103: Refining the Dao with Demons

Within the Chaos illusion realm, there was no light of day.

The instant Shen Lian opened his eyes, a tide of evil surged, the sounds of shrieking disturbing his Divine Soul.

Thousands upon thousands of evil rays converged into a monstrous, towering wave, crashing down upon Shen Lian.

"Mere evil spirits, how dare you act so presumptuously before me!"

Shen Lian did not dodge or avoid them; he remained calm and composed, as steady as Mount Tai.

The moment the first evil ray approached him, the Yin and Yang Qi radiance around Shen Lian burst forth, shattering it instantly.

Then, one wave of evil energy after another continuously slammed into the Physical Body condensed by Shen Lian's Divine Soul.

In reality, a brilliant spiritual light flared around Shen Lian, constantly flickering with particles of Dao Rhyme.

Yet his body remained motionless, eyes closed, silently enduring the Chaos flames as they impacted his dantian sea.

Within his consciousness, with every palm strike and Move Shen Lian swept out, countless evil spirits instantly vanished into smoke.

A moment in the illusion was an instant in reality. After holding on for a full hour, the Physical Body of Shen Lian in reality began to radiate a scorching Dao Rhyme that shot straight into the sky.

After one hour, the surging Chaos evil tide could not break Shen Lian, and it suddenly returned to calm.

But Shen Lian did not relax in the slightest, for he knew that the first wave of attacks was merely a probing by Chaos.

The real test was yet to come.

Indeed, after the evil rays dissipated, the gloomy space gradually became even more oppressive.

Shen Lian focused his mind and calmed his Qi, his concentration at an unprecedented level.

The next moment, a seven-zhang figure slowly emerged.

"Using Chaos to impact your dantian sea, thereby stimulating your potential to break through your limits—kid, you are truly mad to a staggering degree."

"If one is not mad, how can one be Heaven-Defying? If one is not mad, how can one verify the Dao?"

Shen Lian's eyes narrowed: "Whatever means you have, just use them. Let me, Shen Lian, see if the power of Chaos can satisfy me!"

"Ahahahahaha!"

The seven-zhang figure immediately let out bursts of wild laughter.

"You are arrogant enough. Then as you wish, Chaos also wants to see if you have the qualifications to endure the backlash of this impact from refining the Dao through demonic means."

After speaking, a hundred-zhang giant palm, carrying monstrous evil flames, crashed down toward Shen Lian.

Shen Lian stood firm in a defensive stance; as he lightly raised his hands, the vast Dao Rhyme already gathered around him.

"Void Concealment · Absorb Momentum!"

Transforming Yin and Yang, dividing the two poles, the Yin and Yang Qi sought to absorb the power of Chaos into nothingness.

In an instant, the vast Dao Rhyme formed a magnificent Taiji Totem, revolving around Shen Lian, ceaselessly generating life, and absorbing all the condensed Chaos Qi within it.

"Dissipate Momentum!"

With a soft shout, the previously violent Chaos power was entirely turned into nothingness by Void Concealment.

In reality, Shen Lian's entire body was flushed red; he slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, and the ancestral residence around him had already turned into ruins.

"You really have some means!"

The seven-zhang phantom, seeing its palm power entirely absorbed by Shen Lian, could not help but exclaim in admiration.

"As long as you take three of my Moves, you will have passed the Chaos demonic trial. Are you ready to welcome the second Move now?"

"Why speak so much? Whatever means you have, just use them!"

"Hehehehe, hahahahaha——"

The laughter turned into sound waves, blasting the Chaos space until it was on the verge of shattering.

But Shen Lian's heart remained firm, his eyes cold, and his arrogant posture was not affected in the slightest.

At this moment, the originally seven-zhang phantom had risen to ten zhang.

Roar——

The second Move began. A pitch-black Dragon hovered in the sky, bringing forth bursts of Lightning Tribulation as it charged toward Shen Lian.

Shen Lian frowned, his hands flipping rapidly.

The Taiji Yin and Yang Dao Rhyme, which originally rotated clockwise, now reversed its cycle.

"Void Concealment · Heaven and Earth Inversion."

Boom——

After a loud explosion, the black Dragon burst in the air, turning into specks of starlight that disappeared into nothingness, shaking the entire Chaos illusion realm violently, showing signs of collapse.

When the smoke and dust cleared, the peerless figure was seen standing steadily on the spot, without having retreated a single step.

But in reality, a streak of crimson blood flowed from the corner of Shen Lian's mouth, and wisps of white smoke rose from his forehead.

"Not bad!"

The phantom could not help but exclaim.

"Now for the last Move, you must be prepared!"

The next moment, the phantom transformed, turning into a long-lost peerless figure, standing with hands behind its back, quietly gazing at Shen Lian.

"Hmm?"

