Projection of the Heavens: I prove my immortality through slaughter.

The Azure Netherworld, the Eastern Wilderness, the former site of the Meteorite Mountain Range.

The once majestic mountain ranges stretching for thousands of miles have long since turned to dust in history. Before us lies only a bottomless abyss, a thousand miles in circumference, like a hideous scar on the earth, telling the story of the earth-shattering transformation that took place a year ago.

The rocks at the edge of the abyss melted and cooled under extreme heat and energy impact, forming large areas of smooth, mirror-like, and colorful glass-like surfaces that reflected an eerie luster in the thin sunlight.

The air was still thick with the lingering remnants of destructive energy; even a single breath was enough to cause a low-level cultivator to experience a sharp pain in their meridians. Even more terrifying were the black cracks that appeared and slowly healed in the void, like marks on the sky, emanating spatial fluctuations that sent chills down one's spine.

A year ago, Lin Xuan, at the ninth level of Qi Refining, shattered mountains and rivers here, in full view of everyone. It wasn't for slaughter, but to sever his final ties to the mortal world, declaring his Dao heart and resolute will to this realm. Here, he settled his last and most profound personal karmic debt with this world—perhaps with his sect that had betrayed him, perhaps with the culprit who had destroyed his family, or perhaps with his nemesis who had contended with him on the path to immortality. No one dared to delve into the details, but the result was that the mountains became abysses, and his own Dao heart remained clear, free from all hindrances. Afterwards, at the core of this devastated land, he found a relatively stable spiritual cave, unexpectedly formed by an energy surge, and entered into seclusion, attempting to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm, a barrier that had blocked countless talented cultivators.

Today, the situation has suddenly changed, and strange phenomena are about to occur!

"BOOM—!!!"

A deafening roar, not originating from the eardrums but directly reverberating through the rules of heaven and earth and the very essence of the souls of all living beings, erupted without warning!

At the very center of that abyss, a beam of light of indescribable color burst through all obstacles and pierced straight into the sky!

Within the pillar of light, there was not merely spiritual energy, but a more primordial scene—earth, water, fire, and wind surged wildly, as if reenacting the chaotic scene at the beginning of the world; and countless miniature star shadows were born and died within it, endlessly repeating the cycle.

This beam of light was so magnificent and domineering that it ripped a huge, twisted and broken hole in the gloomy sky that had accumulated over the years due to the collapse of the mountain range, revealing the pitch-black cosmic background behind it, which was so clear it was chilling and dotted with countless cold and unfamiliar stars.

An immense and unparalleled pressure, centered on a pillar of light, swept across every corner of the entire Azure Netherworld with a speed beyond comprehension, like a tangible tsunami!

In the Eastern Wilderness Demon Realm, all beasts groveled and wailed in despair.

The western desert sands, the fierce winds have ceased, and the shifting sands have solidified;

The waves of the South China Sea have subsided, and the water column has sunk to the bottom.

The northern icy plains are silent, the snow-capped peaks are even more chilly;

In the heart of the Central Plains, hundreds of millions of people involuntarily knelt on the ground, devoutly worshipping the pillar of light, chanting incantations, believing it to be the descent of a god or the final judgment.

All cultivators, regardless of their cultivation level or location, felt deep within their souls that will and power that transcended all living beings.

In a secluded cave, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator who had been in seclusion for hundreds of years suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils filled with horror and disbelief: "This...this power...compared to the Nascent Soul Heavenly Tribulation, it's like a firefly compared to the bright moon! Who on earth is breaking through? Could it be that person from a year ago...?"

In another ancient secret realm, a Nascent Soul cultivator, who had been sleeping to prolong his life through a secret technique, was forcibly awakened. His withered divine sense cautiously probed towards the Eastern Wilderness, but the moment it touched the edge of the pillar of light, he felt an excruciating pain as if scorched by the blazing sun. Terrified, he immediately withdrew his divine sense, his heart filled with turbulent waves: "That place again! A year ago it was the Destruction Mountains, and now it's a Foundation Establishment phenomenon... This child possesses such power at Foundation Establishment; his origins are probably beyond what my Azure Netherworld could have nurtured! It must not be explored, it must not be provoked!"

