Aftershocks Settle the Universe, Sparks Light the Path Ahead

As the will of Sage Wanhua receded, the East Sea returned to "calm." However, beneath this tranquility lay a landscape and mindset among all factions that had been thoroughly reshaped.

The Dragon Palace submitted, offering treasures to plead for mercy.

Inside the Crystal Palace, a deathly silence persisted for a long time.

Dragon King Ao Guang and the Turtle Prime Minister sat slumped on the cold floor like statues stripped of their souls, the muscles beneath their dragon scales still trembling uncontrollably.

That holy word which acted directly upon the soul, that gaze which saw through everything.

And the supreme power that casually dispersed the Aura of Annihilation and forced back the Outer Heavenly Demons had completely shattered their last shred of luck and resistance.

Hatred? In the face of such an absolute disparity in strength and the threat of life and death, it seemed so laughable and pale.

At this moment, their hearts were filled only with lingering fear and the weakness of those who had narrowly escaped death.

"Your... Your Majesty..." The Turtle Prime Minister's voice was as dry as sandpaper rubbing together, "We... we must make a gesture... otherwise..."

He did not need to state what would happen otherwise, and Ao Guang understood clearly. Although the Sage had not immediately meted out punishment, his warning had rung like thunder in their ears.

If the Dragon Palace made no further gesture, the next time something descended, it would likely not be a voice, but total annihilation, just as the Water Army had been wiped away.

Ao Guang lifted his head with great difficulty, his dragon eyes gray and lifeless, devoid of the spirit that had once defined the hegemon of the East Sea.

His voice was hoarse, filled with a resigned despondency: "Issue the order... open the Ancestral Dragon Secret Treasury. Take out the 'Sea-Calming Divine Pearl', the 'Ten-Thousand-Year Azure Coral', the 'Essence of Innate Ren Water'... and also.

Take out that ancient remnant scroll that records a portion of the Primordial Water Element Dao Principles..."

Every item he listed was a treasure from the very bottom of the Dragon Palace's vaults, innate wonders and Great Dao inheritances that even the Phoenix Race and Qilin Race would covet.

Especially that remnant scroll of the Primordial Water Element Dao Principles, which involved the secrets of the world's origin and was incomparably precious.

"Prime Minister, you go personally... no, I shall go myself!"

Ao Guang struggled to his feet, his dragon body still somewhat limp, "You will accompany me to the Myriad Dao Academy... to plead for mercy!"

He used the words "plead for mercy." This meant that the Dragon Race, an ancient clan that had once looked down upon the Primordial Era, had completely lowered its arrogant head before Sage Wanhua.

Several days later, a highly dramatic scene unfolded above the East Sea. East Sea Dragon King Ao Guang, accompanied only by the Turtle Prime Minister and a few attendants carrying treasures, restrained all his dragon might.

Like the most humble of envoys, they arrived at the periphery of the Myriad Dao Academy.

They did not attempt to enter, stopping far outside the sea area shrouded by the Wenhua.

Ao Guang personally performed the ancient rites of the Dragon Race, bowing deeply toward the academy, presenting the gift list and a formal letter of apology, his words earnest and filled with the utmost humility.

This act was tantamount to declaring to the entire Primordial Era the total submission of the Dragon Race to Sage Wanhua.

As news spread, all factions were shaken once again, and their awe of Sage Wanhua reached new heights.

Inside the academy, Wanhua did not appear, merely sending down a decree to accept the tributes, stating: "The past is settled. I hope you will conduct yourselves well, guard the East Sea, and stir up no more trouble."

A light, airy sentence put a period to the affairs of the Dragon Palace.

But everyone understood that after this, the authority of the East Sea hegemon existed in name only; while the Myriad Dao Academy did not claim hegemony, it had become the invisible master of the East Sea.

The academy was reborn, with a thousand scenes of vitality.

With the Aura of Annihilation gone and the Dragon Palace in submission, the Myriad Dao Academy welcomed the best environment for development since its founding.

The gloom that had shrouded the academy for many days was swept away, and the light of Wenhua was more brilliant and dazzling than ever before.

Those disciples who had persisted through the crisis had undergone a profound tempering in both their willpower and their understanding of the Dao, with many seeing their cultivation improve.

Through this battle, Xuanjizi not only stabilized his late-stage Golden Immortal cultivation, but his "Platform of Seeking" Literary Palace had also integrated the realm of "The Unchanging Change."

It became more profound and vast, faintly possessing the image of encompassing all things and deducing the movements of the heavens.

His prestige among the disciples was at its zenith, and he had become the true pillar of the academy.

He began to systematically organize his experience in dealing with the Heart of Annihilation and his insights into the principles of "Change," setting out to compile the Introduction to the Principles of Change to provide guidance for future disciples.

