383: They've come together!

The three of them directly ignored Yue Hanshan.

They disdained associating with such a crude and boorish brute!

However, the minds of the several individuals rapidly reached a consensus!

Almost at the exact moment the sea of Divine Thoughts dissipated, four beams of light, each of a different color yet equally vast and majestic, shot up into the sky from the peaks of four mountains.

They then streaked across the firmament, heading directly towards the Five Elements Dao Palace... Inside the great hall, the extraordinary phenomena were reaching their conclusion.

Yun Chenzi sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Five-colored spiritual light flowed from the apertures all over his body, and beneath his skin, a faint, gentle jade-like luster was faintly visible—a sign of the qualitative transformation of his magical power, a return to pristine simplicity.

The white of Metal, the azure of Wood, the black of Water, the crimson of Fire, and the yellow of Earth were no longer distinctly separate. Instead, they slowly converged three feet above his head, merging into two streams of more fundamental energies.

One was clear and light, appearing as a hazy, pure white, gently rising as if to ascend to the highest heavens.

The other was turbid and heavy, manifesting as a profound and mysterious black, sinking heavily downward as if returning to the Nine Nether Yellow Springs.

The black and white energies intertwined like two agile swimming dragons.

The faint dividing line between them flickered in and out of sight, vaguely outlining the mysterious, nascent, yet incomplete form of the Yin-Yang Taiji symbol.

It was as if the clear and the turbid had just separated, as if Yin and Yang had just begun to divide!

Although Perfection had not yet been reached and the Great Ultimate (Taiji) was not fully formed, the profound flavor originating from the Great Dao of Yin and Yang had already permeated the entire hall, causing a subtle transformation.

Yun Chenzi felt an unprecedented clarity and purity surging forth from the very depths of his Golden Core. The essence of his magical power underwent a fundamental metamorphosis, becoming increasingly condensed and refined.

As it circulated through his meridians, its resonance with the Laws of Heaven and Earth was clearly perceptible.

When all the extraordinary phenomena had completely subsided and integrated into his being, Yun Chenzi suddenly opened his eyes.

His pupils were no longer ordinary; only the black and white colors swirled ceaselessly within, resembling two miniature Taiji diagrams imprinted there, profound as abysses, reflecting the mysteries of the Great Dao.

He slowly raised his right hand and gently clenched it into a fist.

He did not use a single trace of magical power; it was merely the purest physical action.

However, the Void Realm around his fist rippled with visible undulations.

This was a natural resonance with space, caused by the elevation of his power level following the leap in the essence of his life.

"The Five Calamities have reached Perfection; a preliminary glimpse into Yin and Yang!"

He murmured to himself, his voice calm and steady, but the joy deep within those black-and-white eyes was impossible to conceal.

This time, with his back against the wall, he had gambled correctly!

Not only had he survived the most perilous Bi Wind Calamity, but he had also used the invasive delusions of the Earthly Tribulation's Heart Demon to reshape his Dao Heart.

Now, his Dao Heart was perfectly integrated and flawless, impervious to external demons.

His current strength was far more than just a notch above what it was before the Breakthrough!

At that very moment, a thought stirred within him. His black-and-white eyes turned towards the direction of the Dao Palace entrance, and a faint arc slowly curved at the corner of his mouth. The smile did not reach his eyes; instead, it carried a hint of coldness.

"The several of you truly never visit this humble abode without a reason."

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly pierced through the hall doors, echoing in the corridor outside.

The tone seemed calm on the surface, yet it contained mockery and detachment within.

To say he harbored no resentment whatsoever towards these four fellow sect members for their recent inaction was impossible.

Although the path of cultivation is often cold and indifferent, prioritizing self-interest above all,

being fellow disciples of the same sect for hundreds of years, to stand idly by at a critical moment—anyone would find a thorn lodged in their heart.

As soon as he spoke these words, the air outside the hall doors seemed to freeze for an instant.

The next moment, the hall doors silently swung open.

Four figures entered together: Pei Lingxu, Evergreen Elder, Yue Hanshan, and Su Ruoli.

