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

"What is your way?"

That grand and indifferent voice, like the first Dao sound at the beginning of the universe, resonated directly within Lin Xuan's consciousness. It was devoid of any emotion, yet contained boundless pressure pointing directly to the Great Dao.

In this absolute "nothingness," there is no concept of time or space. Only this question, like a singularity, awaits Lin Xuan's answer and determines the final outcome.

Lin Xuan's consciousness floated in this void, and the light of his virtual godhood seemed to be suppressed by this extreme environment, becoming dim and unclear. He did not answer immediately, because any hasty words could not truly explain his Dao.

Just as he was pondering, the surrounding "nothingness" began to change. The indifferent voice seemed not to need his verbal reply, but rather to evoke the truest reflection in the depths of his heart, to interrogate his true nature in the form that he found hardest to let go of and was most prone to sinking into.

From the void, a point of light appeared, rapidly expanding to evolve into mountains, rivers, cities, and dwellings. Familiar fluctuations of spiritual energy, familiar scenery… This is… the Azure Netherworld!

No, more precisely, it was the mortal homeland that gave him birth and nurtured him, deep in his memory, before he embarked on the path of cultivation.

The sun shone brightly, and the town was peaceful. He was no longer the "Starry Sky Killer" who could shatter mountains and slay powerful enemies in the starry sea with a wave of his hand, but had returned to being a frail young man dressed in a simple blue robe, holding a book and reciting in a private school.

"Xuan'er, concentrate, don't get distracted." A gentle voice sounded beside him. Lin Xuan turned his head and saw a kind-faced, refined-looking middle-aged man, his mentor who had passed away many years ago. The man's eyes were filled with concern and expectation, so real, as if they could be touched.

"Yes, sir." He heard his own immature voice reply, and a long-lost sense of peace and... dependence involuntarily welled up in his heart.

Returning home from school, he saw wisps of smoke rising from the chimney. His mother was busy in the kitchen, while his father sat in the yard sharpening his carpentry tools. Seeing him return, his father gave him a warm, gentle smile. A simple meal lay on the table, yet it was filled with the warmth of home. His neighbor's playmates called from outside, inviting him to go fishing in the river.

All of this felt so real. The rough texture of the book under his fingertips, the aroma of food wafting to his nose, the echoes of his parents' admonitions in his ears… every sensation was crystal clear, perfectly overlapping with that most peaceful period of his memory, long buried deep within him.

The warnings from the virtual deity became extremely weak, as if they had been isolated and dissolved by this tender illusion.

Days passed by (the sense of time flowing in the illusion was incredibly real), and he studied and grew up step by step. His parents gradually grew old, and his mentor's hair turned gray. The most beautiful girl in town secretly fell in love with him; her shy and timid eyes, and the occasional "coincidental" encounters, all stirred the young man's heart.

Later, he married that girl. The wedding wasn't grand, but it was filled with sincere blessings. As the red candles flickered, he looked at his wife's beautiful face, his heart filled with longing for a simple and happy future.

Later, he inherited his father's carpentry skills and had his own child. Watching his toddler take his first steps and listening to his babbling, a sense of satisfaction from the continuation of his bloodline welled up within him. He worked from sunrise to sunset, caring for his aging parents, sharing a life of mutual support with his wife, and teaching his child to read and understand principles.

There is no killing, no fighting, no cold starry sky and endless crisis. There are only the mundane details of daily life, the warmth between neighbors, and the peaceful tranquility of life.

Decades passed in the blink of an eye in this illusion.

He saw his parents pass away peacefully, and his mentor had also passed away. He and his wife supported each other as their hair turned from black to white. Their children grew up, married, and had children of their own, and he became a grandfather.

He became an ordinary old man, sitting in the courtyard under the setting sun, watching his grandchildren play, reminiscing about his simple yet fulfilling life. A feeling called "completeness" quietly permeated his heart.

This seems to be the ultimate happiness that countless ordinary people pursue.

However, just as this feeling of "perfection" reached its peak—

In the depths of Lin Xuan's eyes, which had been immersed in the illusion and belonged to the "old man," a spark of clarity suddenly ignited!

wrong!

