Chapter 26: The Origin of All Paths and the Heart Sutra
Bai Qingyue’s fingers came to a gentle rest atop the zither. She opened her shimmering eyes, looking down at the man resting peacefully upon her lap.
Lin Yuan did not move. He simply stared back up at her, his eyes reflecting a depth of emotion that words could scarcely capture. The thing he had just experienced—the realization that true immortality was not a solitary throne, but an eternal journey walked side by side—had irrevocably altered the foundation of his Dao.
He had finally anchored his soul to this world. He did not seek eternity to conquer the heavens; he sought eternity so that he would never worry about moments like this coming to end. He sought it so he would always know, with absolute certainty, that a quiet evening with his wife would always be waiting for him.
"You play beautifully, Qingyue," Lin Yuan murmured, his voice a low, comforting rumble that vibrated softly against her legs. "I could listen to you for ten thousand years and never grow weary."
A radiant smile graced Bai Qingyue’s lips. She reached out, her fingertips gently brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "And I would gladly play for you for ten thousand years, Husband. Provided you do not grow tired of my limited songs."
"Never," Lin Yuan promised softly, closing his eyes and leaning into her affectionate touch.
At that exact moment, the profound tranquility of his mind was interrupted by the familiar chime of his system.
[Ding!]
[Host has invested: Time, attention, and profound emotional resonance while listening to Dao Companion play the zither.]
[Triggering critical multiplier... calculating...]
[Congratulations to the Host! You have triggered a 5000X Supreme Legacy Return!]
[Reward: Supreme Cultivation Technique — Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra!]
Lin Yuan’s eyes snapped open, a brilliant, invisible light flashing deep within his Sea of Consciousness.
A 5000X Supreme Legacy Return!
"I need to meditate for a moment, Wife," Lin Yuan said, respectfully lifting his head from her lap and sitting up cross-legged on the mattress.
"Of course," Bai Qingyue replied softly, recognizing the sudden shift in his aura. She remained quietly by his side, gently resting her hands on the zither, ensuring she would not disturb his enlightenment.
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, instantly plunging his consciousness into the deepest depths of his mind.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the boundless ocean had temporarily parted. In the center of his mind, a blindingly brilliant, golden scroll unrolled itself. It was not written in the common tongue of the Nine Provinces, nor was it written in the ancient script of the upper realms.
It was written in the language of the Heavenly Dao itself—pure, conceptual runes that glowed like miniature suns.
For an ordinary peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, merely looking at these supreme runes would cause their mind to violently shatter. It was akin to a mortal attempting to stare directly into the core of a burning star. It would take a peerless genius centuries just to decipher the opening stanza.
But Lin Yuan was no ordinary cultivator. With his heaven defying comprehension, he
Instantly began to read the Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra, devouring the ancient knowledge with terrifying speed.
As he read, a wave of profound shock, followed by absolute awe, washed over him. He finally understood what made this cultivation technique so entirely unique—and why the system had deemed it a Supreme Legacy.
It fundamentally broke every established rule of cultivation in the Nine Provinces.
To truly grasp the heaven-defying nature of the Sutra, Lin Yuan immediately drew a stark comparison between the laws of the world and the scripture he was currently absorbing.
Immediately, the revelation struck Lin Yuan like a physical blow.
There was a famous saying: "The Dao gave birth to One, One gave birth to Two, Two gave birth to Three, and Three gave birth to the Ten Thousand Things."
Every cultivator in existence, from Qi Condensation all the way to the mythic Soul Transformation realm, followed the path of the Ten Thousand Things. They specialized. They fractured the boundless universe into tiny pieces—mastering a specific flame, a specific sword stroke, or a specific movement art.
But this Sutra reversed the very flow of the universe.
It dictated that the cultivator must take the Ten Thousand Things—every law, every element, every martial art, and every sentiment—and devour them, crushing them down, refining them, and returning them all to the pure One.
And the vessel for this One was the cultivator’s Dao Heart.
Because Lin Yuan had already established that his Dao Heart was absolutely tethered to his wife, that investing in her was his path to absolute strength, this technique synchronized with him on a flawless level.
’This is it,’ Lin Yuan’s mind roared. ’This is the key to everything!
Because the Ten Thousand Ways Return to One Heart Sutra allowed the user to absorb and unify any disparate energy or Dao intent, Lin Yuan immediately realized he no longer needed to wait until the Nascent Soul realm to extract the hidden Dao intent from the weathered painting he had purchased at the auction! He could simply use this Sutra to devour the intent and fuse it directly into his Dao heart.
Furthermore, the energy cultivated by the Heart Sutra was the absolute origin force of the universe. It was the primordial mother of all qi. It would violently clash with his foundational establishment base.
Without forming a primordial spirit, absorbing origin energy is nothing but a death wish.
’After fully comprehending this cultivation technique, I can see that it is a double-edged sword.’
’By cultivating the Heart Sutra, I can enter a state that allows me to absorb the Dao Intent within the painting without first ascending to a higher realm. That alone is a heaven-defying ability.’
’However, the Heart Sutra refines not spiritual qi, but Origin Energy. My current body is incapable of bearing such power. Without a Primordial Spirit to serve as its vessel, attempting to cultivate it now would only result in my own destruction.’
Lin Yuan let out a slow breath.
’Even so, this scripture has vastly broadened my understanding of the universe.’
’Spiritual qi, celestial qi, demonic qi, chaotic qi... though they appear fundamentally different, they are merely different manifestations born from the same primordial source. Every form of energy ultimately traces its origin back to the same beginning.’
’Origin Energy is unimaginably scarce in the lower realm, yet it is said to be abundant in the upper realms. No wonder cultivators who ascend undergo such a tremendous transformation. They are no longer cultivating the branches of the Great Dao, but drawing from its very root.’
A faint smile appeared on his face.
’The mysteries of Origin Energy are likely known only to a select few, even among the great powers of the upper realms. Most cultivate it without ever understanding its true nature.’
His eyes gleamed with confidence.
’But I am different.’
’By the time I condense my Primordial Spirit and can truly cultivate the Heart Sutra, I will already possess an understanding of Origin Energy that countless experts could only dream of.’
’When that day comes, I may still stand in a lower realm of cultivation... but my foundation will allow me to contend with those far above me.’