Perfect World: Dream of the Immortal Era

This was an exceedingly dangerous move—to use the outer Dao as a cocoon, envelop oneself, seek the inner Dao, strive for transformation, aim to become a butterfly—just as Shi Hao had done when he used his body as a seed.

However, when Shi Hao formed the Dao cocoon, he had the assistance of the residual Primal Immortal Emperor Flame left behind by Footprint Emperor, burning through it and aiding him significantly.

Gu Wu Di, on the other hand, was different; he lacked the boosting effect of the Primal Immortal Emperor Flame.

Furthermore, the Dao cocoon forming around him was woven from the complete rules of the Grand Cosmos descending from the Great Dao. If they were in the same realm, Gu Wu Di's Dao cocoon would be much sturdier than Shi Hao's, making it immensely challenging to break open.

Yet, it was a done deal; at this moment, he was sealed within the Dao cocoon—either he would transform into a butterfly and break free, or he would perish within, becoming a heap of ashes.

Inside the dim cocoon, Gu Wu Di sat silently, eyes slightly closed, immersed in the deepest level of Dao comprehension.

In a trance, it seemed as if the sound of surging tides filled the air, reverberating ceaselessly at a peculiar frequency—the result of all particles in his body vibrating in unison, driving an immense divine power to ebb and flow, a terrifying sight to behold.

Mysterious Dao patterns surfaced on the exterior of each particle, ancient and natural, resembling seeds rooting in the void from afar. The manifestation of using his body as a seed was beginning to take shape, yet the road to success was still exceedingly long.

At this time, the dense Dao cocoon radiated brilliant and crystalline light; the inner cocoon wall began to shed boundless laws and order, falling onto the surface of Gu Wu Di's body.

Upon contact, it was akin to dry wood meeting a raging fire—igniting in an instant, burning fiercely.

The terrifying high temperature swept over Gu Wu Di's entire body, the searing sensation penetrated from the skin into the flesh, into the five viscera, and bones.

An excruciating pain erupted, making one want to scream, unbearable.

But Gu Wu Di remained silent, merely frowning deeply, enduring in silence.

This was the Dao flame, the flame of rules, the most terrifying fire in the world, capable of incinerating anything, turning everything to ash.

The Dao is singular, yet it can diversify into countless rules.

The flame assaulting Gu Wu Di at this moment was the Dao flame composed of innumerable rules, potent enough to burn everything to nothing.

"Sizzle..."

Under the terrifying Dao flame's burn, many particles within Gu Wu Di's physical form collapsed, turning to flying ashes in the blink of an eye, riddled with wounds, later becoming thoroughly blackened, scorched into a charred state, mere steps away from annihilation of body and spirit.

Gu Wu Di sighed inwardly, sensing death swiftly approaching, he had no other option but to dissolve an elixir held under his tongue, using it to avert this life-and-death crisis.

Shi Hao, at this stage, had avoided a major crisis due to his body's resistance to the Dao flame.

However, Gu Wu Di was different; he embarked on the path of using his body as a seed at the second realm of the Dao Seed method, never experiencing the myriad Dao flames incinerating his body as Shi Hao did, thus this was his first encounter with the Dao flame, resulting in naturally devastating impact.

Even though his body was strong enough, it still couldn’t resist the scorching Dao flames, forcing him to rely on celestial pills for survival.

The celestial medicine melted away, and its immense power spread throughout Gu Wu Di’s body, replenishing every particle.

Instantly, Gu Wu Di's condition reversed, as his charred body in the blazing Dao fire shed its blackened shell, revealing a radiant and luminous physique. The particles within him became full and crystal clear again.

It must be understood that the pill he consumed is a celestial pill, highly beneficial even to true immortals, let alone a being of human origin who is frail.

Even with formidable Dao rule flames mercilessly burning away, the particles within him could withstand it, continuously supplemented by a never-ending breath of life.

Of course, the consumption rate was astonishing, and the immense power of the celestial pill was dissipating at a visible pace.

