Dao Diagram Upgrade! True-Meaning Runes! (Combined Chapter)

A long cry rang out—

A drawn-out cry echoed through his mind.

The first Red Horned Dragon diagram on the stone stele came completely alive in Lu He's eyes.

In an instant, he felt his surroundings shift violently, and he was transported directly into a stretch of sky.

Layers upon layers of clouds stretched endlessly for thousands of miles before him.

Deep within them, he could vaguely make out a massive crimson horned dragon stretching its body freely. Even the small portion of its body that was visible was as majestic as a mountain range. Its scales ground against one another, producing thunderous booms.

Every sweep of its tail stirred the heavens, tyrannical beyond belief.

"Drawing upon the spiritual essence of heaven and earth..." Recalling the white-robed immortal master's words, a flash of understanding appeared in Lu He's eyes. "Is this being the source of the Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram?!"

Deep in his eyes, the White Ape Dao Diagram flickered continuously, blooming with mysterious rays of light.

What followed was a frantic drain on his stamina.

An intense wave of exhaustion instantly washed over him!

Yet Lu He paid it no heed, devoting himself entirely to comprehending that half-visible body.

In his daze, it seemed as though a thousand years had passed.

Lu He slowly opened his eyes, and his consciousness gradually cleared.

"Only about a quarter of an hour has passed in reality?" He swept a glance over the still-noisy surroundings and quickly reached a conclusion.

[Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram · First Layer (89%)]

"I actually comprehended the first layer of the visualization diagram to 89% in one go!"

A trace of astonishment flashed through Lu He's eyes.

This result had far exceeded his expectations.

After all, although the talent attached to the White Ape Dao Diagram, [Immaculate Heart Ape], was extraordinary, its consumption was simply too great.

He knew this well.

The flatbreads he had brought were little more than a token help.

The rule that everyone in Enlightenment Pavilion could only comprehend for one hour a day was truly unfriendly to Lu He.

Even if he ate the flatbreads, the bronze bell would likely ring before he had recovered.

Though Lu He had just appeared somewhat dismissive of the first Red Horned Dragon diagram, treating it merely as a fallback, his goal for today had always been clear—

To gain an initial grasp of the first Red Horned Dragon diagram!

"The state of enlightenment free from distracting thoughts, combined with the boost to comprehension... could the two together have produced a qualitative change?!"

He marveled inwardly and could not help looking toward the talent Dao Diagram floating deep within his consciousness.

[White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram]

[Level: 1 (99/100)]

[Grade: White]

[Talent: Immaculate Heart Ape (First Tier)]

"Just one experience point away..."

Lu He's gaze slowly lowered.

There were still more than three quarters of an hour before the end. Could it really be possible... for him to comprehend a second visualization diagram on his first visit to Enlightenment Pavilion?!

Just as he was thinking this—

Lu He's expression suddenly froze, as though he had sensed something, and he immediately closed his eyes.

At that very moment, an illusory crimson rune had somehow appeared within his mind. Its patterns were intricate, as though condensed from true meaning itself. It seemed on the verge of being born, yet not quite.

Through the rune—

Lu He seemed to see the Red Horned Dragon within the visualization diagram again.

Though he still did not know what the crimson rune was, one thing was certain: it was definitely related to the first layer of the visualization diagram.

So... should he continue comprehending the first layer and do his utmost to condense this rune, or move on to the second-layer visualization diagram?

He made his decision almost without hesitation.

A vague instinct told him that the rune was important!

Lu He took out his cloth bundle, removed two flatbreads, and hurriedly began eating.

The flatbreads were baked from coarse flour. To preserve them longer, they were made rather hard.

Crunch, crunch—

The sound echoed out, and the room suddenly fell silent.

Curious, angry, and mocking gazes alike fell upon Lu He.

Li Zhuang stared fixedly at the visualization diagram on the stone stele, his mind more focused than ever before.

Gradually, in his eyes, the crimson horned dragon showed faint signs of coming alive.

Li Zhuang's heart began pounding uncontrollably.

"Seven times. It only took seven times for me to successfully comprehend a Foundation Establishment visualization diagram. I truly am a genius!" he screamed wildly in his heart.

But just then—

A sudden string of crisp crunching sounds, accompanied by the faint scent of wheat reaching his nose, made him freeze for a moment.

When Li Zhuang came back to himself and tried to continue comprehending the Red Horned Dragon diagram, he found that everything had returned to normal.

"Who was that?"

Li Zhuang abruptly turned toward the sound, only to see Lu He holding a coarse flatbread and eating it with obvious relish, crumbs still clinging to the corners of his mouth.

A nameless rage shot straight to his head.

He wanted to rush over, but there might be an immortal master watching outside. If he caused a disturbance, it would do him no good.

"Brat from the Lu family, just you wait!" Li Zhuang took a deep breath and gritted his teeth inwardly.

Time passed bit by bit.

Perhaps it was only an illusion.

But Lu He felt unusually hungry today. The flatbreads went down his throat in large mouthfuls, quickly turning into waves of warmth that spread through his limbs and body.

His exhausted body and mind were recovering at an astonishing speed.

A quarter of an hour, then another...

The crunching of flatbread never stopped echoing through the room. The curious, angry, and mocking looks had all turned into admiration.

Gulp—

Beside Lu He, a thin youth swallowed hard and could not help cautiously advising him, "Brother, immortal methods are inherently profound. It's perfectly normal not to comprehend them after one or two tries. We're still young. There's no need to torment yourself like this. Don't eat yourself to death here."

"It's fine. I'm just a little hungry. Thank you for your concern."

Lu He raised his head and explained with a smile before lowering it again to continue eating.

As soon as those words were spoken, some people in the room seemed to realize something. A trace of awe appeared in the way they looked at Lu He.

Clang—clang—clang—

Three crisp tolls of a bronze bell suddenly rang throughout Enlightenment Pavilion.

The sound was not loud, yet it carried a strange penetrating force that jolted Lu He awake from his cultivation.

"Time's up!"

Lu He came back to himself and instinctively looked toward the stone stele.

The strange phenomena on it had already vanished, as though everything that had just happened had been an illusion.

An almost imperceptible golden gleam flashed in Lu He's eyes.

[White Ape Child Cave-Evolution Diagram]

[Level: 2 (2/1000)]

[Grade: White]

[Talent: Immaculate Heart Ape (Second Tier)]

"I was truly careless. Who would have thought that the final 10% of the Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram would suddenly become several times harder to comprehend? If the White Ape Dao Diagram hadn't leveled up and raised Immaculate Heart Ape to the second tier, then this time..."

A deep weariness showed on Lu He's face.

"But then again, can the first-layer visualization diagram only condense half a rune?"

His consciousness slowly sank inward, and half a crimson rune, almost tangible in form, immediately appeared in his perception.

[Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram · First Layer (99%)]

Lu He blended into the crowd and slowly walked out of Enlightenment Pavilion, unable to shake the feeling that a lifetime had passed.

He had arrived before dawn, and yet only a little over six hours had gone by.

The surroundings were still the same, monotonous and unchanging, but the people within them had quietly changed their state of mind.

His pace unconsciously quickened.

Having just obtained the immortal path inheritance, the Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram, Lu He only wanted to hurry back and try cultivating it.

But in the next moment—

Lu He slowly came to a stop and glanced at the still-high sun.

It was still early, and the residential compound was only half an incense stick's walk from Enlightenment Pavilion...

"There are too many people in the lodgings, and they're noisy and chaotic. It truly isn't a place for cultivation." Lu He suddenly felt tempted.

And more importantly—

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the sturdy man closely following behind him.

For some reason, ever since leaving the place where they had comprehended the immortal stele—

Lu He had felt that the way Li Zhuang looked at him was strange. Amid the resentment was a dense, inescapable bitterness that sent chills down one's spine.

He feared that if he continued staying in the lodgings, that fellow might resort to underhanded means.

Though fighting between tenant farmers was forbidden in the medicinal garden, there were simply too many people. Every year, quite a few went missing.

As long as the matter did not grow too serious and a few favors were slipped around, the stewards sometimes could not be bothered to investigate. They simply treated those people as having died from illness.

With that in mind—

Lu He turned and headed toward the residential compound.

After only a few steps, he ran into five figures approaching together.

"Little Brother Lu, you came to Enlightenment Pavilion too."

One of them, a woman in a yellow dress, seemed to recognize Lu He. A gentle smile appeared on her delicate face as she softly greeted him.

A green jade hairpin was tucked into her coiffure, and a faint scent of grass and wood lingered around her. Her temperament was refined and elegant.

"You are—"

Lu He stopped and looked up at her, confusion in his eyes.

He did not know many people in the medicinal garden, and there were even fewer women who would take the initiative to greet him—

Wait! It was as though a bolt of lightning flashed through Lu He's mind.

"Fairy Liu?"

He asked tentatively, his voice full of disbelief.

"It's me." The woman stared at Lu He with a faint smile. "You're wondering why I look so different from before?"

Lu He nodded, then quickly shook his head again.

"Enough teasing you. Back then, I was attempting to break through into the body-transformation realm of Foundation Establishment, and something went wrong in my cultivation. I'm truly better now."

With that, Fairy Liu changed the subject.

"Did you gain anything from coming to Enlightenment Pavilion today, Little Brother Lu?"

"I wouldn't dare hide it from you, Fairy. I did indeed benefit greatly. May I ask if Fairy Liu is also heading to Enlightenment Pavilion?"

A hint of curiosity appeared on Lu He's face.

He had just seen that the immortal master of Enlightenment Pavilion seemed to be preparing to close the doors. Fairy Liu and the others had come rather late.

"Of course. I just condensed a true-meaning rune yesterday, but it is still somewhat unstable. Today, I came to Enlightenment Pavilion to consolidate it."

"A true-meaning rune?"

Lu He's heart stirred, and he could not help thinking of the strange rune he had just obtained from the Red Horned Dragon diagram on the immortal stele with the Level 2 White Ape Dao Diagram.

After steadying himself—

Lu He could not help looking at Fairy Liu. "May I ask, Fairy, what is a true-meaning rune?"

"Little Brother Lu, you've only just begun comprehending the Red Horned Dragon visualization diagram. Why ask about such things?"

Fairy Liu frowned slightly, seeming somewhat displeased, but she still patiently said, "Very well. It isn't exactly a secret, so there is no harm in telling you."

"I await Fairy's instruction."

Lu He clasped his hands and bowed, as though he had not seen her expression at all.

"Since you have been to Enlightenment Pavilion, you naturally already know that the purpose of cultivating Foundation Establishment methods is to transform oneself and seek entry into the wondrous realm of consuming qi."

"But a lofty tower cannot be built in a single day, and Foundation Establishment is the same. It is divided into three realms:

"The first realm is called body transformation. In this realm, one need only eat, using the visualization diagram to unify the body until one's body becomes as strong as vajra.

"The second realm is called intent transformation. This is also the most difficult stage of Foundation Establishment. One must comprehend the true meaning of the Red Horned Dragon and condense a true-meaning rune. Using the rune as a guide, one unifies spirit and essence, and mana will arise on its own.

"That is the third realm, law transformation—"

Fairy Liu was still speaking—

When a dark-skinned man stepped out from among the five, pointed at Enlightenment Pavilion in the distance, and urged, "Liu Qing, if you keep getting lovey-dovey with your little sweetheart, Enlightenment Pavilion is about to close."

"What nonsense are you spouting?"

Lady Liu shot the man a fierce glare, then turned to Lu He apologetically.

"That dark fellow has always spoken without restraint. Don't take it to heart, Brother Lu. As for Foundation Establishment, there is only so much to say. If you have no other questions, I shall take my leave first."

"Take care, Lady!"

Lu He remained where he was, thoughtfully watching the five of them depart. Faintly, he heard their teasing voices.

"Tsk, so even you, Liu Qing, can be this gentle?"

"By the way, could that young man be the one you wanted to marry before? From what I saw, his temperament seems rather impatient and not particularly steady."

"Now that my cultivation has recovered, do not speak of that again. In the end, he merely resembles him somewhat. After today's guidance, the karmic bond between him and me has come to an end."

Lady Liu's voice was indifferent.

Not long after.

The residential quarter.

"There are still a few empty houses over here. What do you think?"

As he walked, a lean old man in his fifties pointed to several weed-choked houses in the courtyard to their right and introduced them in a hoarse voice.

Behind him.

Lu He followed closely, his gaze constantly sweeping over the surroundings.

Wherever he looked, neat rows of houses stood along both sides of a small river.

Every house had its own courtyard wall. Though the walls were not high, they were enough to keep out prying eyes.

It was evening. Smoke curled up from the little houses, mingling with the murmuring water beside him and unconsciously calming Lu He's mind.

It was not the immortal paradise he had imagined, but it was quiet.

"Compared to the dormitories, this is a place fit for people to live in."

He sighed sincerely.

"Of course. In those dormitories, seven or eight of you are crammed together at a time. You probably cannot even sleep properly. How could they compare to this place?" the old man said with a smile.

"May I ask, sir, how much would it cost to rent one of these houses?"

Lu He asked, somewhat tempted.

The old man held up four fingers. "Four hundred and eighty copper coins a month. No bargaining!"

"Four hundred and eighty copper coins? Why don't you just rob me?"

Upon hearing the price, Lu He could not help rolling his eyes. His interest vanished in an instant.

That was nearly equivalent to a month's wages. How could he bear to spend it?

Although he still had a little savings on hand.

Lu He had not forgotten what Lady Liu had just said: the first realm of Foundation Establishment, Body Metamorphosis, required eating above all else—and eating cost money!

"I knew I should not have wasted my time coming here."

Lu He let out a faint sigh, then turned and left. His movements were clean and decisive, paying no heed to the old man calling after him.

Yet as he walked, he realized something was wrong.

This place clearly was not where immortal masters lived. In other words, the people living here were tenant farmers as well. Where did they get so much money?

"How strange indeed."

In the empty dormitory, Lu He sat cross-legged on his bunk, unable to make sense of it no matter how much he thought.

The next moment, he shook his head as though flinging away all distracting thoughts.

"Forget it. No point thinking about such things. I should first try cultivating the Scarlet Horned-Dragon True-Origin Visualization Diagram. The first realm of Foundation Establishment, Body Metamorphosis—I shall see just what is so extraordinary about it."

A trace of anticipation appeared on Lu He's face.