Chapter 2: The Master of Dongzhen Ruins

The foundation of cultivation lies in the Dao Meridian.

This "Dao" isn't the Dao of Daoism, but the Dao of the Great Dao. Whether it's a cultivator from Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, the Military School, the Mohist School, or any other school of thought, revealing the Dao Meridian is the first step in their cultivation journey.

In ancient times, the so-called seeds of cultivation were those born with naturally manifesting Dao Meridians. However, the human race doesn't believe in a predetermined fate. The Dao Opening Pill is one of the methods to solve the problem of cultivation aptitude.

It borrows the power of the pill to manifest the Dao Meridian in the human body. It can also unleash the vitality of heaven and earth to nourish the physical body. The feedback of qi and blood then leads to the gestation of Dao essence, embarking on the path of cultivation.

Speaking of which, compared to the instruments destroyed by Zuo Guanglie's explosion, the Dao Opening Pill shouldn't be considered precious.

But for this beggar trapped in dire straits, it's the only key to unlocking the treasures of the human body.

Throughout history, the only truly difficult thing is death; when life reaches its end, one begs for the grace of heaven!

Now, the beggar has grasped his key of hope.

He is so devout.

He holds the jade bottle with trembling hands, his chattering lips aiming at the mouth of the bottle, and tilts his head back to pour it down!

Beside him is the silent dilapidated temple, in the distance are the corpses of the beggars, and at his side are the shattered bones and flesh.

At this moment, the setting sun casts its last rays, and the clouds scatter in the sky. Corpses lie strewn across the field, and the sick beggar swallows the pill.

The Dao Opening Pill rolls onto the tip of his tongue, transforming into a warm current that flows down his throat, spreading into his limbs and bones.

The beggar closes his eyes slightly, a thousand scenes flashing through his mind at this moment.

Years of hard work in cold and heat, practicing swordsmanship in spring and autumn.

Chasing down great thieves, fighting fiercely with bandits.

Finally, he walks down from the bandit-infested Western Mountains alone with his sword, his body covered in blood.

Only then did he exchange for a Dao Opening Pill.

How many years has he spent approaching the world of the extraordinary?

He tried his best, he struggled to progress at every moment, how did he get to this point?

His mother died early, and his father, who later died of illness, almost exhausted the last bit of wealth in the family.

He is alone, he is his own support.

He was admitted to the Dao Academy from a thousand-to-one competition, and stood out in the fiercely competitive outer courtyard, finally grasping the key to the extraordinary for the first time.

But immediately afterward...

Came poisoning and assassination.

He fought desperately to break out of a bloody path, and to avoid being searched, he mingled among the beggars.

He wanted to wait for an opportunity, but his body could no longer hold on.

He grew weaker and weaker, finally lying helplessly on a pile of straw, waiting for death.

He dragged his sick body out to search the battlefield, only because of a heart that refused to give up, but he didn't expect to find a Dao Opening Pill!

Why would a being as powerful as Zuo Guanglie carry a Dao Opening Pill with him? The reason has ended with his legendary demise, and no one will ever know.

But the beggar's story has been continued with a new chapter.

Fate is unpredictable, nothing could be more so.

The beggar returns his mind, feeling the indescribable changes in his body.

He feels warm power emanating from every corner of his body, "swimming" through his body in a way he doesn't understand, eventually converging on the spine.

This process is slow and clear.

He doesn't know how long it has passed, but a weak power rises from the tailbone, upward along the spine, upward. It feels like an earthworm swimming upstream in a river.

This process is very difficult, but the warm power from every part of the body continues to support it... The "little earthworm" finally swims through this long journey, running through the spine and directly into the crown of his head!

A miracle happened.

He seems to see light in his body.

Warmth bursts from his limbs, bones, and every corner of his flesh.

He no longer feels cold, no longer feels weak, no longer feels pain.

The Dao Meridian appears, nourishing his life.

The beggar opens his eyes, his eyes shining brightly.

He feels full of power, he finally has control of his destiny again!

His Dao Meridian has manifested, and although the Dao Meridian spirit is just the lowest-level little earthworm, it also means that he can officially embark on the path of the extraordinary.

Flying to the sky and escaping to the earth, entering and exiting the azure sky, are no longer unattainable dreams!

One day, Gongyang Bai, Mo Jingyu, and even Zuo Guanglie and Li Yi... the things these thunderous figures can do, he can do too!

……

The beggar stands up, staring at the pile of minced meat under his feet.

Life gazing at death, the opening connecting to the ending.

He buries Zuo Guanglie and those beggars outside the dilapidated temple. Even though his Dao Meridian has just manifested and his energy is abundant, it takes him until the moon rises to finish.

This is a small matter that may be useless, but it is the principle he practices.

Although the group of beggars chose to abandon him when danger came, they didn't abandon him in the wilderness during his dying days before. Although they couldn't ask for medicine for him, they at least gave him a few sips of water to drink.

Based on these, they should be buried in peace as far as possible. So that they won't suffer in this life and still be without support in the next.

People believe that only burial can bring peace. In the embrace of the vast and heavy, compassionate earth, the souls of the dead can rest.

Finally, the beggar stands in front of Zuo Guanglie's grave.

"The one who buries you is not an unknown person, Zhuang Country, Qinghe County, Maple Forest City..." Under the moonlight, the beggar stands in front of the small grave, his body dirty and his hands covered in mud, but he straightens his back and says his name with incomparable frankness: "Jiang Wang."

Even though the tiger's stripes are not yet formed, it already has the spirit to devour cattle.

