Chapter 544 - 476: Refining Slaying Immortals

The beating of the remnant soul grew more frequent, as if it were confirming something, or perhaps affirming it.

"Interesting," he muttered to himself, a very faint smile curling the corners of his lips.

On the seventh day, Qi Yun reached the far west of the Central Earth.

The Spiritual Qi here was much thinner than in the Central Earth, and the mountains and rivers were increasingly desolate. The sky was an eternal leaden gray, and the earth was a dry, crimson red. Occasionally, sandstorms swept past, blotting out the sky and the sun.

However, the wisp of remnant soul in his sleeve beat more and more violently. It was as if something was waiting for it up ahead.

"Almost there," Qi Yun thought to himself. Just as he was about to speed up...

BUZZ—!!!

An indescribably vast, oppressive aura descended from the Celestial Vault without warning! The aura was terrifyingly majestic, as if the entire firmament were collapsing at this very moment!

The Nine-Colored Auspicious Cloud beneath Qi Yun’s feet trembled violently. The Mountains and Rivers Cauldron let out a low buzz, and its nine divine dragons all raised their heads, dazzling light erupting from their eyes!

"A Dao King?" Cai Shen’s voice pitched up.

Qi Yun did not answer. He looked up at the Celestial Vault. There, the clouds were torn apart by an invisible force, revealing a darkness so profound it was almost solid. And in the deepest part of that darkness, a massive eye slowly opened.

The eye was an eerie gold, its pupil reflecting countless broken images—vast Star Rivers extinguishing, and countless True Monarchs falling like rain... The images flickered too fast, so fast that even Qi Yun could not capture a single complete fragment. But he could feel the will contained within that eye.

Cold, indifferent, and aloof.

"The World Honored One," Qi Yun murmured softly.

The giant golden eye swiveled slightly, its gaze falling on Qi Yun. There was no hostility, nor any goodwill—only a condescending scrutiny.

"Are you... the junior who ruined my plans?" A grand, majestic voice, seemingly echoing from eternity past, exploded directly in the depths of Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit.

Qi Yun did not answer. He merely watched the eye calmly, colorful light flowing in his own eyes as he fully circulated the Dao of Primordial.

"Interesting," the World Honored One’s voice sounded again, carrying a faint, almost imperceptible trace of surprise. "The Dao of Primordial... unseen through the ages.

"No wonder you could refine the Immortal Slaying Dao Fruit. No wonder you dared to brave the West Sea alone."

He paused, the golden eye narrowing slightly. "But... did you think that refining the Sword Dao Fruit Position would allow you to stand against me?"

Before his voice faded—

BOOM—!!!

A massive, entirely golden Buddha’s Hand crashed down from the Celestial Vault! The Buddha’s Hand was so huge it blotted out the sky and sun. Its five fingers were like mountains, and the Swastika Buddha Seal in the center of its palm rotated slowly, exuding a terrifying aura meant to suppress and forcefully deliver all things!

Before the Buddha’s Hand even arrived, the void around Qi Yun began to solidify!

The Nine-Colored Auspicious Cloud beneath his feet shattered inch by inch. The Mountains and Rivers Cauldron let out a muffled hum, and its nine divine dragons all lowered their heads, bearing an unimaginable weight!

"Hmph." Qi Yun snorted coldly, the colorful light in his eyes surging wildly!

He raised his hand, forming his fingers into a sword, and lightly slashed at the descending golden Buddha’s Hand.

SWISH—

An utterly condensed, incredibly pure grayish-white sword light burst from his fingertips! The sword light was fierce and tyrannical, severing all karma in the world and cleaving through the primordial chaos of eternity!

The sword light and the Buddha’s Hand collided violently!

RUMBLE—!!!

An indescribably terrifying explosion rang out!

With the point of impact at the center, visible ripples of destruction spread frantically in all directions! Wherever they passed, the void shattered inch by inch, and the mountains and rivers were reduced to dust!

The golden Buddha’s Hand trembled slightly, its downward momentum stalling. The grayish-white sword light also shattered inch by inch under the crushing force of the Buddha’s Hand, drifting away as sky-filling specks of light.

An even match.

No, that wasn’t right.

Qi Yun’s brows furrowed slightly. He could feel that the World Honored One had not used his full strength in this palm strike. In fact, it was merely a test.

"Not bad," the World Honored One’s voice sounded again, still cold and indifferent. "To remain unscathed under a single palm strike of mine, it is no wonder the traitor Shen Yi thinks so highly of you."

Shen Yi.

A traitor.

These words came from the World Honored One’s mouth with undisguised coldness.

Qi Yun’s heart stirred, but his expression remained impassive. "You overpraise me, Senior."

The World Honored One did not respond. The massive golden eye quietly "looked" at Qi Yun, as if trying to see through him completely.

"The journey west is fraught with unpredictable dangers," he said slowly after a moment. "If you turn back now, I can pretend nothing ever happened."

A very faint smile curled the corners of Qi Yun’s lips. "And if Qi does not turn back?"

The World Honored One fell silent for a moment.

"Then let us see how far you can go."

As his voice faded, the giant golden eye slowly closed. The terrifying aura enveloping Heaven and Earth receded like the tide. Above the Celestial Vault, the clouds merged back together, concealing the profound darkness.

Everything returned to peace, as if the soul-stirring scene just now had never happened.

Qi Yun stood alone in the void, gazing in the direction where the World Honored One had vanished. The colorful light in his eyes flickered, his thoughts unknown. A moment later, he withdrew his gaze, manifested the Auspicious Cloud once more, and continued westward.

From within the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, Cai Shen’s voice carried a hint of lingering fear. "Just now... was that the World Honored One’s true body?"

"No," Qi Yun shook his head. "It was just a projection of his will. His true body is still blocked outside; he can’t project too much power."

"Then why are you still pressing forward?" Cai Shen grew anxious. "If he can project his will, he can project more power! What if—"

"There is no ’what if’," Qi Yun interrupted calmly. "If he could truly project enough power, that wouldn’t have just been a test."

Cai Shen paused, immediately understanding Qi Yun’s meaning.

"Then... why did he tell you that True Monarch Shen Yi is a traitor?" Cai Shen asked again.

Qi Yun remained silent for a moment. He raised his gaze, looking at the vast, boundless horizon ahead.

"I don’t know," he said lightly. "Perhaps he’s trying to sow discord, or perhaps it’s a warning. Perhaps..."

He did not continue. Because he knew that no matter what the World Honored One’s intentions were, they didn’t matter anymore. What mattered was that he had taken his first step on this chessboard. And having taken this step, there was no reason to take it back.

"Let’s go." He withdrew his gaze. The Auspicious Cloud beneath his feet sped up, carrying him and the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron westward, speeding toward the majestic ancient city that had been sealed away for eternity.

Behind him, dusk deepened, and Heaven and Earth stretched vast and boundless.

Ahead, the beating of that wisp of remnant soul grew ever more violent, ever more urgent. It was as if something was slowly awakening in the deepest reaches of that nothingness.