Advancement

"Beihai Star." Inside the Void Disk's control room, Yaoguang looked at the marked star chart. The star chart did not depict a standard map, but rather a network. Around the periphery of this network, numerous "spirit energy nodes," each resembling the Cangwu Great World, formed a colossal sphere encasing Beihai Star. Judging from the spirit energy nodes and the flow of energy, one could tell that Beihai Star was like a black hole at the center of a galaxy, pulling countless great worlds to orbit around it. However, people did not call Beihai Star—which sat at the galaxy's center like a black hole—a primal cavern or a black hole; instead, they referred to it as the Cosmic Crystal or the Heart of the World. This was because everyone who had visited Beihai Star believed it to be solid. Entering Beihai Star was akin to entering inside a solid mass. It was only because this solid mass took the shape of a celestial body that people called it Beihai Star. Furthermore, because its substance contained spirit energy so vast that one could draw directly from the void to cultivate, it was also known as the Beihai Spirit Realm. "Beihai Star is divided into three layers: the outer layer, the surface layer, and the inner layer... It is said that in the innermost core layer, physical laws can no longer constrain changes in matter. Much like microscopic particles breaking free at high temperatures, once physical laws are altered, the Grand Dao's principles manifest directly for comprehension. It is a holy land in the eyes of all mighty figures in the Void Shattering Realm... The greatest difference between powers of the Ten Great Immortal Sects and other sects is whether they can secure a foothold in the inner layer." Li Hanqiu described the situation. Over this period, he had largely digested the information gathered from Susan and the other cultivators who had come from Beihai Star. "The Ten Great Immortal Sects..." Yaoguang murmured. The Taiyi Immortal Sect was one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects. One of the most powerful factions on Beihai Star. Although Beihai Star was home not only to immortal sects, but also demonic cults, demon lineages, Buddhist monasteries, martial sects, divine clans, and immortal dynasties—which had produced Demon Sovereigns, Demon Saints, Buddhas, Martial Emperors, Celestial Gods, and Sovereign Emperors comparable to Immortal Kings—the glory of the Ten Great Immortal Sects had always stood atop Beihai Star. "Beihai Star is almost uninhabitable for those who have not achieved Foundation Establishment. Since it is nearly solid, living within it is equivalent to living at the core of a planet. Should we... find a place in Beihai Star's periphery to settle them first?" Li Hanqiu glanced back at the space within the Void Disk. There were nearly a million people inside the Void Disk, but fewer than forty thousand had truly succeeded in Foundation Establishment. The rest were mortals who had yet to establish their foundations. "Foundation Establishment... It is only now that I truly understand the meaning of this realm," Yaoguang remarked. Then he added, "It is true that ordinary mortals struggle to survive on Beihai Star, but it is not impossible. All it takes is setting up a formation to counteract the environmental pressure on commoners. Bring them with us. I will set up the formation personally. With Beihai Star's extraordinarily abundant spirit energy environment, many of them should be able to complete their Foundation Establishment cultivation quickly." He glanced at Li Hanqiu. "Since they were willing to take the risk and follow us to Beihai Star, we shouldn't abandon them halfway." Hearing Yaoguang's words, Li Hanqiu felt a touch of gratification. "Then we shall do as you say." Li Hanqiu smiled and prepared to resume piloting the Void Disk for void travel. At that moment, however, Yaoguang produced the upgraded World-Suppressing Ring. "This is for you." "Huh!?" The moment Li Hanqiu saw the design of this supreme treasure... An expression of disbelief and delight quickly rose in his eyes. "Could it be..." "Over these past few months, I spared no effort in using the clumsy method of piling on materials, and I finally managed to upgrade this spirit treasure into a Dao artifact. However... its ascension was very forced, and it suffered some damage during the refining process. You will need to spend considerable time nourishing it before it can truly display the spiritual charm of a Dao artifact. Until it is fully nurtured, you can only treat it as a tool to stabilize your primal