Start from a baby to become a Taoist

Chapter 553 A Narrow Escape

Chapter 561

He also saw humanoid beings. Some controlled flames, some wielded thunder, some had immortal bodies, and some had indestructible souls... They were all outstanding figures of their respective eras, and all had roared, "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens!"

But now, they have all become silent imprints, sealed on both sides of this road leading to the end, becoming... tombstones to warn those who come after.

These are all failed "rebels"!
Xu Ran's mind was shaken like never before.

For the first time, he felt the cruelty of this path so directly. Behind every mark was a story of extraordinary talent, a poignant tale of struggle, but the final outcome was always the same.

"Afraid?"

The tomb keeper, walking ahead, asked without turning his head.

“No.” Xu Ran shook his head, his gaze becoming even more resolute. “I’m just grateful, grateful to see their existence. To be forgotten is true death. As long as there are still people who remember them, they haven’t completely failed.”

“Well said!” The gravedigger’s hunched back seemed to straighten a bit. “Remember what you said today. And remember what they looked like. This road is lonely, but you… are not alone.”

After walking for an unknown amount of time, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead.

They stepped off the stairs and entered a space that defied description.

There is no sky, no earth here.

Beneath my feet lay a vast, gray-white plain, seemingly paved with ashes.

Above them was a chaotic void, devoid of stars, sun, and moon, with only enormous, cracked lines of law, like wounds in the heavens, slowly writhing.

In the center of the plain stood something.

That was a... "mountain" made up of countless corpses!
These corpses were of various shapes and sizes. There were humanoid gods clad in tattered armor, demons with wings sprouting from their ribs, ancient beasts as large as stars, and even strange life forms composed of pure energy and laws...

Without exception, they had all lost the breath of life, but their corpses, having endured countless ages, remained immortal, still radiating a chilling Daoist aura.

These corpses were not the "brands" that Xu Ran had seen on both sides of the stairs, but... real bodies!
“They…” Xu Ran’s pupils contracted.

“They are beings more ancient than the ‘Wilderness,’ more ancient than those defeated ones you have seen,” the tomb keeper said solemnly. “After they were defeated alongside the first swordsman, the principles of Heaven stripped them of their Dao and soul, leaving them only with immortal bodies. They were suppressed here as spoils of war, to serve as a warning to all beings throughout the ages.”

"Their principles and souls were extinguished by the laws of nature, turning into nourishment for this world. But their 'unwillingness' and 'rebellious thoughts' have seeped into this body and into this land, and cannot be completely eradicated."

The gravedigger stretched out his cane and pointed to the mountain of corpses.

“Young man, do you see that? That’s where you will forge your ‘anchor of existence’.”

"This 'mountain of ten thousand corpses' is your... 'furnace'!"

Xu Ran looked in the direction he pointed, and his mind was shaken once again.

He saw that on that mountain of corpses, at intervals, there was a strange plant growing.

The plant was entirely blood red, shaped like a blooming lotus flower, but its petals were covered with strange Daoist patterns, exuding an aura of ominousness and destruction.

“This is… ‘Rebellious Blood Lotus’,” the tomb keeper explained. “It takes the ‘rebellious thoughts’ remaining in the corpses of these gods and demons as its root and the original power in their immortal bodies as its nourishment. It has taken countless epochs to bear fruit.”

"Each blood lotus contains a fragment of the Dao principles of an ancient rebel, as well as their purest obsession. What you need to do is climb that mountain of corpses, to pick it, to devour it, and to merge with it!"

"Use their 'unwillingness' to ignite your 'Dao Fire'! Use their 'remnants of the Dao' to fill your 'foundation'! Ultimately, upon the corpses of countless losers, condense a single point... uniquely yours, immortal and eternal... 'True Seed of Defying Principle'!"

"This true seed will be your 'anchor'!"

The tomb keeper's voice, like a morning bell and evening drum, resounded loudly in Xu Ran's mind.

Using the corpses of countless ancient rebels as a furnace and their resentment as fuel, he forged his own foundation of Dao!

What a feat! How insane!
This is no longer cultivation; this is blasphemy against gods and demons! It is making an enemy of all paths!
“Senior, this mountain of corpses…” Xu Ran keenly sensed that things were definitely not that simple.

