Chapter 789: The Departed Never Die (Please Vote!)

Gorges and ravines stretched across the land. The ground in Luoyan and Lüeying Prefectures was pushed down by several yards. Such was the terrifying power of Transference's mere two fingers!

Facing the colossal finger about to crush down upon him, Mr. Bai remained unperturbed. Instead, a long-awaited smile of satisfaction appeared on his face. His motion of drawing white mist from the barrier with both sleeves paused slightly, and the surging mist suddenly halted.

Then, as if countless beams of light, the dim, strangely violet world was illuminated. In an instant, a dense, massive net appeared beneath Transference's two fingers! It was formed from essence-devouring white mist, compressed in a flash! Even high in the heavens, it still exuded an aura that made cultivators' hearts palpitate. Dazzling white light surged towards the descending colossal finger.

A colossal roar, like the heavens collapsing, reverberated through the world. The sound was so immense that, to the cultivators' ears, it registered as an unnerving silence. Soon after, however, cultivators within both prefectures discovered blood gushing from their ears. They clutched their ears, their faces filled with horror.

Crack... snap...

Though blocked by the essence-devouring net, Transference's two fingers did not stop. After a brief pause, they continued to press downwards. Although the white mist was being consumed at an extremely fast rate, Mr. Bai continuously drew from the barrier to replenish it. For a moment, the battle between them fell into a strange stalemate.

Any cultivator with even a slight level of cultivation could see at this point that Transference was not actually using its full power. For some reason, it seemed to have reservations.

White mist from all corners of the Xuanhuang Realm was being drawn by Mr. Bai to counter Transference. Gradually, cultivators in all prefectures witnessed a strange sight. The thick white mist, which had not dispersed for tens of thousands of years, was slowly thinning. Their previously restricted vision gradually broadened. As a result, they could see further, vaguely glimpsing various anomalies emanating from Luoyan and Lüeying Prefectures. Standing upon the earth, they gazed at the full panorama of Xuanhuang.

Noticing the white mist dispersing, Mr. Bai revealed an almost imperceptible smile. He then looked up, his expression solemn, at Transference's two fingers still pressing down.

The next moment, across the Xuanhuang Realm, clouds surged. In an instant, the entire world's spiritual energy seemed to erupt into chaos. At an incomprehensible speed, it gathered around Mr. Bai, instantly disregarding distances of dozens or even hundreds of prefectures. Mr. Bai's already towering figure expanded several times further. He nearly filled half the sky, making him visible to anyone, no matter where they were in the Xuanhuang Realm.

"I apologize," Mr. Bai said calmly to Transference in the sky. "But for this period, Xuanhuang is my world."

Then, grasping the torrent of white mist surging from the entire world, he slashed upwards. The vast white mist instantly solidified. It transformed into a blade, cleaving heaven and earth! As if countless suns had risen simultaneously, the White Mist Heaven-Cleaving Blade illuminated the entire Xuanhuang Realm! All living beings in the world instinctively closed their eyes in that instant. There was no earth-shattering sound; when they reopened their eyes, they found Transference's two fingers had vanished.

The entire Xuanhuang firmament was, at some unknown point, enveloped in a layer of yellow crystal resembling amber. Fragile, yet hard. Outside the yellow crystal, colossal shadows seemed to writhe. This fantastical and magnificent scene was the first of its kind to unfold in the Xuanhuang Realm. It naturally captivated the minds of cultivators worldwide.

"Alright. We can finally have some peace for a while," Mr. Bai said with a smile, looking at the countless beings below him in the Xuanhuang Realm. "Now, let's begin class.

"In ancient times, the Heavenly Venerate had a method: borrowing the wonders of heaven and earth to build the foundation of Dao. I, too, now have a method. It relies not on external things, but on seeing the mind, understanding nature, and discerning oneself. Its name is: Foundation-Building Through Self. Humans, though mortal, are born of heaven and earth. They possess the profound mysteries of heaven and earth, the creation of yin and yang."

Mr. Bai spoke eloquently, enunciating each word clearly. The beings of the Xuanhuang Realm listened, utterly enthralled.

His actions, however, seemed to have completely touched Transference's raw nerve. The yellow crystal encasing the entire Xuanhuang Realm suddenly endured violent impacts. Like countless thunderclaps, they arose in the sky. The incredibly hard amber crystal revealed a crack. Mr. Bai, however, was completely unconcerned and continued his lecture without pause. His voice seemed to possess a special magic, capable of calming the hearts of all. Even with continuous rumbling sounds descending from the highest heavens, it could not disturb the people, who remained intently focused on Mr. Bai's teachings.

After thoroughly imparting the "Foundation-Building Through Self" method to the beings of Xuanhuang, Mr. Bai did not stop. Instead, he went on to explain the path that follows achieving "Foundation-Building Through Self." This included: Primordial Golden Core, Physical Nascent Soul, and Mind Manifestation. Mr. Bai also frankly stated that this was merely his hasty deduction. It might not be perfect and could have many flaws. Furthermore, the path only extended to the Mind Manifestation realm. As for higher levels of cultivation under this new principle—cultivation without external aids—cultivators would need to explore them independently.

Facing Mr. Bai's selfless teaching, which offered a path completely contrary to that of the Heavenly Venerate of Transference, cultivators throughout the world displayed varying attitudes. There were those who doubted, those inexplicably excited, those lost in thought, and those full of ambition... Such was the myriad of human conditions, each distinct. Mr. Bai, however, paid no mind to this. Only after completely imparting all he had learned this time did he fall silent. His figure also returned to its original size, and he looked up at the amber crystal, which was on the verge of shattering completely.

Facing the possible retaliation from the Heavenly Venerate of Transference that was to come, Mr. Bai's face showed no trace of fear. He merely remained calm and composed, quietly waiting.

Just then, he suddenly perceived a figure rapidly approaching him. It was somewhat aged and trembling. Yet, the excitement overflowing from its heart was palpable.

"Mr. Bai..." He flew to Mr. Bai's side, calling out with uncontrollable emotion.

The newcomer's appearance was remarkably similar to Mr. Bai's current form, though his face was covered in wrinkles, hinting at countless years of change and hardship. He carried a black coffin on his back, which looked somewhat eerie. If Li Fan, Xiao Qing, or others were present, they would instantly recognize this elder as Xu Ke from back then. Years later, seeing the resurrected Mr. Bai again, he should have been inexplicably thrilled. But then, the moment he truly saw the other, a look of bewilderment appeared on his face. It then turned into profound disappointment: "You are not Mr. Bai..." Xu Ke said, disheartened.

"Mr. Bai" looked at the elder, who was almost identical to him, and gently patted his shoulder. "Indeed, I am not him. The departed are gone; how could someone who has completely perished be so easily resurrected? I am merely the imprint he left, the trace he carved into this world. In your cultivators' terms, I am also called... the Soul of Heaven and Earth."