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"So close."

"Just a little bit more."

Qiao Mu stared intently at the sky in his dream.

In the dream sky, broken chains spanned the vastness, lingering without fading.

Above the clouds, Patriarch Lingyuan stood in the void, gazing at him from afar, with thousands of armored bean soldiers before him.

Qiao Mu was not regretting that he almost killed Patriarch Lingyuan.

After this battle, he understood in his heart…

He was only one step away from the final destination.

When facing the five great Immortal Gates’ attacks in Nan Province, Qiao Mu, with the full power of the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Method accumulated over fifty thousand years, caused even the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet brought forth by the Long Life Gate to shatter and fall apart.

Although the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet was controlled by the leader of the Long Life Gate, a Soul Changing cultivator, its power could not compare to its peak period. However, it was made from Star Tear Silver, a material of Tao Achieving Stage quality.

This Star Tear Silver is harvested from stars outside the world and is extremely strong. Only Tao Achieving Stage cultivators can gather it, and it is one of the common materials used to refine magic treasures.

In other words, the strength of that immortal puppet should be roughly on the same level as the strength of a Tao Achieving Stage magic treasure.

Even if there are differences in strength, the gap will not be like heaven and earth!

After this battle, Qiao Mu understood… if his sword could strike true, even the Tao Achieving Stage Patriarch Lingyuan descending into the mortal realm would be severely wounded, if not killed.

A Tao Achieving Stage cultivator was no longer an insurmountable mountain for Qiao Mu, who possessed fifty thousand years of power.

Although he was defeated this time, he also knew… that Patriarch Lingyuan could also die at his hands.

"Six thousand years from now, even a Tao Achieving Stage master may not be my match; so how many masters can there be in the Immortal Gate of this world?"

Qiao Mu opened his eyes.

This time, his mindset was different from before.

The hidden Supreme Elder in the Immortal Gate, whether they would appear or not, was still uncertain, and Qiao Mu felt unsure.

But after sparring with a Tao Achieving Stage cultivator, even if he died once, he gained a sense of Patriarch Lingyuan’s strength.

"The finish line is in sight."

Six thousand years later, when Qiao Mu comes back to life, Patriarch Lingyuan will not be his match.

By then, even if there are hidden masters who do not come out, how many lives can they take from Qiao Mu?

After a few hundred years…

In this world, no one will be able to kill him again, and nothing will force him to his death.

This is an ending like a beautiful dream, so wonderful that Qiao Mu, who has faced death many times, feels it might not be real…

"Let’s set a small goal first…"

"To defeat Patriarch Lingyuan of the Great Dao Sect."

Qiao Mu looked up at the sky with a blank expression.

In his dreams, he has countless chances to review and try again.

During these six thousand years, he will search everywhere for a way to defeat Patriarch Lingyuan.

……………….

Time flies by.

Qiao Mu, in the SS-level Long Life Dream, can easily enter a "flow state," working very efficiently and doing many things at once each year.

Every day, practicing the "Human Path Sutra" to improve his vitality and the "Wudang Pure Yang Skill" for strength is an essential part of his routine, much like a simple yet necessary breakfast of soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks.

Dreaming of fighting enemies like Patriarch Lingyuan again is the sweet treat after every martial arts practice.

The breakthrough he found, however, came from practicing a few martial arts taught by Sun Xuan Envoy Zhang Yinguo, specifically "Da Yan Jue" and "Causal Tracing Fist."

The latter is a counter technique similar to Hua strength, but that is a topic for another time.

However, "Da Yan Jue," which feels more like a mysterious secret art than a martial skill, inspired Qiao Mu.

Qiao Mu’s defeat at the hands of Patriarch Lingyuan was not because Patriarch Lingyuan could stop his sword.

Instead, it was because Qiao Mu was trapped in the Heaven and Earth Anti Chaos Formation set up by Patriarch Lingyuan, and even his strongest Heavenly Slashing Swordsmanship could not land a hit.

After dozens, even hundreds of attempts in his dreams, Qiao Mu has figured out:

Using brute force to break the rules is not wise.

To forcibly break a great formation with external strength is like when Qiao Mu previously overcame the Great Dao Sect Mountain Protection Formation; it requires power far beyond what the formation can withstand.

