Great Luo Fruition Status

In the Blood Sea, all was silent.

The deep blue figure stood with his hands behind his back. The light in his azure-gold eyes, which had been used for deduction, did not fade but instead became even more intense and dazzling.

The languid amusement that once lingered in Youquan's bloodshot eyes had long since vanished.

He simply gazed silently at that figure's back, at the Daoist aura flowing slowly across it, and at those eyes that seemed to pierce through eternity.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But the words that were on the tip of his tongue turned into a very soft sigh.

Because he knew that the true self was currently in a realm he could not touch, understand, or even imagine.

That was a choice made by one's own heart.

That is the foundation of the Dao Path.

That was a monk questioning the fundamental meaning of his existence.

Beyond the Blood Sea, the battlefield remained ablaze, filled with the deafening cries of battle.

But Qi Yun's mind was completely absorbed in that profound and mysterious deduction.

He closed his eyes slightly.

There are two paths ahead.

One of them is the Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method.

That road is wide, solid, and weathered, like a sacred mountain that has existed since the beginning of time, standing majestically on the banks of the Long River of Time.

There are countless paths on the mountain, each leading to a lineage, and each bearing the footprints of those who came before.

Those who set foot on this mountain can climb along the paths trodden by those who came before them, can use the mountain's resources to cultivate themselves, and can seek the Tao peacefully under the mountain's protection.

And atop the mountain, Fruition Status is held.

That Fruition Status, like a Great Sun atop a mountain, illuminates the entire sacred mountain and nourishes everything on it.

Once a cultivator reaches the mountain summit, they can pluck the Great Sun and merge it into their own body.

From this day forward, the Great Sun is me, and I am the Great Sun.

Above the sacred mountain, a world exists in its own right; beneath the sacred mountain, the Long River of Time flows ceaselessly, yet it can no longer wash away even a fraction of the Great Sun.

This is the Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method.

It is a smooth road that countless sages have paved with their lives throughout the ages.

The other path is the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method.

The road was narrow, steep, and treacherous, like a solitary peak piercing straight into the sky.

On this solitary peak, there are no traces of predecessors, no nourishment from resources, and no Great Sun.

Only myself.

All I have is a sword, a pot of wine, and a heart devoted to the Dao.

Those who reach this peak cannot rely on any external aids or any predecessors.

Every step requires clearing away thorns on your own; every inch requires forging your own path.

But there is no Fruition Status at the summit.

There was only emptiness.

Even when cultivators reach the summit, they cannot pluck any Great Sun or merge into any Fruition Status.

But it can use itself as wings and the Dao heart as feathers.

Soar through the skies, free and unrestrained!

This is the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method.

It was a new path that Qi Yun forged through life and death, risking his life in the debate among the five hundred Arhat in the Spirit Mountain Sacred Realm.

Qi Yun gazed quietly at the two roads, at the majestic sacred mountain, and at the precipitous solitary peak.

a long time.

He smiled.

But there was an indescribable sense of relief in that smile.

"I see----"

He murmured to himself, his voice slowly echoing within his Purple Mansion.

These two paths seem diametrically opposed, seemingly incompatible.

But ultimately—

He paused slightly, then slowly opened his cyan-gold eyes. "It's just a matter of lending or not lending."

"Borrowing the power of Fruition Status, the power of the thoughts of all living beings, and the fortune of Heaven and Earth—this is the Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method."

"Without relying on any external object, but only on oneself—this is the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method."

Is the question of "what can be lent" or "what cannot be lent" truly the entirety of the Tao?

He slightly raised his eyes and looked at the void above the two roads.

There was nothing there.

There was only endless darkness.

But as he gazed into the darkness, the light in his eyes grew ever brighter.

The drawback of the Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method lies in its excessive reliance on external resources.

"Borrowing the power of Fruition Status of authority means being subject to its Fruition Status; borrowing the fortune of heaven and earth means bearing the karmic consequences of heaven and earth; borrowing the power of sentient beings' thoughts means bearing the karmic obstacles of sentient beings."

The more you borrow, the more constraints you face.

"In the end, the Fruition Status is me, and I am the Fruition Status, but is that Fruition Status truly still me?"

He paused, his voice growing increasingly deep and serious. "The flaw in the method of Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method lies in its lack of reliance on external aids."

Without relying on anything external, one has nothing to depend on; without relying on any external force, one can only rely on oneself to persevere.

"You have to clear the way for yourself at every step, and pave your own path for every inch."

"The path cultivated in this way is indeed the pure self."

"But how long can that purity last?"

"The Long River of Time flows ceaselessly, and the calamities of heaven and earth continue endlessly."

"Without the protection of Fruition Status, without the nourishment of good fortune, and without the support of the compassionate thoughts of sentient beings—"

"Then, can I" live on forever?

