Chapter 209: Chapter 166: [Shao Yang] Gazes Upon Me, the World Shall Know the Name of Jiang
Jiang Yi turned a deaf ear, remaining completely unmoved.
The Cat Master had indeed picked up quite a few habits of a Demon Cultivator from following the first-generation Shao Yang.
’How could he say such things aloud?’
’He should keep things like that to himself!’
However, he had no time to listen closely right now, and even less inclination to pay it any mind.
Because at the very moment he had chosen to enter the game, using Shao Yang as his proof to form a bond with Miss Xiaoqiao...
...the golden paper of the Celestial Book’s second page had actually turned on its own!
To be more precise, it was the Yang Qi Taiyin Heaven sealed within it that was trembling and humming incessantly!
In the unseen world,
Jiang Yi felt a kind of invisible gaze upon him. It wasn’t the downward glance of a Daoist Monarch or a Great Power, nor was it the scrying of some Great Divine Technique.
He quietly held his breath, his heart pounding like a war drum.
Even with his eyes shut, even when looking inward, even while in Fengdu—a place isolated from the Mortal World—Jiang Yi could still clearly see a speck of brilliant golden light!
It was as if the gaze of the Great Dao itself had descended upon him!
’The Shao Yang Golden Position? Is it watching me?’
The black-robed figure seated on the orchid boat had to use nearly all his strength just to suppress the tremor that coursed through him, a thrill bordering on a violent shudder.
The Golden Position, coveted by the trillions of Cultivators in the Yanfu Vast Land, was actually paying attention to a mere Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer cultivator!
This was an unprecedented event in all of history!
’It’s not the complete position, just a sliver of its golden essence? That’s right. Shao Yang was personally shattered by Ji Fuyao, so it’s no longer whole.’
Jiang Yi mused silently. Although a Golden Position was a product of the Dao’s evolution—immortal and indestructible—
...it was not, however, immune to damage or destruction.
The Golden Position held by True Monarch Yu was struck down by the combined power of the Immortal Dao, and then shattered by a blow from Tai Yang.
This is what split Shao Yang into three parts.
It is said that one part remains locked away in White Jade City to this day, forbidden from appearing in the world.
’I have inherited Shao Yang and taken the throne as its new monarch, so I must follow the Great Dao’s intent for it.’
Jiang Yi combined this with the various Secrets of the Technique derived from the shocking Dao Inheritance to make a deduction:
’Bing and Ding vying for brilliance? That’s it! The Shao Yang Dao Inheritance has a technique called "Crimson Divine Light" that involves the Combined Refining of Bingding Fire!’
’Bing and Ding vying for brilliance! Bing Fire is yang, a scorching flame that burns all things; Ding Fire is yin, a gentle, contained glow, reserved and concealable!’
’When their combined refining is perfected, it can even damage one’s Life Essence. That is the absolute limit.’
’Whose brilliance is it meant to vie for? Whose brilliance *could* it vie for? It must be Tai Yang, without a doubt!’
As a mere Qi Cultivation Lower Cultivator, Jiang Yi had no way of fathoming the methods of a True Monarch. If he hadn’t begged the Celestial Book to comprehend the Dao Inheritance, he wouldn’t even know of a profound concept like the "Great Dao’s intent."
Now, he could only ask True Master Xuanmiao for guidance.
"Cat Master, what is the Great Dao’s intent for the Shao Yang Golden Position?"
True Master Xuanmiao was blissfully imagining Jiang Yi with a girl on each arm, merging two Daoist Lineages and soaring to the heavens on the back of his immense resources.
Startled by the sudden question, he was momentarily stunned.
It raised a front paw to stroke its whiskers, putting on a show of deep contemplation.
If one were to say that a Foundation Establishment True Master entrusts their Cultivation entirely to their Life Essence, refining the Five Elements to seek perfection...
...then the foundation of a True Monarch lies in the "Golden Position," a title bestowed by the Celestial Lord and from which the Great Dao derives Divine Techniques.
This "gold" is not the gold of the Five Elements, but an idea of gold taken from the Great Dao—eternal, indestructible, firm, and incorruptible.
A Foundation Establishment True Master must perfect their Life Essence, enhance their Dao power, and successfully form a Dao Fruit.
Only by then elevating it, piercing the void to merge with the true, can one ascend to the position and be called a Monarch, thereafter achieving eternal life!
After a long silence,
True Master Xuanmiao finally spoke:
"Xiao Jiang, your question is a heavy one. I am not a True Monarch, and it is not for a Lower Cultivator to speculate wildly on the Dao of an Upper Cultivator. Therefore, I can only give you a general overview."
Jiang Yi nodded.
Qi Cultivation, Foundation Establishment, True Monarch.
