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

Chapter 243 Totem Remains: The Great Abyss and Ruins
Jing Qian immediately asked a question that had been lingering in his mind for a long time.

"Who killed all of you [Transcendentalists]?"

He came into this world seeking everything, only to find the path to immortality and liberation.

As his cultivation progressed, his understanding of the world also gradually deepened.

The more you understand, the more confused you become, and the more questions you have!
Once upon a time, he thought that by attaining immortality and enjoying endless lifespan, he could live a carefree life and do whatever he pleased.

Unfortunately, in this world, if one's strength is insufficient, even those who achieve immortality are merely chickens and dogs under the command of great cultivators, or fat fish in a pond.

But when he refined the Immortal Qi and obtained the Time Sequence, he stood before the Immortal Mountain, looking towards the end of the road ahead, and discovered something else.

Whether they are top-tier experts of the first rank or immortal lords or gods of the transcendent realm, they still cannot be liberated or free.

Whether it's a battle for survival or a life-or-death struggle in [The Clockwork], it's all about survival.

Or perhaps he transcended everything and sank into the abyss, dying a violent death at home.

All of this was impacting Jing Qian's unwavering resolve to follow the Dao!
He was eager to understand the secrets behind it.

This profound secret concerning the essence of cultivation is the most precious knowledge, and it has not been passed down even within the two major lineages of [Pure Yang] and [Yanfu].

Perhaps those few Daoists with the highest cultivation levels in the [Time Sequence] realm can clearly know the secrets behind this.

Although Ke Jingqian shared a common background with these bigwigs and their fortunes were intertwined, there were no deep-seated conflicts of interest between them.

He couldn't very well just ask directly, even if he did, he probably wouldn't get any results.

Currently, his only channel is this [Insect Queen] in front of him!

That's why he spent so much effort to wear down his opponent.

Faced with Jing Qian's question, the [Insect Mother] pondered for a long time before speaking again:
"Your question concerns the very essence of our cultivation, which is the most profound secret in this world."

“If it were someone else, even if their cultivation level were similar to mine, they might not be able to fully answer your questions.”

"But my insect race has a unique heritage. Our ancestors buried all the information in our bloodline. As long as my insect race's cultivation level advances, it will be automatically unlocked."

"After I advanced to the [Time Sequence] level, I received the inheritance of the [Insect Ancestor] from my bloodline, which gave me a new understanding of this world."

"If you want to know who killed [Transcendence], you'll probably have to start from scratch and re-examine your understanding of this world."

"Does the cultivator know what the 'Other Shore' is, and what a 'Totem' is?"

Jing Qian was already highly focused, and he began to speak:
"Senior, please don't keep me in suspense. I've heard bits and pieces about the Other Shore and the Abyss before, but this is the first time I've heard of the Totem."

"Please explain patiently, senior."

[The Mother Insect] paused, then continued:

"In that case, I'll start from the beginning."

"The world we live in is surrounded by the Great Abyss. The pinnacle of cultivation that countless cultivators in all the heavens and myriad realms can pursue, the so-called 'Transcending the Five Lords,' is, to put it bluntly, merely the qualification to transcend the constraints of the realm and measure the Great Abyss with one's own strength."

"The cycle of time, the struggles of the past, only those who can enter the abyss can be called 'transcendent'."

"But within that Great Abyss, there are Dao Sins blocking the way and the Abyss Prison obstructing the path, making it extremely dangerous. Even among those at the Transcendent level, cultivators who can cross the Great Abyss and reach the Other Shore are extremely rare."

“My bloodline is precious and I am naturally gifted. I once reached the Great Perfection of God Lord, but when I was crossing the Great Abyss, I fell into a Prison of the Abyss.”

"And my cultivation is not even one ten-thousandth as good as my ancestor's. From this, one can know the terror within the Great Abyss!"

"From this perspective, all cultivators in this world are prisoners within this Great Abyss."

"The so-called 'Five Lords of Transcendence' are nothing more than the larger and stronger individuals among the prisoners."

"If you truly wish to transcend, you must confront the terror of the Great Abyss."

“Your cultivation level is still low. Once you reach my level, you will be able to deeply feel the aura of the Great Abyss, which is as deep as a bottomless pit and as unsettling as a prison.”

"The Great Abyss treats all the Five Transcendent Lords equally and suppresses them completely, which is forcing all Transcendent Lords to cross the Great Abyss as soon as possible and go to the other side."

"Those who can cross the sea will naturally have a vast and boundless sky; those who cannot cross it are better to die early and be reborn early, making way for those who come after them."

"However, in this world of cultivation, those who can advance to the [Transcendence] realm all know the power of the [Great Abyss] and will not rashly step into the fray."