cavern," Yaoguang explained. "You truly succeeded!?" Li Hanqiu had held a sliver of hope when Yaoguang asked for his Convergence-Dispersion Ring. That was why he had not disturbed him in the slightest during these past few months of travel. He had never imagined... The pleasant surprise would come so suddenly. "See how it works." Yaoguang handed the World-Suppressing Ring to Li Hanqiu. Without the slightest hesitation, Li Hanqiu trusted him completely, took the World-Suppressing Ring, and refined it into his body. Yaoguang stood guard at his side. After all, this World-Suppressing Ring's ascension had been too forced. Even its spirituality had suffered wear and tear. Theoretically, it was a failure. Fortunately, Yaoguang only required one function from it: to help Li Hanqiu stabilize his primal cavern state. Under these circumstances, this near-failed Dao artifact was barely sufficient. In just half a day, Li Hanqiu attained a basic grasp over this Dao artifact—or rather, this quasi-Dao artifact treasure. When he utilized the artifact's profound mysteries to stabilize his primal cavern with immediate effect, an uncontrollable joy surged in his eyes. "Excellent! My primal cavern state has stabilized!" Spatial fluctuations continuously rippled around him, rising and falling unpredictably, yet they exerted no burden upon his body. "I can now use the power of the primal cavern normally. If I am given a bit more time to fully refine this treasure, fighting directly against a battle immortal of the Void Piercing Realm won't be an issue at all. In fact, as long as I don't engage in a direct life-and-death clash and drag things out, I can wear them down to death relying on a primal cavern state that is more stable than theirs!" "Good." Hearing Li Hanqiu's words, Yaoguang gave a firm nod. A heavy boulder weighing on his heart was finally lifted. "Perfected Li..." Yaoguang paused mid-sentence. "I should call you True Lord Li now. True Lord, go and refine this treasure right away. I will pilot the Void Disk. Once you have completed your initial refinement, we will enter Beihai Star directly by traversing the void." Li Hanqiu did not stand on ceremony with Yaoguang. Nodding, he quickly headed toward the cultivation chamber. Once Li Hanqiu left, Yaoguang exhaled slightly. "A combat force at the Void Piercing level..." He paused. "And one that can disguise itself as a true Void Piercing cultivator..." With this, once their group arrived at Beihai Star, they would finally possess the ability to protect themselves. Focusing his attention, he glanced at the remaining Experience points. Not wanting to waste any, he piloted the Void Disk while pouring all of the Experience into the branch: [Immortal Path: Void Piercing]. Instantly... Countless streams of information began washing over and circulating through his mind. Void Piercing! Perceiving the workings of the void! The void was space itself. It was the foundation supporting any physical change, including the laws of the Grand Dao. In the Void Piercing Realm, perceiving the workings of the void allowed one to warp space for travel, execute faster-than-light strikes against targets through spatial warping, and employ the power of the void to dismantle the physical structure of matter. For a cultivator, this power represented a qualitative change. Once one attained the Void Piercing Realm... Except for battle immortals of the Void Piercing Realm whose primal cavern stability could be targeted and broken, a true Void Piercing cultivator against anyone below the Void Piercing Realm delivered what amounted to a dimensional-reduction strike. No matter how many Golden Core cultivators gathered, they could hardly inflict any substantive harm on a true Void Piercing expert. Therefore, such figures were elders even in factions at the level of the Ten Great Immortal Sects, like the Taiyi Immortal Sect. Looking further down, they could even establish a faction and become an overlord of an entire region. However, Void Piercing was merely the beginning of the qualitative shift. A qualitative shift alone was not enough; one also needed sufficient quantity. A black hole with a diameter of one centimeter had less mass than an ordinary star. And increasing mass stemmed from the second variation of the void's power—Void Refining. Refining the power of the void to expand the primal cavern, thereby making oneself far more formidable. The Taiyi Immortal Sect was said to possess Six Halls and Nine Lineages, alongside several Vice Sect Masters. Every one of these individuals belonged to the ruling class of the Taiyi