Tianyan Supreme
Ren Xiaoyao's fingertips swirled with increasingly rapid blue and black light, like two surging Star River carrying the Dao of Extinguish Dao, crashing into the brow of the Old Ancestor Tianyan. The blue light seemed to carry the spring breeze across an endless plain, spurring forth the vibrant life force of countless plants sprouting from the earth, each wisp of blue light carrying the subtle sound of plants growing; the black light surged like winter snow covering the vast earth, settling into a chilling Annihilation, each wisp of black energy carrying the crisp sound of Ice Crystals condensing. The two extreme powers merged and collided at his fingertips, ultimately transforming into a harmonious yet incomparably domineering torrent, where even the stardust bowed in its wake.
The Power of Reverse Deduction that once made the entire Meteorite Sea tremble was now rapidly melting away like snow under the scorching sun in the Life and Death Interdependence. Every wisp of black energy emitted a subtle yet dense burst of sound when it collided with the Power of Life and Death, like countless wild beasts unwilling to be tamed making their last struggle in an invisible cage. The sounds gathered together and formed a tragic and desperate elegy.
Each wisp of black energy that left his body emitted a sharp, unwilling shriek that seemed to tear apart the starry sky. The shriek carried the stubborn obsession of ten thousand years of rebellious cultivation, and an instinctive resistance to the Laws of Life and Death, as if it wanted to shatter the Heaven and Earth Order. However, it was gently soothed by the soft halo emanating from the Third-Grade Green Lotus Mark on his palm. The halo was like the hand of a loving mother, gentle yet firm, turning all the violence into wisps of white smoke that dissipated among the stardust without leaving a trace, as if this ten thousand years of rebellion had never existed in the world.
As the last trace of resistance was stripped from the old man's body, the Old Ancestor Tianyan's body swayed slightly, as if it had lost all support. His bones made a series of subtle and dense "crackling" sounds the moment the resistance dissipated, like a bowstring that had been stretched to its limit for years suddenly loosening, carrying a fragility that was close to collapse, as if it would turn into dust with the slightest touch.
The madness and resentment in his eyes receded like the tide, so quickly that no one could react in time. What was revealed was not a beach, but a clear, bewildered look, like that of a newborn child looking at this unfamiliar world for the first time. Gone was the sinister and vicious look of the past; only confusion and helplessness remained around him. Even his breathing was cautious.
Ren Xiaoyao flicked his finger, and the black energy that had condensed the Reverse Dao Origin for ten thousand years was as if drawn by an invisible hand. With a trace of its remaining, insignificant struggle, it was like a dying venomous snake twisting its withered body in its last moments, but ultimately powerless to resist. It fell straight into the center of the Tai Chi Vortex of the Life and Death Spring without even the slightest deviation.
The green mist and blue flames at the edge of the cyclone suddenly tightened, binding it layer by layer like countless fine Golden Chains. Ancient patterns of the Heaven and Earth Laws flowed on those chains, each Dao Patterns shimmering with the majesty of the Great Dao, as if proclaiming the complete end of the rebellion. The black energy churned and roared wildly within the cyclone, causing ripples to spread across its edge. Each impact caused the stardust in the cosmos to tremble violently, as if it were trying to break free from the shackles of the Heaven and Earth Laws with its last ounce of strength, but all in vain.
Ultimately, under the alternating tempering of Innate Life Qi and Netherworld Death Fire, the malevolent energy gradually dissipated. The rage and arrogance within the black aura were gradually smoothed and dissolved, transforming into a dusty gray pill, simple and unadorned, yet exuding a tranquility that had settled after countless tribulations, as if it had seen through all the illusions of the world.
On the body of the pill, the Life and Death Characters flashed alternately in ancient seal script. The strokes of the Seal Script script were vigorous and powerful, as if they were carved with time as the pen and years as the ink. Each stroke contained the ultimate truth of heaven and earth, gentle and peaceful, without any trace of the previous domineering and violent aura. It was as if it were just an ordinary elixir that quietly recorded the common principles of heaven and earth, yet it caused the surrounding stardust to murmur.
