Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 278 Discussing the Spirit Platform, Debating Levels, and Seeking the Great Dao (4000 words)

Zhang Yuanzhu leaped off the flying boat and traversed the sea of ​​stars.

The Xuanwu Nuo mask slowly disappeared, revealing a handsome and resolute face. His double pupils, which had lost their usual coldness and indifference, were now warm and gentle.

"Starting from the ancient Cliff Mountain and ending at the Star Sea, crossing thousands of miles of demonic land, I will see my senior sister again, and I will be well."

The deep sound, accompanied by the stomping of the foot, was filled with a strange charm.

"Senior sister, you fought fiercely at the Three Altars Gathering and battled alone in the center of the Star Sea. Are you alright?"

Snapped!
The young man stopped before the woman in the blue dress; strands of seawater froze, turning into ice crystal cushions.

Then, she sat down cross-legged, facing his beautiful sky-blue eyes.

"It was just a scheme, planned for over a decade. If there were any omissions, then it was my fate to die."

Ye Jinxian was frank and did not hide anything.

She stretched out her jade-like hand and waved it gently, causing it to radiate light.

Precious spiritual fruits and a steaming teapot appeared between the two.

Zhang Yuanzhu flicked his finger, and an ice crystal table appeared, from which fruits and teapots fell one by one.

"Senior sister, why do you want to leave Immortal Soldier Valley?"

It wasn't that he was particularly loyal to the sect, but rather that he was suspicious of Ye Zhenchuan's actions. Given Ye Zhenchuan's status, strength, and talent, he could acquire anything that Immortal Weapon Valley possessed, unless...
"Unorthodox methods will never lead to the true path!"

In the Beast Taming Secret Realm, the sigh of the Dragon Taming True Lord once again came from the woman before him.

Ye Jinxian picked up the teapot, poured two cups of tea, and pushed one cup in front of the young man.

What is the true Dharma?

"The true path is one where there is no dead end in cultivation. The demonic path possesses this true path, the righteous path possesses it, and even the Boundless Palace is about to emerge from it. Only the Immortal Soldier Valley cannot see the way forward."

The woman sighed softly, picked up her teacup, and took a sip.

Unlike normal sects, the way Immortal Soldier Valley exists makes it impossible for them to work together to explore the Great Dao and forge a new path.

At this moment, Zhang Yuanzhu had a sudden realization, and he stretched out his hand to rub the teacup.

"Is the path beyond the Golden Core stage already blocked?"

Ye Jinxian chuckled and finished the tea in her cup.

"The peak of the Qi Condensation stage is the end of the Dao lineage. The so-called Golden Core inheritance of the seven Dao lineages are all breakthroughs achieved through chance and are almost impossible to replicate."

"Such a method, such an opportunity, even for the Dao lineage, might only have a slim chance once every few hundred years."

In just two short sentences, Zhang Yuanzhu heard the words "possibly" and "almost" used multiple times, indicating the slim chances.

"Is that so?"

The young man whispered, picked up his teacup, and slowly sipped his tea.

He didn't have much emotional fluctuation. The Golden Core realm was too far away, and the Scorching Sun Dharma Lineage didn't have a way to break through to the Golden Core realm.

As for the inheritance of the Dao lineage, he never believed that the other party had allowed him to look through it.

As for how to reach the Golden Core stage in the future?

Once you reach the realm of condensing evil, the method will naturally come to you.

Ye Jinxian observed the young man's expression, and looking at his unchanging face, a hint of admiration appeared in her eyes.

He put down his teacup and continued speaking:
"Leaving enough rewards for the sect, as well as enough talented individuals to support its survival, and finally faking my death to escape—this is the path I have chosen."

"Enter the Puppet Sect, ascend the Sacred Peak, climb the Great Dao, and never regret it even if it means dying nine times!"

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent, respecting the other party's choice and offering his heartfelt blessings.

"May your wish come true, Senior Sister!"

