Chapter 95: This Was the True Power of the Taiji Diagram!

The next day, all videos of Xiang Nan’s battle against the Fiery Cloud Demon God were removed from every social media platform.

The authorities even issued a statement debunking the footage: the video was confirmed to be partially fabricated, and the Fiery Cloud Demon God actually died of a myocardial infarction.

Attached to the statement was a medical certificate confirming the myocardial infarction.

This explanation was nothing short of astonishing.

Even Xiang Nan was so shocked he nearly knocked over the table.

The Fiery Cloud Demon God died of a heart attack?

If the Fiery Cloud Demon God could see this statement, the coffin lid would surely be blown off!

Yet, no matter how absurd, there were still believers.

After all, the innate treasure had never actually appeared before; many doubted its existence.

And with Xiang Nan’s mere second-stage cultivation, he couldn’t even absorb spiritual energy properly—how could he possibly wield an innate treasure?

Nor was it plausible for him to kill the mighty Fiery Cloud Demon God, who was two stages above him.

Therefore, the explanation that the Fiery Cloud Demon God died of a myocardial infarction seemed more scientific, more believable.

The online discussions became overwhelmingly one-sided:

“I said it, this was just a sensationalist scam!”

“Damn! I’ve been trekking deep into the mountains every day seeking fate and searching for innate treasures, and now you’re telling me it’s all fake? Boohoo…”

“The guy above must be short on IQ! Someone as clever as me saw right through it—just a low-quality fake video!”

“Not even ten years of brain clots could write such a plot: a second-stage cultivator kills a fourth-stage, and with an innate treasure? Too much gaming!”

“Next time you fabricate lies, at least level up your cultivation first. Second-stage, trash!”

“The guy above with the big mouth, is that just height envy? The video maker is the liar, what does the kid have to do with it?”

“Exactly! The Fiery Cloud Demon God is dead after all, and that kid definitely deserves credit.”

Regardless, the matter eventually died down.

But Xiang Nan knew this superficial calm wouldn’t last long.

For now, the best course was to focus on cultivation and absorb as much spiritual energy as possible.

Whenever he had free time, Xiang Nan would go to a nearby open space to practice the Serenity Chant, allowing the surrounding spiritual energy to flow steadily into his body, storing it in the dantian between his eyebrows.

As for the Taiji Diagram stored in his spatial pocket, he only dared to take it out secretly to study after returning to his room.

The Taiji Diagram truly lived up to being an innate treasure.

Beyond its immense power, it could manipulate time and space.

Xiang Nan had already begun to understand its strength, but the ability to control time and space was incredibly alluring.

The moment he held the Taiji Diagram, the spiritual energy at his dantian began to stir restlessly.

Why not test it a little?

With this thought, Xiang Nan could no longer contain himself.

He held his breath, focused his mind, and gradually condensed the spiritual energy in his dantian toward the Taiji Diagram.

“Activate!”

Xiang Nan opened his eyes to see the central pivot of the diagram rise into the air, emitting a dazzling spectrum of radiant light, illuminating the entire room in a kaleidoscope of colors.

Unlike the previous pure blue light burst, this time it was a magnificent multicolored glow, filling Xiang Nan’s eyes with delight.

“This must be because my spiritual energy has strengthened.”

He poured more spiritual energy into it.

“Open!”

The Taiji Diagram’s multicolored radiance intensified, and the previously closed pivot seemed about to break its seal and reveal the divine diagram.

However, in the next instant, the brilliant glow dimmed suddenly, and the Taiji Diagram stubbornly refused to unfold.

Despite the surge of spiritual energy inside him, Xiang Nan had no choice but to give up.

“It seems with my current pitiful amount of spiritual energy, I still can’t open the diagram. I’ll have to try again later.”

But then he reconsidered.

On the day he killed the Fiery Cloud Demon God, the Taiji Diagram had never fully opened—just a single blue ray instantly killed the god.

What did that mean?

It meant that even without fully opening, this supreme treasure could unleash considerable power.

