Between heaven and earth, only a vast expanse remained. Goose-feather snowflakes poured down without letting through a single draft, as though intent on dragging the entire world into pure white.
Yet within this suffocating paleness, five rays of divine light soared into the sky, churning the tempestuous wind and snow!
The scarlet light was like fire, ascending straight into the heavens like a roaring fire dragon. Its violent heat instantly melted the skyful of falling snow into rolling rings of pure white vapor that encircled it; flame and white vortices interwove in extraordinary magnificence.
The azure light was like wood, shaped like an emerald greatsword piercing through heaven and earth, and also like a world tree rooted in the void. Its sharp vitality tore through the blizzard, drawing in the frigid chill of the surrounding heaven and condensing countless snowflakes into grimly scaled emerald ice dragons that coiled around the pillar of light as they spiraled upward, giving voice to clear, ringing dragon roars!
The white light was like metal, bone-chillingly cold and incomparably sharp. Its piercing chill sliced the drifting snow to ribbons, sending countless ice crystals rustling downward.
The black light was like water, abyssal and profound. Wherever its brilliance reached, the boundless wind and snow were devoured.
The yellow light was like earth, majestic as a great mountain—dense, heavy, and laden with peerless majesty. Standing at the center of the rays of divine light, it rotated slowly like the earth turning upon its axis, silently subduing and arresting the surging waves of snow, dyeing them into a tranquil, dazzling golden haze, as if gold dust were scattering across the sky.
"What is... this?"
The assembly of Celestial Being experts looked up at the five shimmering, radiant rays of divine light in the heavens, lost in deep shock and bewilderment.
It was not as if they had never witnessed divine abilities before. Wan Shenyang, for instance, when swinging his pair of maces down, seemed to bring two scorching suns crashing from the sky; the slightest strike could shatter great mountains and incinerate ten thousand forests.
Such mighty power truly warranted being called a divine ability!
Yet when seeing these five rays of divine light, an intensely suffocating sensation arose in everyone's hearts, and an innate sense of sheer insignificance welled up unbidden.
Fu Yunjue remarked with a solemn tone, "Three months ago, the two punches Huang Tian used to defeat Yin Fenghai had five-colored radiance swirling within them. Presumably, Huang Tian has been contemplating a grand divine ability. Back then, he had only grasped the initial concept; now, it might have fully taken shape!"
"Such a divine ability is unprecedented..." Abbey Master Yunxiao murmured.
Shen Dongming clicked his tongue. "I feel as if I couldn't withstand any single one of those divine lights sweeping toward me. If all five combine their might, who knows what terrifying power they would wield?"
Master Longding glanced at him. "Facing the likes of you and me, Huang Tian wouldn't need any divine light at all. A single punch would turn us straight into mincemeat."
Shen Dongming choked on his words, speechless.
Even Perfected Sanmiao couldn't take a single punch from Huang Tian, and Wan Shenyang could only take three. He himself would definitely not survive even one...
"He has grown stronger yet again!" Wan Shenyang sighed.
Even with his resolute disposition, he could not help but feel a daze at this moment. Why did Huang Tian's strength seem boundless, surging upward with insane momentum? Where others took decades or centuries to make progress, he grew stronger at a terrifying pace measured by mere months.
Pavilion Master Xuanji's eyes shone brightly. "This divine ability, I must record it! Record it in the Celestial Being Ranking! Wait, could I create a Divine Ability Ranking to record every Celestial Being's divine ability one by one and rank them...?"
The more he pondered, the more excited he became, feeling that this Divine Ability Ranking could very well influence posterity for a thousand years, or even longer!
While the hearts of the Celestial Beings wavered, many Grandmasters were similarly enraptured. Gazing from afar at the wondrous, magnificent divine light, it seemed to them as though five otherworldly celestial rivers were pouring down, and they felt that no scenery in the world could ever surpass this.
Whoosh—
The divine lights swayed high in the heavens for several dozen breaths before suddenly pausing. Then, like hundreds of rivers converging into the sea, they surged backward, gathering completely behind Huang Tian.
