Chapter 556: Profound Yellow... Is Still Here!

“Who else?”

These words echoed beneath the Broken Celestial Vault.

Inside Taixu Hall, dozens of True Monarchs all raised their heads. They looked at the deep blue figure standing in the Array Hub, as well as the vast spectacle within the slowly rotating cyan heaven world behind him, where the sun and moon underwent Reincarnation and the Star River hung upside down.

This junior, who had only entered the Dao a few hundred years ago, was carrying the entire Profound Yellow on his shoulders all by himself.

Above the Celestial Vault, the six rifts remained silent for a moment. Then, one of them moved.

A figure walked out from the void. It was not a true body, but a projection. Yet, even as a projection, the coercion it emitted far surpassed that of any True Monarch.

The figure was shrouded in thick darkness, its facial features obscured. Only a pair of scarlet eyes, like two blood moons, hung in the depths of the dark.

“Interesting,” the voice said. It was hoarse and low, like two pieces of rusty iron grinding against each other. “I have lived for so long, and this is the first time I’ve seen… a junior who dares to provoke a Dao King like this.”

Qi Yun did not reply. He merely looked at the dark figure quietly.

“However…” The voice paused, its scarlet eyes narrowing slightly. “You do indeed have the qualifications.”

Before the words completely fell, the dark figure raised a hand. That hand was as pale as a corpse’s, with long, slender fingers and pitch-black nails. Faint black electrical arcs danced at its fingertips. It flicked lightly in Qi Yun’s direction.

SIZZLE.

A wisp of black thread flew from the fingertip. It was as thin as a hair, yet so fast that it surpassed thought itself. Wherever the black thread passed, the void was not cut, but “devoured.” It was as if that small segment of space, along with all the Laws within it, had been completely erased by the black thread and returned to nothingness.

Qi Yun raised his hand, and the cyan heaven behind him lit up slightly. A shield, condensed from pure chaotic colors, appeared out of thin air right in front of the black thread.

Phantoms of the sun, moon, and stars flowed across the shield, while the silhouettes of mountains and rivers faintly emerged. It emanated the supreme Dao Rhyme that suppressed the Ten Thousand Laws.

The black thread collided with the shield.

CRUNCH.

It sounded like two worlds grinding against each other. Ultimately, both dissipated simultaneously, vanishing into formlessness.

The dark figure’s scarlet eyes flickered slightly. “What a remarkable Dao of the Primordial.”

He did not attack again. He only cast a deep look at Qi Yun before his figure slowly faded, merging back into the pitch-black rift.

The rift closed, and the darkness dispersed. Qi Yun’s expression remained unchanged, as if the previous strike had been nothing more than a Clear Wind brushing his face. Behind him, however, a few stars in the cyan heaven dimmed slightly for a fleeting moment.

“The second one,” he counted silently in his heart.

…

Above the Celestial Vault, another of the five remaining rifts shifted.

A figure walked out from the pale white. This figure was also not a true body, yet it was much more solid than the previous dark projection. He wore a moon-white robe and had a gaunt, ascetic face. Three long strands of beard draped down to his chest. Holding a jade ruyi scepter, his entire body exuded an otherworldly, untainted aura of transcendence.

His gaze fell upon Qi Yun, lingering for a moment before he gave a slight nod.

“The Dao of the Primordial… is truly profound.” His voice was clear and melodious, like a Jade Chime being struck. “What a pity that you were born at the wrong time.”

Qi Yun frowned slightly. “What do you mean by that, Senior?”

The moon-white figure did not answer. He merely raised the jade ruyi scepter in his hand and lightly tapped it in Qi Yun’s direction.

BONG.

A clear ring echoed, like the toll of an ancient temple bell. The sound was not loud, yet it penetrated the Restrictions of Taixu Hall, pierced the barrier of the Primordial Daluo Golden Heaven Grand Array, and broke through the cyan heaven world behind Qi Yun, landing directly into the depths of everyone’s Heart and Spirit.

It was not an attack, but… an inquiry. It questioned the foundation of the Dao, the meaning of cultivation, and the value of existence.

