The Purple Bamboo Forest was serene, undisturbed by any visitors. The bamboo stalks shimmered with a violet glow, their leaves smooth and radiant, exuding a faint purple mist.
Beside the pebble-laid path, a babbling stream flowed over the translucent, jade-like roots of the bamboo, occasionally producing a melodious *ding-dong* sound, pleasant to the ear.
Shi Hao sat quietly, carefully examining the object in his hand, deep in thought about the path he should take moving forward.
Could these items truly pave his way toward cultivating the Ancient Method?
He had no idea what this peculiar seed truly was, nor what exactly it harbored within. Back then, Qi Daolin had merely mentioned it might contain Immortal Gold or similar treasures.
Strictly speaking, he still had a choice—he didn’t necessarily have to follow the Ancient Method. The Modern Method lay ahead as an alternative.
He had achieved the unprecedented feat of forming a single, unparalleled Heavenly Passage. If he disregarded the lack of a perfect seed, he could abandon the Ancient Method and steadfastly pursue the Modern Path.
Yet, Shi Hao felt a twinge of reluctance. He yearned to first cultivate the Ancient Method, then train in the Modern Method, allowing both to flourish in tandem, learning from each other to achieve true mastery.
His ambitions were vast—not born of arrogance, but of necessity. The beings from the Other Shore were too powerful. They had defeated the ancestors of the Immortal Ancient Era, even slain immortals!
The brutal reality was chilling, instilling fear and awe. Only greater strength could stand against them.
Shi Hao craved power. He wished to stand among the strongest, atop the highest peaks, ensuring his survival and a chance of victory in the coming war against the Other Shore.
A grand battlefield awaited, where true immortals would descend, clashing with the undying beings of the previous era. Just the thought of it set Shi Hao’s blood boiling—that would be the ultimate battle!
He refused to be mere fodder, a speck of dust in history. He wanted to live, to fight in that war, to protect his loved ones and friends!
If possible, he hoped to overturn fate, rewrite history, and emerge victorious—not witness another era of decline, another world reduced to silence.
Shi Hao stored away the scriptures, the Great Luo Sword Embryo, and the *Primordial True Interpretation*, leaving only the seed behind. It continued to shift in size, wreathed in chaotic mist.
This seed was unclassifiable, its rank unknown. He harbored doubts—could it truly serve as a seed for Dao Fusion?
*”Should I cultivate the Modern Method first, then the Ancient Method?”* Shi Hao murmured to himself. Without a suitable seed, this might be his only option.
Yet, the Modern Method required rare treasures to break through limits. He still remembered how the Willow God had aided him in forming his unique Heavenly Passage by dripping its essence.
Even now, as the Sacred Academy suggested, the best supplements were the heartblood of a True Dragon or the extreme-strength blood of a Heavenly Horned Ant—precious resources to unlock divine treasures within the body.
Did the Celestial Academy possess such things?
Shi Hao knew the academy had impure Phoenix blood, but it had been nearly exhausted. What he needed now was the purest essence!
Without waiting ten days, Shi Hao sought an audience with the Grand Elder that very day. He couldn’t afford to waste time—every moment was precious.
The Grand Elder’s dwelling was unremarkable—not a spiritual mountain nor a divine grove, but a stretch of marshland.
A simple thatched hut stood there, devoid of grand Dao resonance or immortal aura.
Around the hut lay scattered mud ponds, unconnected yet encircling the area, where occasional loaches and dragonfish could be seen.
The Grand Elder, clad in coarse hemp robes, sat upon a brown boulder, holding a bamboo fishing rod, leisurely angling in silence.
Shi Hao bowed but did not disturb him, waiting patiently as he noticed something tugging at the line.
The bait was exquisite—a fragrant Saint Herb, glowing faintly. Were it not submerged, its aroma would be overwhelming.
Shi Hao was stunned. What creature warranted such a luxurious bait?
The rod dipped—something had bitten. The Grand Elder lifted it gently, revealing a creature clinging stubbornly to the Saint Herb.
It was a white turtle, about a foot long, its shell like mutton-fat jade. Strangely, its head resembled a tiger’s, unlike any ordinary turtle. Its tail, over a meter long, resembled a serpent’s.
*Is this even a turtle?* Shi Hao’s eyes flashed with recognition. *”This is… an Eight Treasures Turtle?”*
*”Indeed, this glutton ruins my fishing mood,”* the Grand Elder chuckled, tossing the snow-white tiger-headed turtle back into the marsh.
