Your Spell Version is Too Low!

The discourse on the Dao had reached this point.

Their words were like blades, and the clash of their Dao Rhymes was like a shower of sparks.

At first, Qi Yun had to struggle to keep up, relying on the fearlessness of a newborn calf that knows no tiger and his own unique, "evil nature" understanding of the Dao just to hold on.

However, amidst this increasingly Fierce Fire of Daoist debate, his Heart and Spirit were being constantly elevated with each candid answer he gave.

His understanding of [Daluo] was like metal thrown into a Fierce Fire, being rapidly hammered, tempered, and sublimated under immense pressure!

Many concepts that had been hazy before were now becoming crystal clear.

Many mental blocks that had once been impassable were now suddenly cleared.

In this mystical state, his own aura unconsciously climbed to an unprecedented peak.

The Daoist Intent flowing around him grew ever more pure and condensed, exuding a restrained yet undeniable majesty.

He wasn’t even fully aware of this internal metamorphosis himself.

He only felt that the questions from his opponent, once as heavy as mountains, no longer seemed so difficult to parry.

The oppressive pressure of resentment that filled Heaven and Earth was no longer so suffocating.

A moment of serendipitous understanding, like a flash of lightning tearing through the darkness, suddenly illuminated his Sea of Consciousness!

"To be lost in delusion is to suffer through countless eons; enlightenment comes in but an instant!"

This time, he wasn’t just responding to a question. Instead, Qi Yun took the initiative.

He let out a resonant cry, his voice like a great bell, shaking the very space woven from principles and will.

This verse didn’t directly answer any question, yet it spoke to the true essence of cultivation.

Those who drown in delusion cannot find liberation even after ten thousand kalpas of reincarnation.

But true enlightenment happens in that one moment a Spiritual Light shines!

The moment these words were spoken, it was as if they became law!

BOOM—!

The heavy fog woven from the former [Daluo Master]’s resentment and Broken Dao Principles was struck by an immense, invisible force.

It receded and dissipated at a speed visible to the naked eye!

In the unseen world, the "center of gravity" of this fractured land, the delicate fulcrum that maintained the balance of the Daoist struggle, began to tilt.

The Daoist Intent of "orthodoxy" and "uniqueness" that had been firmly attached to the former [Daluo Master]...

...now seemed to waver and flicker.

Conversely, the "Daluo" Realm around Qi Yun—nascent yet full of boundless vitality, domineering and self-aggrandizing—shone brilliantly, like a rising sun.

It was becoming a core that could no longer be ignored in this space!

The blurry figure of the former [Daluo Master] trembled violently. The mist of time veiling its face seemed to thin, revealing eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

He felt it!

That "momentum" from the level of the Great Dao itself was abandoning him and surging madly toward that young successor!

[Daluo] itself had taken notice of this young successor.

"This is impossible!"

The resentment of the former Daluo Master let out a low, hoarse cry, filled with shock and fury.

For all these years, whether they were prodigies of stunning talent or disciples with profound foundations, no one who dared to [covet] the Daluo Dao Fruit had ever been able to gain the slightest advantage against him.

He was the sole master of this Dao, the true [Daluo]!

All other successors were nothing but thieves, scheming to steal his Dao Fruit!

Venom and hatred so thick they could not be dissolved surged from his eyes like a bursting dam.

He abruptly raised his hand, intending to forcibly initiate the even crueler [Second Struggle] and utterly crush this unsettling variable with absolute power and experience!

However, at the very same instant he raised his hand—

—Qi Yun, on the opposite side, also raised his hand in sync!

His movement was neither an attack nor a defense.

He simply lifted it, as natural as could be, his gaze as calm as a bottomless ancient pool, resting steadily on the agitated being of resentment.

"A single thought of anger arises, and a million gates of obstruction open!"

Qi Yun’s voice was not loud, but every word was clear, echoing in this space filled with hatred.

"The more you cling, the deeper you sink!"

BOOM—!

These words struck like a sharp blow to the head. The resentful form of the former Daluo Master jolted violently, the condensed aura of resentment around him scattering for a moment.

The mist that blurred his true features convulsed and roiled, becoming slightly thinner and more transparent in that instant.

And at the very moment Qi Yun’s voice fell—

RUMBLE—!!!

—the entire Broken Land of Enlightenment erupted in the most violent tremor since Qi Yun’s arrival!

The [Second Struggle] had officially begun!

An irresistible and profoundly mysterious power swept over the two opponents like an invisible tide.

Qi Yun and the Daluo Master’s resentment both shuddered!

The vast Cultivation within their bodies, their hard-won insights into the Great Dao, even the mystical Realm of their Dao Foundation’s construction... everything was rapidly stripped away, utterly annihilated!

In an instant, the terrifying auras that could alter the color of mountains and rivers vanished without a trace. Their Daoist Intent and Spiritual Light were completely extinguished.

They stood facing each other, now transformed into two mortals, too weak to even truss a chicken, their bodies empty, without a shred of their Cultivation Foundation remaining!

This was the [Second Struggle]—to begin again from nothing!

It nullified everything external for both combatants: Cultivation, Realm, Magical Treasures, and even all their accumulated, inherent knowledge of "Daluo." Everything was reset to zero.

Discourse on the Dao, in the end, is limited to words and Heart Thoughts.

This struggle, however, was the ultimate form of practice.

In this special expanse of Heaven and Earth, it was a test to see who could re-walk the path of [Daluo] from scratch—faster, more precisely, and more steadily.

To once again cultivate the [Daluo Ten Thousand Laws Dao Foundation]!

In the past, this was a round the former resentment was virtually guaranteed to win.

