The Dao Path Initially Settled, Dao and Virtue Overcomes Final Fortune

Torch Dragon?

The records of this person instantly flashed through Yu Tunzhou's mind.

In the Dragon Race lineage, this figure's prestige is almost second to none, not much less than that of the Ancestral Dragon. Many legends and myths record that he is the creator god.

It's perfectly reasonable for this being to appear deep within the Dragon Gate, but who inflicted these black wounds on its body? Have they remained unhealed for countless ages? Is this being alive or dead at this moment?

Filled with questions, Yu Tunzhou raised his eyes and gazed at the enormous dragon body that stretched across the heavens and earth.

Its crimson scales are no longer what they once were. Everywhere you look, the dragon's body is covered in wounds, looking ferocious and terrifying, stretching from its neck to its tail, covering almost half of its body.

Most terrifyingly, all the festering wounds had a deathly, dark black color, unlike the blood-red and grotesque appearance of ordinary injuries.

Strands of eerie black energy seeped and spread along the bones and muscles, eventually merging with the flesh and blood to become black blood. The moment it dripped down, it turned into swirling black mist that spread across the surrounding area.

What they refined at night was a wisp of this surging black mist.

Yu Tunzhou's expression turned serious. This contained not only the essence of Torch Dragon's flesh and blood, but also that eerie black aura.

He instinctively guessed that the Dragon Gate was indiscriminately murdering all those who Dragon Gate, but upon further reflection, it seemed there was no need for that at all.

Now that they've entered the Dragon Gate, they're no different from ants before the beings deep within Dragon Gate, easily wiped out. Why go through all this trouble?

Not to mention that many of those who entered were also Dragon Race.

"Is this the True Intention of the Dragon Gate? Are they using it to filter or search for something?" Yu Tunzhou guessed.

After a brief moment of shock, Huntian's gaze turned to the injuries on Torch Dragon's body.

"What... what the hell is this?"

Huntian folded its wings tightly, its golden feathers standing on end. Through the Yu Tunzhou's vision, it sensed the power emanating from the depths of the black wound, and suddenly felt a deep-seated, instinctive fear.

"Great Sage?" Yu Tunzhou asked in a deep voice.

Huntian did not answer.

It stared at the black, festering sores for a long time before murmuring uncertainly, "Could this be... the power of the Final Tribulation?"

"But where did the power of the Final Tribulation come from in the early Primordial Era?"

"If I remember correctly, Zhulong disappeared before the battle between the dragon Torch Dragon. How could he have died from the power of the Final Tribulation?"

"No, this power is similar in nature to the Final Tribulation, but it's quite different from the final Final Tribulation that occurred when the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying were unleashed. One is destruction, the other... annihilation?!"

Huntian stared intently at the body of the Torch Dragon, muttering something under his breath.

"What's the difference between destruction and annihilation?" Yu Tunzhou asked upon hearing this.

"Destruction often precedes rebirth; therefore, the Four Swords of Immortal Slaying are swords of destruction, but also swords of creation," Huntian explained. "But after their demise, there is only eternal silence!"

In conclusion, Huntian's voice was heavy. "This is a future that no great Divine Ability being would want to see. Even we, after the eternal silence of time and the eternal silence of the Great Dao, will completely lose our foundation for existence. Faced with eternal silence, even the saints of each family risk their demise!"

It suddenly remembered something, and the gap in its memory flashed by. It subconsciously wanted to grasp it, but it also instinctively felt fear, as well as a kind of malice coming from all directions!

It seems that even just thinking about it is enough to bring misfortune!

This sent a chill down Huntian, filling him with fear. He wondered which part of his memories he had severed out of fear in the past.

This is also the downside of erasing memories; for something like that, any "incompleteness" is like torture, and one always instinctively tries to fill in the gaps.

The mere thought of it can trigger misfortune... This is at the level of saints from all walks of life!

Huntian felt both fear and longing.

The difference between these realms is like heaven and earth, a true difference between clouds and mud.

"Eternal silence..." Yu Tunzhou whispered, "Does the Great Sage think this one is already dead?"