"This Reverse Dao Origin is originally a branch of the birth and death of heaven and earth. Following the trend can be helpful, but going against the trend has become a dead end." Ren Xiaoyao looked at the pill floating in his palm and sighed softly. His tone was tinged with a sense of melancholy. In that melancholy was a deep regret for the Old Ancestor Tianyan's wrong path, as well as endless sighs about the Great Dao Reincarnation. His voice echoed in the starry sky, carrying a faint sense of emptiness.
Before the words were finished, a thunderous roar suddenly came from the deepest part of the Meteorite Sea. The sound seemed to come from the end of time, carrying a vast and boundless power as if the World Creation were splitting apart. It shook billions of stardust particles, each of which emitted a faint hum in the roar, as if they were paying homage in hushed tones. Even the halo of light that had remained constant for billions of years in the distant Ziwei Palace fluctuated violently, its brightness shifting, like a sleeping beast that had been disturbed slowly opening its eyes.
A massive Mystic Yellow Light Pillar, spanning thousands of miles, shot into the sky from the deepest part of the Star Abyss. The pillar contained an immense pressure powerful enough to crush the starry sky. Wherever it passed, stardust bowed its head, as respectful as subjects paying homage to their king; Nebula retreated, as devout as commoners yielding to an imperial procession. The entire Meteorite Sea fell into an almost frozen solemnity the moment the pillar of light appeared, and even the wind seemed to stop flowing.
A blurry figure slowly solidified within the pillar of light—wearing Purple-Gold Dao Crown, upon which seven Star Beads, inlaid with the Big Dipper, swirled in the direction of the Big Dipper, sometimes as bright as day, illuminating the surrounding starry sky as if it were daytime; at other times as dim as ink, swallowing all the surrounding light; dressed in Emperor Robe embroidered with the Zhou Tian Star Chart, the tassels hanging from the hem of the robe were actually strung together from billions of tiny stars, each star performing a complete cycle from birth to Annihilation at a speed visible to the naked eye, showing the dazzling brilliance of a star's first appearance, the dimming of Star Core burning out, the magnificence of Planets collision, and the silence of a galaxy collapsing, as if the rise and fall, glory and disgrace of the entire universe were condensed on this Emperor Robe, inspiring endless imagination.
"Ren Xiaoyao, you have broken my Tianyan Dao Lineage and seized my Reverse Dao Inheritance. How dare you!"
The sound did not enter through his ears, but resounded directly through Ren Xiaoyao's sea of consciousness. It was as if countless Dao sounds exploded in his sea of consciousness at the same time, causing his sea of consciousness to surge with turbulent waves. Every inch of space in his sea of consciousness trembled slightly under the impact of the sound, as if it was about to be torn apart, but it was firmly guarded by his steadfast Dao Heart and did not collapse.
Ren Xiaoyao felt the Zhou Tian Star Chart in his sea of consciousness tremble violently. The new shoots and withered bones on the Twenty-Eight Mansions Totem simultaneously lit up with Dazzling Light. That light penetrated the barrier of his sea of consciousness and resonated in a wonderful way with the Dao aura emanating from the figure outside. It was like old friends reuniting after a long separation, or like forces born from the same source sensing each other. Each resonance deepened his understanding of the Great Dao, and his Dao Heart became clearer and clearer.
He looked up and saw a Yin-Yang Fish -shaped mark hovering between the other person's eyebrows, slowly rotating. The edges of the mark were filled with black and yellow energy, which flowed endlessly like the Tai Chi symbol. It was the supreme symbol of the Tianyan Dao - the Tianyan Seal. The seal seemed to contain the order and rules of the entire starry sky, and each rotation caused the Star Orbit to be slightly adjusted.
"Tianyan Supreme." Ren Xiaoyao gripped the Heaven-Covering Giant Wheel formed from the Life and Death Spring, its blue and black hues swirling ever more rapidly, like two wild horses chasing and playing on its rim, stirring up ripples of energy. "Since you have transcended reincarnation and no longer concern yourself with the Star Sea, why do you still meddle in the conflicts of this mortal world?" His voice was calm yet carried an undeniable power, echoing through the starry sky and causing even the stardust to resonate with it.
"The Tianyan Lineage, even its unorthodox branches, will not tolerate outsiders interfering in it." The Tianyan Supreme slowly raised his hand, and a half-green, half- Black Lotus similar to the one in Ren Xiaoyao's dantian appeared in his palm. However, the surface of the lotus seed was not wrapped with Innate Life Qi and Netherworld Death Fire, but with countless fine golden Dao characters as dense as ants. Those Dao characters shimmered with the light of wisdom and rules, as if they were the language of heaven and earth.
