Chapter 1655: Shuyue Finally Transcends
The last Bronze King was the collective embodiment of every ancient bronze civilization that had ever existed throughout the Mountain and Sea.
And the Dao Chronicle Projection Pearl was a perfect replication of every divine ability, technique, and maneuver that had ever appeared, from inception to conclusion, within a certain line of possibility.
It was an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, a clash of titans perfectly matched.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
An infinite torrent of light and heat erupted in the Shuo Xinghai at the very instant of their collision.
Even those who were only caught in the periphery, not at the heart of the cataclysm, were struck with horror.
The survivors of the Guangwu and Shuo Xinghai stared, their faces etched with terror.
“Everyone, we must stand together to weather this storm!” Bai Shuyue’s voice rang out like a thunderclap.
An eternal cloak materialized upon her shoulders. Deep within the core of the Dao Net, from beneath the black mountains and white waters that suppressed the Immeasurable Wall, Bai Shuyue took a great leap, vaulting into the open.
“Dao Net, empower me!” Bai Shuyue murmured.
As if an extension of her own will, the Shuo Xinghai’s Dao Net contracted once more, shrinking smaller and smaller.
Ultimately, it transformed into a gossamer veil shimmering with a dreamlike luminescence, draping itself over Bai Shuyue’s form.
She hadn’t broken the restriction left by Cheng Dao to exit the Dao Net’s core. Instead, she had inverted the Dao Net, wearing it upon her person.
This was how she manifested herself within the star sea!
Even after a millennium of enlightenment, her current power was still insufficient to support the entire Dao Net, especially not after it had been so heavily damaged in the great battle.
But the Great Dao Befalling Body division, led by Nangong Fusheng, shouldered the vast majority of the pressure for her.
And every cultivator within the Myriad Immortals Array acted as her limbs, assisting her, allowing her to manipulate the Dao Net with exquisite precision.
“Is this what it feels like to be truly powerful?”
At this moment, Bai Shuyue had effectively focused the entire power of the Dao Net upon herself. She had surpassed the limits of ordinary Nameless True Immortals, her fingers brushing against the very threshold of transcendence.
Standing upon such a precipice, her every touch, thought, and sight was vastly different from before.
Combined with her heaven-defying aptitude, epiphanies stormed through her mind every single moment, an endless tempest of comprehension.
Even as she attained enlightenment, Bai Shuyue was desperately resisting the shockwave from the clash between the Dao Chronicle Projection and the last Bronze King.
It was like facing a combined assault from two peerless masters. Under this immense pressure, every second of every minute, Bai Shuyue frantically converted her newfound insights into tangible power.
Constantly on the brink of life and death, it should have been impossible, theoretically, to remain so calm.
But Bai Shuyue possessed the ability of endless reincarnation. Faced with the threat of annihilation, she remained utterly serene from beginning to end.
As the True Immortals who tried to escape were obliterated in the shockwave; as the Nameless within the Dao Net hysterically poured their energy into the collective defense under the threat of death; as the central figures of the Guangwu Xinghai were stunned by the sheer power of the collision...
Bai Shuyue simply observed it all in silence, her mind free of distractions. She did everything in her power to resolve the impending impact.
The projections from the river of time seemed infinite.
The bronze civilizations, too, had once covered mountains and seas.
Before this violent explosion, even time itself seemed to lose all meaning.
But eventually, the infinite light began to dim.
The entirety of the Shuo Xinghai had been all but destroyed.
The Dao Annihilation tide seized the opportunity, surging in to swallow it whole.
Only the High Wall and the Dao Net remained.
Under the protection of Shou Qiu's spectral image, the High Wall, though impacted, remained relatively intact. But it had clearly suffered significant damage, and the Dao Annihilation tide, as if sensing a weakness, swarmed it with renewed vigor.
And under Bai Shuyue's command, the Dao Net, though eighty percent of it was destroyed, had ultimately survived the calamity.
And then...
A mysterious, nascent power surged from the Dao Net’s core like a spring, rapidly repairing the shattered Dao threads.
The True Immortals and Nameless True Immortals who had served as the pillars of the Dao Net but had tragically perished in the cataclysm seemed to be resurrected. Their Dao paths reappeared!
But if one were to trace the direction from which these Dao threads were re-emerging, they would find that all these new threads originated from a single source.
Bai Shuyue!
Compared to who she was before the collision, she was like a different person entirely.
In that moment that felt both instantaneous and eternal, Bai Shuyue had meticulously controlled and maintained the Dao Net's existence while imprinting every change around her into her mind.
The transformations of the True Immortals' Dao paths, the divine abilities recorded in the Dao Chronicle Projection, the ancient tales of the bronze civilization.
Even the annihilation of possibilities, the subtle ripples of the Dao Annihilation tide...
For others, this was an apocalyptic disaster. For Bai Shuyue, it was a golden opportunity for enlightenment.
The terrifying spirituality she had accumulated over more than thirty lifetimes was unleashed to its fullest in this scene.