Although Qiao Mu, with fifty thousand years of strength, is powerful, even Patriarch Lingyuan cannot simply block it; he can only divert the sword energy with the formation, but it still cannot crush the great formation.

Therefore, what Qiao Mu thinks about is another strategy, apart from brute force.

The number of the great transformation is fifty; it uses forty-nine, leaving one thread to compete with others.

The creator of this martial arts forbidden technique, the fifth sage Wu Xuan, believes that there is no such thing as an unbreakable shield in this world.

There are no certainties! There is no one hundred percent! There is no absolute defense!

And what the Da Yan Jue strives for is that one small chance.

Besides this, Wu Xuan also believed that the "spirit" of martial artists is not a vague thing, but a kind of strength that is real and substantial.

Just like the muscles and internal strength of a martial artist, both are forms of power gained after much hard work and training.

Qiao Mu nodded when he read this.

A Spirit Refining martial artist can make a flying knife turn, and the essence of a True Strength martial artist’s internal strength is the merging of energy and spirit, making their internal strength powerful and effective in every way.

Therefore, the essence of the Da Yan Jue is:

"Where there is true sincerity, even gold and stone can be opened!"

"Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight!"

Upon reading this, Qiao Mu understood.

"This ignites the ‘spirit’ of martial artists and twists reality with profound skills."

In Qiao Mu’s experienced eyes of martial arts.

Similar to the "Po Yue Long Yin Gong" of Founding Emperor Yan and Wu Aotian’s "Aotian Divine Fist," this forbidden technique has stepped into the realm of divine will.

Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit curious about the little-known fifth wise man, Wu Xuan.

"I wonder if this person is still alive…"

After Qiao Mu carefully read the entire "Da Yan Jue," he noticed a few annotated lines by Sun Xuan Envoy Zhang Yinguo at the side of the book.

These words, which Qiao Mu had previously skimmed over quickly without much thought, now clearly appeared in his dreams.

He saw that Sun Xuan Envoy Zhang Yinguo wrote inside:

"Wu Xuan, this man, is the fifth wise man of the Wuji Association, exceptionally gifted, and possesses an extraordinary will, far surpassing his peers."

"After practicing the Taotie Swallowing Heaven Skill, he gradually became mad and was imprisoned in the Wuji Association dungeon, kept company by the sixth wise man, Wu Aotian."

"Later he escaped from prison alone and died while challenging Martial Saint, leaving behind this ‘Da Yan Jue’ in the prison before the escape."

"This ‘Da Yan Jue’ was created by him after he went mad. Although it has its merits, it should be practiced with caution; otherwise, one might fall into madness."

"Note: Apart from Wu Xuan himself, no one has ever mastered ‘Da Yan Jue’; caution is essential."

Grass.

So it was written by a madman.

Moreover, his cause of death was the challenge to Martial Saint during the escape… It seems he truly believed he could defeat Martial Saint after creating ‘Da Yan Jue’, hoping to grasp a chance for survival.

No wonder Qiao Mu thinks ‘Da Yan Jue’ is similar to Wu Aotian’s ‘Aotian Divine Fist’; it turns out they were cellmates.

Although he knew that this madman’s martial arts forbidden technique might have issues, Qiao Mu did not put down the secret book in his hands.

"Did Martial Saint not master this forbidden technique because he didn’t practice it, or because he wasn’t mad enough?"

"Or there’s also a possibility: this ‘Da Yan Jue’ is just something a madman made up, looking somewhat useful, but it can’t really be practiced."

Qiao Mu held the secret book and frowned, thinking for a long time.

"With the principles of ‘Heaven’s Changes’, one can escape its grasp. This ‘Da Yan Jue’ indeed seems to have some practical aspects."

"Wu Xuan’s ‘Da Yan Jue’ has likely not been fully developed yet; it was written by a madman, full of wild ideas and confused logic, but perhaps I… can refine it."

Over the long span of six thousand years, Qiao Mu began practicing ‘Da Yan Jue’.

With a thought, a Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet from Long Life Gate appeared before him.

Qiao Mu took a deep breath, raised his fist, and punched towards the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet.

There were no specific martial arts; it was just a powerful punch using all his strength accumulated over many years.

The punch had enough power to split mountains, but when it hit the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet, it only created a slight ripple the size of a fist, and after a moment, it quickly repaired itself to its original state.

