First Outing

After expanding and stabilizing the newly opened Baihui acupoint, Jiang Yun used the acupoints to form a formation, activating the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Formation within his body.

Starlight blazed from his acupoints, and star power surged forth. The star formation composed of three hundred and fifty-six acupoints projected outward, each point linking through star power to outline a network of human meridians. Then flesh, blood, bones, and skin texture derived from it, ultimately forming a massive Star Dharma Form. As the formation continuously drew in Star Power to fill it, the dharma form gradually solidified, with Jiang Yun situated at its heart.

Jiang Yun felt exhilarated. The Star Dharma Form formed after activating the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Formation gave him the sensation of piloting a mech. This dharma form seemed like an extension of his limbs—every movement was silky smooth with no delay. Wrapped within the form, he felt an overwhelming sense of security.

He slightly manipulated the dharma form to move its limbs and tried using divine abilities through its body, finding no hindrance. Moreover, when wielding spiritual treasures, the star power amplification made their might far greater.

Since condensing all three hundred and fifty-six acupoints and being able to activate the Lesser Heavenly Cycle Star Formation, Jiang Yun's cultivation entered a rapid advancement phase. With the continuous influx of Star Power, another thirty years passed, and his physical body strength soon surpassed his cultivation realm, reaching Golden Immortal Perfection. His cultivation level also advanced to Mid Golden Immortal through years of practice.

Unable to break through in the short term, the next stage required gradual refinement. Jiang Yun slightly eased his cultivation pace.

He took stock of his magical treasures and divine abilities.

He currently possessed two Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures: the Earth Spirit Pearl and the Water Spirit Pearl. Both could attack and defend, though their power wasn't top-tier but still decent. One Heavenly Dao Exotic Treasure, the Dao Derivation Disk, could assist in deduction and cultivation, conceal his heavenly secrets, and suppress luck—its myriad uses made it his most valued treasure. A Low-grade Innate Spiritual Root tea tree enhanced comprehension and aided cultivation, with good results.

For offensive divine abilities, he had the Mount Tai Seal, created by comprehending the Earth Element Law and Space Law. Recently, while studying the Heavenly Cycle Star Formation, he grasped some Star Law and modified the Mount Tai Seal to create the Star Seal. Paired with his Starry Sky Body Refining Method, the Star Seal's combat power far exceeded the original Mount Tai Seal.

His only defensive divine ability was the Mysterious Spirit Shield, with power comparable to the Mount Tai Seal. Additionally, the Star Dharma Form, a physical divine ability inherent to the second layer of the Starry Sky Body Refining Method, boasted formidable defensive capabilities, able to unleash power far beyond his current realm.

For escape divine abilities, short-range options included Shrink Ground to Inch, while long-range evasion relied on Great Earth Evasion. Besides these, he had the earlier-created Divine Light of Purification, used to cleanse filth and restore spiritual energy.

The rest were minor spells like the Spirit Rain Technique, used for repairing earth veins, along with some Houtian Spiritual Treasures.

Jiang Yun roughly estimated his current strength: his mana cultivation was Late Golden Immortal, and his physical cultivation was Golden Immortal Perfection. With spiritual treasures, divine abilities, and the Star Dharma Form, he could likely fight on par with a Mid Grand Unity Golden Immortal by skipping levels. His physical body was a major advantage, greatly boosting combat power. With his endurance in battle, he could even contend with a Late Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

Having settled here for nearly three hundred years, Jiang Yun felt the urge to travel and cultivate—not just through meditation but through action. The Dao exists everywhere in heaven and earth. Going out to see different sights could inspire insights by analogy.

Once the thought arose, he acted.

He summoned Gao Shou and Ling Xi and said, "Gao Shou, Ling Xi, in a few days I plan to leave the Dao Field for a journey. While I'm away, activate the grand formation and guard the Mountain Gate."

He handed them two refined formation tokens and bestowed several Houtian Spiritual Treasures for self-defense.

After instructing Gao Shou and Ling Xi to cultivate diligently and watch over the Dao Field in his absence, Jiang Yun dismissed them.

