Ten days after the Dao King left, the sky over the Xuanhuang Home Realm still hadn't cleared up.
The cracks did not heal.
Seven cracks, like seven knife marks, stretched across the sky, shattering what was once a complete sky into pieces.
From within the rift, the light of the ocean of light continued to pour down, enveloping the entire Xuanhuang Home Realm in a strange, chaotic hue.
This is no longer the sky, but a piece of broken glass, crushed by an invisible giant hand and barely pieced back together.
Each crack is a wound, and each wound is seeping outwards with the primordial energy of the Xuanhuang Home Realm.
Great Void Hall, the light of the great formation was even dimmer than it had been ten days ago.
The seven-colored beam of light still shot into the sky.
Dozens of True Lord sat cross-legged around them, many of True Lord with solemn expressions and a hint of weariness between their brows.
Qi Yun sat at the center of the formation, the blue sky behind him had recovered to 70%.
The sun and moon regained their brilliance, the stars began to slowly revolve, and the outlines of mountains and rivers became clear.
But his face remained pale, and the light in his eyes had dimmed considerably.
" Primordial Unity Daoist Hunyuan," True Lord Qingyuan approached, his voice low, "The great formation won't last much longer."
"At most another month, my fellow Daoists may not be able to hold on any longer."
Qi Yun did not answer. He simply raised his head and looked up at the seven cracks in the sky.
"One month—" he muttered to himself, "That's enough."
"Enough?" True Lord Qingyuan was taken aback.
"Hmm," Qi Yun said calmly, "Next, I need to go into seclusion. I'll leave the operation of the grand formation to you fellow cultivators."
True Lord Qingyuan remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.
"Good."
"How long will it take?" he asked.
"I don't know." Qi Yun stood up and brushed the hem of his robe. "Maybe three to five days, maybe ten days to half a month."
But the day Qi emerges from the pass will be the day of the decisive battle.
"Hmm." Qi Yun raised his eyes and looked at the golden crack in the sky. " The World-Honored One said that he would come in person next time."
At that time, it will not be a projection, nor a test, but a real, personal arrival.
His voice was calm, as if he were stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.
"Therefore, I need to be prepared beforehand."
True Lord Qingyuan gazed into Qi Yun's deep eyes, trying to discern something within them.
But all he saw was a bottomless abyss of darkness.
"Alright," he said slowly, "I will wait for you."
Qi Yun nodded slightly and said no more. He turned and walked into the depths of the Great Void Hall.
There, there was a quiet room reinforced by the [ Primordial Unity ] Dao, where he secluded himself for cultivation.
The palace doors were closed, isolating the inside from the outside.
Qi Yun sat cross-legged on the futon and slowly closed his eyes.
His spirits began to sink.
Sinking into a higher, more fundamental realm All Wonders Heaven.
The All Wonders Heaven is the source of all laws and the place where the Dao Fruit are held high.
Qi Yun's consciousness, like a wisp of smoke, pierced through the dome of the Great Void Hall and rose straight into this transcendent, supreme dimension.
Standing amidst the All Wonders Heaven, Qi Yun's vision was entirely different from what he had seen before.
The illusory image of a Xuanhuang Treasure Tree remains rooted in the boundless earth, its branches extending into the endless void.
But at this moment, the precious tree's branches and leaves are no longer lush, but have become sparse and withered.
Many of the celestial leaves have fallen off, floating in the void and gradually dissipating.
The Xuanhuang Treasure Tree is withering.
Qi Yun's gaze narrowed slightly.
He could sense that the withering of the precious tree was not due to the Great Tide of Time, but rather to the plundering by the Dao King.
Those cracks not only tore apart the sky, but also extracted the primordial energy of the Xuanhuang Home Realm.
Each crack is like a straw, inserted into the trunk of the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, continuously drawing upon its life force.
"You've come."
A voice came from nothingness. The voice was very soft and faint, like the wind blowing through withered leaves, like a drop of water falling into a deep pool.
It has no direction, no source, as if it were resounding simultaneously from every inch of the void of the All Wonders Heaven.
Qi Yun turned around and looked in the direction from which the sound came.
There, a figure stood.
The figure was blurry, like a ray of light shrouded in thick fog; its face, clothing, and even whether it was male or female were indistinguishable.
But it stood there, becoming the center of this All Wonders Heaven.
All the Dao Fruit, all the Principle, and all the primordial energy revolve slowly around it.
Upon seeing this figure, Qi Yun's expression relaxed slightly, and he then said, "When the Great Tide of Time reaches its peak, the Dao King will personally descend."
At that time, the Xuanhuang will surely be destroyed, and All Wonders Heaven will surely collapse.
Neither of us can escape it.
"So?" the figure asked.
"Therefore, we need to cooperate." Qi Yun stared directly at the blurry light. "You lend me your power, and I will shield you from the Dao King."
The figure remained silent for a moment.
What makes you think I can help you?
Qi Yun did not answer immediately. He simply raised his right hand, and a wisp of chaotic color quietly emerged in his palm.
"Based on this," Qi Yun said calmly.
The figure remained silent for a long time.
"That's not enough," it finally spoke. "There are seven Dao King, and you are only one."
Even with extraordinary abilities, it would be difficult to withstand the combined forces of seven Dao King.
