Return, Return, Drifting Aloof from the World

Sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, Huang Tian silently sensed the changes taking place within his body. His vitality and true qi were far more robust—that went without saying. Most important of all was his Soul. Once the Soul was born, his perception of heaven and earth grew ever clearer. For instance, commanding spiritual qi became vastly easier, and the efficiency with which he absorbed it increased significantly. Moreover, with a Soul, even if his physical body were destroyed, he would not perish in the short term; he could seize another body to be reborn! In the Five Directions Realm, there had never been legends of body seizing, perhaps because in ten thousand years, not a single Void Realm expert had ever appeared in the world, leaving the populace ignorant of such things... Huang Tian pondered. Furthermore, once one achieved a Soul, one's lifespan extended to a thousand years. On Blue Star, the rise and fall of a dynasty was merely two or three centuries; a Soul expert could look down upon the flourishing and collapse of multiple dynasties... To countless mortals, a Soul expert was virtually indistinguishable from an immortal. "Yet why can I not sense the Gate of Void Origin?" He had faint conjectures in his heart. After pondering briefly, he opened his mind completely to sense heaven and earth. Roughly the time it took an incense stick to burn, he drew back his awareness, understanding almost everything. First, the five Void Realm divine armaments had indeed emerged because of him—not because he was the great calamity, but because his descent into this world had tugged at the unseen workings of destiny, prompting the divine weapons to appear ahead of time. And after attaining the Soul, perhaps due to the difference in his "soul," he felt no trace of the Gate of Void Origin. Furthermore, unlike Yin Fenghai, who could remain in the Five Directions Realm for a year before departing, he had a mere month. Still, whether one month or one year, the difference was negligible. I have already read most of the martial techniques in this world; staying longer would yield no further gains. It is time to leave... He slowly exhaled a breath of clear qi, rose, and walked out the door. Outside, Shen Dongming, Wan Shenyang, Master Longding, and the others, who had arrived upon hearing the news, waited with solemn expressions. Seeing him step out with an effortless demeanor, smiles broke across their faces. "Fellow Daoist Huang, you succeeded?" Shen Dongming stepped forward to ask. Although they had previously seen Huang Tian's Soul and knew he had almost certainly broken through without issue, for a matter of this magnitude, only hearing his personal confirmation could truly set their minds at ease. Huang Tian smiled and nodded. "Indeed, I have attained the Void Realm." At these words, everyone rejoiced and offered their congratulations: "Congratulations to Fellow Daoist Huang on breaking through to the Void Realm! From now on, your Dao path is boundless!" "Thank you." Shen Dongming took the opportunity to say, "Fellow Daoist Huang's breakthrough is a matter of supreme joy! We must arrange a grand celebration—hold a great ceremony and share the joy with the common people!" Master Longding and Wan Shenyang nodded in agreement. Huang Tian considered it and did not refuse. It would serve as a good opportunity to gather with old friends one last time and say his farewells. "Holding a ceremony is fine, but it had best be within a month," Huang Tian said. Everyone was taken aback. Master Longding's heart stirred, and he asked, "Could it be that Fellow Daoist Huang plans to ascend and depart after a month?" Huang Tian did not offer further explanation, saying only, "That is indeed so." The others exchanged glances. Yin Fenghai had had no attachments, so leaving early was hardly surprising. Huang Tian, however, had many friends, yet he too had no intention of lingering. This... could only make them secretly marvel at how resolute Huang Tian's heart for pursuing the Dao truly was. "Within a month is quite doable; I shall arrange everything," Shen Dongming said. "In addition, the day after tomorrow marks the opening of the Five Directions Realm's first Martial Dao Assembly. Does Fellow Daoist Huang have any interest in observing?" Huang Tian shook his head. "I will simply show my face when the time comes, but I shall not stay long. After all, having just broken through, I must spend the next few days in quiet cultivation to stabilize my realm. Furthermore, I plan to set aside some time to organize what I have gained from my cultivation and compile a genuine canon of martial techniques to pass down to the world. Consider it a parting gift before I leave." Having gained so much since arriving in this realm, Huang Tian did not mind leaving behind a legacy before returning to Blue Star, bringing an end to this karmic connection. "Splendid! Once this canon is passed down, all martial artists throughout the world will surely remember Fellow Daoist's grace and virtue!" Master Longding said with deep sincerity. This was a legacy left behind by the supreme expert of the current age; it was bound to be sought after by countless people! Hearing this, Huang Tian smiled without speaking. The legacy he left behind would not be so easy to comprehend. Unless one possessed extraordinary natural talent and comprehension, understanding even one part in ten thousand would be difficult. It was just like on Blue Star, where all sorts of "Heaven-tier cultivation techniques" were available for anyone to view and study, yet how few ever accomplished anything with them. Even mastering a fraction of a percent would yield no small achievement, but more often than not, if one could not grasp it, one simply could not. If one's comprehension did not reach that level, even if the Five-Colored Divine Light were painstakingly dissected and laid out