The Path of Cultivation

Hongjun still looked at Qing Xuan with a smile.

"Little friend, this is no ordinary Spiritual Treasure."

A shattered emerald-green jade disc appeared in Hongjun's hand.

"This treasure is a Chaos Supreme Treasure and contains the Three Thousand Great Daos. Unfortunately, when Pangu opened the heavens and earth, it could not withstand the pressure of Chaos shattering and broke into fragments."

"This treasure is still useful to me, so I cannot trade it. Little friend, choose another Spiritual Treasure."

Qing Xuan had not expected Hongjun to explain the origin of the Fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation. He could not understand why Hongjun was treating him so well.

But opportunity could not be missed, so Qing Xuan said next.

"Senior, one who hears the Dao may live in the morning and die by evening! This junior dares to offer the God-Slaying Spear in exchange for one chance to study the Jade Disc!" Qing Xuan stated his purpose without concealment.

Qing Xuan understood that once Hongjun returned to Jade Capital Mountain, he would begin the Path of Merging with the Dao. The Heavenly Dao was merciless; only while Hongjun still retained some human sentiment would there be a chance to study the Fragment of the Jade Disc of Creation.

At his words, the smile vanished from Hongjun's face. He looked expressionlessly at Qing Xuan, his thoughts unreadable.

After a while, Hongjun smiled.

"I can lend you this treasure for a thousand years to aid your comprehension of the Dao." Hongjun then put away supreme treasures such as the Taiji Diagram and Pangu Banner. "You may still choose one Spiritual Treasure to repay the favor I owed you."

"Thank you, Senior. This junior chooses that one."

Qing Xuan pointed at a small azure-green banner, then handed the God-Slaying Spear to Hongjun.

Hongjun accepted the God-Slaying Spear and the other Spiritual Treasures. "I still need the Jade Disc of Creation for now. I will lend it to you after I am finished with it."

"Huh?"

"I said I would lend it to you. I never said I would lend it to you now. Is there a problem?" Hongjun looked at Qing Xuan with a smile.

"Hehe, no problem. No problem." Qing Xuan replied gloomily.

"Very well, little friend. Until we meet again."

With that, Hongjun vanished. Though Qing Xuan was frustrated, he had at least gained a promise. In the Primordial Wilderness, every promise became entangled with Karma, so there was no need to fear that Hongjun would break his word.

Qing Xuan put away the Eastern Green Lotus Treasure Banner. To gather the Five Directions Innate Banners, he only lacked the Northern Profound Origin Water Control Banner.

Qing Xuan believed that the Five Directions Innate Grand Formation formed by the five banners would be no weaker than the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation.

Qing Xuan flew toward the Three Immortal Islands, but his mind wandered.

I wonder whether Da Bai has broken through to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal yet?

Have my two bargain-bin disciples been born?

Kong Xuan will still be called Kong Xuan, but what should the Great Peng Bird be called? Jin Xuan? Wing Xuan?

Thus, Qing Xuan drifted through the sky while letting his thoughts run wild.

Hongjun returned to Jade Capital Mountain. With a wave of his hand, the God-Slaying Spear appeared in his grasp and trembled faintly.

"This spear is not yet ready to be born. The seed has already been planted; the rest depends on you."

After saying that, Hongjun threw the God-Slaying Spear to the foot of the mountain to suppress it, then walked toward the Daoist temple.

"Greetings, Master." A young boy and girl stood on either side of the Daoist temple and spoke respectfully.

Hongjun nodded. "From this day onward, I will enter Closed-door Cultivation. Go and cultivate on your own."

"Yes, Master."

"Hahaha, I'm back!"

Qing Xuan looked at his own Three Immortal Islands. As the saying went, no golden nest or silver nest could compare to one's own doghouse. As the place where he had been born, Qing Xuan was quite satisfied with his own den.

Qing Xuan first went to check on Da Bai. The Spiritual Qi Egg formed through Da Bai's cultivation had not yet cracked open. After sensing it for a while, Qing Xuan understood that Da Bai still needed some time before breaking through. He then left Penglai Immortal Mountain and headed for Fangcun Immortal Mountain.

Qing Xuan looked at the two enormous eggs before him and spread the power of his Primordial Spirit over them.

