Shrouding the Heavens: Starting by joining the Holy Land of Yao Guang

Chapter 254 Enlightenment at the Ancestral Temple
Upon reaching the fifth courtyard, the darkness ahead was replaced by dazzling light. Some stone carvings in the main hall shone brightly, undimmed for hundreds of thousands of years.

Li Yao walked up to the stone carving and sensed a Daoist charm. After a moment of contemplation, he was deeply moved and his ability to process the Dao's insights accelerated considerably.

"There's an unexpected surprise!" He couldn't help but feel delighted.

The faster you digest the insights from the Great Dao, the shorter the time it will take to enter the realm of creation next time.

Throughout his cultivation journey, the realm of creation has been of immense help to him; each time he enters it, he gains a great deal.

Others cultivate their spiritual practice, and their progress is measured in years, but for him, his spiritual practice progresses every single day.

Therefore, his cultivation was extremely profound, and the benefit he gained was the freedom to enter and exit the forbidden realm of gods, and the ability to improve his realm simply by enhancing his cultivation level and primordial spirit.

These benefits all come from his powerful cultivation, and the reason his cultivation is so powerful is because of his creation of the Dharma realm.

Therefore, shortening the time it takes to enter the realm of creation is crucial to his cultivation.

Li Yao did not rush to the next level, but began to comprehend the stone carvings to accelerate the digestion of his understanding of the Great Dao.

Before I knew it, a day had passed.

The courtyard was completely quiet, without a sound.

Unlike the dark courtyard in front, this place was brightly lit and sacred.

However, as time passed, Li Yao sat cross-legged in front of the stone carving without making a sound, giving people a strange feeling.

In particular, his aura gradually merged with the stone carving, and his whole body exuded the aura of the Great Dao, as if he were about to transform into the Dao.

This is an extremely dangerous situation, where one could be transformed into the Dao at any moment and vanish as a shower of light.

These stone carvings contain such profound Taoist principles that with just a little contemplation, endless truths will emerge, captivating and enchanting all who behold them.

This kind of cultivation, where the mind is completely immersed in the Great Dao, is extremely dangerous. If it were an ordinary person, nine times out of ten they would perish in the Dao.

But for Li Yao, it was incredibly easy. He had experienced even more extreme enlightenment environments, which were insights gained from ascending to a higher dimension.

In other words, it was protected by the realm of creation; otherwise, Li Yao would have already attained enlightenment. Therefore, the Daoist charm on the stone carvings of the Yuhua Ancestral Temple was far too ordinary for him.

As expected, Li Yao remained unharmed, and the Dao-like aura emanating from him persisted, yet he never took the next step.

The main hall was very spacious, and the ancient characters on the stone carvings shone brightly, radiating countless divine rays and auspicious light, making the hall incomparably sacred.

Li Yao sat cross-legged in front of the stone carving, seemingly in harmony with the Dao, his aura becoming increasingly unfathomable, like an abyss with no bottom.

The feeling was so good that he forgot the purpose of his visit to the Zhongzhou Ancestral Temple.

Of course, he was just saying it; Li Yao would never forget it, but these stone carvings were of great help to his cultivation.

As for Earth coordinates, there's no need to rush, they're not going to disappear anyway.

Moreover, crossing the starry sky without the aid of the Five-Colored Altar is not something that can be done in a short time, so there is no need to be in a hurry.

Time flies, and several days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Yao opened his eyes, his pupils deep and profound, flowing with countless Dao principles, depicting the creation of heaven and earth, an incredibly terrifying sight.

"The last time I entered the realm of creation was seven days ago. Logically, it should have taken at least twenty days to fully digest the insights into the Great Dao. However, these stone carvings have saved me more than ten days."

Li Yao was pleasantly surprised. The ancestral temple was a large complex, and there must be many stone carvings like these. If he could study them all, he would save a lot of time.

"Buzz!"

Five-colored immortal light shone brightly, and he summoned the Immortal Golden Furnace, which floated around him, releasing a terrifying yet restrained holy power.

Having survived the tribulation of becoming a saint, the Immortal Gold Furnace has become an unparalleled holy weapon, and unlike ordinary holy weapons, it is much more active.

The Immortal Gold Furnace is like a living weapon, capable of unleashing sacred laws on its own, much like a saint.

