Yefutidaolu

Chapter 370 Breakthrough and Gold Tickets

Beside him, Gao Jian slowly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were deep and calm, like a still well, and they spoke at the same time—

The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the surrounding noise: "Senior, we must stop our comprehension here."

"Why?" Yuan Lu suddenly turned his head, his gaze under his black robe sharp as a knife, carrying displeasure at being interrupted and a hint of frustration at having his crucial sprint disrupted.

He felt he was on the verge of a profound "enlightenment," and was interrupted at this moment, as if he had been forcibly pulled down when he was about to reach the top of a cliff!

Gao Jian met his gaze with a calm expression and a matter-of-fact composure in his tone: "I don't think I need to elaborate on the principle that you can't bite off more than you can chew. The essence of the spirit is like the sea, and the understanding is like a boat. If the boat is small and the sea is vast, blindly pursuing deeper understanding may lead to capsizing."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the vast, oppressive aura still flowing on the broken eggshell. "Especially this thing's spirit is domineering and profound; it needs to be dealt with slowly."

"Is this enough?" Yuan Lu's voice carried a hint of suppressed urgency, and even faint traces of power fluctuations, revealing his inner unwillingness. "I feel... that if I take another step, I might be able to become an Earth Immortal. But right now, my mind is clear and my power is abundant. Is it really impossible for me to take another step?"

He clenched his withered fist, his knuckles cracking slightly, as if the threshold of the Earth Immortal was right in front of him, ready to be shattered with a single punch!

Gao Jian shook his head slightly, his tone remaining calm: "The more this is the case, the more careful we must be. Senior's feeling of 'hope' is precisely a sign of the divine aura bewitching the mind. How can such a profound technique be mastered overnight? You feel clear at this moment, but who knows if it's not because the divine aura is so vast that you mistakenly believe you've grasped the whole picture? Just like a frog in a well looking at the sky, what it sees, though clear, is only a corner. Forcing an attack may not only undo all your previous efforts, but it may also cause an unstable foundation, triggering a backlash from the divine aura, damaging your Dao foundation, or even cutting off your path forward!"

Of course, what he said was actually nonsense.

Gao Jian knew perfectly well that Yuan Lu, as a powerful being of the twelfth realm, was a genius among geniuses, only not as good as him. So his feeling was correct. With Yuan Lu's current state and accumulated insights, if he could truly calm down, he would have a chance to take the final step.

He calmed himself down and continued to comprehend, and there was a real chance that he could forcefully break through the crack in the door of the Earth Immortal!
Therefore, this is precisely what Gao Jian absolutely cannot allow! This obstruction is not only a delaying tactic, but also a test of Yuan Lu's abilities!
Yuan Lu fell silent. His insightful words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his heart, which was burning with anticipation of a great achievement and a breakthrough.

He stared intently at Gao Jian's calm, expressionless face, trying to find a trace of perfunctoriness or cowardice, but all he saw was a clear, calm demeanor.

However, his profound understanding of Shen Yun's characteristics is indeed beyond my reach.

Trust and obsession clashed fiercely in Yuan Lu's heart.

He desperately wanted to continue! That seemingly attainable realm of Earth Immortal was the ultimate goal he had dreamed of for hundreds of years! Giving up this "feeling good" opportunity was more painful than having his heart ripped out! He trusted his judgment and his own strength!
but……

Every reminder Gao Jian gave him before was incredibly accurate! From the initial "state" requirement that awakened him to the essence of the spirit, to the subsequent times he pulled him back from the brink of going astray, everything proved the young man's terrifying comprehension and insight into the essence of the spirit, which he himself was far inferior to.

The value of your insightful views has already been proven by your performance over these seven days and needs no further proof.

"Don't bite off more than you can chew"... "The allure of the spirit can bewitch the mind"... "An unstable foundation"... "Backlash against the foundation of one's Dao"...

These words were like cold needles, piercing his anxieties.

He only had one chance with "The True Explanation of Transformation and Return to Origin"! He couldn't afford to gamble! What if the insightful view was right? What if this feeling of "hope" was just an illusion created by that vast divine aura? What if forcibly pushing forward would really bring about an irreversible backlash, extinguishing the hope he had waited for hundreds of years?
He couldn't bear the consequences!
Gao Jian waited quietly, as if he were merely stating an objective fact. But his mind was already stretched to its limit.

Success or failure depends on this.

Time seemed to stand still. Only the heavy, slow thumping of the earth's veins echoed in the deathly silence.

Finally, the violent energy that Yuan Lu had been exuding due to his urgency slowly receded like a tide.

He loosened his clenched fist, and the sharp glint in his eyes subsided.

