Embers of Sword

Chapter 559 Twenty-Four Hours (Part 5)
This palm is like a mountain.

The shadows covered an area of ​​about 100 feet.

In an instant, Master Xuanzhi was as if he were stuck in a quagmire. He did not retreat or dodge.

Master Xuanzhi simply stared at the ever-approaching, enormous shadow...

One hundred zhang, fifty zhang, thirty zhang—

A click.

The jade hairpin that was tied behind her head snapped off with a bang.

The immortal Xuanzhi lived a simple life, farming the land and wearing only linen shirts and bamboo raincoats. This jade hairpin was the only luxury accessory she owned, dating back over a hundred years.

This jade hairpin was the first and only gift he received after joining the Taoist sect.

In those days, countless geniuses of the Taoist school shone brightly.

Master Xuanzhi was of mediocre talent and unremarkable. It was already a stroke of luck that he was able to become a disciple of Chongkan. It took him a whole year to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, which was not a remarkable achievement. However, on the day of his Foundation Establishment, Chongkan personally crafted this jade hairpin for his disciple. It was warm in winter and cool in summer, and inscribed with the two characters "Xuanzhi".

Xuanzhi grass is a common ingredient in Taoist alchemy.

It can be found everywhere, and it is inexhaustible in terms of resources and uses.

At all times, Angelica dahurica is always the cheapest and most affordable medicinal herb.

However, most prescriptions for elixirs require the presence of *Xuanzhi* (a type of orchid).

The most ordinary thing in the world.

That's often the most important thing.

Just as with grass, so it is with people.

On that day, Master Xuanzhi not only received a treasure she cherished, but also a Taoist name that she would benefit from for the rest of her life.

now.

The jade hairpin shattered.

Master Xuanzhi's long hair, which he had grown for sixty years, cascaded down like a waterfall, and his accumulated cultivation over many years poured out with it. His black robe was blown about by the gale, and his powerful energy continued to rise. Even though there was a great formation covering the back mountain of the Daoist sect, countless clouds still gathered and countless plants and trees bent over.

……

……

At the front of the battle on the back mountain.

The aching all over his body rubbed his lower back as he stood up. Before he could even steady himself, he sensed an unusual phenomenon.

The Candle Taoist looked up at the sky and felt somewhat dizzy.

"This is……?"

"Someone is proving their Dao and is about to advance to the Yang God realm!"

The Master of the Myriad Wonders Pavilion condensed rapidly like smoke and clouds, appearing beside the Candle Daoist.

He looked up at the sky, his expression somewhat grim.

Since True Person Xuanzhi stepped into the back mountain, the entire area within a radius of ten miles of the back mountain has been sealed off by a great formation, and even the master of the temple responsible for guarding the mountain path is unable to enter or leave.

"Xuanzhi?!"

The Candle Daoist's voice was hoarse, unable to conceal his shock: "This guy's gone mad... Did he go into the back mountain this time to find Master and fight?"

"..."

Master Yanwei stared at the strange phenomenon for a long time, then asked with some suspicion, "What kind of formation have you and your master been setting up in the back mountain these past few days?"

As the master of Zhongmiaozhai, True Man Yanwei usually only appears in the Tianyuan area.

He had no intention of concerning himself with the rules and regulations of the back mountain.

only……

The fact that Master Xuanzhi climbed the mountain today is highly suspicious.

"I……"

The Candle Daoist had no way to explain his predicament, so he made up an excuse that was half true and half false: "My master needs to help with his cultivation, so I helped my master accumulate energy and borrowed a lot of luck from Qingnang Mountain."

"Is it?"

Master Yanwei narrowed his eyes, vaguely sensing something strange.

"Advancing to the Yang God realm is no small matter."

Daoist Zhu quickly changed the subject: "Master Xuanzhi is truly foolish... If he can advance, Master will naturally make proper preparations for Qingnang Mountain. But what if the mountain's spiritual energy is depleted and he fails to advance?"

"...No need to worry."

