The grand Dao-preaching assembly was exceptionally lively. First came Xu Ying preaching the Dao and Xu Jing ascending the imperial throne, followed by the Ancestral God expounding the New Heavenly Dao, and then Yuan Weiyang elucidating the *Hunyuan Cave Abyss Calamity Dispelling Scripture*.
After Yuan Weiyang finished her lecture, Useless Qingxuan set up the altar to explain the Calamity Dispelling Scripture once more. Yet like two blossoms sprouting from separate branches, each offered a distinct perspective, focusing on different facets of the doctrine.
The Holy Venerable also set up his own altar to impart the Dharma, teaching the runes of the New Immortal Dao with an intricacy even deeper than Xu Ying's, captivating everyone present.
Later, Princess Mingman ascended the dais and expounded the Dao methods she had learned from the other shore one by one.
Immortal cultivation methods from the other shore instantly stirred a massive uproar.
As the assembly drew to a close, everyone thought it impossible for any more sensational techniques to appear. Unexpectedly, a bell suffused with spiritual light flew up to the Dao altar, remarkably setting out to preach as well.
This sermon was no trivial affair. The magic treasures crafted by the gathered crowd began to hum and vibrate one after another, flying up into the air. Terrified, the treasures' owners fought desperately to suppress them, creating widespread chaos—some were even struck bloody by their own artifacts.
The Big Bell was teaching the path of refining the false to cultivate the true, carving out a bizarre and unorthodox path of cultivation for magical treasures.
Sitting below the altar, Zulong Zhao Zheng listened with extraordinary attentiveness. He felt that his greatest harvest from this assembly was neither Dao Ancestor Xu's preaching nor the Holy Venerable's teachings, but the path of magical treasure cultivation taught by this bell.
Although magical treasure cultivation later triggered an upheaval lasting thousands of years—causing countless people to perish at the hands of their own treasures—the situation eventually stabilized, and cultivators and treasures unexpectedly forged a path of mutual complementarity.
Zhao Zheng was at the forefront of this path, cultivating it to great success. Known as "proving the Dao through treasures," it became one of the prominent schools of later generations, producing a legion of peerless masters who dazzled the world with resplendent brilliance.
During the grand assembly, an alien man arrived at the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court. His stature was extraordinarily imposing as he stood quietly beneath the dais, listening to the sermons.
The Holy Venerable, Ancestral God, and others recognized him but made no fuss. Xu Ying went over to see Lu Yiren, and Yuan Weiyang, worried for his safety, followed close behind.
Lu Yiren said, "I have no intention of disrupting this assembly. I came only to witness a miracle."
Xu Ying asked in puzzlement, "Brother Dao, why do you call it a miracle?"
"A miracle is turning danger to safety in a desperate impasse, achieving what no one else could," Lu Yiren said. "The Earth Immortal Realm was originally shattered by emerald rocks, suffering countless casualties. Only in the Ancestral Court did the demon and human races barely manage to cling to life. There was a demon named Jun who rose up from despair, founding the Demon Immortal Court and establishing the demon race's Dao heritage.
"The demon race's fortune lasted ten generations, and by the time of Emperor Bo, their fortune was still flourishing. Yet the human race saw Haoyi rise. At that time, humanity was insignificant and humble, but Haoyi arose from despair to decipher the emerald rock, pioneer Taiyi, and summon cave abysses, achieving extraordinary feats that overthrew the Demon Court. From then on, humanity prospered greatly. The human race endured through six generations of Immortal Emperors. By the time of Emperor Haocang, the emerald rocks flew away, and the Dao weeping erupted, bringing another crisis of life and death."
