Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 555: Facing Heaven
Chapter 563

“You don’t understand.” The tomb keeper took a deep breath, forcibly calming his emotions, and slowly said, “Why can Heavenly Principle suppress all ages and cause countless brilliant rebels to die? Because it is itself the collection of ‘all paths’ and the ultimate manifestation of ‘order’. Any single path, no matter how strong it is cultivated, is like the difference between a stream and the ocean in front of it.”

"'Wilderness' is about using 'war' to break all laws. He wanted to cultivate his stream to be more turbulent than the ocean, forcibly breaking through the dam. But he failed."

“Master, he tried to sever cause and effect with a sword, hoping to find the core of the ocean and shatter it with a single strike. But he failed.”

“And this kid…” The gravedigger gazed at the mountaintop, his eyes gleaming with an unprecedented light, “He didn’t try to fight the sea, he was… digging a bigger pool! He wants to gather all the streams, including those ‘reverse currents’ that the sea rejects and banishes, into his own pool! He wants his ‘pool’ to hold more water than the ‘sea’, and eventually… replace it!”

"This...this..." The mysterious voice fell silent.

He finally understood the terrifying nature of Xu Ran's path.

This isn't just challenging the rules, this is... recreating the universe!
……

At the summit of the mountain of ten thousand corpses.

There were no piles of corpses here, nor a violent torrent of Dao principles.

Surprisingly, the place was... deserted.

The mountaintop was a huge platform, the ground paved with an unknown black crystal, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the cracks of law in the chaotic void above.

In the center of the platform, there is only one thing.

A...broken sword stuck in the stone platform!
The broken sword was ancient in style, entirely black, devoid of any luster. The blade was broken in half, leaving only one piece. Yet, this broken half exuded a sharpness and…arrogance that seemed capable of cleaving the entire world in two!
It stood there quietly, as if it had existed for millions of years.

No corpses dared to approach it.

It is the 'Emperor' of this mountain of ten thousand corpses!
Xu Ran's gaze was instantly drawn to the broken sword.

He could feel that the "reverse" mark between his eyebrows was resonating with this broken sword from the deepest part of his soul!
The Blade of Godslayer!

No, this is not the true form of the Godslayer Blade.

This is more like a... imprint of will! It is the original swordsman who, in his defeat and fall, imbued this place with all his indomitable sword intent and rebellious spirit, transforming it into the... 'sword soul' that suppresses this mountain of corpses!
"You've come."

A desolate, lonely, yet endlessly sharp thought resounded directly in Xu Ran's mind.

This thought did not come from the gravedigger, nor from that mysterious voice, but rather from... the broken sword before them!
Xu Ran's heart skipped a beat, and he bowed respectfully to the broken sword: "Junior Xu Ran greets senior."

“No need for formalities.” The thought remained calm and undisturbed. “I am not a living being, but merely a 'thought' that refuses to dissipate. I am here only to wait for someone… who can pull me out.”

"Draw you out?" Xu Ran looked at the broken sword.

“Indeed.” The sword spirit’s will continued, “This mountain of corpses is both a prison and a furnace. More than that… it is the 'scabbard' I have prepared for those who come after me!”

"Scabbard?"

"With the myriad paths of gods and demons as the sheath, and the eternally undying rebellious will as the blade!" The sword spirit's voice suddenly became high-pitched, carrying a heroic spirit that could cleave through the heavens. "You have already forged a thousand paths and created your own domain, barely qualifying to 'forge a sheath' for me. Now, what you need to do is the final step."

"Completely merge your 'Reverse Path Domain' with my 'Final Sword Intent'!"

"If you succeed, you will gain all my power, and your 'True Seed of Reversal' will be fully formed at this moment! This seed will no longer be an empty 'anchor,' but a... 'Sword of Reversal' that can sever the past and the future, and cut off all causal ties!"

"At that time, the 'zeroing out' method of the laws of nature will no longer be effective against you! Because it can erase your past, but it cannot erase... the 'segment of cause and effect' that you severed!"

"But if I fail..." The sword spirit's will returned to its icy state, "Your soul, your path, everything about you will be shattered by my sword intent, reduced to nothingness, and become my... new nourishment."

Xu Ran listened and remained silent for a moment.

He didn't ask about the consequences of failure, nor did he ask about the chances of success.