"Hehe, you felt it?" The tomb keeper chuckled. "That's right, this mountain of corpses has been cursed by the most vicious curse of Heaven—'Tao Transformation'."

“All living beings that approach it will be corrupted by the chaotic and countless remnants of the Dao within. Your Dao will be assimilated, torn apart, and covered by their Dao. In the end, you will lose yourself and become a ‘Dao Corpse’ that only knows how to kill and destroy, becoming a new… part of this mountain of corpses.”

"To reach the summit, you cannot use magic to resist, nor can you use your soul to isolate yourself. There is only one thing you can rely on."

The tomb keeper gave Xu Ran a deep look.

"That is the mark between your brows, the 'Rebellion' brand bestowed upon you by the Blade of Godslayers!"

"Use its will to govern those countless chaotic remnants of the path! Use its ideals to persuade those countless unwilling obsessions! Tell them that you will inherit their will and walk the path... the path they did not finish!"

"This is a trial, and also... a high-stakes gamble! If you win, you'll have boundless possibilities, truly possessing the right to challenge the laws of nature. If you lose..."

The gravedigger didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

If you lose, you will be doomed forever, not even qualified to become a "Dao Corpse". You will be torn into the most primitive fragments by the chaotic torrent of Dao principles.

"My lord, you mustn't!" Zhenshan, who was listening nearby, was terrified and hurriedly tried to dissuade him. "This is too dangerous! It's practically a matter of life and death!"

Cangshi echoed, "Yes, my lord! We have only just recovered, why rush things? Let's plan carefully; there must be another way!"

They were genuinely terrified. Just looking at that mountain of corpses from afar gave them the illusion that their souls were about to be torn apart. Sending Xu Ran up alone—what difference was there between that and sending him to his death?
Xu Ran ignored them. He simply stared at the mountain of corpses, his eyes showing no fear or hesitation, only a blazing flame.

"We cultivators are born to defy the heavens, to contend with the heavens, with the earth, with others, and with ourselves! If we dare not even take this small risk, how can we talk about shattering the heavens?"

He spoke slowly, his voice calm, yet it contained an unwavering determination.

"Thank you for your guidance, senior." Xu Ran bowed deeply to the tomb keeper once again.

This bow is both a way of thanking him for his guidance and a way of saying goodbye.

Because he knew that from the moment he stepped onto the mountain of corpses, the Xu Ran who cultivated the "Great Dao of Reincarnation" in the past was already dead.

The one who survives will be a completely new being, named "Reversal"...
Having said that, he no longer hesitated and strode towards the mountain of corpses, a mountain of ten thousand paths piled up from the remains of gods and demons, exuding endless ominousness and deathly silence. Step by step, he walked resolutely towards it.

"Ugh……"

The gravedigger watched his resolute back and let out a complex sigh.

In that sigh, there was relief, anticipation, and also a hint of... barely perceptible worry.

“Old man, aren’t you afraid of creating another ‘Wilderness’ by doing this? Or even… a monster more terrifying than ‘Wilderness’?” A sudden voice rang out beside the gravedigger.

Zhenshan and Cangshi turned around in shock, only to find that there was no one beside them!
The gravedigger, however, seemed used to it all along, and said without turning his head, "You haven't left yet?"

"They left, and now they're back." The voice carried a hint of amusement. "They originally wanted to see who had calmed the tide of evil energy, but instead, they witnessed such a good show. Tsk tsk, the successor of the God-Slaying Blade, the trial of the Myriad Corpse Mountain... If this gets out, the entire Boundary Sea will probably go crazy."

"If you dare to spread this word, I'll make sure you stay here forever, keeping these corpses company." For the first time, the gravedigger's voice carried a chilling murderous intent.

"No, no, no, I was just joking," the voice quickly said. "I'm just curious, why are you so confident in him? You know, when 'Huang' came back then, you gave him three protective treasures. You didn't give this kid anything."

