"The Nascent Soul is the truth of the limitless, the essence of Yin and Yang and the five elements. It gathers the primordial essence of the Heavenly Father, harmonizes with the qi of the Earthly Mother's palace, entrusting its thoughts to heaven and earth, mutually merging together. Comprehending the wondrous method of the Dao, when the work of preservation and nourishment is complete, the essence of yin and yang and the five elements becomes one's nature, while the true essence is what in human beings, is called destiny. When these two merge, only then does the Nascent Soul come into being."
[Sky-Shrouding] calmed his mind and regulated his breath, entering a state of deep meditation.
"Various cultivation methods do not elaborate on the secrets of the Nascent Soul. Only this passage has been handed down. Its essential meaning is nothing more than the combination of Nature and Life to attain the Nascent Soul."
However, each lineage had its own method.
When it came to actual practice, they were all distinct. For the Dharma Body Dao, Spiritual Power Dao, and Dao Arts Dao, the Nascent Soul meant thoroughly occupying a Great Dao, then borrowing that Dao to ascend.
But what about the Grotto-Heaven Method?
How exactly did the Saint Sect Ancestral Master, the Sword Pavilion Dao Lord, and the Dao Court Dao Lord attain their Nascent Souls back then? These secrets were buried in the depths of history.
Only the World Honored One stood apart. His true attainment of the Dao occurred five thousand years ago. For Him at that time, his path was undoubtedly the most brilliant plan for ascension.
One hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred years ago was the great war of the six Dao Lords. In such a stalemate, the moment one side was about to birth a new Dao Lord to step onto the Paramita and break the balance, a Dao Lord from the opposing side would undoubtedly intervene to interrupt. To attain the Dao under those conditions was virtually impossible.
So, the World Honored One bypassed the problem.
He did not attain the Dao in the past. He attained the Dao five thousand years ago, then fed that achievement back into the past, rendering the Dao Lords of old powerless to stop His path to the Nascent Soul.
Of course, this was not without its flaws.
[Sky-Shrouding] did not know how much effort the Saint Sect Ancestor had invested in this, but this method of attainment had caused an indelible loss to the World Honored One's foundation.
The reason was simple: other Dao Lords attained the Dao countless eons ago, making it nearly impossible to trace their origins. While the World Honored One's span of five thousand years was far too short and too easily altered by others.
Naturally, the World Honored One had made repairs.
He severed time, creating a false-history and turning the past where He attained the Dao into an abandoned timeline, henceforth unreachable by others.
Pity... The plan was sound, but the Saint Sect Ancestor would never allow the World Honored One to be perfect and flawless. He had to ensure he held a leash on the World Honored One, so the entrance to the false-history remained hidden within the Saint Sect. This was the World Honored One's weakness. If that false-history were ever to return, the World Honored One's Nascent Soul position would become unstable!
Therefore, [City Rampart Earth] was the World Honored One's exclusive, forbidden territory.
The fundamental wonder of [Rampart Earth]—[Commanding Past and Present]—was inherently a supreme wonder capable of changing the causes of the past to influence the effect of the future.
If [City Rampart Earth] were attained by someone else, and that party grasped the secret of the World Honored One's attainment and managed to enter the false-history... the World Honored One's Nascent Soul position could fall at any moment!
Consequently, [City Rampart Earth] could not be lost.
If it were to be attained, it could only be done by Pure Land Buddhist cultivators. Thus came the plan for the [Buddhist Kingdom on Earth], using [City Rampart Earth] as the standard to realize a False-Holding Nascent Soul.
For the World Honored One, the False-Holding Nascent Soul itself wasn't the goal. The priority was using the [Buddhist Kingdom on Earth] to find a guardian for [City Rampart Earth], ensuring this Dao Fruit would never fall into the hands of outsiders. Secondly, he could use the False-Holding Nascent Soul incarnation to seek benefits for His main body.
"Simply a genius."
[Sky-Shrouding] savored this forbidden knowledge carefully. These were truths he had witnessed with his own eyes five thousand years ago; some had even been told to him personally by the World Honored One.
Only, he had kept them all sealed away.
At the same time, he understood his relationship with the World Honored One. It wasn't the nightmare he once feared—the "Hey! I am merely the World Honored One's incarnation" scenario.
