"This formation…"
"Who… who is responsible for this?!" The Sacred Emperor's voice was a mixture of shock and fury.
Neither Legacy Transmission, the Healer, nor the distant Celestial Barge could have created such a powerful, insidious formation.
Who else in this desolate Star Sea possessed such power? Such skill?
And the newly chosen Grand Celestial Venerable of the Xuanhuang World… what was he doing?
His mind raced, searching for answers.
The golden needles continued their relentless descent, their numbers seemingly endless, their speed impossible to track.
He couldn't stop them all. And now, the Xuanhuang World itself was in danger.
And the Healer… he seemed oblivious.
"Healer!" he roared, his voice echoing through the void. "The Xuanhuang World!"
The rain of golden needles faltered, their descent momentarily interrupted, but it didn't stop.
Their trajectory, however, shifted slightly. The Healer, it seemed, had sensed the change, the growing threat to the Xuanhuang World. He was trying to… compensate. To counter the effects of the unknown formation.
But it was too late.
"Useless," the Sacred Emperor muttered, realizing that the Healer's efforts would only delay the inevitable.
The unseen formation was almost complete.
A primal instinct, a deep-seated fear, gripped him, urging him to flee. He suppressed the urge, his mind racing. He had to return to the Xuanhuang World.
"Find the Grand Celestial Venerable!" he commanded, his voice echoing through the Star Sea Network, reaching his troops within the Xuanhuang World.
But the world below… it was silent. Still. Most of its inhabitants were asleep, their minds clouded by the golden needles.
Tian Yang, his puppet body battered and broken, still stood defiantly before Legacy Transmission.
But even Legacy Transmission seemed to have sensed the shift, the growing threat to the Xuanhuang World. He had ceased his attack, his gaze fixed on the world below, his expression… thoughtful.
The Sacred Emperor's divine sense swept across the Xuanhuang World, searching for the Grand Celestial Venerable.
He found nothing.
"The Ruo Tree! The Earth's Veins! The Stele!" He reached out to them through the Source Power Essence network, but there was no response.
They were… gone.
The Xuanhuang World was like a pot of water slowly coming to a boil, and he… he couldn't find the source of the heat.
Legacy Transmission's image appeared in the sky above the Xuanhuang World, his form massive, encompassing the heavens, his gaze piercing the clouds, searching, scanning.
Beams of golden light pulsed from the needles embedded in the ground, their energy spreading outwards, their patterns forming a complex, ever-shifting web.
Legacy Transmission and the Healer, their powers combined, were searching for the hidden manipulator, their combined might a force of nature.
But after hours of searching… they found nothing.
As if… the manipulator didn't exist.
…
Deep beneath the Tongyan Region, the small, one-meter square chamber that had once housed the ritual to enter the Fallen Immortal Realm had expanded, transformed into a boundless void.
The ritual site, the gateway to the Fallen Immortal Realm, was now enveloped in a shimmering aura of Celestial Spiritual Qi.
The very energy that had driven the cultivators of the Xuanhuang World to madness.
Here, within this hidden realm, was the newly chosen Grand Celestial Venerable of the Xuanhuang World. And the hidden manipulator.
Even Li Fan's true self, with his current power, couldn't control such a potent concentration of Celestial Spiritual Qi. He could barely… sense it. Comprehend it. It was like… trying to grasp smoke.
And the reason why the Celestial Spiritual Qi could be integrated into the Terminal Dissociation Butterfly's simulations, used to fuel its creation of Celestial formations…
…
Sun Tianci sat within the void, his body still, his posture unchanged since he had begun the ritual.
Two distinct auras emanated from him – one divine, holy, the other… demonic, its power sinister and corrupting.
Though the divine aura was far stronger, it seemed… hesitant, its power restrained, as if unwilling to… harm the encroaching darkness.
He frowned, his expression pained.
"Fortunately, I have a… contingency plan." Li Fan, sensing Wu Ninglu's presence within Sun Tianci's mindscape, her fragmented consciousness unleashed, her rage unrestrained, smiled coldly.
Countless demonic thoughts, fueled by her resentment, her hatred, assaulted Sun Tianci, their voices a chorus of venomous whispers.
"I carried you for three years! Gave you life! And this is how you repay me?!"
"You stole my Heavenly Soul! Stole my chance at Dao Integration! And you watched me die!"
