northernbook Chapter 246 Things of the Living
Chapter 246 Things of the Living
The news from the alliance caused a sensation throughout the land!
"The new Lord of Reincarnation has assumed the position of Alliance Leader. On the day of his ascension, all ten alliances bowed their heads in submission!"
"Really? Didn't I hear that there was internal strife during the War Alliance's enthronement ceremony?"
"The internal strife is real, but so is the submission of the Ten Great Alliances. The new master of Samsara is truly invincible, sweeping away all the strongholds and wiping out Elder Ji Yuan's entire lineage. Moreover, he has also found the old masters such as Xue Yan who disappeared in the Ten Thousand Corpse River. Those people now all acknowledge him as their master!"
The news of the Origin Realm spread like wildfire, attracting widespread attention. When news of the Realm of Ultimate Truth was released, it caused a tsunami-like uproar.
"The place where the former master of reincarnation once secluded himself must hold an unparalleled opportunity!"
"The War Alliance has declared that everyone is welcome to explore the Realm of Truth!"
"Excellent! Li Lan truly has a magnanimous heart. Quickly prepare to head to the War Alliance and join them on their journey to the Realm of Truth!"
Regardless of the size of their forces or the strength of their cultivators, a great upheaval is underway, with large numbers of people rushing to the War Alliance to participate in this great opportunity.
……
And this moment.
In the Origin Realm, in a desolate mountain wilderness, there is only a thatched hut, a few acres of idle land, and a small courtyard made of firewood and thorns, where two people are playing chess.
"A new master of reincarnation has appeared, and he's even going to attack the Realm of Ultimate Truth... Have you foreseen this?"
The one who held the white pieces was an emperor dressed in a golden dragon robe. The dragon robe was stained with blood, which had not dried for ten thousand years. The emperor's crown was slightly decayed, but the aura of the Dao was still strong. Between the emperor's eyes, it seemed that he could see through all the illusions.
Opposite him stood an elderly man who looked like a farmer. The man was thin, his skin dark from farming, and his hands calloused. He gently picked up a black stone, placed it down, and said:
"Cause and effect are confused, and the distinction between light and shadow is hard to discern. However, a new master of reincarnation has appeared, and there will be a turning point in this life."
"Is this person the one chosen back then?"
The emperor then asked a question.
"Yes and no."
The old farmer smiled.
"What makes you say that?" the emperor asked.
"That person has never chosen anyone."
The old farmer calmly said, "He simply left behind an opportunity; whoever seizes it will be the chosen one."
The Emperor said, "Therefore, reincarnation is like a deer, and the strong will chase after it?"
The old farmer nodded. "So-called destiny is nothing but the words of the victors amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood. So-called destiny is nothing but the success or failure of each other in the struggle across the vast ocean. Cause and effect are all determined by human beings."
The emperor sighed in admiration: "The Old Man of Heavenly Secrets is indeed extraordinary."
"Behind Li Lan should be that dog. It made Li Lan make the announcement, simply to get us to come out of seclusion. Fellow Daoist, do you think it's time?"
The emperor's gaze was solemn.
The old man of the heavens said calmly, "There should indeed still be eternal energy within the Realm of Truth, but with that person's disciple, the evil spirit, there is no way anyone, whether it's a cat or a dog, you or me, will die if we enter alone."
"By joining forces, we have a chance of victory!"
“However, the two of us plus that dog are not enough... If Xia Jingmo also comes, the four of us working together will be much safer.”
No sooner had the old man of heavenly secrets finished speaking than a voice rang out in the mountains and wilderness:
"Both the Ninth Emperor and the Celestial Mystery Elder are ready to make their move, so how could I, Xia, stand idly by?"
A man walked slowly. His steps were slow, but he reached the courtyard in just a few steps. He was dressed in plain clothes and was middle-aged, but his hair was completely white. He carried a blood-red broadsword on his back.
"The Lord of All Demons has arrived! With that, our grand plan can succeed!"
