Chapter 710 - 705: No Wonder Si Chou Had to Die!
"Hooo..."
Lü Yang let out a long breath, finally recovering from his recent speculation. "Fucking hell, just how much good stuff did the Bhagavat hoard back in the day?"
’After he forged a path for himself, he turned around and destroyed it for everyone else?’
’A complete cultivation thief!’
The Golden Core Chapter of the Skill of Perfect Vitality was actually quite simple. The entire text was about one thing—or rather, one Great Dao: the Dharma Body.
"What is the foundation of a Cultivator’s existence in this world?"
"Nothing but Mana, Magic, and Dharma Body!"
"Mana, the beginning of one’s nature, the proof of one’s Realm. Magic, the foundation of a Cultivator’s self-protection, a symbol of wisdom. Dharma Body, the root of life, the raft to cross the Sea of Suffering!"
In short, Mana, Magic, and Dharma Body were the cornerstones of the entire Cultivator community, the foundation of the cultivation path. The Golden Core Chapter of the Skill of Perfect Vitality taught a Cultivator how to master one of them: the Dharma Body! Once mastered, its value was far greater than any so-called Fruit!
The difference in their effects made this clear.
If a mere Fruit was destroyed, it wouldn’t have any permanent effect on a Lower Cultivator. At worst, their path forward would be blocked, and they would have to find another way.
The Dharma Body, however, was different. As one of the three foundations of a Cultivator’s existence—along with Mana and Magic—if any one of them had a problem, it would immediately affect the entire Cultivator community!
When Si Chou fell, all the world’s Dharma Body Cultivators immediately went into decline. Only the Pure Land managed to preserve a small fragment, which Lü Yang figured the Bhagavat had likely scraped off Si Chou’s corpse.
This showed just how precious the Dharma Body was.
And the Middle Stage of Golden Core in the Skill of Perfect Vitality was based on this very principle.
"To reach the Middle Stage of Golden Core with this technique, one must find the Great Dao of the Dharma Body, then use one’s own Dharma Body to invade and seize it, ultimately making it one’s own..."
As he thought of this, a corresponding description surfaced in Lü Yang’s mind: "Seeking the Dao..."
The Golden Core Realm cultivation that the Taiyin Immortal Venerable had once described to him—Seeking the Dao, Pursuing the Dao, and Attainment—now perfectly corresponded to the path of the Ancient Technique!
"First, ’Seeking the Dao,’ to find the Great Dao of the Dharma Body. Then, ’Pursuing the Dao,’ using one’s own path to chase the Great Dao of the Dharma Body, devouring it step by step until it is finally assimilated. That is ’Attainment’... Whether it’s Foundation Establishment or Golden Core, both can actually be summarized by these three stages."
As he mulled it over, Lü Yang’s brow gradually furrowed.
It was for one simple reason: it was too complicated.
Those same three stages could describe cultivation in the Foundation Establishment Realm, explain it in the Golden Core Realm, and even be used to depict the entire path of cultivation.
No wonder the Ancient Technique had died out.
Something so obscure and difficult to comprehend clearly required a talent for cultivation found in only one in ten thousand. It was perfectly normal for it to be replaced by the simple and direct Pocket World Technique.
’Good thing I’m that one-in-ten-thousand cultivation prodigy...’
At this thought, another matter suddenly occurred to Lü Yang:
’Si Chou’s Great Dao...’
He thought of the Celestial Mansion’s Six Qi Fruit Position. Could the Nascent Soul Dao that the Taiyin Immortal Venerable had desperately sought but never obtained in his previous life be the Great Dao of the Dharma Body?
In an instant, his heart pounded with excitement!
’In my previous life, Sichou’s Residual Thought used me to achieve the Void Attainment Position via the Path Opening Map, and then used that to draw out Si Chou’s true Nascent Soul Dao.’
He remembered the entire process for the Void Attainment!
Moreover, he already possessed the Celestial Six Qi Dao Practice required for the Void Attainment. These things didn’t disappear just because the Centome reset!
’In other words, I can pull the same trick again. I can try to find Si Chou’s Nascent Soul Dao in the Sea of Suffering. Even though that Great Dao is now broken, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. As long as I can get my hands on it, I can definitely use it to break through to the Middle Stage of Ancient Golden Core!’
With this in mind, Lü Yang immediately looked up.
No prior preparation was needed; he was already very familiar with the process from his previous life. In just a few breaths, six streams of will-like energy coalesced into a bright light in his palm.
The light was no bigger than a thumb, shaped like an Elixir Pill.
Yet, as it rested in his palm, it reflected boundless, illusionary colors, flickering in and out of existence as if breathing, expounding the ultimate principles of the Great Dao between Heaven and Earth.
’Strictly speaking, this isn’t actually a Void Attainment.’