"I would rather spend more time practicing and demand perfection from everyone, striving for certain victory."

"When the number of transcendent beings accumulated within the realm increases, those with similar character will naturally form alliances and venture into the Great Abyss together."

"For one person, the Great Abyss is a death trap!"

"But if several Dao Ancestors were to join forces and forge a 'Boat of the Other Shore' that could gather the power of everyone, their chances of winning would naturally increase significantly!"

"Ten thousand years ago, there were multiple [Arks of the Other Shore], which gathered at least ten [Transcendent] powers, forming a massive force!"

"The Dao Abyss Divine Shuttle from which you originated is one of them!"

"Such are the [Nine Dragon Cauldron] and [Puppet Show], as well as the Buddhist [Eight Treasures Tree] and [Rosary], and the demon race's [Demon God Tower], etc., all of which are like this."

"At that time, these top-tier [Arks of the Other Shore] had already amassed enough power to contend with the [Great Abyss]!"

“All you transcendent beings, navigating your boats, moving in and out of the Great Abyss, back and forth, have instead treated the Dao Sins and the Abyss as resources to be harvested.”

"At that time, it was a truly grand event in my cultivation world. Many powerful beings even considered taking their realms with them and ascending together!"

"However, you all [Transcendent] have underestimated the power of [Great Abyss]!"

"Or rather, no one has ever truly seen through the origins of the Great Abyss!"

"At the height of the many [Arks of the Other Shore], a [Tide of Roar] rose from the [Great Abyss] and swept across the entire world."

"Almost everyone in the entire realm who had transcended was swept away and perished by the roar of the tide in an instant."

"The power of the Great Abyss is truly astounding!"

[Insect Mother] Speaking of this, even though it was just an avatar, she was still very emotional!
It continues:
“You younger generation were born too late and do not know the terror of that [Tide Roar].

"At that time, I was already a cultivator of the upper three ranks, and because of my strong bloodline, I was able to serve the two ancestors of my clan."

"I personally witnessed the Second Ancestor, who was invincible in the void, have all his cultivation destroyed and his soul scattered by the surging tide of the Great Abyss, and he perished on the spot!"

"That was the most terrifying experience of my life!"

"It was only after that [Tide's Roar] that people began to speculate that a mysterious entity was behind the [Great Abyss]!"

"If anyone defies the will of the Great Abyss, even if they are one of the Five Lords who have transcended the Great Abyss, they will perish!"

"And the cultivation level of such mysterious beings must be above the [Other Shore]."

"Those who are fortunate enough to have survived the secrets passed down by the Dao Ancestor, such powerful beings of this rank are called [Totems]!"

"And that vast [Great Abyss] is a symbol of the Great Dao, a [Totem]!"

"It is precisely because of this that we cultivators have re-examined the cultivation system of this world and gained new insights."

"With your cultivation level, Daozi, you must have already stepped into many Great Dao Illusions!"

"From the [Sea of ​​Spiritual Life and Void], we ascend to the [Sea of ​​Primordial Qi], and then to the [Mountain of Immortal Qi]. As we climb the path of cultivation, we must seek these illusory realms of the Great Dao."

"In addition, there is the [Sea of ​​All Beings' Minds] buried deep at the bottom, and the [Clock of Time] hanging high at the top."

"The five illusory realms of the Great Dao are the foundation of all cultivators. When combined, they form the so-called [Great Destiny Ascension Tower]!"

"We who cultivate the Nine Ranks of Ascension to Heaven ascend to this very tower!"

"Before that [Tide's Roar], we cultivators only regarded the [Great Abyss] as a new level of the [Tower of Ascension]."

"But after that [Tide's Roar], everyone realized that the [Great Abyss] was actually alive and had its own independent will!"

"Taking this as a lesson, let's examine the other five Great Dao Illusions. Whether it's the [Sea of ​​Spiritual Life and Void] or the [Sea of ​​Primordial Qi], their essence is also related to the power at the [Totem] level!"

"Some experts speculate that these five illusions are all relics, or even remains, of a certain [Totem]!"

"And our path of cultivation, in the eyes of that [Great Abyss], is perhaps nothing more than wild grass growing from these [totem remains]!"

[Mother Insect] At this point, she looked up and met Jing Qian's gaze.

Its eyes held a mixture of scrutiny, provocation, and seduction.

It continues:
"I wonder if my explanation can answer Daozi's doubts?"

"When I first came to understand such secrets, I was deeply shocked and felt a sense of emptiness."

"What is the purpose of our arduous spiritual practice?"

