Please call me Dadaozu

Chapter 480 Zhang Yuanzhu: Yin and Yang as the Foundation, the Furnace Nourishes a Hundred Scriptures? (4000)

At this moment, the Great Dao manifested itself, and all living beings shrouded in the extraordinary phenomenon received immense benefits.

His magical power increased, his hidden injuries were eliminated, and even his physical constitution improved slightly.

Zhang Yuanzhu, who was closest to the corpse being refined, frowned as he stared at the still-floating, blurry figure.

The Great Dao swirls, the laws converge, like immortals and gods, yet it remains unchanged.

'The River of Corpses?'

Zhang Yuanzhu gently grasped the long, white ruler with his five fingers and whispered.

The laws that Zhang Shiyi comprehended were the Corpse Path, and the Great Dao River triggered by the Dharma Fruit was naturally the Corpse Path River.

At this moment, there was not a sound.

The corpse-refining figure sat cross-legged in the sky, its face, covered in dragon scales, cracked and fissured. Even the magic fruit atop its head was becoming increasingly illusory with the passage of time.

It looked down at the crimson figure, which it revered like a god, its cold dragon eyes filled with bitterness.

It had already mobilized the Dharma Fruit, attempting to draw upon the Great Dao River, but failed.

"I'm sorry, Dao Master, I've disappointed you."

The corpse muttered to itself.

Without even taking the final, most important step, it came to an end. How much experience could it possibly provide for the Dao Lord?

As I pondered these thoughts, my vital energy began to weaken.

Its pursuit of enlightenment and gold has come to an end!

Suddenly, an indifferent voice resounded from within my heart.

"Since there's no chance of success, let me give it a try. Don't resist."

Before he could think any further, an indescribable will descended upon his body, seizing all control over the corpse-refining process.

This was originally a zombie personally crafted by Zhang Yuanzhu, who oversaw every step of its transformation from weak to powerful.

At this moment, with the will descending, controlling zombies is the simplest of things.

Zhang Shiyi not only did not resist, but also detached himself from the body on his own, handing everything over.

In that instant, the corpse refiner at the peak of the Condensation Realm was completely under Zhang Yuanzhu's control.

He introspectively examined the corpse and comprehended the Dharma Fruit, gaining even more insights in the blink of an eye.

Call ~
"What a terrible body!"

The young man sighed, his body riddled with holes, his dantian shattered, his Dharma fruit illusory and dim, and he had no chance left.

Fortunately
It can still struggle, and burst forth with a few breathtaking moments!
A pair of azure dragon claws emerged, forming an ancient hand seal.

Wow~Wow~
The sound of blood flowing echoed between heaven and earth.

At this moment, his body was covered in the precious blood of a true dragon, surging and boiling, emitting bursts of 'dragon roars'.

Strands of azure dragon blood, mixed with dazzling lightning, flowed from cracks in his body, rising into the sky and covering the Dharma Fruit.

At the same time, one after another, the azure bones tore apart, shattered, and floated upwards.

Its scales and horns shattered and detached from its body, drifting into the sky.

Squeeze everything! Give everything!

A resolute determination to fight to the death!
hum~
The fruit trembled slightly, adding a touch of reality and brightness to its illusory and dim state.

Furthermore, as layers of dragon blood, dragon bones, dragon horns, and dragon scales from the same origin are added, it becomes even more realistic and dazzling.

Then the fruit slowly rose and left the forehead.

Four inches!

Five inches!!
Six inches!!!

The upward movement ceased only when the fruit was six inches from the forehead.

Heaven and earth fell silent at this moment.

The next instant…

Boom~Boom~
A mysterious sound of waves arose, and a crystal-clear, ethereal river appeared in the sky, surging and rushing forward.

Every drop of water, every wave, gathers the mysteries and principles of the Corpse Path, intertwining endless Dao and reason.

The pale yellow Dharma Fruit, as if drawn by some inexplicable force, vanished into the River of Corpses a moment later.

brush~
At this moment, the Seven Treasures Tree deep within Zhang Yuanzhu's mind swayed gently, and four-colored divine light burst forth.

