Above the Imperial Palace Square, anomalous phenomena suddenly arose.
The Chaotic Dao Domain enveloped the area, and two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven powerful auras surged skyward. Dao Seeds absorbed the Origin True Intent, growing wildly, and their power nourished their hosts. Above the Nine Heavens, spiritual energy poured down like a breaching flood!
"Boom—!"
The sound of the first Bottleneck shattering exploded! A Disciple with a Gold Element Dao Seed shot out electric light from his eyes, and the sharpness around his body solidified. His Golden Core shattered, and a Nascent Soul embryonic form condensed in an instant!
"Boom boom boom boom—!"
The roars of Breakthroughs continuously erupted, and the Square turned into a raging sea of boiling spiritual energy. Foundation Establishment broke through to Golden Core, Golden Core condensed Nascent Soul, Nascent Soul transformed into Primordial Spirit… Nascent Soul Condensation! Soul Transformation! Void Refining! Major Realm barriers were pierced one after another!
The surging tide formed a massive vortex, stirring up the wind and clouds for ten thousand miles! Above the Imperial Palace, ten thousand rays of colorful light shone, auspicious Qi surged, and Laws manifested as Dragon and serpent phantoms, churning in the spiritual tide. Vast pressure swept across the Immortal Dynasty's Imperial Capital!
"Hiss—!"
Throughout the Imperial Capital, powerful Cultivators in secluded cultivation were startled. Countless mighty Divine Thoughts tore through the Void Realm and locked onto the Imperial Palace Square in horror.
"Three thousand people… breaking through Realms simultaneously!"
On the cloud, Pavilion Master Ji's hand, resting on his sword, suddenly tightened. A crack appeared on his usually unperturbed face.
"Chaos as the furnace, Great Dao as the fuel…"
Ge Xuan trembled slightly with excitement, his eyes flashing brightly as he stared intently at that Chaotic Dao Domain.
Deep within the Imperial Palace, several gazes penetrated the palace walls, falling upon the surging Chaos, silent and heavy as ten thousand tons.
Within the Dao Domain, the Breakthrough storm intensified.
A sturdy Cultivator possessing an Earth Element Dao Seed roared to the sky, his body rising steadily, muscles bulging like rocks, and the star-core heavy gold ground beneath his feet cracked open in a spiderweb pattern! His Soul Transformation Peak aura directly slammed into the Void Refining barrier!
The female Cultivator with a Wind Element Dao Seed flickered like smoke, leaving trails of afterimages in her wake. Her speed tore through space, and the spatial profundities of the Void Realm appeared prematurely!
The Fire Element Dao Seed holder transformed into a human torch, flames burning the sky; the Wood Element Dao Seed holder had vines growing wildly around his body, spiritual energy flowers blooming; the Water Element Dao Seed holder turned into a deep pool, Devour ten thousand acres of spiritual tide…
Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven people, two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven storm eyes, frantically devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, their Realms skyrocketing! The Chaotic Dao Domain was filled with various Dao Rhythms and torrents of spiritual energy, dazzling and violent.
Li Mu hovered at the center of the storm, his plain robe billowing like clouds. His aura was one with the Chaotic Dao Domain, like an ancient reef, unmoving. His deep eyes reflected the scene of Dao Seeds sprouting and Disciples breaking through below. In the depths of his eyes, a phantom of the Chaos Dao Tree circulated.
Deep within the Imperial Palace.
Several gazes penetrated the palace walls, falling upon the surging Chaotic Dao Domain on the Square, heavy as ten thousand tons. Divine Thoughts intertwined, sharp as needles.
"Three thousand Mahayana Dao practitioners…" A Divine Thought fluctuated, subtly revealing apprehension.
"This power is terrifying. If they harbor ill intentions…" Another Divine Thought responded, chillingly.
...
Upon the Nine Dragon Imperial Throne, the Great Qian Emperor's eyes were solemn. He slowly raised his hand, and an invisible will suppressed the restless Divine Thoughts.
"A great tribulation is approaching!" The Emperor's Divine Thought, like a grand bell, resonated through the Sea of Consciousness of all the powerful experts: "This power is a blade to slay the Deva Race! Li Mu, a practitioner of the Chaotic Great Dao, is the nemesis of the Deva Race! Do not harbor unwarranted suspicion!"
The invisible Imperial might quietly diffused, like the most stable cornerstone, silently and completely soothing and suppressing the last trace of restlessness and suspicion in the Divine Thoughts of the powerful experts.
No words were needed; the Emperor's will was already like a brand, clearly etched into the hearts of all powerful experts who perceived this place: observe quietly, do not disturb.
Within the Chaotic Dao Domain, the storm intensified.
