Courtyard House: Time Traveler Not Yet a Ghost

He Damin looked up in the direction she was pointing, and his heart skipped a beat. Good heavens, the sky... had cracked open! Not just a tear in the clouds like thunder and lightning, but a real, solid crack, like a hole smashed in a pane of glass, revealing a golden expanse behind it. A thick pillar of light, probably ten zhang wide, like a giant golden pillar, slammed into the ground with a "thud," enveloping the entire valley. The golden light was blinding, and countless tiny specks of light floated within it. Upon closer inspection, they were strangely shaped runes, swimming around like tadpoles. He Damin didn't recognize a single one of these characters, but they looked incredibly powerful, as if they contained some profound truth, even more mysterious than the Analects of Confucius as recited by the old scholar in the village.

"Merit...this is heaven-sent merit..." He Damin's mind suddenly cleared.

On Earth, he built eighteen levels of hell and created the six realms of reincarnation, working tirelessly like a grandson, yet he never received a single golden reward from the heavens. Later, he realized that the Heavenly Dao on Earth was incomplete, like a broken pot, patching one side only to have another leak. Add to that the contracts between the Purple Star Emperor and the Human Emperor, and it would be difficult for the heavens to bestow any rewards. But this place was different. The Heavenly Dao of this world was perfectly complete, like a brand-new pot, gleaming and clear, its laws perfectly understood. His patching up of the underworld was like fitting a lid to this new pot—a perfect fit. How could the Heavenly Dao not react? This was the heavens rewarding him for his good work.

"Xue Ru, step back and get away." He Damin's voice was steady, but his heart was pounding like a rabbit's.

Chen Xueru nodded quickly, took small steps to run behind a large rock at the edge of the valley, and peeked out with half her head. The power emanating from that golden pillar could be felt from a distance; it was warm and comforting, yet carried an indescribable majesty. She felt both awe and a little worried; this thing looked incredibly powerful, and she wondered if it might overwhelm Brother Damin.

He Damin took a deep breath, stood in the center of the pillar of light, and simply closed his eyes.

The moment he stepped inside, he felt as if he were soaking in warm water, a comforting warmth that made him want to hum. The golden light seemed to have eyes, rushing into his body, flowing along the meridians of his arms and legs, finally surging to his dantian, growing larger and larger like a snowball. He felt his primordial spirit jumping for joy in his mind, and the true essence in his dantian bubbling like boiling water. His cultivation level also soared like a rocket.

Previously, he was stuck at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, but it was like a windowpane that was easily broken through with a "poof".

"The Mahayana stage..." He Damin murmured to himself.

This feeling is truly amazing! His physical body and primordial spirit seem to have completely merged together. Even moving a finger feels incredibly powerful. The wind, grass, and rocks around him seem to be greeting him, all crystal clear. His divine sense has also expanded dramatically. Before, he was lucky to be able to scan a hundred or two hundred miles, but now, with a single glance, a hundred miles, a thousand miles, ten thousand miles… the entire continent unfolds before his eyes. It's incredibly vast, larger than all the countries on Earth combined, dotted with sects, cities, and villages. There are cultivators in Taoist robes flying on their swords, ordinary people bending over to plant in the fields, and strangely shaped monsters howling in the mountains.

But the merit-making isn't over yet.

The golden pillar of light in the sky grew brighter and brighter, almost blinding, and it grew thicker and thicker, filling the entire valley. More runes swam into his body like small fish, widening his meridians considerably, and his dantian seemed to have been renovated, becoming much brighter. His cultivation level continued to rise.

Mid-stage Mahayana... Late-stage Mahayana... Peak Mahayana...

Another hurdle blocked their way. This hurdle was much thicker than the one for the Nascent Soul stage, like a wall. He Damin knew that this was the threshold for the Tribulation stage; crossing it would mean stepping halfway into the realm of immortals. But the power of merit was too intense; the wall melted in the face of the golden light like an ice pop meeting the sun.

"The Tribulation Transcending Stage..." He Damin suddenly opened his eyes.

He felt his eyes were shining, and when he looked down, the skin on the back of his hand had a faint golden glow. He could clearly feel that the space in this world was like a thin sheet of paper, which he could easily break with a light touch of his finger. He could even "see" that beyond the paper was a dark void, and further still, as if there were even more powerful worlds.

"This is the Tribulation Transcending Stage?" He clicked his tongue, somewhat incredulous.

The golden light continued to pour into him, but his cultivation level just wouldn't improve. The peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage seemed to be the highest realm this world could contain; to go any higher, one would have to pierce the sky and fly away.

He Damin looked up at the golden pillar of light above him, still standing there as if waiting for someone. He suddenly understood that this merit was not only for him, but also for this world. He had completed the underworld, and Heaven, in its joy, had bestowed such a large amount of merit upon it. He was like a messenger, the merit flowing through him to the underworld and the six realms of reincarnation, making them stronger and more effective.

"Alright, go wherever you want to go," He Damin whispered to the pillar of light.

