Embers of Sword

Chapter 546 Weeds
"I have indeed cultivated two Dao Realms. One is life, and the other is death."

Xie Xuanyi sighed softly, somewhat regretfully: "It's just a pity... my 'Dao of Life' realm is not yet complete."

Two lifetimes of practice.

May the Dao of Annihilation be perfected as soon as possible.

The realm of life... is still far from the "embryo of the Great Dao".

“I am indeed ignorant; to this day, I have never seen a cultivator like you.”

Xuanming asked curiously, "How can these two Dao Realms be so different?"

A cultivator who has comprehended two realms of Dao.

Even a thousand years ago, he would have been an exceptionally rare genius.

The ability to cultivate two Dao Realms could not possibly be a matter of luck...

This young man must have a profound understanding of "birth" and "death" to be able to perfectly integrate the two Dao realms in the Yin God Realm.

What exactly did this kid go through to cause such an uneven distribution of life and death?

"In a sense, this can be considered my second incarnation in spiritual practice."

Xie Xuanyi lowered his eyes and smiled, saying frankly, "Ten years ago, I fell into the North Sea, and because of the Fountain of Immortality... I was reborn."

"Oh?"

Xuanming smiled and said gently, "I see. It's rare to see someone who has lived two lives and is still so young."

In fact, the requirements for the master of the Yuan Tun Holy Realm are very high.

The age cannot be too high.

One's aptitude cannot be mediocre.

In a sense, reincarnated cultivators are not well-regarded. After all, most reincarnated cultivators attempt to dissolve their bodies when they cannot survive their first life. If they have cultivated for too long in their previous life, it will have a great negative impact on the trials of the Dao Stele.

But Xie Xuanyi was an exception.

Xuanming could tell that this kid's cultivation over both lifetimes combined hadn't amounted to much time.

Having cultivated for only thirty years, he had already become a nascent Great Dao cultivator and attained the half-step Yang God status. Such talent would have been unparalleled in the prosperous era a thousand years ago.

"Senior...I have a question."

Xie Xuanyi spoke.

He gazed at the withered tree in the distance and asked softly, "If your divine sense is exhausted, what will become of this Primordial Devouring Sacred Realm?"

This sacred realm is a pristine, independent celestial realm—

From this perspective, the Yuan Tun Sacred Realm is somewhat similar to the "Great Moon Kingdom" buried under the snow mountain. However, the power of the Great Sage Bai Ze is stronger than that of Emperor Qi, who is in the Celestial Realm. Therefore, this Sacred Realm has maintained its perfect appearance for a thousand years, and the power of the Heavenly Dao cannot fall.

This is why the remnants of the spirits of Bai Ze's four disciples remained even after the original Bai Ze passed away.

just.

This Yuan Devouring Sacred Realm eventually needs a "guardian".

If Xuanming dies...

"If I die, this holy realm will dissolve."

Xuanming lowered his eyes and slowly spoke: "Dust to dust, ashes to ashes... After the Yuan Tun Holy Realm loses its 'ruler,' the inheritance left by my master will vanish into thin air and fall into the long river of time. This inherited knowledge will dissipate into the void, and perhaps for countless years to come, it will never be mastered by outsiders again. Or perhaps one day in the future, the golden age of a thousand years ago will reappear, and some extraordinary young person will be able to regain control of these great secrets through their own enlightenment."

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent.

difficult.

Too difficult.

Heroes are made by the times. If one is born in the wrong era, no matter how talented one is, one will only be a fleeting cloud.

It scatters with the wind, cannot be retained, and cannot be stopped.

"So I hope someone can come here and win this trial."

Xuanming smiled and said, "The guy who fought you in front of the Dao Stele... is far inferior. If he were to enter the Holy Realm, that battle would have been a complete waste of his good fortune."

If the White Ghost were to touch the Dao Stele, he would likely be able to achieve the Yang God realm through those Dao intents.

But any further fate would only lead to failure.

Even if Bai Gui used all his skills to fight against Xuan Ming at the same level, he would not have the slightest chance of winning.

"In terms of sheer killing power, the Great Dao is actually divided into different levels."

Xuanming said, "Your 'Path of Annihilation' and 'Path of Life' would have been considered top-tier paths a thousand years ago, one in ten thousand. If you could have mastered them, even I might not have been your match. Compared to you, that guy's 'Path of Soul Devouring' is far inferior."

"So he died."

Xie Xuanyi calmly said, "Even if it happens ten thousand times, the outcome will be the same."

"……good."

Xuanming looked at the young man in front of him with an expression of appreciation.

He really liked Xie Xuanyi's personality.

Facing himself, he dared to fight to the death; in the previous duel, this young man performed exceptionally well.

"This monument is yours."

