Yefutidaolu

Chapter 345 The Answer of the Netherworld
Gao Jian never expected that after he only said one sentence, Ancestor Yuanlu would launch into a long barrage of information and ask him a question: what does Gao Jian think?
Gao Jian then cupped his hands and said, “All bodies are made of flesh and blood, and the five senses have distinctions of nobility and lowliness. The heroic appearance of the ancient sages and the extraordinary qualities of the noble are: shoulders called Jade Tower, eyes called Silver Sea, tears called Jade Chopsticks, and crown of the head called Pearl Court.”

"Dwarfism refers to a person who is short in stature, while burlyness refers to a person with unusual appearance."

"A man of dragon-like bearing and phoenix-like grace is a scholar of the imperial court; a man with a deer-like face and rat-like eyes is a commoner."

"Some people are spirited and dashing, some are arrogant and domineering. These are all things that are manifested in appearance. Those who are beautiful and lovely will have their carriages filled with fruit, while those who are ugly and repulsive will have their loads full of stones thrown at them. Good-looking people have an advantage, there is really nothing to say about that, it is just natural," Gao Jian said.

As the venerable Yuanlu listened to Gao Jian's clear and logical explanation of the connection between appearance, fortune, social status, temperament, and even talent, his deep blue eyes flickered slightly, carrying a hint of amusement and a deeper scrutiny. When Gao Jian finished speaking, he gently clapped his hands, his voice echoing in the empty cave:
"Well said, what a fine saying: 'Those who are beautiful and lovely are showered with fruit; those who are ugly and detestable are pelted with stones!' Mr. Gao is indeed learned and knowledgeable, and well-versed in the ways of the world. However, what you say only goes around in circles between 'appearance' and 'fortune,' and is still a superficial discussion that does not get to the root of the matter."

He walked slowly over, his slender yet terrifying figure appearing somewhat intimidating against the backdrop of the surrounding dim light, despite its otherwise ordinary appearance.

"You just passed through the Yellow Springs, and you must have seen the scenery of three lifetimes—the myriad phenomena of life, memories like foam, rising and falling with the waves." Yuan Lu's voice became ethereal and profound. "A moment of joy or sorrow, ultimately returning to nothingness; three lifetimes of obsession, all turning into ripples. The Yellow Springs are vast, not only carrying souls across the dead, but also a furnace of all things, a place where all beings return to nothingness, a place where past lives are cleansed. The living come with their form, consciousness, and karma. Upon entering this water, their form dissolves and returns to its origin, their consciousness peels away like cotton, leaving only a trace of true spirit and karma, flowing with the waves, awaiting rebirth. This is reincarnation."

In just a few words, Yuan Lu outlines the nature of the "three lives" in the Yellow Springs, pointing directly to the core of reincarnation—the dissolution of form and the flow of the true spirit.

However, these are all common sense and nothing special; they are merely hints to offer insightful observations.

After a moment of contemplation, combining Yuan Lu's previous observations of "beauty and ugliness are predetermined, while destiny arises naturally" and Xia Youdu's cultivation method, a bold conjecture came to mind:

"What the ancestor said is thought-provoking. The Yellow Springs is the pivot of reincarnation, washing away the past and resetting the form... In this light, the methods of driving ghosts and manipulating resentment in the netherworld are merely low-level techniques, using resentment as fuel to refine some crude resources."

The cultivators in the cities he had encountered before were only at this level, so they were probably just menial servants in the Netherworld.

“The method of studying the four seas of the human body, namely the sea of ​​qi, the sea of ​​blood, the sea of ​​marrow, and the sea of ​​water and grain, and pursuing the ultimate physical body, is the middle level method, the boat to strengthen the body.”

This is the method of Xuehaijun, Huang Chengshi, which is already in the middle level of the Netherworld.

His gaze was intense, looking directly into Yuan Lu's eyes:

"The true essence of the Netherworld lies in the higher path! By borrowing the great power of the Yellow Springs' reincarnation, one can observe the changes in the long river of fate, and even... manipulate the 'landing point' and 'form' of that true spirit in reincarnation! Junior Sister Xia Youdu's 'observing fate and paving the way' is merely the tip of the iceberg of this path! What your sect seeks is to control the root power of the 'form' of reincarnation that determines 'beauty and ugliness,' 'nobility and baseness,' and 'endowment'! Isn't that right?"

This conjecture connects Yuan Lu's statement about "beauty and ugliness determining fate", Xia Youdu's cultivation method, and the essence of the Yellow Springs reincarnation, pointing to a shocking possibility—what Youming pursues is to intervene in and even control the "form" in reincarnation, including the allocation of appearance, talent, and even birth!

However, faced with Gao Jian's groundbreaking conclusion, Yuan Lu slowly and firmly shook his head.

"Not so." His voice carried a strange sigh, yet also seemed to hold admiration. "Mr. Gao, your talent truly amazes me. To be able to piece together this from the smallest clues is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Your distinction between the lower, middle, and upper levels demonstrates superior vision and strategic thinking. Manipulating fate and intervening in the cycle of reincarnation... this is indeed the highest realm that countless cultivators dream of."

