Granny Begonia smiled. “I am merely a vessel spirit. How could I know matters concerning existences at their level? What I told you earlier is mostly rumours from later generations of cultivators, along with some speculations from my own investigations. Treat it as idle talk and listen casually.”
With that, she flew down from the peak of Sword Mountain. “Hongchen, cease your attacks. You cannot defeat him.”
The woman in red called “Hongchen” was panting from exhaustion, her sacred qi utterly depleted. Yet after sheathing her sword and standing firm, she maintained an arrogant and domineering posture, refusing to reveal any weakness.
Zhang Ruochen’s true body descended, merging with his avatar into one.
“Granny, who exactly is he?” Zhang Hongchen asked.
Granny Begonia glanced at Zhang Ruochen. “Tell her yourself!”
Granny Begonia left the seventh level of the Sword Pavilion.
Zhang Ruochen gazed at the graceful young woman before him, as if seeing again the Ling Feiyu in red standing in the snow long ago. Back then, Ling Feiyu had been like half a master to him, teaching him sword dao in the snow.
Perhaps influenced by Zhang Ruochen’s thoughts, the world on the seventh level truly began to snow heavily, flakes fluttering down, the chill biting.
A single thought could affect the weather and environment.
Zhang Ruochen reached into the void. Instantly, the jade sword held by Zhang Hongchen appeared in his hand.
He held the sword in his right hand, stroking the blade with his left.
With a light flick of his finger.
“Crack!”
The jade sword shattered inch by inch, falling to the ground.
Zhang Hongchen was shocked and furious. “You… what are you doing? Who exactly are you?”
To shatter a monarch-level sacred artefact with one finger, this person was far beyond an ordinary great saint.
“A sword of such low grade. How is it worthy of a sword dao prodigy like you?”
Zhang Ruochen sliced vertically with his finger, tearing open the spatial barrier of the Six Patriarchs Chan Release Diagram, creating a spatial gate. “I too have a sword mountain. It holds countless famous swords and peerless opportunities. Dare you enter and try?”
Zhang Hongchen looked at the spatial gate before her. Inside, it was vast and misty, with intense sword intent fluctuations.
Faintly, an ancient mountain could be seen, covered with various swords planted upon it.
“What is there to fear?”
Zhang Hongchen stepped forward, then paused, leaving harsh words. “If I find no satisfactory sword in the mountain, you had better compensate me with a monarch-level sacred war sword. Otherwise, no matter who you are, you will pay the due price for destroying my sword.”
“Whoosh!”
Like a red leaf, she rushed into the spatial gate.
Zhang Ruochen smiled, sat on the ground, and took out a tortoise shell the size of a basin.
The shell was engraved with ancient characters and peculiar patterns.
It was precisely the Liangyi Sect’s foundational secret canon, the Taiji Innate Merit.
“Without yang, yin cannot arise. Without yin, yang cannot transform.”
Zhang Ruochen recited the first sentence of the Taiji Innate Merit’s general outline. Then, using spiritual power to interpret the ancient text, he pondered it carefully.
“At the beginning of heaven and earth, chaos was without form, known as Wuji. Clear qi rose to become heaven, turbid qi sank to become earth. Heaven is yang, earth is yin.”
“Wuji births Taiji, Taiji births Liangyi.”
“Liangyi is yin and yang, heaven and earth, profound and yellow, Qian and Kun, spring and autumn. It is all that is unchanging and changing in the world. Change is yin, unchanging is yang.”
…
Studying closely, Zhang Ruochen discovered that his Wuji Divine Dao indeed shared many commonalities with the Daoist cultivation path.
In Daoist understanding, Wuji is emptiness, Taiji is the circle, Liangyi is black and white, aligning with the process of heaven and earth evolution.
All things in the world have yin and yang divisions.
Heaven is yang, earth is yin.
Solid is yang, void is yin.
Light is yang, dark is yin.
