The Prodigies War

Realm of All Mysteries.

Within a vast and solemn hall, Wei Yun, Heavenly Mandate Dao Lord of the Kan Department, spoke in a somber voice. “Dao Lord Wanjing and the others...have failed.”

A shadow fell across the faces of the other Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords.

From the moment Lin Xun had entered the All-Wonder Dominion until now, less than a year and a half had passed. Yet in that short span, he had successively crossed the Mortal Transformation Zone, the Calamitous Zone, the Dark Zone, the Past Retracing Zone, the Source of Evil Zone, and the Thousand Tribulations Zone!

His speed in traversing the zones was nothing short of staggering. Each sky zone had countless cultivators trapped within, some even for hundreds of thousands of years. However, Lin Xun had carved his way through the Thousand Tribulations Zone and reached the seventh sky zone in barely a year and a half. It was beyond terrifying.

Back then, when these Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords themselves ventured through the nine sky zones of the Realm of All Spirits, it had taken them no less than a thousand years to pass them all! Compared to that, Lin Xun’s progress was simply monstrous.

“He has already reached the seventh sky zone,” Qing Yangzi, Heavenly Mandate Dao Lord of the Kun Department, said with a heavy sigh. “At this rate, it will not be long before he enters the ninth sky zone, the Xuanhuang Zone. Although the core elite forces of our nine departments are stationed there, none of us knows how far his cultivation will have advanced by the time he arrives.”

For the first time, even Qing Yangzi felt a trace of helplessness.

“I am certain,” Kuhe, Heavenly Mandate Dao Lord of the Xun Department, said gravely, “that Lin Xun’s strength is no weaker than that of an Immeasurable Dao Lord...perhaps even greater. Under such circumstances, sending our Heavenly Mandate Apostles against him would be no different from sending them to die.”

The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy. The nine Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords felt their hearts sink. No one had anticipated Lin Xun’s terrifying speed. Who could have imagined that his cultivation in the Immeasurable Realm had already reached such a height?

What should they do? Their expressions flickered with uncertainty.

After a long silence, Pei Tu, Heavenly Mandate Dao Lord of the Qian Department, finally let out a faint sigh. “At a time like this...if only Miss were here.”

Black Crow had been kept at Alpha Origin’s side, and there had been no word from her since. Without her presence, these Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords felt as though they had lost their anchor.

Just then, a towering figure appeared at the entrance of the grand hall. It was an old ape, two swords crossed upon his back. He wore coarse, ash-gray robes. His frame was so immense that by standing there, he exuded an overwhelming aura of oppression.

Ape Ancestor! The nine Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords rose in unison and bowed deeply in respect.

“Feng Juezi,” Ape Ancestor spoke, his weathered voice deep and resonant, “pass down the order: the apostles of the Li Department stationed in Dao Defining Zone are not to take action against Lin Xun.”

“Understood!” Feng Juezi stepped forward to receive the command. He was clad in crimson robes, his hair and beard were streaked with gray, yet his skin was as smooth as that of a newborn. He served as the Heavenly Mandate Dao Lord of the Li Department.

“Ape Ancestor,” Pei Tu could not help restrain himself from speaking, “would we not be bolstering the enemy’s morale while diminishing our own prestige by doing so?”

Ape Ancestor paid him no heed. Instead, he shifted his gaze to another. “Qin Fu, how many apostles of the Gen Department are stationed in the eighth sky zone, the Dao Derivation Zone?”

Qin Fu was the Heavenly Mandate Dao Lord of the Gen Department and the only woman among the nine Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords.

“Seven,” she answered promptly, without the slightest pause. She wore a flowing gown of deep ink-black. Against it, her skin appeared luminous and crystal-pale. Her features were exquisitely refined, and with every turn of her gaze, her eyes revealed a subtle, captivating charm.

“That’s enough.” Ape Ancestor said. “Pass down my command. Inform the seven to mobilize all their forces and investigate every Deriver of the Dao who appears in the Dao Derivation Zone in the coming period. Once discovered, do not inquire into their origins...kill them immediately.”

Qin Fu bowed solemnly. “Understood!”

Understanding seemed to dawn upon the other Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords, and they began speaking one after another.

“The best opportunity to kill Lin Xun indeed lies in the Dao Derivation Zone. By then, no matter which cultivator Lin Xun becomes in that world or no matter what identity he assumes, his cultivation will be limited to the lower five stages. The only difficulty lies in locating him.”

Pei Tu said, “For the seven Heavenly Mandate Apostles of the Gen Department, this should pose no difficulty. They have long since ascended to the Immortal Path in the Dao Derivation Zone. Although their cultivation there cannot compare to the Immeasurable power they once possessed, they still stand at the very pinnacle of that world. Eliminating someone within the lower five stages would be effortless.”

The Dao Derivation Zone was unlike any other realm. Upon entering it, a cultivator would be reborn as if seizing a new body, becoming one of the native cultivators of that world and inheriting their name, cultivation, and identity.

For example, if Lin Xun were to enter that world, he would transform into one of their cultivators, assuming that person’s identity and cultivation. It was akin to possession or rebirth.

From that moment onward, he would become a Dao Deriver in that world. To leave the Dao Derivation Zone, he would have to cultivate anew and derive a heaven-reaching great dao befitting his new identity. Only when his cultivation broke through to the Eternal Realm would he be able to summon the Chaos Dao Fruit and ascend through the heavenly gate.

It was worth noting that, for the cultivators of the Dao Derivation Zone, the highest attainable path in that world was the Immortal Path.

