The Second Great Dao

Inside the Star Hall, the scene remained the same: a great mountain, lush and vibrant with green life, stood in contrast to the desolate, rocky beach at its base.

On the rocky beach, a stream trickled along, and weeds grew stubbornly between the stones. Nestled among them was a single thatched cottage.

In the sky above, brilliant stars hung in the void. Countless stars moved slowly along predetermined, mysterious trajectories.

Everything here was imbued with the profound and incomparable "Dao."

"Master." Lei Zhan and the Yellow-Haired Great Bear arrived in the Star Hall and immediately spotted Immortal Juhua waiting for them.

"Have you selected your treasures?" Immortal Juhua asked in a gentle voice, like an elderly neighbor. "The treasures in the Hall of Treasures are precious. Every time you make a selection, there are fewer left, so you must choose with care."

"I have!" Lei Zhan nodded with a smile. "Master knows that for God-Devil Body Refining, I already have the three Cold Shadow Divine Spears you bestowed upon me. In the Hall of Treasures, I always choose the most precious and valuable items."

"You!" Immortal Juhua shook his head and chuckled. "Since you are here in the Star Hall, go ahead. The Star Hall is mysterious; even though I have become a Loose Immortal, it remains of great help to me."

Lei Zhan nodded, then walked into the thatched cottage. Soon, he emerged with several thick volumes and sat down on a stone stool.

Opening Star Scroll One, Lei Zhan began to recite aloud.

"Today, Chang came to see me, requesting that I help him..."

As Lei Zhan read, the syllables were ordinary, yet when strung together, they transformed into the most exquisite "Sound of the Great Dao."

Naturally, it guided Lei Zhan's heart, drawing him into an increasingly empty, profound state of enlightenment...

Lei Zhan's gaze was distant, fixed upon a star high in the sky.

Whoosh.

A gust of wild wind whistled through the air.

Lei Zhan took a step, and his entire body was enveloped by the gale, merging into it until he became a part of the wind itself!

The wind howled, swift and fierce. Lei Zhan's speed mirrored the relentless North Wind, whistling as he flew through the air.

"This is the North Wind? The Way of North Wind!" Immortal Juhua nodded slightly. "Lei Zhan has delved quite deep into this Way of North Wind!"

No sooner had he spoken than a sound emerged.

Splash, splash...

Flowing water rippled past. The trickling stream was not as turbulent as the Dao of the Azure Sea, which could whip up monstrous waves in an instant, but the ceaseless flow was supple and powerful. In that moment, Lei Zhan seemed like a deity of the water.

"Another water-attributed Dao?" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked at Lei Zhan, who was surrounded by flowing water, and nodded slightly. Comprehending the Dao of the Azure Sea allowed for analogies to be drawn, and having spent time adventuring in the North Dark Sea naturally helped cultivators grasp water-attributed Daos more easily.

"Wait!" Immortal Juhua was startled. He turned to the Yellow-Haired Great Bear. "Look at Lei Zhan!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

In front of the thatched cottage, Lei Zhan, who had returned to his seat on the stone stool, was now surrounded by a vast amount of water. Countless currents circled and crowded around the handsome young man in black robes.

A trace of an aura, far more majestic and profound than the Dao of the Azure Sea or the Dao of Flowing Water, permeated the air, as if all the mysteries of water were contained within it.

"Another Great Dao?" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear was also stunned. "He is only at the Wanxiang level, and he has already entered the threshold of another Great Dao?"

"Yes." A hint of awe appeared in Immortal Juhua's eyes. "This is the Dao of Kan Water!"

If it were any other cultivator—even the disciples of great tribes or powerful factions—they would typically comprehend a minor Dao at the Primordial Spirit Daoist level before attempting to fathom the Great Daos.

Yet his disciple had just broken through to the Wanxiang level and had already entered the threshold of another Great Dao...

"A monster. He truly cannot be compared to ordinary geniuses," Immortal Juhua praised.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. It is only the threshold of a Great Dao!" The Yellow-Haired Great Bear shook his head. "He has comprehended the Dao of the Azure Sea, and his Dao of Flowing Water has reached the Domain Realm of the Dao. With his deep insight into water-attributed Daos and his excellent comprehension, it is normal for him to enter the threshold of a Great Dao."

"And Lei Zhan lacks none of these qualities. What is rare, however, is to fully comprehend a Great Dao!"

The Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked at Immortal Juhua and said slowly, "You must know the difficulty of fully comprehending an entire Great Dao. You have comprehended seven or eight minor Daos in succession, but you are still some distance away from mastering the Dao of the Sword. Furthermore, the closer one gets to mastery, the harder it is to break through the bottleneck. If you want to fully comprehend it, even with the help of the Star Hall, it would be difficult even after another million years!"

"That is indeed true for me, but my disciple's talent for comprehension is heaven-defying. Fully comprehending a Great Dao... is only a matter of time for him." Immortal Juhua felt confident. This was not blind optimism, but an acknowledgment born from the nearly ten years he had spent as Lei Zhan's master.

While Lei Zhan was reciting the Star Scroll and seeking enlightenment within the Star Hall of the Water Mansion, a large group of people gathered high above the distant Great Xia capital.

Each of them possessed a powerful aura and wore magnificent robes, clearly marking them as extraordinary individuals.

In the center of this group, two giant Green Phoenixes pulled a gorgeous immortal carriage, which was surrounded by golden flames.

Around the carriage, a large contingent of golden-armored imperial guards stood watch.

