In the trial grounds behind Qingxu Temple, Tang Xiaoqi's figure was sometimes solid, sometimes illusory, as if existing in multiple positions simultaneously. Each time he took a step, rippling spatial waves would spread beneath his feet, his form condensing anew several zhang away. This was not an illusion created by speed but genuine spatial traversal—though the distance was short, it had touched upon the supreme essence of spatial laws.
"Seventh turn, Void Dragon..."
He softly recited the incantation for the final turn of "Swimming Dragon Nine Turns." His form dissolved again and reappeared at the other end of the trial grounds. This time, the distance he traversed had noticeably increased, and the process barely caused any spatial fluctuation.
Since returning from the Northern Wasteland exploration, Xiao Qi had been immersed in comprehending spatial laws. That harrowing experience of barely escaping death, though costing him a capable assistant, also gave him unprecedented understanding of the void. Especially that feeling of his body being torn apart and reorganized when facing spatial torrents—it offered him new recognition of the essence of "existence."
The "Swimming Dragon Nine Turns" movement technique he had cultivated for many years was undergoing qualitative transformation after integrating spatial laws.
"The Temple Master's movement technique... more and more strange." Mu Qingfeng murmured while watching from outside the grounds.
Beside him, Liu Yun nodded: "It's no longer speed but involves movement at the spatial level."
Xiao Qi closed his eyes in meditation, recalling his feelings in the void. There was no direction there, no distance, only the pure essence of space. He integrated this understanding into his movement technique. Each movement was no longer simple displacement but briefly merging with space, then appearing from another position.
Initially, this movement was extremely unstable. Several times he even got stuck in spatial, barely able to return to reality. But as his understanding of spatial laws deepened, he gradually mastered its patterns.
"Space is not flat," he wrote in his cultivation notes. "It flows like water, with invisible ripples and whirlpools. The ultimate realm of Swimming Dragon Nine Turns is to follow these ripples, achieving the state of 'being everywhere.'"
A month later, Xiao Qi could freely teleport within a hundred zhang range. This movement was not only startlingly fast but, more importantly, nearly impossible to predict—because he wasn't moving along straight lines at all but achieving displacement through space's own bending.
"Come, try to catch me." Xiao Qi said to Zhao Tiezhu.
Zhao Tiezhu bellowed, his entire body launching like a cannonball. His speed was already beyond what eyes could track, but each time he was about to touch Xiao Qi, the target would bizarrely disappear and appear in another direction.
"This isn't fair!" Zhao Tiezhu was breathless from exhaustion. "You're completely cheating!"
Xiao Qi smiled: "Combat has never been a fair game."
He named this entirely new movement technique "Void Dragon Step" and began teaching it to the Alliance's top cultivators. However, he soon discovered that without Spirit Transformation stage cultivation and basic understanding of spatial laws, it was absolutely impossible to learn this technique.
"It seems this is destined to be a secret art passed down only to a small circle." he regretted.
But just as he prepared to end today's training, an unexpected discovery shocked him.
During countless spatial traversals, he sensed his connection with the Nirvana Flame Sword and Creation Pot becoming even closer. These two quasi-immortal artifacts seemed to also be undergoing some kind of transformation in this process.
Especially the Creation Pot, whose taiji diagram on the pot's bottom would rotate autonomously during spatial traversal, emanating a faint chaotic aura. Xiao Qi acutely sensed that this pot had natural affinity for space.
"Could it be..." an audacious idea formed in his mind.
He tried using the pot as a medium for spatial traversal. The result was shocking—spatial movement through the pot was not only more stable but the distance increased severalfold!
"I understand now!" Xiao Qi was suddenly enlightened. "The pot contains heavens and earth, inherently possessing spatial attributes. Using it to assist spatial movement is absolutely perfect!"
This discovery greatly enhanced the practicality of the Void Dragon Step. Now he could not only perform short-distance teleportation but also achieve medium-distance spatial jumping using the pot.
More delightful was that the Nirvana Flame Sword also displayed new characteristics during spatial traversal. Where the blade passed, subtle spatial cracks would appear. Though they healed quickly, in combat they were enough to produce fatal effects.
"Spatial tearing..." Xiao Qi stroked the blade. "This might become a new means against the demonic entity."
He knew the demonic entity hid within a void rift, making ordinary attacks hardly effective against it. But if one could directly tear space, perhaps its origin could be wounded.
In the days that followed, Xiao Qi began attempting to integrate spatial laws into attacks. This was an extremely dangerous process; a slight misstep could result in being torn apart by spatial forces.
But relying on his Spirit Transformation stage cultivation and the protection of quasi-immortal artifacts, he ultimately succeeded.
First move, "Spatial Slash"—can create brief spatial cracks where the blade reaches;
Second move, "Void Step"—the combat version of Void Dragon Step, can disturb surrounding space while moving;
Third move, "Heaven-Earth Reversal"—a large-range spatial manipulation assisted by the Creation Pot, can temporarily alter spatial structure within a small area.
These entirely new techniques elevated his combat power to a new level.
"With these techniques, if I encounter the void devourer again, I should have a fighting chance." Xiao Qi gazed toward the north, his eyes flashing with resolve.
But he knew this wasn't enough. The dangers in the void were far beyond this. They needed more preparation, a more complete plan.
"Issue orders," he said to Mu Qingfeng, "organize a second exploration team. This time, I will lead personally."
"Temple Master, too dangerous!" Mu Qingfeng hastily tried to dissuade him.
Xiao Qi shook his head: "Some dangers must be faced personally. And..." he looked at the astrolabe in his hand, "I sense time is running out."
On the astrolabe, the black point representing the demonic entity was visibly expanding. The time remaining for them was indeed running out.
While the second exploration team was being organized, Xiao Qi continued perfecting his spatial techniques. Each spatial traversal gave him deeper understanding of the void's essence. And this understanding was quietly changing his way of viewing the world.
Perhaps this was the key to breaking through to middle Spirit Transformation— limited to the surface but directly targeting the essence of laws.
When the second exploration team was ready for deployment a month later, Xiao Qi could already skillfully employ various spatial techniques. This time, he believed he could lead the team further into the void.
And all of this would lay the foundation for the final showdown. In that domain beyond common sense, he would have the last battle with the demonic entity.