Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

The central void.

Xiao Xiting sat cross-legged, a green bamboo cane resting across his knees, his body enveloped in a layer of azure water.

His divine sense split in two, one half covering the ice surface and the other half covering the sea of ​​fire, constantly sensing the strength of the fluctuations of the two laws.

He was a cultivator of the Kan Water Realm, and his sense of water was extremely acute—he could almost simultaneously detect changes in the chill from the direction of the ice surface.

While he could not directly resonate with the intense heat waves emanating from the sea of ​​fire, he could perceive its movement through the stillness of water and balance its hardness through the gentleness of water.

The chill was slowly intensifying on the ice.

That was Shuyu comprehending, resonating, and integrating her own Daoist essence into the laws of ice.

In the direction of the sea of ​​fire, the intense heat was also rising simultaneously.

That is Shangyuan going deeper, sensing, and resonating with the true meaning of Li Huo.

The two rose at almost the same rate.

Xiao Xiting's lips curled up slightly.

These two younger generation members certainly did not disappoint him.

He closed his eyes, and azure water shimmered around him, transforming into fine ripples that extended towards the two poles of ice and fire.

He wasn't interfering, but rather sensing and harmonizing—

With his profound cultivation in the Kan Water realm, he provides the most stable reference for the balance between these two extremes of ice and fire.

……

I don't know how much time passed.

It may be one day, or it may be ten days.

On the ice, Master Shuyu suddenly opened his eyes.

The thick layer of ice armor that covered her body had now completely merged into her protective watery aura, transforming into a layer of crystal-clear ice film that shimmered with azure light.

That's not passive defense, but active control—

She has begun to grasp the true meaning of ice and has integrated it into her own Daoist philosophy of the "Vast Ocean".

Li Xiaoyao also stopped in his tracks amidst the sea of ​​fire.

He stood in the center of the sea of ​​fire, surrounded by eerie blue flames, yet they could not harm him in the slightest.

His protective aura had now transformed into a thin film of flames shimmering with seven colors, blending seamlessly with the surrounding dark blue flames.

He raised his hand, and a wisp of pale blue flame landed in his palm, burning quietly, like a tamed pet.

He has grasped the true meaning of the Fire of Departure and integrated it into the Daoist essence of [Royal Cloud Heaven].

In the central void, Xiao Xiting opened his eyes.

He sensed that the fluctuations of the two laws had reached their peak and were perfectly balanced.

The time has come.

He raised his hand and pointed his bamboo cane forward.

"open."

-

boom--!!

The ice surface and the sea of ​​fire trembled violently at the same time.

The two ice and fire sculptures that had stood facing each other for eight thousand years suddenly exploded at the same time.

Ice shards flew everywhere, and flames soared.

Two figures slowly rose from the ruins; they were two fist-sized orbs of light radiating intense fluctuations of law.

A patch of icy blue, a patch of deep blue.

The icy blue light flew towards Shuyu, while the dark blue light flew towards Li Xiaoyao.

The two instinctively raised their hands to catch it.

The moment the ball of light entered his grasp, a massive flow of information surged into his sea of ​​consciousness—

That was the legacy left behind by the True Lord Xuanming.

The ice-related items are a fragment of the "Mysterious Netherworld Ice Soul True Scripture" and a set of supernatural techniques and cultivation methods called "Nine Revolutions of the Cold Netherworld".

The fire element includes a fragment of the "Li Huo Xuan Ming Jue" and a set of supernatural techniques called "Burning Heaven Nine Transformations".

"This is……"

Shuyu was stunned.

Li Xiaoyao was also stunned.

Xuanming Zhenjun clearly cultivates the Kan Water lineage, so why did he leave behind a fire-attribute inheritance?

Xiao Xiting's voice came from behind, tinged with a touch of melancholy:

"I understand."

The two turned around.

Xiao Xiting looked at the two orbs of light, then at the enormous silhouette deep within the realm of ice and fire, and slowly spoke:

"The True Lord Xuanming was not trapped here back then, but entered on his own initiative."

The void cave he discovered was a trial ground left behind by a powerful being from ancient times.

That powerful being cultivated the Dao of the coexistence of water and fire, and thus set up the Yin and Yang of ice and fire here to select a successor.

