Senior Brother Sansheng, Long Time No See

The carriage rolled slowly forward. Snow filled the sky, accompanied by howling astral winds and tempestuous lightning. The closer they drew to the Extreme North, the more abundant the terrifying celestial phenomena and cosmic wonders became. Even a True God would have struggled to make headway through such a place. Yet with the mountain master of Heavenly King Mountain, a Dao God, holding the reins, none of it posed any obstacle. Qi Yuan reclined leisurely inside, gazing out at the vast, desolate expanse of snow and the bizarre wonders. "There truly are quite a few powerful beings in this world." Behind those countless wonders, Qi Yuan's omniscience and omnipotence allowed him to sense numerous powerhouses. High above, suspended in the heavens across vast, unknowable distances, these figures—whether manifesting as wisps of true spirits or lingering auras—seemed to be watching the unfolding battle. "Leave... Unless one is at Yang Six, the Heavenly God cannot be fought." Right then, an intermittent voice drifted into Qi Yuan's ears. Evidently, someone was sending a signal of goodwill—or perhaps an enemy of the Heavenly God who was reluctant to see Qi Yuan throw his life away. Yet the speaker was unwilling to reveal their identity, choosing instead to communicate via voice transmission. Qi Yuan smiled faintly. This voice was like a message in a bottle; with no receiving terminal, an ordinary person would have had no way to converse with the sender. After all, the other party was clearly an entity who had overcome the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations, possessing inscrutable methods on par with the Emperor God. And yet... Qi Yuan's special ability remained intact. He had been able to converse even with the soundless voice—his master, Ruan Yixi—let alone a transmission like this. "Thank you for the warning," Qi Yuan answered softly. At that exact moment, within an unknown space in Beyond Heaven, a dark shadow gave a violent shudder. "He actually knows it's me?!" He had overcome the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations and had even traveled to Mount Origin, standing at the absolute pinnacle beneath Yang Six. One could say that so long as Yang Six beings remained absent, he was virtually invincible. He had believed that even a legendary Yang Six powerhouse would find it difficult to transmit a reply to his message. Yet Qi Yuan had answered so casually and effortlessly. How could he not be stunned? "If he can reply, that means he can pinpoint my location... If..." This implied far too much. At their level, cultivators rarely revealed their true forms; their true bodies were kept hidden and unknown. "Who... is he really?" He grew intensely curious about Qi Yuan's true identity. If Qi Yuan's display were made known, even the greatest titans would be astonished. Meanwhile, within a certain spirit realm, quiet murmurs echoed. "Word has it that this Qi Yuan hails from the Yin Realm?" "A native of the Yin Realm?" "Strange. Most beings from the Yin Realm cannot overcome the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations. How does he possess such strength?" "Could he have forced his way through the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations on his own?" Extremely few living beings ever overcame the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations by relying solely on themselves. Many powerhouses had crossed them with the aid of the Nine Heavens Divine Palace, and in return, those experts aided the Heavenly God in resisting Returning to Nothingness. "His strength is unfathomable, but compared to the Heavenly God, he must still fall short." "Indeed. Regardless, the Heavenly God's realm has already reached Yang Six. Although His state is different from other Yang Six beings and remains incomplete, it is still far beyond anything we can contend with." Though Qi Yuan was confident enough to challenge the Heavenly God, in the eyes of those titans and supreme experts, he had a ninety-nine percent chance of defeat. In all of history, no Yang Five had ever challenged Yang Six. Not even these top powerhouses dared attempt it, for before even stepping forward, they already knew they would lose—and likely perish. Simply entertaining the thought of challenging Yang Six might invite unforeseen catastrophe. Yang Six powerhouses were not simply defined by their realm; rather, Yang Six was the absolute end of all cultivation. "All things are possible, and variables always exist. Perhaps... Qi Yuan will win this battle," the dark shadow spoke up. That Qi Yuan could reply to him proved he was extraordinary. Facing the Heavenly God, he might truly have a slim chance of survival. "Variables and possibilities are all held in the hands of Yang Six. How could a Yang Five ever win?" someone scoffed. While the path of cultivation indeed contained many variables and possibilities—and at their realm, even a one-in-ten-thousand chance could become an absolute—could that apply here? "Apart from Returning to Nothingness, is there anything in this world a Yang Six cannot settle? Even Returning to Nothingness is merely on equal footing with Yang Six, unable to harm a Yang Six in the slightest." "Can a Yang Six settle another Yang Six?" someone countered. Silence fell over the spirit realm; no one spoke. There were indeed things that even Yang Six could not resolve. Yang Six could not break the Cycle. Yang Six could not truly confront a Yang Four who existed across the past and the future. Yang Six could not completely eradicate Returning to Nothingness. For to a certain extent, all of these fell under the purview of Yang Six. "He has arrived." A soft murmur broke the silence. The spirit realm fell completely hushed as numerous gazes turned toward the Extreme North, eyes flickering with anticipation. Qi Yuan had reached the Extreme North. A monumental battle was about to erupt. Many gazes—the dark shadow, the Emperor God, and countless others—all fixed upon the Extreme North. There, amidst the boundless void in a remote corner, a carriage came to a halt. A slender man parted the curtain and stepped out. In the