Becoming a god starts from planting a Bodhi tree.

Chapter 505 Two Completely Opposite Paths
The Heavenly Court has thirty-six heavens.

As the Heavenly Court officially came into contact with the Boundary Sea, this former ancestral temple of the divine path gradually revealed its true form in the eyes of various sects.

The intense Daoist aura emanating from it alone, along with the manifestation of various Great Daos, overwhelmed the Heavenly Prison Palace, which currently held the reputation of being the strongest in the Boundary Sea.

Under the monitoring of all parties, it was discovered that with the reappearance of the Heavenly Court, an invisible yet vast power was awakening within the underlying rules of the Boundary Sea, which directly attracted the attention of all transcendent sects.

Even among those who haven't yet entered the fray, some are already starting to get restless.

"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Piaomiao."

The old man from the Heavenly Prison Palace politely raised his hand in greeting.

"You're too kind, Elder Xuan." The ethereal True Saint from [Nanhua Palace] nodded.

This time, all the factions realized they could no longer delay and chose to join forces, with powerful figures from all sides coming out together to infiltrate the Heavenly Court.

The ethereal True Saint's journey here is specifically to conceal your whereabouts.

Her true form is a divine weapon personally crafted by the patriarch, capable of temporarily evading the search of transcendent-level divine senses and shielding her from cause and effect and destiny.

The leader of this group was none other than the True Saint of the Heavenly Prison Palace who had spoken earlier; everyone called him Elder Xuan.

This person has an extremely special identity. He has served the Demon Ancestor since he was young, and his status in the Heavenly Prison Palace is quite high. He is also one of the few people that Luo Xuan is wary of.

"Unfortunately, Kongming and the others are wary of that World Honored One and have never been willing to join us. They are truly foolish," said Tianhe Zhensheng, who appeared from Huncheng Palace this time.

"I've heard that someone has already added that World Honored One to their assassination list," the Ethereal True Saint suddenly said.

Tianhe Zhensheng said calmly, "It's not surprising. The existence of this person has caused many transcendent sects, including [Void Realm], to choose silence."

Elder Xuan spoke slowly and deliberately: “Everyone has their own choices and positions, no wonder the fellow Daoists of the Void Realm. Even within my Heavenly Prison Palace, there are two factions.”

Everyone turned to look at him, having heard some of the rumors about the Heavenly Prison Palace.

Tianhe Zhensheng asked, "Elder Xuan, how will the Heavenly Prison Palace deal with that person this time?"

The person he was referring to was Luo Xuan, who had also chosen to join the Heavenly Court.

Soon after that World Honored One chose to join the Heavenly Court, news spread that Luo Xuan had also joined the Heavenly Court.

The Heavenly Court also took the initiative to show goodwill to the Heavenly Prison Palace, leading various factions in the Boundary Sea to believe that the Heavenly Prison Palace was also going to defect to the Heavenly Court.

Elder Xuan said in a calm tone:

"The Heavenly Court harbors treacherous ambitions. The Demon Ancestor foresaw fragments of the future and deliberately left prophecies about the Heavenly Court in the palace. The Heavenly Prison Palace will never aid its ambitions."

"As for that one..."

Elder Xuan shook his head: "We have been too lenient with him in the past, but we will not do so this time."

Everyone nodded in agreement, clearly understanding the attitude of this person and the [Heavenly Prison Palace].

After a brief discussion, the ethereal True Saint revealed the true form of the divine artifact, radiating a hazy, clear light and rising immortal energy that enveloped everyone, concealing their whereabouts.

The saints immediately took action and infiltrated the Thirty-Sixth Heaven, where the Heavenly Court was located!
"I had long heard that the Heavenly Court filled itself with the many remnants of the realms that the Netherworld had accumulated and collected back then, which is why the Thirty-Six Heavens are so vast and boundless. Seeing it today, I can confirm that it is true."

Upon entering the first level of heaven, Elder Xuan spoke in a low voice, using his gaze as a yardstick to measure the vastness of this world.

Just as everyone was about to head to the higher realms to explore the deepest part of the Heavenly Court.

A beam of white light suddenly shone, piercing the darkness and illuminating every corner of the world!

The highest heavenly palace, which had been hidden deep within, creaked and groaned, and a vast and majestic aura rose up rapidly, reaching straight through the thirty-sixth heaven!
This power erupted from the depths of the Heavenly Court, sweeping across the thirty-six heavens and earth without leaving anything behind, as if it wanted to sweep away all the dust that had accumulated and settled for ten thousand years!
Instantly.

