Chapter 33: Chapter Thirty-Three: Omen

That light had first been merely a brilliant, crystalline yellow, but as it rose, it gradually turned crimson, illuminating the three-zhang area around it with vivid clarity.

“So hot! So hot!”

Tu Shan Ge leapt back several steps, still not satisfied, and retreated another three zhang before finally stopping.

“What is this disturbance? How can it be so scorching?”

Tu Shan Ge wiped sweat from his brow, silently marveling.

When enveloped by that red glow, he felt as if trapped in the peak of June’s summer heat, every breath thick with sweltering air that scorched his heart with bitter anguish.

“No, no!”

Soon, Tu Shan Ge noticed something amiss and was startled.

Despite the unbearable heat, the early frost dew clinging to the cave entrance’s stone door remained untouched, unmelted.

“Have I lost my wits?”

He hesitated a moment, then cautiously stepped back into the red light—but within moments, he yelped and leapt out again, as if his tail had caught fire.

But this was only the beginning—

Soon, to Tu Shan Ge’s stunned gaze, the red glow shifted again into brilliant white, transforming the three-zhang space into a chilling, dark and icy realm that froze his flesh and bones.

Green, purple, silver, black, gold, blue, green, orange… colors rotated and transformed, as if the three-zhang world had reverted to the primordial chaos of Hong Meng, when heaven and earth first parted and yin and yang were separated.

Now cold, now hot; now radiant, now dim; now expanding, now restrained; now existing, now void.

Strange fields, single ears; murky and indistinguishable…

Tu Shan Ge was utterly entranced, completely lost in awe—he had never witnessed such an omen during a cultivator’s breakthrough from Qi Condensation.

Even his former master, when he achieved the eighth-rank superior “Cave Spirit Demon Qi” and established his Foundation, had merely drawn in surrounding demonic energies and caused half the autumn leaves on the mountain to fall.

But compared to this scene, as if the void itself were undergoing destruction, that was truly a dwarf beside a giant.

“What level of Qi Condensation technique is Old Master using? So grand, so astonishing! He claims to have no family background—yet his background must reach the heavens!”

Thinking of this, Tu Shan Ge grew anxious inside, muttering to himself: “Old Master refuses to confide in me—perhaps he still doesn’t see me as his own fox… I must work harder, impress him, and make him recognize my worth!”

As he drifted in such thoughts—

All the countless colors dissolved into a single, empty “white”—a white that seemed monochrome yet encompassed all hues, radiating an aura of encompassing and governing all transformations.

Before Tu Shan Ge could react to this sudden change, he heard a thunderous “BOOM!”

Countless spiritual energies in the void erupted violently!

…

Inside the cave’s meditation chamber.

Chen Hang used his eyes to perceive his heart, pressed his hand against his upper jaw, divided his mind, and directed the embryonic breath into both eyes: his left eye visualized the yellow essence and crimson qi within the sun; his right eye visualized the crimson essence and yellow qi within the moon, gradually merging these two forms and storing them within the “Zi Su Palace.”

This was the “Two True Ones Unite in One Palace, All Deities Hear and Obey” recorded in the *Shen Wu Shu Hua Dao Jun Shuo Tai Shi Yuan Zhen Jing*.

Following the Qi Condensation technique’s key points, Chen Hang slowly merged the two visualizations into the non-existent “Zi Su Palace,” moving with utmost care, fearing that even the slightest misstep would cause imbalance between the sun’s and moon’s forms, rendering all his effort useless.

This was a task that drained immense mental energy.

Chen Hang had labored long and practiced countless times within the True Dharma Realm, until he knew it by heart, barely avoiding error.

When the “Zi Su Palace” was filled by the sun’s and moon’s essences, Chen Hang felt a jolt behind his head, as if struck hard by a jade mallet—his mind grew dim, and for a moment he could not see.

An indescribable darkness swallowed him; gradually, a great terror and great destruction grew unchecked, threatening to drive him mad—but Chen Hang silently held firm to his spirit, maintaining calm and stillness, unflinching.

The darkness lasted an unknown duration—perhaps a few breaths, perhaps years. Even though Chen Hang had experienced this several times within the True Dharma Realm, it was still unbearable—but soon, his vision exploded into blinding light, as if a great axe had cleaved open the unformed, dark chaos of Hong Meng!

Immortal melodies echoed, exotic fragrances filled the air, countless golden flowers rained from the void; faintly, golden-armored divine beings rode dragons and soared on phoenixes, while exquisite celestial maidens, breathtakingly beautiful, reached out to guide him into a heavenly palace.

At the same time, a frail energy vein stirred beneath Chen Hang’s navel… flickering uncertainly, faint and minute, like a candle flame in the wind ready to be snuffed out.

“Though the divine celestial signs are magnificent, they are but illusions now—how could they shake my Dao heart?”

Chen Hang smiled faintly.

He knew this was merely a Dharma obstacle; if he were distracted by these visions and his spirit relaxed, the energy vein within him would instantly scatter, and Qi Condensation would fail.

Thus, he ignored the divine beings and celestial maidens, focusing solely on raising the newly born vein, guiding it to sweep through every acupoint in his body. Each time the vein passed, the acupoints trembled, emitting thunderous sounds, slowly glowing with divine radiance.

Thus, when Chen Hang had swept half his acupoints, half his body shone brilliantly, like a giant figure woven of mixed light.

When the vein had swept through every acupoint, his entire body glowed, draped in divine radiance, manifesting a unified harmony of all colors.

And that initial frail, flickering vein had now transformed—robust, vast, and enduring.

“The Heaven-Earth Bridge has appeared—Qi Condensation is complete!”

After carefully sensing this transformation, Chen Hang sighed softly and, following the technique’s key instructions, shifted his mind—immediately shattering the long vein within his body!

BOOM!

Countless currents flooded into his bones and blood; the radiant lights on his skin dimmed, coalescing into a great silken cocoon that enveloped him.

It was a sensation of profound, absolute stillness and peace—like soaking in a warm winter bath, drowsy and dreamlike, Chen Hang had forgotten where he was or what he was doing, relying only on instinct to continue the next method.

He did not know how long passed before his body emitted a resonant chime of gold and jade, then, after a few breaths, another chime.

After the ninth chime, all colors on Chen Hang’s body dissolved into a single ring of pure white light, faintly hovering, no longer blazing.

Instantly, Chen Hang felt as if a great iron shackle had been lifted—every inch of his body and spirit felt utterly light and free.

The sensation of boundless lightness jolted Chen Hang awake.

“Qi Condensation is complete…”

There, Chen Hang slowly opened his eyes.

This time, his gaze was no longer sharp and piercing, but profoundly deep, like an ancient well.

The embryonic breath he had depleted in his duel with Tong Yi was fully restored—and even increased—flowing through his blood with a “whooshing” rhythm, filling the mountain’s inner chamber with the grandeur of a river’s ceaseless flow.

“Come.”

He gently extended his hand, and countless spiritual energies in the void erupted, surging toward him.