Chapter 517: The Path Beyond the Divine Realm

Chapter 517: The Path Beyond the Divine Realm

Xunmu's Heavenly Realm!

Although the tiny speck of light was still far away and barely visible, Chen Mu had an instinctive feeling that this was the Xunmu's Heavenly Realm he sought.

This intuition wasn't baseless; on one hand, the location of Xunmu's Heavenly Realm should be in this direction, and on the other hand, he had a connection and fate with Xunmu's Heavenly Realm. Now, as a Half-Step Divine Realm cultivator, he could perceive some of the cause and effect.

After a brief pause, Chen Mu continued forward.

Soon, as he gradually approached the speck of light, the world it represented grew larger in his vision, eventually taking on the form of an 'island' amidst the chaotic flow of the void.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed a colossal tree within this world, spanning the heavens and earth. It was as if this tree held up the entire world, its roots buried deep in the void, resisting the void's power and erosion!

Everything in this world existed because of this tree.

Xunmu!

Although Chen Mu had entered Xunmu's Heavenly Realm before, had contact with Xunmu, and even felt the vast power of the Xunmu Tree, it was only now, crossing the void to reach this place, that he truly saw the immense and complete form of the Xunmu Tree!

The previous Chen Mu only felt the vast power of the Xunmu Tree, but now, despite still sensing its grandeur, he could vaguely perceive Xunmu's realm.

Silently, Chen Mu arrived at the outskirts of Xunmu's Heavenly Realm.

This time, as he approached Xunmu's Heavenly Realm, it was different from before. The last time he entered, he was only at the Grandmaster level, unrestricted by Xunmu's Heavenly Realm. But now, having reached the Half-Step Divine Realm, he felt a strong repulsion and pressure as soon as he neared the edge of Xunmu's Heavenly Realm.

"Still asleep..."

Chen Mu didn't rush in but instead sensed the situation within Xunmu's Heavenly Realm. He perceived that the laws of this realm were functioning normally, but lacked Xunmu's consciousness.

The remnants of Xunmu's world were slowly recovering, but without Xunmu's direct guidance, it would take an incredibly long time to fully restore.

After a brief observation, Chen Mu's expression turned contemplative.

Undoubtedly, the Xunmu Tree stood at the level of the Divine Realm, but as he predicted, Xunmu wasn't skilled in Void Dao. Due to its immense size, it endured tremendous pressure in the void, managing to hold it open with its body.

Because Xunmu wasn't adept in Void Dao, it couldn't directly absorb and utilize the power of the void. Instead, it had to employ a method to slowly consume and transform the void's power.

This process of transforming the void's power seemed familiar to Chen Mu.

Creation Dao!

This should be the power of the Origin Dao, the force of Creation Dao, which encompasses both 'contradictions' and 'destruction', the mysteries of life and annihilation. The Xunmu Tree seemed to grasp only the 'life' aspect.

"Creation Life Dao?" Chen Mu muttered to himself.

Origin Dao was never a simple path; it represented the origin of the endless expanse, the transition from existence to non-existence, and the foundation of all things.

Only after cultivating the embryonic form of Void Dao could he clearly sense the nearly infinite mysteries within, each belonging to a branch of Void Dao.

These nearly infinite mysteries, when interwoven, formed five fundamental mysteries!

These five fundamental mysteries composed the complete Void Dao!

Although Chen Mu hadn't reached a higher level, he knew that after cultivating the embryonic form, the path was to comprehend these five fundamental mysteries, integrate them, and finally reach the pinnacle of Void Dao!

Void Dao required the comprehension of five 'fundamental mysteries' to truly reach its peak and fully cultivate the complete Dao. Therefore, Creation Dao must also have its own unique 'fundamental mysteries'.

Now, although Chen Mu hadn't entered Creation Dao, he could discern, due to his Half-Step Divine Realm cultivation, that Xunmu likely grasped the 'life' branch of Creation Dao.

As for other branches, whether Xunmu had mastered them, he wasn't sure, as he couldn't tell.

