The Legend of the Great Desolation: I Am the Fortress

Chapter 397 Another Ultimate Dao Lord of Time and Space?
"Senior Spirit of the Cave?"

Lei Zhan turned to look at the white-haired old man standing in front of the throne in the distance, "This third test... I passed it, didn't I?"

"It's approved." The white-haired old man nodded.

"The three trials have been overcome; there is no further danger. Follow me!"

The white-haired old man spoke as he led the way, while Lei Zhan followed behind him.

The trip to Qinghua Cave was much smoother than Lei Zhan had imagined.

Lei Zhan not only successfully passed the three tests left by Qi Zhizun, but also successfully broke through to the level of the third-step Dao Lord.

What awaits us next is an enormous treasure left behind by an ancient supreme being.

"The legacy left by the Supreme Being..." Lei Zhan's thoughts soared, "After seizing these opportunities, my chances of achieving eternal Dao will probably increase significantly!"

Gathering his thoughts, Lei Zhan followed the white-haired old man to the side of the main hall.

"Rumble~~~"

A door automatically cracked open in the palace wall.

Walking through the side door, you soon arrive at an elegant and quiet hall.

"Huh? This is..." Lei Zhan's vision suddenly changed, and he looked at everything in front of him with some shock.

Inside this vast hall, huge bookshelves lined the walls on all sides.

Each bookshelf was over ten miles long and had hundreds of layers. Each layer held countless jade slips, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"This..." Lei Zhan was somewhat stunned, "So many jade slips?"

With just a glance, he could roughly deduce that there were over a hundred billion scrolls of jade slips here!

The sheer number is staggering.

Even the magic and secret techniques of Mangya Kingdom, where Lei Zhan is located, or even the eight holy cities of the Dao Alliance, are far inferior to the scene before us!
"These are all the powerful techniques my master collected, having traversed almost the entire chaotic universe," the white-haired elder said slowly, his gaze complex.

"These methods not only include those of our cultivator civilization, but also those of the Sith. The master has also collected a large number of methods and modified them to suit our cultivators."

"So many? Even the entire civilization of cultivators?"

Lei Zhan secretly clicked his tongue in amazement, "As expected of a Supreme Being, as expected of the Supreme Being Qi who can create the Azure Mist! I'm afraid that in the entire Chaos Universe, there is probably no Supreme Being whose collection of techniques can compare with the Supreme Being Qi!"

"What is collected in this hall can be said to be the convergence of countless wisdoms from the entire civilization of cultivators and the civilization of the Sith."

The white-haired old man's voice echoed in the hall, his voice indifferent and cold, yet carrying a hint of inexplicable emotion.

"What you need to do now is to read through all these methods."

"Read them all?"

Even though he had developed his Dao heart and knew some information about the Blue Flower Cave, his heart could not find peace for a long time.

The entire cultivation civilization? The methods of the Sith civilization? And all of them are powerful methods—how incredible is this!

It should be noted that simply comprehending the Ultimate Flame Dao left behind by the Ultimate Dao Lord was enough to allow Lei Zhan to break through to the level of the Third Step Dao Lord.

If Lei Zhan were to study all these methods in the years to come, breaking through to the fourth-step Dao Lord level would probably be within reach.

"With the methods left behind by the two great civilizations, after studying them... both my Origin Heart Sutra and my Ultimate Path will likely experience a rapid improvement in the future!"

Lei Zhan looked at the vast sea of ​​jade slips before him, his eyes shining brightly.

"It will even be of great help to me in the future when I use the Enlightenment Pearl to make deductions..."

"Of all my master's disciples, only two have seen all of these methods."

The white-haired old man looked at the countless jade slips around him and said, "You have passed the test left by the master, and you can freely view them for the next 108,000 Chaos Eras."

As for what happened after the 108,000 Chaos Eras...

Even the most extraordinary and monstrous genius of a Dao Lord of Life and Death can only live for 108,000 Chaos Eras at most.

After achieving eternal unity and becoming an Eternal Emperor, one has completely entered another level.

"Alright, let's look at everything first," the white-haired old man instructed. "Also, before that, swear an oath that nothing you see here will be revealed to anyone else."

"Yes!" Leizhan nodded.

The Dharma should not be passed on lightly.

Just like when Lei Zhan obtained the secret techniques of the Flowing Cloud Master in the Origin Land, he had to make a life-bound oath not to pass them on to outsiders, let alone watch these techniques in the Blue Flower Cave.