The Second Prince, Xia Mang Yuncang, stood beside a tall man and sent a voice transmission: "Father, who exactly is coming? The Emperor actually had you, a dignified Celestial Immortal Prince, wait here? Even this incredibly precious Green Phoenix Immortal Carriage was brought out?"

"I wanted to ask back at the palace, but you dragged me over without a word..."

The tall man wore a bright yellow robe embroidered with a four-clawed azure dragon. His facial features were soft, and his eyes were like stars.

He was Prince Qi! The only member of the Great Xia royal family to break through to the Celestial Immortal level in the last million years.

"I only just saw the Emperor at the palace, so it wouldn't be appropriate for this to become common knowledge," Prince Qi said gently. "But now that she should be arriving soon, there is no harm in telling you."

"Oh?" Xia Mang Yuncang was filled with curiosity. "Who is it?"

"This is the youngest daughter of Dragon Lord Yinglong, Fairy Wangshu," Prince Qi transmitted.

"Dragon Lord Yinglong? The Emperor's sworn brother? That Celestial God Yinglong whose name has echoed throughout the Three Realms since the ancient era?" Xia Mang Yuncang's expression changed drastically.

Although he was only a Void-Refining Earth Immortal, his status as a member of the Great Xia royal family and the son of a Prince meant he naturally knew many secrets buried deep within the endless passage of time.

That Dragon Lord Yinglong had followed the Xuanyuan Clan of the Five Human Emperors since the ancient Pangu World, carving a path of slaughter and conquest through those primordial times; his strength was already at the Celestial God level. Having mastered both God-Devil Body Refining and the Qi Refining Path—the latter also reaching the Pure Yang True Immortal level—he was a renowned powerhouse throughout the entire Three Realms.

Back then, the Emperor of their Great Xia World was merely a Celestial Immortal!

"Hmm." Prince Qi glanced at his son.

"Dragon Lord Yinglong has spent endless years in his dojo, quietly contemplating the Great Dao. His youngest daughter has come to pay a visit to His Majesty and is a guest in our Great Xia World."

Prince Qi exhorted, "You and Fairy Wangshu are of a similar age; as young people, you will find it easier to get along."

"Oh?" Xia Mang Yuncang was startled, a burning heat instantly igniting in his eyes. "I will certainly not fail Father's intentions!"

That was Dragon Lord Yinglong, a figure of immense power since the dawn of time, who shared a bond of life and death with the Xia Emperor. Few in the entire Three Realms could compare to him.

Juhua... an Immortal? Hah! Just a Loose Immortal clinging to life! Xia Mang Yuncang thought to himself.

If he had the chance to use Fairy Wangshu's status to apprentice under Dragon Lord Yinglong, it would be far better than apprenticing under a Loose Immortal. Besides, that Loose Immortal who had lived for millions of years was incredibly arrogant!

"They're here!"

"They're coming out!"

Everyone's eyes lit up, and Xia Mang Yuncang, standing beside Prince Qi, felt a faint sense of anticipation.

High in the sky, a massive spatial rift appeared out of thin air. A group of people emerged from the fissure.

There was a stunningly beautiful woman, an old woman in grey robes, two or three maidservants, and a squad of burly men clad in black armor.

Leading them was the breathtaking woman.

She wore a snow-white gown that fluttered gently in the breeze. Her peerless face was like finely carved mutton-fat jade, fair and delicate.

Her brows were like distant mountains, her eyes like clear autumn water, and her waterfall of black hair was casually tied back.

Her figure was graceful and alluring; merely standing there, she appeared as bright and mysterious as moonlight.

"This..." Xia Mang Yuncang's eyes went wide.

He had encountered many peerless beauties in his time, and his own manor was filled with them—what kind of fairies or enchantresses had he not seen?

Yet, upon seeing Fairy Wangshu, the raging fire in his heart felt as if it had been doused with a bucket of hot oil.

However, it lasted only for an instant. Xia Mang Yuncang was, after all, of the Great Xia Imperial Clan; he knew what should and should not be done, and his gaze instantly regained its clarity.

"Hmm?" Prince Qi's star-like eyes turned stern and cold. He glanced at his son, who had momentarily lost his composure, and stepped forward quickly, his bright yellow robes conveniently blocking Xia Mang Yuncang from view.

"Fairy Wangshu," Prince Qi said gently.

As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance at the grey-robed old woman behind her.

The one following by her side is a Celestial Immortal! Prince Qi quickly confirmed.

The beautiful woman in white looked toward Prince Qi.

Prince Qi continued, "I am Prince Qi. By order of His Majesty, I have prepared an immortal carriage to welcome you, Fairy."

The offspring of a Celestial God or True Immortal, even if their cultivation was only that of a Primordial Spirit Daoist as he had confirmed, was still worthy of standing on equal footing with a Celestial Immortal ancestor.

Moreover, since he, Prince Qi, was acting under the Xia Emperor's orders, the proper etiquette could not be neglected!

"Hmm," the woman in white said indifferently. "Prince Qi? I do not like the look in the eyes of the one behind you."

With that, she led her entourage past Prince Qi and boarded the Green Phoenix Immortal Carriage.

Although she disliked that man, she had to give face to Uncle Xia Mang.

Dozens of burly black-armored guards stood watch on either side, while the maidservants and the grey-robed old woman followed her onto the carriage.

"Let's go!" the grey-robed old woman said, casting a cold glance at Xia Mang Yuncang.

This failing author has nothing to say, only to ask the brothers to wait for the third update! Please keep reading!