Li Yao summoned the Immortal Golden Furnace to protect him, intending to enter the realm of creation and enlightenment within this ancestral temple.

With a sage protecting the Way, there's naturally no need to worry about safety.

Moreover, the realm of creation is not a death row; he can come out at any time if anything goes wrong.

The only price to pay is wasted time; there's no risk of going astray or becoming possessed.

"Wow!"

He took out about 60,000 catties of source energy and let the Heavenly Book absorb it. The page of the book engraved with the True Dragon Fist scripture shone brightly, and his mind instantly entered the realm of creation.

True Dragon Fist is the most powerful secret technique he currently possesses in terms of killing power, and it is also the divine technique he studies the most.

Even though it's just a casual fight, the level of Dragon Fist is definitely no lower than that of a Celestial. Therefore, each time he comprehends it, he not only gains a deeper understanding of Dragon Fist, but also learns by analogy and can apply his knowledge to other divine arts.

Two hours later, Li Yao opened his eyes, and instantly, divine light shone brightly, making the hall even more luminous.

"Roar……"

The true dragon roared, and surging dragon energy emanated from Li Yao's pores, transforming into a golden holy dragon.

Entering the realm of creation and contemplation once is no less than a sudden enlightenment; each time you emerge, you experience a leap forward in progress.

The experience of sudden enlightenment depends entirely on individual circumstances; some people go through their entire lives without ever experiencing it.

Li Yao stood up, circled the stone carving, and tried to comprehend all the Daoist principles on it. After gaining nothing more, he turned around and continued walking.

In the center of the main hall, there is a stone figure, about half a foot tall, sitting cross-legged on a shrine, looking like a god, a Buddha, or a demon, with an indescribable sense of strangeness.

Beneath the shrine, there are numerous patterns connecting the stone carvings, resembling grooves.

Those who lack natural talent will be drawn to the Taoist spirit emanating from the stone carvings, entering a state of harmony between humanity and nature, and easily transforming into the Tao.

If one is hit by this, their cultivation will be absorbed by the stone carving and enter the statue along the groove.

This is nothing but a sugar-coated bullet. The Feathered Dynasty obviously has no intention of leaving these stone carvings for future generations to study. Everything comes at a price.

Li Yao is an exception. His perspective on dimensional ascension in the realm of creation is even more extraordinary than that of the stone carving. Having experienced dimensional ascension, how could he have fallen for the stone carving's trick?

Therefore, the life-and-death situation of others is his opportunity, which he can enjoy without worry.

"Crench!"

Push open the fifth courtyard to enter the sixth courtyard.

The layout here is similar to the fifth floor, and it is also brightly lit, because there are stone carvings, shrines, and statues here as well!
Li Yao stopped with a clear conscience and began to comprehend the profound laws engraved on the stone.

The stone carvings here are even more dangerous than those on the fifth floor, and the Daoist aura is even stronger. He had only just begun to comprehend them, yet his understanding of the True Dragon Fist was already being rapidly absorbed.

Several days passed in the blink of an eye. With the complete understanding of the Great Dao Laws on the stone carving, he was only one small step away from entering the realm of creating laws.

Even without the stone carvings, these remaining insights would be fully digested within three days at most.

"What a stroke of luck! It has saved me so much time." Li Yao was overjoyed.

His cultivation level is soaring, and his combat strength is also improving. He can now unleash 120% of his original strength.

Without wasting any time, he pushed open the courtyard gate and entered the seventh courtyard, where he once again entered the Creation Realm.

The pages of the book, inscribed with the two immortal scriptures of Yin and Yang, shone with divine light. He entered the realm of creation and began to comprehend the mysteries of chaos.

As his cultivation level reached the Saint Realm, the transformation speed of his Chaos Body also increased significantly. Furthermore, with the deepening of his understanding of the Taiyin Taiyang True Scripture, the speed would only accelerate further.

More than two hours later, Li Yao woke up. After studying the remaining stone carvings, he got up and left the seventh-floor courtyard.

In the eighth courtyard, after he finished studying the stone carvings on this floor, and together with most of the stone carvings on the seventh floor, he had just finished digesting his understanding of the Taiyin Taiyang True Scripture and entered the realm of creation once again.

This time, he comprehended the secret of the character "行" (xing), which will be crucial for his future journey through the starry sky.

