A journey of survival starting from Zhetian

Chapter 635 Polluted Cultivation System
A middle-aged gentleman was the first to emerge from among the many supreme deities.

He gripped his cane tightly, pointing it at the mundane object, and drew seven five-pointed spirit arrays, connecting with the "spirit" within in a manner akin to spiritual awakening.

Suddenly, the blood moon hung high in the sky, occupying the entire subordinate small world. Strands of extremely pure life spirit, accompanied by the brilliant blood color, wandered in all directions and slowly descended to the earth, as if laying down a red carpet symbolizing another side of life, revealing a peculiar sense of holiness.

A strange, blood-red purifying light flowed and stretched within the oil painting. The "Twisted Spiritual Consciousness Entity - Separated Entity," which was still somewhat turbid, once again peeled away some indescribable pollution, which settled within the wooden frame, making the Daoist figures in the painting appear orderly and clearer.

This is a half-length portrait of an old man.

He was shirtless, his body muscular and powerful, his rough, wheat-colored skin marked with runes bearing mysterious symbols. He wore an earring made of animal bone on his left ear and a thin, blood-red rope bound to his right hand, exuding the air of a barbaric shaman.

The spirit in the painting gradually came to life. The old shaman slowly opened his eyes, emitting specks of ominous light and a strange aura so heavy that it terrified all living beings. It seemed that a great terror, which had corrupted the spirit of all things and buried heaven and earth, was slowly reviving.

The hundreds of supreme deities present were not affected in the slightest, nor were they frightened by it. Their gazes toward the old man in the painting were filled with a hint of caution.

The hundreds of emperors who ascended the path possessed supreme laws containing profound purification principles, which greatly resisted strange and ominous things of the same level, and the power they exerted was not to be underestimated.

Most of the forty-eight supreme Dao Ancestors of the Central Divine Realm have gathered here. Even if there is a sudden change involving the highest level of the path, the combined efforts of many Dao Ancestors can at least suppress it. If this strange and ominous force is not strong enough, it may even be forcibly suppressed and completely annihilated.

Moreover, outside this small world, hundreds of supreme deities skilled in calculation, prophecy, and divination are on constant alert. The power and gaze of the Yellow Emperor in the center are also subtly descending, and the supreme power summoned by many emperors remains hidden outside this small world.

Many emperors firmly believed that, with all the preparations made, no accident could possibly occur.

Indeed, despite the numerous barriers and restrictions, the corrupting power emanating from the old shaman was completely imprisoned by the even more terrifying forty-nine layers of restrictions before it could even break through the three layers of seals on the picture frame, almost severing all means of transmission of the eerie and ominous.

The fluctuations emanating from this oil painting, apart from the old shaman in the painting moving and making some noise that could evoke a slight fear in all things in heaven and earth, have now become infinitely close to those of ordinary beings.

Having imbued himself with a layer of spiritual power, the middle-aged gentleman, holding his cane, slowly approached the oil painting. Using his own spirituality as a guide, he asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you still remember your true name? What realm did you come from? What is the name of the evolutionary system you cultivated?"

In the oil painting, the old shaman, whose eyes radiate a ghostly light, suddenly felt a trace of confusion. He felt that the gentleman in front of him was very upright and one of the closest beings to him. This made him unable to help but turn his somewhat rigid mind and recall his fragmented memories.

Despite his still-stiff mind and bewildered expression, the old shaman slowly spoke, "My real name is 'Wumeng,' I come from the 'Crimson Cloud' Great Realm, and the evolutionary system I cultivate is called 'Prayer Body.'"

The middle-aged gentleman turned his head to look at the shrine maiden holding the astrological crystal ball, his eyes filled with inquiry.

The shrine maiden nodded slowly with a serious expression.

Immediately afterwards, she reached out and tossed the crystal ball into the air, allowing it to float and connect with the network of this small world, conduct joint divination with the Heavenly Emperor, compile a list of information, and give it to the middle-aged gentleman standing in front of the oil painting, communicating with him within the network of the universe.

