Above the Dazzling Stars, the Sun Dominates the Sky—Has Ling Xiao Stubbed His Toe and Gotten an Ingrown Nail

"You rude fellow, you're truly uncouth..."

The figure obediently turned around, facing Chen Yi directly.

This was a young man dressed in robes adorned with cloud patterns, his hair cascading like a river of stars, his eyes carrying a serenity that transcended time and space, as if gazing at Chen Yi across endless epochs. Most striking was the profound mystical rune imprinted between his brows, which immediately stunned Chen Yi.

"You are..."

Chen Yi was shocked, staring at that all-too-familiar mark on his forehead. A name flickered in his mind, but he couldn't be certain.

Flipping through the heavy annals of history on the Purple Star Continent, he once again relived the era of dazzling stars.

In that vast sea of stars, several radiant suns stood towering!

One of them had long since been confirmed extinguished—the second-strongest of 300,000 years ago, Chen Lingxiu of the Carefree Sect!

And the one who faintly overshadowed her was the undisputed number one of that era—the 32nd-generation Holy Son of the Extreme Artifact Sect, Zhang Bairen, who refined artifacts, refined the Dao, and even refined himself! A peerless genius who tempered his path to the Dao by forging the human body as his ultimate weapon!

Just hearing the name was enough to know he was extraordinary, and the man who bore it was even more so. His glorious life surpassed even Chen Lingxiu's!

Of course, he wasn't the protagonist today.

Looking further back, there was an even more dazzling sun reigning over the heavens!

In the primordial era, when the Heavenly Dao of the Purple Star Continent was still in its infancy, guarding vast riches it barely knew how to develop, fumbling forward like someone crossing a river by feeling the stones. It didn’t even know if its methods were right—only that countless promising talents perished in those times...

Yet, in that chaotic age where the laws of the world were unstable, a man of unparalleled brilliance emerged!

He organized the myriad laws, laying out a cultivation framework so robust that it remained viable for hundreds of millions of years, requiring only minor expansions by later generations.

He was the first in the history of the Purple Star Continent to transcend tribulation and ascend to immortality. Thanks to him, the Heavenly Dao flourished, unlocking the continent's latent potential and elevating it from a mid-tier martial world to a high-tier one, establishing the laws of tribulation and securing the right to ascend!

Of course, that was a very, very long time ago.

Even now, legends of that extraordinary man still circulated across the Purple Star Continent.

He was the first senior disciple of the Tai Xu Sect—no, back then, it was just a minor faction called the Tai Xu Sect.

Cui Changsheng!

The reason the Tai Xu Holy Land had endured through the ages, maintaining its transcendent status on the Purple Star Continent, was inseparable from Cui Changsheng's monumental contributions!

"It seems you're quite familiar with this mark..." The figure nodded slightly. "By convention, you should address me as 'ancestor,' but given your unruly nature, let's skip the formalities."

"Wow, it really is you?!"

Chen Yi never imagined he’d encounter a wisp of divine will left behind by this legendary figure here.

Truth be told, in his youth, he had once idolized Cui Changsheng, even regarding him as a role model.

Later, after too many encounters with the Immortal Ascension Tribulation—and after his own path veered off course—he grew disillusioned with Cui Changsheng, dismissing everyone as mere pretenders. Who dares face my halberd?!

But after all, this was the idol of his youth. Seeing Cui Changsheng in the flesh, Chen Yi couldn’t help but feel a flicker of excitement.

"Senior, what realm are you in now?"

"Are you still in the Immortal Realm?"

"Can you take on the Immortal Emperor?"

"Do you know Wuji? How did he overthrow Ling Xiao?"

"Why did Wuji strengthen the Immortal Ascension Tribulation?"

"Even if it was to prevent Ling Xiao's resurgence, was sealing off the world really the answer? Isn’t that just sticking your head in the sand?"

"And what’s the deal with this Calamity Realm? You must have a plan for coming here, right?"

"..."

Chen Yi was polite yet impolite—his tone respectful, but his questions relentless.

In short, this was a grand interrogation session where the young upstart bombarded the old legend with endless questions, leaving the latter with no choice but to answer.

