"Stop, I am..." The red-robed cultivator had not yet revealed his identity before Joe Di's Azure Veil Blade tore him in half.
Joe Di stepped onto the ground, reaching out to collect his four Fivefold Flags.
At this moment, the black mist behind him had completely dissipated. Clearly, the Taiji Realm had returned to its original state.
"Sect Master Di, is the black mist truly gone?" Jason Ren spat out a mouthful of blood, unable to believe it as he asked again.
Joe Di flicked a pill into Jason Ren's mouth before replying, "That's right, I have dispersed the black mist. The Taiji Realm will no longer have any problems."
Almost every cultivator was watching Joe Di's every move. The moment he emerged, he slew the red-robed cultivator with a single stroke, leaving everyone stunned. Now, with Joe Di's clear declaration that the black mist had been dispersed and the Taiji Realm was safe, all present were overjoyed. Some cultivators who longed to stay in the Taiji Realm were moved to tears.
Countless cultivators who heard the news could only join in the chant, "Sect Master Di forever, Taiji Realm forever!"
In that fleeting moment, the cohesion of the Taiji Realm reached its peak.
"Sect Master Di, many cultivators and sects have already moved out of the Taiji Realm. I'll send out messages to call them back." Quinn Su stepped forward, brimming with excitement as she spoke.
The fact that Joe Di had truly eradicated the black mist meant not only the salvation of the Taiji Realm, but also Winterhold Valley. Quinn Su no longer had to bear the guilt of being Winterhold Valley's sinner.
Joe Di waved his hand, "No need. Notify all array masters to join me in constructing the Taiji Realm's barrier and Guardian Array. Once the barrier and Guardian Array are complete, the Taiji Realm will no longer be a place where anyone can come and go as they please."
Upon hearing Joe Di's words, Quinn Su shuddered inwardly and felt secretly relieved that she hadn't fled the Taiji Realm but had stayed to protect Winterhold Valley. Otherwise, given Joe Di's poor impression of Winterhold Valley, it might never have had a chance to return to the Taiji Realm.
......
Joe Di was a Ninth-Rank Formation Sovereign, and with the immense prestige he had just gained by saving the Taiji Realm, his call to reconstruct the realm's barrier and Guardian Array was met with unanimous support. The remaining sects spared no effort, offering all kinds of artifact materials to aid Joe Di in building the barrier.
Many sects were no fools—they hadn't contributed much to the eradication of the black mist. Now that Joe Di was constructing the Guardian Array, they naturally gave all they could. Each person understood that after Joe Di finished the Guardian Array, he would establish the Taiji Dao Court. Those who contributed now would have a place in the Dao Court in the future.
Array Banners were refined one after another and then set in place. Joe Di also continually used supreme artifacts to suppress the core points of the Guardian Array. The Guardian Array of the Taiji Realm seemed to change daily. During its construction, cultivators who heard the news flocked back to the Taiji Realm. At this time, Joe Di had not yet finished constructing the Guardian Array and did not stop these people from entering.
Every cultivator entering the Taiji Realm, upon learning of the situation, joined the construction of the Guardian Array—except for a handful of sects and individuals.
The Taiji Realm had always possessed a Guardian Array, but it was broken and incomplete. Now, with Joe Di reconstructing it and making use of the original array, it took less than a year for the Guardian Array to be fully restored.
The moment the Guardian Array of the Taiji Realm was sealed, all cultivators understood that from this day forth, the Taiji Realm would be like the other four realms of the Fivefold Realm—not neglected or left to fend for itself anymore.
With the great array sealed, Joe Di, without any hesitation, issued the Taiji Realm Identity Decree. From this day on, any cultivator entering or leaving the Taiji Realm must possess an Identity Token. Whether you are a rogue cultivator, a sect disciple, or an outsider, you must have the appropriate Identity Token. Those without tokens will no longer be permitted entry into the Taiji Realm.
On the surface, the Taiji Realm now seemed as secure as the other domains—perhaps even more so. Yet only Joe Di knew that both the Guardian Array and the realm itself lacked a treasure to suppress its fortune. Without such a treasure, this stability was only superficial.
The day he left the Taiji Realm, it would inevitably revert to the state it was in before his arrival.
If not for what Yin Yue Shu told him, Joe Di would never have realized that the missing treasure in the Taiji Realm was the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram. Now, though he knew, it was too late—the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram had been left behind in the Lost Dao Domain, exchanged for the Creation Brush with the Chamber's Secret.
If he truly wanted the Taiji Realm to recover and be like the other four realms, he would have to retrieve the Yin-Yang Taiji Diagram.
This left Joe Di feeling helpless. Unless he achieved Dao Union, returning to the Lost Dao Domain would remain dangerous. Just because he escaped once didn't mean he'd escape again.
......
News of the Taiji Realm establishing the Grand Court spread rapidly. Not only did cultivators of the Taiji Realm hurry back, but those from other domains also flocked to witness this historic moment.
Cultivators across this universe knew that when the Prime Essence World established its Grand Court, it quickly became the strongest domain in the Fivefold Realm. Now, with the Taiji Realm founding its Grand Court, it too might become a top-tier domain. If they could seize this chance to stay in the Taiji Realm, their own Dao paths might advance further.
But the Taiji Realm wasn't just founding the Grand Court—it was also establishing its first sect: the Starblade Sect. Joe Di was the sect master, and the sect had yet to recruit disciples. Most cultivators came to the Taiji Realm hoping to join the Starblade Sect.
The Sect Master of the Starblade Sect had not only single-handedly saved the Taiji Realm, but had also slain Barry Jack with one stroke.
Joe Di did not know Barry Jack, but in the boundless void, many did—he was rumored to hail from the Polar Night Ruins.
It was said that none of the cultivators from the Polar Night Ruins were weak. The place was home to so many powerful figures that no one dared provoke any of its cultivators.
Yet cultivators from the Polar Night Ruins rarely left—or rather, true experts never did. The few who did were low-level cultivators abandoned by the Ruins, sneaking out in secret. Without permission, anyone who left the Polar Night Ruins would never have a chance to return.
Everyone knew cultivators from the Polar Night Ruins were strong, so even when a few appeared, no one dared offend them. But there were always exceptions—a handful acted out of line and were slain.
At first, everyone expected the Ruins' experts to seek revenge. But as time passed, it seemed as if the Polar Night Ruins were oblivious—no true expert ever came for retribution. This led many to doubt the Ruins' strength. More cultivators from the Ruins were slain, yet still, no one responded. Over time, the might of the Polar Night Ruins became little more than a legend.
So when Joe Di killed Barry Jack, people simply saw it as a testament to Joe Di's prowess—nothing amiss. Since the Sect Master of the Starblade Sect was so powerful, naturally everyone wanted to join. Besides, it was almost universally accepted that he would become the first Grandmaster of the Taiji Realm's Grand Court.
......
Though Joe Di had only just arrived in the Taiji Realm, the newly established Starblade Sect already outshone all others. This was largely because Lord Nightshade had nearly refined half the realm. After Joe Di drove him out, the Taiji Realm was suddenly wide open. Finding a site for the sect was all too easy.
Moreover, Joe Di had saved the entire Taiji Realm and was soon to be its Grandmaster. Now that he had founded a sect, everyone gave their all to make the Starblade Sect the realm's number one sect.
(Writer's block—just one chapter today. Good night, friends. Please be kind; I don't want to be stuck, but there's nothing I can do.)