I'm already a Great Luo Golden Immortal, how come you're only Martial Saints?

Taking a deep breath, Ning Chen suppressed his excitement and bowed solemnly to Zhi Hong and Zhi Yuan.

"My two senior brothers are too kind. What I have taught you is merely worldly skill. How could I possibly accept such a generous gift from you? This Tao Te Ching is a legacy of sages, incomparably precious. I truly dare not accept it..."

Zhihong waved his hand and said with a wry smile.

"Junior brother, there's no need to be so modest. Even treasures need to find a wise master. This scripture is like a stubborn rock to me, but it may be a beautiful jade to you. Moreover, what we cultivators seek is nothing more than a sliver of opportunity for a breakthrough. If your cultivation method can help me break through my shackles, I would gladly part with anything, let alone this scripture. I only hope that you will be generous in passing on your knowledge to me."

Having said all that, it would be unreasonable for Ning Chen to refuse any further, so he cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Since you two senior brothers think so highly of me, I am truly unworthy of such praise!"

After accepting the Tao Te Ching and the Peiyuan Pill, Ning Chen explained the details of the three martial arts techniques, namely the Yi Jin Jing, the Ladder Cloud Leap, and the Ape Strike Technique, to Zhi Hong.

Zhihong listened very attentively, occasionally closing his eyes to contemplate the words. Gradually, a look of sudden enlightenment appeared on his face, clearly indicating that he had gained considerable inspiration from the conversation.

Zhiyuan also took the opportunity to listen in, his eyes seemingly open and closed, nodding repeatedly, clearly having gained quite a bit as well.

After the instruction of the cultivation technique was completed, Senior Brothers Zhihong and Zhiyuan, their faces beaming with joy, thanked Ning Chen repeatedly before taking their leave, completely satisfied.

After seeing his two senior brothers off, Ning Chen closed the door and immediately immersed his consciousness into the divine realm light screen.

During the sermon, he kept seeing message notifications pop up in front of his eyes, and only now did he have a chance to check them.

These were several messages sent by Luo Zhantian.

"Ning Chen, the Clear Water Technique you provided is of great significance. After reporting this technique to the nation, your teacher has decided to provide you with full support!"

"Next, what you need to do is try your best to build a good relationship with that down-on-his-luck Taoist priest and obtain more Taoist teachings. If you can get the fundamental cultivation method, that would be even better!"

"Regarding material support, your teacher will try his best to find cultivation methods to improve your aptitude. Also, according to the teacher's understanding, gold is the circulating currency in the Journey to the West Divine Realm. Here are ten gold bricks for you. If needed, the teacher can provide more material assistance!"

Ning Chen did not immediately accept the gold bricks, as the Divine Realm Central Hub had a storage function.

Ning Chen first stored the ten gold bricks in the Divine Realm Space.

Looking at the ten large gold bricks in the storage space, the Tao Te Ching that exuded a sense of antiquity, and the Peiyuan Pill that still retained warmth, he saw...

Ning Chen's lips slowly curved into a perfect smile.

It seems the character of the down-on-his-luck Taoist priest needs to be carefully cultivated.

However, the most urgent task is to find a way to understand this "Tao Te Ching"!

Ning Chen felt dizzy and his eyes stung after just glancing at the main text.

He knew in his heart that this was because his understanding was insufficient, and he was unable to comprehend the backlash brought about by the Tao Te Ching.

If you force yourself to comprehend it, you may end up harming yourself.

With six months remaining until the end of the first Journey to the West Divine Realm trial, Ning Chen intended to conserve some of his cultivation to prepare for the upcoming second trial.

But now, he faces a choice.

It is a desperate gamble, transforming all one's spiritual cultivation into enlightenment, and comprehending the Tao Te Ching.

Let's wait until we safely pass through the second level and return to Fangcun Mountain before trying to comprehend the Tao Te Ching!

"Let's give it our all!"

After only a moment's thought, Ning Chen made up his mind.

The path of cultivation is like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind!

Since he has obtained the Tao Te Ching written by Lao Tzu, it is his destiny. If he misses this opportunity, he may regret it for the rest of his life!

Divine Realm Central Hub, let me see where your limits lie!

Deep Blue, give me some points!

Ning Chen focused his mind on the core of his divine realm, converting all the ten years of cultivation he had gained from the teachings of Patriarch Bodhi into enlightenment!

[Consumed one year's cultivation, Comprehension +100!]