Without the divine lights churning them, the sky-filling wind and snow came to a sudden lull, only to cascade down even more furiously. Yet all the icy frost and chill quietly subsided the moment they encroached within ten zhang of Huang Tian's body.
Behind him, the five rays of divine light interwove and unfurled, spreading outward into a dreamlike fan of mystic light, just like a peacock spreading its tail!
The dazzling radiance coalesced into what looked like substantial tail feathers. Scarlet, yellow, azure, white, and black blossomed in magnificent yet warm splendor.
Upon each plumage seemed inscribed profound Dao charms. As the luster flowed slowly, it illuminated the falling snow into dazzling splendor, as if countless tiny rainbows were blooming and fading amid the flakes.
At the same time.
Huang Tian himself was enveloped in a gentle, sacred five-colored immortal robe. It was not woven of fabric, but condensed from pure radiance, resembling smoke and mist flowing without pause.
Sitting solitary atop the myriad-fathom peak, draped in five-colored immortal mist, with a fan of divine light spread behind his back.
At this very moment, he seemed like the sole sovereign of this world, sacred and majestic...
Tushita Heaven, Lingxiao Heaven, Samsara Heaven, Guixu Heaven, and Yuanji Heaven had finally unified, transforming into Zhonghuang Taiyi Guizang Yuanji Heaven...
Huang Tian felt joyful inside.
"Guizang"—all things return and are stored within; its meaning is inclusion, absorption, and termination.
"Yuanji"—originating from the Earth-element Yuanji Heaven, taking its essence of bearing all directions and serving as the root of all things.
Zhonghuang Taiyi Guizang Yuanji Heaven could not simply be called a divine ability. More accurately, it was the manifestation of Huang Tian's Dao, the overarching compendium of his divine abilities.
It represented the path of fusing myriad phenomena and encompassing all arts.
Beneath Zhonghuang Yuanji Heaven, I have created two divine abilities: one offensive, one defensive.
For offense, there is the Taiyi Guizang Five-Colored Divine Light. When the divine light falls, within the Five Elements, there is nothing it cannot break, nothing it cannot sweep away!
For defense, there is the Five Directions Five Emperors Heaven-Patrolling Calamity-Averting Immortal Robe. When the robe's canopy drapes down, untainted by myriad arts, uninjured by all tribulations!
Of course, this is the ideal concept. Truly achieving sweeping away all things and remaining impervious to all tribulations is still far off. After all, my cultivation realm is still low and my accumulation insufficient; these divine abilities are only newly founded and must be continuously perfected.
Even so, with these two divine abilities at my command, I have full confidence in defeating foes above my realm.
"The divine abilities are accomplished!"
Seeing a smile appear on Huang Tian's lips, Shen Dongming and the others stirred and were about to step forward to congratulate him when they suddenly froze.
For, as if drawn by the aura of Huang Tian successfully creating his techniques, that profoundly mysterious spiritual spark within Yin Fenghai erupted with a roar.
The next second, boundless spiritual qi across the four quarters of heaven and earth was stirred into a roaring boil!
The flurry of snow was thrown into disarray, following the boiling spiritual qi to form a colossal vortex of ice and snow spanning heaven and earth.
"He is breaking through?!" Fu Yunjue's pupils shrank, shock in his eyes.
Pavilion Master Xuanji trembled with excitement. "In the ten-thousand-year history of our Five Directions Realm, is the very first Void Realm expert about to be born?"
"Can he succeed?" Even though he had once been driven into the ground by a single palm from Yin Fenghai, Master Longding still hoped he would break through smoothly.
Huang Tian raised his eyes and looked over. Yin Fenghai sat cross-legged, his form as steady as a boulder amid the turbulent vortex of spiritual qi. Over the left half of his body, pure, sacred immortal light flowed and swirling purple mist rose; over the right half, murky black qi swirled, within which furious roars seemed faintly audible.
