Dao Discourse

Inside Wanzun Mountain, at the foot of the cliff, lies the Enlightenment Plaza.

Above the plaza, the branches of the trees in the Enlightenment Realm swayed slightly, making a soft rustling sound.

Each sound seemed to gently brush against the minds of those below, eliminating chaotic thoughts and increasing flawless spiritual light.

A jade coffin, emerald green in color, was placed in the center of the square.

The immortal body of the mountain ancestor within shimmered with silvery-white celestial light, occasionally piercing through the coffin like the radiance of a full moon.

Around the coffin, Ning Qi and the other two sat cross-legged in the void.

Around them, several figures appeared, all of whom were highly talented individuals from the Three Realms.

For example, Jiang Yingchu, the sect leader of the Haoran Immortal Sect in the Haoran Realm, Zhao Yujun, the sect leader of the Yuehai Immortal Sect, and others, who are now the sword ancestors of the True Martial Sect, such as Jian Jingjue and Qi Keqing, as well as Ning Qi's acquaintances from the True Martial, Daoist Longshan, Ye Qinghe, Qin Yun, and so on.

They were summoned by Ning Qi, who said he wanted to hold a philosophical discussion.

Everyone was extremely excited, after all, the three people in front of them were the three strongest in the Three Realms.

To have the privilege of hearing them discuss the Dao is a blessing earned through ten lifetimes of good deeds.

However, not everyone is qualified to come here; it is mainly those cultivators who are active in the Spirit Realm War.

As for cultivators with lower cultivation levels, there is no need for that.

Firstly, the starting point of today's discourse is very high, and they may not necessarily be able to understand it.

Secondly, involving cultivators with lower cultivation levels could easily lead them to become overly ambitious and negatively impact their Dao resolve.

The Way should not be lightly transmitted, and the Law should not be given to the weak; this is a matter of course.

The group sat quietly behind the three, each meditating in silence.

Upon arriving at the square, they naturally felt a surge of inspiration, as if bestowed by heaven.

"This one quarter of an hour is worth more than a hundred years of the past!"

Sword Ancestor and Zhao Yujun, among others, all thought the same thing.

All eyes were on the three people in front of them.

Ning Qi appeared calm and serene, as if he were an ordinary person.

"I have summoned you here today for two reasons. First, to let you witness the Daoist arts of the three of us. Second, many of you have reached the Dao Integration Realm and will face the choice of becoming immortals in the future. Giving you a glimpse beforehand will surely benefit you."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately responded in unison:

"Thank you, Lord Realm Lord! Thank you, Holy Lord Sea Ancestor!"

The three nodded slightly.

"Today, we should take the Holy One's teachings as the main focus of our discussion."

Everyone immediately looked towards the Holy Ancestor.

The Holy Ancestor radiated light, and suddenly endless golden divine runes appeared, swirling around his body.

The divine runes looked densely packed, and the onlookers felt that each rune contained the power of rules, and some even possessed multiple powers.

Many people felt a power similar to their own from the divine inscriptions of the Holy Ancestor.

"So powerful, is this the power of the Holy Venerable?"

All the cultivators yearned for it.

In the past, they had never been able to see their ancestor personally unleash magic at such close range. Even in previous wars, when they were able to see their ancestor take action, they could not see it clearly at all.

"My divine Divine Ability are derived from the ancient Daoist sacred diagrams, and I call them 'disassembled, superimposed, and subtractable Divine Ability.'"

"Divine Ability that can be disassembled, stacked, and added or subtracted?" Everyone was stunned.

Even Ning Qi and Hai Zu showed slight interest, as this was the first time they had heard this claim.

Everyone gazed at the golden divine runes surrounding the Holy Venerable.

The divine runes shone brightly, and suddenly they seemed like wind, water, and soil, freely combining before everyone's eyes. The things formed by these combinations were all powerful Divine Ability.

Suddenly, everyone understood. So this was what it meant by being able to be disassembled, added to, and subtracted?

Some people with weaker comprehension simply find it incredibly convenient without giving it much thought.

