Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 755 - 738: Legend and Trade

After righteously refusing the mysterious black-robed man's proposal of dual cultivation, Zhouyang immediately felt an indescribable sense of relief.

Although he was not a highly virtuous gentleman, he had his own moral boundaries and conscience.

This kind of coercion by claiming gratitude, trying to make Qin Yue'Er sacrifice her virgin Primordial Yin power to help him break through his cultivation bottleneck, had already touched his moral bottom line; it was something he would scorn to do from the bottom of his heart.

Now that he adhered to his heart and upheld his moral boundaries, he was extremely satisfied and happy, no matter how others viewed him.

The only thing that left him somewhat dissatisfied was that the mysterious black-robed man seemed indifferent to his righteous words and showed no intention of praise.

He merely replied in a very flat tone, "I merely informed you of the facts; how to act is your own affair."

"Does Fairy Qin herself know about this matter?"

Zhouyang hesitated for a moment but still voiced his inner doubts.

"The preamble of the 'Profound Yin Su Girl Scripture' clearly states that it is a dual cultivation technique. She might not understand the significance of it now, but she will surely realize it after leaving with you."

The mysterious black-robed man still answered Zhouyang's query in a calm, water-like tone, indifferent to the complicated expression on Zhouyang's face after hearing this.

That Qin Yue'Er was currently unaware of the significance of her cultivation technique was undoubtedly a good thing for Zhouyang, at least sparing him from any further embarrassing remarks.

However, just the thought of the thoughts Qin Yue'Er might have once she found out in the future made Zhouyang feel a headache coming on.

Although the 'Profound Yin Su Girl Scripture' was imparted to Qin Yue'Er by the mysterious black-robed man, once she understands its real significance, it's hard to say that she won't associate it with Zhouyang, especially since the mysterious black-robed man had no use for the dual cultivation furnace.

"I understand, Senior. Once we leave the 'Kunxu Realm,' I will look for an opportunity to explain this matter to Fairy Qin."

Zhouyang nodded reluctantly, resigning himself to accept this outcome as a stroke of bad luck.

Afterward, he composed himself, respectfully saluted the mysterious black-robed man, and said earnestly, "Senior, besides visiting Fairy Qin this time, I have a few more things I would like to consult with you about. I humbly request your guidance."

"Speak."

The mysterious black-robed man gave Zhouyang a glance, but did not refuse his request.

After receiving permission, Zhouyang immediately recounted the incident of Jiang Fengxian and her daughter's disappearance within the 'Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits.'

"The 'Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits' you mentioned is also known to me. It was opened during ancient times by the clone of a great power from the Upper Realm using an innate spiritual object. Its internal space and stability far exceed that of other similar pocket worlds in this realm."

"Due to the peculiarities of pocket worlds, some great powers with cultivation close to the Harmonization Dao level can indeed briefly enter without being detected by the world's Heavenly Dao Will, as long as they have a token to guide them."

"If this is true, it would be a great fortune for your confidante and her daughter. You must know that such great powers close to the Unity Celestial Immortal Realm are exceedingly rare, even in the Upper Realm, and each one is renowned across all realms. Any benefits accidentally bestowed by them would be enough to help your confidante and her daughter ascend to the Immortal Realm!"

The mysterious black-robed man's tone finally contained a trace of emotional fluctuation, evidently astonished by Zhouyang's words.

His answer left Zhouyang unsure whether to laugh or cry, uncertain whether to hope that Jiang Fengxian and her daughter were still in the 'Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits' or had gone to the 'True Immortal Realm!'

Indeed, as the mysterious black-robed man said, if such a powerful being close to the Unity Celestial Immortal Realm descended upon the 'Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits' and took Jiang Fengxian and her daughter, it would be tantamount to ascending in one step, an achievement rarely accomplished by ascetic cultivators in the 'Spirit Realm' for millennia.

"If this is true, then why would this great power suddenly pay attention to the small 'Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits'?"

He murmured to himself, his face filled with confusion, still unable to unravel the doubt in his heart.

"Who knows? Perhaps your confidante and her daughter possess some unique treasure that caught that great power's attention, or perhaps something that great power needs emerged within the 'Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits.' Ultimately, such a great power would not descend upon the Lower Realm recklessly without a reason!"

The mysterious black-robed man fell silent as he spoke, as if lost in thought.

