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Upon hearing "Xu Yuan's" words, Long Xingyu immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
He glanced at Xu Yuan, who was currently being struck by lightning, fearing that "Xu Yuan's" words might provoke this extraplanar individual into causing mutual destruction.
This terrifying tribulation had already been amplified to an alarming degree by this madman.
In Long Xingyu's eyes, Xu Yuan was now a lunatic.
And the thoughts of a lunatic were always unpredictable.
If this guy ended up failing, choosing to spread the tribulation outward wasn't impossible.
Now, "Xu Yuan" had just arrived and referred to the other as his son, which made Long Xingyu break out in another cold sweat.
After all, "Xu Yuan" was extremely young, even younger than his own son, only twenty-two years old. How could he possibly have a son?
Even if he did, it couldn't be the person in front of them.
Although Xu Yuan also appeared young, he seemed to carry many stories. He might be in his twenties, but he was definitely older than "Xu Yuan."
"Xu Yuan, what are you doing? Don't talk nonsense!" Long Xingyu whispered a reminder.
"Don't call me Xu Yuan anymore. I'm changing my name again. He is the real Xu Yuan." 'Xu Yuan' shook his head with a bitter smile.
At this moment, he hoped that the real Xu Yuan hadn't heard Long Xingyu's earlier reference to him.
"Listen up, Old Dragon. From now on, call me Xu Zhi."
"What Xu Zhi?" Long Xingyu looked helpless. "Although changing your name is your freedom, you've changed your name at least five times in the past decade. Nowā"
As he spoke, he suddenly froze.
"Wait!"
Long Xingyu's tone became noticeably excited.
He looked at Xu Zhi anxiously and asked, "You say he is the real Xu Yuan?"
"Do you know him?"
"He's from another plane. How could you possibly know him?"
Long Xingyu's mind was now full of question marks.
Xu Zhi gave a bitter smile and didn't answer Long Xingyu. Instead, he released his Divine Throneāthe Divine Throne of Wisdom and Spirit.
Behind him appeared a pale yellow throne adorned with intricate yellow patterns radiating outward. At the core of the throne was a massive yellow gemstone, about ten feet tall, shaped like a vertical eye. Inside it, a halo of light seemed to flow, emitting a wise glow.
Seeing this, both Long Xingyu and Xu Yuan couldn't help but speak up.
"Don't go in rashly; it'll cause trouble!" Long Xingyu warned.
"Don't come in. You'll increase the power of the tribulation."
Xu Zhi chuckled lightly.
"My dear old man knows more about the workings of heaven and earth than you do."
Long Xingyu's lips twitched.
That sentence sounded particularly grating to him.
He wished he hadn't called out earlier.
"This 'Xu Yuan,' no, now it should be Xu Zhi, you're taking advantage of someone else, and dragging me into it too."
However, the next moment, his pupils contracted.
Before his eyes, Xu Zhi displayed a scene he had never seen before.
Behind Xu Zhi, the Divine Throne of Wisdom and Spirit emitted light, and the yellow gemstone resembling a vertical eye radiated a strange glow.
On Xu Zhi's forehead, a small Spiritual Furnace shimmered with brilliance.
This Spiritual Furnace transformed its shape, gradually turning into the form of a vertical eye.
Long Xingyu watched, stunned.
What kind of technique was this?
Having inherited the Divine Throne of Doom and Slaughter for over twenty years, Long Xingyu had a thorough understanding of Divine Thrones.
But he had never seen such a sight before.
What was this Xu Zhi doing?
His Spiritual Furnace was resonating with the Divine Throne.
The vertical eye-shaped Spiritual Furnace resonated with the vertical eye-shaped yellow gemstone on the Divine Throne. The entire throne began to change form.
The six Divine Thrones of the Knight Hall all had the ability to transform into weapons, granting their wielders different armaments. As far as Long Xingyu knew, the Divine Throne of Wisdom and Spirit granted its wielder three items: the Armor of Wisdom and Spirit, a warhammer, and a round shield.
However, the current throne felt unfamiliar to him.
It hadn't transformed into armor or a shield. The weapon it had formed bore no relation to knights.
Under his watchful gaze, the entire throne began to restructure, forming a massive vertical eye around the yellow crystal.
From the initial resonance of the yellow crystal to the final transformation of the entire throne into a vertical pupil.
At this moment, the vertical pupil formed by the Spiritual Furnace on Xu Zhi's forehead also grew enormous, creating a massive vortex above Xu Zhi's head.
The vortex swallowed the vertical eye formed by the throne.
Then, the vortex receded, merging back into Xu Zhi's forehead.
A bolt of lightning struck down, and Xu Yuan thrust his spear forward, absorbing the blow. He then turned to look at this side.