The sturdy Cultivator with the Earth Element Dao Seed let out a muffled, thunderous roar to the sky. His body surged rapidly as spiritual energy poured into him, his muscles bulging and knotting, as if covered in rock armor. The hard star-core heavy gold ground beneath his feet could no longer bear it, and with a "crack," huge spiderweb-like fissures appeared. His Soul Transformation Peak aura, like a savage beast, wildly crashed against the Void Refining Realm's barrier!
The female Cultivator with the Wind Element Dao Seed became ethereal and unpredictable, as if merging with the wind, leaving only trails of condensed, lingering afterimages. Her speed was so great that it actually pulled out subtle black folds in space—the spatial profundities that could only be initially grasped in the Void Refining Realm appeared prematurely!
The Fire Element Dao Seed holder's body was engulfed in sky-reaching flames, their color shifting from crimson to blazing white and green. They incinerated the sky and boiled the sea. Vines grew wildly around the Wood Element Dao Seed holder's feet, intertwining and even blooming into strange spiritual flowers adorned with Dao patterns. The Water Element Dao Seed holder transformed into a deep vortex, Devour the pouring spiritual tide, with a low hum emanating from its depths…
Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven storm eyes, two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven sources frantically devouring the spiritual energy of heaven and earth! The Realm barriers, under the sprouting of Dao Seeds and the nourishment of spiritual energy, were breached one after another like paper, and their cultivation surged at an astonishing speed!
The entire Chaotic Dao Domain was completely filled with violent Dao Rhythms of various colors and surging torrents of spiritual energy, dazzling and deadly.
Seven days later, Li Mu stopped this Dao derivation and lecture.
"The Dao has been explained. From now on, your cultivation depends entirely on your own comprehension." Li Mu opened his eyes and looked around at his Disciples, his words clearly entering the ears of each Disciple: "I hope you will cultivate diligently and tirelessly, and achieve Epiphany of the Great Dao's True Intent early."
On the Square, two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven Disciples stood solemnly and responded in unison, their voices shaking the clouds: "Disciples respectfully thank Teacher for the grace of imparting the Dao!"
As the sound fell, all the Disciples bowed in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, like a forest after a sudden storm.
After the ceremony, no one spoke further. They each turned and dispersed silently and orderly. On the Square, only the spiritual energy aftermath, not yet fully settled, remained, along with the lingering Dao Domain remnant that enveloped everything.
Li Mu's figure flickered and appeared in a quiet room deep within 'Jingyuan Valley'.
The room was empty and silent, with only the Chaos Dao Rhyme circulating. He sat cross-legged with closed eyes, his spirit sinking into his Sea of Consciousness.
The Chaos Treasure Mansion Seed hung in the center, its light contained. The Chaos Dao Tree phantom, rooted in the Chaos Qi Sea, spread its branches and leaves, more solid than before the lecture. Three thousand roots extended into the Void Realm, connecting to the embryonic Dao Fruits scattered in various places.
Li Mu's mind swept over, sensing the "growth" of each 'Dao Seed': the Gold Element Dao Fruit's sharpness was contained, poised for action; the Earth Element Dao Fruit was heavy and condensed, its Foundation gradually solidifying; the Wind Element Dao Fruit was agile and elusive, its trajectory unpredictable… Two thousand nine hundred and ninety-seven Dao Fruits, though varied in form, all possessed vigorous vitality, absorbing the remaining Chaos Dao Rhyme from heaven and earth, slowly growing. They were slightly less developed than Lin Xiaolun, Tie Tou, and Da Niu's three Dao Seeds, but they would catch up soon.
Outside the quiet room, a figure suddenly appeared.
A steady voice penetrated the Restriction and clearly entered: "Ji Yu of the Xuan Pavilion, by order of the Emperor, requests an audience with Dao Friend Li, to deliver the required items."
Li Mu's eyelids opened, his deep gaze shifting slightly. He instantly knew the visitor's intention. With a thought, the Chaos Dao Rhyme enveloping the quiet room naturally receded, and the invisible barrier isolating the outside world quietly dispersed.
The quiet room door opened silently.
Li Mu had already risen and stood in the room, his plain robe fluttering, his aura condensed. He looked at Ji Yu standing outside the door and nodded slightly: "Pavilion Master Ji, please come in."
Ji Yu stepped inside, holding a box that was neither gold nor jade. He looked at Li Mu and said solemnly: "Dao Friend Li, the Emperor ordered me to retrieve three rare items from the depths of the Xuanhuang Treasure Vault to help Fellow Daoist stabilize your Dao Realm."
Ji Yu's fingertip touched the jade box, and the lid slid open silently, revealing a folded space within. Three rare items floated out, each emitting distinct and vast Origin auras.
