Immediate Execution by Beheading
Qi Yun stood with his eyes closed.
At this moment, his aura began to surge at a speed that even made the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord slightly narrow his eyes!
The deep blue Daoist robe moved without wind, its hem fluttering in the breeze, each fluttering edge of the fabric entwined with a Daoist aura of cyan and bright yellow.
His long hair, which was not bound, seemed to be lifted up by an invisible hand, each strand flying freely, the ends of which flowed with a chaotic glow.
Beneath the skin, the meridians light up.
It wasn't the crystalline, flowing light of a starry river when an ordinary cultivator circulated their energy; instead, it was a series of noble, bright yellow hues.
That is the mark of [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament].
"Boom!!!"
The moment the last ray of Xuanhuang Dao light was swallowed into the Purple Mansion, Qi Yun opened his eyes.
Those eyes.
A bright yellow suddenly ignited within the originally deep and boundless blue-gold background!
That bright yellow was intense, domineering, and incomparably sharp!
Like an emperor who has been asleep for ages, suddenly opening his eyes in his coffin!
Two divine rays—one vast and blue-gold, the other domineering and bright yellow—collided violently deep within Qi Yun's pupils!
It was not annihilated.
There was no rejection.
Instead, they are like two ancient divine rivers from different sources, crashing, intertwining, and swirling at the crossroads of destiny!
Lapis lazuli is yin, and bright yellow is yang.
Yin governs all laws and encompasses all phenomena, as deep and vast as the sea.
Yang represents attack, destruction, and destruction; it is the essence of everything, as sharp as a sword.
Two completely opposite yet supremely related Daoist principles slowly rotated in his eyes, their trajectories profound and naturally formed, faintly outlining a Tai Chi diagram!
When the Tai Chi diagram was first formed, it was not yet stable.
The lapis lazuli and bright yellow clashed fiercely, attempting to devour each other and occupy the entire territory of the pupil!
This is a struggle over principles!
It is a silent war between two Supreme Dao Path vying for dominance within the same body and the same Dao heart!
Qi Yun frowned, his aura fluctuating violently at this moment, sometimes as vast as the sea, sometimes as sharp as a knife.
The [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament Dao Foundation] in his palm had completely dissipated.
But that last wisp of thought before it dissipated stubbornly lingered deep within his mind, "Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament— "
"Conquest is paramount----"
"Supreme Clash—The Victor—Becomes Supreme—"
That was the last maxim left behind by this ancient Dao Foundation before it completely dissolved.
Qi Yun closed his eyes.
Deep within the Ancestral Aperture at the center of the forehead, the [Primordial True Body] trembled slightly.
A ray of chaotic immortal light flowed from the source, guided by the will, and fell into those eyes that were engaged in a silent battle of wits.
Like a stabilizing pillar, it plunged into the turbulent ocean.
The rapidly spinning, seemingly out-of-control lapis lazuli and bright yellow Tai Chi diagram suddenly froze.
Immediately, with that chaotic immortal light at its core, balance was regained.
The rotation speed slowed down.
The intensity of the fighting subsided.
That noble, bright yellow hue plundered from [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament] was ultimately swallowed up.
Like a surging river, it flows into an even more vast ocean.
The sea remained azure-gold, but in its deepest depths, a trace of immortal killing intent belonging to the Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament had settled.
Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes.
In their eyes, the Tai Chi diagram had disappeared, returning to the vast expanse of azure gold.
But upon closer inspection, deep within that turquoise gold, a faint, bright yellow luster flashes like a shooting star—that is the sharp edge of something incorporated into the system and placed under its control.
He looked down at his palm.
And it was at this moment.
Before Qi Yun's eyes, the [Law Technique Panel] that existed between reality and illusion, visible only to him, silently appeared.
The radiance flows and shifts.
He habitually looked up at the top, at the line of information representing the progress of [Great Luo Heaven].
Then.
His gaze suddenly froze.
[Great Luo Heaven: 3.2% → 81.7%]
80%.
A full 80%.
He'd been looking at this panel for decades.
Decades have passed.
