Grandpa, times have changed.

Chapter 578 The Choice of the Dao Integration Gate
Immediately, Xu Xing's gaze swept across the entire Earthly Immortal Realm, examining each of the Void Returners born after the flow of time had been altered.

If we only consider the state of returning to emptiness, without considering the state of merging with the Dao, then...

With very few exceptions, the foundation of each of them can be described as 'solid'.

It's completely incomparable to those shoddy Void Returners in the Xuanxiang Realm before.

However, because the flow of time has been altered, they have almost no chance of advancing to the Dao Integration stage in the short term.

The state of being in harmony with the Dao is a rather special 'realm'.

Those who reach this level of cultivation are all masters of all laws and inherit all kinds of paths.

Changing the world is as easy as taking it for granted. Even in the Central Continent, which is immortal and indestructible and cannot be harmed by countless calamities, there is a great power to shatter the void.

That is, the so-called 'great power'!
The barrier of great power is extremely difficult to overcome.

Therefore, only beings that have endured the test of time and possess a sufficiently profound life force can unite with the Dao, master all laws, and achieve great power!

Five hundred years in Taixuan Realm!
This is the time necessary to achieve harmony with the Tao!
Whether it's Xi Li or the other Void Returners in the Earthly Immortal Realm, apart from Fu Mu and Jing Yao, their cultivation all takes place in the Earthly Immortal Realm after the flow of time has been altered.

Naturally, their own scale of life is also 'false'.

In other words, they are not yet capable of bearing the weight of 'harmonizing with the Dao'.

In contrast, Xi Yun is completely different.

He was a special individual born from the fusion of 'Xi' and 'Xiyun'.

Who is Xi?

Undisputed number one among humans in the Immortal Realm.

One of the pioneers of cultivation, the first and only human in the Earthly Immortal Realm to reach the limit of the Cave True Realm!
He was once a peerless genius who fought against the Beast God An and was defeated, but was able to use the 'anchor' planted by the will of Heaven to burn away his own impurities and retain a bit of Dao essence to protect the human race.

On a grander scale, even within the entire Tai Xuan Realm, there are few who are more outstanding than him.

Such a person would naturally leave behind an extraordinary legacy of wisdom.

This not only allowed Xi Yun to transcend two realms and achieve the Tongxuan realm.

Even the last trace of Dao essence remaining after being killed by Tianyi Xian's finger was enough to give Xi Yun a significant advantage over others and a chance to achieve Dao integration even in the distorted flow of time.

Of course, if Xi Yun were to truly advance to the Dao Integration Realm based on the lingering essence of Xi's Dao, her subsequent cultivation would be far more difficult than that of other cultivators.

Xi Yun also vaguely realized something at this moment, so she lingered at the threshold of the Dao Integration stage.

"Give him a gentle reminder and see what he chooses..."

Once you advance to the Dao Integration stage, it will be difficult to advance further.

However, to give up such an opportunity to advance to the Dao level requires immense determination and courage.

Spiritual practice is not a game.

He has come this far because of the lingering influence of Xi's Dao. If he were to give up now and start over, the hardships he would have to endure would be no less.

It's possible that it won't be able to return to its current level.

In some ways, the risk of 'giving up' is even much higher than that of 'accepting'!
Ultimately, the choice is entirely up to him.

Immediately, Xu Xing turned his gaze away from the Earthly Immortal Realm and continued to look into the distance.

At the same time, the sword intent spirit body, which had been sitting deep within the Immortal Realm, quietly rose and walked towards the mortal world.

……

……

The Immortal Realm, Qianyang Dao Palace.

Deep within the Dao Palace, in the secluded cultivation place of the Master of Qianyang Dao Palace, a scene of flowing crimson gold unfolds.

A blazing fireball, radiating endless light and heat, floats silently within it, resembling the blazing sun.

It was the one that was formed from the manifestation of the Dao of Dawn, which was once located in the sacred land of human heritage.

Although it has lost its Dao essence, it is still an extremely miraculous treasure that is of great help to cultivators of the 'Yang' type of Dao lineage.

One hundred and thirteen years ago.

Faced with the growing strength of the human race, the beast god race, which was already on the verge of defeat, feigned surrender, causing the human race to split into two factions.

One faction, led by older members of the Void Returning Realm such as Xi Li, Fu Mu, and Jing Yao, refused to surrender and insisted on continuing the fight.

The other faction consists of a few individuals, including Xi Yun, who later advanced to the Void Returning stage.

They had not experienced a more distant period and believed that the casualties between the two races were already heavy enough, so it would be better to stop the war and allow them to recuperate.

In addition, the problem with the [Dao Shi] lineage left behind by Xuan's previous incarnation caused Xi Yun to feel disheartened, and he himself no longer wanted to continue fighting.

At the beginning, the two sides simply held different opinions and were able to negotiate calmly.