As the Daoist inscriptions flickered, it seemed as if the World Laws flowed within them, sometimes transforming into surging mountains and rivers, displaying the earth's grandeur and weight; sometimes turning into dazzling sun, moon, and stars, showcasing the vastness and immensity of the universe. "What you have comprehended about birth and death is the natural law of heaven and earth; what I Tianyan is the order and rules of the starry sky. Today I will show you who is truly the master of this Meteorite Sea." His tone carried a majestic air of looking down upon all living beings, as if all things in the world were under his control.
Before the words were finished, the lotus seed at the fingertip of the Tianyan Supreme suddenly exploded, and billions of golden Daoist cultures soared into the sky as countless star chains. Each star chain was like a piece of refined gold forged over ten thousand years, shimmering with a chilling light of rules. They intertwined in the void to form a huge star net covering thousands of miles, firmly capturing every corner of this starry sky without a single gap.
The mesh of the net shimmered with an orderly light of black and yellow. Each ray of light, as it fell, condensed the scattered stardust into regular cubes, sharp and precise, as if to bring the Primordial Chaos starry sky into an absolute order, allowing no deviation whatsoever.
Even the eternally flowing Tai Chi Vortex of the Life and Death Spring and Death was firmly trapped in a corner by the Star Net, its rotation speed noticeably slowed down, and the interweaving of green mist and blue flames became sluggish, as if bound by invisible shackles. For the first time, the Power of Life and Death, which had been freely flowing for hundreds of millions of years, encountered such a strong obstacle and emitted an unwilling hum.
Ren Xiaoyao soared into the air, and the reconstructed Tianyan Emperor Armor emitted a deafening buzz, like the sound of High Antiquity war drum, awakening the battle intent that had slumbered for millennia; the blue and black light on the armor plates surged like a tide, sometimes converging into towering waves that crashed against the invisible barrier, and sometimes dispersing into trickles that seeped into every inch of space, unpredictable and elusive.
The Sky-Piercing Ancient Tree that had long since grown on the shoulder armor suddenly sprang up from the ground, its branches extending for thousands of miles in an instant at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. Like a colossal pillar supporting the sky, it slammed into the Star Chain Giant Net. A "crack" resounded through the starry sky, a crisp and resolute sound, as if it were the prelude to the shattering of order. The hard Mars was stretched open with countless spiderweb-like cracks, from which tiny golden sparks burst forth, scattering like Ruyan, drawing brief but brilliant trajectories in the starry sky before finally returning to Annihilation.
The lotus seeds on the breastplate fully bloomed, their dark blue and green petals swirling into two intertwined Light Wheel. Where the Light Wheel collided, a strange storm arose—warm enough to turn stardust into moist earth, the earth even carrying the fresh scent of rain and the vibrant energy of budding life; fierce enough to shatter stubborn rocks instantly, the fragments bearing the marks of burning, exuding a domineering power to destroy everything. These two extremes merged perfectly in the storm.
Where the storm passed, the mysterious yellow light on the star network was shattered into fragments, falling like shooting stars across the sky. Each fragment fell with the resentment of the broken order, yet helplessly dissipated in the Power of Life and Death, as if it had never existed.
"No matter how precise your order is, it cannot contain the impermanence of birth and death in this Star Sea." Ren Xiaoyao pointed his fingers into the void, and the giant wheel of the Life and Death Spring suddenly accelerated its rotation. The green mist and blue flames at the edge of the wheel simultaneously surged three feet, like two burning flames leaping and dancing on the edge of the wheel, actually burning out circular holes in the star chain. Those holes were like the silent counterattack of the Laws of Life and Death against the net of order, revealing unruliness and freedom.
A rich, primordial Innate Life Qi surged from the hole, falling like sweet rain. Wherever it landed, towering ancient trees quickly sprang up. The trees were lush and leafy, their trunks so thick that dozens of people would need to encircle them. The trees were laden with fruits that shimmered with starlight, plump and round, radiating an alluring luster, as if containing the very essence of life, attracting even the Star Sparrows to circle around them.
