Clan Cultivation: Starting from Foundation Establishment on Mount Luoxia

Xiao Xiting held up two fingers.

"Including the [Yuxia Tian] you entered today, since the Immortal Sect established the 'Divine Power True Records - Void Proof Scroll', a total of twenty-three Void Proof Transformation Divine Power Lineages have been recorded."

"Twenty-three articles?"

Li Xiaoyao's heart sank. It sounded like a lot, but in the vast territory of the Immortal Sect and its nearly thousand-year history, it was pitifully little.

"Hmm, twenty-three."

"The one who was closest to you before you was a True Person with the Daoist name 'Qingxuan' who lived 354 years before you."

"This master attained enlightenment at a certain ancient site of swordsmanship. His supernatural power is called [Nurturing Azure Nether], which is a unique and innovative transformation of swordsmanship, forming its own distinct path."

Xiao Xiting's tone was tinged with a hint of melancholy, "However, more than three hundred years have passed, and this Qingxuan True Man has still not been able to reach the realm of the Second Divine Power."

Li Xiaoyao's pupils constricted sharply! More than three hundred years had passed, and he still hadn't been able to reach the second innate divine power?

For a cultivator with a long lifespan, this is far too long! What does this mean?

"Because the supernatural powers that you possess, which arise from the transformation of emptiness," Xiao Xiting looked directly at Li Xiaoyao, his voice deep and clear, "are truly unprecedented."

"There's no ready-made method to tell you what to do next."

"There is no mature system to guide you on how to advance your supernatural powers, how to integrate more deeply with the Purple Mansion Grotto-heaven, and how to lay the foundation for the Golden Elixir Path."

"You will have to explore, understand, and forge your own path! The journey is long and uncertain, like sailing in the dark. Every step could be an abyss or a wrong turn."

"One wrong step, and at best your cultivation will stagnate and your supernatural powers will backfire; at worst, your foundation will be destroyed, your path will be completely cut off, and there will be almost no chance of turning back."

Xiao Xiting's tone carried a cold reality: "The so-called empty certificate is both an honor and... a shackle... a guillotine!"

"This is the greatest difficulty and risk on the path of 'empty certificates'."

"Those who lack great wisdom, perseverance, and opportunity will find it difficult to make any progress. Most will spend their entire lives trapped in the early stages of the Purple Palace and die with regrets."

Li Xiaoyao's face turned slightly pale.

He never imagined that his seemingly majestic and uniquely gifted supernatural ability to prove emptiness was actually backed by such a difficult situation.

To pave one's own way? Easier said than done!

Throughout history, those who have forged their own path and reached profound heights have all been exceptionally talented and possessed extraordinary luck. Myself…

Seeing the change in Li Xiaoyao's expression, Xiao Xiting changed the subject, and a smile returned to his face:

"However, Fellow Daoist Shangyuan, you must not be too discouraged. When I said before that it was fortunate that it was the Hongxia Sect, I was not just trying to comfort you."

"Oh? Please enlighten me, senior!"

Li Xiaoyao's spirits lifted.

"You are different from that Qingxuan Zhenren. His [Nurturing Azure Nether] sword path is a completely unique case, with no similar lineages to refer to."

"And your supernatural power belongs to the Rainbow Clouds school."

A hint of genuine satisfaction appeared in Xiao Xiting's eyes.

"This path is not entirely absent from the records of the Immortal Sect."

"Over eight hundred years ago, a Purple Mansion True Person who also attained the Rainbow Cloud Dao emerged from under the rule of the Immortal Sect!"

"Of course, he did not achieve his extraordinary abilities in vain, but rather followed a more unorthodox path of reforming the ancient Purple Qi lineage. The supernatural powers he attained are also not entirely the same as your [Imperial Cloud Heaven]."

A glint flashed in Xiao Xiting's eyes: "This is your greatest advantage, and the ray of hope for your future!"

"At least, you are not completely blind on the path to the second supernatural power."

"The path that senior master walked, the traces he left behind, and the relevant cultivation manuals related to the Radiant Light technique that you might be able to exchange for can all serve as important references and lessons for you!"

