Chapter 1037: Six Paths

The Six Great Daos: Fire, Light, Pure Yang, Nirvana, Saintly Virtue, Yin-Yang.

Among these six Great Daos, cultivating only the Pure Yang Scroll allows one to practice only three: Fire, Light, and Pure Yang. The remaining two Daos, Nirvana and Saintly Virtue, require combined practice of the Pure Yang Scroll and the Danfeng Chaoyang Chart to begin. The last Dao, Yin-Yang, necessitates simultaneous cultivation of a Pure Yin technique that is opposite to Pure Yang. Even within the legacy left by Daoist Danding, only the existence of the Yin-Yang Dao was recorded, without specific cultivation methods.

These six Daos also correspond to the Pure Yang Six-Piece Set. The Pure Yang Immortal Robe corresponds to the Fire Dao. Theoretically, after receiving the blessing of the Great Dao, this Pure Yang artifact can advance to the sixth tier. Daoist Danding's own robe was the sixth-tier Nine-Fire Flame Dragon Pure Yang Great Immortal Robe. If Daoist Danding had achieved Dao Integration, and this Nine-Fire Flame Dragon Pure Yang Great Immortal Robe was his vital artifact, it could have potentially ascended to the seventh tier and become a Dao-attuned treasure.

The Light Dao is integrated with the Pure Yang Orb. Its highest realm involves transforming into a true Great Sun of Light, illuminating the vast universe. The Pure Yang Dao is represented by a cauldron, embodying the profound mysteries of creation. Nirvana is a mirror. This was also the Great Dao cultivated by Daoist Danding. He used it to forge the Three Azure Birds Dharma Idol and create the Heavenly Phoenix Mirror, seeking transcendence.

The Danding Jade Tree he left behind was a sixth-tier parasol tree (Wutong) that Daoist Danding cultivated when he practiced the Danfeng Chaoyang Chart. It is said to have originated from the Purple Heavens Palace, and when combined with the Nirvana Dao, it could allow cultivators to resurrect from death. However, even after cultivating such a Great Dao, Daoist Danding eventually exhausted his lifespan and passed away. Even at the peak of the Void Refinement stage, one cannot achieve eternal life. Only after achieving Dao Integration can one share the lifespan of heaven and earth and become eternal like the Great Dao.

However, if one successfully cultivates the Nirvana Dao, as long as one's lifespan remains, one can never be truly killed by an opponent. Even if one's soul is scattered, one can use a pre-set Nirvana point to be reborn. And Daoist Danding's Nirvana point was the Danding Jade Tree!

Upon learning this from the Dao-will of Ancestor Yuanyang, Chen Mobai was startled and turned to look behind him. He was currently sitting right in front of the Danding Jade Tree. However, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, because Daoist Danding had passed away a very long time ago. It is said that he passed down the Danding Jade Tree only before his passing. Chen Mobai had previously thought it was because Dao fruits could not be personally transmitted, but now he understood that it was Daoist Danding's resurrection point for Nirvana rebirth. This item was previously in the Purple Heavens Palace. After Dao Sovereign Zixiao ascended, it was presumably with Dao Lord Wangji, a friend of Daoist Danding. Ancestor Yuanyang only learned these details after comprehending the Danding Jade Tree, and some of them were still speculations.

When the Danfeng Chaoyang Chart is combined with the Pure Yang Scroll, there is another Great Dao called "Saintly Virtue," which is represented by a sword! In his later years, Ancestor Yuanyang devoted all his energy to the Yuanyang Sword precisely because he wanted to follow this Saintly Virtue Dao. The final Yin-Yang Dao is represented by a bell.

Chen Mobai's expression became difficult as he realized that among his Pure Yang set, the mirror and the bell were his vital artifacts. If he wished to achieve Dao Integration, he could ultimately only choose one of the Great Daos. But he desired all of them. However, he ultimately made the rational decision to abandon the Yin-Yang Dao because his path was a continuation of Daoist Danding's lineage. If he wanted his future progress to be smooth, it would be best to choose a Great Dao that others had already traversed. There was no need to rush, as at the Divine Transformation stage, one could simultaneously comprehend all six Great Daos. The choice only needed to be made at the Void Refinement stage.

