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Chapter 258: Taiji Rules, the Power of the Cosmos?
Chapter 258: Taiji Rules, the Power of the Cosmos? (End of Preview)
"Master's parents and elders never broke through to the Unity Stage," Li Qing hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.
Without reaching the Unity Stage, their lifespan, even at the Refinement Void Stage, would only be a mere one to two hundred thousand years.
It was impossible for them to still be alive, which meant that they must have passed away long ago.
"They're all gone?" Lin Yuan asked, unsurprised, sighing inwardly.
This was the most likely scenario. Advancing from the sixth stage of martial arts to the seventh was incredibly difficult, and the same could be said for progressing from the Refinement Void Stage to the Unity Stage.
Although Jin Dongjin possessed a mutated spiritual root, one of the rarest talents in the Central Plains world, he was not as exceptional in the Spirit Realm.
In the Spirit Realm, there were numerous types of cultivators, differentiated not only by their spiritual roots but also by their various body constitutions.
Jin Dongjin had cultivated to the peak of the Refinement Void Stage but ultimately failed in his attempt to break through to the Unity Stage, suffering a severe injury as a consequence.
Mu Lian'er, on the other hand, had not even reached the peak of the Refinement Void Stage, and the same was true for Jun Xiaoyao and Jun Zhilan.
With the help of the backup plan Lin Yuan had left behind, they had smoothly entered the Refinement Void Stage and ascended to the Spirit Realm, but their cultivation progress afterward had been slow.
"How are they doing now?" Lin Yuan asked.
"They're doing well," Li Qing replied immediately. "The Dao De Xianzong didn't treat them badly."
Before knowing Lin Yuan's whereabouts, the Dao De Xianzong would not have dared to do anything to Jin Dongjin and the others.
After all, taking care of Jin Dongjin and his companions was an insignificant burden for the vast Dao De Xianzong, and Cang Qing Xianren had even summoned them several times to impart teachings.
However, advancing from the Refinement Void Stage to the Unity Stage was not something that could be achieved through a couple of lectures and abundant cultivation resources.
Otherwise, everyone in the Dao De Xianzong should have become true immortals, instead of just a few dozen true immortals residing there.
"Before my master's parents passed away, they asked me not to give up on searching for you," Li Qing said, her voice somewhat somber.
"What a pity," Lin Yuan shook his head slightly. If he had traveled through time a bit earlier, perhaps things would have turned out differently.
"In the future, if I become one of the strongest, I might be able to try resurrecting them," Lin Yuan thought to himself.
As one of the strongest, he would master the complete rules of time and space, allowing him to reverse time and pull the deceased from the past, resurrecting them.
Jin Dongjin and Jun Zhilan, among others, had been at the Refinement Void Stage when they died, equivalent to the sixth stage. Their life essences were powerful, and even if they hadn't deliberately integrated their life essences into the Spirit Realm, their long lives had already imprinted their essences upon it.
Once Lin Yuan became one of the strongest and descended upon this world, he should be able to resurrect them by reversing time.
As for their deaths due to the end of their lifespan, even if they were resurrected, they would still face the same limit a few breaths after revival.
However, within those few breaths, Lin Yuan could extend their lifespan.
While the lifespan-extending methods of the Spirit Realm were useless, there were plenty of such methods in the main world.
As for the world's backlash after resurrecting lives, bringing back a few sixth-stage lives was insignificant to a supremely powerful being.
"Also, your master's brother and sister's descendants are doing well in the Dao De Xianzong," Li Qing said, as if remembering something.
With Lin Yuan's connection, Li Qing, a seventh-stage martial artist comparable to a true immortal, would definitely be a powerful backer for the Jin family descendants.
As long as Li Qing was alive, the Jin family descendants would have a good life, and Cang Qing Xianren was also keeping an eye on them.
"Is that so?" Lin Yuan glanced at Li Qing.
"Master, do you want me to ask those outstanding descendants of the Jin family to pay you a visit?" Li Qing asked tentatively.
"That's fine," Lin Yuan pondered for a moment. After all, there was some cause and effect with the Jin family, and now that he had returned, it wouldn't hurt to meet them.
"Okay," Li Qing closed her eyes and immediately began to make contact.
As the Dao De Xianzong's general who led their external campaigns, Li Qing naturally had a direct means of communication with the sect.
"Should we conceal the news about Master?" Li Qing asked carefully after sending the message. "Cang Qing Xianren once told me that if there was any news about Master, I should inform him immediately."
"Is Cang Qing Xianren still alive?" Lin Yuan became interested.
The old man's behavior had been quite satisfying. At least, he hadn't made things difficult for them during Lin Yuan's absence.
According to the information Lin Yuan had, Cang Qing Xianren had already lived for several hundred thousand years back when they were still in the Central Plains world.
