Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula

Dao Lord Hong gave a cold snort and looked around. Of the five stone steles Xu Ying and the others spoke of, he could not see a single one. "A Grand Dao Master possesses vast divine abilities, far beyond what I can comprehend." Dao Lord Hong swept his gaze over Xu Ying and the others. These five were merely at the eighth realm of the Dao Realm, not yet beings of the Immortal realm. Even within the Immortal realm, the difference in cultivation and strength was like heaven and earth. The Immortal realm of the other shore was divided into four tiers. The first tier comprised ordinary Immortals who had only recently stepped into the Immortal realm and had not yet had the chance to preach their Dao across the myriad universes. This tier of Immortal was the lowest in power, but that was only relative to the other shore. Compared to Immortals of other universes, even the lowest-grade Immortal from the other shore was among the very top powerhouses of their own universe! The second tier was composed of Immortals hailed as True Kings. Such powerhouses possessed cultivation several times or even tens of times more profound than the first tier, and their strength was vastly superior. They often harvested the myriad universes, possessing disciples, protégés, and sect lineages throughout various realms. A dark domain formed behind their heads, within which countless cave abysses of all sizes drifted and bobbed, ready at any moment to harvest cultivators from across the myriad universes. The third tier of Immortals were the Dao Lords. These powerhouses often cultivated higher Grand Daos; not only was their strength unfathomable, but their influence was also immense. They often held several ordinary Immortals under their banners and occupied the most advantageous locations in Daoji Heaven. The fourth tier of Immortals were the Grand Dao Lords. The Grand Dao Lords held supreme status, controlling the finest resources across the myriad universes, their disciples and followers spread across the other shore. They had existed in the world ever since the dawn of the other shore's flourishing civilization, deploying Emerald Rock scouts to open up one universe after another, accumulating an incomparably profound foundation. Becoming a Grand Dao Lord was virtually impossible. In history, only one person had successfully risen to become a Grand Dao Lord, and that was Grand Dao Lord Haoyi. Sweeping across the other shore without rival and defeating four Grand Dao Lords to ascend as a Grand Dao Lord had become an unwritten rule of the other shore. "Five Tianjing natives who aren't even ordinary Immortals. Even if they have tricks up their sleeves, they're nowhere near a match for me." Dao Lord Hong felt slightly reassured and barked, "Each of you, comprehend the contents on your steles and explain them to me! If you conceal even a fraction, you will be executed without mercy! Xu Ying, you go first. Read aloud the contents of your Emerald Rock stele!" Xu Ying gave an affirmative reply, glanced at Zhuo Daochun and the other three, and walked over to his Emerald Rock stele. Before entering this place, he had caught a vague glimpse of an Emerald Rock stele. Now that he saw it again, he knew its contents had to be connected to the legacy of Grand Dao Master Xuanhuang. Grand Dao Master Xuanhuang had lured away the four Grand Dao Lords, likely because he did not want his inheritance to fall into the hands of the other shore. The script on the stele was written in the text of principles of the other shore, which was essentially identical to Tianjing's text of principles. Having mastered the text of principles of the other shore, the inscriptions on the stele posed no difficulty to him. Inscribed upon the stele was an incomparably profound and obscure art titled the Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula. Every word shone like a polished gem, expounding methods of Dao attainment. This was not Xu Ying's first encounter with an art of the Grand Dao Master level. Dao Zongyuan, the Grand Dao Master of the Yuan Realm, had personally imparted the Hundong Indestructible Scripture to him. However, though Xu Ying had obtained Dao Zongyuan's art, he had only extracted the cultivation method for Xuan Qi to make up for the three qi within his body. As for the complete Hundong Indestructible Scripture, Xu Ying had not cultivated it. "Read!" Dao Lord Hong barked. Xu Ying steadied his mind and began reciting the