As if it understood, the golden pillar of light spun around with a "whoosh," part of it continuing to drill into him, while the other part sank into the ground with a "plop," disappearing into the eighteen levels of hell and the six realms of reincarnation. He Damin felt the ground beneath his feet stop trembling, the cries in hell seemed much more pleasing to the ear, the punishments looked more realistic, and the light tunnels of the six realms of reincarnation were much brighter. The entire underworld, as if it had just eaten a full meal, suddenly became energetic.

He Damin stood there, feeling lightheaded, as if he were walking on cotton, and wished he could fly right away. He stretched out his hand and gently made a rip in the air. With a "whoosh," a small crack appeared in the space, dark and revealing twinkling stars outside.

"Brother Da Min!" Chen Xueru ran over from behind the rock, her eyes red, and grabbed his arm. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

He Damin turned around, grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. "It's nothing, it's nothing, I'm perfectly fine! Look, I'm perfectly alright."

"Your eyes..." Chen Xueru pointed at his face, a little scared.

He Damin then remembered that his eyes had seemed to be glowing just now. He blinked and felt a cool sensation in his eyes. "Oh, golden, right? It'll probably be fine in a bit, it's nothing."

Chen Xueru was still worried, so she threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly and burying her face in his chest. "When that light came down just now, I was terrified. I thought you were going to be taken away by God and ascend to heaven."

He Damin hugged her, gently patting her back, his heart warming. "Silly girl, what are you saying? I'm not leaving. Who will take care of you if I leave?"

He looked up at the sky. The golden pillar of light was gone, and the sky had returned to its original color, only a clearer, more translucent blue than before. But his divine sense could sense that there was a vast expanse beyond this world. In the dark depths of the void, it seemed there was an even more powerful world, with even more powerful beings. He could easily fly away now, but he didn't want to. Xue Ru was only at the Golden Core stage; if she flew out, wouldn't she freeze into an icicle? He had to wait for her.

"Xue Ru".

"Hmm?" Chen Xueru responded muffledly in his arms.

"We might have to stay here a while longer."

Chen Xueru looked up, her eyes sparkling. "How long?"

He Damin thought for a moment. Cultivating immortality could take anywhere from a few decades to several hundred years. "It's hard to say. Maybe a few decades, maybe longer. When you reach the Great Ascension stage, let's fly out together and take a look."

Chen Xueru paused for a moment, then burst out laughing, her eyes curving into crescent moons. "Alright! Then I'd better hurry up and start cultivating, don't leave me behind."

"Don't worry, I'll wait for you."

The news of the divine favor spreading like wildfire spread like wildfire, reaching every corner of the surrounding area in just a few days. With such a massive golden pillar standing there, it was impossible to hide it. People from several major sects nearby couldn't sit still any longer, especially the Qingyun Sect, which was closest to the valley. Sect Leader Li Qingyuan, along with several elders, rode their cranes and arrived with great fanfare.

They landed at the edge of the valley and immediately saw He Damin standing on the bluestone slab. The group was stunned for a moment, then their faces turned pale, and they tumbled off the crane's back and knelt down with a thud.

"Senior...Senior!" Li Qingyuan was an old man with a white beard, his hair completely white, looking several hundred years old. With his Nascent Soul stage cultivation, he was considered a prominent figure in this area. Yet, in front of He Damin, his legs trembled, and he stammered, "This...this junior, Li Qingyuan, the sect leader of Qingyun Sect, pays respects to Senior!"

He Damin looked at him, finding it somewhat amusing. Back on Earth, he was just an ordinary person; he'd never been treated like this before. "Get up, get up. No need to kneel. I'm not here to cause trouble."

Li Qingyuan stood up shakily, not daring to look up. "Then...then, senior, what...what are your orders for coming here?"

He Damin scratched his head, wondering what he could possibly need. "Nothing much, I'm just passing through and thought this place looked nice, so I'd like to stay here for a few days and soak up some sun."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyuan immediately nodded and bowed, his face crinkling into a wide smile. "Senior, you flatter me! It's an honor for our Qingyun Sect that you can stay here! I'll go back right away and have my disciples prepare the best courtyard to welcome you!"

He Damin waved his hand. "No need to trouble yourself, I'm quite content staying in this valley, it's peaceful."

Li Qingyuan dared not force the issue, said a few more polite words, and then carefully led his men away. Before leaving, he did not forget to instruct his subordinates not to disturb the senior's cultivation.

He Damin didn't go to the Qingyun Sect; instead, he settled down in the valley. Chen Xueru built a small wooden hut at the valley entrance and enclosed a small courtyard with branches. Every day, besides accompanying Chen Xueru in her cultivation, He Damin spent his time planting flowers and raising chickens in the courtyard. Those chickens, brought from Earth, grew exceptionally fat here. Occasionally, he would wander into the underworld to see if the lesser ghost messengers were slacking off and if the souls had received their due retribution. Sometimes, he would also release his divine sense to scan the continent and learn about its customs and traditions.