Forge your destiny into a sword, slash your soul and ascend to immortality

Chapter 148 Daozi Reads This World
After Jing Qian agreed to take her as a disciple, Ying and her companion had no more regrets and began to enjoy the food and wine without any restraint.

Yingkun kept bringing out good wine; he would finish one pot and then bring out another.

This rare and fine wine, once consumed, can enhance the physical body, nourish the spirit, and increase magical power, with excellent effects.

The banquet was a resounding success, with both hosts and guests thoroughly enjoying themselves!

With Yingkun and Luotian as witnesses, a tipsy Yinghao formally kowtowed and successfully became an apprentice.

The two boys, who were exactly the same age and had both undergone the baptism of the [Zhuoling Cave Heaven], have developed vastly different strengths and statuses due to their different experiences.

Now that Yinghao has become an apprentice, he is officially entangled with the [Yanfu Dao].

He is exceptionally talented and has a solid foundation. Once he receives the inheritance, he has at least a 20% chance of advancing to the rank of [Yanfuzi].

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the Emperor left in high spirits, leaving only three old friends behind.

Jing Qian raised his hand and flung out five dragon corpses, all of which had been drained of their dragon fat, leaving only dragon skin and flesh.

He opened his mouth and said:
"Old Luo, you take care of cleaning up these dragon corpses. I'll take Yinghao to go through some formalities."

After saying that, he pulled Yinghao up and disappeared from the spot in a flash.

Using their spatial abilities, the two ventured deep into the core of the realm's primordial energy and arrived before the [Ghost Origin Palace].

Jing Qian skillfully led Ying Hao inside.

He summoned the old snakeskin from the large cauldron and said:
"Snake Master, I have recently taken on a disciple who is of Ying clan blood and is eligible to be included in the list of true disciples. I have come here to guide him into the sect."

After several years, the slender snake had grown even rounder, seemingly having accumulated a considerable amount of new energy. It then spoke:
"Even without money, the sect leader's cultivation progresses quite slowly!"

It took out the bronze book, turned to the most recent page, and asked again:
"What religious name will the sect leader give this boy from the Ying family?"

"There isn't a single true disciple born yet in the 'Sheng' generation, so there are still quite a few nice-sounding Dharma names to choose from."

Jing Qian raised an eyebrow and said in a loud voice:

"I've already chosen a name, so how about 'Birth'?"

Yinghao, who was standing to the side, also took his Buddhist name quite seriously and interjected:
"Born in the Western Hills, you will be refined and perfected!"

"'Shengyu' is alright!"

Jing Qian and Lao Shepi glanced at him together, but said nothing.

This kid is really overthinking things. How could his penniless master possibly give him a normal Buddhist name?

[Yanfu Dao] On that large bronze register, at a glance, all I could see were vulgar and worthless names; this was where the sect's inheritance was kept.

The snakeskin spoke up:
"Having children brings many blessings."

"This 'fertility' is indeed excellent. I think that starting from this generation, my [Yanfu Dao] will see a great increase in population!"

Having said that, it drew upon its magical power, extracting a wisp of divine soul power from the birth of the child, and inscribed the Dharma name into the bronze book.

The situation was beyond repair; Sheng Yu's face turned ashen, her eyes glazed over, and she was speechless.

When he first learned that Jingqian Buddhist monks were broke, he had a bad feeling.

But now that a terrible mistake had been made, Ying Ritian had no face to face the billions of people inside the Ying Family Temple.

Just then, Jing Qian raised his hand and shot out a stream of magical power, which went straight into the space between Yu Sheng's eyebrows and into his sea of ​​consciousness.

Upon receiving the "Yanfu Cave Netherworld Reincarnation Dao Book," he immediately entered seclusion and began his first period of enlightenment.

The Flame Demon Luo on his shoulder flashed and entered his sea of ​​consciousness. The Flame Demon Luo will also undergo a reforging using a new secret technique.

Jingqian and Shepi watched as Shengnu entered into cultivation, and then they stopped paying attention to him.