When the fruit ripens and falls, it explodes into a Netherworld Death Fire upon landing. The flame carries an aura of Annihilation, yet it is not utter destruction. From the sea of fire, tiny green shoots emerge, stubbornly growing under the scorching heat, endlessly regenerating, forming a wondrous and harmonious picture of life and death, silently telling the eternal truth of the Cycle of Life and Death.
A hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Tianyan Supreme, clearly not expecting that Ren Xiaoyao's Power of Life and Death could break his Order Star Network. The surprise was mixed with a hint of appreciation, as if he had finally seen a worthy opponent in the depths of the Meteorite Sea. The majesty in his eyes faded a bit, replaced by a more scrutinizing look.
Then, with a flick of his sleeve, the Star Chain Giant Net suddenly rotated in reverse. The burned holes were repaired by themselves at a speed visible to the naked eye as the golden Dao runes flowed. In the flash of golden light, the damaged parts were as good as new, as if they had never been damaged. It showed the astonishingly powerful repair ability of the order, with an undeniable stubbornness.
At the same time, countless stars shimmering with cold light fell from the mesh of the net, transforming upon landing into celestial soldiers and Heavenly Soldiers clad in black and yellow armor. Their armor was engraved with runes of order, gleaming with a cold luster and exuding an inviolable majesty. Every movement was perfectly synchronized, without the slightest deviation.
They wielded halberds engraved with Tianyan, the runes gleaming with a cold light. Their eyes were solemn and emotionless, as if they were merely tools to carry out orders. They charged towards Ren Xiaoyao in unison, their formation perfectly synchronized, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression, as if they wanted to crush any resistance.
The sounds of clashing armor and piercing halberds mingled together, creating a chilling Battle Song in the starry sky. The Battle Song was devoid of emotion, filled only with cold order and absolute obedience, sending shivers down one's spine as if foreshadowing an inevitable and brutal battle. Even the star wind carried a fierce killing intent.
"The Life-Death Cycle is inherent in the Heaven and Earth Order, so how can it be said to be beyond its control?" The voice of the Tianyan Supreme carried an unquestionable majesty, like an emperor proclaiming the truth, "The conflict between you and me is merely two sides of the Great Dao, there is no absolute right or wrong, but there is a distinction between strength and weakness." His words revealed absolute confidence in the order he controlled, as if nothing in the world could escape his control.
Ren Xiaoyao did not answer, but simply threw the Grey Pill formed from the Reverse Dao Origin into the charging Heavenly Soldiers' formation. His movements were calm and composed, as if he had only done a trivial matter, yet they carried a kind of all-knowing indifference.
The pill exploded the moment it hit the ground, turning into a sky full of gray Gray Mist. The Gray Mist contained both the ashes of weathered bones, bearing the vicissitudes of time and the marks of millions of years, and the warm luster of reborn flesh and blood, exuding the power of life and containing infinite possibilities. The two auras intertwined in the Gray Mist, forming a strange rhythm.
The Heavenly Soldiers, once touched by the Gray Mist, began a reverse cycle as if under a spell—their brand-new armor rusted and peeled off at a visible speed, revealing the flesh beneath; the flesh quickly rotted into bones, but the bones instantly grew new texture and skin, repeating this cycle endlessly, causing unbearable pain. Each cycle was like a ruthless subversion of the order they represented, causing cracks to appear in the rules they were so proud of.
The formation instantly fell into chaos. The originally chilling charge turned into a chaotic struggle, and cries of agony echoed through the starry sky. The cries were filled with fear and confusion, breaking the previous absolute silence and adding a touch of humanity to the starry sky. They also caused the cold order to loosen slightly.
At that moment, the Tianyan Supreme suddenly pointed his finger, and a stream of condensed Mystic Yellow Current shot straight at the Tai Chi Vortex behind Ren Xiaoyao. The energy contained pure Power of Order and carried an irresistible will, as if it wanted to completely reverse the Laws of Life and Death and death.
The vortex seemed to be manipulated by an invisible hand, beginning to rotate in reverse. The positions of the green mist and blue flames subtly interchanged, as if the entire Laws of Life and Death had been reversed, exuding a strange sense of incongruity.
The once life-giving green mist now carried a chilling cold, making it feel like falling into an ice cellar and freezing all life; the once fierce blue flames, however, exuded a warm aura, as gentle as a spring breeze, nourishing all things. This strange reversal caused the Heaven and Earth Laws to stagnate, and time in the starry sky seemed to slow down.
