214: The battle for the top ten
Even after defeating Li Daoyi and entering the top twenty, Liu Qingtian did not feel the slightest relaxation. He clearly understood that those who could occupy the twenty dao platforms closest to the Peak were all monsters among monsters, and the recently defeated Li Daoyi might not even rank among the foremost of them.
He needed time to fully digest the gains from his battle with Li Daoyi, integrating the essence of that sliver of "Dao Severing" Sword Intent completely into his Myriad Manifestations Returning to Ruin Dao, making it more complete and aggressive.
Just as he closed his eyes and focused his mind, sensing his own changes, a sound transmission quietly rang out in his heart.
"Fellow Daoist, please."
Liu Qingtian opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the voice. It was a dao platform located not far above and to his side, shrouded in hazy starlight. On the dao platform, a middle-aged Daoist wearing a Star Daoist Robe, with his hair tied up in a high bun and a simple, ancient face, nodded slightly toward him. This person's aura was profound, as if merged with the surrounding stars, and he was none other than the "Seeker of the Dao," whom Liu Qingtian had met once before.
"What is it?" Liu Qingtian responded. He held no ill will toward this Daoist, whose aura was unique and who seemed not to be focused on fighting.
"Congratulations, Fellow Daoist, on your progress on the Dao and your defeat of a formidable enemy." The Seeker of the Dao's tone remained gentle. "This humble Daoist observes that your Dao, which merges the concepts of termination and severance, has truly opened a new path. However, rigidity cannot last, and extreme sharpness is easily broken. Fellow Daoist, are you aware that the path ahead contains those skilled in using softness to overcome hardness and controlling the substantial with the insubstantial?"
Liu Qingtian's gaze shifted slightly: "I would like to hear the details."
The Seeker of the Dao smiled faintly and did not keep him guessing, transmitting his voice directly: "Among those occupying the top ten seats, there is the Successor of 'Dream Fantasy Heaven.' Their Dream Dao intertwines reality and illusion; a single thought can transform into ten thousand worlds, trapping people invisibly, and is best at wearing down willpower and the Dao Heart. There is also the possessor of the 'Chaos Body,' whose Physical Body is impervious to all techniques, forming its own Chaos, capable of dissolving all Laws, possessing nearly infinite power. Even more formidable is the 'Heavenly Mandate Child,' who is said to carry great Luck, whose words become Law. To be his enemy is like being the enemy of the Destiny of a Great World—nothing goes smoothly, and Divine Abilities collapse on their own..."
He briefly highlighted the characteristics and difficulties of several of the top ten powerhouses. Although he didn't elaborate on everything, it gave Liu Qingtian a clearer understanding of the opponents ahead. The methods used by these individuals were indeed vastly different from the straightforward attack methods he had previously encountered, being much more strange and difficult to guard against.
"Thank you for informing me." Liu Qingtian cupped his hands, noting this favor. Only by knowing yourself and your enemy can you fight a hundred battles without danger.
"You are too kind, Fellow Daoist." The Seeker of the Dao returned the gesture with a smile. "This humble Daoist also has a request here. If Fellow Daoist reaches the absolute summit, I hope you will not hesitate to share your experience and insights from exchanging blows with that person." His gaze pointedly glanced at the solitary figure at the very Peak.
Liu Qingtian looked deeply at him, then nodded: "If I gain anything, I will certainly not forget."
Satisfied, the Seeker of the Dao spoke no more, closing his eyes once again. starlight flowed around him, as if he were breathing in unison with the starry sky.
Liu Qingtian withdrew his gaze and pondered. What the Seeker of the Dao said was true; the upcoming opponents would likely require more skill and understanding of the essence of the Great Dao, rather than a pure clash of power. Although his Myriad Manifestations Returning to Ruin Dao was powerful, it needed to be used flexibly.
After regulating his breath for several days, he felt his state had reached a new Peak. The sliver of "Dao Severing" True Intent had initially merged into the Power of Guixu, making it sharper. He selected his first target—the Successor of "Dream Fantasy Heaven," a figure shrouded in a hazy, multicolored aura whose specific form could not be clearly seen.
Stepping forward, Liu Qingtian entered the Dream Dao Domain.