contents on the stone stele. Listening to the words, Dao Lord Hong let out a soft gasp of surprise. The Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula did not begin by teaching qi refinement; instead, it skipped qi refinement entirely and went straight to the Dao Attainment chapter! The very first step of cultivation was the Three Realms of Dao Attainment! The first realm was the eighth realm of the Dao Realm—the Wondrous Realm of Great Luo in the Old Dao, and the Supreme realm in the New Dao. As for cultivating from a mere mortal to tribulation transcendence and ascension, and then up to the seventh realm of the Dao Realm, to an art created by a Grand Dao Master, all of that was merely an offhand remark. Anyone who had not reached the seventh realm of the Dao Realm lacked even the qualification to look upon this art. Xu Ying read line by line, reciting the Dao Attainment chapter. While Dao Lord Hong committed it to memory, Zhuo Daochun, Nangong Hao, Wei Yi, and Shi Yuting were also desperately memorizing every word, trying to comprehend the chapter on the Three Realms of Dao Attainment. The most crucial part was the third realm: the Grand Dao Master realm. This realm could only be attained through proving one's Dao. From attaining Great Luo, to attaining Immortality, to attaining Grand Dao Master—this was the chapter of the Three Realms of Dao Attainment! Xu Ying read through the contents of the Three Realms of Dao Attainment. Dao Lord Hong listened to the first two sections enraptured, discovering that he actually had numerous omissions in both the eighth and ninth realms of the Dao Realm. However, when it came to the final section, he struggled to comprehend it; there were many parts he could not grasp at all. If even he could not understand, Zhuo Daochun, Wei Yi, and the others found it even more impenetrable. In particular, terms such as Chaos Master, Menghong, and Void Hole could not be accurately expressed even in the Dao language, defying precise description. Xu Ying, however, stirred inwardly. Those very terms had been mentioned on another Emerald Rock in the Hunyuan Cave Abyss Calamity Dispelling Scripture! It was just that the Calamity Dispelling Scripture contained relatively few descriptions of Menghong, Void Hole, and Chaos Master, whereas the Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula offered far more on the subject. Having finished reading, Xu Ying returned to Dao Lord Hong's side. Dao Lord Hong looked at Shi Yuting and said, "Go. Read your stone stele." Shi Yuting acknowledged the order, stepped forward to the Emerald Rock stele he had seen, and began reciting another portion of the Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula. Xu Ying's stele had expounded the three stages of Dao attainment in sequential progression. This stele, however, recorded the art of how to cultivate the tenth realm of the Dao Realm after achieving the three attainments. Xu Ying also focused on memorizing, committing this section of scripture to memory and corroborating it against the earlier chapter on the three attainments. As Shi Yuting finished reciting, Dao Lord Hong's brow furrowed even deeper. He had not even grasped the third section of the three attainments, so when it came to how to cultivate the tenth realm, he was entirely in the dark. Nangong Hao stepped forward to his stele and recited its contents, while the others hurriedly memorized every word. The text on this stele explained how to cultivate Dao Structureless. Dao Lord Hong's face darkened; he could not understand this either. Xu Ying and the others committed it to memory as fast as they could. Wei Yi stepped forward and recited the text on his stele. His stele detailed how to unify all Daos and forge a single Hunyuan whole! This method was even more profound, leaving Dao Lord Hong utterly bewildered and at a loss. Zhuo Daochun was the last to step forward and recite the contents of the final stele. Yet to everyone's surprise, what this stele recorded was not a divine ability! By all logic, an art ought to be accompanied by divine abilities, yet Xuanhuang had left none behind. Instead, on this stele he had left his perspective on calamities and various methods for coping with them. "Master of the Grand Dao: ferrying oneself permits survival; ferrying others ensures defeat," Grand Dao Master Xuanhuang had written on the stele. After hearing the contents of all five steles, each had gained considerably. Xu Ying's eyes flickered, and he suddenly