Snakeskin then said to Jing Qian:
"Without money to become the sect leader, when can I activate the Yin Year?"

“I have been dragging this out for five long years. Now the world is criticizing me, and even the Kitchen Spirit, who is familiar with me, has come to inquire about the situation.”

"I can only hold on for another five years at most before I can't hold on any longer."

Jing Qian nodded and said:
"I would appreciate it if you could delay a little longer, Master Snake. Fellow Daoists [Three Poisons] and [Blood River] have not yet returned, and I cannot release the surprise I have prepared for them ahead of time."

The old snake nodded and said:
"I understand."

Then, Jing Qian added:

“Snake Lord, I have re-established a small sect in the [Hunzhou] region and have also taken in a few disciples.”

"After this Yin year, I will move the Ghost Yuan Palace away as well."

"This old man will fully cooperate with the sect leader!"

So the old snake said.

Jing Qian nodded and casually found a seat in the Ghost Yuan Hall.

He took out the "Book Mountain" manual, a gift from the Emperor, and eagerly anticipated activating it.

Instantly, a wisp of his divine soul projection was drawn to the mirror and entered a mysterious place.

The moment Jingqian's soul touched the door mirror, countless fireflies-like characters suddenly appeared from the void.

These points of light, formed from ancient seal script such as "The Book of Rites," "The Book of Music," "The Book of Changes," and "The Classic of Literature," wove a ladder to heaven, carrying his divine soul avatar through the nine layers of clouds, and crashing head-on into the starry sky.

But then the stardust transformed into an endless constellation map, which, upon being pieced back together, became the majestic "Mountain of Books".

The entire mountain range is made up of millions of spiraling book pavilions stacked on top of each other, with bamboo scroll waterfalls hanging from the eaves of each level.

Those jade books containing secret knowledge were neatly arranged in the library.

Numerous flying boats carrying all sorts of people shuttled between the book pavilions, casually selecting books.

Jing Qian opened his Three Lives Eyes and carefully scanned the vast Book Mountain before him, shocked by the terrifying foundation of the Boundless Heavenly Dynasty.

Before us stand millions of bookshelves, behind us are hundreds of millions of books of all kinds, containing an immense amount of knowledge and information.

If an ordinary person were to come here, even if they devoted their entire life to it, they would still find it difficult to read even a fraction of it.

The gate manual gifted by Yingkun is the highest level of authority within the [Book Mountain], and only core members of the [Boundless Heavenly Dynasty] system can use it.

Jing Qian's avatar wears a golden robe and can read all the books, belonging to a member with unlimited reading access.

They are far superior to the large number of readers dressed in green and blue robes who pay to subscribe to books.

A sense of anticipation welled up within him!
In the [Yingfu Pagoda Realm], even though he obtained the lineages of two [Dao Ancestors], he only acquired the core methods. He had neither the time nor the means to access a large number of books.

This current journey through the "mountain of books" is his opportunity to truly understand the world, history, and heroes.

He stepped onto a small boat, and with a thought, the boat carried him straight towards the mountain of books.

There is a path to the mountain of books, and diligence is the boat!
Within the [Book Mountain], these three thousand fourth-grade [Diligent Boat] spirit machines are the best means of transportation, allowing for rapid travel to various book pavilions, locating books, and collecting scrolls.

To navigate the "Diligent Boat," one needs a vast amount of financial resources; it's not about seeking rare or precious books. Ordinary scholars wouldn't embark on such a journey.

Ke Jingqian's gatekeeper even waived the fees for [Qinzhou], and he could use it at will.

As he set sail, several scholars at the entrance gathered around, chirping incessantly.

A middle-aged scholar with a scholarly air about him spoke:
"Who is this direct descendant of a high-ranking official, who comes in wearing a golden robe and sailing a boat right away?"

"I have visited [Book Mountain] 105,400 times, written more than 3,000 articles for Reader's Digest, and accumulated an average subscription of over 500, yet I still dare not casually take the [Diligent Boat] for travel."

"Comparison is truly odious!"

"Ling Tongzi, you, the well-informed 'Book Mountain' expert, can you recognize which young master this is?"

