Chapter 16: Chapter Fifteen: Sequence, Secret Inheritance, and Reserve Dao Child

Watching Chen Daoxuan vanish without a trace, only the collapsing form of the Black Tortoise remained.

The three figures clad in Azure Divine Armor wore unspeakably grim expressions.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the ripples of the Great Dao spread forth, and a phantom draped in a Cangqing Dragon Robe manifested from the void.

"A wild cultivator broke into the Emperors' Garden and escaped—punish the three of you with a thousand years of service on the Chaos Battlefield."

Hearing this, the three men's faces turned ashen.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

……

Inside the Ten-Zhang Giant Substitute Puppet, Chen Daoxuan, who had just returned directly, linked with the Kunlun Mirror and observed the situation, his expression growing slightly solemn.

From that fleeting glimpse just now, and through his perception of the Five Elements Great Dao, he also knew this was not the same spacetime realm as the Yuanling Realm.

He understood even more clearly that the coordinates of this second world lay within the core region of a major power.

The next time he went, he would need to prepare at least one Soul-Divergence-grade escape Divine Talisman, to flee the instant he arrived.

……

After pondering carefully.

Chen Daoxuan picked up the True Inheritance Shanhai Stele.

With a thought, he sent a wisp of Primordial Spirit Dharma Power into it.

Instantly, the True Inheritance Shanhai Stele naturally levitated into the air.

And in a flash, a wisp of ineffably mysterious immortal light manifested upon the Shanhai Stele.

A figure, only the size of a thumb and exceedingly indistinct, appeared.

The mere sight of it made Chen Daoxuan sense a majestic Aura, as if it transcended the Great Universe itself, pressing down upon his body and mind from the void, binding the Great Dao.

And within the Giant Substitute Puppet, the one-zhang-square space naturally split into two realms, becoming an independent Du Li Shi Kong.

Then, Chen Daoxuan sensed the gaze of the thumb-sized figure sweeping back and forth over him.

Chen Daoxuan knew that this thumb-sized, indistinct figure was a wisp of an artifact spirit avatar—one of the Immortal Artifacts that suppressed the sect—of the Shanhai Immortal Sect.

He respectfully cupped his hands in a bow.

"Greetings, Immortal True One!"

No response came.

Only after nine breaths did the thumb-sized artifact spirit avatar emit a voice—neither kind nor malicious, indifferent and mechanical.

"True Disciple Chen Daoxuan, Nascent Soul Stage—within ten thousand years, you weathered the Soul Egress tribulation and achieved the Soul Egress Stage."

"With a One-foot Immortal Infant foundation, you forged a Ten-Thousand-Zhang Dao Soul, possessing the Origin Dao Physique—a Hong-Grade Five Elements Dao Body."

"You comprehended the Five Elements True Dao and condensed the Five Elements Great Dao True Talisman."

"No karmic Cause and Effect from hostile powers lies hidden within you, no forbidden bloodlines…"

"You meet the sect inheritance rules established by the Third, Fifth, and Eighth Patriarchs."

"You shall enter the sect's ranks, become a Secret Inheritance Disciple of the sect, and a Dao Child Candidate."

"You may receive the inheritance of the sect's three great Immortal Scriptures: 【Mountain-Sea】, 【Four Spirits】, and 【Immeasurable】."

"You may receive…"

"You hold all the permissions of a Soul-Divergence Elder, plus three permissions of a Combined Body Heavenly Lord…"

"You may enter the Dijie Baoku and select three treasures."

……

As it spoke, the True Inheritance Shanhai Stele radiated boundless brilliance, its quality beginning to undergo an earth-shattering transformation.

Immortal Scripture inheritances, all manner of sect secrets… one after another, various Inheritance Seals were branded deep into his Great Dao Primordial Spirit.

Along with faint ripples of spacetime, one reward after another—far beyond Chen Daoxuan's expectations—appeared before his eyes.

One sect permission after another was unlocked…

Until half a quarter-hour later.

Only then did it finally conclude.

At last, a trace of emotion surfaced in the artifact spirit avatar of this Immortal Artifact.

"Chen Daoxuan, Reserve Dao Child, please remain undistracted by the outside world, devote yourself wholly to cultivation, and become the sect's Dao Child as soon as possible."