"Faced with an existence like the Great Abyss, what value do we ants have?"

"Even if one truly transcends, wouldn't it just be a new cage?"

"Michiko, what do you say?"

[Insect Mother] and Jing Qian looked at each other, both speechless!

Suddenly, Jing Qian smiled and answered:
"【Insect Queen】She's using a curse on me! She's really gone to great lengths!"

"What you said makes sense. So stop struggling and let me kill you a few more times so I can give you all your memories sooner."

The words of the "Insect Mother" were full of hidden meaning, clearly intended to plant a seed of trouble in Jing Qian's heart!
This is an extremely sinister and cunning Dao Heart Gu that is impossible to guard against!

Fortunately, Jing Qian was not affected in the slightest, and his Daoist heart remained unmoved.

He continued:
"Thank you so much, [Mother Insect], for answering my questions. I have learned a great deal!"

"However, the road ahead is long and fraught with difficulties and dangers, which should be the awareness of all cultivators. How could we give up just because the enemy has become stronger!"

"The Mother of Insects' resolve is far stronger than mine, so why say such discouraging things?"

Through the words of the [Insect Mother], Jing Qian gained his first sensory understanding of the [Great Abyss] world, and his worldview and cultivation philosophy underwent a tremendous breakthrough.

It was precisely because of this that he had higher aspirations for cultivation. His Dao heart was not damaged in the slightest; on the contrary, it was fueled by an even stronger fighting spirit.

The obstacles of the Abyss, the secrets of the Other Shore, and the power of the Totem all piqued his interest!

It is precisely through such extreme challenges that one can unleash their full potential.

Jing Qian was quite satisfied with his answer to the first question, and he then asked the second question he had prepared.

"【Mother Insect】, my second question is related to 【Mountain of Immortal Qi】."

"When I completed the task of 'Mending the Heavens' and saw the 'Mountain of Immortal Qi,' I received a blessing from the Daoist aura of the 'Mountain of Immortal Qi.'"

"But if I am not mistaken, the essence of this Daoist rhyme is the power of the Daoist abhorrence within the Great Abyss."

"With a cultivation level of [Mending Heaven], how could one possibly withstand the terrifying power of [Dao Abyss]?"

"To rashly incorporate it into one's own practice will inevitably lead to future troubles."

"Why have I never heard of this in any of my lineages?"

"With your [Time Sequence] magical abilities, you will surely be able to discover the secrets within."

The [Insect Mother] answered this question without much hesitation:
"Dao Zi is indeed exceptionally talented, to be able to discover the essence of the Dao at such a level."

"However, Daozi is taking this too seriously!" "The Dao's Fiend is within the Great Abyss, hence the name Dao's Fiend."

"But on that [Mountain of Immortal Qi], there lies a [Dao Embryo]!"

"Absorbing the power of [Dao Nie] too early will naturally mix with one's foundation and have negative effects."

"However, the essence of second-grade cultivation is precisely the process of suppressing and absorbing the Dao embryo."

"You will know when you actually begin to climb the [Mountain of Immortal Qi]."

"This [Dao Embryo] is the best material for condensing the [Life Stele]!"

"The Destiny Stele that we forged on the Immortal Qi Mountain is, in essence, a reshaping and suppression of the Dao Embryo."

"Each additional character on the [Destiny Stele] represents a further step in the refinement of the [Dao Embryo]."

"When all nine characters are complete, the Dao embryo can be completely refined."

"At that time, what difference will there be between the [Emerging Dao] and the [Degenerate Dao]?"

"The advancement to the second rank of cultivation depends entirely on the suppression of the [Dao Embryo]."

"The deeper your cultivation, the stronger your combat power, and the more you can suppress that [Dao Embryo] when you first erect the monument."

"If you can completely suppress the [Dao Embryo], then when your [Life Stele] is established, you will achieve the perfection of the [Nine Characters]."

"At that time, you will naturally have no need to care about the influence of [Dao Nie] on you."

"Daozi, there's no need to worry. In the Five Realms of the Great Destiny Ascension Tower, which realm doesn't have hidden tricks and secrets?"

"Where does your destiny come from, where does your vital energy originate, and where does your soul belong?"

"And where does the immortal and indestructible status come from where the [Life Stele] stands?"

"Such secrets are far beyond our current level of understanding."

"Since the accumulated magical power, the increased cultivation level, and the controlled power are all real and true, then let's focus on cultivating them first."

"If there are any hidden dangers, we can make changes later when our cultivation level is higher and our knowledge is broader."

"If it really can't be changed, then there's no choice but to reincarnate and start over."

"Otherwise, what use are you if you can't even overcome the current calamity?"

