Chapter 562: Achieving the Great Perfection of the Established Dao Realm, Awakening Qingyu

Chapter 562: Achieving the Great Perfection of the Established Dao Realm, Awakening Qingyu

Teaching Mingyu how to cultivate was a decision Xu Yan made after careful consideration. However, he only taught her a simple cultivation method and not the complete Martial Dao.

Moreover, even with the complete Martial Dao, Mingyu wouldn't be able to grasp it with her current intellect.

Even this simple cultivation method was extremely profound to Mingyu, and it would take her a long time to understand it.

Xu Yan began by teaching her how to absorb and expel spiritual energy, but even so, it would take Mingyu some time to comprehend it fully.

After more than half a month of careful guidance, Mingyu finally understood how to guide spiritual energy into her body and how to operate her own laws.

"What a strange feeling. I feel more energized," Mingyu said excitedly.

For some reason, she had grown fond of this feeling of cultivation, even though it didn't seem to improve her strength.

After all, at her current level, a simple cultivation method couldn't enhance her power.

Xu Yan fell into deep thought as he noticed that as Mingyu absorbed and expelled spiritual energy, her doll-like laws were activated, and a portion of these laws seemed to be transforming into meridians.

"I wonder what would happen if she progressed from simple cultivation to refining her divine soul?" Xu Yan couldn't help but be curious.

"Mingyu, cultivating the Dao requires perseverance and consistency. If you persist, you will surely reap the rewards. Once you become proficient in this, I'll teach you how to cultivate your divine soul," Xu Yan said with a smile.

"I will definitely work hard and cultivate diligently!" Mingyu nodded vigorously.

"It's also time for my breakthrough," Xu Yan said. After instructing Mingyu, he made his way to the courtyard where the Qingling Yuzhu resided.

He sat cross-legged next to the Qingling Yuzhu and began his attempt to achieve the Great Perfection of the Established Dao Realm.

The essence of the heavens and earth emanated from Xu Yan, enveloping the small courtyard, causing it to transform into a miniature world in an instant.

The Qingling Yuzhu stood tall in the midst of this miniature world, and the Dao of the heavens and earth emerged, causing the entire world to seem enhanced.

Xu Yan made no attempt to conceal his breakthrough, and he even deliberately allowed the Dao of the heavens and earth to cover the entire courtyard and the Qingling Yuzhu.

The small courtyard had become a microcosm of the universe, filled with the essence and vibrance of the heavens and earth, and even the scenery within underwent constant changes.

At one point, the heavenly phenomenon shifted, transforming the courtyard into a miniature version of the Grand Desolate Dao Domain.

"Has her divine soul been annihilated? Has her consciousness been completely erased?" Xu Yan wondered as he pushed through the Great Perfection of the Established Dao Realm. He had been closely monitoring the Qingling Yuzu, and even though he had simulated the scenery of the Grand Desolate Dao Domain, he still couldn't awaken any trace of consciousness that Qingyu might have had.

Even if her divine soul was sealed, there should be some reaction if it was stirred. Xu Yan would have been able to sense it immediately.

However, the Qingling Yuzu seemed like nothing more than a bamboo plant without any consciousness, showing no signs of change.

Xu Yan fell into contemplation, and the energy of the heavens and earth slowly surged towards the Qingling Yuzu, with even the Dao of the heavens and earth touching upon it.

"If the three masters of Yuting are not here to stop me, then either they are truly not in Yuting, or they don't care if I awaken Qingyu," Xu Yan mused.

"This is my last attempt. If there's still no response, then Qingyu's divine soul must have been annihilated." The heavenly phenomenon took on the appearance of the Grand Desolate Dao Domain, and at one point, a majestic figure gradually emerged.

As this majestic figure appeared, the heavenly phenomenon rippled slightly, suggesting a profound connection between this figure and the heavens themselves.

This majestic figure was the same one Xu Yan had seen when he first crossed the wilderness.

It was Taicang!

There was no doubt that the majestic figure he had seen before was Taicang. If even the appearance of Taicang's figure failed to elicit a response from the Qingling Yuzu, it could be confirmed that her divine soul had been annihilated, leaving only her physical body behind.

As Taicang's figure appeared and stood within the Dao Domain, the branches and leaves of the Qingling Yuzu suddenly began to tremble slightly.

"Her divine soul hasn't been annihilated. Her consciousness remains!" Xu Yan was delighted and simultaneously vigilant for any movement from Yuting. He wondered if the awakening of Qingyu would alert the three masters of Yuting. However, Yuting remained as peaceful as ever.

