Chapter 695: The Dao Lord Descends the Mountain, Transmitting the Dao to the Inner Disciple

Hum~

The Daoist lowered his gaze, and where his eyes fell, the void opened as if conscious, like a mischievous puppy rolling onto its back before its master.

"Young Master..."

After waiting a long time with no response, Fayin Fayin Tongzi cautiously raised his eyes; outside the quiet bamboo tower, where was the Daoist's figure?

Not only the Daoist, but even the Grandfather Kuhai Bell hanging before the door was gone.

"Ah?"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi was suddenly wide-eyed; since he entered the Dao and became a spirit, this was the first time he had seen his own Young Master descend the mountain.

"Take, take me with you!"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi hurriedly rose, looked out, and saw only wisps of chaotic mist swirling and weaving in the void, like a waterfall and a tide.

Above the firmament, the sun and moon manifested, the stars shone brightly, divine light and immortal light wove together like rosy clouds, magnificent and vast, displaying myriad strange scenes that illuminated the entire Dong Shan Xuan Da Fa Jie.

"What is this?"

In the Dong Shan Xuan Da Fa Jie, in the lands of the Western Sea, a Daoist who had been sitting in stillness breathing in the rosy light suddenly raised his head, seeing only chaotic mist weaving into rosy clouds, within which various spirits manifested.

The Azure Dragon, Bai Hu, Fire Phoenix, and Black Tortoise all sprang forth together, soaring above the firmament with long cries, as if cheering and leaping for joy.

"The Dao Lord is traveling!"

That Daoist jumped up as if his buttocks were on fire, his eyes wide with shock.

Having been a disciple for nearly a thousand years, this was the first time he had seen the "Picture of the Dao Lord Traveling" that he had only seen in the Tai Xu Wan Xiang!

For even when his master emerged from seclusion to preach the Dao in the past, all disciples listened to the Dao in the quiet bamboo grove, never leaving the grove, let alone appearing to descend the mountain?

"Whoosh!"

The Daoist soared into the air, nine mists of Luo wrapping around him, thirty thousand li in an instant.

Yet he saw strange scenes appearing and changing throughout the Dong Shan Xuan Da Fa Jie; some had immortal light like a waterfall, some had ten thousand birds crying together; mountains, earth, Wang Yang, and the four seas—all sentient and non-sentient beings prostrated themselves in worship.

In the easternmost lands of the Dong Shan Xuan Da Fa Jie, beneath towering giant trees, in places where the Western Sea, Eastern Sea, Southern Sea... and other strange scenes interwove, figures of Daoists soared into the sky, flying back to Mount Dongxuan Mountain.

"Ahhhh!"

In the 666th small cave heaven, Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen, who had been sitting in stillness refining her magic power, felt something and suddenly opened her eyes, seeing only chaotic mist swirling in the void like water waves.

An indescribable scent of the Dao permeated the air.

In an instant, her entire cave heaven roared; ten thousand plants and trees, the earth and mountains shook, as if about to enter the Dao and awaken their spirits, or as if they were bowing in worship.

"Master is traveling?!"

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen rose in shock, caught the falling treasure mirror with her hand, and with a thought left the cave heaven.

She saw immortal light weaving on Mount Dongxuan Mountain; on the steps and beside the mountain path, brothers and sisters of the sect bowed in greeting, yet all wore expressions of shock and astonishment.

She glanced quickly and saw that Yuan Han, Gu Shan Xuan Sheng, and others were all there, equally uncertain and surprised.

"Welcome Master's emergence from seclusion!"

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen bowed twice, and Yu Yu Xuanji echoed across the area.

Wuu wuu~

An invisible aura permeated heaven and earth; all sentient beings in the Dong Shan Xuan Da Fa Jie felt the world tremble, the sound of the Dao echoing, their bodies and minds undergoing a baptism.

"Ruler of all laws, Lord of the Great Dao!"

Endless reverence and awe rose in Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen's heart; she dared not raise her head, only daring to glance upward with her peripheral vision.

Beneath the swirling chaotic aura, Lord Lord Tianyu walked slowly; every step he took seemed to tread on the dividing line between heaven and earth, myriad principles manifesting as various strange scenes flowing.

