“How wondrous it is,” murmured Dongbo Xueying. He had walked countless times throughout his life, upon roads and across the earth, yet never before had he felt the ‘earth’ to be so intoxicating.
It was vast and boundless.
It was like the chest of a loving parent.
It was the very foundation of the entire world—where grass and trees grew, where fragrant blossoms filled gardens, where birds soared, and streams trickled. All these were but embellishments upon the earth. The earth gained vitality from all living things, while all living things found support and grounding through the earth, no longer mere illusions floating in the sky.
“Earth.”
“World.”
Dongbo Xueying closed his eyes.
His heart focused entirely on feeling. Although he had seen the earth nearly every day before, only today did he truly discover the ‘beauty’ of the earth. Its beauty lay not only in every grain of soil and stone, but in the countless grains that together formed the boundless land!
“A single grain of sand may seem insignificant, but when countless grains gather, they become the very foundation of all—The Earth!”
…
The black-robed youth sat cross-legged atop a snowy mountain peak, immersed in the endless beauty of the earth.
Tiny specks of earth-yellow light began to appear and swirl around him.
These countless lights…
Felt like the warmth within a mother’s womb, embracing everything.
Clearly, Dongbo Xueying’s ‘Mystery of Earth’ had now entered the first stage of the ‘Myriad Things Realm.’
Any mystery of the myriad things was immensely profound, and could be explored from countless perspectives.
Some delved into the ‘Mystery of Space,’ first grasping the aspect of instantaneous movement, like Puyang Bo. Others first grasped the ‘Shadow Space’ aspect, like Yu Feng. Some grasped the ‘Spatial Blade’ aspect, like Zhang Peng!
The same principle applied.
The entry into the ‘Mystery of Earth’ also had many different directions.
Dongbo Xueying’s first realization was the ‘Inclusiveness and Support’ within the ‘Mystery of Earth’—supporting and embracing everything.
…
He sat atop the snowy mountain for half a month, snow piling upon his body until he resembled a snowman. Clearly, his first awakening had completely immersed him in this wondrous feeling. The mutual reinforcement of the four elements—earth, fire, water, and wind—further accelerated Dongbo Xueying’s enlightenment.
“Boom!” The snow suddenly exploded outward in all directions.
Dongbo Xueying stood there.
“Never did I expect that I would seamlessly elevate the Mystery of Earth to the second stage of the Myriad Things Realm,” Dongbo Xueying said, somewhat surprised. His mastery of the Mystery of Fire had taken roughly seven years to progress from the first to the second stage, while the Mystery of Water had taken only one or two years, and the Mystery of Wind even less! Yet this time, the Mystery of Earth advanced even faster!
This was mainly because the four mysteries blended together effortlessly.
He had chosen the right path, so naturally his progress was extremely efficient.
Back then, sensing that rigidity led to fragility, he had realized the Mystery of Water. The combination of water and fire had come naturally.
Feeling that he lacked agility and transformation, he had realized the Mystery of Wind. Because it was precisely what he lacked, its integration had also been effortless.
And this time, the Mystery of Earth he had realized was one of inclusiveness and support—it could naturally embrace and support all things, including water, fire, and wind! With mutual reinforcement, his progress had been rapid, and the integration had already begun to take shape.
Another factor… was that after entering the Saintly Realm, his soul had grown stronger, naturally enhancing his rate of enlightenment!
“I wonder if this will affect the balance of the Prototype of the ‘Ultimate Piercing Truth,'” Dongbo Xueying frowned inwardly. This was his greatest concern.
Although he felt deep down that it should be fine.
Without confirmation, it remained uncertain.
The fusion of mysteries was not simply a matter of quantity. The rare balance of Water, Fire, and Wind had formed the ‘Ultimate Piercing.’ Adding another mystery might be redundant, even potentially disrupting the balance and destroying the Prototype of this truth! Although theoretically, ‘Ultimate’ was the beginning and end of all things, and as long as the fusion was done well, the balance should hold.
But that was merely theory!
Knowing the theory did not mean one could achieve it. Everyone knew of ‘Space-Time,’ but how many had truly mastered it?
“Let’s test it.”
Dongbo Xueying continued walking, descending from the snowy mountain and treading upon the earth.
He traveled through various regions, passing through villages and observing the lives of people in cities.
Walking among them, yet feeling as if he stood apart.
