The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

She wore a simple and elegant white dress, the hem adorned with delicate cloud patterns, making her look like a fairy untouched by worldly affairs. Her long, pale purple hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, loosely held in place by a simple jade hairpin.

Her appearance was exquisitely beautiful, her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows and eyes were like paintings, and her temperament was aloof and otherworldly, as if she had gathered all the spiritual essence of heaven and earth.

Without uttering a word, she captivated the entire audience with just the ethereal and clear prelude to the music.

"Master Liu!"

"Miss Qingyan!"

Below the stage, many young scions of wealthy families could not contain their excitement and couldn't help but let out suppressed shouts of excitement, their eyes filled with fanaticism.

Even those big shots who were used to seeing all sorts of things couldn't hide their shock and admiration at this moment. They sighed inwardly, "A great reputation is well-deserved. Liu Qingyan is indeed worthy of her reputation!"
Liu Qingyan's cool gaze slowly swept across the audience. When it passed the VIP area and saw the still empty seat next to Chu Feng, her gaze paused almost imperceptibly. A faint surprise and an indescribable sense of loss flashed across her clear eyes, so quickly that it was impossible to catch.

Immediately, she withdrew her gaze, her red lips parted slightly, and her clear and moving voice, like jade beads falling onto a plate, resounded throughout the hall.

"Today is the centennial celebration of Shidingzhai. I am honored to be here and would like to offer a song to celebrate."

……

In the Hundred Battles Secret Realm, on a vast and desolate arena.

Jiang Xuan's experiences stand in stark contrast to the extreme enjoyment enjoyed by the outside world.

He continues to repeat that despairing cycle.

Battle, death, resurrection.

Faced with one statue after another that embodied powerful figures from the secret realm, he repeatedly unleashed his "Star Gathering Style," attempting to find a breakthrough opportunity or glimpse the secrets within the opponent's moves.

However, without exception, they were all ruthlessly killed by the opponent's more exquisite, powerful, and profound "Star-Gathering Style"!

Once, twice, three times... ten times... twenty times...

When the darkness of the twenty-seventh "death" receded like the tide, and Jiang Xuan "resurrected" once again in the center of the arena, his face was deathly pale, and deep in his eyes was an undisguised weariness and a trace of... numbness.

Each "death" brought with it the raw fear and despair that left a deep imprint on his heart, like the darkest ink. The shadow of death deepened, and the accumulated fear became a heavy shackle, binding his soul.

He dared not slack off in the slightest. During the precious fifteen minutes of rest after each resurrection, he immediately activated the Lesser Netherworld Divine Art with all his might, visualizing the vast and mysterious "Star Cycle Image". He used the profoundness of this soul-refining secret technique to forcibly suppress and dispel the death images and fear emotions that kept churning in his mind, and stabilize his mind that was on the verge of collapse.

However, this suppression could only be barely maintained during rest periods. Once in battle, facing the terrifying and irresistible "Star Gathering Style," all suppression would crumble instantly, and the shadow of death would retaliate with even greater ferocity.

However, Jiang Xuan did not come away empty-handed from this almost self-torturing series of life-and-death trials.

His understanding of "star-picking" is improving at a slow but steady pace.

When his opponents used the "Star Gathering Style," the subtle changes in the power of heaven and earth they drew upon, the unique trajectory of the power's movement, and the different artistic conceptions they contained were all like the deepest imprints, constantly replaying and being analyzed in his mind.

His condition created an extremely cruel cycle.

Battle → Death → Resurrection → Battle Again → Death Again...

The opponents are changing, and each opponent displays a completely different "star-picking" style, as if showing him the countless possibilities of this "path".

As the forty-seventh battle was about to begin, the statue representing the new opponent began to tremble and stone chips crumbled away. Jiang Xuan suddenly opened his eyes.

At this moment, the shadow of death that had accumulated in his mind had reached a critical point! Like a powder keg compressed to its limit, it would explode completely with just a spark.

He could even feel his soul trembling slightly, an impulse to escape this place at all costs screaming wildly in his mind like a demonic voice.

He knew this was a sign that his inner demons were about to erupt in full force! Even if he immediately activated the Lesser Underworld Divine Art, he might not be able to suppress it again.

Jiang Xuan had anticipated this.

After a moment of struggle, his eyes quickly regained their calm and decisiveness.

Just as the forty-seventh powerful figure from the secret realm fully manifested and his cold voice was about to announce the start of the battle, Jiang Xuan suddenly raised his head and, with all his might, let out a deep and clear roar towards the void of this secret realm.

