Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 697 Spatial Laws, The Academic Prodigy Makes Things Difficult (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Besides them, there are many other powerful monsters!"

Xuanzhenzi added a sentence.

"This……"

Li Yunjing was somewhat surprised. He asked in return, "Are we just going to watch them grow bigger and stronger?"

"hey-hey!"

Xuanzhenzi sneered, "This is the territory of our 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect,' and no living being can shake it! Their existence helps stabilize the secret realm!"

"For example, how much 'Yi Wood Essence' can those million tree demons generate?"

Seeing that Li Yunjing was confused, Xuanzhenzi explained, "These are all real benefits! It is precisely because of these native creatures that our 'Divine Firmament Secret Realm' space has become increasingly stable!"

"Aren't you afraid they'll turn the tables and take control?"

Li Yunjing was still somewhat worried.

"The entire space is in our hands!"

Xuanzhenzi laughed and said, "If the sect abandons this place, it can detonate the entire 'Divine Firmament Secret Realm' in an instant. All these countless monsters will be torn apart by the power of space and perish completely!"

"So that's it!"

Li Yunjing was relieved.

"We already reached an agreement with these spirits!"

Xuanzhenzi added, "We should live in peace on ordinary days. If any members of the Shenxiao Dao Sect enter, you are not allowed to kill them. If anything happens, my sect will ask them for help. After they help, you will be granted the right to leave the secret realm!"

"Oh! This place is a treasure trove for us!"

Li Yunjing suddenly realized, "But for these spirits, it's a prison?"

"It's almost what it means!"

Xuanzhenzi smiled and nodded.

After Xuanzhenzi finished speaking, he waved his sleeve, and a jade slip flew into Li Yunjing's hand.

"This jade slip contains detailed information about the locations of thirty-six resource points within the secret realm, as well as the spheres of influence of the monsters in each location."

Mako cautioned, "You are free to explore within, but remember..."

"First, do not over-collect. Every resource point has its own balance. If too much is taken away, it will affect the spiritual energy cycle of the entire secret realm."

"Second, do not provoke those spirits. Although they are bound by the rules of the secret realm, if you make the first move, they will have a reason to retaliate."

"Third, if you encounter danger, immediately crush the jade slip. I will sense your location and come to your rescue."

"Disciple, please remember this."

Li Yunjing nodded solemnly.

Xuanzhenzi stroked his beard with satisfaction and said, "In addition, the 'flow of time' in the secret realm is different from that in the outside world. You cultivate here for three months, while only ten days have passed in the outside world, so there is no need to rush."

"Three months later, the secret realm will automatically teleport you out."

"Yes!"

Li Yunjing nodded again.

"Go."

Xuanzhenzi waved his hand, "Remember, this is the last remaining treasure of the sect. What you gain today may save the entire 'Shenxiao Dao Sect' from peril in the future."

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man's figure gradually faded away, eventually turning into a wisp of smoke and disappearing.

"I never expected that the sect would leave behind such a treasure trove."

Li Yunjing took a deep breath, gripped the jade slip tightly, and looked determined.

He didn't take any action. First, he checked the jade slip and found that among the thirty-six resource points, the closest one to him was a place called "Spirit Mist Valley".

“Lingwu Valley is shrouded in rich spiritual energy all year round. 'Ten-thousand-year-old spiritual ginseng' and 'purple heart grass' grow in the valley, making it suitable for refining pills that help one break through realms.”

"However, a group of 'Phantom Moon Foxes' inhabit the valley. They are skilled in illusion magic, so we must be careful."

"Illusion?"

Looking at the records on the jade slip, Li Yunjing smiled slightly: "Perfect timing to test my 'Creation Divine Eye'!"

With a flash, he transformed into a streak of light and flew towards the direction of "Spirit Mist Valley".

Upon entering the valley, the dense spiritual energy was almost tangible, and every pore of Li Yunjing's body greedily absorbed this pure energy.

“It’s a great place indeed!”

He activated his "Creation Divine Eyes," his eyes flashing with lightning, instantly seeing through the illusions within the valley.

Those seemingly ordinary trees actually conceal the lair of the "Phantom Moon Fox".

"Squeak..."

Several silver-white foxes peeked out from behind the tree, watching him warily.

"I'm just here to collect a few medicinal herbs; I won't disturb you."

Li Yunjing did not make a move, but instead took out a few spiritual fruits from his storage ring and gently placed them on the ground.

The "Phantom Moon Fox" sniffed the spirit fruit, hesitated for a moment, and finally picked up the fruit and slowly retreated.