The expressions on their faces varied.

Pei Lingxu remained expressionless as ever, but his gaze was deeper than usual.

Evergreen Elder wore his habitual gentle smile, though upon closer inspection, it seemed somewhat forced.

Su Ruoli's expression was cool and detached. Her gaze swept over Yun Chenzi, lingering briefly on his pair of dual-colored eyes, where a flicker of unusual brilliance flashed deep within.

Yue Hanshan, however, seemed utterly oblivious to the awkward atmosphere. He remained as boisterous as ever, even rubbing his bald head and grinning.

"Congratulations, Junior Brother Yun, on breaking through to a new realm and advancing further on the Dao path!"

The four of them spoke almost simultaneously, smiling as they cupped their hands in congratulations towards Yun Chenzi.

However, after these formalities were uttered, they received no reply whatsoever. Yun Chenzi sat there motionless, appearing utterly composed and at ease.

Seeing this, they exchanged glances. Finally, Evergreen Elder was the first to step forward half a pace. He lightly flicked his whisk, his smile widening a bit more.

"Just now, we sensed the surging aura from the Five Elements Dao Palace and the faint emergence of Yin-Yang dao rhyme. We knew Junior Brother must have overcome the difficulties and achieved great progress in your cultivation. This is a blessing for our Qingming Immortal Sect. Congratulations!"

Upon hearing this, Yun Chenzi still remained seated motionless. He merely gave a slight nod and replied in a flat tone,

"I appreciate the concern of my Senior Brothers and Sister. However, I was merely fortunate not to have turned to ashes amidst the tribulation."

These words, delivered without warmth or enthusiasm, caused the atmosphere in the hall to stagnate once more.

Yue Hanshan was someone who couldn't hold back his words. Seeing the situation, he blurted out,

"Yun Chenzi, stop being so sarcastic here. Regarding your recent troubles, we didn't intervene, but you have to understand. Your opponent clearly came prepared. If we rashly got involved, we might not have helped; we could have just made things worse!"

His words were blunt, even somewhat unreasonable, but they offered a barely passable explanation.

Yun Chenzi sneered inwardly, but his expression softened slightly.

He knew the dispositions of these individuals well. Yue Hanshan might appear rough and straightforward, but his words likely reflected the shared sentiment of the group.

The Cultivation World isn't just about fighting and killing; there's also human relationships and, more importantly, the need to assess the situation.

Previously, he had seemed to be in a desperate situation. Their choice to stand by and watch was actually the norm in the Cultivation World—avoiding involvement in matters that didn't concern them.

But now that he had demonstrated greater value and potential, their change in attitude to mend relations was also standard procedure.

If he kept putting on airs and refused to relent despite being in the right, he would only appear petty.

"Senior Brother Yue exaggerates," Yun Chenzi said, his tone slightly gentler. "Such petty tricks could not shake my Dao Heart. It's just that being wounded by a hidden arrow still leaves some displeasure in my heart."

Seeing Yun Chenzi's attitude soften, Pei Lingxu seized the moment to speak, cutting straight to the main point.

"Junior Brother Yun, the one who targeted you this time employed ruthless and precise methods, exposing almost all the preparations you made for your Nascent Soul Dao path to the world.

Such a style of action is hardly the result of ordinary enmity. Does Junior Brother know who exactly went to such lengths with such meticulous planning?"

Yun Chenzi glanced at the four of them, knowing this was the main purpose of their visit today—both to show goodwill and to gather information.

After all, everyone feared the day they might provoke such a person and have all their secrets laid bare.

They lacked the confidence to rebuild from ruin like Yun Chenzi had, so they wanted to find out from him to better prepare themselves.

Yun Chenzi pondered briefly but did not conceal the truth.

Because concealing it was meaningless. In fact, everyone probably had a good idea already; they just wanted to hear him confirm it personally.

Thus, Yun Chenzi briefly recounted the cause and effect, specifically highlighting the "Tianji Zhuge Family" and the person behind this incident—Zhuge Xuanji!