He changed the subject, his eerie blue flames locking onto Gao Jian, carrying a strong sense of pressure and a hint of... anticipation:
"But this is still not the essence of my netherworld. What you have guessed is only a thin layer away from the truth."

Yuan Lu took a step forward, and the invisible pressure caused even the solidified Nether Sea around him to ripple slightly.

"Didn't you manage to glean a trace of the true essence of Xia Youdu's cultivation technique from her few words? Didn't you manage to observe its spirit for a day at the Yellow Springs and carve out the introductory visualization diagram? I have witnessed your deductive abilities firsthand! Why not give it another try? Use your almost monstrous comprehension and deduction to pierce through this last layer of fog! Let me see if you can truly... help me?"

His final words struck Gao Jian's heart like a hammer blow. The three words, "Help me," carried immense weight! This was no longer a simple test, but a matter of Yuan Lü's core need to attain the Dao of the Earth Immortal, and the key to whether Gao Jian himself could seize the greatest benefit in this game!

Gao Jian's brows furrowed instantly.

All the clues, insights, and fragments of conversations collided and reassembled in his mind at an unprecedented speed.

Does beauty or ugliness determine destiny? Yuan Lu emphasizes that this is the rule of "Heaven," and the realms of the living and the dead are well aware of this principle.

The Yellow Springs and Three Lives? It seems that even the netherworld can refine forms, restore the true spirit, and reconstruct the cycle of reincarnation.

What is Xia Youdu's method? Observing fate and paving the way forward, its essence is to guide and accelerate the manifestation of a certain "trend" or "possibility".

What does Yuan Lu seek? Clearly, he doesn't care about manipulating fate or forms; his goal is to break through to the Earth Immortal realm! This requires a massive amount of resources.

In this state, he rejected the idea of ​​"manipulating fate"... but he was just one step away from understanding it...

Gao Jian fell into deep thought.

A person's bone structure and skin appearance are determined by nature. The Yuan Law emphasizes that this is the rule of the world. The Yin and Yang realms are well aware of this, but this is certainly not their origin, but rather a superficial appearance...

The Yellow Springs, through three lifetimes, refine forms, restore the true spirit, and reconstruct the cycle of reincarnation. The Yellow Springs is the grandest and most intricate place in the world for "form reshaping" and "spirit circulation"! The Netherworld resides here not merely to harvest resentment; if that were all, its scope would be far too small.

They must be studying, imitating, or even trying to control the mechanism of this cycle of fate, and the cultivation method of Xia Youdu's lineage is proof of that!
Xia Youdu's techniques can observe destiny and pave the way for the future. Perhaps it relies on guiding and accelerating the manifestation of a certain "trend" or "possibility". This is more like a partial intervention and fine-tuning of a predetermined fate, rather than creating fate itself. It is like setting up a dam or diversion channel in a river, affecting the speed and direction of the water flow, but unable to change the source or destination of the water.

So, does this mean denying the manipulation of fate? ...Yuan Lu refuted Gao Jian's conjecture about "manipulating reincarnation." What does this mean? It means that the goal of the Netherworld might not be to externally change the "form" of others' reincarnation—for example, they cannot determine whether someone is beautiful, ugly, noble, or lowly in their next life—but rather... in another direction?
Think about it, is what Yuan Lu seeks to change his fate?
Of course not, so my previous thinking was wrong. What the other party was asking for was definitely not some kind of method to change their fate.

For a powerful being at the twelfth realm, there is only one thing he pursues—

That's breaking through to the Earth Immortal realm!
What is the core characteristic of an Earth Immortal? It is longevity!
Immortality means transcending the cycle of birth and death! He needs a massive amount of resources, so following the path of the Yellow Springs, it will inevitably lead to confrontation, avoidance, or... replacement of reincarnation!
Self, immortality, reincarnation, reshaping of form, circulation of the true spirit...

Many clues came together—

However, Gao Jian was unable to organize these thoughts and arrive at an answer in a short period of time.

Even using the rusty knife wouldn't work; the blade was worn out, and the previous display of divine power had come at a price. "Senior, I need some time," Gao Jian said. "There are too many things to handle, too few clues. Even if we want to deduce things, it will take some time."

There's nothing we can do about it; that's just how things are. Gao Jian has been using his brain too much these past few days, and even he's finding it a bit overwhelming. Asking him to think about these things now is really asking too much of him.

Yuan Lu knew this too, so he nodded.

"No need. I'll give you the method. Even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice. If you want to deduce, you'll need clues. Take this book and study it carefully." Yuan Lu took out a book.

Book title: The Five Elements and the Twelve Palaces

Just then, a flash of inspiration struck. These five words flashed before Gao Jian's eyes, and Gao Jian felt as if an unprecedented bolt of lightning tore through the fog of his thoughts!
The Five Elements and the Twelve Palaces!
Wait, he seems to have thought of something!
"Human life and death is a great cycle of reincarnation. We are exposed to wind, cold, heat, and dampness, and experience hunger, satiety, and toil. We become aware of the symptoms ourselves; this is a small cycle!" Gao Jian spoke very quickly: "The Five Elements reside in the Twelve Palaces: Birth, Bathing, Crowning, Official Position, Prosperity, Decline, Sickness, Death, Tomb, Extinction, Conception, and Nourishment! This cycle repeats endlessly. This is the small circulation of life essence, energy, and spirit, endlessly cycling. How similar it is to the great cycle of reincarnation in the human world! The wonders of creation are inherent in the human body!"

