Chapter 321: Xu Xing Arrives

The cloud text began to grow elusive and unstable, and He Yunqi, seeing this, couldn't help but panic.

Although he had just mentally complained that the Dao Yan Da Qian Lu hadn't explained things clearly, he never imagined it would break!

He was well aware that his journey from an ordinary person to his current state of food and clothing security, and his entry into cultivation through the "Qie Ling" method, all depended on the supreme power of the Dao Yan Da Qian Lu.

Now, facing a life-or-death crisis, his only reliance had malfunctioned!

【Law Derivation ¥%¥…… Immortal Dao…… Divine Dao…… Pill Complete Eight……】

【Law %#…… Dou Department God…… Suppress and Slay……】

On the flickering cloud text, dense golden characters continued to appear, but most were meaningless gibberish.

Only a few fragmented phrases were legible, yet they bore little apparent connection to one another.

The various gibberish manifesting before him made He Yunqi feel dizzy.

He did not notice that the Daoist in black-and-white robes seated at the table behind him was watching him.

"A divination artifact."

With Hong Zun's eyesight, it was effortless to discern what He Yunqi's boon truly was.

Dao Yan Da Qian Lu—in essence, it is not a magical artifact, nor a celestial spirit object, but the embodiment of this world's "Yan" Dao.

Due to its exalted status, even the supreme beings in the Heavenly Court could not perceive it.

Foreseeing the future, avoiding misfortune, seeking fortune.

Aside from a handful of beings who comprehend profound truths, Dao Yan Da Qian Lu can encompass nearly everything.

It can derive countless futures, infinite possibilities; even among the several catalysts of this great immortal age, this boon ranks among the highest tier!

Yet now it is only in its initial stage; later stages will allow this artifact to derive all methods, transform the illusory into the real…

Its myriad functions are marvelously unmatched!

Unfortunately, he happened to be here.

The status of an immortal is inherently higher than this world, and Hong Zun happened to be involved in this event.

Even this world itself could not detect Hong Zun's presence, let alone an artifact born from one of its Dao streams?

In the Dao Yan Da Qian Lu's divinations, the future had changed—but it did not know why.

Hence, the Dao Yan Da Qian Lu now flickered wildly, spewing out gibberish.

Of course, the impact of his "Fa Yan" extended far beyond this…

"Enough. Since it was unintentional, I shall not trouble you."

Hong Zun rose and left, descending from the teahouse.

As for the demon and ghost attack on the city?

He had casually eliminated all demons and ghosts along the way—where would any demon or ghost come from?

He would remove the Lian Sheng Xi Ling Array later.

Thus, as Hong Zun left the teahouse, He Yunqi suddenly noticed that the golden characters on the cloud text had ceased manifesting.

Then, the elusive cloud text solidified once more; the many golden characters already displayed dissolved into tiny specks of golden light.

Afterwards, eight brilliant golden characters appeared.

【The Dao Derives the Great Thousand, All Phenomena of the Universe】

"?"

He Yunqi, seeing this, was utterly confused—had it restarted?

He checked his Fa Yan count—it remained at two, unchanged.

The eight characters vanished quickly, just as when the Fa Yan had first begun.

【Law Derivation Day One: To avoid the fate of dying beneath Blood-Rider Daoist's grand formation, you came to Pine Moon Tower to wait and observe the situation.】

【But unfortunately, you missed the optimal moment to act, and Blood-Rider Daoist successfully planted the grand formation.】

He Yunqi: "..."

There was absolutely no need to repeat this.

【However, because?? happened to pass through Fuming County, casually eliminating all nearby demons and ghosts, and decided to uproot the grand formation, you were fortunate to survive.】

Huh?

What is this "??"?

The demons and ghosts that required Blood-riding Daoist's array to even stand a chance against him were casually eliminated by this "??"?

Is this even believable?!

The text continued to appear.

【Originally, the reason the City God of Fuming County was absent was that he was about to be transferred elsewhere, and the deity taking over his divine position turned out to be his mortal enemy.】

【Fuming County's incense offerings flourished, and the City God, toiling day and night, found his frustrations hard to dispel, unwilling to hand over such a foundation to another.】

【Therefore, to throw obstacles in the path of the incoming deity, the City God deliberately went out to attend a banquet and spread news to lure demons and ghosts to attack.】

"..."

So all the calamities befalling Fuming County were due to a god's momentary anger?!

Shouldn't gods be broad-minded, always harboring the heart to protect their land and pacify its people?

At the very least, they should weigh pros and cons and make rational decisions.

How could they act like mortals, letting petty pride drive them to such foolishness?

Don't they fear reprimand from the Heavenly Court?

【Law Derivation Day Two:??, dissatisfied with the actions of Fuming County's protective deity, decided to destroy the divine statue as well.】

【Law Derivation Day Three: The protective deity was slain, the Tiangong was enraged, and dispatched Thunder Department deities to hunt down??.】

…………

【After seven days of Dao Calculation, the divine spirits mobilized but failed to locate its trail; however, their massive search enraged??, who struck back and shattered five layers of the Tiangong in one blow.】

Hm?!

