Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 532 Zhou Tian Xing Dou
Chapter 540

However, the golden-armored warrior's spear technique was as precise and efficient as the Dao itself. No matter how fierce their attacks were, he could always neutralize them with minimal cost and the simplest moves. Every move he made contained the true essence of battlefield combat honed through countless trials, without a single superfluous movement.

The battle reached a stalemate.

Even with Cangshi and Zhenshan joining forces, they could only barely hold him off, unable to inflict any real damage. On the contrary, as time went on, their divine power was increasingly depleted, while the golden-armored battle spirit seemed tireless, its fighting spirit remaining at its peak.

"No, if this continues, we'll be worn down to death!" Cang Shi transmitted his voice, his expression grave.

"This guy seems to be guarding something..." During a break in his frenzied attack, Zhenshan keenly noticed that although the golden-armored battle spirit was powerful, it never left the hundred-zhang range of the entrance to the Po Jun Hall.

His words also enlightened Xu Ran.

Xu Ran's gaze passed over the three engaged in fierce combat and landed on the deep, dark hall. To others, it was endless darkness. But under his "Eyes of Return to Nothingness," he saw a faint, yet eternally undying light.

It was an altar, and on the altar was enshrined a fist-sized ball of flame that seemed capable of burning the heavens!
"I see." Xu Ran understood. "He is protecting the 'undying flame' of the Divine Court."

As long as the flame of civilization burns, civilization will never cease. Even in death and as a vengeful ghost, this golden-armored warrior continues to carry out its final mission.

Thinking of this, Xu Ran felt a sense of respect for this battle spirit.

He stopped watching from the sidelines, took a step forward, and instantly arrived at the center of the battlefield.

"Go back."

He spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

Upon hearing this, Cang Shi and Zhen Shan felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They immediately withdrew and stood respectfully behind him, panting heavily. The exertion from just a brief exchange was far greater than the loss of thousands of battle spirits they had previously annihilated.

In the arena, only Xu Ran and the golden-armored battle spirit remained, facing each other from afar.

"Outsiders...die!" The golden soul fire of the Golden Armored Battle Soul pulsed violently. He sensed a threat from Xu Ran that was far more terrifying than Cang Shi and Zhen Shan combined.

The broken spear in his hand emitted a humming sound, yearning to drink blood.

However, Xu Ran did not make a move.

He simply looked at the other person quietly and slowly raised his right hand.

hum!
That ancient bronze fragment reappeared.

Unlike before, this time, Xu Ran did not activate its power. Instead, he probed into it with a wisp of his divine sense, resonating with the core mark of the "Divine Court Battle Seal".

An aura of desolation, antiquity, and supreme power slowly emanated from Xu Ran.

That wasn't Xu Ran's own aura, but rather... the aura of the Divine Court! It was the aura of authority of the Supreme Divine Court that had ruled over all heavens and conquered countless worlds, a aura that had long since vanished!
"You are……"

The golden soul flames of the Golden Armored Warrior suddenly froze. The broken spear in his hand also stopped humming. In his consciousness, filled with eternal loneliness and the will to kill, it was as if a thunderclap exploded.

This aura... he knew it all too well!

This is an aura that only the supreme commander of the Divine Court, who holds the Imperial Seal, can possess!

Xu Ran did not answer; he simply pushed the bronze fragment forward gently.

The fragment floated between the two, its complex star map mirroring the coordinates of the ruins of the Seventh Outpost.

"Divine...Court...War...Seal..."

The golden-armored warrior managed to utter those four words with difficulty. The madness and brutality in his eyes receded like the tide, replaced by a complex emotion mixed with excitement, sorrow, confusion, and relief.

He seemed to see a figure from countless ages ago, clad in imperial robes, exuding an aura that could swallow the universe, holding the imperial seal, giving them his final command.

"Hold fast...to this place...and wait...for their return..."

Fragments of memory surge within the soul fire.

He remembered. He was the Lord of the Seventh Outpost of the Divine Court, the Broken Army Hall, and the Divine General 'Red Edge'. Their last order was to defend this place to the death, protect the flame of the Divine Court, and await the return of the Great Emperor.

But they waited for far too long.

Even after the stars collapsed, the era ended, and the souls of his comrades turned into cosmic dust, he still did not return.

In the end, even he himself, amidst endless waiting and the encroachment of darkness, forgot who he was, leaving only the obsession with protecting.

And today, he finally met... the reporter bearing the Divine Court Seal.