This father was somewhat different from his memory.
In his recollection, Xu Zhi was a typical scholar, exuding an elegant demeanor.
However, this father before him casually referred to himself as "Laozi."
This left him feeling disoriented.
But considering the environment of the Holy Demon Continent, Xu Yuan didn't find it outrageous.
Knights who grew up on the Holy Demon Continent must have experienced blood and fire, walking the line between life and death, rather than merely studying in research rooms.
Looking at Xu Zhi's appearance, he felt an inexplicable force sweeping the area.
This wasā
"Willpower!"
Xu Yuan's heart trembled.
He sensed the palpable force of will.
Moreover, as this force of will spread, the thunderclouds in the sky began to dissipate.
Xu Yuan was quite surprised.
Recalling Xu Zhi's earlier words, Xu Yuan couldn't help but admit that he fell short in many aspects regarding the workings of heaven and earth compared to Xu Zhi.
Perhaps Xu Yuan had painstakingly developed two small worlds and created his inner realm from scratch, but these three small worlds had evolved independently. Xu Yuan's intervention in their operations was minimal.
When Xu Zhi exerted his power just now, Xu Yuan hadn't even understood what he did before sensing the dissipation of the tribulation.
"Put away your useless domains!" Xu Zhi said impatiently.
If they continued, the tribulation would return.
Xu Yuan realized and retracted his three domains, causing the tribulation to dissipate instantly.
Only then did he understand that the dissipation of the tribulation earlier had been achieved despite the provocation of his three domains against heaven and earth.
"Alright, we'll talk later."
After speaking to Xu Yuan, Xu Zhi turned to look at Long Xingyu.
Long Xingyu remained silent for a long time, observing Xu Yuan, who didn't get angry despite being taken advantage of, and comprehended the truth.
This person might really be Xu Zhi's son?
He was the real Xu Yuan.
And Xu Zhi had merely used his name before.
However, Xu Zhi was only twenty-two.
Long Xingyu, filled with doubts, temporarily left, giving Xu Yuan and his father some private space to talk.
"Little Yuan, I didn't expect you'd actually come here." Xu Zhi's expression was complex.
Xu Yuan gave a bitter smile.
"Knowing you're still alive, how could I not come to see you?"
Xu Zhi smiled.
"That egg's prediction was quite accurate."
"Dad, are you referring to the first Phoenix God?" Xu Yuan asked.
"Yes, her. All my interactions with her were through an egg. She should have completed her rebirth by now, right?"
"She hatched." Xu Yuan nodded.
"She should have found a path for herself. If I'm not mistaken, she'll probably take the two essences from Demon Island."
Xu Yuan showed a look of surprise.
"Don't look at me like that. The intelligence on Demon Island is known to the upper echelons of the major factions. Otherwise, the Federation wouldn't have allowed Shrek to openly establish control there." Xu Zhi waved his hand, finding it natural that he knew the truth about Demon Island.
"Dad, besides looking for you, I came here to upgrade it."
Xu Yuan raised the spear Jue and placed it horizontally between them.
The body of Jue emitted a hum.
Jue recognized Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi had been involved in Jue's conception from start to finish.
"So, this is that spear spirit soul. I didn't expect it to be so close to becoming a transcendent divine tool." Xu Zhi scanned the body of Jue, sensing its sharpness, and revealed an admiring expression.
"I accidentally created a stellar phenomenon, and Jue has already devoured the core law of the stellar phenomenon."
"Stellar phenomenon?" Xu Zhi looked puzzled.
Xu Yuan explained to his father what a stellar phenomenon was and elaborated on the concept of core laws.
"I see. So, you think that a transcendent divine artifact is one that creates its own laws and becomes entirely independent of the universe?"
"Yes." Xu Yuan nodded, looking at Xu Zhi's expression with puzzlement. "Isn't that correct?"
"Your ideas are rich. This is indeed one path to a transcendent divine artifact. However, chaos exists between existence and non-existence. Without a universe, there is chaos. Once a universe forms, the existence of chaos loses meaning. Perhaps chaos still exists and is nurturing other universes, but it remains between existence and non-existence. Before the universe was born, it existed but lacked substance. After nurturing the universe, it is no longer in a state of chaos and ceases to exist."
Xu Zhi looked at Xu Yuan and asked a critical question.
"So, have you considered that everything that exists in reality is unrelated to chaos and belongs to the universe?"
Xu Yuan fell into deep thought.
Xu Zhi continued, "The multiverse is the foundation of this world. What you refer to as the existence of chaos is merely a state. It's difficult for you to find traces of chaos within the multiverse and locate chaos to complete the desired process. Everything you can do is within the universe."