[Consumed one year's cultivation, Comprehension +80!]

[Consumed one year's cultivation, Comprehension +60!]

.....

As his cultivation level was depleted like flowing water, Ning Chen felt the sound of chains breaking and snapping constantly echoing deep within his mind.

As the layers of constraints were broken, an indescribable sense of clarity and transparency swept over my entire body.

His thinking speed, comprehension, and insight are improving at an astonishing rate!

Many things that were previously unclear and difficult to understand in my practice are now as clear as the lines on my palm.

In the attribute panel, his comprehension is increasing at an astonishing rate!

[Comprehension: 574 → 674 → 774 → 874 → 974...]

When the comprehension value finally settled at [974] points, it was only one step away from breaking the 1,000-point mark.

Ning Chen noticed that he only had 0.2 years of cultivation left.

He tried to redeem it again, but a prompt popped up in the Divine Realm Central Hub.

[Your current comprehension has reached the level of penetrating insight. Further improvement requires more cultivation points. The exchange rate is 10 years of cultivation points to 1 point of comprehension. Your current cultivation points are insufficient!]

"The state of enlightenment—it turns out that once one's comprehension reaches a certain level, making even the slightest progress becomes incredibly difficult!"

Ning Chen was shocked, but then he understood. His comprehension had reached a limit. To break through, he would need ten years of cultivation to gain even a little more comprehension.

For someone who urgently needs to accumulate experience and solidify his foundation, this price is already a loss that outweighs the gains.

Moreover, he didn't have any extra cultivation points to exchange for. It would be another six months before the next sermon by Patriarch Bodhi. He probably wouldn't be able to wait that long in the Journey to the West Divine Realm because his stay there wasn't enough time.

"974 points of comprehension is already the pinnacle of human potential. Perhaps only one step away from the next realm... That should be enough! The Celestial Venerable of Morality left this Tao Te Ching likely intended it for people to read; it's not ridiculously difficult!"

Ning Chen took a deep breath, his heart pounding with trepidation.

His gaze fell on the dark gold scroll of the Tao Te Ching, which resembled both leather and jade.

He carefully spread the scroll out on the stone bed, and immediately a sense of antiquity and vastness washed over him.

With reverence and anticipation, Ning Chen held his breath and focused all his attention on the scriptures.

With a comprehension level of 974, the original, abstruse and mysterious characters seemed to come alive.

"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the eternal Tao; the name that can be named is not the eternal name. Nameless, it is the origin of Heaven and Earth; named, it is the mother of all things. Therefore, one should always be without desire in order to observe its mystery; one should always have desire in order to observe its manifestations..."

boom!

Ning Chen felt a jolt in his soul, and the scene before him suddenly changed!

He seemed to have left the thatched cottage on Fangcun Mountain, and wandered into the vast emptiness, finding himself in a mysterious realm where chaos had not yet been divided and the primordial world had just been established.

Before heaven and earth took shape, before yin and yang were separated, there was only a wisp of primordial energy flowing endlessly, evolving into existence and non-existence, and cycling through birth and death.

The sound of the Great Dao resounded directly in my mind, and the ultimate truths of heaven and earth slowly unfolded like a scroll.

"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without striving, dwelling in places that others disdain, thus it is close to the Way..."

"Attain utmost emptiness, hold fast to stillness; all things arise and flourish, and I observe their return..."

Every word is precious, every sentence a wise saying.

[Listen to the profound voice of the Great Dao, comprehend the origin of heaven and earth, and your innate constitution will increase by 5!]

[Gaining a glimpse of the profound mysteries of the Dao, your Dao cultivation increases by 1 year!]

[In harmony with the principles of nature, physique +3!]

[Understanding the profound principles of heaven and earth, comprehension increases by 1!]

The notifications from the Divine Realm Central Hub flowed before Ning Chen's eyes like a waterfall, but Ning Chen had no time to pay attention to them.

At this moment, he has spontaneously entered the deepest state of communion with heaven and man.

His pores opened, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged into his body like rivers flowing into the sea, merging and transforming with his internal cultivation.

A faint, clear light emerged from his body, and on the outer layer of the light membrane, there was a subtle flow of Daoist energy.

Above Ning Chen's head, there was a faint black and white Bagua image, appearing and disappearing. Although it had not yet solidified, it already showed an unusual phenomenon!

"what?"

Sun Wukong, who was lying sprawled on the stone bed, suddenly opened his golden eyes and somersaulted to his feet.