Immortal and demonic—two utterly disparate imagery and intents now cycled around him like the twin fish of Yin and Yang, reaching a delicate equilibrium.
At the very instant when the dual aspects of immortal and demonic circulated to their zenith and were about to collide and annihilate each other, Yin Fenghai slowly opened his eyes, his gaze serene and natural.
"My Dao is realized!"
He spoke softly, yet his voice overpowered the howling wind and snow.
As his words fell, a boundless pressure far exceeding that of a Celestial Being surged into the heavens, sweeping away falling snow for a hundred li.
Dazzling spiritual light blossomed around him. With a soft pop, a three-foot-tall miniature figure, enveloped in Dao light as clear as ripples of water and bearing a face identical to Yin Fenghai's, unhurriedly stepped out from the top of his head.
"The Soul!" someone cried out in shock.
"Is this the Soul? Truly marvelous!"
"Yin Fenghai has truly succeeded in breaking through!"
"The Void Realm! The Void Realm!"
"In ten thousand years, someone has finally attained the Void Realm!"
Amid the roaring cheers, the soul figure hovered in midair, gazing across the surroundings with newborn innocence and curiosity. After watching for several breaths, its eyes met those of Huang Tian and the others. Amused, it clasped its hands in greeting.
"Greetings, fellow Daoists."
Both joyful and smiling, the crowd returned the bow. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yin."
With a light laugh, the soul figure took a step, returned to the crown of Yin Fenghai's head, and slipped into his body with a pop.
Whoosh—
The moment the Soul entered his body, Yin Fenghai's aura grew even more profound. He rose to his feet, pure light swirling around him, and looked toward Huang Tian, the meaning in his eyes speaking for itself.
He had broken through, and Huang Tian had also gained new insights. It was the perfect opportunity to spar and test their skills, allowing both to familiarize themselves with their newfound strength and newly comprehended divine abilities.
Huang Tian smiled faintly and said without further ado, "Please."
"Please!"
With a tap of his toes, Yin Fenghai ascended into the clouds like a roc taking flight, and Huang Tian likewise took to the sky with unhurried grace.
Everyone looked up into the heavens, their eyes filled with curiosity.
"Tell me, who do you think will win?" Abbey Master Yunxiao asked.
Pavilion Master Xuanji mused, "It should be Yin Fenghai. Although Daoist Huang seems to have cultivated an exceptionally powerful divine ability, divine abilities cannot overcome cultivation realms! Yin Fenghai was already a supreme expert among Celestial Beings; having broken through, he would not be weak even among Void Realm practitioners. Therefore, his chances of victory are greater."
Recalling the scene when he had fallen into the cycle of Samsara created by Huang Tian, Holy Monk Baojia gave a long, leisurely sigh. "This poor monk, however, feels that Benefactor Huang has the greater chance of winning."
Shen Dongming chuckled. "Neither you nor I have entered the Void Realm, nor have we ever seen a Void Realm expert before today. Knowing practically nothing of this realm's power, how could we guess? We might as well focus on watching the battle—perhaps we can glean some insights from it."
The others nodded and fell silent in unison, watching from afar.
And there they saw.
The north wind swept across the high heavens beneath leaden-gray clouds, the drifting snow churning like dragons. Amid this vast curtain of white, two figures clashed and separated in flashing blurs.
One held a halberd, from which immortal radiance and demonic light blossomed. His figure flickered unpredictably as immortal qi and demonic charm intertwined around him, pure holy light and gloomy shadows coexisting as though he were god and demon combined.
The other was solemn and dignified in bearing, the five-colored divine light behind him revolving ceaselessly—at times fanning out like a peacock spreading its tail to sweep across heaven and earth, at other times streaking like a rainbow across the sky to tear through the veil of snow!
Every clash between them erupted with thunderous booms. An irresistible momentum swept out, reducing snowflakes across a hundred li to powder and chilling the heavens through and through!
Just as the onlookers below held their breath, high in the heavens, Yin Fenghai grew increasingly astounded as the fight progressed.