Each Realm was separated by a vast chasm, like an entirely new world.
A Lower Cultivator speculating on the Dao of an Upper Cultivator is like a frog in a well trying to measure the breadth of the sky—it can never glimpse the whole picture.
"To ascend to the rank of True Monarch, one must seek the golden essence. This golden essence is the condensation of the Dao Fruit. The longer it is burned, the more wondrous its transformations become, and one can even extract Divine Techniques from it."
"Only when the Divine Techniques are mastered can one secure their high position, unshaken by calamities and tribulations."
Jiang Yi’s mind stirred, thoughts flashing within.
’So this "golden essence" that True Monarchs seek is such a mystical thing.’
’Refine Divine Techniques, burn the golden essence, become a Monarch!’
’This is the cultivation path of a True Monarch!’
"Xiao Jiang, what you asked about, the ’Great Dao’s intent,’ actually touches upon the fundamental mysteries of the Daoist Monarch level."
True Master Xuanmiao paused for a moment before continuing.
"Once a Golden Position is established, the Three Calamities, the nine tribulations, and a hundred other disasters and misfortunes can no longer touch you."
"The next step is to augment your own symbol of the Great Dao, allowing it to manifest continuously in the world, and then to further consolidate and supplement it."
Jiang Yi focused his attention, quietly awaiting the Cat Master’s next words.
’From the sound of it, the intent of a Golden Position is the greatest secret concerning True Monarchs and Daoist Monarchs.’
"My previous master’s method for seeking the golden was ’Verification through Emptiness.’ He borrowed the original shell of Shao Yang and reforged this Golden Position."
True Master Xuanmiao spoke with great difficulty, one deliberate word at a time, as if pushing against the muffled thunder that rolled through his mind as he recalled the memory.
Jiang Yi sucked in a breath of cold air. Four words kept rising in his mind.
How could this be?!
The "first in Dao Wisdom in ten thousand years" title truly carried some serious weight.
It was on par with begging the Celestial Book.
"Shao Yang originally dwelled beneath Tai Yang. My previous master, with his Dao Wisdom that has been unmatched in Yanfu for ten thousand years, conceived of a new path."
"The Great Dao divides into the Tai Chi, which is viewed as Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang give birth to the four emblems. Looking up, one sees the celestial bodies shining; looking down, one perceives the patterns of the earth."
"In this way, Shao Yang was placed on the same level as Tai Yin. Not only did this avoid the pressure from Tai Yang, but it also elevated its own Golden Position to be on par with it."
"Therefore, the intent of Shao Yang was changed to the image of ’Nascent Life,’ the path of ’Waxing and Waning,’ the virtue of ’All-Embracing,’ and the action of ’Illuminating.’"
Nascent Life, Waxing and Waning, All-Embracing, Illuminating.
Jiang Yi carefully mulled over the deep meaning of these words, then immediately closed his eyes and looked inward once more.
His Divine Sense flared, proactively seeking Sympathy with that sliver of golden essence.
And with that momentum, he begged the Celestial Book!
He already knew the Great Dao’s intent for Shao Yang, so asking for a result this time wouldn’t take very long.
The orchid boat was moored at the shore. Jiang Yi summoned a veil of flames to envelop Qiao Yu, and they flew swiftly across the nine-layered land.
In an instant, they arrived at the majestic Eighteen-Layered High Platform.
"Ah, is Young Master Jiang really going in? Are you really going to meet my sister?"
Seeing that they were getting closer and closer to the Profound City Central Palace, Qiao Yu suddenly grew flustered.
She abruptly stopped and looked up at Jiang Yi.
He wore a faint smile.
"If I don’t enter the game, how will I open the Yang Qi Taiyin Heaven to present the betrothal gift?"
Qiao Yu’s cheeks flushed again. Her sister in the Profound City Central Palace would surely hear those words.
The green-robed young woman said, annoyed and embarrassed:
"You’re just talking nonsense!"
Jiang Yi continued walking forward. A humming vibration echoed in his ears, and a golden glint appeared in his eyes.
A quick scan, and his Heart Spirit was settled.
It was just as he had expected. To win the attention of Shao Yang, he only needed to do one thing.
All that stuff True Master Xuanmiao had talked about—the image of ’Nascent Life,’ the path of ’Waxing and Waning,’ the virtue of ’All-Embracing,’ and the action of ’Illuminating’...
...could be summarized in a single phrase!
Steal all of Tai Yang’s glory!
’How can I outshine the most prominent existence in the Yanfu Vast Land?’
Jiang Yi’s gaze hardened. He lifted the hem of his black robe and stepped over the high threshold of the Profound City Central Palace.
’First, of course, is to let the entire world know who the new monarch of Shao Yang is.’