“Indeed. The seven Heavenly Mandate Apostles of the Gen Department wield overwhelming authority within the Dao Derivation Zone. Each controls one of the most powerful forces in that world, comparable to seven sovereign rulers. With a single command, it should be effortless for them to uncover Lin Xun’s new identity.”

Qing Yangzi’s eyes brightened as well. “Generally speaking, a Dao Deriver begins only at the lower five cultivation stages. If one wishes to leave, one must advance as quickly as possible. Such rapid progress inevitably brings about extraordinary changes in the body.

“This abnormal transformation cannot remain hidden. Those close to the Dao Deriver will inevitably notice them, and great disturbances will follow. When that time comes, we need only move the instant such disturbances appear. By tracing these anomalies to their source, we will surely uncover the Dao Deriver’s true identity and eliminate him.”

All of these Heavenly Mandate Dao Lords had once entered the Dao Derivation Zone themselves as Dao Derivers. They had walked that path of rebirth and reconstruction, akin to seizing a body and cultivating anew. Naturally, none were more familiar with it than them.

“You did not sound so confident earlier,” Ape Ancestor said coldly.

Pei Tu and the others fell silent, their expressions turning awkward. Earlier, they had been thoroughly shaken by Lin Xun’s astonishing speed through the sky zones. The weight of it had pressed heavily on their hearts, leaving them feeling helpless.

Unable to restrain himself, someone asked, “Ape Ancestor...what if Lin Xun manages to leave the Dao Derivation Zone alive? What should we do then?”

The hall fell silent. All eyes turned toward Ape Ancestor.

“Let him reach the Xuanhuang Zone alive. Then we shall speak of it.” With that, Ape Ancestor turned without another word and strode out of the hall.

......

Lin Xun was unaware that a murderous scheme was already unfolding in the eighth sky zone. At that very moment, he and Xia Zhi had just stepped into the seventh sky zone.

The seventh sky zone was known as the Dao Defining Zone. Upon entering, a cultivator would find themselves standing before an unfamiliar world. All phenomena in this world existed in a state of namelessness. Every single thing was unlike anything ever recorded in the outside world.

What cultivators were required to do here was to define the dao for the mountains, rivers and myriad phenomena of this world. It was akin to creating a written language from nothing, assigning sounds, defining meanings, and establishing their underlying principles.

Every kind of thing in this world possessed its own inherent attributes. The name bestowed upon it had to embody its underlying principles, so that it aligned with the heavenly dao and harmonized with its intrinsic rhythm.

Just as the dao was originally nameless, it was given the name ‘dao.’ Even the name ‘dao’ itself arose through definition. From ancient times until now, mountains and rivers, plants and trees, the sun, the moon, and the stars had not originally possessed names.

In the Dao Defining Zone, what cultivators established was far more than a mere name. They were required to bestow names upon phenomena that contained traces of the dao, granting them attributes and deeper meaning, so that these things might resonate and align with the great dao, thereby forming a complete dao system.

It sounded simple, but in truth, it was immensely complex and vast. To define the dao required a deep understanding and precise mastery of the Heavenly Cycle Dao Laws, so that when defining the dao, the inherent attributes and subtle mysteries of all things could truly resonate and align with those laws.

As they traveled, Lin Xun said quietly, “Xia Zhi, once we reach Dao Defining Mountain, we’ll likely have to part ways for a time.”

Upon arriving at Dao Defining Mountain, one could sense the primal chaos origin power of this world and enter the unknown world to define the dao. Once successful, they would ascend directly into the eighth sky zone, the Dao Derivation Zone.

Without hesitation, Xia Zhi replied, “Then we’ll meet again in the Dao Derivation Zone.”

“Dao Derivation Zone...” Lin Xun repeated thoughtfully.

Recalling the intelligence he had gathered about the Dao Derivation Zone, he added, “When we arrive there, we must not reveal our true identities. For now, it would be best if we do not meet.”

In the Dao Derivation Zone, one would be reborn as a cultivator native to that realm, assuming a completely new name and identity. Any unusual behavior or inconsistency would quickly arouse suspicion from those closest to them. Once suspicion arose, it could spread like ripples in water, drawing unwanted attention.

Furthermore, if their enemies discovered them in such a vulnerable state, the consequences would be catastrophic. Lin Xun explained his reasoning carefully before concluding, “We can consider reuniting once we attain Immortal-level power.”

In the Dao Derivation Zone, the Immortal Path was the highest cultivation attainable. By then, even if enemies uncovered their identities, they would no longer fear open confrontation.

After a moment’s thought, Xia Zhi gave a quiet nod. As they spoke, they had already drawn close to Dao Defining Mountain. The steep mountain towered into the heavens, and from afar, it resembled an azure dragon coiling through the sky. Its massive form was shrouded in a dim, mist-laden aura of primal chaos origin power.

When Lin Xun and Xia Zhi arrived, only a dozen or so scattered figures could be seen near the mountain. Some sat cross-legged, others stood in silence, and all of them had clearly lingered there for a long, long time.

“Ah? After all these years, new fellow daoists have finally arrived,” someone exclaimed in surprised

Numerous gazes turned toward Lin Xun and Xia Zhi as they approached, curiosity flickering in their eyes.

“I am Lin Xun. I pay my respects to all seniors.” Lin Xun swept his gaze across the group before offering a slight bow in greeting.

“You’re Lin Xun?” someone blurted out in shock. A ripple of commotion swept through the crowd. Clearly, these old monsters had long heard of him.

Lin Xun thought to himself, Just as I expected. That makes things easier.

He asked without hesitation, “May I ask, seniors, how many Heavenly Mandate Apostles are currently stationed in the Dao Defining Zone?”

The moment the question left his lips, the atmosphere abruptly froze. Several expressions stiffened.

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