The gatekeeper's certificate of this level held by Jing Qian is a top-level benefit that only high-ranking officials in the [Wuji Heavenly Dynasty] can receive.

Its sphere of influence covers the entire Celestial Empire of [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Tian].

The high-ranking "Spirit Officials" belonging to the Prime Minister's hierarchy consist of fewer than two hundred people, including those who serve as Vice Ministers of State Affairs, Privy Councilors, Ministers of the Ten Ministries, and Military Governors of the High Realm.

These two hundred high-ranking officials of the second rank or above are all guaranteed to have a cultivation level of at least the second rank and have attained the status of immortality.

Any cultivator within the [Wuji Heavenly Dynasty] system would know the life stories, backgrounds, and strengths of these two hundred high-ranking officials like the back of their hand.

It's comparable to the fans' pursuit and worship of star players!

Beside the middle-aged scholar, a young monk dressed in green robes replied upon hearing this:

"I have divine eyes that can see all things."

"Judging from this fellow Daoist's magical power, it is pure and fierce, with a chilling killing intent. His bloodline spiritual light is also very familiar. He must be a descendant of Su Jin, the [Heavenly Granted Privy Councilor].

"Although Su Jin Gong perished in the 'Battle of the Three Eyes,' he can be considered to have sacrificed himself for my [Wuji Heavenly Dynasty]. The Supreme God bestowed upon him the honor of being hereditary."

Another person nearby said:
"Little Smarty, you're talking nonsense. Su Jin Gong was cursed by the Three Paths Woman of the Heavenly Demon Child. Not only did he die and his soul disappear, but all his male descendants were also wiped out, leaving only a few Miss Su to support him."

"If you were to say he's a son-in-law of the Su family, there's a good chance he might be."

But the spirit boy defended himself:
"The head of my Lingtong Society is a source who participated in the compilation of the [Lingguan Genealogy]."

"I have preserved the bloodline aura of all the [Great Spirit Officials]."

“I’m sure I’m not mistaken. This noble person has the direct bloodline of the Su family and his cultivation is also pure. He only needs to go through the selection process for official appointment to directly enter the ranks of officials of the fifth rank or above.”

"I believe that this young master Su's visit to [Book Mountain] at this time is to prepare for the selection process."

"Just you wait and see, he'll inevitably have to go to the seventeenth-floor library to look at more past exam questions for official appointments."

This well-informed and gossipy man spoke with absolute certainty.

And the final result was exactly as he predicted!
Jing Qian spurred the [Diligent Boat] beneath his feet and headed straight for the seventeenth floor.

"See? I told you so!"

"I, Ling Tongzi of Shushan, have my own sources of information and I guarantee I will not mislead you fellow Daoists."

"The 'Ten-Year Simulation of the Centennial Selection of the Ling Tong Society' and the 'Ling Guan Vanguard Newspaper' in my hands are absolutely great value for money!"

Ling Tongzi correctly predicted Jing Qian's route and successfully performed a miracle in front of others, then immediately began selling his goods.

Before the entrance to the "Book Mountain," there were quite a few people like him promoting various kinds of information, creating a highly competitive environment.

The goods people have vary in quality and price, but they can always sell them.

This is because these things do have a market, and it is also related to the fact that the collection of books in the "Book Mountain" is simply too vast.

If a scholar comes here unprepared and unwilling to pay for the [Diligent Boat], it will be almost impossible for him to find the books he wants.

However, Jingqian didn't have this problem at all!
Ying Shi possessed a gatekeeper of sufficient rank, allowing him to freely use the [Diligent Boat]. After figuring out how to use the [Diligent Boat] to locate and select books, he did not hesitate and went straight for his goal.

He disembarked from the boat on the seventeenth floor of the library and stepped inside. He saw that the bookshelves on this floor were divided into two rows. On the left row of bookshelves, there were 100,000 jade slips neatly stacked.

Each jade slip can store hundreds of millions of characters of precious seal script information.

The 100,000 jade slips contain an extremely large amount of information.

But this is just a book!