"Sure enough, as long as I don't attack them first, they won't make things difficult for me."

Li Yunjing successfully collected several "ten-thousand-year-old ginseng" and "purple heart grass", and even discovered a rare "nine-leaf lingzhi".

"This trip was very fruitful!"

Li Yunjing breathed a sigh of relief after safely collecting the first batch of resources.

After leaving "Spirit Mist Valley", Li Yunjing followed the jade slip's guidance and arrived at the second resource point - "Fire Spirit Pool".

This is a boiling lava lake, at the bottom of which lies "innate fire essence." If one can refine it, it can greatly enhance the power of fire-based techniques.

However, a "Crimson Flame Dragon" was lurking by the pool, its strength comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator!

"Roar……"

Sensing Li Yunjing's presence, the Crimson Flame Dragon suddenly opened its eyes, its scarlet vertical pupils locking onto him.

Li Yunjing did not back down, but said loudly, "Senior, this disciple has come to retrieve the Fire Essence on the orders of Ancestor Xuanzhenzi. May I ask for your help?"

"Human, don't think you can intimidate me by bringing out that old Taoist priest!"

The Crimson Flame Dragon sneered, "If you want the Fire Essence, you'll have to take my attack first!"

Before it could finish speaking, it opened its mouth and spewed out a blazing pillar of fire!
"it is good!"

Li Yunjing was prepared. He flashed forward and simultaneously summoned the "Yin Yang Five Elements Heavenly Evolution Sword". The sword light transformed into a water curtain, forcefully blocking the pillar of fire.

"Boom!"

Water and fire collide, and mist rises.

A hint of surprise flashed in the Crimson Flame Dragon's eyes: "You've got some skill!"

"Senior, I only need three drops of fire essence, which will not affect the balance in the pool."

Taking the opportunity, Li Yunjing said, "In exchange, I can give you a bottle of 'Mysterious Yin Cold Marrow' to help you harmonize the fire poison in your body."

After a moment's thought, the Crimson Flame Dragon finally nodded: "Deal!"

Li Yunjing breathed a sigh of relief, having successfully obtained the Fire Essence and left behind the "Mysterious Yin Cold Marrow" as agreed.

In the days that followed, Li Yunjing explored resource points such as "Medicine King Valley", "Tianjing Mine", "Jade Slip Mountain" and "Mirror Lake" according to the guidance of the jade slip, and reaped great rewards.

However, when he arrived at the last marked point, he found that it was not described in detail in the jade slip, but only had two words written on it: "Forbidden Land".

"Forbidden place?"

Li Yunjing frowned, "Ancestor Xuanzhenzi didn't mention this place..."

He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to find out for himself.

Upon entering the forbidden area, the surrounding environment suddenly changed. The originally abundant spiritual energy became extremely violent, and an ancient and dangerous aura permeated the air.

Li Yunjing felt a chill run down his spine.

The surrounding light was strangely distorted, and the ground beneath our feet was an unnatural purplish-black, as if it had been contaminated by some kind of force.

Fine ashes floated in the air, each grain of ash shimmering with an eerie red light.

"This is……"

Li Yunjing's pupils contracted sharply, and his "Creation Divine Eye" activated automatically. The scene before him made him gasp.

The entire forbidden area was shrouded in a semi-transparent, blood-red membrane, covered with vein-like patterns that pulsated slowly in a certain rhythm.

Suddenly, the jade slip in his hand cracked open without warning.

"Go back!"

Xuanzhenzi's urgent telepathic message exploded in his mind: "That's not a forbidden area, it's a sealed rift!"

But it was too late.

The ground suddenly collapsed, and Li Yunjing was caught off guard and fell into the abyss.

During his fall, he saw a horrifying sight.

Embedded in the rock wall are countless mummified corpses, all in a struggling posture, some of which are even wearing the robes of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect"!

"boom!"

He crashed heavily to the bottom, but ignoring the pain, Li Yunjing immediately summoned the "Yin Yang Five Elements Heavenly Evolution Sword" to protect himself.

By the light of the sword, he could see that he was standing on a huge bronze altar.

Nine stone pillars stand in the center of the altar, each with a skeleton of a different shape bound by chains.

On the very center stone pillar, there was a living creature still twitching slightly!
It was a humanoid creature, its entire body covered in fine black scales, with a third vertical eye on its forehead.

When Li Yunjing's gaze met his, the vertical eye suddenly opened, revealing a golden pupil filled with bloodshot veins.