Even among the disciples of the Qinghua Cave Master, Qi Zhizun, few were able to see all of these methods. It was already good enough that Lei Zhan could see them. How could he be allowed to pass them on at will?
After all, even if the Supreme Being Qi wanted to collect so many methods, it would have taken countless hours and a great deal of effort.

……

With the white-haired old man's nod, Lei Zhan plunged headlong into the vast array of teachings.

Soon after, Lei Zhan also began his days of reading and watching.

He buried himself in countless jade slips, and the flow of time around him naturally accelerated ten thousand times, so that he could memorize every single jade slip.

A vast array of methods...

They come from various races, realms, and different universes.

Even the Sith civilization...

Each of these methods represents the culmination of the wisdom of a powerful practitioner.

As I watched the exhibits little by little, I found it quite eye-opening.

Even Lei Zhan's understanding of the water, fire, and lightning elements, which he is more familiar with, is increasing rapidly!

He gained more insights into everything from the Origin Heart Manual, the mental power secrets of his advanced cultivation, to the ultimate path of time and space.

Simply by reading, especially extensive reading, one can naturally improve their skills.

Because what he reads is the crystallization of the wisdom of countless practitioners from the two great civilizations of the entire universe.

……

Time passes slowly.

Lei Zhan was immersed in an ocean of countless methods, as if he had begun a transformation.

This is a transformation that occurs after accumulating to a certain level.

There was once a saying in the Three Realms: "Read ten thousand books, and your writing will flow like a god's."

Being able to read these countless methods and memorize them all is equivalent to "reading ten thousand volumes," which is a process of achieving a thorough understanding through extensive reading.

In the blink of an eye, a full 840 million years have passed.

"I've read all these methods!" Lei Zhan gently put down the last jade slip, but he felt a little lost.

"The road may have an end, and so too will the methods of enlightenment eventually come to an end."

Over these millions of years, Lei Zhan has been observing each and every method with undivided attention.

It's not about rushing through things, but about delving into each subject in depth. When I encounter something that interests me or that I'm familiar with, I slowly try to understand it and integrate it into my knowledge.

Even with a time acceleration of ten thousand times, the project still took 840 million years to complete.

In fact, considering the time acceleration of ten thousand times, almost several chaotic eras have passed.

"Finished reading?" The white-haired old man's voice rang in Lei Zhan's ears.

"I've finished reading." Lei Zhan looked up at the old man and nodded slightly.

After reading through the vast amount of teachings left by the Supreme Being, Lei Zhan himself also gained a special temperament, which was like a piece of unpolished jade returning to its original simplicity.

More reserved, more ordinary.

Over the past 800 million years, Lei Zhan seemed to have witnessed the entire civilization of cultivators and the civilization of the Sith, immersing himself in the wisdom of these two great civilizations.

Only after seeing the sky can one know how high it is.

Only by measuring the earth can one know how thick it is.

In this process, Lei Zhan gradually came to understand himself and his own heart.

Compared to the entire civilization of cultivators, and even the Sith civilization, he, who had comprehended the ultimate path, was but a drop in the ocean.

"Not bad! Not bad!" A barely perceptible smile appeared on the white-haired old man's indifferent face.

"In these eight hundred million years, I have witnessed your growth. I have also witnessed your terrifying Dao heart."

"If I were to let you pass that third test again, I'm afraid that with the power of the universe, I could blast that emperor away with a single palm strike!"

"You flatter me, senior." Lei Zhan smiled but did not refute.

Over these 840 million years, Lei Zhan's heart has become very peaceful. Under the guidance of countless methods, the fifth form of the 'Origin Heart Scripture' was naturally created.

This is comparable to the twelfth form of the Heart Sword Technique, and can increase Lei Zhan's strength by a full five times.

As for the Five Styles of Time and Space, they all naturally broke through to the fourth step level, and only the final bottleneck was broken through before they could become fourth-step Dao Lords.

"Alright." The white-haired old man resumed his cold demeanor.

"Although these methods were collected by my master with great effort, they are not all. My master also left some benefits for those who come after him..."

As he spoke, the white-haired old man pointed into the distance.

Wow~~~
Suddenly, countless rays of light flowed in the air above the entire hall, and the light faintly opened up a hidden space. From that hidden space, scrolls of jade slips and a dazzling, crystalline divine thought flew out.

This divine thought was more dazzling than any gemstone, even shaking the heart of Lei Zhan.

