369: Chapter 365 Closing the door and locking the door, severing ties with the past, a man in a green robe returns to the inn.

The air at the bottom of the abyss felt as if it had been infused with millions of tons of heavy lead.

The blurry, giant hand attempting to reach out from the gap in the bronze door was formed entirely from the purest and most overbearing Heavenly Dao Laws of the Immortal-Demon Great World. The textures on its surface were not human palm lines, but rather shadows of surging galaxies. One half emitted a brilliant immortal light that could blind one's eyes, while the other half rolled with a pitch-black demonic mist that swallowed all light.

The hand had not yet fully emerged; only a few fingers were hooked onto the edge of the door's gap.

"Crack... crack, crack..."

The fragile spatial barriers of the Qingping Realm let out a sound of being overstretched and breaking. Massive black spatial cracks, centered around the bronze door, spread frantically in all directions like a spiderweb.

A violent Cross-realm Astral Wind poured in through the cracks, causing the rubble and dust on the ground to instantly annihilate.

The Heavenly Dao will of the Immortal-Demon Great World was using this giant hand to unscrupulously scan this low-dimensional mud pit. It was searching for the culprit who had destroyed its perfect Experimental Specimen, intending to use the blood of billions of living beings in this world to wash away the shame of the specimen's destruction.

Shitou sat paralyzed on the ground, his eyes rolled back and blood trickling from his seven orifices.

The green Origin of Heaven-Opening that had just awakened within him instinctively shrunk to the deepest part of his heart the moment it felt this cross-realm Heavenly Dao pressure. This was an absolute suppression stemming from the level of life itself, as if an ant were looking up at a Divine Dragon above the Nine Heavens, unable to even muster the thought of resistance.

"Bi... big brother..." a hoarse, airy murmur escaped Shitou's throat as his consciousness drifted to the edge of a blur.

Zhou Wannian stood quietly where he was.

The wild wind whipped his faded green robe, his sleeves fluttering.

He slightly tilted his chin, his eyes as deep as an ancient well, staring directly at the approaching giant immortal-demon hand.

On that handsome and easygoing face, there was no terror, nor was there the gravity of facing a formidable enemy.

He merely frowned slightly, a hint of pure annoyance flashing in his eyes.

"Hit the young, and the old shows up."

Zhou Wannian's tone was steady, yet his voice was eerily clear amidst the world-shaking roar.

"Do you cowards hiding in High-dimensional Worlds think that just by sticking a claw through a crack in the door, you can casually crush the ants in someone else's yard?"

He did not reach for a willow branch, nor did he activate the world-destroying power of his inner universe.

Facing this giant hand that represented the Heavenly Dao will of a middle-rank Major Thousand World, Zhou Wannian simply made the most instinctive gesture an ordinary Mortal would make when encountering an annoying fly or mosquito.

He took a steady and relaxed step.

Braving the terrifying pressure that tore through the void, he stepped right in front of the bronze door.

And then.

He raised his slender, fair right hand, which showed no True Qi fluctuations.

With his palm facing outward.

Facing the heavy door panel being forced open and that giant hand of Law hooked on the edge of the gap.

Plainly.

Casually.

He slapped it.

"Slap."

A crisp sound, like a slap to the face during a street brawl between market shrews, abruptly rang out at the bottom of the abyss.

The sound wasn't loud, yet it possessed an indescribable clarity and resonance.

At the ten-thousandth of a second when Zhou Wannian's palm touched the bronze door panel.

He infused the Great Perfection Space Law directly into the underlying structure of the door panel in the most brutal and primitive way.

There was no complex deduction of formation patterns, nor any profound superposition of hand Seals.

Zhou Wannian used the simplest and most violent method: "welding it shut."

"Hum—"

An invisible and intangible force of Space Collapse, yet unimaginably heavy, instantly swept across the massive bronze door with Zhou Wannian's palm as the center.

The giant immortal-demon hand of Law that was hooked on the edge of the gap, preparing to exert force.

The moment it came into contact with this Space Collapse force.

It was like being placed into a billion-ton hydraulic press.

"Bang!"

There was no room for resistance.

The galaxy-like finger bones, condensed from pure Heavenly Dao Laws, shattered directly into a sky full of void-like points of light.

The will of the Immortal-Demon Great World behind the door let out a scream so shrill it defied description. This cry crossed the barriers of dimensions and echoed at the bottom of the Qingping Realm's abyss, causing the surrounding rock walls to peel off.

It wanted to pull its hand back.

But.

Zhou Wannian's right hand, pressed against the door panel, showed no sign of letting go.

"Since you've reached your hand over, don't be in such a hurry to pull it back."

Zhou Wannian's tone was cold, carrying an unquestionable death sentence.

His palm gave a sudden jolt.

"Close for me."

