Just as Wei Yuan was bewildered, True Monarch Xuanyue's voice gradually smoothed back to normal from its distorted state: "...If you practice the *Sovereign Time Scripture of the Pure Heaven Orthodoxy*, it may not necessarily bring out your Dao Foundation's full potential. I have another scripture, the *Myriad Aspects of Great Yin Moon Splendor*. Its transformations are boundless, and it suits you remarkably well."
The moment these words were spoken, Wei Yuan did not think much of it, but several Perfected Persons were thoroughly astonished. They all knew True Monarch Xuanyue had intended to impart the *Sovereign Time Scripture of the Pure Heaven Orthodoxy*, the unique Dao path of Sky Azure Hall. Magnificent, imposing, and boundlessly mighty, it was the very cultivation method that had made True Monarch Xuanyue famous. How had he suddenly changed his mind at the last moment and switched to the *Myriad Aspects of Great Yin Moon Splendor*?
It was not that the *Myriad Aspects of Great Yin Moon Splendor* was lacking; in terms of myriad transformations, it had few rivals. Yet in slaughter, offense, and defense, it ultimately fell short of the Pure Heaven Orthodoxy.
The Perfected Persons of Sky Azure Hall were bewildered, while the three Perfected Persons of Water Moon Hall were overjoyed. Perfected Lanhua, in particular, kept sizing Wei Yuan up and down, unscrupulous intentions written clearly across her face.
Perfected Fenhai's face went green, and he asked, "Why not impart the Pure Heaven Orthodoxy?"
True Monarch Xuanyue paused for a moment before replying, "The *Myriad Aspects of Great Yin Moon Splendor* suits him better."
Perfected Fenhai was visibly unconvinced, but True Monarch Xuanyue remained exceptionally firm in his insistence on imparting the Moon Splendor's Myriad Aspects. Reluctant to drop it, Fenhai tried to argue a few more words, only shutting his mouth grudgingly when he saw the True Monarch was about to teach him a lesson on respecting one's master and honoring the Dao. Fortunately, even though Wei Yuan was switching to the Moon Splendor's Myriad Aspects, he remained a disciple of Sky Azure Hall and had not been transferred to Water Moon Hall.
To Wei Yuan, whichever scripture he cultivated made little difference. He understood nothing of them anyway, so following the True Monarch's arrangements was only natural. Yet the two words "Moon Splendor" in the scripture's name sent a tremor through his heart.
Thereupon, True Monarch Xuanyue sent a wisp of Dao rhyme into Wei Yuan's sea of consciousness and said, "This wisp of Dao rhyme will aid your comprehension of this scripture's true essence. As for the mnemonic incantations, Water Moon Hall holds one primary original and three copies. The primary text bears the insights left by Immortal Monarch Daotan, who founded this Dao path. Though the copies lack the Immortal Monarch's direct insights, past seniors have recorded numerous realizations and Dao rhymes upon them, making them hardly inferior to the original. Tomorrow, go first to Water Moon Hall to contemplate the original. Once you have committed it to memory, you may take a copy with you. However, you must not impart it to outsiders or take it outside the palace grounds. Do you understand?"
Wei Yuan bowed in gratitude, and True Monarch Xuanyue bade Zhang Sheng take his leave to instruct Wei Yuan in the cultivation of the Dao Foundation realm.
Though Zhang Sheng primarily cultivated the *Sovereign Time Scripture of the Pure Heaven Orthodoxy*, he had also contemplated the *Myriad Aspects of Great Yin Moon Splendor*. Dabbling in both Dao paths made him more than qualified to instruct Wei Yuan.
The two stepped out of Sky Azure Hall. Wei Yuan glanced back over his shoulder; for some reason, he could not shake the feeling that Sky Azure Hall had grown somewhat darker. Yet none of the Perfected Persons had noticed anything amiss, nor had True Monarch Xuanyue seemed troubled, so Wei Yuan assumed his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Leaving Sky Azure Hall, Zhang Sheng did not pause for breath, immediately leading Wei Yuan to Water Moon Hall. Water Moon Hall was not built upon a floating peak like Sky Azure Hall; rather, it rested halfway up a mountain. Of the twelve halls in the Palace of Grand Beginning, only three were built upon the earth, and Water Moon Hall was one of them.
Though not on a floating peak, the mountain where Water Moon Hall stood boasted exquisite scenery. Along the path stood blossoming trees of varied colors, mostly in shades of blue with occasional yellows. Strands of refreshing spiritual vapor constantly drifted from each tree, growing denser the higher they climbed. By the time they reached the main doors of Water Moon Hall, though it was clearly midday, a hazy dimness hung over the sky. The sunlight was no longer harsh, and the ambient light resembled early dawn or dusk.
Zhang Sheng identified himself to the disciples guarding the entrance, then led Wei Yuan inside. Stepping into the hall, they found the ceiling transformed into a night sky, where an enormous full moon hung high above, shedding moon splendor as dense as water in a continuous cascade.