For this trip, Jiang Yun planned to head toward Mount Sumeru. Legend said this mountain was the Dao Field of Zhunti and Jieyin, who had undergone Form Transformation there and sworn brotherhood.

The War of Immortals and Demons had passed. Soon, Hongjun would likely attain enlightenment and become a sage, stirring up the Primordial Desolation World once more.

At his current Golden Immortal cultivation, while not a mere nobody, he was far inferior to the great gods with top-tier origins in the Primordial Desolation World. It was best to find a powerful backer for more stable growth.

Since he originated from the Western World, choosing the future Two Sages of the West was only natural. Moreover, they shared the same goal: to benefit the Western World.

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

Beyond ten thousand miles from the Dao Field, the farther he went, the thinner the Innate Spiritual Qi in heaven and earth became, and the more barren the land. He hadn't seen a river along the way. This continent had suffered a heavy blow, with many fissures appearing and the underground earth veins shattered.

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

Over thirty years, traveling from north to south out of the Dao Field, Jiang Yun covered more than three million miles.

Wherever he went, he used the Whip Mountain Move Stone divine ability to reorganize earth veins. As before, he set up formations at Earth Vein Nodes to nurture the veins, cast the Spirit Rain Technique to nourish the land, and scattered and accelerated the growth of Seeds of Grass and Wood Spiritual Roots collected along the way, creating a world of vitality.

Heaven and earth nurture all things, and all things should give back to heaven and earth! To gain heaven and earth's favor, one must know gratitude—this was also a form of spiritual cultivation for cultivators.

Along the way, Jiang Yun discovered many half-ruined spiritual roots and herbs, along with a large number of mineral spiritual materials.

He also found a Mid-grade Innate Spiritual Root: the Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit. Its three fruits had completely withered, feeding back into the main body to sustain its origin! If he hadn't encountered it, within at most three thousand years, the spiritual root would have degraded to an Acquired Spiritual Root, and another Innate Spiritual Root would vanish from the world.

As an Innate Spiritual Root, the Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit tree bloomed once every three thousand three hundred years, bore fruit once every three thousand three hundred years, and ripened once every three thousand three hundred years. In ten thousand years, it produced only three fruits. A Golden Immortal who ate one could advance a realm and gain ten thousand years of mana cultivation. The fruit contained law fragments, providing significant aid even to Grand Unity Golden Immortals and could also heal injuries.

In the Primordial Desolation World, the greatest difference between Innate Spiritual Roots and Acquired Spiritual Roots was this: the former could enhance cultivation and Dao realm, while the latter only increased mana. Innate Spiritual Roots were favored by heaven and earth, like Innate Spiritual Treasures, containing Innate Undying Spiritual Light. Unless the light was damaged or destroyed, even if the root degraded, it could slowly recover by nourishing its origin.

When he discovered this spiritual root, the guardian formation was already mostly broken. A slash mark had grazed the root's edge, piercing underground and shattering the formation. Earth Fire Magma surged through the crack, and Innate Spiritual Qi in the formation leaked away. This harsh environment prevented the Ten Thousand Year Vermilion Fruit from absorbing nutrients, forcing it to constantly use spiritual power to protect itself, even draining its ripe fruits to sustain its own life.

Jiang Yun collected the spiritual root into his Inner World, channeled some Star Power to replenish it, and spent time comprehending the remaining parts of the formation.

The original formation had defensive and concealment functions. A complete formation could block detection by a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.

After comprehending the formation, he used his divine abilities to reorganize the earth veins, set up formations, nourish the land, and foster vitality.

Along this journey, he encountered many living beings, mostly acquired creatures. Most had yet to awaken intelligence; only a few with bloodline inheritance could do so, occupying some spiritual lands to begin cultivation, mostly at the Earth Immortal or Heavenly Immortal realm.

Wherever he found Earth Fiend Demonic Qi or Bloodline Filth, he used the Divine Light of Purification to cleanse and decompose them into spiritual energy. Wherever he encountered clusters of Vengeful Souls, he recited the Diamond Sutra, dissolving their resentment and obsessions, helping them find release. Then, as planned, he absorbed them into his Inner World, waiting for the cycle of reincarnation to open before sending them to be reborn.