Walking alone with a sword, slaying ghosts and gods

Chapter 605 The Innate Divine Power of the Mahayana Realm, the Power of the Seventy-Two Heavens (Seeking rewards and subscriptions!)

Inside the quiet room, the aftershocks of chaotic primordial energy slowly subsided and eventually returned to nothingness.

Lu Cheng sat cross-legged in the center of the Tushita Heaven meditation room, gently stroking the purple-gold-red gourd in his hand.

As a being from outer space, Lu Cheng had heard of this purple-gold-red gourd. It was said to be a precious gourd used by the Taiqing Sage to hold elixirs.

The gourd originated when chaos first separated and heaven and earth were created. The sage Taiqing descended to earth to save the world. When he arrived at the Qian Palace and touched the ground, he saw a celestial vine at the foot of Kunlun Mountain bearing a purple-gold gourd. He kept the gourd for his own use.

Later, when it was refined into a magical artifact, as long as its name was called, if it responded, it would be contained inside and turn into pus in a short time.

Afterwards, the six sages flew away from the prehistoric world. It is very likely that the Taiqing Sage found some kind of spiritual root in the chaos and took out the spiritual essence from the purple-gold red gourd to reforge a vessel for it.

Such things also happen in the Immortal Realm. A certain cultivator refined his natal magic weapon for thousands of years, and it had developed spirituality. Later, he encountered an even more powerful magic weapon. This cultivator believed that even if he devoted his entire life to refining his natal magic weapon to such a level, he would not be able to do so. So he used a secret method to extract the spirituality from his natal magic weapon and integrate it into the newly obtained magic weapon. It had benefits and wonderful uses in every aspect.

Ancient Taoist texts even record instances of immortals taking out the spiritual essence of their treasured artifacts and transforming it into a servant boy, who then served them personally—essentially, taking them as disciples.

With its spiritual essence gone, the purple-gold-red gourd's magical power was greatly diminished. Somehow, it ended up in the hands of the Nine Li Cauldron, and now it has been bestowed upon Lu Cheng.

With just the Nine Li Cauldron and this Purple Gold Red Gourd, if Lu Cheng can truly cultivate to the level of a Primordial Golden Immortal and even break free from the primordial universe, he can use these to obtain an identity in the palace of Goddess Nuwa or under the tutelage of the Supreme Saint.

The gourd felt warm and smooth to the touch, neither gold nor jade. Inside, it seemed to contain the power of creation and the purest spiritual energy. On its surface, Dao patterns flowed, and purple-gold divine radiance and crimson treasure light intertwined, exuding an aura of returning to simplicity yet surpassing all things.

The parting words of the Nine Li Cauldron, like the resounding toll of a great bell, still echoed deep within Lu Cheng's consciousness, stirring up unprecedented waves:
"Even saints, even Grand Luo Golden Immortals, are not at the pinnacle of cultivation. The Great Dao may have its end, but at least from my current level of understanding, I cannot yet see or comprehend it..."

Or rather, at my current level, I'm wrong the moment I think about it, and even more wrong the moment I speak about it. Forcing myself to find an answer is nothing more than self-comfort.

The path to enlightenment is endless!

The Lesser Thousand Worlds (Mortal Realm), the Middle Thousand Worlds (Spirit Realm), the Greater Thousand Worlds (Immortal Realm), the Primordial Universe... Beyond the Primordial Universe, there are three thousand extraterrestrial universes of gods and demons.

Countless millennia ago, six sages, along with the most powerful immortals and gods of the primordial world, braved thorns and brambles, traversing the boundless chaos, all in pursuit of the possible, higher and more distant end of the Great Dao.

The pioneering feat and the unknown dangers stirred Lu Cheng's emotions, yet also gave him a sense of awe and empathy.

In the primordial universe, sages were said to be indestructible and immortal.

However, once one steps out of the "egg shell" that nurtured them and enters that chaotic and nameless land, even a saint's immortal body may not be able to withstand the claws and teeth of the chaotic gods and demons and the erosion of the unknown laws.

This exploration will inevitably come at a bloody price; it is a true battle for the Dao!

"Was the original primordial universe perhaps only the size of a middle-thousand world today? Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang weighed 13,500 jin and covered 108,000 li in a single somersault. These may seem ordinary to later generations, but aside from the possible differences in measurement between ancient and modern times, aren't they clear evidence that the entire primordial world, along with the immortals, saints, and sages within it, has been constantly progressing, expanding, and evolving over endless years?"

Like ordinary humans, they were able to transition from a primitive, slash-and-burn civilization to an interstellar civilization in just a few thousand or tens of thousands of years.