Thunder and lightning are yang, rain and snow are yin.
After this comprehension, countless doubts in Zhang Ruochen’s heart dissolved. He understood that no dao in the world lacks attributes. All have yin and yang.
The Path of Truth is yang.
The Path of Nothingness is yin.
The Path of Origin, unchanging is yang.
Continuing to read, Zhang Ruochen gained more insights. The Taiji circle automatically manifested, rotating around his body.
Within the Taiji, tens of thousands of dao rules churned chaotically, shuttling in disorder, evolving a rudimentary universe.
Yang-attributed daos rose upward.
Yin-attributed daos sank downward.
But among the tens of thousands of daos, beyond yin and yang attributes, there were others. Achieving yin-yang balance was as difficult as ascending heaven. As heaven and earth just formed, they collapsed with a boom.
Zhang Ruochen, seated between heaven and earth, suffered backlash, spitting a mouthful of blood.
“Indeed not so simple. Knowing yin and yang does not mean unifying them to evolve Liangyi.”
Zhang Ruochen held the tortoise shell, continuing his contemplation.
Uncertain how much time passed, Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes again. A white figure had appeared beside him.
Chi Yao in white robes, unstained by dust, stood like a pear blossom in the wind and snow. “How is it? Has comprehending the Taiji Innate Merit advanced your cultivation further?”
Zhang Ruochen showed no surprise at her presence. “Some insights gained. But the Taiji Innate Merit seems merely a partial remnant of the Innate Dao Law, mainly recording martial dao cultivation, not dao comprehension.”
“Comprehending it long makes one’s heart gradually sharp, boiling, battle intent surging. But what I need now is not this, but calm. To borrow the insights of ancient sages and realise something of my own.”
“The Taiji Innate Merit is no longer useful to me!”
Chi Yao said, “It seems you encountered problems in cultivation, forcing your return to the Kunlun Realm.”
Zhang Ruochen heard the implication, standing up. “The Kunlun Realm has too many people and matters I care about. I would return eventually.”
Chi Yao’s aura was vast and sharp. Gazing at the distant sky, she said, “Though the Innate Dao Law is one of the Kunlun Realm’s six extraordinary books, it became incomplete during the ancient Taiji Dao calamity. Besides the Taiji Dao main altar, the Liangyi Sect, Sixiang Sect, and Bagua Sect each hold partial remnants. If you wish, I can borrow all remnants.”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “My identity is inconvenient to reveal. You handling it is naturally best.”
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…”
Chi Yao remained on the seventh level of the Sword Pavilion, but three divine thoughts condensed, flying like meteors toward three directions in the Kunlun Realm.
With her current cultivation, status, and influence in the Kunlun Realm, the Taiji Dao master and leaders of the Sixiang and Bagua Sects would surely send the volumes upon receiving her divine thoughts. No need to fetch them personally.
Chi Yao noticed the spatial gate behind Zhang Ruochen. “Hongchen’s aptitude is very high. Her future achievements will surely be great. If you return to the Kunlun Realm, I can treat her mother and daughter as family. Whether Ling Feiyu transcends her divine tribulation or not, I will regard Hongchen as my own daughter.”
“I am not forcing you to return to the Kunlun Realm now!”
“I know. Emperor Ming is still imprisoned in the Temple of Destiny. You have your helplessness. I merely fear that when you marry the Luosha princess or Bai Qing’er in the future, you will forget the Kunlun Realm still has a home.”
Who says the affectionate are always troubled by the heartless?
How could an affectionate person have only this much worry?
Zhang Ruochen knew his current troubles were all sown by himself. He could blame no one. He only regretted not cultivating the Three Corpses Refining Dao, so there could be three Zhang Ruochens.
One in the Kunlun Realm, one in the Hell Realm, one in Star Huan Heaven.