However, due to the instigation of the Beast God Clan, friction gradually arose between the two sides, eventually escalating into a full-blown fight.

In that battle, the sacred land of the human race's inheritors was destroyed.

Xi Yun stole the extraordinary treasure formed from the manifestation of the Dao of Xi, broke away from the original human system, and founded the Qianyang Dao Palace.

Taking advantage of the chaos within the human race, the Beast God Clan launched an attack, resulting in the death of one Void Returning cultivator and serious injuries to seven others. Not to mention the rest of the cultivators below them.

The human race in the Earthly Immortal Realm suffered a severe blow.

This also caused the final battle, which should have ended long ago, to be dragged on for over a hundred years...

Inside the fireball.

Flames surged continuously within, and streaks of crimson-gold fire drifted in from all directions, overflowing with dazzling brilliance...

A strange platform, with intertwined flames and surrounded by waves of fire, sits atop the platform.

It seemed to contain a thousand kinds of true flames and ten thousand points of fire.

On the platform, a figure sat quietly.

He was wearing a golden-white robe embroidered with a crimson divine fire mark.

She had long, flowing hair, striking eyebrows, and bright, piercing eyes, with a prominent, reddish-gold vertical line between her brows.

Thousands of streams of fire surrounded it, as if guarding it.

From afar, it resembles the Lord of Flames, the Emperor of Ten Thousand Flames, making it impossible for anyone to look directly at it.

He is the master of Qianyang Dao Palace, and currently the number one human in the Earthly Immortal Realm—

Xi Yun!

At this moment, he held a jade book in his palm, his fingertips brushing over the golden characters.

"To merge with the Dao..."

Feeling that blurry and hazy boundary, Xi Yun couldn't help but sigh softly.

Closing the jade book, one sees six powerful characters inscribed on its surface—

The True Scripture of the Beginning of the Dao

A complex expression involuntarily appeared in his eyes.

Since he became aware of spiritual practice, he has never experienced any major setbacks.

Compared to others, his cultivation progress was not only faster, but he also never encountered any bottlenecks.

However, there have been two major regrets along the way.

One of them was the incident 113 years ago, when I disagreed with several like-minded people, which ultimately led to the outbreak of internal strife among the human race.

Even in the final battle, he single-handedly blocked seven Beast Gods who had returned to the Void Realm, killed four of them, and was on the verge of death himself.

The guilt in my heart did not dissipate in the slightest.

As for the other item...

That's the beginning.

His most prized disciple possessed a pure and insightful Daoist heart and unparalleled talent!

At a young age, he founded the profound and mysterious Dao Shi lineage.

Know when to advance and when to retreat, and understand your true nature.

It's no exaggeration to say that he's even better than he was back then!

At that time, I truly regarded him as my own son.

Hearing the news of his passing was like a knife to my heart.

however……

The lineage he founded, known as the Dao Shi, later became a dagger aimed at humanity, and he himself was once on the verge of death.

He still can't forget that fleeting glimpse.

That figure seemed to sit at the highest point in the universe, like a transcendent source.

"In the beginning, was everything really a lie...?"

Xi Yun was extremely distressed.

He had investigated the origin of the name "Shi" because of problems with the Dao Shi lineage.

But nothing.

He didn't want to, and was unwilling to believe, that everything that had happened was just a lie...

But just then!
Huhu~
Suddenly, the waves of flame surrounding him surged, and a figure slowly appeared in the endless crimson-gold true flames in front of him.

"who?!!"

A sense of alarm rose in his heart, and all his thoughts instantly vanished. He stared intently at what lay before him, his eyes flashing with golden light. However, no matter how he used his supernatural powers or stirred his magic, he could only see a hazy humanoid outline.

The vigilance in my heart reached its peak at that moment.

Who is it?

How could they have sneaked in here without him noticing?!

He was on high alert as he slowly rose from the platform.

The next instant, a line of red light appeared.

hum~
It filled everything he perceived.

Yet, in a mere fraction of a second, that single red ray of light cleaved everything apart.

All cognition seemed to shatter at this moment, cut into countless pieces.

"Don't be nervous."

A calm voice sounded in my ear.

The scene before him shattered and vanished in an instant, leaving only a tall figure carrying a crimson longsword standing quietly amidst the flowing flames.

Xi Yun was taken aback. Just as she was about to ask him who he was, she was shocked to find that she had somehow returned to the platform, as if she had never stood up.

A deep chill crept into my heart.

Who...who is this person?!

"You are now facing a crucial choice, and I am just here to explain the pros and cons to you."

"..."

A crucial choice?

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

A multitude of doubts swirled in my mind, and countless guesses surfaced in my head, but in the end, only the initial question remained—

Who is this person?

My gaze lingered on the crimson longsword for a moment…

boom!
A thunderclap seemed to explode in his mind, instantly reminding him of something his predecessors had mentioned when they were discussing the new name for the world.

