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The Lord of Annihilation let out a muffled groan, his body trembling violently as emperor blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

His opponent's power was boundless and vast, and that true intent of Taichu was incredibly profound, actually able to dissolve and assimilate his deathly intent of annihilation to a certain extent.

The projection of Ancient Emperor Taichu did not fare well either; his figure dimmed slightly, clearly having suffered from the impact as well.

"What an Ancient Emperor Taichu! The Dao of Taichu is akin to nothingness, encompassing all things, yet capable of dissolving all things!"

The Lord of Annihilation was shocked in his heart, yet his battle intent soared ever higher.

He realized that had he not reforged his emperor foundation and fused with a trace of primal chaos origin from the Chaos Heaven-Mending Stone, granting his Dao of Annihilation a subtle trace of vitality and variability...

...that strike just now would have likely seen his deathly intent of annihilation dissolved to a much greater extent by the opponent's power of Taichu, putting him at a disadvantage.

The two sides clashed once more. Various world-shocking divine abilities were unleashed with ease, every movement a manifestation of the Great Dao's laws.

With a wave of his sleeve, Ancient Emperor Taichu evolved earth, water, fire, and wind, resetting the universe. Meanwhile, the Lord of Annihilation tread upon reincarnation, controlling life and death in his palms to return everything to nothingness.

The battle lasted for an unknown amount of time. This simulated ancient starry battlefield was shattered and reformed, repeating the cycle over and over.

The Lord of Annihilation's emperor physique was covered in cracks, his divine soul greatly depleted, and the projection of Ancient Emperor Taichu was equally dim in light.

Ultimately, the Lord of Annihilation seized an extremely minuscule gap in the flow of his opponent's power. Pushing the Dao of Life and Death Reincarnation to its absolute limit, a wisp of innate vitality originating from the primal chaos origin violently bloomed from within his deathly intent of annihilation!

This wisp of vitality was not for healing, but acted as a catalyst, detonating the balance within the projected power of Ancient Emperor Taichu that was tending toward stillness and origin!

"Annihilation Chaos Tribulation!"

With a low shout, the grayish deathly intent and the chaos vitality intertwined into an unprecedented light of tribulation, instantly submerging the projection of Ancient Emperor Taichu.

The projection struggled before finally dissipating.

The battle ended. The Lord of Annihilation stood alone beneath the broken starry sky, his robes dyed with emperor blood, his aura fluctuating erratically, heavily injured.

Yet, there was no joy of victory on his face, only deep shock and reverence.

"The Dao of Taichu is truly terrifying... If not for the Exalted One bestowing upon me a fortuitous encounter, allowing my Dao foundation to reach a higher level and glimpse a trace of chaos truth above the reincarnation of life and death, the one defeated today would likely be me."

He muttered to himself, replaying every detail of the fierce battle in his mind.

Every single person who could reach this realm was an existence who had pushed their own Dao to the absolute peak; within their Dao, they could be called invincible!

He profoundly realized that between Great Emperors, there might be differences in strength, but there was absolutely no absolute crushing.

Every Great Emperor's Dao was unique, a beacon illuminating an era, representing an ultimate possibility.

Bearing heavy injuries and deeper insights, the Lord of Annihilation slowly stepped out of the Eternal Paragon Tower.

He needed to enter secluded cultivation immediately to digest the gains from his battle with Ancient Emperor Taichu, and integrate this reverence for the invincible Dao into his future cultivation.

After digesting the gains from that peak showdown, with his injuries slightly healed and his aura becoming unfathomably deep once more, he rose again and walked toward that towering black tower without hesitation.

Once, twice, three times...

From then on, Purple Bamboo Peak had another person besides Ling Xi immersed in the Eternal Paragon Tower, constantly challenging his limits and tempering himself—Elder Annihilation.

The difference was that when Ling Xi and the others challenged the tower, they often came out with exhaustion, excitement, or contemplation.

But every time the Lord of Annihilation walked out of the tower, his aura was ever more restrained. Sometimes, he even bore Dao wounds that were difficult to fully heal in a short time, his face pale.

However, those emperor eyes of his grew more profound each time, as if harboring even more mysteries of revolving galaxies and the reincarnation of life and death.