After finishing his tea, the young man put down the cup, picked up the spiritual fruit on the table, examined it carefully, and slowly spoke:
"Fairy Ye, is it your request that I stay in Immortal Weapon Valley to ensure the continuation of our lineage?"

The words were spoken softly, but with earnestness.

Ye Jinxian could naturally tell, her sky-blue eyes narrowed slightly, and her jet-black hair danced in the wind.

The atmosphere between the two suddenly became heavy.

After a long, long time, the woman finally spoke:
"Yes!"

"Immortal Valley is a dead end game; I can't make a move. You finish the game for me."

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded and agreed.

The woman continued speaking without pausing.

“If things cannot be changed, it doesn’t matter whether they are declining or not, as long as the ‘tradition’ still exists, that’s enough.”

"I see."

Young people's whispers.

Without saying it aloud, the two reached a tacit understanding through their few words of conversation.

Click!

Zhang Yuanzhu took a bite of the spiritual fruit, savoring the sweetness in his mouth.

He did not make things too difficult for Ye Zhenchuan's request. Regardless of whether he had heard the sect's secrets before or after, he had no intention of betraying the orthodox tradition.

Now it's just that they've added a Valley of Immortal Soldiers.

After a few bites, a spiritual fruit had been swallowed.

Zhang Yuanzhu then began to ask about his doubts regarding cultivation:

"Fairy, you should be able to see my current cultivation level. I want to know what lies above the Upper Grade Spirit Platform?"

Ye Jinxian lowered her eyes, gazing at the young man, her red lips slightly parted:
"With the Qi Refining Stage 12 and the condensation of 12 magical runes, I can naturally see that Junior Brother should indeed start preparing for Foundation Establishment."

She paused, then reached out to pour herself another cup of spiritual tea, before continuing:
"The highest-grade spiritual platform is already the most advanced and the most solid in the conventional sense, but over the long years, there have always been a few cases that have exceeded the norm and broken common sense."

"Within the various ancient and long-standing Daoist traditions, those that surpass the superior-grade spiritual platform and exceed the limit are called the supreme-grade spiritual platform."

"Like the Painted Skin Peak, which peels the skin off various geniuses, constantly devouring and refining them in order to transcend to a superior spiritual platform; like the Paper Doll Peak, which folds similar paper thousands of times, even folding the paper itself; or rather..."

Ye Jinxian gave the young man a deep look:
"The Six Desires Peak's techniques of separating the essence and spirit are both attempts to transcend the superior spiritual platform."

"Unfortunately, throughout history, how many people have succeeded? The rest have all failed, and in the end, even those who forged a superior spiritual platform have perished."

Zhang Yuanzhu listened to the woman's explanation, then stretched out his hand, picked up another spiritual fruit, and swallowed it.

He pondered the various methods of transcendence employed by the Puppet Sect.

After a moment, the young man placed his arms flat on his knees, his expression solemn.

"In essence, all kinds of transcendent superior spiritual platform secret techniques are about strengthening one's own spiritual platform in various ways."

Ye Jinxian nodded slightly, her sky-blue eyes shining with divine light as she looked at the young man's abdomen.

Zhang Yuanzhu did not stop her and allowed the woman to observe.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Zhenchuan finally withdrew her gaze, reached out her jade hand, and pointed in the air.

The four divine beast phantoms—Black Tortoise, Red Dragon, White Tiger, and Qilin—hovered in front of the two.

"The secret techniques of Nuo Mask Witchcraft placed at Daofeng are rather ordinary and far from outstanding."

“Junior brother has cultivated to such a level that even the Foundation Establishment senior who created this method would feel inferior to him.”

Zhang Yuanzhu shook his head, gazing at the four illusory divine beasts.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of. He was the pioneer, and I was the one who expanded the path. There is no distinction between us, no matter how high or low we are."

"When Senior Sister recounted this secret technique, was she thinking of the path to transcending the upper-grade Spirit Platform?"

With a light tap of her fingertips, the phantom images of four divine beasts began to rotate.

"It's just one idea, junior brother, you might want to give it a try."

