Daojun, start from Penglai foundation building

The path to Chunyang requires caution at every step.

Jiang Sheng has now reached the fifth kalpa of cultivation, and ordinary Mahayana practitioners cannot compete with him.

Among the nine realms of cultivation, the only ones who can be considered Jiang Sheng's rivals are the top Mahayana cultivators who have left the Pure Yang Holy Lands in the myriad worlds, those veteran Mahayana powerhouses who have lived for tens of thousands of years and have countless resources backed by the Holy Lands.

Although Jiang Sheng is only three thousand years old, he has the cultivation of the Fifth Tribulation and possesses all kinds of magical treasures and supernatural powers. If there is anything he is still missing from being a Pure Yang cultivator, it is accumulation.

This accumulation is the magical power honed over thousands of years, the Dao heart tempered through countless trials and battles, luck, merit, and even more so, cause and effect.

To reach the Pure Yang realm, which transcends the Three Realms and is outside the Five Elements, one must possess the ability to remain untouched by karma. Although Jiang Sheng's luck and merits seem abundant now, they are still insufficient to reach the Pure Yang realm.

Therefore, no amount of good fortune or merit should be easily given up, and no amount of karma should be easily attached to one's body.

Some causes and effects have already been resolved, but when it comes to vying for opportunities and fighting for life, it's best to just cut them off.

After all, when two people are determined to fight, the cause and effect will naturally dissipate as the dragon and tiger clash.

However, some causes and effects are not so easy to determine.

In the Southern Realm, countless innocent lives are lost. Even if others allow it, if one participates, how can the cause and effect of the deaths of those countless innocent lives be resolved?

In the past, during the great calamity of the Xuanmen, a group of Dao Lords fought so fiercely that the mountains and rivers were destroyed, and Yanzhou and Mingzhou sank into the sea one after another, causing the deaths of hundreds of millions of living beings. Even though the calamity aura of the Xuanmen calamity was concealed, the cause and effect still fell on those Dao Lords.

In other words, the Dao Lords who take action are mostly at the Dao-holding stage, and can withstand this karmic consequences.

But that's because the Dao Lords have already ascended to the Pure Yang realm and are not afraid of this karma. How could Jiang Sheng not be afraid?

Lingyu looked at Jiang Sheng: "Junior brother, can't you bear it?"

Jiang Sheng nodded slightly: "Having seen the vastness of the universe, I still cherish the green of grass and trees."

"Senior sister, rather than saying I can't bear it, I'd say I'm afraid of karma."

Lingyu was somewhat taken aback: "Cause and effect?"

Jiang Sheng said, "That's right, cause and effect."

“When you fight with others, cause and effect will naturally arise. But it is inevitable for those who are cultivating themselves to fight. Once cause and effect arise, cutting it off will eliminate it.”

"In fact, whether it is the great calamity of the Xuanmen or the struggle between immortals, gods and Buddhas, these causes and effects already exist, and I have no fear of them."

"But the karma of immortals and gods is so clear, what about the karma of mortals?"

"Millions of living beings do not engage in cultivation, and their lives are already arduous even within a hundred years; how innocent are they when faced with catastrophic disasters and upheavals? How can this karma be resolved?"

Lingyu paused for a moment, then looked at Jiang Sheng with a complicated expression: "You still remember what happened at Qingping Mountain?"

Jiang Sheng nodded and said softly, "You have to remember the mistakes you make so that you won't repeat them in the future."

In his youth, Jiang Sheng, a proud and arrogant man from Penglai, was slaying a demon at the foot of Qingping Mountain. In order to lure the enemy deeper into the area, he allowed the demon to wreak havoc and drown tens of thousands of lives. Although no one mentions this incident now, and although almost all those who experienced it back then have died, and the one or two remaining have forgotten this trivial matter, Jiang Sheng still remembers it to this day.

If I hadn't been so hasty at the time, and if I had come up with a more comprehensive plan, could I have resolved the matter more cleanly and efficiently?
Now, the same scene is unfolding before our eyes again. However, back then, it was to lure the water demon ashore that caused tens of thousands of lives to perish in the flood. Now, are we going to let the destruction of this realm and the sudden death of hundreds of millions of lives in the void be allowed to be exposed in order to expose the source of corruption?

"If the beings of a realm are truly beyond redemption, then their annihilation is the best course of action."

"But there is still hope. If we pretend not to know, we will be wrong."

"On the path of great things, those who do not face their own hearts squarely will inevitably waste their time and live a life of mediocrity."

