As the Undying Heavenly Emperor's faith body, the Undying Daoist naturally possessed considerable ability. This body had lived from the earliest years of the primordial age until now, tempered every moment by the purest faith thought power. Even without ever undergoing a tribulation, he rivaled many reigning emperors.
But before Yuangeng, who had assumed the state of his Immortal Ancient Dao Fruit, that level of strength was nowhere near enough. Unwilling to waste time on such a minor figure, he unleashed one full-powered Burial Method, and the Undying Daoist was utterly destroyed, his primordial spirit consigned to eternal oblivion.
An extreme dao being had been slain in an instant. Even the Supremes within the Reincarnation Sea had failed to react.
Yuangeng naturally had no patience to wait for their reactions. He reached out and put away the Undying Daoist's faith body, then turned around alongside the Qilin Emperor. Once again, they became two streaks of heavenly light and vanished.
"What do you want that body for? Are you planning to follow the path of faith thought power?"
The Qilin Emperor studied the Undying Daoist's body. This divine spirit born of faith looked no different from a member of the Human Race. Muscles, blood, the five great secret realms-not one was missing. Handsome and flawless, every detail of his body seemed to have been sculpted precisely after the Undying Heavenly Emperor's human form.
Yet both masters of the imperial dao could clearly see that his essence differed enormously from that of an ordinary living being. Forged from faith thought power, he was utterly unlike sentient life.
"I intend to study it, but not in this lifetime. Faith thought power is a great dao with tremendous potential. I've examined many related methods, but integrating them and breaking new ground will still take a great deal of time."
Yuangeng shook his head. The related methods he spoke of naturally included the Sacrificial Spirit Method and methods like the Immortal Monk King's. The Immortal Monk King relied entirely on the thought power of all living beings, while the Sacrificial Spirit Method also incorporated faith thought power, but was more complex, blending more than one philosophy.
Making any progress on the path of faith thought power would require at least tens of thousands of years.
As they spoke, his aura weakened at a visibly perceptible rate. The Dao Seed of the Immortal Ancient Method transformed back into the Eternal Ancient Ruler and fell into his hand. His previously dormant Sea of Bitterness secret realm also stirred back to life, taking dominance once more.
Yuangeng returned to the state of a minor cultivator in the Other Shore realm.
"Your path is clear and bright!"
The Qilin Emperor could not help marveling. Yuangeng had clearly planned his cultivation in meticulous detail-not merely this lifetime, but even the next several lifetimes. It filled him with envy.
"What about you? Your second lifetime is nearing its end. Have you found a way into your third?" Turning the Eternal Ancient Ruler in his hands, Yuangeng suddenly asked about the Qilin Emperor's second lifetime.
The old emperor was approaching nineteen thousand years of age and was long past his youth. He had lived a little over ten thousand years in his first lifetime. Now, more than eight thousand years into his second, he had reached the hour of sunset.
"At least I have an initial idea for how to transform."
The Qilin Emperor nodded hesitantly. He had known Yuangeng for only a little over two years. Although Yuangeng had taught him some methods and he had heard many scriptures, the time was simply too short. As for a third lifetime, he still had no certainty.
He had just obtained a Nine-Turn Golden Pill and could rely on it to help him break through into a third lifetime, but he was unwilling to do so. An immortal pill was an external force, after all. He had to cultivate and transform through his own efforts; only by crossing that threshold himself would he truly set foot on the Red Dust Immortal Path.
Unfortunately, this path was far, far too difficult. So difficult that the vast majority of venerables and emperors throughout history had been trapped in the twilight of their second lifetimes, including many renowned Heavenly Venerables. No brilliance or talent could avail them. Even immortal artifacts could not help, and they had no choice but to fall beneath the passage of time.
"Keep at it. For many years to come, I'll be staying in that Ancient World on the Branch Road to Immortality. If you encounter any bottlenecks, come find me whenever you wish."
After offering those words of comfort, Yuangeng bade the Qilin Emperor farewell. Then he turned into a brilliant streak of light and, within moments, arrived in the vast, ancient world beneath the sea eye of Yinghuo Ancient Star.