Every time he stepped into the light curtain, it meant an all-out life-and-death struggle, an ultimate collision of Great Dao and will.

Nowadays, when the Azure Heaven Bull King saw the Lord of Annihilation walking toward the Paragon Tower from afar, it would subconsciously shrink its neck and lie obediently in the spiritual medicine garden, not even daring to breathe loudly.

It instinctively felt that every time this elder came out of the tower, the aura on his body that made its heart palpitate would become a few fractions more terrifying.

During a brief pause to adjust her breathing, Ling Xi looked at the Lord of Annihilation's back as he stepped into the tower once again, a trace of complexity flashing through her cold, clear eyes.

She could feel that this elder was adapting to the challenges within the tower at an astonishing speed, and the growth he obtained from it likely far exceeded her imagination.

While this made her feel pressure, it also aroused a more intense fighting spirit within her.

"It seems I cannot afford to slack off in the slightest either."

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes again, and circulated her cultivation method with all her might.

Gu Changge took all of this in, still maintaining his breezy and calm demeanor. Occasionally, after the Lord of Annihilation exited the tower, he would offer a comment or two.

Or he would point out some minor flaws in his Dao methods, which always gave the Lord of Annihilation a feeling of sudden enlightenment, deepening his reverence for this Exalted One even further.

During the several days the Lord of Annihilation was immersed in tempering himself by challenging the tower, Purple Bamboo Peak was also quietly undergoing changes.

On this day, Sect Master Xuanyangzi personally led a grand procession of inner sect disciples skilled in civil engineering and several elders proficient in array formations to Purple Bamboo Peak.

"Junior Brother! Your senior brother has come to expand Purple Bamboo Peak for you!"

Before Xuanyangzi even arrived, his hearty laughter preceded him. He landed on the peak, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat empty flanks of Purple Bamboo Peak. With a grand wave of his hand, he said to the crowd behind him:

"Build right in this area according to the highest standards! It must be tranquil and elegant, but also sturdy and durable, harmonizing with the Dao rhythm within the peak. Use the best materials from the storehouse!"

"Yes, Sect Master!" The crowd received their orders and immediately began working with fiery enthusiasm.

Xuanyangzi then sidled up to Gu Changge, pointing at the blueprint and speaking with great interest, "Look, Junior Brother, we'll erect an elder's courtyard over here for Elder Annihilation to cultivate in peace.

Next to it, we'll build a few true disciple villas—slightly smaller in scale but more exquisite—for Ruobai, Hanyu, Ling Xi, and the others. Young people should have a decent place to live. That spiritually beautiful area on the mountainside is perfect for opening up a few secluded cultivation cave abodes.

And over there, a large open space has been reserved. In the future, when you take in more disciples, Junior Brother, they can move in directly, saving us the trouble of building temporary structures every time, which is unseemly..."

Listening to his endless stream of plans, Gu Changge's gaze swept over the gradually forming cluster of buildings, and he gave a slight nod. "Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother. Such an arrangement is quite comprehensive."

His tone was flat, but it counted as an approval of these long-term plans.

Seeing his junior brother agree, Xuanyangzi was even happier. With a cheeky chuckle, he pointed to an elegant little courtyard whose foundation was being laid, located closest to Gu Changge's main courtyard.

"Then... it wouldn't be too much for your senior brother to mooch a small quiet room here, would it?

In the future, when I come over to discuss the Dao and sip tea with you, or to deliberate on major sect matters, I'll have a place to stay. It's better than standing in the yard talking every time."

Gu Changge glanced at him. How could he not know what this senior brother was scheming? Still, he didn't expose it, only saying indifferently, "Suit yourself."

When the courtyards had begun to take shape and Xuanyangzi was contentedly preparing to take his leave, Gu Changge called out to him.

"Wait a moment, Senior Brother."

"Junior Brother, do you have any other instructions?" Xuanyangzi turned around.

Spiritual light flashed at Gu Changge's fingertips. A storage ring appeared out of thin air and slowly flew towards Xuanyangzi.

Today I went back to my hometown, went into the cornfields, and harvested corn. I wrote this a bit hastily, so please bear with it!