He simply raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on the broken sword, and slowly spoke:
"No matter how sharp a sword is, if there is no one to wield it, it is ultimately just an inanimate object."

"Senior, you have waited for countless epochs. What you have been waiting for is probably not just a 'scabbard', right?"

"What you are waiting for is someone who can grasp you and wield... a sword stronger than 'him'!"

Om-! ! !
The broken sword, which had remained unmoved for eternity and whose surrounding time seemed to freeze, emitted a violent hum the moment it heard those words!

An unprecedented and terrifying sword intent soared into the sky!

The enormous crack in the chaotic void was like fragile glass before this sword intent, instantly cleaved open with countless finer cuts!
The entire burial ground trembled and wailed violently under the pressure of this sword intent!
"Good! Good! Good!"

For the first time, the sword spirit's will was accompanied by emotional fluctuations—a complex mix of admiration, sorrow, and endless anticipation.

“You’re right! What I’ve been waiting for is a swordsman!”

"Boy, what's your name?"

"Xu Ran. The 'Ran' in 'a single spark can start a prairie fire'."

"Xu Ran... what a Xu Ran!" The sword spirit roared to the sky, "I am named 'Zhan Tian'! I am formed from 'him's' last wisp of undying obsession!"

"Today, I will stake everything I have left!"

"Xu Ran! Come forward! Let me see if your spark can truly... burn away this decaying... 'sky'!" The moment the words fell, the broken sword named "Heaven Slayer" erupted with billions of jet-black sword energies!

Each of these sword energies contained terrifying power enough to kill a Dao Lord! They did not attack Xu Ran, but intertwined and swirled in the air, eventually transforming into a... throne made of pure sword intent!
A proud, domineering, and rebellious 'Throne of the Rebels'!
"Get in!"

"Use your principles to bear my 'unwillingness'!"

"Use your soul to harness my 'sharpness'!"

"Use your life to finish that...unfinished path!"

The sound of cleaving the heavens, like an ancient thunderclap, exploded in Xu Ran's sea of ​​consciousness and in this deathly silent space!
Xu Ran looked at the throne, which was entirely composed of the sword intent of the end, without the slightest hesitation.

He knew that this was the final test, and also the greatest opportunity!

If you succeed, you will leap over the dragon gate and be free to explore the vast world, truly embarking on a game of chess against the laws of nature!
If you fail, everything ends, and you won't even have a chance to be reincarnated!

But how could he be afraid?

"As cultivators, why should we be afraid of fighting?"

Xu Ran let out a long roar and strode forward.

His newly forged "Reverse Dao Domain" suddenly unfolded. Within that hazy domain, thousands of paths resonated, and myriad laws emerged, transforming into a torrent that actively met the throne of sword intent!
One step, two steps, three steps...

With each step closer to the throne, thousands upon thousands of fine sword marks appeared on Xu Ran's body! These were injuries inflicted by the "Heaven-Slaying" sword intent!
His soul felt as if it were being pierced by millions of steel needles, enduring unimaginable pain!
But he didn't stop.

His eyes grew increasingly firm and bright!

His steps were as steady as a mountain, never wavering in the slightest!
Finally, he walked up to the throne.

He reached out and slowly placed his hand on the cold, sharp armrest of the throne, which seemed capable of slicing through everything.

Then, under Zhan Tian's expectant and scrutinizing gaze, and under the tense, suffocating eyes of the tomb keeper and others at the foot of the mountain.

Xu Ran spoke each word clearly and forcefully:
"Today, I, Xu Ran, will use all the myriad paths as fuel and defying all thoughts as fire..."

"Ascend to this seat!"

Having said that, he resolutely turned around and slowly sat down on the 'Throne of the Rebels,' which symbolized the highest will of all rebels throughout the ages!
boom--!!!!!!

The moment he sat down, the entire Mountain of Ten Thousand Corpses, along with this vast and boundless burial ground, erupted in an unprecedentedly violent tremor!
The broken sword named "Slaying the Heavens" transformed into a stream of light and instantly pierced Xu Ran's brow!

All the rebellious thoughts and principles remaining in the billions of corpses of gods and demons seemed to have found their final destination at this moment, transforming into billions of streams of light that soared into the sky and, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, all poured into the body of the young figure on the throne!
"Times... are about to change..."

