Honghuang: My understanding is against the sky, I use the Gu Dao to prove the origin of the universe
Chapter 6 - Struggle for the Great Dao, Fortune Amid the Calamity

Chapter 6  Struggle for the Great Dao, Fortune Amid the Calamity

After his breakthrough, he continued his secluded cultivation for another hundred years. Chu Yuan emerged from an unnamed, remote mountain range, his cultivation now stabilized at the mid-stage of the Golden Immortal realm.

A thousand years of wandering had not only earned him countless rare spiritual roots and treasures, but also allowed him to refine the corpses of eight powerful Golden Immortal enemies into Gu puppets. Combined with the original Zhu Yan Gu corpse, he now had nine in total.

The evolved “Mysterious Yin Grand Formation” he created was incredibly powerful—strong enough that he could even fight a Taiyi Golden Immortal without fear.

At this moment, he had concealed his aura and transformed into a nondescript streak of green light, heading toward the legendary Buzhou Mountain, said to support heaven and earth.

The surrounding environment grew increasingly ancient and desolate, the spiritual energy so dense it was almost viscous—yet this also meant the dangers lurking were far greater.

The baleful aura from the Dragon-Phoenix Cataclysm hung over the heavens and earth like an invisible cloud of doom. Even Chu Yuan dared not be careless.

At the same time, a realization slowly emerged in his heart. Now that a great calamity had descended, the world was seething with killing intent.

Even ordinary beings could feel an instinctive unease—let alone the three great ancient races who were at the very heart of it.

Zulon, Yuanfeng, and Shiqilin may have ascended to the Quasi-Saint realm through merit, but they were still true Quasi-Saint powers—how could they not sense the baleful aura pervading the world?

In the end, the Dao of Heaven is impartial—whether it’s a small tribulation like a shapeshifting trial or a vast one like a cosmic calamity.

Every catastrophe is accompanied by opportunity. The greater the calamity, the greater the opportunity. If one could shift the balance of power among the three great innate races and emerge as the sole dominant force…

The opportunity gained would be enough to ascend to the realm of Hunyuan (Primordial Unity).

Thus, in this struggle for the Great Dao, the core lies in a single word—”struggle.” At this thought, a surge of aura swept across Chu Yuan’s entire body. His magical power surged violently and suddenly became solid and condensed.

His determination to pursue the Dao grew firmer, and his mental state ascended to a new level.

“Comprehending the Dao, comprehending the Dao…”

“Only that which is comprehended becomes one’s own Dao!”

Chu Yuan murmured softly.

To a cultivator, techniques and spiritual treasures were certainly important, but without a steadfast heart set on the Dao, all would ultimately be nothing more than fleeting illusions.

Though his cultivation realm appeared unchanged, he had in truth gained immense benefit in a subtle, unseen way. Having now solidified his resolve, Chu Yuan simply continued flying while silently deducing the various transformations of the Primordial Heavenly Gu Scripture within his sea of consciousness.

At the same time, he split off a sliver of his mind to refine the nine Golden Immortal Gu Corpses, deepening their resonance with the Profound Yin Grand Array, striving for flawless control as if they were extensions of his own limbs.

Just as Chu Yuan was immersed in cultivation, an intense fluctuation of magical power suddenly erupted from the distant skies ahead, accompanied by furious roars and the booming clash of magical treasures. Clearly, powerful beings were engaged in a fierce battle.

“Hmm?”

Chu Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly and paused midair.

In the vast and wild lands of the Great Desolation, conflict was commonplace. He had no intention of meddling. However, the disturbance happened to lie directly along the path he had to take to Mount Buzhou.

With a thought, he activated a secret Gu technique. His figure quietly vanished into the void, his presence suppressed to the extreme, as if he had merged completely into the surrounding environment.

Above a wrecked and chaotic forest, a crimson figure was fleeing in disarray through the sky. Despite her disheveled state, the splendor of her form was unmistakable. A pair of phoenix wings spread wide, shimmering with radiant light.

Unfortunately, she was now drenched in blood, clearly having suffered severe injuries. True flames blazed fiercely around her. Though not a pure-blooded phoenix, she was still a legitimate member of the phoenix race.