The moment he entered Water Moon Hall, Wei Yuan's instinct was to drop flat to the ground, tilt his head back, and gulp down a massive mouthful.
Zhang Sheng first led Wei Yuan to pay respects to the ancestral masters of Water Moon Hall in the main hall before taking him into the rear hall. He brought Wei Yuan before a jade prayer mat and had him sit down. Facing the mat was only a bare wall.
Zhang Sheng lit three sticks of fragrant incense on an altar table at the side of the hall and silently recited an incantation. The hall grew darker and darker. Gradually, the stone wall before Wei Yuan turned a lustrous, translucent white. A cool, ethereal, almost imperceptible Dao rhyme surfaced, followed by vast swathes of text appearing across the stone wall.
Wei Yuan immersed himself within the Dao rhyme, as if bathing in the moon splendor of primeval antiquity. Great Yin's moon splendor remained eternal and unchanging, yet shifted from moment to moment; the moonlight of the next breath was never quite the same as the moonlight of this breath. Between change and constancy, between ancient days and the present, lay fathomless, boundless mysteries.
Able to carry an Immortal Monarch's Dao rhyme, this jade wall naturally surpassed ordinary jade scriptures. However, being carved from a single solid slab of jade, it could not be easily moved.
Countless characters flickered across the jade wall, expounding the Great Dao of Great Yin. Wei Yuan had long lost track of time. By the time he had committed the entire scripture to memory, it was already the morning of the next day. When Wei Yuan stood up, he felt a faint dizziness; after a single night's work, his essence soul was nearly exhausted.
Holding a jade tablet in his arms, Zhang Sheng was already waiting at the doorway. This tablet was one of the copies of the *Myriad Aspects of Great Yin Moon Splendor*. Since it only needed to bear a True Monarch's Dao rhyme, it was far smaller and could be carried around.
Moments later, Wei Yuan returned to his residence. Zhang Sheng set down the jade tablet and began explaining the cultivation of the Dao Foundation realm to him.
"The Palace of Grand Beginning subdivides the Dao Foundation realm into three sub-stages," Zhang Sheng said. "The first is Foundation Solidification. As the name implies, this minor realm is primarily about stabilizing your newly forged Dao Foundation, then perfecting it to the best of your ability to excavate all of its potential. You must also embed your own essence soul into the foundation to plant the seed of your dharma idol.
"The second realm is called Revival. In this stage, you must continuously nourish the Dao Foundation with the origin qi of heaven and earth, allowing the seed of your dharma idol to sprout and take root, gestating its embryonic form.
"The final realm is Spirit Nourishing. Within this stage, the dharma idol will birth its own spiritual charm. Once that spiritual charm is fully formed by nature, the dharma idol will be achieved."
These three sub-stages corresponded to what were colloquially known as the early, middle, and late stages. At each minor stage, a cultivator's strength would surge dramatically—especially during Spirit Nourishing. With the dharma idol's spiritual charm already born, even an ordinary Dao art would display myriad wondrous phenomena when cast.
Yet cultivating to this point brought grave peril. Most could pass through the first two stages of the Dao Foundation naturally, but Spirit Nourishing was another matter entirely. Letting spiritual charm form naturally was extraordinarily difficult; if the gestating dharma idol developed the slightest flaw, like a deformed newborn, death and the scattering of one's cultivation often followed. Even among disciples of the Palace of Grand Beginning, many knew their dharma idols were unlikely to succeed, leaving them stuck in the Spirit Nourishing stage until their lifespan drew near its end before daring to risk a breakthrough.
Hearing Zhang Sheng finish explaining the three stages of the Dao Foundation, Wei Yuan realized that the young master of the Liao Clan had died under somewhat humiliating circumstances back then. Kanbida had been far too overconfident. Seeing that Wei Yuan had not yet achieved a Dao Foundation, he had allowed Wei Yuan to close the distance, never expecting that under the blessing of Outlaw of Heaven and Earth, Wei Yuan's physical body was vastly tougher than his own. Had Kanbida opened up the distance, it would have been near impossible for Wei Yuan—who had yet to establish his Dao Foundation—to kill him swiftly, and he likely would have been rescued by the Snow Eagle.
Having finished imparting the teachings, Zhang Sheng said, "I need to enter secluded cultivation to heal my injuries, so you must practice on your own these next few days. Furthermore, now that your Dao Foundation is formed, you can visit the Mission Hall and the Hall of Merits to familiarize yourself with them. If there is anything you want, you may exchange merit points for it. Palace Master Pei's audience is still some days away. Someone will come to escort you when the time arrives; I will not be accompanying you."
With that, Zhang Sheng flew off on his sword to return to his cave dwelling and heal. The wisp of essence soul within his sword qi had been destroyed by the Snow Eagle dharma idol; such an injury would take several months to recover from at the very least.
After Zhang Sheng departed, Wei Yuan spent half a day reading through the scripture once more, pondering and grasping many of its subtle mysteries. Then, he set off toward the Hall of Merits.
Chapter 92