Above and below the mountain, along the mountain path, all the Mount Dongxuan disciples trembled in body and spirit, feeling the sound of the Dao pour into their crowns; all their doubts resolved themselves, their magic power flowed within their bodies, rising step by step, as if they had taken the Longhu Longhu Dadan!

"Cry~"

In an instant, an immortal crane pierced the void; it was a spiritual beast from some small cave heaven, unknown which. It let out a joyful long cry, having entered the Dao upon hearing the sound.

It circled once in the void and landed, its long neck lowered to the ground, bowing in utmost respect to thank the Dao Lord for the grace of enlightenment.

"Master."

Above the thousand steps, at the very front of all disciples, Master Master Fuyuan bowed in greeting: "You have suddenly emerged from seclusion; is something major happening?"

Unlike the inner disciples and the listening disciples, Master Master Fuyuan knew that his master's seclusion was to cultivate a terrifying Gu Gu Shentong; without a major event, he would never emerge.

In past years, when Zhao Zhao Xuanyuan, the Bodhisattva, visited, he could not even enter the mountain.

"This is a joyful event."

Lord Lord Tianyu paused his steps slightly, looked at Master Master Fuyuan:

"Go down the mountain."

"Ah?"

What joyful event would send him down the mountain?

Master Master Fuyuan was stunned, but dared not be negligent; he respectfully accepted the order, then disappeared into Mount Dongxuan Mountain, though his heart was full of doubts, secretly passing the message to a certain inner disciple.

"Master!"

Feeling the sound of the Dao where all laws gathered, Tong Tong Heihu and Wei Wang Xuanying felt their hearts tremble; they never expected that returning to the mountain to buy spiritual pills would result in encountering the Master's travel.

Not only the two were excited; Qi Yun, who lagged half a step behind them, was also filled with awe.

Having cultivated the Heaven-Forming technique, his feeling was far more real than that of most present; this was not all laws gathering, but the Dao giving birth to all laws!

In his perception, the Daoist descending the steps was the Great Dao that ran through all realms and heavens!

"The Master does not seem to be going down the mountain..."

Some disciples felt puzzled in their hearts, but dared not think too much, let alone ask.

"Young Master..."

Only Fayin Fayin Tongzi hurriedly followed, bowing his body, like a little monkey trailing behind the Dao Lord; what shocked him was that his own Young Master stopped at the 333rd small step.

That was...

【Seems like that kid Li Yuan's dwelling…】

This thought flashed through Fayin Fayin Tongzi's mind, and Yu Yu Xuanji's face immediately went pale. Under the gazes of the Mount Mount Dongxuan disciples—some shocked, some bewildered—Lord Lord Tianyu stepped into that lesser grotto-heaven.

"Not taking me along again…"

Beyond his shock, Fayin Fayin Tongzi couldn't help stamping his foot, then brazenly followed him inside.

He and Li Yuan were on excellent terms; he could go straight in without needing anyone's permission.

"This…"

Catching this scene from the corner of his eye, Yuan Han's pupils contracted. He couldn't help glancing at Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen, who was even more dumbfounded, wearing an expression of utter disbelief.

"Boom!"

The very instant Lord Lord Tianyu stepped into the lesser grotto-heaven, a blindingly brilliant radiance burst forth from within it, weaving itself into a spectacle under the watchful eyes of the many Mount Mount Dongxuan disciples.

Within it, five colors intertwined, flowing like the aurora, and through them one could faintly discern various spiritual scenes reflected—exquisitely magnificent.

"This is… a Dao Body phenomenon?!"

"A disciple in that 333rd lesser grotto-heaven has nurtured a Dao Body? These five intertwined colors—could it be a Wu Xing Fa Body?"

"It should be a Five Extremes Divine Body!"

The disciples of Mount Mount Dongxuan were well-traveled; many of the inner disciples themselves possessed god-demon-grade aptitudes, so they were no strangers to Dao Body phenomena.

Some even recognized that this was a Wu Xing-class Dao Body phenomenon.

But after recognizing this Dao Body phenomenon, the disciples grew even more puzzled. Nurturing a Dao Body was hardly rare among them, let alone for their own Master.