Master Yanwei silently gazed at the ceiling.

Those visions came quickly and went quickly.

In less than ten breaths, the dark clouds began to disperse.

"Could it be that they've already failed?"

Having a vague idea of ​​what had happened on the back mountain, the Candle Taoist couldn't help but speak up.

"Do not……"

Master Yanwei shook his head, his voice complex, and said, "Quite the opposite. Master Xuanzhi has already successfully attained enlightenment."

Over the years, he has witnessed many exceptionally talented cultivators advance to the Yang God realm and undergo two major tribulations.

Except for the one led by Emperor Wuzong, all the others ended in failure.

The extraordinary phenomena brought about by the attainment of the Yang God realm will not easily dissipate. If a cultivator fails, the consequences will be extremely dire—

These calamity clouds were thus dispersed.

It wasn't that Master Xuanzhi failed her tribulation—

Rather, it was because Xuanzhi swept away these calamity clouds with overwhelming force!

……

……

The moment the hairpin shattered.

The aura emanating from Master Xuanzhi burst forth like water from a broken dam, instantly surging through the Yin God Realm!

In fact, he no longer belongs to this realm.

The battle of drinking poison ended, and not long after, his Great Dao was formed.

The reason there were no unusual phenomena was that.

It's because there's no "cause and effect"—

In the entire cultivation world, it is almost impossible to find another oddball like "Xuan Zhi". For hundreds of years, she has lived in Qingnang Mountain. Her natal cave heaven and Qingnang Mountain are almost integrated. Following the natural way, Xuan Zhi has never thought of using the "Great Dao" to fight enemies. Therefore, even if the Great Dao is formed, it will be useless.

He never intended to cultivate himself, yet he was cultivating himself at every moment.

By a twist of fate, destiny plays tricks on people...

The only example in thousands of years of the Great Dao being formed without being tainted by cause and effect has thus appeared.

Xuan Zhi had already cultivated to the Yang Shen realm.

But for him... achieving Yang God status wasn't something to be proud of. He was busy every day, fetching water, irrigating the fields, pruning trees, herding cattle, and feeding chickens as soon as he opened his eyes. He also had two foolish disciples who needed care, instruction, and guidance. He had no time to think about Yang God status or Yang God tribulation.

Therefore, Xuanzhi, who had cultivated to the Yang God Realm, did not experience the so-called Yang God Tribulation at all.

Until today.

He used his cultivation to resist the palm strike that Chongkan was about to deliver.

The secrets of heaven are shattered, and calamity clouds gather.

It was shattered in an instant by True Person Xuanzhi—

No.

To be precise, Xuanzhi at this moment can no longer be called a "True Person". In the thousand years since the founding of the Taoist sect, countless people have been exceptionally talented, and hundreds have been awarded the title of True Person. However, those who can be called "Great True Person" are extremely rare. Even in the most prosperous golden age, the number of Great True Persons in the Taoist sect is unlikely to exceed five.

At this moment, Xuanzhi would respectfully address anyone who came as "Great Master".

The Dharma palm, which had stopped with the might of heaven, was bounced back by the immense force.

The Grand Master Chongkan, who sat high above, was no longer calm.

He looked at his former least favored disciple with a surprised expression...

A hundred years of cultivating the land, a hundred years of farming, a single moment of enlightenment, a single moment of reaching the summit.

The robes of the Great Master Xuanzhi fluttered and danced like flowing clouds.

The energy surged upwards layer by layer, showing no sign of stopping.

The first level of the Yang God realm.

Second Heaven.

The third heaven.

He broke through three realms in succession without showing any sign of stopping.

The powerful energy surged to the fourth realm before slowing down slightly, but the overall trend remained as unstoppable as a river...

And so, they broke through six thresholds in a row!
It wasn't until he reached the sixth realm of Yang Shen that this powerful aura gradually subsided.

As the saying goes, "If I hear the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening..."

It turns out that once you attain enlightenment, you can truly reach the summit!

(End of this chapter)