Chapter 1226 Narrow Escape from Death (Part 2)

“This is a trial, and also a… gamble! If you win, the sky is the limit, and you truly gain the right to contend with the heavenly principles. If you lose…”

The Tomb Guardian didn’t continue, but the implication was clear.

If you lose, it means eternal damnation, without even the qualification to become a “Dao Corpse”, you would be directly torn into your most primal fragments by the chaotic flow of Dao Principles.

“My lord, you must not!” Zhen Shan was listening anxiously and immediately urged, “This is too dangerous! It’s practically a gamble with death!”

Cang Shi also agreed: “Indeed, my lord! We have just recovered, so why rush? Consider it carefully, there must be another way!”

They were genuinely terrified. That mountain of corpses, just from a distance, gave them the illusion that their Divine Souls were about to be torn apart. Letting Xu Ran go alone was akin to sending him to his death.

Xu Ran ignored them. He just quietly watched the mountain of corpses, with no fear or hesitation in his eyes, only a blazing flame.

“We cultivators, go against the heavens, contend with the heavens, contend with the earth, contend with others, and contend with ourselves! If we dare not take this risk, how can we talk about breaking through to the highest heights?”

He spoke slowly, his voice calm but containing a firm resolve.

“Thank you for your guidance, senior.”

Xu Ran gave a deep bow to the Tomb Guardian.

This bow was both a token of gratitude for his guidance and a… farewell ritual.

Because he knew that from the moment he stepped onto the mountain of corpses, the Xu Ran who practiced the “Great Dao of Reincarnation” was already dead.

What would live on would be a new being, named “Reverse”…

Having said this, he no longer hesitated, moving forward step by step towards that mountain composed of Demon God remains, emanating infinite ominousness and deathly silence.

“Sigh…”

The Tomb Guardian looked at his resolute back and let out a complicated sigh.

In that sigh, there was comfort, expectation, and a hint of… imperceptible worry.

“Old guy, aren’t you afraid of cultivating another ‘Desolate’? Or even… a more terrifying monster than ‘Desolate’?” A sudden voice sounded beside the Tomb Guardian.

Zhen Shan and Cang Shi turned back in horror, only to find no one there!

But the Tomb Guardian seemed accustomed to it, speaking without turning his head: “You haven’t left?”

“Left and returned.” The voice carried a hint of amusement, “I initially wanted to see who quelled the Evil Qi tide, but unexpectedly, I caught such a great show. Tsk tsk, the heir of the Godslaying Blade, the trial of the Mountain of Ten Thousand Daos… If this spreads, the entire Sea of Realms will go berserk.”

“If you dare spread it, I’ll make sure you stay here forever, keeping these corpses company.” For the first time, the Tomb Guardian’s voice carried a chilling murderous intent.

“No, no, just a joke.” The voice quickly said, “I’m just curious, are you really so confident in him? Back then, when ‘Desolate’ came, you gave him three protective treasures. You gave this kid nothing.”

“He doesn’t need them.” The Tomb Guardian shook his head, “‘Desolate’s Dao is one of ‘battle’, of dominance, where one force breaks all laws. So he needed external aids. But this kid’s Dao, from the foundation of ‘Reincarnation’, turns into the essence of ‘Reverse’. His Dao stresses ‘principle’, emphasizing fundamental subversion. External things would only be restraints to him.”

“Most importantly…” The Tomb Guardian’s cloudy eyes glistened with an unfathomable light.

“In him, I see a bit of… possibility that even ‘Desolate’, or the original master, never had.”

“Oh? What possibility?” The mysterious voice also carried a hint of curiosity.

The Tomb Guardian did not answer, once again casting his gaze towards the figure who had reached the foot of the mountain of corpses.

…

Xu Ran stood under the Mountain of Ten Thousand Daos.

The closer he got, the more terrifying the oppression from within his soul became.

It was as if billions of gods and demons whispered, roared, and cursed in his ear.

As if countless Great Daos had turned into tangible blades and swords, intending to slash both his body and will!

His Dao Physique at the Daoist Monarch Fourth Heaven began to show tiny cracks under this pressure, with golden blood oozing out.

Just standing here was nearing his limit!

“Suppress!”

Xu Ran softly shouted, and the blood-colored “Reverse” imprint on his forehead suddenly lit up!

Buzz!

An overwhelmingly supreme will, as if reversing the ages, overturning heaven and earth, erupted from the imprint!

This will, sharing the same source as the Godslaying Blade, carried a supremely exalted rank.

At its emergence, the chaotic, frenzied residual intents around him suddenly halted as if facing their ruler!

The roars and curses of the billions of gods and demons were reduced to low wails before this will.

Xu Ran immediately felt the pressure lighten.

“It works, after all!”

He rejoiced inwardly, inhaling deeply, and stepped onto the mountain of corpses!

Boom!!!

As his foot touched the path formed from a Demon God’s arm, a torrent of Dao Principles, more than ten times stronger than before, surged into his body through his soles!

This was a sword path filled with the intent of “Nirvana”!

This sword intent, cold and deathly silent, seemed to sever all vitality, bringing everything into eternal stillness.

Xu Ran was instantly filled with this sword intent within. His vitality was rapidly draining! His skin turned dry, his hair began to whiten, and his heartbeats became extraordinarily slow!

This was Dao Transformation!

The ancient Demon God’s remnant “Nirvana Sword Dao” was transforming him into a walking corpse knowing only nirvana!

“Reverse, for me…”

At the brink of life and death, Xu Ran broke out with immense will to survive, wildly activating the imprint on his forehead!

The blood-colored imprint gleamed intensely, an entirely opposite will erupted within him!

“You preach ‘Nirvana’?”

“Then I let you… ‘Revive’!”

“You preach ‘Cease’?”

“Then I let you… ‘Begin’!”

The tyrannical will of “Reverse”, like a bloody sun, rose in Xu Ran’s deathly silent body. It forcibly overturned the rules of the “Nirvana Sword Dao”!

The sword intent once severing vitality began reversing, transforming into a nourishing flow nurturing life!

The life fire on the verge of extinguishing, instead of being quenched, burned ever more fiercely!

Xu Ran’s dry skin rejuvenated.

His grayed hair swiftly regained its blackness.

His slow heartbeat resounded like a war drum’s powerful thundering!

Pfft!

Xu Ran opened his mouth, spitting out black clotted blood.

Not only was he not transformed by the Dao, but by reversing the nirvana sword intent, he exorcised some impurities from his Dao Physique!

His aura, instead of weakening, became firmer, purer!

“So this is the true meaning of ‘Reverse’!”

Xu Ran’s eyes burst with bright light.

He finally understood!

“Reverse” is not simply opposing and destroying, but… “transformation” and “control”!

It’s to turn all things disadvantageous into advantageous! To transform myriad Great Daos into nourishment for self-growth…!

With this revelation, everything became clear to Xu Ran.

He lifted his head, looking at the perilous road winding upwards and paved with countless God and Demon remains, his lips for the first time showing a confident and flamboyant smile.

“This Mountain of Ten Thousand Daos, for me, is not a death trap…”

“But rather… a vast… fortune!”