Chapter 573: Inventory and Preparation

Wuu~

Its two wings fluttered, stirring up a vast cloud of dust.

"Where are they?!"

Amidst a scorched wasteland, Dao soldiers clad in black armor stood in formation; the human-headed strange bird wore a face of ill fortune, for inside the Dao Soldier Tower it was empty, and the batch of reserve Dao soldiers it had waited many years for were all gone:

"Heaven-slaying Li Yuan, heaven-slaying brat!"

It let out an angry quack, and just as it was chagrined, it heard a wisp of wind; turning its head, it squeezed out a sycophantic smile:

"Young Master Dong Dong Ershisan, you have arrived."

Dong Dong Ershisan did not respond, merely flicking a finger; a wisp of dark light shot forth, transforming into a screen of light.

"My Dao soldiers!"

The human-headed strange bird let out a cry; what was reflected within that screen of light was none other than the scene of the Qian Emperor, Wan Wan Zhuliu, and others withdrawing from the Eight Directions Temple.

"There is indeed a Dao soldier seed."

Dong Dong Ershisan glanced a few times, his gaze settling on Wan Wan Zhuliu within the screen of light: "Originally, a Deceitful Demon had usurped his body; no wonder he fled."

"Deceitful Demon?"

The human-headed strange bird was stunned.

"Your incompleteness is even more severe than mine; you do not even remember the Deceitful Demon."

Dong Dong Ershisan shook his head: "The Deceitful Demon is neither living nor dead, born from the various Deceitful Objects within the You Jing; among these, this type is the rarest.

Those with supreme divine endowments established temples while alive, enjoying vast amounts of Primordial Fire; only after death could they have the possibility of transforming into a Deceitful Demon..."

"Oh."

The human-headed strange bird blinked its eyes, looking as if it half-understood: "Is this demon very dangerous?"

"You are truly severely incomplete."

Dong Dong Ershisan glanced at it: "You do not even remember the rule that filthy things must not contaminate the temple?"

"Uh..."

The human-headed strange bird gave a sheepish smile; the temple's rules numbered eight thousand if not ten thousand; let alone its severe incompleteness, even when it was not incomplete, it could not remember them all.

Seeing a flash of displeasure in Dong Dong Ershisan's eyes, it quickly changed the subject:

"Such filthy things truly deserve death!"

"This demon was exceptionally alert; the moment I awoke, it fled."

Dong Dong Ershisan ignored it, casually sitting cross-legged on the ground; then wisp after wisp of dark light seeped out from the void, transforming into tens of thousands of screens of light that illuminated the entire scorched wasteland.

Reflected within these countless screens of light were the changes within the Eight Directions Temple over the past ten thousand years; the vast majority remained unchanged, with only a very few showing figures flashing by.

These were the people and events from the time this generation's Temple Opener entered the temple until now.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Dong Dong Ershisan's eyebrows raised, and a trace of chilling coldness flashed between his brows.

"What is this?"

The human-headed strange bird was startled, focusing its attention to look.

Within that screen of light was the defeated remnant god and an old turtle colliding and fighting within the Divine Realm, but what startled and puzzled it was not them,

but the massive bronze coffin that broke through the sky from the palace complex:

"What is this thing?!"

"Divine Fishing..."

Dong Dong Ershisan lightly pressed his brow, which kept throbbing, but what surprised him was not only this bronze coffin, suspected to be a Divine Burial Coffin, but the scene of that bronze coffin rising into the air.

This did not look like something buried within the coffin trying to break out; rather, it was as if it had been fished away by an invisible chain...

"Who cast the hook into the Eight Directions Temple?"

"What?"

The human-headed strange bird did not hear clearly, but only felt a chill shoot straight from its tailbone to the back of its head, causing all its feathers to stand on end.

Dong Dong Ershisan stood up, expressionless:

"Too unruly!"

"Dong Dong Ershisan's awakening is a good thing for me."

In the gentle breeze atop the mountain peak, Li Yuan sat cross-legged, digesting what he had gained today.

Dong Dong Ershisan did not answer every question; he had no intention of answering inquiries unrelated to the Eight Directions Temple or those that violated the rules.