Soon, he had walked through all ten courtyards and was once again trying to comprehend the secret of the character "行".

His two consecutive attempts to comprehend the secret of the character "行" (xing) led him to an unbelievable level of understanding.

Now, once he has fully digested all his insights, his speed will surpass even that of the Heavenly King.

The Saintly Realm Level 3 is comparable to the peak of the Saintly King Realm, spanning a whole major realm. How exaggerated is that?

Moreover, this is just the normal speed. Once you enter the forbidden realm of gods, the speed will be even faster. With the addition of the "All" secret technique, which increases combat power tenfold, it is not an unrealistic expectation that the speed will rival that of an early Great Sage.

Such speed allows one to traverse the entire universe without the aid of a teleportation array, a feat beyond human comprehension.

It should be noted that if a Great Sage takes one more step upward, he will reach the Emperor Realm, overlooking the entire universe. In any period of ancient history, he would be an unparalleled powerhouse.

"At the current speed, with ten times the combat power in the Divine Forbidden Domain, I should be able to travel quickly between different star systems, right?" Li Yao thought to himself.

This is what gives him the confidence to travel alone through the vast sea of ​​stars to Earth, without worrying about getting lost.

Generally, long-distance traversal of the starry sky like this is achieved using large teleportation arrays and five-colored altars.

However, the five-colored altar that can travel from the Big Dipper to Earth is something that ordinary people simply cannot create; only supreme experts possess such means.

For example, the Five-Colored Altar in the Desolate Forbidden Land is a large Five-Colored Altar that connects the Big Dipper and Mars.

But Li Yao is not Ye Fan, and he dares not go into the forbidden area again and again to cross the starry sky through the five-colored altar there.

As for the small five-colored altars on the star path, their teleportation distance is limited and takes a long time.

For example, in the original novel, Ye Fan went west out of Hangu Pass and traversed the starry sky, during which he used countless small five-colored altars.

Furthermore, the star path that Li Yao and Dongfang Taiyi took to Ziwei was also a small five-colored altar.

This pre-existing star path was the result of countless efforts and time spent by the ancients to connect the two sides.

Li Yao didn't have the time to forge a star path himself; he didn't have that much time.

However, if one were to cross the river entirely on their own, it would likely take at least several years to reach Earth from Beidou.

That's also unacceptable! "The Feathered Dynasty should have constructed a star path. If we can find it, it might save a lot of time."

Li Yao thought of this matter. The Feathered Dynasty had built a star road back then, but he didn't know if it still existed.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, he arrived at the gate of the tenth-floor courtyard, pushed it open, and entered the eleventh-floor courtyard.

This place is completely different from the one before; it is now a true palace-like microcosm, vast and boundless from this level onwards.

From the outside, this place looks no different from other palaces, but once inside, it stretches as far as the eye can see, no longer bright, and filled with ancient beasts in the darkness.

Li Yao stood tall and looked around. When he found no stone carvings, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

That's a good thing. If he gets it a few more times, it could save him at least half a year.

The eleventh-level palace is a vast miniature world, filled with lush ancient trees, mountains, and rivers, but it is devoid of sunlight, and it is unknown how these plants grow.

Li Yaotian's eyes were like torches, resembling two gilded suns, as he gazed with great interest at the several powerful and ferocious beasts.

"A descendant of the divine beast that guards the ancestral temple?"

These ferocious beasts were all extraordinary, covered in scales, resembling Qilin or Shenhou, with extremely rich bloodlines, and all possessing cultivation at the second level of Immortal.

Several ferocious beasts glared menacingly at Li Yao, their menacing aura filling the air. They were ready to swarm him at the slightest movement.

"boom!"

Li Yao didn't waste time with these ferocious beasts. He simply waved his sleeve and smashed several of them to pieces, sending blood and bones flying everywhere.

"Ow..."

Suddenly, a series of animal roars echoed through the dense forest, followed by dozens of pairs of eyes that lit up, some of which shone exceptionally brightly, like magic lamps, illuminating the entire surrounding area.

"The King of the Dao is like a centipede that dies but does not fall down. If there are descendants of the Feathered Dynasty, these ancient beasts alone would be enough to dominate a region."

After speaking, Li Yao lightly tapped his toes, and countless Dao patterns appeared, flying in all directions and merging into the world.

"Pfft!"

