Chapter 558: Degrading Status!

“BUZZ—”

A clear, resonant chime rang out from the depths of the interface. The chime wasn’t loud, but it fell directly into the deepest parts of Qi Yun’s Heart and Spirit.

[Magic automatic update complete.]

[This is a minor version update. The Magic effects have been adjusted as follows:]

[Primordial Daluo Heaven: New Mechanism—Myriad Daos!]

[Forces all Dao Fruits within this Heaven and Earth to exist at the same high Status. There is no high or low, no superior or inferior. The myriad Daos and all magics walk the same path.]

Qi Yun’s eyes gleamed, and the corners of his mouth curled up… It was finally here!

Forcing all Dao Fruits to be at the same Status. This meant… those Dao King Fruit Positions, suspended high above the All Marvelous Heaven and reigning over the myriad Daos, would be forcibly pulled down by him. Their Status would be dragged down to the same level as an ordinary True Monarch Dao Fruit. It was not weakening their power, but stripping away their Status.

The reason a Dao King was a Dao King was not because of their power, but their Status. Once their Status fell, they would no longer be invincible existences. This battle now had hope.

He opened his eyes, his consciousness returning. Qi Yun didn’t wait. He raised his right hand, splayed his fingers slightly, and gently clenched his fist toward the seven rifts above the Celestial Vault.

“Rise!”

“BUZZ—!!!”

An indescribable ripple burst from his palm. Like a massive boulder thrown into a tranquil lake, it spread out madly in all directions with Qi Yun at the center. Wherever it passed, the void solidified and the Laws submitted.

In the All Marvelous Heaven, that Profound Yellow Treasure Tree trembled violently! Those dim Dao Fruits lit up simultaneously. Their light intertwined, transforming into a giant net that covered the entire All Marvelous Heaven. Under the giant net, all Dao Fruits, regardless of their original Status, were forcibly pulled to the same level.

The Dao King Fruit Positions were no exception.

Above the Celestial Vault, the seven rifts trembled in unison. The gazes of the seven Dao Kings changed for the very first time.

“Is this… Status suppression?” The World Honored One’s voice echoed from the golden rift. It remained peaceful, yet carried a trace of solemnity. “No, it’s not suppression. It’s… equalization.”

“What a fine Primordial Dao,” another voice sounded. It was hoarse and deep, originating from the pitch-black rift. “However, with this child’s level of cultivation, he shouldn’t possess such mighty power… It is… the Profound Yellow Heaven’s Will!”

Qi Yun stood quietly beneath the blue sky, sensing the changes in the auras of the seven Dao Kings. Their power hadn’t weakened, but their Status had been dragged down to the same level as a True Monarch. This meant that they were no longer invincible existences.

“Everyone,” Qi Yun spoke, his voice calm. “You may strike now.”

Behind him, dozens of True Monarchs took a step forward in unison.

The first to move was Desolate Halberd Splitting Sky True Monarch. With a wild laugh, he stepped forward, shattering the void. The pitch-black Great Halberd in his hand tore through the sky, carrying a domineering intent that could rend all things as it slashed straight toward the golden rift.

Following closely behind was True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law. His figure was like a phantom, silent and soundless, surrounded by a deathly still Dao Rhyme that reduced all things to nothingness.

Qingyuan Dao Seeking True Monarch drew his sword from its sheath, and a cyan Sword Qi shot into the sky. That sword light was pure to the extreme and fierce to the extreme, resembling a cyan rainbow spanning Heaven and Earth as it slashed toward the grey-blue Sword Intent rift.

Crimson-gold flames surged around Lady Jiu Li, transforming into nine fire dragons that spanned Heaven and Earth, raising their heads in long roars. Wherever the fire dragons passed, the void melted and the Laws twisted. They lunged straight toward the dark red Blood Sea rift.

Nine Revolutions Undying True Monarch was bare-chested, his muscles knotted like coiled dragons and crouching tigers. With a single step, the void collapsed. King Saint True Monarch held a Scroll in his hand. Vast Righteous surged like a tide, rushing toward the deep blue rift. Within the Vast Righteous, countless articles written by sages transformed into golden chains, tightly wrapping around the deep blue ocean layer by layer.

