The Great Dao Was What the Heart Desired

Spell-Breaking Nail!

This Medium-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure moved with incredible speed and excelled at breaking protective dharma light. But unfortunately, it was useless against Zhu Yin's High-Grade Spiritual Treasure.

Zhu Yin had also refined the Ox Monster's Natal Magical Treasure... the Mystic Light Heavenly Plow. This was a High-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure, originally used to cultivate spiritual fields and improve soil fertility, but it could also unleash sharp mystic light that sliced through all things.

The Mystic Light Heavenly Plow was an inherited Spiritual Treasure of the Azure Ox Clan. As the clan chief's son, the Ox Monster was qualified to wield it.

The Rat Monster's Spell-Breaking Nail had been obtained by chance ten thousand years ago from the cave dwelling of a senior member of the rat clan. Aside from these two Spiritual Treasures, the two demons' Storage Bags contained a great number of Heaven and Earth Treasures, as well as several Low-Grade Acquired Spiritual Treasures.

Of course, their truly valuable collections and Divine Weapons and Sharp Blades had not been carried on them, but left in their cave dwellings within the Heavenly Court. Though Zhu Yin found it regrettable, he was not greedy.

He understood very well that after gaining such a huge advantage, he should stop while he was ahead. Pursuing more would only invite disaster.

Thinking of the Mystic Light Heavenly Plow, he could not help recalling that the future Sage Taiqing's mount was an azure ox, and that there was also a Heavenly Plow in the Eight Views Palace. Could it be this very treasure? Perhaps it was merely renamed the Xuandu Heavenly Plow later on?

Still, even if that were true, it would not matter. Sage Taiqing had yet to become a Sage, and even after doing so, that azure ox would not join the Taiqing Lineage until after the Witch-Monster War. By then, the Mystic Light Heavenly Plow would have long been lost. Zhu Yin had nothing to do with that karma.

Even if the Azure Ox Clan wished to pursue the matter in the future, Zhu Yin was not afraid. He did not like causing trouble, but neither was he someone who feared it.

Besides, he was Sage Zhunti's Direct Disciple and the future chief disciple of the Western Teaching. In terms of backing, the Azure Ox Clan could not compare at all.

Even if the Great Principle Golden Immortal of the Azure Ox Clan followed the karmic trail to find him now, the Heavenly Court would not provoke the future disciple of a Sage for the sake of a dead junior and a Spiritual Treasure.

After all, the Ox Monster had brought this upon himself.

Seeking the Dao at Buzhou Mountain

In the blink of an eye, a thousand years passed, and Zhu Yin appeared at the foot of Buzhou Mountain, a famous mountain of the Primordial Wilderness.

He had once heard someone say, "He who has never reached the Great Wall is no true hero."

And in the Primordial Wilderness, this "Great Wall" was Buzhou Mountain.

Although the Traces of the Great Dao Pangu had left behind here had become exceedingly faint, and although countless cultivators had already scoured this place, making great treasures difficult to find, he still came.

First, to witness Pangu's might; second, to seek a sliver of fortune here.

Standing at the mountain's foot and looking up, he saw a mountain so tall that its peak was beyond sight, so broad that it resembled a heavenly pillar supporting the entire continent. Zhu Yin gazed at it, his heart filled with reverence.

Just how strong had Pangu been? He had used his spine to support such a colossal mountain! Zhu Yin did not know the answer, but he knew that he had to seek the Dao and pursue the Dao.

He cast aside distracting thoughts, took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and began climbing.

He left one footprint after another, using not a trace of dharma power as he walked upon the earth, sensing all things and recovering that pure heart of cultivation. Just as when he had first set foot on the Western Continent, he seemed to be measuring heaven and earth, as well as his own Dao heart.

The whispers of the earth reached his ears. Vitality flourished all around him. His expression was focused, and his steps were firm.

He used not only his talent to communicate with the plants and trees and comprehend the Dao of Vitality; with his tranquil Dao heart, he also asked the mountain:

"What is the Great Dao?"

"What is tranquility?"

"What is freedom?"

The mountain wind was Pangu's breath; the swaying plants and trees were Pangu's Dao heart; the movements of birds and beasts were Pangu's will.

