First Journey

After Jiang Yun expanded and stabilized the Baihui Acupoint he had opened, he formed a formation with his acupoints and opened the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Formation within his body.

The acupoints throughout his body blazed with starlight. Star Power surged from them, and the Star Formation formed by 356 acupoints projected outside his body. Each acupoint began linking together through Star Power, outlining the meridians of a human body. Flesh, blood, bones, and skin patterns then developed, ultimately forming a gigantic Star Dharma Form. As the formation continuously drew in Star Power, the Dharma Form gradually solidified, while Jiang Yun settled at its Tanzhong point.

Jiang Yun felt extremely excited. The Star Dharma Form formed after opening the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Formation gave him the feeling of controlling a mecha. This Star Dharma Form seemed to be an extension of his own limbs, and every movement was smooth and perfectly responsive. Wrapped within the Dharma Form, he felt completely secure.

He controlled the Dharma Form to move its hands and feet a little, then tried casting divine abilities with its body. He found there was not the slightest hindrance. Moreover, when he used Spiritual Treasures, their power became even greater with the amplification of Star Power.

Ever since the 356 acupoints throughout his body had condensed and he could open the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Formation, Jiang Yun's cultivation had entered a period of rapid improvement. With the continuous support of Star Power, another thirty years passed. His physical strength quickly surpassed his cultivation and reached Golden Immortal Perfection, while his cultivation also advanced to the Mid Golden Immortal Realm after so many years of cultivation.

He was unable to break through in the short term, so what came next was a matter of gradual accumulation. Jiang Yun slightly slowed his cultivation pace.

He took stock of his magical treasures and divine abilities.

At present, he had two Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures: the Earth Spirit Pearl and Water Spirit Pearl. Both could be used for offense and defense, though their power was not top-tier. Still, they were fairly good. He also had a Heavenly Dao Exotic Treasure, the Dao Derivation Disk, which could assist with deductions and cultivation, conceal his heavenly secrets, and suppress his fate. Its uses were endless, making it the treasure he valued most. Finally, he had an Innate Low-grade Spiritual Root, a tea tree, which could improve comprehension and assist cultivation. Its effects were quite good.

As for divine abilities, his offensive abilities included the Mount Tai Seal, created through comprehending the Earth Element Law and Space Law. In recent days, he had comprehended some Star Law while studying the Heavenly Cycle Stars. Using the Mount Tai Seal as a reference and making a few modifications, he had created the Star Seal. Combined with his Starry Sky Body Refining, the Star Seal's battle power far surpassed that of the Mount Tai Seal.

He currently had only one defensive divine ability, the Mysterious Spirit Shield, whose power was comparable to that of the Mount Tai Seal. In addition, the physical divine ability Star Dharma Form, innate to the second layer of the Starry Sky Body Refining Method, had formidable defensive power and could unleash might far beyond his current realm.

As for escape divine abilities, he had Shrink Ground to Inch for short distances and Great Earth Evasion for long-distance escapes. Besides those, he also had the Divine Light of Purification, which he had created earlier and could use to purify filth and restore spiritual energy.

The rest consisted of some minor spells used when repairing earth veins, such as the Spirit Rain Technique, along with a few Houtian Spiritual Treasures.

Jiang Yun made a rough estimate. His current cultivation of magical power was at the Late Golden Immortal Realm, while his physical cultivation was at Golden Immortal Perfection. With the amplification of his Spiritual Treasures, divine abilities, and Star Dharma Form, he should be able to fight a Mid Grand Unity Golden Immortal to a standstill despite being a level below. His physical body was a major advantage that could greatly increase his battle power. Relying on his combat endurance, he could even contend with an ordinary Late Grand Unity Golden Immortal for a while.

He had lived here for nearly three hundred years, and Jiang Yun felt like going out to travel and cultivate. Cultivation was not only about refining oneself; one also had to put it into practice. The Dao existed throughout heaven and earth. Going out to see different scenery could also inspire him by analogy.

Once the thought arose, he immediately put it into action.

He summoned Gao Shou and Ling Xi. "Gao Shou, Ling Xi, in a few days, I plan to leave the Dao Field and travel. While I'm away, activate the grand formation and guard the mountain gate."

As he spoke, he took out two refined formation tokens and gave one to each of them. He then bestowed several Houtian Spiritual Treasures on them for self-defense.

After giving Gao Shou and Ling Xi some instructions to cultivate properly in the Dao Field while he was away and guard the Dao Field well, Jiang Yun sent them off.

For this journey, Jiang Yun planned to visit Mount Sumeru. According to legend, it was the Dao Field of Zhunti and Jieyin. The two had undergone Form Transformation on the mountain and become sworn brothers.