"This humble general... Chifeng..."

The golden-armored warrior slowly sheathed the broken spear in his hand.

With the last ounce of his conscious will, he gave Xu Ran and the bronze fragment a standard military salute befitting the Divine Court.

"...Greetings...Imperial Seal!"

boom!
With this bow, his obsession that had sustained him for millennia was finally released.

His towering figure, along with his golden divine armor, began to shatter inch by inch, turning into specks of golden light that dissipated into the cold universe.

There were no earth-shattering battles, no world-destroying supernatural powers.

Xu Ran, merely by virtue of the authority of the Divine Court War Seal, caused an ancient war soul, capable of rivaling the Divine Furnace Realm, to spontaneously release itself and vanish into nothingness.

This scene shocked Cangshi, Zhenshan, and all the Guixu Dao soldiers far more deeply than when Xu Ran destroyed the Star Corpse Lord with a single seal.

If what happened before was a pure crushing defeat in terms of strength...

So now, this is a... dimensional reduction attack in terms of status and inheritance!
My lord, he not only possesses invincible power, but also seems to have... inherited the great righteousness of the long-lost divine court!
The moment the golden-armored battle spirit dissipated, the broken spear in his hand and the shattered divine armor on his body did not disappear. Instead, they transformed into two streams of light and hovered in front of Xu Ran.

"Detected the divine relic 'Divine General Crimson Blade Armor', containing undying fighting spirit and formation-breaking laws, can be repaired."

"'Pioneer' Mission: Explore the Seventh Outpost, Completion 30%." "Reward: The Origin of the Guixu World is strengthened, Dao Lord Comprehension +3."

In Xu Ran's mind, a voice that only he could hear rang out. This was his cheat system, a system called "Grind to Dao Lord". There was no complicated interface, no incessantly chattering system sprite; it only provided prompts and rewards when he made significant breakthroughs or completed certain milestone events.

All his efforts and achievements will be quantified by the system and transformed into the most direct improvement in his strength.

Xu Ran reached out and put away the broken spear and the divine armor. These were invaluable treasures to Zhenshan.

He turned around and looked at the Po Jun Hall, which was now unobstructed.

"Let's go and retrieve our spoils."

With utmost reverence, everyone followed Xu Ran into the ancient, silent hall.

The main hall was spacious and imposing. In the very center stood a bronze altar a hundred feet high, upon which a fist-sized, golden-red flame burned silently.

It doesn't emit any heat, yet everyone who gets close to it feels as if their soul and blood are being ignited, as if they are about to burn and turn to ashes.

This is the "undying flame" of the Divine Court!
It is the last glimmer of a great civilization, and the most tenacious proof that they once existed.

"What a domineering flame!" Cang Shi exclaimed. His divine fire was like a firefly compared to the bright moon in front of this flaming flame, and he felt as if he was about to be assimilated and devoured by it.

Xu Ran walked to the altar, reached out his hand, and gently touched the flame.

The flames did not resist; instead, they pulsed affectionately, as if they had seen a relative.

"The ancient artifact 'Eternal Flame' was detected, containing the power of civilization inheritance and immortal divinity."

"Option 1: Integrate into the world of Guixu, which can greatly enhance the world's origin and accelerate the world's growth."

"Option 2: Integrate with the 'Pioneer' to upgrade it to a 'God Throne-class Ark' and gain the abilities of 'Torch Protection' and 'Boundary Leap'."

"Option 3: The host absorbs it on his own, with a 30% chance of igniting the 'Immortal Divine Flame' and ascending to the heavens in one step. However, the failure rate is extremely high, and there is a risk of death and annihilation."

Three choices were presented to Xu Ran.

If it were an ordinary cultivator, faced with the third option, they would probably gamble without hesitation. To ascend to the heavens in one step and ignite the immortal divine fire—what an irresistible temptation!

But Xu Ran's gaze swept over the trusting and fervent eyes behind him, and he did not hesitate in the slightest.

An individual's strength is finite. But the rise of a civilization is limitless.

His path is to be a pioneer, to lead the entire Guixu to glory.

"I choose option two."

Xu Ran made his decision. He would integrate this spark of inspiration into the Pioneer!

He wants to build a supreme divine ship that can traverse all the heavens and conquer all worlds!

"Azure Stone, Guardian Mountain, Hundred Kings Generals, heed my command!"

"exist!"