He reigned Wuji Sacred Sect, wielding the power of the demonic leader; he multiplied his Dharma Body, venturing deep into the dragon's Spirit Mountain; he risked his life in a life-or-death struggle, Fruition Status Collision in the All Wonders Heaven to seize the Golden Nature of a Bodhisattva—
The progress bar is also increasing.
It grew at an almost desperate rate.
From 0.8% to 1.3%.
From 1.3% to 2.1%.
From 2.1% to 3.2%.
Several decades.
Less than three percent.
He had calculated it.
At this rate, without the fortuitous opportunity, he would need at least -
Three thousand years.
Three thousand years have passed, and three thousand years of arduous cultivation and refinement have allowed [Great Luo Heaven] to reach perfection and begin another renewal.
Three thousand years.
Even if he had not yet passed away, his Qi and Blood were already depleted, and his Dao Path was nearing its end.
A Supreme Dao Foundation.
In an instant, that long journey of three thousand years was shortened to less than 20%.
Qi Yun stared at the glaring numbers, remaining silent for a long time.
"Pity----"
He spoke softly to himself, his voice sounding exceptionally clear, and also exceptionally heavy, in this Speck of Dust Grotto-Heaven where the lingering echoes of the Daoist struggle had not yet completely subsided.
"This Supreme Dao Foundation contains only Dao essence, and no one has ever cultivated it."
If a Great True Person were to cultivate this [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament Dao Foundation], and I were to refine it, I would surely be able to directly elevate the [Great Luo Heaven] to a new level.
Before he could finish speaking, Qi Yun shook his head and chuckled, "But if that's really the case, it's hard to say who will win and who will lose."
The title of "Number One in Attack Among the Twelve Supremes" is no joke.
Even without anyone in control, it remains so domineering.
If he is truly a Great True Person who has achieved enlightenment----
Raise your head.
Those eyes, now restored to their vast, azure-gold luster, no longer gazed at the palm, nor at the panel, but pierced through the barrier of the Speck of Dust Grotto-Heaven, casting their gaze upon—
In the the Unseen, there was that invisible path he had vaguely sensed earlier.
That's a road.
A road he had never traveled before, nor had he ever seen it clearly recorded in any ancient texts.
It lies beyond all paths.
Above the Long River of Cause and Effect.
In a place higher, farther, and more void than the All Wonders Heaven.
That road had been silent for countless ages.
There were no footprints, no sound, and no living person had ever set foot on it.
Just moments ago, the instant he refined [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament], he stepped onto it.
It wasn't that he wanted to go up there.
Instead, the road itself extended to his feet.
Qi Yun remained silent, feeling the faint "pulling" coming from the soles of his feet.
The traction was very light.
It was as light as a friend patting your shoulder, or a teacher tapping your forehead.
But he knew what it was.
That's cause and effect.
That is a struggle over the Dao.
That was a battle between supreme beings, where the victor was supreme.
He slowly uttered these eight words, his voice calm and even, as if stating a fundamental truth.
Between those Supreme Dao Foundation —a fight to the death.
"Once it starts, it can never be stopped."
"Unless a final winner remains."
"Otherwise, everyone on this path will walk on forever."
"Until one"
He paused.
Only one person remains.
Within the Speck of Dust Grotto-Heaven, the milky-white radiant earth was now completely still.
The Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord sat cross-legged at the edge of the cave, the eternally revolving projection of the Great Sun quietly illuminating this space imbued with the lingering echoes of the Daoist struggle.
He listened to Qi Yun's mutterings without interrupting.
But deep within those gentle and peaceful eyes, a faint trace of solemnity flashed.
Supreme beings clash.
Although he is not the bearer of the Supreme Dao Foundation, as the Dharma Body of Qi Yun, they are connected in origin and cause and effect.
He could also vaguely sense the path Qi Yun had embarked on.
That was a road of no return.
Once you embark on this path, there is no turning back.
Alternatively, one could devour all like-minded individuals and become the sole, unprecedented, supreme True Lord.
Either -
It was swallowed up.
Qi Yun stood with his hands behind his back, gazing up at the celestial realm where there was no sun or moon, only light.
In the depths of those vast, azure-gold eyes, there was no fear, no retreat, not even a trace of emotion.
