Breaking through the Heavenly Gate

The transformation of two Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier into Origin Xuan was already powerful enough for Zhou Wuji.

He circulated the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture, and the Divine Aperture between his eyebrows caused all seven apertures to circulate together.

The seven orifices correspond to the Big Dipper Seven Stars. Although they are far from reaching the level of condensing star gods into manifestation, with the help of the Transformation Realm, the seven orifices and the Divine Aperture between the eyebrows breathe in and out the Origin Xuan together.

With the mysterious state of resonance between heaven and earth, and with the Northern Emperor statue as the central hub, Zhou Wuji can open his mind and establish a deeper connection with the stars above the nine heavens.

He cannot maintain this state based solely on his own true level.

The resonance between heaven and earth is a blessing to the spirit, but it also rapidly depletes his own true essence.

The Origin Xuan transformed from the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment played a crucial role at this time.

Zhou Wuji maintained the resonance between heaven and earth, and transformed the four ounces and seven coins of evil spirit into the Origin Xuan, greatly enhancing the spiritual energy within his body.

He efficiently channeled the surging spiritual energy through the Divine Aperture eye and the seven orifices, while simultaneously adjusting the resonance with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

He was able to achieve this thanks to the advancement of the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture the Transcendent Transformation Realm, which allowed him to grasp the subtle and intricate changes within it.

On the other hand, his powerful physique also allows him to operate his true energy with ease, enabling him to withstand the pressure brought by the resonance of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

In a daze, Zhou Wuji saw Big Dipper Seven Stars, the brightest star above the Northern Pole Dipper.

This star, representing the North Pole Heavenly Emperor, corresponds to the Heavenly Gate of a person, which is the Baihui acupoint on the top of the head.

Throughout history, the most important step for cultivators has always been opening the Heavenly Gate.

The so-called "spiritual travel of cultivators" means that only when the divine soul leaves through the Heavenly Gate can one manifest and travel freely on the wind.

For cultivators today, opening the Heavenly Gate Heavenly Gate allows them to breathe in and out spiritual energy, increasing their efficiency of absorbing spiritual energy by a thousand times.

It is precisely because the Heavenly Gate is so important that it has been designated by the Daoist sect as the watershed between the Sixth Rank ranks of cultivation.

Opening the Heavenly Gate signifies being Sixth Rank. Failing to open the Heavenly Gate, regardless of the purity of one's true level, only grants Seventh Rank.

The ranks of Daoist practitioners are also based on the experience summarized by powerful figures throughout the Daoist tradition, which systematically divide the realms of cultivators.

The cultivation level is not determined by anyone making a snap decision.

Other cultivation ranks, such as those of Buddhism, martial arts, and demonic sects, are also very rigorous and complete, forming their own systems.

Zhou Wuji was well aware of the importance of the Heavenly Gate, and he had originally intended to take this opportunity to open Heavenly Gate.

By resonating with the spirits of heaven and earth, he gained an even greater sense of confidence.

With three streams of primordial primordial energy flowing in, Zhou Wuji seized the opportunity, using the divine aperture between his eyebrows to guide the seven apertures to circulate their true energy, directly rushing towards the Baihui Heavenly Gate divine aperture.

Through Divine Sense communication, Zhou Wuji sensed the Northern Pole in the heavens above.

All the True Qi flowed into the Baihui point of the Heavenly Gate, Zhou Wuji felt as if time had stopped, with only the True Qi vibrating and surging.

The Baihui acupoint, however, remained as still as an abyss, showing no reaction no matter how turbulent the energy surged within it.

The Baihui acupoint, also known as the Heavenly Gate, is a notoriously difficult threshold. Throughout history, cultivators have diligently practiced day after day, constantly purifying their cultivation, and only through talent and perseverance were they able to open the Heavenly Gate.

Zhou Wuji knew this step was extremely difficult, incredibly difficult.

Although the several Origin Xuan were powerful, they were ultimately just external forces; his own cultivation was still not pure enough.

If I could get another four ounces or more of the Origin Xuan, this time it might be successful.

Zhou Wuji was not disappointed. He had the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment in his hand. If this failed, he could always succeed by killing a few more Sixth Rank Ghost Soldier. It was just a matter of sooner or later.

This calm state of mind also allowed Zhou Wuji to maintain his connection with Northern Pole and that mysterious yet subtle link between him and Northern Pole.