[This answer to the question "Twisted Spiritual Consciousness - Separated Body" is flawless.]
[The pauses in his speech were simply because the remaining memories and corresponding insights were too fragmented, perhaps even less than a fraction of what he possessed at his peak.]
[Next, we will continue to inquire about more information based on this information sheet.]
The middle-aged gentleman received the information list from the link in the Heavenly Law Network, a look of understanding flashing in his eyes, before turning his gaze back to the old shaman in the oil painting.

With a touch of caution, he once again used his own spirituality as a guide to ask, "Fellow Daoist, may I ask your age? From birth to today, approximately how many years have you been cultivating?"

The old shaman in the painting froze instantly, a hint of pain appearing on his face, and slowly said, "I was born 9.11 million years ago. Until today, I have cultivated for approximately 350 billion years. No, it shouldn't be that long. Perhaps even longer."

The middle-aged gentleman waved his cane, and with a holy, blood-red light, he once again lightly touched the oil painting, purifying the eeriness and ominousness that had gradually arisen from its inner spirituality. The old shaman's answer and his own judgment were inscribed on the net of heaven and earth in this small world.

[It has been roughly confirmed that the remaining memory is approximately one in three hundred million, slightly less than the projected result.]
The middle-aged gentleman spoke again, asking, "Fellow Daoist, do you still remember what your own world looks like?"

The old shaman replied somewhat blankly, "Oh, I remember, I remember it very clearly. It was a warm, sweet, and vibrant world."

The middle-aged gentleman frowned slightly, unsure of the answer. He asked in a somewhat guiding tone, "Fellow Daoist, please continue to describe the environment of your world. For example, what kinds of flowers, plants, and trees grow here? What did you like to eat when you were young? What did you crave most at that time?"

The old shaman, with a touch of nostalgia, entered his memories and slowly said, "The place where I was born was a beautiful place. It was full of beautiful eyes, and every piece of flesh was scattered in the wind. Back then, my elders would pluck pieces of flesh and blood, polish them into a delicious long lyre, and play a hoarse song that made me feel a little sad and a little longing."

The words, filled with memories, gently echoed within this small world, causing all the supreme deities present to subtly change their expressions.

[It has been largely confirmed that external assistance (mechanical order) cannot reverse the distorted body and consciousness, and methods of division (spirit, primordial spirit, divine soul, consciousness, true spirit) cannot eliminate the distortions hidden within consciousness.]
[It has been largely confirmed that after being subjected to a strange and ominous contamination, the method of division can restore some of one's sanity, thinking ability, logical judgment, and extremely rare memories and insights into Taoist principles.]
As the middle-aged gentleman continued to record the old shaman's reply and his own judgment, many supreme deities also frowned slightly, erected a new barrier, and began to discuss. The girl wearing a feather robe spoke up and stated her conclusion, "Based on the current information alone, I can confirm that the level that caused this Wumeng Dao Ancestor to be twisted into something indescribable is definitely the highest level of the path."

The carpenter nodded in agreement, “That’s right. If it’s something of the supreme realm, even something at the half-step end level, we could not restore its body even with almost all the power of the Central Divine Realm. But the ‘spirit’ that was separated through various means would not still have such a distorted mind and logic.”

Emperor Zhonghao solemnly declared, as if making a definition, "I believe that this thing and similar substances can be classified as extremely dangerous items at the highest level of the road."

"Once encountered, it requires immediate and thorough purification or destruction. Even if a dual-path emperor has been corrupted for too long, it is difficult to guarantee that his own thinking has not been distorted or altered. At least I cannot guarantee that I will not have any problems."

Emperor Zhonghao's expression was unusually solemn. This strange, ominous, and eroding way reminded him of the "original body" of the current "Central Yellow Emperor," a large mass that kept rising and falling with the chaotic "ocean," and had now multiplied to an endless "bubble swarm."

Furthermore, in this realm, which was not yet called the "Central Divine Realm," the "Ordination Method," which was perfected based on the "Cultivation System of Faith in Gods," had not yet been widely disseminated. He personally witnessed his disciple "Tianzhou" undergo some special changes and reveal an expression of "So that's how it is," without any hesitation transforming his supreme Dao Fruit into a third-grade divine talisman—a bizarre scene.

This is too bizarre, and too unsettling for living beings.

