Your Spell Version is Too Low!

"That boy is quite something. A promising young talent."

Desolate Halberd True Monarch's voice echoed in the mountain cave, breaking the suffocating silence.

He didn't directly answer Wu Dao True Monarch's question. Instead, he offered his own assessment, his tone calm as if stating a simple, objective fact.

"This boy has a tenacious character and acts decisively. What's even rarer... is that his Dao Foundation is incredibly solid.

In a perilous place like the Cangque Realm, he was able to maneuver between the will of Heaven and the ruling dynasty, ultimately returning successful.

Moreover, his own path of cultivation wasn't overly tainted by the laws of that other world. In fact, he even improved."

His fragmented gold eyes stared directly into Wu Dao's pitch-black pupils, which glinted with an unusual light, as he spoke word by word:

"Nurture him well, and in the future, he may add another True Monarch to the ranks of our Holy Sect."

These words carried immense weight.

The position of a True Monarch cannot be achieved through talent and fortune alone. It requires the Sect to invest massive resources, the support of immense destiny, and even a certain degree of recognition of one's Status.

Desolate Halberd True Monarch's words undoubtedly showed he was extremely optimistic about Qi Yun's potential.

He even seemed to implicitly regard him as a future pillar of the Sect.

By the side of the pool, the True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law listened quietly, the cold curve of his lips unchanging, his expression unreadable.

Only after Desolate Halberd finished speaking did he slightly tilt his head, his long black hair sliding across his pale cheek with the movement.

"A Venerable Dao Foundation..."

He spoke slowly, his voice still flat and emotionless, yet it pinpointed Qi Yun's most essential trait.

"To manifest the Ten Thousand Laws, to command all Daos... truly rare.

To be able to condense such a Dharma Body under the power of the Imperishable Golden Core you gave him, rather than being assimilated by the Golden Core's Dao Rhyme, shows just how firm his Dao Foundation is, and how pure his Heart Thought."

He gave a slight nod, seeming to acknowledge Desolate Halberd's judgment.

"I believe he has that potential."

However, just as Desolate Halberd True Monarch's gaze shifted slightly, as if thinking the matter might be resolved—

Wu Dao True Monarch's tone suddenly shifted!

The strange glint in those pure black eyes flashed, like a cold bolt of lightning streaking through a deep pool, stabbing straight at Desolate Halberd.

"However—"

His voice suddenly dropped, taking on an indescribable, cold, hard quality, like metal grinding against metal.

"He humiliated my disciple, bringing shame upon my name...

Are we to just let this matter go?"

The air in the mountain cave seemed to freeze in an instant.

The sound of dripping water seemed particularly jarring at this moment.

The topic had finally circled back, and it was even more pointed now.

Hearing this, Desolate Halberd True Monarch showed no surprise. Instead, the corner of his mouth pulled into an equally cold curve.

"Wu Dao, between you and me, why bother putting on this act?"

His tone was indifferent, even carrying a hint of imperceptible mockery.

"With your personality, would you really care about so-called 'master-disciple affection'?

To you, Black Mountain is less a disciple...

...and more a convenient pawn,

a reasonably sharp blade.

Is his pride really worth your personal attention?"

These words were ruthless, tearing away the veil of any possible warmth and pointing straight to the heart of the matter.

By the pool, Wu Dao True Monarch fell silent.

A moment later.

"Heheheh..."

A laugh from the deepest part of his chest slowly spread through the mountain cave.

This laugh was different from his earlier chuckle. It had less mockery and more... frankness, born of being seen through.

"You know me best, Senior Brother Desolate Halberd."

He lifted his eyes. The strange glint in his pure black pupils gradually subsided, returning them to a bottomless darkness.

But within that darkness, there seemed to be a new hint of amusement.

"Since you've come in person and put it this way, Senior Brother Desolate Halberd..."

His tone changed, becoming seemingly reasonable.

"Naturally, I must show you this respect."

"As for Black Mountain, I will restrain him.

The matter with Qi Yun... I will not hold it against him."

Not hold it against him.