Not bad. The Karma of the Phoenix Clan has not affected them. Their foundations are extraordinary, and their cultivation will be smoother in the future.

Qing Xuan then took out a Yellow Middle Plum and burst it open, making the surrounding spiritual qi even denser to ensure that they could absorb it better.

With such arrangements, I wonder what cultivation they will possess after taking form? Qing Xuan was still rather expectant of these two bargain-bin disciples.

Qing Xuan returned to Penglai Immortal Palace. Thinking of everything he had gained along the way, he felt something stir within his heart.

It is time to decide on the path ahead.

As a transmigrator to the Primordial Wilderness, Qing Xuan knew that the most exciting era of the Primordial Wilderness was about to begin. Innate divine beings would be born, Hongjun would deliver his sermon and merge with the Dao, the Wu and Yao Clans would stand opposed, Nuwa Creates Humans, the Six Sages would stand together, and the Three Sects would coexist—these great events would all unfold in the coming years.

Given Qing Xuan's current realm, he could make plans for certain matters in advance. Yet he had no intention of touching the most important Opportunity to Become a Sage.

The six Heavenly Dao Saints were ordained by heaven. Every Sage had their own duties. Though they appeared to have "leapt beyond the Three Realms and stood outside the Five Elements," everything was arranged by the Heavenly Dao.

There were three paths to sainthood: Law-based Sainthood, Three Corpses Merging Sainthood, and Merit-based Sainthood. The six Sages of later generations had all attained Merit-based Sainthood. Qing Xuan pondered carefully.

Hongjun is the only one who has successfully merged the Three Corpses, so whether this path can truly be walked will have to wait until after Hongjun's Sermon, when I can study it carefully.

Merit-based Sainthood means being suppressed by the Heavenly Dao forever, and it also requires Primordial Violet Qi. For me, it is not a good path.

In that case, I have only one path left: Proving the Dao with Strength, Law-based Sainthood!

Having decided on his future path of cultivation, Qing Xuan considered his greatest advantage as a lotus seed transformed from the Chaos Green Lotus: he could accommodate all kinds of Laws. Since he had decided to pursue Law-based Sainthood, he intended to choose one Law to cultivate.

Though there were Three Thousand Great Daos, some were stronger and some weaker. As for the top ten Laws, they could be summed up in a single saying.

[Time is supreme, Space is king. Without Fate, Karma reigns as emperor. Creation is unmatched, Reincarnation endless. The Five Elements lead, Yin and Yang stand above. Destruction remains hidden, while Strength Dao stands highest.]

Of the ten Laws, only one person could reach the pinnacle of each. Qing Xuan thought carefully.

I do not know whether the Time Demon God is dead or not, so it is best not to touch that. Immortal Yang Mei controls the Space Law. Fate and Karma are the foundations of the Great Dao and cannot be touched lightly. Old Ancestor Creation is dead, so perhaps I can try the Creation Law.

Reincarnation will likely be mastered only by Houtu. The Five Elements and Yin-Yang are comparatively simple, but reaching great mastery will not be easy either.

Luohu can use the World-Destroying Mill of the Destruction Demon God, so the Destruction Law has likely already reached great mastery. Though Luohu appears to be dead, it is best not to touch it.

The final Strength Law was cultivated by Pangu. Since I am currently cultivating the technique Pangu left behind, perhaps I can walk this path.

After carefully calculating, Qing Xuan discovered that not many of the ten Laws remained available for him to cultivate. Only the four Laws of Creation, Five Elements, Yin-Yang, and Strength were temporarily without cultivators.

The Five Elements Law can be left to Kong Xuan. With his talent, he is highly likely to cultivate it to great mastery and become a Primordial Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

As for the Great Peng Bird... forget it. I will not touch the Yin-Yang Law either. The rest will depend on his own fortune.

Damn it, only Creation and Strength remain. In that case, I will not choose. I will walk both paths together—one of them is bound to succeed.

After Qing Xuan made up his mind, he began to circulate the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Origin Technique. As it was the cultivation technique Pangu had practiced, it contained Pangu's insights into the Strength Law. Qing Xuan intended to first gain entry into the Strength Law.

Thus, Qing Xuan began a long period of Closed-door Cultivation.