Although Tianhun had many curses he wanted to spew, under Lu Yang's kind and sincere gaze, he ultimately lowered his head and muttered softly:
"At least don't blow the whole thing up..."
After all, the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool] wasn't completely destroyed. Detonating half of it was about enough; that way, they could at least figure out a way to restore it later.
"Don't worry, I know the limits."
Lu Yang smiled faintly. With a wave of his hand, he stored the [Dao-Conquering Tianhun Diagram] into his sleeve. His eyes, however, were filled with indifference, devoid of any emotion.
Blowing the whole thing up wouldn't be out of the question.
In this life, I'll only be taking the [Arctic Exorcism Court] with me anyway. The [Dao-Conquering Tianhun Diagram] is nice, but it's too difficult to smelt two supreme treasures together.
Even if it were possible, his artifact refining skills weren't up to par.
So he might as well detonate it to solve some thorny troubles in this life. As for this sacrifice, he would keep it firmly in his heart.
I'll compensate you in the next life!
With this thought, Lu Yang felt much better. He then took out a cluster of flowing pill fire from his robes. It was the recovering [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool].
Amidst the pill fire, a pitch-black seed bobbed up and down. As if breathing, it continuously devoured the surrounding pill fire, transforming it into streaks of magnificent illusionary colors. As the light and colors intertwined, the faint image of a towering, sky-blotting tree could be seen freely stretching its branches and leaves upward.
The Divine Wood seed.
This seed, obtained in the [Mingluo Sea of Trees], had already been planted with the concept of the Great Forest Wood by Lu Yang, and was now absorbing nutrients from the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool].
It also yielded an unexpected surprise.
Within the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool], phantoms of light surfaced and shattered in the pill fire like bubbles, carrying the majestic, echoing sounds of scripture recitations and Dao teaching.
This is... scenes of Lord Sisui preaching the Dao in the past!
Dao Lord of the Dharma Body, Sisui.
Hailed by the Ancestral Dragon as the number one prodigy in the Light Sea, in Lu Yang's eyes, he could be considered the person with the highest comprehension before the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak. His talent was virtually unmatched.
His preaching scenes weren't just about the Dharma Body Dao and [Yin-Yang]; they encompassed myriad phenomena. Because it was a tree seed residing in the blood pool, all the preaching scenes emerging right now were related to the Wood element. This was actually propelling Lu Yang's rapid analysis of the [Great Forest Wood]!
I thought it would take another thirty years.
Lu Yang calculated on his fingers, pleasantly surprised.
Looking at it now, it won't take that long. Three years at most... No, the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool] hasn't completely recovered yet, so it should be even faster!
At this thought, a cold light glinted in Lu Yang's eyes.
Speeding up the recovery of the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool] was simple in his view. It was a blood pool; finding a way to toss a few Great Perfected Lords into it should do the trick.
Now I have another reason to completely wipe out Mount Baodu.
It works out perfectly.
If he could toss three Great Perfected Lords into the [Myriad Refinements Blood Pool], restore it to its peak, and then let the Divine Wood seed completely drain this supreme treasure blood pool dry the nurtured [Great Forest Wood] True Treasure would undoubtedly leap to become the strongest among his five True Treasures!
Looking at it now, my chances of Treading the Heavens are actually very high.
Lu Yang reviewed the knowledge regarding the [Long Stairway to Divinity]. This supreme Dao secret was immensely helpful to him, allowing him to truly recognize the direction of his cultivation.
The Grotto-Heaven Method has its pros and cons.
Although the Grotto-Heaven itself has flaws, on the other hand, it also provides a highly universal Planar Creation Method that requires no prerequisites!
Lu Yang had learned a Planar Creation Method before.
In his past life's past life, within the Karmic Scene, he had listened to the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak and the World Honored One discuss the creation of planes. At that time, he was still half-ignorant about it.
But now, he understood.
Whether it's the World Honored One or the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak, the Planar Creation Methods they pioneered carry extremely strong, indelible personal marks.