【Ehuang Shangdi】possessed both literary and military talents, spent a thousand years and exhausted the resources of the Celestial Empire, and personally compiled the "Ehuang Great Canon".

This divine book can be called the first encyclopedia in the world throughout history, containing all the classics, histories, philosophical works, collections, Buddhist scriptures, Buddhist canons, Taoist texts, books, astronomy, geography, yin and yang, medicine, divination, commerce, science and technology, art, etc. accumulated by the Celestial Empire over millions of years, covering all categories, disciplines, and traditions.

The entire book comprises 100,000 volumes and 400 chapters, including 400 volumes of table of contents, totaling approximately 3 trillion words.

There are probably fewer than two hundred people in the entire [Wuji Heavenly Dynasty] who can truly understand this divine book.

When Jing Qian used the "Diligent Boat" to search for books, he was given three directions: the world, history, and the essence of cultivation, all of which pointed to this book, "The Great Canon of Egao".

He naturally and without hesitation took this massive encyclopedia as the first step on his journey of "reading the mountain of books".

For him, reading the "Great Compendium of Egao" is an important means of perfecting his worldview, outlook on life, view of history, and view of spiritual practice!
He entered the room, raised his hand and took down the first volume of the "Ehuang Grand Canon," opened his "Three Lives Eye," and looked at the jade slip in his hand.

Immediately, a massive amount of information rushed toward Jing Qian's second-grade divine eye, and was easily absorbed under the dismantling of the [Worldly Understanding] destiny on the divine eye.

He stood in front of the bookshelf and began to read, something he hadn't done in a long time.

For Jing Qian, from the day he awakened the [Worldly Understanding] destiny, he was essentially given a supercomputer bound to his own soul.

The processing and absorption of information has become a very easy and mechanical instinct.

As a result, for a long time afterward, he never worried too much about his studies.

It's not just that he has an exceptionally strong learning ability, but also that he simply doesn't have enough knowledge to fully utilize it.

Right now, this "mountain of books" contains endless knowledge and information, which is a terrifying hell that students who are academically weak can only look on with fear.

But for top students who possess the "Worldly Understanding," it is a dreamlike destination of happiness.

Jing Qian felt as if a huge progress bar had appeared in front of him, and with each bit of knowledge he absorbed, the progress bar would advance a little bit.

Although the knowledge he absorbed did not have a direct effect on improving his cultivation and combat power.

But he believed that the true meaning of the Great Dao lay within this endless stream of information.

With the help of [Worldly Understanding], if he cannot make full use of the [Book Mountain] secret realm, then he is truly a fool.

In less than a day, Jing Qian had completely absorbed all eight hundred volumes of the catalog of the "Ehuang Great Canon".

At this rate, it would only take him three months to read through all 100,000 volumes of the Great Compendium.

He can easily bear the time it takes!
Jingqian then realized that the power of the [Worldly Explanation] [Destiny Chart] had never been fully realized.

Such a top-tier destiny, oriented towards learning, research, and comprehension, falling into the hands of a murderous scoundrel like him is truly a waste of talent.

It should be given to a master craftsman in the Chongxuan Palace so that he can use it for scientific research and make a greater contribution to the cultivation of the entire human race.

Besides the "Mountain of Books," Yinghao was also studying the "Yanfu Cave Netherworld Reincarnation Dao Book" for the first time, which would normally take at least half a year.

During this time, Jingqian was able to read to his heart's content atop the "mountain of books"!

After reading through the catalog of the Great Canon, he had a complete understanding of the information contained in the "Great Canon of Ehuang".

His first step was to draw the 30,000th jade slip out of 100,000, and he began to read it carefully.

Starting with this volume, the "Great Canon of Ehuang" begins to record the myriad worlds as seen through the eyes of [Egao Shangdi], which is the "Geography Chapter"!
Having traveled through time for so many years, Jing Qian is finally able to gain a clearer understanding of this world.

Three days later, Jing Qian's worldview and cosmology, starting from the [Yingfu Pagoda Realm], began to gradually trace back upwards.

