I Studied Abroad in the Modern Times-Chapter 484Book 2: : Surpassing the Predecessors, Comprehending the Dao in a Dream
Vol 2 Chapter 484: Surpassing the Predecessors, Comprehending the Dao in a Dream
"Transforming from acquired to innate doesn't depend on the quality of the artifact, but rather on... the acknowledgment of heaven and earth. Therefore, the essence of the Qian Kun Tripod isn't a smelting cauldron for artifact forging, but rather a ceremonial vessel for heavenly prayers."
The Heavenly Emperor body pointed at the Qian Kun Tripod as he spoke.
Senior Sister Zhang nodded slightly, then asked with confusion, "What exactly is the difference between acquired artifacts and primordial artifacts?"
The Heavenly Emperor body shook his head. "This inscription doesn't write about that, so I have no way of knowing. What's written here is actually the ceremonial rituals and scriptures for worship."
Everyone looked at the Qian Kun Tripod, each falling into deep thought.
It was Uncle Pang who finally spoke up. "No matter what, we still have to try."
Zheng Fa thought the same way. Although the current information was insufficient, and he wasn't certain whether the Slaying Immortal Sword Formation would experience a massive power boost after transforming from acquired to innate state.
But at this critical juncture, any method that could potentially enhance the Jiushan Sect's strength was extremely important.
"So we just need to prepare a ceremonial ritual?"
"It's not that simple." The Heavenly Emperor body shook his head. "First, the ceremony requires someone to chant the incantations, so we need to study the inscriptions here. Second is even more troublesome."
"Conducting the ceremony requires many spirit materials and even magical tools."
"Money?" Uncle Pang said boldly. "Isn't the current accumulation of the Jiushan Realm enough?"
"It's not a money problem."
The Heavenly Emperor body pointed at the inscriptions on the Qian Kun Tripod. "This mentions something called Xuanhuang Jade. Have you heard of it, Uncle?"
"...I don't know."
"This thing called the Ritual Heaven Banner artifact - can you forge it, Uncle?"
"......"
Uncle Pang fell silent. Now everyone else understood the crux of the problem.
Deciphering the text didn't mean they could truly master all the details about the ceremony, especially some special spirit materials and artifacts.
"There's a huge historical gap between the First Era and Second Era in Xuanyi Realm." The Heavenly Emperor body said helplessly. "To restore the ceremony, we need to understand the meaning of every word, even every character, to identify the required spirit materials and artifacts..." Ř𝒶ƝоBË𝐒
"This... the First Era left very few records." Xiao Yuying frowned. "Even the same spirit material had different names at different times. If we have to test them one by one, how long will that take?"
"This depends on whether my true self can obtain corresponding information in the Nine Luminaries Heaven."
......
Zheng Fa slowly awakened in the Purple Heaven Palace of the Nine Luminaries Heaven.
He looked around and found no one nearby, with emptiness behind him. The cushion was right next to the palace door.
...Now he had truly earned last place.
The cushion positions were actually dynamically changing—the deeper the listener's comprehension and the more golden flowers they absorbed, the further forward their cushion could move.
Zheng Fa looked at the back of the Great Elder of the Lu Clan and understood why he had fallen behind.
At first I focused on comprehending the mysterious symbols about spiritual energy, but later I was just recording. Compared to others who concentrated on listening to the Dao, my progress was naturally the least.
Initially the gap between listeners was small, so positions didn't change much, but now over a year had passed, making the differences obvious.
He looked up at Hongjun Daoist, recalling the video lessons he had studied—though he was a sleeping slacker in the Purple Heaven Palace, in the modern world he had been secretly grinding away.
He had watched these course materials two or three times through now.
This was Hongjun Daoist's first lecture, mainly about cultivation methods.
Of course, his lecturing differed from Zheng Fa's.
Not only was he the Dao Ancestor, but which of the three thousand guests in Purple Heaven Palace didn't have remarkable origins? Most were born as immortals—things like refining qi, forming golden cores, condensing infants, and transforming spirits were completely unnecessary!
Hongjun Daoist started directly from achieving immortality.
"...Gold represents the nature of indestructibility;the elixir represents the image of perfection. The path of the Golden Immortal lies in condensing elixir essence and gathering original source. The five elements cycle, water and fire complement, wind and thunder surge, forging the indestructible golden body."
Hongjun Daoist had now reached the Golden Immortal stage.
Zheng Fa listened carefully but felt somewhat puzzled—what Hongjun Daoist taught didn't match his current cultivation steps.
Cultivation in Xuanyi Realm only had four stages after Dao Fruit: Scattered Immortal, True Immortal, Golden Immortal, and Taiyi (or Da Luo).
But Hongjun Daoist was different—he spoke of Scattered Immortals, then divided into Earth Immortals and Heaven Immortals, but no True Immortals.
Creation Daoist and others couldn't understand, their faces full of confusion. Zheng Fa understood but was also perplexed.
Moreover, many cultivation methods seemed subtly different.
For example, the theory of five elements cycling that Golden Immortals mentioned—Zheng Fa had comprehended this before forming his golden core, and experienced yin-yang harmony during core formation.
