The first Dao Fruit appeared.
Right above the light point Patriarch Nether Whisper placed into the [Sea of Bitterness], layers of palaces emerged, relying on beams and pillars, erecting doors and households, interweaving into a grand hall.
[Wall Earth]!
Patriarch Nether Whisper was all too familiar with this Dao Fruit. Previously in the [Nourishing Life Master], he had read its Dao Fruit book in detail, so he had the greatest assurance in conjuring it.
At this moment, it was just as he expected.
Quite stable...
Patriarch Nether Whisper concentrated on sensing, seeing the illusions of the palace hall constantly piling up. The rich Earth-element colors gave him a heaviness like a mountain.
With such an appearance, the essence of pure imagination could not be seen at all. Even if it were taken out for others to identify now, if it were a Perfected Lord who didn't understand the Earth element well enough, they might even mistake the Dao Fruit. Patriarch Nether Whisper's conjuration was just that lifelike, completely capable of passing off the fake as the real.
This was just the beginning.
"The second one, [Wellspring Water] is selected."
Patriarch Nether Whisper skillfully changed hand seals. [Wellspring Water] was undoubtedly the second Dao Fruit he was most familiar with, after all, he had once replicated it one-to-one.
Soon, the sound of water rang out.
Spring water ding-donged, crisp and melodious, guiding [Wall-Top Earth] below. Water carrying earth quality, instantly causing Water-element brilliance intense to the extreme to bloom.
Meanwhile, Lu Yang, not far away, swallowed his saliva upon seeing this.
Why... has the Stature not changed?
Whether it was [Wall Earth] or [Wellspring Water], the wonders and concepts were no different from the real ones, yet Patriarch Nether Whisper's Stature did not improve.
Is it because only the wonders and concepts were imagined?
Or is it that imagination is ultimately built upon [Heaven of Carefree],and the Patriarch's judgment was wrong, unable to use this method of stepping on the left foot with the right foot to improve stature?
Questions surged into his heart one by one.
However, Lu Yang held back. Not only did he not voice his doubts, but he instead revealed an expression of sudden realization and nodded solemnly.
I cannot disturb the Patriarch's train of thought...
However, the next second, Patriarch Nether Whisper's voice drifted over faintly:
"Didn't understand, did you?"
Lu Yang: "..."
Who said that? Who said I didn't understand? It's mainly because I didn't activate [Supreme Dao Transformation], so my peerless talent wasn't fully utilized.
How could I not understand?
Lu Yang pursed his lips tightly and whispered: "Patriarch, don't get distracted. Just focus on forging the path."
Deny it!
Forging a path was such a serious matter, concerning the Dao path. Moreover, Patriarch Nether Whisper's method carried immense risk. How could he be distracted just to answer questions?
"I knew you didn't understand."
Patriarch Nether Whisper didn't care at all, instead chuckling: "The reason stature isn't improving isn't because I don't want to, but because I truly can't."
"These conjured Dao Fruits are essentially borrowing the Stature of [Heaven of Carefree]. No matter how many are conjured, it's actually just dividing the original stature."
"This is also my regret."
"Even if improved to the level of an Orthodox Dao Fruit, [Heaven of Carefree] is still insufficient to imagine stature out of thin air... Perhaps it's only possible by becoming a Supreme Dao Fruit."
Hearing this, Lu Yang finally couldn't hold back:
"But Patriarch... without improving stature, what is the meaning of this move?"
"It will have to be improved in the end, just not now." Patriarch Nether Whisper explained: "Now is laying the foundation, crucial for forging the path."
"Watch carefully."
Lu Yang dared not slack off upon hearing this and immediately observed carefully.
Immediately after, Patriarch Nether Whisper suddenly sped up the hand seal movements. Light and shadow changed, and three more brilliance colors emerged from [Heaven of Carefree] successively.
[Overturned Lamp Flame]!
[Pomegranate Wood]!
[White Wax Gold]!
Three Dao Fruits, all of which Lu Yang had mastered or possessed corresponding Dao comprehension for. At the same time, they were also Dao Fruits Patriarch Nether Whisper had studied privately for a long time.
"My situation is very special."
"For me, these conjured Dao Fruits are just appearances; the internal is all [Heaven of Carefree]. So when combined, there's no need to worry about matching."