True Monarch Qingyuan let out a muffled groan, his face turning pale as the Ancient Sword in his hand trembled violently. The draconic majesty of the Crown Prince of the Four Seas experienced a brief moment of disorder. Under this clear ring, the Heart and Spirit of every True Monarch wavered.

But Qi Yun remained completely still.

The cyan heaven behind him lit up slightly. The clear ring was like a pebble tossed into the sea; it stirred up only an insignificant ripple before dissipating into nothingness.

“If Senior wishes to discuss the Dao, Qi will oblige,” Qi Yun said calmly. “But resorting to such a method is rather underhanded.”

The moon-white figure looked at him and fell silent for a moment before giving a faint smile. The smile was very light, yet it carried an indescribable implication.

“Good,” he said simply. Then, he turned and vanished into the pale white rift.

The rift closed, and the paleness dispersed. The cyan heaven behind Qi Yun dimmed by another fraction.

…

The third one was a deep blue. Inside this deep blue rift, there was no figure and no voice, only a boundless, endless ocean.

The ocean displayed an exceptionally profound shade of blue. It resembled a sea formed from eternal ice, exuding a terrifying chill capable of freezing souls and solidifying time and space. Within the vast ocean, a blurry figure could be faintly seen. It sat cross-legged in the deepest part of the sea, its body wrapped in countless ice crystal chains. The other ends of the chains disappeared into the void, leading to an unknown destination.

The figure did not attack, did not speak, and did not even glance at Qi Yun. It simply sat there quietly, like an eternally unchanging iceberg, coldly watching this Heaven and Earth that was about to be carved up.

Qi Yun looked at it for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. A Dao King like this was the most difficult to deal with. It wasn’t that it didn’t want to strike; rather, it was waiting. Waiting for the absolute best opportunity.

“The third one,” Qi Yun murmured in his heart.

…

The fourth one was purple-gold. Inside the purple-gold rift, brilliant rays of light shone out in all directions, accompanied by thousands of auspicious streaks of energy.

The light displayed an exceedingly noble purple-gold hue. Like an emperor’s beaded crown and a monarch’s royal robes, it radiated a supreme majesty that ruled over all directions and commanded the heavens.

A figure walked out from the purple-gold light. The figure wore a Heaven-Peace Crown on his head and a dark-black Dragon Robe on his body, with the Celestial Emperor’s Sword hanging at his waist. His facial features were blurred and indistinct.

However, flowing around his body was an aura that even Qi Yun found familiar. It was… the aura of the Golden Tang Dynasty.

Qi Yun’s pupils constricted slightly. “You are…”

“Who We are is not important,” the figure spoke, his voice deep and echoing like the clashing of metal. “What is important is that you possess something familiar to Us.”

His gaze fell upon the cyan heaven behind Qi Yun. He paused for a moment, then shook his head slightly.

“A pity… it is not him.”

As his words faded, the figure turned around and disappeared into the purple-gold rift. The rift closed, and the purple-gold light vanished.

Qi Yun remained silent for a moment. He had vaguely guessed the identity of that figure.

“The fourth one.”

…

The fifth one was that Cyan Gray Ancient Sword.

It had no avatar and spoke no words, simply hanging quietly within the rift. But its Sword Intent was much sharper, purer, and more… imminent than before.

“The fifth one.”

…

The final one was golden yellow. The World Honored One.

That rift did not close; instead, it slowly expanded. Amidst the golden yellow Buddha Light, a figure sat cross-legged upon a Twelve-Grade Golden Lotus. He was forming a Sealing Technique with his hands, his head bowed and eyes lowered.

His face was blurred and unclear, yet his entire being radiated a Compassion and majesty that made all living things submit and all the heavens bow down in worship.

The World Honored One had manifested. It was not a true body, but it was much more solid than any of the previous projections.

His gaze landed on Qi Yun and lingered there for a long time.

“Little friend,” he finally spoke. His voice was peaceful, like a loving father calling out to a wandering son. “Your Dao is very strong.

“But you have walked the wrong path.”

Qi Yun did not reply; he just watched him quietly.