Now that several hundred thousand years had passed, even if he was at the peak of the Unity Stage, he should be nearing the end of his lifespan, right?
"Cang Qing Xianren has transcended the mental tribulation, so his lifespan is longer than that of a typical true immortal," Li Qing explained.
To advance from the Unity Stage to the Tribulation Stage, a cultivator on the immortal path needed to overcome two tribulations.
One was the physical tribulation.
The other was the mental tribulation, which was similar to the heart demon tribulation.
For immortal cultivators, the most challenging tribulation was the physical tribulation.
Most of their abilities did not affect their physical bodies, so they had little defense against the decay and withering of the body during the physical tribulation.
"I see," Lin Yuan nodded.
After transcending the mental tribulation, a true immortal's soul and will would undergo a transformation, resulting in a certain extent of lifespan extension.
For true immortals, even if their physical bodies decayed, they could simply get a new one.
As long as their souls remained, they could be considered immortal.
"There's no need to conceal it," Lin Yuan said calmly.
Conceal it?
Why would there be a need for that?
Now that Lin Yuan had regained his full strength and even progressed further, he was an unparalleled powerhouse among Tribulation Immortals, second only to the Supreme Immortals.
In this situation, there was no need for secrecy.
"Yes," Li Qing replied.
After chatting with Li Qing for a while longer, Lin Yuan turned his attention to the other two, Nie Yun and Shan Yang, who were sitting upright and solemn.
These two seventh-stage martial artists were rising stars in the martial arts cultivation system. The fact that they had reached the seventh stage without any guidance from Lin Yuan spoke volumes about their talent.
"You two have never received my guidance, so it hasn't been easy for you. The jade slips in front of you contain my insights into the seventh stage of cultivation, which should be helpful to you," Lin Yuan thought, and two white jade slips appeared in front of Nie Yun and Shan Yang.
These two martial artists had not delved deeply into the seventh stage of cultivation, and although Lin Yuan believed that the path they had taken was a mistake, there was still a chance for them to reshape their cultivation.
"As for you, Li Qing," Lin Yuan said, turning to her.
Li Qing had already reached the peak of the seventh stage, and reshaping her martial arts foundation would not be a simple task.
However, Lin Yuan already had an idea, and after merely observing Li Qing for a moment, his Innate Wisdom instantly created a new cultivation method suited for her.
Innate Wisdom was dependent on Lin Yuan's current level. Now that he was at the eighth stage's mid-phase, creating a mere seventh-stage cultivation method required very little effort.
"Thank you, Master," Li Qing expressed her gratitude.
After reaching the peak of the seventh stage, she had a faint realization that there seemed to be no path forward. If nothing unexpected happened, she would likely remain at this stage for the rest of her life.
She was not a Martial Ancestor with heaven-defying talent, capable of creating possibilities where none seemed to exist.
Li Qing's achievement of the seventh stage was due not only to her luck but also to the guidance Lin Yuan had left behind.
The existence of the Martial Ancestor proved to them that the martial path was not a dead end. Just like the immortal path, it was also a path to the heavens.
"Oh, right."
"The jade slips that the Martial Ancestor gave us."
Nie Yun suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
Back in the main hall, the Martial Ancestor had given each of them a jade slip, saying that it would aid them in their future martial cultivation.
"Yes."
"Jade slips?" Shanyang immediately reacted and took out the white jade slip.
The jade slip was quite ordinary, almost indistinguishable from those used by low-level cultivators in the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages. Yet, Shanyang, a seventh-stage martial artist, regarded it as a sacred artifact and held it reverently before him.
Shanyang and Nie Yun exchanged a glance, then simultaneously viewed the contents of the jade slips.
In just a moment, their expressions shifted, and their minds were flooded with a tumult of emotions.
So this was how one cultivated in the seventh stage of the martial path.
Could the cultivation of the seventh stage of the martial path be like this? Shouldn't the cultivation of the seventh stage of the martial path be exactly like this?
There wasn't much content in the jade slips, but the two seventh-stage martial artists spent an entire day absorbing its teachings.
They pondered over each word, discovering new meanings with every contemplation.
A day later, Shanyang suddenly snapped back to his senses, staring at the jade slip in his hand. "My martial path is also a path to the heavens," he murmured.
Nie Yun's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and his gaze seemed to hold a divine light. "The Martial Ancestor is truly a divine being. From nothing, he created the martial path, and now he has provided such profound insights into the seventh stage."
The two glanced at each other once more, then stood up, shook their sleeves, and bowed three times in the direction of the Martial Temple's main hall.
Thank you, Martial Ancestor, for imparting your wisdom.
Thank you, Martial Ancestor, for imparting your wisdom.
Thank you, Martial Ancestor, for imparting your wisdom.
