Chapter 915 - 639: The Fourth Decline
The years pass silently, slipping away quietly.
Another five Primordial Assemblies.
Zhang Clan Ancestral Land.
A figure in a white robe sits atop the Cloud Platform, the aura around his body silently transforming.
At the center of his brow, a Dao Seed, like a star in the night, flows with Dao Rhyme, faintly surrounded by the radiance of the Taiyin star, approaching a state of Perfection.
The Taiyin chill surrounding his body becomes warm and mellow, yet hides endless sharpness.
Chen Sheng opens his eyes slightly, retracted sharpness inside, feeling a sense of exhilaration:
"My Dao has advanced further, the fourth decline is enough to break through!"
"Compared to my estimates, it’s ten times faster!"
Initially, he anticipated breaking through in fifty Primordial Assemblies, ensuring he wouldn’t fall into a script of "a prodigy fallen" or "a road to Dao cut short."
Unexpectedly, with the opportunities of the Vast Continent, he achieved his goal much earlier.
...
Vast Continent, the heavens are boundless.
Lingxiao Holy City, long has it lost its former name, today, it bears a name more sharp-edged, more resonant with Dao Rhyme—Xuanyuan Sword City.
Chen Sheng proclaimed himself Xuanyuan Sword Ancestor, eradicating Saint Master Lingxiao, then naturally occupying the foundation of this holy city, rooting himself in the Vast Continent.
At this moment, within the main hall of Xuanyuan Sword City.
Incense smoke spirals, Dao Rhyme pervades, the hall is sparsely decorated, with only a Jade Desk, upon which rests a small sword, about an inch long, its blade emitting a faint green glow, with a low whisper of sword hum.
Chen Sheng sits behind the Jade Desk, fingers pinching the small sword, playing with it, his gaze calm, while his Heart Spirit has already submerged into the depths of the Great Dao, deducing the mysteries of the Heaven-severing Sword Dao.
Sword and Dao unite, Dao and Heart merge, around him gradually arises a faint Sword Rhyme, intertwining with the hall’s Dao Rhyme.
His true form is originally the "Daoist Monarch San Shuai," his Dao attainment is sufficient!
Furthermore, from the Sword Master’s inheritance, he has gained ample cultivation resources, enough to support his rapid surge, without any bottlenecks.
Such an advantageous condition allows his cultivation speed to be unbelievably fast, surpassing the understanding of all cultivators of the Vast Continent.
In merely tens of thousands of years, he has comprehended the Taiyin Heavenly Dao of this dimension, becoming an Ancestral God!!
Later, with further comprehension of the Taiyin Heavenly Dao of this dimension, his heart became increasingly transparent:
"Though it is the same path of Taiyin, it shares a source but diverges differently."
"Where my true form is and this Vast Continent belong to different dimensions, the cultivation systems vary greatly, even if the same Dao, there is a world of difference, each has its emphasis."
"However, stones from other mountains can refine jade..."
It is exactly the mutual confirmation and reinforcement between the Taiyin path of these dimensions that filled the missing parts on his true form’s Dao journey, nurturing the Innate Great Yin Dao Seed.
This led to Chen Sheng’s true form cultivation advancing so rapidly, exceeding expectations.
At this moment.
Chen Sheng slightly pinches his fingers, a thread of clear cold Sword Intent silently emerges from the void, seemingly to sever the sun and moon, break the star river, its sharpness restrained yet hides the power to destroy heaven and earth, elusive and hard to find.
"The Heaven-severing Sword Dao, using the sword as the key, severs the world’s qi mechanism, cuts the flow of causality... is a supreme sword path that points directly to the root of the Great Dao, capable of cultivating to a Heaven-Defying Level expert."
"However, my Dao ultimately is Taiyin. No matter how strong this path is, it can only be a reference."
"My true form’s Dao attainment has already advanced further, the fourth decline is within reach, soon to transform and head to the Five Declines Annihilation Valley, to comprehend the final dimension of the Dao Heart’s decline."
"And I, too, should set off to the battlefield of ten thousand races."
No one is forcing me, but the situation compels it.
The sense of urgency in Chen Sheng’s heart does not dissipate, even with smooth cultivation, he dares not slack off for even a moment, wishing only to seize every second, and push his power to another level as quickly as possible.
...
Spirit Realm, Zhang Clan, within the Ancestral Shrine, incense smoke spirals, Dao Rhyme pervades, an intangible pressure silently spreads.
"Deliver my order, summon the Zhang Clan’s nine Dharma Masters to the Ancestral Shrine for discussion."