This peace and this fulfillment, though beautiful, were like an exquisite cage, binding his wings and dulling his edge!

His path is not about daily necessities, nor about being surrounded by children and grandchildren! His path is transcendence! It is freedom! It is eternity!

What he pursues is the power to shatter stars with a wave of his hand, the journey to explore the mysteries of all the heavens and myriad worlds, and the transcendent realm that even the Nine Tribulations Wanderer has never truly touched!

This mundane happiness, though a deep and lingering attachment in his heart, is by no means his destiny, much less his path!

If he were to become immersed in this, he would no longer be Lin Xuan, no longer the Dao seeker with an unbreakable Dao heart, decisive in killing amidst the starry sea! He would be assimilated by this gentle illusion, ultimately his Dao heart would be clouded, his soul would be lost, and he would be utterly trapped within this gate of the "Dao"!

"What a powerful illusion! It strikes directly at the softest part of the heart, almost without any flaws!" Lin Xuan thought with a chill. This final trial of the "Dao" was not about terrifying pressure, but about corroding with the most extreme beauty and warmth, making it far more dangerous than the previous eight trials combined!

If his Dao heart had not been tempered and refined through countless trials, and he had not already clearly understood what he sought, he would probably have truly succumbed to this "perfection" and willingly become a lost soul in this place.

"Unfortunately... it's fake, it's still fake."

He slowly raised his head, his gaze piercing through the cozy courtyard before him, through his wife's concerned eyes, through his grandson's innocent smile, and looking directly at the origin behind that illusion.

His eyes once again became as deep, cold, and resolute as the eternal starry sky.

"Brother Xuan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" His white-haired "wife" stepped forward worriedly, wanting to touch his forehead.

Lin Xuan looked at her, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by absolute rationality and Dao heart.

"Thank you for letting me relive this warmth that I had long lost." He spoke softly, but his voice carried a resolute determination to sever all ties. "But this is not my way."

As soon as he finished speaking, he pointed his fingers like a sword, and the Foundation Establishment Perfection spiritual power and Minor Completion Destruction True Intent suppressed by the illusion within his body suddenly erupted!

A sword intent of annihilation, refined to its utmost, seemingly capable of severing cause and effect and shattering illusion, burst forth from his fingertips. It was not aimed at his "wife" or "grandson" before him, but at the very foundation of this entire illusory world! It struck at the last trace of attachment he held deep within his heart for this "perfection"!

"Sizzle—!"

Like a beautiful painting being torn apart! The peaceful town, the kind parents, the gentle wife, the lively grandson... everything was violently twisted and then shattered under this sword, like bubbles in the sunlight! It turned into countless shimmering points of light and vanished without a trace.

The illusion shatters!

The surrounding area returned to that absolute "nothingness".

Only Lin Xuan, with a clear and lucid Dao heart and bright eyes, stood proudly in the void. The decades of worldly experience, love, hate, and separation he had just endured had not shaken his resolve; rather, it had been a thorough baptism, allowing him to more clearly understand what he truly pursued, and what his Dao truly was!

That grand, indifferent voice rang out again, but this time, it seemed to carry a hint of indescribable...appreciation?

"With unwavering faith in the Way, one's true nature remains steadfast. By cutting through illusions, one can see one's true self."

"You have passed the trial of the 'Tao'."

As the voice faded, a point of light appeared in the void ahead, quickly transforming into a stable portal. Behind the portal, faintly emanating even purer and more vast spiritual energy fluctuations, along with a heart-pounding, inherited Daoist aura, resonated.

That is the true core of the Nine Tribulations Immortal Palace!

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Xuan stepped out and entered the gate of light.

Behind him, the nine enormous stone gates slowly disappeared into nothingness. Zhang Daoyi, Leng Ningshuang, and the others who had entered the "Dao" gate before him were still trapped in their own mental trials, their expressions changing as they struggled endlessly.

The firmness of one's resolve in the Tao reveals the difference between superior and inferior.