before them, they would still fail to understand or learn it, let alone cultivate it to great success. After Wan Shenyang and the others departed, the stewards, guards, and servants throughout the manor all learned that their master had attained the Void Realm. The residence instantly erupted in jubilation, every soul beaming with pride and festive joy. And this news quickly swept through the entire Imperial Capital. Inside and outside the city, the multitude of martial artists who had gathered for the Martial Dao Assembly grew even more excited. "Over these past two years, the realm's martial dao has flourished tremendously! Senior Yin and Senior Huang have broken through to the Void Realm one after another, and now the Martial Dao Assembly is being convened. Could it be that the ten-thousand-year fortune of our Five Directions Realm has burst forth in full bloom?" "Ha! Talk of fortunes is illusory after all; I don't buy it. The fact that Yin Fenghai and Senior Huang could break through is simply because their talent and comprehension are once-in-ten-thousand-years occurrences. "It just so happened that the two lived in the same era, sparring and discussing the Dao with one another, which enabled both of them to break through. Had Senior Huang not been born in this generation, I wager Yin Fenghai might not have crossed that threshold." "Well said. The reason the martial dao prospers in this age is merely because two peerless paragons were born in the same era." "Wrong, wrong! I agree with only half of what you say! That Yin Fenghai could step into the Void Realm was largely thanks to Senior Huang sparring and discussing the Dao with him. But the reverse is not true. Even if this era didn't have a single Celestial Being, Senior Huang could still have marched straight into the Void Realm—it would have merely taken him slightly longer." "Don't forget, from the moment Senior Huang stepped onto the martial path until now, it has only been a little over two years! Such talent has never existed throughout the ages! If there truly were some ten-thousand-year fortune, it was embodied in him alone; otherwise, how could one explain why he cultivates so fast?!" "Hiss, if you hadn't mentioned it, I almost forgot—Senior Huang is only nineteen years old, isn't he?! A nineteen-year-old in the Void Realm! "When I was nineteen, I wasn't even an eighth-rank martial artist. The difference between people is just absurd!!" "..." Countless martial artists chattered excitedly, and the roar of voices boiled over within and outside the Imperial Capital. In the blink of an eye, two days passed, and the world's first Martial Dao Assembly convened. On that day, Shen Dongming, Wan Shenyang, Pavilion Master Xuanji, Perfected Sanmiao, and other Celestial Being experts all made appearances, causing a great sensation. When Huang Tian showed himself, it triggered an even greater uproar. Cheers like crashing waves halted the drifting clouds and echoed endlessly among the surrounding mountains. Yet Huang Tian only showed his face and did not linger. He soon returned to the meditation chamber of his manor to cultivate in peace while compiling his genuine canon. Twenty days passed in this manner. While the Martial Dao Assembly was still ongoing, another major event took place: Huang Tian's Void Realm grand celebration was held within the imperial palace! Those qualified to attend the ceremony were either Celestial Being experts, imperial relatives and nobles dispatched by the five nations, or high-ranking civil and military officials of Great Gan. Or they were old acquaintances from Kunyun Commandery: Instructor Xu, Liu Kuo the Head Instructor, Xia Hong, Luo Chan, Jiang Hou, Nie Kun, Tie Qi, Bai Yuanfu, Yu Jingcheng... They had arrived aboard the wind eagles sent by Shen Dongming, sparing them the grueling toil of overland travel. After arriving in the Imperial Capital, they enjoyed fine food and lodgings, living in great comfort. On the day of the celebration, Huang Tian raised his cup and drank freely with his friends in the grand hall, reminiscing about the past. Instructor Xu and the others knew that this feast would likely be their last meeting with Huang Tian, so they poured all their reluctance to part into their wine, drinking heartily until dawn... After the ceremony concluded, Huang Tian returned to his manor to concentrate on compiling the martial canon. For him, this was also a reorganization of his own cultivation system; thus, the more he compiled, the deeper his insights became. In this way, several more days went by. The sense of rejection from heaven and earth grew ever stronger. Huang Tian dispatched someone to deliver the compiled canon to Shen Dongming, Wan Shenyang, and the others, and thereafter went out no more. Until the final day, when he stood in the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back. Before his eyes, the sky was high and clouds light, the spring sun warm and genial, the small courtyard quiet and secluded. Heng'er stood before a cluster of blossoms, as if sensing something, staring at him blankly. Huang Tian turned back to look at her and smiled faintly. "This very moment truly resembles that day when I had just recovered from my serious illness. The same brilliant spring light, the same deep courtyard, and even the same people." Hearing his words, Heng'er's eyes reddened instantly. Pearl-like tears pattered down, and she choked with sobs. "Fourth Young Master, are... are you leaving?" "Where in this world is there a feast that never ends?" Heng'er had long been mentally prepared for his departure, but at this moment she still could not stop her tears and sobs, momentarily unable to speak a single word. Huang Tian waited until she had cried for quite a while, her little face streaked like a calico cat, before he gave a gentle smile. "After I depart, cultivate well. Perhaps there will be a day when we meet again." Heng'er forced herself to check her