His will seemed to have ascended to another dimension.

Time has become meaningless here.

Wind, fire, earth, fate, destruction, time—these great principles flow like a vast river, with vague beings dwelling in the lower, middle, and upper reaches of this long river.

This is the complete river of the Three Thousand Great Daos.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he seemed to realize something. With the help of some unknown power, he tried his best to find the Great River of Yin and Yang.

Whether in an instant or eternity, before anything is found, the will falls into the long river of corpses.

He 'saw' a pale yellow Dharma fruit, riddled with cracks, crumbling layer by layer as the river washed away.

bang~
The Dharma fruit fell, and the long river of corpses disappeared.

He returned to himself and looked up at the sky.

The corpse that sat atop the heavens struggled to lower its head and look at the crimson shadow.

Their gazes met in mid-air.

The corpse opened its mouth, but it no longer had the strength to speak.

"I will build a tomb for you, and the Zhuoyang Dao lineage will worship you from this day forward, without end!"

Zhang Yuanzhu placed his palm on the long ruler and slowly began to speak.

A smile appeared on the face of the corpse being refined, and its body scattered like sand, completely perishing.

In the vast expanse of heaven and earth, only a figure in crimson stood with a ruler in hand, gazing at the dust that drifted everywhere.

He raised his arm and spread his five fingers.

A thought came to my mind.

The scattered ashes gathered in my palm.

At the same moment, a coffin shrouded in blood mist fell to the ground.

With a wave of his hand, the ashes from the corpse's remains fell into the coffin.

Then, Zhang Yuanzhu took a step forward and went to the center of the cemetery behind the mountain, where he buried the coffin in the most conspicuous place.

A stone tablet flew out of the storage bag and stood in front of the grave.

Zhang Yuanzhu reached out and gently stroked the stone tablet.

Stone dust flew everywhere, and lines of writing appeared.

'Zhang Shiyi, of the Zhuoyang Dao lineage of Immortal Soldier Valley, perished in his quest for gold and his attempt to attain enlightenment!'

'Zhang Yuanzhu erected this monument here!'

He gazed at the tomb, the array patterns beneath his feet swirling and transforming into arrays that spread around the tomb.

In an instant, a light mist appeared, obscuring the tombs and enveloping the cemetery, bringing a sense of tranquility and sorrow.

Standing amidst the clouds, Zhang Yuanzhu's double pupils were as deep and unfathomable as he recalled every detail of his breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.

The Refining Corpse Fruit, once inside the River of Corpses, shattered and fell to the ground before it could even sustain a single breath.

He underestimated the erosion of the Great Dao River and needed to find more ways to increase the chances of a breakthrough.

The most precious treasures of heaven and earth, or the essence of scriptures and the Dao, as well as many other insights into the Dao.

This was the conclusion he reached after failing to break through in his experience of refining corpses.

However, even if one successfully resists the erosion of the Great Dao River and advances to the Golden Core stage by protecting the Dharma Fruit with the supreme treasures of heaven and earth, future cultivation will be fraught with difficulties.

This is something he is unwilling to accept.

As for gaining a deeper understanding of the Yin-Yang principles, and then comprehending the Dao of Yin and Yang to resist the erosion of the Great Dao, that is a righteous path that is worth trying.

As for the fundamental practice method
Zhang Yuanzhu slightly bent his knuckles and lightly tapped the measuring ruler, producing a sound like gold and jade intertwining.

Ever since he learned in the Blood Sea Dao Vein that his fundamental cultivation method had changed several times, preventing him from condensing Dao essence during breakthroughs, he had been pondering a solution. The ability to freely switch between four different cultivation methods of varying attributes and levels was extremely rare, almost unheard of.

If this had happened to an ordinary cultivator, their foundation would have been completely destroyed, their body would have shattered, and they would have died in that corner. They would never have been able to reach the Condensation Realm.

However, this seemingly impossible task was accomplished because the Seven Treasures Technique was applied to him, which also nearly blocked his path to breaking through to the Golden Core stage by relying on the protection of Daoist principles.