Enveloped in white light, everything was dimly illuminated.

In everyone's perception, the inexplicable sense of decay had almost disappeared, and the world was renewed. The burgeoning vitality of the Great Dao spread throughout every inch of the void in the Thirty-Six Heavens.

Everyone looked grave. What was going on? Had the Heavenly Court already discovered them?
Suddenly, Elder Xuan's voice resonated in everyone's hearts.

"This is the revival of the divine way!"

"The Heavenly Court is fully recovering! The 'Great Dao' belonging to that Heavenly Emperor is gradually awakening and merging with the rules at the bottom of the Boundary Sea! Once it is fully awakened, she may regain her identity as the Ancestor of the Great Dao!"

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. He'd regained his identity as the Great Dao Ancestor? Who in the Boundary Sea could possibly defeat him?!
The ethereal True Saint said in a low voice, "Didn't they say that the female Heavenly Emperor was most likely not the original Great Dao Ancestor of the Heavenly Court?"

Elder Xuan said, "Since the Heavenly Court dares to claim that it offers three Great Dao Ancestor Fruits for all people to share, do you think this Heavenly Emperor will not occupy one of those positions?"

Everyone looked solemn.

"Speed ​​up! We can't give the Heavenly Court and that Heavenly Emperor any more time to recover!"

With a decisive strike, Elder Xuan led the way, followed closely by the others.

……

……

"Fellow."

Wu Tian emerged from seclusion and met with Ji Jingqiu.

The two were originally one, but their minds merged, and they instantly understood each other's experiences after entering the Dawn Realm.

Ji Jingqiu sensed Wutian's current realm and Dao power, and comprehended the difference between the Dao Ancestor's fruition and the Heavenly Venerable's.

At this point, the limitations of Wutian as an avatar became apparent.

When Ji Jingqiu first entered the Heavenly Venerable realm, his Dao power had already reached the peak of the third level, close to perfection.

During his more than ten years of quiet cultivation at Tiansheng Lake, he nurtured his Dao power, and was only one step away from the fourth level.

Although Wutian has now entered the Dao Ancestor realm, his Dao power has only just reached the fourth level, meeting the minimum standard for a Dao Ancestor.

Of course, Wu Tian's entire cultivation was "inherited," a meteoric rise rather than the result of his own gradual cultivation.

Ji Jingqiu did not rush to take back Wutian, but agreed to witness together the breakthrough and transcendence of the Shouzhen Ancestor.

Wutian's departure from the pass also signifies that the great achievements of Tiansheng Lake's Taoist tradition have been transferred to him.

Shouzhen began his final preparations for seclusion.

Before going into seclusion, he deliberately postponed the seclusion period and summoned Ji Jingqiu and Wutian.

Ji Jingqiu was deeply moved upon seeing Shouzhen at that moment.

At this moment, in his eyes, Shouzhen's originally dense web of cause and effect had become a... blank space!
He was sitting cross-legged in front of Ji Jingqiu, his aura gentle and open, without any concealment, yet Ji Jingqiu could hardly sense his presence.

It's as if even what we "see" is wrong.

"Is this what it means to reduce the price to a short position?" Ji Jingqiu couldn't help but ask.

The voice of Master Shouzhen was somewhat ethereal and otherworldly, as if it came from a very distant place:

“The method of reducing to emptiness was very successful. The karma on my body was transferred to Wutian along with the great achievements of the Tian Sheng Lake’s lineage.”

"I have a general understanding of the nature of this path. This path is completely opposite to the Dao-merging Realm."

"For any living being, the world is both the place of origin and a prison."

"Those who merge with the Dao of a single world follow the path of 'I am the world, the world is me,' condensing the power of the entire world into a single point and holding it in their palm. The stronger the world, the stronger they become. However, this path is also highly bound to the world of merging with the Dao."

"The opposite is true of reduction to emptiness. It advocates transferring or ending all causes and effects between oneself and the world until one becomes completely 'empty' and pursues the final state of perfect transcendence."

The explanation by Master Shouzhen was quite clear, and Ji Jingqiu immediately understood the essence and core of this path.

"I wonder if this road is from a hundred centuries ago, or if it was opened up by Emperor Yi," Ji Jingqiu said softly.

Ji Jingqiu had already asked Brother Jian Guang about how the many patriarchs achieved transcendence.

The latter stated that the methods by which the various patriarchs entered into transcendence were not the same, and each had their own path. For his original self, and for most transcendent beings, the path to transcendence lay more in the word "proof" in "proof of the Way."