The reason was simple: he knew precisely how much his power had grown after entering the Void Realm. To put it bluntly, his current self could kill his pre-breakthrough self in a single move!
Yet even so, Huang Tian parried and countered with absolute composure!
This was simply absurd!
There was an entire major realm between them!
And he was no worthless fraud built up on precious pills and spirit medicines, but an invincible powerhouse within the same realm; it had always been him defeating foes of higher realms, never the reverse!
Yet now...
What in the world was this divine light? How could a single sweep feel heavier than thousands of mountains!
Shocked in his heart, he raised his halberd and thrust again, bringing a vast dragon sweeping along with it.
Right then, Huang Tian suddenly spoke: "Fellow Daoist Yin, watch out!"
Watch out?
Watch out for what?
In the brief moment Yin Fenghai paused in surprise, the ceaselessly revolving five-colored divine light behind Huang Tian suddenly boiled over!
Rather than sweeping out one by one, the divine lights fused instantaneously into an integrated yet distinctly colored, magnificent torrent—like a celestial waterfall surging in reverse, sweeping straight down toward the peerlessly imposing Gold-Traced Painted Halberd!
The instant the divine light touched the halberd shaft, the swirling immortal and demonic qi upon it quietly dissipated like spring snow beneath the sun. The halberd's humming ceased abruptly, and all its brilliance and power seemed erased out of thin air.
The onlookers watching from afar only felt their vision blur, and the divine armament had already escaped Yin Fenghai's grasp, following the retreating five-colored radiance straight into Huang Tian's left hand!
"What kind of divine ability is this?! How can it seize another person's weapon?"
"The divine armament was held firmly in Yin Fenghai's grip—even the strength of dragons and elephants couldn't possibly rip it away. How did the weapon slip from his hand the moment that mystic light fell?"
"I understand now! The true intent of this divine ability is not slaughter; its power lies in sealing and seizing!"
"What an exquisite divine ability!"
The Celestial Being experts and numerous Grandmasters on the ground erupted in an uproar.
Up in the sky, with the halberd gone and his palm empty, Yin Fenghai's offensive vanished instantly, an undeniable look of stunned astonishment crossing his face.
In that lightning-brief instant, Huang Tian turned his right palm and splayed his five fingers. The snow filling the sky was suddenly pushed aside by an invisible, colossal force, and a giant palm majestic as a mountain materialized out of thin air.
The giant palm was divided into five colors, dazzling rosy clouds flowing at the fingertips, each finger standing like a heaven-propping pillar. The lines of the palm were distinct, carrying the intent to suppress all creation.
The moment the five-colored Five-Finger Divine Mountain appeared, it crashed down with the momentum of collapsing heavens!
Trapped beneath it, Yin Fenghai appeared infinitesimally small under the sky-blotting Five-Finger Mountain.
Snapping back from the shock of losing his weapon, his spiritual qi surged violently as he tried to break free from this five-finger cage, yet as the divine light cascaded down, it had already sealed off all directions—above, below, and all around.
Under countless terrified gazes, the towering Five-Finger Mountain bore down upon that struggling figure, carrying the momentum of rolling wind and thunder, parting the endless snow, and slamming heavily onto the earth below!
BOOM!
Where the five fingers crashed down, the ground heaved violently like ocean waves, instantly hurling up feet upon feet of accumulated snow into the sky, where it turned into a blanket of white snow-fog sweeping outward in wild, furious shockwaves in every direction!
Only when the snow and dust settled slightly did everyone see the center of the giant palm-shaped crater. Yin Fenghai was barely holding himself upright, his jade crown askew, his sleeves torn, and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, appearing thoroughly disheveled.
He lifted his head to look up at the heavens, gazing from afar at the immortal-like figure in the high sky, his eyes brimming with extreme complexity.
The Celestial Beings and Grandmasters were left even more dumbfounded. Though no one spoke, the meaning laid bare in their shocked eyes could not be clearer:
The Void Realm! Could a Void Realm expert, unseen for ten thousand years, truly be defeated as well?!!
Chapter 148