Chapter 325: I... Cannot Speak Lightly

In his view, the Body Tempering Realm is merely the beginning of cultivation; the flesh and spirit are far too weak to ever bear the massive and terrifying Primordial power of the Extreme Realm!

That is universally accepted common sense!

Even he, who was hailed in the Xuan Ancient Epoch as the unparalleled Top-tier Monster of all ages, endured countless hardships in the Body Tempering Realm, hammering his flesh to the utmost of that realm, yet still fell short by a hair, unable to take that final step to achieve the Body Tempering Extreme Realm!

It has always been a small regret in his heart.

And forging the Great Dao alone is an earth‑shattering, truly heretical act!

It means deviating from the known Heavenly Dao rules, blazing a new path, which will inevitably draw unimaginable targeting and tribulations from the unseen.

Given his current realm and age, this is fundamentally impossible to succeed!

Even attempting it is tantamount to courting one's own destruction!

It is a true Arabian Nights tale!

But… Ye Wuque actually did it!

Not only might he possess the Body Tempering Extreme Realm, but at such an age he has already forged a Prototype of his own Great Dao!

How could this not leave Yao in utter shock and terror?

It literally shatters all his understanding of the cultivation path!

After a half hour, Yao barely steadied his inverted flight, dragging his battered, waning body; he gazed at the distant Ye Wuque, whose aura also rose and fell but whose condition was clearly far better, and in a hoarse voice calmly said:

"This battle..."

"... is my defeat."

"Facing an opponent like you, who could not be defeated??"

He calmly acknowledged his loss, without any hesitation or resentment.

Defeated by this rule‑breaking monster, he is wholeheartedly convinced.

Ye Wuque slowly steadied the surging qi and Great Dao currents within his body, shook his head at the words, and said earnestly, "We are alike; between you and me, the gap in strength is not that great..."

His words came from the heart.

This battle is one of the few times since his debut that he has sustained such severe injuries in a clash with peers, and also the first time he was forced to wield the power of his own Great Dao Prototype.

Yao's greatness is indisputable; his unique "Heavenly-Man Unity" path gave him tremendous inspiration and pressure.

At this moment, Yao sat casually within the Void, his body riddled with scars, his dark robe torn, yet his face showed no trace of defeat's gloom or despondency; instead, he wore a contemplative expression, his eyes deep, as if savoring every detail of the Great Dao clash just now.

Suddenly, he lifted his head, his gaze burning as he looked at Ye Wuque, with a hint of inquiry and strong anticipation, and asked:

"I sense... the unique 'Dao' resonance on you, which is not merely the use and strengthening of existing rules..."

"You... are you also... creating a method?"

Ye Wuque's eyes suddenly hardened.

Sure enough, one cannot hide from such a prodigious and dazzling talent.

The fact that he was already creating a method was ultimately sensed keenly by the opponent in that ultimate clash.

After a brief pause, Ye Wuque did not conceal it, and calmly nodded.

At their level, concealment is meaningless; instead, sincere exchange may spark even more brilliance.

Seeing Ye Wuque's admission, Yao's eyes suddenly flashed with astonishing brilliance, a great excitement at having found a fellow path and a kindred spirit!

"Indeed!" he clapped his hands and sighed, then unabashedly began to expound his insights, "I walk the 'Heavenly-Man Unity' path, advocating perceiving Heaven and Earth, merging with nature, borrowing the great power of Heaven and Earth to strengthen oneself. I believe the 'Heavenly' Dao is vast; even a lifetime cannot fully grasp its subtlety. One must approach it with reverence and align with it; that is the righteous path..."

He proceeded to broadly describe his unique view of the 'Heavenly-Man Unity' road—how to sense the pulse of Heaven and Earth, how to invoke rule resonance, how to temporarily merge one's will into the will of Heaven and Earth... The subtlety of these points moved Ye Wuque's spirit, greatly inspiring him.

When Yao's exposition paused, Ye Wuque, still pondering, spoke up and shared some core ideas of the Prototype he is exploring for creating a method—the Reverse Tribulation Method.

"My thoughts differ slightly from yours, fellow Daoist Yao," Ye Wuque said slowly, "I observe that while the Heavenly Dao is vast, it also has order and traceable patterns. Yet within those rules lie shackles. My path leans more toward... defying Heaven."

