Chapter 14: 【The Vessel Interwoven with Dao and Principles】

"Although the energy, cultivation realms, and identities differ, the pursuit of all living beings in both worlds is the most fundamental one: longevity and becoming an immortal."

"This is not the path of the Red Dust Immortal, but the true immortal method of the Chaotic Ancient Era. By borrowing the power of the heaven, earth, and universe to make oneself immortal, this is also the most common and normal method of becoming an immortal. In the long river of eternal time, the Red Dust Immortal method that transcends the universe and relies on one's own immortality is the heresy."

"One can ascend to the Immortal Domain at the Immortal Second Realm, and a Saint can be immortal through ten thousand tribulations. This is not relying on oneself, but a method of relying on the Immortal Domain for longevity."

"The Eight Extraordinary Techniques, as well as the secrets of ascension and longevity behind them, may be related to merging with the Dao of heaven and earth. The Twenty-Four Solar Terms Heaven-Reaching Valley is one such Qi formation."

"All are for the sake of longevity. There are always paths in the world that intersect. It is not a matter of which is superior or inferior, but rather that they occasionally meet."

Lin Xian was lost in thought. Although he was currently only in the Sea of Bitterness realm, his high vantage point allowed him to know many secrets. By absorbing the essence of the two worlds, he had gained his own insights into becoming an immortal.

To verify his conjecture, he closed his eyes again and focused on practicing the Tianxuan Scripture.

Although the Tianxuan Scripture was an ordinary Sea of Bitterness scripture, the minimum standard for creating a method in the Shrouding the Heavens universe was that of a Saint.

An ancient Saint could collapse mountains and rivers with a single drop of blood, slay a Great Power with a single strand of hair, and open up small worlds with a wave of their hand, existing like a god.

Scriptures created by Saints were considered crude and unworthy of mention in the eyes of Great Emperors and True Immortals, but for ordinary cultivators, they were supreme true scriptures.

"Silent and reaching the origin of nothingness. Void standing in the kalpa of the abyss. The vast and profound text of the cave. Who can measure this secluded distance..."

Lin Xian recited the scripture, using the Origin of Qi and Body to practice the Saint's Great Method, sensing the mysteries within.

Within the Sea of Bitterness, the emerald-green light wheel emitted the aura of life, forming a polar contrast with the dark, silent Sea of Bitterness. A Spring of Life ran through it, blooming with white-gold divine light—the source of magic power—which sometimes transformed into ten thousand divine swords and sometimes evolved into a brilliant star.

The star reflected the Qi infant, drawing in the ascension, residing within it, and transforming into a Primordial Spirit. With immortal Qi swirling, one could vaguely see a god sitting cross-legged, titled Tianxuan, wearing a seven-star crown, red shoes, and purple mist robes, supreme and noble, suppressing the Sea of Bitterness.

Surrounding the Tianxuan Star Lord, countless divine lights flickered in the dark Sea of Bitterness, as if carrying the starry sky on its back while dwelling in the nether capital.

Streaks of divine light shot into the sky, evolving into countless divine chains and shackles, clanging and ringing, suppressing the mind and creating an anomaly—the Map of the Celestial Stars.

If the Origin of Qi and Body can transform all kinds of Qi, and innate abilities can resolve them, then... what about star power?!

In an instant, Lin Xian opened his eyes, his star-like pupils brilliant, gazing at the sky, looking at the most dazzling, magnificent, and bright star in the deep universe.

The Great Sun, the Sun, a star!

Perhaps, this world has never lacked energy, only the means to utilize it.

The common people bow their heads to find their way, fighting and snatching all their lives, but has anyone ever looked up at the starry sky, yearning for that silent and deep universe?

He was also a fool; the Great Dao was never under his feet, the Great Dao was in the sky!

Only today did he know the vastness of the universe and the infinity of time and space. What is the Old Heavenly Master? What is Zhang Huaiyi? What is Wugen Sheng? They are nothing but ants and dust.

Lin Xian was enlightened, no longer troubled, no longer questioning, and whispered: "The Great Dao is in the sky, shining like the morning star."

At this moment, he held the universe in his heart.

Gazing at the Great Sun for a long time until his pupils turned scarlet, Lin Xian slowly withdrew his gaze and sat back on the ground. Xia He, innate abilities—all were cast to the back of his mind.