circulated the Martial Ultimate Dao Attainment Scripture, mobilizing the Ginseng Fruit Tree. Swish, swish, swish! The roots of the Ginseng Fruit Tree danced wildly, burrowing into the Wuji, Hongmeng, Chaos, Samsara, and Taiyi cave abysses. As his art circulated, the Wuji Cave Abyss suddenly shook violently and was yanked into the Martial Dao Cave Abyss by the Ginseng Fruit Tree, merging into it! As the Martial Dao Cave Abyss incorporated the Wuji Cave Abyss, it expanded significantly, and Xu Ying's cultivation surged by a huge leap in an instant! Next, the Samsara Cave Abyss trembled fiercely, and with a thunderous roar, it too was dragged into the Martial Dao Cave Abyss! Xu Ying's cultivation rose significantly once more. In the next moment, the Chaos Cave Abyss was also pulled into the Martial Dao Cave Abyss, sending his cultivation soaring higher and higher! In a mere moment, only the Taiyi Cave Abyss and the Hongmeng Cave Abyss remained unabsorbed by the Martial Dao Cave Abyss. The Hongmeng Cave Abyss was a reward he had obtained when he sacrificed the Hongyuan core to mend the Three Realms universe, receiving an infusion of karmic destiny. However, this boon had been so immense that his attainment in the Grand Dao of Hongmeng had been directly elevated to the Immortal level! His improvement had not come from his own cultivation but from a direct infusion; therefore, Xu Ying rarely employed the Grand Dao of Hongmeng in battle. To absorb the Grand Dao of Hongmeng and the Hongmeng Cave Abyss into the Martial Dao Cave Abyss, his cultivation and strength needed to progress further, and he had to gain a deeper understanding of the Grand Dao of Hongmeng first. As for the Taiyi Cave Abyss, it was because he had expended boundless effort on the Grand Dao of Taiyi and comprehended far too many Dao methods, such that the Ginseng Fruit Tree temporarily could not drag this cave abyss. Over the past few days, he had contemplated the contents of the five stone steles, and now at this critical juncture, his cultivation and strength had achieved an impressive breakthrough. Sensing the continuous shift in his aura, Dao Lord Hong chuckled. "Barbarian of the Three Realms, you can't possibly be thinking of rebelling against me, can you? Do you really believe you can fight to the bitter end?" Before his voice finished echoing, Zhuo Daochun also mobilized his profound arts, pushing his cultivation to its peak, and said, "Dao Lord, count me in as well." Zhuo Daochun possessed extraordinary talent. Over these past few days, he too had been pondering the contents of the five steles. Though he had not comprehended the Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula completely, his cultivation and strength had also improved considerably! In particular, during this period he had collected treasures and Dao Qi from hundreds of Dao lands. That Dao Qi contained the principles of various Great Daos, some of which had been beyond his grasp. Yet contemplating the Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula this time allowed him to draw analogies across disciplines, making his cultivation stronger than ever before! Wei Yi also surged with cultivation power and said coolly, "Me too." He was a disciple of the Life and Death Grand Dao Lord, possessing immense cultivation and power. Originally hailed as invincible beneath the Immortal realm, he too had made an astonishing leap after contemplating the Xuanhuang Dao Realm Formula. Nangong Hao and Shi Yuting surged with their auras as well, declaring in unison, "And us!" All five of them were successors chosen by Grand Dao Master Xuanhuang. While searching for Dao lands, Dao Qi, and magic treasures, their cultivation and strength had already made startling advances, and now their power had ascended to yet another level. Seeing their murderous aura, Dao Lord Hong could not help bursting into loud laughter, looking down upon the five of them with disdain. "Just the five of you? I originally intended to wait a while before silencing you, lest I forget the text on the steles. But since you're courting death right now, you leave me no choice!" He activated his Karma Cave Abyss, and the Grand Dao of Karma immediately spread out in all directions. Dao Lord Hong frowned slightly, sensing an awkwardness in the circulation of his Grand Dao of Karma. This place was a spacetime within the Chaos Sea opened up by Grand Dao Master Xuanhuang precisely to serve as a place to preach the Dao. However, because it lay within the