"The True Lord Xuanming entered this place with the foundation of Kan water, wanting to forcibly comprehend the Dao of fire and achieve the coexistence of water and fire."

However, he ultimately only cultivated the Kan Water element, lacking sufficient affinity for the Fire element's laws, and thus stopped there, failing to reach the core.

"Before his death, he sealed away the Dao of Ice and the Dao of Fire that he had comprehended throughout his life, leaving them for those who were truly destined to receive them."

Xiao Xiting looked at Shuyu and Li Xiaoyao, his gaze carrying a meaningful meaning:

"You two, one cultivates the Kan water element and the other cultivates the fire element of rainbows, which perfectly correspond to the two poles of ice and fire. This is probably not a coincidence."

Shuyu and Li Xiaoyao exchanged a glance, both seeing the complexity in each other's eyes.

"What you mean, senpai, is..."

Shuyu spoke.

Xiao Xiting shook his head: "I didn't mean anything by it."

It just feels like this opportunity came too coincidentally, as if someone had predicted eight thousand years ago that the two of you would arrive at the same time.

He paused, then raised his hand and pointed to the enormous outline deep within the realm of ice and fire:

"The real core is right there. What's inside, I don't know."

But since you two have both gained the approval of True Lord Xuanming, this final gateway should rightfully be opened by the two of you together.

Shuyu looked at Li Xiaoyao.

Li Xiaoyao remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Let's go."

Two figures, one icy blue and the other radiant with light, swept side by side toward the enormous silhouette suspended deep within the sea of ​​fire.

Behind him, Xiao Xiting remained motionless.

He simply watched the two figures gradually disappear into the distance, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

"interesting."

He whispered, turning to look at the endless void behind him.

"This is getting more and more interesting."

……

Deep within the realm of ice and fire.

The massive outline became increasingly clear—

It is not a door, nor a bell, but an upside-down palace.

The palace was entirely black, constructed of some unknown stone, and its surface was engraved with dense ancient runes.

The runes flowed with a ghostly blue light, reflecting off the surrounding flames and exuding an eerie yet majestic aura.

The palace, with its base facing upwards and its top facing downwards, was suspended in the depths of the sea of ​​fire, defying all logic.

Li Xiaoyao and Shuyu stood side by side in front of the main gate of the palace.

The gate was ten zhang tall, cast entirely in bronze, and adorned with two enormous bas-reliefs—

On the left are towering waves, and on the right are raging flames.

Giant waves and raging flames converge in the center of the door, forming a swirling vortex pattern.

"This is... the core of Xuanming Zhenjun's grotto-heaven?"

Shuyu murmured softly.

Li Xiaoyao didn't speak, but simply sensed everything around him.

It's too quiet.

It was so quiet that it didn't seem like the place where a Golden Core True Monarch would pass away.

The [Flowing Scenery] bead in his sleeve was slightly warm, and the thin film of rosy light formed by the [Qixia Robe] quietly thickened.

"Fellow Daoist Shuyu, be careful."

Shuyu nodded, the newly formed ice crystal film around her body swirling with azure cold light, merging with her protective watery aura.

The two of them simultaneously raised their hands and placed them on the bronze door.

-

"Buzz—!"

The giant waves and flames on the door lit up at the same time, and the vortex pattern suddenly began to spin.

A powerful suction force surged out from inside the door, violently pulling the two people inside!

It's black in front of you.

The next moment, light returned.

The two found themselves inside a huge hall.

The hall is about a hundred feet high and a thousand feet in circumference. Its four walls are made of whole pieces of obsidian, smooth as a mirror.

The dome is inlaid with eighty-one fist-sized luminous pearls, which emit a cool white light, illuminating the entire hall as if it were daytime.

In the very center of the hall, a ten-zhang-tall ice coffin floated silently.

The ice coffin was completely transparent, and a human figure lay inside.

He was a solemn-faced old man with white hair and beard, dressed in a black Taoist robe, his hands folded in front of his chest, his eyes closed, and his expression serene.

Xuanming Shangqing Zhenjun.

The Golden Core True Monarch from eight thousand years ago lies quietly in this ice coffin, as if he were merely asleep.