vastness of heaven and earth, a solitary figure walked alone. Numerous gazes locked onto the young man, yet instinctively kept their distance. A clash between powerhouses of this magnitude could easily sweep them up in the aftermath—it might even shatter a third, two-thirds, or the entirety of the Rebirth Realm. "It should be him—Qi Yuan!" Dao Lord Black Crow said, his gaze intensely focused. No portrait of Qi Yuan had circulated in the Yin Realm, for other experts were utterly incapable of recording his likeness, let alone manifesting it. Yet seeing him now, a shared conviction arose in their hearts: this was the Qi Yuan of the Yin Realm, the very Qi Yuan they knew. Several Dao Lords concealed themselves in the darkness, their presences shielded by a divine treasure. "Should we make contact first?" someone asked. "It's too late for that now." "We must launch a surprise attack against the Heavenly God, catching Him off guard. Not a single trace of information must leak!" The Dao Lords reached a consensus. Ever since their plan had been finalized, all their true spirits had been cloaked beneath this divine treasure, preventing any informational factors from escaping. Even their stray thoughts were completely sealed off. "Revealing ourselves now would only alert the enemy." These Dao Lords harbored a resolve to die. This clash between Qi Yuan and the Heavenly God was their sole opportunity to enter the Yang Realm. Once in the Yang Realm, they would have the chance to reach Mount Origin, ascend to the absolute summit, and step into Yang Six—even if the odds were less than one in a hundred million. After all, across boundless epochs and eras, countless beings had journeyed to Mount Origin, yet those who attained Yang Six could be counted on one hand. "Do not act rashly. Do everything you can to conceal your presence—the Heavenly God is arriving!" Dao Lord Black Crow warned, his body trembling uncontrollably. Above the Extreme North, the sky seemed to split open, heralding the descent of a terrifying existence. Though He displayed no physical form and released not a shred of aura, the Yang Five Dao Lords shuddered in involuntary dread. Of course, this was partly because the Heavenly God was an unorthodox Yang Six, distinct from the genuine ones. Beneath ten thousand streams of auroral light, the Heavenly God's form was invisible, unfathomable, imperceptible, and unheard. Every Dao Lord and supreme expert extended their senses, yet found nothing at all—as if the Heavenly God did not exist. "Is this Yang Six? Clearly we know He has arrived, yet we have no way of knowing where He is!" "What exactly... is the Heavenly God?" "The path of Yang Six is bizarre and unfathomable." To a Yang Five, Yang Six was truly too overwhelming. Just as on Mount Origin, where the monuments representing Yang Six stood in few numbers, those Yang Five beings were utterly unable to count how many there actually were. Yang Six could interfere with the perception of all living beings in existence. It could even disrupt the Great Dao, the rules of heaven and earth, and cosmic laws, decreeing rules with a single word. A Dao Lord could establish rules only within their own orthodoxy, but a single decree from Yang Six governed the myriad realms and countless worlds. "I take back what I said earlier. Qi Yuan has zero chance of victory against the Heavenly God," an expert who had overcome the Three Calamities and Three Tribulations stated flatly. Looking upon Him, the Heavenly God was pure unknown to him. Yet if the Heavenly God were to cast a single glance his way, every detail of his existence would be laid bare. How could anyone bridge such a gulf? Without seeing Yang Six, how could one truly know its terrifying power? Alas, a Yang Five did not even possess the qualifications to lay eyes on Yang Six. In that case, how could Qi Yuan possibly fight? Just then, within the Extreme North, an ethereal, desolate voice rang out. Or rather, it echoed within the hearts of every living being in the Rebirth Realm. "Senior Brother Sansheng, long time no see." The voice carried an ancient weight, stirring varied emotions within the hearts of countless beings. "Wait... Qi Yuan is the Heavenly God's senior brother?!" "Sansheng... that name... Wait... Cycle!" "Sansheng... the Lord of Cycle who refused Yang Six?!" The supreme experts were struck with dread and shock. Though ancient and secretive, the name Sansheng was still remembered by many. After all, he was one of the most legendary figures across endless epochs. Beneath the divine treasure, one Dao Lord's body shook violently. "He is... His Majesty Sansheng?!" Back in the Yin Realm, he had served a magnificent existence. That magnificent being could resolve myriad doubts and instruct all directions with a single word. He was one who could have stepped into Yang Five with ease, yet chose instead to descend into Yang Four. Seventy percent of this Dao Lord's achievements and status today were owed to Sansheng. Hearing now that Qi Yuan was Sansheng, how could he not be shocked? Though a Dao Lord, he still revered Sansheng as his teacher. "He is actually Sansheng?!" "What should we do? He isn't a being of the Yin Realm?!" The Dao Lords hesitated, at a loss. If Qi Yuan had been a native of the Yin Realm, they would naturally have allied with him to infiltrate the Yang Realm. But if he was not... "Strange. His entanglement with the Yin Realm is clearly the deepest—how could he be the Yang Realm's Sansheng?" the Dao Lord who controlled destiny muttered in bewilderment. At the same time, in the Abandoned Lands, a woman standing among snow-laden blossom trees opened her eyes, a thread of killing intent swirling within them. "Sansheng is still not dead?" Her consciousness awakened, and in that instant, her form stepped into the Dark Void. …… "I am not your Senior Brother Sansheng, nor are you my junior brother," Qi Yuan said calmly. He, too, could not see the presence of the Heavenly God. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, the Heavenly God seemed to fall silent for a long time. "You are right. Senior Brother Sansheng is a part of you, and I... am merely a part of your junior brother."