I Am Xuanhuang
The moment the four words were uttered, the world fell silent.
The Heaven and Earth's Long River of Time and carries the immense power of countless ages, was now suppressed and silenced by an invisible force.
The entire Xuanhuang Home Realm, from the shattered battlefield of the Central Land to the four seas and eight wastelands, to the stars in the heavens, to the countless secret realms and small worlds hidden in the layers of void, and even including the nine cracks in the sky that symbolize the will of the Dao King —all sounds, all colors, all fluctuations seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Thump--!"
A deep, vast sound, originating from the very beginning of creation and the heartbeat of the entire world, suddenly resounded and spread throughout all the heavens and myriad realms!
As Qi Yun pointed his fingers like a sword across the ground, the Xuanhuang earth, scarred by war, shattered, with its Spirit Vein severed and life fading, suddenly trembled violently!
"Buzz--!"
"Buzz--!!"
"Buzz!!!"
A continuous buzzing sound resonated from the depths of the earth, from the mountains and rivers, from the clouds and seas of the heavens, from the waves of the four seas, from every Spiritual Qi, and from every remaining trace of the Principle and principles!
Countless points of light, some faint, some bright, some pure, some mottled, rose from every corner of the Xuanhuang World!
These points of light, like a meteor shower flying in reverse, ignored the barriers of space, pierced through the chaotic force field brought about by the Long River of Time, and converged wildly from all directions toward Qi Yun's location, toward the chaotic pillar of light that connects heaven and earth, and toward the radiant ancient seal of [Primordial Unity] at the source of the pillar!
"What is he doing?!"
"Forcibly activating the final source of the Xuanhuang?! Does he intend to perish together with it?!"
"No! This feeling—"
All nine Dao King, including Canyi and Dao King Feng Xi, who had just returned to their thrones and whose auras were blazing, sensed that something was amiss.
Qi Yun stirred is not simply a force, but everything in the "mother tree" of Xuanhuang —from its roots to its branches and leaves, from its past to its future, from its existence to its concept!
"Stop him!" The reflection of the silver river of destiny in the pupils of the King of the Dao swirled wildly as he shouted.
He felt a strange unease; something beyond his destiny, something powerful enough to overturn the entire situation, was happening!
Without him needing to say more, the nine peak beings jointly guided and controlled the Heaven and Earth's Long River of Time, which was formed by countless fragments of time, historical dust and future glimmers. It had already transformed into a world-destroying flood, and with unstoppable force, it crashed down on Qi Yun's head. It looked like it was about to completely swallow up that figure in black robes and wash him into the dust of time!
And at the very moment the river of time touched the pillar of chaotic light, Qi Yun.
He no longer looked at the world-destroying torrent, nor at the nine menacing enemies, but slowly closed his eyes and stretched out his arms.
"Boom!!!!!!!!!"
An indescribable, dazzling brilliance erupted from Qi Yun's body, from the ancient [Primordial Unity] seal script!
Amidst this ultimate radiance, Qi Yun's figure vanished completely.
The next moment -
"Click----Click-click----"
A sickening, earth-shattering roar, as if the very foundations of the world were crumbling, or as if some kind of constraint was being broken, emanated from within the pillar of chaotic light.
The beam of light began to expand and deform violently!
Countless illusory roots, shimmering with chaotic light, as thick as mountains, winding like dragons, and with profound Dao patterns flowing on their surfaces, spread wildly from the bottom of the pillar of light, deeply and firmly rooting themselves into the shattered Xuanhuang earth below, even penetrating the earth and piercing into the core of this world's origin!
The pillar of light itself, like a giant tree that has absorbed endless nutrients, grows and stretches wildly upwards and in all directions!
One by one, branches, also entwined with chaotic energy and shimmering with countless phantom images of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, Xuanhuang Treasure Tree that had appeared in the All Wonders Heaven a billion times greater!
Leaves as large as stars, with clear veins, and each leaf seemingly carrying a small world, shimmering with different kinds of radiance, sprouted and unfurled rapidly on the branches, becoming lush and verdant in an instant, blocking out the sun!
The entire Xuanhuang Treasure Tree has descended into the world!
Its immense size supported the sky and stabilized the earth; its presence instantly overwhelmed the Long River of Time that spanned heaven and earth!
