"Ah Ying, that strange flower from the Heavenly River in your Ruyi Great Luo Heaven has been acting really weird lately. I suspect it's plotting a rebellion," the big bell said.
Seeing that Xu Ying had remained silent all this time, the bell worried he was still brooding over Immortal Monarch Zitong, so it hastily changed the subject to draw his attention.
"The strange flower from the Heavenly River?"
Only then did Xu Ying recall that after Daoist Wukong gifted him the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven, he had scooped a strange flower out of the Heavenly River and taken it inside.
Afterward, he had encountered Perfected Jade Pot challenging the Four Emperors of the Netherworld and had not checked on the demon flower again.
The Ruyi Great Luo Heaven was his bodhimanda, the place where his Dao was imprinted. His cultivation realm was still low—merely the Divine Bridge Realm. Ordinarily, one had to cultivate to the Heavenly Immortal Realm to form a bodhimanda. The Ruyi Great Luo Heaven had allowed him to form a bodhimanda ahead of time, enabling him to deploy his consummate Dao attainment.
Normally, the big bell cultivated within his Ruyi Great Luo Heaven, comprehending his Dao, listening to the Dao resonances of his bodhimanda, and absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from Xu Ying's Ten Cave-Abodes and the Taiyi Cave Abyss. Its cultivation and strength advanced by leaps and bounds daily; by now, its power rivaled a treasure of an Immortal King—formidable in the extreme.
Xu Ying cast his gaze into the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven, an expression of surprise surfacing on his face.
The Ruyi Great Luo Heaven at this moment was already vastly different from what Daoist Wukong had given him.
Over this period, he had comprehended the Ten Cave-Abodes, and within the Great Luo Heaven, ten visions had gradually formed, corresponding to the ten great cave-abodes:
The Two Qi of Xuanhuang formed the vision of clear skies and turbid earth; the Primordial Chaos Qi formed the vision of the Sea of Chaos; and there were also the Imperishable Spirit Light, the Glazed Pure Sky, the Jade Capital Immortal Domain, the Taiji Immortal Domain, the Divine Bridge, the Ever-shifting River, the Flame of the Void, and the Taiyi Qi—ten visions in total.
"Huh, strange."
Xu Ying was filled with astonishment. The ten visions formed in his Great Luo bodhimanda through cultivating the Ten Cave-Abodes were actually identical to the visions he had encountered in the Realm of the Great Void!
Yingzhou floated within the Realm of the Great Void. Back when he, Jijue, and Ningqing were trapped on Yingzhou, they had discovered all manners of other shores floating in the Great Void.
Among them were the magnificent sight formed by the Two Qi of Xuanhuang, the Sea of Chaos formed by Primordial Chaos Qi, the Imperishable Spirit Light corresponding to the Bubbling Spring Other Shore, the Glazed Pure Sky corresponding to the Jade Pond Other Shore, the Jade Capital Immortal Domain corresponding to the Jade Capital Other Shore, and the Taiji Immortal Domain corresponding to the Crimson Palace Other Shore!
Beyond those, they had also seen an ever-shifting river floating in the Realm of the Great Void, a cluster of void radiance burning brighter than flame, and a severed Divine Bridge!
"Bizarre. This is far too bizarre!"
Xu Ying steadied his mind. What he had seen in the Realm of the Great Void matched nine of the ten visions in his Great Luo Heaven; only the vision of the Taiyi Qi had no counterpart there!
And that Taiyi Qi was precisely the key to summoning the Taiyi Cave Abyss!
Yet why did his bodhimanda match the visions of the various other shores in the Realm of the Great Void?
Xu Ying puzzled over it, utterly at a loss. It was simply too strange.
"Ah Ying, Ah Ying, look at that Heavenly River monster flower!"
The big bell flew over the Great Luo bodhimanda and cried out, "This brat weighs a hundred and twenty jin, but two hundred and forty jin of that is treacherous bone! It wants to rebel!"