"You are... the Sword Ancestor?"

"Yes," Xu Xing replied calmly.

It's true!

A storm raged within Xi Yun's heart.

In distant legends.

The Beast God Clan of the past was also incredibly powerful, possessing not only tens of thousands of Void Returners, but also a 'Beast God' far surpassing the Void Returners.

Humans were once enslaved by the Beast Gods, reduced to being like livestock for food.

And there was no chance of resistance whatsoever.

Just when humanity was barely surviving and hiding in fear, an unparalleled being from beyond the heavens, from the celestial realm, descended, bringing humanity an opportunity to resist.

And the supreme being's mandate is none other than the Sword Ancestor!

He initially thought the legend was untrue or exaggerated, but after seeing it today…

"Junior Xiyun greets Senior Sword Ancestor."

He quickly bowed respectfully.

Suspect……

Of course, there are still some.

After years of cultivation, and being one of the main forces of the human race in fighting against the beast god race, it would be strange if they didn't even have the most basic sense of vigilance.

But for some reason, the moment he saw this Sword Ancestor, he felt an immediate sense of kinship.

"No need for formalities." Xu Xing stepped through the firelight and approached him. "Do you know anything about your past self?"

One's predecessor?
Xi Yun was taken aback, and it took her two seconds to react.

"Please give me some advice, senior."

His predecessor...

He really doesn't know much about this.

After achieving success in his cultivation, he did try to find his parents and relatives, but he couldn't find any of them...

Xu Xing didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "Your predecessor was Xi Li's older brother, Xi Yun."

Evening clouds?

Even though he was just listening, the name Xu Xing mentioned immediately came to mind.

"Once, Xi Yun received a bit of Dao essence left by Xi, and achieved the Tongxuan realm in one day, but was killed by the Beast God with a single finger."

"Tongxuan?!"

The Immortal Realm has its own lineage, so he naturally knows what the Profound Realm is.

Only by attaining the Dao can one truly comprehend the profound!

What level of cultivation would a beast god capable of killing a Tongxuan cultivator with a single finger strike possess?

"Later, my senior sister and several fellow Daoists came to your world and killed the Beast God."

"Before one of the fellow Daoists left, he reenacted the fusion of Xi Yun's essence and Xi's Dao essence."

"And so, you came into being."

Xi Yun: "..."

Own……

Is it actually the fusion of another person's essence and the afterglow of the Dao?
He instinctively rejected this idea and wanted to refute it, but he already had the answer in his heart.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But the words wouldn't come out, and I felt that nothing I said would make any sense.

"The dawn light dispels all evil, the great light shines, and calamities vanish..." Xu Xing recited softly.

Xi Yun felt a moment of disorientation, and it seemed as if a golden light appeared before her eyes.

Bright as the morning glow, its beauty shines in all directions.

It is clearly an infinitely small point, yet it seems to encompass everything, and its light sweeps away filth and evil, cleansing away wickedness.

He saw it...

Seeing this light filling every part of my body, radiating a gentle and inclusive atmosphere.

Powerful, vast, warm...

It propelled the scorching, heavy magical power, which slowly increased.

"The remaining radiance of the Dao essence, though not as pure as the original Dao essence, is still enough to give you the possibility of advancing to the Dao Integration stage."

A calm voice reached my ears, and all the strange sights vanished once more.

But he could still clearly sense the powerful, vast, and warm strange presence within his body, flowing through his entire being.

Does the Path of Dawn hold the afterglow of the setting sun...?

He knew it.

Xu Xing continued, "If you advance to the Dao Integration stage using this method, your future cultivation will be more difficult."

By following the ways of others, you gain as much convenience as you gain, but you also have to pay the price.

In other words, Xi was devoted solely to the human race, not only not hindering the path, but also assisting those who inherited the Dao in their cultivation.

otherwise……

Once you reach the Dao, there is no possibility of further progress!

"If we give up on [Qianyang] and choose another lineage to advance to the Dao, the cultivation after the Dao will be relatively simpler."

"But if you give up, you will lose the advantage that the afterglow of the Dao of Dawn brings you, and you may not even reach your current level."

"The final decision is entirely up to you."

After saying that, Xu Xing turned around and disappeared in one step.

Jin Shengxi remained standing there, stunned, unable to recover for a long time.

The gentle yet vast power within him constantly reminded him that the words of the Sword Ancestor were not empty talk.

But...do we really have to give up on [Qianyang]?

Images kept flashing through my mind.

The joy of opening the [Qianyang] Dao lineage, and the exhilaration of returning to emptiness...

Really...

Want to give up?

　Today we're watching "The Birth of the Demonic Gate".

　　The fifteenth watch!
　　What kind of top-tier tentacle monster is this?

　　Compared to them, I'm such a loser (┳Д┳)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)