Chapter 129: True Spirit

Southern Wasteland.

Only a black vital energy was seen fleeing ahead at high speed, while behind it closely followed three streams of vital energy—blue, red, and yellow.

And Jiao Ming stood on the ground, raising his head and frowning:

He wondered, why is Luo Hou's strength in this life so weak?

Clearly, in his previous life he could fight to a standstill against the combined might of the Three Ancestors, forcing them to endure his threat and continue intensifying the tribal war, hoping to exchange more heads and thus gain greater power.

But the more the Three Ancestors waged such a great war, the stronger Luo Hou became, to the point that even after reaching the Quasi-Sage stage, he could still fight three alone!

However, in this life Luo Hou can only fight one person; although his strength is still not low, compared to his previous life's world-shaking ferocity, it is undeniably weak……

All six present are at the Great Luo level; fighting would at best be even, so there's no need to fight.

【The wondrous sight of Luo Hou merging into Hongjun's body shocked you greatly; although you had always suspected they were related, you never imagined they were actually the same person……】

【Your answer is quite natural, because you truly don't know; you've never understood this question, nor even paid attention to it— the idea that bloodline points to awaken spirits seems like a natural matter.】

【Hongjun said softly.】

【When a living being dies, its True Spirit will spontaneously seek out a nearby ancestor; but if the one who killed it is the ancestor, the True Spirit will, out of aversion, refuse to go and ultimately choose to wander between heaven and earth.】

"…"

【But Hongjun said: "That I will tell you, the so-called awakening of spiritual wisdom is essentially granting spirituality to savage beasts; I call it the True Spirit!"】

【This question left you stunned, because it is completely unrelated to what you wanted to ask him; could Hongjun be trying to change the subject?】

【You were slightly doubtful, but still decided to follow his lead; thus you began to ponder, and the result of your pondering is……】

【Your eyes reddened as you looked at Hongjun, seeming to threaten yet also to plead.】

【You felt your whole body trembling, as if you were shedding tears.】

As for saying, running down to team up with Jiao Ming?

Jiao Ming suddenly turned his head and asked Hongjun.

【That is why the Three Ancestors keep sending bloodline descendants to die, yet dare not act themselves, for doing so would cause the True Spirits of all beings, out of aversion, to refuse to seek them.】

The three streams of vital energy, seeing that nothing could be done, could only retreat resentfully……

Not worth it.

【Although the cultivation effect of a single True Spirit is not strong, if the number is large enough, this achievement would be quite impressive!】

【"I don't know."】

【True Spirit, this concept entered your mind for the first time.】

【Hongjun slowly began to explain the "True Spirit": the so-called True Spirit is the genuine, indestructible spirituality; the reason living beings possess wisdom and can cultivate is precisely because they harbor a True Spirit within.】

【Hongjun slowly nodded, and then opened for you the "True Spirit Dharma Eye"……】

Having received the desired response, Jiao Ming gave a slight smile, his hand loosely grasping a flame.

【Hongjun opened his eyes, hesitated a moment, and said: "They will drift between heaven and earth…… that could be considered liberation, right?"】

【You, bearing countless True Spirits, are willing to bring them freedom, just as you were once willing to grant them wisdom.】

Jiao Ming looked at him strangely, his suspicion growing firmer:

This old fellow must definitely have some connection with Luo Hou!

"I hope that after this battle, you will tell me all the secrets."

【Hongjun said in a heavy tone: the reason I don't want you to also walk this path is that I don't want you to forever exploit those innocent True Spirits.】

As for the secret of the Three Ancestors' bloodline cultivation path, I am also completely clueless; I only know that when bloodline descendants die, they can add cultivation to the ancestor, and the specific principle is basically a complete mystery.

Hongjun naturally understood Jiao Ming's gaze, but he said nothing more, merely letting out a soft sigh:

"I will not go back on my word; everything I ought to tell you, I will tell you……"

【The True Spirit itself exists for cultivation; the essence of cultivation is gathering and refining the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, so the True Spirit will spontaneously gather and refine that qi, ultimately returning it to the ancestor.】

Hongjun urged:

"I only know that if we don't act now, Luo Hou will be lost!"

Seeing Jiao Ming drive away the Three Ancestors, the black vital energy naturally fell, but instead of landing and transforming into Luo Hou, it went straight down and landed squarely on Hongjun's head!

In Jiao Ming's astonished gaze, the black vital energy easily merged into Hongjun's body, and Hongjun showed no reaction—what this signifies goes without saying.