Billions of seal characters circulated around Everlasting Talisman Inference True Monarch. Every seal character transformed into a Talisman, and the Talismans wove into a net, securely sealing the purple-gold rift. Floating World Star Inference True Monarch stood in the void, the Star Disc in his hand spinning as countless phantom stars emerged and starlight cascaded down.

The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas simultaneously revealed their true forms. The four True Dragons occupied the four directions. Their mighty dragon aura suppressed the entire Celestial Vault, rendering it completely motionless.

A black-robed elder brought out an ancient mirror; wherever the mirror’s light passed, the void solidified and time stopped. An elegant True Monarch in a moon-white Daoist Robe held a jade ruyi, gently tapping it; every clear sound triggered a resonance with the Heaven and Earth Laws. A one-armed True Monarch carrying an Ancient Sword on his back unleashed Sword Qi that pierced the sky, every strike landing on the weak points of the rifts…

Dozens of True Monarchs and dozens of Great Daos erupted simultaneously at this moment. The scene was like seven worlds collapsing all at once, or like dozens of Ancient Gods descending upon the world at the same time. Above the Celestial Vault, lights of various colors intertwined and collided, illuminating the entire Heaven and Earth in bizarre and dazzling hues.

Under the impact of this torrent, the seven rifts trembled violently, with countless fine cracks appearing at their edges.

But the Dao Kings remained completely unmoved.

The World Honored One’s Buddha’s Hand reached out and gently waved. The movement was unhurried, as if brushing a fallen leaf from his shoulder. But with just this gentle wave, Desolate Halberd Splitting Sky True Monarch’s Great Halberd, which was capable of tearing apart stars, was deflected by an invisible force, and fine cracks appeared on the halberd’s shaft. Desolate Halberd True Monarch let out a muffled groan. The webbing between his thumb and forefinger split open, scattering blood across the void. His figure retreated violently for hundreds of miles before he barely managed to stabilize himself.

“The power of an ant,” the World Honored One said indifferently. There was no contempt in his tone, only the calmness of stating a fact.

Within the pitch-black abyss, that dark figure raised a finger and flicked it gently toward the direction of Wu Dao. A wisp of black thread flew out silently, ignoring Wu Dao’s Gui Wu Dao Rhyme as it shot straight toward his glabella. Wu Dao’s expression changed slightly, and his figure rapidly retreated. At the same time, he waved his hands continuously, stacking countless streams of the Power of Returning to Nothingness into layers of barriers. But wherever the black thread passed, all the barriers were like paper, collapsing at the slightest touch. Ultimately, the black thread brushed past his ear, silently erasing a floating immortal mountain behind him—not shattering it, but completely erasing it from the level of existence.

Within the grey-blue rift, the phantom of that Ancient Sword brightened slightly. A stream of Sword Qi slashed out silently, splitting Qingyuan Dao Seeking True Monarch’s cyan sword light in two. With unabated momentum, it slashed straight toward the ocean phantom manifested by Vast Sea Dust True Monarch. A bottomless rift was cleaved into the ocean phantom. Vast Sea Dust True Monarch turned pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Within the dark red Blood Sea, a pale hand reached out and gently squeezed toward Lady Jiu Li’s nine fire dragons. The fire dragons wailed in unison as their bodies shattered inch by inch, turning into a sky full of drifting sparks. Lady Jiu Li groaned weakly. The flames around her flickered erratically as she stumbled backward.

From within the pale white rift, the moon-white figure gently tapped the jade ruyi in its hand. The clear sound pierced through Nine Revolutions Undying True Monarch’s Golden Body, penetrated his Protective Divine Light, and landed straight into the depths of his Heart and Spirit. Nine Revolutions Undying True Monarch’s body jolted as blood seeped from his seven orifices. His undying Golden Body, capable of withstanding a full-force blow from a True Monarch, unexpectedly developed countless fine cracks.

Within the deep blue rift, the ocean suddenly surged. An ice crystal chain shot out from the depths of the sea, ignoring King Saint True Monarch’s Vast Righteous and wrapping around his Scroll. The chain tightened, and the characters on the Scroll dimmed and disappeared one by one.

