Chapter 581: Chapter 556: Entering the Starry Sky
The pitch-black void was boundless.
Suddenly, a line of light appeared beneath Lu Yan’s feet.
Then, more and more lines of light emerged, filling the void. These lines intertwined with each other, rapidly expanding until they spread throughout the void, forming an enormous pattern.
Above the pattern, countless figures flew out.
These figures were humanoid and beast-like, with weapons, mountains, rivers, vast oceans, and even the sun, moon, and stars...
Each shape represented a powerful Immortality Skill or Great Tao Skill, and even stronger ’Magic Arts’.
Mysterious and unfathomable.
But Lu Yan was taken aback.
Because he found that this pattern was strikingly similar to the Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map.
"This must be the Myriad Paths Diagram mentioned by the Alliance Hierarch. How is it that it closely resembles the Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map, with the only difference being the ’Magic Arts’ depicted?"
Lu Yan wondered to himself.
"Do you feel that the Myriad Paths Diagram is very similar to the Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map described in the Dao Book?"
Lu Ming asked.
Lu Yan nodded.
"In fact, the inspiration for the Myriad Paths Diagram comes from the Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map," Lu Ming explained. "The creator of the Myriad Paths Diagram is a predecessor who was the mentor of the Ancestor of All Magics, the True Lord of Myriad Paths. He once witnessed the Immortal Ancestor use the Dao Book to activate the Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map. Inspired by what he saw, after much contemplation, he created the Myriad Paths Diagram."
"To create a new magic, one must first stand on the shoulders of giants, grasping various different ’Magic Arts’, extracting their essence, and combining them with one’s own understanding of the doctrine. When inspiration strikes, one can create something new."
"Therefore, the more ’Magic Arts’ one masters, the more solid the foundation for creation. I am passing down the Myriad Paths Diagram to you so that you can master more ’Magic Arts.’ The Myriad Paths Diagram will corroborate with your Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map, which will be very helpful for your future path of creating new magic," Lu Ming further explained.
Lu Yan thanked him again.
Lu Ming nodded, then reached out into the void. The Myriad Paths Diagram rapidly shrank and was grasped in his hand. With a flick of his hand, the Myriad Paths Diagram turned into a beam of light, rushed into Lu Yan’s forehead, and disappeared.
"I have embedded the Myriad Paths Diagram into your Primordial Spirit. You may use the Dao Book to accelerate time and slowly comprehend it. Also, take this..." Lu Ming said, producing a Jade Talisman and handing it to Lu Yan.
"This is a powerful Cultivation method called the Five Elements Heavenly Skill, from a vast force in the starry sky known as the Five Elements Heavenly Arch, which once bred a powerhouse at the third step of the Creator Realm. This Five Elements Heavenly Skill is the creation of that third step powerhouse."
"With your assimilated Five Elements Rules, it’s natural for you to cultivate the Five Elements Field and learn the Five Elements Heavenly Skill," Lu Ming stated.
Lu Yan accepted it, curious in his heart. He already had countless ’Magic Arts’ under his command and wasn’t lacking any cultivation methods.
But Lu Ming soon provided an explanation.
"When you go to the vast starry sky, you must have a reasonable identity to represent and fight on behalf of it," he said.
"Early on, when I first arrived in the starry sky, I befriended a third step powerhouse from the Five Elements Heavenly Arch, who was kind to me. However, in the battle over a hundred thousand years ago, he fell, and the Five Elements Heavenly Arch has since been in decline. Their situation has been worsening, to the point where the Five Elements Heavenly Skill has been lost."
"This time, when you go to the vast starry sky, you will assume the identity of the successor-disciple of that third step powerhouse, the Five Elements Tao Ancestor, and join the Five Elements Heavenly Arch. You can take the opportunity to return the Five Elements Heavenly Skill to them."
