Out of Shi Tian's three Venerated Daos, the Small Universe remains the most special. It is the culmination of his attempts to create a real universe. It is also the power required to turn Amphoreus from a simulated world into a real world.
Since it was bound to turn into a real world in the 'future', Shi Tian wasn't making something out of nothing. He has the foundation for his creation. It is inferior to Pangu's feat of 'creating' a world out of his entire body. Nevertheless, it is more than enough to serve as his feat towards the Dao Integration Realm.
The moment he used it, the two were completely isolated from Mars' Bubble World. The future Leylah fell into a world under Shi Tian's control. The chaotic nature of the Sea of Data was gone, allowing him to see through her information more clearly.
Myriad Spontaneity took effect at that instant. It faced huge troubles every time it infringed upon the origins of her tribulation energy. It wasn't simply shrouded in 'heavenly secrets'. It was a concept that completely surpassed the River of Time. Even if she came from the future—which resulted in it being weakened—it was something Shi Tian cannot touch as of the moment.
Nonetheless, he managed to intercept valuable information of her life trajectory.
'What a future…'
In her future, Shi Tian saw a Supreme who dominated countless worlds through her Dao of Blossoming Heart. It was her Dao that successfully underwent countless tribulations—one that was attained after integrating six other Daos onto it. That was precisely why she was so formidable.
Just like his future projection, the future Leylah carried a trace of tribulation energy. Her strength was greater than that of a normal future projection. She could exert greater influence upon reality using her Dao, and as such, she is fully capable of unleashing Dao Integration Realm attacks at short intervals.
Aside from Venerated Daos, the only power that could match it are the eighth-grade treasures he obtained through the golden orb. Shi Tian's accumulation of thousands of years amounted to more than a hundred eighth-grade treasures. Although it was a waste using them, more so when they couldn't unleash their full powers due to their low realm, they didn't have any other choice.
'At worst, I can self-destruct more treasures. That tribulation energy must fall today…'
Be it for his safety or his future self's wrongdoings toward Leylah.
A second passed since the tribulation energy's breakout. The Small Universe enveloped the future Leylah completely. Their surroundings were no longer the cold and seemingly infinite void. He stood atop a towering mountain summit. Beneath his feet was a flattened pathway leading to a set of stone staircases. A single look below revealed the mountain's towering height.
Behind him, there was an extremely large palace. It floated slightly aboveground. Gray brick walls surrounded it from all sides. The small palace possessed a huge plaque. It was engraved with eastern characters which said "Pure Capital Beyond the Clouds".
Dang-!
The low, sharp sound of the bell resounded throughout the space. The future Leylah snapped out of her daze as she stared at her surroundings. Her eyes processed everything that happened in an instant. As soon as she saw the Zixiao Palace, her body was overcome with a chill.
'Why…'
"Why is it here..?"
Her brain turned numb.
In her eyes, the Zixiao Palace is the most transcendental residence throughout the myriad worlds. For once, it was the residence of a half-step True Immortal cultivator. He was the first one to reach the third and final tribulation. His power reached the ceiling of reality as he began to transcend the finite.
As for the other reason…
'Tian..!'
The future Leylah's brain fog was cleared up. She stared at the familiar face whom she recognized at first glance. Her heart stopped beating. Her breathing became frantic as tears could not stop falling from her eyes. She tried her best to utter another word, but to no avail. She could not muster the strength to do so, just like her earlier encounter with the other Shi Tian!
In Shi Tian's eyes, however, he saw the tribulation energy surge forth. Translucent cracks appeared all over the place. His Small Universe suffered a great blow as his face turned pale.
'It can't hold on..!'
He made a grasping motion. He closed the distance between him and the future Leylah. The Zixiao Palace behind his back moved from its original position, swallowing them whole. Its gates were swung wide open, leading directly to the inside hall.
Shatter-!
Before his Small Universe broke, the palace's gates were shut. The two of them flew uncontrollably inside the teaching hall. Shi Tian flew straight to a thick pillar, crashing head-first. His mind suffered severe injuries; he couldn't even account for this mistake.
'Tribulation energy…'
The elusive power from the future clung tightly to his true body. In a manner similar to a leech, it slowly gnawed upon his life. Every moment with it bred one heart demon after another. They were barely suppressed by his eighth-level Tao Heart. Fortunately, its main targets were his life and his heart. If even his spiritual qi and Dao were targeted, it would have been ten times more troublesome.
Suppressing the urge to faint, Shi Tian took out a soybean-sized pale blue pill from his storage ring. It was stored inside a jade bottle.
Pop-!
As soon as its cork was opened, a strong medicinal power seeped out of it. It surpassed any peak seventh-grade pills in his possession. It was a genuine eighth-grade Dao Pill. Unlike talismans, artifacts, and formations, spiritual pills and plants cannot be consumed by them at all. Nobody could consume it at all. It was different from seventh-grade pills and below. Those pills only contain spiritual qi and trace amounts of Daos. A Divine Transformation cultivator could consume a seventh-grade pill with lesser dangers.
It was different in the eighth-grade. A Dao Pill encompasses an entire Dao within them. For Void Refinement Realm Star Lords, it was akin to stuffing an entire universe in their throat. They couldn't ingest it, much less digest it.
That was how overbearing eighth-grade Dao Pills are!
'I might explode several times…' He thought. 'I must pull through.'
He couldn't care less about its side effects as it flew straight to his mouth. He did not chew on it, swallowing it in one go. The next moment, a faint purple light emerged from his skin. The previously hidden scales appeared at this moment. A pair of towering horns rose from Shi Tian's forehead, existing in the form of a translucent purple light.
His body went to an eerie silence before the medicinal power erupted in full force. The purple light surrounding Shi Tian shook intensely. Cracks appeared on their surface.
Shatter-!
Following its destruction was his true body. Underneath his daoist robes, Shi Tian's body became mottled with cracks.
Under the future Leylah's shocked gaze, his body turned into a mist of golden blood.