In the chaos where years are immeasurable, what kind of progress would the immortals and gods in the upper realms, with their wisdom and understanding, make over a period of time measured in tens of thousands of years?

"Only when I thought of this did I realize how insignificant I was, and how vast the road ahead was." Lu Cheng gently stroked the treasure in his hand, and an unprecedented desire to seek the Dao and a spirit of enterprise welled up in his heart.

The parting gift of the Jiuli Ding was truly a great favor.

Because it not only left behind the sage's treasure, the Purple-Gold Red Gourd, but also, through its own magical power, opened and sealed within the gourd:

Seventy-two Great Thousand Worlds, eight hundred Middle Thousand Worlds, and three thousand Lesser Thousand Worlds. All the Nine Li Worlds that Lu Cheng used before are included within. The Purple-Gold Red Gourd can be said to have perfectly inherited all the original functions of the Nine Li Cauldron, and it can now collect people.

Although its upper limit is certainly far less than that of the Nine Li Cauldron, it is infinitely more convenient for Lu Cheng to use.

As for the Nine Li Cauldron itself, let alone cultivators at the Mahayana realm, even ordinary immortals would probably not be taken seriously by it.

If the sages and many powerful immortals and gods had not already left the original universe, ordinary spiritual treasures would be difficult to control in this world. Why would the sages leave such spiritual treasures in the lower world?
With a slight thought, he sank into the purple-gold-red gourd.

In an instant, Lu Cheng's consciousness seemed to be infinitely elevated, transcending the quiet room, the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, and even the constraints of the Earthly Immortal Realm.

He was like a creator overlooking the heavens, "seeing" the breathtaking, boundless panorama within the gourd:

At the center, the seventy-two great worlds are like slumbering ancient gods, their size and the completeness of their heavenly laws far exceeding imagination.

Countless stars revolve along mysterious trajectories, the Milky Way is dazzling, the continents are vast, the oceans are deep, and wisps of innate Daoist energy permeate the air, faintly revealing the nascent forms of incredibly powerful beings and civilizations.

It forms its own complete universe and is the core and foundation of the three thousand worlds.

Surrounding these seventy-two great worlds are eight hundred medium worlds, like stars surrounding the moon.

They are either as fiery as a furnace, or as frigid as an eternal freeze; some are teeming with life and flourishing with vegetation, while others are filled with a chilling and menacing aura of war. Each of the Middle Thousand Worlds contains a unique set of laws and characteristics, evolving different ultimate principles of heaven and earth.

They are like satellites of the vast world, or like independent kingdoms, connected by subtle primordial tides.

The outermost layer consists of the vast expanse of three thousand lesser worlds. They are as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, densely packed, yet arranged and combined under some mysterious order.

Each microcosm is a miniature universe. Some are newly born, in the primordial chaos; some are at the height of civilization, with demons flying and escaping; while others are in their twilight years, with stars dimming and heading towards extinction.

Birth, dwelling, change, and extinction—the cycle of the world unfolds clearly within these three thousand lesser chiliocosms, demonstrating the most wondrous and fundamental rhythm of the Tao.

The original owner of the Nine Li Cauldron was Chi You, the military lord of the Nine Li tribe. It was later acquired by the goddess Nuwa. Therefore, it was not that it was unable to subdue the human race, but rather that it was unwilling to do so because it was grateful for the goddess's teachings.

Although Nuwa was a saint of the demon race, she was the goddess of creation for the human race. She intended to protect the demon race, but she was even more unwilling to see her own kind wantonly harm her people.

Therefore, when the Nine Li Cauldron is refined, it contains an infinite world. If it encounters a ferocious and brutal demon race, in order not to disrupt the balance of the universe, it will absorb the excessively brutal demons, beasts, and monsters into it to maintain the harmony of the universe.

The reasoning behind this may be incomprehensible to ordinary people, but Lu Cheng, now at the Mahayana realm and a half-step immortal, can naturally comprehend it.

If this were in the very beginning of the primordial era, his level of magical power would likely have made him a true immortal, given his almost limitless lifespan, living as long as heaven and earth and shining as brightly as the sun and moon.

However, with the development of the times, the value of realm has depreciated. In this era, even after cultivating for tens of thousands of years, one may not even become an immortal at the lowest realm.

As he watched, Lu Cheng's mind gradually became completely immersed in the birth, death, and evolution of the three thousand worlds before him.

Our gaze follows the birth of a minor world: chaos explodes, purity separates from turbidity, earth, fire, wind, and water surge, stars illuminate, life is conceived from the primordial ocean, and it explores the world in its ignorance… until it reaches the pinnacle of a middle world:

Countless powerful beings soared through the skies and burrowed beneath the earth, exploring the cosmos, establishing magnificent civilizations, and even touching the very edge of the world's laws… Finally, they gazed upon a small world on the verge of extinction: stars crumbled, continents sank, spiritual energy withered, all things perished, ultimately returning to a vast, desolate silence, awaiting the start of the next cycle. Birth and death cycle, rise and fall, worlds too have their lifespans, the universe too breathes.

