Sitting quietly on the ground, Qi Xiu assumed a cross-legged position, his hands forming a mysterious seal.

He seemed immersed in a profound and mysterious state, as if comprehending the mysteries of the universe and life.

His eyes were tightly closed, a slight frown on his brow, and a faint smile hung on his lips—one that spoke of transcendence and insight into the myriad facets of existence.

In the void above him, three ancient Cloud Seal Talismans, like slumbering True Dragons suddenly awakening, revolved slowly around him. Each rotation seemed to evoke resonances from bygone eras, carrying with them an aura of antiquity and the brilliance of wisdom. These Cloud Seal Talismans were engraved with the marks of the great Dao; mysterious and unfathomable, they invited boundless conjecture.

Meanwhile, a series of pure and flawless white lights began to seep slowly from his facial orifices. Like the first rays of the morning sun, they were soft yet intensely penetrating. This light bathed his resolute face, rendering his figure even more sanctified and dignified, as if he had become one with the surrounding space and time.

He wandered in this arcane realm for an indeterminate length of time.

Qi Xiu slowly opened his eyes, his right hand gradually unfolding. The three ancient, swirling Cloud Seal Talismans, [Essence, Qi, and Spirit], that had been circling above him suddenly swooped down like swallows returning to their nest, settling into his palm. He clenched his hand, grasping the three ancient Cloud Seal Talismans. A breath exhaled from his mouth seemed to carry the aura of myriad Dao Charms. Instantly, a boundless and resplendent golden light rose from between his fingers.

"It's done."

A calm smile on his face, Qi Xiu spread open his palm, revealing an unprecedented Cloud Seal Talisman inscribed within.

[Order]

Indeed! After stepping into the Seventh Realm of calligraphy, the three Essence, Qi, and Spirit Cloud Seal Talismans merged, forming a new Cloud Seal Talisman—the [Order] character!

Unlike previous advancements in calligraphy where new Cloud Seal Talismans were born from Qi Xiu's own abilities—the [Martial] character emerged from the martial skills he practiced before cultivating, the [Medicine] character from his alchemical prowess, the [Painting] character from his artistic talent—the emergence of the [Order] character signified that this Cloud Seal Talisman transcended Qi Xiu's personal abilities, representing an ultimate expression.

Focusing intently on the divine marvel of the [Order] character, Qi Xiu's deep eyes, like ancient pools, began to ripple slowly.

Trading three Dharma Gate skills for this Cloud Seal Talisman is worth it.

Glancing at his proficiency panel, aside from the disappearance of the Black Water True Skill, Culinary Arts, and Upper Pure Bell, no other Dharma Gate skills showed any anomalies. This meant that the divine marvel of Meng Po Soup had been completely neutralized.

Standing up slowly, Qi Xiu swept away the stagnant energy in the vicinity with a flick of his sleeve, his eyes shining brilliantly.

The opening move is set. Now, it is I, Qi Xiu, who shall make the next move.

HUMMM—

The world around him suddenly trembled as the power of Hunyuan Palace was withdrawn by Qi Xiu.

「The next instant.」

Qi Xiu, who had vanished into thin air, reappeared in the midst of the Huangquan Sha Hai. Outside, only a moment had passed.

Looking at Qi Xiu, who had disappeared suddenly and then returned just as quickly, Tuo Zhou's gaze turned blank, hesitating as he began to speak: "You... do you still recognize me..."

"Stand aside."

"Alright."

Hearing Qi Xiu's voice, calm as ever, Tuo Zhou heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed all was well. But then he looked at Qi Xiu's back with a renewed sense of shock and wonder.

To be able to nullify the power of Meng Po Soup... this Daoist was truly more terrifying than he could have imagined!

Having sent Tuo Zhou away, Qi Xiu then turned to glance at the two figures standing silently not far away. One dressed in red, delicate and pitiful; the other hunched over in rough hemp clothes, a strange smile on their face.

"An old one and a young one, one far and one near, a cleverly coordinated pair indeed," he murmured softly, and from within his wide sleeves, a substantial and profound energy surged forth.

Sensing the acute danger emitted by the young Daoist before them, Mrs. Meng and Mrs. Tang exchanged glances as mist surged around them, their figures blurring in the blink of an eye.

"Did I say you could leave?"

With a sweep of his sleeve, a vast swathing force erupted, and with a SWISH, the thick fog carrying both figures was drawn directly into Qi Xiu's sleeve.

"You caused me the loss of three Dharma Gate skills. You're not leaving until you've coughed up the recipe for Meng Po Soup."

Having sucked Meng Po into his Universe in the Sleeve, Qi Xiu turned to look towards the end of the immense Sumeru Ruler. Amidst the flurry of drifting ash, the eerie figure holding the white banner reappeared. The Hundred Zhang Sumeru Ruler, with its overpowering might that even distorted the earth, seemed to have caused no effective damage.

"Perfect," Qi Xiu thought. "I was in need of a target to test my new Cloud Seal Talisman on."

Slowly opening his right hand, the ancient and majestic [Order] Talisman shone brilliantly. Qi Xiu raised the talisman in hand and called out softly: "Command! Annihilation of Heaven and Earth!"