"A fine son you are!"
"Everything you have… you stole it from me! You should have never been born!"
"Kill me! Finish the job! Annihilate my soul! I dare you!"
…
Sun Tianci endured it all, his resolve unwavering.
He could feel his mother's rage, her power consuming his own. But this… this was what he wanted.
He sensed that Wu Ninglu's consciousness, though fragmented, shattered into countless shards of hatred and resentment, was still… anchored to him, her desire for revenge her only focus. Without him, without this… target for her rage, her fragmented consciousness would dissipate, lost forever.
And then… he would truly lose her.
He had lived with the guilt of her death since birth, the memory of how he had… killed her, seared into his very being.
This time… he would save her.
He could feel it – as she consumed his power, the chaos within her fragmented consciousness was lessening, her rage slowly subsiding. With enough… nourishment… she would find peace.
It wasn't truly a sacrifice.
The power of the Grand Celestial Venerable was vast, limitless.
Compared to that, his mother's fragmented consciousness, her vengeful spirit, was… insignificant. A drop in the ocean.
He just needed… time.
He was aware of the changes happening within the Xuanhuang World – the Sacred Emperor's sermon, Legacy Transmission's return, the rain of golden needles. Even he, the newly chosen Grand Celestial Venerable, found these events… troubling. But he had a duty. He had to protect his world.
Alone, it would be difficult.
But he wasn't alone. He had his master.
After enduring the trials within the Fallen Immortal Realm, trials based on the stories he had heard since childhood, after seeing his master's true form…
He understood. He finally knew who his master truly was.
A remnant of Su Bai's will, the previous Grand Celestial Venerable, clinging to existence, driven by a single, unwavering purpose – to save the Xuanhuang World.
He had guided him, nurtured him, prepared him for this very moment.
Though his master hadn't explicitly stated it, Sun Tianci had deduced the truth from the subtle clues, the shared memories, the… resonance between them.
Who else could have known the details of the Grand Celestial Venerable's trials? The answers?
He was still processing the memories he had inherited, the vast knowledge of his predecessors flooding his mind.
But his master… he could already manipulate the Celestial Spiritual Qi, using it to construct formations…
He remembered his master's words, spoken after he had emerged from the Fallen Immortal Realm, his trials complete, his ascension confirmed.
"You've done well, my child. I'm proud of you."
Then, his expression turning serious, his voice filled with a profound sadness, he had continued, "The Xuanhuang World… it's not what it once was. The path to immortality is broken. The Celestial Realm… it's gone. You are the Grand Celestial Venerable… of the Xuanhuang World. Not of the Celestial Realm."
"Our world… it's the last bastion of cultivation in this desolate Star Sea. And there are many who covet its power. You must protect it. That is your duty."
"Legacy Transmission, the Healer, the Celestial Barge… and perhaps… the Sacred Emperor. He might be our only ally."
"We don't have much time. You are… inexperienced. Even facing Legacy Transmission alone… it would be a difficult battle."
"Our only hope… is the ancient protective formation."
A fragmented memory, a vision of a complex, powerful formation, surfaced in Sun Tianci's mind.
"Master, you mean…"
"As the Grand Celestial Venerable… you have inherited the ability to unleash the power of the Celestial Artifacts. The Celestial Spiritual Qi," Li Fan had said.
"Yes," Sun Tianci had replied.
His master, after all, was merely a fragment of a soul, a remnant of a will that had endured for millennia. It was understandable that some of his memories were… incomplete. Knowing about the Grand Celestial Venerable's legacy… it only confirmed his identity.
Li Fan, his gaze fixed on the Xuanhuang World below, had continued, his voice low and urgent. "The protective formation… it's been dormant for millennia. Modified by the Profound Heaven Sect…"
"But it can still be activated. It can protect this world. Perhaps even… destroy those who threaten it."
"With a small amount of Celestial Spiritual Qi… like this…"
The images Li Fan had transmitted, the schematics of the formation, had triggered something within Sun Tianci's inherited memories. The patterns, the structure… it was… familiar. But as his master had said, time had taken its toll. Some parts had been… altered.
The complexities of the formation, however, were still beyond his grasp. He wasn't yet proficient enough to fully understand its workings. He needed more time.
But he didn't have time.
He sensed Legacy Transmission's return, his presence sweeping across the Xuanhuang World, searching for him.