During his battle with the Heavenly Emperor, he had completely transformed the Ancient World beneath the Mars Sea Eye. All the filth, resentment, and rotting things accumulated through the God War had been annihilated. He had also shattered and reconstructed the laws of the myriad daos, leaving them entirely different from before.
Now, this Ancient World had fallen into eternal night. Death, annihilation, icy cold... under the dominion of the Lunar Essence Great Dao, these laws of the yin aspect of the myriad daos filled every corner of this world, leaving it dark and tranquil.
Once I refine a Lunar Essence Star and a stretch of starry sky, this world will begin to resemble an immortal paradise beyond the mortal dust.
Standing above the boundless black ocean, Yuangeng gazed toward the Chaos Cave high in the heavens and thought this to himself.
Yuangeng had no intention of repairing the fissure in the Road to Immortality that the Undying Heavenly Emperor had opened with the Immortal Bell. He had even wedged his own coffin into it to keep it from closing. Since that world was already under his control, he could draw out its longevity substance and let it spread, creating a Longevity Minor World.
By Yuangeng's calculations, if he devoted some effort specifically to drawing in longevity substance, he could raise its concentration in this world within tens of thousands of years.
After all, Yuangeng had never intended to be a solitary figure. In the future, as great eras surged and tides rose and fell, he would have no shortage of allies like the Qilin Emperor at his side. With his help, perhaps many could cross the threshold into a third lifetime, but most people's potential would eventually run dry.
Yuangeng needed a small forbidden zone like this.
Before that, however, Yuangeng felt that his most pressing task was to gain control of the Kunlun Immortal Bell.
With that thought in mind, Yuangeng approached his Stone Coffin.
Meanwhile, on Big Dipper Ancient Star, the Supremes had also realized everything that had just happened.
Within the Reincarnation Sea, an emerald-green Great Dao Treasure Vase soared out of the silver ocean. It swiftly flew to the place where the Undying Daoist had confronted Yuangeng and the Qilin Emperor. Immortal radiance spilled from its mouth, projecting everything that had just occurred.
Around it, the wills of extreme dao beings descended, watching Yuangeng and the Qilin Emperor's actions together.
Though Yuangeng's attack had not caused an enormous disturbance, its power had been considerable. Several Supremes had been awakened and turned their attention to the incident.
"The Undying Daoist was slain? That man was the Undying Heavenly Emperor's faith body..."
Only after the projected figures of Yuangeng and the Qilin Emperor departed did a faint sigh sound above the Reincarnation Sea. Ripples of will echoed, as though recalling events from the past.
This Supreme's name was Yun Gen. Or, viewed through another identity, the dominant presence within his primordial spirit belonged to the Carefree Heavenly Venerate, one of the Nine Heavenly Venerables of the Mythological Era. As an elder Supreme who had survived from the Mythological Era until the present, he had even lived in the same age as Emperor Venerable. He knew all too well what the name Undying Daoist represented.
To a great extent, the Undying Daoist could represent the Undying Heavenly Emperor-the will of the God of the Myriad Races himself!
"That man came looking for him alongside the reigning emperor, and... with a single move, he consigned the Undying Daoist's primordial spirit to eternal oblivion."
Deep within the Reincarnation Lake, another ancient Supreme also stated the facts, his voice thick with apprehension. He clearly knew something of the Undying Daoist's background as well. The
newcomer could slay the Undying Daoist with a single Taboo Method, which meant he could slay most of those within the forbidden zones.
"The Heavenly Blade's divine spirit is dead. That man came to settle accounts with the Undying Daoist, so something has most likely happened to the Undying Heavenly Emperor. Heh heh! After so many years hidden behind the scenes, even the supreme God of the Myriad Races couldn't escape his reckoning."
Deep within the Immortal Mausoleum, a supreme existence discerned the true nature of the Five-Colored Heavenly Blade through the images of the past. Cold laughter spread across Big Dipper, its mockery carrying a faint trace of satisfaction.
"It's him-the man Emperor Jun dug up not long ago, the Ancient Supreme named Yuangeng. A single move actually annihilated the Undying Daoist's primordial spirit outright!"
Deep within the Primordial Ancient Mine, someone else recognized Yuangeng's face and voiced that astonishment.
"Just as I thought. He truly is a variable."
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