Zhou Wuji knew this connection would soon be broken, and he wanted to try his best before it was.

He wanted to concentrate his Sword Intent, but then he felt something was wrong.

Although the Xiaoxiang Sword resonates with the Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot True Qi, its Sword Intent is based on the Eight Views of Xiaoxiang, from which a subtle and profound Sword Intent is extracted.

It has nothing to do with the Northern Pole.

Using Sword Intent to strike the Baihui acupoint is definitely not a good idea.

The most important thing is to be in harmony with the Northern Pole. Only in this way can the spirit of the Northern Pole be activated and the spirit of oneself be connected, thus opening the Baihui acupoint.

Zhou Wuji immediately thought of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword.

The Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword is a technique in itself, but it contains the various transformations of the Big Dipper Seven Stars.

For the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture, the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword is the cultivation method.

One is the foundation, and the other is change.

Zhou Wuji elevated the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture to the Transformation Realm, but the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword did not receive a corresponding upgrade.

This is because, although the two are closely related, Zhou Wuji only comprehended the fundamental cultivation method, which did not substantially promote the changes in the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword.

At this moment, Zhou Wuji suddenly realized the importance of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword. Only with the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword could he gather all the True Qi from the seven orifices into a sword and pierce the Baihui acupoint.

Only the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword corresponds to the Big Dipper Seven Stars, and forcibly impacting the Heavenly Gate will not disrupt his connection with the Northern Pole.

Zhou Wuji no longer hesitated after thinking about this. He transformed Wu Di's three taels and two qian of destiny into the Origin Profound Spirit and put it into the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword.

The Origin Profound Spirit transformed into purple light, unfolding into a world, which Zhou Wuji immersed himself in, cultivating the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword day and night.

When the purple light dissipated, the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword had progressed from the proficiency level to the mastery level.

A destiny of three taels and two mace is already very high, equivalent to Wu Di's lifelong hard work. Moreover, his cultivation level was already very high, and this hard work combined with his wisdom.

It took twenty years of arduous training to elevate the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword to its highest level. This demonstrates that the higher the level of cultivation of this technique, the more complex and profound it becomes.

At this point, Zhou Wuji had mastered all the variations of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword and deeply understood the connection between the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword and the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture.

That's why Zhou Wuji knew that the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword wasn't powerful enough.

With a heavy heart, he invested another three and a half taels of the Azure Dragon Envoy's destiny.

The purple light unfolded and then dissipated. Zhou Wuji looked at the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment again, and the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword had been elevated to the Transformation Realm.

The Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture is at the Transformation Realm, and the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword is also at the Transformation Realm. The two are at the same level, which makes the one method and the other technique exceptionally balanced, and the method and technique are almost perfectly combined into one.

At this point, Zhou Wuji had completely mastered the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword and the Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture, and his Transformation Realm had reached a state of perfection.

Although the abbot's Zhiyuan is high, his mastery of the Big Dipper Northern Dipper Tianshu Scripture and the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword may not be as good as his.

Zhou Wuji activated the seven stars corresponding to the seven orifices, guiding the true flow to converge into an invisible Seven Star Sword, which, under the control of the Divine Aperture, pierced straight into the Heavenly Gate.

His Divine Sense resonated with the Big Dipper Seven Stars in the sky. As he wielded the invisible Seven Star Sword, he simultaneously guided the spirits of the seven stars in the sky to converge towards the Heavenly Gate through his seven orifices.

By using Zhou Wuji's Divine Sense to "see," one can "see" the starlight in the sky and the convergence of one's own essence at the Baihui acupoint.

In an instant, Zhou Wuji "saw" the Baihui acupoint, which was like an abyss, suddenly open up, with endless starlight pouring in from above and truly merging with his own internal energy.

His Divine Sense surged violently, bursting forth from the passage opened at the Baihui acupoint, rising continuously until it soared high into the heavens, where he saw endless stars, their light flowing and falling to earth.

The endless starlight is like a network, connected with the vast heaven and earth, forming some kind of order full of beauty.

Zhou Wuji had a sudden realization: he was transforming into the Northern Pole. Standing in this position, he felt as if he were the ruler of all stars, ruling the nine heavens, and he could see all the mysteries of the world.

