Dao Comprehension Cliff was simple and unadorned, without any splendor, yet mysterious runes flowed across its surface, revealing its extraordinary nature.
These runes seemed to hold the ultimate truths of heaven and earth. At times, they were gentle as flowing water; at others, savage as thunder, emanating an ancient, unfathomable aura.
Standing before Dao Comprehension Cliff, Shi Yi felt that invisible power. Countless voices seemed to whisper in his ears, guiding him into a wondrous state.
Shi Yi sat cross-legged facing Dao Comprehension Cliff, his eyes half-closed as his mind gradually settled.
Soon, he entered a state of Dao comprehension. Everything around him seemed to disappear, leaving him alone between heaven and earth, suspended in a space of nothingness.
Here, there was no concept of time, no boundary to space, only endless chaos and emptiness.
Shi Yi's mind wandered through this emptiness, as though searching for something, or perhaps waiting for something.
Suddenly, every hair on Shi Yi's body stood on end, and an intense sense of danger surged from the depths of his heart.
The sensation came without warning, as though a pair of invisible eyes were watching him from the shadows, filled with icy killing intent.
Shi Yi's heart tightened. Almost instinctively, his fingers clenched into a fist seal, and he unleashed Nether Annihilation behind him without hesitation.
Rumble! The force of his punch cracked like thunder. Space seemed to tear apart in that instant as tremendous power erupted from Shi Yi's fist, carrying the momentum to destroy everything.
At the same time, an enormous claw reached out of the void and slammed into Shi Yi's fist seal. The two forces clashed in midair, unleashing a deafening roar that shook space itself.
Shi Yi felt a tremendous force surge through his fist. His body was hurled backward despite himself, his feet carving two deep furrows into the ground.
Only after being driven back several hundred zhang did he barely steady himself. Looking up, he saw an enormous strange beast standing opposite him.
The beast closely resembled a qilin, its body covered in golden scales that shone with dazzling light. Yet its four feet bore sharp claws rather than hooves, each talon gleaming coldly like a blade.
Even more astonishing, a pair of wings like those of a great roc grew from its back. When spread, they blotted out the sky and sun, crackling with lightning and exuding a majestic, ferocious aura.
Shi Yi's heart jolted, and a thought flashed through his mind. Could this be one of Master's old acquaintances? A descendant of the Qilin, one of the primordial Ten Fiends? It doesn't seem to be pure-blooded, but for another bloodline to produce offspring with a qilin and retain some of its own racial traits, it must be extraordinary as well.
The beast seemed to sense Shi Yi's gaze. A cold gleam flashed through its golden eyes, and it let out a low growl that reverberated through the space like thunder, making Shi Yi's eardrums ache.
The next instant, the beast leaped up. With a beat of its wings, it pounced at Shi Yi like lightning. Its claws traced streaks of cold light through the air, as though they would tear space apart.
Shi Yi dared not let down his guard for even a moment. His hands swiftly formed seals as spiritual power surged wildly within him. Stamping both feet against the ground, he shot skyward like a cannonball to meet the beast head-on.
His fists and its claws collided in midair once more, unleashing an earth-shaking crash. Vast power rampaged through the space, as though it would utterly destroy everything.
The battle between Shi Yi and the beast grew fiercer. As fists and feet clashed, space trembled continuously, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Spatial fluctuations suffused Shi Yi's fist techniques, every punch carrying the power to tear space apart. The beast's claws, meanwhile, were like divine weapons, each swipe whipping up a gale as though to shred Shi Yi to pieces.
The battle dragged on, and Shi Yi gradually felt his strength beginning to fail. The beast, however, seemed tireless, its attacks growing ever more ferocious.
Shi Yi knew that if this continued, he would likely be unable to hold out. He drew a deep breath, resolve flashing in his eyes. Spiritual power erupted within him as his hands swiftly formed a complex seal.
Boom! A brilliant light burst from Shi Yi's hands, instantly illuminating the entire space.
The beast seemed to sense the threat. With a low growl, it advanced rather than retreating. A manifestation identical to itself took shape, lightning raging around it as vast, violent torrents of electricity surged toward Shi Yi.
At the foot of Dao Comprehension Cliff, Shi Yi stood panting heavily. The beast had vanished without a trace, as though it had never appeared. Just moments earlier, it had killed him in their battle, forcing him out of his state of Dao comprehension.
