Su Linxian looked at Mu Chiyu and asked.
"What do you want?"
Mu Chiyu fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly.
"The Immortal Ancient Imperial Court possessed two origin-grade divine treasures."
"One was the Kunwu Mirror. The other..."
"Was the Primordial Imperial Court."
At this, she raised her head and met Su Linxian's eyes.
"With my strength alone, I cannot reclaim the core Primordial Imperial Court."
"I only want the two incomplete Primordial Imperial Courts. As for the Kunwu Mirror and all the treasures in the other imperial courts..."
"You can have everything."
Oh?
Su Linxian pondered for a moment.
The Primordial Imperial Court was an enormous supreme treasure. Precious though it was, it was of little use to him.
Besides, this origin-grade treasure was already broken and incomplete. Restoring it would demand vast resources, with no telling how many years it would take.
The Kunwu Mirror, on the other hand, is rather impressive... it reflects the past and future, and sees through the river of fate.
These terms...
Aren't entirely unacceptable.
Su Linxian nodded slightly.
"Very well."
"We'll do as you say."
Hum.
As his words fell...
Su Linxian took the incomplete Primordial Imperial Court out of his system space.
The incomplete imperial court shrank to the size of his palm. Ancient golden Dao patterns flowed across its surface, radiating a weathered, weighty aura, as though an entire world had been compressed into a few inches.
With a casual toss, he passed the imperial court to her.
"Take it."
"We're going to Immortal Mountain."
"But before that, this Divine Son needs to cultivate."
Mu Chiyu froze for a moment.
She instinctively reached out to catch the imperial court. The instant her fingertips touched it, her body trembled faintly.
Emotions of overwhelming complexity surged through her cool eyes: nostalgia, melancholy... and a trace of sorrow buried for millions of years.
She had once lived in this imperial court.
For ten thousand years.
Mu Chiyu held the remnants of an entire era in both hands.
Suddenly, she raised her head and said.
"Even incomplete, the Primordial Imperial Court is enough to drive the Myriad Heavens mad."
"You... aren't afraid I'm deceiving you?"
Su Linxian glanced at her and said indifferently.
"It would make a decent nutcracker."
"Besides..."
He raised a finger and lightly pointed at the void behind the Spirit Boat.
Bang!
A terrifying force flashed past Mu Chiyu's side.
Her long black hair whipped wildly into the air.
There was no sound, no splash.
The void behind her collapsed and vanished in an instant.
Suddenly...
Crack, crack, crack...
Space, time, spiritual energy, Dao laws... everything dissolved into nothing beneath that single finger.
Even the spatial turbulence left by the collapsing void ceased to exist. Only chaotic darkness remained, like the primordial state before heaven and earth first opened.
A return to the primordial.
Mu Chiyu turned to look.
Her pupils contracted sharply, disbelief surging through her golden eyes.
An exceedingly faint trace of Dao resonance lingered within the annihilated void. That was power beyond the peak emperor realm, proof that he had touched the threshold of a higher level!
The corners of Su Linxian's mouth lifted into a faint smile.
"Would you like to try?"
Mu Chiyu's heart churned like seas overturned.
He... was still hiding his strength.
If Su Linxian had used this move earlier...
I probably wouldn't even have had a chance to restore my essence.
I would have been utterly annihilated!
With power like this... this fellow's cultivation must be close to touching that realm...
Su Linxian turned and walked into the Spirit Boat.
"Until we reach Immortal Mountain..."
"Do not disturb me."
Inside the Spirit Boat.
Su Linxian sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and sank into his sea of consciousness.
"System, open the panel."
[Ding...] [Name: Su Linxian] [Constitution: Desolate Ancient Sacred Body] [Cultivation: peak emperor realm] [Divine abilities and spells: Heavenly Prison Art · Primordial, Emperor · Tai'e Sword Art, Emperor · Savage Elephant Divine Refining Power] [Treasures: π] [Villain points: 3120000] [Order divine laws: Desolate Ancient divine law, Slaughter divine law] [Current Great Daos: extreme-rank Great Dao ×5, upper-rank Great Dao ×10]
Su Linxian glanced at the System Shop.
[Extreme-rank Great Dao · Landscape Painting Realm] [Villain points required: 500000] [Upper-rank Great Dao · Extreme Fire] [Villain points required: 300000] [Upper-rank Great Dao · Surging Waves] [Villain points required: 300000]
Neither extreme-rank Great Daos nor upper-rank Great Daos were a problem.
As long as he had enough villain points, he could purchase them from the shop.
The final order divine law was the key.
Xing Luozi's divination indicated that it would take another two thousand years to take shape...
There's no hurry.
I'll forge the divine emperor foundation lotus platform first.
Su Linxian's eyes flickered.
The Dao-Origin Return Flow Method unfolded within his sea of consciousness.
Dao-Origin Return Flow consisted of three stages.
The lotus platform, lotus body, and divine godhead corresponded respectively to the divine emperor foundation, physical body, and soul.