"So rather than whether there are conflicts between Dao Fruits, I am more concerned about whether I understand the Dao Fruits well enough. The more I understand a Dao Fruit, the better the conjured effect, and ultimately the better the effect of forging the path... Hmm, up to now, the preparation work is about done."
Speaking up to here, Patriarch Nether Whisper suddenly chuckled:
"So that's how it is!"
"Throughout history, I should be the first to attempt forging a path like this. Interesting, I have a feeling... Lu Yang, I have realized the key to the First Grade."
Lu Yang was stunned for a moment upon hearing this.
Holy shit... realized just like that?!
At this moment, he really suspected if he looked like a monkey in Patriarch Nether Whisper's eyes. Key to the First Grade, realized so easily?
Then why didn't I realize it?
Regarding this, Lu Yang quickly thought of the answer: First, it's definitely not that I didn't work hard enough, so it must be that the [Book of a Hundred Lifetimes] didn't work hard enough!
The next second, before he could ask, Patriarch Nether Whisper continued: "When seeking Golden core at the peak of Foundation Establishment, a ritual needs to be set up to attract the attention of the Dao Fruit. And a First Grade Perfected Lord... is the same principle! Through a Grand Ritual compatible with the Dao Fruit, complete the control and sublimation of the Dao Fruit Wonder!"
"Different people will have different rituals."
"For example, Perfected Lord Qingcheng Feixue, her ritual should be related to [Number One in Combat for Five Thousand Years], while [Sky-Shrouding] is related to his origin."
"Haven't you noticed?"
"So far, only [Sky-Shrouding] is special. Gender unknown, appearance unknown, name unknown, origins are a blank."
"This is obviously abnormal."
"Combined with the concept of [Great Forest Wood], I estimate this might be what he looks like now... it is the result of the ritual used to sublimate the Dao Fruit Wonder."
"But I am the same now."
The more Patriarch Nether Whisper spoke, the brighter his eyes became: "At this moment, I am creating a path unprecedented in history. This matter itself is a Grand Ritual!"
"Once successful, I can imprint myself into heaven and earth, completing the sublimation of the Dao Fruit Wonder."
"No, that's wrong, not heaven and earth... it should be the entire void and sea of light!"
"Because this is the Immortal Nexus, the center of the sea of light. The sublimation of Dao Fruit Wonder is a feat that can only be achieved in the Immortal Nexus."
Cultivators of the Immortal Nexus were truly superior!
Patriarch Nether Whisper said so much, but only one sentence rang true and clear to Lu Yang: Once the path forging succeeds, the Patriarch can complete the sublimation of the Dao Fruit Wonder.
What was this?
This was First Grade!
Sudden enlightenment one morning, ascending in broad daylight... The Patriarch really didn't lie to me. If successful this time, he will immediately be a First Grade Perfected Lord comparable to the current me!
Wasn't this a huge profit?
Even barely stepping on the threshold of First Grade now, Lu Yang dared to toy [Sky-Shrouding] like a dog. If there was another First Grade Patriarch holding the line...
He would go hunt [Sky-Shrouding] tomorrow!
Rumble!
At this moment, the tide of the [Sea of Bitterness] caused by Patriarch Nether Whisper could no longer be held back. Lu Yang also gave up, because the ritual needed to sense heaven and earth.
If blocked, how to sense?
At the same time, he also understood another thing: With such a big movement from Patriarch Nether Whisper, Perfected Lords would inevitably be attracted. At that time, it would be his turn to act.
This is also a tribulation.
There is an old saying: those who attain the Dao have much help, while those who lose the Dao have little help. This sentence should actually be understood in reverse when applied to cultivation: only those with much help can attain the Dao!
Just like now.
Forging a Great Dao, setting up a ritual, sensing heaven and earth. If there wasn't a fellow Daoist worth entrusting life and death to act as a guardian of the Dao, failure would be an almost predestined outcome!
So the more helpers, the easier it was to succeed.
Thinking of this, the figure of [Sky-Shrouding] surfaced in Lu Yang's heart again. Obviously, that evil old ghost couldn't have anyone guarding him.
Yet he still completed the sublimation of the Dao Fruit. Even Void Attainment couldn't stump him.
Just by himself? How did he do it?
...Number One Perfected Lord in the World.
Although by now he could stand up to the other party as an equal, he had to admit that the higher the cultivation base, the more he understood this title.