Chapter 898
The Cave Heaven About to Transform
Chapter 898 The Cave Heaven About to Transform
The Spirit Lord naturally knew the true meaning behind Gu Yuanqing's words.
Between the two worlds, who can guarantee that the other side won't have ulterior motives? Naturally, one must keep their own cards to themselves.
He said, “Brother Dao, your considerations are thorough, and I understand. In cross-realm exchanges, sincerity is paramount, but caution is also necessary. Although my Spirit Realm is eager to seek the Dao, we will not reveal our true nature. This exchange should focus on exchanging insights into the Dao principles and jointly exploring the path to becoming a Void Immortal. As for each other’s foundations, secret methods, and even matters concerning the safety of our realms, we will naturally not reveal them lightly.”
Gu Yuanqing nodded slightly: "That's very good. As for the Nine Domains Divine Continent, it is led by the Great Hao Divine Dynasty, so it must have similar considerations. The Nine Heavens Sword Sect is relatively close to me. After the Spirit Venerable goes there, if there are any problems, we can communicate with them first."
"Thank you very much, fellow Daoist." The Spirit Venerable stood up and bowed solemnly.
Gu Yuanqing then asked, "Which cultivators from the Spirit Realm plan to go there?"
Lingzun said, "I and Fellow Daoist Xuanji of the Heavenly Dao Palace plan to go first, and we will also bring some juniors. In fact, other fellow Daoists also want to go, but both our respective sects and the Xuanqiong Realm need people to guard them. However, we will have to trouble you again this time."
Gu Yuanqing said, "I will leave a mark at the spatial rift in that realm. The Spirit Venerable can use the guiding talisman to go there. However, there are still certain risks in the outer void. Once we arrive, I will know when I crush the jade talisman. The Nine Realms Divine Continent will set up a guiding array."
The Spirit Venerable thanked him again, and then said, "Our sect's cultivation experience at the Void Immortal level is on its way to the Xuanqiong Realm. If you have nothing else to do, you can wait here for a while."
"Then I'll be troubling you for a few days!" Gu Yuanqing said without any hesitation.
……
Gu Yuanqing stayed temporarily in the imperial palace.
With the extraterrestrial demons subsided, the Xuanqiong Realm also relaxed. The Spirit Venerable personally accompanied Gu Yuanqing to visit the palace. Gu Yuanqing was also proficient in the art of weapon crafting, and they had much in common.
The Holy Land of Spiritual Treasures is unparalleled in weapon crafting. The Spirit Venerable has been immersed in this art for nearly 20,000 years, and the sect has a well-established tradition. Although his cultivation level is only at the Undying Realm, he has considerable insights into the crafting of even Void Immortal artifacts, which made Gu Yuanqing's eyes light up.
The Spirit Venerable gained a great deal. Gu Yuanqing's cultivation was quite diverse, including the inheritance of Qingping Cave in the Spirit Realm, the rewards of the Heavenly Ladder in the Linglong Realm, and even the path of the Demon Realm. Furthermore, through the Heavenly Evolution Deduction and the advantages brought by his realm, his mastery of weapon crafting alone surpassed that of the Spirit Venerable.
The Spirit Lord also asked many questions about condensing the Dao Source True Seed, and Gu Yuanqing answered them one by one without holding back.
Two days later, Ji Shan and Xuanji Tianjun also came to visit. They exchanged ideas on formations, and the three of them discussed the Dao over wine, enjoying themselves immensely.
Xuanji Tianjun also brought three jade slips and several silk books, all of which were cultivation insights at the Void Immortal level collected in the Heavenly Dao Palace.
After observing it, Gu Yuanqing returned it.
Although the part about his family's inherited techniques was removed, it was still very beneficial to Gu Yuanqing.
A few days later, the cultivation insights of the Void Immortals from Lingbao Dao Palace were also sent to the Xuanqiong Realm.
Subsequently, various righteous sects visited one after another, all bringing various classic texts.