Huntian's eyes revealed apprehension. "If Torch Dragon was truly tainted by the power of eternal silencing Dragon-Phoenix War, how could he not be dead after all these years? Even if he was lucky enough to survive, he would probably be barely clinging to life."

"Is this thing really that troublesome?" Yu Tunzhou asked solemnly. "Many people, including myself, have used their Qi and Blood to refine the blood of the Torch Dragon, which was tainted with the aura of eternal silence."

Huntian shook his head. "That's been diluted countless times with the blood of the Torch Dragon, it's practically non-existent. If it were truly the power of eternal annihilation, with your cultivation levels, even a moment's contact with it would cause it to cease to exist."

Yu Tunzhou recalled the intertwined blood rain and black mist of the previous night.

He had a similar feeling at the time.

Currently, the concentration of black fog has increased.

If the black mist is essentially the blood of the Torch Dragon, then what is the blood rain?

Yu Tunzhou stands still, gazing upwards, its eyes lingering on the colossal creature.

Even though most of the dragon's body was covered by inky black, festering wounds, and lingered with putrid black mist, its still intact crimson scales were large enough to contain a lake.

Suddenly, Yu Tunzhou's gaze seemed to be fixed on a scale he was staring at. A glance revealed rolling mountains and rivers, the waxing and waning of stars and rivers, the orderly alternation of the four seasons, and the ceaseless cycle of the sun, moon, wind, and clouds.

A complete and vibrant little world slowly unfolded before his eyes, encompassing everything, forming its own universe, like a miniature complete world.

"A single scale contains a world... Is this the Inner Heaven and Earth?"

He murmured to himself, a realization dawning on him.

Once the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art reached the peak of the second level, the next obstacle was the construction of the Inner Heaven and Earth.

However, this step involves his future Dao Path and is of paramount importance, so he did not rush into it.

Furthermore, he still knew too little about the Inner Heaven and Earth itself; even with the secrets revealed by Huntian, it was still like being separated by a veil.

Now, glimpsing the profound mystery within these dragon scales was like the fog being lifted, giving him a sense of sudden realization, as if he were seeing the "truth."

The third level of Martial Dao, the Divine Ability Realm, has several alternative names compared to other realms, such as "Dao Embryo" and "Inner View."

The Inner View is the construction of the Inner Heaven and Earth.

"Physical ascension to sainthood is essentially the transformation of the body into the Dao. The external world has the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, wind, rain, and the four seasons; my physical body can also evolve yin and yang and circulate life force. Only when the Inner Heaven and Earth is formed can the Indestructible foundation of the physical body be forged, forming its own universe, impervious to external forces and unaffected by any laws..."

Yu Tunzhou gazed intently at the dragon scales, comprehending the profound truths of heaven and earth within them, completely captivated.

Influenced by this realization, all 365 acupoints in his body lit up one by one, like twinkling stars.

Each acupoint had been repeatedly refined by the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art, becoming clear and bright, like empty palaces. He used to think that this was the limit of acupoints—to open them up, expand them, and reinforce them.

But now, as he sensed those empty acupoints, he seemed to see another path.

"No wonder Old Mo said that the human body is close to the Dao, and that all 365 major acupoints and energy centers are the foundation of blessed lands and grotto-heavens."

"If each acupoint is refined into an independent grotto-heaven, and the qi of all the grotto-heavens is connected, then the entire physical body will become a vast world."

Yu Tunzhou murmured to himself, looking inward at himself, scanning every part of his body, and noticing that every inch of his flesh and blood was filled with a vibrant life force.

"My physical body has been honed to its limit, and the Eight-Nine Mysterious Art have reached the second level of its limit, with no further advancement possible. To progress further, I must begin to set up my Inner Heaven and Earth."

Yu Tunzhou began to carefully examine his own body, passing through acupoints and energy centers, traversing flesh, blood, tendons, and bones, and gradually gained some insights.

"The world contained in a single scale of the Torch Dragon is too far removed from my own experience; it's the ultimate example of 'making a grand ceremony in a snail shell,' evolving the universe from the insignificant. This path isn't suitable for me right now. What truly suits me is to start from the large and work my way down to the small."