At this moment, Chen Mu stood beside Xunmu's Heavenly Realm, observing this world upheld by Xunmu. He increasingly felt the mysteries beyond the Divine Realm, seeing how Xunmu, with Creation Life Dao, rooted in the void, slowly absorbed the void's power, using a mysterious method to transform it into 'Creation Life Power'.

"Indeed, the power of Origin can be mutually transformed." Chen Mu had a moment of enlightenment.

Just like the Eight Aspects of Heaven and Earth, the rotation of heaven and earth, the wind, thunder, water, and fire, all could be transformed. They were all based on the same foundation.

This included the 'Divine Power' cultivated by Divine Realm beings, which was also power at this level, all belonging to Origin Power.

Chen Mu recalled the Creation Formation laid by the demons in the depths of Sha County. At that time, he only felt the mysteries of Creation Dao, but didn't fully understand its essence. Now, he could vaguely comprehend that it might use Creation Dao to transform the void's power into Creation Power to create demons.

However, the transformation between different Primordial Forces was evidently extremely challenging.

Xunmu's absorption of Void Energy was clearly very slow, and the conversion was equally sluggish, resulting in extremely low efficiency. In terms of utilizing Void Energy, it was probably even less effective than Chen Mu, who had not yet entered the Divine Realm.

After observing for a moment and gaining a deeper understanding of the Primordial Dao and the Primordial Force, Chen Mu finally extended a wisp of his soul consciousness, gently tapping on the boundary wall of Xunmu's Heavenly Realm.

"It's been a long time, Senior Xunmu, I hope you are well?"

This wisp of intention quietly reached Xunmu's Heavenly Realm, causing a buzzing sound to echo in the sky above, startling the Spirit Human Tribe who were resting and recuperating in various parts of Xunmu's Heavenly Realm, as they wondered what had happened.

The buzzing sound reverberated, but no further changes occurred.

Chen Mu's expression remained calm, and without intruding into Xunmu's Heavenly Realm, he stood quietly outside the boundary wall, patiently waiting.

After a moment, a sound transmission of an ancient and experienced divine consciousness echoed in Chen Mu's ear, seemingly slightly surprised.

"Hmm, your progress is very fast. You've already cultivated the 'Immortal Soul' and grasped the basics of the Void Dao?"

Xunmu, having awakened, was observing Chen Mu, and it too was filled with surprise. The last time they met in Xunmu's Heavenly Realm, Xunmu had already recognized Chen Mu's exceptional talent. Even in Xunmu's homeland, Chen Mu would have been considered outstanding, with the potential to cultivate the Immortal Soul and Divine Body, entering the Divine Realm. However, whether he could master the Void Dao to a high level was uncertain.

But now, in less than a single Epoch Year, Chen Mu had not only made up for his shortcomings in soul cultivation but had even surpassed his physical body, cultivating the Immortal Soul and entering the Half-step Divine Realm!

Furthermore, it was evident that Chen Mu had also cultivated the basics of the Void Dao; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to traverse the void and arrive here.

Within such a short time, cultivating the Immortal Soul was not particularly remarkable, but to cultivate the basics of the Void Dao was truly beyond Xunmu's expectations. Even in Xunmu's homeland, it was extremely rare for someone to cultivate the basics of a Primordial Dao within a single Epoch Year, making Chen Mu an absolute genius.

"It's just a fortunate insight... I must also thank Senior Xunmu for the Crimson Birth Fruit. Otherwise, Junior here would not have been able to cultivate to this level." Chen Mu responded.

"External forces are only auxiliary. Even if you had ten Crimson Birth Fruits, they wouldn't be able to help you cultivate the Immortal Soul. Cultivating to this level can only be achieved through one's own efforts. When I observed you before, I thought that your soul aspect was weak, and it would be your biggest obstacle in breaking through to the Divine Realm. I didn't expect to be mistaken. Your soul talent is probably even better than your physical body."

Xunmu slowly said, "Since I left, you must have cultivated a secret method to refine your soul. But no matter what secret method it is, cultivating the Immortal Soul within a short time is by no means easy."

Chen Mu listened to Xunmu's words, but his expression didn't change much.

Indeed, cultivating the Immortal Soul seemed simple, but it was not an easy task.