"A common punch that has been practiced for ten thousand years, in theory, should not be able to break through the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet at the Long Life Gate; even if he threw ten thousand punches or a hundred thousand punches, it would likely not be able to destroy it."

Qiao Mu understood in his heart.

But he then took a deep breath and repeated the punch.

The movements were exactly the same, but when he punched, he secretly used the forbidden technique "Da Yan Jue."

Bang, the punch landed.

The surface of the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet rippled again, and even the size of the ripples was exactly the same as before, with not a hint of difference.

"It seems that more time is needed for practice."

Da Yan Jue is not a martial art, nor a specific technique.

The so-called practice is not about practicing movements or techniques, but about repeatedly planting a thought in the heart:

He will surely be able to break through this Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet!

When Qiao Mu tricked himself and twisted his own will first, then the Da Yan Jue could have a chance to succeed.

It is not about self-deception or self-hypnosis, but about changing one’s thoughts from the root and believing from the heart.

Qiao Mu lowered his eyelids and struck with one punch after another.

Just so happens.

He has a lot of time.

Even if this forbidden technique is made up and a waste of effort, it can still help him spend dozens or even hundreds of years of dream time.

…………………………

A thousand years later.

Qiao Mu raised his hand and threw a punch, his fist piercing through the chest of the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet, completely going through it and bursting out in a swirl of electric light.

"It took more time than I thought, but…"

Qiao Mu pulled his fist out from the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet and stared at it for a moment.

Normally, a thousand years of power would not be enough to pierce the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet. Even hitting it a thousand times or a hundred thousand times would not be possible.

During this thousand years, Qiao Mu was not only focused on this one task.

But he had thrown more than a million punches at this Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet…

As Qiao Mu withdrew his fist, his body swayed slightly, and his mind felt like a mess, as if someone had stuck a knife into his brain and stirred it three times.

"A thousand years of practice. At least… this madman created something that actually worked? I achieved the impossible—– no, there is no impossible."

Only by understanding Wu Xuan, thinking what he thought, and convincing himself that he could pierce through the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet…

So, there is a possibility that this Da Yan Jue will take effect.

Qiao Mu raised his finger and pointed to his head, then fell over and died.

In the next moment, his injuries fully healed, and he came back to life, throwing a punch at the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet, which had also returned to its original state.

But this time, the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet only created ripples the size of a fist and was not pierced, while Qiao Mu felt a sharp pain in his head.

"This martial arts forbidden technique, Da Yan Jue, has a real self-harm aspect, but it does not always work every time."

Qiao Mu withdrew his fist and stood still, and the Silver Thunder Immortal Puppet in front of him disappeared with his thoughts.

He stood alone, feeling a strange fatigue after a thousand years of practicing martial arts.

"A thousand years is still too short; there are still five thousand more years ahead, and good days are still to come."

…………..

Time flies.

In a dream lasting thirteen hundred years, the Vajra Immortal Skill reached perfection and attained a flawless state.

After that, Qiao Mu spent another two hundred years refining many of the hard skills he had perfected before, such as the Golden Bell Shield, Iron Cloth Shirt Skill, and Iron Body, by extracting their essence and combining them. He also incorporated many hard skills from the Wuji Association’s treasury into the Vajra Immortal Skill.

At this point, the world’s number one hard skill, the Vajra Immortal Skill, broke new ground and was elevated to a new level by Qiao Mu.

This ancient martial art was revived in Qiao Mu’s hands; although it didn’t change its name, it was different from the original Shaolin skills.

In two thousand years, Buddha’s Palm was also mastered to perfection by Qiao Mu.

"The Eight Armed Heavenly Dragon Fist is the fastest martial art in the world, but it has speed without enough power. Meanwhile, Buddha’s Palm is unmatched in power. If combined, it should be the quickest way to deal with those thousand bean soldiers…"

Even though Qiao Mu tried to keep himself busy as he had in the past with the Long Life Dream, the six thousand years of the Long Life Dream felt just too long.

So much so that he revisited his previous unfinished research:

The Sun Chasing Cultivation Method of the Kuafu tribe.

If Qiao Mu lived over five thousand years, using various methods to survive the Long Life Dream, then the way to keep his mind clear and whole after five thousand years is this Sun Chasing Cultivation Method.