Let alone the fact that this phenomenon was only at the Fa Body level—even a Divine Body, or even a Holy Body-grade Dao Body, could never have drawn their Master down the mountain to observe…

"What happened?"

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen was somewhat dazed, absently feeling a chill run down her back. She stared blankly at that Wu Xing-class Dao Body phenomenon.

"Hum~"

Suddenly, the instant that Wu Xing-class phenomenon vanished, every disciple present felt their vision go black, as if night had suddenly fallen.

"Hm?"

Yuan Han's heart jolted.

He saw that after the Dao Body phenomenon disappeared, the aurora woven from that wisp of five-colored radiance did not scatter, but instead plunged into another phenomenon that had manifested in response.

It was a scene of darkness that blotted out the heavens and covered the earth; the five-colored aurora cut across it, rending endless darkness, as if striving to reach back to the very birth of the Great Dao.

Like a thread of Dao cleaving through the gloom since time immemorial!

Its light stretched across, and then two colors began to flow—yin and yang evolving…

"Yin-Yang Holy Body!"

Someone cried out. Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen looked over and saw a young man in a blue dharma robe, named "Yun Yun Heguang," one of the current inner disciples, who hailed from the same realm as Master Master Fuyuan.

"This is the phenomenon of a Yin-Yang Holy Body being nurtured! In years past, when Senior Brother Master Fuyuan nurtured his Dao Body, I saw it with my own eyes!"

Yun Yun Heguang's eyes held shock; he felt it was inconceivable: "A Yin-Yang Holy Body phenomenon has appeared—why hasn't that five-colored aurora dispersed yet?"

Two kinds of constitution?

This thought rose in the minds of many Mount Mount Dongxuan disciples.

A constitution could naturally take multiple forms. Take the Wu Xing Fa Body—itself a top-grade Fa Body formed from the convergence of the five Fa Bodies of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth.

The Yin-Yang Holy Body, on the other hand, was a top-grade Holy Body formed from the convergence of Taiyin and Taiyang.

The question was—how could these two Dao Body phenomena appear at the same time…

"No!"

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen looked up and saw Yuan Han stunned and shaken, having recognized what Dao Body this was:

"Chaos Holy Body!"

"What?!"

"A Chaos Holy Body has actually been nurtured?!"

One stone stirred a thousand ripples!

All of Mount Mount Dongxuan erupted in an uproar.

Dao Bodies were myriad—Fa Bodies at the base, Divine Bodies in the middle, Holy Bodies at the top.

And the Chaos Holy Body stood shoulder to shoulder with the "Dao-Comprehension Holy Body" and the "Ten-Thousand-Transformations Holy Body"—one of the nine supreme Holy Bodies across all ages!

But what stirred the crowd's uproar was not merely the Chaos Holy Body's extreme rarity.

It was because…

"His Master seems to be…"

Upon realizing this, every disciple of Mount Mount Dongxuan, Yuan Han included, couldn't help but draw a sharp breath.

The gazes fixed on the 333rd step shifted wildly:

"…A Chaos Holy Body!"

……

"Hoo!"

"Hah!"

In the deep, dark void, Li Yuan heard an incomparably long breath. After those two-colored streams of light vanished, he had fallen into a state of utter blankness.

In a daze, he felt himself walking alone through an endless, profound darkness, with no light in any direction.

Vaguely, he felt he was climbing a mountain, ascending higher.

But with every step, he felt inexhaustibly weary, as if he were about to drain the entire foundation he had accumulated in his life.

【This Dao Master has to climb to the very top…】

Even in that state of blankness, something seemed to dawn in Li Yuan's heart. Step by step he climbed through the darkness, until he could no longer move even a single step further.

"It's over... I wasn't prepared enough!"

The instant he tumbled out of the darkness, Li Yuan finally realized that what had been climbing higher within that darkness was not himself, but his own innate talent!

And he, had failed to climb to the very top...

"?!"

Li Yuan struggled with all his might, wanting to climb once more, but he only felt the darkness recede, his vanished senses flooding back one by one, and once more he felt his own existence.

"Mm?"

The instant his senses returned, Li Yuan froze abruptly.