【The Three Ancestors exploited these two True Spirit traits, continually sending bloodline descendants to die; after death, their True Spirits return to the ancestor, and because they are indestructible, they must forever serve as the ancestor's cannon fodder……】

"…"

【After returning to the Little Volcano, amid your complex gaze, Hongjun first fell silent to organize his words, then posed you a question.】

【"There's no way."】

Hongjun fell silent for a moment, then finally sighed and nodded:

【Originally I was still doubtful, but after hearing Hongjun's words, I finally understood the principle: I possess a complete True Spirit, whereas they do not!】

【"I……"】

【"Thus, the so-called bloodline cultivation method is precisely this principle."】

Under the impetus of Great Luo peak cultivation, the eruptive power limit of this primal fire originating from the peak Quasi-Sage Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor even surpasses that of most innate spiritual treasures!

【Hongjun continued: therefore, the True Spirit is both the essence of spiritual wisdom and the foundation of cultivation; these two traits are its basic attributes.】

The firelight shot up to the heavens, forcibly blocking the three-colored vital energy that had been relentlessly pursuing the black vital energy.

【"I will die together with the Three Ancestors!"】

This attempt to encircle and slay Luo Hou ended in failure, and that could only be a failure……

【Their entire lives unfolded before your eyes in vivid detail, until they all died…… leaving only individual points of True Spirit light as the sole trace of their former existence; even so, those True Spirits continue to cultivate for you selflessly, day after day, year after year, without end……】

Only at the Quasi-Sage stage does it truly become the moment that decides life and death!

【Upon hearing this, you suddenly recalled your experience when you first broke out of your shell: that clueless bunch of peers, clearly much older than you, logically speaking, even if they merely practiced simple breathing of vital energy, they could definitely accumulate considerable qi.】

For a moment, Jiao Ming's complexion grew complex; his gaze toward Hongjun also seemed as if he were meeting him for the first time in his life……

So, even if the barbarian beasts live as long as they can, they still cannot cultivate into a phenomenon...

Today is exactly an opportunity, an opportunity to force him to spill everything!

They, from the moment you bestowed upon them true spirits, were naive and ignorant, then in childhood lively and adorable, then in adulthood passionate and fervent... to their tragic death on the battlefield, wailing in sorrow and then silent death...

Know what?

Good.

I don't want to enslave them!

Hongjun closed his eyes: 'They have no consciousness, cannot be resurrected, they will only come seeking you by instinct... You cannot drive them away; even if you drive them away, they will return...'

Do you know?

After you heard that, you first stared blankly, then fearfully asked him: 'Does my bloodline true spirit also suffer eternal enslavement for me?!'

Boom!

The brilliant Golden Crow true fire, like a second sun, suddenly surged.

You are grieving, for all true spirits, for all bloodlines...

Since the Primordial Wilderness began, only a few innately divine beings possess complete true spirits; the remaining living beings have only fragmented spirituality, enough only to sustain the most basic mental activity and the crudest breath of spiritual energy.

How can we save them?!

Your Three Flowers and Five Qi cultivate themselves; sensing your father's cultivation, the true spirit light points flicker faintly bright and dim, each flicker bringing a large amount of pure mana flowing along your Three Flowers and Five Qi cultivation into your possession, yet you feel nothing, thinking it's your own bitter practice, and thus grow complacent...

As for what the Three Ancestors want these true spirits for? That involves the second basic attribute of true spirits: cultivation!

You opened your eyes, and the other side of heaven and earth first revealed itself to you: countless flickering points of light, numbering in the hundreds of millions, these myriad specks of light cling tightly to your body, as if drawing close to your father.

But they are indeed being enslaved by you.

Moreover, the Three Ancestors' method of attaining the Dao through bloodline essentially utilizes the two basic attributes of true spirits: true spirit is consciousness itself, thus it has likes and dislikes, naturally drawing close to its own ancestors and naturally loathing those who kill it.

And that old fogey Hongjun knows absolutely everything, yet he keeps hiding it...

Alright!

You suddenly said: 'What if I die?'

You had no hesitation whatsoever, for you are a free bird, nothing can hinder your thoughts, not even death.

But if we compare cultivation levels, I have only trained a few days, yet that is enough to defeat all invincible opponents of the Little Volcano!

Upon realizing all this, you suddenly felt a chill run down your spine, gazing at the true spirits of your bloodline clinging to you, their points of light gradually transforming in your eyes into one living child after another.

Do you know the principle behind enlightening living beings with consciousness?

Jiaoming spoke slowly, his information was too poor; he had tossed and turned through two entire lifetimes, yet still failed to unravel Rahu's secret.

You have always been so free...

(End of chapter)