Chapter 367: The Dao Knows No High or Low, Merit Descends

Chapter 367: The Dao Knows No High or Low, Merit Descends

"You have faced a Transcender?!"

Before Ji Jingqiu could ask, the various "Protectors" could no longer contain themselves.

Mù Shìtiān had spoken today without any reservation, which, in fact, made their hearts even heavier.

Because this likely meant that this fellow had no intention of letting them leave!

But what he said at this moment completely touched their nerves. They had rushed here for the slimmest hope of Transcendence.

"What was the result of your discussion with the Transcender?" True Saint Kuxing couldn't help but ask.

Mù Shìtiān shook his head: "The Dao knows no high or low."

Everyone's expressions became unprecedentedly solemn.

This statement could be interpreted in two ways.

The first, the most superficial, was that Mù Shìtiān was referring to the Dao being parallel, not to be ranked in terms of high and low.

The second, however, implied that the path Mù Shìtiān was on was the true Dao, and even in the presence of a Transcender, he dared to stand on equal footing.

The strong from various realms were momentarily shaken, their hearts wavering like the Sea of Suffering before them, unable to be suppressed.

They didn't know much about Mù Shìtiān, but just the fact that he had quietly presided over this place for ten thousand years, suppressing the Sea of Suffering for the sake of all beings, was enough to show that he was no mere fame-seeker.

Ji Jingqiu was also startled.

Master Mù has already encountered a Transcender-level being?

But then he thought about it.

Without mentioning the distant past, there was a former Transcender still nesting and bathing in his inner world.

The Sì Mó could all be considered former Transcenders.

"Master Mù, what is the scenery beyond the great universe?" Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked.

Mù Shìtiān said:

"Centered around the great universe, with the Three Thousand Realms as its appendages, such a configuration forms a realm domain."

"Countless realm domains float above the Sea of Suffering, forming the Realm Sea."

"Moreover, although Transcenders are rare, if not for the appearance of the Yōu Hǎi and the Sea of Suffering of various worlds, at least two Transcenders would have emerged from the five pillars of our realm domain."

"If not for the Sì Mó blocking the path, Dong Huang's ascension to Transcendence was only a matter of time."

"There are many paths to Transcendence; you need to find the one that suits you best. Our methods can only serve as a reference."

"I heard from Hela that Master He proved the Dao through force in the past, and nearly succeeded?" Ji Jingqiu asked.

Mù Shìtiān nodded: "Dong Huang's conjecture is correct. Proving the Dao through force is eternal, a simple and direct path. This path is viable, but Dong Huang was too eager and lacked sufficient accumulation, and he encountered the Sì Mó blocking his path."

Ji Jingqiu suddenly thought of the great terror at the Source of the River of Time. Could it be a Transcender-level entity?

With Master He's Daoic power, when he merged with the River of Time, his peak combat strength could almost rival a Transcender, yet he still remained trapped at the source of the river, rarely regaining consciousness!

The hypothesis Master Mù proposed earlier was also quite shocking.

In a sense, the Eye of the World's Sea of Suffering is the root of all chaos in this realm domain.

The Yōu Hǎi followed the footsteps of the Sea of Suffering to invade this realm domain, and the Sì Mó followed the Yōu Hǎi.

So why did the Eye of the World's Sea of Suffering appear only in this realm domain?

Furthermore, why are the Transcenders outside this realm domain unwilling to intervene in this matter?

Subsequently, Mù Shìtiān began to guide Ji Jingqiu's future path.

"By 'supernatural powers,' I mean one's understanding of the Dao. Since you have reached the Heavenly King stage, ordinary supernatural powers are no longer necessary. The Palm of the Buddha is merely an evolution of my past Dao; you can use it as a reference..."

"At the fifth stage of the Heavenly King, it is about the accumulation of Daoic power. With sufficient accumulation, you can break through to the fifth stage in a single night. The true key to this realm lies in opening and perfecting your own Dao, transforming the abstract into the concrete, and embedding it into the workings of heaven and earth."

"Although you have the Supreme Wisdom Light with you, your accumulation is still insufficient. Take Dong Huang as a lesson; do not rush, even if it takes longer."

At this point, Mù Shìtiān paused and asked:

"How long do you think it will take you to break through to the Heavenly King stage?"

This matter concerns the opening of one's Dao, and Ji Jingqiu could not accurately predict it.

"Twenty years?"

If things can remain peaceful, he doesn't mind spending more time on the illusory Dao.

