novelapdf Chapter 486 Exploration
Chapter 486 Exploration
"Kitchen God, Taiyin, Great Sun..."
Within the eight great cold forests of Buddhist land.
On Skull Mountain, the sky was dark and the wind howled, seemingly moving in sync with Fang Qing's mood.
Upon seeing this, all the guardian deities within the cold forest, whether Vajravarahi or Yaksha King, shrank back and hid in the shadows, trembling.
"It will take at least three years, and at most ten years... There will inevitably be a True Lord who will attempt to become the [Yearly Lord]... If he succeeds, he will suppress heaven and earth, and even the Primordial Heaven will not be able to isolate him. The time I have left is indeed running out."
Fang Qing sat cross-legged, his gaze slightly lowered.
Having truly experienced the power of the Golden Core True Monarch, he also yearned for the path to enlightenment through gold.
"If I'm asking for gold, I'm still some distance from reaching the [Mysterious Thunder] level, after all, I only possess the [Primordial Thunder Palace] divine ability..."
"But if I ask for the [Ji Shui] position, it can be obtained immediately. I have witnessed the form of the [Ji Shui] position's main True Lord this time. That 'reflection in the water' is nothing more than a flick of the wrist. And that 'Mysterious and Subtle Primordial Lord' will not stop me from asking for the vacancy. I am more than 90% confident."
But Fang Qing knew that while True Lords were easy to obtain, those who served as "Yearly Officials" were hard to come by.
Once the [Mysterious Thunder] is mastered, there is no path ahead.
If one seeks to avoid the absence of the "Ji Water" and instead follows the path of the "Water Virtue of the Year," then the "Zhen Water" will be in charge, the "Bi Water" will follow, the "Shen Water" will be in harmony, and the "Ji Water" will be lacking. Currently, the absence of the "Ji Water" is the most desirable outcome.
The remaining [San Shui] position might need to be matched with that Dragon Lord, and the [Bi Shui] subordinate position is even more obvious, already in Taiyin's grasp. As for the final [Zhen Shui] master? Taiyin wouldn't even allow it from the Purple Mansion True Person… Even if they wanted to imitate 'Zhen Shui deposing Bi' and change the proper position of Water Virtue, there's no way to do it!
If I can only reach the early stage of Golden Core, it doesn't seem to be of much use... Should I gamble my only hope on refining the Dao Life Pearl after I reach Golden Core?
Long before he had fully mastered the "Shrine Forest Master's Image", Fang Qing had tried to use the "Dao Sheng Pearl" in the hope of transforming the "female superior" position.
But whether it was because this was a "certificate of rank" or because his true form had not yet attained the status of a True Lord, the bead remained motionless...
"The defining characteristic of the Dao of Breath Control is that upon entering the path, one's future and enemies are already determined..."
"My request to the True Lord is simple, but I need to devise a path for [duty]..." Fang Qing's face was ashen.
No true ruler in the world wants the "Yearly Steward" to appear again, as it has created countless pitfalls. The four virtues of Yin, Yang, Metal, and Fire are not only extremely difficult to master, but also pose the calamity of the ancient "Yearly Steward" resurfacing!
The remaining elements of water, wood, and earth each have their own major pitfalls. The path for water to govern the year is now blocked, the key metal position for earth is mostly in the hands of the Kitchen God, and wood, having previously suffered significant damage, is uncertain whether it can be revitalized...
"Perhaps it was precisely because these True Lords guarded against it so strictly that the one on [Dangerous Moon] was ultimately forced to abandon the originally smooth and orthodox Taiyin [Yearly] path and instead take the path of Yin and Yang, Water and Fire..."
Fang Qing sighed. "The moon is like this, and so is the Kitchen God."
He had actually considered pioneering a new path for his family to determine the year's ruling element, such as channeling "mysterious thunder" into water, focusing on water, fire, wind, and thunder, or perhaps earth, fire, wind, and water...
But it soon became clear that this was completely impossible!
How lofty was the previous incarnation of the Kitchen God, the Grandmaster Taiyi Daohui? He was tested by the four elements of metal, wood, water, and fire to determine his fate: He still perished!
Although he was given a second chance at this life, he was judged by the Great Sun Buddha to have no hope of being in charge of the year!
If you want to forge your own path instead of following in the footsteps of your predecessors, you must have the ability to see things from a high vantage point!
Judging from Taiyin's performance, it requires at least the cultivation level of the "Yearly Official"! "Therefore, the path is blocked. Either follow the pure lineage of the Dao, or forge your own path... But how easy is that? For example, why choose "Weiyue" instead of "Zhangyue" for Taiyin? Why use water and fire to balance Yin and Yang? Why choose the missing "Fangri"? I don't understand this combination at all. If one randomly chooses a metal position, even if one can survive until the Golden Core is perfected without exploding on the spot, it will be the same fate as the ancient Taiyi Ancestor."
In comparison, the pure path of the Daoist tradition is at least clear in its route. It follows the order of ruler, minister, assistant, and envoy, with the principal position being the most important and the rest being self-evident. For those who cultivate the Golden Core stage, it is simply a blessing.
Unfortunately, this path has been largely blocked by those who came before.
"So, unless I can get guidance from a [Yearly Official], I should seek guidance from the Moon Goddess. He would certainly be happy to, but then I might not be myself anymore. Who knows, I might even undergo gender reassignment and have another child. The Scattered Wood is a prime example!"
"Then, seek out 'Mahavairocana Buddha'? But Mahavairocana Buddha is at most at the Golden Core stage, he may not have such cultivation, and besides, I may not believe in him..."