With his limited spiritual power now, why insist on opening it fully to see?

As long as he could master some of its peripheral techniques, it would be more than enough to handle experts within the fourth stage!

Thus, Xiang Nan once more focused his breath and mind, activating the spiritual energy at his dantian to invoke the Taiji Diagram.

This time, he did not insist on opening the diagram fully but sought to explore and understand it.

As the spiritual energy flowed in bit by bit, Xiang Nan felt a kind of interactive connection forming between himself and the Taiji Diagram.

Could it be that this treasure was recognizing its master? Many treasures in novels had such traits.

But he had never heard of the Taiji Diagram having such a preference.

Just as he pondered this, suddenly—

A burst of white light exploded in his mind.

One by one, ethereal yet vivid figures and scenes appeared in his consciousness.

In the midst of chaos, an old immortal with a white beard and Taoist robe stood beneath a delicate pagoda atop his head, holding the Taiji Diagram and chanting:

“From the boundless arises the Taiji; the Taiji transforms into the Two Forms; the Two Forms evolve the Three Powers; the Three Powers shape the Four Symbols; the Four Symbols become the Five Elements; the Five Elements form the Six Harmonies; the Six Harmonies establish the Seven Stars; the Seven Stars give rise to the Eight Trigrams; the Eight Trigrams connect to the Nine Palaces…”

In the next moment, the white-bearded immortal slowly unfolded the Taiji Diagram in his hands, radiating myriad beams of rosy light and a thousand auspicious hues.

Moments later, the diagram was surrounded by cosmic prophecies swirling around its edges, while heavenly talismans shimmered faintly inside.

Instantly, the Taiji Diagram transformed endlessly—governing earth, fire, wind, and water; discerning purity and impurity; opening the primordial wilderness; evolving the six realms of reincarnation, endlessly ceaseless.

What Xiang Nan saw was this: multicolored splendor illuminating mountains and rivers; nine-colored auspicious energy shaking the heavens and the universe.

Though within his divine consciousness, Xiang Nan was so shaken by the vision he nearly lost himself.

Soon, the white-bearded immortal faded away, and a new scene appeared in Xiang Nan’s mind.

In the midst of a battlefield shrouded in smoke, a young general pursued his enemy to this place.

Before him stood a Taoist immortal with black hair and beard, wearing broad sleeves and a long robe.

Upon seeing the young general arrive, the immortal unfolded the Taiji Diagram, instantly conjuring a golden bridge radiating with resplendent light.

The young general rode his horse onto the golden bridge and immediately lost control of his mind.

At times, he shouted of ambushes attacking, at others, he spoke of meeting the empress.

He sank into madness, seemingly trapped in an illusion unable to awaken.

After a while, the young general finally broke free from the illusion, crying out loudly, “Master, spare me! I have repented!”

The black-bearded immortal sighed deeply, “Yin Hong, though you are my disciple from the Red Essence Sect, you have violated the heavenly laws and are now trapped within this Taiji Diagram. Death is inevitable. I shall accompany you on your final journey.”

After speaking, the Red Essence master sorrowfully shook the Taiji Diagram.

Immediately, a fierce wind whipped up inside the diagram.

“No! Master! Please don’t…” Yin Hong cried out, but both he and his horse were instantly reduced to flying ashes.

Xiang Nan’s heart trembled violently.

Damn it! This is the true power of the Taiji Diagram!

Feeling the spiritual energy inside him wildly leaking, Xiang Nan hurriedly reined in his mind and controlled his power, withdrawing from the divine consciousness.

He exhaled a deep breath of stale air.

Looking again at the Taiji Diagram in his hand, Xiang Nan’s excitement was beyond words.

He had once thought he could unleash one-tenth of the diagram’s power with his current spiritual force.

Now it seemed that he was barely able to wield one ten-thousandth, or even less.

When he could wield the Taiji Diagram at will, he would truly be invincible—ruling heaven and earth, undefeated in the cosmos.