Yet Zhouyang, guided by his words, suddenly recalled certain details.

"It's prudent to inform Elder Lan that I once slew an adversary and obtained a treasure named the 'Flying Goddess Statue.' This artifact is said to have been crafted by a female cultivator who observed the ascension of a female immortal she served using a top-grade spirit jade, 'Celestial Yang Warming Jade.' Supposedly, if a female cultivator trains near this treasure, it can enhance their comprehension and insight!"

"After acquiring the 'Flying Goddess Statue,' I gifted it to Fengxian, and over the years, she and her daughter frequently used it to aid their cultivation. Elder Lan, do you think this could be the reason that great power descended upon the 'Realm of Ten Thousand Spirits'?"

Zhouyang's eyes gleamed as he gazed at the mysterious black-robed man, his tone slightly agitated as he relayed his conjecture.

In fact, the Donghua Continent Cultivation Realm had long been skeptical about whether the sect ancestor of the Divine Lady Palace truly served an ascended female immortal.

Since the inheritance of the Divine Lady Palace was relatively recent, and many of the major sects in the Donghua Continent Cultivation Realm predated it.

If a Tribulation Crossing Stage female immortal had genuinely ascended to the 'True Immortal Realm' through her own efforts back then, it's improbable that other sects would lack any records of her existence.

Therefore, in the view of most cultivators in the Donghua Continent Cultivation Realm, the claim of serving an ascended female immortal was probably fabricated by the Divine Lady Palace to elevate their ancestor master's status.

If Zhouyang had not personally learned from Jiang Fengxian and her daughter about the profound effects of the 'Flying Goddess Statue,' he too would consider it a fabrication.

Nevertheless, now considering the disappearance of Jiang Fengxian and her daughter, and how everything connects, he couldn't help but wonder if there might be some truth to it.

After explaining his speculations and the legend of the Divine Lady Palace's ancestor to the mysterious black-robed man, Zhouyang noticed an unexpected reaction. The mysterious black-robed man's body trembled, taken aback by his words.

"Elder Lan, Elder Lan..." Zhouyang called out when he saw the mysterious black-robed man lost in thought, motionless and silent.

"I'm fine; your words just reminded me of a widespread legend!"

The mysterious black-robed man recovered from Zhouyang's call, speaking in a somewhat dazed voice about a legend.

"In the Upper Realm, there has always been a widely circulated legend. It is said that those Harmonious Celestial Immortals, although they can achieve eternal life, are not truly immortal. However, their bodies and the Dao become one; even if their bodies perish, they can still be reborn through tribulation!"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou also knows that although the Cultivation Realm has always had the notion of reincarnation, no one has ever confirmed whether one can awaken memories of past lives after reincarnation, let alone when it will happen after the soul enters the Netherworld. This has led many cultivators to suspect that this idea is just a lie."

"However, in that widely circulated legend, it is said that as long as the Harmonious Celestial Immortals are reborn through tribulation, they are certain to gradually recover the memories of their previous lives during cultivation and receive the favor of the Heavenly Dao, gaining various remarkable abilities!"

"If the owner of the 'Flying Goddess Statue' that Fellow Daoist Zhou mentioned is truly such a legendary figure, then everything could be explained!"

Zhouyang stood dumbfounded on the spot.

The legend recounted by the mysterious black-robed man was something he had never heard of before, but it did not stop him from understanding the man's meaning.

"Is this, is this really possible?"

He muttered in disbelief, feeling that the matter was too fantastical and bizarre.

After all, that referred to Harmonious Celestial Immortals, the ultimate existence on the path of cultivation, the ultimate goal for all cultivators!

The small "Spirit Realm," how could it have such merit and virtue to attract such an existence reborn through tribulation here?

"The possibility is low, but not impossible!"

The mysterious black-robed man softly echoed, his gaze filled with a strange light as he looked at Zhouyang and said, "Regardless of whether this matter is true or false, I must congratulate Fellow Daoist Zhou. If your beloved confidante and daughter are truly in the Upper Realm right now, should you one day ascend there, your path may be much smoother than other ascended immortals!"

This sounded familiar to Zhouyang; it wasn't the first time he had heard someone say it.

When his master, True Monarch Donglai, learned that he had acquired Master Qianyang's legacy, he also said something like this, meaning that if he could ascend to the "True Immortal Realm" in the future, he could join the sect where he originally from as Master Qianyang's inheritor, gaining benefits for his cultivation.