If the Long River of Time is a raging, chaotic dragon, then the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree at this moment is an ancient divine mountain rooted in the endless void, standing tall through countless ages, unmoved by wind and waves!
"This—this is—"
"The Xuanhuang True Form?!"
He completely merged himself with the Xuanhuang Origin and the imprint of the world, manifesting the ultimate form of the Xuanhuang.
He wants to defy the Long River of Time? No, that's impossible!
Under the immense power of time, even the true form of the world will be eroded, decayed, and ultimately collapse!
The nine Dao King were shocked, but even more so, they were incredulous.
Qi Yun's move is tantamount to binding himself completely to Xuanhuang, where their fates are intertwined, one prospers and the other suffers.
Faced with the erosion of Long River of Time, the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree may be able to withstand it for a while, but it will never last. In the end, it will be buried by the Long River of Time along with Qi Yun!
"To give everything in this futile struggle is utterly foolish!" The World-Honored One's golden body dimmed as he roared, "Time, crush him!"
The nine Dao King, holding nothing back, unleashed the power of the Heaven and Earth's Long River of Time they had drawn in to its fullest extent!
The chaotic river of time no longer dispersed, but instead became like a long whip, gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand and powerful enough to shatter galaxies, or like a world-destroying flood bursting its banks, crashing down upon the manifested, majestic, and endless trunk and core crown of the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree!
The immense power of time has begun to reveal its terrifying side.
The outermost, relatively "young" branches and leaves of the precious tree, upon being touched by the river of time, began to fade, wither, and decay at a visible speed, as if they had undergone millions of years of erosion and finally turned into ashes and scattered.
The illusory Dao patterns that make up the branches and leaves begin to blur and break. The terrifying power of erosion by time is spreading wildly along the branches and leaves, toward the trunk, toward the core!
The precious tree trembled and swayed, groaning under its unbearable burden.
Its manifested form seems to have truly become "old" under the erosion of Long River of Time, as if covered by the dust of history.
"It's over." Canyi coldly watched this scene, the silver river of fate unfolding in his eyes, as if he had already seen the ending.
It has the form but not the spirit.
Before the passage of time, all things are equal; the world too will age and die.
He can't save Xuanhuang; he'll only hasten its demise and drag himself down with it.
Just when all the Dao King, and even the remaining Xuanhuang True Lord below, thought the end was sealed and despair filled their hearts.
At the core of the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, which has withstood the fiercest erosion of the Long River of Time, where the trunk and crown meet, where the ancient seal of [Primordial Unity] originally stood, a point of spiritual light, clear as glass, warm as jade, yet containing boundless vitality, suddenly lit up.
Then, a peaceful, clear voice, carrying a certain detachment and decisiveness born of profound understanding, emanated from that spiritual light, resounding amidst the roar of time, echoing deep within the hearts of every living being. "Green mountains swallow the moon of past and present, precious trees sway in the morning and evening winds."
Everything that is accomplished must come to an end, but this life, without self, is infinite!
As the last two lines were recited, the voice suddenly rose, carrying a sense of great freedom and liberation, as if all shackles had been severed and all limitations had been transcended!
As the five words "Without self, there is boundless" fell...
Qi Yun's figure, which had completely merged into the treasure tree and disappeared without a trace, made a fleeting appearance in the spiritual light.
The next instant, his last remaining trace, along with that clear spiritual light, was completely and without reservation poured into the trunk of the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree that supported heaven and earth behind him, becoming one with the entire treasure tree, completely merging with it!
"Buzz-!!!"
The Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, with its radiance restrained, transforms from extreme brilliance into a warm and profound chaotic luster.
A fleeting, illusory image of Qi Yun's calm, smiling face appeared on the tree trunk.
The aura of the entire precious tree suddenly changed!
At that very moment, the torrent of the Heaven and Earth's Long River of Time, which contained the full power of the Nine Dao King, solidly and completely impacted and submerged the main trunk and core canopy of the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree!
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The roar of time reached its peak, the chaotic river completely swallowed the giant treasure tree, and the terrifying power of time frantically eroded and permeated, trying to drag the true form of this world, along with the arrogant consciousness within it, into the abyss of eternity and bury it completely!
However, the expected collapse, decay, and annihilation did not occur.
The raging river of time, powerful enough to obliterate everything, crashed against the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, producing a strange "gurgling" sound, like a clear spring flowing through the roots of an ancient tree, quenching the parched earth!