She touched it again with her delicate hand.

"earth!"

A pale yellow glow emanated, covering the Qilin.

"water!"

Strands of water emerged from the body of the Xuanwu beast.

"fire!"

The crimson dragon roared, and a burst of flames rose up.

"gold!"

The white tiger radiated golden light, dazzling and blinding.

"Wood!"

A phantom appeared, shrouded in a hazy blue light, indistinct in appearance.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes flickered as he gazed at the five swirling beast shadows, their five-colored radiance rotating endlessly.

He murmured to himself:
"Water Black Tortoise, Earth Qilin, Metal White Tiger, Fire Red Dragon"

His double pupils shifted, looking at the blurry blue phantom. "Add to that the wood-attribute Nuo mask, and the five elements rotate according to a specific trajectory, which can indeed strengthen the spiritual platform."

"It's just one method; you'll have to figure out the specifics of how to do it yourself."

Ye Jinxian whispered.

The phantom images of divine beasts in front of him dissipated one by one as he finished speaking.

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded, already having the answer in his heart.

Nuo masks and formations, the combination of the two is indeed suitable for him, and we can try it. Of course, we are also preparing other ways to transcend.

Thoughts in the mind of a young man.

At the same time, they began to inquire about the precautions to take when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, as well as the cultivation practices of the Foundation Establishment realm.

Ye Jinxian shared her experience without reservation.

The two of them stayed together from dawn till dusk, and from dusk till dawn, for four whole days.

Afterwards, the two ended their conversation about spiritual practice.

Ye Jinxian reached out her jade hand, and two jade slips and a jade bottle floated above them, emitting a faint glow.

Under the young man's questioning gaze, she whispered:

"A jade slip records the temperament and appearance of wood-attribute divine beasts and strange beasts, from which you can choose when casting your Nuo mask."

"The remaining jade slip has a path inscribed on it, which can lead back to Ancient Cliff Mountain from the Demon Land."

"The jade bottle contained the blood of a wood-attribute beast, which is not considered precious."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanzhu reached out and took the three items.

The contents recorded on the two jade slips and the jade bottle did indeed solve his immediate problem.

He put the jade slip and jade bottle into his storage bag, slowly stood up, casually placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and scanned his surroundings.

"Senior sister, I won't bother you any longer."

"I'm leaving!"

The young man, with his gentle, double-eyed gaze, spoke words of parting.

I have benefited greatly from our conversations over the past few days, but it is not appropriate to trouble my senior sister any further, as she has already joined the Puppet Sect's Holy Peak and is no longer a disciple of the Yi Xing Dao lineage.

Ye Jinxian stood up, her sky-blue eyes more vast and profound than the starry sea, her dress fluttering in the wind, her temperament ethereal and otherworldly.

She parted her red lips and whispered her instructions:
“Junior brother, you must be very tired after twelve years of traveling since we met in Jiangshui City. You can rest.”

His tone was gentle, and his voice gradually became ethereal.

"The path to immortality is long, but if we ascend to the Great Dao, we will meet again."

Zhang Yuanzhu remained silent, his double pupils calm, and did not answer the woman.

He turned around, stepping forward across the sea of ​​stars, his black robes fluttering and his black hair flying.

He raised his hand and waved it casually.

The figure moved forward, becoming increasingly blurry until it disappeared completely.

Only Ye Jinxian remained, standing amidst the sea of ​​stars, quietly gazing in the direction she had returned to.

"Through countless miles of demonic lands, years of fighting, and countless bloody battles, I have come all this way just to confirm the news or to collect your 'corpse.' Even a demon like me must feel moved."

A hoarse voice echoed in the space.

A figure shrouded in mist appeared beside Ye Jinxian, gazing in the direction the young man had departed.

"But you, disciple, were not moved in the slightest and did not try to persuade me to stay. Your heart is so firm. You are truly worthy of being a disciple of the Holy Peak."

"He is of a fierce temperament and cannot tolerate the slightest impurity, so he is not suitable for the demonic path."