After the exchange, his greatest gain was his understanding of Dong Dong Ershisan.

Unlike the human-headed strange bird, this Gate-Keeping Puppet who controlled entry and exit to the Eight Directions Temple strictly observed the rules; for him, this naturally brought immense benefits.

At the very least, no one could strip away his identity as the Temple Opener.

"No special treatment is the greatest special treatment for me, but if the Eight Directions Temple truly opens wide..."

Li Yuan murmured to himself.

He benefited from these rules because, currently, his assessment here was the highest.

Thus, the Qian Yan Fa primarily challenged him by three tiers; but what if there were someone with a higher assessment than him?

I fear it would be reversed.

"The trials of the Eight Directions Temple, or the requirements of that supreme grand expert for the successor, are extremely harsh..."

"The eruption of those three great suns cannot be avoided; even if I successfully enter the temple after altering ten thousand forms, I fear I still cannot stop it..."

"The Art of Refining Treasures is difficult to cultivate; it is impossible to master Dong Dong Ershisan in a short time."

"Many people are watching the Eight Directions Temple — even the Qian Yan Fa Lord arrived at Da Yun a thousand years ago… Dong Dong Ershisan didn't answer, as if he didn't care that the Eight Directions Temple was exposed to the eyes of the gods?"

Leaning against the strange rock, Li Yuan's thoughts drifted as he summarized his conversation with Dong Dong Ershisan. After a long while, he rubbed his brow:

"The waters run deep."

Daoist Li sighed inwardly.

Of course he was extremely interested in the Eight Directions Temple, but when the trouble outweighed the benefits, he only wanted to grab a handful and leave.

With the three great Lu in hand, where couldn't he make a splash?

Even hiding away in some deep mountain forest to fish and cultivate in seclusion would be better than being targeted by a pack of old monsters.

The Qian Yan Fa Lord is a cripple, but Tian Shi Yuan has plenty who aren't — he hadn't forgotten the 'Qun Xing' he'd glimpsed from Qian Zai You Jing when he looked out over Tian Shi Yuan.

But…

"The Heavenly Sun erupts."

Gazing at the rolling clouds on the horizon, Li Yuan suddenly understood the reclusive cultivators of his past life.

When calamity strikes, if he were alone, he'd simply walk away — let the earth crack and the heavens collapse for all he cared.

But now…

"At the very least, I have to bring Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law's family, Old Han, Old Longtou, Hushan, the Divine Weapon Valley… and Little Mouse, Heroine Fang, Old Zhang, Wang Wang Peiyao, Liu Zheng…"

After much deliberation, Li Yuan gradually formed a plan.

"As the saying goes, when one ascends to the Dao, even his chickens and dogs rise to heaven. Daoist Li carries the three great Lu — can he not even protect his old friends and kin?"

After sitting quietly on the mountaintop for a long while, Li Yuan's heart settled, and only then did he begin to sense the changes after entering the Dao — and the harvest.

Whoo-oo~

Li Yuan closed his eyes and entered Dingxin Dingxin Shitai.

A pale azure light kindled within his body — externally it could pierce through his flesh and merge with heaven and earth to become True Gang Qi; internally it could illuminate his sinews, bones, and viscera, transforming his physique.

It could also illuminate the Niwan Palace, the place of spiritual light.

After entering the Dao, his Niwan Palace had expanded dozens, even hundreds of times. Beneath his perception, the place of spiritual light was wreathed in mist — this was the embryonic form of the Dao Shen Jing.

Within the mist, a dragon-kun woven of pale azure light swam about — this was the embryonic form of the Ling Xiang.

Having just entered the Dao, both the Dao Shen Jing and the Ling Xiang were still in embryonic form. Plucking the wonders of heaven and earth to fill, combine, and refine them — that was the cultivation of entering the Dao.

"Methods for plucking wonders are recorded in both the Dragon Elephant Vajra Heaven and the Dragon Demon Heart Sutra. For me, that's not the difficulty — the difficulty lies in combining the wonders…"

Martial cultivation is like building a tall tower; every realm is the cornerstone of the next, and one cannot be careless.