In an instant, dozens of giant beasts exploded, dying without even a howl.

Li Yao did not linger on the eleventh floor, as there was no fortune to be found there.

The same was true for the twelfth-level palace world; there was no need to linger, so he quickly passed through and went to the thirteenth-level world.

This is a world of light, no longer as dark as the eleventh and twelfth level small worlds. It is a sacred and peaceful place, as if one has entered a divine kingdom.

Ahead stood a stone statue a hundred feet tall, radiating a soft light. Dozens of runes were engraved on the statue, each one incredibly profound and capable of resonating with the Great Dao.

These runes contained Daoist principles, which Li Yao naturally wouldn't let slip by. He began to digest the secret insights of the Xingzi (行字) character.

"It's a spirit-exorcising talisman!"

After observing for a while, Li Yao showed a different expression. Although he had never seen it before, with his cultivation level, he gained something after only a short time of contemplation.

These runes are a method of exorcising spirits, capable of commanding various strange beasts.

Li Yao became interested and began to seriously study it. His powerful cultivation began to surge, and he quickly mastered the mysteries of the spirit-exorcising talisman.

There are only a few dozen symbols, but each one is extremely complex, composed of thousands upon thousands of lines. It is a way of simplifying complexity, which can directly resonate with the great principles of heaven and earth and contains powerful truths.

The Feathered Divine Dynasty, once a dominant force in the universe, possessed immeasurable treasures, and at its peak, its size far surpassed that of the Yao Guang Holy Land.

Although both are extreme forces, the difference in their foundations is truly enormous.

This spirit-expelling talisman is far more profound than those of the Yao Guang Holy Land. I can add it to my library when I get back.

After a long while, Li Yao finally withdrew his gaze, leaped into the air, and arrived in front of the slightly open mouth of the stone statue.

There was a box inside the statue's mouth.

"What's inside, without a doubt, is the God-Slaying Insect?" Li Yao guessed.

Upon seeing the runes on the stone statue, he immediately thought of this matter. There was a batch of God-Slaying Insects in the Feathered Ancestral Temple, and it was likely that they were in this box.

Li Yao reached into the mouth of the stone statue and took the box out.

In an instant, auspicious colors burst forth, and various rays of light rose up, dazzlingly bright and impossible to look at directly.

Of course, this had no effect on Li Yao, who stared intently at the square treasure chest in his hand.

"It's truly extravagant, forged from five-colored iron. This box alone is priceless," Li Yao remarked, somewhat astonished.

Five-colored iron essence is a top-grade refining material, on par with Great Luo Silver Essence, and both can be used to forge legendary holy weapons.

Li Yao did not open it, but simply held it in his hand and examined it.

Although he has already learned the Spirit Exorcism Talisman, his skill is not yet profound enough, and he may not be able to control the God-Slaying Insects. He will try again when his skill with the Spirit Exorcism Talisman reaches its peak.

The God-Slaying Insects are an incredibly powerful race. Their sharp mandibles can cleave through everything in the world, including the flesh and blood, primordial spirit, and weapons of cultivators. They can devour these things to replenish their own strength.

The pure-blooded god-slaying insects are terrifying, capable of devouring even gods. They are of low intelligence and extremely bloodthirsty, sparing no one they encounter. When they swarm in groups, their presence is no different from a locust plague.

However, this also makes them easy to enslave, making them the battle spirit beasts that many people dream of.

This box is not large, but it contains spatial divine runes and laws, resembling a small world. It contains countless god-slaying insects and is a priceless treasure.

If used for one's own purposes, it would be an absolute weapon of mass destruction. Even if one does not use it, it can be transformed into an invincible foundation, more useful than those half-dead saints.

Li Yao even thought that he could deduce a scripture for cultivating god-slaying insects.

This is a feasible method; some people have done it before, creating a special breeding method that, if raised for ten thousand years, can cultivate ancestral insects that devour the gods.

“It’s entirely feasible. If we can mass-produce the God-Slaying Ancestral Worm, it could definitely be used as a powerful weapon,” Li Yao thought to himself.

In later generations, there was a God-Slaying Emperor who was actually the ancestral God-Slaying Insect. After reaching the Emperor realm, he dared to challenge the Heavenly Emperor.

He fought a great battle with the Heavenly Emperor, but was defeated by one move. He did not perish at the hands of the Heavenly Emperor, and from then on, he never met another king, living until his death.