In that moment, the entire world seemed to be strummed by an invisible colossal hand, the air charged with an inexplicable sense of death and oppression. The originally peaceful sky stirred with endless ripples, like a pond shaken by the thundering command. That overwhelming force awoke and coalesced in an instant, as if the radiant light from billions of stars was compressed into a destructive torrent, seething with pent-up energy.

White Impermanence keenly sensed the looming crisis. A flicker of dread and panic crossed his eyes, his body instinctively trying to flee this world on the brink of collapse. However, just as he was about to use his Divine Skills to escape!

Above him, the colossal Power of Heaven and Earth that had been accumulating, like a tumultuous tidal wave, crashed down with ferocity! The Power of Heaven and Earth seemed to form into a massive net, mercilessly swooping down on the flustered White Impermanence.

Without any space or time to resist, the space around White Impermanence distorted and shattered in an instant. His figure was crushed and annihilated by this furious force, along with his howls and unwillingness, everything turned into ashes of nothingness, disappearing within this world that once belonged to him.

From not too far away, Tuo Zhou watched this scene, his body involuntarily shivering several times. From his perspective, he only saw Qi Xiu raise his right hand, open his mouth, and then White Impermanence turned to leave promptly, followed by a sudden blurring of the world around him. Then White Impermanence evaporated into thin air.

Shocking! Terrifying! And mixed with a suffocating despair! This Daoist... he's truly terrifying beyond imagination!

While Tuo Zhou was stunned by Qi Xiu's methods, Qi Xiu, on the other hand, carefully reflected on the feeling of using the [Order] character for the first time.

In terms of backlash alone, if this Cloud Seal Talisman weren't used by me, it's safe to say whoever else used it would die!

Qi Xiu looked at his split palm and tried to mobilize the Tao Blood for healing. But the Tao Blood, which should have been able to transfer all damage, was utterly ineffective at this moment. It seemed this wound on his palm could only heal bit by bit, over time.

This... this was the terrifying backlash from the immense power of the [Order] character! Commanding the Power of Heaven and Earth. It sounds powerful, looks powerful, and indeed, feels incredibly powerful when used. But for a mere mortal to wield such power... it's like a child brandishing an incredibly heavy treasure sword. Before striking anyone, the child is already hurt by its weight. Moreover, this backlash, originating from Heaven and Earth, directly affects the very essence of one's body. It's even impossible to transfer or nullify the damage using the Immortal Blood Body.

One use splits my hand. If I use it again, once, maybe twice at most, my entire body will probably shatter. And it will never recover.

As he examined the slowly healing ghastly wound on his hand, Qi Xiu's eyes remained calm, showing little fear.

Although the backlash from the [Order] character is immense, its power is even more tyrannical. It's currently the most dominant technique I possess, even surpassing Universe in the Sleeve. And the marvelous effect of the [Order] character is simple; in essence, it's just four words: Words become law! The [Order] character can command anything in the world within a certain range. The more difficult and vast the command, the more severe the backlash. I could even command Heaven and Earth to compile a True Scripture Volume for me, one that would allow cultivation to the Primordial Spirit Realm. Of course, the price for doing so would be that the instant the command is given, I would be obliterated by the terrifying backlash striking first. Once I die, the [Order] character would also lose its effect, and the command would never come to pass. So, the limit of the [Order] character's divine marvel lies in my ability to withstand its backlash. If one day I can completely withstand the backlash from the [Order] character, then my power will ascend to an indescribably terrifying realm.

Hiding his startling palm within his sleeves, Qi Xiu turned and walked towards Tuo Zhou: "Let's go, continue our journey."

"Uh, okay."

Having witnessed Qi Xiu single-handedly defeat White Impermanence and Meng Po, who were among the top aberrations of Huangquan Sha Hai, Tuo Zhou's attitude became noticeably more deferential.

Perhaps he was also somewhat terrified, fearful that Qi Xiu might use that terrifying technique and obliterate him with a single word.

It was unknown whether news of Qi Xiu single-handedly taking on both Meng Po and White Impermanence had already spread throughout Huangquan Sha Hai. The rest of their journey went surprisingly smoothly. It seemed as though all aberrations were deliberately avoiding them. Aside from a storm they encountered midway, no other incidents occurred.

"Over this sand dune, we will reach Hundred Coffin Mountain," Tuo Zhou said, brushing off the sandy dust accumulated on the black cloth covering his face, looking visibly relieved.

The journey is half over. As soon as this master finds the person he's here to retrieve, we can go back.

Stepping onto the dune before them, Qi Xiu looked ahead, seeing in the depths of this sand sea a towering and peculiar mountain that stood out strikingly. This mountain was not made up of ordinary rocks, but rather of countless ancient and mottled coffins piled up layer upon layer. Each coffin bore witness to the vicissitudes of the ages and the cycles of worldly events. Interlocked in a haphazard manner, differing in form, they exuded a chilling and sinister aura.

Around this mountain was not the usual lush greenery, but a bizarre flora of half-red, half-white peculiar flowers. These flowers were bewitchingly beautiful, like tapestries woven with blood and moonlight, revealing a strangely vibrant beauty of life as well as an aura of death and taboo. They stubbornly took root in the sand and gravel, filling the gaps between the coffins, almost completely encasing the entire mountain, creating a unique and mysterious landscape.

The breeze blew, sending sand and stones rolling. The entire mountain appeared even more eerie and majestic amidst Huangquan.

"Is that... Hundred Coffin Mountain?"

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