"Creak— Boom!"

The giant bronze door, massive enough to support the vault of heaven, erupted with a closing speed exceeding the speed of light under Zhou Wannian's seemingly casual palm strike.

The dark-green door panels, carrying the absolute mass of the Great Perfection Space Law, slammed together violently.

The remains of the giant immortal-demon hand that hadn't been pulled back in time were forcibly caught in the gap of the door by this terrifying closing force.

"Riiip!"

It was like a guillotine cutting through dry grass.

The half of the giant hand of Law outside the door was instantly severed, turning into a turbulent storm of energy that raged in the abyss for a moment before dissipating into nothingness.

And at the moment the bronze door completely closed.

Zhou Wannian's Great Perfection Space Law transformed into countless invisible Dimensional Chains.

These chains directly penetrated the material of the bronze door, welding it tightly and seamlessly to the lowest spatial coordinates of the Qingping Realm.

Originally, this door was just a passage connecting two worlds, and gaps still remained on the door panels.

But now.

This door had become a wall.

An absolute dead wall forged from the Great Perfection Space Law, which even a high-dimensional Heavenly Dao could not peer through in the slightest.

Be it the Immortal-Demon Great World, the Absolute Truth Realm, or the Taiwu Ancestral Court.

As long as Zhou Wannian did not nod his head, no one could dream of letting even a sliver of wind through this door again.

At the bottom of the abyss, the deafening roar instantly vanished.

The violent Cross-realm Astral Wind calmed down.

The torn spatial cracks also slowly mended under the self-repair of the Qingping Realm's Heavenly Dao.

Everything returned to tranquility once more.

It was as if the world-destroying cross-realm collision just now had been nothing but an absurd dream.

Zhou Wannian slowly withdrew his right hand.

He looked at the dark-green giant wall before him, which had become perfectly sealed with no trace of aura leaking out.

He satisfiedly patted the dust off his hands.

"Now it's quiet."

Zhou Wannian dusted off the hem of his green robe and turned toward Shitou, who was slumped on the ground.

Shitou was currently gasping for breath, his chest heaving violently. The bloodstains on his face had been washed away by cold sweat, revealing a pale yet somewhat resolute youthful face.

As the bronze door was completely welded shut, that terrifying cross-realm pressure vanished without a trace. The green Origin of Heaven-Opening within Shitou became active again, rapidly repairing his damaged internal organs and Meridians.

"Bi... big brother..."

Shitou struggled to sit up, looking up at the approaching Zhou Wannian. In his eyes, besides awe, there was an added sense of deep reliance.

"Was... was that scary hand driven away?"

Zhou Wannian walked to him, reached out, and pulled the youth up from the cold ground.

"It wasn't driven away; the door is just shut tight."

Zhou Wannian's tone was casual, with a touch of ease.

"The wind is too strong, it's easy to catch a cold. By locking the door tight, those messy stray cats and dogs won't be able to enter our yard anymore."

Shitou nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. He looked down at his hands and squeezed his fists hard.

He felt as if an indescribable, massive power had been added to his body. This power lay dormant in his marrow and blood; although he couldn't mobilize it yet, he could clearly perceive its existence.

That was the Origin gift from the Sky-Opener of the Qingping Realm, and the most ancient vitality of this world.

It wasn't just Shitou.

At this very moment.

The entire Qingping Realm was undergoing an earth-shaking transformation.

With the blood-sucking bronze door completely welded shut, the water pump deep within the Forbidden Abyss that had locked away the Spiritual Qi of an entire world also came to a halt.

For millions of years, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi that had been suppressed, restricted, and buried deep within the earth's veins finally ushered in a massive eruption!

"Rumble!"

This was not the sound of thunder, but the roar of a Spiritual Qi blowout.

Deep within the Yunlan Mountain Range, countless visible milky-white spiritual springs broke through hard rock and soared into the sky. They transformed into a massive spiritual rain that covered tens of thousands of miles, fluttering down upon the mountains, rivers, and vegetation.

Withered thousand-year-old trees sprouted tender green branches again in the rain, instantly growing dozens of feet taller.

Sweet and clear spiritual water gushed into dried riverbeds, and there were even low-level aquatic Yao Beasts that, under the nourishment of Spiritual Qi, awakened their intelligence on the spot and kowtowed toward the sky.

The Loose Cultivators hidden throughout the mountain range, struggling in their cultivation, were drenched right through by this sudden spiritual rain.

"Wha... what is going on?"

An elderly Loose Cultivator who had been stuck at the ninth level of the Qi Refinement Stage for decades blankly reached out his hands to catch a few drops of rain.

The moment the rain touched his skin, it instantly turned into pure spiritual power and bored into his Meridians.

His shriveled Dantian, like parched land meeting sweet rain, frantically absorbed this power.

