Zhao Jingyan took out the casting blueprint, and to Xiao Mu, it naturally looked like gibberish.

Xiao Mu raised his head, intending to refuse when he suddenly saw Zhao Jingyan, Li Gujian, and Zhu Ping all looking at him with faces full of expectation, waiting for his response.

Without a doubt, the lofty image of Xiao Mu that had been built up over time in their hearts had given rise to the illusion that Xiao Mu was omnipotent.

So the refusal that had almost reached his lips immediately halted, and Xiao Mu's thoughts quickly turned. He looked at Zhao Jingyan and calmly reminded him, "You are a Casting Master, you should choose your own path."

Both Zhu Ping and Li Gujian fell silent upon hearing this.

Zhao Jingyan lowered his head in thought and, after a moment, looked up excitedly, exclaiming, "I understand, Brother Mu is encouraging me to be independent. Forging a treasure for the Perfected Gu Ya might be dangerous, but for me, it's a test, an opportunity to gain experience through crafting."

"If I always have smooth sailing, without facing challenges, I will never improve."

"This forging might be perilous, but it's also a chance for growth."

"And if I truly encounter danger, then Brother Mu will lend a hand."

Zhao Jingyan was ecstatic, bowing to Xiao Mu while he spoke, "Thank you, Brother Mu, I know what to do now. The treasure that Perfected Gu Ya entrusted me to craft, I will create for him."

This is your own saying, I never said any such thing.

Xiao Mu responded in his heart, finding Zhao Jingyan's interpretation amusing yet lamentable. He simply maintained a poker face to conceal any expression, lest he diminish his image in their minds.

Both Zhu Ping and Li Gujian were influenced by Zhao Jingyan's words and couldn't help but look at him with envy.

Then, the topic shifted to the events of the day, and the expressions of Zhao Jingyan, Li Gujian, and Zhu Ping turned grave.

Li Gujian said, "Today's events were too eerie. If not for Brother Mu's help and guidance, I would be dead."

"The same goes for me, I was at the brink of life and death. Had it not been for Brother Mu's guidance, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you all now."

Zhu Ping's tone revealed his fright; the entrance of the Heavenly Dao into the Human world had caused great upheaval, and many ordinary Mutated Beings couldn't adapt to such instances of death.

"My situation was somewhat better than yours, but it was not an easy ordeal either."

Zhao Jingyan spoke with a slightly lighter tone, as his role as door god gave him a stronger resistance to the power of the Heavenly Dao than Zhu Ping and Li Gujian.

"I watched helplessly as members of our Village Protection Team fell to the Tribulation Calamity and died. There were many Mutated Beings in the Team at that time, but sadly everyone was helpless, unable to assist one another," Li Gujian lamented, his expression turning gloomy as he recounted the specific incidents around him.

"May I ask, Brother Mu, what on earth happened? Why did such a drastic change occur?" Zhu Ping looked at Xiao Mu with unsettled suspicion, seeking to understand what exactly had happened during the day.

Upon hearing this, both Li Gujian and Zhao Jingyan turned their heads quickly to look at Xiao Mu, waiting for his answer.

"The Heavenly Dao has formally entered the Human world. The Divine Monarch Guobao has initiated the power of retribution, showering Twilight Forest Village with it. The conditions you've seen are mostly the effects of the power of retribution."

Xiao Mu spoke calmly, revealing the information he knew.

Retribution? Divine Monarch Guobao? Heavenly Dao?

The trio of Zhao Zhuli was once again startled upon hearing these terms, each of those beings or powers beyond the scope of what they could access.

"So, that's how it is, the Heavenly Dao... No wonder I suddenly felt that the world had changed. Now, I sense as if various bizarre powers exist around me, these forces are distant from me, yet they feel as if they might descend upon me at any moment."

Li Gujian subconsciously shared his feelings, only to shudder abruptly.

The presence of the Heavenly Dao made him very uneasy, as if his surroundings were enveloped in countless tangible rules, like a spider web cocooning him. The slightest misstep might result in harsh Punishment.

Zhao Jingyan's pupils constricted, expressing unease, "My experience is similar to yours, but it feels even more severe."

