Tianyan Supreme Enters Demonic Path

The edge of the Mystic Yellow Light Pillar had touched the churning dark purple mist of the Star Abyss. The mist seemed to have a tangible substance, its surging waves reaching billions of feet high. The Chaos Aura contained within it had been sedimented for billions of years, each wisp like a venomous snake tempered with Cold Poison, its scales shimmering with a ghostly light—a light that was faint yet could penetrate even the strongest protective Gang Qi of a cultivator, piercing the depths of their soul like a fine needle. It tightly entwined the passing stardust, and wherever it passed, even Star Core comparable to Immortal Gold would develop spiderweb-like cracks. The faint gray mist seeping from the cracks carried countless fragments of broken Dao principles, those fragments still trembling slightly, like the final lament of fallen cultivators, enough to shatter the Dao Heart of an ordinary cultivator into dust in an instant, completely erasing even the chance of reincarnation, as if they had never left a trace in this world.

The figure of the Tianyan Supreme, formed from stardust, trembled violently at this moment. The billions of stardust on the tassels of his Emperor Robe suddenly lost their rhythm— the Star Core, which should have followed the cycle of "birth-brilliance- Annihilation," erupted with a white light that tore through the sky the instant they were extinguished. The white light was pure to the extreme, without a trace of impurity, yet it possessed a domineering power like burning mountains and boiling seas, as if it wanted to burn away all the filth in the world. It illuminated the stardust within a hundred miles around, revealing every detail, even the spiderweb-like patterns of the star cores, and one could even count the direction of each vein, as if turning the pages of a book. Ancient books inscribed with the mysteries of the stars. But those tender, sprouting stars emerging from the Nebula withered visibly in the white light: the verdant tips first turned charred black, as if scorched by invisible flames, then the entire sprout curled up into ash, finally dissipating into scattered ashes. Those ashes were as light as a feather, leaving not a trace of warmth, as if they had never existed, leaving only a faint mark in the void—a mark like a teardrop, crystalline yet fragile, instantly scattered by the howling star winds, leaving no trace, like a dream that never happened, even the memory erased.

The Big Dipper Star Beads on his Purple-Gold Dao Crown suddenly shattered, the three crisp "cracks" particularly jarring in the deathly silent starry sky, like the mournful cry of the Heavenly Dao being forcibly broken. That mournful cry was filled with endless resentment and pain, causing the surrounding stardust to tremble. Those stardust, like startled birds, scattered and fled, only to be pulled back by Invisible Power, swirling in place, forming miniature vortices, as if trapped in an endless cycle of reincarnation.

The shattered Stardust did not dissipate; instead, it writhed like living things, each fragment emitting wisps of black energy as it twisted. When this black energy first appeared, it was as thin as a hair, exuding Bone Erosion cold; in the blink of an eye, it grew as thick as a python, its gaping maw seemingly ready to devour everything. It was identical to the Reverse Dao Origin Ren Xiaoyao had previously refined, only its color was deeper, as if millions of years of resentment and unwillingness had been churning and roaring within it. Those roars converged into an invisible sound wave, impacting the surrounding space and causing ripples in the void. The black energy swirled wildly around the fragments of the Dao crown, each movement leaving a dark trail in the void that lingered for a long time, exuding a chilling stillness. Even light seemed to avoid it, as if afraid of being tainted by that stillness and losing its own radiance and warmth.

"Order... should be the only one..." The Tianyan Supreme's voice was no longer the Daoist chant piercing through the sea of consciousness, but a roar like countless blunt knives simultaneously cutting through it, each word carrying a fragmented, bloody quality, as if forced out from the depths of his throat. The Daoist chanting emanating from the sea of consciousness was completely disordered; the harmonious and resonant rhythm became a shrill, tearing shriek, as if a million voices were vying for the right to speak, or as if countless venomous snakes were biting at the soul, the pain almost causing one to lose consciousness. "Birth and death? Merely the noise of order! Only by devouring you can the Great Dao Unity!"

