Refining Xuanhuang

"Buzz."

A very soft, tremolo-like sound, like the plucking of a harp string, came from the void.

The voice wasn't loud, but it went straight into the deepest part of Qi Yun's mind, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.

Qi Yun's brows furrowed slightly.

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 Purple Mansion Palace.

All the chaotic colors, all the light of the azure sky, and all the Xuanhuang Origin flowed slowly around it.

The Xuanhuang Heaven's Will.

Qi Yun's mind stirred slightly.

"You've come," he said, his voice calm, without surprise or panic.

"You knew I would come." The voice was soft and faint, like the wind blowing through withered leaves, like a drop of water falling into a deep pool.

It had no direction, no origin, and seemed to resound simultaneously from every inch of the void in this Purple Mansion.

"I've guessed some of it," Qi Yun said calmly, "But I'm not sure."

"Is it confirmed now?"

"Um."

silence.

The blurry light hovered silently in the Purple Mansion, meeting Qi Yun's gaze.

"You must refine the Xuanhuang Origin," it finally spoke.

"Yes."

"Have you thought this through?" The figure's voice was still soft, yet it carried an indescribable solemnity. "Refining the Xuanhuang Origin means becoming completely bound to the Xuanhuang Home Realm."

From this day forward, as long as the Xuanhuang exists, you will exist;

Xuanhuang perishes, you will perish.

There is no way out.

Qi Yun did not answer immediately.

He opened his eyes and looked at the blurry light.

"Senior, from the moment I embarked on the path of cultivation, I never considered turning back." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable certainty. "Not before, not now, and not ever."

The light remained silent for a moment.

"Okay." It only said one word.

Then, the light began to dissipate. Like a wisp of smoke blown away by the wind, it gradually became transparent, illusory, and returned to nothingness, starting from the edge.

Qi Yun watched it dissipate without saying a word to stop it.

Because he knew it hadn't left.

It simply merged its existence into this world, into that Xuanhuang Origin, and into the Dao of Qi Yun.

From this moment on, it was no longer an equal to Qi Yun.

It is part of the Qi Yun).

It is the Way of Qi Yun, the Law of Qi Yun, and the Authority of Qi Yun.

"Thank you," Qi Yun said softly, then closed his eyes again.

His mind once again probed into that Xuanhuang Origin.

This time, there were no obstacles, no hesitation.

His mind was like an invisible blade, dissecting the light layer by layer, revealing its core and essence.

It was a seed.

A perfectly round seed, its surface shrouded in countless Dao patterns, radiating an aura of timeless vicissitudes and boundless vitality.

That is the origin of the Xuanhuang Home Realm.

It is the beginning and end of everything that has existed since the beginning of time in this world.

Qi Yun's mind gently touched that seed.

In that very instant, "BOOM!!!"

An indescribable, immense power erupted from that seed!

That power was vast, like an ancient river hanging upside down, or like stars falling from the heavens. Following Qi Yun's mind, it surged into his limbs and bones, into his meridians and acupoints, and into his Purple Mansion palace!

Qi Yun's body trembled violently!

His robes shattered inch by inch under the impact of the force, revealing his Daoist body beneath, which flowed with chaotic and colorful energy.

On the Dao body, countless Dao patterns appear, move, and intertwine as if they were alive. Each Dao pattern is a Principle heaven and earth, and each Principle carries the weight of a world.

Behind him, the blue sky suddenly expanded!

The sun and moon Lunzhuan wildly, the stars twinkle wildly, and the mountains and rivers rush wildly!

The entire blue sky, under the infusion of the Xuanhuang Origin, solidified and sublimated at an unbelievable speed!

Signs of life began to appear in the clear blue sky.

Plants sprouted among the mountains and rivers, birds and beasts ran in the forests, fish and shrimp swam in the rivers, and humans built the first city on the plains.

That wasn't an illusion; it was reality.

It is the Dao of Qi Yun Xuanhuang Origin, giving birth to a true, independent world with its own Dao and order.

The aura of Qi Yun began to rise.

It wasn't slow growth, but an explosive leap.

Towards the supreme realm of Dao King, a realm that only a select few throughout history have been able to reach.

Outside the quiet room, in the Great Void Hall.

As the dozens of True Lord were recuperating, they suddenly felt an indescribable palpitation at the same time.

"This is—" Qingyuan True Lord Wendao abruptly stood up, his expression changing drastically, "Someone is attempting to break through to the Dao King realm?!"