Firstly, it was a matter that had already been agreed upon, and secondly, I wanted to befriend Gu Yuanqing; if I could get some guidance, that would be even better.
Even Ye Zhenghong of the Lingxu Sect came to visit.
Although Gu Yuanqing and his own Daoist son were Daoist partners.
Gu Yuanqing and a group of righteous cultivators discussed the Dao while studying the classics left by various sects, gaining much insight and a clearer understanding of their future path.
This clone stayed at the Lingbao Holy Land Palace for nearly a month before leaving.
As for the matter of Lingzun and the others going to the Nine Realms Divine Continent, it will take some time to prepare. After all, he and Xuanji Tianjun are both sect leaders, and going to another realm is no small matter.
Moreover, the journey alone would take more than ten years, and a round trip would take nearly thirty years.
The outer void is fraught with danger, and no one knows what unexpected events might occur. Before leaving, one must make ample preparations and arrangements for the sect.
Even the affairs within the Alliance of Calamity Control need to be handled properly, and none of these things can be accomplished in a short time.
Moreover, if they were only going to the Nine Realms Divine Continent to handle ordinary affairs, they could simply send a clone. However, they went there to comprehend the Dao of the Void Immortal. If they sent a clone, their divine soul would not be complete, making it difficult for them to comprehend the workings of heaven and earth.
Therefore, the departure time agreed upon by Ling Zun and others with Gu Yuanqing was three years later.
At that time, Gu Yuanqing will come to the outer realm again to offer them a guiding talisman.
In fact, with Gu Yuanqing's power, he could have sent Lingzun and the others there using the Heavenly Fishing Technique, but Gu Yuanqing would never do that.
Firstly, it exposes one's own trump card.
Secondly, this is a matter of exchange between two realms, and it's not just this once; we can't rely on him every time.
For the two realms to establish a connection, they naturally need to rely on their own strength!
The Spirit Lord and the others had a general idea about Gu Yuanqing's Great Teleportation ability, after all, they had seen Gu Yuanqing use it before, and his multiple appearances from the Spirit Realm to the Xuanqiong Realm seemed to involve crossing space. Even Li Miaoxuan's travels between the Spirit Realm and the Xuanqiong Realm seemed to be no ordinary feat.
However, they also did not consider asking Gu Yuanqing to take them there. In fact, Gu Yuanqing had already made it clear when he brought up the matter that if they asked for it, it would be really pushing their luck.
To put it bluntly, Gu Yuanqing and they were just like-minded people, not related by blood or marriage, so how could they ask for more!
Back in Beiquan Cave, Gu Yuanqing devoted most of his energy to the cultivation insights he had read during this time.
When the clone was in the Xuanqiong Realm, it could only swallow the information superficially and keep it in mind. Now it is time to carefully ponder and verify the truth behind it.
Half a month later, Li Miaoxuan also emerged from her seclusion, and her cultivation level seemed to have improved considerably.
In terms of his cultivation progress, he is even two points faster than Gu Yuanqing, who has the blessing of Beiquan Cave.
Each time she emerged from seclusion, I could feel the aura hidden within her delicate body growing stronger, with faint traces of lingering killing intent.
Gu Yuanqing could roughly guess what had happened, but he didn't ask any questions. They didn't deliberately try to pry into each other's secrets, and they understood each other without saying a word.
He naturally wanted to share and exchange his many insights into spiritual practice with Li Miaoxuan.
Over the years, Li Miaoxuan has often lived in the mountains, and the relationship between the two has grown closer and closer.
Living together day and night, sharing the same house, they often understand each other's feelings with just a glance.
At their level, true cultivation has been integrated into the most ordinary aspects of daily life.
In the early morning, as the first light of dawn breaks, the two often stand side by side on the edge of the cliff, before the sea of clouds, quietly watching the great sun leap out and shower boundless light, heat, and vitality upon all things in the cave.
Gu Yuanqing's body energy flowed naturally, subtly harmonizing with the rhythm of creation as the sun rises and all things awaken.