The first was a fist-sized mass of gray, hazy airflow that constantly collapsed and expanded. Within it, Chaos surged, as if scenes of creation and the return of all things to the Void Realm were constantly being born and dying.
"This is 'Primordial Qi,' gathered from the unformed depths of the Chaos Sea. It contains the most primitive Chaos Origin, wild and untamable. Only a great expert can touch it," Ji Yu introduced, his gaze solemn.
The second item: a pigeon-egg-sized crystal, black as ink. The crystal's surface was smooth, yet it seemed capable of devouring all light and vitality, emitting a pure, annihilating death intent, even slightly distorting the surrounding space.
"This is the 'Crystal of Returning to the Void Realm,' also a nine-rank divine object. Legend has it that it is the core crystal remaining after a world completely perished and returned to eternal stillness, containing the ultimate True Intent of Annihilation," Ji Yu said, looking at Li Mu, as he introduced it.
The third item: a foot-long, dry, gnarled branch. The branch appeared withered, yet its surface flowed with a warm, jade-like emerald green light. A rich creative power overflowed from it, causing tiny, nascent bud phantoms to faintly appear on the branch's surface.
"This is a 'Remnant Branch of the World Tree.' It is said to have been touched by the Origin vitality of creation itself, containing the power of creation and transformation," Ji Yu said, his eyes filled with reverence when he looked at this item, then introduced it solemnly to Li Mu.
"The Emperor said these three items can lend Fellow Daoist a hand." Ji Yu looked at Li Mu, his gaze complex, and swept over Li Mu's body again, sensing the immense Dao Rhyme, hidden yet connected to three thousand Dao Fruits. His voice was low: "Fellow Daoist's seven days of Dao derivation allowed three thousand Disciples' Dao Seeds to take root, Dao Fruits to initially condense, and their cultivation to break through natural barriers… Such methods are truly divine, something Ji Yu has never witnessed in his life, utterly astounding."
Li Mu's gaze calmly swept over the three rare items. The wild Chaos of the Primordial Qi, the deathly stillness and annihilation of the Crystal of Returning to the Void Realm, the vigorous creation of the Remnant Branch of the World Tree… Three completely different auras, yet all pointing directly to the Origin, caused the Chaos Treasure Mansion Seed in his Sea of Consciousness to subtly throb. The roots of the Dao Tree phantom seemed to become a little more active.
In his gaze, the attributes of the three rare items appeared on the panel one by one.
【Primordial Qi】
【Rank: nine-rank divine object】
【Characteristics: Origin Traces Grandmist, Qi Derives Ten Thousand Forms, Chaos Mother Qi, Cycle of Creation and Destruction】
【Primordial Qi, a nine-rank divine object, a mass of Origin Mother Qi that existed since the time before Grandmist was divided. Its form is a constantly surging gray, hazy airflow. Within it, Chaos churns, and scenes of creation and the return of all things to the Void Realm cycle through birth and death, embodying the most primitive and fundamental Chaos Law. It carries the ultimate mystery before the birth of the Universe, the Origin of all Qi, the source of all power, containing the purest and most essential Chaos Origin. Activating this Qi can unleash its inherent world-creating power, restructure Laws, and re-establish earth, fire, wind, and water, with power sufficient to overturn the Universe.】
【Crystal of Returning to the Void Realm】
【Rank: nine-rank divine object】
【Characteristics: Abyss Swallows Ten Thousand Realms, Crystal Condenses End of Dharma, Eternal Stillness True Essence, All Calamities Still】
【Crystal of Returning to the Void Realm, a nine-rank divine object, the ultimate crystal formed after a Major Thousand Worlds completely perished and returned to eternal stillness, its core stillness will and annihilation Law condensing over countless ages. Its form is a pigeon-egg-sized crystal, black as ink, its surface smooth yet devouring all light, heat, and vitality, emitting a pure, ultimate True Intent of deathly stillness. It carries the ultimate mystery of a world's end, the concretization of annihilation, the source of stillness, containing the purest and most essential Origin of Returning to the Void Realm.】
【Remnant Branch of the World Tree】
【Rank: Nine-Rank Creation Divine Object】
【Characteristics: Branch Connects Ten Thousand Realms, Trunk Supports Heavenly Axis, Leaves Derive Creation, Veins Connect Origin Sea, Immortal Foundation, Spirit Nurtures Three Thousand Realms】
【Remnant Branch of the World Tree, a Nine-Rank Creation Divine Object, a remnant from the legendary ancient divine tree, the World Tree, which connected all heavens and supported the Universe. Although its form is a foot-long withered, gnarled branch, it flows with a warm, jade-like emerald green divine light. Extremely rich creative power overflows from it, and tiny, nascent bud phantoms even sprout from its withered parts, embodying the supreme Dao Rhyme of the cycle of growth and decay, continuous life. It carries the original vitality from the beginning of creation, the root of creation, the ancestor of all spirits, containing the purest and most sacred Origin of Creation.】
"The Emperor is thoughtful." Li Mu's spirit subtly stirred with genuine gratitude. He reached out and took the jade box. The lid closed, isolating the heart-pounding Origin fluctuations.