Listening to Hongjun's lecture, Zheng Fa had only one feeling: though doing the same things, later cultivation methods seemed to reorganize the lecture content, with completely different sequences and steps—like simplifying university knowledge points for elementary school textbooks.
Thus, Zheng Fa could actually understand many things far beyond his current realm.
Hongjun Daoist continued: "The Taiyi realm reflects the three flowers, refining qi, refining spirit, and refining essence into unity, five energies returning to origin, three flowers gathering at the crown. Only when essence, energy, and spirit three treasures merge seamlessly and penetrate heaven and earth's mysterious pass does one achieve Taiyi Golden Immortal."
This... again resembled what he comprehended during his spirit transformation.
Of course, Hongjun Daoist explained it more profoundly, more essentially, even more completely. The more Zheng Fa listened, the more engrossed he became.
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan ahead noticed Zheng Fa's movements and secretly scoffed.
He also listened attentively, but couldn't help paying extra attention to Shi Nandang, this rebel—to the Lu Clan, Shi Nandang was now their greatest enemy.
As the Lu Clan's Great Elder, he both feared and hated him.
This Shi Nandang had been drifting between wakefulness and sleep since entering the Purple Heaven Palace. While laughing at him, he wondered—Shi Nandang was no fool, how could he not know this was a great opportunity?
Even if he didn't want to listen to the Dao, didn't he want the Hongmeng Purple Qi?
Perhaps this youngster's behavior had deeper meaning.
Thus he had been secretly observing Shi Nandang's actions. Now seeing Shi Nandang seemed truly awake and actually starting to listen seriously to the Dao, he instead felt relieved.
Trying hard now? Where were you earlier?
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan turned away, not wanting to waste more time on Shi Nandang, but golden light flashed in his peripheral vision, so dazzling it illuminated half his face.
This is...
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan turned back in shock, seeing Shi Nandang completely submerged by the countless golden flowers. At a rough glance, he looked like a golden tree bursting with blossoms.
The golden flowers falling from the ceiling originally seemed endless, filling the entire Purple Heaven Palace.
Now half the hall's golden flowers surged toward Zheng Fa, being absorbed by him.
The flowers elsewhere appeared considerably sparser.
Now not just the Great Elder of the Lu Clan, but even Creation Daoist and others paused their listening to turn and look at Zheng Fa.
Yet Zheng Fa remained engrossed in Hongjun Daoist's lecture. Although he knew much of this content, more consisted of essential meanings of immortality. For Zheng Fa, who already had one foot in Dao Fruit, this lecture's content came at the perfect time!
As those golden flowers poured into his body, Zheng Fa felt his entire being rejoicing.
His Yang Spirit, Dharmakaya, even the Creation Jade all became more rounded and resilient under the golden flowers' nourishment.
The spiritual energy within him rose like floodwaters, section by section, his entire cultivation rapidly advancing.
......
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan and others only saw Zheng Fa's aura growing increasingly majestic, the cushion beneath him carrying him forward through the crowd.
Soon, Zheng Fa sat beside the Great Elder of the Lu Clan.
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan started in alarm, quickly turning back to desperately comprehend the symbol patterns on the golden flowers around him—the cushion positions related to the Hongmeng Purple Qi's ownership. If Shi Nandang obtained the Hongmeng Purple Qi, would the Lu Clan have good days ahead?
No matter what, he couldn't let Shi Nandang take the lead.
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan panicked inwardly, mustering all his divine consciousness, trying to comprehend more symbol patterns on the golden flowers.
But Shi Nandang's figure only flashed beside him, then immediately passed him, charging forward without even glancing his way.
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan reached out, wanting to grab Shi Nandang, but Shi Nandang was already far away, looking like a golden fish swiftly weaving through the crowd.
Leaving only the Great Elder of the Lu Clan sitting on his cushion, lips trembling, face ashen.
.......
Zheng Fa's tremendous movement created a sense of crisis among those ahead like Creation Daoist.
The spiritual light in Creation Daoist's eyes grew increasingly brilliant.
The Bodhi seed between White Lotus Monk's eyebrows looked ready to shatter.
As for Golden-Winged Great Peng and others, they even turned their bodies, wholly concentrating on comprehending the symbol patterns.
But Zheng Fa's speed was extremely fast—
On one hand, he now understood most of Hongjun's lecture content.
On the other hand, as his comprehension grew, the more golden flowers he absorbed, naturally raising his cultivation level.
With both reinforcing each other, Zheng Fa's cushion moved increasingly forward in the Purple Heaven Palace.
Soon he reached the hall center, mercilessly passing White Bone Demon Ancestor and Gu God, gradually approaching Golden-Winged Great Peng.
Golden-Winged Great Peng's pale yellow pupils filled with tension.
He didn't dare look back, solely focusing on comprehending the surrounding symbol patterns, clenching his teeth, tightening his face, even balling his fists.
Anyone could see he truly didn't want to be overtaken by Zheng Fa.
But Zheng Fa still slowly approached him, pausing slightly beside him, then continuing forward without looking back.
