Shrouding the Heavens: The Ultimate Daoist Venerable

Chapter 464 Farewell
Even after living out his third life, the White Tiger Emperor still lacked confidence in his transformation.

Although he has gained an extra 15,000 years of lifespan, theoretically he could further advance the Kunlun Immortal Scripture he has already cultivated to a considerable extent, but reaching a state where he can undergo a transformation is still extremely difficult.

Tens of thousands of years of cultivation can be said to have smoothed out his rough edges and diminished much of his arrogance.

As fellow Dao attainers, it's one thing if one can't catch up with legendary figures like Wuji Tianzun or Lingbao Tianzun who can embark on the path to immortality in the mortal world, but if one can't catch up with emperors like Lihuang, Kunlun Xianhuang, or Xuanwu Huang who are stronger than ordinary Dao attainers, then it can only mean that he is just an ordinary emperor.

Although the White Tiger Emperor had anticipated this when he was defeated by the Black Tortoise Emperor in the past, the confirmation still made him feel uneasy.

However, accepting one's ordinariness is an inevitable part of growth. As a rare genius in the human universe, the White Tiger Emperor never imagined that he would have such a state of mind and undergo such a change.

However, the White Tiger Emperor was, after all, a ruler with a steadfast Dao heart, so he quickly adjusted his thoughts, cut off his negative emotions, and turned his attention back to his cultivation.

The White Tiger Emperor sighed slightly. His choice had been delayed for a lifetime by this Nine-Turn Immortal Pill, but no matter how conflicted he was, he should make plans as soon as possible.

At most ten thousand years from now, he will have to choose between ascending to immortality or following the path of a terrestrial immortal.

If one ascends to immortality, one departs directly and leaves a legacy for future generations; if one wants to become an Earth Immortal, one must ensure that in this lifetime one can cultivate the Kunlun Immortal Scripture to an extremely high level and be able to merge into the Kunlun Immortal Mountain.

So the White Tiger King made only a slight adjustment and continued his arduous cultivation.

Meanwhile, on Jade Flower Divine Island, Emperor Xuanwu was also deeply immersed in cultivation and unable to extricate himself.

Compared to the White Tiger Emperor, he was naturally much luckier, and he had truly gotten on the right track.

It took the Celestial Venerable of Longevity tens of thousands of years to reconstitute his true form from the Immortal Tomb and transform into the Immortal Body of Longevity. Even after he improved the methods of the Earth Immortals, this process would not have changed much.

But for Emperor Xuanwu, even tens of thousands of years is far from enough. The scale of Jade Flower Divine Island far surpasses that of the ancient Immortal Mausoleum and Underworld Land, making it far more difficult for Emperor Xuanwu to condense his true form here than for the Eternal Heavenly Venerable.

Therefore, it will take him a very long time to reach the fifth stage of Earth Immortal.

However, Emperor Xuanwu was not in a hurry to take this step; he even took the initiative to slow down the process.

This is naturally because his ambition is not only to become an ordinary Earth Immortal and condense a more advanced Jade Flower Divine Body, but also to thoroughly understand the mysteries of the Xuanwu Immortal Elixir and integrate the form of the Immortal Spirit Xuanwu into it, so as to cultivate the strongest Earth Immortal True Body.

Of course, he also continuously explored the mysteries of the field principle in the process, and although the progress was slow, he still made considerable progress.

Since Lingbao Tianzun left, he has maintained this state, striving to condense his true form as an Earth Immortal before this strange state affects his mind.

The few remaining enlightened beings in this human universe all have their own goals to achieve, and therefore they have all fallen into ascetic practices.

Even Lingbao Tianzun and Liang Yu, who used to exchange and discuss the laws of the field every now and then, stopped contacting each other and began their own cultivation.

Of course, Liang Yu was already very close to becoming a true immortal in the mortal world. Who knows when he would be immune to the ravages of time and thus achieve true immortality? Therefore, he naturally had plenty of time to communicate.