"Moreover, in all the heavens and myriad realms, which immortal, god, or bodhisattva is not afraid of cause and effect?"

Jiang Sheng spoke slowly, each word clear and distinct. Finally, he looked at his senior sister and smiled: "Our Taoist school speaks of the natural order of heaven and earth, as well as the principles of following the natural order and acting without acting. It speaks of seeking immortality by avoiding the world, but also of entering the world to save people. These are two sides of the same coin, the fusion of yin and yang."

"My heart and nature are clear and pure. All my actions are in accordance with my true will. Only in this way can I achieve the transcendence and freedom of an immortal."

"This Nanzhao Realm must be saved. Whether it succeeds or fails is up to fate, and whether we do it or not is up to us."

Lingyu listened quietly, and finally smiled: "Since Junior Brother has such boldness, why don't Senior Sister accompany Junior Brother to take a gamble?"

"Junior brother, tell me, what are your plans?"

Jiang Sheng suddenly asked, "Senior sister, have you ever seen a doctor save someone?"

Lingyu was somewhat bewildered by the idea of ​​treating the sick and saving lives, not understanding what Jiang Sheng meant.

Jiang Sheng explained, “When I was traveling through the mountains and rivers, I once saw a mountain doctor treating and saving people in a small village. The doctor said that if someone has internal toxins or external sores, the necrotic parts must be removed first to clear the toxins. After all, removing the lesions is necessary to avoid consuming too much vital energy and to allow for recovery.”

"That time, the doctor used a knife to cut open the abscess, squeezed out the rotten flesh and pus, scraped clean the rotten inner wall, and applied medicine powder. The patient recovered quickly."

As he spoke, Jiang Sheng's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and a smile appeared on his face, as if he had a thousand chasms in his heart. He raised his hand and pointed at the mountains and rivers: "The source of corruption is hidden in the Southern Zhao Realm. Isn't it also like a patient with a poisonous sore in his body?"

"Then why must we kill the patient along with the carbuncle?"

"I have already sent a message to Uncle-Master Yuming, asking him to help transport the Jade True Taiyi Heaven here."

Jade True Taiyi Heaven?!

That was a divine machine from the Eastern Heaven that could blast away even a Daoist Pure Yang! During the Xuanmen Calamity, Yuzhen Taiyi Heaven blasted away Kunhe Daojun of Qiankun Dao Sect with a single blow, and even sank the entire Mingzhou!
Lingyu's heart skipped a beat; she finally knew what Jiang Sheng was up to.

Jiang Sheng explained his idea: "The source of corruption is indeed pure Yang, but after experiencing the great calamity of the Xuanmen, whether it was resurrected from the dead or survived serious injuries, how much strength does it still have left?"

"Not to mention that it used its life soul and Dao fruit as a sacrifice, turning it into the poison of the Great Dao."

"With the power of Yuzhen Taiyi Heaven, it is enough to kill him."

"What we need to do is simply pinpoint its location and launch a precise attack; like removing a boil from a patient, we need to give the Southern Illumination Realm a precise treatment."

"Even if we fail, at least we can protect some lives."

Beyond the Three Realms lies the chaotic void.

Within the void passage, thunder roared and lightning flashed, chaotic lightning and void storms raged and surged, transforming into a tide of destruction.

However, amidst the destructive torrent of thunder, fire, and storm, a clear, shimmering light shone, transforming into a shield to block the raging void storm.

Suddenly, it was as if a giant whale had emerged from the sea, and the torrent of void storms and chaotic thunder and fire was forcibly pushed aside. Four towering ships, each a million miles long, squeezed out of the void storm. These four ships were all supported by spiritual light shields, and their hulls were engraved with Daoist inscriptions and spiritual patterns. The dense magical restrictions burst forth with mysterious light, repelling the occasional meteorites or star beasts flying in from the void passage.

If any beings from the myriad realms familiar with the Dharma Ark were here, they would immediately recognize it as a war Dharma Ark used by both the Eastern Heaven and the Heavenly Court, a Void-class Dharma Ark that could be used as a war mothership.

The four Hengxu-class ships are equipped with various alchemy workshops and weapon-making rooms, which can be used for alchemy, weapon crafting, array flag production, and training of Dao soldiers. It can be said that a single Hengxu-class ship is a kingdom suspended in the void, capable of displaying hundreds of millions of Dao soldiers and carrying enough supplies for everyone to eat, drink, and cultivate for hundreds of years. The deployment of such a giant ship basically represents war.

