Heart-Questioning (Happy Spring Festival, Daoist friends, and good fortune in the Year of the Snake!)

"Is this the Celestial Person of the Sanyang Sect?" Li Chengyi looked at him a few more times.

This person's aura was not completely concealed; the power belonging to the Celestial Person swirled around him. The occasional burst of spiritual Spiritual Qi seemed to stir up a monstrous wave of Spiritual Qi, making the Void Heaven Cultivator around him feel suffocated. When they looked at others, a trace of contempt and arrogance naturally appeared in their eyes.

Gu Yuanqing chuckled, "They do have the right to be arrogant within the within the Exquisite World. Apart from a handful of the Sect, they don't take anyone else seriously."

Li Chengyi suddenly asked, "I remember Father once said that there were some grudges between us and the Sanyang Sect. I wonder if these grudges have been resolved now?"

Gu Yuanqing glanced at the Elder of the Sanyang Sect with a nonchalant air and smiled, "The grudges are settled. As long as they don't provoke us, we can treat them like strangers. You don't need to be afraid if you encounter them in the future."

Li Chengyi smiled and said, "I understand."

After a while, several more Void Heaven Cultivator from the Sanyang Sect arrived. They greeted the Elder and then gathered together to chat and laugh, while the surrounding Cultivator kept their distance.

Back then, the Sanyang Sect did indeed encounter some trouble, becoming a laughing stock in the Cultivation World. However, this laughter was only behind the scenes, and only some Sect dared to talk about it. Even if some Rogue Cultivator and people from the Sect knew about it, they would at most say a few words in secret, but they would not dare to provoke them at all.

Even though Pei Yutang, a top-tier Great Cultivator of the Sanyang Sect at the Three Tribulations of Heavenly Change Realm, was killed, the Sanyang Sect's strength was not significantly diminished, far surpassing that of other Sect.

In particular, in recent years, the top ten Cultivator on the Heaven's Pride Ranking, such as Cen Pingshan, the Sanyang Sect Sword Son, went to the Primordial Realm and obtained fortuitous opportunity. After returning to the Sanyang Realm, they achieved the status of Celestial Person in one fell swoop. It is rumored that his talent is no less than that of Pei Yutang back then, and he was called Prospective Yin-Yang by the Elder of the Primordial Divine Sect.

Such praise has earned him the title of the Number One Person among the younger generation, even surpassing Lin Yuxiao, the Senior Brother of the Illusionary Spirit Sect, who also went to the Primordial Realm two hundred years ago.

The people of the Sanyang Sect were clearly used to the attention of others. Li Chengyi sized them up several times, but they did not notice him.

Gu Yuanqing, of course, paid no attention to these disciples of the Sanyang Sect, leisurely gazing at the distant scenery of Dongyuan City.

Decades have passed, but this place remains unchanged. In the Ancient Realm, anything closely related to the Ancient Realm Inhabitants will always silently return to its original state when the Full Moon is full.

Even though Gu Yuanqing now controls the power of the Chaos Heaven Level, he still finds this world incredible.

Li Chengyi pricked up his ears, listening curiously to everything happening around him.

Everything here was quite interesting to him; it was here that he felt he had truly entered the ranks of cultivators.

Another half incense stick's time passed, and the Teleportation Array of Dongyuan City was activated.

The Sanyang Sect was the first to pass.

Then the other Cultivator filed in.

Gu Yuanqing and Li Chengyi followed leisurely among them.

Xue Pingyan of the Purple Extreme Pavilion walked further back, her eyes gleaming.

Upon arriving at the Boundless River, Li Chengyi was deeply awestruck by the sight of the Boundless River, formed purely from the convergence of various Great Dao and Vital Energy.

Standing by the river, gazing at the Gungun water, Li Chengyi suddenly asked, "Father, do you think this river is man-made or naturally formed?"

Gu Yuanqing focused his Void Piercing Heavenly Eye on the far reaches of the Boundless River, and finally whispered, "Perhaps it was man-made."

According to the records of the Ancient Realm, the Boundless River has existed since ancient times, but from the Demon Realm, the Floating World, the Exquisite World to the Ancient Realm, various Rules and regulations are interspersed, all of which are full of human traces.

"Is it man-made? What level of skill would be required to achieve this?" Li Chengyi murmured.

Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "I don't know, I'm just guessing. Back then, I Refinement too many Dao Soul. When I was pursuing my true self, a senior said something to me, and today I'm passing that advice on to you."

"What did you say?" Li Chengyi asked.

Gu Yuanqing said, "The ways of others are ultimately external things. Do not forget your true self and live as another version of him."

"To live as another version of himself? Is it because of this that Father believes the Boundless River was created by human hands?" Li Chengyi asked.

Gu Yuanqing stared at the Boundless River and said, "Don't you think this river is somewhat similar to the Vital Energy circulating in your Void Heaven World?"

Li Chengyi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed, there are some similarities. The Vital Energy of the Void Heaven World is transformed from the Dao Resonance and True Essence that I have comprehended."

