madnovel Chapter 4 Mid-stage of the Great Luo Realm, Hongjun's Goodwill
Chapter 4 Mid-stage of the Great Luo Realm, Hongjun's Goodwill
Countless years have passed since the beginning of time, like water flowing eastward, fleeting as a white horse galloping past a crack in the wall. In the blink of an eye, a whole era has passed.
"boom!"
On this day, three immense pressures swept out from the depths of Lingxiao Palace, spreading out in layers, causing the endless solar divine fire of the Sun Star to surge like a tide, and ten thousand golden rays on the Fusang Tree to sway in response, causing the entire Sun Star to tremble slightly.
Inside the Lingxiao Palace, on a futon, Changxi was the first to open her eyes. The moonlight around her suddenly spread out and then instantly gathered between her limbs and bones, perfectly natural.
She leaped to her feet, hands on her hips, and exclaimed in a crisp voice, "Mid-stage Grand Luo Golden Immortal, I've succeeded!"
All that could be seen was the convergence of the five elements in her chest and the gathering of three flowers on her head. The three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit merged together, which were reflected from the primordial spirit in Changxi's Niwan Palace sea of consciousness through the Heavenly Spirit, transforming into three Dao flowers filled with a bright moonlight and slowly rotating.
The flowers bloom in eight grades, each exuding either the weight of "essence," the etherealness of "qi," or the spirituality of "spirit," all carrying the mysteries of the moon and the yin.
"You little rascal, still so impatient." Xihe opened her beautiful eyes, the three flowers of moonlight above her head also reaching the eighth rank. A faint smile spread across her cool face as she looked at Lingxiao beside her, her gaze filled with an unyielding gentleness and a hint of hidden affection. "This progress is entirely thanks to Brother Dao's guidance with the wondrous Yin-Yang method, which has greatly benefited my sister and me."
Before she could finish speaking, her gaze suddenly fixed on the top of Ling Xiao's head. Her pretty face froze for a moment, then broke into undisguised joy as she exclaimed in congratulations, "Your flower has reached the ninth grade! Daoist brother has actually attained the pinnacle of the primordial world! Congratulations, Daoist brother!"
"A ninth-grade Dao flower?" Chang Xi hurriedly stepped forward, his eyes widening as he looked at the magnificent Dao flower atop Ling Xiao's head, which resembled a blazing sun. He was instantly astonished, "It's true! It's rumored that powerful beings like Ancestor Hongjun and Ancestor Yangmei, reincarnations of Great Dao Demon Gods, possessed ninth-grade roots upon taking human form. My elder brother is now on par with them!"
"What a stroke of luck, hahaha." Ling Xiao supported Xi He's fair jade arm, and together they stood up, his fingertips brushing against the ninth-grade Dao flower above their heads, which was swirling with the Daoist aura of the Great Sun. A look of joy appeared on his face.
In the primordial world, the gathering of the three flowers at the top and the convergence of the five elements are the key to a cultivator's path to enlightenment. Those who do not achieve perfection will find their foundation in the Dao unstable and their path to enlightenment difficult to attain.
The three flowers at the top are ranked from first grade to ninth grade, corresponding to the depth of one's foundation and the harmony with the laws. It is extremely difficult to have a ninth-grade foundation unless one is a direct descendant of Pangu or a reincarnation of a true spirit of a demon god of the Great Dao.
He, Xihe, and Changxi were transformed from the legacy of Pangu's eyes, and were born from the supreme celestial energy of the Taiyin and Taiyang. At the time of their transformation, they already possessed the foundation of the eighth rank, making them the pinnacle among innate deities.
However, the legacy of the eyes is far inferior to that of the primordial spirit of Pangu. Compared to beings like the Three Pure Ones and Hongjun, who directly inherited the legacy of the Great Dao and the demon gods, it is ultimately a step behind.
By taking advantage of the Heavenly Dao's merit in establishing the order of time, Ling Xiao secluded himself for a Yuanhui to refine his Dao foundation, finally pushing his Dao Flower to the ninth rank, thus joining the ranks of the most outstanding foundations in the prehistoric world.