Those who had witnessed the awe-inspiring power of heaven and earth a year ago were now overwhelmed with emotion. "It was him... He succeeded! Such a phenomenal sight, how powerful will he be after he reaches Foundation Establishment?" They clearly realized that whatever grudges Lin Xuan had with anyone were now in the past. From then on, his figure disappeared from the Azure Netherworld, leaving only his legend and that unforgettable Foundation Establishment pillar of light.

……

Deep beneath the abyss, in the depths of a sacred cave.

This place is not the blessed land brimming with spiritual energy that one might imagine. On the contrary, because it was the absolute epicenter of the energy explosion a year ago, it is filled with violent destructive currents and shattered fragments of laws. Ordinary cultivators here, let alone cultivate, could be torn to pieces even if they stayed for a short while.

However, Lin Xuan secluded himself here for a year, using his supreme Dao heart and powerful physical body to forcefully create his own "Dao Domain" in this perilous place.

He sat cross-legged, his aura undergoing a fundamental transformation. His already handsome face, enhanced by cultivation, now possessed an ethereal quality, as if he no longer belonged to this mortal world. His skin was radiant, with a subtle, luminous glow that didn't merely appear on the surface but originated from the depths of his flesh and bone marrow. It was as if every drop of blood and every cell had been forged and tempered, containing a terrifying power capable of shattering mountains and splitting seas.

Most astonishing were his open eyes. His pupils, already as black as ink and unfathomable, now seemed to contain the condensed starry sky of eternity. With each opening and closing, it was as if real star trails flashed by. The mysteries of the birth and death of the universe and the rotation of time and space seemed to be contained in the depths of that one eye.

His body, including his dantian and dantian, has undergone a complete transformation.

The once vast and ceaselessly flowing spiritual energy, under extreme compression, purification, and condensation, has vanished. In its place lies a drop of liquid true essence, suspended in the center of the Qi Sea, resembling a "singularity" from the very beginning of the universe. This drop of true essence, as tiny as a mustard seed, yet as heavy as a mountain, its color chaotic, its interior seemingly a miniature world of its own, containing a vast energy far exceeding the total spiritual energy of the previous ninth level of Qi Refining by a hundred or even a thousand times!

Without Lin Xuan's deliberate guidance, it slowly rotated on its own, like the core of a nebula, naturally absorbing the violent spiritual energy and destructive currents of the outside world, transforming them into the purest primal power to nourish itself. With each rotation, Lin Xuan's life essence leaped to a higher level, transcending the mortal body and moving towards immortality.

A lifespan of a thousand years! This is the mark of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

However, Lin Xuan could clearly see in his inner vision that his life flame was extremely vigorous and burning fiercely. Its foundation was so solid and its potential so great that it far exceeded the lifespan of an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator of a thousand years. It seemed to possess almost inexhaustible vitality and possibilities.

He slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers spread out, and then gently clenched it.

"Buzz—!"

Without using any magic or supernatural powers, the sheer force of his physical body alone, which generated airflow and spatial compression, caused the already fragile and unstable surrounding space to groan in despair. Fine black cracks appeared and spread around his fist like a spider web, before slowly disappearing.

"To shatter a mountain range with a wave of my hand... Looking back now, how insignificant and crude is the power of the Qi Refining stage?" Lin Xuan murmured to himself, his voice calm and even, yet carrying a deep-seated confidence and composure that came with mastering absolute power. If he were to unleash that same shattering attack from the mountain range again now, it would likely only take a thought, and its power and sophistication would be incomparable to what it was before. It would have already transformed from a mere "technique" to a "method," and even touched the edge of the "Dao."

His Dao heart, which had been crystal clear and indestructible a year ago when he destroyed the mountain range and severed karmic ties, was now perfectly pure. Now, with the successful Foundation Establishment and his power surging exponentially, it had not caused him any arrogance or loss of direction. Instead, like a mirror wiped clean of dust, it reflected his own insignificance and the boundless expanse of the road ahead even more clearly. This indestructible Dao heart perfectly harmonized with the vast and boundless power within him, becoming one with him.

Just as he was carefully comprehending the various profound changes brought about by the Foundation Establishment Realm and feeling the leap in his life level, another anomaly occurred!