After Ancestor Yuanyang understood these things from comprehending the Danding Jade Tree, he began to try to perceive and connect with these six Great Daos, aspiring to realms beyond Divine Transformation. Because his foundation was not the Danfeng Chaoyang Chart, when he reached Divine Transformation, his Great Sun Golden Crow Method combined with the Pure Yang Scroll, using the Pure Yang Orb as its core. This evolved into the incredibly powerful Nine Heavens Yuanyang Purple Extreme Form, which controlled all the Yang energy of heaven and earth, leading to his deepest insights in the Fire and Light Daos.

However, among the Three Thousand Great Daos, there are naturally differences in rank. The Fire, Light, and Pure Yang Daos, even when cultivated to their extreme, could only lead to seventh-tier Dao Integration. Only Daos that have existed since the creation of heaven and earth, such as Nirvana, Saintly Virtue, and Yin-Yang, could allow cultivators to advance to the eighth or even ninth tier. Therefore, Ancestor Yuanyang wanted to attempt comprehending the latter three Great Daos. Among these, because his foundation was already set, even after reaching Divine Transformation and also cultivating the Danfeng Chaoyang Chart, he only just managed to cross the threshold of the Saintly Virtue Dao, relying on his own realm, the unique environment of the Immortal Sect, and the Danding Jade Tree as a reference. The Yuanyang Sword was forged by him through refining and sublimating the Saintly Virtue Dao. Unfortunately, due to his foundational limitations, his primordial spirit could not truly adapt to the Saintly Virtue Dao, preventing him from fully entering it. As for the other Nirvana Dao, he couldn't even cross its threshold.

Left with no other choice, Ancestor Yuanyang finally decided to attempt the Yin-Yang Dao. Although the Artifact Wielding lineage had no relevant heritage, Ancestor Yuanyang, with his astonishing wisdom and talent, compensated for this deficiency using the Six Imperial Sutras. However, when he attempted to have his primordial spirit step into the Yin-Yang Dao, he discovered something astonishing: the Yin-Yang Dao was already claimed. This meant that if he were to follow this path, he could only reach the peak of the Void Refinement stage. It was at that moment that Ancestor Yuanyang finally understood why the Danding Jade Tree contained explanations of five Great Daos from the Pure Yang Scroll, but conspicuously omitted the Yin-Yang Dao. Because the Yin-Yang Dao of this universe had long been occupied by a mighty being, and no matter how much effort or talent future generations displayed, they would be unable to integrate with this Dao. This matter became a lifelong regret for Ancestor Yuanyang. Ultimately, with little lifespan remaining, he could only attempt to break through the Light Dao, but he failed and passed away in sorrow.

After comprehending all the Dao-will within the Pure Yang Orb, Chen Mobai couldn't help but feel regret for Ancestor Yuanyang. As the undisputed foremost genius of the Immortal Sect before Chen Mobai, if Ancestor Yuanyang had not been born on Diyuan Star but instead in a Dao sanctuary, he might have successfully reached the Void Refinement stage much earlier. The unique environment of the Immortal Sect, while fostering him in the early stages, also ultimately trapped him. Chen Mobai took this as a lesson, hoping not to follow his path.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai put down the Pure Yang Orb he was holding. It was at this moment that he learned it was Ancestor Yuanyang's first vital artifact, and also at the peak of the fifth tier. When Ancestor Yuanyang attempted to break through to Void Refinement, he extracted the second primordial spirit and all the Pure Yang Qi from this orb, integrating them into his Nine Heavens Yuanyang Purple Extreme Form to unleash its full power. After his failure, the Pure Yang Orb lost all its spiritual essence and dropped in rank. However, before taking that step, Ancestor Yuanyang knew he would most likely not succeed, so he preemptively left behind all his understanding of the Pure Yang Scroll as a legacy item for successive rectors of the Pure Yang Academy. With his Pure Yang Scroll Golden Core ninth-layer realm, Chen Mobai was precisely able to unlock all the Dao-will contained within the orb.

It was also at this moment that Chen Mobai learned the origin of the strand of Pure Yang Qi in the Heaven-Mending Daoist Academy. Although Ancestor Yuanyang failed in Void Refinement, his Nine Heavens Yuanyang Purple Extreme Form, after being impacted and refined by the Light Dao, formed an existence similar to a Dao fruit, which was that strand of Pure Yang Qi. If Chen Mobai refined that strand of Pure Yang Qi, it would be equivalent to obtaining a key that could allow him to enter the Light Dao at any time. However, with such excellent conditions, he would certainly aim to integrate with either the "Nirvana" or "Saintly Virtue" Daos. Especially Nirvana; since Daoist Danding also followed this path, it implies that this Great Dao is still unoccupied in this universe. Moreover, its characteristic of immortality and indestructibility upon completion made Chen Mobai very covetous. However, to cultivate this, he would need to find a Wutong immortal tree to set as his Nirvana point, and at the Divine Transformation stage, he would need to master the Three Azure Birds Dharma Idol. Chen Mobai was naturally more than willing, as Daoist Danding had already walked this path to the threshold of Dao Integration, allowing Chen Mobai to learn from his experience in the Divine Transformation and Void Refinement realms.

