Chapter 5: Chapter Four: Great Opportunity, Supreme Dao Body

"Could this Upper True from beyond the realm be attempting to merge with the Heavenly Heart?"

"Or could it be that this Upper True from beyond the realm's actual cultivation realm is Return to Void, merely sealed with a secret art to descend to the lower realm?"

"Sigh, if that's the case, then it's possible he won't think much of Lingwei."

His thoughts flowed, and sensing that the spiritual energy had settled into calm, he knew that Chen Daoxuan, this Upper True from beyond the realm, had likely temporarily ceased his cultivation.

Tianjizi hurriedly brought his little disciple Lu Lingwei to the outside of Chen Daoxuan's cave abode.

As long as there was a sliver of hope, one should go all out.

……

Within the cave abode at the center of the Tianji Blessed Land.

Chen Daoxuan opened his eyes.

Turtle and serpent coiled.

Vast aura spread forth, as if about to shatter the void.

Within his body, the Great Dao Zi Fu, originally over seven thousand zhang, had grown to eight thousand zhang.

And the nine-inch Nascent Soul, originally complete with all Seven Orifices—eyes, ears, mouth, and nose—now had a patch of profound yellow earth appear beneath its feet.

It was like a spring, drawing certain mysterious and wondrous power from the void, growing itself while steadying the Great Dao Zi Fu.

Besides this, at the brow of the nine-inch Nascent Soul, there was branded a point of something profound upon profound, like a Law Imprint made manifest from the Great Dao.

"Nascent Soul eighth layer, condensing the Earth Orifice."

"Without the interference of the Chang Sheng Tian Gui, my top-grade cultivation aptitude and innate Dao Body can truly come into play."

In the Great Universe, the cultivation of the Nascent Soul Stage means that with each orifice condensed, one's realm advances one layer.

All Seven Orifices complete, Nascent Soul seventh layer.

Only after condensing the Heaven and Earth Orifices can one reach Nascent Soul ninth layer, possessing the foundation to break through to the Soul Egress Stage.

……

Over two thousand years ago, Chen Daoxuan had already condensed the Seven Orifices, achieving Nascent Soul seventh layer.

But after more than two thousand years of bitter cultivation and dozens of refinements, he was still stuck at the bottleneck of condensing the Earth Orifice.

This was because the previous Seven Orifices—eyes, ears, mouth, nose, and so on—only concerned the self.

They belonged to the body orifices.

The final Heaven and Earth Orifices, however, related to the external world, belonging to the extra-body orifices.

One needed to comprehend the laws of heaven and earth to condense a Law Imprint.

Yet under the interference of the Chang Sheng Tian Gui in the Great Universe, the laws of the Great Dao remained hidden without a trace.

Even he, with his innate Dao Body and bearing a trace of the Great Dao's laws, after over ten thousand years of bitter cultivation, had failed to condense a Law Imprint.

Only now, in this strange time-space realm, had he successfully condensed a Law Imprint.

……

After sensing for a while, Chen Daoxuan discovered that the Law Imprint he had condensed was somewhat on the weak side, and understood it should be because of this world.

However, Chen Daoxuan was not worried.

Comprehending and cultivating the Great Dao, at least before becoming an immortal, from the Nascent Soul Stage all the way to the Great Vehicle Stage, runs through it from beginning to end.

This condensed Law Imprint is merely the initial stage of cultivating the Great Dao; there is no fear of it being weak—one only needs to return to the Great Universe and polish it well.

……

Thoughts flowed.

Just as Chen Daoxuan was preparing to temporarily return to the Great Universe.

His divine sense sensed, outside the cave abode, that Tianjizi and a female cultivator at Foundation Establishment Stage.

At first, Chen Daoxuan paid no heed.

But he sensed, in some unfathomable way, that the Foundation Establishment female cultivator had stirred his spiritual perception.

Three years ago, guided by the unfathomable direction of the Heavenly Heart Consciousness, he had sensed a great opportunity and thus sought out this Tianji Blessed Land.

Originally, Chen Daoxuan had thought that connecting with the Heavenly Heart Consciousness was the great opportunity itself.

But at this moment, Chen Daoxuan felt, in some unfathomable way, that the great opportunity lay with this Foundation Establishment female cultivator.