In the past, Cangjian traveled across most of the Boundary Sea, feeling the suffering of all living beings. He then forged the first sword, gaining the recognition of the Boundary Sea and ultimately attaining enlightenment and transcendence. In the process of practicing his own path, he continued to improve his cultivation. However, this path no longer exists in later generations.

"There is indeed a saying that the Boundary Sea can only nurture and accommodate a limited number of transcendent attainments. Once an attainment reaches its limit, future generations of beings will not only be unable to walk this path, but will not even be able to see it!"

"In this environment, if you want to attain enlightenment, you either have to follow the path of the Phoenix King, which leads to unification and leaves no way for those who come after you."

"Or it could be what you mentioned before, 'proving the Way through force,' but I've never heard of anyone successfully proving the Way through force."

At this moment.

Ji Jingqiu gazed at the seemingly immortal Patriarch Shouzhen sitting right in front of him, and once again inquired about the Moon-Slaying Sword Light:

Is there any hope for this path?

The sword light that cleaved the moon remained silent, but instead solemnly circled Shouzhen several times.

The two sides had met over the past ten years, so Shouzhen was not surprised and had even sought his advice on the mysteries of transcendence on several occasions.

"Make it so that it's empty..."

Sword light whispers,

"This path is not only completely opposite to the Dao-Merging Realm, eliminating all traces of cause and effect, leaving oneself with power but no constraints, and completely breaking free from the limitations of the original realm, but it does not allow one to break through and transcend."

"Shouzhen, you should know where this road ends, right?"

Shouzhen nodded: "Prove the Way through force."

Jian Guang sighed, "That's right. Making it into emptiness doesn't mean you can truly escape the cage, but rather that you can reach your optimal state before escaping, free from any constraints, and release your Dao power to the maximum extent. But in the end, if you want to prove the Dao, you still have to take the path of proving the Dao with force."

Shouzhen looked into the void, his gaze flickering slightly: "After truly embarking on this path, I can sense that it is not yet complete."

"Oh?"

The sword light immediately became solemn, and after a moment, it pondered,
"This path is indeed very strange. Going to such great lengths, even at the cost of abandoning one's own cultivation and inheritance, to sever all ties of cause and effect and destiny, is it all just to put oneself in the best possible state?"

"Something's strange, unless..."

“Unless this path wasn’t created for the purpose of breakthrough and transcendence,” Shouzhen replied meaningfully.

Jian Guang fell silent; in his view, Shou Zhen's conjecture was undeniably audacious.

If it's not about breaking through and transcending, then what is it about breaking through?
“If this path was indeed opened by that Emperor, then it makes sense,” Jian Guang said in a low voice. “The ancestor of the divine path and the master of the Heavenly Court a hundred centuries ago, his accumulated cultivation had probably already reached its peak, and there was no further room for advancement.”

Shouzhen's gaze was profound. Following this logic, Di Yi's creation of the path of "reduction into emptiness" was not a preparation for breakthrough and transcendence, but rather...

Beyond!

Ji Jingqiu suddenly asked, "Did Wan Qianqiu and the other two Great Dao Ancestors find the way forward back then?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Jian Guang declared: "The path beyond transcendence has always existed in theory!"

A spark seemed to ignite in Ji Jingqiu's mind, and he exhaled a long breath, saying:
"Is it normalization?"

“That’s right!” Jian Guang said in a deep voice. “Theoretically, as long as a transcendent being is willing, they can allow themselves to merge with everything around them without limit until the world and all things are unified. Then they will naturally step into the realm beyond transcendence!”

Ji Jingqiu suddenly realized: "Isn't this... the path to the Dao Integration Realm?"

Shouzhen pondered for a moment and said, "Perhaps, that person did not want to take this path, so they created the method of 'reducing to emptiness,' but dared not try it rashly, so they gave it to us first for verification?"

Ji Jingqiu said in a deep voice, "If that's really the case, Ancestor Shouzhen, the risk of you forcibly proving your Dao is too great!"

Shouzhen shook his head: "You don't understand. I can sense that the barrier is already very close, right in front of me. This feeling drives us crazy."

Jian Guang said in a deep voice, "Once the arrow is released, there is no turning back. We might as well face the challenge head-on and take a leap of courage. Whether we succeed or not, we have fulfilled our principles."

Shouzhen smiled and nodded.

Ji Jingqiu remained silent and did not try to persuade him further, because Master Shouzhen had already made his final decision.

Shouzhen chose to impart all his insights into "reducing to emptiness" to Ji Jingqiu, and then entrusted him with the task:
"I need to go into seclusion for a while to make final adjustments to my condition, and then I will try to break through to transcendence. Before that, I need you to go see Fellow Daoist Chaoge on my behalf."