Xuanming suddenly spoke up, and said with a smile, "Although the battle just now was undecided... in my opinion, the outcome is no longer that important. If you continue to meditate and cultivate in this Dao Stele space, and cultivate the 'Way of Life' into a nascent Great Dao, then even if I use all my [Pupil Sea], I will only suffer defeat."

"……this?"

Xie Xuanyi felt somewhat helpless and didn't know what to say.

He kept meditating and cultivating, delaying the time, until he also comprehended the embryonic form of the "Way of Life".

This is indeed theoretically possible.

But... he just couldn't do it no matter what.

You don't need to thank me.

"It is because I am greedy for life that I have done this."

Xuanming smiled and said, "As instructed by my master, after being defeated by that destined person, my lingering will be completely destroyed. Now, although the destined person has arrived, he has not been able to defeat me. This lingering will still have a breath left, which can prolong my life... I still have some time left, and I can still enjoy my last days in this [Yuantun Sacred Realm]."

Although there was only a lingering regret.

But this lingering regret has become a vibrant life.

Who in this world doesn't cherish life?
Say it.

Xuanming slowly extended his palm, and countless snow-white threads emerged from the chaos, condensing into a square Dao stele above this void land.

This Dao stele is exactly the same as the Dao stele that floats in the void of the Holy Temple.

However, the oppressive aura it exudes is more solid.

"Send out your divine thoughts, and you can refine it."

Xuanming smiled and said, "This 'Sacred Realm Core' contains a large amount of divine treasures and inheritances. After you refine it, it will take you a long time to slowly digest it."

"This... is the 'core' of the Primordial Devouring Sacred Realm?"

Xie Xuanyi stared at the pure white Dao stele in front of him, momentarily lost in thought.

Upon entering the secret tomb.

He didn't think about any of that.

Swish!
The divine sense entered the Dao stele, and the core of the snow-white holy realm was instantly refined.

The entire refining process was completely effortless.

The most difficult hurdle in obtaining the "Holy Realm Core" has been overcome.

After a few breaths—

Xie Xuanyi lowered his head and used his divine sense to look inward. In his dantian, a snow-white stone tablet was suspended. This stone tablet was located next to the Undying Spring, slowly rotating and emitting a faint aura of abundance.

He had become the master of this [Primordial Devouring Sacred Realm].

A fleeting thought.

The scenery of the Yuan Tun Holy Realm, spanning thousands of miles, was entirely absorbed into the Purple Palace.

The swaying grass and trees, and the fluttering withered leaves in this sacred realm were all reflected in Xie Xuanyi's heart lake.

Besides.

Everything happening in the secret tomb outside was under their control.

“Finally…” Xuanming looked at this scene and smiled with relief.

He had waited too long.

A thousand years.

Finally, the master of the Yuan Tun Holy Realm has arrived.

A strong wind blew, the mist dissipated, and millions of blades of grass bowed their heads, kowtowing and worshipping in the direction of Xie Xuanyi.

Before his death, the Great Sage Bai Ze separated the [Yuan Tun Sacred Realm] from his own cave heaven.

This Dao stele is the origin of all living beings in the Holy Realm—

Xie Xuanyi refined it.

At this moment, he became the embodiment of the Holy Realm's consciousness!

"So this is the real 'grotto-heaven'..."

Xie Xuanyi clenched his fist.

This sacred realm, which has withstood a thousand years of wind and frost without decaying, can almost be called the most perfect grotto-heaven world in a thousand years.

All cultivators dream of obtaining such a sacred realm.

Yin spirits, Yang spirits, celestial beings, true immortals.

Every step is a massive chasm.

"You can carry this sacred realm with you, but with your current level of cultivation, you cannot release it to defend against enemies."

Xuanming said softly, "This Holy Realm is too vast. Releasing it to land requires a huge amount of vital energy. Let alone the fact that you are only a 'half-step Yang God' now, even if you really cultivate to the ninth level of Yang God, it would be difficult to support the terrifying energy consumption of this Holy Realm even if you consumed all your life savings."

This makes sense.

This is a perfect world, a true paradise.

Once released, it will immediately land and confront the Heavenly Dao—

This is why the [Yuantun Sacred Realm] is hidden in the deepest part of the Secret Tomb. This Sacred Realm is hidden within the Dao Stele, which is hidden in the Sacred Hall Grotto, which is hidden in the deepest part of the Secret Tomb. Only in this way can it avoid the outside world's Great Dao... Even so, the plants and trees in the Yuantun Sacred Realm are still withered. Xuanming supported the Sacred Realm for a thousand years, and even with the divine sense of the Celestial Realm, it has been completely exhausted at this moment.

"How am I supposed to maintain this sacred realm?"

Xie Xuanyi rubbed his temples and immediately felt a headache coming on.

The [Primordial Devouring Sacred Realm] is indeed an immense blessing.

But the operation of this sacred realm consumes vital energy every moment—

Xuanming still has a lingering will, but that's not a long-term solution.