The Mystic Yellow Current flowing around him abruptly reversed, its original surging trajectory instantly twisting into a ferocious vortex. The airflow at the edge of the vortex spun rapidly, emitting a sharp whistling sound, a whistling sound carrying an aura of destruction, as if capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart. The inner wall of the vortex still showed the unique and intricate patterns of order, patterns formed from the Principle of the Beginning of Heaven and Earth, each stroke containing the mysteries of the movement of the stars, yet they were tightly bound by violent black energy—that black energy frantically drilled and pierced through the gaps in the patterns, like a greedy swarm of ants gnawing at a dam, eating the orderly Star Orbit Totems into twisted, claw-like shapes. Every tear was accompanied by the mournful cry of shattered rules, a cry as faint as a spider's thread, yet piercing the depths of the soul, making one's heart tighten, as if one's Dao Heart would collapse in the next second.

Two extreme forces stirred up a raging storm within him: the Mystic Yellow Current like a mighty river, carrying the Heaven and Earth Righteous Energy, surging endlessly, trying to crush the black Qi and restore the purity of order; the black Qi, however, was like a bone-deep affliction, carrying Bone Erosion chill, following him like a shadow, trying to dye the patterns of order black and overturn the established rules.

Each collision caused his figure to fade slightly, and the edges of his star-formed body peeled away continuously. The peeling stars flickered in the void a few times before extinguishing completely, turning into Void, clearly a sign of demonic possession. Even the foundation that constituted his existence began to shake, as if it would completely collapse and dissipate into this starry sky at any moment, leaving no trace.

That brief moment of acceptance had become a crack in his millennia-old Dao Heart, like a tiny anthill. Initially inconspicuous, it was gradually eroded by his obsession, allowing the hidden obsession to transform into Heart Demon that grew wildly. Like vines entwining Sky-Piercing Ancient Tree, it took root and sprouted deep within his Dao Heart, absorbing his cultivation and beliefs, ultimately aiming to completely strangle his steadfastness of billions of years, turning it into nourishment for the Heart Demon, and causing him to utterly sink into endless darkness.

"Too much obsession becomes a shackle." Ren Xiaoyao frowned slightly, and the Chaos Current in his palm suddenly surged three feet, the intertwined light of blue and black illuminating his body in a flickering pattern, like the Day and Night Cycle. The Heaven-Covering Giant Wheel formed from the Life and Death Spring slowly hovered behind his head, the green mist and blue flames at its rim rising and falling gently with his breath like two giant dragons poised to pounce. The green mist carried the vitality of plants breaking through the soil, each wisp capable of sprouting tender shoots from barren star rocks, blooming with the colors of life; the blue flames contained the majesty of the Star Annihilation, each strand capable of calming restless stardust, transforming it into a stable Star Core. "You are obsessed with controlling everything, but you have forgotten that order should inherently accommodate the cycle of life and death."

Just as even the most precise Star Orbit trails must leave a gap for a shooting star to streak across the night sky, that gap holds the surprises of heaven and earth, unexpected vitality, and the energy to break the monotony.

Before the words were even finished, the Tianyan Supreme had already transformed into a streak of dark yellow light and rushed over. His speed was so fast that wherever he passed, stardust was compressed into flat, thin sheets with edges that gleamed with a cold, distorted light. It was as if even space itself was being torn apart by his speed, leaving behind tiny Space Cracks. Within those cracks flickered a dark light, like the eyes of an abyss, revealing endless danger.

The Daoist runes at the fingertips, which originally flowed with the World Laws, were now twisted into dense barbs, each barb shimmering with an eerie two-tone luster—the yellow and black parts attempted to assimilate everything, incorporating everything it touched into the framework of order, even forcibly correcting the trajectory of stardust, allowing no deviation whatsoever; the black parts, on the other hand, exuded Destructive Aura, aiming to completely annihilate anything that did not conform to the rules, turning it into Void, leaving not even a trace.

Two forces collided violently at the tips of the barbs, scattering twisted sparks. Those sparks landed on the stardust, causing it to experience both birth and destruction simultaneously: one moment it was radiating brilliant light, full of life, as if it had just emerged from Nebula; the next second it turned to ashes, returning to deathly silence, utterly bizarre. It was as if time itself had lost its meaning here, becoming chaotic and indistinguishable from the Past and Future, leaving only a terrifying sense of disordered rules.

