Laymen often believed that an Imperial Artifact was no different from an Emperor Artifact, assuming the two to merely be different names for treasures of similar rank. Such thinking, however, was nothing more than the shallow understanding of those who had never glimpsed the deeper mysteries of the Dao.

An Emperor Artifact could be forged through countless rare materials, tempered by peerless law flames, and refined through complex formations, but an Imperial Artifact was something entirely different.

It could not be created through craftsmanship alone, nor could it be measured or graded by conventional standards.

Rather, it was born from the profound accumulation of one's Dao fortune, a condensation of destiny, and the resonance between a cultivator and the great Dao itself.

When such fortune accumulated to a certain unfathomable degree, it would inevitably give birth to an artifact that carried the mark of Heaven and Earth, a treasure whose authority transcended the limits of ordinary cultivation.

Thus, once an Imperial Artifact came into existence, it would reign supreme across the Nine Realms and Eighteen Forbidden Heavens, standing beyond the reach of ordinary treasures and immune to challenge by common artifacts.

One could say Imperial artifacts is pinnacle within the corresponding plane of existence.

Yet the path to the birth of an Imperial Artifact was not singular. In truth, there were two fundamental sources from which such overwhelming Dao fortune could be accumulated, and they stood as opposing reflections of one another. Like Yin and Yang.

The first was Benevolence, where a cultivator walked the righteous path, protecting the balance of Heaven and Earth, safeguarding countless lives, and accumulating immeasurable merit through their deeds.

Over time, the blessings of Dao would gather around such a person, and when that fortune reached its peak, it would naturally condense into an artifact imbued with the authority of righteousness. However, the minimal requirement is at least the cultivation base of the True Emperor realm.

The second path was Malevolence, a far sinister, blood thirsty path where a cultivator rejected Heaven's order entirely, seizing fortune through bloodshed, calamity, and the destruction of countless destinies. Through endless slaughter and defiance, they too could gather a terrifying accumulation of Dao fortune, one forged not from blessing but from fear and catastrophe.

From such darkness, an Imperial Artifact could also be born, a treasure not favored by Heaven but powerful enough that even Heaven itself could not easily suppress it.

In a sense, when one truly reaches the Emperor Realm, their understanding of the Dao has already surpassed the ordinary comprehension of heaven and earth, allowing them to begin accumulating the profound essence of either Order or Chaos.

Most Emperors inevitably incline toward one of these two extremes, refining their Dao heart in accordance with a single path, for the two stand in natural opposition, and attempting to walk both simultaneously often leads to internal contradiction and collapse of one's Dao foundation.

Yet!!!!

The ancient records and the scattered teachings of reclusive scholars and wandering yogis occasionally speak of a far rarer possibility... It may sound like an almost mythical or simply god-defying— a path where the Daoist does not bind themselves solely to Order or Chaos, but instead learns to walk the razor-thin boundary between them.

Such Daoists are said to comprehend that creation itself is born from the interplay of these two forces, that Order without Chaos becomes stagnation, while Chaos without Order becomes meaningless destruction. By harmonizing the two, they seek a deeper principle that transcends both, a state where balance is not imposed but naturally maintained.

However!!!

Throughout the countless eras, only a handful of figures were rumored to have attempted such a path, and even fewer were said to have succeeded, for the Dao is vast and merciless, and the moment one's heart falters between the two extremes, the very forces they sought to command may instead tear them apart.

Liu Xiu, upon hearing the wandering records that spoke of Imperial Artifacts, could not help but reveal a faintly smug expression. For shall, resting quietly within his possession was precisely such a treasure. Of course, he was far from reaching the height required to truly create his own Imperial artifact, given that, he seldom knowledge about the greatness of Mount Tai.

But keeping words as direct as possible, the artifact in his hands did not originate from any orthodox lineage of the righteous path. Instead, it was a relic left behind by the late patriarch of the infamous Soul-Refining Unorthodox Sect, a faction whose name had long since faded into the dust of history, yet whose cruelty was still rumoured about in certain forbidden records.

..

It is said that one time, mothers used to say sleep my little one, if not, the demons of the Soul refining sect will come and take your souls away.

The sect's reputation is clearly unorthodox but it's undeniable.

Hiding within the clouds, the peerless beauty of Hanjing city, Miss Rouxue, wondered about the impending Doom of the Wang Family. She had sensed a powerful conceptual energy thus, she had descended within the humble eastern region to check...

But it seems the eastern region is far from the peace.