*”Eight Treasures Turtle—what a supreme tonic!”* Shi Hao wiped his drool unceremoniously. This creature was legendary, one of the Eight Rare Delicacies of the Primordial Era, unmatched in flavor.
Beyond its taste, it was renowned as the ultimate blood-replenishing agent. For those with withered vitality, it served as a miraculous restorative, reversing decay.
Elderly cultivators coveted it—though it couldn’t halt the aging of the soul, it nourished the flesh, delaying frailty.
Shi Hao never expected such a treasure in this marsh. No wonder the Grand Elder used Saint Herbs as bait—it was worth it.
Yet, why release it?
*”What I seek isn’t this creature, but something from a hidden grotto. That one is far more cunning—years of fishing, and it still eludes me,”* the Grand Elder said, reading his thoughts.
Shi Hao was stunned. Something rarer and more valuable than an Eight Treasures Turtle?
He recalled rumors upon arriving at the Celestial Academy—the entire institution was built atop ruins, with an immortal’s grotto lying dormant beneath, awaiting unlocking.
Now it made sense. This marsh must connect to that grotto!
No wonder the Grand Elder resorted to fishing—even he couldn’t breach that grotto directly.
*”You’ve come quickly. Have you decided your path?”* the Grand Elder asked.
*”Yes,”* Shi Hao nodded solemnly. *”I wish to master both the Ancient and Modern Methods!”*
The Grand Elder’s eyes gleamed sharply as he looked up for the first time. His aged, white-haired visage exuded a terrifying pressure—brief but overwhelming.
For that instant, Shi Hao felt as though he’d traversed hell and back. His blood froze, his mind blanked, as if facing one of the Ten Calamities reborn.
*”Your ambition is not small,”* the Grand Elder remarked, his tone softening.
*”Because I know this era may wither again, all life extinguished! I refuse to accept that. You refuse it. All beings of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths refuse it. The only thing we can do is start with ourselves—I must grow stronger, I must change this!”* Shi Hao’s voice was low, resolute.
*”The Ancient Method requires a Dao Seed. For one of your talent, lacking a supreme seed would be a pity,”* the Grand Elder said.
Shi Hao frowned. *”I assumed the academy kept me here to help me find one.”*
He had indeed hoped so, especially after seeing the Grand Elder fish, realizing the potential of the grotto beneath.
*”There is a grotto below, but no guarantee of a supreme seed. Even in the Immortal Ancient Era, such things were exceedingly rare,”* the Grand Elder sighed.
*”I’ve prepared a seed of my own, though I’m unsure if it’s suitable,”* Shi Hao said, producing the seed shrouded in chaos.
*”Hmm. This seed is intriguing—unformed, still growing, nurturing the essence of heaven and earth!”* The Grand Elder’s gaze deepened, as if piercing the abyss.
*”Grand Elder, what do you think of it?”* Shi Hao asked.
*”Extraordinary. Precious. But it’s still maturing—who knows how long it will take?”* The Grand Elder valued it highly and inquired where Shi Hao had obtained it.
After Shi Hao explained, he added, *”Initially, I considered usurping its role, using this embryonic world to nurture myself rather than waiting for it to mature and fuse with me.”*
*”An interesting thought—aligned with the Dao Fusion method I intend to teach you. It might just work,”* the Grand Elder’s eyes blazed with intensity.
Shi Hao was startled. That had been an earlier idea—he hadn’t yet decided.
*”How many peerless seeds exist in this world? Few, since antiquity. The Immortal Academy’s discoveries were sealed away by the ancients—otherwise, they’d be impossible to find!”* the Grand Elder said.
He had scoured the realms but failed to find a perfect seed. The Boundary Tomb held some, like the Myriad Dao Tree and the Heavenly Seed, but they were guarded, untouchable.
Thus, supreme seeds were beyond rare.
Driven by this, the Grand Elder had scoured ancient texts, seeking an alternative path.
And he had found one—though it was broken.
*”Without a supreme seed, make your body the seed—refine your true self!”*
Shi Hao was shocked. *Using oneself as the seed?* No reliance on external treasures, forging the body into the Dao, unifying the soul, evolving the true self.
Was that possible? The reason for choosing seeds like the Yin-Yang Seed, the World Tree Sapling, or the Cosmic Embryo was their innate perfection—they were born as the Dao!
Only by fusing with them could one tread the supreme path, achieving invincibility.
But to surpass cosmic seeds, the Myriad Dao Tree, or the Heavenly Seed with one’s own body?
*”Did anyone succeed in the Immortal Ancient Era?”* Shi Hao asked.
*”All failed—either crippled themselves or perished in the attempt,”* the Grand Elder replied calmly.
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