The branches and leaves of the Qingling Yuzu trembled more and more violently, and at one point, a gentle voice rang out, "Big Brother Taicang!"

The voice was filled with affection and longing.

The heavenly phenomenon began to dissipate, and Taicang's figure faded away as well.

"Big Brother Taicang!" the gentle voice called out sadly.

As the heavenly phenomenon vanished, the courtyard returned to its original state. Xu Yan stood before the Qingling Yuzu, gazing at the trembling leaves and sensing the consciousness that was gradually emerging.

Rustle!

The bamboo leaves rustled, and the branches swayed as a beautiful and delicate face appeared on the bamboo. The face looked slightly illusory and carried a hint of sadness.

"Who are you?" Qingyu asked, her eyes filled with suspicion as she gazed at Xu Yan.

"My name is Xu Yan, and I hail from the once-great Taicang realm," he replied with a smile.

"The Taicang realm of the past?" Qingyu's face grew sadder. "Has it also perished?"

"Taicang, as it was, is now history, but the realm itself has not disappeared. It still exists and has even grown stronger," Xu Yan explained.

"What do you mean?" Qingyu frowned. "If the Taicang realm still exists, why call it the Great Desolation? Has a new ruler emerged, even if it's the same ruler as before? Why rename it?"

As someone who was very close to Tianzi, Qingyu was well aware of his identity, and she may have even known about some of Taicang's arrangements.

"The ruler of the Great Desolation's heavenly way is Tianzi. He has inherited Taicang," Xu Yan said with a light laugh. "Tianzi has the authority to decide the fate of the Taicang realm, and the current realm is no longer the same as it was during the Taicang era. The heavens have established their own way, and with a new realm comes a new beginning."

Qingyu furrowed her delicate brows. "How did Tianzi...?"

She sighed and said, "Never mind, if it's Tianzi, then so be it. He's always been playful and full of tricks." She didn't dwell on the name change but instead asked curiously, "How did you get here? Has the Non-Transformation Temple not made a move on the Taicang realm?"

"Actually, I came here because of you," Xu Yan said. "As for the Non-Transformation Temple, they're about to make their move soon. Let's talk; I'm quite curious about some things."

Xu Yan paused for a moment before asking, "I heard from Mingyu that you should have perished in the great battle. Why did you appear here?"

Qingyu was taken aback. "Mingyu? He's still alive?"

"Yes, and so is Wu Mo, although he's badly injured and on the run. As for Mingyu, he's doing quite well for himself. He's already become one of the protectors of the Non-Transformation Temple," Xu Yan said.

He wanted to see how Qingyu would react to this news.

Qingyu froze, her entire body going stiff. "Why... why are they still alive, while my Taicang brother is dead?" she mumbled, her voice filled with sorrow.

Silence fell as she sank into a melancholy silence.

"Why don't you take some time to calm down? I'll come find you again in three days," Xu Yan said, checking the time. His allotted time in the courtyard was almost up, and he had to leave, only to return after three days.

Although he didn't know the reason for this time restriction or what would happen if he overstayed, Xu Yan wasn't willing to take the risk.

After all, Mingyu had specifically instructed him, and there must have been a good reason for it.

Qingyu didn't respond, still lost in her grief.

Xu Yan turned and left.

"Taicang brother," Qingyu murmured to herself.

A jade-like person entered the courtyard, carrying a jade bucket. They poured the water onto the roots of the bamboo and then extended a hand toward the roots. A strand of silvery-white light emerged from their palm, enveloping the roots.

As this happened, the jade person's eyes began to sparkle with life, and they looked up at Qingyu's face. "Do you remember the past?" they asked.

Qingyu lowered her head, her eyes unfocused as blurry memories floated in her mind, but they were too vague to grasp fully.

"Ah, as I thought, you've forgotten!" The jade person sighed and retracted their hand. As they did so, the spark of life in their eyes dimmed, and they returned to their previous dull state.

However, their aura had grown stronger, and their puppet path had undergone some changes.

Carrying the now-empty bucket, the jade person turned and left.

This scene was strangely familiar to Qingyu, and she shook her head as if to clear her thoughts. "Who are you?" she asked. "Why do I feel like I know you so well?"

The jade person paused, as if considering something, then replied, "When you remember, I'll tell you."

Without another word, they left.

Qingyu was taken aback. "If I remember, why would I need to ask you?" she muttered.

"Why does it feel so familiar?" she wondered, her brows furrowed. The scene was familiar, but the memory was too hazy to place when it had occurred.

