Xu Ying remained standing in a daze, unable to calm his churning thoughts for a long time.
The silver-haired young man's strength was too formidable—so formidable it felt almost unbelievable to him.
Ever since he became a Qi Refiner, he had rarely met an equal in the same realm. Even if someone could stand shoulder to shoulder with him for a moment, they would soon be defeated by him.
Yet this silver-haired youth gave him a feeling of being insurmountable for the very first time.
Xu Ying exhaled a breath of turbid air and murmured, "'Xuan Qi arises from the Void, Yuan Qi arises from the Cavern, Shi Qi arises from Nonbeing. Thus One begets Two, Two begets Three, and the Three transform to bring forth the Nine Mysteries; reverting from Nine back to One leads to the Dao's true nature.' I have yet to comprehend the Nine Mysteries and revert from nine back to one. In this regard, I am inferior to him."
The second point where he fell short was the number of Great Daos the silver-haired man had mastered: more than two hundred, all integrated into the Taiyi Great Dao.
More than two hundred Great Daos meant more than two hundred cave abysses. Once he harmonized with the Dao, those two hundred-plus cave abysses would merge as well, transforming into a Taiyi Cave Abyss.
His Taiyi Cave Abyss was bound to be vast beyond measure, which meant his cultivation had to be unimaginably profound!
Xu Ying's Taiyi Cave Abyss had fused thirty different Great Daos and cave abysses, and his ability to master them was thanks to the other shore techniques passed on to him by Mingman.
Those techniques were merely incomplete arts passed down by the other shore to the Heavenly Immortal Realm; any cave abysses and Daos cultivated through them remained fragmented and flawed.
Thus, in both Dao methods and cultivation base, Xu Ying was far outmatched by the silver-haired youth.
The third factor was the architecture of the Great Dao.
Currently, Xu Ying's Dao architecture comprised dragon patterns, Dao patterns, and runes, using whichever worked best.
Yet these three architectures had barely been elevated to the same tier as the other shore's principle patterns, merely keeping them from being superseded by principle patterns.
Dragon patterns, Dao patterns, and runes were, in truth, still inferior to principle patterns.
Although he had realized that the Martial Dao possessed no Dao architecture and grasped a hint of higher principles, he had not yet formed an integrated system.
"The fourth point is that his divine powers also far surpass mine," Xu Ying silently reflected.
Beyond that, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth in the Three Realms had been incomplete until recently when it was restored, far lagging behind the flourishing Dao methods of the other shore.
This placed immense limitations upon Xu Ying.
In an environment like the Three Realms, it was impossible to encounter supreme Great Daos, let alone supreme legacies.
"If I want to catch up to him, or even surpass him, I must comprehend the Nine Mysteries, revert from nine back to one, study more Great Daos, and cultivate more cave abysses! I need to devise runes and Dao patterns that surpass principle patterns, comprehend more divine powers, and witness more masters!"
Collecting his thoughts, Xu Ying looked up at the firmament of divine power imprints glittering like stars. This was Emperor Haotian's place of enlightenment. Emperor Haotian was a disciple of Grand Dao Lord Taiyi, so comprehending the true Taiyi legacy here would yield twice the result with half the effort!
"That silver-haired youth should be Zhuo Daochun from Taiyi's lineage. I had heard he was formidable, but I never imagined he would be this terrifying."
Shi Tianyang came to his senses and said, "Someone hailing from Grand Dao Lord Taiyi's lineage is indeed extraordinary—nothing like rogue cultivators like us."
Xu Ying smiled. "Yet defeating him is not impossible! In the future, I will fight him again! Grand Dao Lord Haoyu's place of enlightenment shall be our ascension site! As long as we fathom the mysteries here, our cultivation and strength will both rise to another level!"
Daoist Wukong had also been deeply stirred, and walked over to meditate beneath the great tree.
Back then, Emperor Haotian had also contemplated and attained enlightenment beneath this tree, leaving behind rich and potent Dao Qi. Over hundreds of thousands of years, the tree had absorbed the surrounding Dao power and Dao Qi; meditating beneath it allowed one to enter the Dao at remarkable speed.