Ye Jinxian's hands hung naturally at her sides, her eyes half-closed.

"is it?"

The blurry figure whispered, its eyes flickering.

"Such talent and genius, it's such a pity he's gone. Why don't I become his Daoist partner and ascend to sainthood together?"

"We should go!"

The woman's voice interrupted the old man.

Her figure gradually blurred and was about to disappear.

"Haha~"

“My disciple, your injuries have healed so punctually.”

Amidst the laughter, the two figures vanished completely, disappearing into the sea of ​​stars.

The starry sea is vast.

Zhang Yuanzhu walked alone, feeling more exhausted than ever before.

He was really tired!
very tired!!
Since embarking on the path of cultivation, I have been constantly fighting, cultivating, and experiencing, without ever stopping for a moment.

He was, after all, a human, not an immortal or a god.

"This matter is settled, go get some sleep."

Zhang Yuanzhu muttered to himself, his body no longer moving, his sleeves fluttering down, and Huang Yuzhou appeared.

He boarded the jade boat, placed a few spirit stones in the bow groove, adjusted the direction, and then ignored it.

He covered himself with his robe and slept with his arm as a pillow.

Completely relaxed in mind and body, without any thoughts or desires, I quickly drifted off to sleep.

The jade boat glided across the sky, speeding northward at a constant pace.

It was the same for one day, two days, and three days.

It wasn't until late on the fourth night that Zhang Yuanzhu woke up from his dream and lay on the jade boat, quietly gazing at the bright moon in the sky.

The silvery light fell upon me, soft and warm.

The young man, with a languid air, took out a jade slip containing information about wood-attribute divine beasts from his robes and slowly began to read it.

Azure Dragon, Nine-Colored Deer, Willow Wood Demon—each a powerful divine beast of the wood element, came to mind, some gentle, some noble, some tyrannical.

Zhang Yuanzhu analyzed the pros and cons and selected the most suitable Nuo mask image.

After reading the jade slip several times, he made up his mind about his choice.

"The Azure Phoenix is ​​a bird that blooms when it sings, and its feathers can cure all poisons."

He sat up and sensed the azure divine bird on the jade slip.

The divine bird has a light and slender body, an elegant posture like a crane, a crest like a blue flame, beast-like eyes like a deep pool of jade, and tail feathers like flowing ribbons.

Elegant yet full of life.

The image of the casting is already determined, and he also possesses the materials for casting.

With a flick of his wrist, half a wooden stake appeared between his fingers.

The wooden stake is crystal clear, with a bluish-green color throughout, and contains a strong sense of vitality.

The Crimson Spirit Wood was a spoil of war he obtained after slaughtering a demon city and killing the Puppet Sect's protector.

Now, it's perfect for casting Nuo masks.

Bang!

The Dragon-Binding Blade was drawn, its blade flashing and wood chips flying.

Feathers, crown, eyes, and the blue phoenix mask are rapidly taking shape.

After an incense stick's time, the final cut was made, and the mask was completely formed.

Bang!

He sheathed the long sword and gently swung his free hand.

A jade bottle, a white jade bowl, and a high-grade spirit stone floated in front of me.

With a flick of the fingertip, the jade bottle opened.

Hoo~ho~
The roars of beasts came from the bottle.

A phantom of a strange beast with a tiger's head, a lion's body, and long blue wings appeared at the mouth of the bottle, roaring incessantly, filled with resentment and unwillingness.

Zhang Yuanzhu carefully sensed it and nodded in satisfaction.

With a flick of his finger, the phantom of the strange beast exploded and merged into the beast's blood.

Immediately, the bottle was turned upside down, and the beast's blood was poured into the white jade bowl.

The top-grade spirit stone also turned into powder at this moment and fell into the white jade bowl.

Extend your palm, dip your fingertips into the crimson liquid, and gently stir. The crimson liquid then blends seamlessly with the powder.

With the spiritual ink ready, the young man no longer hesitated and began to inscribe patterns on the mask.

(End of this chapter)