He felt a chill run down his spine.
Legacy Transmission was far more powerful than him.
Without the Celestial Artifacts…
But he couldn't use them here, not within the Xuanhuang World. Not yet. He hadn't mastered their power, hadn't learned how to control them. A mistake, a miscalculation… he could damage the Xuanhuang World itself.
He couldn't risk that.
He had to trust his master.
He would follow his instructions, activate the ancient protective formation. It was their only hope.
Everything had been progressing smoothly.
Until… his mother, her fragmented consciousness, her vengeful spirit, suddenly appeared within his mindscape.
A torrent of demonic energy, fueled by her rage, her resentment, washed over him, threatening to overwhelm him.
The familiar, comforting aura of his mother, a presence he had known only through fragmented memories and dreams, had become a vengeful spirit, its only desire… his destruction.
His mind reeled, his focus faltering.
"This is your tribulation, child. A karmic debt you must repay," Li Fan's voice, sharp and urgent, echoed in his mind. "You were born into Dao Integration… by taking your mother's life. That guilt, that fear… it has been festering within you, growing stronger. Now, with the power of the Grand Celestial Venerable… it has manifested. But this is also… an opportunity. If you can overcome this inner demon… you will be… unbreakable."
"Continue with the formation," he added quickly. "Follow my instructions. I will guide you. Focus on your tribulation. I will handle the rest."
Sun Tianci, despite his newfound power, was still a child, barely ten years old.
Facing the vengeful spirit of his mother, the one he had longed for, the one he had… killed… he couldn't maintain his composure. His emotions, raw and untamed, threatened to overwhelm him.
And Li Fan's voice, the voice he had trusted since birth, his mentor, his guide, his… master… it anchored him, his mind instinctively obeying.
A terrifying Celestial formation, built upon the foundations of the Xuanhuang World's ancient protective formation, began to take shape.
Sun Tianci, providing the power, the Celestial Spiritual Qi, was oblivious, his mind consumed by his inner turmoil.
Seeing the Healer's golden needles reversing the Xuanhuang World's transformation, undoing his work, only strengthened his resolve. He had to activate the formation. It was their only hope.
Li Fan, his illusory form flickering beside him, his eyes gleaming with an almost manic intensity, watched the formation nearing completion, his heart filled not with malice or destructive intent, but with a profound… admiration.
"This… is true power."
"Simulations… they can only approximate reality. There are always… discrepancies."
"I wonder…" he mused, a cold smile playing on his lips, "if Legacy Transmission and the Healer… can survive this."
There was no turning back.
Once the formation was complete, even Sun Tianci, the source of its power, wouldn't be able to stop it.
Only he, Li Fan, the architect of this… masterpiece, could make minor adjustments, fine-tune its parameters.
But he couldn't stop it.
He sensed Legacy Transmission and the Healer, still searching for him within the Xuanhuang World, and chuckled softly.
He was ready.
…
Having exhausted all other options, the Sacred Emperor released the energy he had absorbed from Dao One, his connection to the creature severed.
He was running out of time.
His unease, his sense of impending doom, had reached a fever pitch.
Legacy Transmission felt it too.
Finally, as if having reached a decision, Legacy Transmission vanished, reappearing moments later, his expression grim, holding a large, ancient bronze mirror.
The Sacred Emperor's eyes narrowed. He sensed a faint trace of Celestial Spiritual Qi emanating from the mirror.
"The… Heavenly Profound Mirror itself?"
Legacy Transmission tossed the mirror into the air.
It expanded, its bronze surface turning translucent, its form growing larger and larger, until it covered the entire Xuanhuang World, its surface a shimmering, reflective plane.
The Sacred Emperor, despite his power, felt… exposed, as if his every thought, every secret, was laid bare.
He instinctively cloaked himself in starlight, shielding himself from the mirror's gaze.
Black and white lines, emanating from the mirror's surface, spread across the Xuanhuang World, weaving themselves into a complex, ever-shifting web.
Images began to appear within the mirror, reflections of the Xuanhuang World – its mountains, its rivers, its cities, its people.
Everyone… except for the Sacred Emperor, Legacy Transmission, and the Healer.
But as the black and white lines continued their scan, the Sacred Emperor's image, hazy and indistinct, appeared within the mirror. He stared at his reflection, a strange, unsettling feeling creeping into his heart. It… wasn't quite him. Something was… off.