All things and all methods, in the end, are based on oneself, with oneself as the supreme. The Origin of Qi and Body is just a tree, a branch of the Great Dao; ultimately, one must have one's own roots.

At this moment, he had only one thought in his heart: to forge his own vessel, a vessel that could draw in the power of the celestial stars.

That which is above form is called the Dao; that which is below form is called the vessel.

Carry the Dao with the vessel!

This is also the uniqueness of the Shrouding the Heavens method. Although Sea of Bitterness cultivators can forge four vessels, most Great Emperors and Ancient Emperors will forge one vessel as their life-bound object, pursuing the supremacy of one vessel, breaking ten thousand methods with one vessel.

An Emperor's vessel is not just a weapon, but the continuation of the Great Emperor's life and the embodiment of their Dao fruit.

Streaks of divine patterns, like divine chains, circled above the dark Sea of Bitterness, floating and sinking with the Wheel of Life. This was the primitive form condensed from the essence of life.

Lin Xian did not rashly forge a vessel. Cultivators can sacrifice "divine patterns" into various shapes. Simple ones, like the fifty-meter blade he had wielded earlier, were just the simplest and crudest use of divine patterns.

However, forging a vessel requires complex and numerous divine patterns.

Hammering into the deepest part of the Dao can even give birth to Dao and principles, which is the foundation for becoming a Saint's weapon or an Emperor's weapon.

Therefore, hammering primitive "divine patterns" into a "vessel" is very important for cultivators, and everyone must treat it seriously, because this is the foundation of their future "controlling objects."

The shape of the divine patterns often determines the final life-bound weapon. If the final divine pattern of a supreme being is sword-shaped, then their Emperor's weapon must be a sword, such as the Longevity Sword or the Taihuang Sword.

"My weapon, my vessel, what is it?"

"Blade, spear, sword, halberd, axe, battle-axe, hook, fork, club, staff, whip, mace, hammer, claw, or perhaps something like a bell, tripod, tower, or seal?"

"None of them. To carry the Dao with a vessel, it must carry my Great Dao, my soul, my life; it is almost like reshaping another me."

"And, what is my form?"

"The Xuanhuang Tripod that dominates the Emperor's path? The Undying Blade that slaughters? The Wushi Bell that is peerless through the ages? The Goddess Furnace that gathers a harem? No, none of them are right. I am an existence that encompasses everything and contains all rivers."

"I am a map, a cosmic map that contains the celestial stars and all phenomena."

"Even if I am trapped within a mortal shell, I still consider myself the king of the infinite universe!"

With this thought, Lin Xian determined the form of his "vessel." Without using too many divine pattern chains, he first extracted two: one symbolizing the dark Sea of Bitterness, and one symbolizing the Wheel of Life.

Between the rotation of life and death, yin and yang are opened up, which is the profound mystery of the Sea of Bitterness realm. This is a truth that the Saint Tianxuan only understood after becoming a Saint. Unfortunately, the foundation was already set, and it was too late to regret; he could only annotate this point in his own scripture.

He hoped that the descendants of Tianxuan who received his scripture would not repeat his wrong path.

"Yin and yang open up, the path reveals itself!"

With the power of this opening of life and death, yin and yang, a Spring of Life gushed out, like a heavenly river hanging in the sky. Against the backdrop of the dark Sea of Bitterness, it looked like a galaxy in the deep dark universe, with white silver light and golden divine power reflecting each other.

"Stars enter the heavenly river, the water is clear and the Saint emerges."

Lin Xian was full of spirit and went all out to refine this exquisite painting. Following the sense of separation between life and death, yin and yang, he guided a certain mysterious cosmic concept.

Life and death, yin and yang, space and time.

The so-called universe is space-time. Not only do life and death coexist and conflict, but time and space are also interdependent and contradictory existences.

The Great Universe of Heaven and Earth, the Small Universe of the Human Body—the existence of the Nether Sea of Bitterness and the Wheel of Life is another layer of the universe.

However, the concept of cosmic space-time is too profound to be understood by anyone other than a Saint.

As a Sea of Bitterness cultivator, Lin Xian could not touch it at all. Being able to have a glimmer of insight was already the credit of the Saint's scripture. He could only taste it and stop. The painting he outlined could only be seen as a galaxy of stars.

Only by going a step further and looking closely would one discover that the galaxy was wrapped in a dark and silent universe. This was not a painting of a heavenly river, but a map of the universe.

(End of chapter)