There was only an undercurrent of anticipation!
"Fine."
He spoke softly, his voice low, yet carrying a resolute determination that cut off all doubt.
"Once you've embarked on your journey, there's no turning back."
"Where does this road lead, to an abyss or to an unparalleled peak?"
"Keep going, and we'll see."
He slowly withdrew his gaze and lowered his eyes.
Slightly raise your palm.
Spread your fingers wide.
A ray of light slowly emanated from the Spirit Vein in his palm.
When the light first appeared, it was a bright yellow color.
Pure, intense, and incomparably sharp.
It was Divine Ability Art he refined from the [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament Dao Foundation].
The ray of bright yellow light hovered and swirled about an inch above his palm.
Each rotation exudes a terrifying sharpness that freezes the void and makes cause and effect tremble.
It's too sharp.
The sharpness, merely existing there, caused the not-yet-fully-healed bloodstain on Qi Yun's palm to silently crack open again, creating a thin fissure.
The Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord sat cross-legged at the edge of the cave, gazing at the ray of bright yellow light from afar, a trace of solemnity appearing between his brows.
He sensed it.
The Divine Ability Art contained within it was not an ordinary offensive technique.
Rather, it is the fundamental Dao intent of [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament]!
With unwavering focus and relentless pursuit, we will advance without retreat, cutting down all obstacles in our path.
If we say that [Great Luo Heaven] is the throne that governs all laws...
This Divine Ability Art is like the imperial sword hanging from the palace ceiling beneath the emperor's throne, used to execute rebellious officials.
Qi Yun gazed calmly at the wisp of bright yellow light in his palm.
A thought flickered in his mind.
The [Law Technique Panel] appeared silently.
As the light shimmered, the bright yellow radiance seemed to sense something and suddenly shone brightly!
Immediately, a new line of text, its handwriting sharp and incisive, slowly appeared on the panel:
[Immediate Execution by Beheading]
Qi Yun's gaze lingered on this line of text for a moment.
"Immediate Execution by Beheading— "
He uttered the name softly, his voice low, yet carrying a strange rhythm that seemed to resonate with the very essence of this Divine Ability Art.
The ray of bright yellow light trembled slightly in his palm.
Qi Yun raised his eyes.
He looked at the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord, who sat cross-legged at the edge of the cave, bathed in Infinite Light.
That gentle and compassionate face, that eternally flowing projection of the Great Sun, that Dao Lineage Dharma Body that is connected to its own origin yet exists independently.
Qi Yun's lips slowly curved into a very faint smile.
"Fellow Daoist Great Sun."
He spoke, his voice not loud, yet it clearly pierced through every ray of light flowing through the cave, reaching the ears of the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord.
"Come and test your magic with me."
The seven words, spoken, were like seven chess pieces, gently falling onto the jade chessboard.
A tacit understanding where they know each other inside and out, requiring no further words.
Upon hearing this, the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord slowly opened his eyes, which had been half-closed.
He looked at Qi Yun, at the bright yellow light in Qi Yun's palm, and at the vast blue-gold in Qi Yun's eyes that contained the killing intent of the Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament Xuanqiong.
A slight smile.
That smile was as gentle as a spring breeze and as clear as crystal.
"Good."
As he finished speaking, he slowly rose from the golden lotus platform.
Barefoot, I tread on the void; with each step, a pure and flawless white lotus naturally blooms beneath my feet.
The white lotus swirls, scattering a sense of purity and tranquility.
However, this meaning, when it touched the invisible sharpness emanating from the wisp of bright yellow light in Qi Yun's palm, melted away silently, like spring snow meeting the scorching sun.
The Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord stood still.
He did not use any Divine Ability, nor did he activate the eternally revolving projection of the Great Sun.
He simply stood with his hands behind his back, waiting quietly.
Qi Yun remained unmoved.
He simply held the wisp of bright yellow light in his palm, his gaze fixed on the Great Sun Purple Ultimate True Lord.
The two were no more than three zhang apart.
Within the grotto-heaven, the milky-white, radiant earth seemed to sense an impending, terrifying force powerful enough to shake this entire world.
It began to tremble slightly.