News of the Pure Land journey spread like wildfire throughout the entire Xuanhuang Home Realm in just a few days.
The story of Qi Yun splitting the golden light of vows with a single sword strike, severely injuring four Bodhisattvas, and destroying the Grand Reception Formation has been embellished and spread far and wide.
Some say he cleaved the sky with his sword, some say he single-handedly suppressed dozens of Bodhisattvas, and some even say he killed one of the World-Honored One's avatars on the spot.
The rumors grew increasingly outrageous, but no one bothered to debunk them or dared to verify them.
Because everyone knows that the strength of that Primordial Unity True Lord is even more terrifying than the rumors suggest.
Green Mountain Daoist Temple, beneath a withered tree.
Qi Yun sat cross-legged, his eyes sparkling with interest.
Before him floated the token given to him by True Lord Contemplating the One. The chaotic colored light on the surface of the token was flickering at an extremely slow and weak frequency, like a heartbeat, like a countdown.
"More than a month..." Qi Yun muttered to himself.
He raised his eyes and looked up at the sky.
The clouds there seemed a bit thinner than yesterday.
It's not the wind blowing, but the barrier between the Xuanhuang Home Realm and the outer void that is slowly and irreversibly thinning at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, yet undeniably real.
The Great Tide of Time is truly coming.
"Young Qi," Cai Shen's voice came from the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, tinged with seriousness, "I sensed it."
"What did you sense?"
"The boundary between Xuanhuang —something is approaching."
Qi Yun's brows furrowed slightly.
He didn't press further, because he could sense it himself.
That was the aura of Dao King, not just one, but multiple auras.
They did not approach, but their "gaze" had already pierced through layers of barriers and landed on Xuanhuang.
Like a hunter eyeing its prey.
Like a butcher eyeing a lamb awaiting slaughter.
"Soon," Qi Yun said calmly, his tone as even as if he were discussing the weather.
"Aren't you worried?" Cai Kun couldn't help but ask.
"What are you worried about?" he said calmly. "What's meant to happen will happen."
Seven days later, strange changes began to appear in the Xuanhuang Home Realm.
First, there are celestial phenomena.
The skies everywhere were no longer the unchanging azure or leaden gray, but began to display a strange, ever-changing color. Sometimes it was dark red, like dried blood; sometimes it was grayish-white, like the face of a dying person; sometimes it was pitch black, like an abyss that swallowed everything.
The colors were not from clouds or light and shadow, but rather from the infiltration of extraterrestrial energy after the barrier thinned, resulting in collisions, intertwining, and contamination with the spiritual energy of the Xuanhuang Home Realm.
Secondly, there's intuition.
The Spiritual Qi in the Xuanhuang Home Realm began to become unstable.
Sometimes it's so rich it's suffocating, sometimes it's as thin as the mortal world.
Those large formations, Law Treasure, and elixirs that rely on Spiritual Qi to operate have all been affected to varying degrees.
Some smaller sects even closed their gates and suspended all external activities as a result.
Finally, it's about people's hearts.
News of the Great Tide of Time has spread. Although Qi Yun appeased all forces at the Dao Discussion Conference, the lower-level cultivators and mortals are unaware of this.
All they knew was that the heavens had changed, the earth had shaken, and the end of the world might be coming.
Panic spread rapidly throughout the Xuanhuang Home Realm like a plague.
On the fifteenth day, Qi Yun left the Green Mountain Daoist Temple.
This time, he brought the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron with him, and also Cai Kun.
Qingyun carried him and the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, bursting out of Xuanhuang.
"Where to?" Cai Shen asked.
"Let's go take a look," Qi Yun said calmly, "And see just how many of those Dao King have gotten in."
Qingyun tore through the sky at incredible speed. The Mountains and Rivers Cauldron hovered beside him, and the nine divine dragons moved more rapidly, their eyes flashing with light, radiating supreme majesty that suppressed all laws.
Cai Kun did not speak, but his spiritual fluctuations trembled slightly, revealing his inner turmoil.
Because the place they were going to was the first place the Dao King would attack when the Great Tide of Time arrived.
External boundaries.
There are no stars, no celestial boundaries, only an eternal, chilling darkness.
This is the weakest point in the external boundary barrier.
Qi Yun's auspicious clouds slowly came to a stop.
He stood with his hands behind his back on the cloud, his eyes sparkling with color, the [ Primordial Unity ] Dao operating at full power, gazing towards the void beyond the boundary.
He saw it.
In the deepest part of that void, there is light. Not one, but many. Some are golden, like the robes of a Buddha; some are bluish-gray, like the cold glint of a sword; some are dark red, like dried blood; some are pitch black, like the gaze of an abyss.
Those were the gazes of the Dao King.
Qi Yun's pupils contracted slightly.
He could feel them "watching" him, like they were watching a lamb that had wandered into a tiger's den.