Chaos Sea, the Dao power of the Grand Dao of Karma became quite unstable here. Better to make quick work of this and finish off these brats! The instant Dao Lord Hong moved, Xu Ying's Taiyi Myriad Dao Tripod had already crashed toward him! Crashing in at the same time were one to two hundred top-grade Immortal treasures collected by Zhuo Daochun! Though Wei Yi had fewer Immortal treasures, he still possessed several dozen, while Nangong Hao and Shi Yuting each had over ten Immortal treasures as well! With all these magic treasures hurtling forward in an avalanche, even though Hong Tiangang was a Dao Lord, his expression could not help changing. Forgoing a counterattack to kill the five, he immediately turned to repel the onslaught of so many treasures! These magic treasures possessed formidable might, having been left as opportunities for Xu Ying and the others by Grand Dao Master Xuanhuang. Although Xu Ying had only seized the single Taiyi Myriad Dao Tripod, it was ironically the most powerful treasure among them all! As the tripod blasted forward, myriad Daos boiled within it, as if an Immortal with a Dao equal to the body were unleashing their full might! Dao Lord Hong channeled the Grand Dao of Karma, instantly discerning the strengths, weaknesses, and attack trajectories of every magic treasure with complete clarity in his Dao heart. Just as he prepared to confront the Taiyi Myriad Dao Tripod, he heard a peculiar chime of a bell. The karmic trajectories of the various treasures, so vivid a moment ago, suddenly blurred. A big bell flew out from Xu Ying's cave abyss, clanging continuously, jarring his karma into disarray! Boom! In a single instant, nearly all the magic treasures struck Dao Lord Hong simultaneously. The Taiyi Myriad Dao Tripod erupted with power exclusive to the Immortal realm, and the myriad other treasures detonated their might as well, sending out tremors that swept across everything and engulfed everyone! "We hit him!" Xu Ying, Zhuo Daochun, Wei Yi, Nangong Hao, and Shi Yuting each smiled. But as the shockwaves dissipated, their smiles froze on their faces. Dao Lord Hong had clamped one hand around the Taiyi Myriad Dao Tripod, ruthlessly suppressing its immense power inside the vessel! The Grand Dao of Karma, like entwined pythons, blocked every single one of the supreme treasures. So many supreme treasures had failed to breach his karmic defense! "You truly are powerful. Three of you have reached the level of ordinary Immortals, even approaching Immortal True Kings. If you five joined forces against a True King, he might well be dead already. But unfortunately for you, the one you are facing is me." Dao Lord Hong roared with laughter, surveyed his surroundings, and said leisurely, "Today I'll show you just how vast the chasm is between the eighth realm and the ninth realm of the Dao Realm!" His aura erupted, sending the Immortal treasures flying in all directions! Xu Ying leaped into the air and caught his Taiyi Myriad Dao Tripod. Just as he was about to land, Dao Lord Hong struck with a palm, slamming squarely into the tripod and jolting Xu Ying behind it until he coughed up blood. At the same time, Zhuo Daochun and the others caught their respective treasures, each shaken and injured by the impact! Dao Lord Hong let out a long cry, his magic power exploding as he slapped toward Xu Ying. Right at this moment, a Chaos Lotus emerged before Xu Ying. Beneath the blossom lay a Chaos Lotus Pond, and floating in the center of the petals was a bright, translucent Hongyuan. "Lord Lotus, please lend a hand!" Xu Ying bowed deeply, pouring all his magic power into the Chaos Lotus. Nearest to him were Wei Yi and Shi Yuting; seeing this, the two followed suit and bowed deeply as well! "Lord Lotus, please lend a hand!" No sooner had the three bowed than the Chaos Lotus rose into the air to meet Dao Lord Hong. The power of the Chaos Lotus Pond erupted, unleashing terrifying might akin to a miniature universe! Boom! Xu Ying, Wei Yi, and the others were violently shaken by the blast, clenching their teeth as they held their ground. "Dao Lord Hong definitely can't block this!" Drenched in blood, Dao Lord Hong caught the Chaos Lotus with a single bare hand, standing firm and unyielding! Behind him, darkness churned, and cave abysses grew ever brighter as they began harvesting cultivators of the Grand Dao of Karma from other universes to hold off the Chaos Lotus! "What other tricks do you have?" Dao Lord Hong said with a grim sneer.