The War of Immortals and Demons had passed. Before long, Hongjun would probably prove the Dao and become a Saint, and the Primordial Desolation World would soon become lively again.

With his current Golden Immortal cultivation, he would not be a nobody by then, but he was still far inferior to the great powers with top-tier innate origins in the Primordial Desolation World. It would be best to find a powerful backer, so that he could grow more securely.

Since he had been born in the Western World, choosing the future Two Sages of the West was only natural. Moreover, they shared the same goal: bringing prosperity to the Western World.

After leaving the Dao Field, Jiang Yun calculated the direction of Mount Sumeru and began traveling on foot.

Once he left the area within ten thousand li of the Dao Field, the farther he went, the thinner the spiritual energy between heaven and earth became, and the more barren the land grew. He still had not seen a river along the way. This continent had suffered a heavy blow, leaving many cracks, while the earth veins underground had all been shattered.

Mount Sumeru stood in the central western region, while Jiang Yun's Spirit Bamboo Valley was to its northwest.

Over thirty years, Jiang Yun traveled southward from the Dao Field and covered more than three million li.

Whenever he reached a place, he would use the Whip Mountain Move Stone divine ability to organize the earth veins. As before, he laid formations at the Earth Vein Nodes to nurture them, cast the Spirit Rain Technique to nourish the land, and sow and stimulate the Seeds of Grass and Wood Spiritual Roots he had gathered along the way, bringing life to the surrounding world.

Heaven and earth gave birth to all things, and all things should repay heaven and earth in turn! If one wanted to receive heaven and earth's favor, one had to know gratitude. This was also a form of spiritual cultivation for cultivators.

Along the way, Jiang Yun discovered quite a few partially ruined Spiritual Roots and spiritual medicines, as well as a large amount of mineral Spiritual Materials.

He also discovered an Innate Mid-grade Spiritual Root, a Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit tree. The three fruits on it had completely withered and were nourishing the tree in return, maintaining its origin. If he had not happened upon it by chance, the Spiritual Root might have regressed to the Acquired level in at most three thousand years, and heaven and earth would have lost an Innate Spiritual Root.

As an Innate Spiritual Root, the Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit tree flowered after 3,300 years, bore fruit after another 3,300 years, and matured after yet another 3,300 years. It bore only three fruits every ten thousand years. In the Golden Immortal Realm, eating one could raise a person by one realm and provide ten thousand years of cultivation. The fruit contained fragments of laws and could also provide considerable assistance to Grand Unity Golden Immortals. It could even be used to heal injuries.

In the Primordial Desolation World, the greatest difference between Innate Spiritual Roots and Acquired Spiritual Roots was that the former could improve cultivation and Dao attainment, while the latter could only increase magical power. Innate Spiritual Roots were favored by heaven and earth. Like Innate Spiritual Treasures, they contained Innate Undying Spiritual Light. Unless that light was damaged or destroyed, even if a Spiritual Root regressed, it could slowly recover by nourishing its origin.

When Jiang Yun discovered this Spiritual Root, its protective formation was already more than half destroyed. The trace of a slash had grazed the edge of the Spiritual Root and pierced through to the underground, shattering the formation. Earth Fire Magma raged through the crack left by the slash. The Innate Spiritual Qi within the formation leaked away, and the harsh environment prevented the Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit from absorbing nourishment. It also had to constantly circulate spiritual energy to protect itself, leaving even its originally mature fruits with no choice but to nourish its own body.

Jiang Yun collected the Spiritual Root into the Inner World within his body and transferred some Star Power to replenish the Vermilion Fruit. He then spent some time comprehending the remaining parts of the formation.

The original formation had defensive and concealing functions. When complete, it could resist probing by a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

After comprehending the formation, he used his divine abilities to sort out the earth veins, arrange the formation, nourish the land, and restore vitality.

Along the way, he encountered quite a few living beings, most of them Acquired. Most had yet to awaken their intelligence. Only a small number with bloodline inheritances could develop intelligence, occupy certain blessed lands, and begin cultivating. Their cultivation realms were mostly Earth Immortal and Heavenly Immortal.

Whenever he encountered Earth Fiend Demonic Qi or places tainted by Bloodline Filth, he would cast the Divine Light of Purification to eliminate it and break it down into spiritual energy. When he encountered places where Vengeful Souls had gathered, he would recite the Diamond Sutra, dissolve the resentment in their souls, and break their obsessions, helping them attain release. Then, following the plan he had made earlier, he would take them into his Inner World and send them into reincarnation once the cycle of reincarnation was established.