As the words fell, a deathly silence descended upon the Blood Sea.

Youquan gazed silently at that retreating figure, her blood-red eyes flashing with light.

He wanted to refute, to argue, and to point out a clear path for the original owner.

He opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

Because he also knew that what the deity said was true.

The Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method and the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method each have their strengths and weaknesses.

No road is perfect.

There is no path that allows a cultivator to truly roam freely between heaven and earth, transcending the passage of time.

No one is perfect, and no path is without flaws.

Silence lingered for a long time amidst the Blood Sea.

So long that the churning sound of the Blood Sea became faint.

Finally, the deep blue figure moved.

Qi Yun slowly turned around.

Those blue-gold eyes no longer held the light of deduction, nor the solemnity of weighing options.

There is only one Qingming Festival like this, unlike any other.

A sense of clarity, as if the fog of millennia had been lifted, finally revealing the Great Sun.

He gazed at the Youquan, a faint smile slowly curving his lips.

There was no smugness or arrogance in that smile.

There was only a faint, seemingly self-evident certainty.

"Youquan."

He called out, but his voice was not loud.

Youquan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly lowered his head. "This is you, Venerable One."

Qi Yun did not speak immediately.

He simply raised his right hand slowly.

Spread your fingers wide.

Palms facing upwards.

It's an action that couldn't be simpler.

But the moment he raised his hand, deep within the Purple Mansion, the Great Luo Heaven, which suppressed all laws and evolved all heavens, suddenly erupted!

That light was not the kind of light that had been predicted before, nor the kind of light that had evolved before.

Rather, it is a kind of...

Unprecedented brilliance!

Within that brilliance, the sun, moon, and stars rise; mountains and rivers take shape; plants wither and Lunzhuan; and all living things are born and die without ceasing.

Within that brilliance, there is a distinction between Clarity and Turbidity and turbidity, the generation of Yin and Yang, the Lunzhuan of the five elements, and the interplay of the eight trigrams.

Within that brilliance, all things and phenomena, endless Principle, Dao principles, cause and effect, and destiny all emerge simultaneously!

Like a real, vast world, it slowly took shape in Qi Yun's palm!

Youquan's pupils suddenly contracted.

He gazed at the world within his palm, his bloodshot eyes filled with disbelief. "My lord, this—this is—"

Qi Yun lowered his eyes slightly, gazing at the small world that was taking shape in his palm.

That world, though small, had everything it needed.

There is the rising and setting of the sun and moon, the cycle of the four seasons, the proliferation of all living beings, and the rise and fall of civilizations.

There is birth, there is death, there is prosperity, there is decline.

There is cause, there is effect, there is fate, there is calamity.

It contains every step he has taken, every person he has killed, every principle he has comprehended, and every emotion he has abandoned.

That is his way.

That was his path.

That was him -

The fundamental proof of its existence in this world.

He gazed at the small world in his palm and spoke slowly.

Like the first Daoist voice at the beginning of time, it resounded powerfully within his Purple Mansion: "The Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method seeks only to borrow..."

"Borrowing the power of Fruition Status, the fortune of heaven and earth, and the power of the thoughts of all living beings, one can solidify oneself and stand tall above the Long River of Time."

He paused slightly, gazing at the small world in his palm, where a ray of light, as brilliant as the Great Sun, was slowly rising. "The Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method seeks to avoid borrowing."

"Without borrowing any external object or relying on any external force, one proves oneself and finds freedom between heaven and earth."

He paused, his voice growing increasingly deep. "But what my [Great Luo Myriad Laws Dao Foundation] seeks has never been 'borrowing' or 'not borrowing'."

"But one"

He slowly raised his head, and a dazzling light, unlike anything he had ever seen, suddenly erupted from the depths of his azure-gold eyes. "Domination!"

"What I want is both of these."

He slowly clenched the small world in his palm. "To bring it all under my control!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a tremendous tremor shook the Purple Mansion!

That small world, which was originally just in its nascent stage, suddenly burst forth with indescribable dazzling light under his grasp!

Within that light, there was that sacred mountain, that solitary peak—

Rise at the same time!

Like two stars contained within the same starry sky, they slowly rotate and reflect each other in this world that belongs to Qi Yun!

On the sacred mountain, the Great Sun still shines.

On the solitary peak, that Dao heart still burns.

But their light, the moment it touched the domineering light in Qi Yun's palm...

All gathered together!

Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, like a thousand rays of light merging into the Great Sun!

Under the illumination of that supreme light.

The profound and ancient nature of the Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method and the carefree and unrestrained nature of the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method are perfectly harmonious and without any conflict.

They coexist in this small world!

Youquan stared wide-eyed at the world in his palm, at the strange sight of the sacred mountain and the solitary peak coexisting, and the Great Sun and the Dao heart shining together.