"It's Qi Yun!" Desolate Halberd Heaven-Rending True Lord gripped his halberd tightly, his tiger eyes wide open. "This kid—is he really going to succeed?"

"No." The voice of the Wudao Extreme Dharma True Lord came from the gray mist, carrying a rare solemnity.

"One more step. The final step. And also the most dangerous step."

"Danger?" Desolate Halberd Heaven-Rending True Lord was taken aback. "What danger?"

The Wudao Extreme Dharma True Lord did not answer.

He simply raised his gaze and looked up at the shattered sky above.

There, the Great Tide of Time still surged. The ocean of light churned more violently than before, and the crack in the boundary doubled in size within a few breaths.

And in the deepest part of that ocean of light, at the source of that Long River of Time, a gaze suddenly appears.

Not one, but seven.

Seven colors: golden yellow, dark red, bluish-gray, pitch black, pale white, dark blue, and purplish-gold; seven gazes; seven Dao King.

They opened their eyes at the same time.

"Someone is attempting to reach the Dao King realm."

The World-Honored One's voice emanated from the golden crack.

"It's that junior."

From within the dark red Blood Sea, a hoarse, deep voice rang out. "We can't let him succeed."

If he becomes Dao King, with his [Primordial Unity] Dao, even if we join forces, we might not be able to defeat him.

"Then stop him." From within the dark crack, the crimson eye narrowed slightly. "Kill him before he succeeds."

"Kill him?" From the pale, gaping wound, the voice of the moon-white figure was clear and melodious, yet carried a hint of mockery. "You've already tried it, haven't you?"

His [Primordial Unity] Dao, combined with the Xuanhuang Origin, makes him unbeatable even to me.

Kill him? What would you use to kill him?

"Then let's join forces." Within the azure rift, the vast ocean surged, and icy chains clanged. "Seven people working together, can't they kill a mere junior who hasn't even reached the Dao King?"

silence.

Seven gazes converged in the void, scrutinizing and weighing each other.

"We can join forces," the World-Honored One finally spoke, his voice still calm, "But after it's done, how will the Xuanhuang Origin be divided?"

"Each relies on their own ability." The voice from the dark red Blood Sea was hoarse.

"Good."

All seven gazes simultaneously withdrew.

The next instant, "Boom!!!"

Above the sky, the six cracks trembled simultaneously, and the previously closed golden cracks also reopened!

The previously half-closed crack was now stretched to its maximum!

From the depths of the rift, seven immeasurably majestic figures, each wielding power over heaven and earth, slowly approach.

It is not a projection, nor a test, but the true, complete entity that embodies the eternal Dao Fruit.

They stood above the heavens, before the seven rifts, in the void submerged by the Great Tide of Time.

The World-Honored One spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. "Young friend, stop."

"If you stop now, I promise not to harm a single blade of grass or tree in Xuanhuang."

"I will withdraw once you hand over the Xuanhuang Origin."

Deep within the Great Void Hall, in a quiet room.

Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes.

The vibrant colors in his eyes had faded, replaced by a bottomless chaos. Within that chaos were the reflections of the sun, moon, and stars; the outlines of mountains and rivers; the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree that was growing vigorously; and the Hunyuan Dao Fruit that was maturing.

He heard the World-Honored One's words.

He did not answer.

He simply raised his right hand, fingers slightly spread, and gently beckoned to his side.

"Buzz"

The Mountains and Rivers Cauldron moved in response.

The large cauldron, its entire body shimmering with Xuanhuang and adorned with nine divine dragons coiled around its body, rose into the air from the corner of the courtyard.

On the body of the cauldron, the nine divine dragons raised their heads and roared in unison. The sound of their roars reverberated through the heavens, making the tiles of the Great Void Hall rattle.

The Mountains and Rivers Cauldron moved.

It hangs directly above the Xuanhuang Home Realm.

Beneath the cauldron, nine divine dragons simultaneously swooped down, their claws tearing through the void, their tails sweeping across the sky, and their roars coalescing into a deafening din.

Centered on the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, they outlined a massive array in the void that covered the entire Xuanhuang Home Realm.

Within the array, the illusory images of mountains and rivers appeared, the outlines of cities and fields were clear, and the imprints of all living things flickered.

The microcosm of the entire world was forcibly imprinted into the void by the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron with its supreme power.

The World-Honored One's gaze fell upon the large cauldron, and a slight fluctuation finally appeared in his usually calm voice.

"The Mountain and River Cauldron - Imperial Weapon of the Tang Dynasty"

"I never expected it would recognize you as its master."