Li Miaoxuan, on the other hand, was like a snow lotus standing quietly on a solitary peak. Her cool aura filtered out the morning glow, and the tribulation energy and the lingering killing intent that were bound to her body gradually subsided under the baptism of the morning light.
During the day, they might play chess under the pine trees, the black and white pieces crisscrossing the board, each move subtly conveying a profound philosophical meaning, as if their profound understanding of the Dao were clashing, refining each other's skills. Or they might stroll along the babbling brook, watching the fish swim in the water and the deer roam the forest.
As night fell, the two would often meet in the courtyard.
Sometimes, when you savor a cup of spiritual tea, your thoughts naturally converge amidst the fragrant aroma, allowing you to share your insights.
Sometimes I just sit quietly, listening to the rustling of the pines and gazing at the vast Milky Way.
At night, the two would either cultivate in their own quiet rooms or bedrooms, or enter a state of extreme stillness to nourish their minds and spirits, or wander in the vast emptiness, or temper the true seed of the Dao source; or occasionally, when the mood struck them, they would perform magic together under the moon.
Their cultivation levels also increased day by day.
Three years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Gu Yuanqing then created another clone and sent it to the Xuanqiong Realm.
The Spirit Lord, the Mysterious Heavenly Lord, and some cultivators who planned to go to the Nine Domains Divine Continent had already gathered.
With Gu Yuanqing's arrival, a teleportation array was activated, and they arrived directly in a boundary city. The group did not linger and traveled to the outer realm through a spatial rift.
The extraterrestrial demons have become extremely rare. A few low-level demons outside the rift sensed the aura of the human cultivator and fled in panic.
Lingbao Tianzun tossed a flying boat into the air, which quickly grew to be several dozen feet long.
Gu Yuanqing could tell that this magic weapon was clearly a celestial artifact, and the various ornaments on the boat were all top-grade treasures, spiritual artifacts, and even Dao artifacts, showcasing the luxurious style of the Spirit Treasure Holy Land.
Gu Yuanqing took out a compass that he had prepared beforehand, cast a spell to activate the magic array inside, and the pointer on it firmly pointed to a certain direction.
He handed over the compass, followed by a jade talisman, saying, "This journey is quite long. The outer void is not like other places. If anything unexpected happens, feel free to crush this talisman, and I will know."
"Thank you very much, fellow Daoist!"
The Spirit Lord and the Mysterious Heavenly Lord accepted the compass and jade talisman and quickly bowed in respect.
"Take care, everyone!" Gu Yuanqing said.
The Spirit Lord and the Mysterious Heavenly Lord clasped their hands in greeting.
Ji Shan, who came to see them off, laughed loudly: "My two fellow Daoists are going ahead. Perhaps it won't be long before I, Ji, also want to go and see that world."
Venerable Lingbao and Heavenly Lord Xuanji gestured to the other fellow cultivators who had come to see them off before boarding the celestial vessel.
A moment later, the celestial vessel transformed into a streak of light and disappeared from everyone's sight.
Gu Yuanqing then turned to Ji Shan, Xiao Lingyue, and the others, cupped his fists, and said, "Fellow Daoists, I have some important matters to attend to recently, so I will not stay here any longer."
Xiao Lingyue said, "Please go ahead, fellow Daoist!"
Gu Yuanqing clasped his hands in a fist salute to the group, and then his entire figure disappeared.
Only those at the Hun Tian level or above can slightly sense a ripple in space!
……
Within the North Spring Cave.
Li Miaoxuan is playing chess with Gu Yuanqing.
Suddenly, a stream of light merged into Gu Yuanqing's body, and he asked, "Have you already sent them away?"
Gu Yuanqing nodded: "The Void-Transcending Sky Ship of the Spirit Treasure Holy Land is quite extraordinary. I slightly underestimated their speed. It may not take more than ten years for them to reach the outside of the Nine Domains Divine Continent."
Li Miaoxuan said, "Could the Nine Realms Divine Continent still have designs on the Spirit Realm? I remember you mentioned this matter back then."