He recounted in detail the history he had witnessed with his own eyes: "Qingxuan rose in that perilous crisis, leading the people through Kunlun to the myriad worlds to carve out new frontiers. Qingxuan created something out of nothing, establishing the Supreme Realm and opening a new method of proving the Dao. Then came Dao Ancestor Xu: during the Three Realms Tide when the Heavenly Immortal Realm appeared, under crushing oppression, you pioneered the New Dao, comprehended new Dao patterns and new runes, proved the Dao in the Heavenly Immortal Realm, and helped the dragon race escape the fate of being harvested, resolving the catastrophe. Which step of this was not a miracle?"
Xu Ying said, "Every single step was taken out of suffering."
"It is precisely because they were taken out of suffering that they are miracles." Lu Yiren sighed with deep emotion. "I have witnessed the history of the Earth Immortal Realm. I came here, first, to bear witness once more, and second, to bid farewell to Dao Ancestor Xu."
"Farewell?" Xu Ying was startled. "Where are you going?"
Lu Yiren smiled faintly. "Returning to my homeland."
Xu Ying was shaken to his core and blurted out, "You are going to the other shore?"
Lu Yiren smiled. "Yes, returning to the other shore. I want to go back to my homeland and see it. Aboard the ship, my parents told me how beautiful the other shore was—free of strife, free of intrigue, free of the scramble for fame and fortune. Everywhere there, wondrous landscapes are formed from the Great Dao, with Dao resonances more melodious than any mortal music, and colors so vibrant they take your breath away. They told me they were messengers bearing the spark of the other shore's civilization to other untamed universes. I have always believed that without doubt."
Here, his expression darkened slightly. "Back then, I activated the emerald rock in the Earth Immortal Realm, intending to ride it back to the other shore, but I failed to depart.
"Not long after the emerald rock returned, the Dao weeping broke out, plunging all living beings into ruin," Lu Yiren said. "I originally believed the Earth Immortal Realm had to be completely entombed to resist the invasion of the Dao weeping and withstand foreign enemies. But Dao Ancestor Xu proved me wrong. There is still one thing I do not understand: why did the Dao weeping break out as soon as the emerald rock returned back then? I must return to my homeland to find out."
Xu Ying said, "The other shore is exceedingly perilous. You are no longer an alien. If you go, I fear the odds are stacked against you."
Lu Yiren chuckled. "Though I am no genius like Dao Ancestor Xu, I am hardly foolish either. Listening to the lectures and contemplating the Dao this time, I gained profound insights from the *Hunyuan Cave Abyss Calamity Dispelling Scripture*. Dao Ancestor Xu's New Dao has also been a great inspiration to me. Previously, I could not prove Immortality, but this time, I am certain to succeed. By the way, in saying farewell to you, there are two more people I must see."
Understanding his intention, Xu Ying brought him to see the dragon race's Heavenly Chancellor, Bi Yanhai. Bi Yanhai was no longer a white-bone divine dragon; not only had he restored his physical body, but his memories had returned as well. During this period in the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court cultivating under Yuan Weiyang, he had progressed at an astonishing pace and was already a rising star of the New Dao.
Seeing Lu Yiren again, Bi Yanhai could not recognize him as the little alien boy from the World-Crossing Golden Ship all those years ago, but he could guess. Even after tens of millions of years, Bi Yanhai still could not conceal the hatred in his heart—though that hatred was directed not at Lu Yiren, but at the other shore. He had witnessed the destruction of the Three Realms and the extinction of the dragon race with his own eyes; those scenes were branded deeply into his memory.
Lu Yiren knelt and bowed deeply to Bi Yanhai like a collapsing golden mountain and falling jade pillar. Bi Yanhai closed his eyes, refusing to look at him.
Lu Yiren kowtowed in gratitude for Bi Yanhai sparing his life and saving him back then, saying, "Benefactor, I am leaving the Three Realms for the other shore. In the future, no matter what, I will see justice done for the Three Realms and the dragon race."
Bi Yanhai kept his eyes closed and replied, "There is no need to call me Benefactor. Whatever I did was merely for my own peace of mind."
Lu Yiren rose and said in a heavy voice, "As was mine."