"I surrender!"

The moment the voice fell, the oppressive force of the impending terrifying attack vanished abruptly.

The powerful figure from the secret realm, who had just manifested and hadn't even had a chance to launch an attack, suddenly froze, then crumbled like a sand sculpture, returning to that cold statue.

The fighting atmosphere that had enveloped the arena instantly dissipated.

Jiang Xuan stood there, panting heavily, his forehead covered in a fine layer of cold sweat. Voluntarily admitting defeat and giving up this chance to advance meant that his previous forty-six "deaths" had been almost entirely wasted, but there was little regret in his eyes; instead, there was a resolute sense of relief.

He needs time to fully process the insights and pressure brought about by these forty-seven "deaths." He also needs... to calm his mind before he can face the next, and possibly the last, challenge.

The night was deep and quiet, the only sound the rustling of leaves in the wind. Xue Jin leaned against the corner of the wall, hugging his large wine jar, seemingly fast asleep, his snores soft.

However, in the midst of this complete silence, his tightly closed eyelids suddenly twitched!
An extremely violent and destructive sword intent, like a ferocious beast out of control, suddenly surged out from Jiang Xuan's secluded cultivation room! The sword intent was incomparably sharp, carrying a madness that wanted to annihilate everything and destroy everything in its path, instantly disrupting the peaceful spiritual energy in the courtyard.

"not good!"

Alarm bells rang in Xue Jin's mind, and her figure vanished from the spot like a ghost, appearing outside Jiang Xuan's door in the next instant.

Just as he was about to break down the door—

"boom!!"

A highly refined yet incredibly violent jet-black blade of light cleaved through the thick walls and doors, carrying an aura of utter destruction as it hurtled towards the outside of the courtyard! Wherever the blade of light passed, the air emitted a piercing shriek, as if even space itself was being torn apart!

If this strike lands squarely, not only will the entire courtyard be reduced to dust, but the streets outside and the neighboring buildings will likely suffer as well!
Xue Jin's face darkened, and he uttered a low shout.

"Order it for me!"

He didn't do anything earth-shattering; he simply raised a thin, bony hand and clenched it in the distance towards the raging blade of light.

In an instant, an invisible yet immense power descended, like the most solid cage, imprisoning the destructive blade of light in mid-air!

The blade's edge trembled violently, emitting a resentful hum, yet it could advance no further. "Shatter!"

Xue Jin gently clenched his fist.

"Oh!"

The restrained blade light, like shattered glass, instantly exploded into countless tiny specks of light, dissipating into the night sky without causing further damage.

At the very moment the blade shattered, a figure burst out of the broken door like a cannonball—it was Jiang Xuan!

At this moment, he was completely different from his usual calm and composed self! A tangible scarlet killing intent swirled around him, his eyes were bloodshot, boiling with a frenzied fighting spirit and a desire for destruction. He was like a demonic sword that had been completely drawn from its sheath, out of control, and only wanted to drink blood!

Xue Jin's gaze fell heavily on Jiang Xuan, and her heart sank.

He could clearly sense that Jiang Xuan's mind seemed to have fallen into a state of madness, his will blinded by intense violence and killing intent. This was clearly a dangerous sign that a demon had entered his body and he was about to go mad!

"Inner demon..."

Xue Jin frowned.

He knew all too well that inner demons were one of the most dangerous karmic obstacles on the path of cultivation. They stemmed from the cultivator's own obsessions, fears, and weaknesses, and were extremely difficult for outsiders to help. Once completely controlled by inner demons, one's cultivation would be completely destroyed at best, rendering one a cripple, and at worst, one's soul and spirit would be annihilated, resulting in death and the dissipation of one's cultivation! Moreover, this tribulation could only be overcome and resolved by the person involved themselves; if others forcibly intervened, it would often backfire.

Seeing Jiang Xuan acting like a madman, letting out a beast-like growl, his spiritual energy surging wildly and seemingly about to completely lose control, a resolute glint flashed in Xue Jin's eyes.

He couldn't just stand by and watch this young man he admired so much destroy himself!

"I'm sorry, kid!"

Xue Jin gritted her teeth and appeared beside Jiang Xuan as if by teleportation, swiftly slashing at the back of Jiang Xuan's neck with a hand chop.

This strike contained his exquisite power, enough to knock a ferocious beast unconscious instantly.

