Chapter 652: The Weight of Shan Gong

When his spirit condensed and sensed this book, Li Yuan's heart jolted, and he felt that those ten Xiao Gong had not been given in vain!

The path of true inheritance for disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan.

As the name suggests, this is a path for disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan, from registered, auditing, to inner-room, and true inheritance.

Yes, even a registered disciple has the possibility of being promoted to true inheritance!

【Mount Mount Dongxuan, one of the twelve Nie Xianshan of the Great Luo Heaven, the Dao-completion dojo of Lord Lord Tianyu. According to the ancestor's dharma decree, the mountain sets up disciple positions: twelve true inheritance, thirty-six inner-room, eight hundred auditing, three thousand registered.】

【Under the Great Luo sect, both roots and fate are valued. Upon entering the gate one already has fate; if one possesses world-shaking wisdom and an unpolished will, even a registered disciple may be promoted to true inheritance and receive the Great Luo Heaven Dao-title……】

【There are three methods for a disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan to be promoted to true inheritance……】

【First, refine superior-grade magic power to Become superior-grade Jin Dan, refine a Yi Deng Fa Jie land, cultivate nine types of De Shang Pin Fa, mold a Yi Pin Fa ring, Become superior-grade Gu Gu Shentong true seed, sacrifice a superior-grade natal spirit treasure……and offer sacrifice before Mount Mount Dongxuan on the Dao Lord's birthday……】

【Second, with a heart and will unpolished by a hundred tribulations, traverse the myriad realms and shepherd trillions of people……】

【Third, with the wisdom of managing the world, read the books in the scripture pavilion, comprehend the marvels of divine patterns and dharma prohibitions, and create a Gu Gu Shentong that the Great Luo Heaven has never had, one acknowledged by the Dao Lord……】

【These three methods are not ranked higher or lower; whoever succeeds becomes a true inheritor of Mount Mount Dongxuan and is granted the Great Luo Dao-title.】

Three paths, leading straight to true inheritance!

Li Yuan read very carefully, while also analyzing:

"These three paths, at first glance, the first is the most complicated—not only must one refine magic power, practice dharma arts, refine treasures, but also offer sacrifice before Mount Mount Dongxuan. But comparatively, the other two are even more outrageous……"

Li Yuan read until his brow kept twitching.

The three introductory books mentioned shepherding people—that is, searching for unclaimed life stars among the myriad realms, or leasing life stars, to breed the human race upon them and thereby gather incense and offerings.

Not only the Weitian Dao Sect, but sects and sacred lands among the myriad realms often carry out the policy of shepherding people, but trillions……

"That would require at least a hundred habitable life stars of vast area, this is simply……"

Li Yuan only turned the thought over in his mind and already felt terrified: "No wonder the human race can rank first on the list of ten thousand races of the myriad realms. Even the Great Luo Heaven has such a path of shepherding people for promotion; other Weitian Dao Sects may have it too……"

Li Yuan thought about many things.

The sacred lands and sects shepherding people is naturally for incense and offerings, but it also greatly increases the number of humans. Such a vast number will inevitably give birth to more powerful beings; this cycle repeating, the foundation is simply unimaginable.

After a slight sigh, Li Yuan considered the third path once more.

This path at first glance does not seem as difficult as the second, but to create a Gu Gu Shentong that even the Great Luo Heaven does not have, and to have it acknowledged by the Dao Lord—one need not think to know it is unimaginably difficult.

No wonder it is called world-shaking wisdom……

"Whichever of these three paths one takes to become a true inheritor, they are all top-tier prodigies and outstanding figures."

Li Yuan clicked his tongue in awe. Such level of figures, Mount Mount Dongxuan currently has as many as five, and Mount Mount Dongxuan-level giant mountains, the Great Luo Heaven has as many as twelve.

And there are other Weitian Dao Sects……

Li Yuan's thoughts drifted, and he suddenly felt the world was vast, yet felt immensely inspired. He only feared there were no people on the path ahead, not that there were too many.

Only……

"It seems like three paths, but for me there is in fact only one path."

Committing all three paths to memory, Li Yuan began flipping through the other several books, thirstily absorbing unknown intelligence.