"Jie Jie Jie..."

The monster let out a hoarse laugh, the chains rattling with its movements. "So many years, finally one alive."

"what are you?"

Li Yunjing pointed his sword at the monster and demanded an explanation.

"Something?" The monster tilted its head, a movement that caused the scales on its neck to crack and ooze black mucus. "I am 'You Shi' of the Heavenly Demon Clan. I followed the Demon Lord in his conquest of 'Tianlan Star' and was sealed here."

It suddenly struggled violently, the chains groaning under the strain, "But soon, this damned seal will..."

Before the words were even finished, the entire underground cavern shook violently.

The edges of the altar began to collapse, revealing endless darkness below.

Even more terrifying, the mummies opened their empty eye sockets and stood up unsteadily!
"Boy!"

Xuanzhenzi's voice suddenly came from above, "Catch!"

A golden light pierced through the sky, revealing itself to be a "heavenly measuring ruler".

Li Yunjing leaped to catch the ruler and immediately understood.

He bit his tongue and sprayed his blood onto the ruler: "Heaven and earth are boundless, the universe borrows its power, shifting forms and changing positions!"

The "celestial measuring rod" burst forth with dazzling starlight, outlining a complete pattern of the Big Dipper in the sky.

Li Yunjing's figure was enveloped in starlight, and his figure slowly dissipated, reappearing above.

Above the blood moon, Xuanzhenzi's dojo was shrouded in a hazy starlight.

Li Yunjing followed the old man through layers of restrictions and arrived in front of a floating jade platform.

The tabletop is engraved with the stars of the heavens, and thirty-six ancient bronze lamps float around it, their flames displaying different Taoist charms.

"sit."

With a flick of his sleeve, Xuanzhenzi caused two prayer mats to rise from the center of the jade platform.

After Li Yunjing took his seat, the old man looked at him helplessly: "You're really good at causing trouble! Don't you recognize the words 'forbidden area'?"

"Forehead……"

Li Yunjing looked apologetic, scratched his head, and smiled awkwardly, "Ancestor, I was just curious and caused you trouble."

"never mind!"

Xuanzhenzi waved his hand helplessly and warned, "The demons suppressed there are not weak; they are at least at the Integration Realm or above! Don't cause trouble!"

"Yes!"

Only then did Li Yunjing realize the enormity of the trouble he had caused.

"By the way! There are still a few days left. Do you have any difficulties with your cultivation?"

Xuanzhenzi didn't want Li Yunjing to leave either, fearing that he might cause some trouble in the "Divine Firmament Secret Realm".

You should know that there are too many secrets in this secret realm.

The "Divine Firmament Secret Realm" has existed for tens of millions of years. The known and unknown aspects are all beyond the grasp of even Xuanzhenzi.

"This disciple has a question to ask!"

Li Yunjing was overjoyed and immediately asked his questions about cultivation.

His questions were extremely tricky, covering topics such as the laws of space and time, the true meaning of killing, and the way of deduction... These questions touched on the very essence of things, making Xuanzhenzi's face turn green with embarrassment.

"Damn it! Why did I have to be so mean to this little brat?"

Xuanzhenzi's Taoist robe was gradually soaked with sweat.

He stared at the eager young man before him and suddenly felt as if the whisk in his hand weighed a ton.

"Your questions..."

The old man wiped the sweat from his brow. "Where did you figure all this out?"

"The problems that have accumulated in my disciples over the years."

Li Yunjing smiled sheepishly: "I've always believed that cultivation should directly point to the origin of the Great Dao, so I've studied these aspects of the Dao more! It's just that these principles are too difficult to comprehend..."

"stop!"

Xuanzhenzi raised his hand to interrupt, his lips twitching, "I'll give you answers one by one."

Xuanzhenzi was truly afraid!

This is such a difficult question, it's really troubling for him!
But if he were stumped by a junior, wouldn't he, the number one person of the "Shenxiao Dao Sect", lose all face?

"Alright, I'll only say it once."

Xuanzhenzi's expression was solemn. "The law of time and space is the principle of the unity of the two laws of time and space."

As he spoke, his fingers traced mysterious lines. "You wouldn't understand if I explained too much profound stuff, so I'll just give you a simple explanation of the laws of space!"

The beam of light slowly moved through the void, cutting the surrounding space into countless regular cubes.

"See it clearly!"

The old man said in a deep voice, "Space is not nothingness, but a structure composed of countless 'space particles'."

Li Yunjing's pupils suddenly contracted, and his "Creation Divine Eye" was operating at its maximum.

