Chapter 66: Heaven Does Not Help, People Help Themselves

The night deepened. An An had long since been coaxed to sleep, likely lost in sweet dreams, her lips occasionally smacking.

Jiang Wang sat cross-legged, his five centers facing the heavens.

His consciousness sank into his Grand Orrery Palace. The complex star map formed by his Dao Origin shone brightly overhead.

An unknown black candle hung at the center, and the earthworm formed by his Dao Vein True Spirit circled the candle slowly.

Jiang Wang remained unhurried, patiently awaiting the opportune moment.

Originally, he had chosen the Circulatory Star Array as his foundational formation, estimating a cultivation period of half a year.

However, his gains since opening his meridians had been truly substantial.

First, the Nine Forms of Violet Qi East-Attracting Sword Technique tempered his vital energy and blood, allowing his body to withstand more meridian breakthroughs. Following that, he cultivated the Four Spirits Body Refining Technique, a military cultivation art, significantly increasing the number of possible breakthroughs.

Though it was only an earthworm True Spirit, with increased frequency, the amount of Dao Origin it absorbed and expelled was considerable. Then, there was the Qi Manipulation Technique taught by Dong A, which allowed him to move his Dao Origin with almost no mistakes when arranging the formation…

Finally, after his battle with Xiong Wen, his Dao Heart greatly advanced, and his Dao Origin surged, approaching a qualitative transformation.

The clock ticked to midnight.

Midnight marked the beginning of a day, the starting point.

Jiang Wang silently circulated the Qi Manipulation Technique, moving the last smooth Dao Origin into the star map, precisely at the position of the Lunar Star.

Starting from the Solar Star, ending at the Lunar Star. Following that, the Three Enclosures vibrated in unison, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions shone brightly. The entire Circulatory Star Array formation burst forth with brilliant light, illuminating the Grand Orrery Palace!

In that instant, Jiang Wang's consciousness felt a fleeting moment of blindness.

When his perception recovered, a mysterious and dreamlike vortex appeared within the Grand Orrery Palace, slowly rotating, points of starlight rising and falling.

Rather than a vortex of Qi, it resembled a swirling galaxy. In this very moment of its birth, nine Dao Origin cores leaped out of the swirling Dao vortex.

The Dao vortex was complete, and Dao Origin was generated.

Jiang Wang knew that the foundation had been laid. From this moment on, he was truly immersed in the realm of the extraordinary, stepping into the Ninth-Grade Wandering Meridian Realm!

Opening his meridians in front of the True Return Sect on the fifteenth of June, and laying his foundation in his home on Feima Alley on the sixteenth of October, it had taken four months.

He was currently unable to fully perceive the difference in effect between laying the foundation with the Circulatory Star Array formation and a standard Origin Converging formation.

However, he noticed that the seemingly insignificant earthworm, at this moment, had abandoned the black candle and began to climb towards the star vortex. Upon reaching the front of the star vortex, it suddenly leaped with all its might!

It passed through the star vortex, and its body seemed to be covered with a hint of starlight, faintly becoming more灵动 (líng dòng - agile/靈動 - spirited).

The Dao Vein True Spirit could be strengthened by passing through the Dao vortex. This was one of the reasons why people never judged a cultivator's future based solely on their innate bone structure.

But that was a long, cumulative process, and such a clearly visible change would obviously not occur.

Perhaps, this was one of the extraordinary aspects of the Circulatory Star Array formation?

Jiang Wang didn't know, but he anticipated more changes, with great expectation.

After passing through the star vortex, the earthworm leisurely swam back to the black candle, seemingly exhausted, and wrapped itself around the candle, remaining motionless.

The beautiful spectacle within the Grand Orrery Palace tonight intoxicated Jiang Wang.

He came back to his senses and found that the smacking sound in the room had stopped.

He heard little An An's drowsy murmuring: "Brother, I think I saw stars. So many stars."

Jiang Wang remained silent for a while, knowing that An An hadn't woken up.

He then quietly rose, gently and slowly tucked her in, and then silently walked to the courtyard.

He wanted to attempt cultivating Dao Arts, putting into practice the theoretical knowledge he had accumulated at the Academy previously.

The starlight doesn't question those who are diligently on their way.

Jiang Wang had always been one to put in every ounce of effort he could. Heaven does not cross people, people cross themselves.

...

In the Dao Art system prevalent in the Daoist Academies, Dao Arts were categorized into four grades and twelve ranks.

Grade D Dao Arts were the foundation of the Dao Art system. And Grade D Lower Rank Dao Arts primarily focused on enhancing states.

