Chapter 25 - Hope of Transforming into a Primordial God-Demon Foundation, Perfect Taiyi Golden Immortal
Chapter 25: Hope of Transforming into a Primordial God-Demon Foundation, Perfect Taiyi Golden Immortal
“It is done.”
A sigh, as if a whisper from ancient times, deep and resonant, carried a sense of profound relief.
Within the volcano, Zhong Yue opened his eyes, the corners of his lips curving slightly, immortal light shimmering within him.
At this moment, he had fully completed his transformation, achieving his desired goal.
By integrating the innate Five Elements Spirit Pearls into his five viscera and establishing the Innate Five Elements Grand Formation, his body underwent a staggering transformation.
In Zhong Yue’s perception, boundless chaotic immortal light now swirled within him, his physical form as if transmuted into Chaos Immortal Soil, the essence of his earth vein nature completely transformed.
This change was astonishing; the fusion of the five elements into chaos signified that his foundation [gēn jiǎo]^ had ascended to the pinnacle of innate divine beings.
Though it seemed a small step, in truth, the difference was vast, meaning Zhong Yue faced no bottlenecks before attaining the Primordial Great Luo.
In short, with sufficient opportunity, Zhong Yue now possessed the potential to vie for the Primordial Great Luo.
However, he soon furrowed his brow, for in his senses, the transformation within him continued, progressing towards an unknown realm.
Though the transformation was faint, he could clearly feel it had not ceased.
“Still transforming? But I have already reached the top-tier innate divine foundation.”
Zhong Yue was dumbfounded. According to his plan, ascending to a top-tier innate divine foundation required fully merging the Five Elements Spirit Pearls.
As innate spiritual treasures, merging them into a living being was immensely difficult, even for an earth vein incarnation like him, requiring an extraordinarily long time.
Yet now, the innate Five Elements Spirit Pearls had not fully merged, yet his foundation had already transformed successfully, completely beyond his expectations.
“According to inherited memories, a top-tier innate divine foundation is already the pinnacle in the Primordial Wilderness, unless one is a reincarnated special existence like a primordial god-demon, there is no higher foundation.”
“But my current state… could it be… I have a chance to transform into a primordial god-demon foundation [xiān tiān shén mó gēn jiǎo]^?”
Zhong Yue’s eyes widened, shocked by his own conjecture.
If an innate divine being held a ticket to the path of enlightenment, a primordial god-demon foundation was akin to having one foot already in the Primordial realm.
Primordial god-demons were self-contained, with unparalleled talent, comprehension, and aptitude, facing seventy percent less difficulty in attaining the Primordial realm than ordinary beings.
Now, discovering he had such a hope, how could Zhong Yue not be shocked, not be elated?
With this thought, he turned his gaze inward once more.
There, chaotic immortal light swirled, faint but undeniably present, growing ever denser and more substantial.
After careful observation, aided by his heaven-defying comprehension [nì tiān wù xìng]^, Zhong Yue soon identified the reason.
His guess was correct; his foundation’s transformation had not stopped. Due to the Innate Five Elements Grand Formation, the transformation persisted, and he indeed had hope of becoming a primordial god-demon.
However, to achieve this, the Five Spirit Pearls alone were insufficient; he needed to integrate the innate Yin-Yang Great Dao.
“Those born innately have the five elements as substance and yin-yang as principle. To fully return to the origin, the Yin-Yang Great Dao is indispensable.”
“I have been cultivating the Qiankun Great Dao, which subtly aligns with yin-yang. My Dao is not yet complete, and I have not grasped yin-yang; it’s no wonder I haven’t become a primordial god-demon.”
Zhong Yue’s expression showed realisation, murmuring to himself as the doubts in his heart gradually cleared.
When he first awakened, he had wondered why, as a top-tier innate divine being, he had not bloomed the three flowers upon transformation, as Great Luo beings should.
Now, it seemed the issue lay with his own Great Dao.
Thinking further, the hope of transforming into a primordial god-demon foundation likely stemmed, in part, from his Great Dao.
Had he not cultivated the Qiankun Great Dao with yin-yang as a guide, the Five Elements Spirit Pearls might have only perfected his five elements, not returned him to the origin to form chaos.
“In that case, as long as I complete my Great Dao, with yin-yang as principle, five elements as foundation, and Qiankun as the Dao, I will naturally transform fully into a primordial god-demon?”
Zhong Yue’s face lit with joy; calculated thus, his gains were unimaginably vast, fully justifying his efforts over the years.
Zhong Yue turned his attention to his cultivation. Having grasped the crux, his next step was to pursue the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.
However, achieving Great Luo Golden Immortal was no simple feat.
The Great Luo Golden Immortal realm differed from prior stages; it required the convergence of the three flowers at the crown and the five energies towards the origin, demanding robust mana and, crucially, comprehension of one’s own Great Dao.
The first two were manageable for Zhong Yue, posing little difficulty. With his current abilities, they could be achieved with time.