The Xuanhuang World seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
Only the Healer's golden needles continued their relentless descent, their purpose unwavering – to restore the world to its previous state, to undo the changes, to erase the Sacred Dynasty's influence.
The images within the Heavenly Profound Mirror grew clearer, sharper, as locations were scanned, analyzed, and discarded.
Legacy Transmission began his search, his divine sense sweeping across the remaining areas, his focus absolute.
The Sacred Emperor, despite their earlier conflict, joined him, their shared concern for the Xuanhuang World's safety overriding their animosity.
Whether the world evolved towards the Sacred Dynasty's vision or returned to Legacy Transmission's control… its survival was paramount.
…
As their search neared Li Fan's hiding place, beneath the Tongyan Region, a figure, unnoticed, appeared outside the Great Qi Sacred Dynasty.
The void around the small world was protected by layers of powerful formations, carefully constructed by the Sacred Emperor.
Hidden within, sealed away, was…
…the remnants of the First Beginning Sect, along with the Tribulation of Annihilation and the Grand Magus's remains.
And a faceless statue.
The figure was another of Li Fan's fragmented selves.
Having separated from the Myriad Manifestation Mirror's simulated personality, and having sown chaos within the Alliance using the Dao Integration technique obtained from the Law Derivation Jade, this fragment had remained hidden, waiting for the opportune moment.
And now… the time had come.
"I won't allow my plans to be disrupted. Not at this stage."
"It's time for you… to return."
It ignored the Sacred Dynasty's protective formations, appearing within their perimeter, its movements effortless, its power undeniable.
…
Within the Xuanhuang World, the Sacred Emperor's face paled.
He had sensed it. The presence outside his world.
A familiar aura that filled him with dread.
He abandoned his search, his form a blur of starlight as he raced back to the Great Qi Sacred Dynasty, then out into the void beyond.
But he was too late.
Li Fan's other self had already dismantled the protective formations, the artifacts and treasures he had gathered converging before him.
It detonated them, erasing all traces of his presence.
And with the last vestiges of its power, it hurled the faceless statue towards the remnants of the First Beginning Sect.
Just as they were about to collide, the remaining fragment of Li Fan's consciousness transformed into a spectral sword, striking the statue's head.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Though the statue appeared ordinary, the impact unleashed a wave of… something… a power beyond comprehension.
It didn't stop the attack, didn't retaliate. It simply… observed.
But that single act of observation… it had awakened something within the remnants of the First Beginning Sect.
The Tribulation of Annihilation.
The entity within the statue vanished, its purpose fulfilled.
But the Tribulation… it remained, a storm of destructive energy erupting from within the remnants of the First Beginning Sect, its power spreading outwards, consuming everything in its path.
The Sacred Emperor arrived, his heart pounding with a primal fear.
The storm had already engulfed the remnants of the First Beginning Sect, its power so terrifying that even he, a Supreme Being, felt a tremor of… mortality.
He was like an ant, facing a tidal wave.
He could only watch.
His face beaded with sweat, his mind reeling, he quickly regained his composure.
He unleashed his full power, summoning his reserves of Source Power Essence, attempting to contain the Tribulation, to prevent it from spreading.
Countless World-Splitting Whales emerged from the Great Qi Sacred Dynasty, their massive forms creating a barrier between his world and the expanding storm.
But the Source Power Essence, though incredibly potent, almost on par with True Immortal energy, was no match for the Tribulation of Annihilation. It crumbled upon contact, its light dissolving into nothingness.
He couldn't retreat. He had to hold the line, buying time, hoping for a miracle.
A white light appeared, joining him, blocking the Tribulation's path.
Legacy Transmission, his tall crown gleaming, his hand clutching the Heavenly Profound Mirror, his expression grim, his usual calm replaced by a stark terror.
The mirror itself pulsed with light, its surface flickering with warnings, as if sensing a… primordial horror.
The Sacred Emperor transmitted the image of the unleashed Tribulation, the remnants of the First Beginning Sect consumed by its destructive power, to Legacy Transmission.
Without a word, Legacy Transmission activated the Heavenly Profound Mirror, beams of ancient green light shooting outwards, forming a barrier, attempting to contain the storm.
Their combined power, the might of two Supreme Beings, wasn't enough.