Is this?? really that powerful?

In mythology, there are only nine layers of Heavenly Palaces—he shattered five with a single strike?

【After fifteen days of Dao Calculation, the Tiangong dared not search for?? any longer; yet the Dao's order could not be disrupted, so it decided to impose divine punishment upon Fuming County to conclude this matter.】

【On the sixteenth day of Dao Calculation, you, who had warned the people of Fuming County to flee, were deemed unusual. After deliberation, the divine spirits labeled you a "Desecrator of the Divine."】

【Ten thousand thunderbolts descended at once, obliterating your divine soul.】

No!

Is this really that hasty?!

He Yunqi was utterly shaken. Anyone could see this was just finding a scapegoat, right?!

That's not a Tiangong—it's a makeshift stage troupe!

……

……

In the spacious, brightly lit temple, the temple keeper cowered in a corner, watching the Daoist standing in the center of the temple, and the shattered statue above, its base the only remnant left.

"Even without interference, the ability of Dao Calculation still has its limits."

He Yunqi's condition was still under the gaze of Hong Zun.

The possible outcomes of Dao Yan Da Qian Lu's calculations were all within his sight.

How to put it—the current Dao Yan Da Qian Lu, though no longer affected, still remained in a state lacking "parameters."

That is, it gained many uncertainties; the "future" it calculated might not come to pass.

Only when it no longer involved him would its calculating ability return to normal.

!. Read

The temple keeper opened his mouth to speak but held back, wanting to demand why he had offended the divine, yet feeling an inexplicable fear.

Normally, when facing brutal, vicious men, he could scold them loudly—but today, facing this Daoist…

"You, Sir, why did you…?"

After changing his address several times, Hong Zun turned his head to look at him, making him feel tense.

Yet Hong Zun merely glanced at him, then turned and walked away.

Huh~

Watching his retreating back, the temple keeper felt regret, yet also a sense of relief.

Outside the temple, Hong Zun looked up at the sky.

A faint fluctuation appeared beyond the world—again, only he…

No.

Xiao Mei and the Sword Sovereign should also sense it.

"Brother Dao has arrived too…"

Once Brother Dao enters this realm, we can begin discussing how to resolve the Xuan Realm's repulsion.

Withdrawing his gaze, Hong Zun stepped forward, his figure vanishing instantly.

He didn't think Brother Dao would come looking for him first—no need to guess, once Brother Dao entered this world, he'd head straight to Xiao Mei and the Sword Sovereign.

So it was better for him to get there first.

…………

Beyond the world.

A boundless, majestic presence drifted above the Chaos Sea, seemingly pushed by an invisible colossal force, yet finally slowing to a halt.

Chaotic qi pushed outward, carrying nearby worlds embedded within it toward the periphery.

"Finally stopped."

A halo of sword Dao light, brilliant beyond measure, hovered behind his head.

It was Xu Xing.

He rose from the Chaos Sea, chaotic qi flowing down his vast immortal body, and countless worlds fell with him.

Yet, protected by a crimson force, they caused no significant harm to him.

The "anchor" forces feedback from these worlds had balanced the Xuan Realm's repulsion.

But the repulsion persisted, showing no sign of fading.

In the next instant, his immortal form contracted, and he returned to ordinary human size.

Afterward, Xu Xing gazed toward the direction he had come, seeing only the eternal solitude of the Chaos Sea, its chaotic qi gradually calming.

Above the worlds floating within it, the protective force he had left had vanished; a few worlds were now sending back faint "anchor" forces.

"I've remembered. I will repay you in due time."

His power could not reach them; all he could offer was a promise.

Of course, blocked by the Xuan Realm's repulsion, those worlds could not comprehend his meaning.

Withdrawing his gaze, Xu Xing turned to face the vast world, only slightly smaller than the Beast God Realm.

He could sense his sister, Xiang Yuanjun, and Hong Zun were inside.

His gaze passed beyond that world, toward the distance.

Beyond this world, farther ahead, lay the place the Xuan Realm sought to send him—the place of his home…

Though… he didn't know how much longer he'd drift.

"Yuan, have you returned home?" Xu Xing murmured.

Along the way, he found no trace of Yuan, but there were several worlds where traces of his energy remained.

They must be the worlds where he paused to rest…

I wonder if he has already returned to his homeland by now.

But since the direction of repulsion from the Xuan Realm matches his, it means his chosen route has not gone wrong.

As a homing anchor…

This was a line Yuan wrote in his "Notes on Realm Exploration," and the reason he succeeded in finding the path home.

"May you have already returned home…"

With a soft sigh, Xu Xing withdrew his gaze and headed toward the world that resembled an ancient star.

As the world breathed in and out, Xu Xing stepped directly inside and vanished.

(End of Chapter)