Mù Shìtiān nodded:

"Among the seven of us in the past, when it came to opening the Dao and breaking through to the Heavenly King, Tian Xing took the shortest time, twenty-five years, and Dong Huang took thirty-three years. Tian Feng and the other four took mostly thirty to forty years, and I, being the most foolish, took the longest."

"With the merit and Divine Favor you have, the chances of breaking through within twenty years are very high. I will lend you a helping hand so that you can focus on cultivation."

"After today, within the next twenty years, the great universe will not allow Heavenly Kings from various realms to enter, so you can cultivate with peace of mind."

Hearing this, Ji Jingqiu was stunned: "Master Mù, you can interfere with the workings of the great universe's will?"

Previously, the great universe only allowed beings below the Heavenly King stage to exist, and martial artists from various realms were restricted to below the Heavenly Man stage when entering the great universe.

The great universe's turmoil began recently.

With the loosening of the underlying rules, this restriction will also be lifted, and various forces will truly take root in the great universe.

But Master Mù's words directly imposed another twenty-year restriction on the forces of various realms!

Mù Shìtiān said calmly:

"We have done so much, and it is only right that we receive some rewards. This is what is called the way of heaven and earth."

"Within the next twenty years, you can cultivate with peace of mind within the Federation."

"The only thing somewhat regrettable is that Tian Xing took the Heavenly Demon's Divine Throne from Wú Zhōu."

Mentioning this, Mù Shìtiān couldn't help but show a touch of regret:

"Back then, Wú Zhōu suggested to me that we observe each other's Dao for ten thousand years, but I refused. I had hoped that if we could seize his Divine Throne this time, both of us, master and disciple, could observe the Dao for a while."

Jì Jīng Qiū blinked and revealed that there was a small Wú Zhōu within his Inner World.

Mù Shì Tiān was also somewhat surprised. The Inner World involved a person's deepest secrets, and he had not examined it too closely. He did not expect that besides Hela, Jì Jīng Qiū had also suppressed a divided spirit of Wú Zhōu.

Thinking that Dao Friend Wú Zhōu would likely have no more use for it in the future, Mù Shì Tiān smiled and chanted a Buddhist hymn, then proceeded to borrow a streak of intense divinity from Wú Zhōu.

Just as he was about to implant it into Jì Jīng Qiū's Inner World, he suddenly heard Wú Zhōu's voice again.

After a brief deliberation, Mù Shì Tiān looked at the "World Respected Protector's descendant" in front of him and ultimately agreed to Wú Zhōu's request.

Jì Jīng Qiū was not sure what Hé Shī had done, but he could clearly feel that the small Wú Zhōu inside him was completely different from before.

In terms of status, it had been significantly elevated, and its expression no longer showed the timidity of the past. Instead, it stood with its arms crossed, sneering at Hela by the lotus pond, only to be flicked away by the latter's tail, landing outside the Pure Land.

Ignoring the shocking battles of the past transcenders, Jì Jīng Qiū took the initiative to ask:

"Master Mù, you mentioned earlier that the Federation had three major gains this time. What was the last one?"

Mù Shì Tiān remained silent, merely turning his head to look.

At this moment, invisible ripples began to slowly spread throughout the universe. In Jì Jīng Qiū's eyes, who had just ascended to the Seated Oblivion realm with the Divine Favor, they were particularly striking.

Mù Shì Tiān and Jì Jīng Qiū looked up together.

Stars in various parts of the universe emitted brilliant and dazzling light, all of which were the sites of ancient gods, illuminating the dark and profound expanse of the great universe.

"The first major upheaval of the fundamental rules of the Great Universe is happening today."

"The Five Pillars are also returning, along with many ancient deities. However, most of them will not return to the Great Universe but will head to the 'world' they once opened."

"I've heard of it before." Jì Jīng Qiū nodded.

Mù Shì Tiān said softly:

"That continent is linked to the divine realms of the Five Pillars. If you are interested in the future, you can travel there through the Cyan Qing lineage. At that time, you might even encounter people from outside the world."

"It doesn't matter if you're not interested. With the help of the Four Demons, the Federation's cultivation conditions may not be inferior to those outside."

"By the way, the Five Pillars are likely to hold a grand feast, inviting various factions to demonstrate their martial arts and discuss the Dao. You can go in my name in the future. I believe they will treat you with courtesy, even if someone dislikes me, Mù Shì Tiān, they won't make things difficult for you at this critical juncture."

Jì Jīng Qiū nodded in agreement, sensing that Master Mù's current divided spirit was "dormant."

