Cultivation through Skin Making

The South Celestial Gate is very far.

Tianqi Village and those old acquaintances, even the avatar above the Sea of Suffering, are all very far.

So far that Song Yan feels like a wandering vagabond.

Fortunately, Purple Cloud Heaven, once the leader of the Nine Heavens, is not barren. It has many peculiar landscapes that, if you walk far enough and explore enough, you are bound to see.

Yet the scenery here is distinctly different compared to the Great Thousand Worlds.

In the Great Thousand Worlds, gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—the Five Elements—are independent.

For example, a tree is wood, and if wood encounters fire, it will only be burned to ashes, so trees must stay away from fire.

But Song Yan saw a forest of maple trees blazing fiercely, with Taiyang Fire flowing above them, yet the leaves remained unharmed; this is called “wood gives birth to fire but fire does not burn wood.”

He stopped, looking at the scenery of Purple Cloud Heaven alone, thinking in his heart, “Surely this scenery has been seen only by him alone for a hundred or a thousand years.”

He continued walking and saw strange metal ore constantly producing pure water, with mystical metallic lotus flowers gradually floating on the water.

The reflection of water and metal presented an unimaginable scene, called “metal gives birth to water but water does not corrode metal.”

He paused for a day, and after several days, at twilight, the time when Taiyin and Taiyang were exchanging places, he saw a misty region in the distance, vast and boundless like the Vast Sea.

Before approaching, he already felt the chilling cold and simultaneously sensed scorching heat.

Song Yan was curious and approached. He found a boiling ice sea.

Water and fire contradict, but at this moment, they coexist.

Soon, the sun set, Taiyin was at the top, the boiling sea calmed, turning into an endless frozen sea. But at dawn, the sea began boiling again until every drop of seawater turned into mist. Thus the cycle alternates endlessly.

Watching this endless cycle, he gained some inexplicable understanding of the Five Elements and quietly sat by the ice and fire sea for a year.

During this year, he did not see any life.

Clearly, Purple Cloud Heaven was far too vast for life to comprehend.

If he continued to wander, he might encounter void ships seeking refuge from the Great Thousand Worlds.

His mind recalled the information exchanged during idle chats with Elder Dan.

“Celestial Talisman,” also known as “Celestial Saint” and “Saint Xi,” within the scope of its power, must not include any foresight-related, time-related magic, tools, or even words and thoughts, or else one would be cursed by the “Saint Xi Curse.”

If you say, “In a few days, we will do this and that,” you will fall into the curse.

And if you’re in the area where the “Saint Xi” power is strong, even thinking “what will become of me” will instantly trap you.

Clearly, the Great Thousand Worlds are chaotic.

But Song Yan had a faint suspicion beneath this chaos: “Saint Xi” was released to balance the already uncontrollable and failing situation.

Blood River, Burial Grounds, Dragons, these sinister old beings now have an opponent…

The Great Thousand Worlds have indeed turned into a battlefield for these old beings.

Song Yan didn’t understand why these old beings fight; he couldn’t understand.

He only knew “mortals fight,” likely for money, power, or women…

“Cultivators fight,” possibly for resources, treasures, or opportunities…

The old beings fight, he couldn’t comprehend even after racking his brain.

For domination?

For grudges and rivalries?

That’s a joke.

For opportunities and treasures?

These beings are already at the pinnacle he knows of; what more do they seek?

Song Yan discarded these wild thoughts; he was still far from understanding the thoughts of these beings. Moreover… he spotted a complete building not far ahead.

In Purple Cloud Heaven, a complete building signifies danger and opportunity, as it likely houses a crazy powerful entity.

Song Yan glanced from a distance; the plaque was intact, inscribed with “Moon Shadow Palace.”

After pondering briefly, Song Yan decided to approach the palace.

Upon reaching the entrance, his Divine Sense entered to probe room by room for opportunities.

As his Divine Sense swept into a chamber filled with fragrance, he sensed a shadow.

Boom!!

Almost instantly, he raised his hand to defend.

The True Domain surged, enveloping him, forming a gigantic transparent arm.

And beneath the arm lay a “Fairy.”

The fairy wore a moon-white gown, her figure graceful and slender, her chest heaving. If not for the cracks throughout her body, her hollow eyes lacking spirit, devoid of life essence, she’d be incredibly beautiful.

“Can we communicate, Senior?”

Song Yan asked.

No response; the fairy began attacking furiously like a storm.

However, Song Yan’s True Domain remained unshaken.

He stood motionless, allowing the fairy to attack, but it only caused slight tremors in the True Domain.

This being, for now dubbed Moon Shadow Fairy, couldn’t harm him.

Just as Song Yan intended to end the fight, the Moon Shadow Fairy suddenly froze, and a peculiar ancient feeling surged within Song Yan. He saw an invisible long river abruptly connecting to the Moon Shadow Fairy.

Within the river, another Moon Shadow Fairy emerged, only a yard from the first one, racing towards her at an indescribable speed.

The two merged.

The Moon Shadow Fairy’s True Domain immediately multiplied in strength manifold.