"Crack."

A soft crack sounded from within his body. The old cultivator's entire body shook, his face filled with disbelief.

The old cultivator's entire body shook, his face filled with disbelief.

Foundation Establishment Stage!

The Bottleneck that had troubled him for most of his life had actually broken through naturally in this rain!

"Heaven blesses Qingping! A great era is coming!"

The old Cultivate knelt on the muddy mountain ground, tears streaming down his face, as he roared toward the sky.

Similar scenes were playing out one after another in the Yunlan Mountain Range, the Southern Region, and even across the Central Region, Northern Border, and Eastern Sea of the entire Qingping Realm.

Those high and mighty top-tier Sects.

Inside the Ancestral Hall of the Xuantian Taoist Sect.

Sect Master Tianshuzi had just recovered from his shock and fear and was about to order the mountain to be sealed.

Suddenly.

He felt the ten-thousand-zhang main peak beneath his feet undergo a violent tremor.

Immediately after, a surge of pure Spiritual Qi, ten times—even a hundred times—denser than before, gushed out from the main Spiritual Vein deep underground, instantly permeating the entire Sect.

Several damaged ancient treasures enshrined in the main hall actually began to emit a faint treasure light under the nourishment of this Spiritual Qi.

"Spiritual Qi recovery... the shackles of heaven and earth have been broken!"

A Grand Elder's eyes widened as he felt the Spiritual Qi in the air, which was so dense it almost liquefied, and he shouted with a trembling voice.

Sect Master Tianshuzi abruptly turned his head, looking toward the Southern Region.

On his majestic face, the muscles twitched violently.

He understood.

It was that supreme existence dressed in green robes!

He hadn't just wiped out the Iron Blood Sect and shattered the star chart of the Tianji Pavilion.

He had actually, quite casually, broken the Heavenly Dao shackles that had plagued the Qingping Realm for a million years!

"Such great power... such a blessing..."

Sect Master Tianshuzi's knees buckled, and he knelt once more on the cold floor of the Ancestral Hall, bowing deeply toward the Southern Region.

"Senior's great kindness is something the living beings of the Qingping Realm could not repay even with ten thousand deaths!"

The entire Qingping Realm ushered in a glorious era that had not been seen in a million years.

Countless Prodigies would rise like bamboo shoots after rain, and those old monsters stuck at the Great Perfection Nascent Soul Stage finally saw the dawn of the Soul Transformation Stage.

And as the one who started it all.

Zhou Wannian.

He was currently leading the mud-covered young boy, Shitou, back along the original path, walking unhurriedly out of the abyss of the Yunlan Mountain Range.

Sunlight pierced through the thin clouds and shone upon them.

"Big brother, the sky seems to have become brighter, and the air smells sweet."

Shitou took a deep breath, a long-lost innocent smile appearing on his face.

Zhou Wannian walked in front with steady steps.

"The sky was always bright; it was just covered by a piece of rag before."

He did not use Shrinking the Earth to an Inch.

Strolling through this vibrant mountain forest, listening to the birdsong and watching the Spiritual Plants sprouting from the soil, his heart, which had experienced the ups and downs of countless eons, felt a rare sense of tranquility.

The two of them stopped and started as they walked.

When hungry, Zhou Wannian would pick a few wild fruits in the forest. When thirsty, he would take a few sips of mountain spring water.

For Shitou, this was the most relaxed and happy time of his life. No hunger, no pursuit, only the endless sense of security brought by this big brother beside him.

Until dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the city walls of Chunyu City a golden yellow.

Only then did they leisurely return to this Mortal city.

The scene in the city had also undergone an earth-shaking change.

Those Mortals who were originally sickly were now all glowing with health and high spirits. The disabled beggars on the streets had actually thrown away their crutches and were walking as if flying.

The air was filled with laughter and joy.

That was the most direct benefit brought by the Spiritual Qi nourishing the Physical Body.

Zhou Wannian led Shitou through the busy streets and returned to the two-story building known as the "Yuelai Inn."

The inn's fat proprietor was standing at the door, watching the lively Mortals all over the street, grinning from ear to ear.

When he saw Zhou Wannian and Shitou approaching.

The fat proprietor's smile instantly froze on his face.

He hadn't forgotten how this seemingly ordinary scholar in the teahouse during the day had turned the immortal master of the Iron Blood Sect into ash with just a breath.

"Im... Immortal Master, you're back..."

The fat proprietor's legs were shaking as he bowed and scraped to welcome them, not even daring to look at Zhou Wannian.

Zhou Wannian nodded slightly, ignoring the proprietor's fear.

He led Shitou into the inn's lobby.

"Waiter, heat a tub of hot water and send it to Heaven Grade Room No. 3. Also, prepare a few sets of clean coarse cloth clothes."