Fang Qing closed her eyes and silently responded to the word "Lady" from her seat.
Even after achieving the Golden Elixir, there are still methods of cultivation.
Based on his understanding of history and the imprints of his predecessors gained from this golden stage, the general idea is to cultivate and strengthen one's own "female" golden nature through various methods. Once a certain limit is reached, one can then plan for another golden stage, thereby breaking through to the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm...
However, for the master of "position certificate", this kind of cultivation is too slow. It is more convenient to silently sense the original master and completely refine the original master's metal nature.
"In addition... the Golden Core True Lord has no limits, and the Secret Golden Core is further blessed by the Secret Origin and Dharma Lineage... truly rare."
Fang Qing can now vaguely sense the secret source, something that even he finds terrifying.
As for the origin of the Dharma lineage, it's quite simple. It's like a tributary flowing out from the original source of the secret teachings. After being restrained and purified by incense and precepts, it's now like a spring. Even if one doesn't practice, after accumulating for a long time, it will give one an extra "female" gold element!
"What a treasure!" With the help of the Three Realms Eye, Fang Qing saw that Xu Hei, Wu Nengsheng, Yue Guangbai and other cultivators had returned to their places, and he couldn't help but nod.
After this incident, Xituo County became a desolate wasteland, deserted by humans.
It would take at least a century to redevelop it.
The void is hazy and indistinct.
Several void storms in the distance quickly dissipated under the golden light of the [Lady], restoring a dim scene.
Fang Qing stood with his hands behind his back, still looking like an ordinary person in white, except for the countless rings flashing in his pupils.
He extended his right hand and made a light stroke.
Suddenly, the void seemed to reveal a funnel with a clear hole.
Even a True Immortal of the Purple Mansion, with all four methods perfected, would likely find it difficult to travel beyond the heavens...
Fang Qing took a step and immediately arrived at a strange place.
The surroundings were shrouded in mist, and even the concepts of emptiness and time were lost... This place was beyond the heavens!
With his arrival, time began to flow in this place, and the concept of emptiness came into being.
Because Fang Qing was thinking about needing a place to settle down, a large piece of land appeared in the sky.
"This is the profound mystery of the Golden Core as the 'First Cause and Effect'." He landed on the ground, carefully sensing, and immediately noticed something: "[Lady] is gradually developing a rejection from her position? Is the Golden Core unable to be separated from the Qi-cultivating world?"
"Things are fine now, but if I go too far into the outer reaches of the heavens, I fear I might eventually lose my place..."
Fang Qing tried to take a few steps outside, and immediately felt that the world around him became hazy.
He dared not continue exploring, fearing he would lose his way back, thus not only losing a Golden Core warrior but also the position of [Lady]. "No wonder True Monarchs prefer to remain hidden in their Qi Cultivation Cave rather than venture out; it's far too dangerous and offers no real benefit..."
Fang Qing wandered around the outer realms, but found neither any spiritual opportunities nor anything beneficial to the Golden Core. There was only emptiness, and he might even lose his position and never return... No wonder many True Monarchs do not choose this path.
"Wait, I seem to be different... Even if I get lost, at most I'll lose my [Lady] position... As for this body? It's just the body of Sangji, with the all-encompassing sensitivity of the 'Dao Sheng Zhu'. Even if I get lost in the heavens, it seems I can still return to the world of Fu Qi Dao?"
Fang Qing smiled slightly, but did not try.
After all, the position of [Female Earth] is also very precious. If he were to leave, Sangji would merely be a powerful Buddhist disciple, not a True Lord. "Why don't those True Lords with the ability to create clones send their own avatars to explore beyond the heavens?"
Upon returning to the Great Void, the Lady shone brightly from her position, and a sense of perfect ease and control arose within her heart.
Fang Qing returned to the Eight Great Cold Forest Buddhist Lands, secretly pondering: 'Unless... these avatars all get lost, even with the main body as a coordinate, they can't return from beyond the heavens? Only the connection through the "Dao Sheng Pearl" can prevent them from getting lost beyond the heavens.'
"This is just my guess, but the Great Sun Tathagata should be able to give me an answer..."
"What lies beyond the heavens?" He sat cross-legged, silently pondering.
Now that he has attained the rank of "Lady," even though he hasn't cultivated the "Lady" rank much, Fang Qing's cultivation above the "Lady" rank is progressing by leaps and bounds, and his understanding of "shamanism," sacrifice, and seeing gods is also becoming increasingly profound.
Even a casually compiled book of witchcraft would attract all the Earth Virtue True Persons.
"In terms of cultivation level, I, [Lady], am currently the most advanced, having barely reached the Golden Core stage... [Ji Shui] is next, both are quite good among the envoys, and next is [Xuan Lei]. Therefore, it is not yet time for me to prove [Xuan Lei]."
"Now, Sangji's true form is that of a Golden Core True Monarch. Even though I borrowed most of the golden elemental power and status using the 'Dao Sheng Pearl,' I couldn't borrow the [Lady's] subordinate position. Therefore, the highest level my true form within the cave can reach is only an extremely powerful envoy, which surpasses the peak of the Nascent Soul stage but falls short of the Golden Core stage."
The realm of a True Lord.
"Perhaps it could be called a 'fake pill'?"
"A pseudo-elixir is infinitely close to a golden elixir, but ultimately it is not..."
Fang Qing pondered to himself, then shook his head: "And this term 'fake pill' sounds like something a cheap Core Formation cultivator would use. Should we change the name, perhaps to something like 'Jade Pill' or 'Divine Pill'?"