Immortal Sect and enjoyed vast privileges, yet not even every hall master, lineage head, or vice sect master among these Six Halls and Nine Lineages necessarily possessed cultivation at the Void Refining Realm. Above Void Refining was Void Shattering. Namely, shattering the void. Such beings could truly break through the final barrier between the physical world and the true world. Even without the aid of a Dao artifact, they could glimpse the various powers of the Grand Dao hidden behind the void. The Sect Master and Grand Elders of the Taiyi Immortal Sect belonged to this realm. Finally came those of the Dao Realm who had attained the Grand Dao. Such beings were called Dao Lords. They themselves were practically manifestations of the Grand Dao. Cultivators who observed their true bodies could comprehend the Dao charm within and experience an explosive surge in cultivation. If they severed a fraction of their own comprehension, it could become a Dao artifact, triggering frenzied competition among countless people. Beihai Star could not bind them. Most of the time, they were traveling through the starry sky, roaming deep into the cosmos to observe cosmic wonders and celestial anomalies. To them, matters on Beihai Star held little significance. The only true goal keeping them on Beihai Star was one thing—becoming an immortal! Every Dao Lord was essentially a reserve immortal. Only when the secret of immortal ascension hidden on Beihai Star manifested would they emerge into the world, illuminate the Immortal Path, and vie against their rivals for the chance to become an immortal. ... "Void Piercing, Void Refining..." As the branch of [Immortal Path: Void Piercing] grew continuously, countless insights regarding Void Piercing became increasingly complete. Finally... When the branch grew to its limit, it blossomed and bore fruit, condensing a new Dao Fruit. At the same time, the words [Immortal Path: Void Piercing] shifted and evolved into [Immortal Path: Void Refining], advancing rapidly until the progress finally halted at 41%. "Void Refining... is primarily about increasing 'quantity' and raising the mass of the primal cavern. But at this step, one must also begin comprehending a 'Dao'! This is because only after comprehending a certain 'Dao' can one carry the power of the Grand Dao to shatter the void and reach the Void Shattering Realm. Yet within this lies a paradox: only upon reaching the Void Shattering Realm can one break the void and catch a glimpse of the true power of the Grand Dao." In other words, theoretically, without comprehending the Grand Dao, one could not break through to the Void Shattering Realm. And without breaking through to the Void Shattering Realm, one could not shatter the void to glimpse where the Grand Dao lay. Under these circumstances, experts of the Void Refining Realm had only two methods to advance further. Rely on a Dao artifact! Comprehend the profound mysteries of the Grand Dao from the Dao charm within a Dao artifact until one could shatter the void. The second... Acknowledge a Dao Lord as master! Or at the very least... Observe the inheritances or everyday belongings left behind by a Dao Lord to comprehend the Dao charm within them. "Grand Dao, Dao Lords, Dao arts, Dao artifacts, divine abilities..." These pieces of information continuously circulated in Yaoguang's mind. Although he had possessed some prior understanding, it was only after digesting this information that he realized Dao artifacts... seemed to hold far more weight than he had imagined. "Dao arts are the true foundation upon which top sects establish their hegemony. Every Dao art points toward a Grand Dao. If one can master it to completion, they can thoroughly comprehend that Grand Dao and become a Dao Lord. Even if one achieves only initial mastery in a Dao art, they can shatter the void and step into the Void Shattering Realm." Yaoguang digested this crucial information. "The reason true disciples are true disciples is that they qualify to cultivate Dao arts... Of course, most true disciples haven't reached the Void Piercing level, so even if a Dao art is placed before them, they cannot practice it. What they truly cultivate are various divine abilities, great divine abilities, and supreme divine abilities that serve as simplified versions of Dao arts!" The reason Heavenly Venerable Jiang had been taken in as a disciple by a Grand Elder was that he had mastered a supreme divine ability of the Taiyi Immortal Sect—the Myriad Tribulations Undying Body. A simplified Dao art that ultimately pointed toward the Grand Dao of Life.