For example, the Foundation Establishment Realm and the Netherworld.
Both appeared to be planes, but fundamentally they were not the same thing. The Netherworld was on a much higher level, almost qualifying as a minor [Paramita].
By the same logic, I learned the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak's Planar Creation Method. Although I can follow the path and get twice the result with half the effort in the early stages, it will become increasingly difficult later on, until I completely stagnate. Those who learn from me live, those who resemble me die. I would live in the shadow of the First-generation Master of Beast Taming Peak for the rest of my life.
However, the Grotto-Heaven Method was different.
I have to admit, while the Grotto-Heaven Method pioneered by the Primordial Saint Ancestor certainly has a massive pitfall that blatantly severs the Dao paths of future generations, he was also magnanimous in some aspects.
He open-sourced the Grotto-Heaven Method.
Regardless of your comprehension or talent, as long as you follow the Grotto-Heaven Method, you can forge a Grotto-Heaven, and even elevate it into a plane!
This was a Planar Creation Method without any restrictions, usable by anyone. Moreover, there was a successful case—[Sky-shrouding] was the prime example. He used Void Attainment to solve the Grotto-Heaven Method's flaws, took a step further, and advanced to the Heaven Treading Realm. It showed that the Primordial Saint Ancestor didn't leave a trap in this specific aspect.
No, it's not necessarily that he didn't leave a trap.
It's that he didn't want to leave a trap.
If the Grotto-Heaven Method was too rigid, it would inevitably attract variables, making it easier for things to slip out of control. So he might as well intentionally leave a flaw.
A controllable variable.
This might be what the Primordial Saint Ancestor has been pursuing all along: letting [Inevitable Fate] control [Variable]. Perhaps this is also his method of seeking transcendence.
Lu Yang didn't dwell on it further and let out a leisurely sigh.
The Great Dao truly is endless. I thought that by grasping such Dao secrets, there would be few mysteries left in the world. But the more I think about it, the more bewildering the Light Sea seems...
Thinking of this, Lu Yang closed his eyes.
The method for his own advancement to the Heaven Treading Realm had already formed a clear outline.
A Grotto-Heaven... I have one too.
Yellow Court!
This True Treasure was built using his Grotto-Heaven. It possessed all the characteristics of a Grotto-Heaven. By the same logic, it also had the opportunity to be further elevated and transformed into a plane!
Once I gather all five True Treasures and complete the Void Attainment after merging the five Supreme Dao Fruits, the characteristics of the Yellow Court as a Grotto-Heaven will inevitably undergo a qualitative change.
At that time, it will not lose to any Grotto-Heaven that has achieved Five Elements perfection!
This step was the limit of the Grotto-Heaven Method.
The path further up had already been severed.
And to mend the severed path, one had to Void Attain another Dao Fruit capable of patching its flaws, elevate it to the Immortal Bridge level as well, and then fill it into the Grotto-Heaven.
Did he have such a Dao Fruit?
Of course I do! The [Divine Firmament Thunder]!
Also a Dao Fruit that gathered all five elements, the [Divine Firmament Thunder] was simply the most perfect Dao Fruit to patch the flaw. It was a match made in heaven!
If I had to point out a flaw, it would be that the strength of the [Divine Firmament Thunder] isn't high enough yet. But that's fine. I can just emulate Immortal Venerable Taiyin, feed the Dharma Body Dao to the [Divine Firmament Thunder], and then empower it with the [Arctic Exorcism Court]. That way, it will reach the required Immortal Bridge level.
What was even more wonderful—
As long as I send the [Arctic Exorcism Court] outside the Light Sea in this life, the Dao Lords won't be able to see any of this. My advancement will go entirely unnoticed by gods and ghosts alike!
The unknown is the most terrifying.
A Heaven Treading Great Perfected Lord hiding in the shadows carried enough weight to even surpass [Sky-shrouding], becoming a variable capable of prying open the entire Light Sea!