In that flash, everything in his perception had changed—no fleshly body, no divine realm, no bamboo-tower cave-heaven... In their place was a stretch of void, and endless, intricate light.

"Whoosh!"

In less than an instant, his perception shifted again, and Li Yuan saw himself.

Wisps and strands of chaotic qi, like a great cocoon, wrapped him tightly, nourishing his essence, qi, and spirit.

"The Dao Body has been birthed..."

Suppressing his disappointment at having failed to reach the summit, Li Yuan focused his spirit and began to sense the changes within himself.

The magic power he had prepared for remolding his body was completely spent, both little gourds had fallen to the ground, and yet the moment he focused his spirit, he discovered that his magic power was actually recovering on its own?

Wisp by wisp it gathered into the Dao, faster even than when he practiced Xing Gong to refine his arts, as if the world's spiritual energy were naturally streaming toward him.

"It's more than just recovery!"

Li Yuan's heart gave a jolt.

To gather enough of the five-element magic power, he had separately cultivated one strand of Bai Hu, one strand of Fire Phoenix, and one strand of Xuanhuang Qianshan Qilin magic power, but afterward he had focused entirely on Qing Di Fa, so these three types of magic power had grown rather slowly.

Practicing Xing Gong to refine arts could not simultaneously drive all five types of magic power—there had to be an emphasis. But now, he felt that all five of his magic powers were slowly growing...

"A five-element type Dao Body?"

While Li Yuan was pondering, he suddenly heard a "Squeak!" of a shrill scream ring out from within the courtyard.

"Little Mouse?!"

Li Yuan's eyes snapped open.

He saw, outside the small courtyard, a white-haired Daoist walking slowly toward the bamboo tower. That Daoist's qi was restrained, yet the entire cave-heaven was trembling, emitting a sound like a groan of unbearable burden.

Every spirit puppet lay prostrate on the ground, unable to move, and Little Mouse lay collapsed on the ground shivering, its sharp piercing shriek having woken him.

"This Daoist..."

With merely a glance from afar, Li Yuan's mind went blank; he could not help trembling all over—his body, his divine realm, his spirit image, even the magic power and spells he had refined were all quivering.

An unprecedented great expert!

"What realm is this?!"

Li Yuan started in fright, then, as if blessed by sudden inspiration, flipped over and bowed:

"Disciple Li Yuan, pays respects to Master!"

"Squeak~"

Outside the small courtyard, Little Mouse shivered, its little eyes full of terror, but suddenly, as if it sensed something, its body stiffened, and then a grey light surged up.

Within a few breaths, Little Mouse's figure was gone from within the grey light, replaced by a chubby little tyke about two or three years old.

"Squeak squeak~"

The little fatty's face was full of pleasant surprise—he hadn't expected that he had just achieved Ru Dao Gong like this.

"Rise."

Lord Lord Tianyu's gaze turned toward the bamboo tower.

A flash of flowing light, and Li Yuan was already bowing outside San Yuan Wai: "I did not know of Master's arrival in your dharma-vehicle, I pray Master will forgive the offense."

"Before you entered the sect, I took a glance from afar. At that time, your innate talent had just shed its first shell; what should have been gestated was a five-element Dharma Body—I admit I misread it."

Lord Lord Tianyu spoke.

Li Yuan felt his body and spirit tremble; that gaze seemed heavier than the stars themselves, making his breathing somewhat labored.

"This disciple also does not know..."

Li Yuan opened his mouth, then suddenly felt the invisible qi vanish, and gasped for breath in great gulps.

"This is a joyous occasion."

Lord Lord Tianyu walked into the bamboo tower, only to see the place was quite spartan—apart from a table and chairs, there was no decoration at all.

Li Yuan, meanwhile, was drenched in sweat, skillfully brewing tea and offering it.

Lord Lord Tianyu glanced at him, accepted the cup of tea, and his gaze fell toward the doorway:

"Summon Huang Yuan here to see me!"

Li Yuan followed his gaze, and only then noticed Fayin Fayin Tongzi, face stiff as if he had seen a ghost. The latter froze for a moment, then hurried out without pause.

"Now that the Dao Body has been gestated, what do you feel?"

