[The Mortal World].
The magnificent azure light filled the universe, vast and boundless, seemingly reversing the definition of minuscule, continuously expanding its scale and volume in all directions.
However, the more it expanded, the more minuscule it became instead.
Initially, its light and color were like an ocean, but as time passed, it transformed into a speck of faint light, pressed into the center of a palm.
"What a [Heaven within a Palm]!"
From within the azure light, Lingxiao's voice of admiration rang out. And in his perception, the palm accommodating him at this moment was unbelievably vast.
As if there was no end to it.
More importantly, he felt his stature also seemingly being knocked down during this process, so much so that the scenery before his eyes underwent changes.
At first, he could still clearly see that sky-shrouding large hand capturing him in its palm, and could see the owner of that large hand standing outside heaven and earth looking down at him. But as time went on, he couldn't clearly see that figure anymore, nor could he see those eyes looking down at him.
In the end, he couldn't even see the palm.
What entered his sight was only a paradise full of vibrant vitality where all things competed to grow, as if the battle just now was merely an illusion, a hallucination from qi deviation.
Boom.
Above the celestial vault, a clap of thunder rang out.
In an instant, Lingxiao developed an unimaginable sense of fragmentation, as if his body no longer belonged to him, and the Great Dao was also about to leave him.
I cannot stay here for long.
He was very clear in his heart that this was the other party's wonder continuously encroaching upon his Great Dao. Given time, he would inevitably completely fall into being a plaything in the other party's palm.
The next second, the azure light that had still been continuously expanding abruptly began to shrink. It proactively accepted the fact of being trapped in the [Heaven within a Palm]. And exactly at the instant this concept was completely presented, the radiance of wonders surfaced simultaneously, causing the concept to reverse— the [Land of Death] instantly transformed into a [Heaven of Life]!
Trapped in a land of death. Escaping to the vast heaven of life!
The azure light dissipated.
Without stirring up any collision, the true form of the Great Dao transformed by Lingxiao quietly evaded. When he looked back again, he had already returned to within [The Mortal World].
Lu Yang slowly withdrew his palm.
A perception akin to moisture transmitted from his palm, as if a swimming fish had slipped away from it, leaving only a slippery feeling lingering at the bottom of his heart.
"...Impressive."
Lu Yang sighed with genuine emotion. On the other side, the azure light that had just escaped to the vast heaven of life spread out anew, and even more magnificent wonders surged within it.
Karmic Reversal.
In an instant, an intense sense of chaos swept through Lu Yang's mind. Before just now, whatever cause was planted would yield whatever result. But now, a change had occurred.
Karma transformed into Result-Cause. It was no longer planting a cause to get a result, but reversing the result to be the cause!
At this moment, Lu Yang only felt all his senses rapidly leaving him. His Dharma Body, which was originally completely unharmed, suddenly and uncontrollably began to collapse and disintegrate.
The [Result] appeared first.
Ignoring defense, ignoring obstacles, without any omen, it skipped the [Cause], directly taking the [Result] into hand, heavily injuring Lu Yang in an instant!
However, soon, everything turned into nothingness.
The [Mortal Dust Tribulation] surfaced anew. All the injuries on Lu Yang's body and various tribulations were all shaken off and thrown into the tribulation sea beneath his feet, his true body emerging free from the tribulation.
Yet almost simultaneously, another wonder struck along with it.
Time Reversal!
Azure light fell like a downpour. Time, which should have forever moved forward, stopped its steps at this moment, turned around, and forcibly dragged Lu Yang back to his original spot.
The injuries he had just shaken off also surfaced anew.
The two sides fell into a certain kind of tug-of-war. Karma and time were thrown into chaos at this moment. Within the celestial vault, only a profound sound resounded—
"Fellow Daoist, where is your Supreme Treasure?"
This was Lingxiao's doubt.
For him to manifest the true form of the Great Dao at this moment was the combined effort of [Inversion] and the [Dao-Attaining Hidden Profound Palace]; the latter was both his Grotto-Heaven and his Supreme Treasure.
But what about the other party?
In this battle, what he wanted was a Dao Dispute, competing on the superiority of the Dao, not simply strength or weakness. Yet the other party was unwilling to even take out a Supreme Treasure.
