the circulation of every wisp of sparse energy within this heaven and earth. He was the absolute Dominator of this small world, the creator and maintainer of its rules.
However, just as Lin Xuan was immersed in this wondrous Realm of controlling everything, attempting to mobilize the meager power of this newborn world to gather a small pile of soil on the desolate ground—
Buzz... Buzz... Buzz...
Three extremely faint, yet distinctly different in frequency, strange fluctuations carrying a certain cold "will," like three stones thrown into a calm lake, penetrated the thin celestial curtain of the world barrier and clearly reached Lin Xuan's perception!
These fluctuations were not the chaotic and disordered roar of Chaos itself, but rather... a kind of scan with a clear "directionality" and "sense of presence"! They were like invisible tentacles, carrying a cold scrutiny and exploratory intent, sweeping from three different directions across this newly born, extremely fragile new world!
Lin Xuan's newly stabilized will of the heavenly dao suddenly tensed!
'What the hell is this?!' Alarm bells rang in his heart. This was definitely not the naturally occurring turbulence of Chaos! The cold will contained within these fluctuations carried naked... probing! And even a hint of imperceptible... greed?
He suddenly "looked up," his "gaze", condensed from his will of the heavenly dao, pierced through the thin world barrier, casting towards the depths of the turbulent, all-devouring Chaos outside. As far as his gaze reached, there was nothing but eternal grayness and violent energy currents. But those three scanning fluctuations were real, like maggots clinging to bone, firmly locking onto his newborn small world!
A chill instantly swept over Lin Xuan's sense of control and fervor that had just risen due to the success of creation.
Chaos... was not empty?
This thought was like a dousing of ice water. His newly born micro-world was like a faint lamp lit in a dark forest, instantly attracting... the attention of predators?
(Note: At lower Realms, Yuanshi Tianzun and Tongtian's weapons are modified. At higher Realms, Tongtian wields the four immortal slaying swords!)
The three icy exploratory fluctuations receded like a tide, and Chaos returned to dead silence. Lin Xuan sat high in the world's core, and the will of the heavenly dao, like a taut bowstring, slowly relaxed, but an indescribable sense of weakness spread. Just now, resisting those three probes and forcibly reinforcing the world barrier had almost exhausted the meager Origin power he had condensed after first becoming the Heavenly Dao.
"Hoo..." The invisible will echoed in the empty world core, carrying the heaviness of surviving a catastrophe. The hundred-mile radius of land beneath his feet was still barren and silent, with grayish-black rocks exposed, covered in huge cracks left from the beginning of creation, like the cracks in a dry riverbed. The thin celestial curtain above, after resisting external probes and continuous Chaos erosion, appeared even dimmer and more transparent, as if it could shatter at any moment, dragging this small area back into eternal nothingness.
'Too weak...' Lin Xuan examined himself and this world, which he had personally created but was fragile and vulnerable. The position of Early Stage Void Dao Realm granted him absolute perception and control over this world, but this control itself was like an empty shell. It was like holding the key to a treasure vault, but the vault was empty. The backlash of Chaos and external prying were like swords hanging over his head.
'Must become stronger! The world must grow!'
This thought was stronger than ever. His mind sank into the world's core, attempting to mobilize the sparse energy wandering between heaven and earth—the extremely rare "Innate Spiritual Qi" that had seeped through the barrier cracks from Chaos Qi and been initially transformed by the world's rules. The Spiritual Qi was like threads, so weak it was almost imperceptible, and its accumulation speed was infuriatingly slow. At this rate, it would probably take tens of millions of years for a trace of life to emerge on this barren land. And the threat from the depths of Chaos would never give him that much time!
Just as anxiety coiled around Lin Xuan's will like a vine, a peculiar perception, stemming from his Heavenly Dao position and closely linked to the world's Origin, suddenly became clear, like the first lamp lit in the darkness!
He "saw" it.
Not with his eyes, but the world itself became his senses. At several special nodes on that barren land—one at the Peak of the highest and most barren mountain in the world's center; another in the deepest part of a rift valley where earth pulse energy was relatively active; and a third in a depression near the world's edge where some moisture gathered... in these places, he perceived extremely faint "presences"!
They were not matter, nor energy, but a kind of... "imprint"? Or rather, "spiritual embryos" that, when the world first opened, were naturally nurtured at specific nodes by fragments of the creation will, combined with the initial rules and spiritual essence of heaven and earth, during a long (relative to the world itself) period of dormancy!
They were ignorant and chaotic, like sleeping seeds, yet carried a trace of Innate Dao charm, originating from the same source as the world. What shocked Lin Xuan even more was that when he focused his will of the heavenly dao on these "embryos," an incredibly clear and mysteriously profound connection was instantly established!
Buzz—!
Lin Xuan felt his weak will core tremble violently! A power, though extremely faint but truly tangible, flowed back like a trickle from those sleeping "embryos," merging into his "Origin Sea" as the will of the heavenly dao! This power was extremely sparse, not even enough to move a fist-sized stone, but the qualitative change it brought was unparalleled!
That was not external power, but... the Origin power feedback from the "presences" belonging to the world's interior, born from his own creation!
A realization struck him like a thunderclap: 'My cultivation... is actually the superposition of the total strength of all living beings within the world?!'
Golden Finger! This was definitely a Transmigration benefit, his greatest reliance for survival in this Chaos predicament, and even for pursuing eternal transcendence!
'Want to get stronger? Then let all living beings get to work!' A thought, tinged with a hint of cunning and fanaticism, sprouted in Lin Xuan's heart, instantly overshadowing his previous weakness and anxiety. Leeks! These were all leeks with infinite potential! As long as they Cultivated and grew stronger, it meant he, the Heavenly Dao, was growing stronger!
