A journey of survival starting from Zhetian

Chapter 723 True Martial Child
The deepest part of the Nine Heavens.

Inside the grand hall, shimmering with dreamlike starlight, wisps of ethereal blue mist gather, slowly condense, and fall, creating a melodious tune that resonates with the laws governing water in all the heavens and myriad realms.

A three-meter-tall azure cocoon floated in the center of the hall, slowly contracting and expanding like breathing, following a very special rhythm and accompanied by a very clear Daoist chant.

Xiong Mo's figure emerged from the illusion, looked at the Dao cocoon, and gently patted it.

With a smile, he asked softly, "Manager Jian, how are you feeling right now?"

The light within the cocoon accelerated its flow for a few breaths before returning to a steady pace, coalescing into a hazy, indistinct figure.

Jian Keng's noticeably weak voice came from inside, "I'm not going to die yet. It's just that my cultivation foundation has been damaged, but it's much better than when the illusory Dao Fruit collapsed."

Then, his tone changed, and he said quietly, "If needed, I can continue to work for the great Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerable."

"However, if possible, please ask the great Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerable to put aside the work that requires risking one's life to complete."

"You, who are called the Kitchen God's tool, really can't bear the consequences of the second collapse of the illusory Dao Fruit."

A hint of embarrassment appeared on Xiong Mo's face, and he coughed.

According to his deduction, after being blessed with a phantom Dao Fruit, Jian Keng, who transformed into the weak other shore with regional limitations, was able to withstand the turmoil caused by the opening of the [Nine Heavens Realm] and the [Nine Netherworld Realm], and at the same time, barely maintain the balance of the laws of all the heavens and myriad realms.

Who knew that just by activating the [Tai Chi Diagram] once, perfectly embedding these two places of near-path that had already given birth to their own will into the [Real World], and temporarily replacing him in suppressing all the heavens and myriad worlds, this weak other shore could not withstand it, and the illusory Dao Fruit collapsed directly after all the work was completed.

If Nanshan Pagoda hadn't protected Jian Keng's true spirit in time, and taken one of his projections into the highest level of the Nine Heavens Realm, nurturing it with the power of the Near Dao Place, the Kitchen God's death could have been declared by now.

This kind of death is the kind that even the will of Heaven on the other side cannot avert.

Because, at the current point in time in the "One World," he is the only one who possesses the power of the sacrificial path, which can be regarded as the other shore that is not the other shore. And now, most of this power is used to drive the [Tai Chi Diagram] on the river of time and destiny to suppress the [Real World] and stabilize its authenticity.

If he were to intervene again to salvage Jian Keng's true spirit, it would inevitably disrupt the flow of time and destiny, accelerating the arrival of the end of the era.

The birth of the Nine Heavens and the Nine Netherworlds, and their integration into the Realm of Truth, while stabilizing the river of time and destiny to some extent, has resulted in the fact that history has been altered many times in this era. Without a complete "Celestial Venerable of Morality," the impact on all realms is immense, affecting every aspect of life.

Furthermore, in the probability era of "Covering the Sky World," Junior Nephew Li Xiang was able to replace the "Central Yellow Emperor," perfectly withstand the pressure of the [Central Divine Realm], and even use this pressure to slowly improve, raising his cultivation to the peak of Dao Ancestor.

Even as he waged war amidst the chaos of the ocean and the rise of several dark sovereigns, this dear junior apprentice managed to withstand the immense pressure.

Why couldn't he withstand this pressure in the "One World," where his creation was almost equivalent to the pinnacle of the Dao Ancestor?
Xiong Mo had some doubts, wondering if it was because Manager Jian lacked sufficient training.

After all, compared to his junior apprentice Li Xiang, this newly found tool has a relatively short cultivation period.

Upon thinking this, Xiong Mo's slight embarrassment immediately disappeared, and he stared intently at the Dao cocoon.

"It's okay. Just practice with me more later, and you'll be able to handle it next time."

"As the saying goes, one can rise from ruin and be reborn from annihilation. I have a lot of experience with this. As long as one is not really dead, one can achieve a leap in cultivation and spiritual practice."

"Moreover, 'all selves are me'—by projecting an image of another self onto the surface and dying multiple times, one can get used to it. It will likely become instinctive to transcend limits in various desperate situations and break free from the shackles of death."

Trust me, you won't regret it!

Jian Keng, inside the cocoon, paused slightly, his blurry figure trembling, clearly extremely agitated.

Jian Keng's tone became even more somber, "If one cannot transcend the limits and break free from the shackles of death, then..."

Xiong Mo shrugged and spread his hands. "Then, the only option is to enter eternal annihilation."

"In short, don't worry. Like this time, even if there were some minor problems, you were fine."

Daojian calmed down.

Jian Keng sighed softly in his heart. He truly lived up to the title of Xuanhuang Tianzun. His temperament and "humanity" were even richer than those ancient creations described, yet his "divinity" was equally abundant. This should be a good thing.

A wisp of water, carrying the essence of Yin and Yang and the two polarities, flew out of the cocoon and transformed into a young Taoist boy wearing a Tai Chi robe.

The newly separated projection of Jian Keng, carrying a hint of the other shore, bowed to the Heavenly Venerable before him, saying, "I have chosen a Taoist name for myself, called 'Zhenwu'."

"What are your orders, sir?"

Zhenwu?