Putting aside his thoughts, Xu Ying looked over at once. Having not seen it for a while, the Heavenly River demon flower had expanded countless times. It was thousands of feet tall, sporting several massive leaves, and its flower bud resembled an enormous spindle. From time to time, its petals split open in every direction, revealing countless razor-sharp teeth within the ovary!
The stamens danced about like nimble tentacles.
What was even more terrifying was that Xu Ying discovered his own imprints all over the demon flower—immortal runes, Dao markings, and even the Taiyi enlightenment of Heavenly Emperor Haotian that he had comprehended!
This flower had originally grown on the banks of the Heavenly River specifically to devour immortals. Born ruthless and mighty, it had consumed who knew how many smuggling immortals, honing a savage and vicious set of abilities.
After being nourished by Xu Ying's Great Luo bodhimanda during this time, it had grown increasingly formidable.
"Looks like this thing has more than two hundred and forty jin of treacherous bone," Xu Ying remarked hesitantly. He was currently in Kunlun; leaving the Heavenly River demon flower here would certainly cause disaster.
Leaving it in the Ancestral Court would surely bring catastrophe. If he tossed it back into the Heavenly River, in a few years, birds and beasts would be wiped out, and even the Heavenly River Navy might be devoured clean!
"It used to respect me, but now it's actually planning to eat me!" the big bell huffed, indignant.
Over these days, it had clashed with the demon flower more than once. Though it had won each time, the flower's skyrocketing strength had put it under immense pressure.
With a slight shift of Xu Ying's thought, the Heavenly River demon flower flew up against its will, acting just like his magic treasure—as responsive and obedient as an extension of his own arm.
"This demon flower is merely a plant growing in my Great Luo Heaven. It achieved what it has because it absorbed the wonders of my Dao," Xu Ying told the big bell. "It is different from you. Your abilities were cultivated through your own efforts, while it is merely a part of my Great Luo Heaven. There is no need to worry, Master Bell."
The big bell replied, "I still feel this demon flower is up to no good."
Xu Ying smiled. "Inside my bodhimanda, it cannot stir up much trouble."
The big bell felt slightly relieved and flew back into the Great Luo Heaven to monitor the demon flower's every move. The flower lazily absorbed heaven-and-earth spiritual energy, using the Dao imprints in the Great Luo bodhimanda to temper itself, growing ever more unruly.
Suppressing his confusion about the Great Luo bodhimanda, Xu Ying went directly to Yuxu Peak on Mount Kunlun and ascended the Divine Bridge.
Before long, he arrived in the Kunlun Realm, walked up Qilin Cliff, and came before Yuxu Palace.
"Disciple Xu Ying has come to pay respects to Senior," Xu Ying said, bowing before Yuxu Palace.
"Fellow Daoist Xu, come in," a gentle voice drifted from within.
Xu Ying straightened up and strode into Yuxu Palace.
Inside, a lean, hale Daoist stood there, appearing as though he were blended with heaven and earth, indistinguishable from the world around him.
The man was like the void of the universe—plainly standing right there, yet seemingly everywhere at once.
Xu Ying had never encountered such a lofty and profound Dao realm before.
"Greetings, Brother Daoist." Xu Ying bowed.
Daoist Yuxu returned the bow, his expression placid. "Fellow Daoist Xu, you revived the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth in this place, and I was revived as a result. I have yet to thank you."
He invited Xu Ying to sit. With a slight lift of his hand, a teapot drifted over on its own, pouring a cup of clear tea for Xu Ying.
Xu Ying sat upright with proper posture and inquired, "Brother Daoist, on my previous visit I was in a rush and could not pay my respects. After seven years of traveling, I have returned with a mind full of doubts, hoping you might resolve them."
Daoist Yuxu said, "When you came last time, you had no doubts in your heart, so you departed resolutely. In your seven years of journeying, the more you learned, the more questions arose, which is why you have returned."
Xu Ying pondered for a moment and smiled. "Indeed. Back then, I never questioned the Ancestral Method of the Six Secret Depositories, nor did I know the origin of the Taiyi Inborn Technique, much less the connection between the Ten Cave-Abodes and the Taiyi Cave Abyss. Now I know some of the secrets, but not the truth behind them, so I came to seek you out. I have heard that my Xu family carries the heritage of Yuxu Palace. May I ask if this is true?"
