Success: Establishing the Sixth Province
First, a seven-colored ray of light descended from the depths of the sky, shining directly on the main peak of the Luozhen Sect.
Amidst the rosy glow, golden lotuses appeared out of thin air, blooming one by one, their petals falling and transforming into a shower of light that blanketed the entire Xuanqing Mountain Range.
Where the golden lotus falls, Spiritual Qi condenses into dew, causing vegetation to grow wildly and rocks to gleam.
Immediately afterwards, phantom images of dragons and phoenixes appeared among the clouds.
The Azure Dragon raises its head, the White Tiger roars in the wind, the Vermilion Bird spreads its wings, and the Black Tortoise. The illusory images of the Four Symbols circle around the main peak, emitting long, melodious cries.
Beneath the Four Symbols, the shadows of mountains and rivers emerge, echoing the Northern Darkness Ancestral Vein beneath the Azure Jiao Marsh.
"The Four Symbols have appeared! A golden lotus has fallen to earth! This is a sign of celebration by the Great Dao!"
Nangong Chengyu gazed at the sky, his beard trembling with excitement.
He had lived for hundreds of years and had never seen such an auspicious breakthrough.
For an ordinary cultivator to break through to the Void Refinement, it's considered quite good if they can trigger Spiritual Qi Tide. But for the sect leader to break through, the very Principle of heaven and earth rejoice!
"The Dao Realm Origin is celebrating for the Sect Leader!" Ding Qifeng murmured, his eyes filled with shock.
The strange phenomena did not stop there.
The seven-colored glow grew ever brighter, spreading outwards from the main peak of Azure Jiao Marsh, quickly covering the entire edge of Feixian and even extending towards the other four states.
Across the Five Provinces, countless cultivators looked up at the sky, their faces filled with shock as they gazed at the seven-colored pillar of light that stretched across the heavens, and the faint phantoms of the Four Symbols within it.
"What direction is that? Flying Immortal Prefecture?"
"Such terrifying fluctuations in the Principle! Which powerful figure has broken through?"
"Could it be that Sect Leader Li from the Luozhen Sect? Since the Dao Realm was upgraded, he's been the most prominent figure!"
"Such a phenomenon can occur during a breakthrough in the Void Refinement Stage? You're kidding me! Even Tribulation Transcendence Stage expert might not have this!"
"..."
Discussions arose everywhere, and countless divine senses probed towards Flying Immortal Prefecture, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier of Principle.
That was the protection of the Dao Realm Origin; no one could fathom the details within.
Deep in the Great Wilderness, in several ancient cave abode, old monsters that had been sleeping for many years awoke one after another, gazing in the direction of Flying Immortal Prefecture with complex expressions.
"The Child of the Dao Realm is indeed extraordinary."
"This child is too deeply bound to the Dao Realm Origin; he will be the biggest beneficiary of the Dao Realm's ascension."
"But some people might be getting restless."
The low murmurs echoed in the ancient cave abode, then quickly faded into silence.
The strange phenomenon at the Luozhen Sect lasted for a full hour before slowly dissipating.
The spiritual clouds dissipated, the rosy light faded, and the illusory images of the Four Symbols disappeared into the heavens and earth.
The entire Luozhen Grotto-Heaven seemed to have been baptized, with the concentration of Spiritual Qi increasing even further. The mountain streams shimmered with spiritual light, the leaves of the plants were as clear as jade, and even the rocks became much more lustrous.
The underground, Supreme-Grade Spirit Vein were showing faint signs of transforming into Immortal Vein. On the nine branch veins, specks of immortal light emerged, faint yet real.
The stone door to the secluded chamber slowly opened.
Li Yunjing strode out, his blue robe fluttering in the wind, his hair moving even without any breeze.
He didn't exude any aura, yet he seemed to be one with the entire world, and every gesture he made carried a faint Daoist charm.
Congratulations, Sect Leader, on breaking through to the Middle Void Refinement Stage!
Mo Xuan, along with a group of elders, had been waiting outside the door, bowing respectfully in unison. Their voices were filled with heartfelt reverence and joy.
The stronger the sect leader, the stronger the sect.
This is a consensus among everyone in the Luozhen Sect.
Li Yunjing raised his hand in a gesture of support and said gently, "Elders, there's no need for such formalities. This breakthrough is also thanks to the support of the sect's fortune."
His gaze swept over everyone, and he could clearly feel that as he broke through, the Golden Dragon of Fortune grew even thicker and its dragon might was even greater.
And the disciples' fortunes have also subtly improved.