"Interesting," Qi Yun muttered to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Instead of retreating, he took a step forward.
This step marks a departure from the boundaries of the outside world.
"Qi boy!" Cai Shen's voice was somewhat panicked, "What are you doing?!"
That's the Dao King!
"Say hello," Qi Yun said casually.
He raised his right hand, his fingers forming a sword shape, and gently slashed at the golden gaze beyond the realm.
"Sneer"
A condensed, gray-white sword light burst forth from his fingertips, piercing straight towards that golden gaze!
Wherever the sword light passed, the distorted and collapsed space was forcibly cleaved open, revealing a straight passage leading to the depths of nothingness!
Deep within the vortex, the golden gaze trembled violently. Then, a magnificent and powerful voice resounded directly within Qi Yun's mind. "Amitabha!"
Before the words were even finished, a gigantic, golden Buddha hand suddenly shot out!
The Buddha's hand was so large that it blotted out the sky and the sun, with five fingers as thick as mountains. The swastika symbol in the palm slowly rotated, radiating a terrifying pressure that suppressed and converted everything!
Compared to the Buddha's hand that appeared in the sky above the West Sea, this Buddha's hand is more solid, larger, and more terrifying. Because the Great Tide of Time is approaching and the barrier is weakening, the power that the World-Honored One can unleash is several times stronger than before!
Before the Buddha's Hand even arrived, the void around Qi Yun began to solidify!
The auspicious clouds beneath his feet shattered inch by inch, the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron emitted a muffled hum, and the nine divine dragons bowed their heads in unison, bearing unimaginable pressure!
Is that all?
Qi Yun's eyes suddenly lit up with a bright light.
He raised his hand and made another sweeping motion towards the descending golden Buddha hand.
This time, it wasn't one sword light, but four.
The four sword lights of Execution, Slaughter, Traps, and Annihilation burst forth simultaneously, intertwining, entwining, and merging in the air, ultimately transforming into a gray-white sword aura that stretched across the heavens and earth, fiercely slashing towards the golden Buddha hand!
"Boom--!!!"
An indescribably terrifying explosion erupted!
Centered on the point of impact, visible ripples of destruction spread wildly in all directions!
Wherever it passed, the void shattered inch by inch!
The golden Buddha hand trembled slightly, its downward pressure momentarily halted.
The gray-white sword energy shattered inch by inch under the crushing force of the Buddha's hand, turning into countless specks of light that scattered across the sky.
The two sides are evenly matched.
No, that's not right. Qi Yun's brows furrowed slightly.
He could sense that the World-Honored One had not used his full strength in this palm strike.
But it's much stronger than last time. The Great Tide of Time hasn't truly arrived yet, and the barrier hasn't been completely weakened, World-Honored One was able to unleash such power.
If the Great Tide of Time truly arrives----
"Not bad." The World-Honored One's voice rang out again, carrying a faint hint of surprise, "Young friend, your strength has increased once more."
May Buddha have mercy.
When the great tide comes, I will personally lead my young friend into my land of liberation.
Qi Yun stood quietly in the void, gazing at the slowly retracting golden Buddha hand and the gradually receding golden gaze from the depths of the vortex, his eyes sparkling with colorful light.
As soon as he finished speaking, the golden gaze vanished completely.
The other gazes also disappeared one after another after the World-Honored One left.
Qi Yun stood alone in the void, his eyes sparkling with color, lost in thought.
"Young Qi—" Cai Shen's voice came from the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, tinged with lingering fear, "Are you alright?"
"It's nothing," Qi Yun said calmly. "Let's go."
"Where to?"
"Go back."
"Go back?" Cai Shen was taken aback. "Not going to watch anymore?"
"I've finished reading." Qi Yun around, and a nine-colored auspicious cloud reappeared beneath his feet, carrying him and the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, speeding towards the Xuanhuang Home Realm.
The Xuanhuang Home Realm, the Wuji Sacred Sect, the Great Void Hall.
Upon Qi Yun's return, he immediately summoned all the Holy Sect True Person.
Great Void Hall, dozens of True Lord took their seats in order.
All eyes, including those of Qingyuan True Lord Wendao, Lady Jiuli, True Person Zַhuanlun, Dragon Crown Prince of the Four Seas, and Sage Wang True Lord, were fixed on the deep blue figure atop the cloud throne.
" The Great Tide of Time will arrive in half a month." Qi Yun's voice echoed in the hall, getting straight to the point.
Silence fell over the hall.
"The strength of the Dao King far surpasses that of the True Lord," Qi Yun said calmly. "If they were to descend in their true forms, let alone all of you present, even I, Qi Yun, might not be able to contend with them."
These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.
"How can we stop it?" asked True Lord Qingyuan.
Qi Yun did not answer immediately. He stood up, walked to the center of the Great Void Hall, raised his hand, and gently made a gesture in the air.