This grand yet exquisite scene resonated profoundly with Lu Cheng's "Taoist Transformation and Ascension Technique," which he had cultivated diligently for many years and had reached a state of minor perfection.

The sixty-five transformations represented by the sixty-five life forces within his body now seemed to have transformed into sixty-five miniature "inner worlds," trembling and breathing slightly in sync with the rhythm of the three thousand worlds outside.

A sudden realization, like the first ray of dawn cleaving through the darkness at the beginning of chaos, illuminated Lu Cheng's thoughts:

"So that's how it is! So that's how it is! Senior Jiuli was intentionally giving me some pointers. This Transformation Ascension Technique is not only a life-saving and tribulation-avoiding technique, but also a foundational method for building the heavens within the body and bearing infinite magical power."

“My Taoist Transformation and Ascension Technique, each transformation can be regarded as a seed of an ‘inner world’. Based on this seed, it is activated, refined, and supported, corresponding to the power of a real world outside.”

Lu Chengfu had a sudden inspiration, and the vast and mighty magical power within his body began to operate, compress, and condense in an unprecedented way.

With his mind connected to the purple-gold-red gourd, he carefully extracted a wisp of the origin of a small world that was closest to him and whose aura was most compatible with his.

"Om!!"

A deafening Daoist chant, seemingly capable of creating the heavens and earth, seemed to resound within the quiet room. Lu Cheng's body trembled violently, his skin radiating light as the Daoist immortality was activated to its fullest extent.

Within him, the "Seed of Change," representing the sixty-fifth life, suddenly shone with a dazzling light.

It greedily devoured that wisp of the origin of the small world, like a seed taking root in fertile soil, beginning to frantically absorb nutrients, expand, and evolve.

A miniature, nascent "small world" existing between reality and illusion is slowly taking shape within Lu Cheng's body.

This process was vast and sacred. It was as if billions of stars were being born and colliding beneath Lu Cheng's skin, his bones were humming under the unbearable burden, and his meridians were being washed and widened by the vast power of the world.

But the expression on his face was one of tranquility and focus, even carrying a hint of joy from having grasped the great Dao.

"One transformation corresponds to the power of one realm. Once I have forged seventy-two transformations within my body, they will become seventy-two 'Inner Realm Heavens'. This is not an illusion, nor a phantom, but rather the use of supreme profound techniques to refine the power of the real world into my own Dao foundation, transforming it into life-sustaining cultivation."

"Such supernatural powers are my Mahayana supernatural powers, namely: 'The Power of the Seventy-Two Heavens'! If this skill is truly cultivated to perfection, who in the world can withstand a single strike?"

This is not a simple accumulation of magical power, but a qualitative change. The formation of each "Inner Realm Heaven" signifies Lu Cheng's profound understanding and control of a world law, and means that the essence of his magical power will bear the imprint and power of that world.

The combined power of seventy-two celestial realms within him is not simply a matter of one plus one equaling two, but a terrifying increase exponentially. With every gesture, the power of the celestial realms follows, suppressing all laws and annihilating all evil.

This line of thought was clearly imprinted deep within Lu Cheng's primordial spirit. This was not only the subtle guidance given by the Nine Li Cauldron before its departure, but also the result of Lu Cheng's own enlightenment when he observed the birth and death of the three thousand worlds, thanks to his clear Dao heart, solid foundation, and sudden realization.

Rumble!
Deep within the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, on the spiritual peak where the Dou Shuai Jing Shi (Quiet Chamber of the Tuo Shuai) is located, strange phenomena suddenly arise.

The once tranquil "celestial dome," composed of the primordial energy of heaven and earth, suddenly boiled over. Countless principles manifested, intertwining to form a dazzling galaxy.

Sixty-five incredibly bright star-like phantoms appeared out of thin air, arranged in a mysterious and unpredictable formation, each radiating a unique yet magnificent aura of the world.

Beams of light descended from these illusory starlight, ignoring all restrictions and barriers, precisely pouring into the quiet room and entering Lu Cheng's body.

The entire Taiqing Sect was alarmed by this. The sixty-five pillars of light that pierced through the heavens and earth, and the overwhelming pressure that seemed to descend from the heavens, caused all the cultivators of the Taiqing Sect, regardless of their cultivation level, to feel a sense of fear and awe that originated from the depths of their souls.

"What kind of magical power is this?"

"Yes, it is the Sect Leader!"