Chaoge?

Ji Jingqiu agreed to the matter.

The sword light that was about to strike seemed to want to say something, but in the end, it chose to remain silent.

Shouzhen solemnly said, "These are the coordinates where Fellow Daoist Chaoge is currently located. You should set off immediately and return as soon as possible."

Ji Jingqiu immediately stood up: "Okay."

He beckoned back to Brother Jianguang, stepped out of Tiansheng Lake, and boarded the carriage again.

"Let's go!"

After a moment of contemplation, Jiulong pulled the carriage away from the area of ​​Tiansheng Lake.

Sitting in the carriage, Ji Jingqiu was still pondering the method of "reducing to emptiness" that he had just learned.

boom!
The pitch-black hand, appearing from nowhere, descended like the night. Before it even made contact, all the images in Ji Jingqiu's mind shattered inch by inch, turning into one chaotic mass after another.

This palm strike was devoid of any fancy moves, embodying utter devastation. Silent explosions continued, permeating his body, and the surrounding Dharma realm instantly surged with terrifying waves, exploding inch by inch!

This is a supreme strike at the True Saint level, a level of supreme power even in the True Saint realm, enough to kill some newly entered True Saints!
The Daoist-inspired water vapor cascading from the canopy exploded, revealing Ji Jingqiu's clear face.

He looked up and saw that the one who had struck out to kill him was a powerful stranger with eyes as deep as the sea, filled with cold killing intent.

Who wants to kill him?
The sword light of the Moon-Slaying Sword suddenly shot out, and just as he was about to make his move, the coachman in front of the carriage met the attacker.

A dark shadow suddenly burst out from the driver's body, growing larger in the wind, and silently met the attacker.

In an instant, the destructive palm intent that had swallowed up heaven and earth vanished, and the oppressive atmosphere that had been pressing down like layers of dark clouds was also swept away.

At this time.

The celestial lord, who was driving the chariot, turned around and respectfully said:
"Your Majesty was startled. His Majesty had foreseen this and specifically instructed us to be careful, but we did not expect that Your Majesty would still be disturbed."

Ji Jingqiu stared at him for a long time. There was nothing wrong with this man's words and actions. He seemed to genuinely respect him, without any deliberate mockery or sarcastic warning.

"Who was that person just now?" Ji Jingqiu asked.

"The Heavenly Emperor has decreed that no intruders should be pursued, but only killed." The Star Lord bowed respectfully. "In the past few years, His Majesty has been attacked more than a dozen times, but His Majesty has suppressed them all with force. They probably couldn't do anything to His Majesty, so they turned their attention to you."

Ji Jingqiu didn't say anything more, only calmly saying:
"Let's continue our journey."

"Here."

The canopy descended once more, shimmering with ethereal light, enveloped in the aura of the Great Dao. The nine dragons set off again, and pale golden light rose from the carriage, as if opening up a heavenly avenue beneath their feet and in front of them!

With nine dragons pulling the chariot, Ji Jingqiu soon found the rebuilt cultivation site in Chaoge, following the coordinates given by the Patriarch Shouzhen.

To Ji Jingqiu's surprise, Chaoge did not return to the Daoist temple that Chaoxia Mountain had established in the Netherworld, but instead chose their Yanhuang Federation!
Because of the existence of Qinglian, the Federation is now under the protection of Qingming Mountain.

The current lord of Qingming Mountain came to welcome Qinglian back to the mountain, but Qinglian refused, saying he wanted to wait here for the sea of ​​suffering to subside.

In response, the lord of Qingming Mountain hesitated for several years in the Federation, but was eventually forced to return to the mountain to take charge of the overall situation due to the appearance of the Heavenly Court.

Upon his return, Ji Jingqiu had the Nine Dragons Carriage stop in mid-air beforehand, and without alerting anyone, he found the reincarnated Chaoge.

Years later, this person's reincarnation has become a young man, accompanied by a protector from Chaoxia Mountain.

"Fellow Daoist, we meet again." Chaoge had already regained his memories of the past and said with a gentle smile.

After understanding Ji Jingqiu's purpose, Chaoge, contrary to his usual behavior, remained silent for a moment, looked into the distance, and said solemnly:

"I have nothing to say to Fellow Daoist Shouzhen. If I'm not mistaken, he's deliberately trying to get rid of you, so it seems..."

"Fellow Daoist Shouzhen's breakthrough is today, at this very moment!"

(End of this chapter)