“He doesn’t need it.” The tomb keeper shook his head. “The Dao of ‘Wilderness’ is ‘War,’ it’s the way of tyranny, it’s about using force to break all laws. So he needs external aids. But this kid’s Dao is the foundation of ‘Reincarnation,’ which is the essence of ‘Reversal.’ His Dao is more about ‘Reason,’ it’s about fundamentally overturning things. External aids are actually a constraint for him.”

“Most importantly…” A deep, unfathomable light flashed in the gravedigger’s cloudy eyes.

“I saw in him a possibility that even ‘Wilderness’ and even the original master never had.”

"Oh? What possibility?" The mysterious voice also carried a hint of curiosity.

The tomb keeper did not answer, but instead turned his gaze once again to the figure who had reached the foot of the mountain of corpses.

……

Xu Ran stood beneath the mountain of ten thousand corpses.

The closer you get, the more terrifying the sense of oppression that comes from the depths of your soul becomes.

It was as if billions of gods and demons were whispering, roaring, and cursing in his ear.

It was as if countless great paths had transformed into tangible swords, ready to slowly tear his body and his will apart!
Under this pressure, his Dao Lord body, at the fourth level of the Dao Lord realm, began to show fine cracks, from which golden blood seeped out.

Just standing here is already pushing him to his limit!
"town!"

Xu Ran let out a low shout, and the blood-red "Rebellion" mark between his brows suddenly lit up!
hum!
An overwhelming and domineering will, seemingly capable of reversing eternity and overturning the universe, suddenly erupted from the mark!
This will, originating from the same source as the Godslayer Blade, carries a supreme status.

The moment it appeared, the chaotic and violent remnant Dao wills around it were as if they had encountered a king's subject, and were instantly stunned!
The roars and curses of countless gods and demons turned into low moans before this will.

Xu Ran immediately felt the pressure ease.

"Sure enough!"

Overjoyed, he no longer hesitated, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the mountain of corpses!

boom! ! !
Just as his feet touched the mountain path formed by the arm of a demon god, a torrent of Dao principles, more than ten times stronger than before, surged wildly into his body from the soles of his feet!

That was a sword style... filled with the meaning of "annihilation"!
This intent of the blade was cold and deathly still, as if it wanted to sever all life and return all things to eternal silence.

Xu Ran's body was instantly filled with this sword intent. His life force was rapidly draining away! His skin became dry, his hair began to turn white, and his heartbeat became incredibly slow!
This is the Tao!

The "Path of Annihilation" left behind by that ancient demon god is assimilating him into a... walking corpse that only knows annihilation!
"Give me... the reverse!"

At the critical moment of life and death, Xu Ran unleashed a powerful will to survive, frantically activating the mark between his eyebrows!
The crimson mark shone brightly, and a completely opposite will erupted within Xu Ran's body!

You're talking about "extinction"?
I will then allow you to... "revive"!
You're talking about "the end"?
I will then let you... "begin"!
That domineering will of "rebellion," like a crimson sun, rose within Xu Ran's lifeless body. It forcefully reversed the rules of the "Path of Annihilation"!

The sword intent that was originally meant to sever life began to reverse, transforming into a warm current that nourishes life!
The dying flame of life, nourished by this power, not only did not go out, but burned even more fiercely!

Xu Ran's dry skin became moisturized again.

His gray hair quickly turned jet black again.

His slow heartbeat, like a war drum, roared even more powerfully!

puff!
Xu Ran opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of black, stagnant blood.

Not only was he not corrupted by the Dao, but he also took advantage of the opportunity to "reverse" that annihilating sword intent to expel some impurities from his Dao body!
His aura, far from weakening, became even more refined and pure!
"So... this is the true meaning of 'reversal'!"

A bright light burst forth in Xu Ran's eyes.

He finally understood!

“Reversal” is not simply about confrontation and destruction, but rather… “transformation” and “control”!
It is to turn everything that is unfavorable to oneself into something favorable to oneself! It is to transform all the myriad paths into resources for one's own growth!
Having figured this out, Xu Ran felt a sudden sense of clarity.

He raised his head and looked at the winding road that stretched upwards, paved with countless corpses of gods and demons, and filled with endless danger. For the first time, a confident and arrogant smile appeared on his lips.

"This mountain of corpses is not a death trap for me..."

"But rather... a tremendous... stroke of luck!"

(End of this chapter)