Su Linxian glanced at the upper-rank Great Daos in the shop.
"Purchase two upper-rank Great Daos."
"Surging Waves and Crimson Blood."
[Ding! Spent 600000 villain points. Successfully purchased Surging Waves and Crimson Blood Great Dao!] [Current balance: 2520000.]
Twelve upper-rank Great Daos...
I have them all!
Su Linxian closed his eyes and transformed himself into a furnace of heaven and earth.
His soul became the flame, his flesh the crucible.
Rumble.
The instant he began refining the first Great Dao, its scorching power melted his meridians inch by inch!
Yet the regenerative power of the Desolate Ancient Sacred Body repaired every rupture in an instant, making his meridians tougher with each rebirth.
Within his soul, it seemed as though countless beasts were roaring as he cast one upper-rank Great Dao after another into his body...
His body became the furnace!
The Great Daos became the fuel!
A cleansing transformation from the inside out!
Outside the Spirit Boat.
Rumble!!!
Terrifying currents burst from within the Spirit Boat. Golden light intertwined with dark-red divine patterns to form a dazzling canopy, as though a golden sun and a dark-red blood moon had risen together.
The radiance of twelve upper-rank Great Daos intertwined and revolved, forming a complete cycle of Dao laws.
Above the void, a heavenly phenomenon manifested his sea of consciousness!
The phantom of a lotus platform slowly emerged!
Twelve petals rested upon the lotus platform, each representing an upper-rank Great Dao. They slowly unfurled amid the golden light, radiating an ancient, sacred aura.
"What happened?!" Yu Yao exclaimed in alarm, then muttered, "Why does Master cause such a huge commotion every time he cultivates...?"
Mu Chiyu's long skirt snapped and billowed as she gazed up at the phenomenon, unmistakable shock surging across her cool face.
"The Dao-Origin Return Flow Method..."
A primordial divine art that reached the heavens!
"He actually chose this path?!"
It was not as though no one in the imperial court had ever taken this path, but its requirements were far too exacting!
It measured not the years, but only the Great Daos!
Never mind the three order divine laws and the extreme-rank Great Daos. Obtaining those twelve upper-rank Great Daos alone... could squander ten thousand years of an emperor's life!
First the Primordial True Beast Embryo, then Dao-Origin Return Flow...
Either one was something unseen throughout the ages!
Mu Chiyu murmured, "What this fellow seeks... is probably far more than merely the god emperor realm..."
She quietly watched the surging golden-red canopy, the magnificent spectacle above reflected in her eyes!
Time flew, and half a year passed.
Su Linxian's aura climbed rapidly, densely packed Great Dao patterns swirling around him.
The lotus platform within his soul grew increasingly solid and distinct.
Patterns of extreme-rank Great Daos began appearing upon the twelve petals, spreading into their depths like roots.
Suddenly!
Bang!
Terrifying shock waves spread!
The fused Great Daos instantly rejected one another and lashed back, erupting simultaneously within the lotus platform.
Hum, hum, hum...
The lotus platform shook violently, and a crack appeared. Thunder, fire, and the Crimson Blood Great Dao burned wildly, while the Blackscale Great Dao surged fiercely... every Great Dao resisted and repelled the others, like twelve primordial savage beasts forcibly locked in a cage, desperately struggling to break free!
The backlash surged from the depths of his sea of consciousness, battering Su Linxian's meridians and soul.
Threads of golden blood seeped from all seven of his orifices, and his aura abruptly fell into chaos.
Su Linxian's eyes snapped open, light flaring within them.
"Refining the Great Daos..."
"Really isn't that easy!"
"Again!"
At that moment, his divine soul swelled violently, transforming into a golden phantom a hundred thousand feet tall. Dense, ancient divine patterns flowed across its entire body as it held the center of his sea of consciousness under its suppressive might.
Heavenly Prison Art.
Boundless golden divine radiance engulfed his entire sea of consciousness. The twelve rampaging Great Daos were suppressed and crushed inch by inch. At that moment, Su Linxian's divine soul resembled an ancient deity, gazing coldly down at the twelve Great Daos struggling beneath his feet.
"Refine!"
The rampaging auras were suppressed one after another. His Divine Emperor Foundation-a lotus platform-gradually solidified into shape...
One year later.
The Spirit Boat passed through layer upon layer of Dao Domains and arrived at a Chaotic Territory.
The instant the Spirit Boat entered, the entire world changed. Space became a chaotic jumble, like countless shards of broken mirrors pieced together, each reflecting a different scene.
Above the curtain of the sky, countless bizarre, distorted auroras churned.
Those auroras bore unnatural hues. They flowed slowly across the heavens, like the pulsing blood vessels of some enormous creature.
In the distance, a silvery-white mountain range stood at the far end of the earth.
Ancient, majestic sounds of the Dao filled the air.
The mountain range was vast and magnificent, its grandeur overwhelming.
