Ever since attaining [Heaven of Carefree], Patriarch Nether Whisper had actually been very low-key. Although he made a move a few times occasionally, his strength had always been quite limited.
His greatest battle record previously was briefly contending with a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator from the Celestial Court.
However, given Patriarch Nether Whisper's aptitude and talent, this degree of progress was obviously a bit low. The inherent defect of the Unorthodox Dao Fruit was the key reason.
But looking at it from another angle.
When the inherent defect of [Heaven of Carefree] as an Unorthodox path was remedied, Patriarch Nether Whisper's accumulation from being low-key until now would immediately have the effect of accumulating strength for an explosive result.
"Let's do it now."
The Righteous Dao Banner fluttered. Patriarch Nether Whisper paced out, his gaze bright, making it hard to look directly at him. He had clearly adjusted his essence, qi, and spirit to their peak state.
Actually, his understanding of himself was very clear. He knew his aptitude was slightly stronger than normal people. Especially after successively absorbing the original bodies of his previous lives, he had developed changes that no one else had. It was no exaggeration to say that he was stronger than his past self.
However, Lu Yang was still worried.
"Patriarch... I understand what you mean. But even if you can obtain a very high stature using this method, what about afterward? How will you stand firm?"
Whether it was a staircase or a road, at least there was a foothold.
But a propulsion rocket?
Flying up was possible, but how to stabilize? If one could reach the Paramita in one go, that would be fine. But if one couldn't reach it and had no place to stand...
Wouldn't that be equivalent to stepping into empty air? It would be fatal!
Thinking of this, Lu Yang looked solemn: "Does the Patriarch have a solution for this aspect?"
Hoho... this child can actually think of this?
As Lu Yang's voice fell, Patriarch Nether Whisper was slightly stunned in his heart, then revealed a look of emotion: To be able to think of this, this child's Dao comprehension has indeed grown.
He's not easy to fool anymore.
For a moment, Patriarch Nether Whisper couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart. There was both the gratification of his disciple's progress and a bit of headache from being scrutinized by his disciple.
After a moment, he whispered: "Proceeding step by step is not my style."
"My Dao lies in comprehension, in enlightenment. Sudden enlightenment one morning, ascending in broad daylight... As long as the Dao comprehension is sufficient, cultivation base, realm, and stature will naturally be achieved in one go."
—This was a lie.
Proceeding step by step certainly had its benefits. With a firm foundation, cultivation would naturally be simpler. It was just that the current Patriarch Nether Whisper was unwilling to do so.
Lu Yang... that child's situation is too poor.
First Sky-Shrouding, then the Old Dragon Lord, then Feixue, then Perfected Lord Gangxing Budao, and in the future, he might even encounter a true Great Perfected Lord.
Surrounded by strong enemies, the whole world against him.
In this situation, whether it was him, Vanquishing-Demon, or Suo Huan, at most they could provide support to Lu Yang, but they couldn't share his worries.
Although Lu Yang never showed any negative emotions because of this, just constantly using his not-so-shrewd brain to scheme and gamble... Patriarch Nether Whisper saw it in his eyes and felt uncomfortable in his heart. How could he allow himself to not keep up with Lu Yang's pace, or even be protected?
That was why there was Suo Huan falsely holding the mid-stage Golden Core level.
That was why there were the two Golden Natures from him and Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon.
However, this was not enough. Patriarch Nether Whisper had long made up his mind. This time, he would not only forge a path but also use this to truly become an aid Lu Yang could use!
This was the reason why Patriarch Nether Whisper acted this way.
Of course, he wasn't a reckless fool either.
"Rest assured."
Patriarch Nether Whisper smiled: "I have long considered this matter. How could I joke with my life? With about eighty percent assurance, it is enough to take the risk."
"..."
Lu Yang frowned.
If it were himself, eighty percent was naturally enough to take the risk. But Patriarch Nether Whisper was different. Without ninety-eight percent assurance, he felt it wasn't steady enough.
"Patriarch... how about reconsidering?"
"No need to reconsider."
Patriarch Nether Whisper shook his head: "Right now, my essence, qi, and spirit are at their peak, and I have just gained some enlightenment. Inspiration is gushing like a spring. Coming back later would actually make me less confident."
"Now is the best time!"
"Ugh..."