And
'What will I do if I don't have the Seven Treasures Tree to transform my foundation in the future?'

"Close your eyes and await death; the road ahead is severed!"

Zhang Yuanzhu frowned slightly, muttering to himself.

This is no longer just about breaking through to the Golden Core stage; it concerns one's future path in cultivation, and a feasible solution needs to be found.

clang clang ~
The clinking of metal and jade continued, and the young man's heart gradually calmed down, as the various thoughts in his mind slowly came to a head.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Yuanzhu turned around, strode out, and left the cemetery.

Only a barely perceptible whisper drifted past Zhang Shiyi's grave.

"Yin and Yang are the foundation, and the furnace nourishes all the classics!"

At the entrance to Immortal Soldier Valley, two figures stood side by side, their gazes shifting from the surroundings to the direction of the Scorching Sun Dao Vein, filled with regret.

Failed!
A peak-level True Person of the Condensation Realm has fallen just like that.

This is the path to enlightenment and the pursuit of wealth. No matter how outstanding your talent, if you fail, you die; there are no other options.

This is also why many accomplished cultivators, after reaching the pinnacle of Qi Condensation, would rather stop cultivating than attempt to break through.

Or they might wait until their lifespan is nearing its end before making a desperate attempt.

At the same time, the other five major Dao lineages also realized that the unknown True Person of the Zhuoyang Dao lineage had failed to break through.

They were conflicted and at a loss.

With Zhang Yuanzhu's return, the once turbulent sects fell into an eerie silence.

Unlike the tranquility of the Scorching Sun Main Vein and the Immortal Soldier Valley, undercurrents were surging in the outside world.

It has been a long time since a peak-level Nascent Soul cultivator broke through to the Golden Core stage and reached the final step.

And the commotion was so great that it was quickly learned by the Golden Light Sect and the Boundless Palace of Guya Mountain, who were doing their best to find out the specific situation.

If that unknown True Monarch succeeds in breaking through, the entire situation of Ancient Cliff Mountain will change.

Despite the outside world's commotion, Zhang Yuanzhu remained undisturbed.

He refused all visits from living beings and turned the main vein of the Scorching Sun into a forbidden area, where no one could stay.

Zhang Yuanzhu sat cross-legged, his body radiating black and white light. Within this light flowed countless runes, interwoven with endless Dao and principles.

The black and white light constantly shifted, transforming into an ancient furnace resembling the Eight Trigrams.

At the same time, the four scriptures on cultivation, namely "The Five Treasures' Ice-Inducing Transformation of Primordial Qi," "The Record of Blazing Sun True Fire," "The Record of Purple Lightning and Green Frost," and "The Sutra of the Rotation of Dry Wood," flowed through my mind.

Within his dantian, the nine-tiered azure platform shifted constantly, sometimes turning purple-gold, sometimes ice-blue, and sometimes crimson-gold, with lightning, ice, snow, and flames appearing and disappearing one by one.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained expressionless, raising his palm to form a hand seal.

It seemed like a prayer, or perhaps a pilgrimage, imbued with a mysterious aura.

Boom~
The black and white ancient furnace trembled, and the laws of yin and yang surged, burning like a raging flame.

At this moment, the various meanings of the four cultivation methods, including all the cultivation methods and scriptures that I have studied, became clearer than ever before, merging with the principles of Yin and Yang.

All of a sudden.
bang~
A splash of blood rose from his body and then fell down.

Zhang Yuanzhu remained expressionless, his hand seals unchanged. Deep within his mind, his [characteristics] of tranquility, forgetfulness, purity, and wisdom surged forth as he continuously summarized, generalized, and even experimented.

bang bang bang~
Wounds appeared, blood splattered, and then healed.

He is undergoing a dramatic transformation, wanting to use Yin and Yang as a furnace to nourish the myriad scriptures and transform them into his own body.

At this moment, the furnace fire was burning, and thunder, frost, crimson flames, and withered wood were faintly visible in the black and white furnace.