Previously, when Zhouyang heard this, he felt a bit excited.

But now, he didn't feel excited at all, only able to respond with a bitter smile.

He was unsure of how difficult it was to ascend to the "True Immortal Realm," but seeing that Du Chongyang, a Tribulation Crossing True Immortal, had already been cultivating for five or six thousand years and still couldn't ascend, it was clear that it was not a simple task.

And his cultivation was still far from reaching the point of ascending to the "True Immortal Realm."

"Alas! The matter of ascension is too ethereal. If I, a junior, could undergo the tribulation and become an immortal within a thousand years, I would have fulfilled my life's wish!"

Zhouyang sighed with deep feeling, softly voicing his heart's desire.

"Indeed, for you lower realm cultivators, the matter of ascension is extremely difficult and seems ethereal. In contrast, undergoing the tribulation to become an immortal is more practical and achievable!"

The mysterious black-robed man seemed to have thought of something, unexpectedly agreeing with Zhouyang in a tone of contemplation.

Upon seeing this, Zhouyang respectfully clasped his hands again and solemnly said, "Junior has another matter to consult Elder Lan about, concerning a master whom the junior has apprenticed."

Immediately, Zhouyang shared with the mysterious black-robed man his process of apprenticing True Monarch Donglai and how True Monarch Donglai wanted him to build a temple to receive incense offerings, omitting anything concerning the Innate Five Elements Jade.

After finishing, he added, "Junior is also curious about the spiritual light on the statue in the temple. Is there any hidden danger for Zhou Family cultivators and mortals?"

"Fellow Daoist Zhou needn't worry about this matter. As far as I know, this method of establishing a temple to receive incense, although considered trivial by many great powers and looked down upon, poses no significant danger to those who offer incense and worship. Perhaps your master exhausted his potential when breaking through to the Returning Void Stage or relied on some external force to forcibly break through, leading to an unstable Dao Foundation, thus needing to use this external method to stabilize it!"

"Moreover, I must congratulate Fellow Daoist Zhou on apprenticing a good master. You must know that great powers value karma heavily. By establishing a temple and offering incense to that True Monarch, you have formed significant karma, and he will certainly try to resolve this karma in the future. Perhaps, your future ascension to the Upper Realm may heavily rely on this True Monarch!"

The mysterious black-robed man paused suddenly, looking at Zhouyang.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly looked at Zhouyang and asked, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, would you be interested in making a transaction with me?"

Zhouyang was focused on listening to the answers to his questions, not expecting the man to suddenly bring up this matter. He was taken aback for quite a while.

After a long pause, he gravely responded, "Elder Lan, what kind of transaction do you want to make with this junior?"

"As Fellow Daoist Zhou knows, I am merely a clone puppet left here by my true body to oversee the operation of the 'Kunxu Realm.'"

"Originally, a clone puppet like me, although possessing independent consciousness, cannot act against the true body's will. For instance, when the true body created me, it was only to oversee the operation of the 'Kunxu Realm,' without permission to leave it."

"Nevertheless, tens of thousands of years have passed, and for unknown reasons, my true body has never reclaimed me, nor do I know if it is still alive. Through my cultivation over these tens of thousands of years, I have now succeeded in breaking free and am no longer confined here."

"All things have spirit; all things yearn for freedom. After managing this place for tens of thousands of years, I have grown weary of this monotonous life, desperately wishing to enter the normal world and cultivate unrestrainedly like a normal cultivator."

"More importantly, I must determine the state of my true body, to ascertain whether it has long since perished or transcendently no longer requires my service!"

The mysterious black-robed man calmly explained his situation and thoughts and then suddenly revealed his face by removing the robe's hood, revealing a handsome face as fair as jade.

However, compared to Zhouyang, this handsome and attractive black-robed man lacked one thing: the vitality of a living person.

That's only natural; how could a flesh and blood mortal remain unsullied for tens of thousands of years without physical decay?

"The transaction I propose to Fellow Daoist Zhou is for you to take me out of this 'Kunxu Realm' and bring me along when you ascend to the Upper Realm. In return, I will serve as your follower, aiding you in your cultivation, and I will present all the things I have accumulated over the years to you as a gift!"