"If each acupoint is a small grotto-heaven, then the human body is the great universe. I need to lay the foundation for the great universe before sorting out the details. Among them, flesh and bones are mountains and rivers, dragon veins and mountain roots, and fresh blood is the location of water veins..."

"Wait, I remember in conventional cultivation, martial artists often forge their Inner Heaven and Earth through three channels: mountain channels, water channels, and qi channels. Where are these qi channels located?"

Yu Tunzhou fell into deep thought and enlightenment, even forgetting his surroundings.

After an unknown amount of time, the two suns in the sky began to show signs of setting.

"Lairu."

Yu Tunzhou suddenly took a deep breath. As this breath entered his body, it instantly separated into pure and impure, yet they blended seamlessly, like a slender dragon flowing through his acupoints and energy centers, "Riding the clouds and mist, and issuing rain as command."

Finally, this "true dragon" coiled and settled in a vital energy center, naturally creating a pattern of Highest Purity and lower turbidity, just like the creation of heaven and earth, with the changes of the Great Dao of Yin and Yang.

A "grotto-heaven" was thus revealed.

Although it's still a long way from being fully formed, it signifies a beginning.

The "qi channels" mentioned here refer to the very breath a martial artist needs!

It is also the Inner Qi circulation network established by the martial artist's cultivation Qi Ingestion Method.

Martial artists never die; their life force never ceases, endlessly generating boundless creations.

"Looking back now, the Qi Ingestion Realm truly holds profound mysteries," Yu Tunzhou remarked. "No wonder that person dared to claim that the Qi Ingestion Method was the pinnacle of High Antiquity Qi cultivation methods."

After his reflections, he did not seize the opportunity to enlighten all the remaining acupoints and create a wondrous scene of open caves everywhere, but instead fell into deep thought again.

"Ordinary martial artists, when they cultivate their Inner Heaven and Earth, often simply replicate the appearance of their external world; this is Lower Vehicle."

"Those who Higher Vehicle must also combine their own Dao Path with the exposition of the profound principles of law, creating a situation where 'the blue sky and yellow earth are connected by the Dao.'"

"Only in this way can one's Inner Heaven and Earth better align with a certain Dao Path, a certain Great Way, thus resonating with the external world."

This is the foundation of the Great Dao!

"However, my great path..."

Following the natural order Taiji; going against it leads to Wuji.

According to the Dao and Virtue teacher's guidance, Taiji originates from Wuji, Wuji gives rise to Taiji; there is no "choice" between the two.

This also means that this was supposed to be a road in the first place.

Yu Tunzhou stared at the Chaos Dao Embryo within his body, which had been sublimated from the Primordial Azure One Qi.

If this Heavenly Dao embryo is to simultaneously contain Wuji and Taiji Dao principles, it cannot lean towards either one.

Originally, no matter which path it took, this Immortal Foundation Dao Embryo could autonomously evolve towards the direction represented by the Dao Path.

Now, he needs to add the finishing touch himself.

But to truly grasp the essence, he must find the critical point between Wuji and Taiji.

Yu Tunzhou shook his head. He was currently only at the Chain Forming Realm, and his understanding of the two Great Daos Taiji and Wuji, was too metaphysical.

This is not law, but the Way!

Therefore, the deduction of the Dao Embryo can only be the complete opposite of the construction of the Inner Heaven and Earth from large to small.

When it comes to the fundamental principles, one can only proceed from the small to the large.

Since it is impossible to integrate both paths in one step, choose one to cultivate deeply first.

Wuji or Taiji, once you've traversed a path, you can then reverse it.

If he had to choose one, he would naturally choose Taiji.

Entering the Tao through Taiji, reaching its ultimate state, and then reversing to the Wuji).

With my mind at peace, the obsession I'd been struggling with for days about finding a "win-win" solution vanished.

In the past, when he pondered the choices on his Dao Path, he always wanted to have it all, which was not wrong, but it seemed somewhat unrealistic due to his current level of understanding.

After all, it is only Form Refinement, not Dharma Aspect.

