Chapter 53: Breakthrough to Returning to Void

More than a year later.

Chen Daoxuan activated that Heavenly Heart Mark and sat cross-legged in the depths of the Yuanling Realm.

After cultivating the Space Great Dao True Talismans to a total of three hundred.

Just like the Yin-Yang and Five Elements Daos, which had likewise reached three hundred Great Dao True Talismans each, within the Yuanling Realm there was no longer the slightest insight or progress to be gained.

This was because he had reached the Yuanling Realm's limit.

The Great Dao mysteries contained within the Yuanling Realm, a Mortal Realm, only reached a certain level at the highest.

If he wished to continue refining the Five Elements, Yin-Yang, and Space Daos within the spacetime domain of the Yuanling Realm, there was only one path: ascending to the Ascension Realm.

His thoughts flowed.

Chen Daoxuan's Primordial Spirit underwent Soul Egress.

The Great Dao Primordial Spirit, which stood Ten Thousand Zhang tall and whose quality was several hundred times stronger than that of other peak Soul Egress (Divine Transformation) cultivators, radiated boundless Primordial Spirit Radiance.

It not only filled the Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void he had refined, but continued to spread outward.

……

Every Great Dao Baptism, or every Divine Transformation, would cause the Primordial Spirit to transform at its very foundation, raising its quality.

And each such elevation would double it from its original base, and every additional one would double the Primordial Spirit's quality once more.

Nine Great Dao Baptisms, nine Divine Transformations.

A total of eighteen transformations and elevations—Chen Daoxuan had a full nine more elevations than other Soul Egress (Divine Transformation) cultivators.

Making the foundational quality of his Great Dao Primordial Spirit a full five hundred and twelve times stronger than that of other peak Soul Egress (Divine Transformation) cultivators.

The Primordial Spirit Dharma Power, which advanced in tandem with the Great Dao Primordial Spirit, was likewise five hundred and twelve times deeper than that of other peak Soul Egress (Divine Transformation) cultivators.

Ever since reaching the peak of Soul Egress (Divine Transformation) two hundred years ago, whenever Chen Daoxuan displayed his Great Dao Primordial Spirit, he had a faint feeling that he could cross over a great boundary and fight across into Spirit Division (Returning to Void).

He even felt there was a chance of winning.

It was only that he had no Spirit Division (Returning to Void) opponent to let him measure himself accurately.

Chen Daoxuan could not be certain of his exact combat strength.

……

And the Primordial Spirit Radiance he shone—after the fourth Divine Transformation, a Five Thousand Zhang Primordial Spirit could illuminate a radius of Five Thousand Zhang, a diameter of Ten Thousand Zhang.

The illumination radius maintained a one-to-one ratio with the Primordial Spirit's height.

And with each additional completion of a Soul Egress baptism or Divine Transformation, the Primordial Spirit Radiance, where Immortal and Pure Yang converged, would grow its illumination radius tenfold from its previous base.

After nine Divine Transformations, the Primordial Spirit Radiance's illumination radius became one hundred thousand times the Primordial Spirit's height.

A Ten-Thousand-Zhang Dao Soul could illuminate a void radius of one million myriad zhang.

He had only refined a Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void because of the intangible limit imposed by this spacetime domain, not because it was Chen Daoxuan's limit.

……

The vast Primordial Spirit Radiance, capable of illuminating a Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void, filled this refined Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void.

Chen Daoxuan began to circulate the Returning Void Method he had comprehended from the Yin-Yang Great Transformation Immortal Scripture.

Outside the Ten-Thousand-Zhang Dao Soul, within the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm, he manifested a pair of Yin Yang Fish through the Yin-Yang Great Transformation Dao, mutually generating each other as they turned.

As the Yin Yang Fish turned, they began to merge the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm into the Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void he had refined.

If the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm merged successfully, it would mean the Primordial Spirit had succeeded in entrusting itself to the Void, and he would break through to the Returning to Void Stage.

This Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void would transform into a True Void Realm, like a second Flesh Dharma Body.

And the Eight Dharma Bodies originally within the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm would, as the True Void Realm took shape, transform into Void Dharma Bodies fused with the Great Dao.

But if the entrusting failed, under Void Backlash the least result would be severe damage to his foundation and a great reduction in lifespan.