"Additionally, the Five Elements Heavenly Arch has a potent body refining technique that, at its highest realm, can reach the third step of creation. It should be hidden in the ruins of the Five Elements Heavenly Arch. Whether you can chance upon it and benefit from it in your future cultivation, we’ll see," Lu Ming explained.
Lu Yan suddenly understood, having a clearer idea of what Lu Ming meant.
After giving a few more instructions, Lu Ming vanished with a flash.
Lu Yan returned to the Disciple’s Residence, entered the space within the Dao Book, activated time acceleration, and immersed himself in closed-door cultivation.
Apart from comprehending the doctrine, his days were spent on understanding the Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map and the Myriad Paths Diagram.
A year passed in the outside world, while a hundred years flew by within the space of the Dao Book.
As time went on, he mastered more and more ’Magic Arts.’
But he never managed to create a new magic.
Moreover, the eighth Magic Rule remained elusive, failing to merge with the previous seven.
He had not even found a clue.
The infusion of the sixth and seventh Magic Rules had been seamless for several reasons.
Firstly, at Enlightenment Cliff in Origin Magic City, he had contemplated the legacy left by the Ancestral Emperor of Origin Magic.
His infusion of the same seven Magic Rules laid a solid foundation.
This, combined with his enlightening experience at the source of the Magic Rules, had sparked inspiration, enabling him to succeed in one go.
Of course, a more significant reason he struggled to infuse the eighth Magic Rule was its complexity, seemingly many times harder than infusing the seventh.
Infusing seven Magic Rules had created a vision of Yin and Yang with the Five Elements, achieving a certain equilibrium.
Incorporating the eighth Magic Rule would mean disrupting this balance.
The difficulty was unimaginably great.
He finally began to understand why the Ancestral Emperor of Origin Magic had stopped at seven Magic Rules.
Because the eighth was too challenging, and even the Ancestral Emperor of Origin Magic had failed to succeed.
"The Alliance Hierarch said that only by infusing nine Magic Rules will there be a chance to defeat Yuan Tiandao. And here I am, unable to merge even the eighth..." Lu Yan sighed.
After a pause, Lu Yan shook his head, dispelled his distractions, and continued his cultivation.
In the path of cultivation, there are no years.
Soon, a hundred years had passed in the outside world.
That was ten thousand years in the space of the Dao Book.
In that time, Lu Yan had almost completely grasped both the Myriad Paths Diagram and the Zhou Tian Huan Yu Map.
The Five Elements Heavenly Skill had also already been mastered.
But the most important two skills, creation of new magic and Magic Fusion, remained unsuccessful.
At that time, Lu Ming found him and informed him that the strongest figures from Origin Continent and the boundless starry sky had agreed to a showdown. Both sides would send a portion of warriors from the Tao Realm to duel, with the event set for eight hundred years later.
"You don’t need to feel too much pressure, Lu Yan. Eight hundred years is plenty of time for you. Prepare yourself, and in three days, I will take you into the starry sky. Once you enter the starry sky, you can witness different ’magic skills’ and even various paths of cultivation to make your foundation more solid. Who knows, you might just have a burst of inspiration that allows you to succeed in one fell swoop,"
Lu Ming said, patting Lu Yan on the shoulder with a smile.
"Lu Yan... will do his best."
Lu Yan said with a wry smile.
"Right now, the infinite starry sky is in turmoil. The regions where one can cultivate are decreasing every year. Many forces are slaughtering each other savagely over territories for cultivation. Those big powers are still fine as they have formed alliances early on in hopes of breaking into the Origin Continent. It’s the smaller forces that are still fighting and competing."
"And the Five Elements Heavenly Arch, it has already declined. The followers now only number in the hundreds, with few strong ones among them. Yet, they guard a decent place for cultivation, which no doubt has already caught the eye of other forces. Their situation is difficult. The Five Elements Heavenly Arch has a history with me. When you go there, try to help them through their troubles,"
Lu Ming said.
"Alliance Hierarch, my strength may be sufficient against those in the Tao Realm, but against the Creator Realm, I fear..."
