[Supreme Dao Foundation]
"Teacher, is there something in here—?"
Although Qi Yun didn't say it aloud, his meaning was already very clear.
The Holy Sect always treated everyone equally.
To scheme against outsiders.
They're ruthless even to their own people.
Such a large, seemingly sweet pie was placed in front of me without warning.
He couldn't help but suspect that there might be a deadly hook hidden inside.
The old True Person did not directly answer his doubts, but instead stated a chillingly suffocating fact in a calm and even tone. "Since the [Great Luo Myriad Laws] were incorporated into the Holy Sect's secret treasury, to date—only twenty-three people have attempted to attain it."
He paused slightly, as if giving Qi Yun time to process the number, before continuing, his voice low but each word like a hammer blow. "Not a single one—can make it past the halfway point."
Twenty-three people!
Not even halfway there!
These ten simple words represent the fall or complete destruction of the Dao Path of twenty-three exceptionally talented geniuses of the Holy Sect who dared to challenge the highest Dao Foundation!
This is a dead end paved with the bones of countless geniuses, with no end in sight!
The old True Person raised his cloudy eyes, which seemed to see through people's hearts, and quietly looked at Qi Yun: "This matter concerns the very foundation of your own Dao Path, and the danger far exceeds any test you have ever experienced before."
I, an old man, offer no advice.
He completely handed the choice back to Qi Yun himself.
"I should honestly continue to prove the [Primordial Heaven Ultimate Law Dao Foundation], which has no future but is relatively safe, and secure a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage to live a peaceful life."
Or should I become the twenty-fourth challenger, embarking on this path of near-certain death, even certain death, to gamble on a vague and uncertain ultimate possibility?
"You should figure it out yourself."
The question was thrown back at Qi Yun, so heavy that Qi Yun felt his shoulders slump.
He looked at the old True Person before him, whose face was as withered as a tree and whose aura was even more obscure and profound than before.
Trying to find a clue on the other person's face, I only saw an unfathomable calm.
He then turned his gaze to True Person Qianxin beside him. When True Person Qianxin met his gaze, he shook his head almost imperceptibly and let out a barely audible sigh.
Using his sleeves as cover, he subtly waved to Qi Yun.
Qi Yun took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and solemnly cupped his hands to the two True Person Immortals: "This matter concerns the very foundation of my Dao Path, and I know its weight."
Please allow me to consider this carefully.
"One month." The old True Person did not insist, giving a clear deadline.
"Once the news of [Primordial Heaven Ultimate Law Dao Foundation] being proven by others is confirmed, you have one month to make a choice."
If you cannot make up your mind within a month, the Holy Sect will, according to its rules, revoke your special status and corresponding privileges as a [Secret Transmission True Cultivator].
At that time, you won't even have the right to choose.
This is applying pressure, and also setting boundaries.
"Rest assured, Master, I will weigh the options and make a decision as soon as possible," Qi Yun replied in a deep voice.
After the two True Person left, the courtyard returned to silence.
Qi Yun did not return to the quiet room, but silently went to the stone pavilion in the courtyard and slowly sat down.
He didn't brew tea or fiddle with anything as usual; he just sat quietly, his eyes vacant, gazing into the unknown distance.
But his inner world was far from as calm as it appeared.
Instead, an extremely intense, life-or-death struggle and deduction is underway.
[Option 1: Prove the [Primordial Heaven Ultimate Law Dao Foundation]]
Advantages: Relatively safe and secure. Although the [First Attainment] was taken away, and the upper limit of the Dao Path is locked at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, at least one can steadily step into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
With a lifespan of several hundred years, they could even occupy a place in the Inner Mansion.
With his methods and temperament, he could reach the top level in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, enough to live a carefree life in his region.
Disadvantages: The Dao Path is cut off! You will never be able to glimpse the scenery of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage or even the Golden Core stage.
For a cultivator who aspires to Changsheng and is proud and arrogant, this is tantamount to castration.
Moreover, now that Black Mountain True Person has made his move, it's hard to guarantee that he won't continue to cause trouble for him after he reaches the Foundation Establishment.
With only Foundation Establishment Middle Stage potential, does he have the power to contend with them?
[Option Two: Proving the Great Luo Myriad Laws Dao Foundation]
Advantages: Immense potential! Once successful, one will not only achieve the merit of being the First Attainment, but also gain a higher Dao Position rank by half a level, and have a foundation far stronger than one's peers.
There is also the possibility of glimpsing even higher realms.
The Holy Sect Foundation Establishment Object, saving him enormous trouble and risk.
Disadvantages: Extremely high mortality rate! Of the twenty-three predecessors, none made it past the halfway mark; the success rate is so low it's despairing.
This cannot be overcome simply by accumulating resources or possessing extraordinary talent; there must be unimaginable strangeness and danger involved.
The Holy Sect's "generosity" must have come with extremely harsh conditions or required him to pay an unbearable price; he may even have been some kind of "experimenter."
If they fail, the greater possibility is that they will die and perish.