From points to lines, numerous [Feather Realms], [Tree Realms], [Mountain Realms], and [Sea Realms] are gradually connected, together forming [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Heaven].

This is the place of suppression of the [Boundless Heavenly Dynasty], which encompasses everything and spans the boundless void, and contains no matter how many lineages and traditions it contains.

Because of the existence of the [Boundless Heavenly Dynasty] and the suppression by the [Egao Shangdi], a first-rank cultivator, this [Bei'e Yinghuang Boundless Heaven] is a legitimate divine realm.

Immediately, the [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Tian] in Jing Qian's mind began to extend and lengthen, forming a shuttle-shaped universe that was wide in the middle and narrow at both ends.

Closely adjacent to it are three other deities of the same rank, the "Gods".

Heading west from [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Tian] is [Xi Mang Long Tian], which Jing Qian had some contact with.

It is suppressed by two first-rank cultivators, the Celestial Ancestral Dragon and the Eternal Dragon Mother, and is a demon realm where one achieves enlightenment through bloodline power, with the Celestial Dragon Plain as its supreme authority.

It contains the endless bloodline of demon races, from celestial dragons and phoenixes to mythical beasts like the Qilin, and down to birds, beasts, insects, and floating insects—it has everything.

East of [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Tian] lies [Dongji Yuyu Changsheng Tian], a place Jing Qian had never even heard of.

According to the records of the "Ehuang Grand Canon", this statue of "Eastern Extreme Yuyu Eternal Heaven" is the true source of the Taoist lineage.

Within it are countless lineages of Daoist cultivation, such as magic cultivation, sword cultivation, body cultivation, talisman cultivation, array cultivation, and control cultivation, all of which share the Great Dao.

Among them, the three great lineages of Dao Ancestors—Shangqing, Shenxiao, and Xiaoyao—are the pillars of the Eastern Heaven, each with a powerful cultivator suppressing them.

In terms of strength and foundation, [Eastern Extreme Yuyu Changshengtian] far surpasses Northern Heaven and Western Heaven.

Adjacent to the Eastern Pole Yu Yu Chang Sheng Tian, ​​further south lies another equally prestigious realm, the Southern Demonic Tathagata Heaven.

Its interior is half demon and half Buddha, with each being intertwined with the other, making it both extremely sublime and extremely wicked, the most chaotic of all the heavens.

Within this [Demon Rhyme Tathagata Heaven], it is ruled by the lineages of the three Dao Ancestors: [Heavenly Demon], [Spirit Mountain], and [Xuanyuan].

One is the origin of the demonic sect, and the other is the ancestral home of Buddhism. Between the two lies the Xuanyuan Sword Sect, which is both righteous and evil, perfectly illustrating the stability of a triangle.

The three top sects are fiercely competing and constantly scrambling for power, yet none of them can defeat the others, thus forming a unique coexistence relationship.

Among the many lineages of Dao Ancestors, the strength of [Tianmo], [Lingshan], and [Xuanyuan] can be considered among the strongest.

Unfortunately, the combined strength of the Southern Demonic Tathagata Heaven, after the internal strife among the three factions, is now ranked last.

There is another realm bordering the [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Heaven], which is the [Daoyuan Zhongshen Heaven], surrounded by the four [Heavens] of the southeast, northwest, and southwest.

This divine realm was once the domain of the "All Heavens" where "Pure Yang" and "Yanfu" were located. At one time, it was the most powerful of the five "All Heavens".

However, a calamity many years ago caused changes to the [Dao Yuan Zhong Shen Tian], which has since closed itself off.

The top-tier Dharma lineages that originally suppressed it perished during the tribulation, and there were even terrifying cases of first-grade cultivators falling.

Therefore, the [Daoyuan Zhongshentian] had long since severed ties with the other four [Heavens].

Even so, these five [Heavens] of the East, West, South, North, and Center are closely connected and inseparable, sticking together to form a unique universe that resembles a long shuttle, called the [Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe].

This shuttle-shaped universe has five points at its top and bottom, where the five heavens converge, and the widest part of the five heavens in the middle.