Yes, Taiji Wuji are one family, there is no need to choose. No matter which path you take, you will see another path at the end of the Dao Path, just like a cycle.

Now that he had let go of his obsession, Yu Tunzhou suddenly felt enlightened, and the road ahead was wide open.

He closed his eyes, and the Chaos Dao Embryo in his Dantian trembled gently, beginning to evolve according to the intention set by Yu Tunzhou.

In the beginning, there was only pure nothingness, formless and empty, desolate and boundless. Then, a wisp of primordial energy was born. The primordial energy continuously condensed and shaped, and Youwei outline emerged within the Dao Embryo, like the skeleton of the newly established world. As form and energy merged and gave birth to each other, the embryonic forms of all things lay hidden within...

The Yu Tunzhou with a loud thud.

This is... the Five Innate Grand Stages?!

Yes, this is the process from Wuji to Taiji!

This is the complete Daoist explanation of the universe's evolution from Wuji the primordial state of nothingness) to the creation of heaven and earth!

Grand Simplicity, Grand Beginning, Grand Commencement, Grand Prime, Taiji...

The transformation from Wuji to Taiji is not achieved overnight; the Five Tais are sequentially connected, forming the complete trajectory of the Dao Manifestation.

Yu Tunzhou was completely immersed in this sudden enlightenment of the supreme Dao, forgetting both self and external things.

Just as he had his moment of enlightenment, this world was plunged into darkness once more.

Blood rain and black mist followed one after another, but this time it was completely different from the past.

Between heaven and earth.

Niu Tuntian traveled alone.

Seeing that the sun was about to set, it stopped moving forward, found a flat spot, and sat down cross-legged.

As he awaited the thirty-first blood rain, Niu Tuntian rubbed his rough hands against his knees, thinking to himself:

"Although Kong Ling and Feng Yanleng are protected by Ancestral Artifact, the suppression of this world is too great. They definitely can't last as long as I, Old Niu."

"Peng Fei's lineage is no less impressive than mine. The Golden-Winged Great Peng Lineage is also renowned for its physical prowess, but unfortunately, their bloodline is flawed, making them inferior to me."

It counted on its fingers for a moment, then grinned and burst into laughter:

"Among the Demon Race, who else but us!"

As for the Human Race...

Niu Tuntian suddenly became alert, his thick eyebrows furrowing.

"I haven't seen anyone else for a long time. I wonder how Yu Tunzhou and that guy surnamed Huang are doing now..."

"Unexpectedly, this generation of Human Race has two individuals with impressive physical strength: Yu Tunzhou and that arrogant fellow who dared to name himself Huang Tian. Although this guy is considerably weaker, he's still at Ao E's level. I wonder what kind of Method Formula he's practiced; he's practically a resurrected member of the Golden Crow clan..."

"Well, just in case, we should hold on for as long as we can. We absolutely cannot lose first place due to carelessness. I expect we can hold on for another five or six games."

It is a descendant of the Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven Equaling Niu Tuntian from Thunder Accumulation Mountain Cloud-Brushing Cave Mount Jilei, and has never lost a physical battle since birth!

This time, it's the same!

The sun finally sank below the horizon.

The thirty-first bloodbath arrived as scheduled.

Niu Tuntian took a deep breath, and his Inner Qi surged, like magma churning underground. A scorching aura spread from his body, evaporating the blood rain within several feet around him into white mist.

Everything was normal at first.

The blood rain was evaporated by the Qi and Blood, and the black mist was forced back and refined by the Qi and Blood.

Although the consumption is much greater than before, it has a solid foundation and can withstand it.

Niu Tuntian even had the stamina to think of other things--

For example, how long can the others hold out?

For example, although Yu Tunzhou's Cultivation Method are good, his innate physique is not good, so he probably won't last many rounds...

Then, something unexpected happened!

Black mist and blood rain intertwined, and the inexplicable, eerie power within suddenly intensified, as if an invisible hand had suddenly gripped Niu Tuntian's heart.