But even that seemed insufficient…
Seeing Zhang Ruochen silent, Chi Yao knew she had failed to control her emotions again. A soft expression emerged on her icy face. “Before coming, Kunlun said this time our family could finally reunite. The divide between Heavenly Court and Hell is too vast. The starry sky is broad, difficult even for gods to cross. Returning once is not easy. Bring Kongle and Hongchen. Shall our family gather properly?”
Zhang Ruochen looked at her poetic and picturesque beauty. How did she resemble a mother of two children? He smiled. “Since I have returned to the Kunlun Realm, naturally our family must gather properly.”
Chi Yao said, “Before coming, I visited the north cliff of Book Mountain and saw Danqing. This year, let us spend the New Year together!”
Zhang Ruochen’s heart stirred slightly. He always felt Chi Yao’s words carried deeper meaning.
What exactly was she intending?
“By the way, there is one major matter I wish to tell you.”
Zhang Ruochen asked, “What major matter?”
“The Divine Ancient Nest is about to emerge!” Chi Yao’s face was filled with gravity and seriousness.
The Divine Ancient Nest was one of the five prehistoric civilisations in the universe. The Funeral Gold White Tiger and Swastika Green Dragon were prehistoric divine seeds the Fengdu Great Emperor had excavated from the Divine Ancient Nest.
Legend said within the Divine Ancient Nest were powerhouses capable of conversing with the Fengdu Great Emperor.
All along, the Divine Ancient Nest had not participated in the conflict between Heavenly Court and Hell. Emerging at this critical juncture would undoubtedly add many variables to the cosmic war situation.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was about to inquire further, Zhang Hongchen exited the sword mountain, her face beaming with excitement. She flew out from the spatial gate, landing gracefully.
Nine swords orbited her.
Each sword was unique. One was ancient jade material, without edge, like a ruler. One resembled a grass blade, thin as paper. One burned with flames, like a mass of light.
One person took nine swords, each left by ancient sword gods.
Not only nine swords, but also partial sword dao profound mysteries.
Zhang Hongchen’s heart overflowed with joy. Her eyes sparkled. “You are somewhat reliable. With these nine swords, I shall not pursue prior grievances!”
Chi Yao looked at Zhang Ruochen with puzzled eyes.
Only then did Zhang Hongchen notice Chi Yao beside him. Her pretty face changed dramatically, like a cunning rabbit meeting a hawk. She quickly bowed cautiously. “Greetings, True God.”
In the Kunlun Realm, the one she feared most was Chi Yao.
No matter her pride or noble status, before this former empress of the Kunlun Realm, it would all revert to nothing.
At the same time, she began to suspect. Who was this man standing shoulder to shoulder with True God Chi Yao? A notion emerged in her heart, making her both panicked and filled with longing and anticipation.
She stared fixedly at Zhang Ruochen’s eyes, as if trying to discern something from them.
Zhang Ruochen’s heart was full of guilt. Softening, he was about to step forward.
At that moment, Gai Tianjiao’s resounding voice arrived. “Zhang Ruochen, you despicable shameless scoundrel. Using a mere bit of Spring of Life to trade for our sect’s Heaven-Sacrificing Bronze Cauldron. If you have the ability, rob it openly. That would be more manly. I might even respect you. A god engaging in sneaky theft. Are you not afraid of being mocked by cultivators worldwide if word spreads?”
“Boom!”
A pillar of flame light descended from the sky, smashing the ground.
Dust flew.
Gai Tianjiao in black Taoist robe, furious, flames flowing even in her hair, emerged from the dust. She appeared ready to duel Zhang Ruochen.
…
I notice many readers are still unclear about divine realms. Here it is again.
Gods are divided into three major realms: Butian Realm, Tai Zhen Realm, Wuliang Realm.
Butian Realm gods are divided into lower god, middle god, upper god.
Tai Zhen Realm gods are also called great gods, divided into Tai Yi Realm, Tai Bai Realm, Tai Xu Realm.
Wuliang Realm confers kings and venerables.