Zhu Yin climbed step by step, never ceasing his questions.

Suddenly, a fine rain fell from the sky, gradually turning into a torrential downpour.

At first, it was spring rain, as fine as ox hair. Thunder suddenly rang out, and the plants and trees rejoiced. Then it became summer rain, with thunder roaring as heaven and earth fell silent.

Yet Zhu Yin remained unmoved and continued onward.

Birds chirped, herds of beasts galloped, pines and cypresses spread their branches, and flowers released their fragrance; fish leaped from the water, while insects entered the ponds.

He continued climbing.

Not until the rain stopped and night descended did heaven and earth become quiet.

Birds returned to their nests, beasts entered their dens, flowers and grasses closed, and all things fell silent.

At last, Zhu Yin sat cross-legged upon the mountaintop.

He had climbed for three thousand years and sought the Dao for three thousand years. Buzhou Mountain had silently answered him for three thousand years as well.

At last, he understood.

He had grasped a thread of the true meaning behind Pangu's Great Dao.

All things, whether tangible or intangible, were manifestations of vitality;

between motion and stillness, chaos and peace alike were tranquility;

the balance of hardness and softness, the unity of inner and outer, was true freedom.

The Great Dao was not far away. It was beneath one's feet, and it was within one's heart.

As long as the heart was at peace, the Dao was everywhere.

...The Great Dao had always been what the heart desired.

A hundred years later, a mysterious aura of the Grand Unity realm rose from Zhu Yin's body.

Though his cultivation had only just entered the Early Taiyi Stage, his accumulation in the Dao had already reached the level of the Late Taiyi Stage.

All of this was the foundation laid by his six thousand years of travel.

He had journeyed through the Eastern Lands for three thousand years and ascended Buzhou Mountain for three thousand years, earning today's gains.

Buzhou Mountain was a majestic and vast divine mountain, overflowing with spiritual energy.

Zhu Yin entered the mountain alone and began gathering all kinds of Heaven and Earth Treasures, searching for an opportunity to break through his limits.

Though cultivators frequently set foot upon this mountain, its treasures were abundant and its spiritual opportunities rich. Even with so many people, it still concealed many fortuitous encounters. To the resource-poor Western Lands, this place was simply a treasure land.

Over the next three thousand years, Zhu Yin traveled throughout the mountain, harvesting countless spiritual herbs, exotic flowers, immortal medicines, and spiritual materials. He even discovered several precious Acquired Spiritual Roots, including one of high grade.

Three hundred years later, he suddenly felt a stir in his heart. He immediately followed that feeling and eventually discovered an Innate Grand Formation at the bottom of a lake.

Several decades later, he stepped precisely upon the formation's nodes, successfully passed through it, and brought a jade-green treasure vase from the lakebed. It was warm and lustrous like jade.

This treasure vase was a High-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure named the Vitality Treasure Vase.

Every thousand years, it could condense a drop of "Water of Vitality," which replenished the primordial spirit, nourished the body, and cured all poisons. Every ten thousand years, it could also produce a drop of "Three Lights Divine Water," whose healing effects were immensely powerful and could benefit even Great Principle Golden Immortals.

This treasure had existed for a long time, and the vase had already accumulated a vast amount of spiritual water, even forming an entire Lake of Vitality. Of that, there were more than a thousand drops of Three Lights Divine Water alone!

Because Zhu Yin cultivated the Vitality Great Dao, the treasure vase sensed his aura and willingly acknowledged him as its master.

After remaining at Buzhou Mountain for another two hundred years, he did not obtain another Innate Spiritual Treasure, but he did acquire a kind of Spirit Bee called Jiaochong. These Spirit Bees possessed the cultivation of Heavenly Immortals and excelled at brewing honey. He collected several, intending to bring them back to his Dao Field to raise.

Before leaving, he took out some Water of Vitality and scattered it over Buzhou Mountain's ranges as thanks.

Then his figure flashed away, tearing through the air as he flew back west.

There were still more than a thousand years before Hongjun's lecture on the Dao ended. He had to return to the Western Lands as soon as possible to avoid missing an important opportunity. After all, no matter how good a treasure was, it was useless if one could not keep one's life.