Shi Tianyang walked into the immortal palace. Just moments ago, the silver-haired young man, Zhuo Daochun, had meditated within this palace, deciphering Emperor Haotian's various divine powers.
Both had chosen ingenious spots—the two optimal locations for enlightenment.
Xu Ying had no choice but to pick an arbitrary spot to sit down, quietly sensing the wandering Dao power and Dao Qi drifting between heaven and earth while pondering the truths Emperor Haotian had grasped back then.
Though his location was inferior to theirs, he cultivated the Taiyi Great Dao itself. Consequently, his speed in entering the Dao was even faster than theirs. He soon entered a state of harmonious communion with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, perceiving the extraordinary nature of each distinct Dao.
Over the years since Daoist Wukong had arrived here, whenever he faced danger he would hide in this forbidden zone. Even meditating in the outer layer had boosted his cultivation and strength tremendously. Now that he had reached the core where Emperor Haotian attained enlightenment, his progress was naturally all the swifter!
Before long, all three entered profound contemplation, free from extraneous thoughts and untouched by outside disturbances.
The Zhuxian sword slipped out as well, naturally entering enlightenment as tiny cave abysses spun around it.
The big bell flew above the immortal palace to intercept the Dao power and Dao Qi drawn when Shi Tianyang entered the Dao, joining the contemplation as well.
Though this enlightenment zone was perilous, its inner sanctuary was paradoxically safe, resembling an ocean of Dao methods filled with treasures at every turn.
As Xu Ying's comprehension deepened, various Great Daos converged, and Dao power and Dao Qi actually drifted toward him, guided into his body with each breath.
Emperor Haotian's many insights rushed in successively, making him feel as though he could see that heaven-born prodigy contemplating heaven and earth right here, murmuring to himself.
Emperor Haotian's voice seemed to grow clearer, expounding on the profound principles of the Great Daos and passing on the mysteries of the Dao generating the Nine Mysteries and the Nine Mysteries returning to One.
Gradually, Xu Ying fell deeper into the Dao, and the surrounding Great Daos of Heaven and Earth grew increasingly vibrant, converging into his body.
Cave abyss after cave abyss naturally formed behind him, revolving slowly.
These cave abysses seemed to follow their own natural orbits, at times fusing with the Taiyi Cave Abyss, and at other times separating from it.
This was the manifestation of his mastery over new Great Daos.
All of this occurred spontaneously. Xu Ying made no deliberate effort to guide it, allowing the Taiyi Great Dao to merge with the other Daos, and allowing the Taiyi Great Dao to transform and bring forth other Daos.
After an unknown time, cave abysses of various sizes revolved ceaselessly behind Xu Ying's head, suffused with the auras of different Heavenly Daos, continually merging with and separating from the Taiyi Cave Abyss.
His cultivation advanced steadily, his dharmic power grew ever more majestic, and the Taiyi Cave Abyss expanded wider and wider.
Just as Xu Ying finished contemplating all the Great Daos here and was on the verge of waking, a sudden transformation occurred. Some of those cave abysses merged with the Taiyi Cave Abyss, some with the Hundong Cave Abyss, and others with the Hunyuan Cave Abyss.
They separated at times, only to blend into the other two cave abysses.
Between different Great Daos, there actually seemed to be mutual communion and transformation!
When these cave abysses fused with the Taiyi Cave Abyss, they produced Yuan Qi; when fusing with the Hundong Cave Abyss, they produced Xuan Qi; and when fusing with the Hunyuan Cave Abyss, they produced Shi Qi.
This was precisely the marvel of the Nine Mysteries!
If one could grasp the Nine Mysteries returning to One, the Three Qis would unite into one—only then could one truly be said to possess Grand Dao Lord Taiyi's authentic legacy!
Xu Ying remained seated upright. The flow between the various cave abysses grew even more intense, streaming in and out of the three primary cave abysses, the transformations becoming increasingly effortless and smooth.