The profound feeling of dominating the heavens lasted only a moment before Zhou Wuji's Divine Sense returned to himself. His Heavenly Gate acupoints were now fully open and had established a stable and close connection with the Divine Aperture between his eyebrows.

By opening the Heavenly Gate and concentrating the Baihui acupoint, his spiritual energy efficiency increased tenfold through breathing exercises via the Heavenly Gate, signifying his formal advancement to the Sixth Rank.

Although the whole process is complex, it is actually just a change that happens in the blink of an eye.

Through the Divine Aperture between his eyebrows, he can control the Baihui point and the seven orifices.

However, no real connection was established between the eight acupoints, and they were not integrated into a whole.

Once he has fully integrated the nine acupoints and condensed them into a stable upper Dantian, he will have reached the Sixth Rank of perfection.

Opening the Heavenly Gate and focusing the energy at the Baihui acupoint had exhausted all of his Origin Xuan.

To achieve the Sixth Rank of perfection, one must meticulously refine the acupoints and construct a stable true structure. This is something that cannot be rushed, nor is it necessary to rush it.

Zhou Wuji stepped into the Sixth Rank, and his abilities improved greatly in all aspects. He was extremely satisfied.

Once he awoke from his mystical state, Zhou Wuji was able to sense the state of the people around him and the changes in their auras through his Divine Sense.

It wasn't that his Divine Sense had suddenly improved by a large margin, but rather that opening the Heavenly Gate was like opening a hidden eye, allowing him to "see" the spiritual energy and the subtle changes in various auras.

Of course, this kind of active perception also consumes Divine Sense, but it enhances his perception by at least two or three times.

Another very important point is that he could reliably sense the Big Dipper through the Heavenly Gate, and further sense the Big Dipper Seven Stars.

A stable, close, and secretive connection allows him to accurately locate his spatial position and, consequently, accurately perceive the surrounding space.

Having this ability means that as long as he stays conscious, maintains a correct sense of direction, and has an accurate sense of space, it is extremely important for combat.

It can also effectively resist various illusions and magic arrays, including secret techniques that confuse the six senses and Law Technique that bewitch the mind; it has extremely strong resistance to them.

For cultivators, opening the Heavenly Gate is a tremendous qualitative change Zhou Wuji couldn't immediately understand all the changes within himself, and with so many people watching, he didn't have time to sort them out.

He didn't know Zhiyuan Yizhen had noticed anything unusual.

Both of them treated him well, but he didn't really want them to know his specific cultivation level.

Advancing directly from the Subordinate Seventh Rank to the Sixth Rank through the transmission of ordination and talismanic knowledge is still too exaggerated.

There were several people in the crowd who were clearly showing him hostility. He didn't know why they were acting this way, but in that state, he could sense their true emotions.

As the starlight above the main hall dissipated, everyone in the hall regained consciousness.

When everyone looked at Zhou Wuji's back, their gazes were all very complicated.

Daoist Yizhen sensed the spirit dissipating and Zhou Wuji's resonance with heaven and earth ending, he said in a deep voice, "Wuji has received his ordination and advanced in rank; he should now undergo the coming-of-age ceremony."

The abbot Zhiyuan walked over and placed the Seven-Star Crown, also known as the Star Crown, on Zhou Wuji's head as he knelt on the prayer mat.

The star crown is made of bronze and engraved with the Big Dipper Seven Stars in an inverted bucket shape. It is a ceremonial crown worn by Daoist priests on formal occasions to tie their hair. The specific material varies from person to person and there are no restrictions.

Only Northern Pole Sect who have advanced to the Seventh Rank are qualified to wear the Seven-Star Crown.

Zhou Wuji put on the Seven-Star Dharma Crown, which made him appear more dignified and solemn.

Zhiyuan personally helped Zhou Wuji up, and then addressed the crowd in the hall. "From this day forward, Wuji be a steward of the Flying Profound Hall— "

The Lower Court was divided according to the hierarchy of authority, with the highest being the presiding official, followed by the three chief ministers and five principal ministers, then the heads of each hall, and finally the stewards of each department.

In the Flying Profound Hall, Yiping serves as the head seat, and Zhou Wuji, as Yiping disciple, naturally cannot compete with his senior uncle for the position.

Being a steward of the Flying Profound Hall isn't exactly a prestigious position. It's merely giving Zhou Wuji a formal Lower Court status.