"The Taiyin Jade Rabbit was born with the blessings of Pangu, and its eighth-grade foundation is already extraordinary." Ling Xiao smiled at the two women, his tone gentle. "Foundation is never static. Acquired understanding of the Great Dao and opportunities can make up for deficiencies. In the future, you will surely be able to bloom into ninth-grade flowers."
Upon hearing this, Chang Xi's face instantly broke into a bright smile, and he repeatedly replied, "I'll do whatever you say, Big Brother!"
Xihe nodded slightly, her delicate hand gently resting on Lingxiao's forearm, carefully keeping this sentiment in her heart.
She has always been aloof and reserved, and not good with words.
However, he had already made up his mind to accept Ling Xiaoyu's opportunity without reservation, and from then on, he would accompany him on his path of cultivation, sharing life and death, and would no longer say any words of formality.
"Besides the improvement of my Dao foundation, the greatest gain from this seclusion is that I have successfully refined this Dao-inheriting treasure." Ling Xiao made a fist with his right hand, and a brilliant golden rainbow flew out from his sea of consciousness between his brows, landing in his palm and transforming into a long sword.
The sword is three feet, three inches, and three fen long. It is neither gold nor wood. It was made from a branch of the Fusang Divine Tree, infused with the innate essence of the sun, tempered by the true fire of the sun, and harmonized by the divine water of the moon. Finally, it was infused with the merits of the heavenly way and condensed into thirty-three merit-based treasures.
The sword's blade emanates the majestic Daoist aura of the Great Sun. Wherever the sunlight shines, it can draw upon the yang energy of heaven and earth to empower it, eradicating all evil spirits and heretics, and remaining untainted by the karma of killing.
"Brother Lingxiao, what's the name of this sword?" Changxi asked, looking at the sword in Lingxiao's hand without any surprise.
This precious sword was forged by the three of them together.
"This sword inherits my Dao, and is favored by the starry sky, thus defying its innate nature. Moreover, I am the god of the sun, so it is named the Sun God Sword."
Ling Xiao's fingertips brushed across the sword, and the sword emitted a clear and melodious sound, completely merging with his primordial spirit and energy, as if it were his own arm.
Generally speaking, treasures are divided into innate and acquired treasures. Innate treasures are born before heaven and earth, but some of them are born after the fact. As for treasures that are refined after the fact, unless they are blessed by a treasure like the Qiankun Cauldron that reverses the innate nature, they are all acquired treasures.
The difference between the two lies in the distinction between innate and acquired restrictions on treasures.
Of course, this does not mean that acquired treasures are necessarily weaker than innate treasures. The strength of a treasure is somewhat related to the quality of its protective barrier, but the greater factor is the quantity of protective barriers.
For example, the Heaven-Turning Seal, a supreme treasure forged by Yuanshi Tianzun from half of Buzhou Mountain, and the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda, a supreme treasure of merit forged by Laozi, both have forty-nine restrictions on treasures.
In terms of power, it surpasses many innate treasures.
"Then my sister and I will call our twin swords the Taiyin Divine Sword!" Chang Xi said, as a cold silver light flew out from between her brows, and a similarly shaped longsword landed in her hand.
Xihe, who was standing nearby, also summoned her treasures.
The sword is slightly thinner than the Sun God Sword, with softer lines. It is made primarily of laurel branches and Taiyin cold iron, and also contains thirty-three merit-related restrictions, making it a genuine top-grade innate merit-related spiritual treasure.
The three swords were drawn simultaneously, instantly resonating with each other. The clear and melodious sword sounds intertwined, and the radiant energy of the sun and the bright yin energy blended together, creating a cycle of yin and yang, and a natural harmony of the Dao.
These three swords were all crafted from the three individuals' own fundamental essence, perfectly matching their primordial spirits. With just a fraction of their own power, they could unleash tremendous power.
"Swish, swish, swish!"
Ling Xiao nodded in satisfaction, flicked his finger, and all three swords returned to their sheaths at the same time.
He possesses the supreme innate spiritual treasures Hetu and Luoshu, as well as the innate supreme treasure Chaos Bell. Xihe and Changxi also each possess their own companion spiritual treasures.
Although the Chaos Bell has the reputation of being "invincible when placed on one's head", is there anything truly invincible in the world?
Even a Chaos Treasure can be shattered, let alone this is just a Primordial Treasure.