Time passed, and I don't know how much time has gone by.

The yin-yang ancient furnace dissipated, revealing a crimson shadow covered in cracks.

Zhang Yuanzhu's double pupils emitted a blue light, and a rich vitality permeated his body, repairing his injuries.

He savored the insights he had just gained, a smile playing on his lips.

"This is a viable path."

That's enough. As for how long it will take to get through, what does that matter?

In the midst of his thoughts, his injuries healed.

He took out the dragon and phoenix yin-yang jade from his bosom, placed it between his eyebrows, and began to comprehend the laws.

A scarlet battle flag emerged from behind, emitting wisps of blue mist that enhanced magical power.

From then on, he would nurture himself with the scriptures during the day and study the laws and increase his magical power at night.

He devoted himself to spiritual practice without ever slacking off, unaware of the passage of time.

Forty-five days later.

Inside the cave dwelling of the Zhuoyang main vein, Zhang Yuanzhu opened his closed eyes, revealing eyes more radiant than the starry sky.

He lightly patted his storage bag, and a jade slip floated out, flickering erratically.

A series of messages were transmitted.

A smile appeared on Zhang Yuanzhu's face as he whispered:

"The Changhong One Qi Sword has been successfully reforged. It's time to head to the Weapon Refining Vein and retrieve the sword."

The reforging of the famous sword was faster than he had anticipated.

Moreover, he made great progress in his cultivation during this month and a half of seclusion.

With each advancement in cultivation, the four cultivation methods also converge towards the Yin-Yang principle, showing a tendency to merge and become one.

Lost in thought, Zhang Yuanzhu stood up and patted his red robe.

"Now that we have the sword, it's time to leave the sect!"

More than half a year has passed since I returned to Guyashan. All arrangements have been made for the Taoist tradition, friends, and the Ming Dynasty.

It's time to settle the score for my own karma.

The Thousand Tribulations Temple owes him a portion of lightning-attribute evil energy; the Jade Sun Temple, in conjunction with the Du family, pursues him across millions of miles of mountains and rivers.
He naturally had to go to the temple in person to discuss these matters and explain the 'reasoning' behind them.

Zhang Yuanzhu's eyes were cold as he strode forward, pushed open the stone door, and walked out.

With a light stomp of the foot, it transformed into a streak of blue light and soared across the sky.

Lava, sacred mountains, vegetation, birds and beasts—all passed beneath him, yet the young man's gaze remained unmoved.

In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had already arrived before the Divine Mountain of Weapon Refining.

The sacred mountain is majestic and ancient, with refining cauldrons, larger than ordinary mountains, scattered throughout the sacred mountain like chess pieces.

The sounds of metal clashing, flames burning, and chanting emanated from all parts of the sacred mountain, continuing unabated.

While Zhang Yuanzhu was observing the Refining Weapon Dao Meridian.

Beneath the sacred mountain, a valiant young man appeared, sword in hand, white hair flowing down his shoulders, his eyes filled with vicissitudes, gazing at the crimson shadow.

This is a True Person at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage, who has also represented the Refining Weapon Dao Lineage to protect him on many occasions.

Zhang Yuanzhu paused slightly and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Fellow Daoist, it's been a long time."

"It has been several years since we last met. Fellow Daoist Zhang has already achieved the Condensation of Qi and is now at the same level as this old man."

The young man's grey robes fluttered in the wind, his face was gentle, and he parted his body to reveal the path ahead.
"Our ancestor is forging artifacts on the mountaintop and cannot leave, so I have to come and invite Fellow Daoist Zhang up the mountain."

"it is good."

Zhang Yuanzhu nodded, strode forward, passed the gray-robed youth, and climbed the mountain.

His crimson robes fluttered like flames as he disappeared above the sacred mountain.

The gray-robed youth from the Refining Weapon Dao lineage gazed at the direction where the crimson shadow had disappeared, his heart filled with countless emotions.

Who could have imagined that a former beggar could end up in this situation?

He made the right choice and did not invite powerful enemies for the sake of the orthodox tradition.

(End of this chapter)