"You didn't die in an unknown place either, this place is called Huanzhen Temple. Although the writing on the broken plaque is illegible, and it's also unknown, it will surely be known to the world because of you!"

After saying these words, Jiang Wang bends down and bows seriously: "May you rest in peace in heaven."

This bow is not only because of the Dao Opening Pill left by Zuo Guanglie, but also because of the compassion, frankness, and courage he showed.

A figure like Zuo Guanglie deserves any respect.

Tonight is the full moon, and the bright moonlight shines on the new grave.

In the dark, it seems that a wisp of breeze is blowing.

Jiang Wang sees that silver light is floating out of Zuo Guanglie's grave, slowly rising in the moonlight, gathering into a small, silver crescent moon. It floats above the new grave, within Jiang Wang's reach, appearing mysterious and noble.

"This is..."

Jiang Wang has an epiphany.

He reaches out and grabs the silver crescent moon.

His vision goes dark.

In the almost endless darkness, a gentle voice rings out. This voice seems to contain the truth of heaven and earth, the mysteries of the Great Dao, and it makes people feel clear and enlightened upon hearing it.

"Welcome, Lord of the Dongzhen Void Blessed Land!"

In the next moment, a little light appears, and countless points of light appear.Countless lights obscured his vision. When Jiang Wang's sight returned, he saw a brilliant galaxy surging in the vast darkness before him!

And before the galaxy, a youth stood suspended.

This person had bright eyes, a high and straight nose, and an expression so gentle it seemed devoid of aggression. Only his slightly pursed lips revealed a hint of stubbornness. He wore a Daoist robe of unidentifiable material, without any other adornments.

Jiang Wang was stunned.

Because this youth was none other than himself. Although his clothes were different, and he looked much cleaner and fresher than Jiang Wang's current state, how could he mistake himself?

And he was "looking" at himself from an angle he couldn't yet comprehend, in a non-visual sense.

"Dao source feedback insufficient, sealing the nineteenth level of the Evolving Dao Platform."

That gentle voice echoed once more in the vast starry sky.

"Sealing the eighteenth level of the Evolving Dao Platform."

…

"Sealing the second level of the Evolving Dao Platform."

Each time this sentence appeared, the galaxy before him dimmed slightly.

Jiang Wang tried to understand everything he was observing, and then heard:

"Sealing the Third Grade Sword Debate Platform."

"Sealing the Fourth Grade Sword Debate Platform."

As before, it continued until "Sealing the Eighth Grade Sword Debate Platform," before stopping.

Jiang Wang didn't understand the significance of this, but it seemed to be related to his low strength. The so-called "Master of the Dongzhen Ruins Blessed Land" should be Zuo Guanglie, not him.

At the same time, he observed a line of text floating within his field of vision, text he had never seen before.

This text was completely different from the Zhuang Kingdom characters he had learned. It was extremely foreign to him, yet he clearly perceived its meaning.

"Merit: 1,850 points."

As Jiang Wang pondered, the "self" he was "seeing" suddenly took a step forward and merged with him.

The process was so short it was almost negligible. Jiang Wang moved his limbs, and everything felt perfect. In this mysterious world, he finally had a tangible form.

And in the next moment, the stars in the vast void suddenly churned, and an entire brilliant galaxy surged towards him!

He was submerged in the galaxy.

Time seemed to lose its meaning. When Jiang Wang came to his senses, he was in a space filled with immortal aura, and many messages flowed through his mind simultaneously.

This was the world of the Grand Void Illusion. The Dongzhen Ruins Blessed Land he occupied was enveloped within this world.

The silver crescent moon he had grasped was called the Void Key, the key to entering this place. It used the power of the Taiyin Star to pull the host's spiritual sense into the Grand Void Illusion.

Everything here was realistic, and aside from not causing harm to the host's physical body in reality, everything was the same as in reality.

The Evolving Dao Platform was a place for deducing cultivation methods and Daoist arts. The consumption required for deduction was "Merit."

The Sword Debate Platform was dedicated to traversing the Grand Void Illusion and competing with other cultivators.

"Merit" was mostly gained from battle. In battles between those of the same level, victory resulted in Merit gain, while defeat resulted in Merit loss. Challenging those of higher levels yielded corresponding bonuses.

In addition, there were other ways to obtain Merit. For example, corresponding blessed lands would regularly produce "Merit."

Among the seventy-two blessed lands, the lowest-ranked East Sea Mountain Blessed Land produced 100 Merit per month. For the lower thirty-six blessed lands, each level increased Merit production by 10. For the upper thirty-six blessed lands, each level increased Merit production by 100.

The Dongzhen Ruins Blessed Land occupied by Zuo Guanglie was ranked twenty-three, and could produce 1,850 Merit points per month.

This was Jiang Wang's current resource.

Although he didn't yet understand its specific effects, Jiang Wang could already hear his heart pounding fiercely.

This place... this place!

This world of brilliant galaxies seemed to hold a great secret.

The Evolving Dao Platform and Sword Debate Platform alone revealed a vast and turbulent world.

Evolving Dao in the blessed land, debating swords in the galaxy, how magnificent!

And before today, Jiang Wang had never even heard its name.

His emotions surged, until he turned his gaze to a sundial phantom and saw the following line of text:

The master of the blessed land will accept the challenge from the Master of the Twenty-Fourth Azure Jade Altar in fifteen days.

Failure will result in demotion.

Five characters, as black as ink, each word weighing a thousand pounds.