……

As Chen Daoxuan began merging the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm into the Void, attempting to entrust his Primordial Spirit to the Void.

The originally formless Primordial Spirit Radiance began to manifest in the world.

The Primordial Spirit Radiance, where Immortal Light and Pure Yang Light converged, illuminated the Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void—not merely spreading across the Yuanling Realm, which was nearly three million li wide with a round heaven and square earth, thirty thousand li deep into the earth and eighty thousand li high into the sky.

It also pierced through the Profound Yellow Realm Membrane, illuminating the void outside the realm.

……

Outside the layer of Profound Yellow Realm Membrane of the Yuanling Realm, within the endless chaotic void.

The Returning Void Shadow Demon Nian Qi, who had manifested a Thousand-Li Returning Void True Realm and stood within it, was startled awake at this moment.

Looking at the vast Primordial Spirit Radiance that burst out of the Yuanling Realm and manifested in the chaotic void, in an instant boundless desire rose from the depths of its heart, filled with greed.

"Mm, Primordial Spirit Radiance piercing through the void—is some being within this Mortal Realm breaking through to Returning to Void?"

"Such pure and wondrous Primordial Spirit Radiance!"

"And over such a vast range, without being rejected by the Mortal Realm—how is this possible?"

"Could this being be the very reason the Honored Lord dispatched me here to keep watch?"

In the span of a thought, the Returning Void Shadow Demon Nian Qi suppressed the desire in its heart and began to cast a message-sending spell, transmitting to the Honored Lord.

But after waiting a good while, it received no response at all.

"Mm, no response—has the Honored Lord fallen into deep closed-door cultivation, or fallen into slumber?"

"Or has the Honored Lord perished?"

At the thought of this possibility, Nian Qi's demonic heart boiled over.

But as its demonic thoughts flowed and it sensed, within its shadow-like demonic body, the demonic mark that hooked into the Great Dao, its boiling demonic heart cooled once more.

Then it let out a laugh full of desire.

"Since I couldn't reach the Honored Lord, I'll decide for myself."

"Such wondrous Primordial Spirit Radiance—if this Lord devours this special breakthrough cultivator, I will surely advance further and reach the mid Returning to Void Stage."

A Dharma Body bearing the Great Dao of Shadow manifested from within the demonic form.

Escaping a thousand li into the true Void, crossing through chaotic void, it arrived beyond the reach of the Primordial Spirit Radiance.

Gazing at that incomparably stable, peculiar Primordial Spirit Radiance, Nian Qi was practically drooling with desire, yet still maintained his reason.

"Wait a little longer. Wait until the Return-to-Void Tribulation descends and the Void Backlash emerges — that will be the best moment for this sovereign to strike."

Transforming into a wisp of shadow, he merged into the void.

……

"Mm!"

Seated at the center of the Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void, his hundred-thousand-zhang Primordial Spirit radiated brilliance, the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm merging with the void.

Suddenly, Chen Daoxuan sensed a wisp of profound demonic resonance, and in the unseen depths felt a sliver of crisis emerge.

"Return-to-Void Great Demon?"

"I had originally thought that breaking through here in the Yuanling Realm would mean no human tribulation, yet I never expected a Return-to-Void Great Demon to appear and become my human tribulation."

"But fortunately, it's only an early-stage Return-to-Void — it hasn't given me any great crisis."

In the span of a thought, Chen Daoxuan continued his breakthrough at ease.

It was only that on his Great Dao Primordial Spirit and Flesh Dharma Body, those tightly shut heavy pupils each revealed a thread of grey and azure light.

……

As the Yin Yang Fish spiraled and circulated, the Primordial Spirit Dharma Realm gradually merged with that Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void.

After one day's time, upon merging one ten-thousand-eight-hundredth of the Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void, Chen Daoxuan clearly sensed a Void Rejection emerge.

However, this Void Rejection vanished in an instant beneath the illumination of his vast, imperishable, pure-yang Primordial Spirit Radiance.

Thereafter, with each passing day, Chen Daoxuan merged one ten-thousand-eight-hundredth of the refined Myriad-Myriad-Zhang Void.

At the same time, a Void Rejection more intense than the previous day's would emerge.

Yet this day-by-day intensifying Void Rejection was all dispelled by Chen Daoxuan's vast Primordial Spirit Radiance.

……