Bi Yanhai opened his eyes and looked at him deeply.
Lu Yiren bowed in farewell.
Xu Ying had Yuan Weiyang summon the World-Crossing Golden Ship and said, "I'll see you off."
Boarding the golden ship, Lu Yiren could not help recalling the slaughter that had taken place upon it all those years ago. His parents had practically wiped out all the dragons aboard; he could never forget their vicious expressions.
Even more unforgettable was the sight of the Three Realms' destruction outside the ship.
The golden ship had been like an isolated island drifting amid a grand extinction, seemingly the only safe haven, yet it had been bathed in blood by his parents.
Yuan Weiyang steered the golden ship and whispered, "Ah Ying, where are we going?"
"The Ziwei Ancestral Court."
Moments later, the World-Crossing Golden Ship arrived at the Ziwei Ancestral Court, hovering outside Mount Qian. Lu Yiren stepped off the ship and approached Emperor Haotian's mausoleum. "Fellow Daoist Haoyi, when you departed the Ancestral Court for the other shore back then, your wisdom, courage, and strength were beyond my reach."
Lu Yiren offered incense to Emperor Haotian and murmured, "Only today have I summoned the courage to walk the path you once trod. May your spirit in heaven lend me strength."
He had been half a master to Emperor Haotian, yet he bowed before the imperial tomb before rising and returning to the World-Crossing Golden Ship.
Aboard the golden ship, Xu Ying had already prepared the emerald multideck ship. It was much smaller than the World-Crossing Golden Ship, but plenty spacious enough for Lu Yiren to live aboard.
Though Xu Ying was rather reluctant to part with it, he felt it best returned to its rightful owner. He smiled and said, "This ship was yours to begin with; now I return it to you."
Lu Yiren bowed in sincere gratitude and boarded the emerald multideck ship. This vessel had originally been an instrument for scouts to follow emerald rocks back and forth across the Chaos Sea. The scouts would locate universes in the Chaos Sea, monitor the impact of the emerald rocks, and then pilot the ships back to the other shore. Only an alien could bring out the vessel's miraculous functions.
Lu Yiren waved goodbye, and Xu Ying raised an arm in farewell.
The emerald multideck ship gradually sailed away, moving faster and faster until it turned into a streak of emerald-green light and vanished beyond the horizon.
"With Lu Yiren gone, who knows when we will meet again." Feeling a twinge of melancholy, Xu Ying returned to the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court with Yuan Weiyang.
He took out another emerald multideck ship and handed it to Bi Yanhai, having him take Princess Mingman back to the Heavenly Immortal Realm. "Now that the passage between heaven and earth is open, the Heavenly Chancellor should contribute to the exchanges between the academies of both realms."
Xu Ying said to Bi Yanhai, "The New Dao has only just emerged in the Heavenly Immortal Realm and has not yet gained broad momentum; learned scholars from the Earth Immortal Realm are needed to travel there and teach it. Meanwhile, the Earth Immortal Realm's Dao methods are lagging behind, so its scholars must travel to the Heavenly Immortal Realm to study and decipher the Dao methods of the other shore. Peaceful exchange between the two realms will surely bring prosperity to both."
Bi Yanhai assented, saying, "Rest assured, Dao Ancestor Xu. Once I arrive in the Heavenly Immortal Realm, I will throw wide the gates of exchange between the two realms."
Xu Ying also instructed Princess Mingman, "When you return to the Heavenly Immortal Realm to spread the New Dao, you will be the Second Ancestor. As your master, I only spent ten days preaching there and could not explain everything thoroughly; you have great things ahead of you."
Princess Mingman waved goodbye reluctantly and departed.
The Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court remained exceptionally bustling. The grand preaching had been so mind-boggling that cultivators from distant regions continued to stream in without pause.