"Yes, the Dao Soul is the same. That's why that senior reminded me to comprehend the Dao of others and not lose my own true self. As a cultivator's inner world deepens, it can move from illusion to reality. Sometimes I wonder if this Heaven and Earth was originally the transformation of the inner world of some Mighty Figure in High Antiquity times." Gu Yuanqing felt deeply moved.

Li Chengyi looked at this Heaven and Earth, somewhat astonished. "Can a person's cultivation really reach this level?"

"Why not?" Gu Yuanqing smiled.

It took Li Chengyi a long moment to accept this idea before he asked, "Father, who was that senior you just mentioned?"

Gu Yuanqing shook his head and said, "It's unspeakable. Or rather, I don't know his background either; it was just a deal back then."

"Then I won't ask," Li Chengyi suddenly smiled and said, "Back then, Father almost forgot about me. Speaking of which, I really should thank this senior."

Gu Yuanqing shook his head and smiled, "Of course I remember, it's just that this memory has been submerged in the endless River of Years. You should take this as a warning. However, there's no need to worry about a situation like mine happening back then. I've left you some Red Dust Wine, enough for your own use."

Thank you, Father.

"Let's go. Let's find a place where you can practice how to fish for Dao Soul. In the future, when people from the Qian Yuan Realm enter the Ancient Realm, you'll have to do these things yourself."

Li Chengyi said helplessly, "Yes, I understand."

The two quickly headed downstream along the Boundless River. Li Chengyi's cultivation was still shallow and he had no experience. The upstream river was turbulent and not suitable for a beginner like him.

After Gu Yuanqing and Li Chengyi had walked quite a distance, Xue Pingyan stood again beside the spot where Gu Yuanqing had been standing. He gazed into the distance, hesitated for a long time, and finally made his decision.

"No matter how powerful the Qian Yuan Realm is, it only has one Boundary Domain that has just been newly promoted, and it only has one Celestial Person. How can it compare to the Ten Directions Misty Rain Tower? Besides, their entry into the Ancient Realm was already seen by others. I was just reporting a message."

He muttered to himself and quickly drove away.

Gu Yuanqing stopped in his tracks on a calm stretch of the Boundless River.

"Let's do it here!"

With a wave of his hand, Gu Yuanqing conjured up a fishing platform, complete with tables, chairs, and benches.

Li Chengyi also began fishing by this river.

Gu Yuanqing patiently instructed his son on how to condense True Essence to Empowerment the hanging thread, how to condense Dao Resonance into Dao Bait, and how to deal with the wear and tear of the Boundless River when the hanging thread is lowered into the river.

Every step here is actually closely related to cultivation, which is why many Void Heaven Cultivator enter this realm still come here even though they know that fishing usually yields very little.

While fishing, one can hone their cultivation and Dao practice, and at the same time condense Ancient Coin. If they are lucky enough to catch a few Dao Soul that have entered the next level, then they will have made a profit.

Li Chengyi possessed exceptional comprehension, far surpassing Gu Yuanqing's natural talent, but mastering the art of fishing was still not something that could be accomplished in a short time.

Gu Yuanqing was able to get the hang of it immediately because he had been trained by Heavenly Fishing Empowerment before.

However, Gu Yuanqing was exceptionally patient with his own son, never getting tired of him, and even guiding him with his True Essence and Divine Sense.

An hour later, Li Chengyi finally calmly lowered the Fishing Bait into the river and waited quietly for the Dao Soul to take the bait.

Gu Yuanqing sat leisurely to the side, even brewing a pot of fine tea and savoring it at his leisure.

"Why don't you fish for a while, Father?" Li Chengyi asked.

Gu Yuanqing laughed and said, "Forget it, the quality of the Dao Soul here is too low; they're useless to me."

A day passed in the blink of an eye. Li Chengyi finally sensed Motion and Stillness underwater. After several attempts, the fish escaped and the hook went awry. Instead, he was exhausted and needed a long time to recover.

Gu Yuanqing leisurely sipped his tea, making sarcastic remarks. "That won't do. If it were your father, he would have caught several Profound Tier Dao Soul in a day."

Li Chengyi remained silent, focusing on his fishing.

Three more hours passed. This time, the Dao Soul took the bait, barely reaching the next level, but still managed to escape.

Gu Yuanqing chuckled, "I used to say that your cultivation level was superficial, your True Essence was not condensed, and your understanding of the Dao Resonance was too shallow, but you didn't believe me. Today you know that your father was right."

Li Chengyi's face darkened slightly as he looked at his father and said, "Father, why don't you suppress your cultivation to the Void Heaven level and catch one for me as a demonstration?"

Gu Yuanqing laughed loudly, "Oh, still not Qi Ingestion? Come on, let me show you."

Gu Yuanqing took the fishing hook from Li Chengyi, casually condensed True Essence and Dao Bait, and said, "I won't bully you. This is the Dao Bait and True Essence that I condensed when I first entered the Void Heaven Level. What do you think?"