Daoist Yuxu replied, "It is. The ancestor of your Xu family was originally a disciple of mine. When my original body, Dao Lord Yuxu, departed following the Emerald Rock, he left your ancestor behind to guard Kunlun."
Xu Ying's expression turned solemn. "May I ask, what happened afterward that caused the heritage of the Yuxu lineage to be lost?"
"Dao weeping," Daoist Yuxu said.
Xu Ying frowned slightly. Dao weeping again.
Daoist Yuxu continued, "Virtually none of the Yuxu Palace successors who cultivated the Yuxu Cave Abyss survived it; only a few whose cultivation was low managed to pull through instead. Through that ordeal of Dao weeping, the heritage of Yuxu Palace gradually fell away."
Xu Ying was still somewhat puzzled. Daoist Yuxu's reply resolved his doubts about how the Yuxu lineage was lost, but it still did not explain why the Xu family's heritage became the Taiyi Inborn Technique and the Ancestral Method of the Six Secret Depositories.
"After the heritage of Yuxu Palace was lost, what happened then?" Xu Ying pressed.
Daoist Yuxu said, "Afterward, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth waned by the day, decaying. The spiritual energy and power of heaven and earth gradually dried up, the Heavenly River ran dry, the Earth Immortal Realm shattered and collapsed, and the Ancestral Court fell into utter destitution. A Daoist named Qingxuan came to me, intending to borrow Kunlun and use the Kunlun Divine Bridge as a passage connecting the myriad heavens and realms, so that the people of the Ancestral Court could be sent to those realms to survive."
Xu Ying's heart stirred. "Daoist Qingxuan of the Shangqing Dao Sect!"
Daoist Yuxu said, "He was a remarkable figure. A large host of experts followed him. They believed that while the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth decayed and waned, the decline and rise of Daos always proceeded hand in hand; when one Dao falls, another is bound to rise. They studied new Daos and achieved remarkable success."
Xu Ying listened quietly.
"Daoist Qingxuan was a man of immense charisma. His arrival moved not only me, but also your Xu family's ancestor, who followed him to study the new Dao."
Xu Ying's eyes lit up. Studied the new Dao?
Could it be that the Xu ancestor obtained the six secrets' heritage back then?
Daoist Yuxu continued, "Qingxuan was very interested in the cave abysses of the various sacred grounds, believing that the true essence of Dao methods could surely be comprehended from them. Even while leading the migration of the common people, he continued to study the mysteries of the cave abysses. At that time, many under Yuxu Palace followed him and researched alongside him, and your ancestor was among them."
Daoist Yuxu had lent Kunlun to Daoist Qingxuan, but transitions between the old and the new were invariably accompanied by conflict—conflicts that often brought bloodshed.
At that time, the Ancestral Court was still in the hands of the major sacred grounds. Though the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth was decaying, they still held dominion.
"Back then, there were still many ancient and mighty beings in the world—the Demon Ancestor, the Ancestral God, the Ziwei Immortal Court, as well as figures living in secluded retirement. Daoist Qingxuan's intention to migrate the people of the Ancestral Court to the new realm sparked no small conflict," Daoist Yuxu said. "Daoist Qingxuan took drastic measures and struck with a ruthless hand. Accompanied by formidable experts, the fighting was fierce, with casualties on both sides. Your ancestor also departed alongside Qingxuan. I heard that Qingxuan attained the Dao and became an existence distinct from Great Luo Golden Immortals and the Great Luo Wondrous Realm, known as a Supreme, slaying many Ancestral Court experts."
Xu Ying froze. The Supreme Realm was created by Qingxuan?
The Supreme Realm was the pinnacle realm of the present era, standing in contrast to the Great Luo Golden Immortals and the Great Luo Wondrous Realm of ancient times. Xu Ying had never been certain whether the Supreme Realm should be classified under Great Luo Golden Immortal or the Wondrous Realm.