Suddenly, the myriad Great Daos fused into one, and the three major cave abysses—Hundong, Hunyuan, and Taiyi—merged naturally into an indivisible whole.
Yuan Qi, Shi Qi, and Xuan Qi—the Three Qis finally converged into one stream!
Xu Ying's aura surged wildly. He felt an inscrutably wondrous spiritual energy pour forth from the new cave abyss, cleansing his physical body and primordial spirit, purifying his various Great Daos, rendering his body and soul ever stronger and his Daos increasingly pure.
Xu Ying was immersed in immense joy, completely unaware that the Dao power and Dao Qi of the forbidden zone were madly surging toward him, pouring into his body!
He had not chosen the best spot for cultivation, yet the Dao Qi and Dao power coursing into his body exceeded that of Daoist Wukong and Shi Tianyang by dozens of times!
It was as though the place where he sat was the true spot of Emperor Haotian's enlightenment back then.
At last, the true Taiyi legacy—reverting from nine back to one—was finally mastered!
Several months passed before Xu Ying slowly woke. Opening his eyes, he felt his cultivation had leaped forward by a massive bound. His Taiyi Great Dao had almost reached the Immortal tier, and the Taiyi Cave Abyss now rivaled his Hongmeng Cave Abyss!
The Hongmeng Great Dao was the only Dao he had elevated to the Immortal tier, but not through cultivation—it came from mending the Three Realms, an immense merit earned from mending the heavens.
The Taiyi Great Dao, however, was forged through his own cultivation—solid, genuine mastery!
Xu Ying was delighted. Standing up, he saw that the big bell had left the immortal palace at some point and hovered over his head. It had surely been drawn over by the vastly richer Dao Qi and Dao power he had attracted.
Daoist Wukong and Shi Tianyang were still immersed in the Dao and had not awakened.
Xu Ying examined them closely. Daoist Wukong walked a different path: while Xu Ying sought to grasp the authentic Taiyi legacy and comprehend the Three Qis, Nine Mysteries, and their unification, Daoist Wukong attempted to take the Supreme Dao as his foundation and integrate other Daos into it!
This ambition moved Xu Ying deeply. If Daoist Wukong succeeded, he would likely become another Grand Dao Lord, perhaps even far surpassing Yu Xuantong, who also practiced the Supreme Dao!
However, this road was extraordinarily difficult. Although Daoist Wukong possessed supreme aptitude and perception, whether he could see it through remained unknown.
Xu Ying then arrived at the immortal palace. Shi Tianyang's path differed from both of theirs. Originally an abandoned infant taken in by others, he had no background to speak of; reaching his current level was entirely due to his raw talent.
He cultivated the Dao of Gods and Demons, possessing an overbearingly tyrannical God-Demon Body whose thousand arms each wielded a different magical treasure. Yet because he had been exposed to far too few high-grade Daos and techniques, the quality of those treasures could not improve.
Now, seated upon Emperor Haotian's place of enlightenment, various profound Dao methods flooded in, pouring into his mind.
This happened to enhance his God-Demon Body and boost the power of his myriad treasures.
"Fellow Daoist Shi's background doesn't seem to belong to the Sacred Race of the other shore either. Could he also hail from another universe?" Xu Ying thought to himself.
The Zhuxian broken sword was also cultivating. It actually drew in Dao power and Dao Qi as well, tempering itself to be sharper and even more formidable!
Xu Ying looked up at the various divine power imprints that formed the celestial canopy. The imprints he could make no sense of before were now seventy to eighty percent intelligible at a single glance.
"I wonder, with my current abilities, can I take a look at the folds on Master Bell's surface?"
No sooner had the thought arisen than he acted upon it. He summoned the big bell at once and stared intently at its surface.
In the next instant, Chaos Qi gushed uncontrollably from Xu Ying's eyes, ears, mouth, and nose!
His cultivation was stronger than before, yet the backlash he suffered was also far more severe!