This sense of solitude…
Dongbo Xueying found a quiet joy within. In the scrolls of semi-divine knowledge, he had once read a passage: “Only in solitude does the soul emit the light of wisdom. To follow the crowd and echo others’ voices will shroud the soul in dust, obscuring its wisdom. Solitude… gradually clarifies the soul, making it as clear and pure as crystal, naturally giving rise to wisdom.”
At this moment, Dongbo Xueying found himself increasingly agreeing with these words.
In his youth, he had devoted himself wholeheartedly to spear techniques, ignoring all worldly affairs within Xueshi Castle, practicing like a madman, and his skills advanced rapidly. Later, in the bamboo hut, he practiced alone, not even needing servants.
Only when he entered Xiadu City and was selected into the Chiyun Mountain World had he been influenced and even scolded by Master Sikong Yang and Master Gong Yu! During that time, he had indeed felt hesitation and confusion, questioning his inner self repeatedly, reading countless scrolls… until he finally solidified his resolve, disregarding Master Sikong Yang’s reprimands, and steadfastly walking his own path.
The path, though lonely, was one he embraced willingly. Clearly, after fully dedicating himself and avoiding any distractions, his progress accelerated, until he finally grasped the Prototype of the ‘Ultimate Piercing Truth’ during a battle on the ascent path.
And after returning home…
Traveling through various places, observing the lives of countless mortals, this was true solitude! His soul, having entered the Saintly Realm, became even clearer, and he finally found a mystery he had long lacked—the ‘Mystery of Earth!’
This mystery of embracing and supporting all things was precisely what he needed!
“Crunch, crunch.” Standing beside a hilly area in the northern part of Anyang Province, a group of bandits lay dead around him, while a few surviving members of a merchant caravan remained, still shaken.
“Thank you, noble sir, for saving our lives.”
“Thank you, noble sir.”
The surviving merchants included elderly people, young men, and even children. After all, on long journeys, some families traveled with the caravan for greater safety.
“Take the weapons from these bandits and reach the city ahead as soon as possible,” Dongbo Xueying said. With a flash, he vanished into the nearby mountains. The power he displayed was merely at the level of a Silver Moon Knight. As a transcendent being searching for demon traces, he had to remain cautious, for demons were also hunting them.
On the mountaintop.
Standing atop the peak, Dongbo Xueying gazed down at the retreating merchant caravan, shaking his head inwardly: “Bandits plague every corner, the common folk struggle to survive. I know this is for the good of the Xia Clan, yet I still feel uneasy.”
From countless scrolls, he understood.
The Xia Clan’s survival in this mortal world had come through countless trials. Thus, the Xia Clan must ensure that the common people, the majority, face hardships like banditry, so that they would not grow complacent. This would drive some to enlist in the military, learn martial arts, or even strive to become mages. Through countless life-and-death trials, they would grow stronger.
If everything were peaceful and comfortable, few would choose the path of hardship. The number of transcendent beings born to the Xia Clan would sharply decline, and the clan would gradually weaken, eventually losing its dominion over the mortal world, even facing annihilation!
“I hope that in the future, my Xia Clan will forever flourish, and countless mortals will no longer suffer such hardships,” Dongbo Xueying silently vowed. Lord Dongbo Lie and Lady Qing Shi had always treated the commoners kindly, imposing nearly the lowest taxes in their domain and striving to protect their safety. Thus, Lord Dongbo Lie and Lady Qing Shi were deeply beloved. Dongbo Xueying, having grown up witnessing this, also hoped for a better life for the common people.
“Whoosh.”
With a casual flick of his finger, Dongbo Xueying pierced through layers of space, as if vanishing for an instant before reappearing a foot away.
Ultimate Piercing!
A faint smile appeared on Dongbo Xueying’s face: “Indeed, it hasn’t disrupted the balance.”
The fusion of earth, fire, water, and wind had undergone repeated adjustments, finally reaching a state of perfection in Dongbo Xueying’s heart.
“Now, the ‘Ultimate Piercing’ seems even more stable, and its power has increased by about thirty percent,” Dongbo Xueying estimated. Though a mere thirty percent increase still placed it as a second-grade Prototype, the slight enhancement was trivial.
The important part was that the fusion of earth, fire, water, and wind had not destroyed the Prototype of ‘Ultimate Piercing’—a second-grade truth, equal in level to a complete ‘Spatial Truth.’ Now merely a Prototype, once the complete Ultimate Piercing Truth was mastered, it would be a qualitative leap, a true ascent to the heavens! Although Dongbo Xueying pursued the ultimate perfection of spear techniques, he would have been heartbroken to lose a second-grade truth.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage