When Tang Xiaoqi's answer containing the ultimate understanding of protective Dao—his unwavering "my Dao has no regrets"—resounded through heaven and earth, clearly entering the Great Dao's primal depths—
As if some ancient lock had been broken, as if some heaven-earth matching pivot had been completely connected!
The heavy tribulation clouds spanning ten thousand li—symbolizing the final test of Spirit Transformation heavenly tribulation—were no longer a symbol of destruction, but in an instant transformed into a source of infinite gifts! That pillar of light descending from the tribulation cloud's center was not simple energy infusion, but composed of the purest, most primal fragments of heaven and earth's laws, mixed with vast amounts of primordial spiritual energy refined by the Great Dao—Law Baptism!
Within the pillar of light, Xiao Qi stood tall, eyes tightly closed, expression calm and solemn. He no longer resisted, no longer struggled, but completely opened his body and mind—like parched earth for billions of years, greedily and devoutly welcoming this long-awaited rain.
The first change occurred in his dantian, where the Nascent Soul had already reached peak perfection of the Nascent Soul realm.
The Nascent Soul—bearing his exact appearance, surrounded by Azure Lotus Dao resonance and purifying light—under the illumination of law radiance, as if unable to bear that overwhelming and high-level force, its surface began showing fine cracks. However, this was not collapse, but the prelude to transformation! Within the Nascent Soul, that core of concentrated spiritual energy at extreme density was undergoing mysterious resonance and reorganization with the incoming law fragments.
Meanwhile, within his sea of consciousness, the divine soul—tempered through the heart demon tribulation to become crystal-clear and flawless—was also completely wrapped by law radiance. The divine soul's form began blurring, no longer a fixed human shape, but transforming into a constantly changing, pure energy mass flashing with wisdom and Dao understanding.
The most crucial step was "fusion"!
Under the guidance and catalysis of the vast law power, that cracked Nascent Soul about to transform, and that pure energy mass of the divine soul, began unprecedented deep infiltration and integration toward Xiaoqi's physical body!
This was not simple energy combination, but essential ascension of life!
Every inch of his skin, every meridian, every drop of blood—even the deepest levels of marrow and cells—were absorbing law fragments and primordial spiritual energy. The physical body was no longer the "shell" carrying Nascent Soul and divine soul, but together with them constituted a more advanced, more harmonious, more Dao-approaching perfect whole!
During this process, all his past cultivation accumulations and all his Dao understandings were being reorganized, integrated, and sublimated by this law baptism.
The faint foundation from Xu Lan Mountain Manor's bloodline was completely cleansed and strengthened, integrated into new life marks.
Qingxu Temple's mystical orthodox cultivation method became the sturdy skeleton of his new power system.
The World-Cleansing Azure Lotus Origin's power of purification and creation became the core blood flowing through this new life form.
The Nirvana True Meaning of the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword, the body tempering of the Vajra Subduing Demons Art, the spatial understanding from Swimming Dragon Nine Turns—even the resilience, hope, faith, balance, responsibility he understood in worldly affairs—all, like rivers returning to the sea, were perfectly melted into one furnace!
His body within the pillar of light, every pore emanating colorful clouds, countless dense, mysterious Great Dao characters naturally forming, orbiting, and flickering around his body. That physical body once damaged by the heavenly tribulation, even having decayed for a time, now radiated indescribable vitality and Dao resonance, skin like jade, bones like crystals, blood flowing like mercury, emanating an innate, sacred aura.
Time passed—perhaps an instant, perhaps millions of years.
When that descending law pillar gradually thinned, finally—as if having completed its mission—quietly dissipated into the world—
Within Xiaoqi's dantian, that cracked Nascent Soul and blurred divine soul energy mass had completely vanished.
Replacing them—a brand-new existence matching his appearance, yet more solid, more spirited, surrounded by chaotic energy, eyes' opening and closing seeming to contain the birth and death of sun, moon and stars, maintaining perfect energy circulation and consciousness unity with his physical body—
Divine Soul!
The mark of a Spirit Transformation cultivator, a life form transcending Nascent Soul, initially freed from the physical body's constraints, able to travel the cosmos, perceive the mysteries of laws—Divine Soul!
The moment the Divine Soul completely formed—
An overwhelming, terrifying aura above the ordinary laws of this realm—like a primordial beast sleeping for eons awakening—erupted from the center of Qingxu Temple's back mountain, sweeping through heaven and earth!
This aura was no longer just the power of energy, but carried a supreme authority of harmonizing with heaven and earth, breathing with laws! Within ten thousand li, clouds dispersed, wind ceased, sound silenced, as if even heaven and earth were paying silent tribute to this newly-born Spirit Transformation Honorable!
"It succeeded!!"
Mu Xue—who had been the pillar's core—first sensed that familiar yet essentially different vast aura, her ice-sealed appearance instantly melting, crying tears of joy, her beautiful eyes filled with and indescribable pride.
"Spirit Transformation! It's the aura of Spirit Transformation!" Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng's body shook violently, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears of joy, his fists tightly clenched, all worry and tension at this moment turning into ecstasy and relief.
"Ha ha ha! Good! Good lad!" Zhao Tiezhu vigorously hammered his chest, making thunderous rumbling sounds, laughing heartily to the sky, his voice shaking the area.
Third Senior Sister Liu Yun slowly loosened the sword hilt she had been gripping, a relieved arc appearing at her lips, her gaze complex—relief and a trace of emotion.
All of Qingxu Temple, after a moment of dead silence, burst into deafening cheers! All disciples—whether understanding what that aura meant or not—could sense that supreme authority causing their souls to tremble yet instinctively wanting to draw near and worship—that their Shishuzu/Tang Elder/World-Cleansing True Lord had stepped into a legendary realm!
In the Alliance headquarters, before Second Senior Brother Luo Feng's virtual image, all the exploding energy readings stabilized, replaced by an even deeper, more harmonious law resonance waveform. He deeply exhaled, his soul vibrations filled with excitement: "It succeeded... data stable, life form confirmed to have ascended... Spirit Transformation realm! Records say... it's true!"
In the sky, the tribulation clouds spanning ten thousand li that had completed their final mission began slowly dissipating, revealing the azure expanse beneath. Warm sunlight poured down, illuminating the figure slowly descending below.
Tang Xiaoqi stepped on, eyes slowly opening.
His eyes were no longer the past's clarity or depth, but had become a chaotic hue—as if two miniature universes slowly rotating—containing endless mysteries of birth, death, creation and return.
He felt within him that overwhelming Divine Soul tightly connected to heaven and earth, as if with one thought he could mobilize the heaven and earth power within ten thousand liaround. He felt that flawlessly integrated new power of physical body, divine soul, Nascent Soul, and all understanding.
Law baptism, Divine Soul takes form.
From now on, the sea permits the fish to leap, the sky permits the bird to soar.
A true Spirit Transformation Honorable was officially born in this realm!