The Three Islands and Seven Peaks flags flying on these four Void-class ships represent their origins: Eastern Heaven, Penglai. These four giant ships are lined up in a row, with straight, blazing golden locks, each ten thousand feet thick and shimmering with spiritual marks and magical restrictions, behind them, seemingly pulling at a continent, a world.

As the Fiery Golden Heavenly Lock continued to pull, an enormous structure gradually emerged from the chaotic thunder and fire.

This colossal structure is divided into three layers, resembling three interlocking star rings, with a diameter of five million miles. The three star rings appear to be cast from meteorite gold and black iron, engraved with layers of magical restrictions and spiritual patterns. The three star rings are not connected to each other, but are mutually connected by Daoist seal script and magical restrictions, just like three layers of magnetic gold maintaining a stable structure. In the very center of the three star rings is a mirror-like object about ten thousand miles in size, with a concave interior and three hundred and sixty-five spiritual patterns engraved on its surface.

This is a masterpiece of war by the Eastern Heavenly Daoist School, which once killed the Pure Yang Daoist Lord and sank the colossal divine structure of the Great Thousand Continent during the Xuanmen Calamity.

Its name is: Jade True Taiyi Heaven!

Today's Jade True Taiyi Heaven is no longer the experimental object formed by the interlocking of hundreds of thousands of magic boats. Instead, it is a war magic weapon painstakingly forged by the master craftsmen of the Eastern Heaven, combining the Upper Purity Law Restriction of the Eastern Heaven with Pure Yang Dao Patterns and the spiritual restrictions of the heavens.

As Yuzhen Taiyi Tian left the void storm, the True Person who was monitoring its condition breathed a sigh of relief and immediately reported, "Master, Yuzhen Taiyi Tian is completely unharmed."

Before long, the voice of True Lord Yuming came: "That was cast by our Eastern Heaven using countless celestial treasures and divine irons. Every spiritual mark and every magical restriction on it was personally carved by the Mahayana Immortal Lords, and the Dao inscriptions and formations inside are the masterpieces of the Pure Yang Ancestors."

"Even if this Void-level magic ship beneath our feet sinks in the void storm, it will be fine, don't worry."

The True Man nodded in agreement, but still looked around a few more times with some unease before returning to the core of the Dharma Boat. There he saw True Lord Yu Ming, dressed in a flowing white brocade robe and wearing a jade crown, sitting in a rocking chair, leisurely flipping through a book of strange tales.

"After seeing this, I feel more at ease staying here. Bringing you out on this trip is also a way to give you some experience."

"Once we reach the Southern Realm, I will speak with Ling Yuan and arrange for you to take up a position in the Judicial Heavenly Lord's Palace."

Yu Ming Zhenjun had already made clear plans for the future of his disciples. Looking at the disciples who were listening attentively, Yu Ming Zhenjun smiled and said, "You are still a bit less experienced than your senior brothers."

"Having served in the Heavenly Court's Judicial Palace, you now have the qualifications and experience to work in the Heavenly Court. The next step is for you to work in the Penglai Heavenly Realm."

Listening to the plan arranged for him by his master, the True Man nodded repeatedly. When True Man Yuming finished speaking, he glanced at the huge projections on the left and right. Through these projections, he could clearly see everything on the Dharma Boat.

Watching the tumbling meteorites shatter under the mystical light and protective barrier of the magic boat, True Monarch Yu Ming narrowed his eyes: "This time, Ling Yuan's mobilization of the Jade True Taiyi Heaven is a rare experience for you."

“You have never witnessed the power of the Jade True Taiyi Heaven, and you do not know what kind of methods the Pure Yang Dao Lord possesses. This thing was only used once during the Xuanmen Great Calamity, and I still remember that time to this day.”

As Jade Bright True Lord murmured, four giant ships pulled the Jade True Taiyi Heaven, which spanned five million miles, rapidly forward through the void passage. Their destination was the Southern Illumination Realm!
Meanwhile, outside the Southern Illumination Realm, Jiang Sheng and Ling Yu were suspended outside the membrane of the Southern Illumination Realm, observing this small world up close.

"To pinpoint the exact location of the source of corruption, someone will probably need to enter the Southern Illumination Realm."

"And for a Golden Core cultivator to go in, it would be difficult to come out alive."

Lingyu analyzed the situation, then looked at Jiang Sheng: "What are your thoughts?"

Jiang Sheng smiled, his left hand hidden in his sleeve fiddling with the golden thread of cause and effect: "Senior Sister, why do you think the Southern Illumination Realm still maintains this serene and spiritual state?"