A seemingly clear guarantee, spoken from the mouth of a True Monarch who was about to take control of the Sect.

However, upon hearing this "guarantee," Desolate Halberd True Monarch's face showed not a hint of relief or joy. Even the faint curve of his lips disappeared completely.

He just quietly, deeply, looked at this junior brother before him, dressed in black robes with black hair and a cold aura.

He knew him too well.

He knew Wu Dao too well.

This man's mind was so treacherous and deep, his actions so unscrupulous, that even among all the True Monarchs in the history of the Holy Sect, he was considered an "anomaly."

The titles of master and disciple, the camaraderie of fellow sect members, promises and guarantees—in his eyes, they were all bargaining chips to be weighed and discarded at any time.

Today, he could "not hold it against him" because of Desolate Halberd's intervention.

Tomorrow, he could, for the sake of other benefits or on a whim, acquiesce to or even encourage Black Mountain to retaliate with more extreme measures.

Insidious, cunning, faithless, duplicitous, two-faced...

These words might be insults when applied to an ordinary Cultivator.

But when used to describe Wu Dao, Desolate Halberd True Monarch felt they were merely statements of fact.

His promise—how much of it could be believed?

Desolate Halberd True Monarch knew this perfectly well.

Today's visit, rather than being to seek a "Peace Talisman" for Qi Yun...

...was more an opportunity to use his status as "Senior Brother" and "outgoing leader" one last time to give Wu Dao a warning and a reminder.

'I value this person, Qi Yun. You must act with restraint.'

As for how much Wu Dao took to heart and what he would do, that was no longer within his control.

"In that case... thank you, Junior Brother Wu Dao."

Desolate Halberd True Monarch finally uttered just that one sentence, his voice flat and emotionless.

He knew that saying more would be useless, and might even be counterproductive.

Having said all that needed to be said, Desolate Halberd True Monarch did not linger. He turned, halberd in hand, and his tall figure walked toward the cave entrance, his footsteps unnaturally clear in the silent space.

Not until Desolate Halberd's figure had completely vanished behind the self-healing fissure...

...did the cave return to its eternal, dripping silence.

On the ink-colored boulder, the True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law still sat cross-legged like a statue.

He lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes falling on the crystal-clear mountain spring pool before him.

The pool was like a mirror, clearly reflecting his figure—black-robed, black-haired, with a cold face—as well as the stalactites hanging from the cave ceiling, from which water constantly dripped.

He watched his reflection in the water, watched the droplet fall into the center of the pool, sending out tiny, ever-expanding ripples that eventually faded away.

After a long while, his pale lips slowly curved into an extremely faint, almost imperceptible arc that was nonetheless inexplicably chilling.

A low whisper, like a sigh, yet also like talking to oneself, softly echoed in the empty and desolate cave, with only the dripping water as its accompaniment:

"Add another True Monarch..."

"The Holy Sect, at present..."

His gaze seemed to penetrate the water of the pool, cast toward a more distant and heavier place.

In the depths of his pure black eyes, a gloomy light quietly flashed.

"Can it still... afford to support one?"

As his voice fell, he slowly closed his eyes, once again merging with the eternal, cool silence.

Only the DRIP... DRIP... of the water remained, unhurried, as if silently calculating some kind of invisible consumption.

...

At Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple, the ancient pines stood tall as ever, and the streams babbled on.

Qi Yun sat cross-legged in a quiet room within the Daoist Temple.

The window lattice was half open, letting in a few rays of daylight that illuminated dust motes slowly drifting in the beams of light.

He held the Bronze Block in his hand—the Six Realms Heaven.

His fingertips unconsciously caressed the ancient seal script on its surface, which was cold to the touch yet held a faint, smooth warmth.

Three days had passed since his return from Taixu Mirror Heaven. The Elixir's power within his body had been completely refined, merging seamlessly with his Daluo Heaven foundation, becoming one and the same.

His Primordial True Body had also stabilized.

Without any conscious effort, his every breath created a subtle yet profound resonance with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mechanism.

However, his state of mind could not find the same complete tranquility as Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple.