Lord Lord Tianyu took a sip of tea.

"Replying to Master, this disciple has not yet had the chance to feel it in detail. I only feel that the five types of magic power I cultivate seem to be naturally breathing in and out the world's spiritual energy..."

Li Yuan did not dare slacken in the slightest, saying whatever came to mind.

"Chaos is without form, therefore it can bear ten thousand dharmas; for all dharmas to run in parallel is only ordinary."

Lord Lord Tianyu set down his tea cup.

"Chaos Holy Body?"

Li Yuan's heart gave a jolt, and then he was overjoyed beyond measure.

Previously, having seen two-colored divine light flow and turn, and having seen the Candle Dragon open its eyes to make day, he had thought he must have gestated a yin-yang type Dao Body, and that it might be a Yin-Yang Holy Body.

Therefore, upon sensing the five-element magic power generating itself, he had felt some disappointment in his heart. He had never expected that his constitution would actually be the Chaos Holy Body—one of the legendary nine supreme Holy Bodies!

"Hun Dun Fa Ti."

Lord Lord Tianyu corrected: "The Hun Dun Ti is among the rarest of all Dao Ti, just like the Wu Dao Ti; when first conceived, it is only at the Fa Ti level."

"The Wu Dao Ti comprehends all laws, then transforms Fa into Shen, Shen into Sheng. The Hun Dun Ti is the same. You currently understand no laws, have not received even one. How can you call yourself a Hun Dun Sheng Ti?"

"Huh?"

Li Yuan froze, then immediately bowed deeply: "Thank you, Master, for your guidance."

"You cultivate the Qing Di Chang Sheng Jing and simultaneously the Wu Xing Zhen Xing, have gathered enough Wu Xing Fa Li, yet still have two Ling Xiang gaps—clearly you have a method."

Lord Lord Tianyu set down his teacup.

Li Yuan hurriedly refilled it.

"..."

Lord Lord Tianyu paused, then lifted the teacup again, but did not drink.

"Hun Dun absorbs all laws; the foundation is crucial. Using the Wu Ji Da Jing to establish your base is not bad, but later, you must also master the transformation of Yin and Yang."

"Disciple will remember!"

Li Yuan's expression turned solemn, treating it as sacred doctrine, and asked: "Disciple wishes to cultivate the Nine Ling Xiang. I have already completed seven forms. I do not know how to choose the remaining two."

"In the Scripture Hall, there is a diagram of the Zhu Long Zhen Xing. Zhu Long closes its eyes and it becomes night, opens them and it becomes day—it embodies the transformation of Yin and Yang. You may choose it."

Lord Lord Tianyu answered: "For the remaining one form, choose for yourself."

Li Yuan memorized every word, and seeing his master showed no displeasure, he proceeded to ask all his lingering questions one by one.

Lord Lord Tianyu felt slightly surprised, yet answered each one in turn.

"Hun Dun Sheng Ti!"

Along the way, Fayin Fayin Tongzi muttered to himself, utterly astonished that the boy he had found quite agreeable had actually cultivated the Hun Dun Sheng Ti.

The Nine Supreme Sheng Ti are far rarer than other Sheng Ti, and some say that only one of each kind can exist in the world at a time.

Only after the previous Hun Dun Sheng Ti cultivator reaches his end, retreats into Gui Xu, and vanishes from the world, will the next Hun Dun Sheng Ti emerge among the myriad realms.

But this is merely theoretical; in truth, the extinction of the Nine Sheng Ti is all too common.

"He is the Hun Dun Sheng Ti?"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi could not describe his feelings.

A little brother suddenly becomes a little master?

This was simply...

"Perfect!"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi walked with a spring in his step, feeling the shadow cast by the big-bearded man had completely vanished.

So what if he had the Xian Tian Dao Ti?

The Hun Dun Sheng Ti lineage is unbroken; the title of little master belongs to Li Yuan alone!

"Whoosh~"

As Fayin Fayin Tongzi stepped out of the small cave heaven, he heard a burst of murmurs and clamor; immediately, a crowd surged around him, asking Li Yuan questions about the Hun Dun Sheng Ti.