Li Chengyi looked at Gu Yuanqing, his lips twitching. In terms of the strength of his True Essence and the level of his Dao Resonance, he was indeed at the initial stage of entering the Void Heaven. However, the Fishing Bait he used was completely different from Li Chengyi's.

Seeing that Li Chengyi remained silent, Gu Yuanqing cast the water down on his own. In less than a quarter of an hour, a Yellow-Tier Dao Soul was caught, which happened to be the Path of Thunder Dao Soul that Li Chengyi needed.

Gu Yuanqing then tossed the seal to Li Chengyi and laughed, "You still have a lot to learn. Back then, I didn't have Master to guide me. You are much luckier than me. This Dao Soul just happens to be compatible with you. Try Refinement it; consider it practice."

After observing Gu Yuanqing's fishing, Li Chengyi remained silent. Among all the cultivators in the Qian Yuan Realm, he was undoubtedly the best. Compared to Cultivator of the same realm in the Exquisite World, he was superior in skill, and no one could compare to him. However, he never expected that compared to his father of the same realm, he would fall so far behind in this one aspect alone.

To be specific, the difference in cultivation between him and his father was only about twenty years.

Seeing Li Chengyi's silence, Gu Yuanqing's smile faded, and he said, "What? Do you think you're inferior to me? If this affects your Dao Heart, then you might as well not cultivate at all. With your father's help, you can be the master of the Qian Yuan Realm for the rest of your life, and no one will dare to provoke you. You can live a carefree life, which is better than a lifetime of arduous cultivation that yields nothing."

Li Chengyi looked intently at his father and said, "Father, you seem a bit strange today. If there's anything you want to say, please speak frankly with me."

Gu Yuanqing stood up and said, "Alright, then I will speak frankly with you, Cheng Yi. Your cultivation path has been smooth sailing since you began, unmatched by anyone in the Qian Yuan Realm. But have you ever asked yourself why you chose to cultivate?"

Li Chengyi opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, he remained silent.

Gu Yuanqing said, "Let me explain. Before, you wanted to cultivate because you wanted to see your mother. Later, you cultivated because of the World Conflict. You were the emperor, but then you discovered that your mother, Li Miaoxuan, was far more powerful than you, and might even have achieved Yin-Yang. Now that you've won the inter- Qian Yuan Realm World Conflict, and I'm here in the Ten Directions Misty Rain Tower didn't bother you much."

Li Chengyi said, "Father, I didn't..."

Gu Yuanqing said, "Then let me ask you, you are the Emperor who benefited the most from this victory in the World Conflict. You received the gift of the Heaven and Heaven and Earth Stele to strengthen your origin, and now you hold the Realm Token, are Empowerment by the Qian Yuan Realm, and have me guiding you to comprehend the Heaven and Earth. Why is it that after so long, you still haven't broken through to the Middle Stage the Void Heaven Realm?"

Li Chengyi explained, "The Void Heaven Realm is completely different from the previous Divine Platform Realm. It is only through years of cultivating the Path of the Divine Soul that I have been able to comprehend the existence of the Void Realm and the Ancient Realm."

Gu Yuanqing shook his head and said, "No, it's your heart that has changed. You no longer have the unwavering Dao Heart you had before when you were cultivating. Otherwise, with your talent and resources, you should have broken through to the Middle Stage of the Void Heaven realm within half a year after your Transformation in the Qian Yuan Realm."

Li Chengyi was somewhat bewildered. He didn't know if his father was right or wrong, but it seemed that his progress had indeed slowed down a lot recently. In fact, this could be seen from one point.

That was the gap between him and his great-grandfather Li Shi'an. Li Chengyi had surpassed him since then, and the gap in cultivation between him and Li Shi'an was originally getting bigger and bigger. However, after the World Conflict, the gap between the two seemed to be gradually narrowing.

Given his qualifications and resources, this shouldn't be the case.

For a moment, Li Chengyi fell into deep thought. After Gu Yuanqing's suggestion, he began to face the change in his mindset. Unconsciously, he closed his eyes and began to review his thoughts and actions since the end of the World Conflict.

Gu Yuanqing smiled, but after a while, he suddenly frowned and looked up at the Horizon, where he saw several streaks of light coming from afar.

In the Ancient Realm, only Celestial Person beings roam the air. Gu Yuanqing did not know their purpose and had no intention of getting entangled with them. He opened his Heavenly Human Realm, covering the surrounding area, not wanting the arrival of outsiders to cause an accident to Li Chengyi's journey of Heart-Questioning.

Unexpectedly, these people flew past and then suddenly turned back.

Looking down at the empty space below, they said in a deep voice, "Daoist Friend Gu Yuanqing of the Qian Yuan Realm, now that you know we are here, why do you avoid us?"

Gu Yuanqing's gaze fell on these people. Judging from their clothing, he could guess their origins. They were from the Ten Directions Misty Rain Tower.

(End of this chapter)