Boom —
Boom —
The enigmatically orbiting stars, their contracting movements resonating a rhythmic sound akin to a powerful heartbeat. Before Li Mo’s eyes, there lay a Bronze Tree seed. The celestial phenomena above responded with synchronization to its pulse.
Each vibration brought an augmented vitality to the seed. Li Mo could almost feel it—an intangible, formless force connecting the fractured realms, stemming the tide of their demise.
Whoosh —
A millennia-old power surged, forming a tidal wave, with him sitting at the very center like a serene island. The wounds on his body, resembling cracked porcelain, began healing, until they were flawless once more. The cycle of life and d*ath had been reversed by the national force and the seed.
“Huff…”
Li Mo, at the epicenter, opened his eyes. In the haziness, he saw her.
Her skirts were speckled with bloodstains, her eyes reflecting starlight shimmering with ethereal hues. The sacred emblem on her brow harmonized coolness and sanctity; her fingertips commanded a vast, overwhelming power.
Though this vestige of Da Shang’s national force was but a remnant, it was once a dynasty’s legacy—ancient, domineering, vast.
Infused with this power, his mortal frame might not endure. Yet, in her gentle touch, the dynasty’s force transformed into a tender stream, intertwining thread by thread with his inner world, repairing and harmonizing.
“Was this how Ying Huang appeared years ago, descending from the Nine Heavens, remaking the world, beauty personified?”
Li Mo knew his mind shouldn’t wander. Yet, it seemed to have its own will.
Suddenly, a cool sensation at his forehead—a light touch of Ying Bing’s fingertip.
Ying Bing remained silent, her expression a mix of joy for his awakening and exasperation for his distraction.
“First, break through. There will be time to look later.”
“Alright.”
“Good boy.”
Li Mo nodded. Again, he heard the rumbling within his inner world, signifying its further perfection. Common inner realms were a marvel with three wonders, like the Violet God, the Divine Sword, the Golden Dragon, the Emperor’s Circle. Upon reaching the inner realm, they’d outshine others of the fourth stage.
Yet, for Li Mo, the three wonders were merely a start.
Hum—
The constellations trembled, rippling the night sky with wonders appearing.
The Celestial Palace reappeared, a magnificent gate separating immortals and mortals. Four towering deities loomed above, covering the sky, and gazed over all living beings.
“Is this… the Upper Realm?”
“No, it’s the fourth wonder of Li Mo’s inner realm breakthrough!”
“Could it be that Li Mo glimpsed the Upper Realm gates during his inheritance and recreated it as his inner world?”
“No wonder he was so extraordinary in the Observation Realm. He wasn’t observing the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths at all…”
The whispers in the grand hall buzzed. The people had speculated about Li Mo’s inner realm, but none had guessed correctly. Words could not describe what they saw, as it was but a fragment of the whole.
The true protagonist was not the Upper Realm gate.
Howl—
Amidst the ink-black clouds, flags fluttered like forests, the aura of warfare cascading down like rain.
The heavens became a battlefield, winds blowing the banners emblazoned with the words “Qi Tian.”
“So, is this the Lower Realm fighting the heavens?”
Elder Xu squinted to see more, his eyes red with strain.
“The intent you perceive… could it be….”
“It’s Them,” Qin Yuzhi murmured, lowering her head, her curiosity piqued, “But the Upper Realm gate doesn’t look like this…”
Thunder cracked, the starry sky shook, and the battles above began.
The elders of Qingyuan Sect exchanged skeptical glances with bitter smiles. No wonder the Heavenly Steps couldn’t reveal his talent—because it was beyond even them.
Even at the fourth and fifth realms, Senior Official Wen Cang had only partially touched the threshold of the Law Body.
There was no comprehending his inner world or its origin.
The sight before them was beyond their understanding, surpassing their grasp of martial arts.
“Wouldn’t this inner world crush lesser fourth realms like children?”
…
In the Imperial Capital,
At the southeast corner of the royal city, atop a tower that touched the heavens, the grand scene over Qingyuan Sect was clearly visible.
“What is that…?”
An old woman instinctively reached for the jade plate, then flinched back, realizing how perilous a step forward would be.
“Little Li has truly given Us a surprise.”
Emperor Jingtai stared, lost in thought, murmuring to himself.
In fact, even without ascending so high, the spectacle over Qingyuan Sect could be seen from the Imperial Capital.
Even the sun dimmed in comparison.
“Perhaps the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths do have realms beyond?”
“Are immortals battling?”
“Will our world end like the City of Divine Beings?”
Countless commoners, unable to discern the truth, felt overwhelming dread.
Then, an observant few realized:
“Does that figure who tramples on the heavens bear a resemblance to Young Hero Li?”
“Is he just breaking through?”
“Can this possibly be just the fourth realm breakthrough?”
“Hold on, he’s broken through, so that means he was fine all along? I was worried for him… ”
At the Ten Thousand Spring Tower, amidst gasps of awe, Huang Donglai, Xiao Qian, and Murong Xiao, all simultaneously slumped onto their seats, utterly drained.
“Ho… Brother Li is safe…” Huang Donglai’s voice was raspy, like he’d been smoking all day from storytelling.
“Nuts, he’s already on the fourth level.”
Murong Xiao whistled appreciatively, twirling the wooden fish.
“I wonder if all the merit I’ve collected for Brother Li’s sake has been spent.”
“Wait, it doesn’t seem over yet,” Xiao Qian, in his mind, heard Qianxing Wuzun’s voice, tinged with unease.
“Is that still the Thousand Forms Secret Art?”
Solar Crows turned into the sun, mystic whales leaped across the seas, Ming Jiao brought rain, Wuzhi Qi roared through the wilds… All the godly spirits of the Thousand Forms Secret Art illuminated brightly, blending together.
“Is this… his complete inner realm?”
Xiao Qian’s throat was parched as he asked,
“Master, can the Thousand Forms Secret Art reach such a level?”
“Do you wonder why I am inside you now?”
“Indeed…”
The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths seemed oddly quiet, as countless individuals found themselves speechless.
They finally understood the awe of that day in the City of Divine Beings.
From the Landscape Painting and witnessing it firsthand are entirely different experiences.
A colossal crimson giant emerged, standing amidst iron and fire, his head crowned with the celestial starry expanse, towering with a godlike stance, commanding the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
His face was indistinct, but his opened eyes were fervid yet not blinding, resolute yet gentle, like flowing fire, like the sunrise.
Meeting his gaze evoked an absurd illusion—though he stood like a god, he was simply an exceptionally strong ‘Mortal’.