Lü Yang pinched the "Fruit" in his hand, thinking, ’The Path Opening Map was just a trap. This thing is actually a Road Guide.’
’With this, I can find Si Chou’s Nascent Soul Dao.’
’The Taiyin Immortal Venerable... my dear senior sister has been coveting this for a long time, but she was always worried about being possessed by Sichou’s Residual Thought after the Void Attainment, so she never dared to attempt it.’
’But I don’t have that concern right now.’
Because this was the Celestial Human Residual Consciousness!
In this place, not even Si Chou’s true self could sense him, let alone Sichou’s Residual Thought. How could it possibly possess him through the Void Attainment Position?
’No time to waste!’
The next second, Lü Yang looked up, his gaze shifted, and the Sea of Suffering opened. His decisiveness was second to none; he acted without a moment’s hesitation.
In an instant, he had already stepped into the Sea of Suffering.
Soon, however, a hint of surprise appeared on his face. He watched as the torrential waters of conceptual energy rushed toward him, only to naturally part and disperse around him.
’It’s because of my Dharma Body...’
Lü Yang understood. At this moment, he was practically a humanoid Fruit. Since a Fruit could roam freely in the Sea of Suffering, so could he.
Realizing this, Lü Yang immediately strode forward.
"RUMBLE!"
Within the Sea of Suffering, the roar of monstrous waves was deafening. Lü Yang calmed his mind, took a step, and the turbulent waters beneath his feet transformed into a placid lake.
Just like that, as if walking on solid ground, he began to move slowly but steadily through the Sea of Suffering. The Elixir Pill-like Road Guide in his hand pointed the way, preventing him from being distracted by other currents and allowing him to press onward, step by step, into the depths of the Sea of Suffering.
Gradually, he saw it.
As the Road Guide in his hand grew brighter, the Sea of Suffering churned and parted in all directions, revealing a Great Dao lying beneath the water.
At first glance, it looked like a person.
Or rather, it was a humanoid Great Dao, so unimaginably vast that Lü Yang estimated his own Dharma Body would only fill a tiny corner of it.
Lü Yang subconsciously drifted down toward the Great Dao.
The next second, however, he slammed right into the space directly above the Great Dao, as if hitting an invisible wall, producing a crisp "CLANG!"
What the hell!?
Lü Yang shook himself and finally realized. ’The Great Dao is incompatible... Right, Si Chou made this Great Dao his own a long, long time ago.’
This Great Dao of the Dharma Body has a master!
Perhaps in the past, this Great Dao could have been shared by all Perfected Lords who cultivated the Dharma Body using the Ancient Technique, but now it belonged to Si Chou.
To enter, one needed Si Chou’s permission!
’Maybe this was a backup plan Si Chou left for himself, specifically for his residual thought? Whatever... I found it, so it’s mine now!’
Especially since this Great Dao seemed to be something the Taiyin Immortal Venerable absolutely had to have.
He wondered what kind of expression his dear senior sister would make when, after all her plotting and scheming, she finally discovered that he had already snatched it from under her nose...
He really wanted to see it!
As these thoughts spun in his mind, Lü Yang placed the Road Guide onto the fractured Great Dao. In the next instant, the invisible barrier vanished without a trace.
Without hesitation, Lü Yang stepped right in.
"RUMBLE!"
At that moment, Lü Yang activated his Dharma Body to its fullest extent, devouring the power of the Dharma Body as voraciously as a whale swallowing water. Before long, his expression changed.
"Holy shit..."
He then eagerly began performing finger calculations, his expression growing more and more shocked.
’My lifespan... after gaining preliminary control of the Dharma Body, my lifespan actually increased? And it even surpassed the thousand-year limit of a Perfected Lord!?’
But he quickly regained his composure.
’On second thought... it’s only natural. After all, birth, aging, sickness, and death are all tied to the mortal coil of the Dharma Body. When Si Chou died, the Great Dao of the Dharma Body was damaged, and the lifespans of Cultivators were damaged along with it. What’s so strange about that? In fact... maybe this was precisely the outcome those old bastards from the Saint Sect wanted to achieve!’
Thinking of this, Lü Yang couldn’t help but click his tongue in amazement.
’After Si Chou’s death, Cultivators’ lifespans were drastically reduced. Even a Perfected Lord only had a thousand years. To achieve long life, they had to ensure their Pocket World did not fall.’
’But to prevent the Pocket World from falling, one had to achieve Body Unity with a Fruit, which almost completely severed one’s path forward in cultivation...’
No wonder Si Chou had to die!
After all, if he hadn’t died, it would have been difficult for the old bastards of the Saint Sect to implement their scheme. If everyone could live a long life, who would bother pursuing a Pocket World that doesn’t fall?