"After leaving our universe, you entered this one. Even if you ascend to a transcendent divine artifact here, does that mean you've transcended the universe? You've merely avoided our home universe, not the dimension of the universe itself."
"In fact, your logic isn't wrong. True transcendence means not being controlled by the universe. Besides transcendence, there's another method: becoming equal to the universe."
Hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes lit up.
Could it be done this way?
Achieving chaos was still a goal for Xu Yuan.
Between existence and non-existence lies a dimension, the foundation above all else.
This might become the ultimate pursuit.
After all, Xu Yuan still didn't understand the relationship between the real world of his past life and the Douluo universe.
"I asked that person this question, and she gave me an answer. By devouring a certain amount of chaotic power and having a solid foundation, one can ascend to a transcendent divine artifact." Xu Zhi said, "But this is only the surface. In reality, without chaotic power, a transcendent divine artifact can still be nurtured. Chaotic power is merely a tool to accelerate the process."
"The essence of achieving a transcendent divine artifact is plundering, seizing a fundamental power of the universe and gaining complete control."
"Plundering." Xu Yuan took a deep breath, unsurprised by the term.
"Devouring chaotic power is essentially avoiding the path of plundering. The targeting from the will of the universe would be minimal because chaotic power is the most primal force that nurtures the universe. With chaotic power, a transcendent divine artifact can reach a level comparable to the fundamental power of the universe, thus eliminating the need to plunder the original power of the universe."
After Xu Zhi's explanation, Xu Yuan gained a deeper understanding of transcendent divine artifacts.
However, the specifics of how to proceed remained unclear.
"Were you just letting him undergo the heavenly calamity?"
"Yes, Jue is still bound by the heavenly calamity set by the Dragon God. Passing the million-year calamity is a necessary step."
Xu Zhi nodded.
"Indeed, the tribulation was set by the Dragon God."
Xu Yuan wore a skeptical expression.
How could you guess that?
Had his impressive composure suppressed his surprise, or had he suspected it all along?
"The tribulation was dispersed by you just now, and the power of the heavenly calamity was also dispelled." Xu Yuan finally regained his senses, revealing a thoughtful expression.
He looked at Jue.
The spear vibrated, and Jue's consciousness was released.
"Has the shackles of nine hundred thousand years been broken?"
So, combining the tribulation and the heavenly calamity, and then dispersing the tribulation, could also disperse the heavenly calamity?
Indeed, there's always a way out. Any calamity contains vitality.
As long as you find the mechanism, there's an opportunity to exploit a loophole.
Especially with calamities artificially arranged.
To err is human. Who can claim perfection?
There's always a loophole to exploit.
Xu Yuan looked at Xu Zhi.
"Undergoing the tribulation doesn't benefit him much. Instead, the power of the tribulation and the heavenly calamity is more important to him." Xu Zhi said, "I didn't expect that when the tribulation and the heavenly calamity mixed, the mechanism of the tribulation would overshadow the heavenly calamity, allowing the power of the heavenly calamity to be devoured."
"To break through to a transcendent divine artifact, one must be strong. If you're not a God King, unable to support it, then it can only rely on itself."
"Your Jue is already very perfect. Its base perfectly integrates nine alloys and possesses the core law of energy conversion, providing a solid foundation."
"Now, what's lacking is an opportunity. Once the conditions for advancement are met, try undergoing the tribulation again. The chances of success will be greater."
Xu Zhi spoke at length, finally addressing what Xu Yuan was most interested in.
"As for how to advance, I do have a method: using the Spiritual Furnace."
"Spiritual Furnace?" Xu Yuan was puzzled.
"Yes, the Spiritual Furnace of the Holy Demon Continent." Xu Zhi pointed to his forehead. "Did you see my earlier state? It relied on the Spiritual Furnace."
"You've been here for so long. Have you discovered the most precious resource in this world?"
"Spiritual Furnace?"
"Yes, the Spiritual Furnace is naturally nurtured by heaven and earth. It inherently possesses unique laws, similar to the core laws of the stellar phenomenon you mentioned, though it's not entirely independent, merely borrowing the laws of heaven and earth."
"But if one can cultivate, refine, and further develop the power of the Spiritual Furnace, there's a chance to achieve a transcendent divine artifact."
"The human race of the Holy Demon Continent is naturally endowed with nine spirit nodes. I'm not referring to the spirit nodes condensed every ten thousand spiritual power, but the structural positions within the body. These nine spirit nodes naturally resonate with the Spiritual Furnace, allowing fusion."
"Pairing with the Spiritual Furnace, fusing with it, and cultivating the Spiritual Furnace as a life-bound artifact is the path I'm currently focusing on."
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