The myriad heavens and worlds still had order, maintained jointly by several supreme beings. Xi Huang was one of them, presiding over the East and wielding the authority of the sun, his radiance illuminating endless domains.
As for the darkness on the far shore of the Realm Sea, it was not as if no one knew of it.
The higher-level powerhouses had long since sensed that the ill omen and oppression spreading over from there were growing heavier by the day.
Xi Huang and the other supreme beings seemed to have been actively preparing for war all along. The Sky-Patrolling Ceremony, to a certain extent, was also a display of strength to all living beings, meant to stabilize their hearts.
Ever since that day on Saint Sun Plaza, when Xi Huang’s gaze had swept over him inadvertently, Lu Xuan had completely settled his mind.
He could clearly sense that this weak body, as well as this world itself, held an invisible suppression and rejection toward him, a man from the future.
That supreme divine power originating from the mural was like an invisible chain. It protected this wisp of his soul from another time and space from being crushed by the complete Great Dao of the Emperor Fall Era.
At the same time, it also restricted the true exertion of his power.
He had a powerful intuition: if he were to forcibly erupt with his Immortal King essence now and break free of the restraints of this Supreme husk, the fragile balance maintaining his existence would be shattered in an instant.
He would be mercilessly “ejected” from this era, and might even suffer an unimaginable backlash.
“So be it… Since that is the case, then with this body, I shall walk the path of cultivation once more!”
A sharp glint flashed through Lu Xuan’s eyes.
To him, cultivation realm was not a shackle. What truly mattered was his understanding of the essence of the Great Dao.
He possessed the realm and vision of an Immortal King giant, the supreme principles of the “Severing the Three Corpses” method, and even Donghuang Taiyi’s highest inheritance. Even if he had to start from the beginning, his speed would far surpass any so-called heavenly prodigy of this age!
He was no longer restless, and began cultivating anew with this juvenile Golden Crow body.
He did not directly reveal any world-shocking methods. Instead, he first perfectly integrated into this era.
He cultivated the orthodox Golden Crow Clan’s Ancient Solar Scripture, absorbing solar origin and the essence qi of heaven and earth that were countless times purer and denser than in later generations.
But the way he cultivated contained the later generations’ understanding that the Great Dao was simplicity itself, as well as his preliminary application of the concepts within the Severing the Three Corpses method: harmonizing yin and yang, and clarifying the self.
His progress was so fast that it left all his clansmen dumbstruck.
Within a few years, he broke through from the Venerable Realm, ignited his divine flame, and attained divinity.
After more than ten years, he transcended tribulation and became a Saint. His saintly might swept across the ancient Fusang tree, causing a small-scale sensation.
After a hundred years, he had already stepped into the Heavenly God domain, beginning to distinguish himself among the younger generation of the Golden Crow Clan.
His rise was not smooth sailing.
As a powerful clan of the Emperor Fall Era, the Golden Crow Clan had fierce internal competition, and there were many hostile forces outside as well.
There were prodigies of his own clan who envied his rapid progress and came to challenge him.
There were peerless geniuses from subordinate races who wished to step on him to make their name.
There were even powerful races hostile to the Golden Crow Clan who sent assassins to murder him in secret.
However, before Lu Xuan, all challenges and schemes appeared laughable.
Though he only possessed Heavenly God cultivation, his battle awareness and understanding of the Great Dao were genuine Immortal King level!
In battles against those of the same realm, he often needed only a single move!
Seemingly simple solar divine arts, in his hands, transformed decay into miracle. They contained the supreme profundities of chaos evolving and yin and yang revolving, their power far exceeding what his peers could comprehend.
He swept forward all the way, defeating every prodigy within the clan, suppressing the geniuses of subordinate races, and counter-killing assassins from hostile forces. None could withstand even one exchange!
His reputation began to spread gradually from within the Golden Crow Clan to the outside world.
“The Golden Crow Clan has produced an extraordinary fledgling! At the Heavenly God Realm, he can defy the order of realms and kill Void Dao Realm (True God) powerhouses!”
