A torrent of energy, like a broken river embankment, surged forth with irresistible force into the meridians. Although Jun Moxie’s body and pathways had been strengthened countless times, they still could not withstand the impact of this sudden, immense power. After only a moment of resistance, they hovered on the perilous edge of disintegration, threatening to shatter at any second!
But in the very next instant, that overwhelming, tide-like current of energy flowed remarkably placidly into the Dantian! Like a savage, enraged dragon spontaneously plunging into a vast expanse capable of containing it!
However, once inside the Dantian, it remained as unrestrained as before, charging straight into the very center between the blue and the gray masses of Qi!
Maintaining its direction without deviation from the moment of entry, it struck straight to the space between the blue and gray, pressing onward to the very end...
With a muffled "boom," the separated blue mass of Qi rapidly ascended, rising higher and higher. The gray mass, however, remained rooted below, though its color grew increasingly dense and solidified. The overall situation was settled, and as Jun Moxie surveyed his interior, he finally understood everything completely.
Within his Dantian, a nascent form of an inner world had actually taken shape!
The blue rising ever higher—this was Heaven. The gray solidifying below—this was Earth!
Though this internal realm was still hazy, light was already present.
On the distant horizon, a single, brilliant star shone. Only one! While everything remained abstract and vague, this was undeniably the preliminary form of Heaven and Earth!
Gazing upon this yet-to-be-fully-formed inner world within his Dantian, Jun Moxie’s heart jolted, suddenly filled with an ineffable sense of emotion...
He, himself, had managed to independently create a world!
At that precise moment, a flash of inspiration struck Jun Moxie, and he suddenly grasped the true, profound meaning of the Heaven-Opening Creation Art!
Heaven-Opening Creation Art!
Wasn't the ultimate mystery of this divine technique encapsulated in those four words: "Opening Heaven and Creating Earth"?
One who practices this technique, upon reaching its pinnacle, could gestate an entirely new world within themselves; and he, in turn, would be the progenitor of this realm! The supreme sovereign of that domain!
To cleave the heavens, split the earth, and conjure all creation! This was the true essence of the Heaven-Opening Creation Art!
Currently, within this world accidentally spawned by Jun Moxie's breakthrough in his profound skill, there existed only Heaven and Earth for the moment. There were no natural phenomena like wind, clouds, lightning, frost, or snow; no distinct seasons of spring, summer, autumn, or winter; no sun, moon, or stars; no elements of metal, wood, water, fire, or earth; no people, animals, plants, or any life...
...Except for a barren expanse of Heaven and Earth, truly nothing else existed! It was filled with infinite, dead silence!
All subsequent changes required Jun Moxie’s continued effort, his continued 'creation.' No wonder this technique was heralded as the 'Foremost Ancient Art.' How could an art capable of shaping the fabric of the cosmos not be number one? Could any other technique possibly surpass such a divine craft?
Jun Moxie smiled faintly, took a gentle step, and truly entered...
The sixth layer of the Hongjun Tower!
A dense wave of purple Qi rushed toward him. Then, before Jun Moxie's eyes, the purple Qi morphed, taking on myriad bizarre shapes, before whooshing directly into his mind.
The moment the Qi entered, several lines of incantation inexplicably surfaced in Jun Moxie’s thoughts!
“The spirit platform is renewed, the Azure Universe turns nine times; the heart can hold the earth, the hands can support the sky; the secrets of wind and cloud, within easy reach; the soul is reborn nine times, this path is not difficult...”
The incantation for the sixth layer of the Heaven-Opening Creation Art!
Jun Moxie mumbled the words, then suddenly chuckled, shook his head, and murmured softly, "‘The heart can hold the earth, the hands can support the sky’... This description is truly apt. That world is indeed within my heart, and my hands can indeed lift that sky!"
"But what exactly is meant by ‘the secrets of wind and cloud, within easy reach’?"
The thought had barely formed in Jun Moxie’s mind when he instantly understood the meaning of those two phrases, as the oncoming wind and the sudden diffusion of cloudy vapor provided him with a clear answer!
“When the inner heart is empty, Heaven and Earth reside within; when chaos first breaks, you may command the wind.” “Heaven high and earth deep, the Gate of Creation opens; wave your hand to command the air, dance the clouds with your fingers and palms.” “Command wind and cloud at will, as your heart desires!”
The special power bestowed upon Jun Moxie by the sixth layer of the Hongjun Tower was the dominion over the forces of wind and cloud!
From this point forward, Jun Moxie could freely control the changes in the wind and clouds of Heaven and Earth!
This reminded Jun Moxie of Journey to the West, specifically when the Monkey King was competing against the three immortal claimants—the Tiger, the Deer, and the Goat—he pointed his Ruyi Jingu Bang toward the heavens and shouted: "Wind, come!"
And immediately, a fierce gale roared. Then he pointed again and commanded: "Clouds, come!" And instantly, dark clouds filled the sky!
Could I really be as dramatic as the Monkey King? Could I truly summon wind and rain?
Jun Moxie couldn't help but have his eyes light up. The previous air of detached calm had vanished, replaced by excitement!
That was the legendary "Summoning Wind and Rain," a legendary grand divine ability!