The tidal sounds echoing throughout the world grew more majestic, indicating that the Suffering Sea was surging. Even with the assistance of various world's experts, Master Mù needed to exert all his strength to suppress it.

At this moment,

Several figures suddenly appeared inside the Sìshǒu Xīng, one of whom Jì Jīng Qiū had met several times.

Mù Shì Tiān's divided spirit did not seem surprised upon seeing them. He clasped his hands together and chanted:

"Dao Friend Wàn Jié, it has been many years. Are you well?"

Jì Jīng Qiū observed this thick-skinned Wàn Jié True Saint, thinking that he was likely not doing well.

This originally clear-eyed and handsome young True Saint now had disheveled hair, tattered armor, and only half of his large halberd remained. His breathing was heavy, clearly indicating that he could no longer control his Inner World.

He looked at Mù Shì Tiān and Jì Jīng Qiū with a dark gaze, and his expression changed drastically when he sensed the Suffering Sea's aura filling the air.

"Is this... the Suffering Sea?!"

Mù Shì Tiān smiled and said, "This is the place that Dao Friend Wàn Jié has been searching for. You have finally achieved what you sought. Congratulations."

For a moment, Dào Yī's expression turned extremely ugly, feeling nauseous.

"Dào Yī, what is this? Is this the transcendence opportunity you spoke of?"

Someone among his allies behind him immediately shouted.

They had been forcibly brought to this world by Hé Tóng Huáng and sensed something was wrong. But now, facing the Suffering Sea's aura, they could no longer hold it together.

The "Suffering Sea of Worlds" that Dào Yī spoke of?!

Is this what the Four Demons were fighting over?!

Mù Shì Tiān warmly invited the Various Saints to take residence in the Buddha Land and join in the fight against the Suffering Sea of Worlds.

Witnessing this scene,

Jì Jīng Qiū's thoughts were in turmoil.

Even though the Thirty Thousand Worlds did not participate in this battle, merely observing, it would still cause a massive upheaval.

Not to mention the outside world, just considering the various world's experts who had entered the Sìshǒu Xīng either voluntarily or involuntarily, the number of True Saints was more than a handful. Yet, they all remained to help Master Mù suppress the Suffering Sea of Worlds.

This alone would bring significant turmoil and impact, shaking the Thirty Thousand Worlds.

It was uncertain how many forces would target their Yanhuang Federation afterward, wishing to drink their blood and eat their flesh, yet being forced to "smile" due to their grandmaster being in their hands.

Jì Jīng Qiū fell into deep thought. No wonder Master Mù had said that the Various Saints were voluntarily staying to help suppress the Suffering Sea.

When the news spreads, at least it would preserve the dignity of the various experts and prevent their backing forces from finding a legitimate reason to attack the Federation. Instead, they might even actively protect it.

As the new World Respected Protector took his seat, Master Mù and Jì Jīng Qiū had their final words:

"Remember, the day the Suffering Sea appears is the day your Dao Fruit is fully formed."

"After this trip, go to the temple on Dong3 Huáng Star to see someone. Tell him that the past is dead, and if he still can't let go, if he truly hates something, then let it be Ji Tianxing."

Hearing the name Master Mù mentioned, Jì Jīng Qiū's pupils constricted.

He had heard this name more than once.

Li Yingtian of the Li Family.

...

Before leaving Sìshǒu Xīng.

Jì Jīng Qiū took one last look at this world, then turned and stepped into the greater universe.

A golden creature of prey burst into view—a massive golden-winged heavenly phoenix, its wings seemingly supporting the starry sky.

It glanced at Jì Jīng Qiū, then took one last look at Mù Shìtiān within Sìshǒu Xīng. It let out a long cry, as if bidding farewell, then soared upward, divine light piercing the heavens, breaking through the constraints of the great universe and returning to the various realms.

Jì Jīng Qiū watched this senior leave without attempting to retain him. In Master Mù's arrangements, this person was not included, clearly allowed to come and go as he pleased.

He looked up, and Hé Shī's figure still stood in the starry sky, the powerful figures of the various realms having already dispersed.

The Reverse Ten Thousand Spirits Array had not dissipated but instead had vanished into the Federation's territory.

All the people of the Federation were well protected by the various sages in this battle.

Jì Jīng Qiū took a step to East 3 Huang Star and entered the final temple of the four divine lords.

A young figure knelt before the four fallen divine statues, his back to Jì Jīng Qiū.

The last remnants of the Federation's divine path lay before him.