“I heard he has grasped a strange solar technique, as if it contains the power to split open the heavens!”
“This child has the bearing of a young Immortal King!”
All sorts of rumors began to circulate among the younger generation.
Lu Xuan paid no attention to these empty names. While cultivating, he secretly observed this era, searching for the man on the mural who resembled him.
He could feel that the hidden sense of oppression between heaven and earth was slowly deepening as time passed.
From the direction of the Realm Sea, heart-palpitating fluctuations would occasionally come. Though faint, they could not escape his spiritual perception.
On this day, the Myriad Races’ Prodigy Grand Assembly was held at the “Ancient Fallen Star Battlefield” on the border of Xi Huang’s divine nation.
This was the highest-level contest among the younger generation of the Emperor Fall Era, intended to select the most outstanding talents.
It was said that those with exceptional performances might even receive Xi Huang’s personal guidance, or even be chosen for the reserve legion to campaign against the Realm Sea!
Lu Xuan represented the younger generation of the Golden Crow Clan and went to battle at the grand assembly.
The Ancient Fallen Star Battlefield was paved with the remains of countless shattered stars, vast and boundless.
Prodigies from all the great powerful clans, divine mountains, and ancient sects gathered here—true dragons, phoenixes, qilins, kunpengs…
Descendants of all sorts of bloodlines that appeared only in legends showed themselves one after another. Their auras were powerful, divine light soaring into the heavens. The lowest among them were at the peak of the Heavenly God Realm, and there was no lack of top figures in the Void Dao Realm!
The grand assembly began, and the arena battles commenced.
The little Golden Crow that Lu Xuan had transformed into did not manifest an especially enormous dharma form. He still maintained a relatively small figure, his entire body flowing with a dark golden sheen, his eyes calm and profound.
His opponents were all geniuses renowned in their own domains without exception.
There was a descendant of the true dragons, whose roar unleashed vast dragon might that tore apart the firmament;
There was one with the bloodline of a primordial demonic ape, whose staff shadows were like mountains, stirring yin and yang into chaos;
There was a descendant of innate deities, who commanded thunder and carried out punishment on behalf of the heavens…
However, before Lu Xuan, they all appeared dim and lackluster.
At times, he would extend a claw, secretly containing the intent of chaos opening, and easily tear apart the strongest defensive divine ability of the dragon race;
At times, he would slash horizontally with a wing, compressing the true solar fire to the extreme until it became an invisible blade that burned away all arts, severing the demonic ape’s iron staff;
At times, he would open his mouth and inhale, swallowing the violent thunder that filled the sky as if it were sweet spring water, refining it into pure origin…
His battles were filled with a beauty of effortless ease, as if he were not engaging in life-and-death slaughter, but interpreting the ultimate principles of the Great Dao.
The exquisite control over power that he displayed, his precise grasp of battle opportunities, and his profound understanding of the essence of various divine abilities
moved even the older-generation powerhouses of the various races watching from the high platform, their eyes revealing shock and suspicion.
“This child’s… understanding of the Dao far surpasses his realm!”
“When did the Golden Crow Clan produce such a monster?”
“His technique… seems to share the same source as His Majesty Xi Huang’s solar Dao, yet it is faintly different as well, even more… ancient and profound!”
Lu Xuan sang triumph all the way, defeating the prodigies of every race and sweeping through all opponents invincibly!
His reputation swept across the entire grand assembly like a storm, becoming the most dazzling new star!
In the final decisive battle, he faced an ultimate prodigy from the Nine Nether Ao Clan, named You Lu. His cultivation had already reached the peak of the Void Dao Realm, and his ferocious might was overwhelming. He had once torn apart a true dragon of the same realm with his bare hands!
This was a focal battle. Everyone believed it would be a fierce struggle between evenly matched rivals.
However, the result petrified every spectator.
Facing You Lu, who transformed into his true form and drew upon Nine Nether death qi to unleash an all-encompassing killing blow, the little Golden Crow that Lu Xuan had become merely raised his right claw calmly.