Rather, it was the exact opposite. This relationship was something he had earned himself!
[Sky-Shrouding] lowered his eyelids, pondering: If nothing unexpected happens, the World Honored One will stand on my side this time. This is crucial.
Seeking the Nascent Soul was not a blind pursuit. As a mere lower cultivator—a frog in a well—how could he see the vastness of the heavens? Without the support of a Dao Lord, seeking the Nascent Soul was empty talk.
The Saint Sect Ancestror was too profound and unpredictable. His support was hollow; no one could fathom his true purpose. What if he was merely using [Sky-Shrouding]? But the World Honored One was different. As the weakest among the Dao Lords, He was eager to find Himself an ally.
Of course, the premise was that [Sky-Shrouding] could not go to the Paramita.
The quota for the Paramita was limited. There were only so many dishes; if one more person joined the feast, everyone else would have to eat less. No one wanted that.
But if he sought the Netherworld instead, there would be no conflict.
Thinking of this, a smile finally surfaced on [Sky-Shrouding]'s face. Everything was proceeding according to plan. Yet these were all external factors.
In the end, seeking the Method and seeking the Dao was a search for oneself. No matter how well the environment was prepared, if one was incompetent or lacked the foundation and comprehension, it would be as futile as trying to draw water with a bamboo basket.
Rumble!
With that thought, [Sky-Shrouding] immediately threw [Heavenly River Water] into the abyss. The Void Attainment Great Dao beneath his feet surged forward once more.
He strode onward.
"Using the Void Attainment Dao to devour Dao Fruits and nourish oneself to ascend to the Paramita... Devouring after gathering all Five Elements Dao Fruits would have yielded the best effect."
"What a pity."
Three elements were still lacking.
While pondering, [Sky-Shrouding] held [Great Forest Wood] in his hand. He had played with this fruit for countless years until it was almost integrated with him. The fruit trembled slightly.
He did not hesitate.
[Great Forest Wood] was a fine tool, but it was not his true path. Everyone is just acting a part; did you really think you were my true love?
"Goodbye."
Before his voice faded, [Great Forest Wood] was decisively cast into the Void Attainment Great Dao. Instantly, the path erupted with a dazzling brilliance!
This time, the Great Dao rooted itself deeply within the Netherworld. [Sky-Shrouding] moved stealthily along the path until he faintly saw a mass of gray color deep in the extreme depths of the Netherworld, beating like a heart. Within it, the illusory scene of a palace was visible.
That was the Netherworld Core! Or rather, the original [Netherworld] Dao Fruit.
As long as he gained control of it, the Netherworld's current volume would effectively elevate him to the Paramita, making him the equal of the Dao Lords!
Thump! Thump! Thump!
At this moment, even with [Sky-Shrouding]'s hardened temperament, he felt a surge of nervousness and excitement. He could hear the drumming of his own heart.
So far, everything had gone smoothly. He wasn't surprised; this success was the result of eons of planning and countless nights of hardship.
I, [Sky-Shrouding], have reached this day by relying entirely on my talent and hard work! It is all that I deserve!
However, his preparations—the foundation of countless years—were exhausted at this final step. He was still a considerable distance from the Netherworld Core.
All because he lacked enough Dao Fruits!
[Sky-Shrouding] gritted his teeth. If I had all five elements, I could have closed this distance by half, vastly increasing my chances!
Now, the remaining gap made his nerves tingle. The Void Attainment Great Dao had stopped; it could extend no further. This last step depended entirely on his lifelong cultivation to "jump" across. If he succeeded, he would formally enter the Dao Lord Realm.
If he failed, he would fall into the boundless abyss, his body becoming mere filler for the Netherworld.
If it were only this, it would be fine...
[Sky-Shrouding] looked up. Letting me act freely this whole time... they must be waiting for this moment. Waiting for me to jump before they strike.
In that moment of flight, he would have no Great Dao beneath his feet. The Dao Lords would only need a gentle push to turn his lifelong efforts into nothingness.
The timing is about right.
Does that little bastsrd not plan to come out yet? Is he really that composed?
A sense of expectation rose within [Sky-Shrouding]. In this moment of life and death, there ought to be a Dharma Body Dao Perfected Lord who wished to remain anonymous stepping forward to attract the firepower!
(End of Chapter)