These late arrivals had missed the sermons of Xu Ying, the Ancestral God, the Holy Venerable, and the others, but fortunately, so many people remained in the Ancestral Court that whenever someone attained an insight, they would set up an altar to share it.
The Ancestral God preferred peace and quiet, yet for several years in a row, quiet proved impossible. Every day in the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court, people debated doctrines and discussed the Dao. Some even came to blows over a single pithy formula, and brawls turning fatal were not uncommon.
Xu Jing ascended the throne as emperor and began reforming the Immortal Court. He replaced a massive number of officials, amounting to a change of dynasty, cleaning out all the old, useless immortal officials.
He also promoted shrewd, capable figures from Little Heavenly Venerable's ranks, established the Seventh Department—the Academy Department—with substantial armed forces, and opened academies across the various worlds.
Little Heavenly Venerable took charge of the Academy Department. Leading a contingent of fierce and seasoned warriors, he opened academies while simultaneously suppressing local sects.
The pushback from the sects was intense, including immortal experts among their ranks, but Little Heavenly Venerable had attained the Supreme Realm and possessed consummate might, so he feared nothing.
Emperor Jing also established the Heavenly Craftsman Department, appointing Daoist Yu Ji as Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Craftsman Department to oversee magical treasures and transportation between the Three Realms.
In just a few short years, a new vitality breathed through the Earth Immortal Realm. The academies steadily flourished, attracting a multitude of disciples.
Emperor Jing planned to confer upon Xu Ying the title of Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace and had the Eastern Palace built, but Xu Ying only stayed there once. Whenever he occasionally returned to visit his parents, he stayed in Lan Suying's palace instead.
During this period, he and Yuan Weiyang frequently steered the World-Crossing Golden Ship on journeys far and wide, spending little time in the Immortal Court or the Heavenly Dao Ancestral Court. The two traveled through scenic landscapes and admired the wonders of the cosmos, such as the Quasar Marshes, interstellar thunder, and the Guixu.
They even considered entering the Heavenly Abyss Ocean Eye to investigate its secrets, but fearing they might never return once inside, they had to give up the idea. Their cultivation grew deeper with each passing day, and their comprehension of the Taiyi true heritage and the *Hunyuan Cave Abyss Calamity Dispelling Scripture* grew ever more profound. Xu Ying gained another cave abyss—a Hunyuan cave abyss through which Initial Qi flowed—though a Mysterious Qi cave abyss remained elusive.
Initial, Origin, and Mysterious Qi—these Three Qis were crucial to the subsequent realms, which was why Xu Ying, Yuan Weiyang, and the others valued them so highly. Over these years, the two often visited Useless Qingxuan and the Holy Venerable to exchange insights, but neither Useless Qingxuan nor the Holy Venerable had succeeded in refining Mysterious Qi either.
The Supreme Realm was vast and profound; after five or six years, Xu Ying had barely reached the mid-stage. In contrast, the Holy Venerable and Useless Qingxuan had already reached the Great Completion of the Supreme Realm and were sprinting toward perfection, placing tremendous pressure on Xu Ying.
During this time, another major event shook the Earth Immortal Realm and sparked an uproar: Daoist Xiaotian attained the Supreme Realm.
From then on, saying "a Supreme isn't even worth a dog" was no longer a joke, nor was "Dog Supreme" merely an insult.
Xu Ying had met Daoist Xiaotian several times during his travels and offered him pointers in cultivation, but he never expected the dog to attain the Supreme Realm so quickly.
To those who painstakingly polished their cultivation in hopes of breaking into the Supreme Realm, this was indeed quite a blow.
On the day Daoist Xiaotian broke through, another person also made an attempt on the Supreme Realm, causing quite a stir. Yet compared to Daoist Xiaotian, Martial Emperor Shen Luo's breakthrough drew almost no attention.
Nevertheless, Xu Ying attended in person to congratulate Martial Emperor Shen Luo. Had it not been for this great emperor of martial arts, Xu Ying might never have overcome many of the hurdles in his path. The inspiration martial arts provided him could hardly be overstated.