The bookworm had chosen these over a hundred books for him very usefully, greatly broadening his understanding of cultivation, and the few books he had saved for last were the Fine quality among them.

"Detailed Explanation of Dharma Arts," "Choice of Gong Fa," "Rules of Shan Gong," and what he personally considered the most important, "Detailed Explanation of Shen Qian Wu Jing."

He read the first two books first; these two books thoroughly dissected dharma arts and Gong Fa.

Dharma arts and Gong Fa are similar, also have their high and low, and can be categorized within the scope of formulas, methods, merits, canons, scriptures, and Dao.

Or rather, between Gong Fa and dharma arts there is already an extremely deep relationship.

【The Heavenly Evolution has three thousand Daos; the Dao evolves dharma without end, yet the endless dharma does not exceed the scope of the three thousand great Daos……】

【In the cultivation of all dharmas, one should take the Gong Fa as the foundation, therefore the Gong Fa is also called the fundamental method. If the fundamental method learned belongs to the five elements, the dharma arts learned must naturally prioritize the five elements……】

【Taking the Yi Wood Longevity Gong as an example, this fundamental method belongs to 'Wood,' therefore cultivators who use this method as their foundation naturally gain twice the result with half the effort when cultivating 'wood-element dharma arts,' and using wood-element magic power to drive wood dharmas further adds to the power……】

【……The five elements generate and also overcome one another……】

……

"According to what the book says, the Kun Peng True Form Diagram should belong to water? After all, the Kun dwells in the great abyss, and even if it soars into the sky and transforms into a Peng, its original nature is still Kun, therefore, therefore my Xiu Shui Fa is the fastest, and fire dharma the slowest?"

Li Yuan applied what he had learned, dissecting himself based on the book's contents and found it quite interesting:

"But the fundamental method can be cultivated simultaneously. What if I cultivate another fire-element fundamental method? Oh, the book also says that water and fire can also be combined and cultivated together……"

Reading these two books word by word, Li Yuan's understanding of the choice of Gong Fa and dharma arts deepened considerably, and he also knew what Gong Fa and Dao arts his Shan Gong should be used to select.

"This is the benefit of a sect. If one were a loose cultivator, having anything to learn would already be good—how could one still pick and choose, let alone such systematic cultivation content?"

Gently rubbing his temples, Li Yuan opened his eyes and stood up, pacing atop the mountain to digest today's gains. His squad of spirit puppets moved very quickly; in the time it took him to read, they had already built a three-story small building out of bamboo, surrounded by a fence outside, and even reclaimed a piece of herb field in the small courtyard.

The little mouse scurried around the courtyard; if Li Yuan did not forbid it, it would have long since gone off to frolic in the mountain forest. Having been accustomed to being the Rat King, it could no longer bear having no mice under its command.

"Squeak squeak~"

Seeing Li Yuan stand up, this little thing immediately darted over.

"Go on."

Li Yuan flicked out a spirit pill with a bent finger. This was a spirit pill he had brought from Dragon Tiger Temple; with his current physique it was of no use, but it was more than enough to feed the little mouse.

"Squeak~"

The little mouse swallowed the spirit pill, did a tumble, and vanished into the mountain forest.

"Master."

Seeing Li Yuan approach, the eleven spirit puppets bowed in unison. The leading one man and one woman were the only two second-realm spirit puppets; Li Yuan named them 'Li Yi' and 'Li Er'—simple and easy to understand.

"Li Er, you lead the other spirit puppets and tidy up the mountain path a bit. As for Li Yi, go buy some spirit rice, and you may also buy some spirit rice seeds to try planting."

Li Yuan shook out his disciple token, allocating Er Shi Xiao Gong to Li Yi, then gave instructions and arrangements. The spirit puppets answered in succession, then each went about their tasks.

"Still need someone to attend to one."

Watching the busy spirit puppets, Li Yuan nodded. The spirit puppets of Mount Mount Dongxuan were all fine quality; the worst also had first-realm strength, and their work efficiency was truly very high.

With these spirit puppets around, he at least wouldn't have to do these chores himself. After all, he was a disciple of the Great Luo Heaven Sect — what reason would there be in doing the work personally?