“The Dao of cultivation lies in transcendence,” the World Honored One said slowly. “Transcendence beyond material things, transcendence beyond karma, and transcendence beyond… the Profound Yellow.

“By tying your own Dao together with the Profound Yellow, you are binding your own hands and feet.

“Even if you possess heaven-defying abilities, you will not escape these shackles.”

“Qi cannot agree with what Senior has said,” Qi Yun replied evenly. “Transcendence does not mean abandonment. Leaving the Profound Yellow equates to transcendence? That is nothing but an escape.”

The World Honored One was silent for a moment.

“Very well.” He shook his head gently. “Those of different Daos cannot walk the same path.”

With that, he raised his right hand and pointed a finger lightly in Qi Yun’s direction. This finger carried no Buddha Light, no coercion, and no abnormal phenomena whatsoever.

Yet, the very instant the finger was pointed out, the cyan heaven behind Qi Yun trembled violently!

Countless stars flickered unsteadily, and the outlines of the mountains and rivers blurred. It was as if an invisible hand was kneading, twisting, and tearing at this newly solidified world!

Qi Yun’s expression changed slightly. He formed a Sealing Technique with his hands, pushing the Dao of the Primordial to its absolute limit. Within the cyan heaven, the sun and moon radiated brilliant light, the stars accelerated their rotations, and the mountains and rivers restabilized. The invisible tearing force was forcefully repelled.

The World Honored One retracted his finger.

“Not bad,” he said flatly. “Next time, I will come in person.”

As his words fell, the golden yellow Buddha Light slowly receded. The rift closed, and the golden hue vanished.

Above the Celestial Vault, all seven rifts had fully closed.

…

Inside Taixu Hall, there was a deathly silence.

Qi Yun sat cross-legged in the Array Hub, his face pale. The cyan heaven behind him had dimmed by more than half. Even though that finger strike just now had not injured him, it had consumed a massive amount of his mental energy.

“Fellow Daoist Primordial…” True Monarch Qingyuan’s voice was a little tight. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Qi Yun replied calmly. “I just need time to recover.”

He closed his eyes and sank his Heart and Spirit into the cyan heaven behind him. That cyan heaven had been severely damaged by the earlier impact. It would require him to nourish it day and night before it could recover. But at the very least, they had survived the first round.

Seven Dao Kings, seven tests.

He had withstood them all.

“Fellow Daoists,” Qi Yun’s voice rang out once again. “In the coming days, the Dao Kings will not attack again so easily. They need time to prepare, and we also need time to recover.

“This is the calm before the storm.

“But Qi can guarantee everyone here—”

He paused and opened his eyes, chaotic colors swirling within them.

“—that after the storm has passed, the Profound Yellow… will still stand.”

Inside the hall, the dozens of True Monarchs raised their heads in unison, gazing at the deep blue figure. In their eyes, there was awe, there was trust, and there was also a sliver of… hope.

“We respectfully obey the dharma decree of Fellow Daoist Primordial!”

The wave of voices surged like the tide, echoing throughout Taixu Hall for a long time.

Meanwhile, in some unknowable corner of the Profound Yellow Origin Realm, deep within the long river of time, upon that transcendental Longevity Immortal Island…

True Monarch Shen Yi stood by the riverbank with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the endlessly churning river of time flowing beneath his feet. The river waters reflected the scene within Taixu Hall. They reflected the deep blue figure and the damaged cyan heaven behind him.

“Seven of them…” he muttered to himself, the corners of his mouth curling into a meaningful curve. “Even more than expected.”

Behind him, True Monarch Feng Xi sat quietly on a Meditation Mat. The Cyan Gold grass vine in her hands had already been woven into a lifelike phoenix. The eyes of the phoenix contained a very faint, almost imperceptible trace of chaotic color.

“When do you plan to make a move?” she asked, her voice cold and completely devoid of emotion.

True Monarch Shen Yi did not answer. He merely gazed at the cyan heaven reflected in the river water, looking at the dimmed stars within it and observing the slowly recovering sun, moon, mountains, and rivers.

“There is no rush,” he said flatly. “The flower… has not fully bloomed yet.”