The Emperor's golden chains quivered slightly, and one of the paper people was yanked in front of Li Ping.
Unlike the others, this paper man showed little fear on his face; instead, he appeared listless and dispirited.
His thick eyebrows were upside down, giving him a somewhat comic look.
"To live?"
"Pelt gone, how can the hair cling? If the Xuanhuang World is all destroyed, where can you live!" The Emperor said coldly.
The thick-browed paper man forced a bitter smile: "Our Calamity Transcendence Sect's strength is quite ordinary, if the Xuanhuang World is indeed destroyed, we have no recourse, do we? We can only accept it."
"You wouldn't blame the Mortals of this world for not standing up to save the Xuanhuang World, would you? As much capability as one has, that much one should do..."
Li Ping didn't argue with the paper man from the Calamity Transcendence Sect. The golden chains tightened slightly again: "All sharp teeth and a slick tongue, still unrepentant even at the brink of death."
Golden light slowly coalesced, from the thickness of chains to slender like threads.
Wrapping around the thick-browed paper man layer by layer.
Other captured paper men screamed and yelled in extreme terror.
Yet, the thick-browed paper man sat upright as if in meditation, his demeanor becoming solemn.
He muttered a chant: "Years turn to emptiness, Tribulation is eternal. Through myriad lives and a thousand tribulations, meld my golden body..."
The Emperor's golden source energy, hitherto irresistibly effective, for the first time lost its potency.
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Li Ping only felt the force applied on the thick-browed paper man being ingeniously dissolved by an invisible mastery.
Even absorbed by the opponent, becoming part of their foundation.
The golden threads slowly dissolved, and the thick-browed paper man remained immovable, the color on the paper man shifting from its old pale yellow to the dazzling gold of Essence of Source Power.
The onlooking stone tablet's expression turned grave in an instant: "Friend of Uniqueness, be careful, this is precisely the Calamity Transcendence Sect's Absolute Skill [Eternal Cataclysm], which can transform all the tribulations of this world into cultivation for oneself."
Li Ping sneered: "Nothing but a shrinking tortoise. You wish to use my power for Cultivation? Then let me oblige you!"
A dazzling golden brilliance, like that of Raging Flames, burst forth from the body of The Emperor.
The bright fire blazed, casting the entire space of the Calamity Transcendence Sect in a coat of gold.
As if condensing into tangible golden flames, all were channeled through the remaining chains into the paper man's golden body.
The screams of the paper men, not the main targets of The Emperor but merely caught in the crossfire, were like that of beings scorched by fierce flames, indicating the immense pressure the golden paper man was under. They appeared twisted, as if about to melt away.
But the thick-browed paper man still stood unmovable, his expression indifferent.
This scene shocked the stone tablet.
Even after being transformed into paper men, their original appearances unrecognizable, it was rare to see anyone capable of remaining composed and unhurt under such mighty force from The Emperor, even in the heydays of the Calamity Transcendence Sect.
The stone tablet speculated about the identity of the thick-browed paper man.
Meanwhile, the Faceless Saint Emperor did not alleviate the torment on the paper men of the Calamity Transcendence Sect.
The golden flames burned more fiercely, not completely incinerating the paper men, but also coating them in a layer of gold that could not be eroded.
Especially the thick-browed paper man, enveloped in flames, his body's golden luster becoming more conspicuous.
"You all wish to escape from the world and hide from disasters, but I adamantly refuse!"
"The rise and fall of Xuan Huang, you all bear responsibility!"
The Emperor's voice boomed like Thunder, the Essence of Source Power erupted fiercely.
Illuminating every corner of the space with its radiant glow, even the stone tablet involuntarily closed its eyes to avoid it.
When the light faded, the darkness in the Tribulation Sect Great Hall was dispelled.
The gloomy and uncomfortable atmosphere was no longer to be found.
The paper men, free from the chains, tumbled to the ground in disarray.
They seemed to have gained a bit more vitality than before.
And the thick-browed paper man in the lead had directly transformed into a "little golden man."
The Gold Man still had the same lifeless, dejected look, sighing: "Your Excellency wasting so much Essence of Source Power on us trash, truly is a waste of heaven's treasures!"
"Such a bad deal!"
Li Ping said in a deep voice, "If everything in this world were decided by pure reason, I'm afraid the Xuanhuang World would have been annihilated long ago! And wouldn't have allowed you here prattling!"
Before his words fell, a large "X" suddenly appeared on the gold paper man's face, sealing his mouth.
Soon after, the rest of the paper men were likewise silenced.