Although Emperor Zhonghao felt that this strange and ominous infectious ability was far from reaching the "original form" of the "Central Yellow Emperor" at his current level, the undisguised and profound malice made him feel even more terrified.

Although the "Central Yellow Emperor" also appears unusually strange, it is fundamentally different from this eerie and ominous substance.

He is a "normal" being at the end of the road, even though his "true form" appears as a large, indescribable mass to the eyes of many supreme deities. But at least he is communicable, will not actively destroy the world that allows countless beings to live, and has his own pursuits.

He will protect the present "Central Divine Realm," as well as those who emerge from this world and all beings who recite His name. Even His most fundamental purpose is merely to use countless beings and all spirits of heaven and earth to perfect, cultivate, and expand the "Ordination Method" cultivation system.

Most importantly, the existence of the "Central Yellow Emperor" ensures the permanent existence of the Central Divine Realm, and He does not reject cultivation systems other than the "Ordination Method." In fact, it could be said that He seems quite pleased to see cultivation systems different from the "Ordination Method" emerge, spread, and be perfected within the Central Divine Realm.

These strange and ominous things, as they appear to the supreme deities, are nothing but contamination, assimilation, distortion, and destruction. Although they contain a peculiar "fortune," even the supreme Dao Ancestor can greatly advance his cultivation and Dao practice after consuming them, allowing him to take another step forward.

But the essence of these "creations" is ultimately to more easily exploit all living beings in the world, and even the world itself that still has vitality.

As the middle-aged gentleman began questioning the old shaman, the murmurs of the many supreme deities subsided, and they all waited with more solemn gazes for the questioning to end.

Because the information we have so far is already not optimistic.

The middle-aged gentleman's originally brown pupils had turned bright blood red, and his palms, which were gripping his cane tightly, were unknowingly covered with more sweat. Clearly, this kind of "information inquiry" was not easy, even though he was the supreme Dao Ancestor, and within this small world, he was blessed by the Heaven and Earth Law Network, and his body was also faintly shimmering with the divine assistance bestowed by many supreme gods.

Taking a breath, he stepped back a few paces and solemnly asked the old shaman in the oil painting, "Fellow Daoist, could you elaborate on the 'Prayer Body' system you developed and share some of your insights into it?"

The old shaman paused, a strange light emanating from his eyes, an eerie aura spreading, and a hidden terror beginning to unfold.

He grinned, revealing terrifying, interlocking fangs, and began to explain his "Tao" and "Dharma" with remarkable logic and order: "The first six realms of the 'Prayer Body' system that I cultivate were not created by me. It is only the seventh realm, the 'Prayer Body' realm that allows me to step into the supreme realm, that I created myself."

"After I entered the Supreme Realm, I made corresponding improvements to the six realms below, and then established a truly perfect cultivation system that could definitely lead to higher levels, allowing me to realize the ultimate path and transform the Dao fruit into 'eternity'."

The old shaman's words became exceptionally captivating: "The first realm, which I call 'Blood Bathing,' begins in childhood, where one bathes in different kinds of blood—from the blood of one's closest relatives, to the blood of one's own kind, to the blood of powerful beings, and finally to the blood of heaven and earth. In this realm, one can cultivate to immortality and free oneself from the constraints imposed by lifespan."

"The second realm is called 'Carnivorous.' As long as you keep eating the flesh and blood of your closest relatives, your own kind, powerful beings, and even the flesh and blood of heaven and earth, your physical talent will continue to rise. In the end, you can also achieve immortality and break free from the constraints of lifespan with just your physical body."

"The third realm is called 'Bone Devouring.' By using my method, one can devour the bones of relatives and friends, the bones of powerful beings, and even the bones of heaven and earth. This will continuously increase one's cultivation talent. One can even achieve immortality simply by licking 'marrow.' Furthermore, after achieving immortality, one can continue to improve one's cultivation talent using this method."

The Fourth Realm

The eerie and ominous wooden frame that had been imprisoning him had gradually turned black. Noticing this change, the middle-aged gentleman retreated again and inscribed his name on the net of heaven and earth.

[It has been largely confirmed that actively consuming strange and ominous things in order to break through cultivation realms will pollute the cultivation system.]
(End of this chapter)