Xu Ying hurriedly shut his eyes, his heart pounding with lingering fear.
The big bell said lazily, "Ah Ying, if you can't handle it, don't force it. You've worked hard, sure, but there's still a tiny little gap between you and me."
Xu Ying snorted and ignored it, turning his attention instead to the lotus pond and the Primordial Source inside his Chaos Cave Abyss.
In the lotus pond, the Chaos Lotus gently stretched its roots, seemingly searching for Chaos Qi. His Chaos Cave Abyss had already been drained dry by this lotus; any Chaos Qi as soon as it was born was swallowed up clean, becoming nourishment for the Primordial Source!
"This Chaos Lotus seems to be growing as well."
Xu Ying was surprised. The water in the Chaos Lotus Pond seemed to be made of innate indestructible spiritual light, dazzling brilliantly. But why would such a bizarre thing grow within the Chaos Sea?
At this thought, Xu Ying immediately mobilized his Chaos Cave Abyss. Yet he promptly discovered that he couldn't extract even a shred of power from the Primordial Source.
Instead, any output from the Chaos Cave Abyss was absorbed by the Chaos Lotus!
The faster it operated, the faster the lotus absorbed it.
"This Primordial Source is clearly a bottomless pit! If I want to harness dharmic power on the scale of an entire universe, I must first feed it a universe's worth of Chaos Qi!"
He couldn't help feeling a bit dejected, but then a thought struck him: "I can't channel the Primordial Source's power, but could I activate this Chaos Lotus?"
He attempted to wield this lotus like a magical treasure, only to feel his dharmic power vanish without a trace the moment it entered the bloom.
Xu Ying still did not give up. Mobilizing his various cave abysses, he poured dharmic power into it continuously. After a long while, he finally sensed that the Chaos Lotus could indeed be wielded by him!
Carefully, he drove the lotus, dragging the Primordial Source along as it slowly drifted out from the Chaos Cave Abyss.
"I wonder how powerful this lotus is?"
Xu Ying channeled his remaining dharmic power in an attempt to trigger the Chaos Lotus. Suddenly, the surrounding forbidden zone shook violently, spacetime trembled, and the Firmament of Divine Powers left behind by Emperor Haotian flared with brilliant light, threatening to erupt!
This Firmament of Divine Powers had been formed from the countless divine powers Emperor Haotian left behind upon attaining enlightenment. Zhuo Daochun had comprehended this firmament to fight against Master Bell, Xu Ying, and the other two, and had only been forced onto the back foot rather than blasted to death—one could easily glimpse its terrifying power!
"Not good! If the Firmament of Divine Powers is triggered, all of us will die here!"
Xu Ying's dharmic power was exhausted, swallowed clean by the Chaos Lotus. The Chaos Lotus sank back down, preventing him from witnessing its true might.
The trembling Firmament of Divine Powers also slowly subsided, the various divine powers gradually returning to calm.
Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, murmuring, "Emperor Haotian's forbidden zone is simply too formidable. This is no place to test the Chaos Lotus's power."
Yet he failed to notice that several nearby divine power imprints had developed fine cracks—damaged by the invisible force radiating from the Chaos Lotus the instant it arose!
Once his cultivation had recovered somewhat, Xu Ying stored the Chaos Lotus and the Primordial Source back into his Chaos Cave Abyss. Seeing that Daoist Wukong, Shi Tianyang, and the Zhuxian broken sword were still immersed in enlightenment, he whispered, "The other shore has many sights of the Great Dao where one can comprehend different Daos. For my Taiyi Great Dao to advance further and surpass Zhuo Daochun, I must comprehend even more Daos."
Bringing the big bell along, he looked toward Emperor Haotian's divine power imprints, thinking, "I wonder if I can pass safely through these imprints just like Zhuo Daochun?"
Xu Ying took a step forward and walked outward.
"Now that I have thoroughly comprehended the true Taiyi legacy, what Zhuo Daochun could do, I can do as well!"
Chapter 731