His divine sense, polished by ten thousand years, began to scan back and forth over this Foundation Establishment female cultivator, carefully investigating and sensing.

But after only a moment, he had not detected any result.

……

At this, Chen Daoxuan slightly pondered.

He restrained his aura and left the cave abode.

"Fellow Daoist Tianjizi, could it be that this poor Daoist's cultivation commotion has disturbed the peace of the Blessed Land?"

Hearing Chen Daoxuan's words, Tianjizi hurriedly bowed and said with complete sincerity:

"No, no, the Upper True coming to cultivate in the Blessed Land is an honor for my Tianji Sect."

"In the three years the Upper True has been here, the Tianji Blessed Land has stabilized nearly twofold, ceased shrinking, and even shows faint signs of recovery."

Hearing this, Chen Daoxuan was briefly startled in his heart; a sweep of his divine sense confirmed that what Tianjizi said was true.

This ten-thousand-li Tianji Blessed Land was indeed in better condition than three years ago.

His thoughts flowed, and Chen Daoxuan guessed it might be because of his condensing of the Law Imprint.

In this world, condensing a Law Imprint does not belong to normal Nascent Soul Stage cultivation.

Apart from certain prodigies, basically everyone only begins attempting it at Divine Transformation.

Even the slightest residual influence of the formless and intangible Great Dao's laws would nourish and bless the surroundings.

This Tianji Blessed Land was affected precisely by this.

"Haha, as long as I haven't disturbed the peace of the Blessed Land, that's good."

After replying with a laugh, Chen Daoxuan turned his gaze to Lu Lingwei and said casually:

"Fellow Daoist Tianjizi, who might this young friend be?"

"Upper True, this is my humble disciple. I beg Upper True to save her."

Tianjizi finished speaking.

Lu Lingwei beside him bent in greeting, her fair features full of sincerity, and said:

"I beg Upper True to save this young woman's life."

Seeing this, Chen Daoxuan made no move, only turning his gaze to Tianjizi, waiting for his explanation.

"Upper True, my disciple possesses a Heaven and Earth Dao Body — the supreme Dao Body that inherits the Yin-Yang Great Dao…"

Instantly, the Black Tortoise True Form surfaced in Chen Daoxuan's eyes, and he sternly cut Tianjizi off.

"Tianjizi, do you know the consequences of deceiving me?"

As he spoke, the Black Tortoise Sword manifested, boundless killing intent spreading, and countless beings that had perished beneath the blade were revealed.

The entire Tianji Blessed Land seemed, as if by some unseen force, awed into silence by the killing intent.

Watching Chen Daoxuan's reaction and feeling the life-and-death peril well up in his heart, Tianjizi gave a start and hurriedly explained.

"Please do not be angered, Upper True. Allow me to explain."

As he spoke, he took out a jade slip and handed it to Chen Daoxuan.

"Although my disciple possesses the supreme Yin-Yang Dao Body, it never awakened due to the scarcity of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi."

"Fearing that the dormant Yin-Yang Dao Body might be sensed by demonic spirits, I used a secret art of our sect to seal it completely."

"However, this means that unless the Yin-Yang Dao Body is awakened all at once, my disciple's lifespan will be one-third shorter than that of cultivators at the same realm."

"Originally, only I knew of the Yin-Yang Dao Body's existence — even my disciple herself did not know."

"This inheritance jade slip contains that sealing secret art, as well as the method to unseal it."

……

Listening to Tianjizi's words, Chen Daoxuan took the inheritance jade slip.

A divine secret art called 【Tianyuan Seal】.

According to the records within, it was created by the ninth sect master of the Tianji Sect, who reached the peak of Divine Transformation and attained Heavenly Dao Harmony with the Heavenly Heart.

It can seal the Heavenly Heart above, and seal all living beings below.

It holds boundless mysteries.

……

After contemplating the 【Tianyuan Seal】 for a moment, Chen Daoxuan once again used his divine sense to carefully examine Lu Lingwei, inside and out.

And this time, in less than Three Breaths, Chen Daoxuan sensed within Lu Lingwei's body the Tianyuan Seal that drew upon her own lifespan as its source.

Had he not known in advance and obtained the 【Tianyuan Seal】 inheritance, learning all its intricacies, Chen Daoxuan felt that even if he broke through to the Soul Egress stage, he might have overlooked it and been unable to discern the exact problem.

……