Niu Tuntian Tuntian's eyes, as big as copper bells, were filled with horror. His hair stood on end, and an unprecedented fear, a fear that penetrated to the very core of all life, rose from the depths of his heart.

Instinctively, the blood in its body surged at that moment, and a majestic, boundless, and domineering white bull phantom suddenly appeared!

This illusory figure had horns that Tongtian, piercing through the deep night. Its four hooves sank deep into the Nine Netherworlds, and its body was surrounded by the Savage Wilderness and primordial Daoist aura. Its overwhelming power shook the surrounding wilderness.

Bloodline manifested!

This is precisely the sign of Niu Tuntian's bloodline reaching complete perfection after many days of arduous cultivation; it is his greatest breakthrough recently!

The moment the white bull phantom appeared, the the Unseen crisis was temporarily averted.

"Phew... Phew... Luckily, I, Old Niu, still have a trick up my sleeve..."

Before he finished speaking, his expression changed drastically.

It temporarily blocked the eerie power contained in the black mist and blood rain, but its Qi and Blood was being consumed rapidly!

Each instance of black mist and blood rain required Niu Tuntian to expend far more of his Qi and Blood to counteract it than ever before, with the difference exceeding ten or even a hundred times!

Even with its abundant Qi and Blood, it cannot withstand such depletion.

The white ox's phantom image dimmed at a visible speed, and Niu Tuntian's Qi and Blood was rapidly dissipating.

It could clearly feel itself rapidly disappearing, as if it were being erased from the world...

"What kind of evil power is this?!"

Niu Tuntian's face turned ashen, his heart filled with turmoil.

It struggled to raise its head and look at the distant horizon.

It was pitch black there, with no end in sight and no hope in sight.

With a heavy heart, Niu Tuntian had no choice but to give up and shouted that he was quitting.

It breathed a sigh of relief before withdrawing.

Even its abundant vital Qi and Blood couldn't withstand it, let alone others.

If it weren't for the backgrounds of Immortals and Gods, people like Yu Tunzhou and Huang Tian would probably have had trouble even with the strange power that first appeared!

This level... is finally over!

Kong Ling's expression was solemn. If she hadn't instinctively activated her bloodline power, she would probably have been swallowed up by this strange force.

She felt her Qi and Blood being depleted, her face gradually turning pale. She turned to look at Feng Yanleng and whispered:

"The divine weapon that the Emperor Wa Nuwa lent to the Dragon Race is not in this world. Let's retreat; don't try to hold on."

Feng Yanleng nodded indifferently.

Even without this sudden change, given their physical Qi and Blood, they could only last for one or two more matches.

With this stage over, Dragon Gate has reached its most crucial moment!

As expected, after life and death, what follows is...

The Dao Path!

An Ruyu gazed at the distant mountain peaks, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

So that's the key to the second round of selection.

She unleashed the Divine Ability of five old mothers in succession, but none of them could withstand her.

The next moment, her figure also disappeared from this world.

In the rain of blood

Huang Tian, shirtless, sat cross-legged on a huge rock.

The raindrops fell on his bare skin, but instead of sliding off, they evaporated the moment they touched him, turning into wisps of white mist that swirled around him.

Nine major acupoints lit up within his body, like nine suns sealed within his flesh and blood, radiating a scorching light that drove away all evil spirits.

At that moment, he encountered the same life-or-death crisis as Niu Tuntian and the others!

The nine major acupoints in Huang Tian's body roared simultaneously, and the sun-like light surged, attempting to force back that power.

But that force, like an invisible tide, seeped into his pores, into his breath, into every inch of his exposed skin, eroding his Qi and Blood and extinguishing his existence!

The light from the nine major apertures was rapidly dimming, and the sun discs he had painstakingly condensed seemed to be being erased from the world!

The next moment, Huang Tian suddenly opened his eyes, showing no sign of admitting defeat. His eyes burned with madness as he roared:

"Nine suns unleash their power!!"

His pupils instantly turned crimson gold, and golden light shot skyward from the nine major acupoints within his body.

Sanyang...

Six Yang...

Nine suns appear simultaneously!!!

Between heaven and earth, it seemed as if the cry of the first Golden Crow resounded throughout the land, and behind Huang Tian, a phantom image appeared as if the bloodline of the Niu Tuntian had manifested!

The sun manifested, Golden Crow took its seat. The sun-like rays illuminated the surrounding area for several feet as bright as day, leaving no evil spirits with a chance to hide!

This extremely yang and powerful force repelled the black mist and was also melting everything around it.

Huang Tian laughed loudly, his laughter echoing through the rain of blood, tinged with a ferocious glint. "Is that all? Come on! Bring it on!"

But soon, his laughter didn't last long. A torrent of black mist, far exceeding the previous surge, irresistibly Earth Surge his domain, extinguishing even the "sun," representing ultimate yang, into eternal silence...

This brought Huang Tian's laughter to an abrupt halt, and his expression changed drastically.

"I, Huang Tian... will never admit defeat!!!"

The next moment, he raised his arms and roared,

"Nine Yang Divine Meridians, let me see my limits!!!"

The nine major apertures simultaneously unleashed their final bursts of light, like a sun rising over this wasteland, but were ultimately swallowed up by the black mist.

In the final moments, he was forcibly sent away by the heavens and earth.

Not far from the sacred mountain.

Yu Tunzhou sat cross-legged here, almost forgetting the torrential blood rain and towering black mist outside, immersed in the evolution of the Dao Embryo.

Within the Dantian, the evolution of the Chaos Dao Embryo has reached a critical moment— the Five Tais are succeeded one another: Grand Simplicity gives birth to Grand Beginning, Grand Beginning Grand Commencement, Grand Commencement gives birth to Grand Prime, Grand Prime gives birth to Taiji.

This wasn't something he was pushing; it was the Great Dao inherent in the Immortal Foundation unfolding on its own, like flowers blooming and fading, like spring turning to autumn, happening naturally.

However, the "strangeness" of this world did not forget him.

Furthermore, because he was closest to the sacred mountain, the blood rain and black mist were far more powerful than any other.

At that moment, a drop of black blood suddenly fell from the sky, and an incredibly dense black mist emerged from it, spreading to the surrounding area, including the nearest Yu Tunzhou.

Even within the Primordial Spirit Heaven and Earth, Huntian still sensed that power of eternal silence, startling his feathers into a ball of golden fluff. He desperately called out to Yu Tunzhou, but was unable to awaken him from his reverie of enlightenment and contemplation.

It was so anxious it was jumping up and down, but it could only watch helplessly as the power of eternal silence surged towards it like a tide.

At this very moment.

Strange phenomena suddenly occurred around the Yu Tunzhou.

Black and white appeared beneath his feet, extending infinitely. Black and white intertwined and intertwined, like fish eyes embedded in each other, head and tail connected. Yin and Yang energies circulated repeatedly, flowing out a profound and enduring Dao and Virtue purity.

Taiji Diagram!

That was a fleeting, Dao Path Phenomenon in Donghe County, before he could fully realize his goal!

It is more complete and more harmonious than it was then.

At that time, it was just a rough sketch, divided into black and white, the initial distinction between yin and yang, but it lacked something "alive".

Now, this Taiji Diagram has come to life.

The entire Taiji Diagram rotates slowly, neither too fast nor too slow. The two fish, Yin and Yang, seem to be alive, like the movement of heaven and earth, like the rotation of the sun and moon, like the interaction of the Great Dao!

Wherever the Taiji Diagram covered, the blood rain evaporated, the black mist melted away, and that eternally silent power dissolved silently, like ice and snow meeting the sun.

The black mist, which had been menacing just moments before, instantly transformed into wisps of thin smoke, dissipating into the wind without even causing Yu Tunzhou's robes to flutter.

Just inches away lay a life-or-death situation, yet now it had become a tranquil and peaceful place.

Witnessing this scene, Huntian couldn't help but mutter:

"Heaven and earth possess five virtues, and also five phases of fortune that arise alongside them. Each phase of fortune restrains one virtue, and is also restrained by one virtue. Among them, extinction belongs to the Final Fortune..."

Dao and Virtue Final Fortune!