"Although the core traditions differ, there are always commonalities among the many characteristics, methods of application, and ways of interacting with the laws of heaven and earth of the 'Rainbow Cloud' attribute!"

Upon hearing this, Li Xiaoyao's spirits lifted instantly, and hope rekindled in his eyes.

Having predecessors is good! Even if they are only similar in attributes, it is thousands of times better than completely guessing!

"However," Xiao Xiting added, somewhat helplessly, "it was a bit of a letdown."

"Regarding specific lineage transmissions, core cultivation methods, and insights gained from cultivation, especially the differences and potential for reference between 'emptiness realization' and 'ancient method innovation,' these are the most core privacy and fundamental aspects of a cultivator's path."

"Even the Immortal Sect has no right to force that senior True Person to share."

"Therefore, whether you can obtain guidance or make an exchange with him, and whether you can turn the stones from other mountains into your own use, depends on your own efforts and negotiations with him."

"The Immortal Sect can only provide some basic channels of contact and information; it cannot guarantee the outcome."

Li Xiaoyao nodded solemnly: "This junior understands! To have even this glimmer of hope is already an immense stroke of luck! This junior is eternally grateful!"

He knew this was the best news he could get. Having direction was better than despair.

"As for the third, fourth, and even more distant future..." Xiao Xiting shrugged, "That will truly depend on you, fellow Daoist, to comprehend and unlock them on your own."

"Perhaps it can be derived from your [Royal Cloud Heaven] itself, or perhaps you need to seek out other laws of heaven and earth related to attributes such as rosy clouds, etherealness, change, and the bearing of earth element to comprehend and integrate them. No one knows."

He gave Li Xiaoyao one last meaningful look, his tone becoming even more enigmatic: "Furthermore, Fellow Daoist Shangyuan, there is another path you must remember. As a last resort."

"Your [Imperial Cloud Heaven], the path of rainbow clouds, ultimately originated from the Earth element."

"The Wutu lineage is a mature and profound system within the Immortal Sect, with orderly inheritance and a clear future."

"If... I mean, if one day, you find the path of 'Rainbow Clouds' unsustainable, the road ahead uncertain, and you simply cannot continue..."

Xiao Xiting looked into Li Xiaoyao's eyes and said, word by word, "You still have a way out—switch to the orthodox cultivation of Earth."

"With your [Yuxia Tian]'s Wu Earth foundation, the resistance to transformation will be much smaller."

"Just like your predecessor from the 'Rainbow Clouds' sect eight hundred years ago," Xiao Xiting stated a fact in a calm tone.

According to the "Memoirs of the Immortal Sect Purple Mansion", about four hundred years ago, he felt that the Golden Elixir of the Dao of Glowing Light was hopeless and that the bottleneck was difficult to break.

"In the end, we chose to abandon the ultimate pursuit of some of the characteristics of the radiant glow, and instead consolidated the foundation of our Dao and turned to the more grand and stable Wu Earth Dao lineage."

"Now, he is a renowned master in the Wu Earth Dao."

"Although the uniqueness and potential upper limit of the 'empty certificate' have been lost, at least the path of cultivation has been continued and lifespan has been extended. In the Great Dao of Earth, it has also forged its own path."

"This is the path of focusing on breadth and avoiding the unusual in order to seek stability. Although it may seem like a step back, in the long run, it is sometimes a wise choice."

After Xiao Xiting finished speaking, she quietly looked at Li Xiaoyao, leaving him with the space to choose and think.

"..."

Li Xiaoyao fell silent. The road ahead was arduous, and though there were predecessors, their footsteps were hard to find.

It seems like there's a way out, but that means giving up your unique [Yuxia Tian] path and switching to the orthodox Wutu path, which is safer but might lead to mediocrity.

Is it taking a huge risk to carve out their own Rainbow Sky Road in the desolate wilderness?

Or, when faced with insurmountable obstacles, should one turn around in time and join the surging torrent of Earth?

This is not just a choice, but also a matter of his Dao heart, and what kind of Shangyuan Zhenren he wants to become in the future.

Xiao Xiting said nothing more, but simply watched Li Xiaoyao, who was deep in thought, and waited for his answer.

Or to be more precise, he was observing the first important decision his mind was about to make.