Moreover, it's far too ostentatious; the name of the Three Treasures of Creation is enough to make all the hidden powerhouses in the prehistoric world green with envy.
Heavenly virtues and merits cannot be stolen, but treasures can be taken away.
With Ling Xiao's current cultivation level as a Grand Luo Golden Immortal, it is quite difficult for him to activate the Chaos Bell, which has only been initially refined. If he encounters a Primordial Golden Immortal, this treasure will not only fail to protect him, but will also become the cause of disaster.
Although the Dragon-Han Calamity has ended, ancient and powerful beings such as Hongjun Ancestor and Zhulong still survived in the previous calamities.
They went into seclusion, they didn't die!
Most importantly, the Chaos Bell was created by Pangu when he created the world, and it aligns with Pangu's Dao.
Those who learn from others live, while those who imitate others die. This may be acceptable for protecting one's own path, but if one takes it as a treasure to carry on one's own path, one will ultimately fall into the trap of predecessors and be unable to break free from one's own unique path.
The treasures that inherit the Dao are different from the treasures that protect the Dao. The former is the proof and progress of one's own Dao, and can also be called the treasures for attaining the Dao, while the latter is simply for attacking and protecting the Dao.
Of course, this distinction between the two is just Ling Xiao's own idea, and there is no clear boundary between them;
Putting aside other matters, the attainment of sainthood by severing the three corpses and Taiyi's comprehension of the "Zhou Tian Xing Dou Da Zhen" from the Chaos Bell are both examples of using protective treasures as treasures for inheriting the Dao...
Ultimately, Ling Xiao has his own path to follow.
This path could be the Great Way of the Sun, the Great Way of Yin and Yang, or it could be the Great Way of Fire or the Great Way of the Five Elements; everything depends on subsequent opportunities and plans.
"Once we've mastered the three divine swords and created several sword techniques, we can set out on our travels." Ling Xiao looked at the two women, a smile in his eyes. "The sun and moon complement each other. If the three of us work together, we might be able to devise a sword formation, which will give us an extra edge in protecting ourselves against powerful enemies."
"I will follow your arrangements, Brother Dao." Xihe smiled faintly and agreed softly.
"Good, good, good!" Changxi's eyes lit up instantly. She tugged at Xihe's sleeve and echoed her words, her eyes filled with barely suppressed joy. She had long hoped to travel across the vast starry sky and see all the wonders of the world.
……
Meanwhile, above the chaos, beyond the primordial heavens, the Purple Cloud Palace hangs alone in the void.
Inside the hall, the Hongjun Ancestor sat silently on the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus of Merit, with the Jade Tablet of Creation slowly swirling above his head, and the profound mysteries of the Three Thousand Heavenly Dao flowing within it, evolving the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.
"The Way of Heaven is flawed, and great calamities occur one after another; this is truly not a blessing for the primordial world."
The old Taoist priest made calculations with his fingertips, his brows furrowing and his expression becoming solemn.
Since the beginning of time, countless calamities have erupted one after another, causing the fundamental source of heaven and earth to gradually deplete, the three realms to become disordered, and the five elements to become unbalanced.
The primordial chaos is like a broken sieve, with the essence of heaven and earth constantly leaking out. If this continues, the world's status will gradually decline, and one day it will inevitably fall into the desolate and barren world of the Dharma's end.
—The collapse of the ancestral veins of the West in the past was only the beginning. If we allow the endless eons to wear us down, one day the entire primordial world will shatter and collapse, returning to chaos and nothingness!
The collapse of the primordial world was an outcome that Hongjun absolutely did not want to see.
"The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more and give to those who have less. The operation of Heaven and Earth has its own fixed order, and it is impossible to forcibly reverse the general trend."
Hongjun Ancestor pondered in a low voice, and the halo of boundless merit behind his head suddenly shone brightly, with brilliant golden light pouring into his body, and three illusory figures floating and merging together.
"However, since I have repaired the Jade Tablet of Creation and received the favor of Heaven, I should do my best to make up for the shortcomings of Heaven and Earth and slow down the decline of the primordial world."
The white-haired old Taoist priest looked through the Purple Cloud Palace towards the primordial starry sky and smiled with satisfaction.
"Besides, I am not alone on this path."