"What kind of supernatural power or secret technique is being cultivated?"

"The power of the Lesser Thousand Worlds and Secret Realms. I sense the aura of many secret realms and worlds. What is the Sect Master doing?"

Daoist Minghe and Daoist Xuanzhen appeared instantly in the sky above the Taiqing Sect, their expressions solemn yet filled with excitement and awe.

Although Daoist Mingque was recuperating from the injuries of the previous battle, his divine sense swept over immediately, filled with astonishment and anticipation.

"Under no circumstances shall anyone approach within ten thousand miles of the Xuan Yuan Cave Heaven, acting as a protector of the sect leader." Daoist Minghe solemnly ordered, his magical power surging as he and Daoist Xuanzhen jointly set up numerous restrictions.

With the issuance of the decree, the entire Taiqing Sect quickly entered a state of highest alert, with countless cultivators activating formations and standing ready for battle.

Inside the quiet room, Lu Cheng seemed oblivious to the fluctuations in the outside world. His entire being was immersed in the cultivation of the "Seventy-Two Layers of Inner Heavens".

The first "Inner World" corresponding to the sixty-fifth transformation was the first to solidify and take shape, like a miniature, vibrant star slowly rotating in his dantian, continuously providing incomparably pure and powerful magical energy containing the power of life and death.

Then, the second, the fourth, the twelfth… the speed increased, and with each change, the inner realms of the heavens condensed, triggering a resonance of the origin of a world within the purple-gold-red gourd, causing even thicker pillars of light to descend. Lu Cheng's body seemed to have become a bottomless pit, or the origin point of creation, greedily devouring this power of the heavens.

His physical body was undergoing a transformation. Every inch of his flesh, bones, and meridians became more resilient and translucent under the influence of the world's power, shimmering with a lustrous light, with faint phantoms of the stars of the heavens appearing and disappearing within them. In his sea of ​​consciousness, his primordial spirit sat cross-legged, and a sacred halo woven from sixty-five different worldly Dao rhythms appeared behind his head, majestic and vast, ruling over all the heavens.

Time lost its meaning in the quiet room. After an unknown amount of time, when the twenty-fourth layer of "Inner Heavens" was successfully condensed and stabilized, Lu Cheng's aura had risen to a terrifying level that made even Mahayana Dao Lords like Minghe and Xuanzhen feel their hearts pound with fear, as if they were facing a moving universe.

But that's it. This cultivation and enlightenment has exhausted all the resources he had accumulated. Although Lu Cheng himself wanted to continue cultivating, he had already depleted his essence, energy, and spirit, making it difficult to continue.

"The supernatural power is just beginning to take shape and can barely be used, but if you want to achieve even a minor success, you must at least complete the cultivation of the Seventy-Two Transformations first."

Then, after mastering the seventy-two layers of celestial power, when engaging in combat, a single palm strike will unleash the combined power of all seventy-two celestial realms; its might will undoubtedly be formidable.

Although his cultivation had greatly improved and he was invigorated, and he desperately wanted to continue cultivating, Lu Cheng knew very well that this was an illusion.

If one continues to cultivate further, it will damage one's spirit and body, doing more harm than good.

Moreover, this time, who knows how many years of cultivation he has undergone? He needs to go out and give an explanation to his sect, teachers, family, and friends.
Lu Cheng originally intended to teach his concubines Xiao Yuhong, Xiao Yuxue, Lin Qinghan, Xue Yuzhen, and Yun Ling'er how to cultivate the Frost Technique, so that they could freeze themselves to slow down the arrival of the Heavenly Tribulation and buy time until he had accumulated enough magical power to forcibly take them to the Immortal Realm.

Now, thanks to the gift of the Nine Li Cauldron, there's no need to worry about this anymore. With the Purple Gold Red Gourd as his natal magic weapon, he can freely store and release them. He can put them into the Great Thousand World within the gourd, where the environment is almost identical to that of the Immortal Realm. He can then release them after he ascends to immortality.

"When faced with important matters, one must remain calm. With my current magical power, ordinary Mahayana cultivators should no longer be my match. Even those true spirits who have cultivated for tens of thousands of years should be able to fight me. But why should I be in a hurry?"
"Wouldn't it be best if I waited until I had fully mastered the power of the seventy-two heavens, then I would be even more confident?"

With this thought in mind, Lu Cheng left seclusion without hesitation to meet with his teachers, family, and friends. At the same time, he took charge of the sect's overall situation, maintaining a steady and unhurried approach. As long as the Spirit Venerables did not actively seek trouble, Lu Cheng would not seek trouble from them. Under this mindset, the strength of the Taiqing Sect under his governance actually flourished.

(End of this chapter)