"With the emergence of the Supreme Realm, the new Dao drew many followers. The old Dao was waning, and the replacement of the old by the new should have been natural. Yet who would willingly surrender the power and status already in their grasp?"
Daoist Yuxu said, "At the height of the war, Yuxu Palace was also swept into it, and the Kunlun Realm shattered as a result. I was destroyed along with the Kunlun Realm; what happened afterward, I do not know."
Xu Ying thought carefully and said, "Jijue mentioned that the Buddha Ancestor spoke of the waxing and waning of the Dao, and Qingxuan spoke of its decline and rise. Does this rise and fall follow a pattern? Does it relate to the departure of the Emerald Rock?"
"The rise and fall of the Dao may be chance, or it may be inevitable. But whenever it occurs, if a cultivator's cultivation and Dao attainment wax and wane with it, that is not true attainment of the Dao."
Daoist Yuxu stood up and led him to the edge of Qilin Cliff. "Dao Lord Yuxu departed following the Emerald Rock precisely to uncover the answer to this. Fellow Daoist Xu, please look."
Xu Ying came to his side and looked ahead.
Beneath Qilin Cliff lay the boundless Realm of the Great Void. A colossal Supreme skull floated quietly in the emptiness, silently drifting past the front of Qilin Cliff.
Inside that Supreme skull was Weixu.
And farther out, he saw various other shores floating in the Realm of the Great Void:
The Sea of Chaos, the Two Qi of Xuanhuang, the Glazed Pure Sky, the Imperishable Spirit Light, the Jade Capital Immortal City...
These universe-scale wonders radiated enchanting brilliance. Those other shores were places Xu Ying's first life had set foot upon; there, he had forged immortal furnaces and erected immortal palaces, refining the energy of the other shores to supply the Nuo Masters across the myriad heavens and realms.
"Six hundred thousand years ago, none of these strange things existed in the Realm of the Great Void," Daoist Yuxu said with wonder. "When I awoke, I discovered them floating here."
Unable to conceal the shock in his heart, Xu Ying murmured, "Are you saying... these things were not formed naturally?"
Daoist Yuxu said, "Perhaps they formed naturally, or perhaps they are man-made. In truth, Fellow Daoist Xu, you should know better than I."
Xu Ying was deeply shaken. Silently, he released his Ruyi Great Luo Heaven, displaying it before Daoist Yuxu.
The Two Qi of Xuanhuang, the Glazed Pure Sky, the Sea of Chaos, and the other areas within the Ruyi Great Luo Heaven resonated and interacted across the distance with each of the other shores in the Realm of the Great Void.
Xu Ying exhaled a long breath of turbid air and said, "I cultivated the Ten Cave-Abodes and borrowed another's Great Luo bodhimanda to finally achieve the ten visions. Could it be that someone had already cultivated the Ten Cave-Abodes before me? By the way, Brother Daoist, how were the Ten Cave-Abodes of Kunlun formed?"
"Kunlun's Ten Cave-Abodes?"
Daoist Yuxu blinked in surprise, then shook his head. "Kunlun has never had Ten Cave-Abodes."
Xu Ying froze, then hastily said, "That's not right! Kunlun does have Ten Cave-Abodes! The Queen Mother of the West said the Ten Cave-Abodes formed naturally and connected to the Immortal Realm, each possessing a different miraculous purpose! The classic method for comprehending the Ten Cave-Abodes that I obtained from the Demon Ancestor recorded the mysteries of Kunlun's Ten Cave-Abodes!"
Daoist Yuxu grew even more perplexed. "Wait a moment. In the past, there was no Immortal Realm. The Immortal Realm you speak of—you mean the current one, yes?"
He pointed upward. "Right now, the Immortal Realm hangs above us. That Immortal Realm is composed of fragments of the Earth Immortal Realm and cave abysses; when I died, it had not even formed yet. Back then, before the Immortal Realm even existed, where could Ten Cave-Abodes connecting to the Immortal Realm have come from?"
Chapter 510