The pillar of light that connected heaven and earth and resonated with the laws of the Azure Netherworld began to slowly recede like a tide after reaching its peak. The endless radiance no longer burst outwards, but transformed into billions of tiny light points, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea, or thousands of birds returning to their nests, carrying mysterious trajectories, all disappearing into Lin Xuan's sea of ​​consciousness between his brows.

"Buzz—"

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, it was as if the heavens and earth had been created! The previously chaotic and unclear space of his sea of ​​consciousness was forcibly opened up by an irresistible force, expanding rapidly! The power of his divine sense surged like a flood bursting its banks, surging and increasing exponentially! In an instant, his divine sense easily covered the entire Azure Netherworld, with mountains, rivers, and all living beings within his perception. But this was far from the limit; his divine sense, like invisible tentacles, continued to spread beyond the Azure Netherworld to that cold, desolate, yet vast and boundless starry sky.

Just as his divine sense first truly touched that boundless starry sky, a strong tremor suddenly came from the deepest part of his bloodline, or rather from the mysterious "projection of the heavens" ability in the origin of his soul!

It was neither sound nor a specific image, but an incredibly ancient, vast, and boundless "flow of information" that seemed to transcend infinite time and space. Like a destiny's call, it was directly imprinted on the core of his soul, irresistible and impossible to ignore.

That's a set of coordinates!

A set of star coordinates, hidden deep within the boundless sea of ​​stars, spanning countless light-years, and possibly even beyond a single cosmic dimension, pointing with unparalleled clarity to some unknown place! These coordinates possess a mysterious allure, as if beckoning him to go there.

At the same time, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble even more violently. At the bottom of the abyss, the rock layers, whose structure had already been altered by the immense energy he had unleashed during his foundation-building, began to peel away and collapse in large swathes, emitting a deafening roar. After the dust settled, the ancient things buried beneath, for countless millennia, finally revealed their true form.

那是一座祭坛。

The entire structure is made of an unknown material that is neither gold nor jade, but shimmers with a cold, starlight-like luster. Its shape is ancient and peculiar, full of a wild and mysterious aura, and is completely different from any existing architectural style in the Azure Netherworld.

The altar was engraved with extremely complex patterns that seemed to contain the ultimate principles of heaven and earth. These patterns were not inanimate objects, but rather flowed and changed slowly, like the rotation of a galaxy, repeating endlessly, radiating a rich fluctuation of the laws of space and time.

At the heart of the altar is a pool about ten feet in diameter. Instead of liquid, the pool contains a deep, dark vortex of starlight that is slowly rotating.

At the center of the vortex, darkness reigned supreme. Gazing into it felt as if one would be swallowed whole. It connected to an unknown shore, exuding a vast and ancient aura.

"Ancient Starry Sky Road... Interdimensional Teleportation Array..." Lin Xuan stared at the ancient star gate that had appeared on its own due to the impact of his Foundation Establishment energy. There was no surprise or panic in his eyes, only a sense of "as expected" and "it was a natural progression".

In his fragmented memories of awakening and his experiences projecting across the heavens multiple times, similar entities that communicate with different star systems or even different worlds are not uncommon. This Azure Netherworld, in its distant and unverifiable past, may have once been a remote post station or a strategic frontier of a glorious cultivation civilization.

The resources of the home planet are sufficient for the Qi Refining stage, but they are far too barren for the Foundation Establishment stage, which requires massive energy accumulation and higher-level understanding of laws to stabilize and improve. It's like a small pond that can't support a true dragon.

Although his previous projections allowed him to acquire knowledge, skills, and even insights into the laws of different worlds, their contribution to the accumulation of his own energy was ultimately limited. He needs a broader stage, more inexhaustible resources, and more powerful opponents to prove his path and to pursue the ultimate path of longevity, immortality, and indestructibility.

The sudden arrival of the star coordinates and the timely appearance of the ancient star gate were the perfect opportunity and the only way for him to embark on a new journey.

Lin Xuan did not hesitate at all. With his Dao heart set on, no mountain could stand in his way.

He took a step forward, and his figure appeared like a ghost on the ancient altar, standing firmly on the edge of the starry vortex. The star patterns flowing on the altar seemed to brighten slightly the moment he stepped on it.