"It is not disrespecting Heaven and Earth, but refusing to be wholly bound by its shackles. I wish to use my own will to cleave the thorns, to step onto a path beyond the existing Heavenly Dao... a road solely my own. I temporarily name this method—Reverse Tribulation."

He did not reveal many concrete techniques, only expounded the core notions of 'reverse' and 'transcendence.'

The two sat opposite each other in the shattered starry sky that had just witnessed their life‑and‑death battle, exchanging words as they began to discuss and explore each other's Great Dao.

There was no selfishness, no ulterior motives, only the purest pursuit and collision of the 'Dao.'

At this moment, their eyes held only the other's reasoning, their hearts only the exploration of unknown realms, having long cast victory and defeat aside.

The surrounding spectators, living beings gradually recovering from the extreme pressure, looked on in bewildered amazement.

"Eh? What are they... doing?"

"Did they stop fighting? Why are they sitting together chatting?"

"Is this... are they... discussing the Dao?!"

"My heavens! Only true peers, mutually recognized Top-tier Monsters of the same level, have the right and desire to engage in 'Dao discussion'!"

"They've expressed mutual admiration!"

The crowd gasped in amazement, looking at the two seated figures discussing the Dao, their gazes full of envy and awe.

Being able to witness such a Dao discussion between two Four Extreme Realm Top-tier Monsters is a once‑in‑a‑millennium chance for them; even hearing only fragments is enough to benefit them for life.

After an in‑depth Dao discussion, both closed their eyes in contemplation, digesting the inspiration and insight gained from each other, occasional flashes of enlightenment crossing their faces.

Ye Wuque thought to himself, Yao truly is a prodigious and dazzling individual!

His understanding of 'Heavenly-Man Unity' has reached an inconceivable depth; many ideas gave him great inspiration, providing more and clearer thoughts for constructing his own Reverse Tribulation Method.

For such beings who steadfastly advance on their own path and achieve great feats, Ye Wuque feels a heartfelt respect.

And Yao, likewise, cannot stop praising Ye Wuque, his eyes full of admiration.

He did not expect Ye Wuque, so young, to already possess the courage and talent to forge his own Great Dao and even set the grand ambition of the Reverse Tribulation Method!

Although their paths differ, that spirit of refusing mediocrity and daring to pioneer resonates deeply with him.

The two share a strong mutual admiration... after all, both are the exceedingly rare Four Extreme Realm Living Beings of all ages!

Both are Top-tier Monsters who have made certain explorations on the path of creating methods!

Such individuals, in any epoch, are the rarest of the rare!

After a long while, Yao slowly rose to his feet; the injuries within his body had already stabilized during the debate.

He tidied his tattered robe, faced Ye Wuque, respectfully clasped his fists in a bow, and a sincere, carefree smile appeared on his face as he said:

"This time in the temporal battlefield, meeting Daoist friend Ye was worth it!"

"To spar with you, moreover, has brought me... great benefit!"

His words carried a hint of genuine gratitude.

This battle, this debate, allowed him to see different paths, shattered some entrenched notions, and promised incalculable benefits for his future cultivation.

Ye Wuque also rose, returned the clasped‑fist salute, and with a faint smile said, "Hehe, Daoist friend Yao dazzles across the ages; your deep insight into Tiandao is admirable... I too have gained much."

Yao nodded and said, "We shall part here, Brother Ye... I hope that later, you and I may have... a day to meet again."

His tone held a hint of anticipation. Such an opponent, such a Daoist friend, was exceedingly rare.

Ye Wuque nodded, "If the chance arises, it will certainly happen."

Yao seemed to recall something and asked, "By the way, Brother Ye, which Epoch are you from...?"

Ye Wuque was about to answer, but the moment he was about to speak, an indescribable Great Terror and Great Causality, like an invisible shackle, suddenly descended, clamping his throat and preventing him from uttering that name!

It seemed that once spoken, an unimaginable heavenly Great Terror and cataclysm would descend, not only affecting him but potentially entangling countless ages, causing irreversible horrific consequences!

A clear intuition told him that information about this "Dark Age" he was in was itself a taboo!

It was concealed and sealed by some supreme power, unable to be easily transmitted outward!

Ye Wuque's spirit shivered slightly!

Indeed, this must be connected to the Great Terror and Great Despair lurking in the Epoch that Senior Chu mentioned!

The waters of this Epoch run deep beyond imagination!

A look of helplessness appeared on his face, and he could only rephrase, saying:

"This..."

"I... cannot speak lightly..."