Elder Teng's understanding of the "Cycle of Wither and Flourish" grew deeper; the few spiritual plants in the Medicine Garden that had broken through to stand anew had become a scenic spot of the academy, and the Dao rhyme of vitality they contained was of great benefit to the disciples' cultivation.

Yun Xi's "Void-Real Symbiosis Shield" became increasingly proficient, and she began attempting to apply its principles to reinforce the defensive formations in parts of the academy.

Jin Li, Mingxin, and the others also gained their own insights, their divine abilities and methods becoming more rich and mysterious.

Even more gratifying was that, perhaps encouraged by the news of the academy successfully weathering the crisis and the Dragon Palace's submission.

The number of living beings coming to attempt the "Three Heart Inquiry Trials" reached a peak, among whom were many with extraordinary origins and excellent character.

The scale of the academy's disciples expanded steadily, and the cultivation notes and divine ability deductions within the Scripture Repository became increasingly rich—a scene of a hundred flowers blooming and thriving prosperity.

Sage Wanhua occasionally sent down decrees to preach the Dao, the content becoming increasingly profound, beginning to touch upon the transformations of space and time, the connections of karma, and even a trace of the mystery of the Primordial Dao Fruit, leaving the disciples intoxicated.

Shadows from beyond the realm, the undercurrents remained.

However, just as the academy was flourishing, the "Formless Heavenly Demons" that had been startled away by Wanhua had not truly departed the Primordial Era.

In the twisted void where the Primordial Era met the Endless Chaos, that mass of blurred Demonic Mist gathered once again.

But its volume had shrunk significantly, its aura was withered and unstable, and the two points of scarlet light were filled with resentment and lingering fear.

"What a Wanhua! What a Primordial Chaos Sage!" The hoarse voice was filled with unwillingness, "To actually damage my origin... this grudge will be repaid!"

"Revenge against a Primordial Chaos Sage? With our current state?" A sharp voice carried sarcasm, "If we hadn't fled quickly, you and I would have already become another footnote in that book!"

"A head-on collision is naturally impossible..." the hoarse voice said coldly, "but the waters of the Primordial Era have already been muddied."

The Dragon Race is spent, the Phoenix Race and Qilin are watching from the sidelines, and the intentions of the Demon Race are difficult to fathom...

"And that Myriad Dao Academy, its 'Order' and 'Principles' are precisely our most delicious sustenance, yet also our greatest obstacle... Perhaps we should change our approach."

"You mean..."

"Find allies, or... create chaos. In the Primordial Era, those who harbor fear toward Wanhua are by no means few.

There are also many who harbor dissatisfaction toward that 'Education for All'. Furthermore... since the Chasm of Guixu has already been triggered by those fools of the Dragon Race, and the Annihilation Undercurrent is surging, this is our opportunity!

Lurk, wait, find the cracks in their hearts, and sow the seeds of despair... One day, this Primordial Era will become our paradise!"

The Demonic Mist slowly sank back into the depths of the twisted void, like a lurking viper, waiting for the moment to strike again.

Vitality Succession, the Path Ahead is Bright

Before the Hall of Understanding Principles at Myriad Dao Academy.

Xuanjizi and a group of Core Disciples stood on high ground, watching their fellow disciples below in the plaza—some practicing diligently, some engaged in intense debates, and others putting "Unity of Knowledge and Action" into practice within the Trial Zone.

Watching the Aura of Literary Splendor rise into the sky, growing ever more vast and righteous, he felt a multitude of emotions in his heart.

"Only after enduring hardships does one realize the difficulty of the Great Dao, and also that our path is not a lonely one."

Xuanjizi said slowly, "The trouble at the Dragon Palace has been temporarily quelled, yet the Outer Demonic Thoughts mentioned by Teacher still lurk in the shadows, watching us.

The road ahead may still be filled with storms, but our Dao Heart, tempered by this, is now indestructible."

Elder Teng nodded: "Indeed. Upholding righteousness while innovating, and never ceasing in the unity of knowledge and action—this is the foundation upon which our academy stands."

Yun Xi's eyes were firm: "No matter what challenges the future holds, protecting the academy and practicing our principles is our bounden duty."

All the disciples displayed expressions of determination.

They knew well that the Sage had cleared the obstacles before them and paved the way, but the scenery of the future was something they had to explore and protect themselves.

In the Chaos Space, Wanhua sensed the vibrant vitality of the academy and the firm Dao Hearts of the disciples. His gaze pierced through the endless void, as if seeing a much more distant future.

The vital fire has been ignited, its light growing ever more intense. This nascent fire of the Literary Dao, having been baptized by wind and rain, has not only failed to extinguish but has instead grown increasingly vigorous.

It no longer illuminates merely a corner of the East Sea; its radiance has already begun to shine upon the broader Primordial Era, and its philosophy is quietly changing the landscape of this ancient world with every step the disciples take.