Therefore, the main reason why they no longer maintain a fixed connection in their respective cultivation is that Lingbao Tianzun's seventh incarnation is about to end. He must make every second count in using his research on the field method to complete the preparations for transformation, thereby starting the next incarnation.

Like the Celestial Venerable of Morality, the Celestial Venerable of Spiritual Treasure has also reached a critical moment, about to make one or two final preparations to break through the barrier between immortals and mortals.

The last leg of a journey is often the hardest; the closer they get to the end, the more cautious they must be to ensure they don't make a mistake. Time flies, and years pass quickly. Before we knew it, another eight thousand years had gone by.

Emperor Xuanwu sensed a familiar aura and quickly awoke from his seclusion. He then conjured an avatar and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Master."

Although they had only been separated for a little over ten thousand years, Lingbao Tianzun's appearance had changed drastically. He had transformed from a young man into an old man, and he was so old that he was on the verge of death, with his declining health no longer concealed.

At this point, Lingbao Tianzun's seventh incarnation had already lived for a full 108,000 years, an immeasurably long time. Now, he was finally about to end this life.

Because he experienced a cycle of life and death in his seventh incarnation, he gained a high degree of control over his life essence, thus maintaining himself in a balanced state that was neither at his peak nor at his lowest point.

It was precisely because of this state that Lingbao Tianzun maintained the appearance of a young man. Now that his life has come to an end, there is naturally no need to maintain this state anymore, so he has returned to his original, naturally old-age state.

Lingbao Tianzun's eyes flashed with divine light, and the Jade Flower Divine Island within his sight became transparent, revealing its laws, Dao traces, origin, and primordial patterns.

The Xuanwu Emperor's state was completely clear to him. In just one moment, he saw through the Xuanwu Emperor's goal: to integrate the secrets of the Xuanwu Immortal Elixir into his own Earth Immortal True Body.

As for the field technique, although Emperor Xuanwu used it very rarely, Lingbao Tianzun still saw the clues from the evolution of the array diagram of his natal magic weapon.

Lingbao Tianzun nodded and said, "Indeed, it seems you haven't slacked off all these years and have indeed been cultivating diligently."

Emperor Xuanwu said, "This is my duty. Master, are you about to undergo your next transformation?"

Lingbao Tianzun said, "Yes, I have already prepared for the method of transformation. I have only returned this time to supervise your cultivation in this last life."

"I don't know when I'll be able to live out my next life. Perhaps when we meet again, you'll have already reached the fifth stage of Earth Immortal."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Xuanwu realized that Lingbao Tianzun's transformation this time seemed to require a long period of accumulation, at least tens of thousands of years, or even more. Moreover, it appeared that Lingbao Tianzun's transformation would not take place within Yuhua Divine Island.

As parting drew near, Emperor Xuanwu felt a pang of reluctance, but he was also genuinely happy for Lingbao Tianzun. So he said, "Master, with this transformation, you must be close to becoming an immortal, right? This disciple wishes you in advance that you will transcend the mortal world and achieve eternal immortality."

Lingbao Tianzun sighed, "To become an immortal in the mortal world is no easy feat. Even if I achieve something in this life, I'm afraid I'll still find it difficult to break through the barrier between immortals and mortals. However, I appreciate your intentions."

"I have added a brand new field method to the Dao diagram I left for you. You must cultivate it diligently."

Emperor Xuanwu said, "I will follow my master's teachings."

Lingbao Tianzun waved his hand and said, "Alright, I'm leaving now. Take care of yourself."

After saying that, he turned and walked out of Yuhua Divine Island.

After seeing that his disciple Xuanwu Huang had gotten back on track, Lingbao Tianzun was still somewhat uneasy, but he chose to trust his disciple.

This was partly because his lifespan was nearing its end and he was too weak to care for others, and partly because his performance as an Earth Immortal made Lingbao Tianzun feel at ease.

As Emperor Xuanwu watched Lingbao Tianzun's retreating figure, a wave of melancholy washed over him. However, he quickly composed himself and continued his cultivation.

(End of this chapter)