"Accelerate! Must accelerate!" Lin Xuan's will instantly became incredibly firm. He no longer begrudged the trace of Origin power he had just recovered; the will of the heavenly dao roared, forcibly interfering with the underlying rules of the world's operation!
Time Flow Rate · Hundredfold Superposition!
The silent command was given. The entire micro-world trembled slightly, and an invisible ripple containing the Law of time flowed across the thin celestial curtain covering the world. The time flow rate within the world was instantly boosted to a hundred times that of the outside! This was the limit Lin Xuan could achieve at present, consuming a huge amount of his own Origin, but to Cultivate "leeks," he went all out!
At the same time, he mobilized every trace of Innate Spiritual Qi he could gather, like the most precise irrigation System, accurately guiding it to the three special nodes where the "spiritual embryos" were being nurtured—the mountain Peak at the world's center, the rift valley deep within the earth pulse, and the watery depression at the edge.
Spiritual Qi, like sweet dew, nourished the sleeping seeds.
Time flew by under the hundredfold acceleration (what might have been an instant outside, was a century within the world). At those three nodes, unusual phenomena suddenly arose!
At the world's center, the Peak of the highest mountain. The originally dull gray rocks were enveloped in dense purple Qi, with ten thousand rays of light and a thousand auspicious streaks. Within the swirling purple Qi, a clear Qi shot up into the sky, and faintly visible within the clear Qi was the phantom of an old man with a crane-like hair and youthful face, sitting cross-legged, holding a phantom whisk. His body exuded a mysterious aura of tranquility, non-action, and the Dao of nature. Though his mouth was not open, ancient Dao sounds seemed to echo: "The Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao..." Laozi (Li Er)! Cultivation: Peak Golden Core Stage! The pinnacle of Dao within this Realm!
In the deepest part of the earth pulse rift valley, Evil Qi and Geng Metal Qi furiously converged, forming a blood-red Domain. An earth-shattering sword cry tore through the silence, and an unparalleled sharpness pierced the earth's crust, shooting straight into the sky! Within the sword light, a tall, sword-like figure of a stern young man condensed, bearing the phantom of an ancient longsword on his back, his eyes as sharp as lightning, seemingly capable of cutting through all illusions and obstacles. Sword Qi surged around him, making the Void Realm emit faint hissing sounds. Yuanshi Tianzun (Yuqing)! Cultivation: Late Stage Golden Core! Decisive in killing, in charge of creation!
At the watery land on the world's edge. Green waves surged, life flourished, and countless green lotus phantoms emerged from the water, radiating light. An aura full of vibrant life and all-encompassing breadth permeated the area. In the green light, a handsome young Daoist with a carefree demeanor stood on the waves, holding a phantom Ruyi Scepter, his smile gentle, as if containing the marvels of creation. Green lotuses swayed beneath his feet, and specks of life-giving light rain fell upon the barren land, actually causing a few barely perceptible green shoots to stubbornly sprout from some rock crevices! Tongtian Sect Master (Lingbao)! Cultivation: Late Stage Golden Core! Seizing a sliver of life!
The Three Pure Ones were born! The low-spec Primordial Era began to show its first signs!
Three powerful Golden Core auras, like torches in the night, instantly ignited the entire silent world! The moment they were born, Lin Xuan clearly felt three vast powers, like rivers returning to the sea, roaring into his own heavenly dao origin!
"Boom—!"
His weak will, like a parched land receiving sweet rain, was instantly filled with a powerful sense of strength! Lin Xuan felt his control over the world surge by a large margin! If before he could only barely keep the world from collapsing, now he felt he had the spare capacity to do more!
He did not hesitate, investing most of this immense power, feedback from the birth of the Three Pure Ones, into the expansion and strengthening of the world itself!
"World Barrier · Solidify!"
"Chaos Transformation · Accelerate!"
"Earth pulse · Extend!"
The will of the heavenly dao acted like the most efficient builder. The thin celestial curtain at the world's edge visibly solidified and thickened, emitting a resilient glow that further isolated the erosive power of external Chaos. At the same time, the world barrier seemed to gain stronger "digestive" capabilities, increasing its efficiency in actively absorbing and transforming Chaos Qi by several times! More Chaos Qi was converted into pure Innate Spiritual Qi, which began to permeate the world's interior like a thin mist.
Rumble!
The land extended with tremors! The edges of the original hundred-mile territory, where rocks visibly writhed and proliferated like living things, steadily expanded into the Chaos! A thousand miles! In a short time, the world's diameter expanded to a thousand miles! Although the newly added land was still barren, covered in rocks and rift valleys, the space had truly grown larger! The earth pulse spread and intertwined deep within the earth like tree roots, becoming thicker and more stable, subtly forming the world's basic energy network.
More "spiritual nodes" naturally emerged during the world's expansion, at new earth pulse convergence points, mountain Peaks, and waterside areas. Although their auras were far less powerful than the Three Pure Ones, most were still in a nascent spiritual state, or even just the prototypes of Spirit Monsters and Spirit Plants, their very existence was like sparks, injecting vibrant life into this barren world. The birth of every new life, the illumination of every spiritual node, brought a faint but continuous stream of power into Lin Xuan's heavenly dao origin.
Power! An unprecedented sense of power flowed through Lin Xuan's will. The position of Early Stage Void Dao Realm, propelled by this power, quietly but steadily advanced towards Middle Stage Void Dao Realm! The expansion and strengthening of the world, in turn, accelerated the generation of Spiritual Qi and the nurturing of living beings, forming a nascent positive feedback loop.
Lin Xuan looked down at the thousand-mile landscape beneath his feet. Purple Qi swirled around the central Peak, where Laozi sat in meditation; deep within the earth pulse, Sword Qi faintly hummed, where Yuanshi Tianzun meditated; by the water's edge, green lotuses swayed, where Tongtian, with a gentle smile, enlightened a few newly sprouted green grasses containing faint Spiritual Qi. Further away, some nascent spiritual light dots flickered like fireflies in the wilderness, in mountain streams, and in rock crevices. Although the Innate Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth was still sparse, it was no longer in its previous near-depleted state, now subtly nourishing all things.