Shen Luo remained as dedicated as ever, focusing solely on cultivation, as did Heavenly Venerable, the Martial Immortals, and their peers.
This cadre of martial experts possessed boundless might, their essence, qi, and spirit towering and magnificent. Even after breaking through to the realm of a Martial Supreme, Martial Emperor Shen Luo showed no sign of stopping, continuing to temper and hone his cultivation.
Yuan Weiyang observed, "There is no path left ahead of a Martial Supreme. Even the greatest martial emperor in history only cultivated Heavenly Martial Dao Proving to the eighth Dao Realm. I fear continuing onward will yield no results for Martial Emperor Shen Luo."
Xu Ying smiled. "Human effort can achieve anything. Just because the dragon race's martial emperors were trapped at the eighth Dao Realm doesn't mean Martial Emperor Shen Luo will be bound by it. Perhaps he will forge a path to Immortality."
On this day, the passage between heaven and earth was finally pierced through by dragon experts. The dragon race's first contingent of envoys arrived in the Earth Immortal Realm aboard a dragon ship, entered the Immortal Court, and paid audience to Immortal Emperor Xu Jing.
Official exchanges between the Heavenly Immortal Realm and the Earth Immortal Realm began in earnest.
Xu Ying and Yuan Weiyang also set sail, traveling to the Heavenly Immortal Realm to seek out the Far Ancestor Big Dragon.
"Grandpa Dragon, have you ever considered that the Abyss Sea might not be the next ascension ground, but an unimaginably colossal cave abyss?" Xu Ying coaxed gently.
Hearing this, the Far Ancestor Big Dragon laughed out loud. "How could it be a cave abyss? Whose cave abyss could be so enormous? Even the ninth Dao Realm Immortal cave abysses of the other shore are far from being as vast as the Abyss Sea."
Xu Ying probed, "What about the tenth Dao Realm?"
The Far Ancestor Big Dragon burst into hearty laughter. "Dao Ancestor Xu, why are you being so dull-witted? This Abyss Sea is a treasure land of our Three Realms. Our Three Realms barely have a few Immortals to begin with; where would a tenth Dao Realm come from?"
Xu Ying smiled. "Then what about before the dragon race?"
The Far Ancestor Big Dragon shook his head. "We dragons inherited the destiny of heaven and earth. What 'before' could there be? No one is more ancient than me."
Xu Ying hesitated, then asked, "Then what era does that horned ox-monster skull in the Ancestral Court's underworld belong to?"
The Far Ancestor Big Dragon froze. That ox-monster skull was indeed bizarre, its origins even more ancient than his own. In the Dragon Court era, when the underworld had only just formed, the skull was already resting there.
"Now that you mention it, I do recall. There were indeed some unbelievable relics from the primordial era." The Far Ancestor muttered, "Could there really be a tenth Dao Realm? No... if there truly were, how could someone as powerful as me not have discovered that a realm existed above Immortality?"
Yuan Weiyang pondered, "Then is it possible, Far Ancestor, that you have merely touched the threshold of the Immortal Realm and haven't truly mastered it yet?"
The Far Ancestor laughed boisterously. "I haven't truly mastered it? What a joke! Girl, standing before you is an Immortal as old as this universe itself—the sacred dragon descended from heaven, the Dragon Dao Ancestor who pioneered the Dao Realms, the Far Ancestor of the Abyss Sea! I haven't mastered it...?"
He suddenly recalled that Yinyuanzi had merely been an avatar, and his expression flickered between light and dark. Compared to Yinyuanzi, he really did seem to have only scratched the threshold of the Immortal Realm.
Watching his face, Xu Ying knew the old dragon had convinced himself. Smiling, he asked, "Grandpa Dragon, could you summon the Abyss Sea and let us go in to take a look?"
"All right."
Chapter 710