The Legend of the Great Desolation: I Am the Fortress

Having previously focused entirely on the Dao of Time and Space, Lei Zhan has now grasped the ultimate Dao of Time and Space and is completely at ease.

While the second primordial spirit, far away in the Blazing Sun Domain, was cultivating his final avatar, Lei Zhan's true form returned directly to the Three Realms.

He spends his days eating and drinking, watching his two Daoist companions, Kucao and Wangshu, cultivate, and occasionally offering pointers when the mood strikes.

Occasionally, Lei Zhan would visit some old friends, such as his fellow disciples and friends like Sun Wukong, Hong Xue, and Yin Yue.

These beings were already renowned throughout the Three Realms, and over the past tens of thousands of years, they have all broken through to the level of Ancestral Gods and Ancestral Immortals.

Those who returned from the Earth's core, such as Fuxi, Houyi, and Tathagata, directly broke through to the World Realm level.

Therefore, Lei Zhan's days in the Three Realms were quite leisurely and peaceful.

In these leisurely moments, time quietly slips by day by day.

Half a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

……

Zhaixing Mansion, Zhaixing World.

As the sun sets, the sun casts its golden rays, bathing the entire sky in a golden glow.

Wow~~~
A ripple appeared in the space, and a red-haired man wearing golden armor appeared in a world.

"Big Bear said that the Lord of the Palace has come to the Star-Picking World, and he's probably going fishing at Sunset Lake again."

The man in golden armor and red hair muttered softly, "I moved here after the Goddess Nuwa created this Star-Picking World. I've been to Sunset Lake many times, but I don't know what's so special about it."

When the first master of Zhaixing Palace, Daoist Sanshou, was conquering the ancient Pangu world, Hongxue had already joined the Zhaixing Palace lineage.

Later, in the final battle of destruction, this Star-Picking Great World became the refuge of their Star-Picking Mansion lineage.

The entire Star-Picking World was something that Hong Xue was extremely familiar with and knew very well.

"Now that the Lord of the Palace has returned to the Three Realms, his strength has become even more unfathomable. A few casual pointers he gave me earlier greatly enhanced my understanding of the Dao of Time and Space."

The golden-armored, red-haired man thought to himself, "I, Hong Xue, am also a primordial god and demon born at the beginning of creation. Although I have now broken through to the level of Ancestral God and Ancestral Immortal, I still want to break through to the World Realm..."

Hongxue wasn't very confident either.

After all, not every cultivator or god/demon is as monstrous as Lei Zhan or Hou Yi, who can easily break through one realm after another.

Moreover, there are only a handful of people in the entire Three Realms who have broken through to the World Realm. Not to mention Hong Xue.

"The Lord of the Manor is very powerful. If the Lord of the Manor gives me guidance once or twice, even if it is just a casual pointer, it will probably be better than me burying myself in hard cultivation for thousands of years."

Hongxue's gaze was leisurely, and there was a hint of longing in her eyes.

"The sixth level of the power of origin, the Pangu level..."

Wow~~~
Hongxue looked around, discerned her direction, and then transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the distant horizon.

……

Sunset Lake is the largest lake in the Star Gazing World.

The entire lake spans hundreds of millions of miles in circumference. Although it is called a 'lake,' its size is almost comparable to some of the world's vast oceans.

On this vast lake, a young man dressed in black robes sat cross-legged on a small boat.

The small boat drifted freely on the lake, following the waves.

The young man in black robes on the small boat held a fishing rod in one hand and a flask of wine in the other.

They leisurely rowed a boat and fished while sipping their drinks.

"coming!"

Suddenly, the young man in black robes showed a hint of joy. He grabbed the wine jug and took a big gulp of wine, while gently lifting the fishing rod in his right hand.

With a whoosh, a large fish flew in an arc and landed on the flatboat. The young man in black robes quickly reached out, took the fish off, and put it into a bucket.

There were already seven fish inside the wooden barrel.

"Seven fish now, it would make a great fish soup."

A hint of a smile appeared in the black-robed youth's eyes. "As for the rest, one will be braised, one will be roasted... and a few more appetizers to go with the drinks."

Like an ordinary person, the young man in the black robe acted very naturally, whether rowing a boat, fishing, or catching fish.

Even in these perfectly natural words and actions, every move contains a special Taoist charm.

Just then, a streak of light rapidly approached from the distant horizon. The light descended and landed in front of the lake, instantly revealing a red-haired man wearing golden armor.

"Lord, Hongxue requests an audience," the man in golden armor and red hair said respectfully.

"Hongxue?" The young man in black robes re-baited the hook with worms, and only looked up again when the bait was cast back into the lake.

"Glug." The young man in black robes took a big gulp of wine and casually wiped the corner of his mouth.

"It's Hongxue! Come on over as soon as you arrive."