The Star Chain Giant Net behind him unfolded once more, but this time it was no longer a neat grid of square holes. Instead, it was corroded by the black energy into countless Black Hole that devoured everything. The star chains at the edges of the Black Hole continued to mechanically contract, emitting a piercing friction sound, like metal scraping against metal, causing eardrums to ache and almost burst. Wherever it passed, stardust was forcibly compressed into sharply angular powder, even light was tightly gripped, struggling and twisting at the entrance of the holes, turning into eerie bands of light. These bands of light were forms of light forcibly distorted, exuding a desperate beauty, as if even light could not escape the confinement of this absolute order, and could only sink into despair within it, losing its former freedom and agility.

Instead of retreating, Ren Xiaoyao advanced. The reconstructed Tianyan Emperor Armor suddenly emitted a dragon-like hum, which contained the rhythm of Life-Death Cycle, like an ancient song echoing in the starry sky. It calmed the restless stardust around him, as if it had been soothed by the rhythm and found its own rhythm again, no longer panicking.

The Sky-Piercing Ancient Tree on the shoulder armor blossomed and bore fruit in an instant—its dark blue-green petals unfurled layer by layer, like a peacock spreading its tail, each petal bearing the Life and Death Characters." These characters were formed from the primordial energy of heaven and earth, possessing their own Daoist charm and radiating a faint halo, within which flowed the mysteries of birth and death. As the petals fell, they transformed into countless runes, sprinkling like fine rain onto the Starlink Black Hole. Each rune flickered with the shimmering light of Life-Death Alternation and death, as if miniature worlds were being born and destroyed, enacting the cycle of life and the flow of the Great Dao.

The moment the rune collided with the edge of the Black Hole, it gave rise to rings of pale green ripples of life. These ripples were gentle yet resilient, carrying an indomitable vitality, like tender shoots pushing through hard rocks, carving out hope in despair, gradually dissolving the Black Hole's Devouring Power, letting light shine through the darkness, like the first ray of dawn before sunrise.

The stardust swallowed by the Black Hole regained its form in the ripples: some transformed into soaring Star Sparrows, their feathers shimmering with starlight, their cries filled with the joy of life, piercing the deathly silence of the starry sky and leaving behind a crisp echo that reverberated through the cosmos, awakening the sleeping stars; others became swirling Mystic Fish, their scales flowing with Nebula, stirring up the surrounding energy as they swam, creating waves of starlight, their roars brimming with vitality, as if proclaiming the beauty and tenacity of life; and countless unknown plants and trees emerged from the Void, forcefully carving out a vibrant world in the place devoured by absolute order. Though small, this world was complete in every way, with flowers, birds, fish, insects, plants, mountains, and rivers—revealing the true meaning of the Life-Death Cycle, showcasing the tenacity of life, and inspiring awe at the greatness of life and the wonder of the Great Dao.

"The Heart Demon has taken root, yet you still refuse to awaken!" Ren Xiaoyao pointed his finger at the Tianyan Seal between the other's brows. The Yin-Yang Fish mark had already been half-eaten by the black energy. One half maintained its original order of flowing primordial chaos, while the other half had turned into a bottomless abyss of black, making a piercing sound like misaligned gears as it rotated, as if it were about to shatter at any moment. The sound made the Dao Heart of the one who heard it unstable, as if their own rules were about to go awry, and even their thoughts began to stagnate and become sluggish, like being trapped in a quagmire, unable to break free.

The instant his fingertips touched the mark, the Tianyan Supreme suddenly unleashed a deafening roar, a roar filled with endless pain and resentment, like a giant beast trapped in a cage howling in despair. The sound waves materialized into a tangible impact, spreading outwards, shattering stardust in their path into even finer particles. The chaotic power within his body erupted like a volcano dormant for billions of years, the shockwave, a blend of primordial yellow and pitch black, spreading in a ring, shattering the three surrounding star belts. Countless star particles were annihilated in the impact, turning into pervasive star mist. Within that star mist lingered the final wails of the star particles, refusing to dissipate, a mournful lament that evoked pity, yet left one utterly powerless.

A glimmer of clarity flashed in his eyes, a primal understanding of the Great Dao belonging to the Tianyan Supreme, a rationality honed over billions of years of cultivation, like a faint but persistent glimmer of light in the darkness. Yet, it was instantly overwhelmed by a deeper madness. "I am Order! Order tolerates no flaws! Any existence that deviates from its course must be eradicated!"

