Chapter 448

·

·

·

Protagonist:

Yu Changsheng

"Hum—hum—hum……"

The Dao-rhyme mist entered his body, continuously surging in and fusing into Yu Changsheng's form; before long, deep within his spirit-soul, Yu Changsheng was completely immersed in that sensation.

The originally illusory soul-body, under the filling of Dao rhyme, also gained a sense of solidity and weight; a feeling of ease originating from body and soul seemed to shake some shackle, making Yu Changsheng almost dazed, his entire consciousness sinking into a mysterious realm.

It was unity of heaven and man, self-forgetfulness, fusion with heaven and earth, placing the soul in the wilderness of the starry sky……

Under such circumstances, Yu Changsheng's thoughts penetrated clearly; since he began cultivating, every problem in his cultivation practice suddenly became clear, and his comprehension of various divine abilities and spells became even more profound, wielded with consummate ease.

Moreover, quite a few strands of Dao-rhyme mist, following Yu Changsheng's Inner Landscape, split into several streams and flowed into the bodies of his several tamed beasts, improving their constitutions, making their auras even more ethereal and elusive.

Thereupon, a flash of light — the Purgatory Flame Dragon, Cai Xing Deer, Golden-Winged Great Peng, and Xuan Turtle, including the Purple Spirit Imperial Sword — appeared one by one beside Yu Changsheng, bathing in the Dao-rhyme mist, faces full of enjoyment, inhaling and exhaling the Dao rhyme.

Dao rhyme not only possesses supreme marvelous uses for cultivators; for spirit beasts, it naturally has the same effect.

"This guy's tamed beasts are all of quite excellent quality."

Seeing this, Lord Han Cheng's eyes flashed with sharp light, slightly surprised; he regarded Yu Changsheng with even greater importance, and while pondering, his gaze flickered.

"Also, five tamed beasts in total, merely at Golden Core cultivation, yet contracting five tamed beasts — it seems his spirit-soul strength far exceeds his cultivation base……"

This thought flashed through Lord Han Cheng's mind; he then shook his head, withdrew his gaze, no longer paying attention to Yu Changsheng. After isolating Yu Changsheng separately, he dissected three more single-pattern spirit beast corpses and said to Meng Wu'an and Li Minghan: "You two begin as well. Without Yu Changsheng's interference, properly comprehend and fuse the Dao rhyme. His constitution is special; although you won't reach his level, you won't be far off either."

"Alright."

Meng Wu'an and Li Minghan nodded, smiled faintly, and without hesitation began absorbing simultaneously. This time, without Yu Changsheng, that black-hole-like existence, the two absorbed very smoothly; before long they sank into a wondrous state.

"Interesting."

Watching the three's condition, Lord Han Cheng shook his head and smiled lightly, looking at the remaining spirit beast corpses, brows furrowing slightly.

"Given Yu Changsheng's absorption speed, I'm afraid these spirit beast corpses are still far from enough! However, I'm also quite curious — just how many Dao patterns can this guy condense……"

"Three patterns, six patterns, or perhaps six patterns and above…?"

Lord Han Cheng pondered, sharp light flickering in his eyes.

According to what he knew, for a cultivator to engrave Dao patterns on the Golden Core's three flowers is no easy matter; ordinary cultivators can condense 1 to 3 patterns, while those with outstanding aptitude and comprehension can condense 4 to 6 patterns; as for six patterns and above, they are one-in-ten-thousands geniuses, rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Even among Holy Land disciples, those able to condense six patterns or more are not often seen.

As for Yu Changsheng and the other two now, they are still far from the level of condensing Dao patterns; they have only just begun filling with Dao rhyme.

"Three months' time — not long if you say it's long, not short if you say it's short; how far you can go depends on your fortune……"

…………

Time flowed; three days passed in a flash. During these three days, Yu Changsheng and the others did nothing but continuously absorb Dao rhyme, nearly forgetting time.

All three were already well-practiced at this; by the later stage, their absorption of Dao rhyme became increasingly swift — even Meng Wu'an and Li Minghan could completely absorb a single-pattern spirit beast's Dao rhyme in no more than half an incense stick's time.

Under such circumstances, while the three progressed with godlike speed, the spirit beast corpse reserves in the Chengzhu Fu were also gradually bottoming out.

This day, as usual, Yu Changsheng finally opened his eyes; after finishing absorbing the Dao rhyme, a trace of satisfaction showed on his face, and he slowly stretched lazily.

"Now, after these three days of tempering, presumably you three have gained your own understanding of Dao rhyme; the Dao rhyme in your bodies is also saturated to about seventy or eighty percent, however……"

Seeing the three had completely finished absorbing, Lord Han Cheng thought a moment and spoke; halfway through, his brow wrinkled, his expression revealing a hint of helplessness.