"Yes!" The golden-armored, red-haired man standing on the distant lake shore bowed respectfully.

……

"You've come at just the right time. I caught a few big fish today. These fish are perfect for making soup, grilling, pan-frying, or as appetizers to go with drinks."

Lei Zhan looked at the red-haired, golden-armored man who appeared before him and smiled faintly.

“I was just thinking that it wouldn’t be nice to go boating and drink alone, but thankfully you came at just the right time, which makes up for it a little.”

"Drinking?" Hongxue laughed.

Standing before the hobjet, one feels as if they are merging into nature, into this world.

"The Lord's culinary skills are unparalleled in the entire Three Realms. Today, I will be able to satisfy my appetite." Hongxue said with a smile, "I will trouble the Lord today."

"It's alright." Lei Zhan glanced at Hong Xue and nodded slightly. "One should not be too particular about the fineness of food, nor too particular about the delicacy of its preparation. This fish soup... needs to be simmered for several hours to be flavorful."

"Hmm?" Hongxue looked at Leizhan. Although these words were very ordinary, he seemed to be able to sense the profound meaning in them.

"The Lord's meaning..."

“You have been following your master, Daoist Sanshou, since the creation of the ancient Pangu world. From ancient times to the present, you have been the War God Hongxue, who is extremely famous in the Three Realms.”

Lei Zhan cut open the fish's belly and carefully washed it with lake water. He said slowly, "Haste makes waste. You're a bit too impatient."

"The path of time and space is not easy to traverse, and you lack the tempering and adventure. The fact that you were able to break through to the level of Ancestral God and Ancestral Immortal in tens of thousands of years is already a testament to the depth of your accumulated experience over the long years."

“This…” Hongxue was stunned.

“I will likely remain in the Three Realms for some time. When I depart, you should leave behind an avatar, while your true self will leave the Three Realms with me!” Lei Zhan said.

"I will leave you in the Great Mo Domain. The Great Mo Domain is vast, and one territory is enough for you to slowly explore and hone your skills."

"To venture into the endless lands?" Hongxue nodded. "Okay."

Lei Zhan glanced at Hong Xue and then said nothing more.

Lei Zhan was well aware of Hong Xue's purpose in coming.

After he obtained a large number of secret techniques and methods from the Northern Xiu World God, these Taoist scriptures were also left behind by Lei Zhan.

Having obtained profound magical techniques and secret arts, many powerful figures in the Three Realms ushered in a period of rapid growth.

The strength of these powerful individuals has also undergone a tremendous change.

However, this transformation does not last forever. Once the accumulated foundation has been fully transformed into strength, it is natural to continue accumulating.

Lei Zhan comprehended the ultimate Dao of Time and Space, and his understanding of the Dao of Time and Space was comparable to that of some Fourth-Step Dao Lords who walked the Dao of Time and Space.

It would be easy to give Hongxue and the others guidance, but ultimately, they would still need to figure it out for themselves.

"Beyond the Three Realms lies a far wider world, where opportunities abound," Lei Zhan said leisurely.

“Those profound techniques and secret arts from Guiyi Dao Palace are actually nothing special if taken outside of the Endless Chaos.” Hongxue nodded, her eyes burning with fervor.

With a shake of his head and a smile, Lei Zhan looked at Hong Xue and said, "Pierce out with your spear and let me see if your spacetime technique has undergone any new changes."

……

time flies.

In the northern region of Blazing Sun, in a void.

Inside a palace, Lei Zhan's second primordial spirit sat cross-legged in the center of the hall with his eyes closed.

"Five thousand years have passed... this clone has finally returned from its cultivation." Lei Zhan quietly opened his eyes.

Then a young man, also dressed in a golden robe, stepped out from his body.

The golden-robed youth looked exactly like Lei Zhan, except that the aura emanating from him was much weaker.

"With half a year's time and a time acceleration of ten thousand times, the eighteen avatars of the second primordial spirit are now complete, and it's time for him to break through."

Lei Zhan spoke softly, and the clone that stepped out was surrounded by a faint golden light.

As that clone approached the second primordial spirit, it merged into Lei Zhan's body almost in the blink of an eye.

Only the man in the golden robe sat cross-legged, yet his aura became even stronger.

Tao Wu's eighteen gods and demons were essentially eighteen incarnations, all of which could be gathered and dispersed at will. Whether the eighteen incarnations merged into one or separated was as simple as eating and drinking.

Naturally, there's no need to use the "One True Self" secret technique like the original.

Since then...

Whether it's the original body or the second primordial spirit, there's only one left.

"Everything is ready, let's begin," Lei Zhan said softly.

In that instant, whether it was the original body in the distant Flame Dragon Domain or the second primordial spirit in the Blazing Sun Northern Domain, their gazes were equally firm.

"BOOM!"