“This is…” Lei Zhan had a vague guess in his heart.

“These are the eleventh volume of the ultimate path, as well as the path of my master,” the white-haired old man said.

"The ultimate path in eleven volumes? And even the path left behind by the previous master?" Lei Zhan's gaze fell on the crystal, his heart burning with excitement.

"I'm sure you've guessed it." The white-haired old man's gaze was distant, like the mist over a vast lake.

"Ordinary rulers and lords of other universes cannot create these things. Their resources and methods are far from sufficient."

"And only the supreme beings who stand at the top of the cultivation civilization and are extremely transcendent can leave these opportunities behind."

"And my master is a supreme being in the cultivation civilization, the Supreme Being Qi."

The white-haired old man turned his head and looked at Lei Zhan. "The ultimate flame path you mentioned watching, the methods you watched, including these eleven ultimate paths and this divine thought, were all left behind by my master, Supreme Qi."

“Qi Zhizun…” Lei Zhan carefully pondered the name.

“Yes, Supreme Qi.” The white-haired old man’s eyes shone. “My master’s Daoist name is ‘Qi’, and he is revered as ‘Supreme Qi’. He is a very ancient supreme being in the entire civilization of cultivators.”

"Such an opportunity..." Lei Zhan immediately knelt down and respectfully bowed to the crystal in front of him. "Junior Lei Zhan is now fortunate to have received such an opportunity from the Supreme One. Such a great kindness will be remembered forever."

"You've shown your thoughtfulness," the white-haired old man sighed softly. "Get up."

“Yes.” Lei Zhan looked at the white-haired old man.

"These eleven volumes of the ultimate path represent eleven exceptionally talented Dao Lords, some of whom, like you, have embarked on the path of time and space," the white-haired elder said softly.

"These Dao Lords had all cultivated to the fourth-step Dao Lord level. Unfortunately, they all failed to achieve Dao integration in the end."

"Even so, these eleven volumes of the ultimate path, plus the one I gave you before, make a total of twelve volumes. These are all the ultimate path methods that my master has collected."

"They all failed to achieve the Dao?" Even though Lei Zhan already knew this outcome, his heart still sank.

Those who have reached the ultimate path are all exceptionally talented, and some have even embarked on the path of time and space...

"The ultimate path, achieving perfect harmony with the Dao, is extremely difficult," the white-haired elder said. "After all, once one successfully achieves perfect harmony with the ultimate path, their strength will be unimaginable."

“My master even speculated that once the ultimate Dao Lord successfully merges with the Dao, he will be comparable to the supreme beings of the cultivator civilization! With such a huge leap, it is normal that merging with the Dao is difficult.”

Lei Zhan also understands this.

The Dao Lords of Life and Death follow different paths, much like building tall buildings.

The most ordinary Dao Lord walks the ordinary path, just like building a thatched hut! Even if he successfully merges with the Dao, he is still just a thatched hut in the end, and his strength is naturally weak.

The ultimate path builds a towering skyscraper! Its foundation is many times more solid than a thatched hut, and even before it succeeds, it can easily slaughter weak emperors.

“Throughout the entire civilization of cultivators, very few have actually cultivated the ultimate path,” the white-haired elder said. “My master was a supreme being, yet he only managed to collect twelve volumes. If you study them carefully, they may be helpful for your future attainment of the Dao.”

"Yes." Lei Zhan nodded, then took the remaining eleven jade slips and began to carefully study them.

As for the divine thoughts left behind by the Supreme Qi, Lei Zhan was not in a hurry.

The white-haired old man had said that the eleven jade slips in front of him contained the ultimate Dao, and that the ultimate Dao of spacetime existed within them.

This jade slip is far more precious to Lei Zhan than the other eleven jade slips.

“A Dao Lord who has reached the fourth level…and who also walks the path of time and space.” Lei Zhan thought to himself, “I’m afraid the Dao left behind by this Dao Lord is even more meaningful for me to learn from.”

The journey from becoming a Dao Lord of Life and Death to achieving Dao Integration is like crossing a river by feeling for stones.

No two cultivators who embark on the path of life and death have taken exactly the same path; the road ahead is always shrouded in mystery.

But since we are all bound by the same concept of time and space, we should learn from the lessons of our predecessors.

Even though there are significant differences in the subtle aspects of the principles of time and space, they can still clearly point out a direction for the development of the system.

……

(End of this chapter)