"Now, at every moment, I feel as if countless monsters are standing around me. These monsters, each unique, watch me with eager eyes, ready to attack at any moment."

Zhu Ping looked around nervously, "I feel different from you guys, but there's a similarity. I sense I'm being watched all the time; everywhere are terrifying rules that, if even slightly transgressed, mean death."

Xiao Mu quietly listened; although the circumstances spoken of by the three men differed, they represented their own distinct understandings of the Heavenly Dao.

Unlike Xiao Mu, Zhao Jingyan, Zhu Ping, and Li Gujian could only feel the sentiments brought about by the Heavenly Dao, but they couldn't see the Destiny Points and the Mysterious Ancient Well manifested by the Heavenly Dao within themselves.

He spoke calmly, "This is the power of the Heavenly Dao."

"Heavenly Dao!"

Zhao Jingyan, Zhu Ping, and Li Gujian looked at each other, simultaneously falling into a daze.

This outcome seemed too terrifying, giving people an irresistible feeling and a deep sense of powerlessness.

After a moment, Zhao Jingyan asked, "Brother Mu, is there a way to remove the power of the Heavenly Dao from our bodies?"

I also want to know the answer to this question.

Xiao Mu tried to maintain his composure to avoid any improper reactions, and he calmly responded to Zhao Jingyan, "The Heavenly Dao cannot be defied; the only way to cope with it is to elevate one's strength and increase the resistance to the Heavenly Dao."

"I have taught you the Variant Cultivation Method, strive to practice it; it can enhance your ability to resist the Heavenly Dao."

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Mu!"

The three, Zhao Zhuli, stood up at once and thanked Xiao Mu; his reminder had pointed them towards their next path of cultivation.

"The Golden Pagoda Technique is a very good way to deal with the Heavenly Dao. Brother Zhao has already practiced it; you can exchange information for it from me."

As he spoke, Xiao Mu turned his gaze to Zhu Ping and Li Gujian.

Zhu Li rejoiced once again, thanking Xiao Mu and simultaneously pondering how they would find the information they needed next.

The exchange between the four did not last long; Xiao Mu bid farewell to the three and left the Divine Manifestation.

After his Divine Sense returned to himself, Xiao Mu began to cultivate, devoting a significant amount of time each day to cultivation.

His recent experiences had also made Xiao Mu decide not to go out and instead chose to elevate his Realm first.

With the Heavenly Dao entering the human world, the pressure he faced was growing ever larger; he had to find a way to improve his strength for self-preservation.

Eating one energy fruit after another, his strength rose slowly yet steadily.

Due to the urgency, Xiao Mu activated the Creation Axe on himself and used the Creation Power to compress the time needed to enhance his strength.

His absorption rate of the energy fruits further accelerated.

Finally, after seven days, as he consumed a large number of energy fruits, the accumulation of power within Xiao Mu's body reached its limit.

It was as if a water gate had burst open; power within him suddenly surged, and every Destiny Point within Xiao Mu suddenly lit up.

In each Destiny Point—also functioning as storage points for power—all of a sudden expanded, growing by at least one-third more in size compared to before.

With abundant energy flowing through his body, the divine aspect of the city god automatically emerged from within Xiao Mu, appearing above his head.

The authority of the city god's aspect increased, and Xiao Mu's own Realm finally smoothly advanced to the latter stages of the Divine Spirits Realm.

Wuu wuu wuu!

However, unexpectedly, at the very instant his Realm advanced, the authority corresponding to the Mysterious Ancient Well within the Destiny Points suddenly boiled over; the authority of power, True Force, and ordinary power that Xiao Mu originally used to seal the Destiny Points and the Mysterious Ancient Well disappeared in that instant. The power of the Heavenly Dao was released once more, extending through every Destiny Point on his body and beginning to affect Xiao Mu's physique.

Power of Life and Death, power of retribution, Power of Destiny, reincarnation force all simultaneously manifested concretely, with four kinds of ethereal treasures of authority slowly solidifying.

Various authorities were imposed on Xiao Mu, starting to erode into his body.

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