She had completely mastered the Dao paths of the True Immortals who had fallen in the catastrophe, which was why she could recreate them with such ease.
The Dao Net had lost eighty percent of its structure.
But compared to the Shuo Xinghai, the Guangwu Xinghai's losses were even more catastrophic.
Of more than a hundred True Immortals, only thirteen survived.
One of the two Nameless True Immortals leading them had also fallen.
However, the full display of their divine abilities in their final struggles had become nourishment for Bai Shuyue's enlightenment.
“In a way, I suppose I’ve also achieved the path of proving my Dao through slaughtering immortals.”
“Although, I wasn’t the one who did the slaughtering.”
Bai Shuyue looked toward the somewhat dazed Yuan Shu.
Although the Dao Chronicle Projection had ultimately triumphed over the Bronze King, it too was grievously wounded.
The phantoms recorded within it had grown dim and fragile. It was uncertain if it could be used again.
“Still, our initial goal was more or less accomplished.”
“It’s just that the price was unexpectedly steep,” Yuan Shu said with a bitter smile.
Sizing up the mysterious Bai Shuyue, whose aura was now unfathomable, he could only retreat in defeat.
They merely settled on the time for exchanging the [Shadow Projection for Dao Bearing] technique and for observing the Transcendent Remains.
“The Guangwu Xinghai wielded such a devastating weapon, yet they didn’t inform us beforehand. Their intentions are malicious!”
“If that Bronze King hadn’t been far stronger than expected, forcing his hand, our fate would likely be even worse than this,” Chaos growled, his voice thick with undisguised killing intent.
His old friends, Shanhua and Wansheng, had both died in this disaster.
He had completely lost all trust in the treacherous Guangwu Xinghai.
As for their promise to let them view the Transcendent Remains, he was even more unwilling to believe it.
The other Nameless Immortals, sobered by the tragic events, also put aside their greedy thoughts.
Within the entire surviving Dao Net, only Bai Shuyue remained resolute.
“There is no need for concern, everyone. Having paid such a heavy price, how can we possibly give up the reward they promised?”
“I shall go to the meeting myself, draped in the Dao Net.”
“I will trade the [Shadow Projection for Dao Bearing] for the opportunity to observe the Transcendent Remains.”
The cultivators of the Dao Net reacted in various ways.
Some were anxious to dissuade her, others felt their greed rekindled, and still others were lost in thought, their excitement palpable.
But regardless, Bai Shuyue’s decision was final.
Given her performance during the calamity, where she had single-handedly turned the tide and saved them from ruin, no one could object.
In the two years that followed, without the lure of immortal bait, the Dao Annihilation tide around the Dao Net gradually subsided.
A new starry expanse began to grow, with the rebuilt Dao Net as its skeleton.
Though it was also named Shuo Xinghai, it was a different entity altogether.
And from the darkness, in the direction of the Guangwu Xinghai, one could occasionally sense ripples from the Dao Annihilation tide. It was clear that the Guangwu Xinghai’s efforts to sever other immortal baits had not yet ended.
The agreed-upon time had long passed, but Yuan Shu still had not appeared.
The immortals of the Dao Net all believed the other party had deliberately broken their promise and cursed them incessantly.
Bai Shuyue, however, continued to gaze silently into the distance, waiting patiently.
“It seems the Guangwu Xinghai has run into more trouble than anticipated.”
Years flowed by, and it wasn't until thirty-three years later that the ripples from the other side finally ceased.
“It’s time.” A sharp glint flashed in Bai Shuyue’s eyes.
She did not wait for someone from the Guangwu Xinghai to come to her. Instead, she took the initiative to go to them!
With a single thought, the Dao Net once again transformed into a shimmering veil and draped itself over her.
Bai Shuyue took a light, graceful step into the Dao Annihilation tide before her.
Like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, she sent ripples spreading through the tide.
But Bai Shuyue was not consumed by the Dao Annihilation.
Instead, with ethereal steps, she walked upon the tide, rapidly traversing towards the Guangwu Xinghai!
In her previous life, Bai Shuyue had survived by drifting through the Dao Annihilation tide with the help of her eternal cloak and the Dao Net.
In this life, after a millennium of accumulation and the enlightenment she gained from the collision, the current Bai Shuyue now possessed the power to traverse the tide for short periods!
The cultivators within the Dao Net were carried along with her, shuttling through the tide. Their excitement was irrepressible. At the same time, they dared not be careless, and each performed their duties to maintain the stability of the gossamer veil.
The journey was smooth and uneventful.
When they finally emerged from the Dao Annihilation tide and arrived in a brand-new, vibrant star sea, the cultivators felt as if they were in another world, lost in a dream.
Bai Shuyue, clad in the Dao Net, emerged from her journey across the tide.
Such a grand entrance naturally attracted the immediate attention of the Guangwu Xinghai.
Figures flew from all directions, surrounding her. They all possessed the power of Nameless True Immortals, and Yuan Shu was among them.