Regarding Wutong trees, the Immortal Sect conveniently had a top-grade fourth-tier Jade Wutong. Its foundation was robust, and once Chen Mobai reached Divine Transformation, he could have True Monarch Taohua specifically refine fifth-tier Myriad Transformation Thunderwater to irrigate it, which would undoubtedly allow it to ascend to higher tiers with ease. Once the Jade Wutong reached the peak of the fifth tier, it could be used to refine and establish a Nirvana point. If he didn't want to go to such great lengths, Chen Mobai could also directly refine the Danding Jade Tree, but doing so would cap his potential at the sixth tier. He chose the Nirvana and Saintly Virtue Daos precisely with the future in mind, so he naturally wouldn't be content with only reaching the Void Refinement stage at most. However, this was a matter for the Divine Transformation stage to consider, so he could put it aside for now. But after learning all this, Chen Mobai was already planning to transplant the Jade Wutong in Danxia City to his own realm.

After finishing his thoughts, Chen Mobai finally held the Pure Yang Orb of Ancestor Yuanyang in his hands and put it away. If he achieved something in the future, Ancestor Yuanyang, as the trailblazer, would deserve immense credit.

Before leaving, Chen Mobai also did not forget to carefully observe the Danding Jade Tree once more. Before knowing its true nature, he only felt that this jade tree was exceptionally profound. Now, knowing it was Daoist Danding's Nirvana point, he found it even more incredible. Cultivators could actually undergo Nirvana rebirth and become immortal and indestructible, just like the divine phoenix. One could only say that the cultivation methods passed down by Dao Sovereign Zixiao were truly formidable.

High-tier cultivation methods in the Great Thousand Worlds enable cultivators to gain an understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth from nothing, ultimately merging with the Dao, roaming within it, or even becoming the Dao itself. However, even the most profound cultivation methods could only guide cultivators to the threshold of the Great Dao. Because in the Great Thousand Universe, each Great Dao is unique, the final step of Dao Integration must be walked by oneself. The Immortal Sect's Seven Great Heavenly Books were legacies created by mighty beings in the central Dao sanctuary of the Purple Heavens Star River, imprinted with the vestiges of the Great Dao. Those who could directly comprehend these Heavenly Books, apart from beings at the Void Refinement stage, were living beings whose Dao was highly compatible with the Great Dao recorded in the books. It is said that when Dao Sovereign Zixiao first imparted his teachings, he did so through these Heavenly Books. They contained the Dao Sovereign's understanding of the Three Thousand Great Daos. The Phoenix Seal Heavenly Book, in particular, recorded the vestiges of the Nirvana and Saintly Virtue Daos. Thinking of this, Chen Mobai once again wanted to visit the Heavenly Book Academy to examine the Seven Great Heavenly Books.

But after leaving the Yu-Ping Minor Realm, his first priority was to go see Qianxing again.

"Actually, for us, reaching Void Refinement is already quite good," Qianxing said. "If one truly reaches the threshold of Dao Integration and desires a deeper foundation, one can just disintegrate their body and reincarnate to start anew."

As the leader of the Heaven-Mending lineage, Qianxing had also comprehended the Dao-will left by Ancestor Yuanyang in the Pure Yang Orb. Furthermore, the Heaven-Mending lineage had an extraordinary origin, so he naturally knew about the Three Thousand Great Daos and more. However, compared to Ancestor Yuanyang, he had a very open mindset. "Focus on what's at hand first. I'll figure out the later matters when the time comes. Currently, I only want to reach Void Refinement, regardless of which Great Dao." After all, as long as one didn't achieve Dao Integration, one could always change their mind. And while Qianxing had a high opinion of himself, he didn't believe he could achieve Dao Integration. Among all the previous generations of cultivators in the Immortal Sect, only Bai Guang had successfully reached Void Refinement. Chen Mobai realized that Qianxing was truly the leader of the realm-focused faction.