Down the mountain, the tomb keeper gazed at the pillar of energy that pierced the heavens and earth, tears streaming down his face, muttering to himself.

"This boundary sea has been silent for countless epochs..."

"It's going to get windy!"

This wind is not the natural flow of air between heaven and earth, but a wind of change that originates from the source of the Great Dao and has swept through countless ages!
Rumble!
Centered on Xu Ran, the mountain of corpses, composed of countless divine and demonic remains, was trembling violently in an unprecedented manner. No, it wasn't trembling, but rather... decomposition! It was... a sacrifice!
Every ancient corpse, whether it was the thousand-eyed demon god, the golden ape with the power to crush star fields, or the giant cosmic Kun that once devoured a world, began to dissolve inch by inch, transforming into the purest rain of Dao principles. They were no longer violent, no longer resentful; instead, they carried a sense of liberation and hope, like billions of dazzling meteors shooting against the sky, all merging into the "Throne of the Rebels"!
On the throne, Xu Ran's figure had become blurred, enveloped by endless light and reason. His Dao body was undergoing a cataclysmic reshaping. The thousands of ancient Dao principles that had once conflicted and repelled each other were, under the command of the "Heaven-Slaying" sword soul and the harmonization of the true meaning of "Reversal," perfectly fused into one in an inconceivable way!
Every inch of his flesh and blood seemed to transform into a miniature universe in the making, where stars were born and died, and all things evolved. Every bone in his body was imprinted with immortal divine runes, so solid that it seemed capable of supporting a collapsing ancient history. His soul had also undergone a complete transformation, becoming a hazy, chaotic sea. In the center of that chaotic sea, a phantom yet real broken sword, seemingly born from nothingness, was slowly taking shape.

That is... the sword that defies reason!

It is his unique natal true seed, born from the combination of the "Final Sword Intent" of the Heaven-Slaying Sword Soul and Xu Ran's "Reverse Dao Domain"!
Dao Lord, Sixth Heaven!
Dao Lord Seventh Heaven!
Dao Lord, Eighth Heaven!
At this moment, Xu Ran's aura surged wildly in a way that defied all reason! This was no longer a simple breakthrough in realm, but a leap in the level of life! The foundation he had accumulated was truly terrifying. The Dao of countless gods and demons, and the eternal rebellious thoughts, were all nourishing him alone. Such an opportunity was unprecedented throughout history!

In the end, his aura steadily remained at the peak of the ninth level of Dao Lord, only a hair's breadth away from the legendary "Dao Ancestor" realm!
But Xu Ran knew that this line was an insurmountable chasm. Because his path was one that "heavenly principles" could not tolerate. If he wanted to become a Dao Ancestor, he would have to face the entire old order's... all-out suppression!

"Boom!"

At that very moment, an indescribable, enormous gap suddenly opened up in the chaotic and empty sky above the burial ground!

Within that gap, there was no thunder, no flames, only... utter nothingness.

It was a chilling, indifferent, and utterly emotionless "nothingness," as if it were the ultimate will of the universe, the embodiment of order. From that "nothingness," an eye of unimaginable size slowly opened!

Those eyes had no pupils, only intricate patterns woven from countless chains of divine order. They looked down, their gaze locking onto Xu Ran on the throne. That gaze contained not anger, not surprise, but a...annihilation!
Just as a person erases a wrong character on paper, just as heaven and earth repair a hole that should not have appeared, it is natural and justified!

The Eye of Heaven!

It was finally alerted!
"They've arrived!" At the foot of the mountain, an unprecedented solemnity erupted in the tomb keeper's cloudy old eyes.

"Is this... what it feels like to face 'the laws of nature'?" The mysterious voice called "Remnant Sky" trembled slightly. "Just being watched makes my remaining will feel like it's being assimilated and reduced to nothing!"

Zhenshan and Cangshi had already collapsed to the ground, lacking even the courage to look up. Under that eye, they felt as insignificant as dust, as if they would be completely erased from the realm of cause and effect at any moment, leaving not even a trace of their existence.

hum-

The Eye of Heaven made no unnecessary movements, only its gaze slightly narrowed.

A golden decree composed of pure "reason" slowly descended from that "nothingness"!

(End of this chapter)