The moment he saw this figure, Shen Lian immediately furrowed his brows in contemplation.

The entity of the transformed figure opposite him brought a sense of oppression he had never felt before.

But the more life-threatening the pressure, the more excited Shen Lian felt inside.

"The last Move will be performed by me on its behalf. Shen Lian, are you ready?"

"Hmph! Let me experience the legendary Move; let's see how much you can imitate."

Shen Lian let out a cold snort and said no more.

He shifted his steady feet half a step back, set his hands in a defensive stance, and prepared to welcome the final strike of Chaos.

"Hah——"

With a long shout, the free-spirited figure suddenly leaped into mid-air.

"Seven Arts of Yin Talisman · Five Dragons Flourishing Spirit."

Suddenly, three Dragon talismans attached to his body, and his aura instantly increased several times over.

"Yin Talisman Scripture techniques? Interesting!"

Shen Lian dared not show the slightest contempt; the opponent's technique amplification made the Battle Intent within him surge.

He decisively activated his own technique.

"Dao Divine Miracle · Profound Gang Boundless!"

The vast Dao Rhyme transformed into an Innate totem and entered his body, immediately allowing Shen Lian's Divine Sense to break through its limits once again.

The Chaos phantom opposite saw this and could not help but nod.

"Very good, then today I will use the Dao Revered Master's famous Move to conduct the final test!"

After speaking, it held up one hand to the sky.

In an instant, a thousand-zhang golden giant palm appeared behind the phantom.

"Seizing Heaven · Creation Palm!"

It slapped down with a palm, bringing forth a roaring sound of space tearing, rushing straight toward Shen Lian.

"This Move is worth me giving my all!"

Shen Lian's pupils were already flushed red; as he raised his hands to block, he unleashed all his killing Moves.

"Extreme Dao · Heaven-Covering Palm!"

A palm that transcended limits, also turning into a hundred-zhang giant palm, crashed toward the incoming palm.

Boom——

A loud explosion shook the nine heavens and the universe.

Heaven-Covering against Seizing Heaven; the moment the two palms clashed, the ground shook and roared incessantly.

This was Shen Lian's current strength, surpassing his own limits; were he not in an illusion of consciousness, he would never have been able to unleash it.

After the Move, Shen Lian still forcibly endured the impact of the Dao Rhyme; although his feet sank seven chi into the ground, he still did not retreat a single step.

And the Dao Revered Master phantom opposite, after the Move, immediately disintegrated and dissipated.

Simultaneously dissipating was the Chaos illusion realm space.

When the sound of shattering glass echoed in his ears for an instant, Shen Lian's consciousness finally returned to reality from his state of meditation.

"What a Dao Revered Master; just a wisp of Dao thought remaining in the void of Chaos has such peerless power. The existence of such an opponent allows me to rediscover the beauty of this world. I look forward to the day I can truly cross hands with you! Hahahaha... ugh... pfft——"

In his excitement, Shen Lian spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Immediately, he felt his body much more at ease.

"Next, it is time to absorb the Chaos Qi and break through to the Primordial Chaos Realm."

Casting aside all thoughts, Shen Lian sat directly on the ground, closed his eyes, and began to break through his shackles.

...

On the other side, Liu Yixue held the sound transmission stone, and from the reaction level of the jade, she finally locked onto a dense forest in the distance.

"Chener, hold on; I am very close to you."

"Is that true, Revered Master? Where are you now?"

"I am already in an unnamed mountain forest six thousand li southeast of Yuntian City. Chener, do not be afraid; Revered Master will save you immediately."

"Yes, Revered Master, do not worry; take your time looking."

Xie Chen felt immensely reassured; he was finally about to escape this lightless coffin and would soon see the light of day again.

At this time, five hours had already passed out of the twelve hours.

Liu Yixue searched for a while in the dense forest, and finally, on a mass grave not far away, she saw a piece of freshly turned soil.

On the soil, there was also a shovel standing upright.

"Chener, I have found it; I will save you right now!"

Liu Yixue excitedly shouted into the sound transmission stone, and then immediately rushed toward the mass grave.

But just as Liu Yixue was about to enter the mass grave, an azure barrier directly blocked her path.

"A technique?"

Liu Yixue was slightly stunned, but her gaze immediately became firm.

"Shen Lian, do you think this kind of means can stump me? Naive!"

The next moment, Liu Yixue lightly tapped her jade finger, condensed thousands of icy shards, and slammed out with a single palm.

The Hunyuan spiritual power slammed onto the azure barrier, and the technique instantly shattered at the sound.

"Chener, you are saved."

Having broken the formation so easily, Liu Yixue immediately stepped into the mass grave.

But the moment she stepped into the mass grave, the scenery all around changed suddenly.

"This is a Yin and Yang formation?"

In an instant, Liu Yixue's expression changed drastically.