Chen Sheng sits at the head of the Jade Throne in the Ancestral Shrine, the Communication Talisman instantly penetrates layers of restrictions in the ancestral land, spreading across the Zhang Clan in all directions.
In recent years, Chen Sheng’s cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds, he is undoubtedly the leader of the South Pole Lineage.
The Zhang Clan’s status has also risen accordingly, the clan has emerged with nine Dharma Masters, all are the pillars of the Zhang Clan.
Soon, nine figures successively step into the Ancestral Shrine, each with a straight posture, aura deep like an abyss, surrounded by the glow of their respective Law.
The nine people all bow together, their expressions extremely respectful, their tone full of reverence:
"Greetings to the Ancestral Leader!"
"Rise."
Chen Sheng raises his hand, a hint of relaxation and warmth after breakthrough in his gaze, a remarkably good mood:
"Today I summoned you not for external affairs. However, I’ve recently had some improvement in my Dao attainment, considering you nine have long maintained and managed the tribe, I wish to take this opportunity to clarify the way for you."
As his words fall, the nine Dharma Masters all show expressions of wild joy, bowing again:
"Thank you, Ancestral Leader, for the guidance, we are infinitely grateful!"
Chen Sheng steps down from the Jade Throne slowly, standing in the center of the Ancestral Shrine, his gaze slowly sweeping over the nine people.
Their realms vary greatly, five are still in the First Layer, three have reached the Integration Second Layer.
Only one has entered the Destructive Tribulation, with some hope of becoming a Daoist Monarch.
Soon, Chen Sheng begins to teach according to their ability, pointing out individually:
"You comprehend the law of wind, knowing only the speed of the escape, but not recognizing the essence of ’Silent and Motionless.’ Without stillness, wind has no root, without stillness, movement cannot be born."
"You should embrace the core of deep containment, observe the arising and ceasing of the wind, feel the ebb and flow of qi mechanism, realize the true meaning of ’movement and stillness contingent, controlling movement with stillness,’ in order to master the microcosm, avoiding deviation."
...
He lightly waves his fingers, raising a mysterious light screen in mid-air, on which the intertwining patterns of Law’s origin unfold layer by layer, unfathomable.
The nine Dharma Masters watch intently, their hearts and spirits immersed within.
Time passes quietly.
"The enlightenment today shall end here."
"You each return to your residence, contemplate what you have gained, avoid arrogance and impatience. Skillfully govern the Zhang Clan, stabilize the South Pole, and uphold the foundation of my Dao."
"We heed the Ancestral Leader’s decree!"
The nine Dharma Masters bow again, retiring one by one.
Within the Ancestral Shrine, serenity returns, sandalwood fragrance spirals, Dao Rhyme gradually collects, leaving only Chen Sheng sitting on the Jade Throne.
He nods slightly, the Innate Great Yin Dao Seed at the center of his brow flashes a faint light, his will crossing time and space, precisely sensing the avatar within the Immortal Mountain.
At this moment, deep in the Sword Mountain of Heaven and Earth, surrounded by mist, Sword Rhyme crisscrosses, countless ancient sword marks are etched on the mountain stones, exuding a fierce sharpness.
Chen Sheng’s avatar, clad in a blue garment, stands upright, before an authority stone platform.
At this moment, a cold voice echoes in his mind:
"You have one passage authority, do you wish to proceed to the Five Declines Annihilation Valley?"
"Confirm and open!"
As the words fall, the Spirit Light on the stone platform becomes more intense, the Dao Principle patterns interweave into an ancient space portal.
Within the portal, a gray mist prevails, the qi of Annihilation faintly leaks out, making one’s heart and spirit tremble.
"Authority confirmed, the holder’s identity is correct, space passage opening, immediately extracting to the Five Declines Annihilation Valley."
Before the words are finished, an invisible vast power surges from the space portal, extracting him, crossing layers of time and space.
Chen Sheng only feels a sudden change of light and shadow before his eyes, the next moment he appears at the entrance of the valley.
"This is the Five Declines Annihilation Valley."
Upon entering the valley, there is no daylight, all is a chaotic grey expanse at a glance.
The deeper you go, the heavier the decline.
In the void, faint black decline patterns appear from time to time, divided into five regions.
In the Decline of Body region, vitality and life force are continuously extracted...
In the Decline of Dharma Flower region, all brilliance becomes dim...
In the Decline of Will region, Heart Demons and fatigue entangle like thick fog...
In the Decline of Wisdom region, intellect is obscured, leaving only chaos...
And in the deepest Dao Heart’s Decline region, even ’existence’ itself is gradually being erased.
There, there’s no scenery, no sound, only a void interrogation.