The languid amusement in his bloodshot eyes vanished completely, and the solemn light froze entirely.

Instead, there was an indescribable sense of awe.

"This—this is—"

He muttered to himself, his voice so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable: "The Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method and the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method— "

"They can actually coexist?!"

Qi Yun did not answer.

Within the Purple Mansion, the small world in the palm of his hand was still slowly rotating.

The sacred mountain stands majestically, its solitary peaks steep and precipitous, bathed in the Great Sun, its spirit burning brightly.

But when Qi Yun looked at the two coexisting methods, there was not a trace of pride in his expression.

not enough.

That's far from enough.

He gently shook his head, and with a slight turn of his palm, the small world transformed into a Flowing Light, disappearing into the depths of his Purple Mansion.

Youquan gazed at him, her bloodshot eyes filled with doubt. "My lord, this technique is already perfected, why do you still need to—"

"Da Cheng?" Qi Yun interrupted him, slowly shaking his head.

"The Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method borrows the power of the Fruition Status, while the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method attains freedom and ease."

"I've achieved greatness by allowing both to coexist?"

The light in those deep blue-gold eyes grew ever brighter. "Coexistence is merely the first step."

"What I want has never been coexistence."

He slowly raised his right hand.

Twelve rays of light slowly rose from the depths of the Great Luo Heaven!

A bright yellow streak, sharp and unparalleled—that was the lingering aura of the [Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament Dao Foundation].

A colorful aura, profound and weathered—that is the imprint of the [Imperial Supreme Creation Dao Foundation].

There were also nine faint rays of light, barely visible, with only indistinct outlines.

Twelve rays of light slowly rotated in his palm!

Like twelve stars, orbiting an invisible sun!

Youquan narrowed his eyes slightly, asking curiously, "This—this is—"

Qi Yun did not turn around, and slowly spoke, "The Twelve Supremes Dao Foundation are the pinnacle of all laws in this world, the ultimate Dao."

Each one represents a fundamental path.

"The Supreme Sovereign Mystic Firmament, the master of war and slaughter."

"The Imperial Supreme Creation, the Master of Creation."

"The Great Luo Myriad Laws ----"

"Commander!"

"To govern all laws and evolve all heavens—this is the foundation of the [Great Luo Myriad Laws Dao Foundation]."

"But if it's merely about governing all existing laws, merely about evolving the predetermined heavens—"

He shook his head, his voice growing increasingly somber. "What kind of supreme being is that?"

"What kind of name is that?"

He slightly raised his head, gazing at the void above the twelve beams of light, and at the [All Wonders Heaven] in the the Unseen: "Governing all laws?"

As the words fell, a deathly silence descended upon the Blood Sea.

Youquan gazed at the deep blue figure standing with his hands behind his back, his eyes gleaming: "What I intend to do is—"

"Refine all the Supreme Dao Foundation?"

"But the location of the remaining nine is unknown—"

Qi Yun gently shook his head.

Yet, within that shake of the head lay an indescribable certainty. "The Supreme Dao Foundation has a predetermined destiny, and my [Great Luo Myriad Laws Dao Foundation] is in charge of its governance."

"As long as there are cultivators in this world who possess Supreme Dao Foundation, as long as Supreme Dao Foundation exists in this world, my [Great Luo Myriad Laws Dao Foundation] will be able to sense their existence."

He paused slightly, and the light in the depths of his azure-gold eyes grew ever brighter. "The Fruition Status is the essential essence formed by the Great Dao."

"Each Fruition Status represents a complete path."

"The Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method is to seek Fruition Status, borrow the power of that Fruition Status, and merge into Fruition Status."

"The Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method is to prove oneself, using oneself as the basis to ignite the fire of the Dao heart."

"But both of these paths inevitably lead to one fundamental problem."

He paused slightly, countless wondrous phenomena of the Great Dao faintly appearing in his eyes. "The Fruition Status is born of Heaven and Earth, and formed by the Great Dao."

95

"No matter how much you seek or prove, in the end—"

"You're ultimately walking a path that someone else has already trod."

Ultimately, you are borrowing a Fruition Status that already exists.

Youquan frowned deeply. "But the Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method is not dependent on the Fruition Status— "

Qi Yun shook his head, interrupting him. "Without relying on the Fruition Status, one has no power of that Fruition Status."

"Without the power of Fruition Status, one cannot truly transcend the Heaven and Earth's Long River of Time and escape the erosion of its currents."

"A moment of carefree enjoyment is not the fundamental way."

He paused, his voice growing increasingly somber. "Therefore, neither of these two paths is enough."

The Youquan, blood-red eyes of the demon were filled with doubt. "Then what is it that I desire?"

Qi Yun did not answer immediately.

He simply raised his head slowly and looked towards [the All Wonders Heaven].

There, lies the source of all laws and the origin of all paths.

