On the beach by the Eastern Sea, Xuan Chen and Nüwa stopped to rest for a while. The sea breeze brushed gently past them, carrying a faint briny scent. The distant ocean still roared with crashing waves, but the dangers beneath its surface were gone.
Nüwa sat cross-legged and circulated the Heaven-Mending Genesis Scripture, consolidating the Golden Immortal Realm she had just broken through to. She could clearly feel the Water Law and Creation Dao within her interweaving, flowing ever more smoothly. The newly unlocked composite divine ability, Nourishing Creation, delighted her even more. It could nurture spirit plants, heal living beings, and purify evil filth, perfectly aligning with her Great Dao conviction of "saving the world and rescuing lives."
Xuan Chen stood to one side, releasing his divine sense to scan the surroundings in case Dragon Clan experts came after them. At the same time, the system's notification sounded in his mind.
[System Notification: Main Quest "Help the disciple comprehend her first Law" successfully completed!] [Calculating quest rewards...] [Reward 1: Heavenly Dao Exemption ×1 (issued to system storage space)] [Reward 2: Primordial Origin Essence Fragments ×3 (can be used to raise cultivation and repair Dao Foundation)] [Reward 3: Great Dao Insight ×1 (contains the profound fusion principles of the Water Dao and Creation Dao)] [Additional Notice: Disciple Nüwa has comprehended a Law, and her Dao resonance has begun to take shape, already drawing the Heavenly Dao's initial attention. Future cultivation must be approached with greater caution. Avoid acts that defy the heavens, or you may trigger a backlash from the Heavenly Dao.] [Heavenly Dao Exemption Description: Can be used voluntarily to negate one Heavenly Dao warning or minor Heavenly Dao backlash. After use, it requires a thousand-year cooldown before it can be activated again.]
A flash of surprise crossed Xuan Chen's eyes. The Heavenly Dao Exemption reward had far exceeded his expectations. In the Primordial World, the Heavenly Dao was everywhere. Every breakthrough and every act that defied the heavens could draw its attention. Should one carelessly trigger a backlash from the Heavenly Dao, the lightest consequence would be a drop in cultivation; the worst would be death and the dissipation of one's Dao. This Heavenly Dao Exemption was equivalent to giving Nüwa an additional life-saving talisman, one that could produce unexpected results at a critical moment.
"The system rewards have been issued. The Heavenly Dao Exemption among them is exceptionally precious; it can negate one Heavenly Dao warning or minor backlash," Xuan Chen said to Nüwa through divine sense. "You have now drawn the Heavenly Dao's initial attention. You must be cautious in your cultivation from now on and must not lightly commit acts that defy the heavens, such as excessively meddling in the life and death of living beings or forcibly seizing the opportunities of heaven and earth."
Nüwa opened her eyes, a trace of gravity flashing through them. "This disciple understands! Thank you for the reminder, Master. From now on, this disciple will be careful in word and deed, follow the laws of the Heavenly Dao, and practice the Great Dao of saving the world and rescuing lives."
Xuan Chen nodded. "Good. The system also rewarded three Primordial Origin Essence Fragments and one Great Dao Insight. The Primordial Origin Essence Fragments can raise cultivation and repair Dao Foundation. You have only just broken through to the Golden Immortal Realm, and your Dao Foundation has yet to be completely stabilized, so they are perfect for consolidating it. This Great Dao Insight contains the profound fusion principles of the Water Dao and Creation Dao, and will be of great benefit in perfecting your own Dao resonance system."
With that, Xuan Chen handed the three Primordial Origin Essence Fragments and the Great Dao Insight to Nüwa. The Primordial Origin Essence Fragments were golden throughout, radiating dense primordial aura; the Great Dao Insight transformed into an invisible strand of divine sense and entered Nüwa's sea of consciousness.
Nüwa accepted the Primordial Origin Essence Fragments and immediately circulated the Heaven-Mending Genesis Scripture, drawing the Primordial Unity Origin Power within the fragments into her body. Like the purest nourishment, the Primordial Unity Origin Power continuously nurtured her Dao Foundation, making the Golden Immortal Realm she had just entered increasingly stable. At the same time, the Great Dao Insight within her sea of consciousness began to take effect, granting her a deeper understanding of the fusion between the Water Dao and Creation Dao.
"Master, this Great Dao Insight is far too profound!" Nüwa said excitedly. "This disciple now feels that the fusion of the Water Dao and Creation Dao has become much smoother, and the power of Nourishing Creation has increased considerably as well!"
"That is only natural." Xuan Chen smiled faintly. "This Great Dao Insight was tailored by the system according to your Dao resonance system, allowing you to avoid many detours. But Great Dao Insight is ultimately only external assistance. True cultivation still depends on you continuously putting it into practice and gaining enlightenment for yourself."
After a brief pause, he continued, "We have now left the Eastern Sea, and the Dragon Clan should no longer pursue us. Next, we will return to the Zichen Cave Abode. You have just comprehended a Law and broken through your realm, so you need some time to digest the rewards and consolidate your cultivation. Once you are fully prepared, we will consider the next step in your cultivation plan."
"This disciple will follow Master's arrangements!" Nüwa nodded heavily.
After resting briefly on the beach, the two transformed into a streak of golden light and sped toward Mount Buzhou. Along the way, Xuan Chen explained matters concerning the Heavenly Dao to Nüwa. "Within the Primordial World, the Heavenly Dao is the supreme existence. It maintains the balance of heaven and earth and governs the life and death of all things. In essence, a cultivator's path is one of moving against the Heavenly Dao, continuously breaking through the restrictions it has set. However, the Heavenly Dao is not utterly without mercy. So long as cultivators follow its laws and practice the Great Dao they have comprehended, they can gain the Heavenly Dao's recognition and may even receive its blessings."
"Then what kinds of actions trigger a backlash from the Heavenly Dao?" Nüwa asked.
Xuan Chen replied, "Acts such as excessively slaughtering living beings, destroying the spirit veins between heaven and earth, or forcibly changing another's fate will all disrupt the balance of heaven and earth, thus inviting the Heavenly Dao's displeasure. In lighter cases, one receives a warning from the Heavenly Dao, causing cultivation to stagnate; in severe cases, one suffers a Heavenly Dao backlash and ends in death and the dissipation of one's Dao. You previously took in the early aquatic beings and accumulated Living-Beings Karmic Affinity. That was an act in accordance with the laws of the Heavenly Dao, and you will receive its secret aid. But if you were to slaughter innocents wantonly to raise your own strength, you would trigger a backlash from the Heavenly Dao."
Nüwa listened intently, committing every word Xuan Chen said to heart. "This disciple understands! From now on, this disciple will uphold my original intention of saving the world and rescuing lives, follow the laws of the Heavenly Dao, and never do anything that disrupts the balance of heaven and earth."
Xuan Chen nodded in satisfaction. "It is good that you understand. For the time being, do not use that Heavenly Dao Exemption. Save it for a critical moment. For instance, if you trigger a Heavenly Dao backlash while breaking through an important realm in the future, you may use it to negate it."
"This disciple understands!"
The two raced onward, the scenery along their route constantly changing—from the vast, boundless ocean to towering mountain ranges, then to lush, verdant forests. Several days later, they had already left the Eastern Sea's territory far behind and entered the Primordial World's interior.
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