His fingers unconsciously traced patterns on the cool stone tabletop.
He recalled his eight years of struggle to survive, climbing step by step from the bottom of the Outer Mansion to the Inner Mansion as a true cultivator, experiencing countless near-death experiences.
The fierce battles in the Teapot Valley Yin Ruins, the unpredictable machinations of the Divine Silkworm Sect, the undercurrents of Black Baleful Intent Peak —each time, he survived thanks to caution, planning, and a bit of luck.
I recalled the old True Person's seemingly indifferent yet repeated acts of protection.
I recalled True Person Qianxin, a gesture that hinted at his reluctance.
He recalled his own yearning for Changsheng and for control over his own destiny.
"My trump card—the infinite possibilities of [Law Technique Panel], the life-saving wonder of [Gather Form and Disperse Qi], [
Blood-Guided Profound Mysteries] Peeking into the Secrets of Heaven----
Could these things make me the sole exception?
Time passed slowly, and the afterglow of the setting sun cast his shadow long under the stone pavilion.
Qi Yun's gaze gradually deepened from its ethereal quality, becoming like a cold pool with surging undercurrents.
He did not make a decision immediately.
But the scales in my heart, driven by extreme rational analysis and an inherent unwillingness to be mediocre, have begun to tilt in a certain direction, extremely slowly, yet firmly.
Leaving Qi Yun's residence and walking along the winding mountain path back to Green Mountain Daoist Temple, True Person Qianxin looked at the old True Person's thin yet upright back ahead. After hesitating for a long time, he couldn't help but ask again, "Senior brother, do you really want that child to prove that [Supreme Dao Foundation]?"
This question had been lingering in his mind for a long time, and he had asked it countless times.
The old True Person didn't stop walking, but merely turned his head slightly, glancing at True Person Qianxin with his cloudy eyes. A faint, enigmatic smile appeared on his lips, "Qianxin, I observe that you—have an unusually high opinion of this child."
Upon hearing this, True Person Qianxin did not hide his feelings and sighed, saying, "This child's Root Bone, comprehension, and temperament are all top-notch."
What's even more remarkable is that ruthless decisiveness and cunning in assessing the situation.
He's practically born to cultivate the methods of our Holy Sect!
"If you hadn't secretly stopped me time and time again, I would have taken him under my wing and trained him carefully long ago."
He frowned, his tone filled with regret and confusion. "Such a promising talent, it's a pity, but also inevitable, if he were to be ruined in ordinary battles or training."
But if he were to fill the gaping hole in the [Supreme Dao Foundation] that had swallowed countless geniuses...
Isn't it such a pity?
This is like throwing a rough gem into a furnace—a certain death!
The old True Person slowly turned his head, his gaze fixed on the mist-shrouded mountains ahead. His voice was calm, yet carried a worldly-wise indifference. "Is it to fill the cave, or to seize this opportunity to soar to the heavens, break free from the shackles, and ascend straight to the ninth heaven—"
Everything is uncertain.
Qianxin, you have such high hopes for Qi Yun.
Why is it that in this particular case, it's assumed he's destined to lose, and can't be the exception?
"An exception?" True Person Qianxin almost laughed in anger. "Senior brother! If it were any other Higher Vehicle Dao Foundation in the sect, no matter how profound or obscure, I think that with Qi Yun Yun's temperament and fortuitous opportunity, he would be able to overcome it."
There's at least a 40-50% chance it's worth a try!
But that is the [Supreme Dao Foundation]!
This is the universally acknowledged supreme inheritance since the founding of our Holy Sect, and also the most brutal path to death!
His voice unconsciously rose a few decibels, carrying the weight of history. "Our Holy Sect has existed for ten thousand years, and there have been countless people of extraordinary talent, but among them, there are only two recorded in history who have been able to attain this foundation!"
One of them is the founding patriarch of my Holy Sect.
The other one is----"
At this point, True Person Qianxin's voice suddenly paused, as if the name itself carried some unspeakable taboo and terror. He swallowed the rest of his sentence and simply sighed heavily.
He turned to stare at the old True Person, his tone carrying a hint of questioning. "Senior brother, do you really believe that Qi Yun can be compared to the founding patriarch?"
The old True Person remained calm, as still as a deep well. "Just because it didn't work before, and it doesn't work now, doesn't mean it won't work in the future."
He paused, his withered fingers unconsciously tapping in the air, as if tracing some invisible path.
"Deep within this child lies a sinister nature that even he himself may not fully understand."
The ordinary path might actually be limiting for him.
"If you push him a little, maybe... it will work."
"What if—" True Person Qianxin raised an eyebrow, posing another possibility.
"Did he ultimately weigh the pros and cons and choose the relatively safe [Primordial Heaven Ultimate Law] Dao Foundation?"
After all, it's better to live a miserable life than to die a glorious death. For many cultivators, the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage is already the ultimate goal they dream of.
O
Upon hearing this, the old True Person paused slightly, then continued walking, his tone carrying an almost prophetic calm, as if he had already seen through the young man's true nature. "He won't."