The chaotic gales at the bottom of the abyss whipped his ink-black hair and rustled his simple robes. He turned around, his divine sense once again flowing like mercury across the land that had given him birth, nurtured him, and subjected him to countless hardships, before finally breaking free of his shackles and embarking on the true path of enlightenment.

As far as the eye could see, the mountains and rivers remained the same, yet everything had changed. There was little sorrow of parting, no lingering attachment. Worldly ties were severed, karma was settled. His gaze should only look forward, and he only wished to look forward.

Those eyes, as deep as the ancient starry sky, turned once more to the slowly rotating vortex of starlight beneath their feet, exuding an alluring yet dangerous aura. There was no fear, no hesitation, not even much curiosity, only an unwavering determination and a calm anticipation for the magnificent cosmic journey that was about to unfold.

He could clearly sense the vast, primal, and boundless energy emanating from the other end of the Star Gate, a different kind of energy from the spiritual energy of the Azure Netherworld. At the same time, he also keenly perceived the terrifying amount of energy required to activate this ancient formation, which had been dormant for countless millennia, for such a long-distance, possibly even interdimensional, teleportation, as well as the chaotic storms and unknown risks that might exist within that spatial tunnel.

However, these were merely necessary tests and embellishments on Lin Xuan's path, who had already established his foundation and whose Dao heart was unbreakable, and could not shake him in the slightest.

"The Great Way is boundless, yet we strive for every moment. The vastness of the starry sea resonates with my heart."

He murmured, his voice not loud, but clear and with a peculiar rhythm, echoing at the bottom of the deathly silence. Each word seemed to contain a firm principle, carrying an unquestionable determination and declaration.

Without hesitation, he activated the Foundation Establishment True Essence within his body—a drop that resembled a cosmic singularity—with all his might. In an instant, a vast and pure energy, far surpassing the quality and quantity of the Qi Refining stage, awakened like a sleeping dragon, transforming into a chaotic torrent that crashed into the ancient altar beneath his feet.

"Buzz—Boom!!!"

The entire altar suddenly trembled violently, and the star patterns that had been slowly flowing on it were instantly infused with life, bursting forth with a dazzling, blindingly intense light! The light shot into the sky, resonating with the altar itself.

The vortex of starlight that was originally rotating slowly in the pool suddenly increased its speed by hundreds or thousands of times. The dark passage in the center was forcibly torn open, expanded and stabilized by a tyrannical force, forming a stable tunnel that shimmered with hazy starlight, with light and shadow flowing inside, and whose specific destination in the universe was unknown.

A powerful and unparalleled spatial suction force suddenly emanated from the depths of the tunnel, firmly locking onto Lin Xuan's body.

Lin Xuan stood with his hands behind his back, his figure as steady as a rock, letting the vast yet gentle (relatively speaking) spatial power envelop his entire body, slowly pulling him towards the tunnel entrance. In the instant before his figure was completely swallowed by the hazy starlight, he glanced back at this familiar world one last time, his eyes calm and still, like a deep pool of ancient water, reflecting not a ripple.

The next moment, the starlight suddenly intensified, completely engulfing the handsome figure in the green robe with black hair and black eyes.

"call out--"

A faint sound, as if space itself were being torn apart, rang out. A flash of light disappeared in an instant, along with Lin Xuan's figure and the intense radiance emanating from the ancient altar, vanishing together at the entrance to the unfathomable passage.

The rotation speed of the star vortex gradually slowed down, eventually returning to its previous slow, timeless state, only its light was noticeably dimmer, as if it had consumed a huge amount of energy.

The ancient star altar, amidst a low rumble, slowly sank into the ground, covered and buried by new rocks and dust, as if it had never existed, leaving only an ancient secret about the starry sky and teleportation, waiting for the next destined person, or perhaps, to be buried here forever.

The abyss, a thousand miles deep, has returned to deathly silence. Only the lingering aura of destruction and the spatial rifts in the sky, not yet fully healed and occasionally flashing with a black light, silently tell the story of the earth-shattering events that once occurred here. A cultivator named Lin Xuan once achieved Foundation Establishment here, triggering celestial phenomena, and finally stepped through the Star Gate, resolutely heading into the vast, boundless, unknown, and challenging depths of the starry sky.