Deep within the Dark Void, the aftershocks of the profound collision grew increasingly fierce. At the moment the boiling radiance evolved to its extreme, it strikingly transformed into a pitch-black abyss.
Everywhere it passed, the Dao Lords scrambled to evade it, feeling as though it were the bloody maw of an invisible giant beast. If swallowed, one would surely be swept into the depths of the Dark Void with a high risk of being lost forever. Du Xuan, in particular, was the most wary of such things and retreated far away.
Only Lu Yang remained unmoved.
Holding steady to his Dao Fruit, he walked along the edge of the abyss, creating myriad things and forcibly carving out a piece of pure land within the Dark Void that should have lost all concepts.
[Order].
If the Dark Void symbolized chaos and disorder, then this Great Dao was its antithesis. After obtaining the essence of [Infinite], its power had increased exponentially.
The collision of their majestic powers was a cycle of life and death.
Everything at the boundary of the collision returned to nothingness, was born from nothingness, and returned to nothingness again—a continuous cycle sufficient to grind away even an immortal Primordial Spirit!
"Impressive..."
Just then, an exclamation suddenly rang out, drawing the attention of every Dao Lord. Even the Primordial Saint and Lu Yang, locked in fierce combat, cast their gazes toward the source.
Sisui.
He stepped out of the False History silently, wearing a high crown and square shoes, holding a measuring ruler in his hand. Beneath his gentle and elegant appearance lay a profound calm and composure.
His body flowed with treasure-light, and every breath he took contained infinite spiritual opportunity, encompassing the heavens and myriad worlds and regulating the changes of Yin and Yang.
At the moment of his appearance, he had already reached the lowest level of the [Paramita]. The vacancy returned by the World Honored One had, under the modification of historical Karma, returned to him.
Thus, he paced upward.
Step.
With his first step, he reached the third layer of the [Paramita]. There, the vast ocean of spiritual power parted instinctively in disbelief.
"Sisui..."
Du Xuan murmured in a low voice, even feeling joy in his heart: "You have escaped... Good, good, good! With you here, we can surely turn defeat into victory and slay the Primordial Saint!"
He received no response.
Or rather, the only response Du Xuan received was a pair of eyes that illuminated the heavens but were filled with intense disappointment and sorrow, devoid of any excitement of a reunion with an old friend.
"...Sisui."
Du Xuan froze.
Before he could react, Sisui withdrew his gaze and looked at him no longer. Instead, he continued upward, slowly taking a second step.
With this step, he reached the fourth layer of the [Paramita].
Almost simultaneously, Sword Lord, Cang Hao, and Myriad Laws all looked toward him. Among them, the Sword Lord's gaze was the most wary, appearing ready to strike.
Yet Sisui still did not look at her.
He took a third step.
This time, he reached the fifth layer. The Dao-rhyme and accumulation he possessed finally dissipated here; he no longer had the strength to go higher.
But it was enough.
Sisui's gaze shifted to the center of the fifth layer. There, a cold and indifferent figure turned simultaneously to look at him.
"Primordial Saint..."
Upon seeing the Primordial Saint's eyes, which had completely erased all emotion, Sisui—who had intended to say something—was momentarily stunned, then shook his head.
"Have you already taken the final step?"
If it were the Primordial Saint of the past, he might have had some interest in discussing the Dao. But looking at this cold, indifferent figure, Sisui lost all inclination.
"You are no longer the Primordial Saint; you aren't even a 'solitary man' anymore."
The heart of an solitary man, while selfish and self-centered, is still human. However, the current Primordial Saint appeared to Sisui as something that could no longer be called a person.
He was merely a puppet seeking the Dao.
"..."
Looking at Sisui, the Primordial Saint, who had intended to speak, suddenly paused. A strange ripple seemed to rise within his calm thoughts.
What am I thinking about?What am I feeling?
In the next instant, the ripple settled. The Primordial Saint's tone remained indifferent: "Fellow Daoist chose a poor time. Escaping now only creates a great enemy for yourself for no reason."
Sisui did not respond.
Immediately, his aura began to change—the Dao of the Dharma Body, Yin and Yang, and the Dao Heart fruit attained after accumulating for 129,600 years.
Even the [Paramita] was included.
Many external things were shed from him bit by bit at this moment. During this process, his silhouette gradually became illusory under the gaze of the various Dao Lords.
[False Transcendence]!
Exactly the same as the previous life. Immediately upon his escape, Sisui took the final step—and this lifetime was even more perfect than the last!
Because in this lifetime the [Paramita] still existed, he was not attempting transcendence from the Great Perfection of the Golden Core, but from the fifth layer of the [Paramita].
The starting point was the difference between heaven and earth. To put it bluntly, once he took this step, he could completely replace the Primordial Saint as the strongest being in the current Sea of Light!
Who would allow that?
"RUMBLE!"
Almost at the exact moment Sisui attempted transcendence, the Sword Lord struck. Cang Hao followed immediately after, a brilliant sword-light falling directly toward Sisui's brow.
Within the sword-light, future images manifested.
Every image presented a scenario where Sisui failed his breakthrough, carrying a boiling malice that caused Sisui to cast a sideways glance at the Sword Lord.
"Nian Yao, you disappoint me too much."
As the words fell, he flicked a finger. All the future images shattered, and the sword-light dimmed as the Sword Lord was sent flying into the Dark Void by Sisui's strike.
However, in the next second, the boundless light that was Cang Hao's descended. Within it, a brilliant radiance composed of infinite dao arts erupted.
Myriad Laws!
This Dao Lord of Dao Arts had actually chosen to strike Sisui!
"Hmm?"
This turn of events surprised even Sisui. However, upon seeing the dense [Threads of Affection] filling the eyes of the Dao Lord of Dao Arts, he understood the cause.
It was undeniable that regardless of methods, personality, or style, among the various Dao Lords, the Sword Lord held the highest status other than the Primordial Saint. Both Cang Hao and Myriad Laws were bound by her [Threads of Affection], forced to act as her left and right arms—a truly terrifying reality.
This was why the Primordial Saint said the timing was wrong.
With Sisui breaking through at this moment, Sword Lord, Cang Hao, and Myriad Laws would all move to stop him. At any other point in time, they might not have done so.
But Sisui did it anyway.
The reason was simple.
"RUMBLE!"
Suddenly, an explosion interrupted the thoughts of all the Dao Lords, forcing them to turn their gazes toward the direction of the Immortal Nexus following the return of the False History.
There, a Great Dao was rising slowly from the [Sea of Bitterness].
As the Great Dao manifested, blood-red light filled the sky and killing intent became like an ocean. The heavens, the earth, and man all released killing intent, resulting in an infinite air of disaster, karma, and tribulation.
[Tribulation]!
Enveloping smoke poured out at this moment like a dam breaking. Within the haze, a streak of green light sprouted and branched out in all directions.
It was a towering tree.
Its trunk propped up the heavens and its canopy blotted out the sun, releasing ring after ring of halo. It twisted and changed, rooting itself within [Tribulation], manifesting a majestic power!
Someone was attaining the status of Dao Lord!
Who was it!?
(End of Chapter)