Behind her, four figures gave relentless chase, their escape lights flashing like lightning. Their true forms exuded immense strength, and their terrifying auras swept across the land.

Leading them was one radiating the powerful pressure of an early-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal. Multicolored clouds swirled around him, his presence noble and imposing—he was none other than a direct descendant of the Qilin clan—Yun Qilin.

Following closely behind him were three other fierce beings, their cultivation ranging from early to late stages. All were oddly shaped, clearly powerful beasts who served under the Qilin lineage.

They worked in perfect coordination, continuously casting various divine spells to cut off the phoenix woman’s retreat.

“Feng Ling! Cease your futile struggle! Hand over the treasure you stole from my Qilin clan’s vault, and I may spare your life for the sake of the Phoenix race!”

Yun Qilin’s voice was icy, filled with unquestionable authority and greed gleaming in his eyes. The phoenix woman, called Feng Ling, clenched her teeth and desperately activated a trembling bell around her—an artifact that emitted strange, ringing sounds.

This magical item seemed capable of affecting the soul, occasionally causing the pursuers’ movements to stall slightly, which was the only reason she had held on this long. But from her pale face and chaotic breath, it was clear she was at her limit.

It was obvious the spiritual treasure had only recently been refined and wasn’t fully under her control, forcing her to use her mana to wield it with great difficulty.

“Yun Qilin! Stop spouting nonsense. Our two races have fought for tens of thousands of years—this is a war of no return!”

“This treasure was acquired during my travels. When was it ever part of your Qilin clan’s collection?”

“Aren’t you afraid that such claims will earn you the ridicule of all the beings of the Great Desolation?”

The phoenix woman’s delicate voice rang out.

“Hmph! In the Great Desolation, strength is what matters. Treasures belong to those worthy of them! This innate spiritual treasure was found on Qilin territory—that makes it ours!”

“Nature belongs to my Qilin clan!”

“Who among the myriad beings of the Great Desolation dares to judge right or wrong about my Qilin clan?”

Yun Qilin let out a cold laugh, his attacks growing fiercer.

Just then, as Feng Ling fled desperately for her life, she inadvertently noticed Chu Yuan hidden in the distance. Though she couldn’t see through Chu Yuan’s exact cultivation level, she could sense that he wasn’t aligned with the Qilin clan.

In this moment of crisis, she had no time to be cautious and hurriedly used a secret Phoenix clan technique to send him a voice transmission.

“Fellow Daoist! The Qilin clan is attacking and seizing treasures here. They may take their anger out on you. Please leave quickly so as not to be caught up in this!”

Her voice was anxious and sincere, clearly a heartfelt warning. However, though she was fast, Yun Qilin’s divine sense was faster!

As a Taiyi Golden Immortal, his perception was incredibly sharp. The instant Feng Ling sent the message, he had already detected Chu Yuan’s presence.

“Hmm? Someone else is here?”

Yun Qilin’s brow furrowed sharply, a trace of darkness flashing in his eyes. Today’s pursuit of the Phoenix girl was all for a certain treasure.

If word of it got out, even within the Qilin clan, others might grow envious. Better to avoid any complications. With that thought, a murderous intent arose.

“Hmph! The path to heaven you avoid, but you rush into hell!”

Yun Qilin’s face turned cold as he barked orders to the three Golden Immortals behind him.

“This place is no longer safe! Eliminate that sneaky interloper as well! No word of this treasure can be allowed to leak out!”

In his eyes, someone who had to hide their presence and dared not show their face was likely just another Golden Immortal—easy to crush. Killing one more to protect the secret meant nothing.

“Yes!”

The three beast-form Golden Immortals grinned viciously and immediately took action. Among them, one late-stage Golden Immortal and one mid-stage Golden Immortal changed direction, murderous auras surging as they charged toward Chu Yuan’s hiding place without hesitation.

Each summoned their magic treasures, radiating brilliance and deadly intent. In the void, Chu Yuan felt two sharp killing intents and a vast, oppressive pressure locking onto him at once. His gaze remained calm and indifferent.

“I had no intention of meddling…”

“But since you insist on seeking death—”

“This is a good chance to test my newly refined technique!”