The mountains were silvery-white throughout, as though cast from a single block of primordial divine silver. Under the auroras, they gleamed with a cold metallic luster. The range stretched for untold tens of thousands of miles, its steep peaks pointing straight at the heavens like swords.
A Life Forbidden Zone!
The Everlasting Yin Mountain!
"We're here! We're here!"
Yu Yao crouched on the deck, looking toward the silvery-white mountain range.
She could sense the ancient, unfathomable aura contained within it.
"Although the Immortal Mountain is a Life Forbidden Zone, people have made it out alive throughout the ages. Compared with the other forbidden zones, it's one of the better ones."
"Master still hasn't come out of seclusion. Are we going in?"
Mu Chiyu stood on the other side.
The damaged Primordial Imperial Court was trembling gently, the golden Dao patterns on its surface flickering as though answering some ancient call from deep within the Immortal Mountain.
So it really is here...
Mu Chiyu's beautiful eyes flickered.
She stared fixedly at the silvery-white mountain range.
"Let's wait."
"The beings within... aren't opponents we can handle easily."
Just then, a figure walked out at a leisurely pace.
"What, without this Divine Son around..."
"You don't even dare move?"
Yu Yao whipped her head around.
She jumped in fright.
"Master! When did you come out?!"
Su Linxian ignored her. His gaze settled on the distant silvery-white mountain range, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"So this is the Everlasting Yin Mountain..."
"Rather interesting."
Mu Chiyu turned as well. The instant she saw Su Linxian, her pupils contracted sharply, and unmistakable shock surged across her cool face.
With his lotus platform complete and all twelve upper-rank Great Daos fully refined, Su Linxian's aura was now restrained and abyssal, as though he had merged with the world's Heavenly Dao.
His flesh was like jade, yet sacred and extraordinary, every inch of his skin giving off a lustrous glow. His steps were unhurried, but each time his foot fell, the void beneath it trembled faintly. He resembled an immortal from antiquity.
Mu Chiyu said, "You've already formed your Divine Emperor Foundation?!"
Su Linxian gave a slight nod.
"The lotus platform is complete."
"Since we're here, this is a good chance to test the strength of the beings within."
By now, the Life Forbidden Zones of the Myriad Heavens had practically become his training grounds.
He had to admit that the strength of the Primordial Lifeforms in these forbidden zones made them ideal testing tools.
Mu Chiyu's breath stopped for a moment.
Looking at the white-robed figure before her, she felt an indescribable shock surge through her heart.
A Divine Emperor Foundation.
A lotus platform.
This man had truly taken the first step in Dao-Origin Return Flow.
Su Linxian withdrew his gaze and said calmly.
"Let's go."
"I'm rather curious about the treasures left behind by the Primordial Imperial Court..."
Yu Yao said, "Master, the forbidden zone has rules. Anyone who wants to enter the Immortal Mountain must climb on foot..."
Although the Immortal Mountain was not one of the extremely dangerous forbidden zones, countless terrifying demonic beasts lurked along the way. Even Great Emperors dared not venture deep inside recklessly-
"No matter."
Su Linxian raised his hand and swept it through the air.
Bang!
The Spirit Boat abruptly accelerated, turning into a streak of light as it tore through the air toward the silvery-white mountain range.
The instant the Spirit Boat crossed the territory's boundary.
Rumble!!!
Countless chains of law descended from the heavens.
Those chains were silvery-white throughout, each as thick as a mountain range, with dense, ancient Dao patterns flowing across their surfaces.
They were the laws of the Heavenly Dao that had existed in this forbidden zone since primordial times, the trial every person who dared trespass upon the Immortal Mountain had to endure: climb on foot, kowtow with every step, bear the weight of the laws with their flesh, and break through the obstruction of the demonic beasts.
Since the Immortal Mountain first appeared, no one had ever managed to circumvent this rule.
Yet now.
Su Linxian merely glanced up at the descending chains of law and snorted coldly.
"Shatter."
The mountain-thick chains of law abruptly froze within the force field, then began to fracture at their centers. Cracks spread like spiderwebs, covering each entire chain in an instant.
Crack-
Crack, crack, crack-
Countless chains of law shattered simultaneously, scattering silvery-white motes of light across the sky!
The entire forbidden zone shook violently at that moment!
Yu Yao's eyes widened, her golden slit pupils nearly popping out of their sockets.
"How... how is this possible?!"
Even the laws of a Life Forbidden Zone had been shattered?
Before her master, those so-called chains of law were as fragile as paper!
Mu Chiyu's voice came at an unhurried pace.
"He has already touched that realm."
"The so-called laws of the forbidden zone cannot stop him at all..."
Su Linxian grinned, in a good mood.
He spoke with a smile.
"As expected of the Imperial Court Goddess. You have a good eye."
Peak Emperor Realm?
Nothing more than an outward appearance.
One could say that the moment the lotus platform was formed...
I had already broken through to...
Half-Step Divine Emperor!
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