"When did I come here?" Qingyu tried to recall. During that fateful battle, she had burned her source to aid her Taicang brother.

Only memories remained—Taicang's body was cracking apart, and her own source was about to dry up. At that moment, Taicang suddenly grabbed hold of her and sent her away from the battlefield, telling her to run!

In that final glance, she saw Taicang's body shatter, his heavenly path crumbling, and his vitality extinguished.

Overwhelmed by grief, she lost consciousness.

After an unknown amount of time, she vaguely realized that she had returned to her original form and was in this courtyard, with someone watering her.

It was that jade-like person, but that vaguely familiar scene wasn't from then; it seemed like something that had happened a long time ago.

Since that moment of vague consciousness, she had sunk into a deep slumber until now, finally awakening once more.

"Where am I?"

Qingyu belatedly began to survey her surroundings, wanting to find out where she was.

However, she found that she couldn't peer beyond the courtyard.

Having successfully awakened Qingyu's consciousness, Xu Yan was filled with anticipation for the gains to come.

Qingyu, one of the seven rulers of the heavens and earth, was a powerhouse who had opened up the heavens and the earth. If he could obtain her heavenly path and enhance his own understanding of the Dao, he believed that he would soon be able to perfect his own Dao.

This was also one of the reasons why Xu Yan had wanted to awaken Qingyu—to obtain the complete heavenly path and accelerate his own progress toward the perfection of his Dao.

"I believe she won't refuse."

Xu Yan wore a smile on his face.

Qingyu's feelings for Taicang ran deep. For Taicang, she could give up everything, and naturally, she wouldn't mind presenting her heavenly path to him for his enlightenment.

For the rulers of the heavens and earth, their own path was the core of their being. Once someone else comprehended it, they would be able to find their weaknesses and exploit them, leading to the danger of being crushed in a single strike.

Whether it was the Abyss or the Witch Demons, it was impossible for them to completely reveal their heavenly path to others for enlightenment. Only Qingyu was capable of such a thing.

Mingyu had grown fond of the feeling of cultivation, even though it didn't seem to improve her strength. Yet, she enjoyed the process.

Xu Yan watched Mingyu cultivate, deep in thought. He felt that Mingyu's enjoyment of the cultivation process seemed familiar, as if she had done this before but lost it due to certain reasons, only to regain it now.

Three days later, Xu Yan returned to the courtyard.

"Let's talk," he said with a smile.

Qingyu looked at the young man before her, sensing the vitality of the heavens and earth within him, and felt a sense of daze. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk about things that we both want to know," Xu Yan replied with a smile.

Qingyu fell silent for a moment before asking, "Where are we?"

Xu Yan was taken aback. "You don't know?"

Qingyu shook her head. "I don't know. Although I had vague consciousness before, this is the first time I've truly been awake."

Xu Yan was surprised. "This is Yuting."

"Yuting?" Qingyu frowned, clearly hearing this name for the first time.

"It's another force outside the Non-Transformation Temple, and Yuting is very special. I won't go into specifics, but you should know that Yuting's strength is no weaker than that of the Non-Transformation Temple."

Xu Yan didn't elaborate further on Yuting.

"I see," Qingyu said, choosing not to ask further. Instead, she asked, "What do you want to know?"

Xu Yan thought for a moment before replying, "I've talked to Mengyu, and he mentioned the great battle back then. However, I'm still curious about how Taicang's battle with the Lord of Non-Transformation ended. Did Mengyu stab him in the back?"

Sadness crossed Qingyu's face as she said, "Mengyu didn't stab him in the back. It's just that the Lord of Non-Transformation was too strong. In the final moment, something seemed to happen to Taicang, and he ultimately chose to use his remaining strength to send me away from the battlefield..."

As Qingyu narrated, Xu Yan realized that her account didn't differ much from Mengyu's, except that Qingyu had actively approached the battle between Taicang and the Lord of Non-Transformation. By burning her own source, she had healed Taicang and restored his consumption, witnessing more of the battle.

In that final moment, Taicang seemed to have taken a step beyond the rulers of the heavens and earth, but something unexpected happened, leading him to ultimately choose to use his remaining strength to save her from the battlefield.

Of course, it wasn't just her; it included Wu Mo, Ao Hong, and Mengyu as well. Only Mengyu didn't escape in time.

"I don't know what the Lord of Non-Transformation looks like either. Only Taicang has seen his true appearance," Qingyu said bitterly.

"What about the Taicang Realm? Tell me what happened to it."

Qingyu calmed her emotions and asked softly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end