"If it were someone else, they wouldn't be able to maintain it."

"But you... are different from others. You are, after all, a person destined for us."

Xuanming coughed lightly, his fist pressed to his lips. After confirming that Xie Xuanyi had refined the Dao Stele, he finally smiled.

That smile had a hint of slyness to it.

"Wait, could it be..."

Xie Xuanyi vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

"Yes."

Xuanming smiled and said, "If I'm not mistaken, there's a 'Fountain of Immortality' suspended inside your dantian... right?"

"..."

Xie Xuanyi's face darkened; the blind man with his eyes covered could see more clearly than anyone else.

Not only did he see the Fountain of Immortality in his dantian, but he also saw that it was the source of the Fountain of Immortality!

"This is truly a rare treasure."

Even Xuanming, who was at the Celestial Realm, couldn't help but sigh, "Isn't the world already exhausted in terms of vitality? How can such a divine object still be born... You really have the perfect timing, location, and people. A thousand years ago, even my master would have been tempted to snatch something like this."

"Otherwise, how could I have had the opportunity to become a destined person in the Yuan Tun Sacred Realm?"

Xie Xuanyi replied quietly.

"Too."

Xuanming smiled and pointed to the distant sky.

"Look..."

Xuanming said gently, "After cultivating to the Celestial Realm, the inner world within one's body has already become a world of its own. Cultivators can cultivate plants and nurture life within this inner world. Celestial Realm cultivators only have one last great tribulation left. For these cultivators, to become true immortals, they need to overcome the 'Heavenly Dao.' How to overcome the Heavenly Dao?"

"To cultivate a perfect holy realm, and use the Great Dao of the Holy Realm to fight against the Heavenly Dao of the outside world?"

Xie Xuanyi immediately understood.

"good."

Xuanming looked at the intelligent young man beside him and smiled, "This is Master's final method of transcending tribulation. He wanted to make the [Yuan Tun Sacred Realm] a perfect grotto-heaven in order to resist the Heavenly Dao."

"This holy realm is already perfect."

Xie Xuanyi frowned: "Did the Great Sage Bai Ze ultimately fail?"

"It failed. But it also succeeded."

The smile on Xuanming's face gradually faded.

He said softly, “The Holy Realm has been completed, and all living beings can live in it. A thousand years ago, when my master was undergoing his tribulation, I led the demon spirits of the ‘Chongming’ lineage to live in this Holy Realm to avoid the calamity. My other three junior brothers and sisters also took refuge here with their respective clansmen. Although my master has perished, this Holy Realm still exists... We survived in this Holy Realm.”

A gentle breeze blew by, and grass clippings flew everywhere.

A thousand years is not a long time.

But the survivors of that time have all turned to ashes.

"What exactly was the great calamity a thousand years ago?"

Xie Xuanyi couldn't help but speak up.

He searched through the entire Taoist canon of Lotus Peak, but could not find any record of events that occurred a thousand years ago.

A thousand years is not actually a long time.

The Great Chu Dynasty lasted for a thousand years.

Many sacred sites and lineages have existed for over a thousand years!
However, no historical record details the reason why that golden age disappeared a thousand years ago... It's as if there was a "breakpoint" in the middle of those thousand years. This "breakpoint" swallowed up countless geniuses and also obscured the truth of history.

"I do not know."

Xuanming shook his head and said, "My master told me to hide here with my people... He told me that a great calamity is coming, and if I leave the Holy Realm, I will surely be reduced to ashes."

"...?"

Xie Xuanyi was horrified when he heard this.

Celestial Realm cultivation.

During the great calamity a thousand years ago, they were utterly powerless to resist?
The Great Yue Kingdom sank into the snow-capped mountains.

The Primordial Deva Realm was buried in the Southern Frontier.

"You don't need to worry about what the great calamity is."

"A great calamity, indeed a great calamity."

Xuanming smiled and said, "Actually, I heard about the existence of the Great Calamity when I was young... However, the last Great Calamity occurred too long ago. Many people have forgotten that such a disaster even exists. In my opinion, the Great Calamity is a kind of 'cycle' with cause and effect, just like how if too much weeds grow on the ground, they will be burned by fire."

He casually flicked his wrist.

A wisp of primordial fire ignited, and hundreds of feet away, a raging inferno spread from there.

After counting the breaths.

Xuanming flicked his sleeve again, and the great fire was extinguished.

These wild grasses were burned to ashes, leaving only black, withered debris... The most vigorous parts of them were all killed. Although some roots remained, it would take a very long time for them to regrow.

For these wild grasses—

This is the great calamity!

Unpredictable, incalculable, and without any pattern.

But once it happens, there is no escaping it, no way to avoid it.

Xuanming calmly watched the swirling grass clippings and ashes, and said, "Actually... we are no different from wild grass."

(End of this chapter)