"These three days, many thanks to Lord Han Cheng for your wholehearted assistance; we are endlessly grateful. If there is anything inconvenient, Lord Han Cheng need only say so."

Yu Changsheng was startled, then cupped his fists and said seriously.

"It's not that there's anything inconvenient, not a big matter — just that the spirit beast corpses in the manor are ultimately limited and have been used up. The rest can only be obtained by going out hunting again."

Lord Han Cheng waved his hand, shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Originally in his plan, these spirit beast corpses were enough for the three of them to use for a good long while; merely, Yu Changsheng's speed and volume of absorbing Dao rhyme truly exceeded her expectations.

It can be said that these three days, over half of the spirit beasts' Dao rhyme was absorbed by Yu Changsheng alone, far exceeding the total amount absorbed by Meng Wen'an and Li Minghan combined.

This left Lord Han Cheng both surprised and alarmed, yet also feeling somewhat helpless.

"However, the more he absorbs, the faster the speed, the more it proves Yu Changsheng's constitution is astonishing; the benefits he gains far surpass others; when he condenses Dao patterns in the future, it will be even more astonishing — at this rate, a minimum of six Dao patterns is guaranteed……"

Lord Han Cheng muttered in his heart, glancing at Yu Changsheng without changing expression; these words were all muttered in Lord Han Cheng's heart and were not spoken aloud.

"So that's how it is."

Yu Changsheng showed a trace of embarrassment; suddenly realizing, he scratched the back of his head and laughed "hehe". "Since that's the case, then let's go hunting to replenish. We three have been staying in this Chengzhu Fu under your care, and it's a bit embarrassing."

"Mm, pack up; then let's set out now. Fortunately, around here, the habitats of some spirit beasts have also been scouted by people I dispatched, so it shouldn't be too much trouble. It's also a good chance for you to let the accumulated Dao rhyme in your bodies circulate and digest."

Lord Han Cheng nodded; before long, the four simply packed up a bit, and after three days, walked out of the Chengzhu Fu in a line.

At this moment, the sky was still early morning; within Han Cheng, it was already bustling extraordinarily — vendors' cries, exchange voices rose and fell without cease, various shops stood row upon row, among them people coming and going farming, men and women dressed just like outsiders, yellow-haired and hanging-tressed, all happily enjoying themselves.

This scene, falling into Yu Changsheng's eyes, made him somewhat dazed; and under Lord Han Cheng's lead, along the way all residents they encountered warmly and kindly greeted Lord Han Cheng, who smiled and responded to each in turn.

This scene made Yu Changsheng thoughtful; while Li Minghan exclaimed with emotion: "Lord Han Cheng truly enjoys the support of ten thousand people, the hearts of the people turn to him." Meng Wu'an likewise nodded in agreement.

Lord Han Cheng was startled, then his eyes revealed a trace of reminiscence; he spoke softly: "In this Wu Dao Jie, the actual danger is far more than what you see."

"It's just that you're lucky — during this period when the Wu Dao Ta is open, it's relatively calm and sunny; but normally, a considerable portion of the Wu Dao Jie is chaotic and ignorant, with thunderstorms, floods, hurricanes, violent rains…… all kinds of natural disasters occurring frequently, extremely perilous."

"And although Han Cheng is not large, it can relatively provide them with some little shelter; they are naturally grateful to me."

"Is that so? Lord Han Cheng is noble." Li Minghan respectfully cupped his fists, his tone revealing appropriate admiration.

At this, Lord Han Cheng merely smiled faintly: "It's nothing; I'm just doing what little I can."

Yu Changsheng fell silent, looking at the passing crowds, and suddenly asked: "These people — like you, Lord Han Cheng, were they also originally living beings from the Wai Jie, later dying and taken in by the Wu Dao Jie?"

Lord Han Cheng was startled, looked at Yu Changsheng, then at the passing crowds; the depths of his eyes dimmed slightly; he nodded faintly and said: "Yes, most are. Only unlike me, they have undergone reincarnation and refinement again and again in the Wu Dao Ta, and have long been completely assimilated, forgetting their origins, thoroughly becoming a part of this Wu Dao Jie."

Lord Han Cheng sighed lightly, lowering his brows to look at his fair wrists: "Even I, it seems, cannot persist much longer. That is why I sought your help — I don't want to just dissipate like this. If a person forgets where they came from, who they are, then are they still them?"

Meng Wu'an and Li Minghan wanted to speak but stopped, looking at each other in dismay, only able to swallow a mouthful of saliva; while Yu Changsheng was silent, then suddenly laughed lightly and said softly:

"Yes, and no. I've heard a saying: whether a person exists is not decided by themselves, but comes from others."