'Very good... the leek field is taking shape.' Lin Xuan smiled faintly in his heart, filled with the joy of an old farmer seeing his seedlings grow strong, and the greed of... anticipating the harvest. He silently felt the continuous, trickling power flowing into his body—the Origin power feedback from all living beings (mainly the Three Pure Ones) within the world, through their Cultivation, growth, and existence.
'The Three Pure Ones are only Golden Core... still too weak.' Lin Xuan's thoughts swept over the three auras representing the pinnacle of this world. Golden Core Stage, under the rules of this micro-world, was already the Peak of the Mortal Realm, but in the vast Chaos, it probably wouldn't even count as cannon fodder. Nascent Soul Stage was the theoretical limit of the Mortal Realm in this world; breaking through it was as difficult as a Mortal ascending to heaven.
"I need to find a way to make them work harder..." Lin Xuan's will pondered, his gaze turning to the turbulent Chaos outside the world. The crisis had temporarily receded, but it would never disappear. Improving the quality (individual strength) and quantity (total number of living beings) of the leeks was an urgent priority. He needed an opportunity, an impetus that could stimulate accelerated evolution within the world and drive a frenzy of competition and Cultivation among living beings...
Just as Lin Xuan was planning how to "fertilize" and "weed" to make the leeks grow faster and stronger—
"Hmm?"
His will of the heavenly dao, concentrated at the edge of the celestial curtain and constantly vigilant against external Chaos, caught an extremely subtle anomaly. It wasn't the malicious probe from before, but rather... some kind of "ripple"? As if a small stone had been tossed into calm water.
The source of this ripple seemed to be from his world itself! As the world expanded to a thousand-mile radius, the world barrier's efficiency in actively absorbing and transforming Chaos Qi greatly increased. This "breathing" action seemed to have stirred up a tiny, yet real... "movement" in this dead silent Chaos?
It was like his Small World, in an absolutely silent, dark forest, had breathed a little too heavily, causing a subtle, almost imperceptible echo.
Lin Xuan's heart sank. He immediately reduced the intensity of the world barrier's absorption of Chaos Qi, focusing most of his Heavenly Dao perception on the direction where the ripple diffused.
Chaos remained gray, viscous, and dead silent, as if unchanging since eternity.
But that ripple, stirred by the world's expansion, like a stone dropped into a deep pool, seemed to have touched something else... just before it vanished?
An extremely faint "sense of order," distinctly different from the chaotic disorder of Chaos itself, flashed at the end of that vanishing ripple, so quickly that Lin Xuan almost thought it was an illusion.
Was it another world barrier? Or some ancient wreckage sleeping in Chaos? Or... a temporary dwelling place of some being?
The chill of the unknown once again quietly crept into Lin Xuan's Heavenly Dao core.
In the depths of Chaos, the ancient wreckage touched by that ripple floated quietly. Lin Xuan's will of the heavenly dao stretched out from the world barrier like tentacles, cautiously probing. After confirming there was no danger, he suddenly exerted force to drag the wreckage into his world. The moment the wreckage entered, the entire micro-world trembled violently, like a hungry beast suddenly swallowing a piece of fat meat.
"Boom—"
The ancient wreckage disintegrated at the world's core, turning into countless spots of light that merged into heaven and earth. Lin Xuan clearly felt that these light spots contained rule fragments that surpassed the current world level. The land began to expand crazily; the world, which was originally a thousand miles wide, expanded like fermenting dough at a speed visible to the naked eye. Three thousand miles, five thousand miles, eight thousand miles... finally settling at ten thousand miles wide!
In the center of the world, Laozi, who was comprehending the Dao, suddenly opened his eyes. His white hair fluttered, and the whisk in his hand moved without wind. His cloudy eyes reflected the wondrous scene of the world's upheaval: "The Heavenly Dao manifests, and all things are renewed..." Before he could finish, the mountain Peak beneath him, which was barely a thousand feet high, rose steadily, turning into a ten-thousand-foot majestic Peak in the blink of an eye. Purple Qi came from the east for three thousand miles, dyeing the entire Peak a noble crimson-purple.
Deep within the Spiritual Vein, the crimson Domain where the Yuanshi Tianzun resided was suddenly struck by an influx of Chaos energy. For the first time, a ripple appeared on his cold face, and the ancient sword on his back let out a clear dragon's cry. "Break!" With a sharp shout, Sword Qi surged for three thousand miles, forcibly suppressing the rampaging energy. Wherever the sword light passed, the Spiritual Vein reorganized, actually forming nine intersecting and spiraling dragon-shaped Spiritual Veins.
At the edge of the marshes, a thousand green lotuses instantly bloomed beneath the Grandmaster of Heaven's feet. He laughed towards the sky, his Jade Ruyi tracing a mysterious path: "A heaven-sent Opportunity!" Countless light spots containing vitality scattered, and the originally sparse greenery spread crazily, creating a hundred-mile green prairie in an instant. A few newly born spirit deer fled in panic, but their bodies grew larger as they ran, and their antlers grew a crystalline jade color.
(Note: At low Realms, the weapons of the Yuanshi Tianzun and the Grandmaster of Heaven are modified; at high Realms, the Grandmaster of Heaven uses the four immortal slaying swords!)
Lin Xuan's will of the heavenly dao hung high in the nine heavens, coldly observing this upheaval. As the world expanded to ten thousand miles, the conversion efficiency of Chaos Qi skyrocketed tenfold. The originally thin Innate Spiritual Qi gradually grew dense, forming a faint mist among the mountains and rivers. What surprised him most was that those rule fragments were automatically repairing the defects in the heavenly dao origin—the new beings now being born were no longer pure energy bodies, but true Innate beings with flesh and blood!