Just then, Ren Xiaoyao once again unleashed the Grey Pill formed from the Reverse Dao Origin. The pill hovered between the two, and the Life and Death Characters " suddenly shone brightly. The light was gentle yet penetrating, like warm sunlight piercing through thick clouds, illuminating dark corners, and projecting a clear image into the void—the life of the Old Ancestor Tianyan: when he first glimpsed the Tianyan, he stood by the Star Sea, his eyes gleaming with awe and joy for the Order Dao. At that time, his Dao Heart was pure, and the starry sky in his eyes was harmonious and beautiful; the rebellious Dao... During his cultivation, he struggled in the dark cave, the black energy at his fingertips and the Mystic Yellow Current tearing at each other repeatedly, his face full of pain and turmoil. Each time he circulated the reverse force, it felt like he was tearing his own Dao Heart apart. After ten thousand years of obsession, his eyes were gradually filled with resentment and venom, regarding all beings that deviated from the order as enemies, and his body exuded a chilling aura of malevolence. Finally, his image was frozen in the moment when the reverse force was stripped away, his bewildered eyes gazing at the unfamiliar starry sky like a lost child, that bewilderment carrying a trace of relief, as well as regret for the past.

"You see, going against the Dao is the product of the deviation from order," Ren Xiaoyao's voice was like a great bell, penetrating the Life-Death Runes and reaching the deepest part of the Tianyan Supreme's sea of consciousness. The voice carried the power to soothe people's hearts, like a clear spring washing away the polluted heart, gradually calming the restless soul. "The Power of Life and Death can refine it precisely because order should have room for self-correction."

Just as Star Orbit may occasionally deviate, gravity will pull it back onto its proper path rather than crushing the entire star.

"If you can't even tolerate your own Heart Demon, how can you talk about controlling the order of the Star Sea?"

The Tianyan Supreme gazed at the image projected by the Grey Pill, his manic eyes momentarily frozen. When he saw the clear eyes of the Old Ancestor Tianyan when he first glimpsed the Great Dao, the pure awe and love in those eyes acted like a key unlocking his long-sealed memories. He recalled standing under the starry sky, feeling the rhythm of the Star Orbit orbits, when he first comprehended the Dao of Order. That heartfelt joy and purity seemed to reappear yesterday, vivid in his mind, as if he could feel the excitement and anticipation of that time once again.

The black aura on the Tianyan Seal between his brows receded slightly, revealing the original luster of flowing Xuanhuang below. That luster was warm and peaceful, the most authentic form of order. Gone was the previous domineering and coldness, replaced by a touch of gentleness and inclusiveness. It was as if he had changed his appearance and was no longer the cold-blooded enforcer of order.

In that fleeting moment, the giant wheel of the Life and Death Spring behind Ren Xiaoyao's head suddenly accelerated. The two torrents of blue and black at the rim, like two shackles containing the Supreme Principles of Heaven and Earth, surged into his body through the gaps in the Tianyan Seal. Wherever the blue light passed, the black energy cowered and retreated as if encountering its nemesis, its original order forcibly stripped away, returning to its original Xuanhuang color. The process was like spring rain washing away the dust, with a gentle, silent nourishment, without the slightest violence, only just the right guidance. Wherever the black energy passed, the chaotic Xuanhuang power, like a ferocious beast that had been soothed, gradually calmed down and returned to the normal trajectory of the Yin-Yang Fish, as if it had found its way home, no longer struggling, as docile as a lamb.

This suppression was not destruction, but rather, using the Power of Life and Death and death as a guide, like a skilled craftsman repairing a broken Star Orbit, carefully guiding the misplaced power within him back onto the right track. Every adjustment contained respect for the Great Dao and reverence for life, giving people a sense of peaceful power rather than coercive oppression.

The Tianyan Supreme let out a painful roar, the agony of his Heart Demon being stripped away. Every inch of his soul was undergoing reshaping, like the struggle before a butterfly emerges from its cocoon—a heart-wrenching pain filled with hope. Yet, within the roar lay a sigh of relief, as if he had unloaded a burden of billions of years, allowing him to feel a long-lost ease. That ease spread from the depths of his soul, permeating his limbs and bones, making him completely relax, as if he had been freed from invisible shackles.