"This is the divine fire of the Divine Court, containing immortal divinity. I will draw upon its essence to refine divine fire and thrones for you. How much fortune you gain depends on your own abilities!" Xu Ran's voice, like thunder, exploded in everyone's ears.

This is the divine fire of the divine court, containing immortal divinity. I will draw upon its source to forge divine fire and thrones for you. How much fortune you gain depends on your own abilities!
Xu Ran's voice echoed in the empty Po Jun Hall, each word seemingly containing the profound truths of the Dao, resounding and awe-inspiring.

Cangshi and Zhenshan exchanged a glance, both seeing an uncontrollable excitement and fervor in each other's eyes. The Divine Court's Flame—what kind of existence was that? It was the final imprint of a civilization that had reached its zenith, its essence far exceeding their imagination. To use such a divine object to temper the newly ignited divine fire—this was simply an incredible stroke of luck!

"I will obey my Lord's orders!"

The Hundred Kings and three thousand Dao soldiers responded in unison, their roars shaking the ancient, silent hall. They quickly sat cross-legged around the altar, forming a massive Returning to the Void Reincarnation Array, their faces filled with solemnity and anticipation.

Xu Ran stood atop the altar, his black hair moving without wind, his eyes deep and unfathomable. He did not act immediately, but closed his eyes, his divine sense sinking into the Void World.

Boom!

Within his body, in the Void World, that originally gray and chaotic space, a colossal wave surged forth. Xu Ran's will transformed into an unparalleled deity, standing at the center of the world, his hands slowly raised as if to lift up a piece of the blue sky.

"Return to the Void... Origin Reach!"

A low shout rang out from the depths of his soul.

The next moment, he reached out his hand toward the undying flame, and a point of extreme gray light shone from his fingertips. That light was like a miniature black hole, emanating a terrifying suction force that devoured everything.

hum-

The undying flame on the altar trembled violently, sensing a power of the same origin yet diametrically opposed to it. It was end and annihilation, the destiny of all things. Yet, within this power, it also sensed a touch of intimacy, the goodwill conveyed by Xu Ran through the Divine Court War Seal.

Without resistance, a wisp of golden-red flame, as thin as a hair yet pure to the extreme, was slowly drawn out by Xu Ran from the main body of the tinder.

The moment this wisp of origin appeared, the temperature of the entire Broken Army Hall seemed to rise countless times, the void was scorched and distorted, and even the laws of nature groaned in agony. If it weren't for Xu Ran's power of returning to nothingness enveloping it, this single wisp of origin would have been enough to incinerate all living beings below the Divine Fire Realm!
"Concentrate, guard your mind, and return to oneness!" Xu Ran's voice rang out again, like a morning bell and evening drum, striking the hearts of everyone.

"Come!"

With a flick of his finger, the golden-red flame instantly split into hundreds of even smaller fire lines, like living spirits, shooting with unparalleled precision towards the Azure Stone, the Mountain Guardian, and the hundred kings below.

laugh!
The fire line pierced his brow.

"what!"

Zhenshan was the first to let out a suppressed roar. He felt as if his soul had been thrown into the Heaven-Refining Furnace, an indescribable pain accompanied by an incomparably domineering will that wanted to completely burn and reshape his soul and divine fire!
His divine fire is the way of punishment, filled with the will to kill and judge. But this divine court's flame is the will to protect civilization and to wage war with iron and blood. The two have the same origin, but they are worlds apart in terms of level.

The divine fire of punishment that guards the mountain is like ordinary iron meeting divine fire in front of this source of fire. It is being forged and refined, impurities are being removed, and true gold is being left behind!
His throne of calamity spontaneously appeared, and under the tempering of the power of the fire, golden patterns began to emerge on the throne forged from white bones. The original calamity and ominous aura were transforming into a more majestic and sacred meaning of "divine military law"!
On the other hand, Cangshi's situation was completely different.

His Heavenly Stone Divine Path emphasizes solemnity, suppression, and protection. When that wisp of primordial fire merged into his divine fire, it did not become as violent as the one used to suppress the mountain; instead, it became incredibly calm and focused. Within the azure divine fire, it seemed as if a golden sun was rising.

His divine manifestations—the azure sky and the towering boulder—were undergoing a dramatic transformation. Golden divine runes began to grow on the boulder, as if it had been endowed with immortality. Within the sky, the galaxy was circulating at an accelerated pace, faintly evolving into the rudiments of a "celestial constellation," its protective power surging!
(End of this chapter)