"The cycle of desire continues endlessly, a trance that lasts for countless eons; the glory before our eyes is but an illusion, easily extinguished! From the womb, egg, moisture, transformation, to hell; from ghost to human, animal, to asura, the cycle of reincarnation continues! A good birth brings good results; an evil birth brings evil consequences! The six realms of reincarnation are governed by their own masters; how can one truly be free?!"

"And what is an Earth Immortal?" Gao Jian's voice suddenly rose, carrying a thunderous power, "Transcending life and death! Not entering the cycle of reincarnation! This is true immortality!"

"Refining resentment and raising ghost kings only increases one's karma, invites divine retribution, and even in life one will suffer the torment of being haunted and devoured by resentment! This is a terrible strategy, absolutely not the right path to attaining immortality! Ancestor, do you intend to use this to break through to the Earth Immortal realm? Absolutely not!"

"Deeply studying the human body, including its four seas, qi, blood, marrow, and food, is the boat of a strong and healthy form. However, even a boat will eventually decay! Toiling hard and exhausting one's energy is futile, a wasted life's work, and ultimately one cannot escape the suffering of the cycle of birth and death! This is the middle way, which can prolong life, but cannot transcend it!"

"Then, what is the best strategy? What is the Great Dao of attaining immortality in the realms of the living and the dead?!"

Gao Jian's gaze was piercing, as if he wanted to burn out the deepest secret of Yuan Lu's soul:
"It must be to emulate the great power of the Yellow Springs Reincarnation and create a 'small reincarnation' within oneself!"

"Observe the cycle of the twelve palaces of the human body, like the orbit of the stars!"

"With supreme power, sever the decline of one's own decline, disease, death, grave, and extinction!"

"Simulating the vitality of the stages of gestation, nourishment, longevity, crowning, bathing, official appointment, and imperial prosperity!"

"Within this small world of one's own body, one can create the 'Six Paths' and control the 'Reincarnation'!"

"May your vital energy and blood flow like stars in orbit, endlessly regenerating! May your spirit and soul remain true and undying, forever dwelling in the Palace of Longevity!"

"Without seeking externally, and without relying on the great cycle of heaven and earth! Within oneself, one completes the eternal 'reshaping' and 'rebirth' of form, evading the great calamity of heaven and earth, forming a self-sustaining cycle, indestructible through countless eons!"

"This is the true essence of immortality for earth immortals! This is the ultimate purpose of the netherworld taking root in the Yellow Springs, deeply studying the forms of reincarnation, and mastering the human body across the four seas!"

“You are not manipulating other people’s reincarnation, you are building your own unsinkable ‘Ark of Life’! A ‘mini-reincarnation’ that operates eternally within yourselves.”

Gao Jian finished speaking in one breath, his chest rising and falling slightly, but his eyes were surprisingly bright as he stared intently at Yuan Lu.

The entire cave was plunged into a deathly silence.

Time seemed to stop flowing.

Only the echoes of his insightful and resounding words still faintly reverberated in the empty space.

Ancestor Yuanlu, that giant of the twelfth realm, remained silent.

This silence, with its tangible pressure, is more suffocating than any roar.

A long time, a long time.

A low, hoarse laugh, carrying an indescribable mix of emotions—shock, admiration, and even a hint of…relief?—slowly escaped from beneath the black robe, breaking the deathly silence.

"Hehe...hahaha..."

The laughter started low, then became more cheerful, and finally echoed loudly throughout the palace in the underworld!
"Good! Good! What a wonderful 'self-contained six paths, self-controlled reincarnation'! What a wonderful 'small reincarnation'!" Yuan Lu's laughter gradually subsided, his eyes fixed on Gao Jian, his gaze seemingly trying to see through him completely, or as if he had seen a peerless treasure.

"Brilliant insight...brilliant insight! You are truly...a gifted genius! You didn't even need to study those books, just a few words on the cover and it was done!"

"To deduce so much from just these clues! To analyze the pursuit of me and dozens of generations of people in the Netherworld so precisely."

He took a step forward, and the invisible pressure not only did not weaken, but instead carried a strange and burning intensity, as if he had met his match or even found a kindred spirit.
"you guessed right."

"This is the true fundamental path of my Netherworld! It is also the only path for me... to attain the Dao of the Earth Immortal!"

“Now…” Yuan Lu’s voice was filled with an undeniable determination and a hint of dangerous allure, “Let’s talk about how you can… truly help me! And what you can… get out of it!”

Gao Jian was not pleased, but asked, "I just don't understand what role the resentment and souls of a billion living beings play? I can't see the meaning of the resentment of a billion living beings from these methods."

(End of this chapter)