Taking the Five Elements Dao Arts as an example, they were: Flame Attachment, Sharpness, Solidification, Clarity, and Vitality.

Flame Attachment involved imbuing objects with fire-elemental Yuan Power, Sharpness involved strengthening weapons with metal-elemental Yuan Power, Solidification involved enhancing physical defense with earth-elemental Yuan Power, Clarity involved clearing the mind and brightening the eyes with water-elemental Yuan Power, and Vitality involved dispelling fatigue and invigorating vitality with wood-elemental Yuan Power.

Specific Dao Arts might differ slightly among various Daoist Academies, but the general framework remained consistent. This was the lineage passed down from the three great Daoist Holy Lands.

Theoretically, a cultivator at the Ninth-Grade Wandering Meridian Realm could utilize all Grade D Dao Arts, but there were variations among individuals. Some might struggle to grasp even Grade D Middle Rank Dao Arts, while others might specialize in metal-elemental Dao Arts or water-elemental Dao Arts, and so on.

The instructors at the Daoist Academies frequently emphasized: Every cultivator must clearly understand what they are good at. Whether it's leveraging their strengths and avoiding weaknesses, or compensating for their shortcomings, they must quickly form their own combat system.

Jiang Wang first attempted Flame Attachment. He had long since memorized the basic hand seals, and at this moment, he had a full nine Dao Origin cores at his disposal.

The hand seals, practiced countless times, were completed within two breaths. He held his sword in his left hand, and with his right hand forming a two-finger sword, he drew it across the sword.

Flames ignited!

The longsword was held horizontally in the night, flames burning under the moonlight.

Without the aid of any tools.

This was the power of the extraordinary, this was Dao Art!

Jiang Wang suddenly felt a surge of emotion, a desire to cry. He desperately wanted to go back in time and tell his younger self, you can do it, you are capable.

He also wanted to tell his father, who was ill in bed, I can do it, I am capable.

Jiang Wang extended his longsword, and using the force manipulation technique of the Violet Qi East-Attracting Sword Technique, he extinguished the flames.

Following that were Sharpness, Solidification... Jiang Wang almost wanted to try every basic Dao Art he knew, stopping only when his Dao Origin was depleted.

Jiang Wang discovered that his speed in mastering basic Dao Arts of different attributes was surprisingly consistent, without any difference. To put it more grandiosely, he was skilled at all of them.

Whether it was water-elemental or fire-elemental, it was the same.

But human strength was finite, and of course, he couldn't cultivate every single Dao Art.

Dean Dong A had said more than once that cultivation was the foundation of the Great Dao, and Dao methods were merely techniques to protect the Dao. Even a genius who felt their energy was boundless should still devote more of their effort to the fundamental path of the Great Dao.

Jiang Wang planned to try other Dao Arts once he had accumulated some Dao Origin, such as wind-elemental Dao Arts, or even lightning techniques. However, the most basic lightning techniques were already Grade B Dao Arts, and if there were no special circumstances, he would have to wait until the Seventh-Grade Grand Orrery Realm to have a chance to master them.

Although his talent in the Five Elements Dao Arts currently appeared the same, in his heart, Jiang Wang leaned more towards fire-elemental and wood-elemental Dao Arts.

The latter was because his mentor, Dong A, was skilled in wood-elemental Dao Arts, and the former was, of course, due to... that extraordinary battle outside the True Return Sect, because of that man as fierce and brilliant as the scorching sun.

Although Zuo Guanglie didn't even know his name. But he had learned a lot from Zuo Guanglie, gained a lot. And thus had a strong fondness for the fire element.

It was foreseeable that no matter which Dao Art directions he chose, his combat options would increase infinitely, and the enhancement to his combat strength would be more than doubled?

For the impending beast clearing mission, this was undoubtedly great news.

Jiang Wang tentatively decided on his Dao Art directions, and the sky had begun to lighten.

Facing the morning light, Jiang Wang completed his first meridian breakthrough cultivation of the day in the courtyard. He felt that his True Spirit earthworm seemed to be much more relaxed when absorbing and expelling Dao Origin.

After two consecutive meridian breakthroughs, his physical body only felt slightly fatigued. So he rested temporarily.

Washing up, making his bed, and going out to buy breakfast for Jiang An An.

Early rising vendors pushed carts, calling out their wares. Tofu pudding steamed in pots, oil cakes sent up wisps of hot air.

The mundane smoke of human life, the ladder to the azure clouds of the heavens.

...

...

("Heaven does not cross people, people cross themselves," this is what I want to say and what I am doing. I am very grateful to the book friends who have accompanied me along the way. It is you who make me unafraid of loneliness on the path of writing. Thank you for striving together with me.)