By this point in his reading, Jing Qian had finally established a fairly complete cosmology and worldview.

As he continued reciting, his newly established worldview shattered into pieces.

The Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe is not an isolated universe that remains static in the void.

On the contrary, this [universe] maintains a stable speed year after year, traveling in a specific direction through the void.

In a sense, the Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe is more like a large ship wandering in the void.

However, this ship is just ridiculously large.

The "Egao Grand Canon" contains a vague record that over millions of years, the "Daoyuan Divine Shuttle" has already traveled countless trillions of miles.

During this process, every so often, the Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle would brush past other heavens or even the universe, sometimes even directly touching them and completely shattering them.

At this time, for the [Heavens] realm above the Divine Shuttle, it is a time of gain or loss.

If the realm encountered is weaker, the four heavens of the east, west, south, and north will launch a full-scale attack to completely devour the realm and turn it into nourishment for the [heavens].

If the realm they encounter is stronger, the heavens of the southeast, northwest and all directions have had instances where they were unable to resist and were overtaken by others.

The entire Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe is home to such diverse cultivation civilizations. Amidst their competition, they seek common ground while respecting their differences, maintaining a stable state.

This is closely related to its unique mode of existence, which involves wandering in the void.

At this time, at least half of the various Dao Ancestor lineages and traditions on the Divine Shuttle had emerged from the realms that the Dao Abyss Divine Shuttle had come into contact with, boarded the Divine Shuttle, made contributions, and ultimately survived.

Just like in the "Great Canon of Ehuang", it records in detail all the realms that [Empress Bei'e Wuji Tian] encountered after she came to power, which were located outside the [Daoyuan Divine Shuttle Universe].

Most of these realms were suppressed and devoured by the [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Tian].

Even so, Jing Qian felt he gained a lot after reading it carefully.

His fingertips gently traced across the jade slip, and the star map flowing within the Three Lives Eye suddenly trembled violently.

He saw that in the 49,871st volume of the "Great Canon of Ehuang," the seal script twisted and rearranged as if it were alive, projecting a mottled star map into his consciousness.

That was the trajectory of the Daoyuan Divine Shuttle's journey over the next three thousand years, as predicted by the God of the God of the Netherworld.

This was deduced by Ehuang after expending a massive amount of magical power.

For all cultivators in the [Bei'e Yinghuang Wuji Tian], the route deduced by [Ehuang] is the most instructive tool.

The realm that our [Ehuang Wuji Heaven] will pass by in three thousand years will inevitably be our greatest enemy and the direction from which we acquire resources.

Even for Jing Qian, after he established his worldview about the [Daoyuan Divine Shuttle Universe], a new understanding naturally arose spontaneously.

Unlike most cultivators who have just come to understand the true nature of this world, Jing Qian had the experience of fishing in the void when he was at the eighth-rank [Dragon Elephant] level.

Combining his experience of fishing in the void with his understanding of the [Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe], he gained a new perspective.

The ultimate form of this practice of fishing in the void is to sit comfortably within the [Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe] and cast the line into the endless void beyond the universe.

In doing so, all the resources of the realms within the void areas traversed by the Divine Shuttle were retrieved and brought back to the [Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe], transforming them into nourishment for the universe's growth.

He reflected on the essence of cultivation at the second level and suddenly gained new insights.

Perhaps, only by reaching the second rank can one truly enjoy the status of immortality, and transition from longevity to eternal life.

It is only when a cultivator reaches the second rank that they can be considered a qualified fisherman, capable of catching fish from the void fishpond outside the realm for the [Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe].

Prior to this, the existence of most cultivators had no ability to help the growth of the [Dao Yuan Divine Shuttle Universe], and therefore had no value in long-term existence.

Jingqian's own views on spiritual practice are also gradually being reshaped.

At this very moment, he had only read less than one-tenth of the "Great Canon of Ehuang".

With his own questions and insights, he began to read this divine book from the beginning, hoping to gain new insights from the gentle narration of [God Ego].

For Jingqian, this trip to the "mountain of books" was the most enjoyable experience imaginable!

(End of this chapter)