In the next moment, he materialized, invisible, above the Sky Punishment Forest. It was sunrise, the breeze gentle, a scene of vast blue sky without a single cloud.
Jun Moxie let out a strange, secretive grin, activated the Wind Command Art according to the method, and roared, "Wind, come!"
Instantly, with a sharp "whoosh," it seemed as if a special power, defying the natural laws, was triggered on the distant horizon. The sound of the wind gradually intensified, causing the leaves in the Sky Punishment Forest to rustle loudly. Some smaller trees were already bent over by the force.
It seemed this Wind Command Art was actually quite potent!
Jun Moxie kept the Wind Command Art operating continuously, and the wind grew stronger and stronger, gradually kicking up sand and stones, filling the air with dust. Within a radius of ten thousand li, only the raging wind reigned supreme!
At this moment, both humans and Xuan Beasts emerged from their dwellings, watching the sudden shift in the weather with surprise, everyone in their hearts deeply perplexed.
What in the world is happening? Just moments ago, the sun was rising in a cloudless sky; why would such a massive wind suddenly erupt today...
This wind arose so abruptly, so strangely...
In mid-air, Jun Moxie smiled slightly again, as if playing a prank, waved his hand once more, and commanded, "Clouds, come!"
Above the clear, cloudless sky of ten thousand li, white clouds instantly surged in from all directions, as if the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals had suddenly sounded the assembly drum, preparing to charge into battle across a million miles...
Clouds from all directions rushed toward a central point with the momentum of ten thousand charging horses, roaring furiously. Every single cloud seemed eager to lead the charge, racing like wind and lightning. It appeared that in only a few breaths, the formerly clear, cloudless expanse was now densely packed with white clouds. The sheer multitude and density of the clouds left absolutely no gap, completely obscuring all light in the entire realm—a true, literal blotting out of the heavens!
"What on earth is going on?"
Miao Zhan looked up, frowning. "Is the environment of the Sky Punishment Forest always this bizarre? It summons wind when called, and darkens the sky when commanded? The changes are too fast! I’ve lived for over a thousand years, but I’ve never witnessed weather shifts like this before! Could the difference in weather patterns between the Xuanxuan Continent and the Illusionary Mansion be this vast? But I have traveled on the Xuanxuan Continent before, and there was no noticeable difference in weather between the two places!"
It wasn't just him; everyone stared blankly at the sky, speechless for a long time.
This sudden transformation was too uncanny!
Let alone outsiders like Miao Zhan, even the natives of the Sky Punishment Forest, the members of the original Eight Great Venerables, were dumbfounded. They had spent their entire lives within the Sky Punishment Forest, yet even they had never seen anything so inexplicable!
"Brother Lu, Venerable Mei, look at this... what is happening? Does the Sky Punishment Forest always experience such bizarre weather changes?"
Since Miao Zhan was completely clueless, Miao Dao was naturally equally bewildered. He pointed at the sky and stammered, "These raging winds and chaotic clouds... their arrival is too strange! Based on the current scene, I wouldn't be surprised if a torrential downpour were to fall the very next moment, perhaps even flooding the entire Sky Punishment Forest, turning it into an ocean. This clearly foreshadows a massive storm."
Saint Emperor Lu, or rather, Saint Venerable Lu now, stroked his sparse beard and repeatedly shook his head. "Old Dao's words hold merit. I must notify my descendants to prepare immediately, lest many possessions be washed away... This time, it might be a rare catastrophe for the Sky Punishment Forest! However, if these are rain clouds, why are they all white?"
Saint Venerable Lu's expression was grim, clearly worried. Although he mentioned the white clouds weren't rain clouds, it was merely self-consolation. Even a Saint Venerable expert, when faced with the genuine might of Heaven and Earth, the might of nature, had no room for resistance. They could only wait passively, enduring what came.
But to everyone's greater surprise, the wind grew stronger, and the cloud layer thickened further. Eventually, people felt as if they could reach up and pluck a cloud from the sky, yet there was no lightning or thunder...
Everyone was utterly baffled!
Damn it, this is too strange.
Many people thought this exact phrase in their hearts.
"Damn it, this is too strange! What kind of situation is this?"
Lord Bear Kaishan, the Bear King, showed his wide grin, expressing the sentiment everyone wanted to voice in the crudest yet most fitting manner. His two massive bear eyes were wide open, his huge mouth gaping, with crystalline threads dripping from the corners of his lips...
Just as the wind reached its peak intensity, causing all the great trees in the Sky Punishment Forest to bow with creaking sounds under the fierce gale; and just as the cloud layers piled up to their thickest, about to condense into a single massive iron disc descending upon them—a stranger sound suddenly echoed from mid-air. Following this sound, the powerful roar of the wind instantly ceased!
Not just the wind; with a sudden "whoosh," the sky-obscuring clouds vanished as if chased by ten thousand eagles, disappearing without a trace!
Sunlight once again shone upon the vast world! The breeze was gentle, and the sky was clear for ten thousand li...
The Sky Punishment Forest returned to a state of tranquil silence...
"Shit!"
Miao Zhan, Miao Dao, and Miao Jian, three highly respected Saint Venerables, cursed simultaneously, without prior arrangement.