Firstly, if Ji Yongzhao hadn't attacked during his Blood Transformation, it would have been difficult for Chen Mu to cultivate a trace of Immortal Light in that breakthrough, and without this Immortal Light as a starting point, his subsequent cultivation would have been slower.

Secondly, the soul cultivation method wasn't easy to cultivate. Chen Mu relied on the System Panel, accumulating experience to forcefully enhance his cultivation, allowing him to cultivate step by step. If it were an ordinary person, not only would the secret method be incompatible with the Martial Dao system, but even if it were compatible, it would still be impossible to cultivate within a few short years, requiring decades of hard work with no guarantee of success.

"Is the world you're in still unexplored, and you're at the forefront of exploration?" Xunmu suddenly asked.

After a brief moment of thought, Chen Mu didn't conceal anything, "It's still in the process of exploration, and I'm at the forefront."

He also wanted to inform Xunmu about the Demon Tribulation. There was no need to hide the situation of the Great Xuan World, especially since Xunmu had already awakened in Xunmu's Heavenly Realm during their previous encounter, and should have already noticed something.

"Indeed..."

Xunmu couldn't help but sigh after hearing Chen Mu's response, "A blessing in disguise, a curse in disguise. You were born in an unexplored world, but whether it's a blessing or a curse for you is yet to be determined."

Chen Mu slightly pondered, "Senior, what do you mean by that?"

Xunmu explained, "In an unexplored world, the rules of heaven and earth are not yet established, and the restrictions are often immense. The lifespan of all living beings is greatly limited, although there are ways to extend it, but it's still a significant constraint."

In an unexplored world, the first to break through the shackles of heaven and earth and enter the Divine Realm will attract the attention of the Supreme Rules of the Endless Expanse, and after breaking through the Divine Realm, they will gain an 'extra portion' of Divine Power."

Upon hearing Xunmu's explanation, Chen Mu gained some new information but also had more questions.

An 'extra portion' of Divine Power?

Sensing Chen Mu's confusion, Xunmu proactively explained, "Divine Power is the power that living beings possess after entering the Divine Realm, where the soul and flesh merge completely, drawing in Primordial Force to form their final power. Divine Power is not only the power of Divine Realm beings but also their very existence..."

Upon hearing Xunmu's explanation, Chen Mu quickly understood.

Regardless of the type of living being or the path they cultivate, once they enter the Divine Realm, their soul and flesh will disintegrate and merge, even their soul will cease to exist, and they will be reconstituted into a unified 'Divine Realm True Body.'

This Divine Realm True Body's most basic unit is 'Divine Power.'

Divine Power is both the power possessed by Divine Realm beings and their very existence. As long as Divine Power doesn't perish, the Divine Realm beings will not perish. However, if Divine Power completely disappears, the Divine Realm beings will also perish.

"Divine power is the foundation of a Divine Realm existence, and its strength naturally corresponds to the power of the Divine Realm itself."

Xunmu was in high spirits at this moment. Not only did he answer Chen Mu's doubts without hesitation, but he also proactively explained his confusion.

The reason for Xunmu's enthusiasm was Chen Mu's astonishing talent, which gave him hope of returning to his homeland. Moreover, Chen Mu's current strength had already reached the Lower Divine Tier Six, and he was not far from cultivating an Immortal Body. Sooner or later, he would step into the Divine Realm.

Xunmu no longer treated Chen Mu with a condescending attitude; instead, he regarded Chen Mu as another Divine Realm existence equal to himself.

"In an uncultivated world, before the rules of heaven and earth change, one must temper their soul and physique to the extreme and merge them to draw upon a strand of the Supreme Origin from the Endless Expanse. Only then can they break free from their constraints and ascend to the Divine Realm."

"However, in the Endless Expanse, worlds that have already given birth to divine beings have less stringent constraints. Once the soul and physique are cultivated to a certain level, with some specific assistance, it's also possible to break through to the Divine Realm."

"For those who cannot cultivate their soul and physique to the extreme and thus cannot draw upon the Supreme Origin, when they enter the Divine Realm, the divine power within their bodies will typically only amount to one portion. This is the weakest form of the Divine Realm, with little potential and almost no future. No matter how much they cultivate, it's difficult to reach beyond the Triple Heavens."