The old man of the Heavenly Secrets scattered the chess pieces in his hand, clapped his hands together, and said, "Back then, the three of us joined forces and barely managed to fight that person for a hundred moves. Now that the three of us are fighting together again, if we are defeated by that person's disciple again, it would be a disgrace, hahaha!"
He laughed heartily, then said, "Gentlemen, have you brought the remains of the living people you possess?"
Both the Emperor and Xia Jingmo took out a stone box, opened it, and found a foot and a calf respectively.
The old man of the heavens also took out a stone box, which contained half a thigh. He reached out, picked up the three pieces of the severed body, and put them together to form a complete human leg.
Both the Emperor and Xia Jingmo were somewhat surprised upon seeing this. Xia Jingmo stared at the Heavenly Mystery Elder's hand and said, "Fellow Daoist Heavenly Mystery has reached the pinnacle of cultivation, and is actually unafraid of Yang energy? Such a physical body is probably only comparable to that of the White Emperor and the Black Emperor."
The Heavenly Mystery Elder smiled slightly and did not respond. Instead, he said, "The remaining eternal energy from this attack on the True Realm can be given to you two fellow Daoists. I will not compete for it. However, I also have a request. I wonder if you two can agree to it?"
Both the Emperor and the Demon Lord were taken aback. What a treasure the Eternal Qi was! Everyone in the Origin Realm coveted it, yet the Old Man of Heavenly Secrets was willing to give it up?
"What does Fellow Daoist desire?" the Emperor asked.
"What I seek is twofold: first, a complete human body; second, the ability to embark on the path leading to the source."
"At that time, I will need your help!"
Upon hearing this, both the Emperor and Xia Jingmo showed expressions of admiration and respect.
The Emperor said, "With such courage, fellow Daoist, how dare we disobey your orders!"
Xia Jingmo also said, "Facing the source directly is certain death. Why are you so persistent, fellow Daoist?"
They have always been unparalleled powerhouses, standing at the pinnacle of the Origin Realm, invincible throughout the entire river of time, and have even fought against that one... But precisely because of this, they are very clear about how terrifying the Origin is.
Unless they possess that person's cultivation level, going there now would only lead to their deaths.
The old man of the heavenly secrets shook his head: "If I am not mistaken, the White Emperor should have embarked on that path. I think that since she dared to set out, perhaps the road ahead has changed, and she has decided to risk her life to explore it!"
Xia Jingmo and the other man finally stopped asking questions and agreed: "Okay!"
……
The three of them then went into seclusion here.
The old man returned to his thatched hut, where he picked up the petrified thigh and rubbed it repeatedly, as if it were a precious treasure.
"Years ago, on the dam, I was about to see the source of that thing, but I was captured by that person and used as a test subject. He repeatedly refined me, and my body actually turned into stone. If my soul hadn't managed to escape, I probably would have really perished."
"This underworld is about to be destroyed. I must leave now and find a way back..."
He murmured, "The dam is locked. The only way to leave this world is the passage that person left in the Realm of Truth... We should still be able to contact the mortal world and have someone come to our aid!"
……
Alliance.
The Right Envoy of Demon Heaven, the Heavenly Venerable of Dream Slayer, and others were all busy dealing with the formation of the allied forces. In addition to the ten major alliances, many small and medium-sized alliances also wanted to join. Li Lan instructed them to accept all of them without exception, so there were many things to do.
Li Lan, on the other hand, was in seclusion cultivating.
"Dao Stone..."
Inside the stone chamber, he took out a black stone.
After reaching the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm, ordinary source stones and exotic stones become useless.
At this stage, the cultivator needs to break through the state of confusion to find their own path or create one.
The only thing that can benefit cultivators is the Dao Stone.
Dao Stones can only be born in the world under two circumstances—
The first type is when an unparalleled powerhouse attains enlightenment, the Great Dao blesses one region, manifesting itself and transforming. The lineage of their Great Dao, the inheritance of their power, etc., can be recorded and absorbed using the "Primordial Stone." The Primordial Stone that receives the blessings of their Heavenly Path becomes the Dao Stone.