To accept it would be to ascend to a high position, protecting countless Federation citizens from the threats of the Suffering Sea.

But it would also mean cutting off his future, spending the rest of his life confined to the divine throne, bound by the wishes of the myriad spirits, gradually following in the footsteps of his ancestors.

He was the son of the Li family, a carefully cultivated divine heir.

At this moment.

He finally understood the meaning of those words—

"Yingtian, are you willing to become the new god of the Yanhuang Federation?"

From whom they came.

Li Yingtian turned around, clenching his palm, allowing the last remnants of the Federation's divine path to flow into his body.

Under the onslaught of various wishes, his flesh and blood began to dissolve, the intense pain not only physical but also an endless torment of the soul.

To transform from a mortal to a god, how could there be no cost, no transformation?!

Soon, Li Yingtian reached the point of emaciation!

The pain, only he knew.

In Jì Jīng Qiū's inner world.

Little Tiānmó Wú Zhōu, who had just crawled back from the Pure Land, gritted his teeth and said coldly:

"Truly a Ji Tianxing, ruthless to himself and even more ruthless to his own! Jì Jīng Qiū, one day you will also be sold for a good price!"

This time, Hela did not strike him but nodded slightly, seemingly in agreement.

Watching Li Yingtian, who was undergoing the transformation from mortal to god without a single cry of pain, Jì Jīng Qiū sighed softly in his heart.

He had already learned the details from Master Mù.

Some of the Federation's rumors were not false. Li Yingtian indeed had extraordinary talent, able to explore the depths of his heart's sea from a young age, thus being noticed by Commander Ji and chosen as the sole successor of the Federation's divine path.

Now, with the four divine lords and twelve divine generals gone, the Federation's divine path had collapsed, and Li Yingtian was the last one to shoulder the burden.

He would help the Federation safely navigate the upcoming turbulent period.

After an unknown amount of time.

The emaciated young man slowly regrew flesh, and a radiant divine aura surged forth, connecting with the last remnants of the Federation's divine path.

Li Yingtian seemed to see through Jì Jīng Qiū's intentions, a thought resonating in his mind.

"Brother Ji, I understand everything, no worries."

Jì Jīng Qiū silently clasped his hands, the words "no worries" carrying a profound sense of hardship and suffering, known only to Li Yingtian himself.

"If you need anything in the future, you can contact me." Jì Jīng Qiū said softly, then left Li Yingtian to his divine transformation.

He walked out of the temple.

Standing in the sky above East 3 Huang Star, he looked down at the world, feeling the vast, surging heart wishes from the Federation's territory.

He could also sense the powerful demon sealed beneath the territory, its murderous intent so intense that even through the seal, he felt as if he were facing a sword's edge.

If this could serve as a whetstone, both he and the Green Lord would benefit greatly.

In the distance.

Hé Tóng Huáng turned and looked back.

He nodded slightly.

Then he turned and stepped into the Flow of Time.

There were still supreme beings of the various realms, yet no one dared to act.

For at this moment.

Various profound and virtuous auras descended from the sky, like virtuous true dragons, noble and high, flowing into the Federation's territory, making the strong of the various realms envious.

Under Master Mù's guidance, Jì Jīng Qiū opened himself to accommodate these various virtues, his body's acupoints glowing with Buddhist light.

Among them, a profound and heavy Buddhist light expanded infinitely, quickly giving birth to a great Daoist holy weapon, a virtuous yellow tower of profound virtue.

One level, two levels, three levels...

In a short time, the tower rose to nine levels, suppressing fate and destiny, stabilizing Jì Jīng Qiū's current Seated Oblivion state, which he had attained through the great universe's divine will.

Jì Jīng Qiū guided the virtuous auras into the lotus pond of his inner world. Soon, the pond water turned to a lustrous color, encompassing all five virtues, with virtue being the most prominent!

As the water rippled, it exuded a sense of supreme perfection, clearly an artificial creation yet carrying the aura of the primordial.

Looking at the formed Eight Treasures Virtue Pool, Jì Jīng Qiū's mind stirred, and more than a dozen true spirits immediately fell into the pond, the water rippling and nurturing these true spirits, slowly replenishing and completing them.

At the same time.

The stars in the sky shone brighter than ever, with several stars shifting positions, leaving brilliant trails in the sky, marking the return of ancient beings.

The great universe would be far more lively in the future.

Jì Jīng Qiū looked up at the vast starry sea. Master Mù had given him a thousand years.

"A thousand years..."

"A thousand years is too long, we must strive for the present."

Chapter end