Those with strong comprehension always have sparkling eyes.

Ning Qi laughed and said, "Don't underestimate the Holy Venerable's supernatural Divine Ability. Even I underestimated him before, but I won't say more. Let the Holy Venerable explain it to you personally."

The Holy Ancestor nodded.

"Alright, now that we are under the protection of Lord Ning, we cultivators no longer need to distinguish between ourselves, nor do we need to hide our abilities any longer. I will explain in detail to you."

He paused, then continued:

"When you Spirit Refinement and techniques, you often choose one to practice. If they are related, that's fine, but if they are unrelated, you have to start from scratch. Is that so?"

Everyone responded in unison.

"But my Divine Ability doesn't require such a thing."

The Holy Ancestor separated the two most basic divine scripts from the divine script.

One is "attack," and the other is "defense."

"No matter how many Divine Ability or myriad techniques one possesses, they cannot escape these two words."

"You only need to gradually build a complete chain with your respective powers using these two words to form a systematic set of Divine Ability arts."

As the Holy Ancestor spoke, he demonstrated, continuously adding one divine script after another to it.

From water in the Five Elements to ice, frost, and vapor, then to the rules attributed to water—capable of submerging all things, capable of cleansing all things—and finally to the highest good being like water...

After water completes its transformation, it progresses to fire, then to metal, then to wood, then to earth...

In a short while, the Holy Ancestor combined countless divine runes and supernatural Divine Ability to appear.

The crowd watched, completely mesmerized, instantly connecting the spectacle to their own Divine Ability.

The Holy Ancestor explained the fundamental structure of Divine Ability from a holistic perspective, giving everyone a fresh perspective.

No matter how you look at it, the Holy Ancestor's unique Divine Ability is extremely distinctive, possessing a high degree of flexibility compared to the exclusive Divine Ability of other cultivators.

This is something that both Ning Qi and Hai Zu felt they could learn from.

Their Divine Ability still haven't formed their own system, unlike the Holy Ancestor who could freely combine creations.

Next, the Holy Ancestor gave everyone many pointers on cultivation before letting them leave.

Ning Qi and his two companions remained in the square.

"You've worked hard!" Ning Qi said.

The Holy Ancestor shook his head.

"Teaching and imparting knowledge is something I enjoy doing. Everyone can benefit from it, so why worry about the hardship?"

"Besides, if we don't allow these younger generations to grow up, there will always be areas we can't cover if a powerful enemy comes."

They naturally also informed the chosen people about the possibility of the enemy's arrival.

Everyone immediately felt a sense of urgency, and their cultivation became even more focused.

Hai Zu said, "I will preach the Dao tomorrow."

"OK."

The three of them fell silent for a moment.

Ning Qi looked up at one side of the cliff face.

There is an ancient scroll embedded in the cliff face; it is the Ancient Sacred Path Map.

Now, Ning Qi has truly seen the true nature of the Ancient Dao Sacred Map.

The scroll is slightly yellowed, clearly indicating its antiquity; it is unknown when or by whom it was painted.

The scroll contains nine hazy, sacred figures, arranged from left to right and from front to back.

Ning Qi had already truly come into contact with two of them. One was the Inheritance of the Holy Ancestor, whose corresponding Holy Image was a refined old man with white hair and beard, who authored "Lun Yu".

It possesses both the refined and easygoing nature of a scholar, and the brute force that can overwhelm ten opponents when it erupts. Among them is a Divine Ability called "Time Flies Like This," which actually involves the rules of time.

Both Ning Qi and the Holy Ancestor were involved.

Besides this holy figure, the other holy figure was the one that the Mountain Ancestor originally intended to use to kill Ning Qi when Ning Qi fought against the Mountain Ancestor.

However, Ning Qi sensed the power of the sacred image used by the Mountain Ancestor in reverse, thus gaining the recognition of the sacred image within and receiving its Inheritance.

That holy figure was called the Ancient Saint of the Starry Sky, also known as the Lord of the Starry Sky. His Inheritance was also amazing, and once he cultivated it, he would be able to dominate a star field.

