Chapter 357: The Dao Heart Obscured by Dust |
The Dao Basis bears the heavenly decree, the spiritual platform refines immortal qi.
The fundamental chasm between Divine Ability Realm cultivators and Dao Union Realm cultivators lies in whether this "Dao Basis" has been forged.
And after Ascending to Immortality, the Dao Basis still serves as the foundational proof of the great powers in the Immortal Ascension Realm.
The "Spiritual Platform," which represents truly stepping into the Immortal Ascension Realm, condenses upon the Dao Basis.
However, after an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator falls, that ethereal and intangible Spiritual Platform will dissipate into the world.
Only the Dao Basis remains indestructible and imperishable, enduring eternally.
Therefore, after a great power of the Immortal Ascension Realm falls, the foundational legacy they leave behind in the world is the Dao Basis.
As an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator who has reincarnated multiple times, Kong Yang naturally understands these matters quite well.
Yet, he still cannot fathom Chen Yan's true depths.
Chen Yan is acting on behalf of that person.
And it must be precisely because of this that Chen Yan, who is currently only a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, is searching everywhere for Dao Bases.
The purpose behind Kong Yang posing the question to Chen Yan was not truly to know what Chen Yan's intentions were.
He wanted to know the purpose of Mr. You behind Chen Yan.
After all, Chen Yan, who is currently only a Myriad Transformations Realm cultivator, is not qualified to comprehend the Dao Basis of True Person Kongmiao; and Mr. You, who is a reincarnation from the Realms Above Immortality, also has no need to comprehend the Dao Basis of Yan Yunhe.
"No comment."
In the end, Chen Yan only gave this answer.
Kong Yang smiled.
He hadn't expected Chen Yan to dare answer his question like this.
But what made this great power of the Immortal Ascension Realm feel even more resentful was that at this moment, Kong Yang indeed had no way to deal with Chen Yan.
He could only let him act arrogantly in front of him.
"Very well, Chief Disciple Chen."
Kong Yang said calmly:
"I will remember your answer."
Chen Yan did not react at all to the threat implied in Kong Yang's words, his mood even remaining completely calm as still water.
He had been threatened many times before; this one more didn't matter.
"True Person Kong summoning me, I'm afraid it wasn't just to ask me that question from earlier, was it?"
Chen Yan said with a cupped fist salute.
Whether in strategic ability or adaptability, the current Chen Yan was completely incomparable to his former self who was still in the Kongshan Sect.
Just like the message he had someone convey to Fu Qian.
The current Chen Yan was qualified to be a player.
Chen Yan clearly understood what schemes Kong Yang was plotting.
The true reason this True Person Caiyun summoned him was not to find out what he or Mr. You wanted to do.
It was because of Si Youyou's Ascension to Immortality.
Back on Fusheng Island, Mr. You had told him that the ultimate purpose of Gu Jing collecting the Heavenly Summit Mirror fragments was to use the Heavenly Summit Mirror to rewrite the history of Heavenly Summit Mountain's destruction.
If it were only Gu Jing alone, the difficulty of gathering all five fragments of the Heavenly Summit Mirror might be even greater.
But now, with Qiu Siruo added to the mix, the pressure faced by the Immortal Ascension Realm true persons of the other major sects would be considerably greater.
And Chen Yan himself was also an indispensable part of the process by which the two Immortal Ascension Realm true persons of Heavenly Summit Mountain wanted to rewrite history.
Only when the karmic backlash from these sixty thousand plus years fell upon him would Gu Jing have the possibility to change history through the Heavenly Summit Mirror.
"You want a Dao Basis."
Kong Yang said softly:
"I don't know the whereabouts of Patriarch Yan's Dao Basis, but I can tell you the whereabouts of True Person Xie's Dao Basis."
"..."
Chen Yan's heart stirred.
The True Person Xie Kong Yang spoke of was Kongshan Sect's True Person Minghua, named Xie Shouzhuo.
Although Kong Yang didn't know what the purpose of Chen Yan, or the person behind him, wanting to obtain an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator's Dao Basis was, he was still willing to lend a hand.