"Fellow Daoist is fixated on appearances."
Facing Lingxiao's questioning, Lu Yang shook his head: "My Supreme Treasure is the foundation of my Dao attainment. Taking it out to engage in a battle with someone would be putting the cart before the horse."
When had the Primordial Saint ever used the [Paramita] in a battle?
This is a foundation, not a weapon!
At this moment, Lingxiao fell silent. After pausing for a moment, he sighed with emotion.
"Indeed so, it was a slip of the tongue on my part. However, in this way, Fellow Daoist cannot defeat me."
He admitted that Lu Yang was stronger.
Right now, it seemed the two sides had entered a tug-of-war, but for him to simultaneously reverse karma and time consumed a massive amount of energy. Lu Yang, however, waited at his ease for an exhausted enemy, completely unworried.
In the end, the one to lose would definitely be him.
However, what meaning was there in that?
If it were only for the sake of a battle, why would I choose to clash head-on? I could completely temporarily evade the brunt of his attack and engage in a maneuvering battle. Even if I can't win, it would be very difficult to be defeated.
But those were methods of battles.
Not a Dao Dispute.
This kind of competition could ultimately only determine whose battle methods were more formidable, but could not determine whose Dao was a cut above and had more hope of climbing to the higher realms.
This was not what he wanted.
With this thought, Lingxiao proactively retreated, and the boiling azure light gathered back anew. If one looked from an extremely high place, one could clearly see that it was a towering forest tree.
[Inversion].
At the same time, Lingxiao's figure also surfaced within the azure light. And three feet in front of his glabella, a brilliantly resplendent golden light gradually surfaced...
Golden Nature!
Without any hesitation, Sky-shrouding revealed his Golden Nature. Hidden within the Inversion, a decisive Dao sound immediately transmitted from the surging azure light.
"Come, Fellow Daoist."
"Let me see exactly how much weight you carry."
After speaking, his figure dissipated.
Within the true form of the Great Dao permeating the universe and the magnificently myriad azure scenery, a speck of Golden Nature flickered like a lamp flame. Lingxiao's attitude was fully manifested at this moment.
If you want to take my Golden Nature, you can only overcome [Inversion].
Prove that your Dao is higher than mine.
Seeing this scene, Lu Yang's expression was calm, without the slightest surprise. Instead, he nodded slightly.
This was exactly how it should be.
Lingxiao wanted to use a Dao Dispute to weigh him, but how could he not be doing the same?
Was the method of changing heaven and earth truly feasible? Did his [Heavenly Destiny Reckoning] truly have the potential to attain the Dao? Before this, Lu Yang was actually unsure either.
However, now, the optimal benchmark was right before his eyes.
[Inversion]—the Great Dao attained out of thin air that Lingxiao relied upon for his achievements. The fundamental position of Wood, concurrently possessing [Yin and Yang]. The foundation of this Great Dao could truly attain the position of a Dao Lord.
At least through so many lifetimes, Lu Yang had never seen Lingxiao fail. Whether it was the Netherworld or [Tribulation], as long as there was no interference from Dao Lords, he was bound to succeed. So if his own Dao could suppress it, that would prove his Dao, the correctness of his route, was unquestionable!
"Then let's begin."
Lu Yang slowly extended his hand. Within the halo behind his head, endless concepts gathered. The Great Dao opened the heavens, manifesting a high, distant, and towering heavenly palace.
At this moment, Lu Yang's true body descended to the lower realm!
Outside the Light Sea, the gates of the [Heavenly Palace] opened in all eight directions. Boundless brilliance and five-colored illusions converged as light and shadow gathered into one, ultimately manifesting a Dao Fruit.
No larger than the space between two fingers, its form was both square and round, ever-shifting and unfixed. It rested in Lu Yang's palm. The instant it appeared, profound chants echoed between heaven and earth, as though the Great Dao itself resonated. Endless patterns and boundless knowledge were wholly contained within this single Dao Fruit.
[Heavenly Destiny Reckoning].
A Dao Fruit born from nothing, encompassing the principles of the Five Great Heavenly Destinies—the very foundation for altering heaven and earth—descended before [Inversion] at this moment.
"…To prove both beginning and end!"