The Tribulation Sect Great Hall, which had resembled a marketplace, suddenly quieted down.
"Friend Yi Jue?" At this point, the stone tablet looked toward the golden paper man, asking tentatively.
The gold paper man was unable to speak but blinked at the stone tablet.
It was unclear whether it was an acknowledgment or a denial.
The two had no time for reunion as the space here, without the support of Essence of Source Power, slowly became unstable.
"Let's get out first."
Li Ping, along with the stone tablet and a host of paper men who had lost their self-awareness, flashed outside the bounds of the Calamity Transcendence Sect.
This ancient immortal sect, suppressed and sealed by Law Transmission, revealed its true appearance at this moment.
A book that unfolded from within.
There were no words in the book, only embossed mountain ranges and empty architectural scenes.
As the pages of the book turned naturally, the vistas within it changed as well.
But all were silhouette-like, looking comical and Strange Phenomena.
Li Ping's massive hand grasped the Tome of Tribulation Transcendence, and the landscapes within it were immediately tinged with gold.
"Capture!"
The Emperor uttered lowly, the densely packed paper men, including the thick-browed little golden man, uncontrollably flew into the Tome of Tribulation Transcendence.
Bang!
Li Ping pressed his right hand, closing the book.
All anomalies vanished in an instant.
"This place is not safe to stay in. Although I cleverly solved the transmission forbidden formation and restored it while doing so, I couldn't guarantee that the anomalies wouldn't be detected."
"Follow me."
Li Ping said in a deep voice, his figure already disappearing within the confined space here.
The Stone Tablet followed the Saint Emperor through the Xuanhuang World Space Channel and arrived in an Endless Void.
With their speed, they flew in the Void for quite some time before they sensed the aura of the world ahead.
"Is that …"
The Stone Tablet hesitated for a moment.
"One Beginning Sect's Five Elements Cave Heaven? It is actually here. Doesn't this mean that the Longevity-level being from Ban Yun Cave Heaven..."
As the Stone Tablet pondered, Bai Hua had already approached.
After her gaze lingered on the Stone Tablet for a moment, Bai Hua conveyed something to Li Ping.
Li Ping slightly nodded.
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Then Bai Hua nodded toward the Stone Tablet before flying back into the Five Elements Cave Heaven.
"This place is where I rest and recuperate. How do you find it compared to the Xuanhuang Mainland?" Li Ping brought the Stone Tablet into the Da Qi Miniature World.
A sweep of Divine Sense revealed the rough scenery of the Miniature World in the Spirit Consciousness of the Stone Tablet.
Even though some places were covered by mysterious forces and he could not know everything, just the surface revealed greatly shocked the Stone Tablet.
Although the Tablet of Creation was known to record all things under heaven, its name was somewhat an overstatement nowadays. However, it clearly knew everything that happened in the original state regions of the Xuanhuang World.
Yet, compared to this Da Qi Miniature World…
It was like being hundreds of years behind, an entire era.
Among them, even the Stone Tablet himself couldn't comprehend everything.
Moreover, he sensed the presence of old acquaintances here.
Like the Leyline Ancient Tree, and also that Beast Sect member.
Following all the way to the Saint Emperor Seat, the shock in the Stone Tablet slowly began to settle.
"I have carried the Stone Tablet for so many years, thinking I knew all the affairs in the world, inside my Spirit Consciousness. Little did I expect that what I saw and heard today would show that the world had already transcended my expectations…" The Stone Tablet spoke with some melancholy.
"You need not be dismayed, friend. Change is the true path. If the world did not advance for thousands of years …"
"Wouldn't it show our incapability?" Li Ping said with a slight smile.
The Stone Tablet wasn't sure how to respond and lapsed into silence.
Since interacting with this "Heavenly Dao Incarnation," the impact he received was too great.
Compared to the scenes he now saw, the Xuanhuang World in his Spirit Consciousness seemed like a theatrical stage, a mere facade put on for his viewing!
This realization vaguely made the Stone Tablet feel disoriented.
"I had long known that the Five Elders Organization, the Alliance of Thousands of Immortals, and other Supreme Strongmen of Xuanhuang World who knew about this Stone Tablet behind me, would do everything in their power to avoid its record. But I could not imagine that the truth of the world had progressed to this extent…"
Li Ping vaguely perceived the thoughts in the Stone Tablet's heart and said slowly, "Xuanhuang World, the last refuge of the Abyss Star Ocean. The Xuanhuang Mainland, other World Fragments, survivors of the Star Sea, are the forces outside the High Wall…"
"All converging here. Its complexity, not to mention you, my friend, even the Law Transmission or Xuanhuang Heaven Path itself, could not fully grasp it."