"Roar—"
A snow-white tiger leaped out from the western mountains, the "King" character pattern on its forehead glowing with golden light.
"Screech!"
A crimson sparrow flew out from a southern volcanic crater, its tail feathers trailing seven-colored flowing fire.
Deep within the Kunlun Ruins, a green vine grew entwined around a new Spiritual Vein, three star-lit fruits hanging from the vine.
Although these Innate beings had not yet developed intelligence, they were born able to breathe in and out Spiritual Qi. What was even better was that their very existence continued to strengthen the world's Foundation. Lin Xuan could feel his heavenly dao origin growing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The Bottleneck of the Early Stage Void Dao Realm began to loosen, steadily advancing towards the Middle Stage.
Suddenly, three powerful Divine Senses swept across the world simultaneously. Laozi, the Yuanshi Tianzun, and the Grandmaster of Heaven—these three Golden Core Peak existences—discovered each other almost at the same time.
At the Peak of Kunlun, Laozi stroked his beard and smiled: "Fellow Daoists, I hope you have been well." His voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly throughout the ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers.
"Hmph!" A cold snort from the Yuanshi Tianzun came from deep within the Spiritual Vein, and the nine dragon-shaped Spiritual Veins raised their heads accordingly. "A person who hides their head and shows their tail is unworthy of being called a Fellow Daoist."
The Grandmaster of Heaven arrived stepping on a lotus, his Jade Ruyi lightly tapping the Void Realm: "The Great Dao has fifty, and the Heavenly Evolution has forty-nine. Since we are all Cultivating in this world, why not discuss the Dao?" As he spoke, the living beings on the hundred-mile prairie knelt one after another, as if in worship.
Lin Xuan nodded secretly as he watched. The leeks were starting to compete among themselves! This was exactly the effect he wanted. However, now that the world was newly settled, some catalysts were still needed...
The will of the heavenly dao shifted slightly, and the ten-thousand-mile sky suddenly surged with wind and clouds. Countless amounts of Innate Spiritual Qi began to undergo a qualitative change under the influence of the rule fragments, gradually transforming into Acquired Spiritual Qi, which was more suitable for Acquired beings to absorb. This process was like dropping cold water into a boiling pot of oil; the energy structure of the entire world began to boil!
"The heavens have changed." Laozi looked up at the sky, his cloudy eyes suddenly bursting with brilliant light. "An Opportunity is coming!"
The Yuanshi Tianzun transformed directly into a sword light and soared into the sky: "Such an anomaly must contain a great secret!"
The Grandmaster of Heaven, however, stood unusually still, his Jade Ruyi pointing towards the earth: "You two, look."
Under the nourishment of the Acquired Spiritual Qi, some of the most ordinary plants began to mutate. Green grass produced seeds, the seeds fell into the soil, and they completed their growth Reincarnation in just a few breaths. By the time the ninth generation of seeds hit the ground, they had turned into half-person-high Spiritual Grain. After a wild rabbit stole and ate the Spiritual Grain, its body size exploded, and a light of intelligence gradually appeared in its eyes—this was a sign of the birth of an Acquired being!
Lin Xuan was ecstatic. Acquired Spiritual Qi meant faster Cultivation speeds and a larger population of living beings! He immediately adjusted the world rules, concentrating the Acquired Spiritual Qi in several specific areas:
Within a thousand miles of Kunlun Mountain, purple Qi was dense, suitable for Cultivating orthodox Daoist methods;
Where the nine dragon veins met, the Sword Qi was stern, suitable for the Sword Cultivator lineage;
Near the marsh prairie, vitality was abundant, suitable for the growth of spiritual plants;
While most other ordinary areas maintained thin but stable Acquired Spiritual Qi for Acquired beings to live and multiply.
This differentiated layout was bound to trigger a struggle for resources! Sure enough, the reactions of the Three Pure Ones were all different.
Laozi pondered for a moment, then suddenly waved his sleeve to mark out an area at the foot of Kunlun Mountain. Purple Qi descended, turning into seventy-two spiritual fields: "All those with destiny can enter the mountain to Cultivate." It seemed generous, but in reality, he was gathering all the most talented prospects for himself.
The Yuanshi Tianzun was more direct. The nine dragon veins suddenly raised their heads, forming nine Sword Peaks on the ground: "Those who pass the three trials can become my Named Disciple." Amidst the surging Sword Qi, dozens of beings who had just developed intelligence were already being drawn in.
The Grandmaster of Heaven took a different approach. He strolled through the prairie, his Jade Ruyi enlightening the ignorant beings one by one: "Though your Aptitude is mediocre, you have the advantage of numbers." In the blink of an eye, a strange tribe composed of various Spirit Monsters had already taken shape.
Just as the internal development of the world was in full swing, Lin Xuan's heart suddenly jolted. Those rule fragments that had merged into the world had actually left subtle traces in the Chaos! Like fireflies in the night, although faint, they were exceptionally conspicuous in the absolute darkness of the Chaos.
Even worse, he perceived three unfamiliar wills slowly following these traces
Across the vast mountains and rivers, the footprints of Acquired beings spread like a prairie fire. At the foot of Kunlun Mountain, a tribe named 'Xuanyuan' lived, relying on the purple Qi spiritual fields cast down by Laozi. Most tribesmen were physically robust, cultivating the 'Yellow Court Scripture' to temper their Foundations. Below the Nine Swords Peaks, men and women, young and old, of the 'Lieshan' tribe all carried iron swords, honed day and night by the Sword Qi of the Yuanshi Tianzun, their temperaments as upright as swords. Around Biyou Palace, enlightened by the Grandmaster of Heaven, the 'Youchao' tribesmen lived in harmony with plant Spirit Monsters, excelling at weaving spiritual vines and driving low-tier Yao Beasts, exuding a vigorous wildness.