The rattling of gears within his body gradually subsided, and the distorted Star Chain Giant Net began to disintegrate on its own, turning into specks of starlight that returned to their Star Orbit and reformed into orderly patterns. The patterns were more complex than before, yet also more harmonious, possessing a greater sense of dynamism and inclusiveness. They were no longer the rigid and cold structures of the past, but were full of life and vitality, as if they had been reborn.

Half an hour later, when the last wisp of black energy was completely refined by the Power of Life and Death, the Tianyan Supreme staggered back three steps, each step leaving a dark yellow footprint in the void. Stars flowed within those footprints, a symbol of stable order, yet they also possessed a rhythm of birth and death, making the order no longer rigid, but flexible, as if it had breath.

The Tianyan Seal between his brows regained its flowing black and yellow hues, though its luster was much dimmer than before, like a precious jade covered in dust. Yet, it possessed a gentle warmth after enduring tribulations, losing some of its aloofness and gaining a touch of earthly warmth, as if it had descended from the clouds, tainted by the world's atmosphere, becoming approachable and no longer the unreachable supreme being.

He gazed at the Chaos Current still slowly flowing in Ren Xiaoyao's palm. The Path of Balance life and death contained within that energy was like a mirror, reflecting the deviation of his own Great Dao. This made him finally understand the limitations of his own Great Dao. His eyes were no longer filled with madness, but only with deep weariness and melancholy. It was as if he had aged millions of years in an instant, seeing through the prosperity and Void of the world, gaining a sense of clarity and understanding.

"I was attached to appearances..." His voice was hoarse, weak from surviving a catastrophe. The disordered stars on the Emperor Robe began to cycle normally again. New Star Sprouts sprouted from the Annihilation Star Core, and after the Star Sprouts grew, they bloomed brilliantly, and finally returned to Annihilation. The cycle repeated itself, and every step was smooth and natural, without any stagnation. "Birth and death are indeed the other half of order, just like day and night, neither can be missing."

Without the cycle of birth and death, order becomes a rigid cage, suffocating the vitality of heaven and earth, and trapping myself as well.

Ren Xiaoyao withdrew his power, and the giant wheel of the Life and Death Spring slowly shrank, sinking back into his dantian. The blue and black colors on the rim of the wheel gradually subsided, transforming into two soft halos that lingered around it. The halos merged with his aura, becoming one with him, making him appear even more reserved and profound, as if he were one with the entire Star Sea. "The Heart Demon has been eliminated. Take care of yourself."

If you remain obstinate next time, even the order of the Star Sea itself cannot save you.

The Tianyan Supreme nodded silently, then turned into a pure Mystic Yellow Light Pillar. This time, there was no more black energy entangled within it. Stars flowed within the pillar of light, orderly and exuding a pure and unadorned quality. The previous oppressive aura was gone, replaced by a sense of peace, as if it had undergone a baptism, been reborn, and transformed.

As the pillar of light sank into the Star Abyss, a long sigh echoed from the deepest part of the Meteorite Sea, a sigh filled with relief and understanding, as if an old man had finally let go of his obsessions. Then came the hum of stars returning to their Star Orbit, billions of stars finding their new paths, resonating harmoniously, as if the entire Star Sea was breathing a sigh of relief at this self-correction. The flow of stardust became smoother, carrying an inexhaustible vitality, no longer the deathly stillness of before, but brimming with life and hope, allowing one to feel the pulse of the Star Sea —the rhythm of life and order intertwined, gently yet firmly spreading throughout the Star Sea.

Ren Xiaoyao's Grey Pill trembled slightly, and the life and death inscriptions on the pill seemed to come alive, resonating with the pulse of the Star Sea to produce tiny particles of light. He looked up and saw that at the edges of the three star belts that had just been shattered, new stardust was gathering in the afterglow of the green mist and blue flames—the stardust was no longer cold fragments, but wrapped in a faint halo of life, rolling and colliding in the void like Grass Seeds in early spring, gradually outlining new Star Orbit trails.

Several stars collided, but instead of annihilating, they merged into a larger Star Core. On its surface, blue and black patterns appeared, marking the coexistence of the Power of Life and Death and the Principle order. It slowly rotated, causing the surrounding stardust to form tiny vortices. Within these vortices, dew-like Nebula condensed, and as they dripped, they transformed into shimmering starlight, sprinkling into the more distant void.