Her eyes that could pierce through anything landed upon Liu Xiu who was currently within the sky, his presence covered by a bulky man wearing a necklace made out of a human skull.

This Aura...

True Sage realm.

Gulp!

She couldn't help but shudder. A True Sage realm has descended within the eastern region? Is it to slaughter the Wang Family?

No. It's impossible.

Of course, she knew about the existence of Young Master Tianmo being Taboo, but it's very unlikely for a True Sage realm to descend and make a move, sharing the karma with a Taboo existence.

Furthermore, why would a demonic sect attack a taboo existence on its own without the presence of an orthodox faction?

No. The real issue isn't Taboo here... The real issue is the True Great Sage realm powerhouse. Even within the capital region such figures were countable within fingers.

The soul-refining sect that has lain low for millennia is making a move?

Just then...

An Aura so vast and conceptual, spread throughout the entire eastern region, the sky instantly became dark and reality began to shudder.

Miss Rouxue who has already broken through the Saint King realm, couldn't help but tremble feeling a true primal fear. Forget about cells, forget about DNA, or even atoms. Her very Dao rhythm was trembling with uncontrolled fear.

This?! What's going on?

Forget about the peerless beauty observing from afar; even the True Sage realm powerhouse himself felt a chill run down his spine, a sensation so foreign that for a brief moment he almost failed to recognize it. Fear. Not the kind born from danger or battle, but something far deeper—something that seemed to claw at the very essence of his existence. It was a fear that transcended instinct, a dread that seemed to arise from the depths of the Dao itself or perhaps even higher, as though the universe were issuing a warning that something profoundly unnatural had awakened.

His gaze slowly shifted toward Liu Xiu, the supposed mastermind behind this ambush. Yet at this moment, the True Sage no longer saw him as the center of the storm.

Instead, a single thought echoed in his mind like thunder.

'Just what kind of existence had this man provoked?'

Truly have eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai.

He was a True Sage, an 'Immortal' in a sense, who had long since stepped beyond the shackles of mortal existence. Having refined the profound Laws of Heaven and Earth, his body had transcended ordinary causality, his life no longer bound by the simple workings of natural laws.

To beings beneath the Sage realm, he was already an untouchable existence, someone who could not be killed through ordinary means. Fire? His body is immune to flame, water? Ice? Air? Lightning? He is immune to natural laws.

But now?

His eyes quickly scanned... but...

'What's going on? Why is everything dark?'

What's darkness? A cultivator of such depth could see even without the presence of light, but now...

'Why can't I see anything? What's going on?'

He couldn't help but wonder. The darkness was so profound that it seemed to swallow all existence not just light.

No... He must run. He made a mistake by making a move without checking the depths of the oceans beforehand. Rookie mistake.

He must run. He must run. He must run. He must run. He must run. He must run.

He couldn't even fathom where he was running. He was just running. 'No this feeling... This is an illusion. How could I feel fear? It is an attack on my Dao Heart. I must remain firm.'

He suddenly felt enlightened

Yes. It must be so. He have transcend the nature of fear, how could he act like a lamb before a lion. That's right, take a deep breath, stabilize your circulation, and calm your Dao heart.

He tried to calm himself but the more he tried to calm himself, the more he felt fear.

'No. This is impossible...'

***

Young Master Wang's body slowly became enveloped in a dark, oppressive aura, the air around him growing heavy as though the very heavens were being forced to bow. The ground beneath his feet cracked silently, unable to withstand the pressure of the presence that was awakening within him.

From his head, two sinister horns began to emerge, yet they were not ordinary horns of flesh and bone. No, no, no... They were conceptual horns, manifestations of something far deeper than mere physical transformation, appearing slightly detached from his body as if they existed in a different layer of reality.

His eyes slowly opened.

A profound crimson glow surged within them, deep and menacing, like twin abyssal stars burning in the darkness. The light within those pupils carried an ancient authority, one that did not belong to any known bloodline or cultivation technique.

Yet... The face soon turned sour.

What is the body?

A vessel for the soul.

However, When he activated his dragon transformation, his Se soul that was active, shattered instantly, and the Anti-conceptual soul took over.

Sigh. Now he needs to spend more time cultivating it back to existence, for now, let's bask in the glory of superiority. , however he seldom the thought of uttering some ancient menacing dialogues like: I have been awakened it's time to feast on your souls—or—Ages... It's been ages, the slumber have finally ended, now the world shall know the meaning of true chaos.

He simply clenched his fist. The energy was being drained so fast. He lost one of his souls, yet he could only enjoy the dragon transformation for less than one incense time.