The original body and the second primordial spirit, which were separated by an immeasurable distance, broke through at the same time.

They even felt a strange resonance with each other. This moment was the moment for them to forge their own 'path'.

The Daoist Master of Life and Death, every step is a matter of life and death, and he is determined to forge his own path.

For each breakthrough, the main body and the second primordial spirit must break through together!
Trying to break through alone will inevitably lead to being influenced by the other person, making it impossible to succeed.

Therefore, for those fourth-step Dao Lords who possess a second primordial spirit, there is only one chance to achieve 'Dao Integration'.

It's also impossible to undergo the Heavenly Tribulation like mortals do, where the main body first merges with the Dao, and if it fails, learns from the experience and then allows the second primordial spirit to merge with the Dao.

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Therefore, the main body and the second primordial spirit must go together.

The Daoist Master of Life and Death walks a path of life and death; without great resolve, one cannot even begin to achieve it.

……

"Rumble~~~~"

Beyond the Three Realms, chaos surged and raged.

The boundless power of chaos formed a terrifying vortex, the size of which was simply unbelievable.

The fluctuations generated by this vortex even reached directly into the Three Realms.

"This this……"

"what happened?"

"Such terrifying fluctuations?"

Within the Three Realms, gods and demons alike arrived in the void of the Three Realms, gazing at the source of the distant fluctuations.

They felt as if a dragon was surging within the previously calm and endless chaos, and the force of that shock terrified them.

"Is this... a breakthrough?"

“Thousands of years ago, when Hou Yi and Tathagata broke through to the World Realm, the commotion they caused was already terrifying. But the commotion today…”

"Dao Lord? Could it be the legendary Dao Lord of Life and Death?"

"Could it be the Palace Master? That very mysterious Palace Master of Guiyi?"

One by one, gods, demons, and powerful beings speculated.

Meanwhile, at the center of their discussion, Lei Zhan sat cross-legged in the Huanyu Liuyun Palace, freely absorbing the chaotic power surrounding the Three Realms.

"Wow~~~"

Within Lei Zhan's body, the Dao Tree, which stood 36,000 feet tall, within the Golden Core Chaos Space, absorbed Lei Zhan's insights into the Dao of Time and Space and began to grow rapidly.

Rumble~~~
This tree grows very slowly, but it is growing very thick very quickly.

As time passed, the tree grew thicker and thicker, while its height slowly increased.

"The more solid the foundation of a Dao Lord of Life and Death, the thicker and stronger his Dao Tree will be."

Lei Zhan thought to himself, "I have comprehended the ultimate Dao of spacetime. Among the Dao Lords of the first step, apart from those who have also comprehended the ultimate Dao, it is probably difficult for any Dao Lord of Life and Death to compare with me."

Both the height of the Dao Tree and the number of Divine Crystals are fixed.

For example, after a Four-Step Dao Lord has cultivated for many years and reached the edge of the Dao Integration stage, his Dao Tree is 108,000 feet tall, but the thickness varies.

"Rumble~~~"

The roadside trees continue to grow.

It grew thicker and taller, and its roots continued to extend and penetrate the Golden Core Chaos Space, making the Golden Core Chaos Space more stable and causing the Chaos Space to expand continuously.

Forty-five thousand feet.

Forty-eight thousand feet.

Fifty-one thousand feet.

The Taoist arts grew to a height of 52,000 zhang before finally stopping.

The chaotic space of the Golden Core was expanding wildly, its aura growing ever more vast, and the 'Golden Core' within its body becoming ever more profound and mysterious.

"The divine body is restructured."

He sat cross-legged.

A fundamental restructuring began deep within his bones, muscles, and skin. With the 'Ultimate Time-Space Dao' as its core, he drew upon the power of chaos to regenerate divine power, and the vast and mighty aura of a Dao Lord involuntarily emanated from him.

The chaotic power from the endless distance surged in like a tidal wave.

A large amount of chaotic power is constantly replenishing the consumed magical and divine power.

At the same time, a large number of Chaos Crystals were being consumed at an alarming rate, and the auras of the main body and the second primordial spirit were also rising rapidly.

"The Lord of Life and Death... Is this what a Lord of Life and Death is?"

Lei Zhan sat cross-legged there, a smile on his face.

The aura he naturally exuded was significantly stronger than before, even comparable to that of the second-step Dao Lords like Tianlong Dao Lord and Chounu Dao Lord whom Lei Zhan had encountered before.

“Generally, when people are out in the world, they judge their cultivation level by the fluctuations of their aura. But after I broke through to become the ultimate Dao Lord, my aura is comparable to that of a second-step Dao Lord’s divine body,” Lei Zhan said softly.

"The ultimate path is of utmost importance. From now on, I will disguise myself as a second-step Dao Lord and travel through the endless territory."

...(End of chapter)