"Yes…" The Stone Tablet sighed and nodded.
He thought again of that Fishing Pond he had seen earlier.
In the Xuanhuang World, how many such hidden Treasures were there still?
This ancient remnant of the Xuanhuang World finally experienced a sense of being out of touch with the era.
"Things and people change, stories do not persist."
A long time ago, the initial scenes of the Xuanhuang World emerged in the Spirit Consciousness of the Stone Tablet, making him slightly dazed.
It was the voice of the Saint Emperor that interrupted him.
"The fusion of realms is already a settled matter. Between me and Law Transmission, a battle is inevitable. However, regardless of who wins or who loses, it will not change the fact that the Xuanhuang World is reborn amid destruction."
Li Ping did not bring up helping the Stone Tablet solve its issue of mental overload but suddenly spoke like this.
The thoughts of the Stone Tablet could not help but converge, and it intently looked at Li Ping.
"The key to the problem lies in the new orthodoxy of the Xuanhuang World."
"Do you know the details of Law Transmission?"
Li Ping's Divine Sense locked onto the Stone Tablet, and he asked solemnly.
The Stone Tablet contemplated for a moment before answering, "When the Law Transmission first emerged, our Immortal Dao Ten Clans had investigated it. This person is indeed a native cultivator from the Xuanhuang World. From childhood to adulthood, his track record is clear and documented."
"Law Transmission's name is Xuanyuan Tuo. He had lived in a rural countryside since he was a child and was called Doggie by his parents due to frailty and illnesses during childhood."
"Before the age of fifty, his life trajectory showed no difference from that of an ordinary farmer. It wasn't until he turned fifty-one that he suddenly attained Enlightenment and rose to power."
"That's exactly why, in the initial investigation by the Immortal Dao Ten Clans, they couldn't trace his origins because he truly had achieved Dao suddenly,"
The Stone Tablet narrated slowly.
Scenes from those days also emerged in the Saint Emperor Seat.
...
"Xuanyuan Tuo." Li Ping watched as the image of a somewhat slow and silly young man gradually transformed into a silent and reserved middle-aged farmer, and then into an old man with white hair and a pale face.
"A mortal attaining Enlightenment is indeed possible. However, it usually occurs during one's youth. The transformation of Law Transmission came about almost when his end was near..."
"It is truly puzzling and suspicious," commented Li Ping.
The Stone Tablet nodded, "Initially, the Ten Sects also had such suspicions. However, we used Secret Techniques and Heavenly Dao Verification, confirming that nothing like soul snatching or identity theft by an outsider had occurred to him."
"But Law Transmission is indeed mysteriously extraordinary. Like an Innate knower, when several from the Ten Sects' Longevity stages attempted to kill him years ago, he somehow resolved it. Since then, he has completely exceeded our control. Perhaps, if the Ten Sects had struck with full force initially, the outcome might have been different…" said the Stone Tablet somewhat regrettably.
The Grand Hall suddenly became quiet.
A long time passed.
Suddenly, Li Ping spoke out, "Heavenly Dao Verification… What if the other party's method of stealing identities transcends even the Heavenly Dao?"
The Stone Tablet was stunned.
At first glance, that remark seemed illogical.
But as the Stone Tablet thought it over, the Ten Sects' excessive trust in their methods back then had led to this unquestioned conclusion for thousands of years.
"What's the use of questioning the details of Law Transmission now?"
After a brief moment of despondency, this thought arose in the Stone Tablet's mind.
With unresolved questions, it looked at the Saint Emperor again.
The voice of the Saint Emperor, like thunder resonating within the Grand Hall, spoke, "As I previously mentioned, the key to the revitalized Xuanhuang World lies in the word 'orthodoxy'."
"It's like a new body assembled from amputated limbs; who becomes the brain is very important."
"Currently, the Xuanhuang Heaven Path still believes it is the Xuanhuang Heaven Path. But not long from now, that might no longer be the case…"
The tone of Li Ping was somber.
The Stone Tablet, knowing that the other party was an incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, would not speak without basis, and its expression changed, "Please elaborate."
"The matters you observe on the Stone Tablet can be seen dispassionately, from the perspective of an outsider. Yet as the worlds merge, memories are as if personally experienced, real yet illusory. Over time, it becomes hard to distinguish between falsehood and reality, between self and others."
"Especially..."
Li Ping's gaze shifted towards the Xuanhuang Mainland, millions of miles away.