He exhaled a long, somewhat resentful breath, which transformed into a white streak in the pale blue phosphorescence.

"Hmph..." Yuan Lu let out a cold snort with an ambiguous meaning. He shifted his gaze from Gao Jian's face and returned it to the broken eggshell. His voice was low and hoarse, carrying lingering doubt, but he had also accepted reality: "It feels like... we haven't reached the limit yet. Is this already considered greedy?"

This statement was both a final question and a tacit endorsement. In the end, he chose to trust the insightful judgment and suppressed his almost overflowing desire.

In Gao Jian's heart, the taut string quietly loosened a little.

The fish took the bait even deeper. The bridge of trust was strong enough to support him as he walked towards that final trap.

After doing so much, I've finally built trust to this point.

From saving a billion people in Liangzhou at the beginning, to leaving signals in Youzhou, and even slaughtering Jinglong City in the East Sea, he was actually paving the way for his own plans and establishing his own persona.

Gao Jian wanted to use this persona to gain Yuan Lu's trust.

Yuan Lu may not necessarily trust insightful opinions, but such a person will definitely trust himself. As long as he believes in his own judgment and lets the concept of 'believing in insightful opinions' override other thoughts, he will naturally make a choice.

Therefore, to kill those three dragons in Jinglong City, it was necessary to maintain consistency with everything he had done in Liangzhou and Cangzhou, and to ensure that his actions were logically coherent.

"Senior's foundation is profound, and your progress in comprehension is rapid, far exceeding my expectations." Gao Jian spoke up at the right time, his tone carrying a perfectly appropriate compliment, as if to soothe Yuan Lu's doubts. "That is precisely why it is even more necessary to consolidate what you have gained. Pausing now is not giving up, but for a more thorough 'transformation' in the future. The Dao follows nature, and forcing things will only become a shackle."

At this moment, Yuan Lu opened his eyes and said, "Shackles? Yes, that's right. By the way, Gao Jian, do you know that the money for the Four Pillars of the North is not enough? There is still a large gap. Do you know who filled it?"

"This humble one does not know," Gao Jian said, bowing slightly and shaking his head in confusion. Confused?
It's hard to say.

But Gao Jian at least outwardly maintained his doubts.

Yuan Lu smiled, and his doubts lessened somewhat. However, he still needed to administer some more medicine.

But Yuan Lu continued, "The last few were delivered by a rat. It was a gold note worth six million gold coins. It was your rat, right? It must have been sent by your backer, Li Zoufang."

"These six million gold notes made up the last bit. However, that rat didn't know the situation and thought it was a gift for Yan Ge. But in the end, Yan Ge gave the money to me. I suppose it was Li Zoufang's arrangement. He doesn't trust that rat very much, but he trusts you and Yan Ge very much."

"Li Zoufang has high hopes for you. It seems he wants you to be his weapon, a divine weapon that can purify the heavens and earth, capable of helping him cut melons and vegetables."

“I promise you, after I become an Earth Immortal, I can be your new backer, so as not to let down Li Zoufang’s good intentions,” Yuan Lu said.

Gao Jian took a deep breath.

boom!
It was as if a silent thunderclap had exploded in Gao Jian's mind!

He was completely unaware of this matter!
However, he was very shrewd; though his heart was pounding with shock, his face remained as calm as a still lake.

In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Takami's mind like lightning!

He immediately realized that this must have been an arrangement made by Li Zoufang to secretly cooperate with him without his knowledge! Given that the two had never communicated about this matter, it could only be a prediction and plan made by Li Zoufang based on their respective situations and a deep understanding of each other's styles of doing things!

Given Li Zoufang's cunning, this matter must have at least two deeper implications:
Firstly, ostensibly, this money is given to Yan Ge! This is the first layer of protection. If Gao Jian does not conspire deeply with Yuan Lü, or if things do not develop in the most ideal direction, then this money will indeed be used by Yan Ge to complete some of Li Zoufang's plans or backup plans in the northern part of the Divine Dynasty.

Secondly, if Yan Ge discovers the truth—for example, by learning about Gao Jian and Yuan Lü's true scheme from Qin Long, whom they deliberately let go—then Yan Ge will transfer the six million gold coins to Yuan Lü! The purpose is self-evident: to ensure Gao Jian's "safety" by Yuan Lü's side, or... to help Gao Jian achieve his goal!
Even Li Zoufang himself may not have been fully aware of Gao Jian's specific "immortal-killing" plan, but he still unhesitatingly handed over this astronomical sum of money, betting that Gao Jian could survive in this dangerous game and play a greater role!
Thinking of this, Gao Jian couldn't help but feel a complex mix of emotions that were hard to describe: shock, lingering fear, and gratitude.