Xunmu continued his explanation.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mu quickly picked up on a specific term and asked, "Triple Heavens?"

Xunmu replied, "Above the Divine Realm, there are no clear boundaries. Strength is solely determined by the number of layers of the Void one can shatter. The more layers one can break through, the higher their standing in the Divine Realm."

"I see," Chen Mu nodded slightly, finally understanding the levels beyond the Divine Realm.

The number of layers one can shatter in the Void determines the level of the Divine Realm!

Although the concept of 'Void Shattering' exists in the Great Xuan World, and Blood Transformation Realm practitioners can create Void Rifts, in reality, what they shatter is not the Void itself but the 'Boundary Wall' of the Great Xuan World.

To truly shatter the Void, one must stand outside the world, amidst the boundless Void, and break through the layers of the Void itself. This is the true meaning of Void Shattering!

Having cultivated the embryonic form of the Void Dao, Chen Mu intuitively sensed that the Void was not just a single layer. Now, the number of layers one can shatter has become a standard for measuring the strength of Divine Realm beings.

"By tempering the soul and physique to the extreme and merging them during the breakthrough, one can draw upon a strand of the Supreme Origin to empower their body. Upon entering the Divine Realm and condensing the true body, their divine power will increase by an additional portion."

"If, like you, one is born in an uncultivated world and becomes the first being from such a world to break through to the Divine Realm, they can receive a second empowerment from the Supreme Origin, further increasing their divine power by one portion."

"The amount of divine power is the foundation of a Divine Realm existence. After entering the Divine Realm, one can only enhance the 'quality' of divine power, not its 'quantity'."

Xunmu briefly explained, lifting the veil on the Divine Realm for Chen Mu and helping him understand the path to the Divine Realm.

As Chen Mu processed this information, Xunmu continued, "Additionally, before stepping into the Divine Realm, if one cultivates the embryonic form of a Primordial Dao, they can receive a portion of the Supreme Origin's blessing. If they can further advance on this Primordial Dao, they can gain another portion."

"This is why I said that being born in an uncultivated world could be both a blessing and a curse."

Xunmu sighed softly.

Beings born in uncultivated worlds often have a significant limitation on their lifespan. With Chen Mu's talent and understanding, if he were in his homeland, he might have the opportunity to cultivate the embryonic forms of the Void, Time, and Creation Daos, or even further, potentially increasing his divine power by six portions!

However, in an uncultivated world, although one can receive an additional empowerment from the Supreme Origin upon entering the Divine Realm, the limited lifespan often doesn't allow enough time to comprehend numerous Primordial Daos. It's a matter of both blessings and curses.

After listening to Xunmu's words, Chen Mu pondered for a long time before asking, "So, you're saying that after entering the Divine Realm, a being can possess, at most, nine portions of divine power?"

"Hmm..." Xunmu paused for a moment, then replied, "In theory, the maximum should be ten portions."

"Ten portions?" Chen Mu was puzzled.

Xunmu explained, "The merging of one's soul and physique at the limit can grant one portion of the Supreme Origin. Being born in an uncultivated world and breaking through grants another portion. Additionally, each of the three Supreme Origin Daos can provide two more portions, totaling nine portions."

"The Endless Expanse is also known as the Endless Void."

However, Xunmu didn't immediately answer Chen Mu's question. Instead, he slowly said, "Each universe is vast, and the world you were born in is already considered a large world. But each universe can accommodate thousands of such worlds."

"Within each universe, there is a 'Origin Site', which is the initial opening of that universe. This Origin Site is connected to all the worlds within that universe."

"In the Origin Site, those above the Divine Realm cannot enter."

"If one can leave their life imprint in the deepest part of the Origin Site before entering the Divine Realm, they will receive an empowerment of Origin Power during their breakthrough, which is also a portion of divine power."

"Therefore, in theory, beings can possess up to ten portions of divine power upon entering the Divine Realm. However, I've never heard of such a person. In my world, there are beings who, after breaking through to the Divine Realm, possess 'nine portions' of divine power. It's said that with just a preliminary step into the Divine Realm and their divine power alone, they can directly shatter three layers of the Void, demonstrating the strength of the Triple Heavens!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end