The plucking of wonders determines the grade of the Dao Shen Jing and the Ling Xiang. He was very cautious about this. Though Dong Dong Ershisan had refused to answer any questions regarding cultivation, through indirect probing, Li Yuan had gained quite a bit.

"My Ling Xiang's potential is only Divine Grade — this isn't a lack of talent, but a limit imposed by heaven and earth. The Wu Gong and wonders of Tian Shi Yuan are far beyond what Da Yun can compare to."

Li Yuan murmured inwardly. He had a plan for his own cultivation.

His reason for agreeing to cooperate with Qin Yun was also related to this.

"Da Yun has no shortage of mountains, rivers, and strange lands, but Tian Shi Yuan is far vaster…"

After a long while, Li Yuan divided his attention, sensing his own transformation while also beginning to take stock of his harvest.

Hum~

On the grey stone platform, a faint light flickered.

Glancing at the ancient bronze coffin, Li Yuan removed all his Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing. With a thought, he brought them along into the Shan Xuan Jing Mi Jing.

Whoo-oo~

At the peak of Inverted Mountain, fierce winds howled.

Li Yuan sat cross-legged, the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing — their edge now restrained — orbiting around him.

The Rift Sea Shan Xuan Whale, the Dragon Tiger Nourishing Life, the Sea-Suppressing Shan Xuan Tortoise, and the newly acquired Chang Hong Yi Qi Sword.

"Four Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing — no, wait. Once Qin and Pang Pang Wenlong return, that'll be at least five."

Feeling the trembling hum of the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing, a great sense of satisfaction and security welled up in Li Yuan's heart. For him, the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing were an immediate, tangible boost.

Hum~

The four Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing orbited around him.

"After entering the Dao, heaven and earth are utterly different."

Li Yuan was quite moved.

The threshold of entering the Dao, whether in Da Yun or Tian Shi Yuan, in the Three Enclosures or the Origin Divine Dynasty, was one of the most crucial junctures of all.

Only by entering the Dao does one become a True Person.

For other things, Li Yuan's perception wasn't yet very clear, but the change in the Soldier-Controlling Lu, he felt it keenly.

"After entering the Dao, the empowerment of the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing is finally complete. Compared to before entering the Dao, it's more than doubled!"

Raising his hand to grasp the Chang Hong Yi Qi Sword, Li Yuan's eyes shone brightly.

The multiplied empowerment of control was one benefit of entering the Dao. The second was that he now truly possessed the power to wield Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing externally!

Only when true qi merged with heaven and earth did one qualify to drive the Daoist Tianyun Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing — every master of the Daoist Tianyun Xuanbing through the ages had been the same.

Hum~

Li Yuan released his grip.

Under his gaze, the Chang Hong Yi Qi Sword let out a trembling hum, then shot skyward — like a long rainbow cleaving the sea of clouds. With another tremor, it transformed into Feng Feng Mantian sword-light.

The sword-light was like silk threads — at times scattering like rain, at times gathering into dragon-elephants, birds, even dragon-whales!

Whoosh!

Li Yuan vaulted into the air. Feng Feng Mantian sword-light came howling in, wrapping around him as he twisted and shifted at the peak of Inverted Mountain, leaving trails in the air that did not fade — and rolling thunder-like clouds of shattered air.

After a long while, Li Yuan finally stopped sword-riding, thoroughly satisfied.

"Exhilarating!"

Releasing the Chang Hong Yi Qi sword, Li Yuan withdrew from the Shan Xuan Jing Mi Jing in considerable delight.

"That Wind God Token — best not to use it if possible."

Tossing the Wind God Token into a corner, Li Yuan picked up the Yun Xiang Ding, a high-grade, eighth-tier cauldron that the Qian Yan Fa master had carried on his person.

The cauldron held only a third of its incense fire.

But that one-third was already a very large number for him — and that was only because the little mother dragon's two hundred strands of seventh-tier incense fire had set the baseline.

"Three strands of ninth-tier incense fire, twenty-six of eighth-tier, one hundred and twenty of seventh-tier, and sixth-tier and below… no fewer than two hundred thousand strands!"

The pleasure of tallying his harvest was more than ample; Li Yuan counted several times over, and the faint shadow in his heart had been swept clean, his spirit grown a few degrees more whole and harmonious.