Apart from Li Ruyi and Yang Tie Ying, who knew nothing about the position, everyone present understood that it wasn't important and could mostly understand why the host had made such an arrangement.

Although Zhou Wuji was quite famous, he had only advanced to the Seventh Rank and didn't even have a master, making him a newcomer to the Lower Court.

Since he was new to the job, it was unlikely that the host would assign Zhou Wuji an important position.

Zhou Wuji was well aware of this. He thought being a steward of the Flying Profound Hall was quite good; it was leisurely and he could read more books to increase his knowledge and cultivate properly.

In a way, this can be considered a Zhiyuan of love and care for him.

Zhou Wuji formally bowed and kowtowed Zhiyuan in gratitude.

Zhiyuan a low voice, "The ordination ceremony is complete. Next, you need to complete the assessment designated by the Heavenly Master's Manor and obtain the Seventh Rank ordination certificate. This matter is extremely important to you. During this time, you should focus on your cultivation and not be distracted by anything else."

Advancing to the Seventh Rank allows one to learn some important Law Technique, such as the Northern Dipper Heavenly Pivot Yin Thunder Method, which is almost the most important Law Technique of the Northern Pole Sect.

There's still some time left. If Zhou Wuji can cultivate diligently, he should be able to learn a bit. After all, he resonates with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and has quite a bit of aptitude for cultivation.

The Five Dragons Gang's troubles haven't been resolved yet, and Zhou Wuji is prone to getting into trouble whenever he goes out.

He couldn't say too much in front of everyone.

"This disciple understands and will certainly live up to the abbot's high expectations," Zhou Wuji replied solemnly.

Zhiyuan offered a few words of encouragement and then left first, with Yizhen following behind.

Daoist Yiding Jingyi also led his disciples away.

Zhou Wuji didn't recognize the Daoist Yiding, but he sensed the malice emanating from Daoist Yiding. He also saw the old Daoist priest coldly leading his followers away, not even bothering to say a word to him.

He found it strange; they were complete strangers, so where did this old man get such strong malice?

Daoist Yiping hurriedly approached, following Zhou Wuji's gaze to see Yiding leaving. He whispered, "That's Master Jingyi, in charge of the Discipline Hall. You should be more respectful when you encounter him in the future—"

Daoist Yiping knew about the factional relationships within the Lower Court, but the situation was complex and couldn't be explained clearly in a short time.

He didn't want Zhou Wuji to argue with Daoist Yiding priest, so he casually offered an explanation and then pulled Zhou Wuji to meet the other people.

Although Daoist Yiping was far from the power center of the Lower Court, he had still spent several decades Lower Court and was Seventh-Rank Register Conferral Daoist, so he still had some influence in the Lower Court and knew even ordinary stewards.

The people in the Lower Court all felt that Zhou Wuji had a promising future and was valued by the abbot, so they were all quite friendly towards Zhou Wuji.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone left.

Wuming had been waiting nearby, came over and quietly congratulated him when no one was around. "Congratulations, Senior Brother, on advancing to the Seventh Rank and receiving the Heavenly Emperor's blessing. You will surely achieve the Great Dao in the future—"

Wuming still slightly shy, but his bright eyes were filled with undisguised joy, clearly showing that he was genuinely Zhou Wuji.

"Thank you for your kind words, Junior Sister, haha—" Zhou Wuji laughed, "It's been a long time since I've seen you, Junior Sister. Let's have a flute duel sometime when we have time—"

Wuming nodded repeatedly, but he was hesitant and unsure when to go to Zhou Wuji.

But receiving an invitation from her senior brother, she knew he had always thought of her, and her joy overflowed from her bright eyes, causing the corners of her mouth to involuntarily turn up in a smile.

Watching from the side, Li Ruyi couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Her senior sister was truly innocent and adorable.

Yang Tie Ying watched his master and Wuming talk with longing eyes. He wanted to go up and congratulate his master, but the female Daoist priest kept talking to his master, and he couldn't help but want to.

Seeing Yang Tie Ying's restless movements, Shangxing quickly grabbed Yang Tie Ying's sleeve. Yang Tie Ying looked puzzled, and Shangxing whispered in Yang Tie Ying's ear, "Are you stupid?"

Yang Tie Ying's face flushed slightly. If he hadn't developed a good relationship with Shangxing these past few days, he would have slapped the kid across the face.