This demonstrates the power of the God-Slaying Insect Ancestral Worm. It dares not aspire to the Great Emperor realm, as that realm depends entirely on one's own abilities. However, reaching the ninth level of the Quasi-Emperor realm is not difficult for the God-Slaying Insect Ancestral Worm.

If there were a specialized method to cultivate trillions upon trillions of God-Slaying Ancestral Worms to form a massive army, what a spectacle that would be!

Li Yao put away the five-colored iron essence box, determined to nurture it well in the future. If he could truly realize his vision, it would be an event that would shake ancient history.

The fourteenth level of the small world also contains inheritances and stone carvings. After Li Yao comprehended it, he digested a lot of the secrets of the word "行". After two more visits, he can enter the realm of creating techniques.

Fifteen layers of small world...

In the sixteenth-layered small world, Li Yao once again entered the realm of creation, still trying to comprehend the secret of the word "action".

This is the most important thing next, and he can feel that he has reached a threshold in comprehending the Secret of the Word "Xing". Once he crosses it, he will definitely be in a completely different world.

However, this hurdle is clearly not so easy to overcome; even from a higher perspective, it will take some time.

Li Yao continued forward, heading deeper into the small world of the palace.

He would stop at each floor to contemplate the Taoist spirit embodied in the stone carvings and statues, and to digest the insights gained from the secrets of the "Xing" character, from which he reaped great rewards.

Unbeknownst to him, he arrived at the nineteenth level of the small world, where he once again entered the realm of creation.

In less than a month, he has entered the realm of creation so frequently, which is unprecedented.

The cultivation of one's spiritual path is like a floodgate bursting open, rushing wildly, converging downstream, and growing ever larger...

Finally, after entering the realm of creation for the seventh time, Li Yao clearly felt mentally exhausted.

A higher dimensional perspective—what a stroke of luck! Forcibly elevating everything about oneself, reaching the realm of a saint, yet comprehending the laws from the perspective of a great saint or quasi-emperor.

This isn't even the limit, it's just his limit. The Heavenly Book only opened up this much power to protect him.

Otherwise, according to the hierarchy of the Heavenly Book, it should be from the perspective of a True Immortal.

But even from the perspective of a Great Sage or Quasi-Emperor, it is already extremely exaggerated. For ordinary people, the only path awaiting them is the path of transformation.

For example, if one does not have sufficient spiritual cultivation to forcibly observe the Divine Flower, it will only turn into a shower of light.

Although the two are different, they mean the same thing: comprehending laws that are not within one's own level of understanding means bearing the risk of being assimilated.

In the original work, Ye Tong, the Human Demon, the Old Madman, and others, who were already at the supreme combat level at that time, could only observe the Divine Flower temporarily. After a while, they would feel uncomfortable.

The same applies to the perspective of ascending dimensions. If it weren't for the Creation Domain protecting his mind, let alone seven times, even just once would have been enough to make him dissipate into nothingness.

Li Yao had to stop and recover his greatly depleted mental energy.

A blinding light exploded, and a fist-sized divine source floated in mid-air, releasing a massive amount of life essence for Li Yao to absorb, enhancing his divine power and primordial spirit.

This is his daily routine. His cultivation level far exceeds his realm, so when he cultivates, he only needs to frantically increase his divine power and primordial spirit. Once he reaches his limit, he can break through.

His path of spiritual practice was truly like walking on thin ice.

Within the small world of the palace, there is no distinction between day and night; it is always brightly lit, sacred and incomparably holy. But at Li Yao's level, he knows that time does not require the help of day and night; he can understand it with just a thought.

So, after a full ten days, he finally recovered his depleted mind and spirit, and was able to continue entering the realm of creation to comprehend the Great Dao from a higher-dimensional perspective.

In the blink of an eye, a month passed, and he arrived at the twenty-eighth floor of the palace, where he encountered attacks from some mysterious creatures and ancient beasts.

But for Li Yao, a single glance was enough to annihilate these things.

The main reason he spent so much time was on studying the stone carvings and statues.

In just one month, he entered the realm of creation four times, comprehending the secrets of the word "action" each time.

After so many attempts to comprehend it, his mastery of the secret of the character "行" has undoubtedly reached another level.

(End of this chapter)