Chapter 563: Qingyu's Understanding of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, and the Mysteries of Yuting

Chapter 563: Qingyu's Understanding of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, and the Mysteries of Yuting

"After the Great War, the Tai Cang Heaven was divided into the Inner Domain, Spirit Domain, Divine Domain, and Dao Domain. And within the Inner Domain lies a desolate borderland, a place where the heavenly spirit machines once disappeared..."

Xu Yan described the state of the Tai Cang Heaven and recounted the survivors of the Great War to Qingyu, speaking of how Tianzi became the Heavenly Dao, how Tai Cang was renamed to Great Desolation, and how the Wu Mo Heaven and Earth were incorporated into the Great Desolation, establishing Yin and Yang, and creating the cycle of reincarnation...

Qingyu listened, stunned, as the changes in the Heaven and Earth far exceeded her imagination.

"The Dao of Heaven, the cycle of Yin and Yang, and reincarnation..."

Qingyu murmured, amazed at how the Great Desolation had become even more powerful than the original Tai Cang, as if the Heaven and Earth had become more perfect, especially with the existence of the Dao of Heaven, which was simply unimaginable.

"Of course, the current Great Desolation also faces the threat of the Unchanging Temple. And soon, the Unchanging Temple will make its move against the Great Desolation, as the next epoch is about to begin."

Xu Yan's expression turned solemn as he explained the concept of the next epoch to Qingyu.

"The Great Desolation is now doing its best to prepare for the impending conflict with the Unchanging Temple. My travels in the Land of Unchanging are also aimed at improving my strength so that when the war comes, I can suppress the Unchanging Temple.

"Tianzi actually wants to avenge Tai Cang, but with his current power over the Dao of Heaven, it might be impossible, as there isn't enough time.

"I sought you out to understand your Dao of Heaven and Earth, to perfect my own path, and to soon reach the pinnacle of establishing the Dao."

Xu Yan did not hide his intentions and stated them directly.

"Can you kill the God-Lord of Unchanging?"

Qingyu let out a bitter laugh and said, "Even if you understand my Dao of Heaven and Earth and use it to increase your strength, you still won't be a match for the God-Lord of Unchanging. He is incredibly powerful!"

"But at least there's a chance. It depends on whether you're willing to reveal your Dao of Heaven and Earth to me. I need a complete Dao of Heaven and Earth so that I can quickly understand and perfect my own path.

"Reaching the pinnacle of establishing the Dao is not the end. The sooner I break through to the pinnacle, the faster I can advance to the Creation Realm. Perhaps I can even break through to the Creation Realm before the Unchanging Temple makes its move.

"Once I enter the Creation Realm, I'm confident I can deal with the God-Lord of Unchanging."

Xu Yan spoke with a solemn expression.

Qingyu fell into deep thought, and after a while, she asked, "The martial arts you cultivate seem to have nothing to do with Tai Cang."

"To be honest, it has nothing to do with Tai Cang, but that's not important. All you need to know is that we share a common enemy—the Unchanging Temple.

"I was born in the Tai Cang Heaven and Earth, and as a creature of Heaven and Earth, my conflict with the Unchanging Temple is irreconcilable. So, it doesn't matter what kind of martial arts I cultivate as long as it enables me to deal with the Unchanging Temple."

Xu Yan nodded, his expression sincere.

Qingyu asked, "What is the Creation Realm?"

"It's a realm beyond that of the Lord of Heaven and Earth," Xu Yan replied with a smile. "Moreover, the Creation Realm is not the end. You only need to know that it's the only way I have a chance of defeating the God-Lord of Unchanging."

"Alright, then I'll lend you a hand."

Qingyu nodded solemnly.

"Thank you!"

Xu Yan bowed his hands and smiled, "You'll find that this decision is a wise one."

"As long as I can avenge my brother Tai Cang, I'm willing to give everything!"

Qingyu gritted her teeth and said bitterly.

"I'll come back once every three days and stay for about a day each time. It's about time for me to leave now," Xu Yan calculated the time, knowing it was almost time for him to depart.

"Then let's begin in three days," Qingyu nodded.

Soon after Xu Yan left, Yuren entered, carrying a bucket. She poured water on the roots of the bamboo and then extended a palm, placing it on the roots.

Qingyu silently felt the water that had been poured on the roots, like a sweet spring, nourishing her original body. Her nearly exhausted origin was slowly recovering.

Now, her almost depleted origin had recovered to about seventy or eighty percent.

"What kind of water is this?"

Qingyu was shocked. As the Lord of Heaven and Earth, she had burned her origin in that battle and was almost depleted, yet she was still able to recover. This water was extraordinary.

"Why do I feel a sense of familiarity? This water seems very familiar to me."

Qingyu furrowed her brows.

This sense of familiarity was not something that had started after she came to Yuting, but rather, it was something that had happened a very long time ago and had become vague.