However, to Xue Jin's surprise, although Jiang Xuan's body went limp and he collapsed to the ground after being hit hard, he struggled to get up again after only two or three breaths. He let out a hoarse, inhuman growl, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with pure madness and destruction, with no trace of clarity.

"Oh no! The inner demons have corrupted me so deeply!"

Xue Jin's expression turned even uglier.

Jiang Xuan's condition at this moment is already extremely precarious.

He admired Jiang Xuan's perseverance and comprehension in cultivation, and also valued his amazing talent in the path of spirit patterns. He couldn't bear to see such a promising talent perish. With a determined heart, Xue Jin was about to step forward, forcibly restrain Jiang Xuan, and take him to a secluded place to see if he could use external forces or a special environment to help him stabilize his mind.

Just as Xue Jin reached out to grab Jiang Xuan, a hoarse, dry sound, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing against each other, was squeezed out of Jiang Xuan's mouth with difficulty.

"Put...me...down..."

Xue Jin paused, looking down in surprise.

Jiang Xuan, who was lying on the ground, was still full of murderous intent and his expression was twisted and ferocious. However, a very faint trace of clarity struggled to emerge from the depths of his crimson eyes!

That sliver of clarity, like a flickering candle in the wind, swayed uncertainly, yet stubbornly persisted.

Xue Jin hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to trust Jiang Xuan's own will and slowly released her hand.

Jiang Xuan did not get up immediately. He just sat there on the ground, breathing heavily, as if he had just gone through a life-or-death battle.

He then forced himself to sit up, cross-legged, and laboriously formed a cultivation hand seal with his hands before closing his eyes.

As he activated his Lesser Netherworld Divine Art, a cool, calming aura began to emanate from between his brows, attempting to soothe his boiling killing intent and violent emotions. Although the killing intent around him remained intense, and his expression was still ferocious, at least he had not fallen into the completely insane state of wanting to destroy everything he had been in before.

Xue Jin stood guard to the side, fully alert, not daring to relax for a moment.

He knew that this was the most crucial moment; Jiang Xuan was engaged in the most dangerous battle against the inner demon that had invaded his mind. No one else could intervene; he had to rely on himself.

Time passed slowly, and the night grew deeper. Xue Jin looked at Jiang Xuan, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his aura gradually approaching a dangerous balance, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least the most dangerous period of the outbreak seemed to have temporarily passed.

He silently walked to the stone table and sat down, his gaze still fixed on Jiang Xuan, quietly observing and waiting to see if this boy who had repeatedly created miracles could once again overcome one of the greatest tribulations on his path of cultivation through his own strength.

……

Meanwhile, inside the magnificent hall of Shidingzhai, although it was late at night, the atmosphere had not cooled down; instead, it was still immersed in an extreme sense of reminiscence and excitement.

The song "Flying Light" that Liu Qingyan had just sung still echoed in everyone's minds.

This piece is based on a mysterious ancient melody passed down from antiquity, with lyrics newly written by a contemporary literary master. Most of the young cultivators were shocked and energized by the domineering spirit in the lines, "I will cut off the dragon's feet, chew its flesh, so that it cannot return in the morning or rest at night," feeling as if they themselves possessed the supreme courage to slay dragons and devour the heavens.

Those powerful and influential figures who have experienced the vicissitudes of life feel the sentiment of "Only the cold moon and warm sun can bring about the loss of human lifespan" more deeply, and a faint sense of melancholy and helplessness wells up in their hearts at the fleeting nature of youth and the impermanence of fate.

As for great cultivators like Liu Wujun and Wei Lingzhen, who possessed profound cultivation and had touched the edge of the Great Dao, they were deeply shaken by the question, "Below the Great Dao, many bones are stuck; how can the path to the Dao be illusory?"

That is the ultimate exploration and confusion about the vast path and the meaning of cultivation, pointing directly to one's true nature and prompting deep thought.

As the music ended, its lingering melody still resonated in the air. Amidst the dazzling glow of the sunset and the reluctant gazes of the crowd, Liu Qingyan boarded her exquisite carriage and quietly departed.

Inside the imperial carriage, Liu Qingyan sat by the window, her exquisite face bearing a faint trace of melancholy.

The image of the empty head seat at the celebration kept flashing through her mind.

"He... still didn't come."

She sighed softly to herself.

"Is it because I invited him to repair the spirit flute last time, which indirectly led to his duel with Huang Jianchen in the arena, that he's angry?"

This thought made her feel a pang of guilt.

After a moment's hesitation, she raised her head, looked at Granny Feng who was resting with her eyes closed, and spoke softly. (End of Chapter)