Ji Yu bowed slightly: "My duty is done. If Fellow Daoist has no other matters, Ji Yu will take his leave. In the future, the tribulation of the Deva Race will still require Dao Friend Li's efforts!"
"Fellow Daoist Ji, rest assured, and please assure the Emperor, Li will not shrink from this!" Li Mu nodded solemnly.
Ji Yu said no more, simply bowed, turned, and strode away, returning to report to the Emperor.
The quiet room door closed silently.
Li Mu's gaze returned to the jade box in his hand. His fingertip moved, and the lid reopened. The three rare items floated out: the surging Chaos of the Primordial Qi, the deathly stillness and devouring power of the Crystal of Returning to the Void Realm, and the creative light of the Remnant Branch of the World Tree. Three completely different Origin auras instantly filled the quiet room, causing the Void Realm to tremble slightly.
Li Mu sat cross-legged.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Chaos Treasure Mansion's spiritual light suddenly flared brightly. The Chaos Dao Tree phantom, rooted in his Qi Sea, swayed wildly, its three thousand roots dancing frantically, emitting a strong sense of craving.
"Come!"
Li Mu's mind stirred.
The surging, collapsing "Primordial Qi" was the first to respond, transforming into a gray stream of light and directly submerging into Li Mu's glabella!
Boom—!
His Sea of Consciousness shook violently! The wild, primitive Chaos aura, like a giant axe splitting the heavens, instantly ignited his entire Chaos Qi Sea! The Dao Tree phantom's roots greedily plunged into this most fundamental Chaos Mother Qi, its branches and leaves growing wildly, becoming even more solid and substantial. The Chaos runes flowing on the tree's trunk flared with light, as if about to recreate heaven and earth!
Immediately after, the "Crystal of Returning to the Void Realm," that devouring, pitch-black crystal, silently merged into Li Mu's chest at the Dantian. An ultimate, pure deathly stillness instantly permeated his limbs and bones, as if to completely freeze and annihilate all vitality and all existence! Even the Chaos Qi Sea within his Sea of Consciousness froze for a moment.
However, the Chaos Dao Tree phantom suddenly trembled! The runes flowing on its main trunk lit up, forcefully resisting this annihilation power, and even beginning to guide and absorb this True Intent of deathly stillness from Returning to the Void Realm. That deathly blackness actually condensed into tiny, deep ink-colored crystals at the ends of some branches on the tree, emitting an aura of annihilating all things.
Just as the deathly coldness was about to completely gain the upper hand, the "Remnant Branch of the World Tree" moved. The foot-long withered branch transformed into a warm, emerald green ray of light, landing in Li Mu's Dantian Qi Sea. A vast and boundless creative power erupted with a roar! Like a volcano dormant for eons erupting with endless vitality, the warm, jade-like emerald green light instantly flowed throughout his body, countering the deathly stillness of Returning to the Void Realm, and nourishing his Sea of Consciousness and Meridians, which were being impacted by the Chaos Primordial Qi!
On the withered branch, those tiny bud phantoms suddenly solidified, actually drawing out an extremely subtle, yet infinitely vital, emerald green new sprout!
Three forces intertwined, collided, and fused within Li Mu's body!
Chaos as the Foundation, the cycle of creation and destruction! Creation resisted deathly stillness, deathly stillness tempered vitality, and Chaos embraced everything!
Li Mu's body became the most intense battlefield, and also the best furnace. Beneath his plain robe, his skin sometimes flowed with Chaos Qi, sometimes was covered in deathly black crystals, and sometimes emitted a warm, emerald divine light. His face was serene, his eyes tightly closed. Only the light of the Chaos Treasure Mansion Seed at his glabella flickered, reflecting the astonishing transformation occurring in the Dao Tree phantom within his Sea of Consciousness.
The tree's body became more condensed and substantial, its main trunk thickened by a circle, and the Chaos runes became deeper and more complex. Three thousand roots traversed the Void Realm, becoming tougher and more powerful, their ends subtly entwined with faint gray, black, and green light. Among its branches and leaves, in addition to the original Chaos Dao Rhyme, the world-creating power of creation and the True Intent of Returning to the Void Realm that annihilates all things were added!
The Chaos Dao Tree was slowly growing! (End of Chapter)