"Buzz"
A chaotic, colorful aura flowed from his palm, condensing into an extremely complex array in the void.
Within the array diagram, countless Dao patterns intertwine and entwine, each pattern radiating a terrifying Dao aura that governs all laws and suppresses all heavens.
"This formation is called the Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Heaven." Qi Yun's voice echoed in the hall, "Based on my [ Primordial Unity ] Dao, guided by the power of the Dao Fruit of the All Wonders Heaven, and supported by the Great Daos of all the True Lord present, it may be possible to forcibly suppress the Dao King's rank."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall.
"If Dao King falls into this formation, his rank will be suppressed to the level of True Lord."
At that time, they will no longer be an invincible force.
The hall was deathly silent.
All eyes were fixed on the array diagram, their eyes flashing with a mixture of shock, doubt, and eager anticipation.
" Primordial Unity Daoist Hunyuan," True Lord Qingyuan slowly spoke, "This formation—is it feasible?"
Qi Yun looked at him, a hint of something in his eyes.
"I don't know, but this is the only way at the moment, and it requires the full cooperation of all fellow Daoists."
"How should we cooperate?" asked Lady Jiuli.
"I temporarily lend you all your Great Daos," Qi Yun said calmly. "With your Great Daos as pillars, we will support this great formation."
Silence fell once more in the hall.
Lending the Great Way to others is tantamount to handing over one's life to them.
If Qi Yun malicious intentions, they will suffer damage to their Dao Foundation at best, and death and dissipation at worst.
"Rest assured, everyone." Qi Yun's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty. "If I wanted to harm any of you, I wouldn't have waited until today."
There's no need to go to such lengths.
The people inside the hall looked at each other in bewilderment.
Indeed, given Qi Yun's current strength, none of the True Lord present would be a match for him.
After a moment, True Lord Qingyuan spoke first, " Sword Pavilion is willing to cooperate fully."
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"I am willing to follow you, Phoenix Helm."
" The Yellow Springs Netherworld is willing to lend a helping hand to Fellow Primordial Unity Hunyuan."
The Dragon Palace of the Four Seas, the Hao Ran Holy Land, the Hegemon Sect, the Heavenly Secrets Sect, and the Nine Kings Mountain —one after another, True Lord expressed their opinions.
Qi Yun's smile slowly widened.
"Very well," he said calmly. "In that case, fellow Daoists, please return to your respective Daoist temples and await my summons."
"When the Great Tide of Time arrives, that will be the day the great formation is activated."
1
"Good!"
After the True Lord dispersed, Qi Yun remained alone in the Great Void Hall.
He did not leave, but sat cross-legged on the cloud throne, his eyes sparkling with color, and the [ Primordial Unity ] Dao was operating at full power, deducing every detail of the [ Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Heaven ].
This grand formation is the strongest technique he deduced after integrating the power left behind by the Great Tang and his own [ Primordial Unity ] Dao.
Using his [ Primordial Unity ] Dao as the central hub and the power of the Dao Fruit of the All Wonders Heaven as the energy source, he forcibly suppressed the Dao King's status.
and----
With a slight shift in his gaze, Qi Yun glanced at the Law Technique Panel.
Even if suppression fails, there's still that final step!
Once this step is taken, whether or not it's suppressed becomes irrelevant.
Wuji Sacred Sect, Great Void Hall.
Several days later, Qi Yun began to Formation Deployment.
Using the Great Void Hall as the array eye, the entire Wuji Sacred Sect Great Void Mirror Heaven as the array base, and the [ Primordial Unity ] Dao as the central hub, he began to outline the first array pattern of [ Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Heaven ].
The array patterns flowed from his fingertips, like a giant dragon of chaotic color, winding and moving across the ground of the Great Void Hall. Wherever it passed, the void solidified and the Principle submitted.
One by one, True Lord arrived, each taking their place and pouring their own Great Dao power into the formation.
The Sword Intent of the Sword Pavilion, the flames of the Phoenix Helm, the cycle of Yellow Springs Netherworld, the Dragon Clan's might, the righteous energy of the Hao Ran Holy Land, the power of the Hegemon Sect Heavenly Secrets Sect Mystery Sect, the talismans of the Nine Kings Mountain ----
Dozens of Great Daos and dozens of completely different powers were perfectly integrated under the rule of the Qi Yun [ Primordial Unity ] Dao.
Within the grand formation, countless Dao patterns intertwined and entwined, each pattern radiating a terrifying Dao aura that suppressed all laws and ruled over all heavens.
At the heart of the formation, Qi Yun sat cross-legged, his eyes sparkling with color, fully utilizing the [ Primordial Unity ] Dao to maintain the stability of the great formation.
Outside the hall, the colors of the sky grew increasingly eerie, the fluctuations of spiritual energy became more intense, and people's hearts grew increasingly uneasy.
Everyone knew that a storm was coming.