"According to Fayin Fayin Tongzi, other inner disciples all keep at least several thousand Dao soldiers and tens of thousands of spirit puppets, using them to tend spirit fields and raise spirit beasts, enough to support their daily cultivation."

Li Yuan was a little envious for a moment, but he had no intention of expanding his ranks right now. Whether Dao soldiers or spirit puppets, these all had to be fed with various kinds of provisions.

Spirit puppets that could inhale and exhale spiritual Qi and be self-sufficient would have to be at least above the Fourth Realm.

"Take it slow."

Li Yuan wasn't in a hurry. He had only joined the sect a day ago; no matter how urgent, a few more days wouldn't make a difference. He planned to first familiarize himself with the various caves below the Thousand Steps of Mount Mount Dongxuan.

"Hoo~"

Li Yuan entered the bamboo tower.

Though the three-story building wasn't large, it had quite a charm to it. That squad of spirit puppets clearly had some skill — the third floor even had a balcony, from which one could overlook the scenery of the mountain range.

Li Yuan sat cross-legged here, took out his disciple token, and continued reading.

First were the Shan Gong rules.

Shan Gong was more valuable than he had imagined. He had originally thought it was merely currency circulating within Mount Mount Dongxuan, but he hadn't expected that it was not only accepted throughout the Great Luo Heaven, but even other Weitian Dao Sects recognized it!

"Not just the Weitian Dao Sects — many sacred lands and sects across the various heaven realms accept it too... well I'll be, top-tier currency."

Li Yuan was startled.

The book on Shan Gong rules mentioned Yuan Fire and Yuan Coins — these were currencies accepted across all realms. One wisp of Yuan Fire could be exchanged for ten thousand Yuan Coins, and it took a hundred wisps of Yuan Fire to exchange for one Xiao Gong!

Backed by the Weitian Dao Sects, Shan Gong was a top-tier currency in the truest sense.

"No wonder the Weitian Dao Sects rarely show themselves in the world, yet still hold transcendent status. I had previously thought these Weitian Dao Sects no longer needed the support of worldly resources, but it turns out they're holding the top-tier currency..."

Daoist Li was always one who liked to let his thoughts wander.

From this book on Shan Gong rules, he saw many things, resolved quite a few of his previous doubts, and once again felt the terror of the Weitian Dao Sects.

"Fayin actually gave me Ba Bai Xiao Gong..."

Li Yuan suddenly sucked in a breath of cold air, only now realizing what a tremendous gift Fayin Fayin Tongzi had given him.

Further on, this book on Shan Gong rules contained methods for how disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan could earn Shan Gong.

Tending spirit fields, raising spirit beasts, Dao soldiers, refining spirit puppets, dharma treasures... and, Yuan Fire exchange!

Mount Mount Dongxuan allowed its disciples to exchange Yuan Fire for Shan Gong, but limited to Xiao Gong only. As for Da Gong — as the name implied — only by truly meriting Mount Mount Dongxuan could one receive a Da Gong reward.

"Inner disciples receive one Da Gong every hundred years. This is the most basic source of Da Gong, and also the only way the vast majority of inner disciples obtain Da Gong..."

"Or rather, Da Gong simply wasn't something prepared for inner disciples in the first place."

Looking at the sources of Da Gong listed in the book, Li Yuan's teeth ached a little.

【Sources of Da Gong: advancing to True Transmission, receiving rewards from a Dao Sovereign in the Weitian Martial Display, slaying evil gods, opening alternate dimensions, discovering unclaimed life stars not recorded in the Star Chart, taking first place in Yanwudiantang, being listed on the 'Ten Thousand Gods Board'...】

The book listed several dozen sources of Da Gong at length, each item making Li Yuan's eyelids twitch.

In an instant, those scripture-grade Gong Fa in the Scripture Pavilion that required Xu Yao Da Gong to exchange skyrocketed in his mind in terms of preciousness!

"So that opportunity in the Scripture Pavilion to buy books at a ninety-nine percent discount was actually the greatest benefit for inner disciples!"

A flash of enlightenment rose in Li Yuan's heart, and at the same time he felt grateful that he had pumped Fayin Fayin Tongzi for information when he first joined. Otherwise, on his first visit to the Scripture Pavilion he might have used up that opportunity!

(End of chapter)