Gu Wu Di seized a moment to breathe. He barely had time to notice the changes within him, with all his attention drawn to the burning Dao flames.

Although terrifying, capable of claiming lives, they were also the most precious opportunities, allowing observation of the most fundamental mysteries of the Great Dao and insight into the basic components of the grand universe.

By observing the burning Dao flames and comparing them to himself, he could better verify the internal and external Dao, greatly benefiting the "activation" of the internal Dao and hastening the process of using one's body as a seed.

Gu Wu Di became deeply engrossed, unable to extricate himself. In the tug-of-war between the scorching Dao flames and the replenishment from the celestial pill, the various particles within him gradually brightened, shining brilliantly like blazing suns suspended there.

In an undetermined span of time, the immense energy of the celestial pill was exhausted. A second celestial pill was consumed just in time, continuously providing energy to the particles.

Finally, the glow from within Gu Wu Di reached an intensity that was blinding, seemingly on the verge of bursting at any moment. In the next instant, all the light retracted into the particles, disappearing, leaving only ancient particles suspended in place, exuding a dense Dao aura, immeasurable and intrinsic.

Even a single particle was unfathomable, harboring immense potential and power, like a universe within itself. It was hard to imagine the potential of Gu Wu Di, who contained countless particles.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, the heavenly rules cascaded down like a waterfall, engulfing the meditating Gu Wu Di. The Dao flames blazed fiercely, burning everything. In such flames, nothing could survive.

Gu Wu Di was no exception, even with celestial pills providing endless energy, it was difficult to resist the erosion of the Dao flames.

One after another, charred holes appeared, burned through by the Dao flames, terrifying beyond measure.

Yet, Gu Wu Di remained unmoved, fully focusing on breaking through the bottleneck, standing in the deepest darkness, looking up at the light.

"Buzz!"

The light approached, transforming into a vague celestial aura, swirling around Gu Wu Di.

It was faint, having taken a preliminary shape, but upon closer inspection, the celestial aura had yet to truly manifest.

Despite this, the emergence of this ineffable celestial aura brought about an earth-shattering change in Gu Wu Di. He appeared even more transcendent, and his combat power skyrocketed exponentially.

However, Gu Wu Di did not pause; his goal was for this celestial aura to fully manifest in the world.

As the process of using his body as a seed advanced, the celestial aura became increasingly distinct. Around Gu Wu Di, eerie visions inexplicably emerged: gods and demons wailing, howling to the heavens, countless beings perishing, blood rain pouring down, a whole era being buried...

Moreover, whispers of sacrificial chants echoed, resonating through the ages, lingering indefinitely.

At this moment, the power of the Dao fire surged to its peak, annihilating everything in its path, turning all to nothingness.

In an instant, he achieved immortality, stepping into eternity. Time and space froze, yet Gu Wu Di's thoughts remained active. He sensed the vast emptiness and antiquity, along with the weight of ages and darkness, as though he were traversing the cycle of reincarnation.

Finally, the stasis shattered, and time and space resumed their natural state.

Gu Wu Di regarded the celestial diagram with disdain, for he had successfully used his body as a seed, planting the particles within him as seeds. In the future, when he achieved full mastery, he would not need to rely on the grand heavens or external Tao; his own strength would be sufficient to conquer the world.

He inspected his own body internally, attempting to find that trace of primordial Qi, yet found no sign of it, only countless particles emanating clear light, floating as seeds within.

“Has the celestial Qi replenished my body?” he murmured to himself, struggling to believe that the primordial Qi had simply dissipated.

But such was the truth. The extraordinary primordial Qi had been consumed before it could display its omnipotent properties.

He sighed slightly, feeling a hint of regret. If the primordial Qi had not dissipated, it might have played a significant role, helping him rise swiftly.

However, how can one obtain perfection? The primordial Qi rejuvenating his body, allowing him to walk away from death's door, was ample enough.

After pondering for a long while, he spoke with insight, “Primordial Qi, representing the birth of the Tao, shouldn't disappear so easily; it should surely reappear one day.”