Within the purple-gold rift, the figure wearing the Heaven-Peace Crown raised a hand and gently swept it toward Everlasting Talisman Inference True Monarch’s sky full of Talismans. All the Talismans exploded simultaneously, transforming into a sky full of golden light particles. Everlasting Talisman Inference True Monarch looked as if he had suffered a heavy blow. Spewing blood from his mouth, he flew backward.

Floating World Star Inference True Monarch’s Star Disc trembled violently, with cracks appearing on its surface. He himself was shaken by an invisible force, causing his qi and blood to roil. The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas’ dragon aura was swept by a single glance from the purple-gold figure. The four True Dragons let out agonized dragon roars at the same time. Countless fine cracks appeared on their dragon bodies, and Dragon Blood rained down.

One strike. It was merely one strike.

The combined efforts of dozens of True Monarchs were actually like paper before the Dao Kings. It wasn’t that they were too weak, but that the Dao Kings were too strong. Even if their Status had been dragged down and their power suppressed, they were still existences standing at the pinnacle of this realm. Their Daos, their magics, and their wills had all been tempered through eternal ages, far beyond what ordinary True Monarchs could compare to.

“Everyone.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it clearly entered every single rift. “Qi still has one helper who has yet to act.”

“Oh?” The World Honored One’s voice came over, still peaceful. “Who else?”

Qi Yun raised his gaze and looked toward the depths of the void, toward the direction of that transcendent Longevity Immortal Island.

“Ancestral Master,” he said calmly. “If you do not act now, when will you?”

From the depths of the void came a long sigh. That sigh was very soft and very faint.

“Sigh…”

A figure slowly walked out from the depths of the void. He wore a profound black Daoist Robe. His face was ordinary, yet his eyes seemed to contain the birth and death of eternal Star Rivers and the origin of the Great Dao. No aura leaked from his body whatsoever, but simply by standing there, he became the center of this Heaven and Earth.

Shen Yi Preaching True Monarch.

“Kid.” He looked at Qi Yun, a gentle smile curling at the corners of his mouth. “You certainly know how to pick the right time.”

Qi Yun cupped his hands slightly. “Forgive me, Ancestral Master.”

True Monarch Shen Yi waved his hand and said no more. He turned around, looking at the seven rifts, at the seven Dao Kings, and at those seven cold gazes.

“Fellow Daoists,” he slowly spoke. His voice was peaceful, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty. “We have not met for an eternity. I trust you have been well since we last met.”

The World Honored One’s voice came from the golden rift. It remained peaceful, but it carried an extremely faint trace of coldness. “Shen Yi, a traitor like you dares to show up?”

“Traitor?” True Monarch Shen Yi chuckled lightly. “Walking different paths means we cannot work together. Where does this talk of being a traitor come from?”

He didn’t give the World Honored One another chance to speak. He raised his right hand and pressed it gently toward the seven rifts.

“BOOM—!!!”

An indescribably terrifying power erupted from his palm. Like an eternal river hanging upside down, or the stars of the heavens plummeting, it crashed down heavily toward the seven rifts!

The seven rifts trembled in unison!

The gazes of the seven Dao Kings finally underwent a genuine change.

“Shen Yi!” The World Honored One’s voice turned icy. “How dare you…”

“Dare?” True Monarch Shen Yi interrupted him, the smile on his lips still gentle. “I even dared to sever my own position as a Dao King. What is there that I do not dare to do?”

He retracted his palm and looked at Qi Yun. “Little friend, I’ll leave the rest to you.”

Qi Yun nodded slightly.

As those words fell, he took a step forward. His figure transformed into a streak of Chaotic Flowing Light, crashing straight toward the golden rift!

Behind him, the dozens of True Monarchs moved simultaneously. Dozens of Great Daos and dozens of powers formed a destructive torrent, closely following Qi Yun as they crashed into the seven rifts!

The Celestial Vault exploded, and the void collapsed!

Under the impact of this torrent, the seven rifts violently trembled, with countless fine cracks appearing at their edges!

The gazes of the seven Dao Kings were finally no longer calm.