Golden-Winged Great Peng watched his retreating figure, green and red light alternating across his face, suddenly vomiting a mouthful of essence blood with a "wah" sound.
"...Rage affecting the heart, deviation from energy flow?" The Great Elder of the Lu Clan hadn't expected Golden-Winged Great Peng to be so proud.
Looking at Golden-Winged Great Peng's miserable state, he somehow suddenly felt at peace about Shi Nandang surpassing him.
The Lu Clan members watched Shi Nandang's seat moving increasingly forward, even gradually approaching Creation Daoist and White Lotus Monk.
"Has his speed slowed down?"
A Lu Clan disciple transmitted voice asking.
"It's slower than before."
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan also noticed this. Though Shi Nandang still advanced, his speed had decreased significantly, even completely stopping when still two hundred people away from White Lotus Monk.
The eight Lu Clan Nascent Souls looked at each other, not understanding why Shi Nandang suddenly stopped.
"His spiritual energy can't grow anymore." The Great Elder of the Lu Clan's expression changed, worried rather than pleased. "This rebel is about to prove the Dao as a Scattered Immortal!"
The Lu Clan members fell silent, looking at each other, faces full of terror.
Shi Nandang possessed the Sacred Blood Seal and had long been regarded by many on Haori Mountain as the sect's next Dao Fruit, with disciples even directly calling him Patriarch Shi.
But these Lu Clan core members only felt Shi Nandang was a monkey wearing a crown—usurping the patriarch's name only because the mountain lacked Dao Fruits.
Who could have imagined that one lecture in Purple Heaven Palace would make Shi Nandang's spiritual energy grow so rapidly, one could say he was half-step into Dao Fruit?
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan opened his mouth, only feeling bitterness on his tongue.
......
Zheng Fa also discovered his problem. Originally compared to other Hujie or Demon Sect True Spirits, his spiritual energy accumulation was insufficient, with enormous distance to Scattered Immortal.
But after absorbing so many golden flowers, Zheng Fa felt like a large balloon filled with water, even experiencing spiritual energy bloating.
He was only one step away from Scattered Immortal.
Even the "Vermilion Heaven Jade Manual" and other Haori Mountain texts contained some corresponding rituals—he only needed to follow them to prove the Dao as Scattered Immortal.
Precisely because of this, he could no longer absorb golden flowers, and his cushion stopped moving forward.
Zheng Fa wasn't anxious though. He continued listening attentively to Hongjun's lecture, hoping to find ideas and methods for proving Scattered Immortal Dao.
......
Seeing the golden light gradually dissipate from Shi Nandang, the Lu Clan members collectively sighed in relief.
They feared two things: Shi Nandang directly taking the front cushion and obtaining the Hongmeng Purple Qi, and this person proving Scattered Immortal Dao within the Purple Heaven Palace.
Now it seemed Shi Nandang's efforts had reached their end.
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan turned back in shock, seeing Shi Nandang completely submerged by the sky full of golden flowers. At a rough glance, he looked like a golden tree bursting with blossoms.
Looking at the distance between them and Shi Nandang, the Great Elder of the Lu Clan's expression darkened again, murmuring, "Wasn't Shi Nandang always sleeping?" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
"I saw that too, sleeping quite soundly."
"Then why did he progress so quickly?"
The other Lu Clan Nascent Souls were also baffled, this matter truly strange.
Suddenly an elder looked thoughtful, as if realizing something.
"Sixth Elder, speak your mind?"
"I'm wondering if this might be the mystery of this lecture?"
"What mystery?"
"That the Dao should be listened to while sleeping?"
"..." The Great Elder of the Lu Clan paused. "You mean Shi Nandang appeared to sleep but was actually comprehending the Dao?"
"Exactly!" The elder grew more convinced as he spoke. "Shi Nandang was originally cultivated by our Lu Clan, practicing techniques from the same source as us. What abilities could he have that we wouldn't know?"
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan nodded repeatedly. This was why many Lu Clan members opposed Shi Nandang—originally our dog, how dare you ride above us?
He also remembered previously suspecting this youngster's sleeping had purpose?
"Perhaps this is the Purple Heaven Palace's wonder—listening to the Dao while sleeping works best!"
Beside him, another Lu Clan Nascent Soul clapped. "Earlier I heard from Leiyin Temple's high monk that their temple possesses a method called 'Proving the Dao in Dreams'—sounding remarkably similar to what Sixth Elder described!"
This statement made others find it more reasonable. Their eyes met, all having ideas.
"Sixth Elder, why don't you try?"
The Sixth Elder indeed didn't refuse, directly closing his eyes. Moments later, he fell into deep sleep.
After a long while, he opened his eyes.
"How was it?"
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan asked expectantly.
"Just now in my dream I proved Scattered Immortal and even obtained the Hongmeng Purple Qi..." The Sixth Elder mumbled drowsily.
"Then what?"
The Great Elder of the Lu Clan grew anxious. Shouldn't you be emitting golden light now, charging forward?
"Then?" The Lu Clan's Sixth Elder blinked. "Then I woke up."