"Therefore, I need your power," Qi Yun said, "The primordial power of the Xuanhuang Home Realm, the power of the Dao Fruit of the All Wonders Heaven, and—your own power."
The figure fell silent once more.
"You're certainly direct." Its voice held a barely perceptible hint of amusement. "But why should I believe you?"
"Trust me?" Qi Yun was taken aback.
"Hmm." The figure said slowly, "You said you wanted to protect Xuanhuang and block the Dao King."
But how do I know you're not another Dao King?
"After you defeat them, you can then take over Xuanhuang for yourself?"
Qi Yun fell silent.
He hadn't expected that this figure would ask such a question.
"I am not the Dao King," he said slowly.
"If I help you, then you are the one," the figure said calmly.
Qi Yun was silent for a moment, then smiled.
The smile was faint, yet it carried an indescribable meaning.
"Then what will it take for you to believe me?"
The figure did not answer.
It simply "looked" at Qi Yun, "looked" at the Sword Intent in his palm, "looked" at the blue sky behind him, and "looked" at the colorful light flowing in his eyes.
"Lend me your way," it finally spoke.
Qi Yun frowned slightly.
What do you think?
"Relax your mind," the figure said calmly. "Let me in."
Qi Yun narrowed his eyes slightly, opening his mind, which meant exposing his own path, his own methods, and everything about himself to the other party.
If the other party harbors malicious intentions, at best his Dao Foundation will be damaged, and at worst, he will die and his Dao will be destroyed.
"You dare not?" the figure asked.
Qi Yun stared intently at the blurry light for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"Please."
His mind was completely at ease.
The blurry light flickered slightly.
The next moment, Qi Yun felt an invisible will, like a gentle stream, silently seeping into the depths of his mind.
That will was neither malicious nor benevolent.
There is only a pure, emotionless "examination".
Time, at this moment, loses its meaning.
It may be just a moment, or it may be eternity.
That will finally withdrew from his mind.
Qi Yun opened his eyes and looked at the figure in front of him again.
"How?" he asked.
The figure remained silent for a long time, so long that Qi Yun thought it wouldn't answer.
Your path is very pure.
It finally spoke, its voice carrying a very faint, almost imperceptible hint of surprise.
It's not for power, nor for transcendence.
Just to live.
"Alive?" Qi Yun was taken aback.
"Hmm." The figure said slowly, "Your purpose in cultivating has never been to become some kind of Dao King or True Lord."
You just want to live, to let the people around you live, to let this world live.
"It's so pure. So pure that I couldn't refuse."
Qi Yun remained silent for a moment. He hadn't expected this figure to say such a thing.
"So, you agreed?" he asked.
The figure did not answer immediately.
It simply raised a blurry hand slowly and gently pointed it in Qi Yun's direction.
"Buzz"
A gentle, colorless light flowed from its fingertips and entered Qi Yun's brow.
That light contained an indescribable power.
It is the life force of the Xuanhuang Home Realm, the origin of All Wonders Heaven, and all the power accumulated in this world since its creation.
Qi Yun's body trembled slightly. At this moment, the azure sky behind him suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly brilliant light!
The sun and moon shone brightly, the stars spun wildly, and the mountains and rivers roared and surged!
In just a few breaths, that patch of blue sky regained its former glory, even becoming more vast and majestic than before!
"This is—" Qi Yun's pupils contracted slightly.
"The power you desire," the figure said calmly, "I'll lend it to you."
But remember, this is just a loan.
"You need to return it after you've used it."
Qi Yun was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Okay."
As soon as the words fell, the blurry light began to fade slowly, like a wisp of smoke blown away by the wind, dissipating into the void of the All Wonders Heaven.
Qi Yun stood alone amidst the All Wonders Heaven, gazing in the direction where the figure had vanished, his eyes sparkling with vibrant light.
From his perspective at this moment.
The entire Law Technique Panel was completely enveloped in boundless colors, and countless characters were frantically rearranging themselves on it, silently giving birth to an unprecedented existence.
Deep within the Great Void Hall, in a quiet room.
Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes.
The light in his eyes was deeper and more expansive than before his seclusion.
He stood up and pushed open the palace door.
Outside the hall, dozens of True Lord looked up at him.
True Lord Qingyuan looked at him, at his deep eyes, at the magnificent blue sky behind him, and a complex light flashed in his eyes.
" Primordial Unity Daoist Hunyuan—" he began, "You—"
"Ready?" Qi Yun said calmly.
He raised his head and looked up at the seven cracks in the sky.
Within the crack, the seven gazes remained suspended, cold and indifferent, like seven sharp swords hanging overhead.
"Now, everyone can rest."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took a step forward, and his figure was already above the sky.
Behind him, the vast blue sky suddenly unfolded, enveloping the entire heavens.
The sun and moon Lunzhuan, the stars twinkle, and the mountains and rivers flow ceaselessly.
That is his way, his law, his world.
He stood beneath the blue sky, his robes fluttering, his eyes sparkling with light.
"Gentlemen," his voice wasn't loud, but it clearly penetrated every crack, "Do you dare to see me in person!"
Above the sky, the seven cracks trembled simultaneously.
The next moment!
The seven pairs of eyes lit up simultaneously.