The Tribulation of Annihilation consumed everything in its path, even the very fabric of space itself.
It found its way through their defenses, a raging torrent of destructive energy, heading straight for the Xuanhuang World.
If it reached the world below…
…everything would be destroyed. The world, its inhabitants, everything.
Then, from the depths of the Star Sea, golden needles, countless golden needles, arrived, their speed incredible, their trajectory precise.
Like divine pillars, they formed a barrier, a wall of golden light that held back the encroaching darkness.
The Tribulation raged, its power immense, the needles' light dimming as they absorbed the brunt of its assault.
One by one, they fell, their power extinguished.
But more arrived, taking their place, an endless supply, an unbreakable wall.
And with the needles, a figure appeared, their form radiating a calm, almost serene power.
An elderly figure, their eyes filled with compassion, their hands moving in a blur as they continued to deploy the golden needles, like a skilled physician treating a critically injured patient.
They unleashed bursts of light, each one containing… something… ancient, their auras cold, their power… dead.
These… objects, upon entering the Tribulation's chaotic embrace, seemed to… attract its attention, its power converging upon them, forming miniature vortexes of destructive energy.
The vortexes, like miniature black holes, absorbed the Tribulation's power, its intensity slowly diminishing.
The elderly figure, however, showed no signs of relief. Their movements became even more precise, more focused, their hands a blur as they continued to deploy the needles, sealing the vortexes, their golden light weaving a complex web of containment.
Then, with a gentle pull, they drew the vortexes towards them, the golden threads acting as… leashes.
They opened their mouth, consuming the needles, the sealed vortexes of the Tribulation of Annihilation vanishing within their body.
Legacy Transmission watched this, his expression impassive, as if this… act of casual world-saving was a common occurrence.
The Sacred Emperor, however, stared in disbelief.
This… Healer… their power surpassed even theirs.
The Healer's focus remained absolute, their gaze fixed on the fading Tribulation, their attention solely on the task at hand. They seemed oblivious to the presence of the Sacred Emperor and Legacy Transmission.
More needles fell, more vortexes were sealed, consumed, the Tribulation's power steadily diminishing.
It was a difficult, arduous task, even for a being of their power. They paused occasionally, their body trembling with exertion, their breath coming in ragged gasps.
Finally, with the combined efforts of the three Supreme Beings, the Tribulation of Annihilation was contained, its power extinguished, its threat… neutralized.
The Sacred Emperor, his strength depleted, his body trembling with exhaustion, stared at the now calm and peaceful void, his heart still pounding with the lingering fear of what… might have been.
Had that Tribulation been unleashed within the Xuanhuang World… they might not have been able to stop it.
As he pondered this, he noticed that Legacy Transmission and the Healer, though they had successfully neutralized the Tribulation, their expressions remained grim, their gazes fixed on… something…
Not the Xuanhuang World. Not him.
But… a hazy, almost imperceptible figure, standing silently in the void.
A child, their eyes closed, their form ethereal, their presence… alien.
And Legacy Transmission and the Healer… they seemed… afraid.
"The Grand Magus of Tiandu?" The thought, a terrifying realization, struck the Sacred Emperor.
The Grand Magus's remains, the ones hidden within the remnants of the First Beginning Sect… they were gone, consumed by the Tribulation.
And now… the Grand Magus himself had appeared.
His power… it surpassed even theirs.
He transcended the limits of this reality, the so-called Supreme Being realm.
But this figure… this child… it was just an illusion, a phantom. Was it truly him? Or just… an echo?
Judging by Legacy Transmission and the Healer's reactions, they weren't certain either.
They didn't move, their gazes fixed on the child, their bodies tense, as if waiting for… something…
And the Sacred Emperor sensed it then. The formation within the Xuanhuang World… it was still active. Its power growing stronger.
He was about to abandon his confrontation with these… mysterious beings, to return to the Xuanhuang World and resume his search for the manipulator, when…
…the child spoke.
The three Supreme Beings froze, their attention focused on the ethereal figure.
"The Dao, eternal. Hardship, annihilation."
"Cultivate the mind, connect with the will, transcend the spirit."
…
The words, at first, seemed nonsensical, their meaning obscured.
But as he listened, understanding dawned on the Sacred Emperor.
It was… a Celestial technique.
(End of Chapter)