With those words, he looked towards the cocoon of Tao enveloping him, sensing an increasingly terrifying pressure.

Realizing that it couldn’t burn him to death, the cocoon of Tao changed its strategy, attempting to constrict him to death.

A shiver ran through Gu Wu Di's heart. He did not underestimate the thick cocoon despite having accomplished his technique of using his body as the Tao Seed. One must understand that the cocoon of Tao can borrow the power of the heavenly Tao. No matter how strong he was, he was merely at the beginning of his journey—how could he contend against the heavens? It was sheer foolishness.

Therefore, to survive, he needed to break through the constraints of the cocoon of Tao quickly.

Taking a deep breath, he controlled all the particle Tao Seeds in his body, releasing clear light in unison, vibrating at the same frequency, and demonstrating an overwhelming force—illustrating what it means for a single particle of dust to fill the sea and a single blade of grass to cut down stars, the sun, and the moon.

In that moment, Gu Wu Di wielded immense, unparalleled power, strength beyond measure.

With a loud shout, light flashed in his hand, and a mighty halberd appeared out of nowhere, instantly enveloped in a clear luminescence, ancient and natural, profoundly mysterious. He then struck fiercely at the cocoon of Tao.

“Rip!”

The crisp sound of tearing rang out, and the cocoon of Tao was cleaved open, split in two. He successfully broke free, escaping to freedom.

“Hm?”

Before he could steady himself, an inexplicable dread seized Gu Wu Di. His hair stood on end, his heart pounded fiercely, and an intense unease surged within him, as if a great catastrophe was imminent, like the end of the world approaching.

"The Heaven's Punishment!"

With a flash of understanding, he realized the source of his unease.

Previously, he had been enveloped within the cocoon of the Tao, with the celestial secrets concealed. Crushed by the great weight of the cocoon, he had now emerged transformed, a butterfly from its chrysalis, and inevitably, the catastrophic punishment from the vast heavens descended upon him.

"Dong!"

Ancient bells tolled solemnly, materializing one after the other, accompanied by ancient tripods and divine towers, charging forward in formation.

In addition, sharpened heavenly blades, blood-red long swords, and various other weapons materialized, falling like a torrential downpour.

This was the Celestial punishment for those daring to incarnate into the seed. To seize the celestial fortunes was akin to usurping the heavenly throne, contradicting the divine will.

Throughout history, cultivators practicing the Tao Seed technique, whether merging with perfect seeds or ordinary Tao seeds, would be recognized by the great heavens, embodying the will of the heavens, wielding the majesty of the celestial way.

But being the seed himself was different; it required no heavenly recognition, only to fortify oneself, to stand alongside or even surpass the grand universe, reigning supreme.

This undoubtedly touched upon a forbidden taboo, and the heavenly way would naturally respond with the harshest of retaliations, seeking to annihilate him entirely just as he began to unfurl his potential.

"Boom!"

Countless weapons bombarded Gu Wu Di. He had no other choice but to withstand their might.

However, the power of these weapons far exceeded what Gu Wu Di could endure, far beyond his limits. The heavens were intent on obliterating this rebel.

In an instant, Gu Wu Di was struck, sent flying, blood and flesh scattering.

"Pfft!"

He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his face pale as paper, yet he let out a bellow, as the particles of his Tao Seed vibrated, radiating a brilliant azure glow. Clutching the great halberd, he defied the heavens.

This act incensed the cosmos, bringing down an even more terrifying punishment, with power exceeding Gu Wu Di’s abilities by several grand realms. This was a certain death strike; no one could withstand an assault several realms beyond their own.

"Rumble!"

With a resounding thunderclap, everything fell silent.

Above the altar, nothing remained; Gu Wu Di had vanished, leaving only a pile of human-shaped ashes.

The majestic skies thundered with a profound energy as the Tao seed began to take shape.

Amidst this cosmic birthing, a primordial qi, unlike any seen before, appeared silently, radiating a power that seemed to resonate with the very fabric of the universe.

The boundaries between realms seemed to ripple with its emergent presence.