In an instant, the surrounding scenery drastically changed! It was as if he had left Yun Dao Cliff and fallen into a bizarre, constantly shifting dream world. Sometimes he was in a magnificent Immortal Palace, with immortal music lingering and Fairies dancing; sometimes he was trapped in boundless Purgatory, with demonic fire burning his body and ten thousand ghosts tearing at him; sometimes he returned to the moment just before the destruction of the Primordial Realm, surrounded by family and friends, enjoying peace and happiness... All sorts of real sensory impacts and illusions targeting his inner weaknesses surged like a tide, continuously assaulting his Dao Heart and eroding his will. Even more terrifying, he felt his own magic power, Divine Thought, and even his connection to the Great Dao were being subtly eroded and assimilated by this Dream Power, as if attempting to turn him entirely into a part of the dream.
"Intertwining reality and illusion, trapping people invisibly... truly formidable." Liu Qingtian stabilized his mind, using the Guixu Dao Intent to protect his Spiritual Platform, remaining unmoved by external forces. However, he found that while the simple Power of Guixu could annihilate some illusions, this dream world seemed endless and self-sustaining. Annihilating one area immediately led to the derivation of new ones, like trying to cut water with a knife.
He attempted to use the Power of Guixu, infused with the "Dao Severing" True Intent, to sever the connection between the Dream Dao Domain and its caster. However, he found that the structure of this dream world was extremely complex, tangled with Karma, and difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion, making it impossible to find its core lifeline quickly.
"Your Guixu can indeed terminate reality. But a dream is inherently illusory. How can you terminate a dream that fundamentally doesn't exist?" The ethereal voice of the Dream Fantasy Heaven Successor echoed throughout the dreamscape, carrying a hint of mockery.
Liu Qingtian remained silent, rapidly thinking while resisting the pervasive erosion of the illusions. The Power of Guixu terminates "existence." A dream, though seemingly illusory, acts upon the Cultivator's mind and affects the dao foundation of their reality; this power is itself a manifestation of "existence." It is simply an existence that is more abstract, relying more on "cognition" and "will."
"Since it acts upon the mind... then I shall start with the mind!"
A trace of determination flashed in Liu Qingtian's eyes. He stopped trying to break the external Dream Dao Domain, instead withdrawing all the Power of Guixu, along with the newly acquired "Dao Severing" sharpness, back into himself, condensing it within his Dao Heart!
"If the Heart becomes Guixu, Ten Thousand Thoughts Fall Silent!"
He intended to use his own Dao Heart to transform into the ultimate Land of Guixu! No matter your myriad illusions, thousand types of temptations, or endless erosion, I shall harbor no thought, remain impervious to all techniques, my heart like dead ash, my body like withered wood! He gathered all external thoughts, emotions, and perceptions into the Guixu of the Heart, extinguishing them completely!
In an instant, all the aura around Liu Qingtian was retracted to the extreme. He seemed to transform into a true stubborn rock, a piece of dead wood; even his life fluctuations were imperceptible. The Dream Power that had been constantly invading him seemed to lose its target upon touching this absolute "Guixu of the Heart," becoming lost and unable to affect him anymore.
The external Dream Dao Domain continued to shift, but for Liu Qingtian, whose heart was "silent," it was utterly meaningless.
"What?! You..." The astonished voice of the Dream Fantasy Heaven Successor rang out. He realized that his greatest reliance had actually failed!
Just as his mind trembled and a negligible moment of stagnation appeared in the Dao Domain—
Liu Qingtian moved!
He captured that trace of stagnation, and the "Dao Severing" sharpness, long cultivated within the Guixu of the Heart, suddenly erupted! A formless, quality-less Guixu Sword Intent, condensed to the extreme, followed that stagnation and directly struck the most core and most real point of the Dream Dao Domain!
"Shatter Illusion!"
Crack!
A sound like shattering glass echoed. The entire bizarre Dream Dao Domain violently shook, then shattered like a soap bubble! The figure shrouded in the multicolored aura let out a muffled groan, revealing a pale, handsome young man. He looked at Liu Qingtian in disbelief, finally giving a bitter smile, voluntarily dissipating his form, and exiting the dao platform.
Liu Qingtian opened his eyes again, his gaze profound, as if he had experienced thousands of lifetimes of Reincarnation, yet also clearer and more resolute. Using the heart to transform into Guixu and extinguishing ten thousand thoughts was a tremendous test and gain for him, making his Dao Heart even more indestructible.
He successfully defeated the Dream Fantasy Heaven Successor and stepped across the threshold of the top ten!
However, before he could catch his breath, a terrifying aura, seemingly originating from the Primordial Ancient Era and containing endless Chaos and tolerance, locked onto him.
Not far away, on a dao platform surrounded by Chaos Qi Currents, a blurred figure, a giant seemingly composed of countless fundamental Laws, slowly stood up, fixing a cold gaze on Liu Qingtian.
Chaos Body!