sobbing. "Th-this servant will cultivate earnestly and not fail Fourth Young Master's expectations." Huang Tian nodded, then waved his sleeve. "Then, let us part here." Whoosh— A warm spring breeze blew across, and Huang Tian's figure dissolved into spring mists and clouds, drifting away with the wind. Before her eyes, the figure was gone. By her ear, only a clear voice remained echoing: "If you think of me and long for me, chant my name; across the ten directions of all realms, there is nothing I do not hear, nowhere I cannot reach..." In the courtyard, the green-skirted girl lingered for a long, long time. *** Blue Star, Chang City. The sky, originally azure and clear as though washed clean, suddenly surged with dense dark clouds. A bolt of lightning like a spiderweb violently tore across the firmament. Rumble! Muffled thunder crashed within the dark clouds, and a wild gale whistled into being in an instant. On the street, dust, fallen leaves, and plastic bags danced in the air with the wind. The two rows of saplings by the roadside bent low before the gusts, their branches and leaves rustling loudly. Pitter-patter, pitter-patter— First, raindrops the size of beans hit the ground from high above; then the raindrops linked into threads, and the threads spread into curtains. A vast downpour cascaded from the heavens. Rain battered the road coated in thin layers of dust, splashing up puffs of pale white spray. The rain grew heavier and heavier; pooled water on the street quickly converged into torrents that rushed along, swirling and churning down into the storm drains. Fallen leaves drifted in the water, traffic lights blurred in the rain, and the blaring of car horns mingled with the sound of the downpour, wrapped in the dense curtain of rain until it felt distant and unreal. "How can this rain just start pouring out of nowhere?" A middle-aged man scrambled under the eaves of a roadside shop, looking up at the torrential rain blocking out the sky and unable to hold back his grumbling. "The sun finally came out for once, so I thought I'd go out and soak up some rays. I hadn't even taken a few steps before this storm hit—and I didn't even bring an umbrella! Talk about rotten luck. Can it be that once a man hits middle age, nothing ever goes right, and everything's just done for...?" Crossing his arms, he shrank his neck against the chilly wind. On the road, numerous pedestrians quickened their pace, either ducking into roadside shops to take shelter or hurrying into cars to escape the rain. Crack! Purple lightning clawed across the sky, illuminating heaven and earth with a sudden flash. Chilly wind rolled up the roaring deluge, as if the boundless rain would submerge the entire city. Inside an apartment building, in a third-floor room, rainwater drummed against the glass window and streamed down its panes. A handsome young man sat quietly cross-legged in the room, immersed in deep trance. Suddenly, a brilliant ray of spiritual light flashed into existence from the void. Hovering above his crown, it plunged into his body in an instant. His frame shuddered, and his breathing grew profound and long. "After three months, I have finally returned..." The time ratio between the Five Directions Realm and Blue Star was roughly one to ten. He had cultivated for about thirty months in the Five Directions Realm, which translated to three months having passed on Blue Star. I wonder what realm the spiritual essence brought back this time will allow me to reach... Huang Tian steadied his mind and guided the strand of consciousness that had traversed endless void back into his physical body. A sensation of complete and natural wholeness swept through him. In an instant, the spiritual essence carried by that consciousness turned into a surging torrent, coursing continuously through the heavenly circuits within Huang Tian's body. His vitality boiled alongside it, producing rushing, crashing sounds that made an intriguing harmony with the rain outside the window. A deep red glow shone through his body, lighting the entire room as if it were steeped in blood jade, while majestic vitality surged and receded like tides. At the peak of this radiant glow of vitality, his skin took on a warm, pure luster, all blemishes vanishing until it resembled prime mutton-fat white jade, pure and flawless. The bones beneath his skin and flesh also let out clear rings. Rays of golden light lit up within the depths of his marrow, and his sinews and bones grew increasingly translucent, like vajra-glazed crystal. At the same time, the sea of essence and vast spiritual qi surged together into the Huangting sea of qi. Like hundreds of rivers returning to the ocean, they converged like dragons and finally condensed into a Golden Core. That core was perfectly round and flawless, with dense mist swirling across its surface. The mist was divided into five colors, resembling five extraordinary, nimble dragons of radiant mist chasing one another, distinct yet harmonious. The Golden Core slowly rose and sank within the Huangting, and the five-colored vapor rose and sank, inhaled and exhaled in turn. As it sank, the five-colored vapor slightly withdrew inward, like dormant divine dragons drawing the vital spiritual mechanisms of heaven and earth deep into the core's body for tempering and purification. As it rose, the five-colored vapor unfurled, blazing with radiant brilliance as it dispersed incomparably pure spiritual qi into his four limbs, hundred bones, and internal organs. "Whew..." He slowly opened both eyes. Divine light gleamed in his gaze, pure radiance swirling around his form. An ethereal aura detached from the mortal dust diffused from him—drifting as if aloof from the world, fluttering like an immortal ascending to transcendence. Sensing the surging power within his body, vast as mountains and seas, he let out a long, contemplative sigh. "Three months across worlds, attaining the Golden Core. Not bad..."