Three distinct Daoist charms, like three pillars holding up the sky, supported the cultivation framework of this newborn world.
Inside Zixiao Palace on Kunlun, Laozi lightly swept his whisk. An ancient jade scroll before him moved without wind, its Dao patterns flowing, clearly revealing detailed explanations of the three Realms: 'Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core,' and even vaguely pointing toward the higher 'Nascent Soul' Realm.
"The Great Dao is simple; embrace the primordial and maintain oneness." His voice was calm yet resonated like a great bell throughout the Kunlun region. "I establish the Human Teachings to educate all beings, seeking the Great Dao through non-action."
As his voice fell, the Heavenly Dao sensed it. Purple Qi condensed above Kunlun Mountain, transforming into the phantom of an ancient Dao seal that slowly sank into Zixiao Palace.
At the top of Nine Swords Peak, the Yuanshi Tianzun stood with his hands behind his back on a ten-thousand-fathom precipice. Below him was a chilling sword formation practiced by tens of thousands of Lieshan tribesmen.
"A sword is an instrument of slaughter, but also an instrument to protect the Dao!" His voice was cold, clashing like metal. "I establish the Chan Teachings to elucidate the Heavenly Dao, choosing those with superior natural disposition to pass on my methods, breaking all Laws with the sword!"
Nine dragon-shaped Spiritual Veins chanted in unison. Majestic Sword Qi soared into the sky, interweaving above the Nine Heavens into the phantom of a giant sword that slashed through Chaos, sinking into the main Peak.
Outside Biyou Palace, the Grandmaster of Heaven sat atop ten thousand acres of blue waves, a green lotus swaying beneath him. Surrounding him were oddly shaped but harmoniously breathing Spirit Monsters and Youchao tribesmen.
"The Heavens evolve into forty-nine, and man escapes through the one!" He laughed heartily. As he waved his jade ruyi, spots of vital light and rain nourished all things. "I establish the Jie Teachings to intercept a sliver of life from Heaven and Earth, teaching all without discrimination! All whose hearts for the Dao are unextinguished may enter my sect!"
Below, all spirits cheered, plants grew wildly, and countless tiny spiritual lights of vitality converged into an all-encompassing auspicious cloud, enveloping Biyou Palace.
"The Three Teachings of the Mystic Gate are established!"
Three grand declarations of will echoed through the world, triggering a resonance in the world's Origin! The clouds across the vast sky changed color. Three distinct yet synonymous Daoist charms, like three sea-settling needles, pierced deep into the world's rules. The originally scattered flow of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi instantly became orderly and majestic! The ignorant path of cultivation for Acquired beings finally had clearly visible steps!
Lin Xuan sat high at the core of the Heavenly Dao, feeling the world's astonishing transformation due to the establishment of the Three Teachings. The world's rules became more condensed and clear, the efficiency of Spiritual Qi circulation doubled, and the world's Origin was as stable as a mountain! What pleased him even more was that with the establishment of the cultivation system, the power gained by all beings in the world who stepped onto the path of cultivation—whether Innate or Acquired—flowed continuously into his heavenly dao origin like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!
The Bottleneck of the Middle Stage of the Void Dao Realm had long been broken. At this moment, his power was steadily climbing toward the Late Stage of the Void Dao Realm! The feedback power was surging and pure, far exceeding the accumulation from the ignorant breathing of Innate beings before.
'The leek field... has finally started producing efficiently!' Lin Xuan laughed in his heart as his will of the heavenly dao swept across the flourishing land. The warriors of the Xuanyuan tribe tempered their blood and Qi in the purple Qi; the Sword Cultivators of the Lieshan tribe sharpened their edges under the Sword Qi; the Beast Tamers of the Youchao tribe and the Spirit Monsters moved through the forest... Every being becoming stronger added another brick to his Foundation.
However, just as Lin Xuan was enjoying this pleasure of power growth and planning how to add more fuel to make the leeks compete even more fiercely—
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
Three cold, greedy, and destruction-filled wills, like three poison-tipped spikes, fiercely pierced through the world barrier beyond the vast sky! Their auras were clearly from the same source as the three previous probing fluctuations! They were no longer testing but carried naked intent to seize and destroy, dead-locking onto the core of his world!
"Found it! The source of the rule fragments!"
"A microworld! A newborn Heavenly Dao! Such nourishment!"
"Devour it!We will surely break through our stagnant state.!"
Mental fluctuations filled with madness, like a bone-scraping cold wind, directly penetrated the world barrier and struck Lin Xuan's will of the heavenly dao! Three terrifying phantoms of different forms manifested in the Chaos turbulence: one shaped like a distorted multi-eyed tumor, its countless eyeballs flashing with hungry red light; one resembling a hideous giant insect pieced together from countless sharp metal fragments, its mandibles tearing through Chaos as they opened and closed; and the last one was a mass of ever-shifting shadows, emitting a deathly silence that swallowed light.
Chaos Hunters! Following the aura of the world's expansion and the remaining rule fragments, they finally found the door with precision! The energy fluctuations they emitted were each far beyond the current Lin Xuan, clearly reaching the threshold of the Enlightenment Realm! For Lin Xuan in the Void Dao Realm and his microworld, this was a fatal threat!
"Not good!" Alarm bells rang wildly in Lin Xuan's heart. Three malices of the Enlightenment Realm pressed down like three giant Chaos mountains. The world barrier groaned under the unbearable weight, the vast mountains and rivers shook, and the newly ordered Spiritual Qi instantly became chaotic! Kunlun Mountain's purple Qi swayed, Nine Swords Peak's Sword Qi dimmed, and the myriad spirits of Biyou Palace were terrified!