“It’s you?! You can traverse the Dao Annihilation tide? How is that possible?” Yuan Shu was utterly astonished when he recognized Bai Shuyue.
Bai Shuyue smiled. “If you can come, then so can I. The time has come, and I am here to fulfill our agreement.”
Facing the siege of numerous Nameless Immortals, Bai Shuyue, who had come alone, appeared completely at ease, without a trace of fear.
After a deathly silence, and a period of discussion, the Guangwu Xinghai ultimately decided to treat her as a guest.
It was not that they truly feared Bai Shuyue. It was that her timing was simply too impeccable.
In their period of weakness after the great battle, their chances of winning a fight were not high.
Moreover, the Guangwu Xinghai truly could not withstand another major conflict so soon.
And so, escorted by a host of immortals, Bai Shuyue arrived at the foot of the Angler’s Embankment.
A dense array of over a hundred celestial pillars surrounded nine central ones.
From the inside out, they ranged from weak to strong, forming a terraced dam that attracted the Dao Annihilation tide.
“So, this is the Guangwu Xinghai’s method of fishing the Dao Annihilation tide.”
“The principle is simple, yet effective.” Bai Shuyue saw through the mystery at a glance and nodded to herself.
“Open!” the immortals of the Guangwu Xinghai chanted together in low voices.
In the central area surrounded by the hundred pillars, an undercurrent began to stir, and the Dao Annihilation tide rose and fell like waves.
It was as if something within the tide was being drawn out.
Before long, a few faint points of light floated up from the central abyss of the tide.
At first, they were like a sky full of stars.
As the chanting of the Guangwu immortals grew more urgent, these specks of light grew brighter and brighter.
They became dazzling!
The brilliance was even greater than that of the collision between the Dao Chronicle Projection and the Bronze King.
The hundred celestial pillars of the embankment suddenly lit up in unison, shooting out countless threads like ropes that entwined the starlight.
“Open!” the Guangwu immortals cried out in unison once more.
A figure, looking somewhat frail, was slowly dragged out from the vortex.
Though it appeared solitary and alone, it seemed to carry the weight of mountains and seas!
All the Guangwu immortals seemed to be under immense pressure, their auras surging to their absolute peak.
And the hundred pillars of the embankment also began to tilt at varying degrees.
The source of all this pressure was the figure that had just emerged from the Dao Annihilation tide!
The gossamer veil of the Dao Net on Bai Shuyue’s body rustled as if blown by a great wind.
The immortals within the Dao Net stared, unblinking, at the Transcendent Remains.
Their hearts pounded with emotion.
“So this is...”
“Transcendence?”
They stared intently for a long time, expecting a flood of insights to wash over them.
However...
Although they knew the figure was a transcendent being, why it was transcendent, and the mysteries therein, were impossible to discern.
“This...?”
The immortals exchanged bewildered glances.
The gap between their expectations and reality was too vast. Unwilling to give up, they continued to observe.
But the result was no different.
The secret of transcendence, even when right before their eyes, was not something they could fathom.
The cultivators of the Dao Net slowly began to understand why the Guangwu Xinghai, despite possessing these remains, chose only to use them as immortal bait.
“To be in a mountain of treasure, yet unable to recognize its true face.”
“What a pity, what a shame, what a tragedy!”
The immortals were dejected.
The people of the Guangwu Xinghai, seeing the state of the Dao Net immortals, did not mock them.
Because... they were the same.
Of everyone present, only Bai Shuyue was different.
What the others saw was merely a half-decayed husk.
But in Bai Shuyue’s eyes, what she saw was a Solitary Sail upon the Mountain and Sea!
“The Mountain and Sea are boundless, yet a solitary sail can cross it...”
“So this is transcendence. *This* is transcendence.”
Bai Shuyue murmured to herself, the joy in her heart overflowing.
The Dao of the Transcendent Remains before her was not her own Dao.
But it pointed the way for her.
Ever since she began her cultivation, Bai Shuyue had always relied on her own explorations.
Though she had received occasional guidance from the Immeasurable Wall and Cheng Dao, they had not laid out a clear path for her.
It was only now...
When Bai Shuyue saw with her own eyes a complete Transcendent Vestige, that she truly saw the direction she should take.
“The Dao Annihilation of the Mountain and Sea blocks the path, so we must each cross it with our own divine abilities.”
“We must walk our own unique path...”
As if in response to Bai Shuyue’s thoughts, the dormant sail on the Transcendent Remains suddenly unfurled!
In that instant, Bai Shuyue felt as if she were standing on that wooden boat, beneath that solitary sail.
All around her was the vast, boundless Mountain and Sea, and the endless Dao Annihilation!
“Hm?”
But Bai Shuyue suddenly snapped out of her excited state of enlightenment.
Because she inexplicably discovered that on this solitary sail, besides herself, there were other blurry figures.
And what was more, the figure before her was incredibly familiar!
(End of this chapter)
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