Even though Xiong Mo was prepared, his expression still stiffened for a moment upon hearing this title.

Xiong Mo looked at the young Taoist boy before him and asked softly, "Zhenwu, so you will no longer focus on cooking, but instead switch to Tai Chi?"

Zhenwu Tongzi nodded, then shook his head.

"Tai Chi is the sublimation of the kitchen stove, and the kitchen stove is also the foundation of 'Yin and Yang' and 'Two Forms'." Is that so?
Xiong Mo raised an eyebrow. Within the [Nine Heavens Realm], Jian Keng, or rather, "Zhen Wu," possessed the blessing of the near-Dao realm, making it extremely difficult to discern Jian Keng's thoughts without using the power of the Dao to lock onto the various possibilities of the future.

Now that "Zhenwu" has said this, the conclusion is obvious.

When he attains enlightenment in the future, he will still focus on the "kitchen stove," but he will also use the "kitchen stove" as a foundation to explore "Tai Chi," "Yin Yang," and "Two Forms," ​​thus achieving enlightenment from one to four.

Four illusory Dao Fruits were condensed in an instant. With such cultivation and foundation, as long as the four Dao Fruits were unified, it would be enough to step into the prototype of a Dao Fruit, extend one's existence to a more ancient era, and thus become an ancient being.

Xiong Mo channeled a wisp of sacrificial power, slowly calculating. At the same time, various principles of law emerged within the [Gray Mist Space], extending into various future possibilities.

He sighed softly, "It's impossible for you to have four certificates with one."

"Moreover, if you want to attain enlightenment, you can only do so at the end of this era, before the final catastrophe arrives."

Upon hearing this, Zhenwu Daotong's pupils dilated slightly.

He asked softly, somewhat dazed, "Master, is it really that there will be no next era, or is there some other reason?"

Xiong Mo glanced at the True Martial Daoist boy in front of him.

"There will be a next era, but in the next era, and the era after that, you will have no hope of attaining enlightenment."

"Once this era ends, if you try to escape this sea of ​​suffering, you will surely perish."

Jian Keng has already made his decision to become the attendant of this Heavenly Venerable. How could he not pay the price if he wanted to use this great momentum to cultivate and attain enlightenment?
Once he attains enlightenment, other ancient creations will inevitably enter this realm in a very short time.

At that time, under the watchful eyes of a group of otherworldly deities, it would be nothing short of a pipe dream for a mere attendant of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Venerable to aspire to become a new deity.

Under the suppression of the three possible existences of the afterlife, these ancient creations of the past have not found a way to the other side.

Even if they were found, without the tacit approval of the three naturally born beings on the other side, it would be impossible for one person with perfect creation to successfully attain enlightenment.

So, in the future, where divine will inevitably gather from all directions, will many divine will allow even more competitors to vie for the "fruit"?
As his attendant, Xuanhuang Tianzun, he was definitely a key target for attention and obstruction.

Zhenwu Tongzi seemed to understand the problem, his eyelids twitching incessantly.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "Master, with you here, won't you be able to protect me in the future?"

Xiong Mo raised an eyelid and said in a low voice, "Do you want me to fight multiple opponents? Or do you want to rely on me to attain enlightenment?"

Zhenwu nodded, his gaze sincere.

Xiong Mo's expression turned solemn as he admonished, "The path to enlightenment lies solely in the mind and in oneself; it cannot be attained through external means."

Whether it's the "One World," the "Covering the Sky World," or the "Wilderness World," when taking the final step in cultivation and reaching the end of the path of cultivation, one can only rely on oneself, and only oneself remains.

If one has any thoughts of retreat, if one's will is not firm, if one's Dao heart is unbalanced, then one will surely fail to attain enlightenment, and die and one's Dao will perish.

There can be no falsehoods whatsoever.

Xiong Mo looked at Zhenwu and shook his head. "Think about it again."

"With such thoughts, there is still a lack of corresponding trials and tribulations."

At this moment, a special wisp of Daoist essence, carrying strands of information, drifted into the front of the great hall, shimmering with brilliant light.

Xiong Mo gently waved his hand, took it into his palm, and browsed the information inside.

[We beseech the Heavenly Venerable to grant us, the Creators, a meeting.]
"Snapped"

With a firm squeeze of his fingers, the wisp of Dao essence was crushed, scattering into a special historical node and manifesting its corresponding spatial coordinates.

Xiong Mo looked at Zhenwu, whose brows were furrowed and whose expression was constantly changing. He reached out and lifted him up, instantly stepping into the River of Time. Following the trace of the Dao Beacon in his hand, he traced back to the third second after the creation of this era, to the point where the [Nine Heavens Realm] and the [Nine Netherworld Realm] suddenly appeared.

Before one's eyes, hundreds of pseudo-Otherworld beings are here, some sitting in the [Nine Heavens Realm], others standing in the [Nine Netherworld Realm], their bodies shrouded in the charm of time.

"I've seen Tianzun."

Hundreds of pseudo-Other Shores bowed in unison, looking at Xiong Mo and Zhenwu, their eyes filled with different meanings, and a vast legal principle surged forth.

Xiong Mo pushed the True Martial Sword in his hand forward, allowing it to be tested by hundreds of people of the same realm.

Instantly, the young Taoist boy turned deathly pale, while the expressions of the many pseudo-Other Shores became subtle.

(End of this chapter)