The Three Pure Ones looked up at the sky simultaneously. For the first time, a solemn expression appeared on Laozi's usually calm face. Sword light surged in the eyes of the Yuanshi Tianzun. The Grandmaster of Heaven retracted his smile and gripped his jade ruyi tightly.
"Ant! Hand over the world's Origin, and you may be spared total annihilation!" The tumor monster's billions of eyeballs focused simultaneously, and a foul red light, capable of eroding Laws, shot toward the world barrier!
"Tear it apart! The blood and Qi of the beings inside will surely nourish my myriad-blade body!" The metal giant insect made an ear-piercing grinding sound, its massive body crashing violently!
"Shadows... return to eternal silence..." The shadow squirmed silently. Everywhere it passed, even Chaos seemed to be swallowed and dissolved by it.
No way to avoid it! No way to retreat!
The crisis of life and death was like ice water poured over his head, instantly freezing the slight complacency Lin Xuan had felt from his power growth. But extreme fear did not cause him to collapse; instead, it ignited the ferocity in the deepest part of his Soul! Who was he? He was the existence who had opened the heavens in Chaos and transformed into the Heavenly Dao! How could he allow others to covet his world, his leek field!
"Want to swallow me? Then let's see whose teeth are harder!" Lin Xuan's will roared, no longer hiding anything!
"World Barrier: Ultimate Defense!"
"Chaos Vortex: Reverse!"
"Origin Resonance: Activate!"
The will of the heavenly dao erupted with unprecedented intensity! The power of the entire world was frantically mobilized! Countless profound runes suddenly lit up on the world barrier, shining brilliantly, stubbornly withstanding the tumor monster's foul red light and the metal giant insect's impact! Simultaneously, outside the barrier, a massive Chaos vortex was generated out of thin air—not to absorb, but to violently spew outward! Its target was aimed directly at that spreading deathly shadow!
Caught off guard, the shadow was tossed about by the violently spewing Chaos turbulence, its swallowing momentum coming to a halt.
But this was only a temporary measure! The tumor monster and the metal giant insect, their attacks blocked, became even more furious, and even more terrifying power was brewing!
"Now!" A flash of ruthlessness and madness crossed Lin Xuan's eyes. He didn't choose to fight head-on but instead concentrated all his will of the heavenly dao and all the world's power into a single point—the 'channels' where the three hunters' wills had penetrated the world barrier and connected with the interior!
"Swallow... them in for me!"
Buzz—!
At the world's core, an invisible black hole seemed to appear! An irresistible, terrifying suction originating from the world's Origin acted in reverse through the three channels the hunters had opened themselves!
"What?!"
"No!!"
"This is impossible!!"
Three terrified shrieks of will rang out simultaneously! They were horrified to find that the will tentacles they had extended into this microworld, instead of seizing the coveted Origin, had become anchors for the other party to swallow them in reverse! That suction was so domineering it far exceeded their understanding of a microworld's Heavenly Dao!
They struggled desperately, trying to cut the connection. But Lin Xuan had been waiting for this moment! He used the core Profound Truth of his Golden Finger—the sum of the power of all Cultivators in the world! Now that the Three Pure Ones had established their teachings and billions of beings had stepped onto the path of cultivation, the feedback power was surging to its Peak!
"Roar!" Laozi's hair and beard flared out as a vast purple Qi erupted from his head, actively merging into the Heavenly Dao's suction!
"Slash!" The Yuanshi Tianzun pointed his fingers like a sword, and a Sword Intent that tore through the sky merged into it!
"Converge!" The Grandmaster of Heaven pointed his jade ruyi to the sky, and the vital power of myriad spirits surged and gathered!
Gathering the power of all beings in one world! Using the channels opened by the enemy! Executing a takeover through total devouring!
"No—!!!" The tumor monster's will let out a desperate wail. Its extended will tentacles, along with the portion of Origin attached to them, were forcibly torn off and swallowed! The will fragments of the metal giant insect were like shattered blades, violently sucked in! That mass of shadow was the most bizarre, actually trying to cut off its tail to survive, but a large chunk of its shadow essence was still torn away!
The three terrifying Enlightenment Realm wills, like scorched venomous snakes, shrieked and retreated into the depths of Chaos, instantly vanishing without a trace. Outside the world barrier, only three rapidly dissipating malicious remnants and a small amount of scattered, extremely pure Chaos energy remained.
Success!
Lin Xuan's heavenly dao origin vibrated violently. An unimaginably pure and majestic torrent of power, mixed with portions of the three hunters' Origins, will fragments, and Chaos energy, crashed in! The Realm of the Late Stage of the Void Dao Realm was instantly stabilized and began racing toward the Peak! The world was like it had taken a supreme tonic; the Spiritual Veins roared as they expanded outward again, the concentration of Spiritual Qi exploded, and the sky became higher and deeper! The profound runes on the world barrier faded, but it became thicker and more resilient, glowing with a faint Chaos luster.
The feeling of surviving a disaster made Lin Xuan's will tremble, but following it was an unparalleled sense of power and... a deeper enlightenment.
He "digested" the fragmented information gained from the devouring, especially the core, malicious, and fear-filled thought fragment left by the shadow monster:
"Damn it... not a fat sheep... a trap... that fragment... was bait... wait... my Master... will find you... and devour..."
Trap? Bait? My Master?
The wild joy Lin Xuan had felt from his sudden surge in strength was instantly doused by a bucket of ice water. His gaze toward the Chaos became incredibly deep.
It seemed that the true dangers in the Chaos had only just revealed the tip of the iceberg. And his "piece of fat meat" seemed to have been targeted by an even more terrifying existence.
However...