As Chen Mobai was thinking this, he suddenly remembered something, and his expression subtly changed: "Oh no. Does Bai Guang not know that the Three Thousand Great Daos have varying ranks? Which Dao did she enter when she reached Void Refinement?" Although Chen Mobai inwardly didn't admit she was Shi Wanyu, in reality, she was. Moreover, his current status and cultivation in the Immortal Sect benefited greatly from Bai Guang's reputation, both openly and discreetly. Even Qianxing's politeness towards him was likely due to Bai Guang's influence. Therefore, when this matter was brought up, he was very concerned about Bai Guang.

"Don't worry," said Qianxing. "As an elder who has been with the Immortal Sect since its founding, True Lord Ling will definitely tell her these things. However, the Immortal Sect's heritage is weak, so it's already not easy for her to have reached Void Refinement. It's highly probable that she entered the Metal Dao, which is most compatible with the Dao of the Sword. Individually, the Five Elements Daos can only reach the seventh tier at most, but the Innate Five Elements Dao, when unified, can lead to Pure Yang. I just don't know if the Five Elements Dao is currently occupied by someone..."

Qianxing shared his insights. Their Heaven-Mending lineage also had a very powerful origin, stemming from the Xuan Palace in the far northern reaches of the Great Thousand Universe. The Xuan Palace and Dragon Palace were equally renowned, both being super-powers with eighth-tier Pure Yang cultivators presiding over them. Although the Heaven-Mending lineage, even if they went to the Xuan Palace now, might not be recognized, at least their heritage was clear and unbroken. After obtaining the Heaven-Mending Seal, Qianxing also gained knowledge of the Heaven-Mending lineage's most core principles. Among these, there was a lengthy description regarding the Three Thousand Great Daos. The Innate Five Elements Dao was especially emphasized, as Ancestor Cailing, who originally came to the Immortal Sect, cultivated the Five Elements Dao.

"That's good, that's good..." Chen Mobai felt relieved after hearing this.

Finally, driven by curiosity, Chen Mobai couldn't help but ask Qianxing, "Ancestor, which Great Dao have you chosen?"

"My first choice, for which I'm ready to take the final step, is the Star Dao," Qianxing said, raising his head and looking deeply at Chen Mobai while still holding his phone and tapping. "My second choice, which I'm currently working on, is the Illusory Dao. And finally, there's a backup, my third choice: the Five Elements Dao..."

"Ancestor is truly worthy of his title, already halfway to Void Refinement..." Chen Mobai immediately offered a flattering compliment, full of admiration.

"Alright, kid, hurry up and go into seclusion to break through," Qianxing waved his hand, already a bit impatient. "If you don't reach Divine Transformation, I won't feel at ease even trying to reach Void Refinement myself."

"Ancestor, then I'll leave you to your work. Call me if you need anything." Hearing this, Chen Mobai didn't disturb his gaming and immediately took his leave.

After leaving the Artifact Wielding Daoist Academy, Chen Mobai made a trip to the Heavenly Book Academy. When Yu Yi saw him arrive, she greeted him with a beaming smile. Hearing he came to see the Heavenly Books, she personally escorted him to the pavilion. The Phoenix Seal Heavenly Book had seven pages. Thanks to the Danfeng Chaoyang Chart, Chen Mobai understood the first six pages, with only the last page remaining. He had thought that with his significant progress in realm since his last visit, and having learned much from Ancestor Yuanyang's Dao-will, he should be able to understand it. However, it was still the same as before. He regretfully closed the Phoenix Seal Heavenly Book. It seemed he still needed to wait until after reaching Divine Transformation.

Since he was already there, he reviewed the remaining six Heavenly Books once more. When Yu Yi helped him unlock the restrictions on all the Heavenly Books, her face was already pale. If her cultivation hadn't progressed over the years, she might not have been able to do it. Upon noticing this, Chen Mobai felt very apologetic, but Yu Yi shook her head, stating that it was her duty. "I'm going to recover my True Qi," Yu Yi said. "True Lord Pure Yang, please feel free to leave when you're ready; there's no need to bid me farewell." Yu Yi hastily left the pavilion after leaving that message.

Chen Mobai went through the remaining six Heavenly Books one by one. Five of them, like the Phoenix Seal Heavenly Book, showed no further progress compared to his last comprehension. However, with the Universe Heavenly Book, he found that he seemed to be able to understand one more page.