"What do you say, Daozi?"

[Insect Mother] is indeed the [Time Sequence] God, and her mindset and character are exceptional.

Jingqian greatly appreciated its open-mindedness and tolerance towards spiritual practice.

The essence of the second-grade cultivation, as described by it, also made Jing Qian thoughtful.

He immediately began to adjust his own spiritual practice plan accordingly.

Then, he asked his third question:
"【Insect Queen】, have you ever heard of the 【Great Ruins】? Also, has there ever been an organization called the 【Imagination Society】 in this void?"

"The rank of this [Imagination Society] must be quite high, and there must be highly skilled cultivators within it."

"I am ignorant and have never heard of such secrets."

The "Insect Mother," who had answered the first two questions smoothly, was stumped by this seemingly insignificant third question.

After careful consideration, it determined that it had never heard of any "Great Ruins" or "Daydreaming Society".

It immediately replied:

“Daozi, in theory, I have been a Daoist for a long time and have considerable experience.”

"But I've never actually heard of either of these things you mentioned."

"Please ask another question, Daozi."

Jing Qian nodded. The Empress definitely knew about the information regarding the Great Ruins, but he was certain he wouldn't be able to get it out of her.

I'll just have to explore that on my own later.

The more questions he asked, the more he felt that the origins of "Goddess Ego" were strange, and that there were other secrets hidden within him.

Then Jing Qiancai said:
"【Insect Mother】, I recently obtained a secret technique of the 【Word Spirit Sect】, which allows me to build a 【Heavenly Dao Scripture Treasury】 within my sea of ​​consciousness to contain and share knowledge and information."

"Let's leave the issue I'm most concerned about here for now. I would like to ask the Insect Mother to go to my [Heavenly Dao Scripture Treasury] and enter all the inherited knowledge you have mastered."

After saying that, Jing Qian waved his hand and actually summoned the [Heavenly Dao Scripture] that he had condensed in this space of the Destiny Stele!
This is a new supernatural phenomenon that he discovered through trial and error!
Within this illusion, the summoned [Heavenly Dao Scripture] has been recorded, and its data is bound to his soul, so it will not be lost even if he goes to the mortal world.

In this way, Jing Qian's efficiency in utilizing the enemy avatars within the Life Stele space can be greatly improved!

In many past instances, Jing Qian no longer needed to extract memories and experiences from each enemy.

He already has a clear path forward, and there is no need to seek other methods.

Most of the enemies he could kill had no valuable memories and were not worth spending a lot of his time dealing with.

But things changed after the [Heavenly Dao Scripture] was acquired.

After mastering this secret technique, it was as if he had added a new hard drive, greatly increasing the speed and capacity of knowledge storage.

Moreover, the more knowledge it stores, the greater the blessing it provides to Jingqian's primordial spirit, and it can also provide him with additional computing power to enhance his deduction and calculation abilities.

This motivated him to dismantle the soul avatars of each enemy and record and preserve all their memories.

The "Mother Insect" is just a precious beginning; it will undoubtedly be a long process.

After experiencing this unique cultivation in the Life Stele Space, Jing Qian's cultivation level and magical power did not increase much, but he gained a great deal from the improvement in his understanding.

He turned and escaped from the space of the Life Stele, returning to the real world and opening his eyes.

While he was focused on refining the [Six Paths Reincarnation Sword Pill] and torturing the [Insect Mother], [Ghost Hair] was not idle at all!

The puppeteers are still being slaughtered in large numbers, and their flesh and blood are being used as fertilizer for the flowers in the Yama Nursery.

The [threads] inside its body were all stripped off by the [ghost hair] and added to its collection.

These wondrous things are excellent templates for [Ghost Hair] to enhance its exorcism abilities.

That [Silk-Pulling] God must already be a great being who has transcended the level of the Five Lords.

When Jing Qian awoke, he clearly saw that [Ghost Hair] was standing in front of a large tomb, carefully fiddling with a unique [thread] in his hand.

This level of [Threading] is as condensed as jade, and has actually condensed into a tangible substance!
Jing Qian stepped forward and curiously examined the [ghost hair].

After seeing him approach, the other person handed him the [tethering thread].

Then, [Ghost Hair] spoke:
"Even if you don't have money, you should still come and see for yourself. This is a rare and spectacular sight!"

Jing Qian casually took the [Tethering Silk] handed to him by [Ghost Hair] and poured his own divine sense into it.

Immediately, an indescribable image appeared in his consciousness.

All that could be seen was an extremely large roll of brocade and embroidery, submerged in an incredibly deep black sea.

This Black Sea is so thick that it can swallow up all light and sound.