That star field is not the starry sky seen in the mortal world, but rather a series of worlds existing somewhere in the Boundary Sea. These worlds are like stars, forming a star field.

Ning Qi's gaze swept past the two ancient saints he had interacted with and landed on the other saintly figures.

Seven sacred figures still remain on the mottled ancient scroll.

Their images were even more blurred, showing signs of being partially destroyed and dissolved.

"Was this the Ancient Dao Sacred Map when you first obtained it?" Ning Qi asked.

The three sat cross-legged in the void in a triangular formation. After expounding the Dao to other cultivators, they also prepared to discuss the path of immortality.

The Holy Venerable also looked at the ancient sacred map.

In his entire life, he only managed to comprehend the Inheritance of one of the sacred images. There was no other way; only that sacred image was most compatible with his temperament and power.

"That's right, I also unearthed this from some Ruins back then, and it's because of it that I was able to become the ancestor of the Vast Realm."

The Holy One responded.

Hai Zu's icy gaze swept over all the holy figures; this was the first time she had ever seen this ancient holy map.

As she glanced around, she suddenly felt a strong attraction emanating from one of the paths, a path that resonated deeply with her.

Hai Zu couldn't help but transfer a sliver of his power to it.

In an instant, a holy figure on the ancient sacred map became clear from its hazy state.

The holy figure was also a woman, ethereal and otherworldly, her eyes gazing down, neither sad nor happy.

It is aloof and proud, untouched by the mortal world.

"The Celestial Scripture of the Heavenly Immortal".

Beside him, a line of elegant characters appeared.

"This is..."

Before the two could think further, the woman's holy image transformed into a Heavenly Immortal being, seemingly transcending time and space, flying towards the Sea Ancestor's forehead and disappearing in a flash.

Upon seeing this, Ning Qi and the Holy Ancestor's eyes widened in surprise.

Good heavens, this Ancient Dao Sacred Diagram is truly bizarre. It appears as a series of blurry sacred figures, but in reality, it only emerges on its own when it encounters a compatible person, bestowing upon them its Inheritance.

After a moment, Haizu came to his senses.

Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked at Ning Qi and the Holy Ancestor, who were gazing at her.

How are you feeling?

Haizu's icy blue eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"It seems I've obtained a magical Cultivation Method from a celestial realm..."

"A celestial Cultivation Method?" The Holy Ancestor was extremely surprised.

You should know that even though he has possessed the Ancient Dao Sacred Diagram for so long, the Cultivation Method he obtained can only be cultivated to the Immortal Realm, not an Immortal Realm Cultivation Method.

The so-called immortal Cultivation Method are specifically for immortals to practice, and their value is immeasurable.

Unexpectedly, Hai Zu easily obtained such a secret manual from the Ancient Dao Sacred Diagram.

Ning Qi gazed at the ancient Dao Sacred Diagram, where one of the nine illusory figures had noticeably faded.

"What is the origin of this Ancient Dao Sacred Diagram? It seems to contain both Cultivation Method below the Immortal Realm and those at the Immortal Cultivation Method. Could it be that the nine ancient saint figures are ancient saints of different realms?"

The Holy Ancestor smiled wryly and said, "I really didn't know that, otherwise how could I only resonate with one of the ancient saints?"

There is no answer to this question.

However, the three were also quite excited. There were still six holy figures within this Ancient Dao Sacred Diagram that had not yet appeared. They wondered what level of Cultivation Method were hidden within, and what conditions were required to activate them.

In any case, since Haizu obtained a celestial manual, it was equivalent to all three of them obtaining one.

Without saying much, Hai Zu took out two Jade Slip and placed them on his forehead, inscribing the immortal scriptures he had just acquired into them.

She then handed the Jade Slip to the two men respectively.

"This is a celestial scripture, are you really going to part with it like this?" Ning Qi joked.

Hai Zu responded magnanimously, "Immortal scriptures are nothing more than tools for humans to cultivate. If we cannot become immortals, what use are all those immortal scriptures?"