Gu Yuanqing smiled and said, "They certainly have their intentions, but the Spirit Venerable and the Mysterious Heavenly Lord are both top figures in the Spirit Realm. They have lived for tens of thousands of years and are more thoughtful in dealing with these matters than we are. We two people who are only about six hundred years old don't need to worry about them."
“That’s true!” Li Miaoxuan chuckled.
Gu Yuanqing picked up a white piece and placed it on the chessboard, saying, "Actually, the only thing that worries me in that realm is the true demon suppressed by the Immaculate Zen Forest. The others are nothing to worry about. Before, it was just me alone, but now there's you. If they dare to act recklessly, they'll be courting death. I don't think they'd be that stupid."
Li Miaoxuan responded with a move, and a sense of impending doom arose on the chessboard, as if all sorts of calamities were enveloping the black pieces. She then nodded and said, "The Great Hao Divine Dynasty was unaware of your strength at that time, and with the threat of the Heavenly Demon Calamity, they intended to use my Spirit Realm as a way out. Now that the Demon Lord's strength has been greatly diminished and the Demon Calamity has passed, I'm afraid that thought has disappeared."
"It's not much different from what I expected. Forget it, let's not discuss them. By the way, how is Cheng Yi's cultivation progress lately?" Gu Yuanqing placed another piece, and the phantom of the Myriad Manifestations Sword Array appeared on the chessboard.
"It will probably take another ten years or so before we are confident of passing the Yin-Yang Cycle Tribulation. But Siyuan should be passing the Yin-Yang Tribulation soon," Li Miaoxuan said while examining the changes on the chessboard.
Gu Yuanqing laughed and said, "It seems that Siyuan is still a bit faster than Guanrong."
“There’s nothing we can do about it. Although Guan Rong has handed over most of his affairs to the Crown Prince, he is still somewhat affected. After all, the changes brought about by the Ancient Realm in the past few years have been too great, and they have also affected the Qian Yuan Realm. It’s difficult for him to devote himself to cultivation wholeheartedly,” Li Miaoxuan said.
The two played chess while chatting.
As they talked, they mentioned the Ancient Divine Sect again.
Li Miaoxuan asked, "After so many years, the tribulation aura on those True Gods of the Ancient Divine Sect should be almost dissipated. When do you think they will make their move?"
Gu Yuanqing shook his head and said, "How can we guess that? Let's hope it's delayed. Their strength has already made little progress, while for us, with each passing day, our chances of success increase."
Over the past three years, his and Li Miaoxuan's abilities have continued to improve rapidly.
Moreover, and most importantly, Gu Yuanqing sensed that Beiquan Cave itself seemed to be undergoing new changes recently.
Over the years, as his cultivation level improved, the Beiquan Cave Heaven also improved at an increasingly faster pace.
The growth of the ultimate Yang power seems to be extremely perfect. The reason it is not perfect is simply because the growth of the ultimate Yin power is a little slower, so the Yin and Yang principles are not balanced and cannot stimulate each other to achieve a complete and true transformation.
But Gu Yuanqing had a vague feeling that the day of the final change was not far away.
Gu Yuanqing was really looking forward to this day.
Besides the formation of the sun and moon, the grotto-heaven will transform into a world, becoming self-sufficient, due to the new changes that may follow its transformation.
I remember that during the first transformation, Beiquan Mountain changed from an ordinary mountain to a sacred mountain, crushing the underground space of the Qian Yuan Realm and falling directly into the Demonic Cave. Subsequently, the demonic energy of the Demonic Cave became the resources for the growth of Beiquan Mountain.
The second change was that Mount Ling transformed into a grotto-heaven, and the cultivation world broke through the mountaintop. The spirit tortoise carrying the mountain traveled between the cultivation world and the spirit world, allowing the Great Dao within the entire grotto-heaven to be perfected through the Dao of the cultivation world. This is why the Qian Yuan Realm was able to grow so quickly.
So what will happen this time if the grotto-heaven transforms into a small world?
(End of this chapter)