"Stop!"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi snapped impatiently. Seeing the inner disciples who had never deigned to look at him before now crowding forward, his mood improved instantly.

But he had urgent business and had no patience to speak with them at length.

"Where is Huang Yuan?"

"Little Master wants to see you!"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi announced loudly.

The surrounding disciples parted instantly.

In the distance, Huang Yuan bowed respectfully and walked forward slowly. He too had witnessed the phenomena of Wu Xing and Yin-Yang cultivation, and his mind was now dazed.

How the hell can one compete?

"Come."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi turned and walked back into the small cave heaven.

"?! "

Seeing this, the Mount Mount Dongxuan disciples were even more stunned.

"Master received an inner disciple in his own dwelling..."

Gu Shan Xuan Sheng felt it was unbelievable. He had never seen such a thing, nor even heard of it.

Is he truly the heir?

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen unconsciously raised her hand and found her temples damp: "This, this..."

"Yu shimei."

At that moment, she heard Yuan Han's voice in her mind and looked up.

"Let's get together in a few days."

Yuan Han transmitted the message.

Gu Shan Xuan Sheng sent a message almost simultaneously—he truly wished to see the legendary Hun Dun Sheng Ti.

"... Alright!"

Yu Yu Fa Huan Zhen gritted her teeth and agreed. She suddenly felt her previous courtesy had not been thorough enough.

Li Yuan's cave heaven was not small in area, but bore few signs of cultivation.

There were spirit fields, but only a few hundred mu; no spirit beasts or Dao soldiers were visible; only thirty to fifty spirit puppets—compared to other inner disciples' residences, it was extremely humble.

Huang Yuan swept a sidelong glance to take stock, and his heart instead calmed down. Even if he couldn't compete for the next generation's true disciple, then the generation after that!

A cultivator of the Dharma Realm had a lifespan of three thousand years; he still had a chance.

He climbed the steps and arrived before the bamboo tower.

He saw, inside the bamboo tower, a white-haired Daoist sitting quietly sipping tea, and a young Daoist standing with hands at his side, as if asking something. Though the white-haired Daoist wore no smile, he answered each question one by one.

Seeing this scene, Huang Yuan didn't think much of it, but Fayin Fayin Tongzi's heart had already turned sour enough to vomit blood — he had never been so close to the Little Elder as this.

"Little Elder, Huang Yuan has arrived."

Fayin Fayin Tongzi bowed and reported.

"Disciple Huang Yuan, pays respects to Master!"

Huang Yuan bowed and saluted.

"Mm."

Inside the bamboo tower, Lord Lord Tianyu set down his teacup for the twelfth time, and glanced at Li Yuan: "You go wait outside."

"Yes!"

Li Yuan first assented, then poured tea, and withdrew from the bamboo tower.

"Senior Brother Huang."

Li Yuan cupped his fist in salute; the latter returned the courtesy. Only then did Li Yuan take a deep breath, bow, and walk into the bamboo tower.

"Whoosh!"

The bamboo door closed.

"Chaos Sacred Body?"

Fayin Fayin Tongzi was again both envious and curious.

"Hun Dun Fa Body."

Li Yuan corrected him. With his Master present, he did not dare speak carelessly. After replying once, he fixed his gaze on his nose, his nose on his heart, and began to sense the changes within himself.

With the Dao Body formed, all manner of changes proceeded from outside to within. Not only his physique and magic power, but his Divine Realm too, was now undergoing all manner of transformations under the shroud of chaotic qi.

……

"Master."

Inside the bamboo tower, Huang Yuan bowed.

"Your Dao heart is steadfast; you are fit to enter the inner hall!"

Lord Lord Tianyu spoke calmly:

"Water nurtures Wood; your true form has already grown strong, and you possess the foundation to cultivate the Five Extremes Great Scripture. Considering your diligent cultivation over these past several hundred years, I bestow upon you one volume of the 'Western Extremes Bai Di Qian Metal Scripture,' and one cup of Enlightenment Tea!"

"Many thanks, Master!"

Huang Yuan bowed once, and immediately felt his mind and spirit grow hazy.

The light and shadows all around dimmed; before his eyes appeared a wooden desk, upon which lay one scripture and one cup of tea.

(End of chapter)