Looking at Patriarch Nether Whisper's determined eyes, Lu Yang opened his mouth, understanding the other party's thoughts, and ultimately couldn't say any more words of dissuasion.
So he had to settle for the next best thing:
"Then I will guard the Patriarch."
"Alright."
This time, Patriarch Nether Whisper nodded readily: "I have a premonition... my path forging this time might be relatively rare. The commotion will be a little bit big."
Lu Yang nodded: "I understand."
He was also a decisive person. Once a decision was made, he wouldn't hesitate anymore. After speaking, he turned around and looked at Mu Changsheng: "Fellow Daoist can leave now."
Mu Changsheng was stunned upon hearing this. Patriarch Nether Whisper and Lu Yang's conversation was masked by the Righteous Dao Banner, so he didn't hear a single word. But this didn't hinder him from assessing the situation. Since Lu Yang was chasing people away so obviously, he naturally wouldn't be tactless. He immediately cupped his hands and said: "This subordinate cultivator thanks the Perfected Lord."
As his voice fell, he escaped from the [Sea of Bitterness].
Seeing this, Lu Yang immediately took Patriarch Nether Whisper away from the original spot, walking aimlessly in the [Sea of Bitterness] for most of an hour before stopping.
"Let's do it here."
Lu Yang formed a hand seal, once again deploying the wonders of [Driving Night] and [Black Water]. Combining the two, he created a patch of profound darkness.
Hiding secrets, hiding mysteries, hiding qi.
Outside the dark area, the [Sea of Bitterness] was as usual. All other abnormal movements were hidden inside the darkness, making it difficult for people to deduce the truth.
"Patriarch, let's begin."
Lu Yang stood solemnly. Behind him, the Righteous Dao Banner fluttered. The figures of Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon and Suo Huan also walked out one after another, equally solemn, bringing out their full lineup.
Patriarch Nether Whisper smiled upon seeing this.
"My path forging this time might also add a bit of inspiration for you all. Especially Lu Yang, you have to watch carefully. Ask me anytime if there's anything you don't understand."
Lu Yang was dumbfounded upon hearing this.
What kind of person does the Patriarch take me for? Am I that kind of unlearned fool? I'm just a bit slow, but I'm very diligent!
Otherwise, how could I have achieved what I have today?
Just wait, I guarantee I'll understand everything and won't ask a single question!
On the other side, Patriarch Nether Whisper didn't care about Lu Yang's thoughts. As his voice fell, he concentrated his mind and calmed his qi, casting aside external influences in the blink of an eye.
The next second, [Heaven of Carefree] out!
Patriarch Nether Whisper pinched a hand seal with one hand and gently pressed his glabella with the other. The Niwan Palace opened wide, suddenly surging with a patch of hazy, illusory light and shadow.
Layers of light and shadow, permeating Dao resonance, yet each distinct. Divided into five colors—azure, yellow, red, white, and black—each presenting intense Five Elements aspect qi. Just like that, they expanded continuously. After expanding to the extreme, they suddenly collapsed. The five-colored lights converged into a single point, hovering above Patriarch Nether Whisper's head.
"Go!"
With a shout, that light point, condensed with Five Elements colors and seemingly only mustard-seed size but actually containing vast Mount Sumeru, fell into the [Sea of Bitterness].
Rumble!
At this moment, the water of the [Sea of Bitterness] around the light point began to churn violently. Countless bubbles emerged and burst, as if boiling!
Seeing this scene, Patriarch Nether Whisper narrowed his eyes slightly:
Originally, relying solely on the ability of [Ruyi Heart] to make fantasies come true, it would be impossible to perfectly manifest an Orthodox Dao Fruit... An Unorthodox Dao Fruit would be more like it.
But there are always exceptions to everything.
Thanks to the [Nourishing Life Master], allowing me to read Orthodox Dao Fruit books and understand their conceptual structures... the difficulty of making fantasies come true has dropped significantly.
After all, pure imagination was too difficult. Not only did it require consuming a large amount of mighty power, but even if successful, it would only be superficial thinking, with the internal being completely different. However, if you knew its principles and understood its structure, then using [Ruyi Heart] to conjure it would bring it infinitely close to the real thing.
The first Dao Fruit...
Patriarch Nether Whisper exhaled deeply and selected the first Dao Fruit to conjure. That was once his greatest pain, and at the same time, the Dao Fruit he was most familiar with.
[Wall Earth]!