For he himself was formed from the [Daluo] Dao Foundation.

His understanding of this Dao was already integrated into every inch of his being. Even with his Cultivation reset to zero.

He could rely on this innate "control" to "recover" at a speed far beyond that of ordinary people, thus easily crushing any challenger.

The four prodigies who had previously established their Dao Foundations had all met their bitter end in this seemingly fair, yet utterly hopeless, dead end.

This time, however, the situation was completely different!

Because in the debate of principles during the [First Struggle], Qi Yun had completely suppressed the former resentment with his unique understanding and steadfast Dao Heart.

He had invisibly won more of [Daluo]’s "attention" and "approval."

This subtle shift meant that in this "start from scratch" [Second Struggle]...

...the intangible halo of "orthodoxy" and "Innate affinity" that had once enveloped the former resentment was greatly weakened!

He no longer possessed that near-cheating "guaranteed method of victory"!

The two of them were now truly standing on almost the same starting line.

"You, a mere ant in the Qi Refining Stage who hasn’t even completed Foundation Establishment, do you really think you have the slightest chance of winning in a situation like this?"

The resentment of the Daluo Master stared coldly at Qi Yun, its voice like ancient ice, carrying a deep-rooted contempt born from its former Realm and accumulated years.

Even without its Cultivation, its residual will and consciousness still regarded Qi Yun as a lower being.

It could not believe that a mere Qi Refining Realm cultivator could surpass a being who had once reached the pinnacle, especially in the pure understanding of the Great Dao.

Even if their starting points appeared to be the same.

Faced with this mockery and belittlement that targeted his very Cultivation Foundation, Qi Yun showed not a trace of anger.

He simply flicked his sleeve, sat down cross-legged, and as his eyes closed, a low murmur rippled out, filled with decisive resolve and confidence:

"The formidable pass is a long road of iron, and today we stride across it, starting anew."

"Heaven decides victory over man, but man... shall surely conquer Heaven!"

As the final word, "Heaven," fell, Qi Yun’s mortal body seemed to resonate mysteriously with this Broken Land of Enlightenment.

A weak yet incredibly firm intent of "My Dao" was planted like a seed deep within this land of Returning Ruins.

The [Second Struggle] had officially begun!

The two of them focused their Heart and Spirit almost simultaneously, shutting out all external disturbances.

They began to outline, channel, and construct the Supreme [Daluo Ten Thousand Laws Dao Foundation] once more.

At first, the situation seemed to be unfolding just as the resentment had predicted.

Although the Daluo Master’s resentment had lost all its Cultivation, its very existence was composed of fragments of the [Daluo] Dao Foundation and its lingering obsession.

Its memory of this Dao was practically instinctual.

Wisps of purity and turbidity began to slowly but steadily gather around it, outlining the initial framework of the Dao Foundation.

Its progress was visibly in the lead, possessing the familiarity of something happening as a matter of course.

Qi Yun, on the other hand, started slowly.

He was like a true beginner, carefully fumbling his way forward, sensing the faint Daluo Dao Intent lingering in this Heaven and Earth, and trying bit by bit to channel, understand, and perform Refinement.

Compared to the resentment’s speed, which was more akin to "recovery"...

...he was more like he was "creating," with every step a struggle.

However, as time went on, a subtle change began to occur.

After reaching a peak, the speed of the Daluo Master’s resentment gradually began to stagnate.

It was too familiar with the old [Daluo].

So familiar that every detail was etched into its very bones.

This familiarity, at this moment, had instead become an invisible shackle.

It was unconsciously reconstructing along the same old path it had walked before its fall. Every step was precise, yet it lacked the vitality and potential needed to break down barriers and forge a new sky.

Even more fatally, Qi Yun’s verdict, "A single thought of anger arises, and a million gates of obstruction open!" began to subtly work on it like a Heart Demon during the reconstruction of its Dao Foundation.

Qi Yun, however, was the exact opposite!

He may have started slowly, but his strength lay in the purity of his intent, completely unburdened.

He was not bound by the frameworks of any predecessor; what echoed in his mind was his own unique understanding of "Daluo."

His [Daluo Ten Thousand Laws Dao Foundation] was being newly constructed, truly according to the blueprint of his own will!

The initial slowness was him establishing that one-of-a-kind Dao Heart!

Once his Dao Heart, with "I alone am supreme" as its Keystones, was stabilized, his progress suddenly accelerated!

The massive amount of [Innate Qi] was no longer there.

But he mobilized the residual Daluo Dao Intent in this place with extreme efficiency.

His two enlightenments had, in fact, made his [Daluo Ten Thousand Laws Dao Foundation] even more complete!

Faster and faster!

Like a single spark starting a prairie fire, he was unstoppable!

Soon, he had caught up to the resentment’s progress.

Then, under the resentment’s incredulous gaze, he easily surpassed it!

And his lead continued to grow, the gap widening at a visible rate!

In just a short while, a phantom image of [Daluo Heaven] had become clearly visible behind Qi Yun. It was hazy yet magnificent, as if it contained endless cycles of creation and destruction, and it radiated a brilliant Dao might that was Supreme and Commanded All Skills!

In contrast, the phantom [Daluo Heaven] behind the Daluo Master’s resentment appeared rigid and lifeless, its edges even beginning to ripple with instability.

The difference was clear, the outcome decided!

"I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!" Seeing that it had actually lost, the Daluo Master’s resentment shrieked:

"I still have the [Third Struggle]!"

"No, you don’t!"

Having appeared before the Daluo Master’s resentment at some unknown point, Qi Yun, with a blank expression, shot out his right hand and seized it by the throat.

Instant Refinement!

...