Strictly speaking, Qiao Mu, who is not a being of the Kuafu tribe, cannot directly practice this cultivation method; he only takes its essence and uses it as a means of spiritual refining.

This ancient Divine and Demon Cultivation Method does not belong to the realm of the martial arts of ordinary mortals in Jiu Province and is also very different from the path of immortals.

It cannot increase Qiao Mu’s power by even a little, but it is the key to his mental clarity to this day.

With a thought, in the dream world, a bone piece resembling jade and a drop of blood appeared.

When Qiao Mu was still "Qiao Tu," he obtained the blood and bones of the giant from Kuafu Mountain Secret Realm.

Take a careful look.

The bone piece is shining white, hard in texture, like both bone and jade. The drop of blood ripples slightly; though it is only a drop, when you look closely, it seems like a surging sea.

Both are exactly the same as Qiao Mu remembers, with hardly any difference.

"The things that appear in dreams seem more real now, which was impossible before."

"Is it because my spiritual cultivation has improved, or is it due to the change caused by the crack in the last chain of the Long Life Lock?"

Qiao Mu was deep in thought.

This drop of blood once merged with Qiao Tu’s body, but in the end, the body was refined into a Qiao skin drum and a spine sword by the Blood Lotus Taoist Lord.

But if the bones and blood of Giant Kuafu could also appear in the dream, perhaps it could help him deduce martial arts for mortals based on the training methods of the Kuafu tribe?

Qiao Mu had no experience.

Though he has deduced many martial arts over the past ten thousand years, the Divine and Demon Cultivation Method is still a strange field for Qiao Mu.

The Long Life Dream has four thousand years left, and the task at hand is also very difficult.

But Qiao Mu, who had already seen the finish line, felt a strange excitement, like a sudden flash of light.

…………………………………….

Zhong Province Great Dao Sect.

Patriarch Lingyuan stood above the clouds, looking up at the sky, where a mysterious chain stretched through the air.

He, who usually had a calm expression, now furrowed his brows tightly.

No matter how strong Qiao Shuangtu was, even forcing the Great Dao Sect to the brink of destruction, Patriarch Lingyuan remained composed.

He had experienced great changes in the world, gone through turmoil in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, and seen many of the nineteen Immortal Gates in the mortal realm fall, yet today’s Qiao Shuangtu, though strong, seemed to him just a repetition of history.

But the strange phenomenon of the chains in the high sky was not.

The long years of the past had given him deep experiences, but when things went beyond his control and even beyond his understanding…

The doubt and surprise in his heart roared like a wild ocean, even more surprising than the cultivators below, including Elder Qingzhuo.

"Do not touch it; it is not a physical object and cannot be sensed by spiritual awareness… It seems to be a strange appearance created by something from beyond this world, but what exactly is it…?"

Suddenly, Patriarch Lingyuan recalled his debate with another master, Lingxu, before entering the small world.

At that time, they each held their own views on the words of the Soul Predicting Path master Tianshu about the "opportunity to become a celestial being."

Lingyuan had not taken Taoist Tianshu’s contradictory predictions too seriously before.

"The heavens show strange signs; is this the opportunity to become a celestial being that Taoist Tianshu spoke of, or is it the omen of the great calamity he predicted a thousand years ago?"

"But I haven’t sensed any changes in the spiritual energy of this world, whether it is recovering or continuing to decline and even wither away?"

Patriarch Lingyuan fell silent.

With each moment he stayed in the human world, his magical power was fading. Logically, he should return to the small world quickly to avoid falling from the Tao Achieving Stage.

But at that moment, he stood still, completely unaware.

Suddenly, he felt a spark of inspiration, and his deep thoughts were broken in an instant as he looked down at a place between the mountains and valleys.

He saw that somehow, another Qiao Mu had appeared in that spot, expressionless, staring back at him.

"The so-called task of moving mountains does not begin with Qiao Shuangtu, nor does it end with Qiao Shuangtu."

"The Qiao family has been without limits for generations," Qiao Mu said, his gaze sharp like a sword, difficult to resist.

"Lingyuan, how many mountains do you still have? Are they enough?"

The moment he appeared.

The nine silent flesh clones broke through the air, rushing through the mountains.

One died, and there are… fourteen more.