"I know you're eager, but don’t rush. We have plenty of time—there’s a long road ahead!"

Cui Changsheng smiled faintly, raising a hand as starlight coalesced around them, forming a vast chessboard.

"Sit. Let us play a game, and your doubts will be resolved naturally."

"After you!"

Suppressing his torrent of questions, Chen Yi took his seat courteously, placing a black stone boldly at the center of the board.

"You brat, are you playing randomly or just defying convention?"

Cui Changsheng chuckled, placing a white stone at the star point before continuing, "The opening sets the stage, the moves reveal the future. At the end of Ling Xiao's reign and the dawn of Wuji's era, I was half-step into the Dao Rhythm Origin. Now, after ten thousand turbulent years, my true self has likely fully stepped into that realm—Dao Ancestor, the progenitor of the Dao!"

Hearing this, Chen Yi straightened his posture, his second black stone gracefully landing at the minor point. "Senior, I’m quite curious about the details of immortal cultivation realms. Would you enlighten me?"

Cui Changsheng smiled, his white stone arcing elegantly to press the corner. "Transcending tribulation makes one a Spirit Immortal. Developing a Dao Domain leads to True Immortal, Celestial Immortal, and Mystic Immortal. At Mystic Immortal, one reaches the limit of foundational laws. Beyond that, one must weave karma into the River of Time to become a Golden Immortal, create worlds to become a Grand Unity Immortal, bestow life to ascend as a Great Luo Immortal, and establish one’s own Dao to become a Dao Ancestor. Condensing the 49 foundational Dao traces proves one’s Dao Rhythm Origin—the beginning of the Dao, the Dao Ancestor!"

In simpler terms: Pseudo-Immortal (Spirit Immortal), True Immortal, Celestial Immortal, Mystic Immortal, Golden Immortal, Grand Unity, Great Luo, Dao Ancestor.

Chen Yi pondered briefly. Though he didn’t fully grasp it, he could digest it. Placing another black stone, he asked,

"If I’m not mistaken, the so-called Immortal Emperor must be at the Dao Rhythm Origin realm, right?"

Cui Changsheng nodded slightly. "Immortal Emperor is a title, not a realm. An Immortal Emperor is a Dao Ancestor, but not all Dao Ancestors are Immortal Emperors. In a sense, the Immortal Emperor is invincible."

"Is that really true?" Chen Yi’s expression turned odd, recalling a certain Immortal Emperor who dared not even squeak from behind his door.

If he’s invincible, why stay silent?

If your door gets smashed, shouldn’t you charge out and beat the offender senseless?

Hiding like a coward—what kind of invincibility is that?

And if the Immortal Emperor is truly unbeatable, what does that make Ling Xiao?

Didn’t Wuji overthrow him too?

Now he’s still getting pummeled!

"No need for doubt. Within the Dao, the Immortal Emperor is invincible." Cui Changsheng placed another white stone, his formation gaining momentum. "Just like this board—once black and white stones are placed, there’s no taking them back. The Immortal Emperor is like a rogue 'chariot' piece, charging unchecked along the lines. Isn’t that invincible?"

"Pretty badass, I’ll admit." Chen Yi nodded in acknowledgment before his black stone coiled like a nimble dragon, building a formidable formation with the "Great Avalanche" strategy.

"Then why was Ling Xiao overthrown? Did he stub his toe mid-charge?"

Cui Changsheng didn’t hold back either, countering with the "Demon Blade" strategy to slay the dragon. "Crude phrasing, but the logic holds."

"The Immortal Emperor is invincible—this is beyond doubt. Yet even he remains bound by the Dao, unable to control all things. Like the unstoppable 'Chariot' on a chessboard, it dominates ranks and files with no piece able to block its path, yet it cannot transcend the grid to strike beyond the lines."

"When pieces along a line slowly take root and grow stronger, they become like nails. The faster the 'Chariot' charges forth, the more likely it is to derail. Once it leaves the grid, it becomes a tiger with its fangs pulled—even eating meat would choke it, and a mere dog could bully it!"