Because he clearly understood that whether it was Chen Yan or the person behind Chen Yan and the two stewards of Heavenly Summit Mountain, they must certainly be in opposition.
Otherwise, the ten-year agreement that person made with him over two years ago would have no value or meaning.
"I would like to hear the details."
Chen Yan said with a cupped fist salute.
"Before that, you need to help me do one thing."
Kong Yang said calmly.
"What thing?"
"There is a disciple on Yuanhua Mountain with passable aptitude and outstanding ability. Although his chance of Ascending to Immortality is slim, if carefully cultivated, there is great hope for him to enter the Divine Ability Realm and advance to Dao Union."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yan pondered slightly in his heart.
A disciple of Yuanhua Mountain?
"Seventeen years ago, this person was the chief disciple of Yuanhua Mountain... I imagine you know what happened next. After the Heavenly Summit Mountain Cataclysm, his master, the Sword Master Elder of Yuanhua Mountain, Wei Mian, was pushed forward by the Huo faction as a scapegoat, executed within the sect. This disciple also fell out of favor with the sect because of this and was no longer valued."
Kong Yang continued:
"What's more crucial is that since then, his Dao heart has been tarnished."
Li Haowen.
Chen Yan understood who the person Kong Yang spoke of was.
He had long anticipated that he would inevitably cross paths with Li Haowen in the future. Everything he witnessed in the Heavenly Summit Mirror illusion within the Heavenly Summit Palace had already proven this long ago.
"So, what does True Person Kong want me to do?"
Chen Yan continued to ask.
"I need you to go and tell him the truth."
Kong Yang said.
"The truth?"
"The person who pushed Wei Mian forward as the scapegoat back then was not Huo Mu, but another Grand Elder of the Imperial Law Court."
"Who?"
"Song Changgeng, Unity Realm peak cultivation. He began seclusion ten years ago, attempting to break through to the Divine Ability Realm. If all goes smoothly, within twenty years, this person could cultivate his innate Divine Ability and advance to the Divine Ability Realm."
"So..."
Chen Yan mused.
In fact, he could already roughly guess what Kong Yang wanted him to do.
"Li Haowen's Dao heart is tarnished. If one wants to rekindle the fire in his heart, after much thought, the best method is indeed to set up a mortal enemy for him. And Song Changgeng, Grand Elder Song, who harmed his master back then, is the best candidate, isn't he?"
Kong Yang said slowly:
"With Song Changgeng dead, it can also settle this disciple's inner demons. He will surely achieve great things in the future."
He wasn't wrong.
"True Person Kong actually thinks so highly of Senior Brother Li?"
Chen Yan asked.
"Those with outstanding talent for cultivating immortality emerge endlessly in our Kongshan Sect, but those with truly outstanding ability who can shoulder great responsibilities are exceedingly rare."
Kong Yang said.
Indeed, disciples able to join a behemoth like the Kongshan Sect, especially those who enter the Inner Court, are naturally all exceptionally gifted.
And precisely because of this, in a major sect like Kongshan Sect, merely having good cultivation aptitude and wanting to rise above others is very difficult.
Take Chu Xiyao, for example.
Her cultivation aptitude is not inferior to Li Haowen's, and the reason she is not heavily cultivated by Kong Yang is not because of her connection to Fu Qian's faction.
It's simply because Chu Xiyao's temperament and ability are insufficient.
Geniuses emerge endlessly. Basically, every ten or twenty years, the sect produces a few prodigies like Chu Xiyao.
Perhaps one day, Chu Xiyao will also step into the upper three realms and enter the Grand Elder Council, but this can only represent her outstanding cultivation talent, not that the sect will grant her real authority.
There are plenty of disciples with outstanding talent. Talents like Fu Qian and Bai Qiming are the rare ones.
"What do I need to do?"
Chen Yan asked.
"Go to Yong'an Prefecture."
Kong Yang said:
"Right now, Li Haowen is in Yong'an Prefecture."