Having spoken, the artifact spirit avatar's immortal light flowed forth, elevating the original Ten-Zhang Giant Substitute Puppet from its former Nascent Soul level up to the Soul Egress level.

The interior one-zhang space was fixed at one hundred zhang.

Then, with a beckoning wave toward Chen Daoxuan, it vanished.

……

Half a moment later.

Chen Daoxuan finally calmed his emotions slightly.

But looking at the items before him, sensing the various inheritances within his mind, he still could not suppress his excitement.

He had originally thought that achieving the Soul Egress Stage would only raise his status to that of a Soul Egress-stage True Disciple.

At most, he might receive some rewards.

He had never expected such an enormous change.

Sequence, Secret Inheritance, Reserve Dao Child—three identities, and all that came with them, each more beyond his imagination than the last.

Adding his True Disciple status, he now held four identities in total.

……

Just the sect Sequence identity alone, in terms of status, was comparable to a Soul-Divergence Elder.

He need not bow to elders, was not bound by their commands, and could issue Sect Missions.

His Master, Guiyuan True Lord, a cultivator at the Soul Departure Peak realm, was also a Combined Body Heavenly Lord in the sect's history — the founder of the Guiyuan Fama. Yet the current head of that Fama was merely a rank within the sect.

As for the sect's Secret Inheritance Disciples, he had only heard of them in various rumors, never confirmed by anyone.

As for the Dao Child Candidates—

Before this, Chen Daoxuan had never even heard of them.

He only knew that the Shanhai Immortal Sect publicly had two Dao Children, who stood above the Soul Separation elders and wielded sect authority.

……

It was only after several hours that Chen Daoxuan managed to calm his emotions.

He began sorting through the various treasures left behind by the spirit of the Immortal Artifact.

The original True Inheritance Shanhai Stele—

Had been elevated from a Nascent Soul Stage Spiritual Treasure to a True Treasure of the Soul Separation tier.

It possessed four layers of True Prohibitions in total.

Each representing one of his four identities.

It could also be concealed and altered using the authority of a Reserve Dao Child.

……

Attack, defense, healing, escape, containment… an entire set of top-tier Soul Separation True Talismans that far surpassed ordinary Soul Separation Divine Talismans, nearly on par with Dao Talismans.

Once activated, each one possessed the wondrous might of Soul Separation Peak.

A robe, belt, boots, crown… nine pieces forming a complete set of Soul Separation True Treasures.

An Immortal Abode containing three Mystic-Grade Blessed Lands and one Earth-Grade Cave Heaven, capable of being held within a mustard seed.

Eighteen Divine Puppet Golems at Soul Departure Peak, which could form a grand formation and temporarily erupt with Soul Separation Battle Power.

Various Mystic-Grade Spirit Stones for use at the Soul Egress stage, ten cubic measures in total, each cubic measure holding a million stones.

Twelve types of top-grade Soul Egress tier pills, covering every aspect, each sufficient for his needs for an entire yuanhui.

Nine portions of True Treasure Spiritual Materials for artifact refining.

After organizing these treasures, Chen Daoxuan then selected some of them to refine while beginning to comprehend the various inheritances within his mind.

Setting everything else aside, he fell into closed-door cultivation.

……

While Chen Daoxuan was in seclusion, in the Yuanling Realm—

Within the Tianji Blessed Land, which had recovered over a hundred years to span tens of thousands of miles and continued to expand and grow—

Lu Lingwei's aura circulated, nearly at Nascent Soul Mid-Stage.

At her brow, a wisp of Yin-Yang Immortal Scar flowed.

In her hand, she toyed with the Heaven-Stealing Stone that Chen Daoxuan had left within her body.

It was no longer transparent — black and white radiance intertwined, as if a black and a white Yin Yang Fish swam within it.

"When will the Upper True come?"

Thinking of the Yin-Yang Great Transformation Immortal Scripture inheritance that had appeared out of thin air in her mind decades ago when she broke through to Nascent Soul, Lu Lingwei was full of anticipation.

"An Immortal Scripture inheritance — can the Upper True bear to let it go?"

After a long while, gazing at the still-motionless Heaven-Stealing Stone, Lu Lingwei sensed no connection whatsoever between it and Chen Daoxuan, that Upper True beyond the realm.