"That's quite true. Let's take a look at the contents of this immortal manual; it might inspire us in our search for a new path to immortality."

Therefore, Ning Qi and the Holy Ancestor focused their minds and studied the immortal scriptures.

With the help of the Enlightenment Tree, even though this immortal scripture was originally intended for women, the two grown men read it without any difficulty.

"The Taiyin Heavenly Immortal Scripture: Practicing this scripture can directly lead to the realm of Heavenly Immortal."

Haizu kept repeating the most important sentence.

"Heavenly Immortal?" Ning Qi asked in confusion.

The Holy Ancestor noticed Ning Qi's confusion and, ever the know-it-all, began to explain.

"The Immortal Realm is mainly divided into three realms: True Immortal, Heavenly Immortal, and Golden Immortal. Those of us who cultivate to become immortals will first become True Immortal."

"What are the differences between the three?" Ning Qi interrogated.

"This..." The Holy Ancestor immediately blew his beard and said, "Don't you find this disgusting? I haven't experienced it myself, how would I know? Anyway, they're definitely stronger than the last one!"

Haizu chuckled to himself.

She said, "Let me explain. Isn't there some record of this in the Immortal Scripture?"

The two immediately pretended to listen attentively.

"Cultivators in the Immortal Realm can be further divided into nine ranks of True Immortal, six ranks of Heavenly Immortal, and three ranks of Golden Immortal."

"If a cultivator seeking to achieve immortality wants to transform the power of rules they have condensed to its limit into the most perfect and purest power, which is Immortal Power, then they can condense an immortal gate."

"Only by undergoing the baptism of the immortal sect can a cultivator obtain an immortal body that is neither dead nor indestructible, thus achieving a leap in life and transforming into True Immortal."

"What is True Immortal? It is one who has fused all the rules within themselves to achieve the initial stage of the Great Dao, no longer bound by the limitations of the world, and thus forms their own world, becoming True Immortal."

Upon hearing this, both the Holy Ancestor and Ning Qi were taken aback.

"A world unto itself? Well, that's already the case for Ning."

Hai Zu shook his head and said:

"A self-contained world does not refer to a real world. In High Antiquity, cultivators needed to break through the void to become immortals, detaching themselves from their original world and entering the true Immortal Realm."

"Their newly formed immortal bodies must withstand the pressure of the Immortal Realm in order to survive within it and avoid rejection. Therefore, the meaning of 'self-contained world' is that the immortal body forms its own world."

The Holy Ancestor blushed and dared not say another word.

Ning Qi, however, grasped a key point.

"You mean you're no longer restricted by the world?"

Hai Zu nodded and continued:

"The world is created by rules, and we mortal cultivators are always trapped within it, at most reaching the realm of Dao Integration. Therefore, if we want to become immortals, we must break free from the world's restrictions and thus break all the rules."

Upon hearing this, Ning Qi's eyebrows twitched, and his expression shifted several times.

"Boy, what have you thought of this time?" the Holy Ancestor asked curiously.

"It's nothing, I just confirmed my previous suspicions."

Previously, Ning Qi was reincarnated into the Mountain and Sea Realm.

When it came time for the final showdown, Ning Qi wanted to free Sword Ancestor and the others from the Mountain and Sea Realm, so they wouldn't be caught in the middle between him and the Mountain and Sea Realm.

Ning Qi used the power of Heavenly Tribulation to cleanse their physical bodies Divine Soul in the War Realm, completely severing their connection with the Mountain and Sea Realm.

And that's one of the reasons he's so strong.

Ning Qi has always cultivated according to rules that are neither those of the Mountain and Sea Realm nor the Vast Realm.

He knew that if he modified the rules of the Mountain and Sea Realm, the Mountain and Sea Realm would suppress him.

Ning Qi has always been following his self-created World Lord system in order to no longer be limited by the world.

Who would have thought that cultivators in the Immortal Realm were also following this path!

In short, Ning Qi vaguely felt that he had grasped the idea of creating a new path to immortality.