The second type is when a peerless powerhouse falls, and their bones and other remains become immortal, containing the essence of the Great Dao. These "bone stones" or "fossils" are also called Dao stones.
The first type of Dao Stone has a weaker effect and is called the Acquired Dao Stone, while the second type is left behind by peerless powerhouses. It has a rich Dao, clear traces, and the inheritance is often more orderly, so it is also called the Innate Dao Stone.
By absorbing the Dao Stone, one can absorb the ancient sages' principles contained within it!
It should be understood that after reaching the state of confusion, there is no path to follow. Each cultivator can only comprehend it on their own. Therefore, the insights of others and the inheritances they have passed through are extremely important references.
Now, there are a total of fifteen pieces in front of him!
Six of them came from the War Alliance, and the other nine came from the nine major alliances—one from each alliance. This was an unimaginable gift, after all, Dao Stones were rare in each alliance, perhaps only a few in total.
If Li Lan hadn't granted them the power of reincarnation and saved their old leader and others, they would never have given it up.
Within the fifteen Dao Stones lie countless laws and techniques.
Li Lan picked it up and absorbed it directly!
The myriad flames leaped and danced, actively capturing every thread of the Dao principles and greedily devouring them.
If others were to witness this scene, they would undoubtedly be extremely shocked, because the Dao Stone contains far too many complex Dao principles and laws. Even the most brilliant cultivators can only absorb the parts that resonate with them and discard the dross.
Each Heavenly Path is completely different. The Five Elements Alliance cultivates the Five Elements Heavenly Path, the Creation Alliance cultivates the Creation Heavenly Path, the Soul Alliance cultivates the Path of the Immortal Soul... They are fundamentally incompatible with each other.
But now, Li Lan is accepting all these completely different Heavenly Path principles without question...
If this happened to anyone else, the heavenly path would have collapsed long ago, and they would have perished.
Within Li Lan's dantian, myriad flames surged forth, growing ever stronger. From a single flame, they grew into a ball of fire, illuminating the sky like a golden crow dancing in the heavens!
Li Lan's spirit drifted into the darkness, where the golden crow formed from the myriad fires made him feel a vast and boundless realm. He knew not what lay ahead, and a sense of endless uncertainty lingered in his heart. The golden crow beneath his feet was his only support.
Li Lan has stepped beyond the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm and officially become a cultivator in the Boundless Realm!
He slowly opened his eyes.
The fifteen stone pillars were completely destroyed.
"Where does the road ahead lie..."
He whispered that when he first sensed the existence of the state of bewilderment, all the Dao within his body were stirring. The laws of the Heaven-Mending Clan, the True Dragon Technique of the True Dragon Clan, the Dao principles of more than a hundred peerless masters, and even the specks of Dao light in the Dao Stones of the Ten Great Alliances were all pulsating. As long as he made his choice, a Heavenly Path that had already been explored by predecessors would appear. Stepping on it would lead him to the Upper Path Realm!
But he suppressed his impulse.
The path he chose was different from that of the True Dragons, the Sky-Mending Clan, and others.
"Observe a thousand swords before recognizing their quality; play a thousand tunes before understanding their sound; observe ten thousand paths before creating your own!"
His gaze was unwavering.
"Woof, what a pervert..."
The big black dog returned and went straight into Li Lan's secluded cultivation area. Sensing Li Lan's condition, its eyes showed a hint of envy and jealousy. It said, "Back then, I devoured all the corpses in the Black Sea, and my harvest wasn't as great as yours..."
Li Lan then asked, "So? Have you found those three?"
The big black dog shook its head: "No, but they will definitely show up, don't worry."
"Who exactly are these three people, and why do you have so much confidence in them?" Li Lan asked.
"A nine-time emperor, who has reincarnated nine times and was invincible in all nine lifetimes!"