Minister Li, Minister Li… Gao Jian sighed silently in his heart, “This is truly… thank you!”
This sum of six million taels of gold, like a stroke of genius, completely dispelled the last vestige of doubt that might have remained in Yuan Lu's mind at the most crucial moment! It perfectly "proved" that Gao Jian was indeed backed by someone, and also "proved" that everything Gao Jian had done, including the massacre of Jinglong City and his cooperation with Yuan Lu, was to acquire enough capital for Li Zoufang and for them, this potential "new political force," in the political arena of the Divine Dynasty! It made Yuan Lu truly believe in Gao Jian's "intentions," in Gao Jian's value chain, and in his "sincerity" in seeking allegiance!
The reason why Yuan Lu was able to suppress his strong urge to break through and choose to stop according to Gao Jian's advice was undoubtedly due to this unexpected and perfectly "explained" six million gold!

These deductions were made in an instant in my mind. They seemed mysterious, but in fact they were clear and logical. After all, smart people always have a way of doing things. As long as you understand the other party's purpose, means and situation, it is not difficult to guess the general outline.

Only those muddle-headed fools who act on a whim and make decisions on a whim are truly unpredictable in their behavior.

Bad people are thoughtful and methodical, and their plans are clear; fools, on the other hand, act impulsively and recklessly, which often leads to unexpected and unpredictable outcomes.

Gao Jian took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging waves in his heart, burying all the shock, scheming, and murderous intent deep in the depths of his eyes.

He raised his head to meet Yuan Lu's gaze, which held a hint of scrutiny and more of "as expected" and "under control." His face revealed an expression that seemed to indicate his secret had been exposed, yet also carried a sense of relief and decisiveness.

He spoke slowly, his voice steady and clear, carrying a promise that seemed to have been made: "Then, senior, it's a deal."

It's a deal.

The condition set by Yuan Lu was that once he achieved the status of a terrestrial immortal, he would become Gao Jianxin's backer.

The premise is... that he can actually live and become an immortal.

“Alright, it’s a deal. So, what’s the next step? You and I will share the information contained in these divine essences and verify it with each other,” Yuan Lu asked.

Gao Jian did not answer immediately.

He now knows some things, so he no longer needs to worry about Yuan Lu's trust issues.

In Yuan Lü's view, the two sides were already in the same boat. His ascension to the Earth Immortal realm would be a revolutionary benefit to Gao Jian and Li Zoufang! With the full support of a Netherworld Earth Immortal, driven by such a huge and visible common interest, and with Gao Jian's "pledge of allegiance" of six million gold coins plus the "investment" of the Four Pillars of the North, Yuan Lü could find no reason to doubt Gao Jian's "loyalty" and motives.

"Please wait an hour, senior. I will demonstrate the magic for you, and at the same time, I will allow myself to see clearly what I saw earlier," Gao Jian said.

“Alright!” Yuan Lu’s eyes flashed, and he agreed without hesitation. This was exactly what he needed! Witnessing Gao Jian’s understanding of the divine essence firsthand would be both a confirmation and a learning experience, and would also allow him to more directly assess the young man’s value and condition.

But then Gao Jian sat down and began to circulate his energy.

Then, Gao Jian began to perform the Dharma.

The interaction of the two energies gives birth to all things, and all things are born and change endlessly. The five elements alternate, yin and yang depend on each other, the two principles give rise to life, and the four seasons give birth to life. "In the heavens, they form images; on the earth, they take shape."

The creation of images follows the principle of mutual dependence. If yin and yang are not in balance, then the great order will inevitably fail; if one element is deficient, then all things cannot stand alone.

Li represents the sun, and Kan represents the moon. One moistens and the other warms, water and fire complement each other, and when male and female unite their essences, all things are born. Kan and Li are the true forms of the sun and moon, without decay or destruction, and they govern the central energy of heaven and earth.

Yang is Qi (vital energy), Yin is flavor. Flavor returns to form, form returns to Qi. Qi returns to essence, essence returns to transformation. Essence nourishes Qi, form nourishes flavor; transformation generates essence, Qi generates form. Thick Qi is Yang, thin Qi is Yin of Yang. Thick flavor leads to leakage, thin flavor allows for free flow; thin Qi leads to release, thick flavor leads to retention. Essence can attach to blood, Qi can attach to life; when circulation is ensured, the body is eternally secure. The Yang of the Qian Yuan (primordial Qi) resides in the Yin position, which is the Qi Hai (CV6) below the navel.

In this way, the Qi Sea is formed!
Brilliant idea! By utilizing the method of transformation, one can instantly break through the seventh realm!

There were no unusual phenomena; everything proceeded as expected!
(End of this chapter)