It seems to possess the will to live; it is a flowing, cold, infinitely massive abyss of energy!
It is a terrifying abyss that envelops the entire present world, imprisons countless realms, and devours countless lives!
Within this absolute abyss, float and sink the outlines of indescribable colossal beings—the remains of the Ark of the Other Shore, utterly consumed by the Abyss.

The piece of cloth that Jing Qian was pointing to with the [thread] was none other than the [Boat of the Other Shore] that had fallen upon the [Great Abyss]!
A huge white jade spider was crawling motionless on the embroidered cloth.

Boundless silk threads extended from the white jade spider, spreading infinitely in all directions, from the black sea into the mortal world, landing on one puppet after another.

When Jingqian saw this, he finally understood!
No wonder no one has ever been able to discover the location of the [Puppet Show Universe]!
It's no wonder that although the power of the [Silk-Pulling] God is widely known throughout the world, no one can clearly explain what form it takes or what level of cultivation it possesses.

On the contrary, the eight "former" figures in the "Eight Difficulties of Pulling Silk" have always been quite high-profile.

When Jing Qian used this section on "pulling threads" to see through everything, he was shocked to discover...

This [Thread-Pulling] God is actually a [Transcendent] God who escaped the [Tide-Ringing] calamity, survived the [Great Abyss] erosion, and has survived until now!
The opponent was trapped within the Abyss, but thanks to the boundless puppets planted by the Threads, they managed to maintain a stable state and were not completely eroded!

This is simply a miracle!
However, the power of the Great Abyss is extremely terrifying, and it is already very difficult for the Great God of Silk Threads to have lasted this long.

The white jade spider was covered with black maggots that were gnawing at its divine body.

These are all extremely terrifying [Taoist Evils]!
If either end were taken into the present world, it would be enough to cause a catastrophe that destroys the world!
The Great God of [Threads] is being devoured by so many [Daoist Evils] that he is probably on the verge of collapse!

As Jing Qian held the crystalline [Pulling Thread] and sensed the other party's current state, a faint whispered message emanated from the [Pulling Thread]:
“Use this thread to locate me…”

"Find me..."

"Save me and get me ashore... I will repay you handsomely..."

The other party seemed completely unconcerned about who held the "tethering thread," focusing solely on pleading for help.

What puzzled Jingqian was why this "Thread-Pulling" god didn't send his own "Old Days" to the rescue.

Instead, they want to shift the blame for such a difficult task onto him and [Ghost Hair].

Jing Qian would never fight for the sake of [thread pulling]!
He pulled his thoughts back and handed the [thread] back to [Ghost Hair].

But [Ghost Hair] didn't answer; instead, he said:
"Take this [connecting thread]."

“I have condensed a total of three [threads]. For me, one is enough to help with cultivation. You can decide what to do with the extras.”

"This item is quite useful for the [exorcism] technique. You can study it properly when you have time."

Upon hearing this, Jing Qian nodded and solemnly placed the [Pulling Silk] into the [Sumeru] dimension to suppress it.

This is a genuine relic of the Dao Ancestor, and it's even a living Dao Ancestor!
Jing Qian had just thoroughly investigated the situation of the Great Abyss when he encountered the Threads, fully validating his findings.

At this moment, [Ghost Hair] spoke again:
"The old days in the 'Puppet Show' are coming!"

"Such enemies should not be underestimated."

"You'd better prepare yourself."

"Now that we've taken on the task of dealing with the [Threads], this [Ancient One] is the opponent we need to defeat!"

[Gui Mao]'s research on [Qian Si] is far ahead of others. Compared with Jing Qian, he successfully located [Pi Pa Nan] who was forcibly breaking in from the void.

The opponent traversed a seemingly slow but actually fast path!

It will arrive here in at most another year and a half.

Defeating this supreme enemy is no easy task!
The challenge for Jing Qian and [Ghost Hair] has only just begun.

Jing Qian nodded to [Gui Mao], then ran to the other side of [Yanfu Nursery] and once again entered seclusion.

A year and a half was not enough time for him to refine the ninth [Spiritual Machine], so he had to focus his cultivation efforts on other aspects.

During this moment of leisure, Jing Qian touched his divine sense with the Daoist essence he had inexplicably obtained when he was promoted to the title of [Emperor of the Great Ruins of Sumeru].

Immediately, a wisp of his divine sense quietly followed this trace of Daoist rhythm and entered an extremely strange place!
Jing Qian was new to the place and knew nothing about it. Then a message came to him and went straight to his ears.

He easily absorbed the information, only to discover that the secrets of this "Daydreaming Society" were also beyond his imagination!
(End of this chapter)