Chapter 696

The Dao lineage is a systematic cultivation path, not something any mere person who acquires a few cultivation techniques and founds a sect can match.

As he pondered this, the blood clouds descended.

Crack! Crack!

The void shattered, releasing waves of destruction.

As if crossing through time and space, the heavenly tribulation gave Zhang Taixuan not a single moment to react—it struck him directly.

This heavenly tribulation was terrifying; each bolt could kill a Great Sage and make a Pretender Emperor bleed.

Yet Zhang Taixuan remained unmoved, treating the blood cloud's heavenly tribulation as nourishment for growth; his main body and three incarnations pushed the Thunder Dao to its extreme, drawing all heavenly tribulations to himself and transforming them into his own power.

As he cultivated, Zhang Taixuan observed the changes within his body.

【You observed the evolution of laws within your body and comprehended the principles of the Emperor Dao.】

【You observed the evolution of laws within your flesh and comprehended the method of refining the Pretender Emperor body.】

【You observed the mystery of your flesh and comprehended the subtleties of Pretender Emperor blood qi.】

【You observed the evolution of magic power and comprehended the subtleties of Pretender Emperor magic power.】

The heavenly tribulation forged the flesh, magic power, laws, and blood qi, causing them to transform and achieve essential advancement.

In the xianxia world's system, there are two earth-shattering transformations: like a snake becoming a dragon, like a cocoon turning into a butterfly—essential changes.

One is becoming a Sage; the other is attaining Emperorhood.

After becoming a Sage, one's spiritual powers become inconceivable, and one's life essence undergoes a fundamental change—something no other realm possesses.

Becoming a Sage means a living being steps onto another path; in detail, they become unlike their original race.

Attaining Emperorhood is an even greater leap of essence.

The Pretender Emperor carries the word "Emperor"—the transformation begins at this realm.

The evolution of laws begins shifting from ordinary laws into Emperor Dao laws.

Emperor Dao laws are not new laws; they are the condensation and transformation of the universe's myriad laws into one's own.

Just like Zhang Taixuan's understanding of the Taixuan Dao, most Emperors are limited by their comprehension and can only fuse a limited number of laws to evolve their own Emperor Dao.

Even so, Emperor Dao laws crush Saint Dao laws and all laws below the Saint realm.

Whenever Emperor Dao laws appear, Saint Dao laws collapse.

This is why beings of the Saint realm find it nearly impossible to counterattack and defeat Emperor-level powerhouses.

It is not merely a gap in magic power—it is also a gap in laws.

At this realm, not only do Emperor Dao laws begin to emerge, but the flesh, magic power, and blood qi also undergo qualitative leaps.

Laws merge into the flesh, further strengthening it; an Emperor's flesh is thousands to hundreds of thousands of times stronger than a Saint's—each drop of blood can spread across a star river and kill a Great Sage.

Laws merge into magic power, condensing it a millionfold; a single thread of magic power can sever stars and slay Saint-level powerhouses.

With the flesh's strengthening, blood qi is also nourished by laws, becoming so vast it dominates the universe—it has become a spiritual power akin to a manifestation.

Having comprehended the mysteries of Emperor-level strength, Zhang Taixuan activated his cultivation technique and, like a rocket, swiftly entered the Pretender Emperor realm.

The Saint Spirit incarnation condensed a three-foot-long sword behind it, agile as a coiling dragon, radiating an aura of annihilation.

His flesh was translucent, as if carved from the most exquisite jade.

Beneath his skin, Sword Dao Emperor laws were refined and merged into his magic power and flesh.

Boom!

The next instant, a white river surged skyward, sweeping across heaven and earth—even the blood cloud's heavenly tribulation was crushed in an instant.

The white river was formed from the Saint Spirit incarnation's blood qi.

Live stream.

Su Xiao: "What is that white river? It feels like blood qi, but isn't blood qi red or gold?"

Ye Hei: "It must be blood qi power, right?"

Han Paopao: "I think so too. But how does blood qi evolve into white?"

Hu Yifei: "Only the Dao Lord knows. He'll explain after he finishes the tribulation."

Zhang Taixuan: "Why wait until after the tribulation? I'm free now."

Ye Hei: "Man, you're cultivating while giving a lecture. Other cultivators watching would probably cry. We face life-or-death crises during tribulations—you're just strolling around, right, Dao Lord?"

Wang Chao: "Haha, the Dao Lord has always been like this—I'm used to it."

Zhang Taixuan: "Get used to it. Blood qi is essentially the power formed after laws merge with the flesh. Saint body blood qi is gold—that's the result of Saint body laws evolving with the flesh. Other blood qi works the same way. My Saint Spirit incarnation cultivates Sword Dao laws, fused with the Saint Spirit flesh, so its blood qi became white-gold."

Zhang Taixuan: "Does this blood qi feel like it can cut through anything?"

Lin Fengjiao: "Indeed. Just seeing the blood qi, you know this incarnation is a Sword Dao master."

Yue Buqun: "So that's it. Blood qi is influenced by the laws one cultivates—if one cultivates Wood Dao or Creation Dao, would the blood qi turn green?"

Zhang Taixuan: "Possibly! Next is the Chaos Body incarnation—watch closely; this will benefit your future cultivation."