Lu Yan said with a strained face.
The gap between the Tao Realm and the Creator Realm was enormous. Although he was powerful, against the Creator Realm, even against the very first step of it, defeat was certain without any chance of victory.
"You want some benefits, right?"
Lu Ming said with a chuckle, clearly aware of Lu Yan’s thoughts.
But he had been prepared.
With a wave of his hand, a burly man with bronze skin appeared beside Lu Yan.
The man had a resolute face and carried a war saber on his back. His aura was astonishing, startling Lu Yan.
"This is a puppet Avatar that Formation Ancestor and I have jointly refined. It possesses the strength of the second step in the Creator Realm. If you drip your blood on it, it will obey your commands,"
Lu Ming said.
"A puppet Avatar with the second step of the Creator Realm’s strength."
Lu Yan was overjoyed.
He squeezed out a drop of blood and let it fall on the man’s forehead.
Immediately, the blood permeated and was absorbed by the man, and an odd feeling sprang up in Lu Yan’s heart.
He felt as if the man had become one of his weapons, simple to command with just a thought.
"Remember, relying on external things will ultimately limit your potential and hinder your development. So, use this puppet Avatar as little as possible. Moreover, using such Avatars is not allowed in the Tao Realm showdown between Origin Continent and the boundless starry sky."
"Therefore, if you leave the Five Elements Heavenly Arch in the future, pass this puppet Avatar on to them to protect their teachings,"
Lu Ming solemnly instructed.
"So it’s meant for the Five Elements Heavenly Arch."
Lu Yan mused to himself but still nodded and responded with a respectful fist salute.
With a thought, the puppet Avatar turned into a streak of light and rushed into his forehead, coming to rest within his sea of consciousness.
Afterward, Lu Yan went to say goodbye to Shen Yinuo and others.
The three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Three days later, Lu Ming took Lu Yan with him as they tore through space, first arriving at the Wild Ocean.
From afar, Lu Yan saw the continent known as ’Da Wu’.
"Do you want to go back and have a look?"
Lu Ming asked.
Lu Yan pondered for a while and finally shook his head, saying, "Let’s not. After a victorious battle, I will return. I’ll bring them to the Origin Continent."
"That’s the spirit,"
Lu Ming said with an approving smile. "Don’t worry, with me here, they’ll be fine."
Reassured by Lu Ming’s words, Lu Yan felt at ease.
"Let’s go, to the starry sky."
Lu Ming waved his hand and a force wrapped around Lu Yan, instantly whisking him away.
Lu Yan felt himself entering an endless void of darkness. After an indeterminate time, light suddenly appeared ahead, and stars glittered all around him.
Lu Yan looked around, his spirit stirred.
He discovered that he was standing in the midst of a starry sky.
This was the cosmic starry sky, deathly silent, dark, with no trace of life or air.
"The cosmic starry sky, I am now, with my flesh and blood body, effortlessly traversing the starry sky, right..."
Lu Yan spread his arms, his emotions complex.
Suddenly, from the far reaches of the pitch-black starry sky, two beams of light brighter than the sun shone forth.
An oppressive aura suffused the starry sky, taking one’s breath away.
"A powerful being, in the True One State..."
Lu Yan took a sharp breath.
Those two beams of light were clearly the gaze of some supremely powerful being.
Having just arrived in the starry sky, he had already been noticed by a True One from the infinite starry space.
The two beams of light glanced over Lu Ming and Lu Yan and then faded, disappearing from sight.
It seemed that Lu Ming had indeed made arrangements with the infinite starry sky.
"Lu Yan, this is the Star Map of the infinite starry sky. The gray areas represent regions where cultivation is retreating, the end times of Dharma. The parts with normal color are still suitable for cultivation. However, the gray areas are expanding, so be careful,"
Lu Ming took out a Jade Talisman and handed it to Lu Yan.