"Oh?" The Lord of Han Cheng's expression flickered slightly, and he turned toward the voice to look at Yu Changsheng, waiting for his explanation. "What reasoning is behind these words?"

Yu Changsheng pondered briefly, then said: "Whether one truly exists is determined by the outside world. Death is not the endpoint of life, nor does one dissipate because of it. Forgetting is the endpoint of life, the mark of dissipation."

"When a person, a life, is forgotten by everyone, then they no longer exist in the world. At that time, all karma related to them passes away one by one, and they also cease to exist. Conversely, even if a person has already died, as long as there is still one person who recites their true name, who still remembers them, then they still live on."

Having finished speaking, Yu Changsheng let out a heh-heh laugh and said no more. The Lord of Han Cheng, however, was suddenly stunned, frozen in place, carefully savoring Yu Changsheng's words, lost in thought for a long while.

"Death is not the endpoint of life; being thoroughly forgotten is the mark of dissipation..." The Lord of Han Cheng murmured in a low voice. After a long time, he finally came back to his senses, looked at Yu Changsheng, and a trace of complex color flashed in his eyes.

Yu Changsheng's words were not that profound, but hearing them for the first time, they still made the Lord of Han Cheng feel a sense of novelty. Along with Meng Wu'an and Li Minghan, they also couldn't help but start pondering.

"So, perhaps the Lord of Han Cheng can still maintain his sense of self precisely because there are still people in the outside world who keep your existence in mind. If the Lord of Han Cheng wishes to successfully break free from here, we will certainly lend our full assistance."

Li Minghan perked up at this moment, giving a heh-heh laugh, his smile radiant and sincere.

"... Good, then many thanks."

The Lord of Han Cheng revealed a smile. Her already peerlessly beautiful countenance, with a charming smile, added three parts of spring radiance, becoming even more exquisite and moving — to the point that even the spring radiance could not compare to her. This caused Li Minghan to freeze, his eyes shifting slightly.

"However, Yu Changsheng, your words are interesting. They remind me of some great cultivators' abilities."

"Oh, great cultivators' abilities? What do you mean?" Yu Changsheng grew interested.

"Legend has it that some Daoneng cultivators, when their cultivation base reaches a certain height, can entrust their life imprint to the laws of heaven and earth, leaving it above all things in the world. At that time, they are nearly eternal, their life immortal, their lifespan enduring."

"Even if an accident occurs and they are struck down and killed, as long as traces of them remain in the world, their aura remains in the laws of heaven and earth, and there are still living beings in the myriad worlds chanting their true name, then amidst one call after another, even after long years have passed, even if they reincarnate ten thousand times, at some moment they will suddenly awaken and appear once more in the world."

The Lord of Han Cheng spoke, her tone revealing a trace of sighing regret.

Yu Changsheng, Meng Wu'an, and Li Minghan all froze in unison, unable to help asking: "Such an existence — their cultivation base pierces the heavens, right? What realm must one reach to achieve this? Do they really exist?"

Hearing this, the Lord of Han Cheng shook her head and gave a light laugh: "Such existences are naturally not something we can imagine or come into contact with. In any case, Spirit Transformation cannot; Void Refining also cannot reach it. Perhaps only the masters of some top-tier Holy Lands can glimpse a thing or two."

"However..." The Lord of Han Cheng's tone paused. Recalling, she hesitated for a moment, let out a light breath, fixed her gaze on Yu Changsheng, and said with seeming depth:

"From ancient times to now, openly speaking, perhaps there truly was one existence who reached this step. But later an accident occurred, and he fell. Thus, his name became a taboo, sealed away in the years, difficult to pass down. His true name is unknown. Even recalling it is not permitted. However, under the special environment of this Wu Dao Jie, it is possible to tell you a thing or two."

"Oh, who is it?" The three of them, Yu Changsheng included, grew interested and asked curiously.

"This..." The Lord of Han Cheng lowered her brows, recalling for a long time. Her gaze flowed, then she suddenly raised her head and said softly: "Do you know why the ancient name Xuan Tian Jie has not spread across the Continent, to the point that many times, even in the appellations of low-level cultivators, it is defined as the Cultivation World?"

Yu Changsheng was stunned. Xuan Tian Jie was the world they lived in. This name — he indeed had not known it from the start. He originally thought it was merely because his cultivation base was insufficient and he hadn't come into contact with it. But along with the Lord of Han Cheng's words, he faintly also sensed that this designation seemed to have indeed been intentionally sealed off by someone, to the point that even in the Wanxiang Sect for many years, he had not seen the corresponding words. (Chapter End)