There, countless Fruition Status hang high, like dazzling stars, illuminating the ancient lineage of the Great Dao in this world.

Those Fruition Status are born of Heaven and Earth, and are formed by the Great Dao.

It is the pinnacle of all laws in this world, the ultimate of all paths.

But so what?

Those Fruition Status are ultimately bestowed by Heaven and Earth, not attained by him.

Those great roads were trodden by those who came before, not opened by him.

He gazed at the countless dazzling phantom images of Fruition Status in that void, and the smile on his lips slowly widened.

"What I want--"

He spoke slowly, his voice low, yet it echoed throughout the Blood Sea: "It is to give birth to a Fruition Status that has never existed before in this [All Wonders Heaven]!"

Youquan's pupils constricted sharply. "Fruition Status that has never existed before?"

How is that possible?

The Fruition Status is born of Heaven and Earth and formed by the Great Dao; how can it be created out of thin air?

Qi Yun did not answer his question.

He simply raised his right hand, pointing to the twelve slowly rotating supreme lights. "The Twelve Supremes Dao Foundation are the pinnacle of all laws in this world, the ultimate Dao."

Each one represents a fundamental path.

"If I could bring the True Intention of these twelve fundamental Daos completely under my control."

"In the end"

He slowly clenched the twelve rays of light in his palm. "A new path formed by the fusion of the twelve fundamental paths."

"A new path that has never existed before."

"One that belongs only to me"

He paused slightly, then slowly uttered, word by word. "The Dao of Great Luo!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a tremendous tremor shook the Purple Mansion!

The twelve beams of light that were slowly merging suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly dazzling brilliance!

Within this Infinite Light, deep within Qi Yun's azure-gold eyes, it seemed as if countless ages were churning, and the great Dao of Heaven and Earth was rising and falling.

He gazed at the new path taking shape, at the nascent, never-before-seen Fruition Status about to be born, and the smile on his lips slowly widened.

"The attainment of Fruition Status is the essential essence of the Great Dao."

"What Heaven and Earth give birth to, and what the Great Dao accomplishes—this is an ironclad law that has existed since time immemorial."

"But this ironclad rule has never been said—"

"Cultivators cannot create their Fruition Status!"

"The creation of new Law Technique will be rewarded by the laws of heaven and earth."

"What if—"

He slowly raised his head, gazing towards the higher, more distant existence beyond the Purple Mansion, above the heavens, in the the Unseen: "To create a path that has never existed before—"

Where is the Great Way?

He paused slightly, then spoke each word as if it were a decree of the Great Dao, resounding throughout his own Purple Mansion: "And what kind of favor will it be?"

Youquan stared wide-eyed at the deep blue figure standing with his hands behind his back, at the burning light deep within those azure-gold eyes.

An unprecedented brilliance.

He slowly lowered his head, bowing deeply to the deep blue figure: "The Way of the True One—"

"Youquan, I understand completely now."

Within the Purple Mansion Great Luo Heaven, that deep blue figure stood with his hands behind his back.

On the palm of his hand, the twelve rays of light were still slowly merging.

"The Xuanhuang Dao Attainment Method borrows the power of the Fruition Status."

"The Primordial Spirit Dao Attainment Method, proving freedom and ease."

Neither of these paths is perfect; both have their flaws.

"But so what?"

He raised his head slightly, his words brimming with pride. "If two paths aren't enough, then let's take a third."

"He wields the power of Fruition Status, yet is not controlled by that Fruition Status."

"To attain freedom and ease, yet not to be isolated from heaven and earth."

"By then."

He slowly clenched the twelve rays of light that were merging in his palm. "The two nourish and strengthen each other, and there is no longer any conflict or constraint between them."

97

"Because of one"

He slowly raised his head, gazing at the the Unseen that belonged to him, the Fruition Status he was destined to ignite himself. "That Fruition Status was one I created myself."

It was not born of heaven and earth, nor was it formed by the Great Dao.

"It's me, Qi Yun."

He paused slightly, then his clear, resonant voice echoed throughout the Great Luo Heaven: "Forged!"

As soon as the words were spoken, complete silence fell over the Purple Mansion.

A beam of light emerged from the Great Luo Heaven; the light was extremely faint, so faint that it was almost invisible.

Yet within that light lay an indescribable, supreme meaning that seemed to encompass and govern everything.

That was the prototype of the new path.

That is the embryo in the Fruition Status.

Qi Yun gazed calmly at the ball of light taking shape in his palm.

If this method succeeds—

He murmured to himself, his words echoing slowly within his own Purple Mansion: "This is unprecedented in history, unparalleled in the past."

"The First Dao Attainment Method."

"Through this method, I have proven my path to becoming a ruler."

Slowly clenching his fist, Qi Yun's eyes shone with a vast divine light. "This is the world since ancient times."

"Number one!"