The majestic, Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, despite being "irrigated" and impacted by the vast river of time, not only did not continue to age and decay, but instead—
It's getting younger!
Become younger at a speed visible to the naked eye!
The precious tree, which had appeared somewhat "old" from the previous battles and the ravages of time, now had branches that were more lustrous and full of vitality; its leaves were more verdant and lush, as if sprouting in early spring; and it exuded an overall vigorous and thriving spirit! It was as if time had reversed its course, taking it from its old age back to its most vibrant youth!
No, it's not just the Treasure Tree itself that's regressing!
As the precious tree becomes "younger," an invisible and intangible yet extremely mysterious "retrograde" power, seemingly centered on the precious tree, spreads, transmits, and ripples in reverse, following some the Unseen connection, against the flowing Long River of Time!
First and foremost are the Dao Fruit, which hang high in the depths of the nine rifts in the sky, connected to the origins of their respective Dao King, and symbolizing their foundation of the Great Dao and supreme authority!
The World-Honored One's Great Cessation Nirvana Buddha Fruit, which had already developed cracks, was now shimmering violently with light, its size shrinking at a slow but steady pace!
The essence it contains, originating from the primordial Xuanhuang and refined over millennia, is being stripped away and recirculated!
The cracks on the surface of the Buddha fruit, instead of being repaired by the power of time, became clearer and deeper because of this "shrinkage" and "return"!
"What... what's going on?!"
"My Dao Fruit! My Dao Fruit is... is degenerating?!"
"Is the power of time flowing backward? No, it's being guided, being reversed!"
He—he wasn't resisting the Long River of Time!
He is at ----.!
Using the immense power of the Heaven and Earth's Long River of Time, we can forcibly rewind time!
Finally, the Dao King, who reacted the fastest, suddenly realized the chilling truth and cried out in shock, his voice filled with endless horror and absurdity!
This is simply the craziest and most unbelievable idea since the beginning of time!
The Long River of Time is a manifestation of the supreme Principle of heaven and earth, its power is magnificent!
Throughout history, countless brilliant minds have attempted to unravel the mysteries of time and harness its power, only to be devoured by it all, their bodies and souls vanishing into the dust of history!
"Not good!!!"
"We've fallen for their trap!!!"
The Dao King almost simultaneously changed their expressions drastically, letting out a fierce roar filled with shock and rage!
They finally understood that Qi Yun's seemingly "ultimate sublimation" and "manifestation of the Xuanhuang True Form" were not ultimately aimed at confronting the Long River of Time!
What he wants is a reversal!
It is by using the most powerful "external force" in the world that they have summoned to complete an earth-shattering ultimate ritual that he could never do on his own!
"He wants to—" Canyi stared intently at the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, which had grown younger with the passage of time and even begun to exude a kind of Innate, chaotic aura. An almost impossible conjecture surged uncontrollably into his mind and burst out. "He wants to—recreate Xuanhuang!!!"
"What?!"
"Recreating the Xuanhuang?!"
"That's impossible! Heaven and earth have already been formed, Principle have been established. How can they be 'reshaped'?"
"What if—if—he could use the Long River of Time to trace back the state of existence of the Xuanhuang to the origin, before the creation of heaven and earth and before the separation of chaos?"
The moment the words "Origin Point" were uttered, all the Dao King were struck dumb, frozen in place as if by lightning!
Could we reverse the course of a vast world that has developed for billions of years, nurtured countless civilizations, possessed perfect Principle, and a stable structure, back to the chaotic "origin" before the creation of the world, a state of nothingness?
How insane! How utterly absurd!
What immense energy would this require? What profound understanding and control over the passage of time and the essence of the world would it demand?
What kind of resolute will, willing to "reset" to zero along with the entire world, would that require?!
Qi Yun —he actually thought of it?! He actually dared to?!
As if to confirm Canyi's words, the moment the four words "Reshaping the Xuanhuang" were uttered, "BOOM!!!!!!!"
The majestic and endless Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, which had been nurtured by the years and exuded an indescribable aura of Innate chaos, suddenly burst forth with an unprecedented and extremely pure light!
Wherever the light reached, time, space, matter, energy, Principle, cause and effect, destiny—everything—began to distort and blur, then, as if being wiped away by an invisible giant hand, frantically retreated towards the core of the Xuanhuang Treasure Tree, towards the point where Qi Yun finally merged!