In the main hall of the Martial Temple, Lin Yuan sat deep in thought. Offering guidance to the three seventh-stage martial artists had been a simple task for him. Now, his mind was occupied by another matter.
"Huailing Palace?" Lin Yuan mused to himself.
Huailing Palace was a Unity-stage force in the Jiujiang Domain, and for countless millennia, the Dao De Xianzong had been locked in constant battles with them.
The two powers were like fire and water, vying for the essence of Tian Shui. Every few hundred or thousand years, they would engage in war, with nearly ten Unity-stage true immortals joining the fray.
Li Qing and the other two seventh-stage martial artists were mostly stationed on battlefields against Huailing Palace.
Back then, when Jun Xiaoyao ascended to the Spirit Realm and reached the peak of the Refinement Void Stage, he was severely injured by a dragon descendant ancient sage from Huailing Palace.
If not for that injury, Jun Xiaoyao might have had a chance to attain the Unity Stage.
Of course, it was only a possibility, and in reality, he would have likely failed in his breakthrough attempt anyway.
But at the very least, the backlash would have been milder, and he could have lived a few hundred years longer.
In the Spirit Realm, there were nine layers, each containing a unique phenomenon. These phenomena could be manifestations of primal rules or 'spectacles' that pertained to the essence of the world.
Fourth Layer.
A figure stood with his back to them, burning like a great sun.
It was Lin Yuan's solar primordial spirit.
"With my current strength, I can only reach the Fourth Layer at most. As for the Fifth Layer..."
Lin Yuan looked up, where dark clouds loomed and countless pale purple thunderbolts twisted and intertwined.
To enter the Fifth Layer, one had to pass through nine layers of thunder tribulation, even more terrifying than the tribulations faced during the breakthrough from the Unity Stage to the Tribulation Stage.
While it was said that Unity-stage true immortals could roam freely through the nine layers of the Spirit Realm, in reality, such powerful beings would only venture into the first and second layers.
As for the third layer, they rarely entered, and the fourth layer was the domain of Tribulation Immortal Kings.
The fifth layer was likely accessible only to the strongest among the immortal kings, who could withstand the nine layers of thunder tribulation.
The solar primordial spirit was ultimately just a projection of Lin Yuan's consciousness, and its combat power was far inferior to that of his true self. Unless the solar and lunar primordial spirits fused to form the Taiji primordial spirit, there was a risk of the primordial spirit collapsing if it recklessly underwent the nine layers of thunder tribulation.
"Never mind."
"I'll wait a little longer."
"I can sense that the fusion and transformation of the lunar and solar rules are almost complete."
"When that happens, the power of my primordial spirit will definitely increase."
Lin Yuan felt a surge of anticipation.
Ever since he reopened his inner world, the lunar rule had been fusing with the solar rule, forming a sphere of light that hung in the firmament of his inner world, slowly undergoing a metamorphosis.
Lin Yuan had a feeling that once this transformation was complete, the lunar and solar rules would undergo an extraordinary change.
Inside the cave abode, Lin Yuan was cultivating. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, his movements silent and graceful.
Swoosh!
Within his inner world, Lin Yuan's consciousness took form.
He raised his head to gaze at the sphere composed entirely of lunar and solar power, hanging in the firmament above.
At that moment, Lin Yuan felt a stirring in his heart, sensing that the transformation within the sphere was nearing its conclusion.
A crisp cracking sound, audible only to Lin Yuan, rang out.
The sphere in the firmament began to crack open slowly.
Hum.
Tendrils of brand new power, or perhaps rules, began to emerge.
This power manifested as black and white, appearing no different from before on the surface. However, even at the microscopic level, it remained the same.
This signified a complete fusion, where the new power or rule was not a combination of lunar and solar, but something inherently whole.
The flawless black and white power transformed into perfect Taiji power, swiftly merging into Lin Yuan's inner world.
"This..."
Lin Yuan's consciousness returned to reality.
He raised his right hand, and pure black and white yin-yang power emanated a dreamy halo, gently influencing his surroundings.
In that moment, Lin Yuan felt an absolute sense of control.
Within the range of his perception, he could manipulate everything.
"Why does this feel so similar to the power of the eighth stage, the invincible cosmic power?" Lin Yuan's eyes lit up. While the eighth stage's invincibility from the main world couldn't be replicated, there were records of its characteristics.
Among them was a description of the cosmic power that nearly all those who reached the eighth stage of invincibility had comprehended.
Almost all of them shared one thing in common—control.
Control over everything.
Absolute control.
"Could the fusion of the lunar and solar rules into Taiji be a rudimentary form of cosmic power?" Lin Yuan's heart thrilled at the realization. At that moment, even without relying on his 26 million li inner world or his myriad talents, divine abilities, and secret techniques, he could still go toe-to-toe with other eighth-stage invincibles.
Because he was now an eighth-stage invincible himself.
(End of Chapter)
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