This is the benefit of being connected by fate; one prospers, all prosper.
"Sect Leader, this breakthrough has caused such a sensation that the entire Five Provinces are probably aware of it," Mo Xuan stepped forward and said in a deep voice. "The Immortal Alliance will likely send someone to congratulate us soon as well."
Li Yunjing nodded slightly, not surprised.
He was bound to the Dao Realm Origin, and his breakthrough triggered a resonance within the Dao Realm, making the extraordinary phenomena impossible to conceal.
However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The more powerful the Luozhen Sect becomes, the more it can deter villains.
"Pass down the order: the entire sect will be rewarded for three days. The Spirit Cuisine Pavilion will provide top-grade Spirit Cuisine, Alchemy Chamber will distribute Body-Tempering Pill to everyone," Li Yunjing instructed.
"Yes, sir!" Mo Xuan replied, his smile widening.
The elders then surrounded Li Yunjing, inquiring about his insights and cultivation details after the breakthrough, and they were all amazed.
After chatting for a while, Li Yunjing changed the subject, saying, "Elders, with this breakthrough, my understanding of the Principle of the Dao Realm has deepened. There is an important matter that I need to discuss with you all."
Seeing the sect leader's solemn expression, the elders also suppressed their smiles and solemnly said, "Sect Leader, please speak."
"This is not the place to talk. Let's go to the main hall to discuss this further. Also, go and invite the Northern Dark True Spirit to come."
"Yes."
The group moved to the Sect Grand Hall.
Inside the main hall, the Daoist atmosphere was rich and refreshing.
The guests and hosts took their seats. After a moment, a dark black light rose from the ground and transformed into a young man dressed in black robes with a cold and stern face.
The young man had dragon horns on his forehead, and his body was surrounded by a faint aura of water and earth veins; he was the true spirit of the Northern Darkness Ancestral Vein.
"Congratulations on breaking through to the Middle Void Refinement Stage." Northern Dark True Spirit smiled, his gaze falling on Li Yunjing, and nodded slightly. "The degree of Principle fusion is even higher than I expected."
"Not bad." Li Yunjing smiled slightly and gestured for you to sit. "I invited you here today because there's a very important matter concerning the Dao Realm Origin that I want to discuss with you."
Northern Dark True Spirit sat down as instructed, raising his chin slightly. "You speak."
Li Yunjing stood up and walked to the jade wall in the center of the main hall.
Hanging on the jade disc is a huge topographical map of the Five Provinces of the Dao Realm.
With a flick of his finger, the topographic map lit up with a faint light, revealing the clear outlines of the Five Provinces, and clearly marking the direction of the earth's veins and the distribution of Spirit Vein.
All the elders' eyes were focused on the map.
"In the early days of the Dao Realm, there were only the Five Elements and Five Provinces, corresponding to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which formed the foundation," Li Yunjing said slowly, his voice echoing in the hall. "After the Dao Realm was upgraded, its Principle were perfected, and it now possesses the foundation for further expansion."
"During my breakthrough, I comprehended the Dao Realm Origin and learned a secret: if the Dao Realm could assemble the Nine Provinces structure, corresponding to the Nine Heavens and Nine Earths, its status would be elevated again, its Principle would be more perfect, and it might even be able to touch the true threshold of the Immortal Realm."
"Kyushu?!"
The elders were all taken aback and looked at each other in bewilderment.
The Dao Realm now consists of only Five Provinces, which are already vast and boundless. Even if a mortal spends his entire life exploring one state, he still cannot traverse it all.
The sect leader actually wants to establish four more states? This is simply too shocking.
Creating a sixth state was already the limit for the Luozhen Sect!
Mo Xuan frowned and said, "Sect Leader, expanding territory and recreating a new state is no easy task. The earth veins, Spirit Vein, mountains, rivers and seas all need to be reshaped, not to mention relocating the population and establishing order... Such a project might not be completed even if all the resources of the Five Provinces were used."
"It was already difficult for my Luozhen Sect to create the sixth state; to create three more states would probably exhaust even the entire foundation of my Luozhen Sect."
"It's not something made up out of thin air." Li Yunjing shook his head and pointed to the Great Wilderness region outside the map. "The Great Wilderness may seem barren, but it is actually an area that did not fully evolve when the Dao Realm was first created."
The foundation of the earth's veins has always existed, but it has not been activated.
What we need to do is to harness the earth's veins, activate Spirit Root, and shape mountains, rivers, and seas, transforming the barren Great Wilderness into a brand new state.
He paused, then continued, "My plan is to establish the sixth state first."