Zhou Wannian ordered casually.

He looked at Shitou beside him, who was like a mud monkey.

"Go take a bath and change into clean clothes. Since you're following me, don't always be so filthy; it hurts my eyes."

Shitou nodded vigorously, his eyes slightly red.

"Mhm! I will definitely wash myself clean!"

Night fell.

The noise of Chunyu City gradually subsided, but the dense Spiritual Qi in the air still made people feel a hundred times more energetic.

Inside Yuelai Inn, Heaven Grade Room No. 3.

After Shitou finished his bath, he changed into a clean set of grey cloth short-sleeved clothes. Although the fabric was still coarse, his whole person looked much more spirited. His skin was fair, his eyes were clear, and he faintly exuded an otherworldly aura of spiritual elegance.

He fell asleep in the servant's room next door, his breathing steady and long.

Zhou Wannian sat alone by the window of Heaven Grade Room No. 3.

Outside the window， It is the deep night view of the Yunlan Mountains.。

A bright moon hung high in the sky, its clear moonlight spilling onto the bluestone streets, creating a layer of silver-white halo.

On the square table in the room, a dim yellow candle was lit.

Zhou Wannian rested his chin on one hand.

He looked at the night scenery outside the window, his gaze calm, devoid of joy or sorrow.

Whether a great era was coming or Spiritual Qi was recovering.

To a Creation True God with a perfected inner universe like him, it was all nothing more than a breeze by the roadside; once it blew past, it was gone, leaving no trace.

What he enjoyed was just this sense of relaxation, sitting by the inn window, listening to the night watchman's clapper, and watching the lights of the Mortal World.

The night grew deep.

Zhou Wannian stood up and walked to the simple wooden bed.

He did not take off the faded green robes.

Extremely naturally, he lay down with his clothes on.

His hands were casually folded over his abdomen.

He closed his eyes.

Preparing to welcome a night of peaceful sleep.

However.

Just at the moment when his consciousness was about to sink into dreamland and completely relax.

"Zheng—"

A sound that was extremely faint.

Yet it was an extremely crisp metallic ring.

In the deepest part of his Divine Soul.

Without any warning, it rang out.

Zhou Wannian's tightly closed eyes slowly opened in the darkness.

In those eyes as deep as an ancient well, the original laziness and lack of focus instantly vanished.

In its place.

Was a coldness and sharpness that pierced through countless dimensions and stared at the ultimate Origin of the Universe.

He lay on the wooden bed, motionless.

But his Divine Sense had already sunk into his body.

In the depths of his Divine Soul.

Those 99,999 chains.

Constructed from the Great Perfection Five Elements Law to Seal his supreme inner universe.

They were quietly lying dormant.

These chains were indestructible; even he would need to use his original will to unlock them.

They isolated all contact between the inner universe and the outside world, allowing him to live peacefully in this Mortal World as a Mortal.

But now.

Among those 99,999 chains.

On the most peripheral and inconspicuous Law chain.

A faint ripple, hard to detect with the naked eye, was undulating.

That chain was vibrating.

It wasn't an impact from the internal Origin of the inner universe.

Rather.

There was an extremely hidden, extremely high-dimensional, and eerie power from the outside world.

Following some kind of Karma crack in this world.

Silently.

It had plucked at his Seal!

This power was extremely weak, so weak that even the Heavenly Dao of the Qingping Realm could not perceive it.

If Zhou Wannian's Divine Soul hadn't been sensitive to the extreme, he might have even dismissed it as an illusion.

But Zhou Wannian knew it was no illusion.

In the endless dimensions, something that could bypass his passive barrier that was immune to all Laws.

And directly touch the power of the sealing chains deep in his Divine Soul.

It was absolutely no coincidence.

Nor was it something that this lower Major Thousand Worlds could breed.

Someone.

Or rather, some kind of existence that transcended common logic.

Was in the shadows of a higher dimension, extremely covertly, testing him.

Zhou Wannian lay quietly on the bed.

Listening to the occasional howl of the night wind outside the window.

On that handsome and easygoing face, a meaningful cold smile slowly emerged.

He didn't get up to track the source of that power.

Nor did he undo the Seal to display his supreme Divine Might.

He just extremely lazily rolled over, adjusting to a more comfortable sleeping position.

"Interesting."

Zhou Wannian looked at the dim wall, his tone steady, carrying a bit of dissatisfaction at having his sleep interrupted, and a hint of anticipation at having found a new prey.

"I just locked this door."

"And someone is already impatient to slip a note through the crack."

He closed his eyes, no longer paying attention to that slightly vibrating chain.

"Want to knock?"

"Sure."

"When I wake up, I'll naturally go and chop off your claws."

The candlelight in the room flickered gently a few times under the blowing of the night wind.

Eventually.

It quietly went out.