The light swept across the entire Xuanhuang Home Realm!
Broken mountains and rivers, turbulent seas, shattered skies, surviving life, dissipated Spiritual Qi, fractured Principle, intertwined causes and effects, lingering obsessions—
Even the illusory image of the Long River of Time stretching across the sky, the nine hideous cracks, the nine trembling and shrinking Dao Fruit, the nine Dao King filled with shock, anger, and despair, and all the True Lord and cultivators below, who were dumbfounded and trembling with shock—
Everything, all things, sentient and insentient, tangible and intangible, are transformed into the most primal and original Flowing Light before this incomprehensible and irresistible force, and are irreversibly absorbed by the "retracting" core!
Vision is disappearing, perception is blurring, and consciousness is sinking.
There is only a kind of peace and nothingness, as if returning to the womb, where all things return to oneness.
I don't know how much time passed; perhaps it was a moment, perhaps it was eternity.
The ultimate light that swept, devoured, and assimilated everything finally slowly receded and dissipated.
The once vast and boundless Xuanhuang Home Realm, the tragic and magnificent battlefield, the long river that stretched across the heavens and earth, the Dao King whose might dominated for eternity—all of it vanished.
Before heaven and earth were created, before the top and bottom were formed.
In the beginning of time, before the universe was divided, chaos reigned.
There was only a vast, primordial, chaotic, and boundless "the Unseen."
In the absolute, deathly silence of the center of chaos.
Only one "seed" remained, suspended silently.
It is extremely small, like a speck of dust, yet it seems to contain "infinity".
Its color is a blend of Xuanhuang, flowing endlessly, as if earth, water, fire, and wind are brewing within, and Clarity and Turbidity, yin and Yin and Yang are differentiating, containing the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, flowers, birds, insects, fish, and the sacrificial offerings of our ancestors.
The endless world scenes are like fleeting shadows, constantly arising and ceasing.
The years have passed in the vast expanse, and I know not how much longer they will last.
On the surface of the seed, a tiny, mysterious crack quietly appeared.
"Pop."
A soft sound, in the absolute silence, yet it seemed like the first thunderclap at the dawn of creation.
The crack widened.
A tender, yet seemingly capable of breaking through the chaos, green sprout cautiously, yet resolutely, peeks out from the crack.
Then-
Relax.
Wildly, unrestrainedly, at a speed beyond imagination, it stretches out and grows!
The tender buds transformed into green stems, which branched out into branches, from which leaves sprouted, and from among the leaves emanated Flowing Light imbued with boundless Daoist principles.
A brand new Heaven and Earth Treasure Tree, its entire body flowing with chaotic light, its branches like dragons, its leaves spanning the world, exuding supreme majesty and vibrant vitality, started from that Xuanhuang seed, and with indescribable power, forcefully opened up a "heaven and earth" in this absolute chaos!
The pure ascends and transforms into the bright blue sky, where the sun, moon, and stars naturally evolve and hang high above.
The turbid substances sank and transformed into the thick earth, with mountains and rivers naturally rising and extending endlessly.
A brand new, pure, perfect Xuanhuang World, full of infinite possibilities, with perfect Principle, brimming with Daoist charm, and brimming with vitality, was born with a roar, supported by this newly grown, towering treasure tree!
Its foundation is more solid, its heritage more profound, and its potential more boundless than the old Xuanhuang, which had suffered countless calamities and was now ravaged by war!
And at the very top of that newly born precious tree.
A figure, emerging from the ethereal and solidifying, quietly materialized.
He was dressed in a simple black Daoist robe, his posture upright, his hands behind his back, quietly looking down at the Xuanhuang world he had personally "reshaped" and reborn.
A gentle breeze rustles through the treetops of this newborn world, bringing with it the fresh scent of grass and earth.
He stood quietly, like an "anchor" to this new world, or a silent monument.
After a long while, a very soft voice, as if talking to itself, drifted on the wind between the newly born world, carrying a faint sense of emotion and endless remoteness. "I once Primordial Unity, and now I reign supreme in the rebirth of heaven and earth."
The day when the Xuanhuang Emperor surrendered and submitted, a single thought brought spring amidst countless Lunzhuan.
(The End)