It seems that breaking through to the Venerable realm recently and gaining a little strength has made me complacent. Although I haven't shown much of it outwardly, deep down I've still been rather pleased with myself. An inner demon has already taken root in my heart, Shi Yi thought, then sighed inwardly. This senior isn't a pure-blooded member of the Ten Fiends, only a descendant. With the cultivation realm it displayed equal to mine, it killed me while I wasn't using the Primordial Chaos Heaven-Refining Grand Formation or my double pupils. If it were the true Qilin of the Ten Fiends, how astonishing would its strength be? I hardly dare imagine it. It seems I still have a very long road ahead!
Over the following days, Shi Yi tempered his body in the Five Elements Field. He stood at its center, surrounded by the powers of the five elements weaving together into a world of chaos.
Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth flowed around him, sometimes becoming sharp metal blades, sometimes searing flames, sometimes condensing into heavy earthen walls, sometimes turning into surging rivers, and sometimes transforming into towering trees.
His body was continuously hammered and tempered amid these elemental forces. Every inch of his skin endured immense pressure and pain, as though countless blades were slicing through his flesh and endless flames were burning his bones.
Yet there was not the slightest retreat or fear on Shi Yi's face. Instead, he remained resolute and calm.
He knew this was the best opportunity to temper his body. Only in such an environment could he truly awaken his potential and break through his physical limits.
His fists were clenched tight, the blood and vital energy within him surging like great rivers. Every breath drew in and expelled the power of the five elements, as though his body had become one with this world.
At the foot of Dao Comprehension Cliff, Shi Yi's battles with that senior had already continued for a full month.
At first, his opponent had all but completely suppressed him. Whether in physical strength or mastery of Treasure Arts, he fell far short of that senior.
With every clash, the opponent's attacks drove him back again and again, until that senior killed him and forced him out of his state of Dao comprehension.
Yet Shi Yi did not lose heart. Instead, his conviction grew even firmer. He knew that only by tempering himself on the edge between life and death could he truly surpass himself
and reach a higher realm.
As time passed, Shi Yi's body gradually became incredibly resilient, as though every inch of his skin held boundless strength.
His Treasure Arts also improved tremendously through the constant battles. His once-clumsy control gradually became proficient, and he even began incorporating his own insights into the laws of heaven and earth.
With every attack, his Treasure Arts became sharper and more powerful, as though they could rend the void and shake heaven and earth.
That day, the lightning filling the sky seemed to answer a summons, surging toward Shi Yi as though to swallow him whole.
Yet Shi Yi stood unshaken. He swung the lightning spear in his hands with a mighty slash, splitting the lightning-filled sky in two. The bolts dissolved into countless tiny sparks and dispersed between heaven and earth.
The Thunder Wings on Shi Yi's back beat fiercely. Driving off with both feet, he shot skyward like an arrow loosed from a bow, moving so fast he nearly tore the air apart.
His figure left an afterimage in the void, as though he had crossed the distance through space in an instant, bearing straight down on that senior.
Boom! The lightning spear collided with the force of the senior's palm strike, unleashing a deafening roar. Waves of energy spread outward like ripples, making the surrounding space tremble faintly.
Their figures crossed in midair, fists and feet clashing with deafening crashes. Every collision brought an explosion of lightning and a tremor through space, as though all of heaven and earth were shaking.
A blazing light shone in Shi Yi's eyes. He knew he had gradually drawn almost level with that senior.
Although his opponent was not a pure-blooded member of the Ten Fiends, the strength it displayed still shook him.
Just how terrifying would the true Qilin of the Ten Fiends be? At that thought, a trace of awe rose in Shi Yi's heart, but even stronger was his hunger for strength and his desire to pursue it.
Shi Yi's assault was swift and fierce. His fist, wreathed in the power of lightning, unleashed tremendous force in an instant, blasting that senior backward. Its figure traced an arc through the air, making the formidable might of the blow plain.
Yet Shi Yi did not stop there. Resolve shone in his gaze as his hands swiftly formed seals and spiritual power surged wildly within him.
With his movements, the Fire Lion Treasure Art was unleashed. A majestic lion of flame appeared out of thin air, its entire body blazing with searing fire, as though it would burn everything around it to ashes.
The Fire Lion let out a low growl, then charged forward at tremendous speed. It left a long trail of flames across the ground, like a road of fire.
The Fire Lion opened its enormous jaws and lunged to bite that senior. Flame and strength intertwined, erupting with astonishing destructive power.
Boom! With a tremendous crash, the powers of flame and lightning erupted together. The battle imprint left by that senior finally collapsed completely beneath the strike, dissolving into motes of light that scattered through the air.
Shi Yi stood where he was, breathing slightly hard, a flicker of complicated emotion passing through his eyes. This was his first victory over that senior. Although it was only a battle imprint, for him, this was undoubtedly an enormous breakthrough.