Shrouding the Heavens: The Ultimate Daoist Venerable

Chapter 269 Cave Heaven
Of the six stages of Earth Immortal cultivation, the most difficult is the third stage, which involves merging with the wondrous land and becoming one with it. The next most difficult stage is the fifth, where one uses the Daoist principles and laws of the wondrous land to reshape their body.

These two hurdles are crucial. Overcoming the former allows one to coexist with the wondrous land and achieve a different kind of immortality; overcoming the latter prevents spiritual loss and ensures complete success. After all, the goal is to become an earth immortal, not an immortal being, so returning to human form is naturally necessary.

As for the sixth stage, it's already a slow and painstaking process. The method for evolving a Celestial Realm can be deduced by any Dao Prover, but the results are generally not very high, since even the Azure Emperor couldn't succeed. Originally, this step was also supposed to progress slowly, but a significant portion of the scripture Liang Yu obtained from the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin was about evolving a Celestial Realm.

The specifications of this scripture are self-evident, thus providing a direction for the sixth stage of Earth Immortals. Although such a scripture cannot exist in the world forever, nor can it be completely passed on to others, the Eternal Heavenly Venerable and the Immortal Mausoleum can only passively accept the result of Liang Yu embedding this scripture into them, but they cannot know the essence of this method.

However, Liang Yu could pass on his understanding of these scriptures to others, thus the Eternal Celestial Venerable still obtained a method sufficient to continuously expand the Immortal Realm. Therefore, the Eternal Celestial Venerable's path was now naturally smooth.

Liang Yu came here to see the changes in the Immortal Mausoleum, which has now become a blessed land for immortals. Although he had vaguely guessed the reasons and direction of the changes in Wuji Immortal Mountain, he could only truly confirm them from the perspective of the Eternal Heavenly Venerable and the Immortal Mausoleum.

The Celestial Venerable of Longevity said, "Without your help, fellow Daoist, I would not have been able to embark on this path, and perhaps I would already be a handful of dust by now."

Liang Yu smiled and said, "This path was pioneered by Fellow Daoist Changsheng and me. Without Fellow Daoist, there would be no Earth Immortal Method."

The Celestial Venerable of Longevity shook his head and said, "I merely happened to be there. Fellow Daoist Wuji, you wouldn't have come here to reminisce about old times, would you?"

Liang Yu said, "Fellow Daoist Changsheng, I have come here to see you and the Immortal Mausoleum."

The Celestial Venerable of Longevity said, "See me and the Immortal Tomb? Could it be that Fellow Daoist Wuji has also studied the methods of Earth Immortals? Or perhaps you have made new research findings on wondrous lands?"

Liang Yu smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Changsheng guessed correctly. My Wuji Immortal Mountain is showing signs of evolving into an independent realm. I can even rely on that ancient scripture to further evolve this immortal mountain and even evolve an immortal realm in the mortal world. Although I have already guessed this, I still need to confirm it with you, Fellow Daoist."

The Celestial Venerable of Longevity showed a slight surprise, but quickly calmed down. He said, "Fellow Daoist Wuji is indeed amazing. Evolving into an independent realm is indeed the growth direction of a wondrous land. The Immortal Mausoleum of this wondrous land is my blessed land of earth immortals, growing alongside me. Initially, under my influence, this immortal mausoleum continued to expand, becoming increasingly vast, which is quite normal."

"Later, the tombs in the Immortal Mausoleum began to expand continuously, as if they were forming independent worlds and the power of the world began to emerge. And recently, after I reached the fifth stage of the Earth Immortal realm, the Immortal Mausoleum went a step further, and the entire blessed land began to slowly become independent under the influence of the power of the world, as if it were to form its own world barrier."

"Although the Immortal Mausoleum is still closely connected to the origin of the universe, it has indeed begun to evolve into an independent world. If this continues, this blessed land of earth immortals will probably become an earth immortal grotto-heaven, or even an earth immortal realm."

"I originally thought this was something only Earth Immortals could do, but I didn't expect that Fellow Daoist Wuji could do it without becoming an Earth Immortal." As he spoke, Liang Yu and the Celestial Venerable of Longevity had already arrived at the Immortal Mausoleum. Liang Yu stretched out his hand and sensed the world barrier in the void that was beginning to separate it from the outside world, knowing that the Immortal Mausoleum was now transforming into a grotto-heaven faster than Wuji Immortal Mountain.

That makes sense. Within the Immortal Tomb, there is a fully integrated Eternal Celestial Venerable who dedicates himself to evolving and growing every day, while the Boundless Immortal Mountain is merely Liang Yu using Origin Techniques and Array Patterns to alter its growth direction. Even if Liang Yu is stronger than the Eternal Celestial Venerable, it would be difficult for him to be more efficient.

Of course, another reason is that Wuji Immortal Mountain has not yet fully matured. However, it is precisely because it has not fully matured that Liang Yu is able to interfere with its growth and evolution, and gradually connect it with his own aura.

The Immortal Mausoleum has now become incredibly vast, almost like the Netherworld, evolving towards a scale even larger than the sea of ​​stars. The once-low hills have grown enormous. And within these hills, the natural tombs have gone a step further, transforming into miniature worlds containing their own inner universes.

This Immortal Mausoleum, even before evolving into a terrestrial immortal grotto-heaven, already showed signs of becoming a top-tier divine land in the universe. However, unlike the Netherworld, there is no life within the Immortal Mausoleum.

Liang Yu exclaimed, "What a magnificent immortal tomb! If things continue like this, perhaps this place will truly become a mortal realm. At that time, we mortal cultivators will be able to achieve immortality without needing to ascend to the immortal realm."

The Celestial Venerable of Longevity said, “Since you have come to confirm the condition of Wuji Immortal Mountain based on my Immortal Mausoleum, then there is no need to be polite. There is nothing in my Immortal Mausoleum that is not for the public to see.”

Upon hearing this, Liang Yu gently tapped the barrier of the Immortal Tomb. Instantly, countless Origin Heaven Divine Runes spread out, and the vast Immortal Tomb, which was like a world in itself, became transparent under the effect of this Origin Technique. Its origin, laws, and Dao traces were completely exposed.

The Celestial Venerable of Longevity was also slightly surprised and said, "Fellow Daoist's Origin Technique is probably even more powerful than that of Fellow Daoist Netherworld Venerable, isn't it?"

Liang Yu said, "This is only because Fellow Daoist Mingzun has determined his method of becoming an immortal and has given up on Origin Techniques. If Fellow Daoist Mingzun continues to delve into the field of Origin Techniques, then I am far from being able to match him."

As they spoke, Liang Yu naturally sensed the secret of how the wondrous land had evolved into a grotto-heaven world from within the immortal tomb. His Wuji Immortal Mountain had essentially evolved continuously due to his series of modifications, ultimately making it possible for it to become an independent realm.

But this isn't what makes Wuji Immortal Mountain and Immortal Tomb special, but rather the special characteristic of all wondrous lands. They inherently possess the potential to grow into unique, independent worlds, or grotto-heavens. It's just that the human universe has been damaged and downgraded, so these wondrous lands it nurtured have naturally also downgraded, and therefore cannot continue to evolve.

Whether it's Liang Yu or the Celestial Venerable of Longevity, they are merely manifestations of what would happen if this wondrous land began to recover without being downgraded. However, this is still somewhat unexpected, considering that the greater universe hasn't been repaired much, yet the wondrous land it nurtured has begun to evolve and recover first.

(End of this chapter)