"Who are you? Why do I feel so familiar? Are you the master of Yuting?"

Yuren retracted her palm and, in a rare moment, revealed a smile, "It's good that you feel familiar with it. As for me, I'm just an elder of Yuting."

She picked up the empty bucket and turned to leave, saying, "This Yuting has gone through many generations, but I've always remained the same. Oh, and there's Mingyu, who stirs up trouble from time to time, then forgets about it and starts anew. Now, she's preparing to trouble herself again."

Qingyu frowned, watching as the jade figure turned to leave the courtyard. She asked, "What should I call you?"

"Me?"

The jade figure paused, as if in thought, then slowly replied, "You can call me A Yi."

Qingyu's brows furrowed as she felt a sense of familiarity with the name, yet she couldn't quite place where she had heard it before.

A Yi had already taken half a step out of the courtyard when Qingyu asked, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, "Am I allowed to leave Yuting?"

"Why would you want to leave? Isn't it peaceful here?"

A Yi sighed and took her leave.

Qingyu knit her brows, perplexed. She was certain that she had met A Yi before, but why couldn't she remember?

Three days later, Xu Yan arrived as promised.

"Xu Yan, do you know A Yi?" Qingyu asked as soon as she saw him.

"A Yi?" Xu Yan was taken aback by the question. "Who is A Yi?"

"You don't know either?" Qingyu furrowed her brows and proceeded to tell him about A Yi.

"I understand now," Xu Yan said. "A Yi must be the first jade figure created by Yuting."

Xu Yan had figured it out, but he couldn't let on that he knew. If it became known that he had seen through the true nature of the inhabitants of Yuting, he might not be able to stay there any longer.

"Yuting is very powerful and shrouded in mystery," he said after a moment's thought. "Since they don't seem to have ill intentions towards you, it's best not to probe too deeply."

"What about Mingyu? Do you know that according to A Yi, Yuting has gone through many generations, but only she and A Yi have remained the same? And Mingyu, she causes trouble from time to time, then forgets about it and starts anew. Now, she's about to trouble herself again."

Xu Yan was astonished by what he heard.

"Going through generations, does that mean the jade figures die after a while or are they remade?" he wondered. "And Mingyu, she's not simple either. What's with this cycle of causing trouble, forgetting, and starting anew?"

Xu Yan felt that Yuting held too many secrets, especially its creator, who remained an enigma with an unfathomable level of power.

"I'm quite familiar with Mingyu," Xu Yan said thoughtfully. "I'll ask her about it when I get the chance."

"Let's begin your understanding of my Dao of Heaven and Earth," Qingyu said, no longer probing further. A green light appeared, and a virtual image of the heavens and earth emerged.

Xu Yan sat cross-legged, and from his body emerged a representation of the heavens and earth, which directly overlay Qingyu's virtual image. Qingyu was astonished by this display.

"Could it be that he possesses a world of his own?" she wondered.

From that day on, Xu Yan visited Qingyu every three days to gain insight into her Dao of Heaven and Earth, while also guiding Mingyu in her cultivation and interacting with the other jade figures to further his understanding of the Jade Figure Arts.

Time passed swiftly, and before long, Xu Yan had lost track of how long he had been in Yuting. It seemed that the longer one stayed in Yuting, the harder it became to sense the flow of time, and one's perception of time dulls.

Through his understanding of Qingyu's Dao of Heaven and Earth, Xu Yan gained profound insights, gradually perfecting his own path.

His Establishment of the Dao Realm was nearing completion.

He also made significant progress in the Jade Figure Arts, as he observed the shadows of sentient beings within his own representation of the heavens and earth. These shadows gradually took on a more tangible form, resembling jade figures with bodies.

However, these jade figures were more agile and wielded swords with greater power than the shadows.

Mingyu, too, was finally approaching the stage of condensing her divine soul in her cultivation.

Furthermore, Mingyu's strength was undergoing a transformation, bringing her ever closer to the level of a Lord of Heaven and Earth.

As Xu Yan returned to Qingyu's courtyard and saw Mingyu sitting cross-legged with her eyes glowing, he fell into deep thought.

It had been three days since Mingyu had first begun to cultivate her divine soul, and she had already reached a bottleneck.

"I wonder what would happen if Mingyu could comprehend the soul and enlighten to its true meaning," Xu Yan mused. "Would she undergo some kind of change or perhaps recall some of her past?"

There seemed to be a barrier within Mingyu's Jade Figure Arts that prevented her from understanding the significance of the soul. It was as if her arts were restraining something.

"The other jade figures don't seem to have any issues with the concept of the soul and simply skip over it without giving it much thought," Xu Yan noted. "Only Mingyu is exceptionally sensitive to the soul. I wonder if A Yi is the same."

Among all the jade figures in Yuting, only Mingyu and the enigmatic A Yi stood out as the most unique.