Feeling the power surging within him and looking down at the billions of beings in the vast mountains and rivers who were cultivating even harder after surviving the disaster, filled with awe for the 'Heavenly Dao,' the corners of Lin Xuan's mouth slowly curled into a cold and calculating arc.
"Since fertilizer has come to the door, why shouldn't I take it? Leeks... it's time to add some pressure and make you grow faster."
Having devoured portions of the Origins of three Chaos Hunters, Lin Xuan's will of the heavenly dao was like being injected with violent fuel. His Void Dao Realm Peak cultivation was thoroughly stabilized, and Chaos runes faintly appeared on the ten-thousand-mile world barrier, making its resilience far exceed what it once was. Inside the world, the earth veins roared as they expanded outward, and the ten-thousand-mile territory swelled to a hundred thousand miles! The earth became heavier, the sky grew higher and more distant, and the thin Chaos Qi was efficiently torn and converted by the world barrier, turning into dense Innate Spiritual Qi that shrouded the newborn land and mountains like a veil of gossamer.
However, the Innate Spiritual Qi was not evenly distributed. At Kunlun Mountain, purple Qi was as dense as liquid; at Nine Swords Peak, the Sword Qi was so stern it sliced through the spiritual mist; at Biyou Palace, vitality was abundant and Spiritual Qi turned into rain. Where the Three Pure Ones' Dao Fields were located, the Innate Spiritual Qi was so thick it almost couldn't be dispersed. In areas far from these three core regions, the Innate Spiritual Qi quickly settled and diluted, transforming into Acquired Spiritual Qi, which was more suitable for Acquired beings to absorb but had a much lower energy level.
Resource disparities naturally defined social strata!
Around the three major Holy Lands, tribes of Acquired beings rapidly grew, merged, and collided.
At the foot of Kunlun Mountain, the Xuanyuan tribe was no longer satisfied with the spiritual fields at the mountain's base. Their leader, Ji Xuanyuan, was draped in Black-Yellow Qi and held a stone sword—the Xuanyuan—enlightened by the Sword Qi of the Yuanshi Tianzun. He gazed toward the vast plains with burning eyes. "My tribe shall be the co-lord of the Human Race! We shall govern the four directions and honor the Taiqing Saint!" He integrated dozens of surrounding tribes and established a nation called "Having Bears," considering themselves the orthodoxy of the Human Religion. He widely recruited citizens with pure potential and hearts inclined toward non-action, and the nation's power rose steadily. Inside Zixiao Palace, Laozi sat in silent meditation with downcast eyes, seemingly oblivious to the changing dynasties below the mountain. Only occasionally would his whisk lightly sweep, and the descending purple Qi would thicken slightly, nourishing the capital of Having Bears.
At the foot of Nine Swords Peak, the leader of the Lieshan tribe, Demon God, had a temperament as violent as subterranean fire. Born with divine strength, he grew up bathed in the Innate Sword Qi of the Yuanshi Tianzun. His body was like cast iron, he had dual horns on his forehead, and he held a giant axe overflowing with Evil Qi. "Where the sword points, all races shall submit! Power is the only truth!" He conquered many fierce tribes and established the "Jiuli" Demonic Kingdom, honoring the Yuanshi Tianzun as their Ancestral Master. They respected only the strong, and the Law of the jungle was vividly reflected in the Jiuli Kingdom. At the summit of the Nine Swords Peak, the Yuanshi Tianzun watched coldly. Nine dragon veins surged with Evil Qi, injecting more violent Gengjin Qi and the Chaos killing intent into the Jiuli territory, tempering Demon God and his eighty-one brothers.
Outside Biyou Palace, the female leader of the Youchao tribe, Nüwa, received enlightenment from Sect Leader Tongtian and gained insights into the vitality of creation. She disliked war and led her people to weave spiritual vines, communicate with plant Spirit Monsters, and domesticate gentle Yao Beasts. "All things have spirits; we coexist and grow together." She united many tribes close to nature to establish the Ancient tribe of "Huaxu," believing in the Jie Religion's principle of teaching without distinction. Within the country, humans, Yao, and Spirit Monsters lived together. Although their power was dispersed, they were full of vitality and infinite potential. Sect Leader Tongtian sat upon ten thousand acres of blue waves, watching the development of Huaxu with a smile. As he waved his jade ruyi, more points of light containing vitality merged into the earth, catalyzing the growth of exotic flowers, rare herbs, and docile Spirit Beasts, silently strengthening Huaxu's foundation.
A tripartite confrontation had formed! The Having Bears Kingdom occupied the fertile central lands with a deep foundation; the Jiuli Demonic Kingdom entrenched itself in the rugged western regions with fierce combat power; and the ancient Huaxu Kingdom took root in the eastern marshes and forests with long-lasting potential. At the borders of the three nations, resource competition, faith conflicts, and ideological clashes were like a dry powder keg—a single spark could set it off!
Lin Xuan sat high at the core of the Heavenly Dao, coldly looking down at the beacon fires and prosperity on the land. With three nations standing tall, billions of beings struggled to survive amidst conflict and cultivation. The power they fed back to him was like a surging river, continuous and unending, pushing him firmly toward the threshold of the Enlightenment Realm. The power of the Void Dao Realm Peak allowed his control over the world to become even more refined and sophisticated.
'Still not fast enough...' Lin Xuan's will swept across the three nations. Although there were frictions, large-scale bloody battles had not yet broken out. Although the Three Pure Ones supported them secretly, they maintained a transcendent posture and did not directly intervene. In the remnants of the devoured Chaos Hunters, the shadow of "My Lord" hung over his head like the Sword of Damocles. He needed pressure, a catalyst, to make the 'leeks' burst forth with more brilliant light and heat on the edge of life and death! He needed... a Great Tribulation that would sweep across the entire world!
The will of the heavenly dao silently plucked the strings of the world.