In his field of vision, there were even finer grid-like patterns inside those cubes, with each node shimmering with strange points of light.

"This is the basic form of the laws of space."

Xuanzhenzi flicked his finger, and a cube suddenly expanded tenfold. "The simplest application is spatial expansion."

He then pointed to the adjacent cube, where the space immediately distorted and folded. "The next step is spatial folding."

As he explained, the old man's hands moved faster and faster.

The cubes sometimes overlapped and sometimes intersected, eventually forming a miniature palace model.

“There are three stages to cultivating the laws of space.”

Xuanzhenzi wiped his sweat. "The first stage, 'Observing the Void,' requires being able to see the spatial structure."

He suddenly pointed his fingers together to form a sword shape and made a gesture in front of Li Yunjing's eyes.

The latter immediately felt a cool sensation in his eyes, and the space in his field of vision suddenly presented a completely new level.

The outlines of the tables and chairs are all covered by a semi-transparent thin film.

"The second stage is 'hollowing out'."

A ball of silver fluid appeared in Xuanzhenzi's palm. "Use spiritual power to simulate spatial particles."

The fluid kept changing shape in his hand. "This requires at least the spiritual power to control at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul realm."

Li Yunjing tried to activate the spiritual power within his body, but found that his spiritual power dissipated as soon as it left his body.

Clearly, he's not capable enough!

This was beyond his comprehension!

That's why Li Yunjing had doubts and found it difficult to continue his cultivation!
It's not that he lacks comprehension, but rather that he's been limited by his cultivation level.

Once Li Yunjing breaks through to a higher realm, he will naturally gain the ability to comprehend.

Seeing this, Xuanzhenzi shook his head: "Don't rush, let's look at the third stage, 'Breaking Through the Void' first."

The old man suddenly flicked his finger at the stone lamp three zhang away.

Without any fluctuation of spiritual energy, the lamp mysteriously appeared in his hand!

"This is not teleportation."

Xuanzhenzi said solemnly, "Instead, it temporarily erases the spatial interval between the two points. A true master of the laws of space can even... travel through time and space and explore the universe!"

Xuanzhenzi wiped the sweat from his forehead, looked at Li Yunjing who seemed to have figured something out, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

This kid's comprehension is truly astonishing. When he was explaining the laws of space just now, his eyes were so bright they looked like they were about to burst into flames.

"Next is the true meaning of killing."

With a flick of his wrist, the old man conjured the "Evil-Slaying Sword" out of thin air. "Watch closely, I'll only demonstrate it once."

The sword tip trembled slightly, and the air in the entire training ground instantly froze.

Li Yunjing suddenly felt short of breath, as if a tremendous weight was pressing down on his shoulders.

Xuanzhenzi was just standing there casually, yet he gave off a sense of oppression, like a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood.

"Killing is not the same as slaughter."

The old man's voice was cold and stern, "But rather..."

With a gentle tap of the sword tip, thirty-six crimson lotus flowers bloomed in the void, "the determination to stop war with war."

Each lotus flower reveals a different battle scene, from clashes of thousands of troops to life-or-death struggles between masters...

Li Yunjing was completely absorbed in the spectacle, his internal magical power unconsciously circulating according to some mysterious trajectory.

"Remember this feeling."

A day later, Xuanzhenzi sheathed his sword, saying, "The essence of the true meaning of killing lies in... the ability to control and unleash it at will."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the crimson lotuses withered at the same time, turning into pure spiritual energy that surged into Li Yunjing's body.

The latter shuddered, a flash of bloodlust crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his clarity.

"Finally, there is the method of deduction."

Xuanzhenzi took out the Heavenly Mirror, and ripples appeared on its surface. "This is the most troublesome..."

The old man suddenly threw the mirror into the air, and the mirror expanded infinitely, instantly covering the entire Taoist temple.

Li Yunjing was surprised to find that countless "selves" had appeared around him, each practicing a different martial art.

"Deduction is not fortune telling."

Xuanzhenzi lightly traced a line with his finger, and the illusions began to devour each other. "But rather..."

The remaining illusions suddenly merged, transforming into a dazzling golden light, "finding the one true truth among countless possibilities."

The golden light entered Li Yunjing's brow, and he immediately felt a flood of information in his mind.

Even more amazingly, this information is automatically combining and arranging to form a clear cultivation path.

"Time is up."

Xuanzhenzi suddenly looked up at the void, "The secret realm is about to close."

Li Yunjing hurriedly bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Ancestor!"

(End of this chapter)