"Does this mean that the world of Nanzhao Realm has not been completely corrupted, that the Heavenly Dao of Nanzhao Realm still has the power to fight back, or even that Nanzhao Realm has already given birth to that savior with great fortune?"

Lingyu's eyes lit up: "You mean?"

Jiang Sheng took out a golden slip from his pocket, pressed it to his forehead, and injected a cultivation technique into it. Then Jiang Sheng said, "The savior, who possesses the destiny of the Southern Zhao Realm, will surely encounter great tribulations and then great opportunities. He will definitely encounter the source of corruption under the impetus of the will of the Southern Zhao Realm."

"No one can perceive the location of one's own ailment better than the will of heaven and earth in the Southern Illumination Realm."

"Therefore, we don't need to enter the Southern Illumination Realm. Let the Chosen One of the Southern Illumination Realm find the source of corruption, and then use the Jade True Taiyi Heaven to blast it to death."

Lingyu nodded, then couldn't help but ask, "Are you sure that the Southern Realm has already given birth to a Child of Destiny?"

Jiang Sheng touched the golden thread of cause and effect with his left hand, feeling the slight warmth, and nodded: "Of course, from now on, everything depends on fate and cause and effect."

As he spoke, Jiang Sheng naturally released his right hand, and the golden letter drifted down, floating as lightly as a goose feather, finally landing on the membrane of heaven and earth in the Southern Illumination Realm, silently merging into it.

As the golden letter fell into the Southern Illumination Realm, the golden thread of cause and effect in Jiang Sheng's left hand regained its cool touch.

When the golden paper entered the Southern Illumination Realm, a thunderous roar suddenly resounded in the previously peaceful and sunny area, and then everything returned to calm.

"Coo coo."

"Coo coo."

A pheasant was fluttering its wings, searching for insects and wild fruits under the decaying leaves in the forest. Just as the pheasant was happily hunting, a branch fell from the tree and pierced straight through it. Immediately, a short, unkempt figure with a dirty face climbed down from the tree and couldn't help but smile as he looked at the pheasant he had caught.

"With this chicken, we'll have something to eat for the next day or two."

"Senior sister, senior brother, and Master, I will definitely escape! I will definitely find a way to avenge you!"

Who else could this unkempt, filthy-faced person be but Zhang Ling?
Ever since escaping the pursuit of her senior brothers and sisters that day, Zhang Ling has been hiding in the mountains and forests, not daring to enter any villages.

After fleeing through the mountains for more than ten days, Zhang Ling only picked some wild fruits and drank some mountain stream water each day. He dared not light a fire, because he was not sure how many people were still alive in the Ye Nan Mountains, or how many of them were spies of the unseen enemy.

Picking up the pheasant, Zhang Ling quickly ran forward. There was a tree hollow ahead where he could start a fire and cook the pheasant; he hadn't eaten cooked food in a long time.

However, just as Zhang Ling was running excitedly, a tree root suddenly appeared under her feet. The root was buried in the decaying leaves and was not noticeable. Zhang Ling was too excited to pay attention and tripped over it. Caught off guard, Zhang Ling tumbled and fell into a swamp.

"This place is actually a swamp?"

"When did this place become a swamp?"

Startled, Zhang Ling tried to climb out, but was horrified to find that the more she struggled, the faster she sank. As she struggled, some bones with rotting flesh floated up from the swamp, which terrified her even more.

However, the swamp's swallowing power far exceeded Zhang Ling's expectations. Before long, Zhang Ling disappeared from the entire swamp, leaving only bubbling and rolling bubbles. But as withered leaves drifted down from all around, the swamp was once again covered by fallen leaves, and everything returned to calm.

After a long while, several days had passed, Zhang Ling slowly awoke from her coma.

"swamp!"

Zhang Ling, regaining her senses, was startled to find herself surrounded by emptiness, like a cave.

"There's actually a space hidden beneath the swamp?!"

Zhang Ling was both surprised and delighted. Even he hadn't expected that there was a swamp hidden under the fallen leaves, and who would have thought that there was such a safe space under the swamp?

"My senior sister often says that there are many caves hidden in the Ye Nan Mountain, where senior cultivators often find their way to the caves and receive the cultivation techniques, which allows them to soar to great heights."

Could it be that I also have such an opportunity?

Zhang Ling chuckled to herself, then suddenly caught sight of something and froze on the spot.

At the far end of the empty cave, a stone door blocked the way, and beside the door stood a stone tablet with the inscription:

Nanzhao Immortal Abode. (End of Chapter)