But the final condition—comprehending his own Great Dao—was far from easy.
What is the Dao?
As the saying goes, the Dao that can be spoken is not the eternal Dao [dào kě dào, fēi cháng dào]^, the root of all beings.
The harvest of autumn and storage of winter is the Dao, the cycle of the four seasons is the Dao, the rising of the sun and setting of the moon is the Dao; all things in the world follow the path of the Dao.
For cultivators, the Dao is their foundation.
Zhong Yue’s Dao, as before, was the Qiankun Great Dao.
Yet, while Qiankun sounds simple, comprehending it was anything but.
To grasp the Dao, one needed a fulcrum, and this was precisely what Zhong Yue lacked.
Fortunately, with his heaven-defying comprehension [nì tiān wù xìng]^ and years of traversing the Primordial Wilderness, observing heaven and earth, he had already formed some plans.
After a moment’s contemplation, Zhong Yue rose from the ground. He reached the volcanic crater, dispersed the earth vein’s power, dismantled the Five Elements Grand Formation, and stepped out.
Emerging into the outside world, the Nanming Li Fire still raged, the distant Undying Volcano burned eternally, intertwined with malevolent and deathly energies, casting the entire sky in a grey haze.
The world remained silent, the surrounding ten thousand li resembling a dead zone, devoid of any living beings.
The southern Primordial Wilderness was a desolate wasteland; though earth veins persisted, it was unfit for lingering. Having completed his transformation, Zhong Yue felt it was time to depart.
Zhong Yue shook his head slightly, chose a direction, and headed towards the eastern Primordial Wilderness.
As he moved further from the Undying Volcano, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth grew more vibrant, and living beings became increasingly abundant.
Zhong Yue wandered this world, walking while comprehending the Dao.
The clarity of heaven and turbidity of earth is the Dao, the sun, moon, and stars are the Dao, the myriad forms of beings are the Dao, and the mountains and rivers are likewise the Dao.
With no urgency to reach a destination, he travelled with ease, unprecedentedly carefree.
He was like a solitary traveller, wandering alone through heaven and earth, sensing the nature of mountains and rivers, gazing at the sun, moon, and stars.
During this time, he sat in meditation atop lofty peaks, frolicked with beasts in forests, discussed the Dao with great powers, and witnessed conflicts erupting.
Yet, he never lingered long; after pausing for a time, he would depart, pursuing the Dao within his heart.
The Qiankun encompasses all, embracing myriad spirits; he needed sufficient accumulation and a clear understanding of this world to achieve his own Qiankun.
On this day, Zhong Yue, as usual, wandered through the mountains and forests.
Suddenly, a surge of intuition struck, as if some opportunity was drawing him from the unseen.
“What is this?”
Zhong Yue looked up, gazing ahead, as if seeing a place beyond millions of li of mountains and rivers.
“Something is there?”
With those words, Zhong Yue vanished from the spot.
Footnotes:
跟脚 (gēn jiǎo):
- Meaning: Literally “roots and feet,” it metaphorically refers to a being’s innate foundation, origin, or potential in cultivation, determining their starting point and limits in the path to immortality.
- Origin: Common in xianxia literature, the term originates from Daoist and Buddhist ideas of one’s inherent spiritual quality, often tied to their birth or creation (e.g., born from a divine mountain vs. a common stone).
- Cultural Significance: In Chinese cultivation stories, a strong “foundation” is critical for achieving greatness. Zhong Yue’s efforts to enhance his gēn jiǎo reflect the cultural value of self-improvement and transcending one’s origins through diligence and ingenuity.
- Meaning: Literally “primordial god-demon foundation,” it refers to an exceptionally rare and supreme innate origin in xianxia, surpassing even top-tier innate divine beings, granting near-unparalleled potential for achieving the Primordial realm.
- Origin: A concept in xianxia and xuanhuan genres, rooted in Chinese mythology where primordial god-demons (e.g., those born in chaos before the world’s formation) are cosmic entities of immense power.
- Cultural Significance: The term embodies the ultimate aspiration in Chinese cultivation narratives to transcend mortal limits and approach the cosmic origins of existence, highlighting Zhong Yue’s extraordinary potential and ambition.
- Meaning: Literally “heaven-defying comprehension,” it refers to an extraordinary, almost supernatural ability to understand and grasp profound concepts or truths, often used in fantasy or cultivation novels to describe a character’s exceptional talent.
- Origin: Common in Chinese web novels, particularly in the xianxia (immortal hero) and xuanhuan (mystical fantasy) genres, where characters possess unique traits that defy natural limits. It draws from Daoist and mythological ideas of transcending heaven’s will.
- Cultural Significance: In Chinese culture, “heaven” (天, tiān) represents the natural order or fate. Defying it signifies breaking free from predetermined limits, a celebrated trait in stories of personal triumph and cultivation. The term underscores Zhong Yue’s prodigious intellect and potential in the narrative.