However, A Yi had consistently avoided meeting Xu Yan, seemingly intent on keeping their paths from crossing.

"I'm about to break through to the perfection of the Establishment of the Dao Realm. When I do, I wonder if Mingyu could gain something from sensing my breakthrough?"

With his own understanding of the Establishment of the Dao, he could perhaps trigger Mingyu's latent personal path, and there might be unexpected gains.

Xu Yan made up his mind. When he achieved perfection in the Establishment of the Dao Realm, he would let Mingyu sense the meaning of his perfected path.

"It's about time I returned to the Great Desolation."

After achieving perfection in the Establishment of the Dao Realm, he would go back to the Great Desolation. This trip to Yuting had been extremely fruitful, and he had unexpectedly reached perfection in such a short time.

Moreover, the Unchanging Temple would likely make their move against the Great Desolation soon, as the next epoch was about to begin.

A few of the jade figures in Yuting seemed to have disappeared, probably leaving Yuting in preparation for the upcoming epoch.

"The start of the next epoch signifies a new beginning, and some changes are expected. Yuting is also making its preparations."

With the start of this epoch, the Unchanging Land had given birth to the heavens and the earth, and the seven members of Tai Cang had created the world.

But what about the next epoch? What color would the light be, and what kind of creation would it bring?

"I must seize this opportunity. Perhaps it will be my chance to break through to the Transformation Realm and comprehend the Dao of Action."

Xu Yan was confident that he wasn't far from the Transformation Realm. The light of the next epoch would be his chance to quickly break through to the Transformation Realm or comprehend the Dao of Action. He had to return to the Great Desolation before the next epoch began and wait for its arrival.

"Cultivating the divine soul is so difficult."

Mingyu had recovered once more, and she pulled at her hair in frustration.

"The divine soul is challenging, but with enough time, it can be refined. I'm about to break through, and you can try to sense it when I do. You might gain something from it."

Xu Yan smiled as he spoke.

"You're about to break through again? Your cultivation speed is incredible, Xu Yan."

Mingyu's face lit up with surprise.

"Your strength has increased quite a bit."

"Oh yes, I've become stronger too."

Mingyu was delighted to hear this.

On this day, Xu Yan finally completed the replication and comprehension of Qingyu's Dao of Heaven and Earth, using it to perfect his own path.

He was now only half a step away from perfection in the Establishment of the Dao Realm.

"Your Dao of Heaven and Earth is somewhat lacking and imperfect, which is why you aren't strong enough. You can try to improve these few areas and fill in the gaps."

Xu Yan waved his hand, and Qingyu's Dao of Heaven and Earth appeared before him. He pointed out several areas that needed improvement.

Qingyu was astonished. "You discovered my weaknesses so easily, and you found even more than Tai Cang did."

Xu Yan smiled slightly and said, "My martial arts are inherently stronger than Tai Cang's. My path is my own, and I stand on the foundation of the Dao of Heaven and Earth. My comprehension of the Dao will naturally be superior to Tai Cang's, not inferior."

This was Xu Yan's confidence at the moment. In terms of comprehending the Dao, even Tai Cang was not his match!

Once he achieved perfection in the Establishment of the Dao Realm, his strength would be no weaker than Tai Cang's, and he might even surpass him.

"The flaws in the Dao of Heaven and Earth aren't that easy to make up for. Nonetheless, thank you for your guidance."

Qingyu sighed.

"In three days, I will break through to the perfection of the Establishment of the Dao. You can sense my path energy, and Mingyu will also come to sense it. Perhaps you will both gain something from it.

"After the breakthrough, I will return to the Great Desolation. The battle against the Unchanging Temple is imminent, and the next epoch is about to begin. Would you like to come back with me?"

As the Lord of Heaven and Earth, Qingyu could be a great help to the Great Desolation.

"Can I leave? I can't restore my human form yet and can only remain in my original state."

Qingyu sighed helplessly.

"After I break through, I can transplant you into the small world within the Primordial Turtle. I'll take you back to the Great Desolation. If you're willing, Tianzi can also give you a hand, and you can become the Way of Heaven Bamboo. As the Way of Heaven strengthens, so will you."

Xu Yan thought for a moment before speaking.

"Ai might not let me leave."

Qingyu was tempted but sighed again.

"If you're willing, how can he stop you? It's up to you to decide."

Xu Yan didn't try to persuade her further. Whether Qingyu wanted to go to the Great Desolation or not was her choice.

Back at Mingyu's residence, Mingyu had just recovered from her dormant state, and her face was filled with delight. "Xu Yan, I feel like I'm about to condense my divine soul. I have a feeling that the divine soul is extraordinary!"

"In three days, I will break through. You can borrow the power of my breakthrough in the Establishment of the Dao and try to condense your divine soul."

Xu Yan was also curious to see what changes would occur if Mingyu succeeded in condensing her divine soul.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end