Desolate Halberd True Monarch's words still rang in his ears.

"Wu Dao is coming," "make plans early," "go hide in the Outer Realm"... each word was like a heavy stone dropped into his seemingly calm Heart Lake.

He raised the Six Realms Heaven before his eyes, examining it closely in the daylight.

The Bronze Block's dim light was restrained. The fly-head seal script on its surface was silent as usual, yet it seemed to contain the secrets and risks of countless unknown realms.

This was his escape route, the kindest reminder Desolate Halberd True Monarch could give him while staying within the rules.

'Go, or stay?'

His knuckles tightened slightly.

The Outer Realm might offer a temporary refuge and a chance to find new opportunities.

But it also meant being far from his foundation in the Profound Yellow world, facing unknown dangers alone, with an uncertain date of return.

A five-hundred-year tenure seemed long.

But it might not be enough to build the capital needed to contend with a Great Master and the True Monarch behind him.

What's more... Qi Yun's gaze hardened.

His, Qi Yun's, Dao had been forged step by step through struggle and schemes since his humble beginnings.

Retreating might save him for a while.

But if doing so planted the seeds of 'fearing hardship' and 'avoiding the powerful' in his Dao Heart, it might create a subtle conflict with his Daluo Heaven foundation—one whose nature is to Command All Skills, encompass all things, and embody the 'Primordial' spirit of creation.

"Primordial..." he muttered to himself, placing the Six Realms Heaven on the Meditation Mat beside him and slowly closing his eyes.

His Heart and Spirit sank into his Purple Mansion.

He stopped thinking about external threats, stopped weighing the pros and cons.

At this moment, he only looked within himself.

The moment he began his Introspection, the scene was completely different from before.

In his Dantian's Qi Sea, his Magical Power had undergone a qualitative change. It was no longer a raging river, but had transformed into a boundless, chaotic-colored, slowly rotating nebula.

And his physical body.

That newly-formed Primordial True Body, under his Inspection vision, now presented a mysterious image that transcended physical form.

Especially his Ancestral Acupoint between his eyebrows.

That place was no longer an ordinary acupoint, but a boundless, chaotic void existing between reality and illusion.

In the center of the void was the mote of Primordial Immortal Light condensed from his Daluo Heaven.

This Immortal Light faintly nurtured an extremely terrifying power within it.

It just wasn't mature yet...

Qi Yun slowly opened his eyes.

The quiet room was the same, the daylight unchanged.

The Six Realms Heaven lay quietly on the Meditation Mat, its dim light restrained.

The hesitation and calculation in his eyes had faded, replaced by a deep-sea tranquility and a rock-like firmness.

He picked up the Six Realms Heaven, but instead of putting it away, he placed it on the incense table in the quiet room.

The Bronze Block looked ancient and mysterious amidst the curling smoke of sandalwood incense.

"Temporary retreat is the last resort, not the first choice."

Qi Yun murmured to himself, his gaze passing through the window lattice to the lush green mountains and distant sky outside the Daoist Temple.

"The Profound Yellow world is where my Dao Foundation lies. Even if the Holy Sect is stormy, it is still a whetstone for my blade."

"My Primordial True Body has just been formed. It needs to be tempered."

He no longer agonized over the choice to leave or stay.

He took Desolate Halberd True Monarch's warning to heart, and he had the escape route of the Six Realms Heaven ready.

But his Dao path lay before him, his heart had its conviction. He had to advance bravely and diligently, seeking that sliver of a chance for transcendence amidst the turmoil.

With his Heart Thought settled, the aura around him became even more harmonious and restrained.

The profound Dao Rhyme from his Primordial True Body settled, strand by strand, integrating even more tightly with his original Daluo Heaven foundation and his Mastering All Skills Divine Technique.

Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple was still the same tranquil Daoist Temple.

But after this period of quiet contemplation and realization, the heart of the temple's master and the path beneath his feet had become clearer and more resolute.

Like the roots of an ancient pine, sunk deep into the earth, awaiting the wind and rain, and also awaiting the day it would tower into the heavens.

...