Spiritual Source Tide: Low Point!
Silently, the concentration of Innate Spiritual Qi covering the world began to decline at an extremely slow but irreversible speed. The Acquired Spiritual Qi regions were the first to be affected, with the Qi becoming thin. Cultivation became difficult, and the success rate of breaking through a Bottleneck dropped significantly!
Heaven And Earth Treasures: Abnormal Movements!
Some originally deeply hidden Spiritual Vein nodes, Innate spiritual items, and even high-grade spiritual essences escaping from the edges of the Three Pure Ones' Dao Fields suddenly showed traces in the border regions of the three nations! At the foot of Kunlun Mountain, a ten-thousand-year Vermilion Fruit was about to ripen, its rosy light piercing the heavens; within Jiuli's borders, a dormant volcano suddenly erupted, spewing out a large amount of Ore containing Gengjin Essence; in a marsh of the ancient Huaxu Kingdom, Moonlight Spiritual Dew that could refine the Divine Soul rose up!
Contention! The pressure of survival and the temptation of advancement instantly overwhelmed the fragile balance!
The Having Bears Kingdom and the Jiuli Kingdom broke out in a bloody battle over the western mineral veins. Where Ji Xuanyuan's stone sword pointed, the Human Race battle arrays invoked purple Qi, upright and grand; Demon God's giant axe split mountains, his Devilish Qi reaching the heavens as his eighty-one brothers transformed into demonic gods, fierce beyond compare. The earth cracked, rivers changed course, and with every collision, hundreds or thousands of Cultivators fell, their blood Qi soaring to the sky!
The ancient Huaxu Kingdom tried to mediate, with Nüwa using the power of creation to calm the Evil Qi of the battlefield, only to be struck by the violent aftershocks. A flanking force from the Jiuli Kingdom took the opportunity to advance east, plundering Huaxu's fertile spiritual botanical gardens, igniting Nüwa's fury. From the direction of Biyou Palace, a Sword Qi of vitality that encompassed all things slashed down, forcing back the Jiuli demonic soldiers but also completely dragging Huaxu into the Chaos. With the three nations in a free-for-all, there was no longer any pure land!
War fires swept across a hundred thousand miles of mountains and rivers! Cultivators fell like weeds, and the mortal kingdoms were filled with lamentations. But amidst this extreme destruction and Chaos, what Lin Xuan felt was an unprecedented torrent of power!
The potential exploded by every Cultivator in life-and-death combat, the leap in power brought by every Breakthrough in desperate straits, and even the strongest will to exist of every being before death... all turned into the purest nourishment. Through the Laws of the Golden Finger, they flowed like a hundred rivers into the sea, merging into his heavenly dao origin! The Bottleneck of the Void Dao Realm Peak shook violently, and that invisible barrier leading to the Enlightenment Realm began to show minute but real... cracks under the impact of the irresistible power!
In Kunlun's Zixiao Palace, Laozi looked at the soaring blood-red Evil Qi below the mountain. A very faint ripple passed over his face, which was otherwise as calm as a still well, finally turning into a nearly inaudible sigh: "Non-action... can also be an action for the tribulation." A wisp of purple Qi flicked from his fingertip, vanishing into the battlefield and quietly protecting a trace of the Having Bears Kingdom's human Luck.
At the top of Nine Swords Peak, sword light flickered in the eyes of the Yuanshi Tianzun as he watched Demon God grow braver with every battle, his Evil Qi and Sword Intent merging, showing faint signs of breaking through the Golden Core shackles. "A killing tribulation is also a whetstone for the sword!" He pointed with two fingers, and a more pure and sharp primordial Sword Qi pierced through the air, merging into Demon God's giant axe.
Outside Biyou Palace, Sect Leader Tongtian watched Nüwa striving to protect living beings and enlighten spiritual plants amidst the fires of war, his eyes shining with unusual brilliance. "Seeking survival within the tribulation is the true meaning of finding the sliver of a chance!" As he waved his jade ruyi, the Dao charm of vitality containing the intent of 'intercepting heaven' fell like spring rain upon the warriors and Spirit Monsters of Huaxu, helping them resist the erosion of Evil Qi and explode with even greater power in the face of death.
The Three Pure Ones finally stopped being mere bystanders; they had made their moves! Using these hundred thousand miles of mountains and rivers as a chessboard, the Luck of the three nations as chess pieces, and the Infinite Great Tribulation as the furnace fire, they were tempering their respective 'Daos'!
Lin Xuan felt the power the Three Pure Ones actively released to merge into the world, and a cold curve formed at the corners of his mouth. Very good, the 'leeks' were not only growing desperately on their own, but the gardeners had also started 'fertilizing'! He greedily absorbed all the power brought by this Great Tribulation he had secretly promoted, impacting the barrier of the Enlightenment Realm.
Just as the fires of the Great Tribulation burned fiercely and Lin Xuan was about to touch the threshold of the Enlightenment Realm—
Buzz!
An extremely weak thought fluctuation, yet one carrying a certain grand uprightness that was completely incompatible with the current world's blood-red Evil Qi, suddenly rose from an inconspicuous small human tribe at the edge of the battlefield. Like a drop of water dropped into boiling oil, it pierced through the chaotic aura of the killing tribulation and faintly connected with the Heavenly Dao!
In that thought, there was no greed for power, no fanaticism for slaughter, only compassion for the collapse of order, a thirst for the continuation of civilization, and... a faint but incredibly firm thought of "protection"!
"Heaven's mandate... belongs to Zhou... end the war... promote benevolence..."
This strange thought, as weak as a candle in the wind amidst the overwhelming blood-red Evil Qi and chaotic tribulation Qi, possessed an indescribable resilience that caused Lin Xuan's will of the heavenly dao to pause slightly.
A variable?