Deep within the Great Void Hall, in a quiet room.

Qi Yun withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again.

His mind once again sank into that seed.

The seed trembled, struggled, and resisted. It had its own will, its own instincts, and its own choices.

Qi Yun did not force it.

He simply showed it his own path, little by little.

Show his [Primordial Unity], show his clear sky, show his determination, show his faith.

Finally, "Buzz."

A clear, melodious sound emanated from deep within the seed.

The sound was not loud, but it penetrated the walls of the quiet room and reached the ears of every living being.

Qi Yun's body trembled.

That's not borrowing, that's owning. It's true, complete, and indivisible ownership.

From this moment on, he was no longer someone who borrowed the Xuanhuang Origin.

He is the Xuanhuang Origin, the true master of this world.

It is the first existence in all of eternity to be completely bound, completely integrated, and completely unified with the Xuanhuang Home Realm.

Above the sky, the gazes of the seven Dao King froze simultaneously.

They felt it.

That aura was not that of Dao King.

Higher than the Dao King, stronger than the Dao King!

For the first time, the World-Honored One's expression underwent a genuine change.

"He... refined the Xuanhuang Origin?"

"It's not refining." From within the purple-gold crack, the figure wearing a flat-topped crown spoke, his voice deep and carrying an indescribable complexity, "It's fusion."

He became one with the Xuanhuang.

"Then what is he now?" A hoarse voice rang out from the crimson Blood Sea.

The purple-gold figure remained silent for a moment.

"He is Xuanhuang. Xuanhuang is him."

The seven Dao King remained silent.

Above the sky, the seven cracks began to tremble, as the seven Dao King actively opened them up.

They're going in.

Before Qi Yun has fully completed his transformation, kill him and seize the Xuanhuang Origin.

The crack is getting bigger and bigger.

The Mountains and Rivers Cauldron trembled violently, and the nine divine dragons roared angrily, their claws tearing through the void and their tails sweeping across the sky, attempting to stop the seven Dao King.

However, under the combined attack of the seven Dao King, its defenses are being torn apart, disintegrated, and devoured bit by bit.

In the Great Void Hall, dozens of True Lord rose at the same time.

Dozens of True Lord and dozens of Great Daos erupted simultaneously.

They rushed towards the heavens, towards the seven Dao King, towards the void submerged by the Great Tide of Time.

"Stop them!" Qingyuan True Lord Wendao shouted, and a cyan sword light soared into the sky, slashing straight at the golden Buddhist light.

The halberd of the Desolate Halberd Heaven-Rending True Lord ripped through the void; the Return to Nothingness Rhyme of the Wudao Extreme Dharma True Lord devoured everything; the Crimson Gold Fire Dragon of the Lady Jiuli scorched the heavens and boiled the seas—

But before the seven Dao King, their power was like a firefly compared to the bright moon.

With a gentle wave of his World-Honored One hand, the sword light of Qingyuan True Lord Wendao shattered inch by inch; the figure in the dark red Blood Sea raised his hand and pressed down, causing the halberd of Desolate Halberd Heaven-Rending True Lord to fly out of his hand; the Sword Intent in the bluish-gray crack brightened slightly, and the Return to Nothingness Daoyun of Wudao Extreme Dharma True Lord was severed in one stroke----

One strike, just one strike.

Dozens of True Lord were sent flying backward, their blood splattering across the void.

But they did not retreat.

Desolate Halberd Heaven-Rending True Lord wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and gripped his halberd tightly again; Qingyuan True Lord Wendao steadied himself, his Sword Intent soaring into the sky once more; Wudao Extreme Dharma True Lord emerged from the Return to Nothingness, his hands once more embracing the void—

They cannot stop the Dao King, but they must.

Because it takes time to Qi Yun.

In the quiet room, Qi Yun sat cross-legged.

That patch of blue sky was spinning wildly.

The sun and moon Lunzhuan a thousand times faster, the stars twinkle ten thousand times faster, and the rushing of mountains and rivers is a hundred thousand times stronger.

That Hunyuan Dao Fruit is maturing little by little.

Above the heavens, the seven Dao King had already crossed the defenses of the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron and the obstruction of dozens of True Lord, and stepped into the sky above the Xuanhuang Home Realm.

The World-Honored One raised his hand and gently pressed it towards the direction of the Great Void Hall.

"Young friend, it's over."

At the same time!

[Law Technique auto-up complete!]

[This is the final version update----]