Ren Xiaoyao felt the Power of Life and Death within his body suddenly become chaotic, like two surging rivers colliding and stirring up towering waves. Every inch of his meridians groaned in pain under the impact of this power, as if they were about to be torn apart. The intense pain caused fine beads of sweat to seep from his forehead, but it did not shake his Dao Heart in the slightest.
A metallic sweetness rose in his throat, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, staining the lotus armor on his chest. The bloodstain stood out starkly against the dark blue armor plates, yet it resembled a crimson flower blooming in adversity, exuding an indomitable resilience and adding a touch of tragic grandeur to the contest.
Yet, in the midst of the excruciating pain of the clash of forces, he instantly grasped the key, raised his hand and pressed it against the center of the vortex, and proclaimed loudly. "If you can reverse the order, then I can reshape life and death!" His voice pierced through the pain, carrying a resolute confidence of destruction and rebirth, resounding throughout the entire Meteorite Sea, and inspiring even the stardust.
The Power of Life and Death of cyan and black collided and merged violently in his palm, bursting out with dazzling light. That light illuminated the entire Meteorite Sea, as if to dispel all darkness and confusion. Finally, a Primordial Chaos stream of energy was born. That stream of energy Primordial Chaos indistinct, yet all-encompassing, containing the primordial energy of the Beginning of Heaven and Earth.
The airflow, seemingly dim and lifeless, contained a powerful vitality that could be reborn from the ashes, as if it could give birth to a new world. It contained both the Hope of Life and the Silence of Annihilation, achieving an unprecedented balance that caused the surrounding Dao Dao to murmur in agreement.
Wherever the airflow passed, the Tai Chi Vortex that had been rotating in reverse returned to its original position, and the green mist and blue flames returned to their original trajectories, each performing its function. The Power of Life and Death began to operate smoothly again, as if the previous chaos had never happened. Everything returned to its proper order, but with an added touch of harmony.
Even the Heavenly Soldiers affected by the reversed Gray Mist returned to normal, but their eyes held a newfound reverence for the Cycle of Life and Death, and their charging pace subconsciously slowed. That reverence, coupled with a renewed understanding of life and destruction, added a touch of humanity to their cold gaze.
The Tianyan Supreme gazed at the Chaos Current in Ren Xiaoyao's palm, remaining silent for a long time. A complex light flashed in his eyes, showing surprise at the profound and mysterious nature of this power; scrutiny as he explored the essence and source of this power; and also a hint of barely perceptible recognition, acknowledging the unique value of the Dao that Ren Xiaoyao had comprehended. Finally, a trace of emotion appeared on his majestic face.
After a long while, he slowly withdrew his palm, and the Star Chain Giant Net and the Heavenly Soldiers and generals retreated like a tide, instantly dissipating into the stardust as if they had never existed. The retreating action carried a sense of acceptance and relief towards reality, as well as a trace of understanding of the multiverse of the Great Dao.
"Our paths are different, our techniques are different, yet each has its own logic, and it's hard to say which is superior. Let's end it here today." His voice had lost some of its majesty and gained more peace, as if he had let go of some long-held obsession. His tone carried a hint of weariness, but also a sense of relief.
Ren Xiaoyao watched as the Tianyan Supreme turned into Mystic Yellow Light Pillar light and sank into the depths of the Star Abyss. Where the pillar of light dissipated, the stardust resumed its flow, and the Nebula gradually stretched out. The entire Meteorite Sea seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and regain its free vitality. Even the starlight became much softer.
He looked down at the Chaos Current flowing slowly in his palm, within which countless scenes of birth and death seemed to flicker—the delicate sprouting of plants, the lush growth of their branches and leaves, and their withering in the autumn wind; the brilliance of stars tearing through the darkness at birth, the stable burning of main-sequence stars, and their fading into silence; the innocent cries of life at birth, the youthful exuberance, and the peaceful passing in old age... Each scene was clear and vivid, rotating like a revolving lantern, silently telling the solemnity and wonder of the cycle of life.
Suddenly I realized that birth and death, and order, are the two wheels that make up this Meteorite Sea. Neither can be missing. If either one is missing, the Star Sea will lose its foundation of balance.